The main aim of this study was to attempt to establish by the use of an environmental specific Personal Growth Programme, whether it is possible to assist students towards a more ‘holistic’ personal formation. It also aimed to investigate whether a move away from traditional education in the form of alternative or parallel programmes, would assist in bringing about an integrated individual, who is more capable of dealing with life as a whole (Krishnamurti 1953). The research was undertaken with adult students between the ages of 21 and 60, at the multi-cultural and extremely diverse residential theological College of the Transfiguration, in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape Province. An overview of Holistic and Mainstream education was explored in this study, which included also the challenges and influences which each type of education faces. The study then went on to investigate whether it is possible to bridge the gap that exists between holistic and mainstream education using various methods of alternative education. In the qualitative study, the Personal Growth Programme Annual Review Questionnaire was used to obtain feedback from the students to assess the usefulness of the Personal Growth Programme in their journey towards wholeness. This, together with the student’s responses from the in-depth interviews were used to ascertain the study’s limitations, credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability.

This study aims to present an alternative framework with which to view the phenomenon of parental divorce and its perceived consequences for adult children of divorce in committed relationships. Research done within the traditional Newtonian framework is reviewed and its limitations explicated. The epistemological presuppositions of the new epistemology are presented along with their implications for conducting research. The importance of description as research methodology is emphasised. Written descriptions from various adult children of divorce are presented. Metadescriptions, by the author, are presented. These metadescriptions, based on the presuppositions of the new epistemology, highlight the value of describing the patterns of organisation which characterise the committed relationships of adult children of divorce. It is concluded that an alternative approach, based on the new epistemology, enlarges our understanding of the adult child of divorce within the context of a committed relationship. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

My thesis tackles two related problems that have taken center stage in the recent literature on concepts: • What are the individuation conditions of concepts? Under what conditions is a concept C₁ the same concept as a concept C₂? • What are the possession conditions of concepts? What conditions must be satisfied for a thinker to have a concept C? I will develop a pluralist and contextualist theory of concept individuation and possession: different concepts have different individuation and possession conditions, and contextual factors play a crucial role in determining what concepts we attribute to other subjects when we ascribe propositional attitudes to them. In chapters 1-3, I defend a contextualist, non-Millian theory of propositional attitude ascriptions. Then, I suggest contextualist theories of ascriptions can be applied to the problem of concept individuation/possession. In particular, I use contextualism to provide a new, more effective argument for Fodor's “publicity principle”, according to which concepts must be shared in order for interpersonally applicable psychological generalizations to be possible. Publicity has important implications: in particular, it is inconsistent with existing versions of holism, on which concepts cannot be shared by ordinary thinkers. Nonetheless, in chapters 4-5 I show how holism can still play an important role in our best theory of concepts. More specifically, I argue that the tradition of appealing to modes of presentation in order to give an account of “Frege cases” is in fact committed to holism. To develop a version of holism that will give a successful account of Frege cases without violating publicity, I suggest we should adopt my pluralist-contextualist picture: on that picture, the concepts involved in a Frege case will be holistically individuated and not public, while other concepts will be more coarsely individuated and widely shared. In chapter 6, I will develop this view further by contrasting it with other pluralist theories (Weiskopf) and with rival theories of concepts, such as the localist views defended by Peacocke, Rey and Jackson.

The problem this study addresses is that the Christian church in the postmodern west is in a condition of zero growth and even decline. Conventional strategies intended to reverse this condition have tended to focus on improved implementation of traditional methodologies of church growth. Despite the application of such strategies the church continues to decline, indicating the urgent need for additional approaches. Practical theology suggests such an additional approach: greater engagement with the local community. Certain churches have been identified whose congregations, acting, it is believed, under the leadership of the Spirit, are engaging their immediate communities in a wide variety of ways often with the result that people touched by the church respond with a new or renewed interest in the Christian faith and in some instances join or rejoin the Christian family. The implication, and the hypothesis of the study, is that widespread application of the practices of such community-engaging congregations, called “holistic” congregations, might have a positive impact in terms of growth in the wider church community. To determine the validity of this implication a small-scale inductive, empirical, effect-to-cause study was undertaken. Combining qualitative and quantitative research methods intended to identify the ethos of those churches that meet the developed criteria of “holistic” churches, as compared to a second group of “non-holistic” churches, the study addresses the question: Is it possible to discover the ethos of holistic churches with a view to reproducing that ethos in other churches? Analysis of the data gathered during the study identifies a number of specific characteristics shared by the holistic churches. In addition to suggesting strategies that may profitably be investigated and implemented by churches that wish to become, or become more, holistic in terms of their outreach ministry, the results also advocate the further study of holism as a possible key feature to the future of the Church. / Thesis (PhD (Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Practical Theology / unrestricted

Selon la théorie cellulaire, issue des travaux de M. J. Schleiden, T. Schwann et R. Virchow au 19e siècle, le plus petit niveau d’organisation comprenant toutes les caractéristiques nécessaires et essentielles au vivant serait la cellule. Cette affirmation est aujourd’hui remise en question par les scientifiques et philosophes, d’une part à la suite de l’analyse d’entités biologiques ambiguës aux frontières (inférieures et supérieures) de la « cellule vivante », et d’autre part de l’avènement des récents enjeux en lien avec la création et la recherche de nouvelles entités vivantes. Un pluralisme épistémologique du concept de « vivant » a ainsi émergé, duquel aucune définition claire et unanime n’est encore acceptée. L’objectif général de cette thèse est de trouver des pistes de solution au problème du pluralisme épistémologique du concept de « vivant » ainsi qu’aux enjeux pratiques reliés à ce concept en biologie. Pour ce faire, je propose l’idée que les enjeux pratiques peuvent contribuer à résoudre le pluralisme conceptuel du « vivant », en particulier que la biologie synthétique est à même de nous offrir une définition du vivant permettant de dépasser l’actuel pluralisme de ce concept. Plus spécifiquement, en ce qui a trait à la question du pluralisme, j’expose dans cette thèse un pluralisme « biologique » et « philosophique ». Du côté « biologique », je démontre la flexibilité d’application ainsi que le pluralisme du concept de « vivant » grâce à l’exposition de cas ambigus d’entités biologiques issues de divers niveaux hiérarchiques de complexité du vivant. Ce faisant, je défends une position symbiotique et holistique d’organisation du vivant (permettant d’inclure et d’articuler ces divers niveaux hiérarchiques). Du côté « philosophique », je démontre le pluralisme du concept de « vivant » à la suite d’une analyse que je qualifierai de disciplinaire, ontologique, linguistique et épistémologique. Ce faisant, je défends une position gradualiste et opérationnelle du concept de « vivant ». En ce qui concerne les enjeux pratiques, j’explore principalement la discipline de la biologie synthétique, qui s’est donné l’objectif de construire de nouvelles entités biologiques vivantes et ainsi le fort potentiel de contribuer au développement de nouvelles connaissances sur le vivant. Ce faisant, je prends ainsi la position que la biologie synthétique peut apporter des pistes de solution pragmatiques (par la construction d’entités vivantes fonctionnelles) au pluralisme épistémologique du concept de « vivant ». Finalement, après une analyse de théories de la connaissance associées à ces enjeux, de définitions stipulatives, ainsi que de concepts du vivant issus de la biologie synthétique, je développe mon propre modèle du « vivant» (que je qualifie de biosynthétique), qui se veut « pragmatique » (en accord avec la pratique des biologistes synthétiques), « progressiste » (s’adaptant à de futures découvertes dans le domaine), « holistique » (s’appliquant à l’ensemble des niveaux d’organisation du vivant) ainsi que « minimaliste et universelle» (correspondant aux caractéristiques essentielles de base retrouvées au sein de toutes les entités vivantes). Cette thèse présentera ainsi « pourquoi » et « comment » la biologie synthétique peut répondre à la question de la définition du vivant. / According to the cell theory, resulting from the works of M. J. Schleiden, T. Schwann and R. Virchow in the 19th century, the smallest level of organization including all the necessary and essential characteristics to the living would be the cell. This assertion is now challenged by scientists and philosophers, on the one hand following the analysis of ambiguous biological entities at the boundaries (lower and upper) of the "living cell", and on the other hand the advent of recent issues related to the creation and search for new living entities. An epistemological pluralism of the "living" concept has thus emerged, from which no clear and unanimous definition is yet accepted. The general objective of this thesis is to find possible solutions to the problem of epistemological pluralism of the "living" concept and to the practical issues related to this concept in biology. To do this, I propose the idea that practical issues can contribute to solving the conceptual pluralism of the concept "living", in particular that synthetic biology is able to offer us a definition of the living allowing to overcome the current pluralism of this concept. More specifically, regarding the question of pluralism, I expose in this thesis a "biological" and "philosophical" pluralism. On the "biological" side, I demonstrate the flexibility of application as well as the pluralism of the concept "living" following the description of ambiguous cases of biological entities coming from various hierarchical levels of complexity of life. In doing so, I defend a symbiotic and holistic view of organization of the living (allowing to include and articulate these various hierarchical levels). On the "philosophical" side, I demonstrate the pluralism of the "living" concept following an analysis that I will describe as disciplinary, ontological, linguistic and epistemological. In doing so, I defend a gradualist and operational position of the concept "living". Regarding practical issues, I am mainly exploring the discipline of synthetic biology, which has set itself the goal of building new living biological entities and thus the potential to contribute to the development of new knowledge about life. In doing so, I take the position that synthetic biology can provide pragmatic solutions (through the construction of functional living entities) to the pluralism of the concept "living". Finally, after an analysis of the relevant theories of knowledge associated with these issues, of stipulative definitions, as well as of living concepts stemming from synthetic biology, I develop my own model of the "living" (that I call biosynthetic), which is "pragmatic" (in agreement with the practice of synthetic biologists), "progressive" (adapting to future discoveries in the field), "holistic" (applying to all levels of organization of the living) as well as "minimalist and universal" (corresponding essential characteristics found within all living entities). This thesis will present “why” and “how” synthetic biology can provide an answer to the question “what is life ?”.

No description available.

Soft System Approaches have been developed worldwide to help problem-solvers and decision-makers develop solutions to complex problems, such as aerospace systems. Soft System Approaches were designed to help lower the disorder of developing a complex system by increasing understanding of a situation. Four Soft System Approaches were investigated, two from the West and two from the East. Within the context of the paper, the West refers to thought patterns associated with thinkers and scientists in Europe and North America, and the East refers to those from and around China. The two from the West are Peter Checkland’s Soft Systems Methodology and Fran Ackerman and Colin Eden’s Strategic Options Development and Analysis, and from the East they are Qian Xuesen’s Meta-Synthetic Approach and Jifa Gu and Zhichang Zhu’s Wuli-Shili-Renli Approach. The four approaches were selected due to their prevalence and notoriety within the Soft System Approach research. The Western Soft System Approaches were created as a direct response to reductionism and are more holistic than Hard System Approaches; however, they are classified as systematic due to their structure. The approaches are tools that can be deployed for a specific task. Eastern Soft System Approaches rooted in Eastern philosophy went from holism to reductionism to a unity of the two. There is no one-size-fits-all approach; therefore, approaches that seek to balance reductionism and holism and give guidance and structure while inviting in other methods. The Eastern approaches are classified as framework Soft System Approaches, which provide structure and guidance but not a formula. Systematic approaches are better for determining a course of action, while framework approaches are better for guiding a whole program. The Eastern approaches covered can and do incorporate other methods, including each other. Depending on the problem and problem solver, the systematic or framework approach may be better suited. Overall, however, the framework approach will be able to solve the most varied problems due to the lack of prescriptiveness and the use of other approaches. Knowing the difference between the approaches and how they can be used helps manage the development of complex aerospace systems.

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / In die tesis word die modernistiese en laat/postmodernistiese reduksionistiese benaderings in die Adventiste wêreld nie bloot afgewys nie, nie net omdat dit deel van ons ervaring is nie maar ook omdat die reduksies wat in die moderne en laat/postmoderne tyd ontstaan het in ʼn gemodifieërde sin die boustene is van ʼn hermeneutiese benadering wat poog om holisties en in multiverse sin oorvleuelend te werk met die antieke, moderne en laat/post moderne benaderinge. In ʼn hermeneutiek wat holisties oorvleuelend en multivers integrerend aan die gang is, vorm die vierledige opset van die handelinge en beweginge van God, die menslike bewustelike self, medemens(e) as die ander mens en die natuurlike kosmiese wêreld ʼn misterie van vierledig aktiewe teenwoordighede wat nie-vermengd saambestaan maar tog ontsettend naby aan mekaar is as die voortgaande ervaringskaart van elke konteks en situasie. Juis die uitmekaar ruk van die vierledige aktiewe teenwoordighede inonservaringswêrelde vorm die agtergrond vir moderne teologisme met God alleen speler van die spel, psigologisme met die bewustelike menslike self as die kaptein van sy siel en die meester van sy lot, humanisme waarin die mensheid as kollektiewe menswees die enigste roerder van die menslike brousel in die geskiedenis is en naturalisme waarin die natuurlik kosmiese omgewing die naturaliserende ordeningsagent van die kosmiese chaos is. Wat radikaal deur ʼn holisties oorvleuelende en multiverse integrerende aanpak sny, is dat die vierledige teenwoordighede gedra word asook ingebou is in wat in die Bybels-historiese tydslyn vorendag kom as die vier prominente dade van God se voortgaande skepping, versoening in Jesus Christus, alomvattende vernuwing deur die Gees en voleindende volmaking tot in die aanbreek van die nuwe hemel en die nuwe aarde. Binne die omraming van ʼn hermeneutiek wat holisties oorvleuelend en multiversintegrerend werk, word algemene moderne en postmoderne benaderinge oor tekse, teorieë, menslike handelinge en die natuurlike kosmiese gebeurtenisse beskryf. Terwyl die moderniteit – en ook die postmoderniteit – uitgaan van die hoofsaaklik opponerende verskille tussen sinmakende beskouinge word hier gepoog om eers die oorvleuelingsareas refleksief te betrek en daarna aandag gee aan die verskille. Die drie breë benaderinge wat hoofsaaklik beskryf word is die van fundamentalistiese spieëling, liberale interpretasie en die konsinlike onderhandeling van tekse, teorieë, menslike handelinge en natuurlik kosmiese gebeure.Juis teen hierdie agtergrond word diverse SDA omgangspatrone met die Bybel, ervaringe in die kerklike arena en alledaagse ervaringe in ʼn draaikolk van multivers oorvleuelende en differensiërende refleksiwiteit beskryf. / In the thesis Adventist approaches making use of modernist and late/postmodernistic reductionist philosophies are not rejected out of hand. Not only are the reductions which emerged in the modern and late/modern era part of our experience but they are in a modified sense the building blocks of a hermeneutical approach in which an attempt is made to work in an overlapping holistic and multiverse way with approaches of the ancient world, modernity and late/post modernity. In a hermeneutics that operate holistically with overlaps and in a multiverse integrative sense, the quadruple setting of actions and movements of God, the conscious human self, neighbour(s) as the other human and the natural cosmic world forms a mystery of foursome active presences that do not exist together in a mixed sense but are very close to each other as the continuous experiential map of every context and situation. The dislocation of the foursome active presences in our experiential worlds forms the backdrop of modern theologism in which God is the sole player in the game, psychologism with the conscious human self as the captain of his or her soul, humanism in which humanity as the collectiveness of being human is the only stirrer of the human concoction in history and naturalism in which the natural cosmic environment is the only naturalistic agency that arranges the cosmic chaos. Cutting radically through the holistic overlapping and multiverse integrative approach is that the foursome presences are carried and built into what come to the fore in the biblical historical timeline as the four grand acts of God of continuous creation, reconciliation in Jesus Christ, all embracing renewal through the Holy Spirit and fulfilling fulfilment as in the dawn of the new heaven and the new earth. Within the embrace of a hermeneutics which works with overlaps in a holistically and integrating in a multiverse sense general modernist and late/post modern approaches regarding texts, theories, human doings and natural cosmic events are described. While modernity – and late/post modernity - depart from mainly opposing differences between sense making views the attempt is made here firstly to engage oneself in a reflexive sense with the areas of overlapping and only then to pay attention the differences. The three broad approaches mainly described are that of fundamentalist mirroring, liberal interpretation and consensual negotiation of texts, theories, human doings and natural cosmic events. It is against this background that diverse SDA engagement patterns with the Bible, experiences in the arena of the church and everyday experiences is described in a vortex of holistic overlapping and multiverse integrative reflexivity. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

The aim of this African culturally based research is to establish whether a group of unmarried pregnant teenage girls experience rejection during their period of pregnancy as well as to determine whether they experienced rejection for whatever reason before falling pregnant. Seen in the context of the communal and person-centred life view as upheld by the African culture where respect for and well-being of the individual within the tribal and extended family structure is paramount, one would expect that unmarried girls finding themselves in a precarious situation such as premature pregnancy would experience understanding, acceptance and support. The research is quantitative as well as qualitative. The quantitative research focuses on 341 grade 11-leamers at seven secondary schools in the Free State Province of Education as well as in the Gauteng Department of Education. Questionnaires were presented with the aim of establishing the reason for teenage pregnancy; to research the thoughts, feelings and actions of the peer group toward pregnant teenage girls; to determine the presence of feelings of rejection of a group of pregnant teenage girls at the same schools; to determine the thoughts the girls have about themselves as well as about the future. On account of the fact that that the responses of the pregnant girls seemingly contradicted the responses given by the grade 11-peer group sample it was decided to supplement the quantitative research result with a qualitative research investigation by means of focus group interviews conducted with twelve willing to participate pregnant girls at two ofthe secondary schools who voluntarily agreed to participate. The research result indicates that although the pregnant girls did not experience rejection before falling pregnant they did however experience rejection after falling pregnant, especially from the peer group at school, educators, and certain sections of society. Although the parents of these girls were initially offended and reluctant, their attitude toward the pregnancy changed to include acceptance and even support. / M.A. Psychology, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010

The aim of this African culturally based research is to establish whether a group of unmarried pregnant teenage girls experience rejection during their period of pregnancy as well as to determine whether they experienced rejection for whatever reason before falling pregnant. Seen in the context of the communal and person-centred life view as upheld by the African culture where respect for and well-being of the individual within the tribal and extended family structure is paramount, one would expect that unmarried girls finding themselves in a precarious situation such as premature pregnancy would experience understanding, acceptance and support. The research is quantitative as well as qualitative. The quantitative research focuses on 341 grade 11-leamers at seven secondary schools in the Free State Province of Education as well as in the Gauteng Department of Education. Questionnaires were presented with the aim of establishing the reason for teenage pregnancy; to research the thoughts, feelings and actions of the peer group toward pregnant teenage girls; to determine the presence of feelings of rejection of a group of pregnant teenage girls at the same schools; to determine the thoughts the girls have about themselves as well as about the future. On account of the fact that that the responses of the pregnant girls seemingly contradicted the responses given by the grade 11-peer group sample it was decided to supplement the quantitative research result with a qualitative research investigation by means of focus group interviews conducted with twelve willing to participate pregnant girls at two ofthe secondary schools who voluntarily agreed to participate. The research result indicates that although the pregnant girls did not experience rejection before falling pregnant they did however experience rejection after falling pregnant, especially from the peer group at school, educators, and certain sections of society. Although the parents of these girls were initially offended and reluctant, their attitude toward the pregnancy changed to include acceptance and even support. / M.A. Psychology, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010