Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/733
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Item Spirituality in management education : the development of the personal mission(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Business, 1998) Grace, Jean; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Shannon TaylorThe current trend of employees writing personal mission statements then matching them to corporations with similar missions is a practical and optimal way of fostering a more productive and synergistic work environment. To make this practice more accessible, workers and employees need tools with which they can easily familiarize themselves to produce a personal mission statement. They need awareness of themselves, their skills, goals, directions, life values, and they need a few educational guidelines to help them formulate their mission and their vision statements. This study provides such simple tools to assist them to live happier, more satisfying, more productive lives by being in sync with their original reason for being, and to help them accomplish their goals, and integrate their personal and work lives. To accomplish this, seven popular books on the personal mission were reviewed. The basic elements and concepts of these books were compiled and presented to students and others in a two hour workshop. A pre and post test survey was issued to participants and the results compared in a paired-t test. Results showed that participants of the workshop were significantly influenced by the presentation, and that they were able to improve their work self-concept, as well as create and write a mission and a vision statement for their lives.Item Hybrid symbolism(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 1996) Hughes, Dewane FranklinI use the images of tools because they are versatile and visually interesting. An object such as a hammer, saw, or wrench is interesting not only because of its own formal elements, but also because these familiar forms clearly allude to other things such as human figures, weapons, vehicles, or animals. For example, in my canoe sculpture, I construct an object that is identifiable as both a wrench and a snake. By combining formal elements in this way, I create a hybrid meaning that presents a new symbolism to the viewer. My vocabulary consists of religious icons that I have retrieved from my past. Raised in a devoutly religious household, I have a firm knowledge of numerous biblical images and stories. These images have such historical significance and symbolism that when altered they do not lose their meaning, but rather create a hybrid meaning. For example, in “Tunnel,” in order to emphasize the peculiar relationship between luck and religion, I juxtapose religious symbols with symbols of luck. I find luck to be an interesting concept especially in relation to religion. I created a new religious icon by combining the religious acronym “INRI,” with the image of the four leafed clover. The position of the symbols on top of a ladder is not only difficult or seemingly dangerous to reach, but also implies the involuntary use of a tool, in this case the shovel, if the ladder is used.Item Sanctuary(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 1994) Robinson, Susan RaeHuman beings have a long and rich history of creating sacred places. From Anasazi kivas to Gothic cathedrals, man has built an environment to suit his spiritual needs. For a lot of people, the ancient traditions are still a powerful source of inspiration, but for some, although still valuable, they lack a modern perspective. Joseph Campbell, an expert on mythology, said, "We in the West have named our God; or rather, we have had the godhead named for us in a book from a time and place that are not our own." In my sanctuary I am attempting to create a space for our own time, based on what I perceive our needs to be. In this sanctuary, the accent is on experience, attained by active exploration of the space. Joseph Campbell said people need to seek out their "own experience: not [have] faith in someone else’s." This sanctuary requires the participant to physically search the space with a small flashlight for objects, textures and images that allude to the mystery of life on earth, and beyond. The limited length of the flashlight beam demands a closer scrutiny of the space and increases the intimacy within the structure. One cannot merely shuffle along a traditional museum wall and view the area. Our culture has transformed us into passive viewers and insatiable consumers. We watch television, listen to the radio, watch sports with religious devotion, and passively glide through galleries and museums, consuming information, but gaining no experience. However, in this environment, the idea of the traditional viewer is obsolete.Item Fin de siecle(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 1996) Pugh, Michael WilliamThis body of work is a synthesis of images from primitive cultures, history and real-life experience. These works are the physical manifestation of a personal aesthetic which promotes looking at the past to reflect on contemporary society. These works do not have any concrete message or meaning but are loaded with a number of possibilities which usually allow the spectator to arrive at some conclusion. In order to stage the most interesting set of possibilities I use devices like paradox and irony. These devices seem to form the core of many religions and forms of mysticism because they attempt to explain the unknowable (knowledge of God, life after death, etc.) with the spectacular and impossible. The best examples of this are from Christianity: Christ is dead but alive in everyone, his mother was a virgin but gave birth.Item Unity' : a site specific public sculpture(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2001) Mueller, Greg L.My thesis proposes that sculpture can provide a focus for community gathering and individual contemplation. I embrace the Benedictine philosophy that values time for contemplation and encourages the individual to contribute to his community. This personal vision is made manifest in Unity, a site-specific public sculpture. My thematically unified complex consists of a series of forms which define a path, a portal and a resting place. I use archetypal forms to represent the search for spiritual discovery. I chose to install Unity on the front lawn of Haynes Hall to bring vitality to a dispirited site, and to address the social need for a School of Art gathering space. My forms are based on two primary influences: my fascination with the principles of sacred geometry and metal’s ability to celebrate the inherent beauty of structure.Item There is thinking in the blue sky(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Arts & Architecture, 2001) Hough, Travis KeyoshiThrough painting I attempt to create a space for viewers to reflect upon their spirituality -- a space to observe and obtain grace through self effort. My paintings are read like the sky. They are not separate from the viewer; rather, one perceives my paintings as reflections of one’s own consciousness and the collective consciousness, as nothing less than the spirit itself. While painting I rely on an intuition that dictates my creative process. I listen to the materials and place them exactly, responding to an aesthetic derived from my interest in spiritual objects and space such as the Zen tea bowls, altars, mosques, and tea rooms. Through surface, color, space and materials I create painting with the same emotional qualities as those objects and spaces. Within my paintings I used found, painted, and fabricated elements. My formal concerns are finding correct proportions within the composition and a balance among the colors and materials, thus creating a harmonious relationship. This results in paintings with both natural and handcrafted elements that are simultaneously immaculate and authentic.Item Women, spirituality, and chronic illness(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Nursing, 2004) Hampton, Jenaneta Sue; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Clarann WeinertPeople with chronic health conditions can experience life changing limitations which often require the help of family or other outside resources to manage the condition. Rural dwellers are at increased risk for chronic health conditions. Social support and spirituality have both been shown to be important contributors to adjustment, health, management, and, nursing care of chronically ill people. The purpose of this study was to explore expressions of spirituality in rural women with chronic illness, and investigate the relationship between spirituality and social support. This study was a secondary data analysis, in which data already collected through a larger research project were examined using qualitative and quantitative techniques. The secondary analysis was conducted with data collected from the Women to Women study at Montana State University-Bozeman, a study which provided computer-based support to women with chronic illness who lived in rural Montana. Asynchronous, computer-based communications of thirteen women were examined. A content analysis of data previously identified as having spiritual content by the research team was undertaken. Analysis of Personal Resource Questionnaire (PRQ) scores, was also performed. Six categories emerged from the content analysis, which were prayer, faith, verse, finding meaning, transcendence, and family. The women used spirituality to support each other and they shared and relied on their faith to deal with trying times. They prayed for each other, shared bible verses, hymns, and poems all in an effort to deal with illness and daily life. The degree of social support was examined and there was no statistical difference in PRQ scores from the beginning to the end of the computer intervention phase. The communications of the women who had particularly high or low scores were further explored relative to their group interactions. Results of this study were consistent with findings in previous literature that identified a link between spirituality and social support, yet the relationship between the two remains unclear. Nursing implications include clarifying the role of spirituality in chronic illness and the continued research into the relationship between spirituality and social support.