The following is a critical preface and portion of a novel-in-progress produced during my master's program in creative writing at the University of North Texas. The preface analyzes the way time and point of view work together to create or determine structure in fiction, as well as provide added meaning. In order to explore these topics I focus on two novels, Joan Didion’s Play It as It Lays and Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad, and speak to how these elements have influenced my own writing style in The Hostess. The Hostess is a story about a group of twenty-something’s working together in a restaurant located in a Mid-West, college town, told from multiple character perspectives, as they struggle to choose between pursuing their passions and creating stability in their lives.

The purpose of this thesis was to come to understand the fundamental character of the idea of progress by studying the manner in which the idea emerged. This study, however, embodied more than simply those ideas that comprised its nature. The sociology of knowledge approach emphasizes the importance of understanding that the development of ideas can be strongly affected by the social structure. Taking such an approach into consideration in the task of understanding the fundamental character of the idea of progress, it was necessary to also attend to the influences of the social structure as well as the ideational factors upon the development of this idea. The thesis had a twofold approach in which the majority of work was devoted to ideational changes where the character of the idea was formed, but attention was also turned at appropriate times to the influence of the social structure upon the idea of progress.

The past several years have seen increased awareness of environmental degradation, climate change, and energy concerns—and with good reason; addressing the problem of sustainability is vital if American culture is to both persist and thrive. Because this issue affects all aspects of our lives, it can easily seem overwhelming, encouraging the belief that solutions to these problems lie beyond the scope of individual action. This study seeks to identify legitimate personal responses one can make to issues of sustainability. I approach this subject with an eye toward answering a simple series of questions: Where are we?; How did we get here?; Where are we going?; Is that where we want to go? I briefly investigate the history of the idea of progress, focusing especially on our culture's fascination with and embrace of technological progress. Following this investigation, I examine two works that offer critiques of progress: Thoreau's classic text, Walden, and Wendell Berry's, The Unsettling of America. These texts are chosen for a few reasons. First, a clear tradition of critical inquiry can be traced from Thoreau to Berry. Second, the historical distance between these authors makes a comparison of their work particularly illuminating. Though they are citizens of the same country, speak the same language, and ask similar questions, each author writes in response to different worlds—Thoreau's just beginning to embrace industrial capitalism and technological progress, and Berry's very much the product of that embrace. Most importantly, however, both authors focus on individual action and responsibility. / Master of Arts

Enligt undersökningar som har gjorts konstateras att digitala verktyg används mindre inom byggsektorn i jämförelse med andra branscher. Den digitala utvecklingen är viktig för hur byggbranschen kommer att se ut i framtiden. I nuläget finns ett intresse för att öka användningen av digitala verktyg från byggföretaget Skanska. En mobil version av tidplaneringsprogrammet Asta Powerproject finns på marknaden, nämligen Site Progress. Site Progress används för att stämma av projektets aktiviteter via mobila enheter. Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur en digital avstämning av tidplan går till genom att använda Site Progress. Vidare analyseras applikationens användarvänlighet och målet är att komma fram till om Site Progress skulle kunna implementeras i kommande projekt. I studien genomförs en undersökning på projekt Kvarteret Trollhättan 31, som är en om- och tillbyggnation av kontor. I början av undersökningen observerades hur avstämningen går till i nuläget på projektet. Därefter genomfördes samma avstämning med det digitala verktyget Site Progress. Undersökningen avslutades med kvalitativa intervjuer i syfte att ta del av produktionsledarnas tankar om det nuvarande arbetssättet samt deras inställning till införande av Site Progress. Studien resulterar i att Site Progress medför att avstämning sker direkt på plats och att all dokumentation hamnar på en enhet. I nuläget går det ej att tilldela fler personer på en och samma summa i Site Progress Manager, detta kan försvåra arbetet med avstämning. För att Site Progress ska implementeras i arbetet med avstämning av tidplan krävs justeringar för att åtgärda verktygets brister. / Compared to other industries, digital tools are seldomly used in construction, for which digital development is vital for the growth of that industry. Skanska, a Swedish construction company, has a growing interest in the use of such tools. A mobile version of Asta Powerproject, called Site Progress, is currently available on the market and enables mobile users to record the task progress from a remote location. The purpose of this bachelor thesis is to analyse how Site Progress works. This thesis also examines the usage of the mobile application, in order to achieve the goal to determine if Site Progress can be implemented in progress reporting for future projects. During the bachelor thesis a study has been performed on the project Kvarteret Trollhättan 31, which is a rebuilding and extension of an office building. In order to gain a better understanding of how the reporting process is today, an observation was made. Production managers were interviewed in order to take their thoughts about the product into consideration in the thesis work. They also shared their thoughts about progress reporting today and the process behind it. The study showed that the progress update through Site Progress can be made at any time and from any location. Also, all of the project data ends up on the same device. One of the difficulties with Site Progress Managers today is that it is not possible to assign more than one person to one task. Some adjustments and improvements needs to be done in order to implement Site Progress in the work with project progress reporting.

This study aims to threat the problem of the scientific progress in Karl R. Popper and Thomas S. Kuhn. The scientific progress, before these two authors was taken as cumulative, so, science would grow on the way that it would incorporate new truths to the amount of truths which already was familiar. However, it was from David Hume that this form of progress was called into question, as he noticed that science rested on invalid inductive inferences, and what was thought to be truth in science was actually invalid because the premises of a inductive argument, though true, did not ensure the truth transmitted to the conclusion, once this last one said much more than what was said on the premises. This issue raised by Hume beyond having affected the scientific method, also implied the irrationality of science. It was in order to resolve this issue that the Vienna Circle proposed probability as a way to avoid both problems coming from the inductive method, as to ensure the rational character of science, although still keeping progress as cumulative. Karl R Popper was one of the first to propose a form of progress that was not positive and cumulative, in other words, the goal of science was no longer the check, nor a high probability, but the falsification of theories. Science for Popper, aims the progress and this factor is an essential part which guarantees him the rational and empirical character of scientific theories. While distortion occurred constantly and repeated overthrow of theories we would be progressing, even on a negative way. In order to solve the prior problems, Popper rejects the induction and propose hipotetic-deductive method of proof instead. On the other hand, Thomas Kuhn intended to explain the progress as non-cumulative and rational, because for this philosopher science progresses through scientific revolutions and the successive exchange of paradigms. These revolutions, on the other hand, does not occur by the means that the traditional logic can capture. As a result, this paper intends to argue in favor of Karl R. Popper, trying to demonstrate, on the field of Popper's thought that the philosophy of science Kuhn is not a position that is away from allegedly trying to combat, namely the Circle of Vienna, and while maintaining the discontinuous progress, its main way of demarcating science, that is, paradigms, is still cumulative. We conclude this study observing that the critical method proposed by Popper, although not without its problems, is a more viable alternative to the progress seen as breaking theories than the model of Kuhn, especially by rewarding the scientist more by imagination and daring to do bold conjecture than by blind obedience to a paradigm. / O presente trabalho tem por objetivo analisar o problema do progresso científico em Karl R Popper e Thomas S Kuhn. O progresso cientifico, antes desses dois autores, era tido como cumulativo, ou seja, a ciência cresceria na medida em que incorporasse novas verdades ao corpo de verdades que já lhe era familiar. No entanto, foi a partir de David Hume que essa forma de progresso foi posta em causa, pois ele observou que a ciência repousava em inferências indutivas inválidas, e aquilo que se arrogava verdade em ciência era, na verdade, inválido, pois as premissas de um argumento indutivo, embora verdadeiras, não asseguravam a verdade transmitida para a conclusão, uma vez que esta última dizia muito mais do que o que era dito nas premissas. Esse problema levantado por David Hume, além de ter afetado o método científico, também implicava na irracionalidade da ciência. Foi com o intuito de resolver esse problema que o Círculo de Viena propôs a probabilidade como uma maneira de evitar tanto os problemas oriundos da indução, como garantir o caráter racional da ciência, embora ainda mantivesse o progresso como cumulativo. Karl R Popper foi um dos primeiros a propor uma forma de progresso que não fosse positivo e cumulativo, isto é, o objetivo da ciência não mais era a verificação, e tampouco a alta probabilidade, senão o falseamento das teorias. A ciência, para Popper, tem sede de progresso e este fator é uma parte essencial que lhe garante o caráter racional e empírico das teorias científicas. Conquanto ocorresse constante falseamento e a repetida derrubada de teorias estaríamos progredindo, ainda que de maneira negativa. Com vistas a solucionar os problemas anteriores, Popper rejeitou a indução e propôs o método hipotético-dedutivo de prova em seu lugar. Por outro lado, Thomas Kuhn também pretendeu explicar o progresso como não cumulativo e racional, pois para este filósofo a ciência progride através de revoluções científicas e pela sucessiva troca de paradigmas. Estas revoluções, por sua vez, não ocorrem por meios que a lógica tradicional possa capturar. Em vista disso, esse trabalho pretende argumentar em favor de Karl R. Popper, tentando demonstrar, na esteira do pensamento popperiano que a filosofia da ciência de Kuhn não é uma posição que se afastou do que pretensamente tentava combater, a saber, o positivismo lógico, e que embora mantenha o progresso descontínuo, sua principal maneira de demarcar a ciência, isto é, por paradigmas, ainda é cumulativa. Concluímos este trabalho observando que o método crítico proposto por Popper, embora não isento de problemas, é uma alternativa mais viável para o progresso entendido como ruptura de teorias do que o modelo de Kuhn, sobretudo por premiar o cientista mais pela imaginação e ousadia ao fazer conjecturas audaciosas do que pela obediência cega a um paradigma.

Science benefits from substantial cognitive diversity because cognitive diversity promotes scientific progress toward greater accuracy. Without diversity of goals, beliefs, and methods, science would neither generate novel discoveries nor certify representations with its present effectiveness. The revolution in geosciences is a principal case study.The role of cognitive diversity in discovery is explored with attention to computational results. Discovery and certification are inseparable. Moreover, diverse scientific groups agree convergently, and their agreements manifest an explanatory defense akin to the explanatory defense of realism. Scientists accept representations as a matter of their instrumental success in individual scientific research. Because scientists are diverse, this standard of acceptance means that widespread acceptance involves widespread instrumental success. This success is best explained through the accuracy of topics of agreement.The pessimistic induction is addressed; it fails to undermine the explanatory defense because past scientific successes don't resemble present ones in their degree of instrumental success; to make this point, instrumental success of representations of caloric and of oxygen are compared.Cognitive diversity challenges the methodological uniformity of scientific practice. Science lacks uniform methods and aims, and it ought to. It is argued that there is no sound basis for thinking that science aims. Moreover, the growth of science itself is not the growth of knowledge. Scientific communities rather than individual scientists are the main certifiers of scientific results. Hence, since knowledge requires a certifying belief formation process but the process relevant to science is not realized individually, science does not progress toward knowledge. The epistemology of science is socialized, but remains broadly realist because, even without a method of inquiry, science develops accurate representations of unobservable nature.

This thesis deals specifically with one phase of our educational program. It is an analysis of newer ways of reporting child progress to parents. In this study of reporting child progress to parents the problem in concern is how near our newer ways of reporting approach the present trends in education which are influenced by our modern philosophical and psychological concepts.

Masters research: Fuculty of Health Sciences / Background - The programme of prevention of mother- to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) was rolled out to the entire country in November 2001 after its launch in April 2000. The role of men had not been clearly defined. According to the progress report of February 2002 from PMTCT national coordination unit at family health division ministry of health, countrywide, out of 85% of pregnant women who came for antenatal care (ANC), less than 1% of these women were accompanied by their partners. However, in Jwaneng, 81% (526) of women agreed PMTCT counselling for HIV in 2003. Less than 5% (6/526) of women who agreed to be counseled, were accompanied by their men since the programme was launched in October 2001 in Jwaneng. In addition, less than 1% (2/160) of women who tested for HIV came with their partners for HIV test. Out of them, 30.5% (160/526) women agreed and tested for HIV. This testing rate was far less than the national targets of 70%. Then, 33% (52 women) tested HIV positive and 108 tested HIV negative. Of the 52 HIV positive women, 70% (36 women) joined the PMTCT programme and 4 women did not adhere. Furthermore, of 52 HIV positive women, 60% (32) of women agreed to receive AZT, adhered and chose one of the recommended methods of infant feeding. No study in Botswana had been done in a mining town to establish whether, there was a need for men to play a role in PMTCT in Jwaneng. 2 The researcher did not know whether Jwaneng pregnant women want their men or family members to come with them for PMTCT services as a motive for easy acceptance and increase of the programme uptake.

Ciência e religião são dois importantes fundamentos da sociedade humana. Ambas possuem uma influência, direta ou indireta, na vida das pessoas. No entanto, o que se consolidou no senso comum é que existe um conflito irreconciliável instalado entre razão e fé. Tal antagonismo tem publicidade corriqueira. É notada, por vezes, uma abordagem reducionista do assunto, e, assim, perpetuam-se imagens prejudiciais ao progresso desses campos do saber, portanto um atraso para a civilização como um todo. Ao se estudar o desenvolvimento científico ao longo da história, é inevitável considerar sua relação com o pensamento religioso, ou com os sistemas de crença religiosa, ou ainda com as instituições religiosas. Por isso, esse trabalho vem discutir a relação entre ciência e fé, sob uma perspectiva histórica. Busca-se, também, compreender nesses termos a possibilidade de haver progresso em ambas ciência e religião , numa realidade de relativo equilíbrio e, talvez até, de intercâmbio mais produtivo para ciência e religião. Foram realizadas pesquisas na literatura geral sobre o tema a fim de se conhecer o estado da arte desse debate. A partir da leitura e seleção sistemática dos dados recolhidos, e a classificação e organização das informações coletadas, reuniu-se diversas visões sobre o assunto para contribuir na reflexão do tema e mostrar que a discussão é abrangente. Foi possível concluir que a teoria de conflito não traduz a contento o que historicamente se evidencia. O relacionamento entre ciência e religião é multifacetado e complexo, sendo que elas têm contribuído no desenvolvimento de uma com a outra, conscientemente ou não. Abrem-se possibilidades de interação construtiva entre as áreas do saber. / ABSTRACT Science and religion are two important foundations of human society. They both have a direct or indirect influence on peoples lives. However, in common sense it has been consolidated the idea that there is an irreconcilable conflict installed between reason and faith. Such antagonism has trivial advertising. Sometimes a reductionist approach to the subject is noticed, and thereby harmful images are perpetuated to the progress of these fields of knowledge, and thus a delay for civilization as a whole. When studying the scientific development throughout history, it is inevitable to consider its relationship with religious thought, or systems of religious belief, or even with religious institutions. Therefore, this work has the purpose to discuss the relationship between science and faith, from a historical perspective. Under these terms, this research seeks to understand the possibility of progress in both science and religion , under a reality of relative equilibrium and, perhaps, a more productive exchange between science and religion. The general literature on this subject was researched in order to learn the state of the art of this debate. From reading and systematically selecting the collected data, classifying and organizing it, several views on the subject were gathered to contribute to the reflection of the theme and show how it is a broad discussion. It was possible to conclude that the theory of conflict is not a satisfying explanation for the historical evidence. The relationship between science and religion is complex and multiple-sided, and they have contributed to the development of one another, consciously or not. This study opens up possibilities for a constructive interaction between the areas of knowledge.

‘Partnership’ has become a buzzword in development circles. The term is used to describe almost any relationship that pools the resources of different actors to address societal challenges and concerns. Because it encompasses such a broad range of perspectives, the contention of this thesis is that partnership can only be fully understood in relation to practice. A critical assessment of a selection of my research publications is used to explore how partnership is interpreted in different contexts, why and by whom, and to what extent it might offer possibilities for achieving social progress. This review finds that partnership can be construed as both a structure and a process, and as a means to an end and an end in itself. Attention thus needs to be given to its instrumental value as a development tool and to its intrinsic worth in cementing social capital. Consideration is given to connections between these different forms of partnership and other development ‘solutions’; the complex interplay between external, organisational and individual drivers for multi-stakeholder collaboration, and evidence for the benefits of working in this way. This analysis reveals that it is hard to judge the effectiveness of partnership due to the complexity of different levels of interaction; lack of clarity on goals and motivations for partnering; and, because process-related results generally emerge in the long term, attribution is a challenge. It is thus suggested that assessments of partnership might more usefully focus on methodologies that enhance its potential to generate individual and societal value. The attributes of such ‘transformational’ arrangements, and how these compare with other collaborative connections, are examined using a typology that builds upon a transactional-transformational partnership continuum. Further investigation into the nature of stakeholder participation, and related power dynamics, indicates that partnership can both promote and embody social progress when participation is carefully facilitated by ‘partnership brokers’; embedded in sociohistoric contexts, and based upon open-ended dialogue processes that seek to comprehend different points of view rather than change them. In order to explore this potential more fully, as well as continued research into particular partnership experiences and possible alternatives, more imaginative exchanges of knowledge about working in this way are recommended.