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THE PROBLEM OF FALSIFICATION AND ITS SOLUTION IN MARCEL PROUST’S RECHERCHE
No full textIn this thesis I explore what I call the problem of falsification by means of the narrative form. First, I discover the problem of falsification through a motivated interpretation of two of Søren Kierkegaard’s pseudonymous writings: Fear and Trembling (1843) and Repetition (1843). This entails looking at the formal structure and implications of the problem on its own terms. I then propose a solution to the problem of falsification in the form of Marcel Proust’s novel À la recherche du temps perdu (1913-1927). I argue that Proust’s Recherche constitutes a full solution to the problem of falsification insofar as it discloses aspects of an authentic human experience of time. Chapter II features an inquiry into what exactly an authentic human experience of time means using Kierkegaard’s pseudonymous works Repetition and The Concept of Anxiety (1844). In Chapter III, I use the conclusions of Chapter II alongside a reading of Martin Heidegger’s essay The Origin of the Work of Art (1950) to interpret Proust’s Recherche with an aim to demonstrate the precise way in which it constitutes a full solution to the problem of falsification
EXAMINING AND ASSESSING BIG CAT WELFARE: A REVIEW AND PROPOSED SET OF GUIDELINES FOR BIG CAT ENRICHMENT
No full textCaptive big cats - defined here as Panthera Leo (Lions), Panthera Tigris (Tigers), Panthera pardus (Leopards), Puma Concolor (Cougars), Acinonyx jubatus (Cheetahs), and Panthera Onca (Jaguars) - are understudied in the enrichment literature. This raises concerns about the number of big cats in captivity in the United States and the conditions they are housed in. Enrichment of big cats needs to be further understood in order to provide better captive care to big cats held in zoos and wildlife rehabilitation centers. Enrichment practices can also be used in breed-and-release programs to increase the survivability of endangered species, such as Panthera Tigris (Tigers). The following thesis reviews the literature on enrichment and big cats in captivity, proposes a novel study to assess big cat enrichment in the United States, and additionally proposes a modern framework for big cat enrichment guidelines that builds from the Five Freedoms theoretical framework. Properly implemented enrichment is one of the primary instruments used by animal caretakers that can directly influence the welfare of the animals in their care. The proposed enrichment guidelines are oriented around monitoring and improving the overall welfare of these animals in captivity
“CHOOSE LIFE, HAVE AN ABORTION”: HOW SHOUT YOUR ABORTION USES A PUBLIC PEDAGOGY OF HOPE TO REFRAME THE CONVERSATION SURROUNDING ABORTION
No full textThe purpose of this study is to explore how the organization Shout Your Abortion is reframing the conversation surrounding abortion. This project utilizes a qualitative approach that centers two interviews, social media content, and selected stories from the organization’s book. From my analysis, I develop the term “public pedagogy of hope” to encompass the work that Shout Your Abortion engages in to change the terms of the abortion debate. I find three public pedagogies of hope essential to Shout Your Abortion’s activism: remaining unapologetic, inviting others to a new kind of abortion conversation, and imagining a better future. These themes, relying on ideas of artistic activism, public pedagogy, and abortion stigma, work together to position Shout Your Abortion as an organization intent on shifting understandings of abortion in a creative manner. The findings of this study contribute the literature on abortion as well as the literature on creative forms of activism while standing as a bridge between the two. These findings make clear the possibilities that are garnered from discussing social justice issues through a creative lens
BLOCKING THE BLOCKERS: CHARRETTES, URBAN PLANNING, AND DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY
No full textThe charrette is a participatory design tool for urban planners in which community members and experts deliberate over 4–7 days in design feedback loops, culminating in an actionable design plan. This in-depth proactive collaboration is in stark contrast to the typical public participation process, in which public hearings are often overrun by unrepresentative neighborhood opposition. Aiming towards a consensus between planners and residents, the charrette could be understood as a deliberative democratic forum that should result in greater community satisfac-tion with both the process and final design. However, while the charrette has had substantial use in the field it has not been the subject of much research that could back up this view. To test how democratic the charrette is, I conduct a content analysis comparing the public hearing comments regarding a charrette and non-charrette development proposal on the same property with similar designs. The proposals’ matching characteristics isolate the effect of the charrette. Results show the charrette proposal saw a greater proportion of approving comments than the non-charrette proposal, especially when comparing speakers who did and did not participate in the charrette. Most comments for both proposals were still in opposition, however, even as the charrette proposal garnered high approval at the charrette itself. This calls into question the quality of the charrette’s deliberation as well as the relationship between the charrette and the public hearing
CARE TO COMMENT ON FLOSSING? ISSUE COMMENTS AND DISENGAGEMENT IN OPEN SOURCE
No full textFree/libre open source software (FLOSS) is a critical tool used as digital infrastructure for lots of modern software projects. Open source project survival is important because these projects exist in a network of interdependencies, so the failure of one project can not only hurt the other open source projects in its network, but also the other software projects that rely on them from credit bureaus to Instagram. The disengagement of open source contributors, especially core contributors, has a serious impact on the survival probability of a project. Previous research has explored various avenues of understanding disengagement including technical factors and project characteristics. However, communication, especially the content of communication is an under-explored avenue in disengagement research. In this thesis we create a classifier for issue comments and we then investigate the differences between the types of issue comments written by core contributors who disengage versus those who do not. We learned there is a significant difference in the average number of comments written across the two groups for all comment types. We also found that writing more Action on Issue comments, i.e., comments discussing the management of the issue thread itself, leads to a lower probability of disengagement
Reflective Experience Working at The Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County with Stata
No full textSEED DISPERSAL IN FLORIDA TILLANDSIA: A SEED TRAP PROTOTYPE
No full textLocated high in the canopies of Florida’s forests are the homes of air plants, specialized plants that do not root into the ground, but instead live on other plants. The most abundant group of air plants in Florida is in the genus Tillandsia. Of the 14 taxa of Tillandsia found in Florida, three are listed as threatened, and three as endangered (Weaver and Anderson). While habitat loss and poaching are both considered to be partially responsible for the decline in Tillandsia populations, most researchers are in consensus that the invasion of the Mexican Bromeliad Weevil (Metamasius callizona) is the largest contributor to population decline (Cooper and Cave; Frank and Fish; Sidoti and Frank). Comprehensive conservation programs for T. utriculata and T. fasciculata calls for raising individuals in a “safe zone” away from any weevil exposure, then deploying mature, fruiting plants into natural areas (Cooper). To support these conservation efforts, the goal of this thesis was to test a seed trap that could be used to test the efficacy of conservation efforts. To this end, a prototype was created based on current research on seed traps and Tillandsia seeds. These prototypes were then deployed for one year at Myakka River State Park and then analyzed. Overall, the seed traps were effective at selectively capturing Tillandsia seeds, and provided a structure for the seeds to germinate on. While traps were successful, Tillandsia recruitment was low, likely due to the materials used for the trap. The upsides and downsides of the prototype are discussed and finally, a modified seed trap is proposed taking into account the results from the field
WHERE DO THE DECEASED GO, AND SHOULD I LET GO?: AN EXAMINATION OF AFTERLIFE BELIEF, ATTACHMENTS, CLOSENESS, & THE UTILITY OF SYMBOLIC MEMORIAL OBJECTS FOR THE BEREAVED AND THEIR GRIEF OUTCOMES
No full textThe present study aimed to investigate the relationships between bereaved individuals’ use of symbolic memorial objects to continue bonds, and how afterlife belief, attachments, perceived closeness, and relationship attributes, might relate to symbolic memorial object use as a form of bond continuation—and how this form of bond continuation paired with afterlife belief, may mitigate, or contribute to the development of complicated grief. Afterlife belief, in particular, is overlooked in continuing bonds literature. In an online questionnaire, participants (N = 401) completed a novel scale of the keeping of symbolic memorial objects, relationship attributes, and afterlife belief, along with measures of: attachment, closeness, and complicated grief. In all, 94.4% of the sample used symbolic memorial objects. Findings suggest that symbolic memorial object use, closeness, afterlife belief, and insecure-anxious attachments all significantly, positively relate to higher levels of complicated grief. Understanding how afterlife belief functions in this area, may lead to findings with clinical applications to treat complicated grief—which is important, due to the increased amounts of deaths, globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic
“Librarianship in the Era of Inequality: A Study on the Local Response to the Changing Roles of Public Libraries”
No full textFor my thesis I seek to understand how the national trend of public libraries expanding their services from the traditional role of book lending and information services into community oriented public assistance providers is being experienced at the Betty J. Johnson Library. To answer this question, I specifically explore the kind of non-traditional services and programming that the Betty J. Johnson Library in Sarasota Florida offers, how those programs are funded, and what role the surrounding community plays in the development of new programs. Through qualitative interviews I discovered that this particular library has prioritized youth services, demonstrating how local needs influence the types of programming offered. The Library has the ability to offer these types of programs because of the relationships they have developed with local organizations who help the Library with supplemental funding
RENT CONTROL IN NEW JERSEY: DO MUNICIPALITY-SPECIFIC RENT CONTROL ORDINANCES KEEP RENT PRICES LOW?
No full textRental housing affordability, an integral component of overall wellbeing, remains out of reach for a majority of Americans. Second generation rent controls, a policy first introduced in the early 1970s which limits the amount landlords can raise rents yearly, may help keep rent prices affordable while allowing landlords a modest profit. Though traditional analyses of rent control have led economists to firmly oppose such policies, findings from recent empirical research on the effects of rent control on rent prices are varied, and often contradictory. This thesis seeks to evaluate the effects of moderate, local rent control policies on rent prices in New Jersey. I begin by replicating and extending Ambrosius et al.\u27s 2015 study, which utilizes OLS regressions. Though my findings indicate that rent control in NJ, regardless of the policy\u27s strength, has little to no statistically significant effect on rents and rents per room, I argue, using the minimum wage revolution as a guiding framework, that spatial heterogeneity requires the use of models utilizing matching to better understand the real effects of rent control. I present a difference-in-differences model, though data limitations prevent me from running this model. This thesis emphasizes the need for more research, particularly using better methodological design such as a difference-in-differences approach, on rent control\u27s effects to gain a deeper understanding of the role of rent control in addressing the US\u27s rental housing affordability crisis