In recent years the New Age movement has attracted much attention in our society and the reaction to it has often been one of fear and confusion. The purpose of this exploratory study is to provide empirical data on the movement in an unbiased, nonjudgmental way. The qualitative research approach, and more specifically the phenomenological method, are utilised in order to arrive at some understanding of the phenomenon and what it means to its adherents Firstly, a framework comprising vertical historical streams (the alternative tradition in the west, the eastern philosophies, humanistic and transpersonal psychology and the new physics) from which the movement issues, and horizontal levels which represent different layers of the movement (the commercial, the level of personal empowerment, social transformation, and the rebirth of the sacred), is established in order to give context to the seemingly contradictory data on the New Age movement. Secondly, central concepts concerning the spiritual dimension of the movement are isolated and explored in unstructured interviews with carefully selected participants. Next, the vision and expectations of a New Age are explored and the New Age worldview with regard to the concept of God, an holistic cosmology, anthropology and theodicy is investigated. This is followed by discussions of the central issues of direct knowledge as opposed to dogma and doctrines, and the important goals of personal, social and planetary healing and transformation. From these data an ideal-typical South African New Ager is constructed, providing the reader with an instrument with which to identify manifestations of the movement. Reasons for the movement's growth are found in disillusionment with modernity and the subsequent spiritual reawakening and paradigm shift that followers are experiencing. It is concluded that the core of the New Age movement represents a popular manifestation of the constructive postmodern worldview that is espoused by leading thinkers of our time. / Religious Studies and Arabic / D. Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies)

published_or_final_version / Community Medicine / Master / Master of Public Health

This thesis focuses on the Bronze Age in selected areas of Korea; Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi province. Two forms of evidence - settlements and monuments - are taken into account to identify their relationship with landscape and the social changes occurring between ca. 1500 to 400 cal BC. Life and death in the Bronze Age in Korea has not been synthetically investigated before, due to the lack of evidence from settlements. However, since academic and rescue excavations have increased, it is now possible to examine the relationship between settlements and monuments on a broad scale and over a long-term sequence, although there are still limitations in the archaeological evidence. The results of GIS (Geographical Information Systems) analysis and Bayesian modelling of the radiocarbon dates from this region can be interpreted as suggesting that Bronze Age people in the mid-Korean peninsula had certain preferences for their habitation and mortuary places. The locations of two archaeological sites were identified and statistical significance was generated for their positioning on soil that was associated with agriculture. It was found that settlements tended to be located at a higher elevation with fine views and that monuments tended to be situated in the border zones between mountains and plains and also within the boundary of a 5km site catchment adjusted for energy expenditure, centring on each settlement. This configuration is reminiscent of the concept of the auspicious location, as set out in the traditional geomantic theory of Pungsu. It can be argued that Bronze Age people chose the place for the living and the dead with a holistic perspective and a metaphysical approach that placed human interaction with the natural world at the centre of their decision-making processes. These concepts were formed out of the process of a practical adaptation to the Bronze Age landscape and environment in order to practice agriculture as a subsistence economy, but they also exerted a profound influence upon later Korean peoples and their identities.

Although research has shown that the complex constructs of intelligence and personality are necessarily intertwined, studies exploring this issue in elderly individuals are rare. The importance attached to this interface in older adults becomes particularly clear in light of the debate over the cause and extent of age-related decrements in cognitive performance as well as whether such losses can be ameliorated or not, especially given societal shifts toward increased life expectancies. The present study explored the basis for shifts in personality-ability relationships in adulthood by comparing two samples of older adults, one of which was assessed in 1975 (N = 102, M age = 68.4), and the second of which was assessed in 1995 (N = 100, M age = 72.0), and a sample of younger adults (N = 100, M age = 21.8), also assessed in 1995. Each participant was administered the Holtzman Inkblot Technique and the Gf-Gc Sampler, a measure of crystallized (Gc) and fluid (Gf) abilities. LISREL analyses of both age-related and historical shifts in personality-ability relationships suggested that not only were such shifts associated with cohort differences as reflected in factor loading (lambda) differences between the older samples and the younger sample, as well as between each of the older samples, but also that such connections were weaker among younger adults. These findings are important in revealing that sociocultural shifts in opportunities for continued cognitive growth influence the impact of noncognitive (personality) factors on intellectual functioning in later life. Limitations of the current study, implications of the results, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

陳立旺[著] / Thesis (M.A.)--香港中文大學硏究院. / Reprint of manuscript. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 341-475). / Chen Liwang [zhu] / Thesis (M.A.)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue yan jiu yuan. / Chapter 第一章 --- 引言 --- p.1 / Chapter 第二章 --- 閩粤地區的自然環境與新石器時代的氣候 --- p.8 / Chapter 第三章 --- 閩粤地區新石器文化分述 --- p.25 / Chapter 壹 --- 文化區劃分 --- p.25 / Chapter 貳 --- 浙南閩北區　 --- p.26 / （附圖一至八十、附表一至九） / Chapter 參　 --- 閩南粤東區 --- p.83 / （附圖一至九十三、附表一至二十一） / Chapter 肆 --- 粤中區 --- p.152 / （附圖一至一十、附表一至九） / Chapter 伍 --- 粤西南及海南島區 --- p.217 / （附圖一至十九、附表一至十一） / Chapter 陸 --- 粤北區　 --- p.256 / （附圖一至二十六、附表一至八） / Chapter 第四章 --- 閩粤地區新石器文化總述 --- p.298 / （附圖一至十） / Chapter 第五章 --- 附論本區及鄰近地區新石器文化之關係 --- p.322 / （附圖一至二十九） / Chapter 附錄一 --- 閩粤地區碳14年代測定數據 --- p.340/341 / Chapter 附錄二 --- 生產工具與生活用具分式分型表　 --- p.340/341 / 書目 --- p.341

This thesis aims to provide a comprehensive theory of age discrimination that can guide the direct and indirect age discrimination provisions of the Equality Act 2010. The Act holds that unequal treatment on the grounds of age and measures that are on their face age-neutral but have the effect of disadvantaging particular age groups are lawful only if the treatment can be shown either to be a 'proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim' or if the treatment fits into a specifically prescribed exception. In this way, the proportionality test distinguishes justified and unjustified age-differential treatment with only the former legally permissible. I outline and defend a pluralist theory of age discrimination that assists in making the distinction between justified and unjustified age-differential treatment. The theory identifies the principles that explain when and why age-differential treatment wrongs people and the principles that can justify this treatment. It is a pluralist theory because it recognises that age-differential treatment can wrong people for a number of different, overlapping reasons, and these different reasons should inform how we apply age discrimination law. The pluralist theory of age discrimination theory can improve legal reasoning in age discrimination cases by articulating the relevant principles and competing interests that are at stake in age discrimination claims. In constructing the theory, I adopt the reflective equilibrium method. This requires that I 'test' my starting moral intuitions against other beliefs, seeking coherence among these beliefs, and revising the beliefs as a result of particular challenges to them. In applying this method, I identify the following five principles to form a pluralist theory of age discrimination: equality of opportunity, social equality, respect, autonomy and efficiency.

As the nature of work is rapidly changing, organizations in developed nations all over the world are experiencing shifts in the age composition of their workforces. These changes, which include an aging workforce that is becoming increasingly age-diverse, indicate that organizational researchers and practitioners need to be better aware of how age differences manifest themselves in the workplace and what implications this has for effective employee management. In the current study it is proposed that employees of different ages react differently to various elements of a formal performance feedback event. Specifically, Carstensen's developmental Socio-emotional Selectivity Theory is used as a theoretical backing for explaining how and why employees of different ages perceive and react to performance feedback differently based on their perceptions of the valence, content quality, and delivery quality of the feedback. The results show evidence of age differences in feedback reactions, with younger adults being particularly concerned with information that will benefit them in the future and older adults being particularly concerned with information that conveys a positive relationship with one's supervisor. These findings have both conceptual and practical implications as we seek to build workplace aging theory and find ways to better manage and retain valuable employees of all ages in a changing world of work.

This thesis studies New Age tourism and New Age tourists in New Zealand. In order to better understand this phenomenon, the research reviews literature pertaining to spirituality, religious tourism, pilgrimage and sacred sites. Using the theory of strategic groups, the study also shows that New Age tourism is distinct from other forms of travelling.The thesis argues that as a New Age destination, New Zealand's rich natural and cultural resources present immense potential for development. Key New Age attractions in the country are identified and future development prospects discussed. Although a relatively new phenomenon, the research contends that the New Age market is not homogenous and visitors exhibit differences in 'interest', 'experience' and 'profile characteristics'. Nevertheless, a dominant theme in all New Age travel appears to be the pursuit of unique and transcendental life knowledge.To analyze the New Age tourists in detail, the study employs two research methodologies. Quantitatively, the profile characteristics of tourists are scrutinized and a specialization index is adopted to delineate differences between market segments. It will be shown that New Age tourists comprise three distinct groups: the low, medium and highly specialized individuals. Qualitatively, the New Age visitors are analyzed by means of a phenomenological method. Through in-depth understanding of their motivations, needs and opinions, the New Age traveller is seen to be constantly in search of extraordinary and life-changing experiences. Overall, the thesis demonstrates that a corroborative methodology combining quantitative and qualitative techniques provides not only a holistic view of New Age tourism, but also invaluable empirical insights into this burgeoning field of contemporary travel.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

<p>I tidigare empatiforskning har könsskillnader studerats betydligt mer änåldersskillnader. Syftet med den aktuella undersökningen var att studera hurförmågan till empati skiljer sig mellan tonåringar, medelålders och äldre. Iundersökningen deltog 68 personer varav hälften kvinnor. Empatin varhögst i den äldsta gruppen och lägst i den yngsta för både kvinnor och män.Däremot kände tonåringarna mer för vissa känslor som mättes utanförempatiskalan. Kvinnorna i alla tre åldersgrupperna har högre empati änmännen. Att empati ökar med åldern säger samtidigt att yngre hade mindreempati. Resultaten kan tyda på att samhället blivit kallare. Avslutningsvisdiskuteras betydelsen av generationsskillnader i empati, en eventuellutveckling mot ett mindre empatiskt samhälle, samt om ungas empati kanstärkas i framtiden.<em></em></p>