The standards-based, teach-and-test methods that have come to proliferate secondary education since the inception of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) fail to adequately prepare students for higher education and employment. This system lacks opportunities for developing 21st century skills such as higher-level thinking, problem solving, and group dynamics, as well as opportunities for fostering spiritual growth and personal development. This problem impacts graduates of U.S. high schools because they are unprepared for higher education and the 21st century workplace. Using qualitative multiple case study methodology, this study examined five U.S. Montessori high schools through the lens of cultural-historical activity theory. Interview and blog-based focus group responses and document data were coded line-by-line using predetermined categories and codes as well as open coding. The coded data were analyzed by individual case and then collectively. Findings revealed that education in these settings addressed all areas of development and fostered 21st century skills. Some characteristics that typify Montessori education at lower levels, such as multi-age classes and the prepared environment, played less significant or different roles in the high school programs. Characteristics that were prominent across the cases included use of place-based, experiential learning; building of caring, family-like staff/student relationships; and emphasis on social development. Implications for social change within the Montessori community include informing practice at existing schools and development of teacher education programs. In the broader education community, the consistency in program emphasis, despite diverse school circumstances, suggests a Montessori approach may facilitate social change by inspiring a fresh approach to school reform in high schools.

<p>The aim of this study is to construct as philosophical conceptualization of pedagogical attitude. Founded on Martin Buber’s philosophy of dialogue, the construction suggested in the study takes on a normative character, thus understanding pedagogical attitude as a matter of pedagogical creed. The author proposes a construction where existence is understood as a matter of Calling and Respons(e)ibility. Pedagogical attitude is thus understood in accordance with the notion of paying heed, responsibly responding and calling. As a consequence this conceptualization calls on the teacher to speak authentically, serve, embrace a loving leadership, provoke and dare to take risks.</p><p>Within the concept of Calling and Respons(e)ibility, “calling” means addressing a particular other, whilst respons(e)ibility is a term chosen to make the concept connote to the response as well as the responsibility taken in relation to a particular calling. The concept of Calling and Respons(e)ibility is understood as closely connected to the religious concept of vocation, although recycled in a secularized meaning, thereby put forth as a matter of realizing the fate of the teacher, the student as well as the field/subject. The concept of Calling and Respons(e)ibility is in the study connected to the notions of “mothering”, obedience and adjustment as well as to the notions of responsibility, fidelity and being enterprising.</p><p>Using a methodological approach of philosophical conceptualization suggested by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, the study sets out to reuse such old theological concepts as vocation, calling, paying heed and responding responsibly in new forms in a pedagogical context, thereby intending to discover, articulate and discern new aspects of that context. </p><p>By conceptualizing pedagogical attitude on the basis of an existential, normative and relational perspective, using the notion of calling and respons(e)ability, the study aspires to contribute to the ongoing conversation concerning teacher-student-relationship. </p>

The aim of this study is to construct as philosophical conceptualization of pedagogical attitude. Founded on Martin Buber’s philosophy of dialogue, the construction suggested in the study takes on a normative character, thus understanding pedagogical attitude as a matter of pedagogical creed. The author proposes a construction where existence is understood as a matter of Calling and Respons(e)ibility. Pedagogical attitude is thus understood in accordance with the notion of paying heed, responsibly responding and calling. As a consequence this conceptualization calls on the teacher to speak authentically, serve, embrace a loving leadership, provoke and dare to take risks. Within the concept of Calling and Respons(e)ibility, “calling” means addressing a particular other, whilst respons(e)ibility is a term chosen to make the concept connote to the response as well as the responsibility taken in relation to a particular calling. The concept of Calling and Respons(e)ibility is understood as closely connected to the religious concept of vocation, although recycled in a secularized meaning, thereby put forth as a matter of realizing the fate of the teacher, the student as well as the field/subject. The concept of Calling and Respons(e)ibility is in the study connected to the notions of “mothering”, obedience and adjustment as well as to the notions of responsibility, fidelity and being enterprising. Using a methodological approach of philosophical conceptualization suggested by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, the study sets out to reuse such old theological concepts as vocation, calling, paying heed and responding responsibly in new forms in a pedagogical context, thereby intending to discover, articulate and discern new aspects of that context. By conceptualizing pedagogical attitude on the basis of an existential, normative and relational perspective, using the notion of calling and respons(e)ability, the study aspires to contribute to the ongoing conversation concerning teacher-student-relationship.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The current dissertation is the result of an investigation about the semantic of deontic logic. Restricting to the propositional version, the work had as the main objective of study some lectures of the philosopher J. Hintikka which semantic proposal for deontic logic includes a re-interpretation of an important notion in Kant s philosophy: the notion of a Kingdom of Ends. Kant also figures in the Hintikka proposal through the illustration of one of the results of his matter, it means, the distinction between logical and deontic consequence, from which the so called Kant s Principle is an example. Having as the objective the exposition of this proposal, it has chosen to situate it in a discussion about the convenience of formalizations has a tool of philosophical analysis. Therefore, the proposal of Hintikka figures as an example of formalization which the results can have relevant philosophical features. The general exposition of the Kantian formulations of the Categorical Imperative, especially the formulation of the Kingdom of Ends (the subject matter of the first chapter), it has as an aim to point the most relevant features in Kantian practical philosophy for doing the analysis that accomplishes on the third chapter. / A presente dissertação é o resultado de uma investigação acerca da semântica para lógica deôntica standard. Restringindo-se à versão proposicional da mesma, o trabalho teve como principal objeto de estudo alguns textos do filósofo J. Hintikka, cuja proposta de semântica para lógica deôntica inclui a reinterpretação de uma noção importante da filosofia de I. Kant: a noção de Reino dos Fins. Kant também figura na proposta de Hintikka pela ilustração de um dos resultados de sua abordagem, a saber, a distinção entre conseqüência lógica e conseqüência deôntica, da qual o assim chamado princípio de Kant é um exemplo. Tendo como objetivo a exposição desta proposta, optou-se por situá-la em uma discussão a respeito da conveniência da formalização enquanto ferramenta de análise filosófica. Sendo assim, a proposta de Hintikka figura como um exemplo de formalização cujos resultados podem ter características filosóficas relevantes. A exposição geral sobre as formulações kantianas do Imperativo Categórico, em especial a formulação do Reino dos Fins (tema do primeiro capítulo), tem como objetivo justamente apontar as características de maior relevância na filosofia prática de Kant para o trabalho de análise que se efetiva no terceiro capítulo da dissertação.

L'école primaire voit se développer, depuis une quinzaine d'années en France, des pratiques de débat dit philosophique, dont il s'agit de cerner l'identité, dans une approche didactique. Celle-ci permet de comprendre si elles se construisent en tant que genre disciplinaire ou bien au contraire si elles s'affranchissent de toute dimension disciplinaire. Un enjeu est de déterminer si la construction sociale de ces pratiques les inscrit dans l'organisation de l'école selon des disciplines ou bien si elle participe au contraire de sa mise en question. C'est au travers de l'éclairage de leur contexte d'émergence, des sources auxquelles elles se réfèrent, de l'examen de leurs contenus et de leurs frontières, que l'étude est menée et dans les différents espaces où elles se déploient, l'espace des recommandations et l'espace des pratiques de classe. Il ressort de l'exploration des formalisations qu'en proposent leurs promoteurs, des discours d'enseignants qui les mettent en place et des discours en situation de classe et d'interactions langagières, que majoritairement ces pratiques ne s'enracinent pas dans une discipline scolaire, existante, renouvelée ou à constituer et qu'elles interrogent sur la nature du genre pratiqué et des apprentissages visés. Elles révèlent plutôt une construction adisciplinaire de l'objet et, sur certains aspects, ascolaire et ne semblent pas permettre d'identifier la fabrique d'un "enseignable". / Different practices of termed philosophical debates have been developing in French primary schools for about fifteen years, whose identity must be outlined, with a didactic analysis. The latter enables us to understand whether they build up as disciplinary type or if they avoid all disciplinary dimension. One stake is to determine if the social construction of these practices puts them in the school organization according to disciplines or whether, on the contrary, they contribute to its questioning. The sudy is led through clarifying their context of emergence, the sources they refer to, by examining their contents and boundaries, as well as the different areas where they take place, that is recommendations and classroom practices. The exploration of proposals made by their exponents, the discourses of the teachers who implement them and classroom situations as well as language interaction, show that these practices do not mainly entrench in a school discipline that is existing, renewed or to be constituted.They elicit speculation about the nature of the type and the learning targeted. They show a non-disciplinary and, in some aspects, out-of-school type and they do not seem to be able to identify the making of a "teaching object".

Published Article / The article revisits the concept and phenomenon of human communication to show that it deserves to be part of a first-year undergraduate core curriculum which aims to further knowledge and advance learning. Conceptual analysis and critical and rational argumentation are employed. Teaching students about what human communication really is and, concomitantly, what it entails existentially as well as adopting the appropriate spirit, stance and method for authentic intercultural communication, could go a long way in equipping them to be critical thinkers, competent citizens, and compassionate human beings in the worlds in which they live.

English Studies / M.A. (English)

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Communication between doctors and patients in clinical settings is notorious for being difficult. This problem has inspired a wealth of empirical research from a variety of academic fields on the subject of doctor-patient communication. However, very little attention has been paid to the role of modern medicine's intellectual self-image as natural science in interactions within clinical medical settings. The aim of the current study was to philosophically investigate the influence of the medical profession's intellectual self-image on communication between doctors and patients. Jürgen Habermas' work on Universal Pragmatics was used to comment on doctor-patient communication as it is described in the existing empirical research literature. Michel Foucault's work on discourse and power was used to analyse and describe medical discourse and the nature of power in doctor-patient relationships. The outcome of this philosophical analysis leads to the conclusion that modern medicine's intellectual self-image has a pervasive and negative influence on communication between doctors and patients during clinical consultations. This is because medicine's positivist world-view results in an almost exclusive focus on the physical aspects of disease in clinical medicine. The patient's mind and his/her social world are not of great significance from the natural scientific perspective. Medical professionals may thus easily regard their clinical task solely as the physical treatment of physical disorders. They are very likely to consider many communicative activities as unrelated to their clinical task. Inadequate doctor-patient communication can easily affect the quality of medical care and patient outcomes in a negative manner, as well as diminish the quality of the doctor's occupational experience. For this reason I conclude that medicine's natural scientific intellectual self-image is not appropriate for the task of providing medical care to individual patients. Two additional reasons support this conclusion, namely the misidentification of clinical medicine as a natural science and the inappropriateness of a scientific conception of truth for the context of doctor-patient interactions. The implications of these conclusions are that the intellectual self-image and world-view of modern medicine should change to better agree with the nature of clinical practice and to make room for the psychological and social dimensions of the patient's life within health care. The medical profession should also revise its conception of science to a theory that acknowledges that interpretive reasoning and knowledge without guaranteed certainty are legitimate elements of science. I advocate for consciousness among the medical profession of the reality of medical discourse and its effects on doctors, patients and on their interaction with one another. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Kommunikasie tussen dokters en pasiënte in kliniese omgewings is daarvoor berug om moeilik te wees. Hierdie probleem het 'n magdom empiriese navorsing vanuit 'n verskeidenheid van akademiese velde omtrent dokter-pasiënt kommunikasie geïnspireer. Baie min aandag word egter gewy aan die rol van moderne geneeskunde se intellektuele selfbeeld as 'n natuurwetenskap in interaksies in kliniese mediese omgewings. Die doel van die huidige studie was om die invloed van die mediese professie se intellektuele selfbeeld op kommunikasie tussen dokters en pasiënte filosofies te ondersoek. Jürgen Habermas se werk oor Universele Pragmatiek (Universal Pragmatics) is gebruik om kommentaar te lewer oor dokter-pasiënt kommunikasie soos wat dit beskryf word in die empiriese navorsingsliteratuur. Michel Foucault se werk oor diskoers en mag is gebruik om mediese diskoers en die aard van mag in dokter-pasiënt verhoudings te ontleed en te beskryf. Hierdie filosofiese ontleding gee aanleiding tot die gevolgtrekking dat moderne geneeskunde se intellektuele selfbeeld 'n deurdringende en negatiewe invloed op kommunikasie tussen dokters en pasiënte gedurende kliniese konsultasies het. Die rede hiervoor is dat geneeskunde se positivistiese wêreldbeskouing lei tot 'n byna uitsluitlike fokus op die fisiese aspekte van siekte in kliniese geneeskunde. Die pasiënt se verstand en gees (mind) en sy/haar sosiale wêreld is nie van groot belang vanuit die natuurwetenskaplike perspektief nie. Persone in die mediese beroep mag hul kliniese taak dus maklik as bloot die fisiese behandeling van fisiese afwykings beskou. Dit is baie waarskynlik dat hulle vele kommunikatiewe aktiwiteite as onverwant tot hul kliniese taak beoordeel. Ontoereikende dokter-pasiënt kommunikasie kan die kwaliteit van mediese sorg en pasiënte se gesondheidsuitkomste maklik negatief beïnvloed, en ook die kwaliteit van die dokter se ervaring van sy/haar beroep verlaag. Om hierdie rede maak ek die gevolgtrekking dat geneeskunde se natuurwetenskaplike intellektuele selfbeeld nie toepaslik is vir die opdrag om mediese sorg aan individuele pasiënte te lewer nie. Twee verdere redes ondersteun hierdie gevolgtrekking, naamlik die verkeerdelike identifikasie van kliniese geneeskunde as 'n natuurwetenskap en die onvanpastheid van 'n wetenskaplike konsepsie van waarheid vir die konteks van dokter-pasiënt interaksies. Die implikasies van hierdie gevolgtrekkings is dat die intellektuele selfbeeld en wêreldbeskouing van moderne geneeskunde moet verander om beter ooreen te stem met die aard van die kliniese praktyk en om ruimte te maak vir die sielkundige en sosiale dimensies van die pasiënt se lewe in gesondheidsorg. Die mediese professie moet ook haar konsepsie van die wetenskap hersien na 'n teorie wat erken dat interpreterende redenasie en kennis sonder gewaarborgde sekerheid, geregverdigde elemente van die wetenskap is. Ek pleit vir bewustheid onder die mediese professie van die realiteit van mediese diskoers en die effek daarvan op dokters, pasiënte en op hul interaksie met mekaar.

The French composers Tristan Murail (b.1947) and Gerard Grisey (1946-98) are the two chief originators of “Spectral Music”, an approach to composition that developed in France from the mid-1970s, and which is characterised by the ‘spectrum’, a conception and codification of sound as a collection of individual, related partials, realised by orchestral synthesis. While the composers’ exploitation of the physical characteristics of sound, based on technological analysis, is well documented, Murail has drawn analogies throughout his mature work with other phenomena, including those associated with electroacoustic means of sound treatment and production, morphologies found in the earth’s surface (both land and water) and recently developed scientific paradigms (chaos theory and fractal geometry). In Murail’s most recent works, the complex properties of sound samples are used as compositional models. The application of these analogies is diverse, ranging from the use of relatively simple algorithms to the formation of elaborate structures that possess a highly evocative and metaphorical mode of communication. The use of inharmonic sounds, or “noise”, in particular, evokes nature and places the work in a particular relationship with the world. The thesis investigates the appropriation of phenomena by analogy through analysis of key compositions. While research focuses on Murail, the work will be contextualised alongside that of Grisey, and within Spectral Music in general, in order to gain a greater critical understanding of the music

Submitted in partial fulfillment in compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Fine Art, Department of Fine Art and Jewelery Design, Durban University of Technology. Durban. South Africa, 2014. / This dissertation introduces and explores the link between the phenomenon of the celebrity artist and autobiographical narratives. It investigates the possibility that artists plan, strategize and embellish or create stories that could gain enough attention from the general public to achieve celebrity status. This enquiry will establish various contexts, that of different artists, the audience, the celebrity artist and my own, locating the research and findings within a historical and contemporary discourse. The research presents several concepts and factors that will contribute to the understanding and contextualization of the hypothesis, as well as possibly substantiate it. Concepts such as celebrity, fame, narcissism, the ego and exhibitionism form the basis of the enquiry while theories based on narrative, autobiography and memory rehearsal provide credible support and background. The nature of this dissertation requires a broad investigation including contemporary social sciences, philosophy and psychology, media studies and history of art. In order to determine whether the aforementioned concepts and theories are employed by certain individuals to gain celebrity status, three celebrity artists are introduced through their biographies, rises to fame and their popularity and relationships with the general public. The artists, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Tracey Emin are introduced chronologically. All three artists have established public identities and in the attempt to substantiate whether these identities are constructed and pre-mediated the final analysis (in form of a causal analysis) presents fluctuating results with several possible causes. As part of this enquiry I introduce my creative output through discussing my autobiography, themes (of my work), mediums (I choose to use), exhibition and the resonance found with the selected artists. In light of the discussions based on the backgrounds, public identities and resonance I have found with each artist I determine whether I embellish my stories to gain fame. The research is conducted through qualitative research methodologies and presented in a consequential order. The methodological approach and process is best described through the term Bricolage, which refers to the use of multiple methodologies in its approach to research, in other words, a hybrid of praxis (Barrett & Bolt ed., 2010). The process of this enquiry includes theoretical research, historical research; studio based and –led research, as well as a causal analysis. As part of the research, many factors have been considered and discussed, as an investigation into autobiography; the research will aid me in progressing as an artist as well as contribute to the greater knowledge of the autobiographical field. Furthermore, introducing and exploring the link between autobiographical narratives and the artist, as celebrity is a discourse that can be developed and further expanded on. Through this research I have attempted to establish a link between high art and popular culture, and the artist and the audience. The findings represent a process of attempting to understand a complex set of possible causes with one ultimate effect and the influence it has on an individual and the general population. Many artists want to be famous and would go through the motions to become a celebrity. It does, however, fully depend on the individual and no ultimate formula can be presented. / M