This dissertation focuses on the concept of authenticity and its implications for our projects of self-creation, particularly those involving the use of "enhancement technologies" (such as stimulant drugs, "mood brighteners", or brain stimulation). After an introduction to the concept of authenticity and the enhancement debate in the first part of the thesis, part 2 considers the main analyses of authenticity in the contemporary philosophical literature. It begins with those emphasizing self-creation, and shows that, despite their merits, such views cannot adequately deal with certain types of cases, which require a third option, “true self” accounts, emphasizing self-discovery. However, it is argued that in their existing versions, accounts of this third sort are also unsatisfactory. Part 3 of the thesis proposes a new account of the "true self" sort, intended to improve upon existing ones. Common problematic assumptions about the concept of the true self are critiqued, after which a new analysis of that concept is presented, based on seven different conditions. Two specific definitions of authenticity, respectively emphasizing self-expression and the preservation of one's true self, are provided, and its relation to various associated notions, such as integrity or sincerity, are examined. Finally, part 4 looks at the implications of the previous parts for the enhancement debate. In particular, it discusses the prospect of technologically enhancing our personality and mood dispositions. Do such interventions always threaten our authenticity, as some worry? A negative answer is provided to that question. Various potential pitfalls hinted at by the inauthenticity worry are discussed and acknowledged. It is, however, argued that such enhancements could still in principle be used in a fully authentic manner, and that they have the potential to bring about genuine improvements in our mood but also to our moral capacities and our affective rationality more generally.

L’angoisse est un état qui se distingue des autres sentiments en ce qu’elle ne survient devant rien de précis, mais plutôt devant notre vie en général. Mais que signifie-t-elle? Pourquoi fait-elle jour? Le présent mémoire vise à mieux comprendre le phénomène de l’angoisse à travers les conceptions de deux philosophes s’y étant attardé de façon importante : Søren Kierkegaard et Martin Heidegger. Il cherche à cerner ce que ces deux conceptions, malgré des divergences importantes, peuvent amener comme éclairage philosophique à ce phénomène proprement humain. En fait, leurs conceptions philosophiques respectives de l’angoisse transforment – permettent un autre regard -, sur la question. Ils ne font pas vraiment état des effets psychologiques de l’angoisse, mais plutôt de ce que cette dernière peut permettre d’ouvrir comme perspective de saisie de l’être humain. Effectivement, l’angoisse, comme situation affective, permet d’atteindre l’être humain d’une façon plus profonde et plus originaire que ne le ferait n’importe quelle science. Elle permet de se positionner au cœur de ce qui constitue l’être humain, qui est une synthèse entre deux éléments contraires (l’âme et le corps, l’ontique et l’ontologique, etc.), dévoilant ainsi l’existence de l’être humain d’une manière toute particulière. De plus, l’angoisse assure aussi le lien entre le possible et le réel, mettant ainsi l’être humain devant un enjeu fondamental de sa condition, à savoir son possible, son destin. / Anxiety differs from other feelings and states in that it is not directed at anything specific, but rather towards life in general. But what does anxiety mean? Why does it come about? The present dissertation seeks to understand anxiety through the works of two philosophers who dealt with these questions at length: Søren Kierkegaard and Martin Heidegger. By taking into account various similarities and differences between these two conceptions, we will come to a better understanding of how philosophy has clarified this peculiarly human phenomenon. In fact, one might say that these conceptions have served to transform — or to open a new perspective on — the question of anxiety. No longer is anxiety treated in terms of its psychological effects, but rather in terms of how it allows us to grasp something essentially human. Anxiety, qua affective situation, provides a privileged mode of access to the human being, deeper and more original than any purely scientific approach. Anxiety thrusts us into the heart of what is constitutive of the human being: a synthesis of two contrary factors (be it the soul and the body or the ontic and the ontological). Moreover, anxiety articulates the connection between possibility and reality, placing the individual before a fundamental feature of human existence: one’s own most possibilities, or destiny.

Authenticity is what we want from the world around us, from others, and crucially from ourselves and what we make. As it relates to graphic design, I define authenticity as a perceived match between form and purpose. For the designer, its quality is found in the process of simultaneously developing a concept and crafting the design/object.

The focus of this investigation is to assess the relationship between false self behavior, object relations and attachment variables, and adjustment. Theory suggests that object relations and attachment are interrelated, and have been independently linked to psychological consequences. Theory also postulates a relationship between false self behavior and object relations theory. Given the interrelatedness of object relations and attachment theory it is possible that false self behavior may also be linked to attachment variables. While the relationship between object relations and false self behavior seems to have been established object relations theory and attachment theory have not been studied in tandem as related to false self behavior. In addition, this investigation will explore the relationship of adjustment variables to attachment and object relations variables. Undergraduate males and females will be solicited for participation, and will be asked to complete self-report questionnaires measuring false self behavior, object relations, attachment, and adjustment. The primary research hypothesis is that less false self behavior will be related to mature object relations, secure attachment, and fewer symptoms.

No description available.

The thesis An Extraordinary Encounter with Chekhov strives to examine the process and phases involved in the design of the set for Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters. This play was produced in the Spring of 2007, at the University of New Orleans. This production was chosen by the graduate committee, as the final work to complete my Master of Fine Arts degree in set design. I seek to examine the nature of the creative process for the set design through a series of encounters, from the initial encounter with the play to the various encounters with the director and other collaborators. These various encounters will include the, research and preparation to the final creation of the set design examined in detail. Copies of all the research, renderings, photos, draftings and any supporting materials that were relevant to the creative process will accompany the text of the thesis.

Since the 1970s, when neoliberal policies and changing consumer patterns began remaking cities, scholars have conducted research about gentrification. In New Orleans, these studies have helped explain the demographic and economic shifts in some neighborhoods. However, there has been limited focus on the built environment aspects of gentrification in New Orleans, specifically the interpretation of the external aesthetic shifts in streetscapes as part of the gentrification process. This thesis examines the relationship between these aesthetics, primarily graffiti and street art, and the gentrification process, as perceived by various stakeholders in two New Orleans neighborhoods: St. Roch and Bywater. Using empirical, qualitative evidence, this thesis argues that graffiti and street art signify a culture and aestheticization of gentrification. Research methods for this thesis include participant observation, semi-structured interviews and discourse analysis. Keywords: Gentrification, New Orleans, Bywater, St. Roch, graffiti, street art, neighborhood change, blight, disinvestment, revitalization, creative class, neoliberalism, race, authenticity

Du projet urbain au musée à ciel ouvert, la ville oscille entre un besoin de modernisation et une volonté de préserver son patrimoine. À Strasbourg, l’ensemble urbain de la Neustadt illustre ces deux manières d’envisager la ville. Le terme même de « Neustadt », traduit littéralement par « ville nouvelle », résonne de manière singulière car il est porteur de ces deux modalités qui peuvent être perçues comme antagonistes. D’un côté, il se réfère à l’extension urbaine « moderne » planifiée en 1880. De l’autre, il correspond à la dénomination officielle utilisée pour valoriser ce patrimoine et concourir à son inscription sur la liste du patrimoine mondial de l’Unesco (juillet 2017). Dans ce contexte de patrimonialisation, la thèse vise d’une part, à déconstruire les faits qui ont conduit à ce changement de statut et d’autre part à étudier la place des habitants dans ce processus. Au-delà des représentations à l’égard de la Neustadt, les décisions vernaculaires des résidents sont particulièrement mises en exergue. À une échelle plus fine qu’est celui de l’immeuble de rapport, il s’agit de comprendre comment des pratiques patrimoniales hétérogènes cohabitent et s’articulent. / From urban project to open-air museum, the city oscillates between a need for modernization and a desire to preserve its heritage. In Strasbourg, the urban ensemble of Neustadt illustrates these two ways of looking at the city. The very term 'Neustadt', translated literally as 'new city', resonates in a singular way because it conveys both of these modalities, which can be perceived as antagonistic. On the one hand, it refers to the "modern" urban extension planned in 1880. On the other hand, it matches the official name used to promote this heritage and contribute to its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list (July 2017). In this context of heritagization, the thesis aims to deconstruct the facts that have led to this change of status and to study the place of the inhabitants in this process. Beyond representations of the ‘Neustadt’, the vernacular decisions of residents are highlighted. At the smaller scale of the revenue house, it looks into how heterogeneous heritage practices coexist and combine.

Denna studie undersöker autenticitet och hedonism inom backpacking. Postmodernismen har lett till en homogenisering gällandede destinationer som backpackers besöker och aktiviteter de utför. Autentiska upplevelser blir således svårare att hitta samt urskilja på grund av den rådande massturismen. Denna studie mäter svenska backpackers uppfattningar och beteenden gällande autenticitet, med hjälp av en enkätundersökning som besvaras av 203 respondenter. Datainsamlingen presenteras i form av tabeller samt beskrivande text och analyseras med hjälp av ett teoretiskt ramverk som innefattar autenticitet, backpacking, hedonism samt välmående. Resultatet visar att svenska backpackers uppfattningar samt beteende har störst koppling till existentiell autenticitet och att den hedonistiska njutningen är en del av den moderna backpackern. / This study explores authenticity and hedonism in backpacking. Postmodernism has led to a homogenization in regards to the destinations that backpackers visit and the activities they perform. Authentic experiences are thus much more difficult to find and discern due to the prevailing mass tourism. This study measures Swedish backpacker's perceptions and behaviors regarding authenticity, using a questionnaire survey that is answered by 203 participants. Data collection is presented in the form of tables and descriptive text that is analyzed using a theoretical framework which includes authenticity, backpacking, hedonism and well-being. The result shows that Swedish backpacker's perceptions and behaviors are most closely linked to existential authenticity and that hedonistic enjoyment is part of the modern backpacker.

Under de senaste årtiondet har mikrobryggerier runt om i världen tagit allt större marknadsandelar från nationella och internationella bryggerier. Trots en växande marknad är marknadsklimatet däremot långt ifrån idealiskt för många småbryggare. Lönsamheten är låg och marknaden präglas av hårdare konkurrens. Att upprätthålla konkurrenskraft är därmed allt viktigare för mikrobryggeriernas överlevnad. För att skapa konkurrenskraft är det fördelaktigt att ha god förståelse för konsumenten. Då tidigare forskning pekar på att strävan efter autenticitet är en betydande del av konsumtionen finns det två kritiska frågor när det kommer till konsumentinsikt inom marknaden. Varför väljer konsumenter ett specifikt varumärke inom hantverksöl? Vilka egenskaper är mest inflytelserika för att en konsument ska uppfatta ett varumärke inom hantverksöl som autentiskt? En kvalitativ studie genomfördes för att få svar på dessa frågor. Utifrån studiens analys och resultat är sociokulturella och transformativa motiv framträdande i konsumtionen. Valet av varumärke påverkas starkt av sociala influenser, kvalitet och exogena faktorer som smak och identitet. Lokal anknytning till varumärket är en framträdande variabel i köpbeslutet. Faktorer som påverkar intrycket av autenticitet är en blandning av egenskaper som kvalitet, värderingar, historia. Respondenterna grundar sin bedömning både på känsla och objektiv information. Det emotionella intrycket tenderar däremot att ha en större effekt på studiens deltagare. Avslutningsvis framgår det att trovärdighet är en avgörande aspekt för att ett varumärke inom hantverksöl ska kunna upprätthålla ett autentiskt intryck. / During the last decade microbreweries have been steadily gaining market share from the large national and international beer breweries. However, despite a growing market the current state is not ideal for most brands seeking to expand their operation. For instance, the market is characterized by fragmentation and there is a widespread agreement that consumers are enchanted by novelty. Still, little is know about the craft beer consumer. As previous research conclude that consumption of craft products is closely associated with the search for authenticity two critical questions emerge in terms customer insight. Why do consumers choose a specific craft beer brand? What influences a consumer to ascribe authenticity to a craft beer brand? A qualitative study was conducted to address these questions. Based on the analysis of the results the consumption is catalysed by an interworking process of taste, socio-cultural and psycho-transformative needs. The choice of brand is strongly influenced by quality, social stimuli and exogenous variables such as taste and self-congruity. A sense of local identity tends to evoke strong self-congruity effects. Variables underpinning authenticity includes a mixture of properties such as quality, values, brand heritage. While respondents draw on both indexical and icon cues to base judgements, iconic cues tends to generate strong effects in first encounter with brands. Finally, credibility in all forms is shown to be crucial in order to sustain an authentic impression as a Swedish craft beer brand.