This thesis charts the outcomes of family play-learning through make-and-play activities with traditional Thai toys activities (TTTA). Family learning is a component of inter-generational learning, and the research explores this through ‘edutainment’ activities within the informal educational system of a science museum. The thesis also identifies key factors that influence family play-learning through TTTA and explores the nature and impact of traditional Thai culture, local wisdom and Western modern science after participation with the TTTA. Participants in the toy-making activities at the National Science Museum, Thailand are members of the general public, day visitors to the museum who volunteer to join the activities, and represent all age groups. They also have varied levels of educational achievement, backgrounds in science and dispositions towards play. The research follows 93 families, including children, teenagers and adults, a total of 179 participants. Participants’ dispositions towards play are collected through self-reporting questionnaires based upon Barnett's (2006) work on playfulness; data on their individual and group actions have been collected in terms of their levels of enjoyment and engagement with the tasks, and learning outcomes. The data from structured routine observation indicates that, within the make-and-play activities, there is a two-way transfer of learning from older to younger, and from younger to older. The analysis of family learning is based upon Bandura’s (2005) social cognitive theories, used here in relation to informal museum education. Family play-learning is seen as significant, where more experienced members of the family transfer their knowledge and role-model skills to their children or younger members of the family. There is also an upward transfer where discerning youth model the fun and creativity they bring to the tasks. The Toy Learning Outcomes Questionnaire (TLOQ) has been used to study families’ learning outcomes from the TTTA with 51 families composed of 125 participants in total. The TLOQ is based upon work of the Research Centre of Museums and Galleries at the University of Leicester (Hooper-Greenhill, 2007), and uses a four-point Likert-style scale to explore seven areas of interest: (i) knowledge and understanding; (ii) skills; (iii) attitudes and values; (vi) enjoyment, inspiration and creativity; (v) action, behaviour and progression; (vi) scientific learning, and (vii) attitude towards Thai local wisdom. The findings show that families appear to have learned most in relation to two of these areas, ‘scientific knowledge’ and ‘Thai local wisdom’, when compared with the other areas. Data from semi-structured ‘exit interviews’ at the end of the activities, explore this clash of cultures, between Western modern science (WMS) and Thai local wisdom (TLW). This allows for a discussion of the integration of knowledge systems versus distinctive and separate fields. Findings from the interview data indicate that participants treat the TTTA, and work of the museum generally, bi-gnosically: they had positive yet parallel attitudes towards both domains of knowledge. The overall outcomes of this body of work indicate two main factors that encourage family play-learning: (i) the context of the play, which emphasises participants’ personal engagement, social relationships, and the physical setting (the environment and resources in the TTTA); and (ii) the conditions to play, playfulness of the participants and the opportunities they take to learn together through play. The thesis concludes with the implications of this work and recommendations for further research.

This study investigated the online interactions of parents using the constructs of Wenger’s (1998) community of practice theory. Parents were surveyed and blogs and comments selections were examined to determine whether a communities of practice perspective would be appropriate as a construct to examine parents’ online interactions, and whether parents could gain similar benefits to those found from face-to-face parent support groups. This study provides evidence to support the utility of parents’ online interactions and the relevance of a community of practice perspective as analyzed with the components of Wenger’s (1998) Communities of Practice Theory. / text

The challenge of both the public and private sector to provide infrastructure to meet the demand of current and future housing has emerged as a central issue in discussions urbanization in the developing world. Informal settlements, rapidly developing on the outer peripheries of urban areas are straining cities abilities to provide the infrastructure resources necessary for their survival. This thesis is based on a case study of an informal settlement in Tijuana, Mexico named Las Lomas del Valle. This thesis explores the conditions of infrastructure within the colonia, focusing on the condition of the current road network and its interrelationship with the residents of Las Lomas. It explores the current needs of the residents and how their dependency on the road network and its conditions is essential to their well being. / text

Ad hominem argument is an argument that attacks the defender of a claim rather than the claim in dispute. The purpose of my dissertation is to answer the question of whether ad hominem argument is fallacious. I search for the answer by exploring several areas of philosophy and discussing ad hominem argument from historical, logical, epistemological, and linguistic perspectives. I reach the following conclusions: First, since the conclusion of an ad hominem argument does not appear explicitly in actual argumentation, how to formulate the conclusion plays a crucial role in judging the legitimacy of ad hominem argument; Second, there is no type of logical fallacy unified under the name of “ad hominem” because, at least, some instances of so-called ad hominem fallacy are epistemically justifiable arguments; Third, since an ad hominem argument is used to refute a person’s testimony by attacking his trustworthiness, an ad hominem argument playing a role of undercutting defeater of a speaker’s testimony is legitimate from the perspective of epistemology of testimony; Fourth, since ad hominem argument can be treated as a speech act of argumentation, an ad hominem argument that satisfies the felicity conditions for argumentation is legitimate from the perspective of speech act theory and an ad hominem argument can be legitimately used to reveal the infelicity of the opponent’s argument. / text

Cities in the global South are confronting unprecedented challenges to urban sustainability and equitable development, particularly in the realm of water provision. Nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide suffer from a lack of safe access to drinking water and sanitation -an increasing proportion of whom reside in cities. Meanwhile, in the gaps of the grid, a diversity of water harvesting and reuse techniques, infrastructures, and institutional arrangements has emerged to provision poor households. Despite the burgeoning presence of the informal water sector, little is known about its institutional character, environmental impact, or relationship with state provision and private supply. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data collected during nearly 13 months of fieldwork in Tijuana, Mexico, this dissertation queries how informal water use is managed, whether informal water use constitutes an alternative economy and sustainable environmental practice, and to what degree informal water use redefines urban space and alternative development possibilities. Findings reveal that: 1) despite historical efforts in Mexico to federalize and centralize the control of water resources, state action opens 'gaps' in the hydrosocial cycle, and informal institutions manage these 'extralegal' spaces; 2) informal water use is widespread across socioeconomic levels in Tijuana, predominantly managed by household-based institutions, and conserves a surprising degree of municipal water; and 3) the spatiality of contemporary water infrastructures and economies is highly diverse-ranging from bottled water markets to non-capitalist, self-provisioning greywater reuse-and is in fact constitutive of 'splintered urbanism' and alternative modes of development.

Essay means attempt, and is a paper written based on self-experienced dilemmas, which the writer then returns to, reflect upon and discusses on the basis of literature and accepted theories. In this essay, I reflect upon my own professional role as a leisure-time pedagogue. The leisure-time pedagogue must provide activities that in different ways relate to the curriculum 2011. I have therefore a responsibility to influence the students' desire for knowledge. Focus of learning is different from the one in school, with an emphasis on informal learning. The dilemma is that I am unable to do any pedagogical work at the museum because of many conflicts. And that there is an ambivalence of what is expected of my work. By writing this essay, I want to explore and reflect upon leisure-time pedagogue´s meeting with a museum. I also reflect how to obtain an educational meeting, despite poorly developed awareness among teachers, other professionals, parents, and museums. There are many ways to implement work with the curriculum with a visit to the museum, and that would make the leisure-time pedagogue more of support for the whole visit. It would facilitate if the museums themselves hade a material adapted for leisure-time centre. With an emphasis on informal learning and for example aesthetic learning processes.

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Body Worlds is a traveling exhibition of plastinated human cadavers that offers the general public an opportunity to experience the human body in a unique way. It has been met with controversy and awe; public reactions and responses have been mixed. This case study research explored visitor responses to this controversial science exhibition, and examined the meaning visitors made of their experience. Specifically, the following research questions directed this study: Within the context of the Body Worlds exhibition: (a) What meaning did visitors make and how did they respond to the exhibits? (b) What tensions and issues arose for visitors? and (c) What did this type of exhibition convey about the changing role of science centres and the nature of their exhibitions? The primary sources of data for this study were 46 semi-structured interviews with visitors to the exhibition, observation notes, and 10 comment books including approximately 20 000 comments. Data suggested that the personal, physical, and sociocultural contexts (Falk & Dierking, 2000) contributed to visitor meaning meaning-making. The use of plastinated human cadavers within this exhibition raised ethical and moral questions and controversies about body procurement, use of human cadavers in display, representations of the bodies, and issues related to the sanctity of life. The tensions and issues identified by visitors demonstrated that messages (intended or unintended) located within Body Worlds were critically examined by visitors and called into question. Finally, data from this study suggested that an interdisciplinary approach to the presentation of science served to enhance accessibility for the viewer. This exhibition demonstrated that visitors responded positively and made personal connections when the arts, spirituality, edutainment, issues, and a combination of historical and contemporary museum practices were used to present science.

Body Worlds is a traveling exhibition of plastinated human cadavers that offers the general public an opportunity to experience the human body in a unique way. It has been met with controversy and awe; public reactions and responses have been mixed. This case study research explored visitor responses to this controversial science exhibition, and examined the meaning visitors made of their experience. Specifically, the following research questions directed this study: Within the context of the Body Worlds exhibition: (a) What meaning did visitors make and how did they respond to the exhibits? (b) What tensions and issues arose for visitors? and (c) What did this type of exhibition convey about the changing role of science centres and the nature of their exhibitions? The primary sources of data for this study were 46 semi-structured interviews with visitors to the exhibition, observation notes, and 10 comment books including approximately 20 000 comments. Data suggested that the personal, physical, and sociocultural contexts (Falk & Dierking, 2000) contributed to visitor meaning meaning-making. The use of plastinated human cadavers within this exhibition raised ethical and moral questions and controversies about body procurement, use of human cadavers in display, representations of the bodies, and issues related to the sanctity of life. The tensions and issues identified by visitors demonstrated that messages (intended or unintended) located within Body Worlds were critically examined by visitors and called into question. Finally, data from this study suggested that an interdisciplinary approach to the presentation of science served to enhance accessibility for the viewer. This exhibition demonstrated that visitors responded positively and made personal connections when the arts, spirituality, edutainment, issues, and a combination of historical and contemporary museum practices were used to present science.

The aim of the thesis is to analyze informal register in prose fiction. The analysis focuses on the representation of text messaging, foreigners’ oral discourse, swear words and references to sexual activities, as well as parts of the body in both the original and translation of feminist bestsellers Sex and the City (1997) and Lipstick Jungle (2005) by Candice Bushnell. The analysis is based on the theory of feminist bestseller and the use of spoken discourse in written language. The paper is divided into six parts and also includes eight appendices. Part One introduces the aim of the paper and gives a short summary of the feminist bestsellers Sex and the City (1997) and Lipstick Jungle (2005) by Candice Bushnell. Part Two presents a short history of feminist bestseller and outlines the theoretical background for the analysis. Part Three focuses on the informal register in prose fiction, namely in the feminist bestsellers. Further, Part Four discusses the differences between spoken and written language, as well as ways to imitate spoken language in the literary translation. An analysis of the cases found in the two feminist bestsellers is presented in Part Five where Chapter 5.1 presents the problems concerning texting and is further divided into Section 5.1.1 which is devoted to the theoretical approach to translating text messages and Section 5.1.2 which analyses the examples of text messages. Chapter 5.2 introduces different perspectives on language interference and... [to full text] / Šio darbo tikslas – ištirti kalbos paribius grožinėje literatūroje. Daugiausia dėmesio skiriama trumpųjų žinučių, užsieniečių šnekamajai kalbai, keiksmažodžiams ir žodynui, kuriuo įvardinamos seksualinės sueitys ir kūno dalys; pavyzdžiai analizei paimti iš tos pačios autorės, Candice Bushnell, dviejų feministinių bestselerių „Seksas ir miestas“ (1997) ir „Lūpdažių džiunglės“ (2005). Darbą sudaro šešios pagrindinės dalys ir dešimt priedų. Pirmojoje dalyje pristatomas darbo tikslas ir pateikiamos trumpos knygų santraukos. Antrojoje dalyje pristatoma feministinių bestselerių istorija ir pateikiama teorinė medžiaga, kuria bus remiamasi praktinėje dalyje. Trečioji dalis dėmesį skiria kalbos paribiams grožinėje literatūroje, šiuo atveju, feministiniams bestseliariams. Kitoje, ketvirtoje dalyje aptariami skirtumai tarp sakytinės ir rašytinės kalbos bei būdai, kuriais rašytinėje kalboje imituojama sakytinė kalba, verčiant grožinę literatūrą. Feministiniuose bestseleriuose „Seksas ir miestas“ (1997) ir „Lūpdažių džiunglės“ (2005) rasti pavyzdžiai nagrinėjami penktojoje dalyje. Skyrius 5.1 skiriamas trumpųjų žinučių rašymo teorinei apžvalgai, kuri pateikiama poskyryje 5.1.1, o poskyris 5.1.2 skiriamas praktinei žinučių rašymo analizei. Skyrius 5.2 pristato kalbos interferenciją ir yra padalintas į poskyrį 5.2.1, kur pateikiama teorija bei poskyrį 5.2.2, kur nagrinėjami užsieniečių: japono ir prancūzo, kurie šneka angliškai, kalbos pavyzdžiai. Skyrius 5.3 skirtas vertimo problemoms, su... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]