This dissertation aims to establish a philosophical framework, described from the spectator’s viewpoint, for the analysis of the embodiment process of Qi in Taiwanese hypermedial theatre works, which subtly convey a traditional Chinese aesthetic of Qi. This traditional Chinese aesthetic based on the idea of Qi suggests that the spectator participates in the development of certain Qi-energy, which is inherent in and continuously transmitted between humans and various other beings or things. The establishment of the spectator-work relation with respect to Qi-energy suggests that there are potential communication pathways between humans and the cosmos. I explore how the world model based on Qi is realised in Taiwanese hypermedial theatre through the spatial configuration of the spectator-work relation. I argue that this world model based on Qi indicates a mode of existence in which both the spectator and the multiple media used in the work are transformed and become certain beings that are cultivated by Qi and originally merge with each other. The spectator’s reactions to a theatre work emerge, as I contend, as performative acts that interact with and continue the flow of Qi. Furthermore, these acts generate a performative space that corresponds to a spiritual and cosmological aspect of Qi. This framework provides a complement to the phenomenological discourses of performative space in the context of new media and hypermedial theatre studies. In Chapter 2, I examine the correlation between the constitution of performative space and the channelling of agency in contemporary Western theatre. Based on this examination, I propose that in the course of such constitution, three aesthetic actions of agency occur: sharing agency between the spectator and the work leads to the inter-activity between the two sides; meanwhile, it also leads to the spectator’s embodiment and presence in the mixed realms of the physical and the mediated. Chapter 3 elucidates the philosophical concepts, spatial implications, and practices of Qi in the context of Confucianism. I propose a connection between Qi and agency without substituting the latter entirely with the former, as the operations of the two systems respectively lead to different world models. With reference to Chiang Nien-feng’s phenomenological interpretation of the poetic arising of Qi (hsing) and Mathias Obert’s research into Qi’s performative feature in Chapter 4, I explore two issues. First, I examine how the poetic arising of Qi is expressed in the spectator’s performative acts in an encounter with a theatre work; secondly, I investigate how this poetic arising of Qi gives rise to the constitution of performative space through the spatial configuration of the spectator-work relation based on the Qi world model. I then develop a framework of Qi-arising Space for my further analysis of the constitution of performative space in relation to the embodiment of Qi in Taiwanese hypermedia theatre works and discussion of the three aesthetic actions of agency from the Qi worldview. Finally, in Chapter 5, with three case studies in this genre of the theatre, I analyse the similarities and differences between the operations of agency and Qi regarding the constitution of performative space and interrogate the characteristics of the aesthetic actions of agency and Qi. This study proves the value of the knowledge of Qi in the field of hypermedial theatre and offers an intercultural understanding to the existing notions in the field.

This thesis explores the structure and delivery of education programs to justice-involved adults in Canadian federal prisons and in the community. A series of semi-structured interviews as well as three volumes of the Journal for Prisoners on Prisons were analyzed using a qualitative approach to determine whether or not principles of adult education and components of performative space are present in current correctional education strategies. The findings suggest that while there are occurrences of both elements in the education that is provided to prisoners, the programs in the community are much more reflective of these adult learning standards. This project highlights the need for research into the area of adult correctional education, increased collaboration between the fields of criminology and education, and provides a framework from which future research can continue.

This thesis explores the structure and delivery of education programs to justice-involved adults in Canadian federal prisons and in the community. A series of semi-structured interviews as well as three volumes of the Journal for Prisoners on Prisons were analyzed using a qualitative approach to determine whether or not principles of adult education and components of performative space are present in current correctional education strategies. The findings suggest that while there are occurrences of both elements in the education that is provided to prisoners, the programs in the community are much more reflective of these adult learning standards. This project highlights the need for research into the area of adult correctional education, increased collaboration between the fields of criminology and education, and provides a framework from which future research can continue.

This thesis explores the structure and delivery of education programs to justice-involved adults in Canadian federal prisons and in the community. A series of semi-structured interviews as well as three volumes of the Journal for Prisoners on Prisons were analyzed using a qualitative approach to determine whether or not principles of adult education and components of performative space are present in current correctional education strategies. The findings suggest that while there are occurrences of both elements in the education that is provided to prisoners, the programs in the community are much more reflective of these adult learning standards. This project highlights the need for research into the area of adult correctional education, increased collaboration between the fields of criminology and education, and provides a framework from which future research can continue.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and increase the understanding of a present function of today´s public library in a societal context. My aim is to examine how the role of the public library is discussed in Swedish media between 2012 – 2019. I want to get a broader understanding of the public library as a physical place and a space, through the theoretical frameworks of Raber´s ideological model. The theoretical frameworks are used in this study to examine these questions: How is the public library as a room discussed in present Swedish media? The functions of the public library of today is many, how is the different themes actualized in the library as a meeting place? What consequences does the debate contribute regarded to the picture of the public library and is it connected to the work for the legitimacy of the public library? The research field within Library and Information Science (LIS) is interdisciplinary with many references to social science theories. My qualitative study of content analysis builds upon theories of generating social capital. The aspect of the library as a space for inclusiveness and belongingness is a subject that is clearly stated in my study. My conclusion is that Raber´s social strategy is the dominant curse in the debate of the functions of the Swedish public libraries in present media. The legitimacy within the function as the hegemonic literacy discourse meets the legitimacy of the library as an open meeting place in my study.

This thesis project aims to discuss the conditions and importance of water as a dynamic body in our environment, as water is affecting life on Earth on all levels. By focusing on the Baltic Sea, a sensitive body of water, I am exploring the acoustic characters of the sea dynamics through sound recordings at three bays in the Stockholm Archipelago. How can an acoustic exploration of the Baltic Sea dynamics mediate a sensitive relationship to our marine environments? Sound defines environments and gives indications of their current state. In this project, I intertwine an artistic approach involving our senses with scientific research of measuring to further an understanding of the relationship between humans and nature. The project explores water and sound in two parts, first as a method for listening to the sea, second as a spatial composition created for a sensory experience of the sea’s endless motion. It is my hope that my installation can stir emotions and create an understanding for the environmental challenges facing the Baltic Sea and inspire action towards prosperous natural environments where we live with and not apart from nature.