The purpose of this study is to explore the idea and method of holistic education and if traces of these can be found in four preschool teachers’ statements about their practices in two private preschools located in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Working holistically is something which UNESCO (Marope & Kaga, 2015) recommends when it comes to early childhood care and education. In a developing country like India primary education is important to growth and development. It is one of the main sustainable development goals and early childhood education is considered a means to reach this goal. This study aims to provide some insight into what a holistic approach to early childhood education can entail. In this study I have explored literature to gain a theoretical knowledge of the idea and working methods of holistic education through a literature review. I then conducted a qualitative interview study where I traced the ideas and methods found in the literature in four preschool teachers’ statements about their practices to gain an understanding of what ideas and methods found in a preschool setting can be considered to lead to holistic outcomes. The results show that the idea and methods of holistic education, as I understand it through the literature review, were evident in the teachers’ statements to various extent, and that that inclusion, balance and connections lead to holistic education. Even though the teachers do not explicitly work with holistic education as Miller (2007, 2010) describes it, this study found that the practices of the teachers, as described by them, promote similar ideas and the same methods could be found. This study can provide a concrete understanding of what a holistic approach to early childhood education can and should involve.

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Increasingly, experts recommend that military primary care clinics consider implementing delivery of care based on models of holistic wellness. Several wellness measurement tools exist, but none of these has been applied to a military primary care clinic. In this study, the psychometric testing of two holistic wellness measurement instruments was carried out for possible use with soldiers in primary care clinics. The instruments tested were the Perceived Wellness Model (Adams, Bezner, & Steinhardt, 1998) and the Optimal Living Profile (Renger et al., 2000). Both instruments appear suitable for use in future studies for measuring wellness in Cadet Soldiers. The measures provided by these instruments provide important data that professionals can use to assist young Soldiers in their multidimensional wellness development.

Retirement is an unavoidable and necessary phase in a person’s life. It is also one of the biggest transitions in the life cycle of a human being. Emeritus of the Apostolic Faith Mission of S.A. (AFM) have positive and negative feelings regarding their retirement. In the light of this fact the research question was posed: How can the AFM, from a pastoral perspective, understand the situation of, prepare and assist its emeritus in coping effectively with retirement - in the process addressing their holistic needs - maintaining a meaningful life in the service of God as integral members of His community? With reference to the abovementioned question it is the overall aim of this study to research the holistic needs of the pastors of the AFM, with the objective to create a pastoral model for retirement preparation. In so doing they can remain integral members of God`s community whose holistic needs are taken care of, in a Christian way. The study was done by using the practical-theological model of Osmer as starting point which comprises the following: * the normative task, where Scriptural perspectives on the topic have been researched; * the interpretative task, according to which material from other disciplines are studied; * an empirical research by way of interviews with emeritus; * and a practice theory to design a model for pre-retirement planning for pastors of the AFM. The normative task part of the research indicates that although the Bible does not say much regarding emeritus, definite direction is found regarding old age. God speaks through, and gives direction in his Word concerning the elderly. In the interpretative task part of the study very little literature is found regarding the retirement of clergy. Information exists, however, on the subject of the elderly. Numerous guidelines are also found in Scripture a propos the pastors as a holistic person in connection with body, soul and spirit. Research indicated that preparation for retirement is of cardinal importance. The results which surfaced from the empirical study, confirmed the normative and interpretative theoretical research. Subsequently the practice theory has been formulated from the hermeneutical interaction of the different elements of the research in the format of a model for pre-retirement planning. A model where the strategy for planning has been explained has been compiled finally. Matters related to the problems and fears of emeritus were addressed in creating a model. The intention of the pre-retirement education is to reduce the effect of negative stereotypes of retirement. It will further assist pastors to develop realistic goals for their retirement. With reference to the research question, central theoretical argument and the research reflected in chapters 2 to 5, the final conclusion states that pre-retirement planning for pastors of the AFM is very important. / PhD (Pastoral studies), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The problem of this study was to investigate the philosophical assumptions underlying the holistic paradigm. These underlying philosophical assumptions include beliefs about the nature of being (ontology), goals (axiology), and knowledge (epistemology). The interdependence of these assumptions, as well as how they translate into different research processes, is noted in this study.

Thesis advisor: Arthur Madigan / The human self and society in general have always been in transition and transformation. Our senses of ourselves and of our society are in dialectical relation with our sense of whether or to what degree we feel part of important dimensions such as religion and politics, which are both an expression of our identity and factors that may sometimes change our identity. In modern western society it seems that identity has shifted from what Charles Taylor calls "embeddedness" in religion to a mode of life where religion is, to a great extent, expected to be a personal matter and even a personal choice. This is not impossible to understand, and historical work shows us that there are important continuities between the modern reason that rejects religion and the religion that it rejects. In this complicated process there is no mistaking the emergence of a democratic politics that rests to a significant degree on the rational project of modernity. We might even say that the success of that politics is one of the most important signs of the success of modern reason. In any case, we see in the west the development of a political system that has made society increasingly secular and religion increasingly private. This is not the case everywhere in the world. In may other places outside the "west" religion and its expressions are more public and individuals consider religion as a significant factor in defining their self-identity. In these places, many people are found expressing and promoting an identity that they consider meaningful in a world that is not fundamentally defined--or only defined--by the sort of secular political system that restricts religious beliefs and practices to the private domain. In these places, there is somewhat less difficulty with the sort of dilemma that we find in many liberal secular parts of the modern west, where even public expressions of religious beliefs are protested or challenged even though the right to such expressions are constitutionally guaranteed for all citizens. The dialectics of religion and politics and their importance in defining human self-identity is the central domain for my research, though I need many detours into other cultural factors in order to substantiate my claims. Bouncing back and forth between western and eastern religious, philosophical, and political perspectives, I finally found some points of contacts in Charles Taylor and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. They became my focus of this research. Still, I felt it necessary to offer a preliminary account of secularism, as our present context, in order to set the background of my exploration of the works and, in some important respects, the lives of Taylor and Gandhi. Hence, my first chapter is an overview of the sources of secularism in the West and in India. The second chapter deals with the Taylorian understanding of diversity, authenticity, and holistic identity. My third chapter is on Gandhi's understanding of diversity, authenticity, and holistic identity. My fourth and final chapter brings to light my own sense of our prospects for an integral understanding of religion, politics, and self-identity within the contexts of post-religious, post-secular, and post-metaphysical thinking. While claims for secular humanism and secular politics have always been somewhat convincing to me, I was not sure why religion should be necessarily so `problematic' for such a program. In fact, the pathologies of both reason and religion have become more explicit to us today. Secularism seems to repeat the exclusivism of the anti-secular stance of some religions by becoming anti-religious itself. Indeed, among secularists and even atheists there is a general trend to consider religions as intrinsically "anti-humanistic" in nature. It is true that secular humanism has sometimes helped religions to explore how deeply "humanistic" they are at heart, in their revelations and traditions. So perhaps, it is possible to have comprehensive frames and theories of humanism and secularism from within the boundaries of religions themselves without negating or diminishing either the spiritual or the secular. A dialogue between Taylor and Gandhi can be useful for us today especially as pointers toward such a humanistic approach to self, religion and politics. This dialogue between these western and the eastern thinkers can enlarge, enrich, and enlighten each other. What we then see, on the one hand, is the limit of a purely secular politics that is lacking a proper metaphysical foundation to guarantee the religious needs of humanity; and on the other hand, we also see the hesitation and struggle of religions to accommodate the demands of secularism. In both cases, we have reason to hope for a new `metaphysics of diversity and authenticity' which in turn might validate a role for religion, and perhaps also the ethical principles that it yields. Still, this is an incomplete and inconclusive dialectic and in that sense only a contribution to ongoing debate. I thank for your attention to my narrative and my proposals. Let me conclude now, so that I can listen to your stories, because you too help me to define myself. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Philosophy.

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate how companies address sustainability holistically and compare the practical results to theoretical findings. The holistic approach of sustainability includes four dimensions and five corporate system elements.   Methods: For creating the theoretical framework a literature review was executed. Empirical data was gathered from a multiple case study. In total five case companies have been selected and five interviews have been conducted. Furthermore the interview guideline included a small survey. Empirical data was complemented by information from sustainability reports and companies website.   Main findings: Sustainability is partly executed in differently in practical terms compared to theory research. The differences are mainly explained by the unique use of sustainability initiatives, which are adapted to companies circumstances.   Academic contributions: Previously, only a few researchers investigated the combination of initiatives to provide a holistic sustainability approach. Furthermore a lack of practical research in the field of sustainability has been identified. This thesis contributes to close this gap by investigating five case companies regarding the use of multiple initiatives.   Practical implications: Based on the findings a model was created by the authors. By applying this model and using recommended initiatives companies are able to establish a holistic sustainability approach, involving all sustainability dimensions and corporate system elements.   Limitations: The interviews have been translated from German or Dutch into English, which increases the risk of wrong interpretations. Further the interview involved only one representative per company. Additionally the number of small case study companies and case companies from the service sector might limit the generalization of the results.

Thesis advisor: Eva M. Garroutte / Biomedicine has become a gatekeeper to numerous social opportunities and has gained power through the ritual inscription of individual bodies. Bodies serve as intermediaries between personal identities and biomedicine; individuals can reclaim bodies as sites of "identity projects" (Giddens 1991) to resist biomedical power. This project examines the intersection of the societal preoccupations with biomedicine, bodies, and identity through the lens of the religious and healing tradition of Christian Science. Christian Science theologically rejects biomedicine in favor of spiritual healing treatment. Christian Science is an especially appropriate venue for exploring relationships between biomedicine, bodies, and identities because its teachings require not only belief in the ineffectiveness of biomedicine but also embodied resistance to it. Drawing on the work of Foucault (1977), Giddens (1991), and Frank (1995) and using information gleaned from semi-structured interviews--averaging 1.5 hours in length--with 12 Christian Scientists, I argue that Christian Scientists use religious identities to (1) evade biomedical risk society, (2) resist external authority and reclaim bodies as sites of knowledge and power, and (3) build spiritual community. / Thesis (MA) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Sociology.

This evaluative study examined the impact of recreational therapy interventions on intrinsic motivation and holistic functioning among adults at a substance use treatment facility. West (2001) identified motivation as a key variable in treating substance use disorders, and self-determination theory, specifically intrinsic motivation, provided a useful framework for this study. Intrinsic motivation is grounded in self-determination theory and defines various motivation types and how to increase participants' engagement. Holistic functioning is another tool in assessing a participant's recovery. For this evaluation, four domains were specifically assessed: (a) physical, (b) leisure, (c) social, and (d) daily living functioning. These quality of life components are affected heavily during prolonged substance use. Results suggest that recreational therapy interventions utilizing a self-determination framework improves participants' intrinsic motivation and holistic functioning in a substance use treatment setting.

With the broader aim of reconstructing long-term resource use and ecological history for better policy making in times of environmental change, this study is an attempt to decode the mutual effects of human subsistence practices, climate and socio-cultural organization in Sardinia between 4000 and 1900 BC. Was economy changing due to climate change? Was the environment changing due to economic practices? And how were economic practices and socio-cultural factors interacting? The answer is complex, and some convergence of complex systems theory, historical ecology and agency supports this. Diet, at the interface of all of these as fulfilling biological needs constrained by available resources, while being inextricably affected by ethnicity, age, class, gender roles, varies according to unceasingly changing variables. Stable isotopic analyses of human bone tissues were used to build a quantitative dataset, and then integrate this with all the other proxies. The use of bone apatite besides collagen enhanced the dietary reconstruction and the contextual production of paleoclimatic data. The application of correction methods to ensure that dietary signature is distinguished from environmental noise enhanced inter-site comparability, making it possible to outline broad trends over time. The results confirm the negligible role of seafood already documented in western Mediterranean late prehistoric groups. The long-held opinion that local Copper Age and especially Early Bronze Age societies relied more on herding than the Neolithic ones is not supported by the data: contribution of plant foods actually increased. Certainly the data do not indicate any heavier reliance on meat or milk and dairy. Considering the limited data from zooarchaology, material culture and landscape archaeology, the possible economic intensification could more likely be related to changes in power relations, gender roles and their construction through symbolically charged material culture. The two dry climatic events detected through δ18O values in accordance with previous independent studies seem to have had a role in triggering change, and such change followed specific routes based on the particular historical milieu.