Monday, January 30, 2012

Site of Choice: Davis Square | Somerville, MA




David's Square is located in Somerville, MA and is an intersection that makes connections with important street and avenues that directs people to all parts of Somerville. It bounds with College Avenue from the North, Highland Avenue from Southeast, Elm Street from Northwest and Dover and Day Street on West.

One of the first thing I notice while visiting the square, was that the square have a happy and young vibe full of music. Live amateurs street performers are every where. Perhaps, because in the square there is a guitar store and it attract a lot of young people and musicians. This square is very popular for the cafes and restaurants on Elm Street but also it is most visited because of the Red Line Subway Station. If you are coming to Somerville to visit David Square, it is most likely that you will stop to eat and shop.

I recorder some normal musical activities that happens usually at David Square:


Image taken Wednesday 21, 2012 between 3-5pm

Image taken Wednesday 21, 2012 between 3-5pm

Image taken Wednesday 21, 2012 between 3-5pm







The square also offers a small urbam park with round benches vegetation, hardscape paving and attractive symbolic sculptures. I chose this place because of what it represents for the community. It is a place where many young people and students hangout after work and school. It is a place to met new people, but also a place that can teach you about the community history through the public work of art and signs that are on the pavement and walls.





David Square is a communite that values a lot the american forces services and likes to remember their veterans. Its a community very much involved in polical events and are very protective of the humans rights. One can see this inavitable bihavior by the activities around the square. This square is a very successful square because it embraces all kind of people; race, gender, age and looks are not importante. People like to meet people.




There are a lot of cyclists in the square, so bikes are parked everywhere in the street. People at times pile their bikes on a post or space provided. The square is dominated by brick pavement and sidewalks that connects every corner. The plazas are also dominated by brick pavement. The only vegetation you can find is on the park. The trees provide shading to the people seating on the benches and concrete curbs. this place, mostly in the afternoon during lunch time is full of people.










The street running through the square are usually two ways and are one lane each. Like in most successful and populated places, David's Square can also have bad traffic during lunch hours and rush hours. The square also holst yearly festival events for the community.


Readings Response & Summary

NOUN, VERB, MOTIVE, CONTEXT

in progress...

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH

I find it very helpful that Sommer described in his writing, “A Practical Guide to Behavioral Research”, the different methods and techniques of mapping. In particularly, I find myself more interested with the behavior map method. Because I like to observe what people are doing and see them moving around, I prefer creating maps using techniques such as of place-centered maps and individuals-centered maps, and riding reports of the behaviors I observed. I also like to make questionnaires and have a closer and personal contact with my observers. However, I find cognitive map also very helpful depending on the occasion and the type of research I am conducting. I understand I can also have a closer contact with people doing this kind of research, but this kind of research is more for experimental purpose as I understand. Therefore I like to see what happens naturally, and just observe what people do and go by their own means.

To be continue…

OBSERVING ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOR, CH. 9

I agree with Zeisel when he says that environmental behavior is important to study because it helps designers to make better decisions when designing open spaces. A lot of people have their own natural instinct to observe and make an assumption about someone's else behavior, but I also agreed with Zeisel that not everyone knows or have the proper training to understand certain behavior within an open space. Most people don’t know how to apply the information that they see it to a design concept.

The part of the chapter 9 of Zeisel that I find it very helpful for me in reading it was when he begin to talked about the environmental elements that researchers must pay attention when making environmental behavior observations.

Who is Actor
Doing what Act
With whom? Significant Others
In what relationship, Relationships
Aural, visual, tactile
Olfactory, symbolic
In what context, Sociocultural Context
Situation
culture
And where? Physical Setting
Props
Spatial relations

These methods I found it to be very valuable to me as a designer.

The example of the Post Office's exterior of the parking lot design was very clear to me how a space can reflect someone's behavior and reaction towards an environment.

PEARLS BEFORE BREAKFAST :

"What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare."
- from "Leisure," by W.H.Davies

What I find it fascinating in the “Pearls Before Breakfast” article is how the people passing by at the station treated the situation without giving any attention to the musician. Not even an acknowledgement! People are constantly busy and going off and about on a rush to meet their daily tasks.

I find human behavior a quite interesting thing to observe! We humans have our qualities of course, but I also think that we are very selfish creatures by nature. Because of our nature, in my opinion, it is natural that humans – in situations such as the one told in Pearls Before Breakfast - will have the results it did. People only give time for their own affairs. No one is interested to know about what is the other person doing. They just don’t want to be bothered and wants to be leaved alone, unless there is a common interest to us that we will them stop to observe and engage into a situation.

This behavior is much more common among strangers. I take these assumptions through my own experiences to what I see it happens at my own social environment. But I ask this question:

If the musician was playing in the middle of the station lobby as opposed of been far back against the wall, would he get more people attention? Would he make people mad, because he was now in their way and blocking the busy traffic?
I notice no one gave him any attention, positive or negative for a long time. Only a few had stopped to see what he was doing. Would he get more people to stop and look to what he was doing if he was standing right in front of the escalators facing people straight at their faces? Would people stop then because now something is happening in front of them that force to redirect their path? Would people be more on an alert and aware of the musician if so?

I believe that by the musician been standing far off by the wall, he is given a message to the crown that he is there to perform and to just do what he likes to do, but not necessary to cause a major attention. Like any other street performer, I have seen them standing at a corner and play their music. Some people will approach them (if there is a common interest), and soon they will be off again, but most of us will just look and continue walking. Sometimes not even look!

In my own feeling, I sense that humans by nature take ownership of a space in a landscape to do what they feel like to do and because we are all the same, we tend not to cross each other’s boundaries, even on the street setting. That is why I believe, viewers will look to what is happening around them, but very seldom will engage or trespass someone else’s privacy and their freedom to do what they want in public, as long it does not disturb the privacy and safety of others. Some people are more social than others and will find it easy to engage a conversation. Usually these people have an easy personality and will share more common interest with street performers.

THE CITY AT EYE LEVEL, CHAPTER 4:
"Good Cities for Bicycling"

Because I too have a seasonal interest for bicycling I find this session of the chapter "the city at the eye level" very compelled. I love biking in the city, and especially in Boston because everything becomes closer when I bike and I usually can get to places within 20-30 minutes around the city.

I was intrigued and amazed to know how bicycling behavior in the city of Copenhagen has taken a major part on the daily traffic habits of its urban residents. Bicycling has become a common interest for most major urban cities in the US, and is the new way to achieve sustainability in the infrastructure. I like how in Copenhagen city bicycling has taken over 37% of the overall transportation methods. I like the way gives priority to the bikers and how it is demanding the safety of bike users. How bicycling has even impact street parking in the city. As the article says, cars are not allowed to park less than 3 feet near a corner so it does not block the visibility of traffic, thus enhancing the safety of bicyclists in the city.

In Boston and most US cities, this would be impossible. We would need to change a traffic light system and parking system. We would also have to banned the right of cars turning right at the red line intersection.

The following images were taken from the city of Copenhagen found on the web:


In the image above, cars are kept far away from street corners and intersections, thus creating great visibility for bikers.
In the image above, it shows a two way bike lane been shared with buses.
In the image above, it shows how people in Copenhagen use bikes as a way of transport to and from work.

"Good Cities for Meeting"
The principal of a good city for meeting that I learned in this chapter are categorized by three elements:

Seeing, Hearing and Talking!

I learned that a good prerequisite for a good communication between people and space in a city are set in various combination of opportunities to see, hear and talk.

I understand that views have to be highly considerate for the landscape of an urban city, But how can this be accomplished? The chapter explains that many cities have unsuccessfully done this by allowing parked cars, buses, poorly located buildings to obstruct view. Being able to hear and talk are important qualities in and urban public space.

But how really can we determine how more or less of hearing and talking makes a good space?

The book talks about Venice as a successful example of a well planned city. It tells us how possible it is for people to "speak quietly and pleasantly with others but at the same time you can hear footsteps, laughter, snatches of conversation, singing from open windows and many other sounds of life in the city." The City at Eye Level, pg. 152



I find it very true that furniture in the landscape can be a crucial factor in making a conversation difficult or pleasant. The way seating benches are design and installed makes a huge difference to the quality of a space.

"Good Cities for Staying"
The topic discussion for staying basically is categorized by two main activities that happens in the city space: moving activities and stationary activities. Pretty much everywhere in the city, we see people walking, standing and sitting anywhere there is a place for them to do so. The topic "Good Cities for Staying, talks about how some times walking in a city can represent a positive or negative thing about the city.

Cities that often have many people walking, as the book says; it can be an indication of "insufficient transit options or long distances between the various functions in the city." The City at Eye Level, pg. 134

The reading explains the definition of standing as a typically short-term activity. Studies have concluded that people often have limitations to how long they can stand comfortably under minimum quality requirements. The reading goes on talking about how edges are crucial for cities thus providing a number of important benefits. To my understanding, edges can provide a physiological support for an individual when standing. With a wall at his back, he/she can watch everything that is going on in front of him and still have his back cover avoiding surprises from behind, thus city space without edges are considerate unsuccessful and low comfort level.
Good element for a successful city is quite simply:
"good cities for staying have rough facades and good support points. In contrast, cities without edges or with smooth building facades devoid detail have little to offer in terms of staying psychology." The author clearly states on the reading that the longer the envisage stay, the more carefully the individual will choose the place to sit.

Cities that also offers good seating areas are very successful. Sitting areas needs to be near attractive views. The book also talks about the primary and secondary seating, that are categorize as such:

"Primary Seating"
It consists of actual furniture with back and arms: city benches, freestanding chairs and cafe chairs.

"Secondary Seating"
They are a great variety of objects: pedestals, steps, stones, bollards, monuments, fountains or the city floor itself.

I was amazed to learn how people relates to movable chairs in previous studies made around the globe, which the behavior of people in public squares and plazas have been documented. What is that draw people to automatically move a chair even if only a few inches from where it is? Is this behavior normal or is that a compulsive disorder? However the answer is, movable chairs are very successful among many parks in urban cities. I guess because urban cities are crowned and although people attracts people, humans don't like to seat too close of another human being. To closeness can cause discomfort!!! Interesting!

"Good Cities for Walking"
In this topic, the author talks about some of the walking elements that makes a walk within a city safer, enjoyable and efficient. He starts with the statement "walking with a purpose", which he explains in his writing that people in a city do walk for different reasons.

The walking purpose variations are: "the quick goal-oriented walk from A to B, the slow stroll to enjoy city life or a sunset, children;s zing-zag-ging, and senior citizen's determined walk to get fresh air and exercise or do an errand."

The author discussed in the reading issues that relates to how fast should a walk be from one distance to another? how long it should be? how much of room should a sidewalk have? The topic goes on giving examples of how narrow sidewalks affect big urban cities around the globe and how difficult and unsafe its when host large crowds.

The author explains that sidewalks should have enough space for walking and that no obstructions should interfere. Cars and motorcycles needs to keep a reasonable distance from pedestrians activities. However, when it comes to crossing intersections, pedestrians do not have the right to cross a street but rather something pedestrians have to apply for by pushing a button before crossing.

Walks within a city should be also interesting and pleasant for pedestrians. The author also talks about how the comfort of a walk can be determined by the quality and length of the pavement. Usually, straight paths tends to be more exhausting to walk than a curved path. That is because curved paths many times offers interesting views and pedestrians forget the distance and enjoy experiences as they happen.
(below left: Cartagena, Colombia),(below right: Orestad, Conpehagen)




Underpasses and bridges are something that pedestrians also tends to avoid. People don't like to go up and down stairs because it takes a lot of energy to do so. As the article itself says; "today the world is full of abandoned pedestrian underpasses and bridges." The City at Eye Level, pg. 132

Lighting is an issue that designers also have faced when designing sidewalks and is a crucial element for a sidewalk to be successful and safe.

"Lighting is crucial one night falls. Good lighting om people and faces and reasonable lighting for facades, niches and corners is needed along the most important pedestrian routes to strengthen the real and the experienced sense of security, and sufficient light is needed on pavements, surface and steps so that pedestrians can maneuver safety." The City at Eye Level, pg. 133

Reviewed Questions from Colleagues

Colin:
Who or what circumstances brought you to the BAC, how you discovered the school?

The story begins after my arrival in the United States from Brazil at the age of 16. By giving the fact that most of the people in my family has pursued a career in the medical field, while still a high school student living in Miami, I constantly lived on the idea of me following their same foot steps in the work field. After graduating from high school at the age of 20, and still undecided of what I wanted to do, I took some time off from school to just work. Due to a financial circumstance at the time, I couldn't move on straight to college after high school, so I waited for about two years to save some money. When I was ready to begin looking for a college at the age of 22, my mother decided that she wanted to move to Boston to explore her job here. My mother is an Artist by nature and growing up by her side, her artistic influence has also become an important factor of my appreciation for art and nature. Nonetheless, after arriving in Boston, I continued in search for a college where I could study Pre-Med and later Medicine. During my Pre-Med schooling years at Atlantic Union College, Massachusetts, I study many disciplines required for the program including Art History and other Art related classes, which helped me realize that my instincts and interest for the arts and science field where stronger than Medicine. It was just before concluding my Pre-Med studies that I made I decision to instead pursue a career in the Architectural and Design industry. After dialoguing with friends, family and school faculty about my new desired career choice, I was encourage - based on my artistic personality - that a career in the Architectural and Design field would be ideal for me. Unfortunately for me, when most people where receiving their first degree before they reach the age of 25-26, I decide to make a change in my life and go for a different profession. When I was 25 I learned about the BAC through an old friend who happens to be an architect and knew about the BAC. In spite of the long program and other few challenges I would come to face while studying Architecture, I decide that I would pursue my dreams anyway. In 2004 I became officially a BAC student and a student of Architecture. It was not until the fall of 2007 - after completing my B-level studios - That I learned about the new Landscape Architecture program at the BAC and realize that working as a Landscape Architect was the missing puzzle to fulfill my career dream. Becoming a Landscape Architect, I knew it would allow me to explore and combine Architecture and Nature to so design for the outdoors as I am also an outdoor fanatic.

Edward:
What is your favorite hobby/extra-curricular activity?

My favor hobby will always be, to be in the outdoors. Off course, in the summer the activity that I enjoy the most and do often is biking. I can bike for hours around Boston and never get tire. I do also enjoy boating and fishing some times. I have a Portuguese background, so fishing is a huge tradition in my culture.

Mat:
If you work in a firm, how did you secure your position there?

I have worked in many different industries before. One thing that I believe is the same for all of them and it worked for me is simple...if you were asked to walk a mile, walk two! Employers seems to appreciate a lot employees that are committed to the best interest of the firm/company. Another important factor that employers always appreciate is an employee that is friendly, and easy to get along with everybody. Be courteous and respectful is a key!!!

Nancy:
Where do you see LA going over the next several years and do you think that the downward turn we are experiencing in the job market turning around for us?

To answer this question let me just say a thought. I believe we all have the fate of our success in our hands. To me, success is not always related to the amount of money I make or in the many properties I own or even in the wealth of a financial institution, but some times just in the small things I can accomplish as an individual. The severance of our depression or degree of our accomplishments are set in the goals standards we all have established to fulfill as professionals. As a Landscape Architectural student and designer, I see the future of LA going different ways for different individuals. The one reason I like the most about becoming a Landscape Architect is that this career field gives me the opportunity to work independently and pursue my professional dream unlimited of borders and politics.

Sara:
I value public transportation and believe it is vital to a more sustainable society. How willing to pay more for better and expanded service are you?

If we are talking about Boston, I believe its about time that MBTA should do something to update its subway systems. It is not clear to me, how can a 1st world country, such the United States be so behind in the transportation industry and so undated. I have travel to other countries before, specially countries that are considerate to be 3rd world country by today's society and I am speechless about the sustainability and modernization of their infrastructure compared to ours. Yes, I would pay more (If am not already paying for it). The question is, how much more?

Susan:
How can we help shift the dangerous belief of those who see insist that global warming and the environmental and energy crises are myths created and perpetuated by fear mongers? How can we broaden their perspective enough to help them to understand the holistic nature of Nature, our place in it, our responsibility to it (and ourselves), and the catastrophic consequences of continuing to make the ignorant choices that have led us here and are systematically destroying our one and only planetary home.

This is a very critical issue. I don't know how best answer it but my suggestion would be for everyone to do its part in saving the world by preserving nature and influence others near you to do the same. Educate who you know about the importance of keeping vegetation alive in the world.

Newbery Street Block Analysis


For my physical analysis assignment on the Newbury block, I decided to begin my research assignment by investigating the users, so I could understand the structures and open spaces being used. The first set of questions that started popping into my mind were, Who are the users? Where are they coming from? What is it that bring them to the Newbury block? How much time do they spend here? Does the users enjoy coming here? Is there a favor place or space they connect the most? What is it about that place that makes them feel that way? Is there a place or space that users dislike the most? What kind of activities does happen on the streets? To find the answer for some of these questions I began to search for answers by doing a walk around the block and documenting the circulation pattenrs and observing the kind of activities poeple do.

After some time looking around, photographing, talking to people and documenting the type of building uses around the block, I began to create a list of the different kind of users that most likely I could find it there and here is the list: "The list goes down from the most to least users but are not limitted to these examples only"

- STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS
- RETAIL AND FOODSHOP WORKERS
- SHOPPERS AND LOCAL VISITORS
- TURISTIS
- STREET ARTISTIS
- COMMERCIAL DELIVERY TRUCKS
- UTILITY/MAINTENANCE WORKERS
- FUND RAISING PERSONNELS
- GOVERMENT EMPLOYEES
- HOMELESS PEOPLE



My first impression as I begin to walk the Newbury block - leaving from the BAC entrance doorway - was to notice the considerably amount of hardscape space in front of the building. I begin looking at the movement and direction in which people circulated the most and realized that, the open space in front of the BAC building was a space that not only was used by the students during class breaks but it was also used by the public. I have noticed during my observation that a lot of the people just walking-by made frequent stops in front of the building. They usually stopped to take short breaks from walking, to take a picture or to just look around or meet someone. The visitors walking-by sometimes were draw-in to the edge of the building, closer to the glass wall to look at the galery. The puplic was always curious about what it was on te other side of the galss wall. Some times the viewer engaged the students with a question or a statement about the school. Quite interesting! Some times people would just stand there next to each other and not exchange a word!



To procced with this analysis, I programed my path going from northwest on Newbury street towards Mass Avenue and turning left at the corner and continued going around till I reached the point were I started. As I moved along the sidewalk I wated to document all possible objects, structures, furnitures and vegetation that I could find that takes sidewalk space. One can notice as walking at Newbury that this area has a high number of bike commuter. Because it is an area where most users are students, many live nearby communities and it makes easier to bike around Boston.



PROS ABOUT THE SITE:
- Symmetry of sidewalks makes it easy to circulate
- Public transportation on site
- beatiful view of Boston Commons
- Many restaurants affordable for students
- Youth activity takes priority

CONS ABOUT THE SITE:
- It does not accomodate parking for students and educators
- Campus lacks gree space
- No seats available in sidewalks
- Very windy and cold during winter
- traffic jams can be loud and unsafe

GLOSSARY

Manifest Content: "is that which is obvious and conveyed in the spoken information of the interview. It refers to what the person says." Latent Content: "is the less obvious or more hidden information conveyed by hesitations and nonverbal responses, such as avoidance of eye contact, nervous gestures, or restlessness. Latent content indicates what the person means." a\Archival Research is getting a hold of research that other people did. Ecotone
" is a transition area between two biomes but different patches of the landscape, such as forest and grassland.[1] It may be narrow or wide, and it may be local (the zone between a field and forest) or regional (the transition between forest and grassland ecosystems).[2] An ecotone may appear on the ground as a gradual blending of the two communities across a broad area, or it may manifest itself as a sharp boundary line."
http://en.wikipedia.org

Descriptive Study
one in which a phenomenon is described but no attempt is made to analyze the effects of variables on the phenomenon.
thefreedictionary.com

Theoretical Study
one in which the data to be studied are yet to be generated, the events having not yet occurred.
thefreedictionary.com

Third Place
A place other than my home or work where I can go to relax and feel part of my community.

Explanatory Research
Explanatory research is research conducted in order to explain any behaviour in the market. It could be done through using questionnaires, group discussions, interviews, random sampling, etc.
http://wiki.answers.com

Environmental Determinism
Environmental determinism, also known as climatic determinism or geographical determinism, is the view that the physical environment sets limits on human environment.

The fundamental argument of the environmental determinist was that aspects of physical geography, particularly climate, influenced the psychological mind-set of individuals, which in turn defined the behavior and culture of the society that those individuals formed. For example, tropical climates were said to cause laziness, relaxed attitudes and promiscuity, while the frequent variability in the weather of the middle latitudes led to more determined and driven work ethics.
http://www.answers.com

Cognitive Maps
Cognitive mapping is the means through which people process their environment, solve problems and use memory. It was first identified in the late 1940s by University of California-Berkeley professor Edward Tolman, and, as so often happens in the field of psychology, it began with laboratory rats. In his experiments, Tolman challenged each rat with a maze that offered food at the end. He noticed that each time the rats passed through the myriad small paths and blind alleys, they made fewer mistakes. Eventually, they were all able to move swiftly to the goal with no false starts.

This told Tolman that the rats had internalized the makeup of the maze in their brains, which Tolman called "the central office." Similarly, human infants come to realize through experience that crying will bring food and/or attention. A child learns not to touch a hot stove. A person who has been blinded can still find his way around his house.

Thus, cognitive mapping is a form of memory, but it is also more than that. Retaining the sequence of streets in the directions to your house is memory; seeing these streets in your "mind's eye" as you speak is cognitive mapping. One working definition of cognitive mapping comes from Downs & Stea in their textbook Cognitive Mapping and Spatial Behavior: "A process composed of a series of psychological transformations by which an individual acquires, codes, stores, recalls, and decodes information about the relative locations and attributes of phenomena in their everyday spatial environment."
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-cognitive-mapping.htm

Cognitive Maps
"are mental representations of places."
"A Prectical Guide to Behavior Research, pg 72."

Trace Measures
are the physical remains of interaction. When investigating a crime, police operate under the assumption that "every contact leaves a trace" (1). At the crime scene and elsewhere, police seek traces of the criminal -- fingerprints, footprints, fiber from clothing, hair, cigarette butts, blood type, DNA, and whatever else might help solve the crime. Similarly, researchers use physical traces as indicators of behavior. There are two general types of trace measures: Accretion - a build-up of physical traces, and Erosion - the wearing away of material.
http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/SommerB/sommerdemo/traces/intro.htm

Descriptive Statistics
A set of brief descriptive coefficients that summarizes a given data set, which can either be a representation of the entire population or a sample. The measures used to describe the data set are measures of central tendency and measures of variability or dispersion.

A set of brief descriptive coefficients that summarizes a given data set, which can either be a representation of the entire population or a sample. The measures used to describe the data set are measures of central tendency and measures of variability or dispersion.
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/descriptive_statistics.asp#ixzz1pZ1hcdQa

Observational Study
A research method designed to draw inferences about the possible effect of exposure on an established outcome (e.g. a disease, a therapy) without the investigator's intervention. Examples: case-control study, cohort study, cross-sectional study.
thefreedictionary.com

Inductive
Inductive reasoning, also known as induction or inductive logic, is a kind of reasoning that constructs or evaluates propositions that are abstractions of observations of individual instances of members of the same class. It is commonly construed as a form of reasoning that makes generalizations based on individual instances. In this sense it is often contrasted with deductive reasoning.

However, philosophically the definition is much more nuanced than simple progression from particular / individual instances to wider generalizations. Rather, the premises of an inductive logical argument indicate some degree of support (inductive probability) for the conclusion but do not entail it; that is, they suggest truth but do not ensure it. In this manner, there is the possibility of moving from generalizations to individual instances.

This is an example of inductive reasoning:

90% of humans are right-handed.
Joe is a human.

Therefore, the probability that Joe is right-handed is 90%.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inductive_reasonin

Deductive
Deductive reasoning, also called deductive logic, is reasoning which constructs or evaluates deductive arguments. Deductive arguments are attempts to show that a conclusion necessarily follows from a set of premises or hypotheses. A deductive argument is valid if the conclusion does follow necessarily from the premises, i.e., the conclusion must be true provided that the premises are true. A deductive argument is sound if it is valid and its premises are true. Deductive arguments are valid or invalid, sound or unsound. Deductive reasoning is a method of gaining knowledge. An example of a deductive argument:

All men are mortal
Socrates is a man
Therefore, Socrates is mortal

The first premise states that all objects classified as "men" have the attribute "mortal". The second premise states that "Socrates" is classified as a man – a member of the set "men". The conclusion states that "Socrates" must be mortal because he inherits this attribute from his classification as a man.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deductive_reasoning

Positivism
Positivism is a view of scientific methods and a philosophical approach, theory, or system based on the view that, in the social as well as natural sciences, sensory experiences and their logical and mathematical treatment are together the exclusive source of all worthwhile information. Introspective and intuitional attempts to gain knowledge are rejected. Though the positivist approach has been a recurrent theme in the history of western thought from the Ancient Greeks to the present day, the concept was developed in the early 19th century by the philosopher and founding sociologist, Auguste Comte.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positivism

Phenomenology
The term phenomenology in science is used to describe a body of knowledge that relates empirical observations of phenomena to each other, in a way that is consistent with fundamental theory, but is not directly derived from theory. For example, we find the following definition in the Concise Dictionary of Physics:

Phenomenological Theory. A theory that expresses mathematically the results of observed phenomena without paying detailed attention to their fundamental significance.

The name is derived from phenomenon (from Greek φαινόμενoν, pl. φαινόμενα - phenomena and -λογία - -logia, translated as "study of" or "research"), which is any occurrence that is observable.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenology_%28science%29

Grounded Theory
Grounded theory (GT) is a systematic methodology in the social sciences involving the generation of theory from data. It is mainly used in qualitative research, but is also applicable to quantitative data.

Grounded theory is a research method, which operates almost in a reverse fashion from traditional research and at first sight may appear to be in contradiction to the scientific method. Rather than beginning with a hypothesis, the first step is data collection, through a variety of methods. From the data collected, the key points are marked with a series of codes, which are extracted from the text. The codes are grouped into similar concepts in order to make them more workable. From these concepts, categories are formed, which are the basis for the creation of a theory, or a reverse engineered hypothesis. This contradicts the traditional model of research, where the researcher chooses a theoretical framework, and only then applies this model to the phenomenon to be studied.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grounded_theory

Space
Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction.[1] Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum known as spacetime. In mathematics one examines "spaces" with different numbers of dimensions and with different underlying structures. The concept of space is considered to be of fundamental importance to an understanding of the physical universe. However, disagreement continues between philosophers over whether it is itself an entity, a relationship between entities, or part of a conceptual framework.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space

Place
a. An area with definite or indefinite boundaries; a portion of space.
b. Room or space, especially adequate space: There is place for everyone at the back
of the room.
c. The particular portion of space occupied by or allocated to a person or thing.
d. A building or an area set aside for a specified purpose: a place of worship.
e. A dwelling; a house: bought a place on the lake.
f. A business establishment or office.
g. A locality, such as a town or city: visited many places.
h. Abbr. Pl. A public square or street with houses in a town.
i. A space in which one person, such as a passenger or spectator, can sit or stand.
j. A setting for one person at a table.
k. A position regarded as belonging to someone or something else; stead: She was
chosen in his place.
l. A particular point that one has reached, as in a book: I have lost my place.
m. A particular spot, as on the body: the place that hurts.
n. The proper or designated role or function: the place of the media in a free
society.
o. The proper or customary position or order: These books are out of place.
p. A suitable setting or occasion: not the place to argue.
q. The appropriate right or duty: not her place to criticize.
r. Social station: He overstepped his place.
s. A particular situation or circumstance: Put yourself in my place.
t. High rank or status.
u. A job, post, or position: found a place in the company.
v. Relative position in a series; standing.
w. Games Second position for betting purposes, as in a horserace.
x. The specified stage in a list of points to be made, as in an argument: in the
first place.
z. Mathematics A position in a numeral or series.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/place

Monger
1. A dealer in a specific commodity. Often used in combination: an ironmonger.
2. A person promoting something undesirable or discreditable. Often used in
combination: a scandalmonger; a warmonger.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/mongers

Piano Effect
Its a term used on environmental behavior studies that indicate the human behavior of finding furniture, corners, columns, or niches within the edge zone that will provide support for staying and help to define the place as a specially well-defined place rather than just a place along the wall.
"The City at Eye Level" Chapter 4, page 139. Quantification "means tabulating theresults in numerical from." A Practical Guide to Behavior Research