Notre recherche aborde l’énigme de l’Autre sexe. Si chez Freud, la question féminine a été traitée par le manque, chez Lacan elle a été traitée par l’absence. La féminité, la sexualité féminine, le féminin sont autant d’écritures de Lⱥ femme. Du manque phallique à l’absence du signifiant, notre parcours nous conduit logiquement vers de nouvelles voies, vers S(Ⱥ), ce qui ne sera pas sans incidences sur la clinique contemporaine - montée au zénith de l’objet, inclusion de plus en plus systématique de l’Imaginaire dans le Symbolique et règne de la jouissance. Nous interprétons l’absence du signifiant - chez la femme - comme un « signifiant forclos », qui se loge dans l’Autre (Ⱥ) et nous avançons que cette interprétation a des implications cliniques, éthiques et politiques pour la clinique lacanienne. Le « brouillage généralisée » propre à notre époque demande en effet un ordonnancement et des conditions épistémologiques, cliniques et politiques pour les analystes qui ont à « rejoindre la subjectivité de notre époque ». Notre recherche s’ouvre sur la différence de ce féminin intrinsèquement inconsistant avec l’inconsistance propre à notre époque - où le sujet est pris par la prééminence de l’image et du virtuel. Le féminin relève d’une question du parlêtre et traite la singularité dans sa forme la plus radicale. Tout être parlant est confronté à cette absence de signifiant, mais la réponse qu’un sujet peut donner à cette question s’avère des plus singulières. Si le féminin est décrit comme ce qui échappe au champ de la représentation, le féminin implique la manière avec laquelle l’être parlant invente une réponse à ce qui lui échappe / Our research addresses the enigma of the Other sex. If, for Freud, the question of the feminine was treated as a lack, in Lacan’s work it was treated as an absence. Femininity, feminine sexuality, and the feminine are all writings of the woman. From phallic lack to the absence of the signifier, our journey logically leads us to new paths, towards S(Ⱥ), which will not be without consequences on the contemporary clinic – the climbing to the zenith of the object, the increasing inclusion of the Imaginary in the Symbolic and the reign of the jouissance. We interpret the absence of the signifier - in the woman - as a “foreclosed signifier", lodged in the Other, and we argue that this interpretation has clinical, ethical and political implications for the Lacanian clinic. The “generalized jamming” of our time demands, in fact, a (re)scheduling and epistemological, clinical and political conditions for analysts who have to deal with the "subjectivity of our time". Our research problematizes the difference between this feminine and the inconsistencies of our time - where the subject is absorbed by the pre-eminence of the image and the virtual. The feminine refers to a question of the parlêtre and treats singularity in its most radical form. Every speaking being is confronted with this absence of signifiers, but the answer that a subject can give to this question proves to be very singular. If the feminine is described as that which escapes the field of representation, the feminine implies the manner in which the speaking being invents an answer to that which escapes him or her.

This thesis document seeks to find a common thread between three of my plays; The Tides of Aberdeen, The Death of Beth, and Highway Play, written during my MFA program at The University of Texas at Austin. Each play deals with the theme of disappearance in a different way. The lens with which I will examine each play can be defined as “the presence of absence”. I define the presence of absence as having three necessary elements; a liminal space, a palpable void and an unseen tension. The essay also deals with the presence of absence in The Walls by Griselda Gambaro. By defining the presence of absence and how it works in each of my plays I hope to develop a rewriting strategy that incorporates structuring a plot. Also included in this thesis document are the three plays I examine in my thesis, The Tides of Aberdeen, The Death of Beth and Highway Play. / text

Absenteeism is a factor that adversely influences construction productivity. Construction employers in Alberta have been trying to address high levels of absenteeism on their projects but they have not been successful so far. This study aims at a better understanding of absenteeism on construction projects for its possible mitigation in the future. A hierarchy of causes of absence and factors affecting it in construction projects were identified. A survey and an Absenteeism Tracking Tool designed to capture the causes of absence were piloted on an industrial multi-contractor project in Alberta. Different survey administration methods were tested to successfully administer the survey. The study identified top ten causes of absence on the pilot project. Using statistical analyses (e.g., correlation with dummy variables), the study found that specific groups may have different absence cultures and attitudes toward absenteeism. Such findings can be used to improve the absence culture among the designated workforce. / Construction Engineering and Management

No description available.

No description available.

Over the last century America’s rampant individualism has contributed to an eroding sense of communal togetherness. As numerous sociologists have shown, a sense of community in America declines, and experiences of loneliness and absence fill its vacancy. This dissertation argues that Paul Ricoeur’s notion of narrative identity illuminates an underutilized resource that can allay the problem of community by counteracting its decay and providing a foundation for coming together. Ricoeur’s narrative theory is well-suited to deal with the problem because narratives offer diagnoses of the current situation and help direct ameliorative efforts. His theory diagnoses community in America as comprised of lonely people; it is a collection comprised of those who do not have a community. But, from the standpoint of narrativity, this is not a simple reiteration of the fact that Americans experience loneliness. The notion of narrative highlights our present loneliness and draws our attention to our current predicament. As we will see, authentic narratives are formed from raw, gross experiential resources, which are then woven together to create a new whole, a plot. Being drawn to our current predicament affords new vistas from which to direct ameliorative efforts By turning to Ricoeur’s concept of narrative, one can grow community in America by forming a community of absence, a community formed by lonely individuals through the sharing of memories of loss and absence. Like members of Alcoholics Anonymous who share memories of loss, Americans can share stories of absence to grow community in America. Turning toward Ricoeur’s concept of narrative yields a non-nostalgic understanding of cultivating community that develops from a sense of loneliness, alienation, and disconnection.

Teachers are the motivating force and role models for many learners in our schools around the country. They take on the role of teacher, parent, diplomat, doctor, police officer, confidant, nanny, disciplinarian and moral compass, among other roles. They are vilified and slated in our media and are often the scapegoats for perceived ills, real or otherwise, found in our schools, to the detriment of the image of the profession. This is especially true where teachers and schools do not have a clear direction and clarity on what their duty of care is as regards truancy, safety and the pastoral role towards learners in our schools. Legislation provides a legal framework for this study, starting with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, and the legal dimensions include the Bill of Rights, various legislative Acts, common law and case law, with terms such as the in loco parentis principle also included, which govern the teacher’s duty of care for learners. The duty of care places an obligation on the teacher in a legal sense through the duty imposed by law, and in the professional sense through the expectation placed on the teacher through the employment contract that the teacher has with the Department of Basic Education. The literature suggests that truancy of learners has many causes and that teachers could be a contributing factor to the causes. Several contributions have been made regarding safety and discipline of learners in schools in South Africa. However, not much appears to have been done in this country to determine the causes of truancy and whether teachers have an influence on its occurrence in schools. The relevant literature further suggests that the social aspects that influence truancy are not clear. The question arises whether teachers should interrogate the social aspects to determine their influence on a case of truancy. The purpose of this study was therefore to determine the legal interpretation of the teachers’ duty of care with regard to truancy of learners. A qualitative approach was used for the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at schools and with a lawyer and a judge to determine how they view this duty of care in schools, whether pastoral care is practised, and if teachers realise the extent of the law as regards negligence, and their duty as regards truancy especially. The interpretive paradigm would, through the semi-structured interviews, reveal how schools view the duty of care and pastoral care, as well as truancy in schools. The main causes and the extent of truancy in schools, the guidance and support that teachers can expect from the Department of Education to fulfil the seven duties or roles that are expected from teachers in the National Education Policy Act (1996), as well as the common-law duty of in loco parentis, would become clearer. The interviews provided data that no person is above the law and that ignorance of the law is no excuse. The study could be helpful to schools, the Department of Education and universities that train teachers, to include more training on specific issues and case studies involving education law and the duties of teachers, from both a legal and a professional perspective. The Department of Basic Education could find it helpful in monitoring and control at schools about matters involving discipline, safety and care of learners, and the duties of teachers at schools. Although teachers may know something about the duty of care or have heard about it, they are in the dark regarding the interpretation of the legal requirements and the repercussions that could flow from that duty. The second conclusion is that pastoral care appears to be doing well in schools although teachers are under pressure with the implementation of the new syllabus. The third conclusion is that truancy is rife in high schools and that two of the causes, drugs and pregnancy, are chiefly to blame for it and must be addressed. Fourthly, the social structure and the environment in the family should be looked into to try to reduce truancy. The study provides a legal interpretation of the teacher’s duty of care owed to learners, specifically regarding truancy and its causes. It will mean making a contribution to the body of knowledge that will include, but not be limited to, the insight gained by a look into the life world of the teacher regarding learner truancy, as well as taking a factual journey through the courts, discussing cases brought before them. # Onderwysers dien as rolmodelle en bron van motivering vir baie leerders in ons skole landwyd. Hulle vervul die rol van onderwyser, ouer, diplomaat, dokter, polisiebeampte, vertroueling, kinderoppasser, tugmeester en morele kompas, om maar ʼn paar te noem. Hulle word dikwels in die media swart gesmeer, gekritiseer en as sondebokke voorgehou vir gewaande of werklike ongerymdhede wat in ons skole plaasvind, baie keer tot nadeel van die beeld van die beroep. Dit kom veral voor wanneer onderwysers en skole nie duidelike leiding het oor wat hulle sorgsaamheidsplig is rakende stokkiesdraai, veiligheid en hul pastorale rol teenoor leerders in ons skole nie. Wetgewing voorsien ʼn regsraamwerk vir hierdie studie. Dit begin by die Grondwet van die Republiek van Suid Afrika wat die Handves van Menseregte omvat, en sluit in verskillende ander wette sowel as die gemene en regspraak. Die wetgewing inkorporeer konsepte soos die in loco parentisbeginsel, wat die sorgsaamheidsplig van onderwysers jeens leerders omskryf. Die sorgsaamheidsplig plaas ‘n regsverpligting op die onderwyser kragtens die wetgewing, tesame met die beroepsvereistes van die dienskontrak met die Departement van Basiese Onderwys. Die literatuur dui daarop dat daar talle redes is waarom leerders stokkies draai en dat onderwysers moontlik ‘n bydraende faktor kan wees. Verskeie bydraes is gelewer ten opsigte van die veiligheid en dissipline van leerders in skole in Suid-Afrika. Dit wil egter voorkom asof daar nog nie veel in die land nagevors is om die oorsake van stokkiesdraaiery te bepaal en of onderwysers ‘n invloed op die voorkoms daarvan in skole het nie. Die betrokke literatuur dui verder daarop dat die sosiale aspekte wat stokkiesdraaiery beїnvloed, nie duidelik is nie. Die vraag ontstaan nou of onderwysers sosiale aspekte moet ondersoek om hulle invloed op ‘n stokkiesdraai-geval te bepaal. Die doel van die studie was om die wetlike interpretasie van die sorgsaamheidsplig van onderwysers teenoor leerders wat stokkiesdraai, te ondersoek. ‘n Kwalitatiewe benadering is gebruik vir hierdie studie. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevoer by skole en met ‘n regsgeleerde en ‘n regter om te bepaal wat hulle opvatting van die sorgsaamheidsplig in skole is, of pastorale sorg toegepas word en of onderwysers besef wat is die omvang van die wet ten opsigte van nalatigheid en spesifiek hulle plig ten opsigte van stokkiesdraaiery. Hierdie interpretatiewe paradigma bepaal, deur middel van die semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, wat skole se opvattings van die sorgsaamheidsplig en pastorale sorg is, en ook jeens stokkiesdraaiery in skole. Dit kan ook lig werp op watter leiding en ondersteuning onderwysers van die Onderwysdepartement kan verwag om die sewe pligte of rolle van onderwysers wat in die Wet op Nasionale Onderwysbeleid (1996) omskryf word, te kan vervul, asook die gemeneregsplig van in loco parentis. Die onderhoude lewer ook data op wat aantoon dat geen mens bo die reg verhewe is nie en dat onkunde aangaande die reg nie ‘n verskoning is nie. Hierdie studie behoort nuttig te wees vir skole, die Onderwysdepartement en universiteite wat onderwysers oplei, om meer opleiding te verskaf oor spesifieke aspekte en gevallestudies aangaande onderwysreg en die pligte van opvoeders vanuit beide ʼn regsoogpunt en ʼn professionele oogpunt. Die Departement van Basiese Onderwys kan dit nuttig vind in monitering en beheer by skole met betrekking tot dissipline, veiligheid en sorg van leerders, en die pligte van onderwysers by skole. Dit blyk dat, alhoewel onderwysers moontlik iets weet of al gehoor het van die sorgsaamheidsplig, hulle min weet van die wetlike vereiste en die uitwerking daarvan op die plig. Die tweede gevolgtrekking is dat pastorale sorg in skole oënskynlik goed toegepas word alhoewel onderwysers onder druk verkeer met die uitvoering van die nuwe kurrikulum. Die derde gevolgtrekking is dat stokkiesdraaiery algemeen voorkom in die hoërskool en dat dwelms en swangerskap twee hoofoorsake is wat aandag moet kry. Vierdens, moet die sosiale struktuur en die gesinsomgewing ondersoek word om stokkiesdraaiery te probeer verminder. Hierdie studie verskaf ‘n wetlike vertolking van die sorgsaamheidsplig van onderwysers teenoor leerders, spesifiek rakende stokkiesdraai en die oorsake daarvan. Dit lewer ook ‘n bydrae tot die korpus van kennis, onder meer oor die insigte wat die ondersoek verleen in die lewenswêreld van die onderwyser teenoor leerders wat stokkies draai. Ten slotte onderneem dit ‘n feitlike reis deur sommige hofsake oor hierdie kwessie. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / lk2014 / Education Management and Policy Studies / PhD / Unrestricted

This research qualitatively explores persistent non-attendance (PN) in a southwest local authority area. Part 1 explores professionals’ conceptualisations of PN, language use and approaches to support. Part 2 explores the lived experience of non-attendance for children and families; how they make sense of the issue, the support they received and the characteristics of support that they found effective. Part 1 findings suggested no one explanation was used to make sense of PN, instead an individualistic approach was used to make sense of cases, using an ecological/systemic framework. This approach therefore influenced the support that was provided by schools. There was consistency in the language used by professionals, influenced by governmental policy and recommendations, with ‘persistent absence’ being the most prevalent term used. Part 2 findings exploration of the lived experiences of families found that PN had had an impacted on all families, in a variety of ways. In line with part 1, no one explanation was put forward for why the PN had occurred, however themes of anxiety and ASD were prevalent. Part 1’s recommendations for practice focus the use of individualised approaches to understanding and support, using an ecological/systemic model. Part 2’s recommendations related to the importance of communication between school and home, and responding to the families individual needs.

In this project notions of presence and absence will be explored through a study of 'the fold'. I will closely examine a number of paintings that depict folded drapery or cloth and from this examination I will select examples that evoke a response in me to these fundamental states of being, My objective is to produce a body of paintings that explore the structure of the fold and its expression through light, shadow and darkness to develop a range of images that metaphorically represent these phenomena and the possibility of a relational field between the two. This examination will re-present, reinterpret, fragment and transform the selected images using the materials of oil painting and drawing to visualize my response to the changing perceptions of this phenomenon. This investigation is informed by philosophical and psychoanalytical writings that explore the phenomenology of states of presence and absence. In part, these states are suggested by other terminologies, for example, form and space or volume and void. The project draws on the work of writers who have examined and changed perceptions of this phenomenon, particularly where they attribute the structure of absence to contribute to an understanding of subjectivity, question the favouring of presence in Western thought and explore the relationship between the two.

No description available.