Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Due to the consciousness of religious pluralism and the need for peace amongst the religious communities of the world, the researcher considered, and herewith presents, the arguments for and against each of three traditional theological models for evaluating the relation between Christianity and other religions. Although this theological debate about the truth and salvific value of non- Christian views of life is important, and although the three approaches discussed each brings out important aspects that have to be considered in this debate, they were found to be limited in an important respect, namely, that they do not suggest practical strategic solutions for how Christians should relate to people who hold beliefs that differ from their own. With reference to the notion of an “ethic of embrace,” drawing on a number of New Testament texts as interpreted by theologians like Hans Küng, Miroslav Volf, Harold Nethland, Sam Storms, and Robert H. Stein, to name but a few, a strong case could be made for the necessity of such an ethic as a guideline for how the churches should interact with those who do not share their faith. It could be concluded that each of the three theoretical models, Particularism, Inclusivism and Pluralism, needs to be reconsidered from the perspective of an ethic of embrace. The researcher therefore inquired into the extent to which each of the theoretical models can be reconciled, and can indeed support and undergird, an ethic of embrace. Since, at least at face value, Particularism seems to raise most questions in this regard, it received particular attention. It was concluded that, also when applied in the context of the Particularist model, the ethics of embrace is the missing link that can help influence religiously motivated conflicts in a positive way. This allows for a more peaceable praxis as it not only addresses religious conflict in the world, but can also enable the Particularistic model to foster peace among religions and therefore, indirectly, peace among the nations of the world. The themes of reconciliation, tolerance, forgiveness and hospitality, which are interconnected with an ethic of embrace form an important part of chapter 5, with its focus on the truth and salvific significance of Jesus Christ reflected in his life as portrayed by Biblical witnesses. It is argued that He is not only the truth, or the one who spoke about the truth and his salvific significance, which is of central importance to the Particularistic model, but was able to demonstrate its practical application through the life He lived among humans. He demonstrated practically how the neighbour can be embraced in accordance with a particular understanding of the will of God. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die potensiaal van ’n etiek van omhelsing (“embrace”) aangesien drie tradisionele modelle in die teologie van die godsdienste, naamlik Partikularisme, Inklusivisme en Pluralisme, nie voldoende is om vrede tussen die verskillende gelowe van die wêreld te bevorder nie. Argumente ten gunste van en teen elke model, sowel as hulle sterk en swak punte, word behandel om duidelik aan te toon dat nie een van die drie modelle genoegsame praktiese strategiese metodes oplewer nie. Nadenke oor die waarheidsgehalte en moontlike verlossingskrag van nie-Christelike godsdienste, en oor Christene se wyse van interaksie met mense van ander gelowe, verskaf opsigself nie die nodige vrugbare praktiese riglyne nie. Met betrekking tot die idee van ’n etiek van omhelsing, het verskeie teoloë, waaronder Hans Küng, Miroslav Volf, Harold Nethland, Sam Storms, en Robert H. Stein, om net ’n paar te noem, sterk konstruktiewe argumente ontwikkel wat die idee van ’n etiek van omhelsing ondersteun en bevorder in verband met Christene se verhouding met mense van ander gelowe. Hierdie studie argumenteer ten slotte dat die drie teologiese modelle wat ondersoek is ’n etiek moet heroorweeg van ’n verhouding van omhelsing teenoor mense van ander gelowe, indien hulle tot vrede tussen mense van verskillende gelowe wil bydra. Die navorser ondersoek ook tot watter mate die drie modelle met ’n etiek van omhelsing versoen kan word. Aangesien Partikularisme skynbaar meer vrae in hierdie verband oproep, word dit veral deurdink. Die navorser kom dan tot die gevolgtrekking dat die etiek van omhelsing, in die konteks van Partikularisme, dalk die verlore skakel is wat, ook vir die Partikulariste, geweld onder die verskillende gelowe kan teenwerk. Dit kan moontlik nie slegs vreedsame verhoudings tussen die verskillende gelowe teweegbring nie, maar ook daartoe bydra dat Partikularisme in die teologiese debat tot geloofsvrede kan bydrae. Versoening, vergifnis, gasvryheid en toleransie is temas wat in verband met ’n etiek van omhelsing ter sprake kom, en vorm belangrike aspekte van hoofstuk 5, aangesien dit nie net in abstrakte sin die waarheidsgehalte en verlossingskrag van Christus sterk beklemtoon nie, maar ook die wyse waarop dit in sy lewe, soos die Bybelse getuies dit narratief skets, in ’n praktyk van omhelsing van die medemens gestalte gevind het.

This thesis is a literary thematic analysis of Mark Behr's novels The Smell of Apples (1996) and Embrace (2000). Through these novels, Behr explores the nature of masculine identities and the ways in which they are developed through a process of adolescent males observing and interacting with their parents and the society in which they live. The development of the two protagonists is traced and white hegemonic attitudes to masculinity in South Africa are exposed. The novels are of importance as these hegemonic attitudes continue to exist within South Africa today. The focus of this analysis is on white adolescent masculinities and the ways in which Behr illustrates the effects of apartheid society on their development. The study makes an in-depth analysis of the plot and themes and the way in which these guide the reader into a critical awareness of socially constructed masculine identities. Each of the four themes - namely, sexuality, race, gender and land - is explored in this thesis and careful consideration is given to the techniques Behr uses in his writing. Of importance to this thesis are the interrelationships between character, themes and the context of the novels. While the novels are not regarded as a case study, this thesis repeatedly demonstrates the socio-political awareness that Behr uses in order to offer his reader insight into the significant realities that have faced adolescent males as they construct their identities. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

abstract: EMBRACE (Enhanced Moved By Reading to Accelerate Comprehension in English) is an IPad application that uses the Moved By Reading strategy to help improve the reading comprehension skills of bilingual (Spanish speaking) English Language Learners (ELLs). In EMBRACE, students read the text of a story and then move images corresponding to the text that they read. According to the embodied cognition theory, this grounds reading comprehension in physical experiences and thus is more engaging. In this thesis, I used the log data from 20 students in grades 2-5 to design a skill model for a student using EMBRACE. A skill model is the set of knowledge components that a student needs to master in order to comprehend the text in EMBRACE. A good skill model will improve understanding of the mistakes students make and thus aid in the design of useful feedback for the student.. In this context, the skill model consists of vocabulary and syntax associated with the steps that students performed. I mapped each step in EMBRACE to one or more skills (vocabulary and syntax) from the model. After every step, the skill level is updated in the model. Thus, if a student answered the previous step incorrectly, the corresponding skills are decremented and if the student answered the previous question correctly, the corresponding skills are incremented, through the Bayesian Knowledge Tracing algorithm. I then correlated the students’ predicted scores (computed from their skill levels) to their posttest scores. I evaluated the students’ predicted scores (computed from their skill levels) by comparing them to their posttest scores. The two sets of scores were not highly correlated, but the results gave insights into potential improvements that could be made to the system with respect to user interaction, posttest scores and modeling algorithm. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Computer Science 2016

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:38:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissPSA.pdf: 1664828 bytes, checksum: 6f4fb2b20ce7a32642050b5f6122298f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-03-27 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / This research is related to the influence of Teaching of History to build the sense of embrace their ethnic-racial roots and the relation between blacks and whites. It has participated in this research four former black students of an Affirmative Action project who took place in the city of Sao Carlos, state of Sao Paulo, which aimed to prepare students to College admission exams. This research was performed and guided by the following research inquiry: Does the teaching of History contribute to the affirmation/denial to the ethnic-racial feeling of poor black students in the college admission courses? The study takes off from the observations made by the researcher in charge for the subjects of History and Geography in this project. He aimed to verify whether the teaching of History interferes in the self esteem and identity of afro-descendants students, leading them to the feeling of denying their own ethnic racial roots, which is fabricated in the society. Systematic talks with two former female students and two male students were conducted involved in the Affirmative action project that was developed in the period of 2002 and 2003, sponsored by Fundação Ford and attached to Department of Physics of USP, campus Sao Carlos Sao Paulo, aiming to facilitate the access and permanence of poor black students at the public university. It also aimed to strike back situations of prejudice, discrimination and racism such ideas reinforced by ideologies still present along the years in Brazil. The findings showed that the integration of the researched students favored them to embrace the feeling of ethnic and racial roots to what they were alike, when they identify themselves as afro-descendants. These students dealt with racist attitudes and discriminations in their routine. However, they got their self esteem and identity favored by the time they recognized themselves as culture makers and active agents in the scenery of the Brazilian history. / Esta pesquisa está relacionada às influências do Ensino de História na construção do pertencimento étnico-racial e nas relações entre negros e brancos. Teve como participantes quatro ex-alunos afro-descendentes de um projeto de Ação Afirmativa, realizado na cidade de São Carlos-SP, que visava preparar estudantes para o exame vestibular. Esta pesquisa foi realizada, orientando-se pela seguinte questão de pesquisa: O ensino de História contribui para afirmação/negação ao pertencimento racial de estudantes negros e carentes em cursinho pré-vestibular? O estudo parte de observações feitas pelo pesquisador, responsável pelas disciplinas de História e Geografia nesse projeto. E teve por objetivos de verificar se o Ensino de História interfere na auto-estima e identidade de alunos afro-descendentes, levando-os a não aceitação de seu pertencimento étnico-racial, o que é reproduzido na sociedade. Realizou-se conversas sistemáticas com duas ex-alunas e dois ex-alunos, estudantes do projeto de ação afirmativa, que se desenvolveu no período entre 2002 e 2003, com recursos da Fundação Ford, vinculado ao Departamento de Física da USP, campus São Carlos - São Paulo, com o objetivo de facilitar o acesso e permanência de alunos negros e carentes na Universidade Pública, e de rebater situações de preconceitos, discriminações e racismo fortalecidos por ideologias que se fazem presente ao longo do fazer histórico brasileiro. Constatou-se que com a integração dos jovens ao projeto em pauta, houve favorecimento para que estes assumissem o pertencimento étnico-racial com o qual se identificavam, sentindo-se fortificados quando identificaram-se como negros. Passaram a rebater atitudes racistas, discriminatórias sofridas no cotidiano, tiveram ainda o favorecimento da auto-estima, identidade, a partir do momento que se reconheceram fazedores de culturas e agentes ativos no fazer da História, da História brasileira.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:16:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Cassia Maria Gellerth.pdf: 6073923 bytes, checksum: e419b5ff9a1323e51527737ecb32621b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-10-26 / The herein mastership dissertation work intends to disclose and analyze the practice of Social Service in the Project Embrace your District - Projeto Abrace seu Bairro of the Welfare Society of the Syrian Lebanese Hospital - Hospital Sírio Libanês, SBSHSL, in charge of the actions for Health Promotion addressed to families of the Bela Vista District in the city of São Paulo, who are also taken care of by the Social Pediatrics Department of the referred institution. This is about a theoretical-practical analysis of the intervention of social service for this population. We have identified that social assistance, education and family perform activities articulated in a network in the territory inter-sectoriality, through social and public policies conquered since the Citizen Chart, of 1988. From this angle, the following were selected as social subjects. Families taken care by Abrace: family 1, up to one year of care; family 2, up to 5 years of care and family 3, taken care of for tem years, that is, since the Project was started. The criterion drawn up was the adhesion and permanence of these families within the project, the differences and specificities for the inclusion in the care, as well as the verification of the limits and possibilities of each one, to take part in the interviews, for these were made in domiciliary social visits. The methodological way chosen for the analysis and revelation of the study object is the case study, as a particular form of qualitative investigation which attempted to understand, from the perspective of these subjects who participate in the Project day by day, their comprehensions and meanings on this intervention, through semi structured interviews with a script. Suggestions are presented to put into practice an inter-sectorial and inter disciplinary public policy which must have centrality in the relationships among the public, the private and the organized civil society. Thus, it was understood that this population´s human needs will be made effective as a right in their integrality, in the daily exercise of conscious participation for the construction of an organized civil society, inclusive and intended for citizenship / O presente trabalho de dissertação de mestrado pretendeu desvelar e analisar a prática do Serviço Social no Projeto Abrace seu Bairro, da Sociedade Beneficente de Senhoras do Hospital Sírio Libanês - SBSHSL, responsável pelas ações de Promoção de Saúde direcionadas às famílias do bairro da Bela Vista, na cidade de São Paulo. Essas famílias também são atendidas no Ambulatório de Pediatria Social da referida instituição. Trata-se de uma análise teórico-prática da intervenção do serviço social junto a esta população. O trabalho realizado pela assistência social, a educação e a família desempenha atividades articuladas em rede na intersetorialidade no território, através de políticas sociais e públicas conquistadas a partir da Carta Cidadã de 1988. Nesta perspectiva, utilizou-se para a escolha dos sujeitos sociais, as famílias em atendimento no Abrace: a família 1, com até um ano de atendimento; a família 2, com até 5 anos de atendimento, e a família 3, atendida pela instituição já há dez anos, ou seja, desde o início do projeto. Com a finalidade de estabelecer um critério a adesão e permanência destas famílias neste projeto, foram traçadas as diferenças e especificidades para a inclusão no atendimento, verificando-se quais os limites e as possibilidades de cada uma, para a participação nas entrevistas, uma vez que foram realizadas em visita social domiciliar. O caminho metodológico escolhido para a análise e desvelamento desta dissertação foi o estudo de caso, como forma particular de investigação qualitativa, que buscou compreender na perspectiva destes sujeitos participantes do cotidiano do projeto, os seus entendimentos e significados sobre esta intervenção, através de entrevistas semiestruturadas com roteiro. Foram apresentadas sugestões para a efetivação de uma política pública intersetorial e interdisciplinar, que tenham centralidade nas relações entre o público, o privado e a sociedade civil organizada. Chegou-se à compreensão de que as necessidades humanas desta população se efetivarão enquanto direito na sua integralidade, no exercício cotidiano de participação consciente para a construção de uma sociedade civil organizada, inclusiva e de fato com vistas à cidadania

Americana Suite is a seven movement musical composition inspired by nineteenth and early twentieth century American master paintings. Representative artists from each of the major schools of American painting include Frederic Church, Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt, Childe Hassam, George Bellows, Edward Hopper and Georgia O'Keeffe. Essentially pluralist in style, the suite is written for ensembles of varying size and genre, spanning from full orchestra and contemporary big band to intimate jazz chamber ensembles and electro-acoustic hybrids. Four of the seven movements are written for jazz ensembles and incorporate improvisation, while the other three orchestral movements explore romantic, impressionist and cinematic idioms. Historical summaries of each school, artist and painting are followed by detailed aesthetic and theoretical analyses of the respective movements. Harmonica virtuoso Howard Levy performs as a special guest artist.

This thesis is about pastoral work with people who live with mobility impairment. The research address two main questions, namely "What are the implications of acquired mobility impairment for personal identity and collective identity?" and "How can we in Christian faith communities, through pastoral work, facilitate a sense of belonging and strengthen personal identity and collective identity for people who are mobility disadvantaged?" This thesis therefore addresses the problem of identity. Thus, a theoretical analysis from literature sources is undertaken to explore theories about narrative identity in relation to personal identity and the importance of the metaphor "belonging" to bridge the gap of personal identity to collective identity. Consequently, religious identity is discussed in relation to the notion of multiple identities and the importance of collective identity to shaping personal identity. The research questions are answered through a theoretical exploration of approaches to disability and qualitative, narrative empirical research is undertaken. A few people who are quadriplegic, a family member and an occupational therapist are interviewed and the recounting of their "stories" facilitated. The empirical research results in highlighting that the research participants' "stories" discloses a link between bodily restrictions and social restrictions to mobility. This combination works together to make social interaction very difficult and clearly influenced the transition from pre-quadriplegia to post-quadriplegia. Analysing the "stories" told by the research participants allows for critical reflection on a preferred pastoral work praxis to people living with mobility impairment. Narrative identity is linked with a theology of embrace and metaphors of "covenant" and "belonging" which expresses that faith communities should imitate the embracing love and compassion of the Triune God who through the act of suffering included all humankind. It provides the foundation for a preferred pastoral work praxis of "embrace" which can be practised holistically and actively through integration with the other practices of faith communities to facilitate a sense of belonging to a collective identity. / Practical Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology)

This thesis is about pastoral work with people who live with mobility impairment. The research address two main questions, namely "What are the implications of acquired mobility impairment for personal identity and collective identity?" and "How can we in Christian faith communities, through pastoral work, facilitate a sense of belonging and strengthen personal identity and collective identity for people who are mobility disadvantaged?" This thesis therefore addresses the problem of identity. Thus, a theoretical analysis from literature sources is undertaken to explore theories about narrative identity in relation to personal identity and the importance of the metaphor "belonging" to bridge the gap of personal identity to collective identity. Consequently, religious identity is discussed in relation to the notion of multiple identities and the importance of collective identity to shaping personal identity. The research questions are answered through a theoretical exploration of approaches to disability and qualitative, narrative empirical research is undertaken. A few people who are quadriplegic, a family member and an occupational therapist are interviewed and the recounting of their "stories" facilitated. The empirical research results in highlighting that the research participants' "stories" discloses a link between bodily restrictions and social restrictions to mobility. This combination works together to make social interaction very difficult and clearly influenced the transition from pre-quadriplegia to post-quadriplegia. Analysing the "stories" told by the research participants allows for critical reflection on a preferred pastoral work praxis to people living with mobility impairment. Narrative identity is linked with a theology of embrace and metaphors of "covenant" and "belonging" which expresses that faith communities should imitate the embracing love and compassion of the Triune God who through the act of suffering included all humankind. It provides the foundation for a preferred pastoral work praxis of "embrace" which can be practised holistically and actively through integration with the other practices of faith communities to facilitate a sense of belonging to a collective identity. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology)

No description available.

Interfaith dialogue is no luxury for Christians living in a pluralistic~ effervescent world of intenningling, multi-religious realities. Many Christians take seriously their responsibility towards interfaith dialogue. However, different Christians understand this responsibility in different ways, which often leads to acrimonious accusations of unchristian dialogical approaches. The question is whether there is any means of ordering and assessing the Christian responsibility towards other religions in a mutually uplifting and increasingly holistic way? Ken Wilber provides an integral, or All-Quadrant, All-Level hermeneutics that may assist us with an answer. All holonswhich means everything in the "Kosmos" - emerge or arise in holarchical fashion. On one level, it is a whole, on the next transcendent level it is a part of the whole. This process is infinite and is only ever released in One Taste/salvation/Nirvana/the Kingdom of God, or simply unqualifiable Suchness. Wilber provides an integrated methodology for understanding the process by which holons find their release in One Taste. The holon of Christian responsibility towards interfaith dialogue also emerges through discreet, recognizable stages. Each stage is integrated into the next higher level. The lower levels are more fundamental since they exist as a part of the higher levels. However, the higher levels are more significant, since they have an increased capacity to explore aspects of dialogue previously hidden. The levels we explore are the mythic rational, the rational and the centauric. 'lbese levels emerge through four interrelated dimensions or Quadrants: the Upper Left or spiritual/faith dimension of the person entering into dialogue, the Upper Right Quadrant or theology of dialogue that emerges, the Lower Left or communal and interpretive realm, and Lower Right which covers the social organizational patterns with which the person in dialogue chooses to associate him or herself. We define responsibility in tenns of these four Quadrants: The response or theology (UR) of the person is dependent upon her response-ability, or interior faith development (UL), which is informed by the worldview (LL) of her faith community to whom she feels responsible, with the sociological patterns of her community (LR), to some extent, offers clues as to her stage of development. / Religious Studies and Arabic / D.Th.(Religious Studies)