Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Armenian Church'

In recent decades there has been a growing scholarly interest in the representation of women in early Christian texts, with the works of Greek and Latin authors being the primary focus. This dissertation makes an important contribution to the existing scholarship by examining the representation of Armenian women in the fifth-century Christian narratives, which have been instrumental in forging the Christian identity and worldview of the Armenian people. The texts that are discussed here were written exclusively by clerics whose way of thinking was considerably influenced by the religious teachings of the Greek and Syriac Church Fathers. However, as far as the representation of women is concerned, the Greek Fathers' largely misogynistic discourse did not have discernible effect on the Armenian authors. On the contrary, the approach developed in early Christian Armenian literature was congruous with the more liberal way of thinking of the Syriac clerics, with a marked tendency towards empowering women ideologically and providing them with prominent roles in the male-centred society. I argue that such a representation of women was primarily prompted by the ideology of the pre-Christian religion of the Armenians. This research discusses the main historical and cultural factors that prompted a positive depiction of women, and highlights the rhetorical and moralising strategies that the authors deployed to construct an "ideal woman". It further explores the representation of women's agency, experience, discourse, and identity. In particular, women's pivotal role in Armenia's conversion to Christianity and female asceticism in fourth-fifth century Armenia are extensively investigated. It is also argued that women's status in the extended family determined the social spaces they could enter and the extent of power they could exercise. It appears that Iranian matrimonial practice, including polygyny and consanguineous marriages, was common among the Armenian elite, whereas the lower classes mainly practised marriage by bride purchase or abduction. Special attention is devoted to the institution of queenship in Arsacid Armenia and the position of the queen within the framework of power relationships. Finally, this study examines the instances of violence towards women during wars and how the female body was exploited to achieve desirable political goals.

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Maryland, College Park, 2004.<br>Thesis research directed by: Music. Title from t.p. of PDF. Includes bibliographical references. Published by UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, Mich. Also available in paper.

This dissertation applies ethnographic research to answer a question in the field of religious studies: to what degree does the prevailing world religions paradigm illuminate the interpretation of religious material that cannot easily be fit into a single major religious tradition. Indian Catholicism generally and Tamil Catholicism in particular have been deeply neglected both by scholars of India (who generally assume that Christianity in India is a "foreign" religion more-or-less indistinguishable from the Christianity of European missionaries) and by theologians and historians of Christianity (who often treat non-Western expressions of Christianity as somehow "compromised" by influence from alien religions such as Hinduism). By interrogating the early modern origins of the world religions paradigm and questioning its applicability to the particular case of Tamil Popular Catholicism, I intend to bring about a shift within religious studies and allied theological fields that will allow popular Catholicism to take a more central place within scholarship. The major issue I pursue in this dissertation is the manner in which European expectations about the nature of Christianity as a world religion impede the understanding of non-conforming expressions of Christianity, such as Tamil Popular Catholicism. My primary research agenda is a matter of ethnographically surveying a representative Tamil Catholic site to determine the characteristics of Tamil Popular Catholicism which most differentiate it from European expectations, and later to integrate these these findings with the theological self-definition of Catholic Christianity. Methodologically, my approach combines ethnography with oral history, aiming at a "thick description" of Tamil Popular Catholicism in its various manifestations which can be later used as a basis for theological reflection. Drawing on extensive field research at the St. Antony Shrine at St. Mary's Co-Cathedral in Chennai, I argue that popular, non-Western expressions of Christianity in Tamil Nadu differ from elite interpretations primarily with respect to the questions of exclusivity, openness to other communities, and the place of "magical" or supernatural healing traditions. There are concrete social and political consequences to the proliferation of Western religious categories in India, namely, the unraveling of the previously integrated Tamil religious culture into separate "Catholic" and "Hindu" identities and the social and political marginalization of Tamil Catholics. At the St. Antony Shrine, the local expression of Tamil Popular Catholicism defies description in terms of the prevailing world religions paradigm, which differentiates absolutely between "Christianity" and "Hinduism" and posits the existence of two hermetically-sealed religious communities ("Catholic" and "Hindu") where I argue there is but one (the popular religion of the Tamil people, in which "Hindu" and "Catholic" differ primarily by virtue of caste rather than religious classification or practice). The usual strategy within the world religious paradigm for describing non-conforming Catholic sites is to appeal to the concept of "syncretism," which refers to the mixture of two or more of the world religions into an incoherent third. This term carries heavy pejorative overtones and marginalizes religious phenomena so described, redirecting scholarly attention to religious phenomena that can be described using existing categories. By demonstrating how Western religious categories impede the understanding of a typical, non-eccentric Asian site, I show that the prevailing categories used by Western scholars to analyze religions are Orientalist in origin and logic and in need of drastic redefinition, which I provide in my conclusions by taking recourse to a premodern, Augustinian construction of "religion" which rejects the pluralization of "religions" in favor of a singular definition, circumventing the theological charge of "syncretism" and the legitimization of nationalist or communalist factions formed on the basis of pluralized religious identities.

La Thèse du doctorat qu'on a élaborée concerne l'histoire religieuse du haut plateau arménien. Selon son titre «Le substrat préchrétien et la réception arménienne du christianisme», vont être présentées la vision religieuse, liturgique, culturelle, anthropologique, sociologique et historique, ainsi que l'étude philologique des peuples du haut plateau arménien en général et du peuple arménien en particulier. Le champ d’application de ce mémoire est d’étudier dans le domaine de la religion: la sociologie, l’histoire, la liturgie, la mythologie et l’anthropologie suivant les traditions, les mœurs, les mythes, les fêtes, les superstitions et tous les éléments clés qui définissent la culture de la religion. Dans notre étude, l'objet de notre recherche sera de voir quels éléments païens arméniens religieux sont passés dans le christianisme depuis la conversion. Dans les quatre premiers chapitres de la thèse, on étudiera la mythologie arménienne, qui a servi au peuple arménien, comme chez presque toutes les civilisations antiques, à mémoriser les événements passés, ainsi qu'à idéaliser selon la créativité des peuples. En bref, la mythologie arménienne au-delà des croyances exprime la religiosité du peuple arménien. La situation politique et géographique de l’Arménie a joué un grand rôle pour fonder une riche vision de la religion au voisinage des différents peuples. Le point de vue arménien de la religion, étant une fusion de croyances locales et non locales, a évolué à travers les différentes phases. Même avant le culte des idoles, l’Arménie a été sous l’influence des religions et des cultes des nations environnantes. Ces nations sont les Assyriens, les Chaldéens, les Babyloniens, les Akkadiens, les Perses et les Grecs, avec lesquels les Arméniens entretiennent d'étroites relations linguistiques, spatiales, ethniques ou bien de subordination. Sous l’oppression des influences de la politique étrangère, la vision de la religion arménienne étant une fusion avec la religion locale, a eu son caractère unique. À travers la thèse, on analysera l'objet de la religion: les puissances abstraites, présentes dans les divinités, les esprits, les aïeux, les endroits réceptacles sacrés de forces, d'arbres, d'eaux, de feux, d'animaux. Ensuite on étudiera le sujet de la religion: l'homme (roi et prêtre), la communauté cultuelle (clan, Église, secte, société secrète), et les éléments spirituels de l'homme (âme). Enfin on citera les expressions de l'expérience religieuse: idéaux (croyances, mythes, doctrines) et pratiques (cultes, rites, fêtes, actes magiques). En étudiant les «Substrats préchrétiens», on est arrivé à la conclusion qu’en essayant de déraciner le «profane», on créa un système «sacré», qui dans le langage philosophique n'existe pas sans la présence du premier. Dans notre étude, on a fait une réflexion sur ce qu’est la politique d’«arméniser» des éléments étrangers, et sur ce qui est passé aussi dans le champ de la foi. La vision du peuple arménien à propos de l'homme, du monde et de Dieu a formé un ordre de croyances: les mythes, les rites et la liturgie, qui ont survécu et ont été transmis de génération en génération sous forme de tradition. Les manières dont de tels éléments sont transmis sont essentiellement les traditions orales, la répétition de la liturgie et des techniques rituelles au travers de l'imitation et de l'apprentissage. En apparence, l’héritage spirituel païen a été remplacé par l'héritage chrétien, mais en réalité a eu lieu une sublimation du patrimoine précédent. Sur les bases de la culture païenne et des ruines de la religion païenne, l’Église a placé ses fondements. L’Église s'est établie pratiquement grâce à l’invention de l’alphabet au Ve siècle, qui a été appelé l’âge d’or et qui a favorisé la croissance de l’Église arménienne et la prospérité du peuple<br>The Thesis of the doctorate, which we elaborated, concerns the religious history of the Armenian high plateau. According to its title «The pre-Christian substratum and the Armenian conversion to Christianity», it is going to shed a light on the religious, liturgical, cultural, anthropological, sociological and historic vision, as well as the philological study of the people of the Armenian high plateau generally and the Armenian people specifically. The scope of this dissertation is to study the field of the religion: the sociology, the history, the liturgy, the mythology and the anthropology following the traditions, the customs, the myths, the feasts, the superstitions as well as the key elements which define the culture of the religion. In our study, the purpose of our research will be to see which pagan Armenian religious elements were passed onto Christianity from the time of the conversion. In the first four chapters of the thesis, we are going to study the Armenian mythology, which have been practiced by the Armenian people, as to almost all the ancient civilizations. The political and geographical situation of Armenia played a significant role to create its rich vision of the religion. The Armenian view of religion, being an amalgamation of local and non local faiths, evolved through various periods. Even before the cult of idolatry, Armenia was under the influence of the religions and the cults of the nearby nations. These nations were the Assyrians, the Chaldeans, the Babylonians, the Acadians, the Persians and the Greeks, with whom the Armenians maintained linguistic, spatial, ethnic or subordination relations. Under the influence of foreign policy, the vision of Armenian religion being a mixture with the local religions had its unique character. Through the thesis, we are going to analyze the scope of the religion: the spiritual powers, represented by the divinities, the spirits, the forefathers, the sacred places, the trees, waters, fires, and animals. Later, we are going to study the subject of the religion: the man (king and priest), the religious community (clan, Church, sect, secret society), and the spiritual elements of the man (soul). Finally, we are going to quote the expressions of the religious experience: ideals (faiths, myths, doctrines) and practices (cults, rites, feasts, magical acts). By studying «The pre-Christian substratum and the Armenian conversion to Christianity», we concluded that by trying to eradicate the «profane», a «sacred» system was created. In our study, we have made a reflection on the policy of «armenisation» of the foreign elements, and also on what has passed in the realm of the faith. The vision of the Armenian people regarding to mankind, the world, and the God formed a system of beliefs: the myths, the rituals and the worship, which survived and were transmitted from generation to generation in the form of tradition. The manner by which such elements are transmitted are essentially the spoken traditions, the repetition of the worship and the ritual techniques through imitation and learning. Seemingly, the spiritual inheritance of paganism was replaced by the Christian legacy, but in reality had taken place a sublimation of the previous heritage. On the bases of the pagan culture and the ruins of the pagan religion, the Church put its foundations. The Church was established practically thanks to the invention of the alphabet in 5th century, which was called the golden age, it favored the growth of the Armenian Church and the prosperity of the people

Cette thèse met en lumière l'histoire de l'éducation des filles arméniennes du milieu du XIXe au début du XXe siècle en analysant pour la première fois cette histoire dans le contexte général des événements politiques qui ont influencé son développement. Elle explore également le travail des femmes arméniennes en tant que pédagogues, organisatrices et donatrices des écoles de filles. Cette recherche est fondée sur un large éventail de sources publiques et privées : rapports, programmes et règlements scolaires, publications de presse (éditoriaux, correspondances, nouvelles, annonces générales et publicitaires), œuvres littéraires, discours publics, mémoires, journaux intimes, autobiographies et lettres. Celles-ci révèlent la progression de l'éducation des filles des cours particuliers et de la formation archaïque par des femmes pieuses et des diaconesses jusqu'à la fondation d'écoles régulières pour les filles et à une forme d'éducation similaire à celle de leurs frères. Le développement de l'éducation et des écoles de filles arméniennes s'est déroulé dans le contexte triplement tumultueux des politiques coloniales et répressives du gouvernement russe au Caucase, des efforts de l'Église arménienne pour maintenir son autorité et son pouvoir sur les communautés arméniennes, et de la croissance du mouvement national et révolutionnaire des arméniens. Cette recherche souligne la façon dont la question de l'éducation des filles arméniennes a émergé et évolué. Elle montre également comment ce changement a amené les femmes arméniennes à assumer un rôle public, à établir des écoles, des organismes de bienfaisance, des bibliothèques, à écrire et à traduire de la littérature pour enfants, à organiser une série d'activités de collectes de fonds pour les écoles de filles (bazar de charité, loterie publique, vente de broderies, théâtres et concerts) et à participer au mouvement révolutionnaire. Cette thèse s'inscrit dans l'actualité des recherches en sciences de l'éducation sur la scolarisation, les programmes et les institutions scolaires du XIXe et du début du XXe siècle. Elle s'engage également dans les débats sur l'éducation des filles et l'histoire des femmes dans l'Europe de l'Est et au Caucase. Cette recherche contribue enfin aux Études Arméniennes en écrivant un chapitre essentiel et inédit de l'histoire arménienne sur la présence et le rôle des femmes dans les événements politiques, sociaux et culturels majeurs du XIXe et du début du XXe siècle<br>This dissertation brings to the light the story of the late-mid-nineteenth century and early twentieth-century education of Armenian girls for the first time by placing it in the context of the general political events that influenced its development. It also examines Armenian women's work as educators, organisers and sponsors of girls' schooling. The research is based on a wide array of public and private sources: school reports, programs and regulations, press publications (editorials, correspondences, news, announcements and advertisements), literary works, speeches, memoirs, diaries, autobiographies and letters, which reveal the period's progression from girls receiving private tutoring and an archaic training by deaconesses and celibate devotees to establishing regular schools for girls and providing them a similar form of education as their brothers. The development of Armenian girls' schools and education took place in the turbulent context of the repressive colonial politics of the Russian Government in the Caucasus, the efforts of the Armenian Church to maintain its authority and power over the Armenian communities and the growing Armenian national-revolutionary movement. The research uncovers the nuances of changing consciousness about Armenian girls' education and shows how it led Armenian women to assume public roles, establish schools, charities, libraries, write and translate children's literature, undertake a wide range of fund-raising public activities for girls' schools (charity bazaars, public lotteries, embroidery sales, theatres and concerts) and enter the revolutionary movement. This dissertation joins a vibrant conversation in the educational sciences about nineteenth and early twentieth-century schooling, programs and institutions. It also engages in the discussions about Eastern-European and Caucasian girls' education and women's history. The research also contributes to Armenian Studies by restoring to Armenian history a missing and vital chapter about women's presence and role in the late nineteenth and early twentieth-century major political, social and cultural developments

The Sermo antequam iret in exilium and the Sermo cum iret in exsilium are two homilies allegedly pronounced by John Chrysostom in Constantinople at the end of summer 403, some time between the verdict of the Synod of the Oak and the day he left the city for his first exile. The aim of the thesis is to demonstrate that a new critical edition of these texts is needed before any study of their literary and historical value can be conducted. Chapter one sketches the historical background to which the text of the homilies refers and a concise survey about previous scholarship on the homilies on the first exile, from the time of Montfaucon’s edition until our days. The problem of the authenticity occupies the last part of the chapter. Chapter two investigates the history of the texts and takes into account both the direct and indirect traditions. It discusses the existence of double recensions hitherto unknown and provides the prefatory material for the new critical edition of recensio α of Sermo antequam iret in exilium and of the Sermo cum iret in exsilium. Chapter three comprises the Greek editions of the two homilies, as well as a provisional edition of the Latin version of the Sermo antequam iret in exilium. Chapter four is divided into two parts, each presenting a philological commentary on the text of the new editions. Systematic analysis of all the most important variant readings is offered. The final chapter summarizes the new findings and assesses the validity of previous criteria used for discerning the authenticity of the homilies on the exile.

The present thesis examines probably the ultimate focal point in the history of the Christian South Caucasian Cultures – the Caucasian Schism that occurred in the early seventh century – a major scandal that ended the ecclesiastical communion between the Georgian and Armenian Churches and gave impetus to the rise of the so-called national Churches. The schism became the central point of reference in both medieval and modern Caucasian historiographies. Modern scholarship has advanced different claims concerning the nature, reasons and results of the Schism, in many cases arguing that almost all aspects of the respective cultures have been affected by the Schism. As for medieval Armenian historical narratives, they made a good conceptual use of the schism, presenting the schism as a major interpretive schema for the explanation of all aspects of their relations with their northern neighbours. Contrary to such view, I argue that our knowledge of the reasons behind the schism and theological controversies that preceded, accompanied or followed the Schism in the sixth century is in most cases determined by the conceptual framework created in the Middle Ages together with the changes in political state of affairs in the Caucasus. In the period between the tenth to thirteenth centuries, when all major South Caucasian powers were struggling for the unification of the Caucasus under their aegis, the remembrance of the schism became particularly important. The remembrance and indeed forgetting of the Caucasian unity and separation became a rhetorical tool in medieval Armeno-Georgian debates. Therefore instead of taking the Schism at face value, I propose to abandon the traditional liminalist perception of the history of unity and separation in the Caucasus, and adopt a more rewarding approach, that is to say to try to understand when, why and by whom were the crucial events of the Late Antique Caucasian history conceptualized and adapted for contemporary ideological needs.

L’arrivée de Nikita Khrouchtchev marque un tournant majeur dans la perception des libertés religieuses en U.R.S.S. Les premières décennies de l’expérience soviétique ont vacillé entre un rejet complet de toute spiritualité et une tolérance passagère, mais la construction d’une réflexion autour de la question religieuse comme phénomène complexe et la mobilisation de différentes sphères publiques pour influer sur les croyances des citoyens ne prennent réellement une dimension centralisée qu’à partir de la déstalinisation. Les racines sociales du « brouillard religieux » ont disparu, pourtant les manifestations cultuelles ne s’affaiblissent pas et ce revirement idéologique reflète sans aucun doute un aveu – à demi-mot – que la foi ne peut être uniquement expliquée par des facteurs économiques. Ce constat n’empêche pour autant pas les gouvernants soviétiques de combattre férocement le phénomène religieux comme le montre la campagne khrouchtchévienne qui, contrairement aux persécutions précédentes, s’appuie en grande partie sur le droit comme outil idéologique.Pourtant, la politique religieuse entamée à partir des années 1950 semble poursuivre des finalités dépassant la seule idéologie. Dans une société soviétique en crise, fissurée par des années de décalage entre discours officiel et pratiques quotidiennes, la question spirituelle recouvre en effet des dimensions davantage politiques et sociales. La dialectique entre pouvoirs temporel et spirituel à partir du secrétariat de Nikita Khrouchtchev est d’autant plus complexe dans le cas de la république arménienne, dont le paysage religieux spécifique laisse entrevoir de puissants enjeux internationaux et politiques<br>The arrival of Nikita Khrushchev marked a significant turning point in the perception of religious freedoms in the USSR. During the initial decades of the Soviet experiment, there was a fluctuation between outright rejection of all spirituality and intermittent tolerance. However, the comprehensive examination of religious matters as a multifaceted phenomenon and the mobilization of various public spheres to influence citizens' beliefs only truly assumed a centralized role during the era of de-Stalinization. The social underpinnings of the so-called "religious fog" had dissipated, yet religious expressions did not wane. This ideological shift undeniably indicated a somewhat reluctant recognition that faith could not be solely explained by economic factors. Nevertheless, this did not deter Soviet authorities from vehemently opposing religious phenomena, exemplified by the Khrushchev campaign, which, unlike previous persecutions, heavily relied on legal measures as an ideological tool.Nonetheless, the religious policy initiated in the 1950s appeared to have objectives that transcended ideology alone. In a Soviet society grappling with crises and marred by years of disparities between official rhetoric and everyday practices, the spiritual question acquired greater political and social dimensions. The interplay between temporal and spiritual authori-ties under Nikita Khrushchev's secretariat becomes even more intricate when examining the case of the Armenian Republic. Its distinctive religious landscape suggests significant interna-tional and political concerns at play

Dissertação de mestrado em Structural Analysis of Monuments and Historical Constructions<br>The walled city of Famagusta, located in the northeastern part of Cyprus, was once the richest city in the world. However, a long series of invasions, in combination with other factors, such as wars, earthquakes and political instability, led the city to its utter decay. The past richness of the port is today reflected in its severely deteriorated architectural heritage; reason why, in 2008, Famagusta was placed on the World Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites by the World Monument Fund. At present, one of the biggest issues threatening the remaining heritage comes from the seismicity of the region. Famagusta belongs to the most seismic prone area of the island; and its vulnerability is increased by the ground conditions, which make the region likely to have strong impact of earthquakes. This thesis addresses the study of the condition and structural stability of the medieval Armenian Church in Famagusta, which is valuable because of its still surviving frescoes. In general, three main research steps are done. First, a historical analysis of the old damage and previous restoration works is carried out, along an evaluation of the current structural condition based on an in-situ visual inspection. Subsequently, non-destructive tests are performed, namely dynamic identification analysis and sonic tests, in order to characterize the masonry condition and the dynamic properties of the building. Finally, a numerical evaluation of the church is performed using a 3D finite element model. The non-linear behavior of the structure is measured under vertical and horizontal loads. In particular, the static pushover and dynamic time-history methods are applied to assess its seismic performance. The results of these analyses are studied in terms of the generated capacity curves and the structural damage patterns; and used to justify the old observed damage and present condition of the edifice, and to discuss its safety. The present work was able to justify numerous important, old and current damage features of the Armenian Church. Particularly, good consistency was obtained regarding the damage pattern of the transversal west and east sides of the edifice. Furthermore, the results indicate that the building presents a considerable safety level in terms of vertical loading, as well as a good overall seismic performance. These characteristics can be attributed to the regularity of the masonry structure and to the high stiffness and moderate height of the masonry walls. Nonetheless, further investigation and numerical analyses are required in order to have an adequate judgment regarding, mainly, the seismic capacity of the church.<br>A cidade amuralhada de Famagusta, localizada na parte nordeste do Chipre, já foi a cidade mais rica do mundo. No entanto, uma longa série de invasões, em combinação com outros fatores, tais como guerras, terremotos e instabilidade política, levou a cidade à sua decadência total. A riqueza do porto no passado é refletida no seu património arquitetónico atualmente severamente deteriorado; razão pela qual, em 2008, Famagusta foi colocado na lista “World Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites” pelo “World Monument Fund”. Atualmente, um dos maiores problemas que ameaçam o património restante advém da sismicidade da região. Famagusta pertence à área da ilha mais propensa a sismos; e sua vulnerabilidade é aumentada pelas condições do solo, o que torna a região num foco de terremotos de elevado impacto. Esta tese aborda o estudo da condição e da estabilidade estrutural da medieval Igreja Armênia em Famagusta, valiosa pelos seus frescos ainda sobreviventes. Em geral, três etapas de pesquisa principais são feitos. Em primeiro lugar, uma análise histórica de danos prévios e obras de restauração anteriores é realizada, é efetuada igualmente uma avaliação da condição estrutural atual com base numa inspeção visual in-situ. Posteriormente, ensaios não destrutivos são realizados, nomeadamente, análise de identificação dinâmica e ensaios através da aplicação de ondas sonoras, de modo a caracterizar a condição de alvenaria e as propriedades dinâmicas do edifício. Finalmente, uma avaliação numérica da igreja é realizada utilizando um modelo de elementos finitos 3D. O comportamento não linear da estrutura é medido sob cargas verticais e horizontais. Em particular, são aplicados métodos estáticos, pushover, e dinâmicos, time-history, para avaliar o seu desempenho sísmico. Os resultados destas análises são estudados em termos das curvas de capacidade geradas e dos padrões de danos estruturais; sendo usados para justificar os danos observados, a atual condição do edifício, e discutir a sua segurança. O presente trabalho foi capaz de justificar inúmeras características de danos importantes, antigos e atuais, da Igreja Arménia. Foi obtida uma particularmente boa consistência em relação ao padrão de dano dos lados transversais este e oeste do edifício. Além disso, os resultados indicam que a construção apresenta um grau de segurança considerável em termos de carga vertical, assim como um bom comportamento sísmico global. Estas características podem ser atribuídas à regularidade da estrutura de alvenaria e à elevada rigidez e à altura moderada das paredes de alvenaria. No entanto, uma investigação mais aprofundada e análises numéricas são necessárias, a fim de ter um apreciação adequada sobre, principalmente, a capacidade sísmica da igreja.

The churn rate has been increasing continuously on the last few years, at the Elite Plaza Business Center, located in Yerevan, Armenia. The team analyzed industry characteristics, external environmental factors, as well a sin sights retrieved from research interviews performed to people that operate in the Elite Plaza. After a thorough analysis, it is understood that the churn rate can be come amore serious problem if measures are not adopted. The goal of this work project was to present real-life solutions that could be applied in the Elite Plaza, to attenuate this problem.