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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
41

Fibonomial Tilings and Other Up-Down Tilings

Bennett, Robert 01 January 2016 (has links)
The Fibonomial coefficients are a generalization of the binomial coefficients with a rather nice combinatorial interpretation. While the ordinary binomial coefficients count lattice paths in a grid, the Fibonomial coefficients count the number of ways to draw a lattice path in a grid and then Fibonacci-tile the regions above and below the path in a particular way. We may forgo a literal tiling interpretation and, instead of the Fibonacci numbers, use an arbitrary function to count the number of ways to "tile" the regions of the grid delineated by the lattice path. When the function is a combinatorial sequence such as the Lucas numbers or the q-numbers, the total number of "tilings" is some multiple of a generalized binomial coefficient corresponding to the sequence chosen.
42

Gaming and Gender: Home as a Place of (Non)conformity for Women Gamers

Todd, Cherie J January 2009 (has links)
This research examines interactive multimedia video games that are played on technological devices such as: computers, gameboys, PlayStation, Portable PlayStation (PSP) and Xbox. Particular attention is paid to women 30 years of age and older, who engage in gaming activities whilst at home. This is a particularly useful group of women to investigate because it opposes stereotypical and gender-normative notions of what it means to be a 'woman at home'. Also, to the best of my knowledge, there have not been any previous studies conducted that explore this particular group in relation to geographies of home. There is an ever expanding body of literature that focuses on 'home' and the meanings that are associated with it. This research represents an attempt to seek a new way of understanding the mutually constitutive relationship between women, home, and gaming by drawing on feminist and poststructuralist theories of identities, place and space. In this thesis, I argue that there are various ways in which women's identities can become blurred by their engagements with cyber/space, and that gaming is an activity which facilitates levels of empowerment for women within the home.
43

Changes in Canadian Identity Attitudes Over a Twenty Year Period: 1981-2001

Luke, Alison January 2010 (has links)
This project examines attitude change between 1981 and 2001 for a population of young, well educated Canadians, employing evaluation, potency and activity (EPA) semantic differential ratings of approximately 800 social identities. This comprises my larger data set. I also employ a smaller subset of 102 social identities drawn from the larger data set to explore changes across three points in time (1981, 1995, and 2001) for 102 social identities, supplementing my analysis across two points in time (1981 and 2001) for 800 social identities. The objectives for this dissertation are: (1) to assess stability of attitudes for social identities over time; (2) to identify and describe patterns of change in identity attitudes and to connect observed changes in identity attitudes to historical events, and to social and cultural change in Canadian society; (3) to explore the extent to which identities that cluster together in EPA space define social institutions; and (4) to explore how changes in identity attitudes affect role expectations over time. Despite significant shifts in attitudes for a number of identities, approximately 80% of identity attitudes remained stable over time, confirming findings from past research that cultural sentiments are slow to change. Observed changes could be connected to social and cultural structure. Specifically, dramatic changes occurred for religious and sexual preference/orientation identities. Numerous religious identities decreased on evaluation for male respondents between 1981 and 1995 and then were restored to earlier levels by 2001. Female respondents were not as forgiving and 1995 decreases in evaluation were sustained. These changes are connected to increased secularization and earlier sexual scandals in religious institutions. Sexual preference/orientation identities increased significantly on evaluation for both males and females. However, increases for females were more dramatic and occurred across all three points in time while changes in attitudes for males occurred between 1981 and 1995 and then changed little between 1995 and 2001. These changes can be connected to numerous factors, including the increased visibility of gay/lesbian culture in mainstream media and the absence of a strong anti-gay counter movement. Although social identities clustered in interesting ways, cluster analysis was not very successful in defining social institutions. Computer simulations revealed how role and behaviour expectations change with changes in identity attitudes. For example, there is obvious increase in evaluation between 1981 and 2001 for the behavior of a police officer toward a homosexual. This dissertation concludes by addressing methodological issues such as sample size and generalizability. It is suggested that the corpus of identities should be continually updated to include identities that are emerging from pop culture. Finally, four areas of future research are suggested: (1) a continual monitoring of cultural sentiments; (2) a more detailed focus on individual social institutions; (3) a confirmation of computer predictions with qualitative interview data; and (4) identifying the implications of this research for trend analysis. Practical implications of this dissertation research include the use of computer simulations of identity-role processes in the areas of education and policy research.
44

Small data on a large scale : Torn between convenience and surveillance

Stykow, Henriette January 2015 (has links)
Technology has become an inherent part of our daily lives. If we don’t want to abstain from the benefits technology brings, we have to acknowledge the fact that tech generates data and adjust our norms and habits to it. This thesis critiques how corporations and governmental institutions collect, store and analyze data of individuals. It discusses the economic and technological forces that stand behind the collection and usage of data in the past, today, and the near future. Beyond that, it alludes to political implications. The overarching goal is to stimulate reflection about culture and future. To achieve that, the design of an interactive educational web story within the browser is proposed. A curated personal data platform in combination with interactive web stories make data collection, data usage, and the risks of data aggregation visible. Business practices and interests are rendered transparent on the basis of users’ actual online behavior and exposure. The web stories allows to understand the meaning and value of the data traces users leave online. In five chapters, they experience the basic technologies of the Internet, business motivations, and surveillance practices in the context of their individual web browsing behavior. Each chapter invites to explore details of the topic to accommodate for individual need and interest in the matter. A critical reflection on the future of data collection is encouraged, tools and settings within the browser help users to protect their digital identities.
45

Changes in Canadian Identity Attitudes Over a Twenty Year Period: 1981-2001

Luke, Alison January 2010 (has links)
This project examines attitude change between 1981 and 2001 for a population of young, well educated Canadians, employing evaluation, potency and activity (EPA) semantic differential ratings of approximately 800 social identities. This comprises my larger data set. I also employ a smaller subset of 102 social identities drawn from the larger data set to explore changes across three points in time (1981, 1995, and 2001) for 102 social identities, supplementing my analysis across two points in time (1981 and 2001) for 800 social identities. The objectives for this dissertation are: (1) to assess stability of attitudes for social identities over time; (2) to identify and describe patterns of change in identity attitudes and to connect observed changes in identity attitudes to historical events, and to social and cultural change in Canadian society; (3) to explore the extent to which identities that cluster together in EPA space define social institutions; and (4) to explore how changes in identity attitudes affect role expectations over time. Despite significant shifts in attitudes for a number of identities, approximately 80% of identity attitudes remained stable over time, confirming findings from past research that cultural sentiments are slow to change. Observed changes could be connected to social and cultural structure. Specifically, dramatic changes occurred for religious and sexual preference/orientation identities. Numerous religious identities decreased on evaluation for male respondents between 1981 and 1995 and then were restored to earlier levels by 2001. Female respondents were not as forgiving and 1995 decreases in evaluation were sustained. These changes are connected to increased secularization and earlier sexual scandals in religious institutions. Sexual preference/orientation identities increased significantly on evaluation for both males and females. However, increases for females were more dramatic and occurred across all three points in time while changes in attitudes for males occurred between 1981 and 1995 and then changed little between 1995 and 2001. These changes can be connected to numerous factors, including the increased visibility of gay/lesbian culture in mainstream media and the absence of a strong anti-gay counter movement. Although social identities clustered in interesting ways, cluster analysis was not very successful in defining social institutions. Computer simulations revealed how role and behaviour expectations change with changes in identity attitudes. For example, there is obvious increase in evaluation between 1981 and 2001 for the behavior of a police officer toward a homosexual. This dissertation concludes by addressing methodological issues such as sample size and generalizability. It is suggested that the corpus of identities should be continually updated to include identities that are emerging from pop culture. Finally, four areas of future research are suggested: (1) a continual monitoring of cultural sentiments; (2) a more detailed focus on individual social institutions; (3) a confirmation of computer predictions with qualitative interview data; and (4) identifying the implications of this research for trend analysis. Practical implications of this dissertation research include the use of computer simulations of identity-role processes in the areas of education and policy research.
46

Stories and identities in a "pedagogy of meaning": one teacher's self-study in three parts

Paul-Sawatzky, Catherine 31 August 2012 (has links)
This self-study, written in narrative form, considers the design of a “pedagogy of meaning” (Cooper, 2009) that supports children’s identity-construction, as the children uniquely “appear” in the classroom. The author shares this process with the children in her Grade 1 classroom. As part of the children’s “appearance” in the classroom, “voices” which have not often been heard come to be shared in meaningful/meaning-making ways. Also, in the course of this pedagogical design process, the author explores the construction of her own “teacher identities”. The study is theoretically inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach; in particular, the central tenet of the “image of the child” as competent, capable, and resourceful (Rinaldi, 1993). This is a postmodern image of the child brought into being through the process of telling and interpreting stories of past and present. This “image of the child” is utilized as a guiding concept as the author endeavours to conceptualize and enact her own interpretation of a pedagogy of meaning in her Grade 1 classroom context. A pedagogy of meaning is conceptualized as a relational and malleable construct negotiated between the teacher and children and among the children themselves, enriched by the participants’ individual and shared identities, contexts, and experiences.
47

Stories and identities in a "pedagogy of meaning": one teacher's self-study in three parts

Paul-Sawatzky, Catherine 31 August 2012 (has links)
This self-study, written in narrative form, considers the design of a “pedagogy of meaning” (Cooper, 2009) that supports children’s identity-construction, as the children uniquely “appear” in the classroom. The author shares this process with the children in her Grade 1 classroom. As part of the children’s “appearance” in the classroom, “voices” which have not often been heard come to be shared in meaningful/meaning-making ways. Also, in the course of this pedagogical design process, the author explores the construction of her own “teacher identities”. The study is theoretically inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach; in particular, the central tenet of the “image of the child” as competent, capable, and resourceful (Rinaldi, 1993). This is a postmodern image of the child brought into being through the process of telling and interpreting stories of past and present. This “image of the child” is utilized as a guiding concept as the author endeavours to conceptualize and enact her own interpretation of a pedagogy of meaning in her Grade 1 classroom context. A pedagogy of meaning is conceptualized as a relational and malleable construct negotiated between the teacher and children and among the children themselves, enriched by the participants’ individual and shared identities, contexts, and experiences.
48

Mark me: student identities in authentic assessment practices

Van Zoost, Steven David January 2008 (has links)
This is a study of the constitution of adolescents' identity through authentic assessment experiences in my Grade 8 homeroom English class in a rural school in Nova Scotia, Canada. It combines postructuralist theory with practitioner research and examines how young people, through authentic assessment, constitutioned identities in my classroom to be assessed.
49

Technoculture in practice performing identity and difference in social network systems /

Rybas, Natalia. January 2008 (has links)
Thesis (Ph.D.)--Bowling Green State University, 2008. / Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 180 p. : 1 col. ill. Includes bibliographical references.
50

Exploring the 'I' in musician : investigating musical identities of professional orchestral musicians

Renfrew, Mary Claire January 2016 (has links)
The lived experiences of professional orchestral musicians are under-­‐researched by scholars in both music and psychology, who are interested in the world of the professional orchestra and the careers of classical musicians. Framed within a Social Constructionist paradigm, the research in this thesis is concerned with investigating the subjective meanings and individual experiences of a group of ten classical orchestral musicians. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was the methodological framework chosen to design and analyse a set of open-­‐ ended interviews with the musicians, which allowed reflexivity and flexibility throughout the research process. Three superordinate themes were identified from a close reading and IPA analysis of the interview data: ‘Musical Foundations’, ‘Struggle: “The Never Ending Quest”’ and ‘Thank You For The Music’. ‘Musical Foundations’ examines the process of musical identity construction for the ten participants, from its early beginnings in childhood, through adolescence and their time in the professional orchestra. Different facets of musical identity construction are outlined and becoming an orchestral musician is viewed as essentially a social process shaped by social interactions, building on a sense of possessing certain ‘innate’ characteristics. ‘Struggle: ‘The Never Ending Quest”’ illustrates the challenges the musicians encountered within the profession and the impact that being a professional orchestral musician had on other aspects of their lives (e.g. personal and social). The fear and conflict the ten musicians experienced is outlined and how the musicians coped and ‘survived’ within the professional orchestra is demonstrated. In addition, the central importance of the identity of ‘orchestral musician’ within the participants’ lives is illustrated. The last theme, ‘Thank You For The Music’ outlines why the musicians continued within the profession despite the struggles summarised by the previous theme. This chapter highlights the autonomy and control the musicians felt they gained within their orchestras and the physiological and emotional connections they experienced with both the profession and classic music itself. Common to all three superordinate themes is their reported power struggle between the musicians and the orchestra, and between the individual and the collective. Another common issue was how central the identity of ‘orchestral musician’ was for all participants, impacting all aspects of their lives. The professional musicians constructed, negotiated and maintained their musical identities in accordance with both their own expectations and those of the classical music genre itself. The research in this thesis raises awareness of the importance of the orchestral musician identity in the musicians’ lives and how an understanding of this can help gain an insight into other aspects of the participants’ lives. Recommendations are made for further research regarding: the lived experiences of classical music students, investigation of current teaching practices in conservatoires and further exploration of the professional structures within an orchestra.

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