Scope note

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This class comprises events that take place in a unity of time, place and action. This definition, that should allow a clear identification of instances of this class, is inspired by the three unities of Greek tragedy: a unitary event should have one principal action (unity of action) specified by a type, it should occur over a limited period of time (no more than 24 hours according to the unity of time in tragedy, but could be shorter or longer in real life), and should happen in a single physical location (unity of place). The most important unity defining the event is the unity of action and the action is generally restricted to one single place and a limited duration in time.

The unitary event is defined in contrast to the sdh:C4 Phase class which includes more complex temporalities composed of several events, activities or sub-phases, taking place over a longer period of time, and being projected on a space which can be quite vast. Often, but not always, a unitary event is related to the notion of achievement or fulfillment while a phase is related to the notion of process or development. Note that this difference does not mean that a unitary event is atomic: it could be composed of several sub-events (as instances of the same class) provided that the three unities of action, time and place are ensured.

Language

en