Thesis advisor: Susan Michalczyk / This 2005-2006 Senior Honors Thesis is the story of Holocaust survivor Edgar Krasa and his experience in the Nazi concentration camps. As a human, I felt it was my duty to share his remarkable account with the world. As a writer, I have sought to leave him with something tangible, a small tribute to the suffering he endured. I have attempted to maintain a delicate balance between research and storytelling, as Mr. Krasa's story exists in the context of the theoretical framework I have studied. This work is not meant to speak only of gas chambers, death marches, bitter cold, and death. Rather, it stands as a testament to human loyalty, hope, determination, and unwavering belief in life. It is meant to expose the depths and resilience of the human soul. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2006. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: College Honors Program.

In the face of rapid urbanization, megacities have witnessed the rise of skyscrapers as central social hubs. However, the predominant design approach for these towering structures has primarily focused on practical considerations, often overlooking the spiritual well-being of individuals. This oversight has led to detrimental consequences such as mental health challenges, pervasive social isolation, and increased crime rates. While halting skyscraper construction is not a practical solution, a compelling need emerges for a fresh design approach. A paradigm shift in skyscraper design is proposed, drawing inspiration from the organic formation of neighborhoods. This approach advocates for creating vertical settings within skyscrapers, which aim to offer rejuvenating experiences through abundant social spaces. These vertical neighborhoods blend communal learning areas, recreational zones, relaxation spaces, and green areas that foster natural human connections. By strongly emphasizing enclosed and open public spaces and implementing programs encouraging interaction, the envisioned design seeks to nurture healthy relationships and facilitate genuine human connections, ultimately fostering a more cohesive and closely-knit society. / Master of Architecture / Skyscrapers, while iconic in urban areas, often overlook the spiritual needs of individuals, leading to negative consequences like mental health issues, social isolation, and increased crime rates. Instead of halting skyscraper construction, a transformative design approach is needed. Imagine a skyscraper that resembles a horizontal neighborhood with blocks, streets, and social spaces. Inspired by the natural formation of districts, this concept proposes vertical neighborhoods that offer abundant social spaces and a healing experience. The design integrates communal learning areas, recreational zones, relaxation spaces, and green areas, promoting natural human connections and addressing the prevalent isolation in megacities. This design aims to nurture healthy relationships and facilitate genuine human connections by emphasizing enclosed and open public spaces and programs that encourage interaction, ultimately fostering a more united and connected society. This innovative approach seeks to redefine the purpose of skyscrapers, transforming them into vibrant communities that prioritize people's well-being and spiritual fulfillment.

Esta tese é um estudo sobre a mente, a alma ou o espírito humano para entender o sofrimento. Entre as questões interdependentes estão o corpo, a materialidade e o simbólico. A deficiência é o objeto empírico de reflexão. Apontamos a mente enquanto: razão, em suas operações (filosófica, científica, prática e artística); desejos e sensações. Explicamos que o sofrimento e a felicidade são da ordem da mente. O sofrimento são condicionamentos mentais irracionais, que geram perturbações, ações e consequências equivalentes. São pedidos de inteleção. Descrevemos quatro deles: medo, desejo irracional, orgulho e carência. A felicidade é a ausência de sofrimento, uma mente em paz, obtida através da lapição de si. Explicamos que deficiência não é sofrimento. Detalhamos a razão científica em suas operações para definir o real, seja interno ou externo à mente (identificar indícios, dividir complexidades e fazer hipóteses e constatações). Para tanto, utilizamos comparações entre a medicina medieval e a moderna. Tratamos da materialidade, do corpo, da matéria orgânica viva, que também possui racionalidade. Explicamos o patológico, a anomalia e sua relação com a deficiência. Por fim, detalhamos o simbólico, o âmbito dos conteúdos mentais e seus compartilhamentos. Tratamos da distinção entre natureza e cultura e da criação do real. Mostramos operações do sofrimento na interação. Abordamos a explicação social da deficiência. Descrevemos conformações histórico-sociológicas que associam deficiência a: sofrimento e compaixão, abordando as Santas Casas de Misericórdia e escolas católicas para surdos e cegos; doença e anomalia, abordando a medicina moral, a degenerescência, a eugenia, o ensino dos anormais e a reabilitação; construção social, abordando os direitos humanos, o ativismo e a academia. Os principais interlocutores da tese são Descartes, Aristóteles, São Tomás de Aquino, Canguilhem, Lévi-Strauss e Geertz. / This thesis is a study of the mind, the soul or human spirit to understand suffering. Among the related issues are the body, the materiality and the symbolic. Disability is the empirical object for this analysis. We understand the mind as: reason, in its operations (philosophical, scientific, artistic and practical); desires and sensations. We explain that suffering and happiness are in the order of the mind. The suffering are irrational mental conditionings, which generate disturbances, actions and similar consequences. They are requests for intellection. We describe: fear, irrational desire, pride and shame. We explain that disability is not suffering. We detail the scientific reason in its operations to set the real, whether internal or external to the mind (to identify trace elements, to part complexities and to make hypotheses and conclusions). Therefore, we use comparisons between medieval and modern medicine. We reflect upon the materiality, the body, the living organic matter, which also has rationality. We explain the pathological, the anomaly and its relation to disability. Finally, we detail the symbolic, the scope of mental contents and their shares. We deal with the distinction between nature and culture and the creation of reality. We show the suffering operations in the interaction. We analyse the social explanation of disability. We describe historical-sociological conformations that link disability to: suffering and compassion, addressing the catholic brotherhoods for charity and schools for the deaf and blind; disease and anomaly, addressing the moral medicine, degeneracy, eugenics, the teaching of abnormal and rehabilitation; social construction, addressing human rights, activism and academic. Our main theoretical support are Descartes, Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, Canguilhem, Lévi-Strauss and Geertz.

Esta tese é um estudo sobre a mente, a alma ou o espírito humano para entender o sofrimento. Entre as questões interdependentes estão o corpo, a materialidade e o simbólico. A deficiência é o objeto empírico de reflexão. Apontamos a mente enquanto: razão, em suas operações (filosófica, científica, prática e artística); desejos e sensações. Explicamos que o sofrimento e a felicidade são da ordem da mente. O sofrimento são condicionamentos mentais irracionais, que geram perturbações, ações e consequências equivalentes. São pedidos de inteleção. Descrevemos quatro deles: medo, desejo irracional, orgulho e carência. A felicidade é a ausência de sofrimento, uma mente em paz, obtida através da lapição de si. Explicamos que deficiência não é sofrimento. Detalhamos a razão científica em suas operações para definir o real, seja interno ou externo à mente (identificar indícios, dividir complexidades e fazer hipóteses e constatações). Para tanto, utilizamos comparações entre a medicina medieval e a moderna. Tratamos da materialidade, do corpo, da matéria orgânica viva, que também possui racionalidade. Explicamos o patológico, a anomalia e sua relação com a deficiência. Por fim, detalhamos o simbólico, o âmbito dos conteúdos mentais e seus compartilhamentos. Tratamos da distinção entre natureza e cultura e da criação do real. Mostramos operações do sofrimento na interação. Abordamos a explicação social da deficiência. Descrevemos conformações histórico-sociológicas que associam deficiência a: sofrimento e compaixão, abordando as Santas Casas de Misericórdia e escolas católicas para surdos e cegos; doença e anomalia, abordando a medicina moral, a degenerescência, a eugenia, o ensino dos anormais e a reabilitação; construção social, abordando os direitos humanos, o ativismo e a academia. Os principais interlocutores da tese são Descartes, Aristóteles, São Tomás de Aquino, Canguilhem, Lévi-Strauss e Geertz. / This thesis is a study of the mind, the soul or human spirit to understand suffering. Among the related issues are the body, the materiality and the symbolic. Disability is the empirical object for this analysis. We understand the mind as: reason, in its operations (philosophical, scientific, artistic and practical); desires and sensations. We explain that suffering and happiness are in the order of the mind. The suffering are irrational mental conditionings, which generate disturbances, actions and similar consequences. They are requests for intellection. We describe: fear, irrational desire, pride and shame. We explain that disability is not suffering. We detail the scientific reason in its operations to set the real, whether internal or external to the mind (to identify trace elements, to part complexities and to make hypotheses and conclusions). Therefore, we use comparisons between medieval and modern medicine. We reflect upon the materiality, the body, the living organic matter, which also has rationality. We explain the pathological, the anomaly and its relation to disability. Finally, we detail the symbolic, the scope of mental contents and their shares. We deal with the distinction between nature and culture and the creation of reality. We show the suffering operations in the interaction. We analyse the social explanation of disability. We describe historical-sociological conformations that link disability to: suffering and compassion, addressing the catholic brotherhoods for charity and schools for the deaf and blind; disease and anomaly, addressing the moral medicine, degeneracy, eugenics, the teaching of abnormal and rehabilitation; social construction, addressing human rights, activism and academic. Our main theoretical support are Descartes, Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, Canguilhem, Lévi-Strauss and Geertz.

This written thesis gives an account of the creative production of Two Fingers: Michael's Struggle, a twenty-nine minute documentary video that explores the life of Michael Alan Rasch who suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It explains in detail the process of pre-production, production, and post-production of the documentary. It also discuses the integration of theories applied in the documentary. Two Fingers shows that although Michael has lived with the disease almost his entire life, his perspective and attitude are more about living and enjoying life. Through it, the filmmaker intends the viewer to gain a tremendously important lesson about the human spirit.

This thesis is an introduction to sophia-analysis and deals with the concepts and methods it offers the individual for the purpose of personal growth. The theoretical part of the thesis is devoted to defining the sophia-analytical psychotherapeutic school. It presents the conceptual references of sophia-analysis, its metapsychology and works through its theoretical underpinnings and specific anthropological concepts. It further describes the applied therapeutic forms as well as presents the organization and specifics of its training system. It concludes with a brief history of sophia- analysis and a short biography of its founder. The applied section of the thesis deals with the identification, classification and selection of the most distinctive psychotherapeutic processes found in 21 individual sessions of sophia-analytical therapy, using "psychotherapy process Q-test" methodology. The applied section also describes in detail the methodology used and the results of its application to sophia-analytical material. The applied methodology serves two purposes. First, it provides a picture of sophia-analytical practice from the point of view of psychotherapeutic process in the context of actual sophia-analytical sessions and so complements the introduction of this psychotherapeutic branch in the...

This research investigates the new psychological contract phenomenon in an organisational case study. The research question underpinning this study is - What are the core attributes of the new employment relationship? To investigate this research question, the researcher applied Noer's (1997) new employment relationship model to a disproportionate stratified sample of 19 participants from three organisational perspectives in an Australian-based international travel retail organisation, Flight Centre Limited, which specialises in the sale of discount international airfares. Data from a survey instrument were analysed using a "Multi-source Assessment" instrument. The data analysis method was used to create a schema to guide and inform a series of focus groups. The research findings validated Noer's five attributes of Flexible Employment, Customer-focus, Focus on Performance, Project-based Work and Human Spirit & Work. In addition, three other attributes of the new employment relationship emerged from the data, namely, Loyalty & Commitment, Learning & Development and Open Information. The research findings validate eight core attributes of the new employment relationship and therefore make a contribution to the expanding body of research in this field. The research approach also provides organisational practitioners with a unique consulting methodology to merge the changing needs and interests of individual and organisation.