<p>In order that epistemic formulas might be coupled with approximate databases, it is necessary to have a well-defined semantics for the knowledge operator and a method of reducing epistemic formulas to approximate formulas. In this thesis, two possible definitions of a semantics for the knowledge operator are proposed for use together with an approximate relational database: </p><p>* One based upon logical entailment (being the dominating notion of knowledge in literature); sound and complete rules for reduction to approximate formulas are explored and found not to be applicable to all formulas. </p><p>* One based upon algorithmic computability (in order to be practically feasible); the correspondence to the above operator on the one hand, and to the deductive capability of the agent on the other hand, is explored.</p><p>Also, an inductively defined semantics for a"know whether"-operator, is proposed and tested. Finally, an algorithm implementing the above is proposed, carried out using Java, and tested.</p>

Abstract The aim of this study is to identify the positive contributions women of colour (WOC) bring to higher education as they experience the process of becoming doctoral recipients. Their experiences are presented as a new epistemology—a theory of knowledge—as part of the larger area of cultural capital theory. The experiences of WOC in Canadian doctoral programs are conceptualized as ‘cultural wealth’ and new knowledge because evidence reveals that the intrinsic value of their contributions has evolved from unique cultural and historical resources. The discursive theoretical frameworks of Womanist theory, critical race theory (CRT) and cultural capital theory are utilized to guide the analysis of the findings. This study establishes the experiences of the participants as valuable and distinctive knowledge by emphasizing the intersectionality of race, class, gender, culture, and spirituality. The research suggests that the experiences of women of colour are informed by an inner wisdom woven from the mosaic, or uniquely diverse paths, which these women have taken toward earning their doctorate degree. The existing interpretation of cultural capital theory - originally established by Bourdieu and Passeron (1977) - is considered the only social marker of wealth in socio-economical and educational research. Although previous studies have challenged this dominant perspective, this current study presents a unique interpretation of cultural capital theory by expanding the notion of cultural wealth from a Canadian perspective. This study highlights the importance of the racial/cultural context that is highly visible in Canadian culture but seldom addressed in higher education research. In addition, the aim of my study is to establish the wealth of “Mosaic Paths” found among the cultural identity of WOC, as a new epistemology in Canadian higher education. Specifically, the journey toward achieving a doctoral degree is often over-generalized in higher education. This study will reveal the realistic paths that WOC must traverse in order to realize their goals. Finally, the findings from the data reveal six major sources of cultural wealth: 1) Mother’s Influence, 2) Age Capital, 3) Mentorship, 4) Survival Strategies, 5) Negotiating Academic Culture or Know-how, and 6) Spirituality.

PhD dissertation. / Includes bibliographical references.

FOR UNION AND SLAVERY, FOR SLAVERY AND UNION: KNOW-NOTHINGS IN GEORGIA 1854-1860 by LESLYE JOY ALLEN Under the Direction of Dr. Wendy Hamand Venet ABSTRACT This thesis examines the Know-Nothing (or “American”) Party in the state of Georgia as a political entity whose leading members descended from the bipartisan Constitutional Union Party of Georgia in 1850. This thesis affirms that Georgia Know-Nothings emerged in 1854 and lasted until 1859 as a political party devoted to settling the sectional controversies brought on by the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854. Their role in the 1856 presidential campaign of Millard Fillmore and the 1857 gubernatorial campaign of Benjamin Harvey Hill, along with their role and membership in the revitalized national Constitutional Union Party in 1860 are also critically examined. The major argument is that Georgia Know-Nothings were not nativist, but were conservative unionists whose aim was to protect slavery and prevent the secession of Georgia and the South by using ideologies and political techniques honed while they were members of Georgia’s Constitutional Union Party. INDEX WORDS: Georgia Know-Nothing Party, Benjamin H. Hill, Joshua Hill, Georgia Constitutional Unionists, Georgia Platform, Southern Unionism

Abstract The aim of this study is to identify the positive contributions women of colour (WOC) bring to higher education as they experience the process of becoming doctoral recipients. Their experiences are presented as a new epistemology—a theory of knowledge—as part of the larger area of cultural capital theory. The experiences of WOC in Canadian doctoral programs are conceptualized as ‘cultural wealth’ and new knowledge because evidence reveals that the intrinsic value of their contributions has evolved from unique cultural and historical resources. The discursive theoretical frameworks of Womanist theory, critical race theory (CRT) and cultural capital theory are utilized to guide the analysis of the findings. This study establishes the experiences of the participants as valuable and distinctive knowledge by emphasizing the intersectionality of race, class, gender, culture, and spirituality. The research suggests that the experiences of women of colour are informed by an inner wisdom woven from the mosaic, or uniquely diverse paths, which these women have taken toward earning their doctorate degree. The existing interpretation of cultural capital theory - originally established by Bourdieu and Passeron (1977) - is considered the only social marker of wealth in socio-economical and educational research. Although previous studies have challenged this dominant perspective, this current study presents a unique interpretation of cultural capital theory by expanding the notion of cultural wealth from a Canadian perspective. This study highlights the importance of the racial/cultural context that is highly visible in Canadian culture but seldom addressed in higher education research. In addition, the aim of my study is to establish the wealth of “Mosaic Paths” found among the cultural identity of WOC, as a new epistemology in Canadian higher education. Specifically, the journey toward achieving a doctoral degree is often over-generalized in higher education. This study will reveal the realistic paths that WOC must traverse in order to realize their goals. Finally, the findings from the data reveal six major sources of cultural wealth: 1) Mother’s Influence, 2) Age Capital, 3) Mentorship, 4) Survival Strategies, 5) Negotiating Academic Culture or Know-how, and 6) Spirituality.

Univ., Diss.--Sankt Gallen, 2005.

Universiẗat, Diss. u.d.T.: Sessing, Gerhard: Wissenstransfer zwischen Organisationen - eine Konzeption der Erfolgsfaktoren im Wissenstransferprozess--Augsburg, 2004.

Zugl.: Köln, Universiẗat, Diss., 2008 u.d.T.: Schmitz, Frank P.: Informations- und Beziehungsverhalten von auslandschinesischen Unternehmungsgründern in Deutschland und in den USA.

St. Gallen, Univ., Diss., 2004.

La thèse développe une étude de la dentelle Renaissance en tant qu’ écriture construite sur la performance des dentellières de Monteiro (Paraíba-Brésil) à partir des objectifs suivants : relever des informations sur des aspects historiques, sociaux, artistiques et commerciaux de l’activité dentellière en Europe, tout en prenant en compte dans cette trajectoire la présence de la dentelle Renaissance dans l’État de Paraíba. En nous basant sur les concepts de déterritorialisation (Deleuze, Guattari), de nomadisme (Maffesoli) ; de voix et de performance (Zumthor), nous avons analysé la production et la recréation de la dentelle par les dentellières de l’Association des Artisans de Monteiro – ASSOAM, dans le savoir-faire de la dentelle, et cela à partir de trois générations de dentellières de deux familles. Nous avons mis en avant des aspects qui touchent la culture (Geertz), l’identité (Castells) et la mémoire collective (Halbwachs) dans la fabrication de la dentelle et dans l’enseignement et l’apprentissage de cet art, en approfondissant l’étude développée dans une recherche antérieure sur la dentelle Renaissance à Monteiro. Nous avons observé sa permanence au long des générations, avec des points considérés traditionnels et un processus de (re)création de nouveaux points, comparés aux images de points de la dentelle Renaissance produite en France au début du XXème siècle. Nous avons reconstitué l’histoire de la dentelle Renaissance en y incluant sa trajectoire dans le Cariri de l’État de Paraíba. Prenant pour base les présupposés théoriques cités plus haut et la recherche de terrain orientée par l’Histoire Orale (Thompson) et par l’ethnographie (Levi-Strauss), nous avons enregistré (ou filmé) des témoignages et des conversations résultant d’entretiens semi-structurés avec les dentellières de la dentelle Renaissance du Cariri de l’État de Paraíba et des dentellières françaises, italiennes et belges. Les points ont été fixés au moyen de photos. Les résultats de l’analyse des données théoriques et pratiques ont montré que la dentelle se déterritorialise à travers des actions comme l’exode, les immigrations et des formes de commercialisation. Les voix des dentellières qui s’instaurent dans les formes de leurs points et leurs dessins révèlent la culture, la mémoire et l’identité de la femme dentellière. La dentelle se fait langage artistique, englobant des savoirs dont participent la voix en performance, dans une actio qui rend possible l’enseignement et l’apprentissage de la dentelle et la création (et recréation) des points. Ceux-ci interagissent, communiquent et apportent dans leurs formes, des textes oraux qui parlent de l’être dentellière, révèlent des lectures sur la création, le tisser, la survivance et l’amour des dentellières pour leur art. À chaque point tissé et/ou recréé, la dentellière réécrit l’histoire de sa vie et son empreinte dans les fils tissés. Ainsi, la dentelle Renaissance exprime, dans une image qui complète le texte oral des dentellières, sa construction comme écriture. / This thesis develops a study of Renaissance lace as a built writing inlacemakers performance from Monteiro (Paraíba-Brasil) by the followingobjectives: gather information about historical, social, artistic and commercialaspects of the lace activity in Europe, consindering in this path Renaissancelace presence in Paraíba. Based on the concept of deterritorialization (DELEUZE; GUATTARI, 1995), nomadism (MAFFESOLI, 2001), and voice and performance (ZUMTHOR, 1993). It was analyzed the lace production and recreation by lacemakers of Monteiro handicraft workers association – ASSOM, at the lacemaking know-how, also about three generations of a lacemaker family. Cultural emphasis (GEERTZ, 1989), identity (CASTELLS, 2000) and collective memory aspects (HALBWACHS, 2004) are given at lacemaking and teaching learning of this art, also deepening this work on a previously initiated research about Renaissance lace in Monteiro. It was observed its maintenance through generations, with stitches considered traditional and the process of (re)creation of new ones compared to images of Renaissance lace stitches produced in France in the beginning of the 20th century. The history of Renaissance lace including its trajectory in Paraíba Cariri is rebuilt. Based on the theories mentioned above and on a field research guided by Oral History (THOMPSON, 1998) and by the ethnography (LÉVI-STRAUSS, 1996), testimonials and conversations were recorded (and/or filmed) with Renaissance lacemakers from Cariri in Paraíba, and included French, Italian and Belgian ones. The stitches were registered on photographies. The analysis results of the theorical and practical information shows lace deterritorialization in actions such as exodus, immigration, and in ways of commercialization. The lacemaker voices that are placed in the shapes of stitches and drawings reveal culture, memory and identity of the lacemaker woman. Lace became artistic language, which involves knowledge sharing by the voice in performance in an action that makes possible lace teaching and learning, and also creating (and recreating) the stitches. They get into interaction, communication and bring in their shapes oral texts that talks about what being a lacemaker is. They show off a reading about creation, the weave, the surviving and the love for their art. At each created or recreated stitch, a lacemaker rewrites her life history and her mark on the cloth tread. Thus, Renaissance lace express in an image that complete the lacemakers oral text their construction as a writing.