Plastic surgery has played an integral role in helping people achieve societal expectations of appropriate physical appearance since its inception. Through the story of Carlton Burgan, a Union soldier during the American Civil War, who suffered severe facial trauma by mercury poisoning, this thesis hopes to reconstruct the conversation around plastic surgery’s origins as it is influenced by societal standards of the day. Specifically, this thesis argues that the seminal moments leading to plastic surgery being seen as a worthwhile medical specialty was during the Civil War, not World War I as so many scholars have put forth. Violent acts to the body as a method to advance plastic surgery techniques is explored in relation to acceptable physical appearance. Societal beauty standards on the time are posited to be the force behind the development of plastic surgery techniques, not plastic surgeons themselves. Plastic surgery evolved as the United States grew and began to embrace the Second Industrial Revolution’s influence on attitudes about beauty, leading to changes in societal beliefs about what is suitable in terms of appearance. This thesis argues that the new science of psychology that emerged in parallel to the Second Industrial Revolution is the main strategy for plastic surgery to be reconstructed as a worthwhile medical specialty. The exploration of plastic surgery procedures of the nose, face and genitalia are discussed due to their importance in constructing societal appearance standards. The thesis concludes with a return to the story of Carlton Burgan and his role as a change agent in medicine.

O conceito de desempenho na construção civil está, há muitos anos, associado ao comportamento em uso nas edificações, dentro de determinadas condições. O desafio mundial é que este comportamento atenda às expectativas dos usuários das edificações ao longo de uma determinada vida útil e dentro da realidade técnica e socioeconômica de cada país e empreendimento. Apesar do conceito de desempenho estar consolidado no meio acadêmico, sua aplicação prática é bastante difícil e envolve muitos conflitos de interesses. No caso brasileiro, com o grande crescimento que o mercado da construção civil experimenta neste momento, e com a publicação da primeira Norma Brasileira de Desempenho de Edificações, prevista para 2008, é oportuno que haja uma reflexão sobre como atendê-la e utilizá-la, além do próprio conceito de desempenho em beneficio de todos os agentes do setor. A proposta desta dissertação de mestrado é fazer uma pesquisa abrangente sobre a evolução conceitual do tema desempenho na construção civil, demonstrar a importância estratégica da sua aplicação no Brasil para a evolução do setor, e propor caminhos para a efetiva utilização da norma brasileira de desempenho de edificações. / The performance concept in building has been, for many years, associated with the behaviour in use of buildings, within certain conditions. The global challenge is to make this behaviour meet the users expectations throughout a specific service life and within the technical and socioeconomic reality of each country or site. Although the performance concept is already consolidated in the academic world, its practical application is very difficult and involves many conflicts of interest. In the Brazilian scenario, with the large growth experienced by the building construction segment at this moment, and with the upcoming publication of the first Brazilian Performance Based Building Code in 2008, it is convenient to establish a reflection on how to meet and use this code and its own performance concept to the advantage of all players in the business. The proposal of this Masters Dissertation is to provide a broad research on the conceptual evolution of the performance-based theme in building; to demonstrate its strategic importance of this application in Brazil for the evolution of the sector; and to propose a path for the effective use of the Brazilian performance-based building code.

O conceito de desempenho na construção civil está, há muitos anos, associado ao comportamento em uso nas edificações, dentro de determinadas condições. O desafio mundial é que este comportamento atenda às expectativas dos usuários das edificações ao longo de uma determinada vida útil e dentro da realidade técnica e socioeconômica de cada país e empreendimento. Apesar do conceito de desempenho estar consolidado no meio acadêmico, sua aplicação prática é bastante difícil e envolve muitos conflitos de interesses. No caso brasileiro, com o grande crescimento que o mercado da construção civil experimenta neste momento, e com a publicação da primeira Norma Brasileira de Desempenho de Edificações, prevista para 2008, é oportuno que haja uma reflexão sobre como atendê-la e utilizá-la, além do próprio conceito de desempenho em beneficio de todos os agentes do setor. A proposta desta dissertação de mestrado é fazer uma pesquisa abrangente sobre a evolução conceitual do tema desempenho na construção civil, demonstrar a importância estratégica da sua aplicação no Brasil para a evolução do setor, e propor caminhos para a efetiva utilização da norma brasileira de desempenho de edificações. / The performance concept in building has been, for many years, associated with the behaviour in use of buildings, within certain conditions. The global challenge is to make this behaviour meet the users expectations throughout a specific service life and within the technical and socioeconomic reality of each country or site. Although the performance concept is already consolidated in the academic world, its practical application is very difficult and involves many conflicts of interest. In the Brazilian scenario, with the large growth experienced by the building construction segment at this moment, and with the upcoming publication of the first Brazilian Performance Based Building Code in 2008, it is convenient to establish a reflection on how to meet and use this code and its own performance concept to the advantage of all players in the business. The proposal of this Masters Dissertation is to provide a broad research on the conceptual evolution of the performance-based theme in building; to demonstrate its strategic importance of this application in Brazil for the evolution of the sector; and to propose a path for the effective use of the Brazilian performance-based building code.