Constructing Time and Space and Transcending Boundaries in Long-Distance Relationships

Globalization, the economic crisis, fast travel, and modern communication devices have facilitated the proliferation of long-distance relationships (LDRs). As LDRs deviate from temporal, spatial conventions and some social norms, they provide an opportunity to study the social construction of time, space, norms, and boundaries. To understand the rigidity and permeability of different kinds of boundaries, I conducted qualitative interviews with both married and unmarried couples in LDRs, as well as partners who lived in the same country and were of the same nationality, and partners who lived in two different countries and differed in their nationality (20 couples, 40 individuals total). I used social constructionism, cognitive sociology, symbolic interactionism, and ethnomethodology, and applied grounded theory methods. In LDRs the boundary between distance and intimacy was blurred, often in a sociomental space. By using technology participants diminished the significance of separate time zones, shared synchronized activities, and increased solidarity. As long as couples spent time together, separate physical locations became irrelevant. Borders between countries created a less fluid boundary than distance because of bureaucratic obstacles (e.g., visas). Marriage and children turned out to be the most rigid boundaries. Most respondents considered marriage and coresidence to be essential goals. Many also assumed that children required two parents and coresidence. Gender did not make a significant difference in time devoted to the relationship and visits. However, women were more likely than men to relocate. I also found that boundaries were used in exercising agency, creating solidarity, and shifting norms

Innovative Ways of Exploring Love: A Book Review of Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari (with Eric Klinenberg).

This is a book review, so there is no abstract

Book Review of Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone

Review of Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone, by Eric Klinenberg. New York: Penguin Books, 2013

Book Review of Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking is Undermining America

Book Review of Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking is Undermining America by Barbara Ehrenreich (Picador, 2010)

Empathy in Danger: Book Review of Reclaiming Conversation by Sherry Turkle

No abstract, as it is a book review

Charakterisierung verschleißmindernder Hartstoff-Viellagenschichten und Optimierung ihrer mechanischen Eigenschaften durch Untersuchung der Nanostruktur

Es wurden die Zusammenhänge zwischen den Herstellungsbedingungen und dem nanostrukturellen Aufbau von Multischichten, mit Rücksicht auf das mechanische Verhalten aufgeklärt. Dazu wurden durch plasmaunterstützte Gasphasenabscheidung (PACVD) Hartmetallsubstrate mit Viellagen beschichtet und vorrangig mittels analytischer Transmissionselektronenmikroskopie (TEM) charakterisiert. Als Schichkomponenten wurden hauptsächlich TiN und Al2O3 untersucht, daneben aber auch Schichtsysteme der Komponenten AlON, (TiAl)N, und (Ti,Al)ON. Darüber hinaus wurden noch TiC-aC (TiC mit amorphem Kohlenstoffanteil)-Schichten einbezogen. Ziel waren gleichmäßige Multischichten mit Korngrößen von einigen Nanometern, geringer Testur und geringer Mikrorissdichte, die hart sind und gut haften. Die TEM-Untersuchungen dienten insbesondere der Aufklärung der Nanostruktur in den Interface-Bereichen der Schichtsysteme, wobei an Hand der Elektronenenergie-Verlustspektroskopie (EELS) sowohl element- als auch phasenspezifische Signale ausgewertet wurden. Zur verbesserten Bewertung der anfallenden Datenmengen wurden z. T. faktoranalytische Methoden eingesetzt. Je nach Prozessführung der Schichtherstellung kommt es in den Interface-Bereichen zur Durchmischung der Komponenten. Insbesondere führt diffundierender Sauerstoff zur Bildung von TiO2, was sich nachteilig auf die Qualität der Schichten auswirkt. Die Tiefe der "gestörten" Zonen begrenzt die wünschenswerte Verringerung der Einzelschichtdicken. Als wirkungsvolle Gegenmaßnahme hat sich der Einbau von Kohlenstoff erwiesen, wodurch sich dünnere Einzelschichten verwirklichen lassen

Paired opposite clear corneal incision : time-related changes of its effect and factors on which those changes depend.

PURPOSE To assess astigmatism induced by paired opposite clear corneal incision (OCCI) compared to single incisions and to investigate factors on which its effect depends. METHODS The study comprised 326 eyes from 326 patients. In patients with 1.0 D preoperative corneal astigmatism, a second, opposite clear corneal incision was made (OCCI group, n = 81). Both groups consisted of superior, temporal, and oblique subgroups according to the steepest meridian. Prior to the surgery, and after surgery, repeated keratometry was performed and surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) was calculated using vector analysis. RESULTS Two weeks after the surgery, the SIA was 0.67 ± 0.44 D in the CC group and 1.15 ± 0.65 D in the OCCI group; 9 weeks after the operation, it was 0.61 ± 0.43 D in the CC group and 0.99 ± 0.57 D in the OCCI group (p<0.001). The SIA showed no significant postoperative change in our groups. CONCLUSIONS Opposite clear corneal incision reliably induces about 1.0 D of corneal astigmatism on the steep meridian in proportion to the rate of preoperative astigmatism. Its magnitude is independent of the location of the incisions and its effect remains unchanged during the postoperative period

Civil Society Organizations and the Protection of Sub-­Saharan Africa’s Colonial Railways: The Case of Madagascar’s Fianarantsoa-­Côte Est Railway.

Colonial-era railways support the life needs of many communities and households in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Although the end of colonial rule removed some justifications used for their construction, as well as resources that supported these lines’ infrastructure and operations, these railways still serve millions of people. Despite the important role they play in this infrastructure-poor region, a lack of resources has left many lines in various states of disrepair. Complicating efforts to maintain railway service, international development institutions (IDIs) have repeatedly relied on a relatively narrow economic rationality and loan conditions to ensure governments stop supporting underperforming lines either by closing or privatizing them. The case of a colonial-built Fianarantsoa-Côte Est Railway (FCE) in Madagascar, which has faced closure numerous times from various causes, provides insight into how effectively railway supporters can organize, support, and frame their arguments to preserve service. This case was also selected because the presence of civil society organizations (CSOs) dedicated to protecting the FCE was unique. The findings show that the main CSO dedicated to protecting the FCE helped build ownership for the line among the local population and users based on its heritage value. This heritage was based largely on the sacrifice of ancestors who built the line – a trait the FCE shares with other colonial-era railways in SSA. The resulting sense of solidarity, and activities in which they participated, curbed farming practices that threatened the line’s infrastructure. This solidarity also facilitated the creation of a second CSO that protected the line from saboteurs during a political crisis. Although officials from IDIs and government had little direct contact with CSOs, the noticeable atmosphere of civic engagement along the line affected their opinions about the FCE. This case holds lessons for planning theory and policymaking. Balancing traditional economic justifications for operating transportation services with other benefits, finding a champion and building solidarity, and recognizing the value of study tours can improve transportation decisions and outcomes. Likewise, planners and policymakers can encourage the formation, sustainability and active involvement of CSOs by ensuring they remain democratic, transparent, well funded and engaged with all stakeholders.PHDUrban and Regional PlanningUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/99911/1/dougkol_1.pd