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The aim of this thesis is to determine whether having an ability to choose otherwise aids our understanding of the kind of balanced autonomy that is required in order to claim that people should be held responsible for their actions. By looking to the theories of three historical philosophers (Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger, Jean Paul Sartre), I find evidence that suggests having an ability to choose otherwise should not be the ground on which we base responsibility for an agent’s actions; actions involve ‘choosing one’s self’ and there is a relationship one has to one’s self which is often overlooked. My investigation reveals evidence that existential authenticity is an inherent quality of autonomy and that the ‘genuine self’ which grounds an agent’s actions ought to be viewed as a ‘dependence’ rather than a ‘cause’. My investigation also reveals a concept of a ‘genuine self’ as distinct from the concept of a narratively structured ‘ego’; the self and the ego appear to be distinct entities which are existentially interdependent. This thesis raises questions which should be addressed in future investigations. First, how is, and how should responsibility be related to the dependences from which actions arise and second, is the objective world best understood as causally structured, in accordance with the doctrine of determinism, or rather, should we seek an understanding of the objective world as dependently structured. / Thesis / Master of Philosophy (MA) / Is having an ability to choose otherwise the best ground on which to hold persons responsible for their actions? This thesis considers the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, Martin Heidegger and Jean-Paul Sartre, which reveal some evidence that persons should not be held responsible for their actions on the basis of being able to choose otherwise. I argue that authenticity is an inherent feature of autonomy which involves the relationship one has to one’s self and ‘choosing one’s self’; and that there is a distinction to be made between the ‘ego’ and the ‘self’. Further, I advance an argument that actions are dependent on a ‘self’, but that the ‘self’ is not a cause of action. This thesis raises questions to be addressed in future investigations regarding the connection between responsibility and dependence as well as whether the world is best understood as dependently structured rather than causally structured.

Some would argue that authenticity is a characteristic that is encouraged by managers and leaders in the workplace. But what does it mean to be “authentic” at work today? Does it mean bringing your “whole self” to work every day? And do people want to do that? Should they? And are there limits to their authentic expression? To better understand the concept of authenticity in the workplace, two studies (one qualitative – semi-structured interviews and one quantitative – an online survey) were conducted with managers and non-managers from diverse industries (e.g., financial services, pharmaceutical, residential/corporate moving, energy, utilities, and telecommunications/mass media). Preliminary analysis revealed diverse definitions of workplace authenticity, shedding light on a complex, conceptual landscape. In addition, results indicated a limited range in which employees feel they can express authenticity (demarcated by self and other-imposed “thresholds”), suggesting both individual and organizational factors contribute to one’s ability and willingness to express oneself authentically at work. The goal of this research is to examine existing beliefs regarding authentic expression at work and provide insights to assist future “authenticity at work” research. Specifically, this research seeks to: (1) define a meaning for authenticity at work today; (2) determine what hinders and what helps authentic expression; (3) determine the range for authentic expression at work; (4) explore why authenticity is viewed as an either/or experience, rather than as more or less; and examine how authentic expression affects certain workplace outcomes (i.e., job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job performance). I conclude this research with a post hoc event analysis/deconstruction to illustrate what can happen when a person’s authentic expression crosses an impropriety threshold. Keywords authenticity, support, expression, management, culture, threshold, privilege / Business Administration/Human Resource Management

This dissertation, a study of Christian rock music and musicians in Southern Ontario, Canada, examines issues related to religion, music and youth culture. In doing so it explores similarities and differences between subcultures and new social movements particularly in relation to issues around practices, identity and authenticity. The dissertation begins with examinations of the literature on subcultures and social movements, followed by brief looks at the literature on fields, habitus, legitimacy, individual and collective authenticity and identity, issues of authenticity within popular music and Christian rock music literatures. Following this it looks at the research methods used, detailing the interviews with Christian rock musicians and participant observation conducted from 2008-2010. The substantive chapters of the study look at practices and the uses of space, Christian rock identities over time and finally the question of whether Christian rock should be categorized as a subculture or a new social movement. The first of these chapters examines how spaces, particularly performance spaces are used within Christian rock, how these connect to worship, entertainment and art, and how these attempt to manifest themselves as transgressive. The second substantive chapter looks at how Christian rock musicians enact their individual and collective Christian rock identity in recruitment, participation and exiting of Christian rock. In doing so, it looks at how identities and the goals associated with those identities connect to Howard and Streck’s Christian rock typologies of separational, integrational and transformational (Howard & Streck, 1999). The third substantive chapter examines whether Christian rock should be considered a subculture or a new social movement by looking at how it deals with recruitment, mobilization, insiders and outsiders, structure, leadership, strategies, goals, uses of space and material cultures. In doing so the dissertation argues that Christian rock is composed of many different identities and approaches. It then explores the specific identities and approaches of Worshipcore and Worship Rock. This is followed by a conclusion and brief post-script detailing speculation around the changes that have occurred since the research was conducted. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This dissertation looks at Christian rock in Southern Ontario, drawing on interviews with over 30 Ontario based Christian rock musicians, as well as participant observation of close to a dozen Christian rock performances conducted from 2008 to 2010. The dissertation focuses on issues related to how Christian rock is practiced (with particular focus on performance), how Christian rock influences identity over time and how Christian rock reflects aspects of both subcultures and new social movements. The research adds to understandings of Christian rock, and the use of identity and practice in religion, music and youth culture. It also explores similarities and differences between subcultures and new social movements particularly in relation to issues around practices and identity.

Social media have long been sites for political discussion and ideological conversations. Connecting geographically-dispersed individuals around ideologically-salient conversations, Instagram users who hold feminist ideals talk in a discursive environment formed by their discussions, a space I call “feminist Instagram.” As a community connected by affective gestures, intensities, and textures (Papacharissi, 2015), this work seeks to understand the affective nature of the “prevailing practices,” and “avenues for engagement, agency, and power,” (Papacharissi, 2015, p. 126) that circulates in feminist digital spaces, both for what they reveal about the nature of negotiating the boundaries of authentic feminist identities, and about the ways digital feminists experience these negotiations. Approaching feminist Instagram as an affective public, this dissertation examines “how affective processes are enabled in the online environment by examining the form and texture of communication” (Papacharissi, 2015, p. 27) through an ethnography of feminist digital spaces. This dissertation’s findings carry implications for the online ideological organizing futures, and forward a mindful orientation to social media use, especially in ideologically-salient learning environments like feminist Instagram. / Media & Communication

This thesis examines the claim that the existential philosophy of Martin Heidegger's Being and Time necessarily leads to an authoritarian politics. Using the arguments of Jurgen Habermas and Richard Wolin, I examine the contention that Heidegger's dichotomy between "authenticity" and "inauthenticity" is essentially a normative distinction between good and bad, serving to irrevocably split the social world into classes of leaders and followers. Against this, I argue that distinction between “authenticity” and "inauthenticity" is ethically neutral and therefore has no necessary political momentum in any direction. Heidegger's critics argue that Being and Time reflects an "ideologically tinged worldview" that deems everyday social understandings and interaction as worthless "inauthenticity" obstructing the realization of our true "authentic" essence. With no positive valuation of the common social practices that any democratic political framework deems essential, "authenticity" leads inextricably to a detached and arbitrary elitism amenable to an authoritarian politics. I argue, however, that "inauthenticity" embodies a range of positive as well as negative phenomena from which "authenticity" can never extricate itself. Instead of representing a dichotomization of the social body, the split between "authenticity" and "inauthenticity” is an ethically neutral distinction between the awareness and non-awareness of the self. Contrary to the critics' arguments, "authentic" self-awareness is not the repudiation of our everyday social world, but instead is contingent upon how we go about our everyday social projects. Thus, lacking the totalizing critique of our everyday social world and common understandings, Heidegger's existential analytic is better understood as a normatively neutral philosophical perspective that does not necessarily lead in any political or ethical direction. / Master of Arts

Yes / This study aimed to test multiple constructs of authenticity (i.e., true-to-ideal, true-to-fact, and true-to-self) and examine the structural relationships among authenticity perception, perceived value, positive emotions, and revisit intentions. Gilmore and Pine’s authenticity model suggests that authenticity is strongly related to customers’ trust. Customers perceive chain restaurants as more credible than independent ones. Thus, this model contradicts the widespread argument that independent organizations reflect authenticity. Further investigation is needed to verify the relationship between restaurant ownership type and authenticity perception. Data were collected from 491 Chinese ethnic diners and analyzed using structural modeling analysis. All three authenticity dimensions have significant influence on overall authenticity perceptions. Furthermore, individuals’ authenticity perceptions affect revisit intentions through perceived value and positive emotions. Additionally, the ownership type of ethnic restaurants moderates the effects of the three authenticity dimensions on overall authentic dining experiences. Thus, ethnic restaurateurs should emphasize different authenticity dimensions for uniquely positioned restaurants.