14 research outputs found
A sense of place in selected African works by Doris Lessing read in conjunction with novels of education by contemporary white South African women writers
No full textBibliography: leaves 211-217.This study provides a more intensive reading of certain works by Doris Lessing set in Southern Africa than has yet been attempted, and reads them,• for the first time, in conjunction with a particular literary lineage within Southern African letters, the novel of education by white women. The works by Lessing chosen for discussion are: two short stories, "The Old Chief Mshlanga" (1951) and "Sunrise on the Veld" (1951), the first two volumes of the Children of Violence series, Martha Quest (1952) and A Proper Marriage (1954), and Lessing's autobiographical account of a return visit to Rhodesia in 1956, Going Home (1957). Those by the other Southern African women writers--all of which, with the exception of Gordimer's The Lying Days have received virtually no critical attention to date--are: Nadine Gordimer's The Lying Days (1953)', Jillian Becker's The Virgins• (1976), Carolyn Slaughter's Dreams of the Kalahari (1981), Lynn Freed's Home Ground (1986), E.M. / MacPhail's Phoebe and Nio (1987), and Menan du Plessis's A State of Fear (1983)
About God... Talk!: Feminist Thological God-Talk Within the Abrahamic Religions
No full textThe topic of this Independent Study project is feminist God-talk within different religious traditions. This paper is not intended to be an exhaustive exploration into theology or feminist theology. It is intended to give a cross-religious overview of feminist theological God-talk. This paper begins with an introduction explaining why the author selected her topic, how she became interested in it, and why she believes that it is important to write about. The first section of the paper defines feminism(s), gives a brief history of the feminist movement in the United States, and outlines some unifying ideologies within contemporary feminist theology. The three sections that follow become more specific. Each section focuses on a different religious tradition: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The section on Christianity explores two feminist theologians: Mary Daly and Rosemary Radford Ruether. Mter establishing the androcentric nature of God, Daly calls for a shift from viewing God as an anthropomorphic being to viewing God as just being. Ruether, who agrees that God has come to be understood nearly only in exclusive male language argues for the incorporation of Goddess into the Christian understanding of the divine. The section on Judaism introduces Susannah Heschel\u27 s book, which is a collections of essays concerning feminism and Judaism. Two authors from Heschel\u27s book are focused on: Judith Plaskow and Rita M. Gross. Plaskow establishes that Goddess must be paired with God. Gross envisions five basic images that can help bring female imagery to the Jewish Divine. In the next chapter, Judith Plaskow\u27s ideas from another one of her works is examined. This chapter outlines some options that Plaskow suggests for a re-imaging of God within a Jewish context. The last section of the paper is structured much differently than the previous two chapters. Since there is no (feminist) discourse on God within an Islamic context, information from various Islamic scholars has been extrapolated. The first chapter of this section poses possibilities as to why there is no theological discussion. The second chapter summarizes the goals of Islamic feminists and their approach to battling gender inequalities in Islamic society. Finally, the third chapter of this sections begs the question is there room for God-talk within Islam? The paper ends with some concluding thoughts
Reclaiming the virgin birth narrative in Latin America feminist liberation theology
No full textWord processed copy.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-79)In this thesis three interrelated tasks are undertaken. Firstly, it attempts to unveil the misogyny of the Catholic Church fathers' andocentric miss-reading of the Virgin Birth narrative. Secondly, it looks at feminist theologians' critical analyses of Marian devotion in Latin America as being about the veneration of an archetypal figure working in the interests of patriarchal social control and the oppression of women. Thirdly, it discusses the hermeneutical method of Feminist Liberation Theologians which has been designed to uncover and critique andocentric scriptural interpretations, and reinterpret the traditional images of the Bible from a feminist perspective
Spiritual but not religious: a phenomenological study of spirituality in the everyday lives of younger women in contemporary Australia
No full textIn current discussions about contemporary forms of spirituality, consideration is given to the question, what is spirituality and to exploring the range of associated beliefs and practices. Common to most discussions is the acknowledgement that the term spirituality is ambiguous and does not represent any one finite quality or thing, but rather, is a wide and somewhat identifiable set of characteristics. Some commentators suggest that contemporary spirituality, characterised by its separation from institutional forms of religion, and represented by the hallmark expression I am spiritual, but not religious, is an increasing phenomenon in Australian society. In view of this, there are several debates about the merits of a spirituality without explicit links to religion (in particular Christian traditions) and whether a personal spirituality can hold any real depth or purpose, or whether it just perpetuates a superficial, narcissistic focus of the self. This kind of critique pays little attention as to how spirituality, and the associated beliefs and practices, are developed and applied in an everyday sense, and how this impacts on the lives of those who subscribe to their own sense of spirituality.
In this thesis, I shift the focus from analysing the merits of a personalised spirituality to exploring in depth some of the lay understandings and purposes underlying contemporary forms of spiritual practice. The primary concern of my thesis is to describe this phenomena of spiritual life as experienced by eleven younger Australian women aged 18-38 years inclusive, who considered themselves 'spiritual' women, yet do not necessarily identify with a particular religious denomination. At its core, and as a phenomenological study, the thesis undertakes a theoretical exploration of consciousness and the apprehension and formation of belief, meaning, and identity. Held central, and alongside the phenomenological methodology, is the feminist notion that every woman is the centre of her own experience, that any interpretations and understandings of women's spirituality, must start with the personal. The empirical stages of research therefore focus on an exploration of the women's personal understandings, experiences, interpretations and translations of spirituality to uncover the location and application of spirituality in everyday life.
A primary factor explored throughout the thesis is the intersection between emotional experiences, meaning and purpose, and notions of spirituality. It is my assertion that grief, crisis and trauma, and the more general emotional experiences arising from everyday life, can be a driving force to embark on an exploration of the spiritual; inform personal constructions of spirituality; and provide a basis for the articulation of that spirituality, with a central purpose of alleviating emotional pain. Thus, my main thesis contention is this 'new' form of spirituality, as experienced and practiced outside of religious institutions, was expressed by the women in this research as a conscious and pragmatic resource applied, and developed in relation to, the various events and experiences of everyday life, and in relation to the ongoing process of developing and locating a sense of self and identity
Performance of a malaria microscopy image analysis slide reading device.
No full textBACKGROUND: Viewing Plasmodium in Romanovsky-stained blood has long been considered the gold standard for diagnosis and a cornerstone in management of the disease. This method however, requires a subjective evaluation by trained, experienced diagnosticians and establishing proficiency of diagnosis is fraught with many challenges. Reported here is an evaluation of a diagnostic system (a "device" consisting of a microscope, a scanner, and a computer algorithm) that evaluates scanned images of standard Giemsa-stained slides and reports species and parasitaemia. METHODS: The device was challenged with two independent tests: a 55 slide, expert slide reading test the composition of which has been published by the World Health Organization ("WHO55" test), and a second test in which slides were made from a sample of consenting subjects participating in a malaria incidence survey conducted in Equatorial Guinea (EGMIS test). These subjects' blood was tested by malaria RDT as well as having the blood smear diagnosis unequivocally determined by a worldwide panel of a minimum of six reference microscopists. Only slides with unequivocal microscopic diagnoses were used for the device challenge, n = 119. RESULTS: On the WHO55 test, the device scored a "Level 4" using the WHO published grading scheme. Broken down by more traditional analysis parameters this result was translated to 89% and 70% sensitivity and specificity, respectively. Species were correctly identified in 61% of the slides and the quantification of parasites fell within acceptable range of the validated parasitaemia in 10% of the cases. On the EGMIS test it scored 100% and 94% sensitivity/specificity, with 64% of the species correct and 45% of the parasitaemia within an acceptable range. A pooled analysis of the 174 slides used for both tests resulted in an overall 92% sensitivity and 90% specificity with 61% species and 19% quantifications correct. CONCLUSIONS: In its current manifestation, the device performs at a level comparable to that of many human slide readers. Because its use requires minimal additional equipment and it uses standard stained slides as starting material, its widespread adoption may eliminate the current uncertainty about the quality of microscopic diagnoses worldwide
Da rebelião nas fronteiras à conquista do campo: a teologia feminista na Concilium, Revista Internacional de Teologia (1985 - 1996)
No full textTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas. Programa de Pós-Graduação em História.A presente tese tem como objetivo dar historicidade à emergência e ao percurso do "campo teologia feminista" na Concilium, Revista Internacional de Teologia. Fundada em 1965, durante um considerável período de sua história, esta revista apresentou suas edições através de fascículos que contemplavam as diversas disciplinas teológicas tradicionais. Em 1985, surgiu no interior deste periódico o fascículo "Teologia Feminista", que foi publicado até o ano 1996, num total de seis edições. Estes fascículos são analisados nesta tese não apenas como um "espaço de mulheres", mas sim como um "campo" no qual a teologia feminista, através das teólogas (os) e mulheres de diversas áreas de conhecimento que ali se fizeram ouvir, passou das fronteiras ao palco, adquiriu o "cetro", um "lugar" de legitimidade e, portanto, de fala autorizada. Os discursos fabricados neste "microcosmo" dão a ler estratégias, lutas, embates, relações de poder, jogos de verdade, desejos, enfim um movimento em meio ao qual foram construídas identidades tanto do "ser teóloga feminista" como do "saber teologia feminista", dando visibilidade também a representações sobre "femininos" e "masculinos". Este jogo de identidade/identificação ocorre na relação estabelecida com os "Outros" com os quais a teologia/teólogas feministas dialogam, seja esse diálogo de aproximação - neste caso, com os movimentos e estudos feministas - ou de contestação - como ocorre com relação à Igreja e à teologia tradicionais. Cette thèse a pour but de donner de l'historicité à l'émergence et au parcours du "champ théologie féministe" dans Concilium, Revue Internationale de Théologie. Fondée en 1965, une période considérable de son histoire, cette revue présentait ses éditions en fascicules où se trouvaient plusieurs disciplines théologiques traditionnelles. En 1985 parut à l'intérieur de cette revue le fascicule "Théologie Féministe", publié jusqu'en 1996, comptant six éditions au total. Tels fascicules sont analisés dans cette thèse pas seulement comme un "espace pour les femmes", mais comme un "champ" où la théologie féministe, grâce aux théologiennes (théologiens) et aux femmes de plusieurs domaines du savoir qui s'y sont fait entendre, est sortie des frontières et est arrivée sur scène, a pris le "sceptre", un "lieu" de légitimité ,donc d'un parler autorisé. Les discours produits dans ce "microcosme" donnent à lire des stratégies, des luttes, des chocs, des rapports de pouvoir, des jeux de vérité, des désirs, enfin un mouvement aussi bien de "l'être théologienne féministe" que du "savoir théologie féministe" tout en apportant de la visibilité à des représentations à propos de "féminins" et "masculins". Ce jeu d'identité/identification se fait dans le rapport avec les "Autres" avec lesquels dialoguent la théologie/théologiennes féministes, soit un dialogue de rapprochement - dans ce cas avec les mouvements et les études féministes - soit un dialogue de contestation - ce qui se passe par rapport l'Eglise et la théologie traditionnelles
Reconsidering ecclesiology: feminist perspectives
No full textThe predominant model in feminist theologians' critique of theology and praxis of the church has been that of women-church based on the concept of base ecclesial communities developed by liberation theology. The first part of this thesis challenges the women-church model by arguing that even though women-church asserts that women are church, its shortcomings lie in its lack of use of the ecclesiological tradition as well as its unawareness of the dimension of gender for ecclesiology. A feminist reader-response critique of four traditional ecclesiologies shows that women have so far not participated in the process of writing ecclesiology, but that women need to reclaim the ecclesiological tradition because they participate in the church. An analysis of the use of liberation theology for feminist ecclesiology demonstrates that the ecclesiology of liberation theology, even though it points out that the reality of human beings being church shapes the theology of the church, remains unaware of the dimension of sexual difference. Chapter five discusses 'gendered ecclesiology’ as pointing to the importance of sexuality for the rewriting of ecclesiology. In order to write an ecclesiology conscious of the fact that the church consists of sexuate human beings feminists need to reclaim the communion of saints, Mariology and most importantly the relationship between Christ and the church. Chapter six concludes that feminist theologians are not to develop one particular ecclesiological model as the most apt one, but to redefine the ecclesiological debate from the perspective of women being church. In order to do that it is necessary to reclaim the power centres of patriarchal ecclesiological discourse: sacramental celebration, the word of God and the presence of Christ. The church as the community that embodies the body of Christ becomes the space where the stories of women’s lives tell and perform the story of Christ
The development of secondary school music in the twentieth century : historical perspectives on contemporary practice.
No full textThis thesis is a contribution to the debate on music education theory and practice. It explores the opportunities
for reflecting on contemporary practice from a historical perspective, by looking at the development of music in the secondary school curriculum during the twentieth century. Published texts, archive materials and interviews are used
to construct an overview of changing ideals and priorities. The evolution of lesson content and teaching style is traced, from the music appreciation and performance models of early decades to the integration of performing, listening
and composing in more recent years. Examination systems, particularly the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), are evaluated alongside the National
Curriculum, as case studies in curriculum development. The focus is upon the child, and the changing experiences of music in education that have been encountered by different generations of pupils. The dissemination of information amongst practising teachers is considered, with published material, teachers' own educational and musical background, and available classroom resources studied as factors in developing music education practice. Prominent innovators from each decade are discussed, with links sought between
their ideas and those of previous and subsequent generations. The balance between theoretical and practical perspectives on music education is addressed, with the
acknowledgement that closer links still need to be made between research and practice. Conclusions are drawn about
the relevance of historical studies to contemporary music
teaching and learning, and suggestions made for future research. The historically rooted debates of the present are shown to retain their vibrancy as music educators face the new challenges of the next century
Christology from within : a critical retrieval of the humanity of Christ, with particular reference to the role of Mary
No full textBibliography: p. 265-281.The aim of this dissertation is to recover the significance of the humanity of Christ for our redemption. This involves exploring ways in which the issue of Christ's humanity has been dealt with in the past, identifying both shortcomings of previous Christological models and elements that can be retrieved for a contemporary paradigm
Young children as song-makers : a study of some musical processes in the invented songs of children aged 5 to 7.
No full textSIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:DX175688 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo
