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The "demise" of Native American cultures and the possibility of their "renascence" is the subject of the literary work analyzed in this thesis. The German popular novelist Karl May (1842-1912) aspired to write the epic drama of the American Indians. Using randomly selected anthropological and linguistic information, he described particularly Apache and Comanche Indian cultures with regard to leadership, warfare, women, and intermarriage. May viewed the Indians' assimilation as necessary and arrogantly recommended the "benign" influence brought by Germans to the New World. The Indians would be able to withstand the lure of "Yankee" materialism and pursue the path of righteousness. As this thesis points out, there is a correlation between Karl May's biography and his compassion for a wronged people such as the Native Americans. This study analyzes Karl May's thoughts on the "Indian question" and his emphasis on the role of change.

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This thesis is about the possibility of addressing power disparities in divorce mediation in order to maximize the benefits that this alternative practice offers. It describes the development of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in general and of divorce mediation in particular, primarily through a feminist lens. In doing so it discusses the promise that feminist proponents saw in mediation initially, and then proceeds to describe the breaking of the promise that developed into some of the harshest critique of this process. The thesis explores a critical element of this critique, namely the problematic nature of utilizing mediation in the face of existing power imbalances generally, and in the context of divorce specifically. In order to facilitate the address of incongruities of power, it delves into an examination of the concept of power from several angles. To enhance and deepen the analysis of this concept, it describes Foucault's definitions and understanding of the term, and applies these towards advancing the discussion regarding the possibility of addressing existing inequality in power between parties to a dispute. Finally, it offers some tools that can be used in addressing power disparities in order to ameliorate the mediation process and its results. To this end it describes the ethical guidelines that can be utilized, comprised of internal tools to address power imbalances through mediation styles, as well as external ethical guidelines inherent to the process. Additionally, it suggests legal boundaries that may be utilized to offset possible power discrepancies. It ends with a hopeful message of the possibility of transformation in the face of conflict, thereby entertaining the prospects of a promising future for this alternative to resolving disputes.

Ceux qui s'intéressent à la littérature savent que la période la plus fructueuse de la carrière de Victor Hugo est celle des dix-huit années qu'il passa en exil aux îles de Jersey et Guernesey. Pendant ce temps son génie littéraire est en pleine floraison: il donne La Légende des Siècles, Les Contemplations, et Les Misérables. [...]

This thesis applies the 'government from the centre' thesis, as put forth by Donald Savoie in his book Governing from the Centre: The Concentration of Power in Canadian Politics, to the creation of foreign policy during the Chretien government. Savoie argues that the centre of Canadian government, meaning the Prime Minister and his advisors, dominated government policy and have forced other bodies, formerly involved in policy creation, into an advisory role. The thesis starts with an examination of the central theory as well as the views of its opponents; followed by a brief history of the department and its relation to the centre of government over the years. This is followed in chapters two and three by a study of Chretien himself as well as an examination of other actors in the foreign policy process. By determining the roles of each individual, and how much power each carried to formulate and initiate policy, the 'government from the centre' model is tested. Finally, the international landmine ban created during the late 1990's is used as a case study to show exactly how the centre dominated foreign policy creation when Chretien was Prime Minister. This case initially suggests that the Foreign Affairs Minister is the dominant player in foreign policy creation. Upon further study however, it is determined that the centre controlled the process. 'Governing from the centre' is alive and well in Canadian politics, and is the rule rather than the exception in foreign policy.

Environmental Education (EE) can play an important role in broadening learners’ understanding of their environment. This is of particular importance due to the major adverse impact we as humans are having on the environment, including the loss of biodiversity and global warming. However, many Canadian teachers are not offered EE content in their teacher education programs (Lin, 2002). Therefore, this study investigates, (a) what knowledge and abilities are important for teaching EE, (b) experiences that have influenced educators’ interest and willingness to teach EE, and (c) the preparation educators could receive to better integrate EE into their teaching practices. Data were collected using an electronic survey (n=148) and semi-structured interviews (n=11). Results showed that among 12 major themes to emerge from the interviews, recognizing the importance of outdoor experiences and having the ability to engage learners were viewed as very important by participants. Interviewees’ recommendations for improving the preparation of educators included introducing mandatory EE components in teacher education programs and promoting mentorship experiences. However, there was no consensus among participants regarding the impact or value of implementing a professional EE certification program. Implications of this study include facilitating the sharing of environmental educators’ perspectives. Suggestions are made for further research on preparing educators who are willing and able to instruct EE, so that more students are given an opportunity to learn about their environment and make informed choices about their impact on the earth. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-20 14:27:12.322

This thesis examines Derek Parfit's theory of personal identity. Parfit argues that what matters in the continued existence of persons through time is psychological connectedness and continuity (relation R), and that the identity relation does not matter. He makes this claim through a series of arguments which, he says, inevitably lead to the conclusions that relation R is the only relation that matters, in all cases. I argue that Parfit does not convincingly demonstrate that relation R is in fact all that matters. In examining each of Parfit's arguments, I show that it is possible to draw conclusions that are inconsistent with those drawn by him. I argue that this shows Parfit's position to be an arbitrary one. If Parfit's arguments do not necessarily lead to the conclusion that relation R is all that matters in questions of survival, then his theory is not an adequate solution to the problem of personal identity.

To those individuals who felt alienated and disillusioned by traditional Western forms of religion, Alan Watts offered a different way of looking at the world and a new understanding of what it means to be religious. Borrowing heavily from Taoism, Zen Buddhism, Vendanta Hinduism and other Eastern traditions, Watts argues that our widely accepted notion of a person as an active, willing agent existing as a lonely island of consciousness is an illusion rooted in social and linguistic conventions. / In place of the typical Western image of God as an external personal being governing the universe by means of his omnipotent will and omniscient intellect, Watts argues in favour of the Eastern image of God as the mysterious depth and ground of all being. / If education is concerned with the task of enabling a person to grow and mature as a full human being and religion is concerned with fostering the uniquely human capacity to be fully present and open to the mystery and wonder of existence, then it follows that being educated and becoming religious are part of the same process. For Watts, religious education is characterized not according to a specific content but rather an underlying set of values which promote an awareness of humanity's interrelationship and interdependence with the rest of the universe.