This thesis investigates how David Bohm’s idea of dialogue could function as means to prompt awareness of hidden assumptions, and how this impacts communication for people involved. This is explored through the research question: "Can dialogue be a leverage to prompt awareness of underlying assumptions? And by extension: Would people experience this to benefit their communication?" To answer this question a dialogical workshop with four participants was conducted in the business environment. The project utilized a qualitative methodology, and data was gathered by the use of semi-structured interviews with the four participants’ from the workshop. Data from these interviews were analyzed by using the constant comparative method, which led to the categories "views on communication", "impact", "the workshop" and "time". The discussion of these categories are mainly grounded in the ideas of David Bohm, which is supported and extended by amongst Chris Argyris, Thomas Jordan, Jack Mezirow and Michael Poutiane. Findings in this suggest dialogue to hold the potential of being a leverage to prompt awareness of underlying assumptions, while also proposing that more extensive research is needed to say something substantial on how this impact peoples communication. Based on the findings there is also presented a model of how such processes plays out.

Shattered assumptions theory posits that each individual has a core set of assumptions about the world and the self, often termed the assumptive world which includes: the world is a benevolent place, the world is meaningful, and the self is worthy. Experiencing a traumatic event is believed to lead individuals to question these assumptions in light of the new contradictory information that causes the assumptive world to shatter, leaving the individual to rebuild a more negative perception of the world and themselves. This rebuilding of a fragile new set of core beliefs is believed to be a cause of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Although shattered assumptions theory has been widely accepted in the field of trauma psychology, the shattering of the assumptive world has not been empirically supported due to measurement issues and poor research designs. The current study implemented a prospective design to assess a new measure of the individual’s assumptive world when there is an intervening trauma. In a college sample (N = 336), individuals who experienced a traumatic event over the course of the semester (n = 40) evidenced decreases in optimism in their assumptive worlds, in comparison to individuals who did not experience a traumatic event. The results suggest there is a limited shattering of the assumptive world for those who experienced a traumatic event. Applications, limitations and future directions are discussed.

This thesis aims to explore the nature of predictions through examining the ways in which they are employed to the frameworks of assumptions that generate and in turn provide a context for interpretation. These frameworks, be they scientific or even religious/spiritual in nature utilise predictions (e.g. demonstrable hypotheses or prophecies) as a means of ascertaining knowledge and understanding about the world. There exists a problem, however, if the status of knowledge derived from the less logical or intuitively based predictive processes is viewed within many mainstream scientific frameworks as being either without validity or wholly impossible. The reason as to why predictions are formed is generally due to a lack of information about the state of a system under observation. The use of predictions within our lives then is often so prevalent that we can take for granted the extent to which we base our behaviour upon possibilities and not actualities through the anticipation of what might be. The primary reason for this is due to the passage of time, in that we would not be able to perceive the future (or the past) without the construct of time. This enables us to then establish models or frameworks of events to project into the future. The other inherent phenomenon then associated with predictions is the formation of expectations that are generated from these models, frameworks or even assumptions. These expectations can be formulated and described in a variety of ways, from the very well defined mathematical descriptions that constitute statistical information about the likelihood of a correct prediction, to the comparatively vague impressions of feelings about the future that are characterized as intuitions or gut feelings.

This thesis focuses upon recent Australian developments in the law of estoppel. It provides a justification and basis in principle for the doctrine of estoppel described in cases such as Waltons Stores (Interstate) Ltd v Maher (1987-1988) 164 C.L.R. 387 and Commonwealth of Australia v Verwayen (1990) 170 C.L.R. 394. This basis is found in the principle that we ought all to take reasonable steps to ensure the reliability of the assumptions that we induce in others. Ensuring the "reliability" of an induced assumption means ensuring that a party who relies upon the assumption does not thereby suffer harm: harm in the sense that he is worse off because the assumption has proved unjustified than he would have been had it never been induced. The thesis suggests a pattern for the development of the Australian law of estoppel reflecting that basis in principle. It further demonstrates the potential usefulness of the doctrine with specific reference to (i) pre-contractual negotiations and letters of intent, (ii) firm offers to contract, (iii) variations of contract unsupported by consideration, and (iv) the "battle of forms".

This thesis shows how the appeal to the transcendent characterizes aspects of the debate amongst leading contemporary philosophers of science regarding the value-free ideal and the attendant aim of attaining objective knowledge. It compares the positions of leading feminist philosophers of science (Longino and Harding) with influential figures in the historically rooted Western belief who appeal to the transcendent in the pursuit of knowledge of the necessary and of the contingent. Chapter 2 relates the historically rooted Western belief in appeal to the transcendent in the pursuit of knowledge and includes two components: the pursuit of knowledge of the necessary and knowledge of the contingent. Chapter 3 assesses how contemporary leading feminist philosophers of science have contended with beliefs of influential 20th century thinkers (Weber, Kuhn and Quine) regarding this problem. Through this comparison, I provide commentary on how current leading philosophers of science have addressed the value-free ideal issue through the prism of appeal to transcendent reason as justification, as opposed to the historically rooted appeal to the transcendent itself via reason as justification and how this apparent disparity has bearing on the debate concerning the value-free ideal and the attendant goal of achieving objective knowledge. / Graduate / 0727 / jahn712002@yahoo.ca

The aim of this study is to investigate how men in the social service in Gävle experience gender biases within the social work profession. We conducted a qualitative research with five male social workers that we interviewed regarding gender biases. The main result ended up under three themes which are client influence and reinforcement; work culture; and lastly the unconscious experience. The conclusion is that male social workers experience gender biases accordingly through three themes.

The study of personal epistemology is concerned with people‟s beliefs or assumptions about the nature of knowledge and knowing, otherwise referred to as epistemological assumptions. As a relatively new field of enquiry, questions about the nature and scope of the construct and how best to investigate it have been tackled by many researchers although fundamental questions still remain. The current study explored the possible effects of three characterisations of questions aimed at eliciting epistemological assumptions on conclusions drawn about such assumptions in terms of their level of sophistication. The three characterisations explored were the level of directness with which questions targeted epistemological assumptions, the domain-specificity of the question, and whether the questions were open or closed-ended. A paper-and-pencil measure was designed to manipulate these variables, and the conclusions drawn about the assumptions of a sample of 30 postgraduate Psychology students were compared across the conditions to determine if there was any evidence for their influence. Comparison of results suggested that the characterisations do exert an influence and caution is raised regarding the validity of methodologies that have been, and continue to be, employed in the study of personal epistemology. The findings further lend support to particular conceptualisations of the construct, but at the same time also unearth additional questions about how epistemological beliefs are best construed and studied.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the assumptions held by Saskatchewan educators in the identification of students who are gifted and talented. Elementary school educators from Kindergarten to grade 8 were approached to participate in this study, and were asked to complete a 20-item survey that examined educators assumptions relating to the identification of students who are gifted and talented (Brown, Renzulli, Gubbins, Siegle, Zhang, & Chen, 2005). Findings suggest that there are differences in assumptions relating to the identification of students who are gifted and talented not only between educators of various grades, but also between those educators in different classroom environments (i.e., dedicated, multiple, or no classroom). Educators roles in the classroom include engaging students in authentic assessment procedures, which take into account students day-to-day learning and progress.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the assumptions held by Saskatchewan educators in the identification of students who are gifted and talented. Elementary school educators from Kindergarten to grade 8 were approached to participate in this study, and were asked to complete a 20-item survey that examined educators assumptions relating to the identification of students who are gifted and talented (Brown, Renzulli, Gubbins, Siegle, Zhang, & Chen, 2005). Findings suggest that there are differences in assumptions relating to the identification of students who are gifted and talented not only between educators of various grades, but also between those educators in different classroom environments (i.e., dedicated, multiple, or no classroom). Educators roles in the classroom include engaging students in authentic assessment procedures, which take into account students day-to-day learning and progress.

Social science theories applied to the family make certain assumptions in the analytic categories of value-neutrality vs. value-ladenness, positivism vs. hermeneutics, and determinism vs. moral agency. New natural law, a different theory from the body of classical forms of natural law, provides a unique approach to the study of the family. New natural law provides a defense for the traditional conjugal family as well as provides difference conclusions and implications for empirical research.