Order No: AAC 9400603 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: BAHA'I YEAR OF SERVICE PROGRAM: ANATOMY OF A YOUTH
SERVICE PROGRAM
Author: TERRILL, THANE BENNETT
School: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE (0055) Degree: EDD
Date: 1993 pp: 139
Advisor: SAYRES, WILLIAM
Source: DAI-A 54/08, p. 3072, Feb 1994
Subject: RELIGION, GENERAL (0318); EDUCATION, INTERCULTURAL (0282);
EDUCATION, SOCIOLOGY OF (0340)
Abstract: The Bahá'í Year of Service Program (BYSP) is a new concept
in youth service. The program provides opportunities for young people
between the ages of twelve and twenty-five to serve in a wide range
of activities both domestically and abroad. This dissertation focuses
on the BYSP in the United States because of the approximately dozen
Bahá'í Year of Service programs around the world, it is the oldest
and most experienced.
This dissertation examines the history of the BYSP from its
beginnings in the early 1980s to the present. Emphasis is given to
identifying the underlying principles on which the program is based.
These principles are, when possible, contrasted with the principles
underlying other youth service programs, like the Peace Corps.
This study was conducted by interviews with both staff and
participants of the BYSP. Participants were interviewed before,
after, and during their periods of service. Also, the BYSP archives
were opened for this study.
The BYSP is still a new and growing program. Future studies will
be required to determine BYSP's long term effects.
Order No: AAC MM77379 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: THE BAHA'I FAITH IN ALBERTA, 1942-1992: THE ETHIC OF
DISPERSION
Author: PEMBERTON-PIGOTT, ANDREW
School: UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA (CANADA) (0351) Degree: MA
Date: 1992 pp: 126
Source: MAI 31/04, p. 1555, Winter 1993
Subject: HISTORY, CANADIAN (0334); RELIGION, HISTORY OF (0320)
ISBN: 0-315-77379-0
Abstract: This thesis examines the arrival and subsequent expansion
of the Bahá'í faith in the province of Alberta, Canada. In the last
fifty years their membership has grown from a few isolated
individuals to approximately 3,000 Bahá'ís in more than 170 different
locations. The conclusion of the thesis is that the presence and
distribution of the Bahá'ís has been determined primarily by their
strong commitment to propagation and diffusion.
The initial presence and subsequent dispersion of Bahá'ís in the
province was the result of concerted continental efforts to establish
the first local elected councils, to carry the religion into
unfamiliar cultures, and to deliberately move to cities, towns,
villages and outlying districts all across the province. These
efforts resulted in two sizable waves of new native and youth
members. A similar achievement was obtained through an influx of
Iranian Bahá'í refugees in the 1980s.
Youth and Iranians were quickly integrated into the overriding
ethic of dispersion, but native members were not. Although Indians
make up approximately one third of the provincial membership, there
is often little contact today between natives and non-natives. The
reserve system acts as a block to the usual Bahá'í technique of
"pioneering" to form new localities and establish stable
administrative units. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Order No: AAC 9223751 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: QURRATU'L-AYN TAHIRIH: A STUDY IN TRANSFORMATIONAL
LEADERSHIP (TAHIRIH QURRATU'L AYN, IRAN)
Author: ANDERSON, EILEEN LITTRELL
School: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY (0239) Degree: PHD
Date: 1992 pp: 265
Source: DAI-B 53/07, p. 3833, Jan 1993
Subject: PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIAL (0451); HISTORY, MIDDLE EASTERN (0333);
WOMEN'S STUDIES (0453)
Abstract: The problem. The major intent of this study was to
demonstrate how Tahirih's activities as an agent for change in
mid-nineteenth century Iran qualify her for historical recognition as
a transformational leader.
Method. A working theoretical model of transformational
leadership consisting of the following four constructs was
synthesized out of a systematic review of the literature: (1) moral
reasoning that is revolutionary in nature; (2) embodies conflict with
courage and integrity; (3) inspirational and educational in nature;
(4) followers carry on the work until desired vision is
institutionalized. A review of the literature on the life of
Qurratu'l-Ayn Tahirih was conducted, including an assessment of
source credibility. Then an integrative qualitative content analysis
of the published materials was conducted to show a "goodness of fit"
between the life of Tahirih and the above mentioned characteristics
of the transformational leader.
Results. A major impact of Tahirih's efforts was the awakening of
people to the needs for wider social justice for women. She promoted
the right to intellectual moral reasoning--the right to independently
investigate truth. Tahirih gained legendary fame in her own time for
her revolutionary interpretation and eloquent exposition of the
religious thought prevailing at the time in parts of Iran and Iraq.
In course of time Tahirih's fame spread across national and
religious boundaries. Tahirih initiated and embraced conflicts using
techniques of intellectual moral reasoning, inspirational leadership,
and spiritual purpose, which were intended to cause radical shifts in
socio-cultural and religious practices. Women's rights movements in
several countries have directly benefitted because of her efforts.
She spoke of her vision of the coming of a new age of human
development, and aligned herself with the Babi/Bahá'í Religious
Movement.
It was demonstrated that Tahirih was an agent for significant
socio-cultural change and that she deserves recognition as a
transformational leader. This study concludes that a fifth construct
of spirituality be added to the above mentioned four constructs for
analysis so that the transformational qualities exemplified by
Tahirih and some other transformational leaders may be more
adequately evaluated.
Order No: NOT AVAILABLE FROM UMI ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: PERSECUTION, EXILE AND INTEGRATION OF A RELIGIOUS
MINORITY: THE INTEGRATION OF IRANIAN BAHA'I REFUGEES IN
SWISS EXILE
[VERFOLGUNG, EXIL UND INTEGRATION EINER RELIGIOESEN
MINDERHEIT: DIE INTEGRATION IRANISCHER BAHA'I-FLUECHTLINGE
IM SCHWEIZERISCHEN EXIL]
Author: KERSCHBAUMER, MANDANA FATIMAH
School: UNIVERSITAET WIEN (AUSTRIA) (0671) Degree: DRPHIL
Date: 1991 pp: 347
Source: DAI-C 54/03, p. 722, Fall 1993
Language: GERMAN
Subject: SOCIOLOGY, ETHNIC AND RACIAL STUDIES (0631)
Location: UNIVERSITAT WIEN, WIEN, AUSTRIA
Abstract: The present thesis offers a migration sociology-oriented
contribution to refugee and exile research. It attempts to describe
and analyse a specific example of persecution, flight and exile. The
subject of this work is the religious persecution (of a group) of
Iranian Bahá'í refugees in Iran, their flight from Iran and the
consequences of their circumstances in exile in Switzerland. The
present work is based on a theoretical confrontation with the subject
and on an empirically qualitative investigation. This investigation
is based on interviews with the Bahá'í refugees and with those active
in two integration instances for Bahá'í refugees in their Swiss
exile. This work attempts to provide a description and an analysis
based on the example of the most elementary fundamentals on the
Bahá'í religion and on examples of the circumstances suffered by the
Bahá'í refugees since the Islamic revolution (persecution, flight,
first country of exile, Swiss exile): Primarily, with the
post-revolutionary, political, religious, structural and social
outline conditions which led up to the illegal flight; secondly the
flight; thirdly the living conditions in the first country of exile
(Pakistan and Turkey) and fourthly on the structural and social
outline conditions for the Bahá'í refugees in exile in Switzerland.
Order No: AAC 9214946 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: ACROSS THE BRIDGE: PENN SCHOOL AND PENN CENTER (SOUTH
CAROLINA, CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT)
Author: JORDAN, FRANCIS HAROLD
School: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA (0202) Degree: EDD
Date: 1991 pp: 238
Source: DAI-A 53/01, p. 269, Jul 1992
Subject: HISTORY, BLACK (0328); SOCIOLOGY, SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND
DEVELOPMENT (0700)
Abstract: Early in the Civil War of the United States, federal
forces took control of the sea islands at the southern tip of South
Carolina, thus effectively liberating thousands of slaves. At the
invitation of the federal government, northern abolitionists came to
the Department of the South, as the area was called, and established
schools to educate these freedmen. This occurred in 1862.
One of the schools, Penn School on St. Helena Island, became the
dominant Black educational institution of the area. In the early
1900's, Penn School became a proving-ground for the Industrial
Education Movement ideas and practices espoused by Booker T.
Washington and Hollis B. Frissell of the Hampton Institute in
Virginia. This dissertation contains transcripts of five interviews
with graduates of Penn School, presenting their memories of Penn and
its community.
In 1948 Penn School became a community development institution
called Penn Community Services, Inc. It acquired a reputation as a
conference center for racially-mixed groups. During the 1960's it
served as a meeting-place for numerous civil rights workers,
including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Other racially mixed groups,
such as the Bahá'ís, used the Center as a refuge for their meetings.
During the 1970's Penn pioneered in the field of community
development, helping local African-Americans retain their endangered
land, helping minority businesses, providing child-care services, and
providing educational programs for the Low Country community.
By 1991, Penn Center, as it is called, is badly in need of
renovation. A massive fund-raising campaign seeks to raise three
million dollars. At the same time, it appears that Penn is in need of
a new purpose to give it, once again, an important role to play on
the national scene. Five interviews included in this dissertation are
concerned with Penn's importance and future possibilities, and
present an encouraging view of the Center's future.
Order No: AAC MM66879 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: SYMBOLIC QURANIC EXEGESIS IN BAHA'U'LLAH'S BOOK OF
CERTITUDE: THE EXEGETICAL CREATION OF THE BAHA'I FAITH
(PERSIAN)
Author: BUCK, CHRISTOPHER
School: UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY (CANADA) (0026) Degree: MA
Date: 1991 pp: 330
Advisor: RIPPIN, ANDREW
Source: MAI 30/04, p. 1058, Winter 1992
Subject: RELIGION, HISTORY OF (0320); RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY OF
(0322)
Abstract: This thesis will take particular interest in how
Bahá'u'lláh overcomes theoretical obstacles to a realized eschaton,
the most formidable of which is Islam's doctrine of revelatory
finality founded on the Quranic designation of Muhammad as the "Seal
of the Prophets" (Q. 33/40). Bahá'u'lláh sought to disenchant popular
as well as clerical speculations on the eschaton, the impossibility
of literal fulfillment of which effectively preempted its
realization. This thesis will argue that Bahá'u'lláh advanced
rhetorical-style arguments to establish that figuration underlies
eschatological symbolism in the Gospels and the Qur'an.
Classical Islamic approaches to symbolism will be critically
assessed as to precedent, leaving aside questions of dependence.
As to Bahá'u'lláh's own hermeneutic, this thesis will take
Wansbrough's observations on the interdynamics of rhetorical and
allegorical exegesis as a theoretical point of departure.
Bahá'u'lláh's exegeses will be analyzed within what Wansbrough terms
"procedural devices" employed across the spectrum of the classical
exegetical tradition. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Order No: AAC 9033588 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: THE QUEST FOR GLOBAL EDUCATION (WHOLISTIC EDUCATION,
EDUCATION, MORAL EDUCATION, MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION)
Author: JOHNSON, BARBARA KAY VINCENT
School: THE UNION INSTITUTE (1033) Degree: PHD Date: 1990
pp: 307
Source: DAI-A 51/11, p. 3665, May 1991
Subject: EDUCATION, PHILOSOPHY OF (0998); EDUCATION, INTERCULTURAL
(0282); EDUCATION, RELIGIOUS (0527)
Abstract: Global education addresses the unprecedented challenges
and opportunities of this global age. It views reality as a single
system of interlocking systems. Hence, it finds that unilateral
solutions to intertwined, interwoven, highly complex, and problematic
circumstances simply fail to exist. Today's learners must learn to
think in a whole way about whole situations. To do that they must be
guided by principles that support life on the global scale:
recognition of the oneness and wholeness of the human race, that this
wholeness is supported by complexity and diversity, and that change
is not only inevitable, it is the very warp and woof of life.
These simple principles have profound implications for classroom
learning and for "schools without walls;" for teaching methods and
for classroom organization; for curriculum design and for response to
the needs, aspirations, and resources of learners and of learning
groups. Global education involves more that learning about peoples
and places: it embraces aspects of basic education, multicultural
education, cooperative education, wholistic education, transformative
education, community-based education, and education for peace. It is
one aspect of a comprehensive effort to serve the long-term learning
needs of society in transition to global civilization.
This inquiry into global education seeks to explain the unity
that comprises life's natural diversity at all levels, from the
person to the planet. It examines the implications of brain research
for education; the need for a global perspective on all learning; and
the value of multicultural and cooperative learning groups for
integrating process and content learning goals. It discusses the
concepts of care and justice as links between the person, the group,
and the whole. It considers each aspect of global education in the
light of illustrative experiences at the Maxwell International Bahá'í
School, Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia, during its 1988-1989
inaugural year.
Order No: AAC 9029091 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: RELIGION AND NATION-STATE FORMATION IN MELANESIA: 1945 TO
INDEPENDENCE (PAPUA NEW GUINEA, SOLOMON ISLANDS, NEW
HEBRIDES, MISSIONARIES)
Author: HASSALL, GRAHAM HUME
School: AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY (AUSTRALIA) (0433)
Degree: PHD Date: 1990 pp: 400
Source: DAI-A 51/05, p. 1652, Nov 1990
Subject: RELIGION, HISTORY OF (0320); LITERATURE, SLAVIC AND EAST
EUROPEAN (0314)
Abstract: This thesis argues that Christian missions saw in the
Melanesian colonies--Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and the New
Hebrides--their last chance to establish "Christian nations". They
contributed significantly to the emergence of independent states in
the South Pacific during the period 1945-1980. Yet most missionaries
sought to direct the nature of change without a clearly articulated
concept of "the state". In the face of growing secularism most
missions sought to maintain their "sectarian autonomy" by
concentrating resources on their networks of schools, and clerical
training institutions; and sought to influence both society and the
state through educating personnel for public service and political
offices. The effect of numerous missions placing themselves among
newly contacted tribes for evangelistic purposes, paradoxically,
contributed to the consolidation of colonial authority in those
areas.
The extent of continuing mission influence in Melanesian
societies, from village to government level, is attributed partly to
the effective development of a Melanesian "clerisy", and was also due
in part to the involvement of missions as the (defacto) welfare
branch of the secular state. Missions were consulted by colonial
administrations in formulating new policies, and received funds to
implement certain areas of governmental development and welfare
programs, particularly education and health services. Such
involvements led to an emphasis on the role of Christianity in
attaining material development.
The extension of missionary patronage to some areas of social and
economic development, and missionary opposition to politico-religous
movements, cargo-cults and separatist aspirations, amounted to both
intentional and unintentional support for the emergent secular
states. It is concluded that the "Christian nations" of Melanesia
bear the marked influences of missionisation, but also face some
unresolved dilemmas in sorting the religious content of Christianity
from the European culture in which it was received.
The major Roman Catholic orders and Protestant missions, as well
as such smaller missions and religions as Bahá'í and Seventh Day
Adventism are considered. As a regional study, the intention has not
been to examine all facets of the missionary presence and
relationship with colonialism, but to identify regional similarities
in the course of church-state relations.
Order No: AAC 9022365 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: THE BAHA'I FAITH AND AMERICAN PROTESTANTISM
Author: STOCKMAN, ROBERT HAROLD
School: HARVARD UNIVERSITY (0084) Degree: THD Date: 1990
pp: 312
Source: DAI-A 51/03, p. 896, Sep 1990
Subject: RELIGION, HISTORY OF (0320); HISTORY, UNITED STATES (0337)
Abstract: The Bahá'í Faith is a religion that arose in the Islamic
milieu of mid nineteenth century Iran and entered the United States
in 1894, after its basic teachings had been defined and the writings
of its prophet had been completed. The number of American Bahá'ís
quickly rose to about fifteen hundred by 1899 and then remained
roughly constant until the mid 1920s, when establishment of an
organizational system allowed steady growth. During the years 1894 to
1921, the members were predominantly (seventy-five percent or more)
of Protestant background. Women constituted sixty-five to seventy
percent of the converts, who were generally of Northern European,
middle class backgrounds. Unlike many former Protestants, the
American Bahá'ís sought to emphasize their continuities with
Protestantism, and generally avoided strong criticism of it.
American Bahá'ís understood their new religion very much through
the lens of their Protestant heritage. They tended to interpret the
Bible according to the traditional, common-sense hermeneutic of folk
evangelicalism, and not through the hermeneutic of the Bahá'í
scriptures. Bahá'í ideas of social reform were understood in a
variety of ways resembling the spectrum of Protestant attitudes
toward the social gospel, and were put into effect using the
traditional form of the American voluntary association. Resistance to
systematic organization of the Bahá'í religion can be traced to the
antimodernist attitudes and intense individualism that characterized
many converts. The American Bahá'ís utilized the historic events and
basic principles of their new religion to define a new myth of
America, one that contained much of the confidence and optimism of
the traditional Protestant view of America as a "redeemer nation."
American Bahá'ís expressed their new beliefs at Sunday Bahá'í worship
services, where they sang Bahá'í hymns composed in traditional
Christian form, or sang Protestant hymns whose theology was
compatible with Bahá'í belief.
The American Bahá'ís offer a good example of a people who have
borrowed strongly from American Protestant culture to supplement or
express their beliefs, but have done so within the theological
guidelines of their religion. The Bahá'í Faith has remained small and
comparatively obscure in America because of its emphasis on tolerance
and non-confrontation, its persistent avoidance of socially deviant
behavior, and because its teachings constitute a self-contained world
view, separate from the western intellectual tradition.
Order No: AAC MM57550 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: INTEGRATION CULTURELLE DES BAHA'IS IRANIENS AU QUEBEC
(FRENCH TEXT)
Author: ROBERT, MONIQUE
School: UNIVERSITE LAVAL (CANADA) (0726) Degree: MA Date: 1989
pp: 233
Source: MAI 30/02, p. 253, Summer 1992
Subject: SOCIOLOGY, ETHNIC AND RACIAL STUDIES (0631)
Abstract: Cette recherche avait pour objectif de cerner
l'Integration culturelle des baha'is iraniens ayant emigre au Quebec,
soit avant, soit apres le debut de la Revolution islamique en Iran
(1978). Selon l'hypothese retenue, la participation a la communaute
baha'ie quebecoise devait leur faciliter la vie et les aider a
assumer, mieux et plus rapidement, un processus d'acculturation
enrichissant. Aucune evidence ne soutient toutefois cette hypothese.
Il ressort, a la suite de l'enquete effectuee (questionnaires et
entrevues) que les baha'is iraniens ont a faire face aux memes
difficultes que l'ensemble des immigrants venant de cultures tres
differentes (orientales) de la culture quebecoise (occidentale). On
constate que l'integration a la societe quebecoise est plus rapide en
region et dans les petits centres que dans la grande region
montrealaise. La question du rapport a l'enfant, de l'education a lui
donner, des valeurs a lui transmettre, semble un point
particulierement sensible. Les parents baha'is iraniens jugent
necessaire d'accentuer l'education spirituelle qu'ils donnent a leurs
enfants, afin de contrebalancer les effets de la societe materialiste
dans laquelle ils evoluent maintenant.
Order No: AAC 8919511 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: EMILY CARR: CANADIAN MODERNIST
Author: APPELHOF, RUTH ANN STEVENS
School: SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY (0659) Degree: PHD Date: 1988
pp: 207
Advisor: TATHAM, DAVID
Source: DAI-A 50/09, p. 2681, Mar 1990
Subject: FINE ARTS (0357); BIOGRAPHY (0304)
Abstract: The Canadian artist Emily Carr (1871-1945), has previously
been examined in terms of her relationships to the Toronto based
Group of Seven and to the land and forests of British Columbia. The
present study examines her artistic development in terms of her
documented and probable knowledge of modernism outside the confines
of Canada.
The study considers Carr's work in the context of her early
education in Los Angeles, England and France. It takes into account
her fascination, similar to that of other modern artists of her time,
with primitive culture, in her case the Northwest Coast Indians. The
important influences of Mark Tobey and Lawren Harris are discussed.
The study proposes that perhaps the single greatest sustained
influence on her work in terms of modernist style and thought, was
her trip to New York City in 1930, when she was 58. It examines her
exposure to, and in some cases meetings with, Charles Burchfield,
Georgia O'Keeffe, Arthur Dove, and Katherine Dreier. Her attraction
to Theosophy and Bahá'í are also discussed. An appreciation of Carr's
late paintings concludes the study, showing that the renaissance of
her artistic vision came from sources in the United States as well as
from the Canadian forest.
Order No: AAC 8819915 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: THE HIDDEN WORDS OF BAHA'U'LLAH: TRANSLATION NORMS
EMPLOYED BY SHOGHI EFFENDI
Author: MALOUF, DIANA LORICE
School: STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BINGHAMTON (0792)
Degree: PHD Date: 1988 pp: 299
Source: DAI-A 49/08, p. 2211, Feb 1989
Subject: LITERATURE, COMPARATIVE (0295); LITERATURE, ENGLISH
(0593); LITERATURE, MIDDLE EASTERN (0315)
Abstract: The study investigated the literary norms used by Shoghi
Effendi in his translation into English of Bahá'u'lláh's Arabic
Hidden Words. An analysis of his education and language acquistion
was undertaken along with an in-depth examination of The Hidden
Words, its structure, literary influences and place in the
Arabo-Persian literary system.
It was determined that Shoghi Effendi's objectives in translating
the work into English affected his English rendition. The Hidden
Words is considered a scriptural work and he, therefore, sought to
have it accorded the reverent attitude reserved for such texts by
employing the following four major norms: (1) Interpretation (in his
capacity as Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith); (2) Elevation (couching
the translation in language associated with scripture in the English
literary polysystem; (3) Beautification (traditionally considered a
necessary attribute of sacred literature, and (4) Euphonization of
the text (to enhance its impact in recitation). The translator's
overriding goals or purposes find expression in the textual goals,
the actual objectives of the specific translation. The major norms
are implemented by subordinate norms. Thus, two levels of goals and
of norms have been isolated and analyzed.
Order No: AAC 8712577 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: CURRICULUM THEORY AND THE BAHA'I FAITH: RELATIONSHIPS
BETWEEN THE PHENOMENAL WORLD AND THE SPIRITUAL REALITY
Author: SABET, BEHROOZ
School: STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT BUFFALO (0656)
Degree: EDD Date: 1987 pp: 231
Source: DAI-A 48/03, p. 553, Sep 1987
Subject: EDUCATION, CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION (0727); EDUCATION,
PHILOSOPHY OF (0998); RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY OF (0322)
Abstract: This dissertation examines the Bahá'í approach to the
fundamental dimensions of educational goals and curriculum aims,
which are concerned with values, purposes, and broad questions about
the meaning of life, the nature of man, and the ideal state of social
being.
Critical considerations are: (1) A Cultural Analysis of
Education. The underlying assumption embodies the idea that the
problem of finding a unifying frame of reference for curriculum is
intertwined with the fragmentation of cultural patterns of thinking,
feeling, and acting. For this reason, the study alleges that
education, as a social institution, if considered apart from the
process of cultural change, does not offer a significant alternative
to the growing complexity of human problems. The foregoing argument
suggests that a philosophy about cultural change is logically prior
to an inclusive theory of education. It is further argued that the
necessary and desirable educational dispositions are the ones which
have been derived from the aims, principles, and methods of such a
unifying philosophy. (2) A Methodical Presentation of the
Philosophical Assumptions, and Fundamental Principles of the Bahá'í
Faith. This section includes a study of the Bahá'í paradigm as a
reference for organizing elements of an emerging world culture which
is based on organic oneness of mankind, peace, and justice. The
latter characteristics are used to generate curriculum aims. (3)
Identification of Curriculum Aims. Two desirable curriculum aims,
drawn upon principles from the Bahá'í Faith, are formulated and
identified as "the spiritual aim" and "the social aim". "The
spiritual aim" is derived from the Bahá'í premise concerning the
perennial purpose of religion which focuses upon the processes of
human perfection and individual transformation. "The social aim" of
curriculum, on the other hand, is concerned with a second premise of
the Bahá'í Faith, the social purpose of religion, which focuses upon
the processes of cultural change and social reconstruction.
In conclusion, it is argued that since the full and harmonious
development of man's spiritual nature requires an appropriate social
environment, the curriculum, in order to be comprehensive, must
address the processes of both individual transformation and social
change. These two aims are then considered mutually interactive and
together provide a matrix for the development of a comprehensive
curriculum theory.
Order No: AAC 8715639 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF BAHA'I EDUCATION IN THE
UNITED STATES, 1892-1986
Author: MOWZOON, FARIDEH
School: THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY (0075) Degree: EDD
Date: 1987 pp: 299
Source: DAI-A 48/04, p. 851, Oct 1987
Subject: EDUCATION, HISTORY OF (0520)
Abstract: This study investigates the history and development of
Bahá'í education in the United States, beginning with Ibrahim
Kheirallah's arrival in Chicago in 1892 and the inauguration of his
classes on an informal basis. Many people were attracted to the new
teachings, and within a few years, Bahá'í classes were held in many
states.
After communication was established between American believers
and Abdu'l-Bahá (the Interpreter and Examplar of the Faith), the
first group of American Bahá'ís visited Him in the Holy Land in 1898
and learned principles of Bahá'í education. Some remained in the Holy
Land to study the teachings in depth and learn Persian and Arabic. On
their return, they translated and printed books and guidelines and
held more classes for children and adults.
In April 1912, Abdu'l-Bahá came to the United States. During his
eight-month stay, he visited a number of educational institutions and
individuals associated with education. He presented discourses at
many universities, including Columbia, Howard, and Stanford. He
revealed many tablets on the subject of education and constantly
encouraged developments in that field.
After Abdu'l-Bahá's death, Shoghi Effendi (the Guardian of the
Faith) took a keen interest in the advancement of Bahá'í schools and
encouraged their development toward the ideal Bahá'í universities of
the future.
Fifty-two Bahá'í schools have been established in the United
States, the first in 1929 in Green Acre, Maine. In 1984, Louhelen was
the first Bahá'í school to be approved for development as a college.
Louhelen is a two-year college with a special educational program and
is affiliated with Mott Community College and the University of
Michigan-Flint. The Louhelen Council has adopted a ten-year plan to
establish the groundwork for an eventual Bahá'í university. Bahá'í
education identifies three kinds of education--material, human, and
spiritual. Spiritual education and character training are integral
parts of the curriculum in Bahá'í education.
Order No: NOT AVAILABLE FROM UMI ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: THE CHICAGO BAHA'I COMMUNITY, 1921-1939.
Author: PERRY, MARK LLOYD
School: THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO (0330) Degree: PHD Date: 1986
Source: ADD X1986
Subject: HISTORY, MODERN (0582)
Order No: AAC 8526959 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: BECOMING A BAHA'I: DISCOURSE AND SOCIAL NETWORKS IN AN
AMERICAN RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT
Author: WYMAN, JUNE R.
School: THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA (0043) Degree: PHD
Date: 1985 pp: 205
Source: DAI-A 46/11, p. 3401, May 1986
Subject: ANTHROPOLOGY, CULTURAL (0326)
Abstract: American Bahá'ís belong to an international religious
movement whose 2 million members follow the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh,
a 19th century Persian religious teacher. The aim of this study was
to examine how American Bahá'ís interpret their religion and how
those understandings shape their social interactions.
Data were gathered in 15 months of ethnographic research among
Bahá'ís in central Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C. I conducted
intensive, open-ended interviews with 55 American Bahá'ís including
"new believers" (recent converts), "old believers," and people raised
as Bahá'ís; informants were questioned about their religious
backgrounds, about how they became Bahá'ís, and about their
experiences as Bahá'ís. I also collected Bahá'í written accounts and
took field notes at American Bahá'í meetings, lectures, classes, and
other events.
A cultural analysis of these materials showed that American
Bahá'ís interpret the Bahá'í religion primarily as a narrative for
culturally constituting the individual. This finding supports
evidence, from other analyses of American culture, that Americans
tend to privatize their concepts of social forms. The American Bahá'í
concept of religion as an aid in search of the self contrasts with
Bahá'í doctrine, which holds individuals to be important mainly as
instruments of God's plan to transform society.
Further analysis revealed that the conversations in which these
self-shapings are developed generate the social networks of American
Bahá'í life. Potential converts become Bahá'ís by being drawn into
dialogues where their past lives are recast, in an American Bahá'í
framework, as paths leading them to the Bahá'í faith. After "seekers"
convert, these networks are reproduced in ongoing conversations about
the self--for example, about "tests" that Bahá'u'lláh sends believers
to advance their spiritual progress.
In sum, a cultural analysis of the Bahá'í faith in an American
context shows how religious discourse can be appropriated for other
purposes in particular settings--in the American setting I studied,
as a tool for defining the self. This finding offers an alternative
to prevailing social science models that see conversion to "cults"
and "sects" as something exotic to be explained by social function or
psychological need, rather than as a reproduction of a fundamental
American cultural concept: the individual.
Order No: AAC 8509585 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: SPIRITUAL IDEALS IN NON-FORMAL RURAL DEVELOPMENT:
RATIONALE AND STRATEGIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND USE OF
ANALOGICAL PICTOGRAPHS (BAHA'I)
Author: OLDZIEY, PETER ADAM
School: UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS (0118) Degree: EDD
Date: 1985 pp: 313
Source: DAI-A 46/03, p. 583, Sep 1985
Subject: EDUCATION, ADULT AND CONTINUING (0516)
Abstract: The purpose of this dissertation is twofold. First, it
seeks to substantiate the inclusion of spiritual ideals within the
planning and development of non-formal education programs. As such,
the review of the literature will also develop a rationale. This
rationale is a philosophical and historical investigation of the
central premises of formal education and the development of an
alternative philosophical foundation more relevant to the problems of
rural development. It proposes that the central dilemma of the modern
epoch is a confusion of first principles; that human affairs and the
systems designed to serve them have been impoverished by the
wholesale application of a reductionist paradigm. This paradigm works
extremely well for the physical sciences, but is wholly inadequate
when applied to human affairs. The humanitarian ideal as enunciated
by Socrates and Plato is suggested as a much more appropriate
paradigm for human service systems.
The second purpose of the dissertation is the development of some
initial educational materials and strategies that could symbolize
spiritual concepts in a way which would permit dialogue with a
non-literate population. A developmental project operationalizing the
theoretical premises outlined in the rationale is initiated. This
project involves the selection of a rural, non-literate population
and develops symbolical vehicles and educational strategies designed
to disseminate these concepts to this population. This will primarily
involve the development of a booklet of visual analogies. The target
populations are selected communities in South Carolina and Georgia
comprised of members of the Baha'(')i Faith, a worldwide, independent
religion.
The planned methodology is described in Chapter III. However,
what emerges from the project's development is something quite
different from what was anticipated at the outset. The "emergent
outcomes" enable the author to critique the value of empirical models
of evaluation within non-formal settings. This critique and the
results of the evaluation are contained within Chapter V. The
dissertation concludes by suggesting possible approaches to
evaluation and program structure which are more consonant with the
philosophical premises enshrined in the humanitarian ideal.
Order No: AAC 8600876 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN RADIO FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT:
RADIO BAHA'I, OTAVALO, ECUADOR (MEDIA)
Author: HEIN, KURT JOHN
School: NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (0163) Degree: PHD Date: 1985
pp: 436
Source: DAI-A 46/11, p. 3182, May 1986
Subject: MASS COMMUNICATIONS (0708)
Abstract: The dominant paradigm of communication, specifically
traditional theories of communication and the institutional models
derived from those theories, has proved inadequate to promote the
social and economic development of "marginalized" people,
particularly the rural poor in developing countries. This study
suggests that James Carey's "ritual" theory of communication offers a
more adequate theoretical description of the communication process
and that the "ritual" theory finds its practical corollary in the
notion of "community participation"--peoples' access to,
participation in and, ultimately, self-management of the social
institutions that affect their lives.
Few attempts have been made to apply principles of participation
to development-oriented media messages and institutions. The primary
purpose of this historical-analytical study is to examine the
principles and practices of Radio Bahá'í in Otavalo, Ecuador, perhaps
the first media institution in the world dedicated to
institutionalizing "participation" in all aspects of its operations.
Through document research, interviews, and participant-observation
techniques, the study examines the philosophy, administrative
structure, management practices, operational procedures, program
content, production and training methodologies of Radio Bahá'í. In
addition, two surveys assessed audience response to the station and
its programming.
The study found that Radio Bahá'í was very popular and played a
significant role in promoting the social and economic development of
its primary audience--rural, indigenous peasants. This success is
attributable in part to methods of operation based on principles of
participation derived from a "ritual" paradigm--in this case, the
Bahá'í teachings. As a result, virtually all of the elements deemed
essential to a participatory institution are found in Radio Bahá'í.
The findings suggest that a "ritual" theory of communication
holds great promise for the advancement of the field of communication
and that the model of a participatory media institution developed by
the station is a significant innovation worthy of replication and
adaptation in both agrarian and industrialized societies.
Order No: AAC 8422734 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: BAHA'I WORLD FAITH: A CASE STUDY IN ADULT SOCIALIZATION
(RELIGION, CONVERSION)
Author: BARTLETT, JEAN ELEANOR
School: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE (0032) Degree: PHD
Date: 1984 pp: 183
Source: DAI-A 45/07, p. 2159, Jan 1985
Subject: ANTHROPOLOGY, CULTURAL (0326)
Abstract: This study of adult conversion to the Bahá'í Faith was
undertaken in order to empirically verify two theoretical models that
seek to explain religious conversion. The models proposed by Lofland
and Stark (1965) and Snow, Zucker and Ekland-Olson (1980) are
examined using interview data from twenty-three informants. The
findings indicate that neither model is adequate to account for
conversion in this group. Certain characteristics of the Bahá'í
belief system seem to best account for the failure of both models to
adequately account for religious conversion to the Bahá'í Faith.
In order to understand these beliefs and how they affect
recruitment into the Bahá'í, the basic principles of the Faith, as
they are usually first encountered by potential recruits, are
presented in Chapter I. The origins of the Bahá'í Faith are then
traced. Chapter II compares the ideas of evil and the concept of a
good man in the Bahá'í and Zoroastrian belief systems. The concepts
of the Mihdi and the Iman as they affected the emergence of the Bab
and the Babi religion under Shiih Islam in Iran are examined in
Chapter III. The development of the Bahai Faith under its prophet
Bahá'u'lláh and its next two leaders, 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi
are covered in Chapter IV. The passing of power from an individual
leader to the Universal House of Justice and the Bahá'í
administrative system are presented in Chapter V. Chapter VI deals
with the Local Spiritual Assembly in Rio Vista. Material on religious
mobility drawn from the literature is set forth in Chapter VII, while
Chapter VIII is a detailed summary of the conversion experience of
the twenty-three informants. The last chapter examines the two models
using the material from the interviews. Conclusions are offered as to
why the two models fail to account for conversion among the Bahá'í
and a model is proposed that more adequately explains the process in
this community.
Order No: AAC 8417798 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: A PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY OF MARTYRDOM: A CONTENT ANALYSIS
OF PERSONAL DOCUMENTS OF BAHA'I MARTYRS OF IRAN WRITTEN
BETWEEN 1979 AND 1982 (BELIEFS, RESPONSE, SEVERE SOCIAL
STRESSOR)
Author: BETHEL, FERESHTEH TAHERI
School: UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY (0239) Degree: PHD
Date: 1984 pp: 277
Source: DAI-B 45/05, p. 1573, Nov 1984
Subject: PSYCHOLOGY, GENERAL (0621)
Abstract: The Problem. The purpose of the study was the formulation
of a psychological theory on martyrdom, based upon a content analysis
of last available personal documents of Bahá'í martyrs of Iran
written between 1979 and 1982.
Method. A content analysis research design and methodology was
employed. Written communications were analyzed in order to test 2
general hypotheses and 14 subhypotheses and make inferences about the
psychological characteristics of the communicators to assess their
beliefs and responses.
Results. The first hypothesis, which proposed that the personal
documents of the Bahá'í martyrs reveal that their internalized
beliefs, in the face of severe social stressors, follow an
unconventionally positive stress-belief pattern, was supported.
Analysis of the data using frequency distribution and percentage
distribution on seven belief components yielded a significant mean
percentage of occurrence of 95.2 percent. The second hypothesis,
which predicted that the personal documents of the Bahá'í martyrs
reveal that their responses to severe social stressors follow an
unconventionally positive stress-response pattern, was supported.
Frequency distribution and percentage distribution on seven response
components yielded a significant mean percentage of occurrence of
91.9 percent.
Results of the study supported the premises that in individuals
undergoing persecution and imminent execution, faith and belief in a
cause--spiritual in this case--gives them a new and unique meaning to
suffering which transforms fear and anxiety into joy. It also creates
a sense of acceptance, an enlightenment which arouses courage, and a
perceived transcendental opportunity to affirm the truth of their
belief and their love for mankind. Pain and suffering were converted
into a responsibility and commitment to their faith. Without
neglecting, and with full attention to, their biological world, the
world of relationships, and their own unique personal realm, they
acknowledged their tragic situation and transformed it into a source
of tranquility and certitude in the meaning and purpose of their
lives.
Order No: AAC 8414395 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: MARK TOBEY AND THE BAHA'I FAITH: NEW PERSPECTIVES ON THE
ARTIST AND HIS PAINTINGS
Author: KELLEY, EDWARD RULIEF
School: THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN (0227) Degree: PHD
Date: 1983 pp: 252
Source: DAI-A 45/04, p. 978, Oct 1984
Subject: FINE ARTS (0357); BIOGRAPHY (0304)
Abstract: This dissertation is primarily an examination of the
impact of Mark Tobey's adherence to the Baha'(')i religion upon the
content of his paintings. Tobey was firmly committed to this religion
from 1918 until his death in 1976. His philosophy and attitudes about
the meaning of life, the course of history, the prospects for the
future of civilization, and the importance of artistic expression,
were in conformity with the tenets of the Baha'(')i Faith.
After a brief introduction, chapter one discusses the artistic
environment within which Tobey developed. Associated with the New
York avant-garde before 1920, Tobey was subsequently in contact with
other major modern artistic movements of this century during their
early stages of development in America. The summary of his artistic
biography is followed by a chapter describing Tobey's early contacts
with the Baha'(')i Faith, and a brief discussion of the Faith's
history and basic principles. This chapter also includes the
highlights of Tobey's Baha'(')i activities and his statements about
his beliefs.
Chapter four examines Tobey's early attempts at religious
expression using representational means. His development of modes of
expressing concepts beyond external appearances is the topic of the
fifth chapter. The integration of his non-objective pictorial
solutions with the use of Arabic and Persian calligraphy as religious
iconography is explored next. Chapter seven reevaluates the influence
of Asian art upon Tobey's paintings, distinguishing between the
"calligraphic impulse" he received from Chinese and Japanese art and
the use of Middle Eastern calligraphy as content.
Light, time and space, and Revelation are three recurrent themes
in Tobey's work. In chapter eight these themes are examined in
relation to Baha'(')i teachings, especially as expressed in books
owned by Tobey and in statements he made about these subjects. The
impact of the Baha'(')i Faith upon Tobey's formal development, as
well as upon the content of his paintings, is summarized in the
conclusion. A coda assesses the status of Mark Tobey in twentieth
century art.
Order No: AAC 1321402 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: ZOROASTRIAN CONVERSIONS TO THE BAHA'I FAITH IN YAZD, IRAN.
Author: STILES, SUSAN JUDITH
School: THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA (0009) Degree: MA Date: 1983
pp: 114
Source: MAI 22/02, p. 194, Summer 1984
Subject: RELIGION, HISTORY OF (0320)
Order No: AAC 8220927 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEY TO DETERMINE THE TRAINING
REQUIREMENTS OF INTERNATIONAL BAHA'I TRAVELING TEACHERS
Author: GOTTLIEB, RANDIE SHEVIN
School: BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF EDUCATION (0851) Degree: EDD
Date: 1982 pp: 307
Source: DAI-A 43/04, p. 1118, Oct 1982
Subject: EDUCATION, TEACHER TRAINING (0530)
Abstract: The Baha'(')i Faith is a worldwide religious faith with
approximately 4 million adherents in 363 countries, including 100,000
members in the United States. An international Baha'(')i traveling
teacher is one who travels overseas on a temporary assignment to
assist the host-country Baha'(')i institutions with their plans and
programs. The purpose of this investigation was to determine
selection criteria and training needs for international Baha'(')i
traveling teachers.
Following a literature review of the fields of cross-cultural
communication and international training design, and a content
analysis of traveling teacher reports, a questionnaire was developed,
tested, and mailed to 200 returned teachers, and to Baha'(')i
institutions in the 81 countries they had visited.
Responses reflect the diversity of the travel-teaching
experience. Field conditions encountered by teachers are described,
activities performed and resources used are ranked by importance and
need for instruction, desirable teacher characteristics are
specified, critical incidents are discussed, and major influences on
performance are determined. A correlational analysis indicates that
travel-teaching success is largely related to careful planning and
regular assistance from the host Baha'(')i community. A factor
analysis shows Team Composition, Trip Purpose, Types of Co-workers,
and Planning and Supervision, to be the four main components
underlying success.
Based on the findings, selection criteria are recommended, and a
four-level orientation and training program is outlined. The program
emphasizes job competence, language fluency, cross-cultural
communication, area studies, and overseas living and travel skills.
Order No: NOT AVAILABLE FROM UMI ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF BAHA'I PHILOSOPHY WITH A
SPECIAL CONSIDERATION OF THE CONCEPT OF UNITY
Author: ZAERPOOR, MAHYAD
School: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (0208) Degree: PHD
Date: 1981
Source: DAI-A 42/08, p. 3495, Feb 1982
Subject: EDUCATION, PHILOSOPHY OF (0998)
Abstract: The purpose was to derive the educational implications of
the Bahá'í philosophy with special consideration of the concept of
unity as an underlying structure of both Bahá'í philosophy and Bahá'í
education. The Bahá'í Faith is a new, independent, universal religion
founded by Bahá'u'lláh in the middle of the nineteenth century in
Iran. Although a religion, the Bahá'í Faith shows clear outlooks of
metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical issues wherein the concept
of unity plays an absolutely essential role. In the three key
elements of Bahá'í metaphysics (God, the Manifestations, the created
world) unity is embodied in various principles. When the world of God
is concerned, the three most important principles are: (a) absolute
unity of the essence and the attributes of God; (b) unity of God and
His Manifestations; and (c) the world of creation as an echo of the
unity of God. In the world of the Manifestations the two essential
tenets are: (a) the unity underlying the reality of the
Manifestations and (b) the unity of the Manifestations' Missions to
advance mankind toward world unity. Unity is also shown in at least
two principles when the human being is concerned: (a) the essential
unity of the spiritual, intellectual, and physical dimensions of man
and (b) the necessity for unity of mankind. In the Bahá'í
epistemological system the concept of unity is emphasized when the
teachings show that there must be a harmonious utilization of all
modes of knowing. The Bahá'í belief in essentiality of both relative
and absolute values is based upon the significance of unity in the
Bahá'í ethical system.
Metaphysical, epistemological, and ethical foundations of the
Bahá'í Faith are the major sources for deriving a Bahá'í approach to
education. Bahá'í metaphysics implies that not only must there be a
unity of the elements involved in the educative processes, education
must function as a unifying force, helping to unite both the diverse
factors in human existence as well as the members of the human race.
The basic principle of unity of all epistemological modes directly
implies that different instructional methodologies be considered
complementary and be utilized harmoniously. In brief, the concept of
unity is embodied in and dominates almost all the elements of
education, including the nature of curriculum, the role of the
teacher, and the function of administrative bodies. All of these
elements must function as integrated and united wholes in order to
serve effectively the two most fundamental goals of Bahá'í education:
the harmonious development of the individual and the advancement of
human societies towards world unity.
Order No: AAC 8213272 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: THE IMPACT OF RELIGION, SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS, AND DEGREE
OF RELIGIOSITY ON FAMILY PLANNING AMONG MOSLEMS AND
BAHA'IS IN IRAN: A PILOT SURVEY RESEARCH
Author: JENSEN, MEHRI SAMANDARI
School: UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO (0161) Degree: EDD
Date: 1981 pp: 108
Source: DAI-A 43/01, p. 273, Jul 1982
Subject: SOCIOLOGY, DEMOGRAPHY (0938)
Abstract: The purpose of this investigation was to point out two
methodological deficiencies in the area of differential fertility
research in the Middle East and to propose possible refinements in
the method to correct the deficiencies. (1) To control for the
possible contaminating effects of the non-Iranian national origins of
the Christians previously studied, this research investigated and
compared another religious minority in Iran, namely Bahá'ís, who are
an indigenous population and who comprise the largest religious
minority group. (2) To correct the second methodological shortcoming,
it was proposed that religious affiliation per se should not weigh as
heavily in determining individual behavior as should the degree of
religiosity: the feelings, beliefs, practices, and knowledge of their
respective religions.
The following hypothesis was formulated and tested: Bahá'ís and
Moslems differ in family planning because specific religious factors
present in Islam tend to impede its practice. Among these are: (1)
the absence of equal rights and statuses between men and women, a
fact which tends to discourage women from pursuing formal education,
making decisions about their social and personal lives such as number
of children, and (2) a high level of fatalism which discourages
planning, rational decision making, and the utilization of modern
medical and health measures.
A scale of socio-economic status was devised to measure this
independent variable. Another scale was developed to measure the
intervening variable of degree of religiosity of Moslems and Bahá'ís.
The result indicated that in the Moslem village, the birthrate
was higher, the number of desired children was higher than the number
of pregnancies, the number of children who were born was lower than
the number of pregnancies, the number of children who lived was the
lowest of all. Furthermore, the number of accidents and losses for
baby girls among the Areteh villagers (Moslem) was more than that for
baby boys. This reflects the desirability and preferences for male
offspring among Moslems.
The findings in the present investigation confirmed that Bahá'ís
and Moslems in Iran indeed differ in their pattern of family planning
desires, attitudes, and practicies in all categories of
socio-economic status, residential and religious commitment.
Order No: AAC 8022655 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: THE GROWTH AND SPREAD OF THE BAHA'I FAITH
Author: HAMPSON, ARTHUR
School: UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII (0085) Degree: PHD Date: 1980
pp: 523
Source: DAI-A 41/04, p. 1769, Oct 1980
Subject: GEOGRAPHY (0366)
Abstract: Since its beginning in 1844, the Bahá'í Faith has spread
to all parts of the non-Communist world. At first, the religion was
confined to Persia and Iraq where Shi'ah Islam is dominant, but after
Bahá'u'lláh (Prophet-founder of the religion) was banished to distant
parts of the Ottoman Empire the movement was able to penetrate many
areas of the Sunni world as well. In 1893 the religion was
transmitted to North America from where, over a period of six
decades, a vigorous campaign of global dissemination was undertaken.
By 1953, the religion was well established on all continents;
thereafter, global diffusion proceeded from a number of widely
distributed centers of the religion rather than from just the two
older core areas (Persia and North America).
The Bahá'í Faith has always pursued an expansionist policy
consisting of three main strategies: numerical increase, geographical
dispersion, and compositional diversity of the membership. In the
early years, growth was generally encouraged by the charismatic
leaders of the religion, but from 1919 on expansion was directed by
definitive and authoritative plans embodying the three main
strategies for growth. These plans have become broader and more
detailed in the past few decades so that today Bahá'í expansion is
guided by very precise objectives for increasing the numbers and
kinds of believers and for insuring that they are widely dispersed.
The objective of this research has been to describe and account
for the growth and spread of the Bahá'í Faith. The religion has been
considered as an innovation, and its dissemination has been viewed as
a consequence of its internal structure and decision-making patterns.
It was found that a strong and centralized leadership has facilitated
diffusion, that religious beliefs have favored dissemination efforts,
and that policy and planning have successfully directed Bahá'í
expansion.
At the same time, the staging and direction of Bahá'í expansion
frequently has been influenced by attitudes, conditions, and events
lying outside the direct control of the Bahá'í movement. For example,
in its early years the religion was geographically confined by its
cultural context and religious roots while later on political
conditions frequently influenced where the movement could and could
not become established. In general, physical, social, and economic
distance have inhibited diffusion, but aggressive dissemination
policies and ambitious growth plans have greatly weakened the force
of these traditional resistors to diffusion.
Between 1893 and 1953 North America was the main geographic
source of Bahá'í expansion. Within this area, growth was substantial
but not constant. In the first few decades there were alternating
periods of growth and decline and only after the 1920s did the
religion begin to increase its membership at a steadily accelerating
rate. The capacity of the movement to enlarge appears to have
depended on unanimous acceptance of religious authority; growth
proceeded regularly whenever the leadership and the administrative
order were recognized by all Bahá'ís, but diffusion was curtailed
whenever these repositories of religious authority were questioned by
a part of the religion's membership.
Throughout the twentieth century, Bahá'í growth in North America
has been dependent on conversions; natural increase has always been a
minor source of expansion. Continent-wide dissemination of the
religion has relied heavily on migration of believers, usually from
large urban centers containing Bahá'í concentrations to other
locations where believers have been few or absent. This pattern has
been strongly encouraged and has resulted in a highly dispersed
Bahá'í community, a condition which also exists at the global level.
Order No: AAC 8015115 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE POETRY OF ROBERT HAYDEN THROUGH
HIS MIDDLE YEARS
Author: WILLIAMS, PONTHEOLLA TAYLOR
School: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE (0055) Degree: EDD
Date: 1978 pp: 215
Source: DAI-A 41/01, p. 256, Jul 1980
Subject: LITERATURE, AMERICAN (0591)
Abstract: The purpose of this dissertation is to present a critical
study of Robert Hayden's poetry from nineteen forty to nineteen
sixty-six: from his early to his middle period. A product of
Afro-American and white American literary traditions, he was once a
member of the Wright Protest School. At the core of Hayden's poetry
is his conviction that poetry is a means by which he can correct
racial stereotypes and distortion of Afro-American history. His
interest in Afro-American and other oppressed groups aligns him with
humanistic writers who have championed the cause of the dignity and
human rights of man. Hayden is a symbolist poet writing in the modern
romantic tradition, but his fidelity to facts relates him to the
realists. "The deep immortal wish / the timeless will" to be free,
and the positive force of Divine love are central themes in his
poetry.
Notwithstanding his recent national honors, Hayden is still a
relatively unknown American poet. Therefore, this dissertation
includes a brief biography which serves both to introduce the poet to
the audience and provide insight into his shaping influences,
motivating factors, and resources.
The Great Depression provides the perspective through which
Hayden handled the material of his first volume, and it motivated the
humanistic concern in much of his subsequent poetry. Heart Shape in
the Dust (1940) reveals Hayden's early leftist sympathies and, more
importantly, it initiates his Afro-American history themes. Poems of
didactic statement characterize this apprentice work, but it
demonstrates some regard for style and non-topical American Marxist
content that foreshadows Hayden's later achievement.
Hayden's poems, free of leftist preaching and rhetorical style,
form the first half of The Lion and the Archer (1948) (co-author
Myron O'Higgins' poems comprise the second half). Hayden's pivotal
style in this volume marks the beginning of his twenty-three-year
pilgrimage to the South. Mastery of modern prosody distinguishes the
dominant theme, the historically dehumanizing relationship between
Black and white Southerners.
Figure of Time (1955), Hayden's third work, introduces his
religious and ghetto verse. The Bahá'í concept of the oneness of
mankind in Divine love replaces the rejected political promise of
Communism. His ghetto verses in this volume evoke the sense of
displacement, alienation, desperation, and joy ghetto people know.
A Ballad of Remembrance (1962) is dominated by Hayden's
Afro-American history and Mexican poems. "Veracruz," one of his
Mexican poems, extends his humanistic concern for the poor to include
consideration of international groups, and "Middle Passage" is the
signal Afro-American history poem. The volume is largely responsible
for gaining Hayden the international recognition accorded him in his
Grand Prix de Poesie award received at the First International
Festival of Negro Arts held at Dakar, Senegal, 1966.
Selected Poems (1966), is Hayden's second major American
publication, and won for him limited but substantial national
recognition and, in his view, really began his poetic career. It
consists largely of the Ballad of Remembrance collection, carefully
and characteristically revised and rearranged, as well as thirteen
miscellaneous works of which "The Diver," a symbolic, private poem,
is signal.
Hayden's poetry at this point of his development transcends the
limitations of mere social protest. A more mature craftsman, he was
beginning to get the critical acclaim that he deserved, and had
become a powerful poet who shaped his verse with probing insight into
his characters and their place in the historical continuum. By
depicting the way society has brutalized and dehumanized the
Afro-American, Hayden tried to make a dent in his reader's
conscience. He demands that Afro-Americans be recognized as human
beings. If America does not know who its dispossessed are, Hayden
insists, America does not really know itself, an indictment
vindicated by events in the violent 'sixties.
Order No: AAC 1310763 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: GLOBAL COMMUNITY: CASE STUDY OF THE HOUSTON BAHA'IS.
Author: ARCHER, MARY ELIZABETH
School: UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON (0087) Degree: MA Date: 1977
pp: 303
Source: MAI 16/02, p. 126, Summer 1978
Subject: SOCIOLOGY, GENERAL (0626)
Order No: AAC 7520564 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: AN HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF CRITICAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE
EVOLUTION OF THE BAHA'I WORLD FAITH.
Author: JOHNSON, VERNON ELVIN
School: BAYLOR UNIVERSITY (0014) Degree: PHD Date: 1974 pp: 458
Source: DAI-A 36/03, p. 1600, Sep 1975
Subject: RELIGION, HISTORY OF (0320)
Order No: AAC 6920616 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: THE POSSIBLE NATURE AND ESTABLISHMENT OF BAHA'I
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES BASED UPON A STUDY OF BAHA'I
LITERATURE
Author: ROST, HARRY TIMBRELL DYSON
School: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTA (0203) Degree: EDD Date: 1969
pp: 432
Source: DAI-A 30/10, p. 4290, Apr 1970
Subject: EDUCATION, RELIGIOUS (0527)
Order No: AAC 6609397 ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: A SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE BAHA'I MOVEMENT
Author: MAHMOUDI, JALIL
School: THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH (0240) Degree: PHD Date: 1966
pp: 156
Source: DAI-A 27/04, p. 1121, Oct 1966
Subject: SOCIOLOGY, GENERAL (0626)
Order No: NOT AVAILABLE FROM UMI ProQuest - Dissertation Abstracts
Title: FROM SECT TO CHURCH: A SOCIOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE
BAHA'I MOVEMENT
Author: BERGER, PETER L.
School: NEW SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH (0145) Degree: PHD
Date: 1954
Source: ADD W1954
Subject: SOCIOLOGY, GENERAL (0626)
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