To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Social-Construction of Nature.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Social-Construction of Nature'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 45 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Social-Construction of Nature.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Fälton, Emelie. "The Social Construction of Swedish Nature as a Touristic Attraction." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Tema Miljöförändring, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-130538.
Full textAbstract:
Sweden is a country with a lot of tourism that is dependent on nature as a touristic resource. Nature itself is a complex concept with different interpretations. In this thesis, the social construction of the Swedish nature as a touristic attraction is scrutinized. A total of 671 visual images with belonging descriptive texts has been collected from an online image bank where information about Sweden is available for foreign marketers. The material was analysed in order to answer questions about how the Swedish nature and the touristic approach to it are presented, how nature features are assigned to it and how the relationship between nature and humans is presented. The composition and portraiture of the images and prominent themes and patterns in the textual descriptions have been identified as well. The theoretical framework is based on discourse theory, while the methodological framework is based on inspiration from both discourse analysis and content analysis. The result revealed that Swedish nature is presented as part of the rural Sweden with mountains, forests and littoral areas as the main elements. Swedish nature is foremost portrayed as wild and authentic, but also as sublime and pristine to a lesser extent. It is also portrayed as a place for touristic activities with a focus on the outdoors and physical activity. The relation between nature and humans differ, but the Swedish people are portrayed as more connected to nature than tourists
2
Matulis, Brett Sylvester. "Costa Rican ecotourism and the (re)construction of social-natures on the Osa Peninsula." Online access, 2008. http://content.wwu.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/theses&CISOPTR=293&CISOBOX=1&REC=3.
Full text
3
Seekamp, Erin Lynn. "Public Understandings of Environmental Quality: A Case Study of the Jefferson National Forest Planning Process." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/35567.
Full textAbstract:
Environmental decision-making is a tournament of competing conservation agendas in which some values and beliefs are held up and exalted, others are dismissed and ignored, and still others are implicit and unnoticed. Stakeholders compete in the tournament to advance their value systems through the science they advocate or practice, through the constructs of environmental quality they use or study, and through the management goals they champion. It is our contention that participants who hope to compete successfully in this tournament should understand the rules of the game, which includes recognizing the values and ambiguities of the language used to discuss and describe nature - in particular the terms used to describe ecological conditions that become the goals and policies of forest management - and acknowledging the "middle nature".Master of Science
4
Marangudakis, Manussos. "Nature and power : a study of the social construction of nature in Eurasia from the Stone Age to the Hellenistic times." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/NQ64615.pdf.
Full text
5
Caven, Andrew James. "The construction of human's identity in nature by opposing social movements in the Idaho wolf wars." Pullman, Wash. : Washington State University, 2009. http://www.dissertations.wsu.edu/Thesis/Spring2009/a_caven_041509.pdf.
Full text
6
Reckard, Margaux Anna-Elizabeth. "Comparing website presentations of "nature" across Vermont ski areas and adjacent rural communities." ScholarWorks @ UVM, 2018. https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/834.
Full textAbstract:
Ski areas attract and cater to tourists and are often powerful symbols of cultural identity and place-based meaning. Within contexts of mountain tourism development, ski areas also communicate messages to orient visitors and residents to special features and qualities of the natural environment. This research specifically focuses on how Vermont ski areas and their neighboring rural communities use language, symbolism and imagery, within the context of website communications, to shape cultural meanings of nature and place.
A sample of small, medium, and large ski areas, representing a range of development sizes, locations, and recreational offerings, were paired with their adjacent rural communities. A qualitative content analysis and a textual analysis of photographic images and written texts from ski area and town websites examined presentations of “nature” and place. Website presentations were compared across ski areas of different sizes, and between towns and ski areas. Findings show that portrayals of “nature” differ by the size of the ski area, but are similar across rural towns – though towns tended to produce a discourse about “nature” divergent from that of ski areas. In addition, both ski resort and town websites used images and texts of “Vermont” symbolically in constructing their place identity, though they did this in different ways. This study contributes a better understanding of the ways that ski areas and rural communities work both independently and collaboratively to create and sustain meaningful physical places and cultural myths. Aligning public communications electronically to present a more unified place identity to visitors and residents alike has potential planning and management implications for tourism development, especially in rural regions in Vermont and elsewhere.
7
Gerber, Judith. "The social construction of nature : the case of forestry in Great Britain since the turn of the 20th century." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.321586.
Full text
8
Dillabough, Jo-Anne. "The domain specific nature of children's self-perceptions of competence : an exploratory paradigm for understanding the social construction of self-knowledge in children." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1990. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/29598.
Full textAbstract:
In recent years we have witnessed a burgeoning interest in the role socializing agents' play in the development of children's self-perceptions of competence. Outlined extensively by Harter (1981, 1982, 1985), the basic assumption underlying this work is that the self-concept is a multidimensional construct reflecting cognitive representations of individuals' socialization experiences across achievement contexts. These multiple dimensions are subsumed under the guise of self-perceptions and are thought to reflect distinct cognitive structures within the phenomenological world of the child. To date, however, the majority of research stemming from Harter's original theoretical conceptualizations has been limited to examining the impact of socializing agents' expectations on children's self-perceptions of academic competence. The differential contributions made by socializing agents to the prediction of children's self-perceptions of competence across achievement domains, however, has not been assessed. In the present study, an attempt was made to fill this research gap.
In accordance with the recognition of the multidimensional nature of perceived competence, the purposes of this study were: (1) to compare the contributions made by different socializing agents' expectations to the prediction of children's self-perceived academic, social, behavioral and athletic competence; (2) to assess the extent to which socializers' expectations contribute differentially to children's perceived competence when examined in conjunction with additional variables instrumental in the development of self-concept in children; (3) to extend Harter's (1981) original conceptualization of the self by testing a uniform perceived competence model across achievement domains; and (4) to identify the primary references children utilize to define themselves. Data were collected from 87 fourth and fifth grade children. The children completed questionnaires that assessed their self-perceived academic, social, behavioral and athletic competence. Teachers' and parents' actual expectations, children's perceptions of these expectations and children's academic and social performance were also measured. Four stepwise hierarchical regression analyses were conducted (i.e., one for self-perceived academic, social, behavioral and athletic competence, respectively) to identify those variables which best predict children's domain-specific self-perceptions. Results revealed that: (a) the relative contributions made by socializers' expectations to the prediction of children's perceived competence across achievement contexts vary as a function of the domain assessed; (b) children's perceptions of significant others' expectations and performance factors also play a significant role in the prediction of domain-specific perceived competence; and (c) the social references children utilize when making self-evaluations can be conceptualized within a domain and context specific framework. Issues related to the development of self-concept theory, empirical research and counselling practices are discussed in relation to the acquisition of self-knowledge in children.Education, Faculty of
Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of
Graduate
9
Phua, Ting-ting Florence. "Toward a critical assessment of social identity : the nature of organisational identification and its implications for inter-organisational cooperation in the context of the Hong Kong construction industry /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 2002. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B2510021x.
Full text
10
Ardill, Allan. "Sociobiology and Law." Thesis, Griffith University, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/367727.
Full textAbstract:
The place of humans in nature and the nature of humans eludes us and yet there are those certain these issues can be reduced to biological explanations. Similarly, there are those rejecting the biological determinist hypothesis in favour of the equally unsubstantiated cultural construction hypothesis. This thesis draws on neo-Marxism and feminist intersectional post-positivist standpoint theory to posit biological and cultural determinism as privileged and flawed knowledge produced within relations of asymmetrical power. Instead “social construction” is preferred viewing knowledge of both nature and culture as partial and constructed within an historical, socioeconomic and political context according to asymmetrical power. Social constructionists prefer to question the role of power in the production of knowledge rather than asking questions about the place of humans in nature and the nature of humans; and trying to answer those questions through methods imbued with western, colonial, patriarchal, homophobic, and positivist ideals. As a starting point the postmodern view that knowledge is incomplete and has no ultimate authority is accepted. However, this thesis departs from postmodernism on the premise that knowledge is not all relative and can be critiqued by drawing on neo-Marxist and feminist intersectional post-positivist standpoint theory. Standpoint theory presumes a knowledge power nexus and contends accountable, ethical and responsible knowledge can be produced provided an “upwards perspective” is applied commencing with the standpoint of the most marginalised group within a given context. This approach to knowledge is applied to critically assess the role played by law in reproducing hierarchy and oppression in the categories of socioeconomic class, gender, sexuality and race to show that the law is sociobiological. My thesis is that human hierarchy and oppression are not natural or inevitable and are instead socially constructed through human action and institutions, including law. As social constructions, hierarchy and oppression must continually be justified as natural and inevitable otherwise they are vulnerable to change and destabilisation. It is argued here that a dominant justification for hierarchy and oppression is sociobiology because it naturalises and reifies human action and institutions as being determined by biology. As a legal justification sociobiology is defined as any discourse purporting to be based on “nature”, biological or evolutionary theories and “facts” to justify or reify hierarchy and domination. Unlike other ideologies, sociobiology is a dominant ideology because it is used to justify hierarchy and oppression in all the usual categories - class, gender, sexuality and race – and there is evidence of this in law. The argument is novel to the extent that sociobiology is not a dominant ideology in a conventional sense - as a cause of stratification - but in the sense that it is a dominant thematic excuse; whether or not those excuses are actually accepted. Nor is it posited as a dominant ideology in the sense that it is a top-down ideology imposed on, or duping subalterns. Rather, sociobiology is dominant because it can supply excuses for the naturalisation of human action in general and because it is more amenable to application by the powerful than the disempowered by virtue of that power. In western societies ideologies were once grounded in theology according to Christian decrees and beliefs. Since the Renaissance and the shift from feudalism to capitalism, ideologies have become more secular. A leading secular ideology is sociobiology being a collection of ideas closely linked to the antecedents of capitalism and continuing alongside it to the present day. Sociobiology is understood in this thesis in three overlapping ways. It includes modern sciences clustered around E.O. Wilson'’s famous 1975 essay Sociobiology: The New Synthesis. It is also a long historical tradition of scholarly theories about human nature and the place of humans in nature sharing the idea that human hierarchies on the basis of race, gender, sexuality and class are attributable variously to the work of God, nature, biology, and genes. Lastly it is an ideology. As an ideology, sociobiology is taken to be part of a long tradition of using the authority of privileged “knowledge” about nature to justify action and institutions that have the effect of creating and retaining hierarchy and oppression. This includes law.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Griffith Law School
Full Text
11
Richert, David. "Public Understandings of Environmental Quality: A Case Study of Private Forest Land Management in Southwest Virginia." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/31962.
Full textAbstract:
Environmental quality is a construct that has currency at the interface between science and policyâ it is used both to describe current conditions as well as prescribe desired future conditions. However, environmental quality has a multiplicity of definitions, owing to: a) the fact that there are a number of terms (or â sub constructsâ ) taken to be synonymous with environmental quality (i.e. environmental health, sustainability, biodiversity, integrity, and the like), and b) the fact that each of these sub constructs, in turn, have multiple meanings. Many in the field of natural sciences have been working on this problem of ambiguityâ attempting to develop precise and powerful definitions. Still others argue that environmental quality is a concept open to societal negotiation (in addition to scientific discovery). In this thesis, I argue that environmental quality can be understood and discussed by examining understandings of Nature and evaluations for Nature that seem to contribute to the ambiguity of meanings and outcomes for environmental quality.
To reach these conclusions, I interviewed 24 stakeholders who represented a broad range of concerns about and interests in environmental quality on private forest land in Southwest Virginia. I reviewed nearly 300 pages of interview text, looking for emerging themes and structures from their hour-long (on average) discussions of environmental quality. I found that among these 24 stakeholders, there were indeed, many ways of defining environmental quality (i.e. health, biodiversity, site productivity, et cetera). Additionally, I found that these different definitions for environmental quality seem to correlate with different understandings of Nature (what is Nature like?) and different values for Nature (how should Nature be used?) I conclude by discussing these implications, using examples from forestry outreach and extension.Master of Science
12
Sefela, Farren. "Biting the hand that feeds you: Visitor perceptions of visitor-baboon interaction in the Cape Peninsula." University of the Western Cape, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/7953.
Full textAbstract:
Masters of ArtThe rapid increase in urbanisation and tourism in the Cape Peninsula has increased the rate of human-wildlife interaction. The Cape Peninsula is unique in terms of placing urban areas next to protected natural areas with no physical barriers, thus allowing animals, especially baboons, to travel between the two areas, occasionally leading to conflict between humans and wildlife. Visitors to popular tourist sites may also actively participate in feeding baboons or through negligence by leaving food items in the open. As a result, changing the habits of the baboons as human food and food waste are seen as the preferred option in terms of dietary habits. The main aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions and social construction of visitors in the Cape Peninsula towards baboons at tourist sites. Social constructionist theory was used as the theoretical framework for the study, which looks at the way people perceive nature and wildlife, which is unique to each person. The study uses an exploratory sequential mixed methods design, with a qualitative section that includes three semi-structured interviews, followed by a quantitative section consisting of a questionnaire survey, with 201 questionnaires being completed. The survey was conducted at key tourist sites around the Cape Peninsula that are well known for baboon sightings, including Bordjiesrif Picnic Site, Buffels Bay viewpoint, Cape of Good Hope/Cape Point and Dias Beach. The study used discourse analyses and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to analyse the data, which allowed for ideas to be labelled and linked to opinions in the literature, and patterns identified during the data collection. Visitors viewed tourism spaces as anthropocentric areas, and thus perceived baboon-visitor interactions through conditional acceptance. Visitor perceptions and social construction of baboon-visitor interactions may be positive when conditional acceptance is adhered to, and negative when conditional acceptance is broken. Recommendations for further research includes more research on non-consumptive tourism activities and its impact on human-wildlife interactions, with a need for more literature on the influence of education on people’s attitudes towards wildlife, and finally, more research that focuses on the changing behavioural ecology of baboons, due to an increase in tourism/visitation.
13
Davenport, John Lawrence. "ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION IN THE OUACHITA NATIONAL FOREST: EVALUATING THE PRAGMATISM OF PRE-EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT BENCHMARKS." Lexington, Ky. : [University of Kentucky Libraries], 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10225/891.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Kentucky, 2008.Title from document title page (viewed on October 29, 2008). Document formatted into pages; contains: vii, 124 p. : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.). Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 98-123).
14
Mbatia, Teresa Wanjiru. "Social-Political analysis of urban greenspaces in Nairobi : Perspectives on the (re)production and (re)construction of spatial injustice in the consumption of public nature reserves in the city : A critical inquiry into outcomes of non-state actors interventions in the management and conservation of urban protected areas." Thesis, Bordeaux 3, 2016. http://www.theses.fr/2016BOR30068/document.
Full textAbstract:
Cette thèse est sur l’historique et contemporain, social, politique et économique des forces, qui ont conduit à la (re) production et (re) construction d’injustice spatiale, de la consommation des espaces verts publics socialement valorisées urbaines à Nairobi. À l’aide d’un cadre de l’écologie politique urbaine (EPU), l’étude examine les forces structurant et les acteurs qui ont déterminé et continuent à la forme, les caractéristiques et les tendances, d’utilisation et accès, de la nature urbaine se réserve dans la ville. La question de recherche central de l’étude est, quels sont les processus sociaux, politiques et économiques passés et présents qui déterminent l’utilisation et l’accès des espaces verts urbains pour différents groupes sociaux à Nairobi? L’étude a été guidée par trois objectifs principaux : (1) d’enquêter sur le contexte historique, dynamique, sociale, politique et économique, impliqué dans les espaces verts urbains de création à Nairobi ; (2) afin d’étudier les politiques passées et présentes et des législations guidant l’utilisation, gestion et conservation de l’urbain protégé des zones, ainsi que les résultats des législations pour différents groupes sociaux et (3) d’examiner les résultats sociaux des interventions de l’acteur non étatique, dans la conservation et la gestion des aires protégées urbaines, sur l’utilisation et l’accès des espaces verts urbains publics, pour différents groupes sociaux. L’approche méthodologique utilisée était l’histoire de l’environnement et de la construction sociale de la nature. L’étude a recueilli des données qualitatives et analyse les informations à l’aide d’un style d’analyse critique du discours. Le premier argument que rend la thèse est que les inégalités sociales et spatiales dans l’utilisation et l’accès nos espaces verts urbains à Nairobi se fonde sur l’histoire urbaine de la ville coloniale, fondée par les impérialistes britanniques et mis au point à l’aide de la ségrégation raciale institutionnalisée, comme la principale stratégie de planification et de gestion urbaine. Basé sur un examen critique des résultats sociaux, des politiques et législations dans la période postcoloniale, je fais le deuxième argument que les gouvernements post indépendantes et moyens, a continué à reproduire injuste nos espaces verts urbains, en omettant de traiter l’oppression et l’autocratie, construit dans les forces structurantes et les institutions, hérités de l’administration coloniale. Par conséquent, pendant une longue période après l’indépendance, autre désenchantement des groupes sociaux vulnérables et marginalisés ont continué, limitant leur utilisation équitable et l’accès des ressources naturelles socialement valorisées. Le discours de l’époque est qu’ouverture aux acteurs non étatiques, augmentera les possibilités pour les groupes sociaux marginalisés et vulnérables, soient habilitées à prendre des décisions sur la gestion et l’utilisation durable des ressources. On croit que cela permettra aux collectivités de durablement pour utiliser et accéder aux ressources naturelles, réduire la pauvreté, améliorer les moyens de subsistance, prestation de services et améliorer la conservation et gestion. Ainsi, environ de la dernière décennie un, indépendant des gouvernements ont modifié leurs politiques, par l’ouverture à la participation du public dans la gestion et la conservation de la nature urbaine se réserve notamment dans la ville. Ces changements dans la politique font partie des déplacements plus loin le gouvernement de l’État centré, vers une autonomisation locale, conformément à la Constitution du Kenya a récemment promulgué (CoK) 2010. L’idée maîtresse de la thèse vient ici, où j’ai une question l’affirmation que la participation citoyenne permettra d’améliorer la justice sociale et spatialeThis thesis is about the historical and contemporary social, political and economic forces, that have led to the (re)production and (re)construction of spatial injustice, in the consumption of socially valued public urban green spaces in Nairobi. Using an Urban Political Ecology (UPE) framework, the study investigates the structuring forces and actors that have determined and continue to shape, patterns and trends, of use and access, of urban nature reserves in the city. The central research question of the study is, what are the past and present social, political and economic processes that determine use and access of urban greenspaces for different social user groups in Nairobi? The study was guided by three main objectives: (1) To investigate the historical context, that is, social, political and economic dynamics, involved in the creation urban greenspaces in Nairobi; (2) To investigate the past and present, policies and legislations guiding the use, management and conservation of the urban protected areas, as well as the outcomes of the legislations for different social user groups and (3) To examine the social outcomes of non-state actor’s interventions, in the conservation and management of urban protected areas, on use and access of public urban green spaces, for different social user groups. The methodological approach used was environmental history and the social construction of nature. The study collected qualitative data and analysed the information using a critical discourse analysis style. The first argument the thesis makes is that social and spatial inequalities in use and access urban greenspaces in Nairobi is grounded on the city’s colonial urban history, as founded by the British imperialists and developed using institutionalised racial segregation, as the main strategy for urban planning and management. Based on a critical review of the social outcomes, of policies and legislations in the post-colonial period, I make the second argument that the early and middle post-independent governments, continued to reproduce unjust urban greenspaces, by failing to address the oppression and autocracy, built in the structuring forces and institutions, inherited from the colonial government. Therefore, for a long time after independence, further disenfranchisement of vulnerable and marginalised social groups continued, limiting their equitable use and access of socially valued natural resources. The contemporary discourse is that opening up to non-state actors, will increase opportunities for the marginalised and vulnerable social groups, to be empowered in making decisions on sustainable resource use and management. It is believed that this will enable communities to sustainably use and access natural resources, reduce poverty, improve livelihoods, service delivery and enhance conservation and management. Thus, approximately for the past one decade, the post-independent governments have changed their policies, by opening up to public participation in management and conservation of urban nature reserves including in the city. These changes in policy are part of the wider shifts away from the state centred government, towards local empowerment, in line with the recently promulgated Constitution of Kenya (CoK) 2010. The main thrust of the thesis comes here, where I question the assertion that citizen participation will enhance social and spatial justice. Therefore, a larger part of the thesis investigates the social outcomes of interventions by non-state actors in management and conservation of the urban nature reserves, on different social user groups
15
Fugate-Whitlock, Elizabeth. "Natural Disasters and Older Adults: The Social Construction of Disaster Planning." VCU Scholars Compass, 2011. http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/2617.
Full textAbstract:
Examining older adults’ experiences with and response toward hurricanes within the context of the community of residence is key to both understanding their experiences and planning for future hurricanes. Specific to this research, the objective was to understand the current social network of older adults, or who provides care for whom under what circumstances, using the social constructionist perspective. Grounded theory combined with action research was the theoretical orientation guiding the study. Sources of data included the collection of household disaster plans, semi-structured interviews with older adult residents of housing authority neighborhoods, semi-structured interviews with community planners, and observation of community planning meetings. Data were gathered from older adults living in housing authority communities in Southeastern North Carolina using guidelines established by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to develop individual disaster plans. The individual disaster plans were completed during face to face meetings with the older adults, as were semi-structured interviews. Semi-structured interviews were also completed with area planners. Agendas, minutes, and observational notes from disaster planning meetings were collected. The content of the individual disaster plans, semi-structured interviews, and observation notes were then analyzed to determine gaps that must be addressed in order to meet the overall needs of the community. Working with participants, the housing authority disaster response committee, and county planners, a neighborhood plan will be developed that reflects the social construction of all concerned for use in response to future hurricanes. The impact of the multiple levels of communities was apparent in this research. While common thematic processes emerged in data analysis, planners, housing authority personnel and residents of housing communities define community differently. There is discordance when they identify needed resources, and when they reflect on past experience. A power differential which resulted in stifling was also observed.
16
Allen, Mark. "The Nature of Relationship Construction and Maintenance for New College Presidents: An Exploratory Study." Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1325792568.
Full text
17
Tian, Xiaoping. "Co-construction of social reality: ICA’s strategic planning with Native Americans for community development." Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies / OhioLINK, 1992. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1056551268.
Full text
18
Attindéhou, Olivier-Charles Bernardin. "Penser l'instabilité socio-politique en Afrique subsaharienne. Examen des causes et revendication heuristique : la stabilité par le chaos. Les cas illustratifs de la Côte d'Ivoire et du Rwanda." Thesis, Lyon, 2017. http://www.theses.fr/2017LYSE3053.
Full textAbstract:
L’Afrique subsaharienne se présente, involontairement, comme une région en proie à une succession de crises, de conflits, de guerres civiles. Ces externalités négatives de l’instabilité socio-politique s’appréhendent, souvent, par le truchement du rite jaculatoire causal. D’où, les vocables « ethnies », « identité » – lorsqu’il n’est pas question de sous-développement, ou de l’injection du déficit démocratique –, auprès des commentateurs, sont, de façon cursive, convoqués pour expliquer le désordre perçu. Ainsi, les événements de 1994 au Rwanda sont ramenés à un conflit – « ethnique » – Hutu/Tutsi; négligeant par voie de conséquence l’acuité de la complexité de la réalité, ou à défaut, celle de la convergence de variables. Et pourtant, en descendant dans cette profondeur cognitive, tout observateur constaterait que l’instabilité socio-politique en Afrique subsaharienne reste une construction dans le temps et dans l’espace, optimisée par l’impénitent désir de pouvoir des acteurs politiques. Les structures historiques, loin d’être de véritables déterminants, participent à la construction sociale de la réalité porteuse d’idées, de règles et de pratiques représentationnelles qui érigent la nécessaire grammaire du bouleversement social. Nos présents travaux, non seulement, viennent examiner les causes habituellement avancées, mais s’opposent également aux arguments culturalistes mobilisés pour l’explication ou la compréhension de l’instabilité socio-politique en Afrique subsaharienne. C’est pourquoi, nous retenons que la justesse scientifique afférente à la compréhension du mouvement mécanistique socio-politique en Afrique subsaharienne est fonction du mode de connaissance de la réalité perçue. Par conséquent, nous estimons que l’instabilité socio-politique en Afrique subsaharienne, est un processus dynamique évolutif qui, nonobstant le désordre structurel, tend vers une stationnarité relative, puis absolue avant l’avènement de la stabilitéSubsaharan Africa presents itself, involuntarily, like an area in the grip of a succession of crises, conflicts, civil wars. These negative externalities of sociopolitical instability are apprehended, often, by the means of the causal ritual. That's why, the terms "ethnic group", "identity" - when it isn't question of underdevelopment, or the injection of democratic deficit - near the commentators, in a cursory mention, are convened to explain the perceived disorder. Thus, the events of 1994 in Rwanda are brought back to a "ethnic" conflict Hutu/Tutsi; negleging consequently the acuity of the complexity of reality or failing this, that of the convergence of variables. And yet, while going down in this cognitive depth, any observer would note that sociopolitical instability in subsaharan Africa remains a construction in time and space, optimized by the unrepentant desire of power of the political actors. The historical structures, far from being true determinants, take part in the social construction of reality carrying ideas, rules, and practices representational which set up the necessary grammar of the social upheaval. Our present work, not only comes to examine the usually advanced causes, but is also opposed to the culturalist arguments mobilized for the explanation or the comprehension of sociopolitical instability in subsaharan Africa. This is why, we retain that the scientific accuracy related with the comprehension of sociopolitical mechanisitc movement in subsaharan Africa is function of the mode of knowledge of perceived reality. Consequently, we estimate that sociopolitical instability in subsaharan Africa, is an evolutionary dynamic process which, notwhithstanding, the strutural disorder, strives for a relative stationnarity, then absolute before the advent of stability
19
Nilsson, Josephine. "Construction, social structure and policy response in Jamaica - A hurricane hit country :." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Institutionen för byggteknik (BY), 2014. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-35882.
Full textAbstract:
The Jamaican hurricane history goes back a long time. The country has an average ratio of getting hit or brushed every 3.84 years and it is estimated to be hit directly every 9.47 years. This underscores the relevance of this paper since it seeks to investigate the construction, social structure and policy response of Jamaica. The impressions of the author combined with the interviews and literature study resulted in the conclusion of the constructions and social structure not being the main issue, but the policy response.
20
Tang, Shiu-wai, and 鄧紹偉. "Reproduction has never been natural: the social construction of reproduction in the age of new reproductivetechnologies." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2000. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31225202.
Full text
21
Tang, Shiu-wai. "Reproduction has never been natural the social construction of reproduction in the age of new reproductive technologies /." Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong, 2000. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B22331888.
Full text
22
Pritchard, Stephen G. "The social construction of landscape scale conservation projects as delivered by The Wildlife Trusts in England." Thesis, University of Gloucestershire, 2017. http://eprints.glos.ac.uk/5712/.
Full textAbstract:
Wildlife conservation in England is in transition because nature reserve based conservation has three weaknesses. They have not reversed biodiversity decline, nor do they provide the means for species to move across the landscape in response to climate change, and most reserves are too small to be part of an ecosystem approach to conservation. Landscape scale conservation (LSC) addresses these deficiencies. Therefore, the purpose of my thesis was to understand the meaning of LSC as implemented in the Living Landscapes schemes of The Wildlife Trusts (TWT) movement in England. My research also examined the governance and management of these schemes. I used a constructivist approach to investigate the institutions and discourses of Living Landscapes. To do this, I conducted an email survey of the 36 Trusts in England and then studied the available documentation that describes Living Landscapes. Then I carried out a series of in-depth interviews with stakeholders associated with five Wildlife Trusts. The purpose of these interviews was to understand what their Living Landscape schemes meant to these stakeholders. The email survey and subsequent document study revealed the range and type of Living Landscapes across England. LSC is complex, suggesting that ecosystem services are too intricate a typography to assign to these schemes. I developed an understanding of what is meant by LSC through the lens of stakeholders in Living Landscapes. I examined TWT’s LSC vision which revealed the discourses and formal and informal institutions of Living Landscapes. I also examined Lockwood’s framework for LSC governance, one of LSC’s institutions. My research examined the Wildlife Trust movement’s approach to delivering LSC. Two types of institutions are evident, informal institutions define the physical attributes of Living Landscapes, whilst formal institutions are characteristic of their governance and management. Its key discourses of conservation, education and community engagement define Living Landscapes, whilst ecosystem services emerged as a new discourse to reflect the multifaceted cultural and historical elements in the landscape. TWT’s once insular approach to governance is in transition to a pluralistic model that encourages greater community involvement. Therefore, if LSC is to be a template for successful conservation it must embrace a wider definition of both conservation and governance.
23
潘婷婷 and Ting-ting Florence Phua. "Toward a critical assessment of social identity: the nature of organisational identification and its implicationsfor inter-organisational cooperation in the context of the Hong Kongconstruction industry." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31243538.
Full text
24
Zhang, Meng. "Systems thinking in the construction of information systems theory: A set of methodological inquiries." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2016. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/92275/1/Meng_Zhang_Thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis examines the nature of research methods and explores novel approaches to developing richer and more realistic theory concerned with information systems. The conceptual analysis offers a solid basis for flexibly configuring research methods and for systematically constructing complex theory. The frameworks provided can help researchers better deal with increasing complexities arising from the interaction between human and technological systems.
25
McClellan, George S. "Multiculturalism as a "technology of othering": An exploratory study of the social construction of Native Americans by student affairs professionals in the Southwest." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/280302.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation reports on an exploratory study conducted to better understand the social construction of Native Americans by new student affairs professionals in the Southwest and the ways in which professional socialization experiences impacts on that construction. Data were generated from interviews with student affairs professionals at institutions in the Southwest with significant Native American enrollments. Data were also generated from the professionals' graduate preparation program web sites and from the journals and conferences of two student affairs professional associations. Native Americans were constructed by professionals as coming from isolated, impoverished reservations where they lived a traditional lifestyle. Native students were seen as struggling to succeed as a result of culture shock and deficits including alcohol issues, different styles of communication, and different senses of time. The aspiration of Native students who graduate was believed to be returning to the reservation. References to Native Americans were rare in graduate program web sites reviewed and limited to the sites of two programs at institutions with significant Native enrollments. Interview data indicated discussion of Native Americans in graduate courses was very limited. Two programs, both with several Native American students enrolled in them, included more substantial discussion of Native Americans. References to Native Americans in the associations' journals and conferences were not uncommon but few articles or conference sessions focused substantially on Native Americans. The professionals interviewed had relatively modest knowledge of Native Americans and almost no knowledge of indigenous-based resources upon which to draw in working with Native students. However, student affairs professionals interviewed felt qualified to work with students who are Native American based on the professionals' cultural sensitivity, a shared sense of in group experiences, and the belief that knowledge of theories for other minority groups or minority groups in general would suffice. Data generated during the interviews indicated diversity and multiculturalism were absent from performance reviews and would enter into reviews on when there were problems. Professionals participating in the study constructed multiculturalism as a quality to be imbued in students and institutions for reasons of social justice and the marketplace.
26
Portström, Sofia. "Fäbodbruk - “Det magiska mötet mellan natur och kultur” : En fenomenografisk studie om fäbodbruk ur brukarnas perspektiv." Thesis, Södertörns högskola, Miljövetenskap, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-38014.
Full textAbstract:
Summer pasture contributes both to cultural-historical values and to positive effects on biodiversity. However, the usage of the term ”summer pastures” varies and there is no general definition. This lack of definition gives rise to a conflict: Should the summer pasture be preserved for its cultural-historical value by having it look just like before, or should it be preserved for its value in biodiversity? Today, the authorities’ image of summer pasture is what controls which summer pastures and what values are granted financial support. This means that the summer pastures risk being defined and developed on the basis of the authorities' image, not by the image the farmers themselves have, which is based on historical and conservational knowledge. Thus, the purpose of this study is to highlight the use of summer pasture as a phenomenon and an activity from the user's perspective. In order to discover how the farmers themselves view summer pastures, a phenomenographic method is used to analyze interviews of summer pasture farmers with varying backgrounds and activities. The results of the study show that the summer pasture of today varies with regard to the design of the business. The common denominator is the small-scale animal husbandry where summer pasture take place on the outskirts beyond the home farm, to where the farmer moves with the animals during summer. Summer pasture has traditionally never been an economic gain, nor does it provide much today. The farmers are enthusiasts who believe in a higher purpose of what they do. The lack of definition is something that affects them only in their contact with authorities, from where they are only met with ignorance. The farmers believe that the summer pasture have a cultural-historical value, one that also lies in the future with increasing environmental awareness and climate change.Fäbodbruk bidrar såväl med kulturhistoriska värden som med positiva effekter på den biologiska mångfalden. Bilden av vad dagens fäbodbruk innebär varierar dock och ingen allmän definition finns. I och med bristen på definition uppstår en konflikt: Bör fäbodbruket bevaras för dess kulturhistoriska värde genom att det ska se ut precis som förr, eller ska det bevaras för dess värde för den biologiska mångfalden? Idag är det myndigheternas bild av fäbodbruk som styr vilka fäbodar och värden som beviljas ekonomiskt stöd. Detta innebär att fäbodbruket riskerar att definieras och utvecklas utifrån myndigheternas bild, inte av den bild brukarna själva har som är baserad på historisk och bevarandevärd kunskap. Syftet med denna studie är således att belysa fäbodbruket som företeelse och som verksamhet utifrån brukarens perspektiv. För att få fram den bild fäbodbrukarna själva har av fäbodbruk används en fenomenografisk metod för att analysera intervjuer av fäbodbrukare med varierande bakgrund och verksamhet. Studiens resultat påvisar att dagens fäbodbruk varierar vad gäller verksamhetens utformning. Den gemensamma nämnaren är att det rör sig om småskalig djurhållning där sommarbetet sker på utmarkerna bortom hemgården dit brukaren flyttar med djuren på sommaren. Fäbodbruk är inget som traditionellt sett är något som gett en ekonomisk vinning och knappast heller ger idag. Fäbodbrukarna är snarare eldsjälar som tror på ett högre syfte kring det de gör. Avsaknandet av definition är något som påverkar dem först vid kontakt med myndigheter av vilka de möts av okunskap. Brukarna anser att fäbodbruket har ett kulturhistoriskt värde men att fäbodbruket även hör till framtiden i och med en ökande miljömedvetenhet och klimatförändringar.
Biologiskt kulturarv som hållbar värdeskapare
27
Obin, Olivier. "Territoires en construction : de la géographie sociale à l'acteur-réseau : une lecture des dynamiques sportives de nature dans les Grands Causses." Phd thesis, Université de Grenoble, 2013. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00973203.
Full textAbstract:
Ce travail s'intéresse à la construction et à la reconfiguration des territoires ruraux. Pour cela, il propose une analyse des dynamiques sportives de nature observées autour du territoire dit des " Grands Causses ". Au départ de ce travail, nous retenons l'expression de " dynamique territoriale " pour qualifier l'objet de notre observation car elle permet de ne pas porter de regard a priori. Les Grands Causses sont parcourus, appropriés et marqués par les sportifs au travers de nombreux lieux de pratique, évènements ou prestations touristiques. Les sports de nature y sont aussi l'objet de politiques publiques et donnent lieux localement à différents projets, débats et conflits. La première partie de ce travail propose une lecture s'inscrivant dans une géographie sociale. Un premier terrain s'intéressant aux accords entre prestataires d'activités sportives et à leurs ancrages au territoire nous conduit à reformuler nos questionnements. Les relations partenariales, concurrentielles ou conflictuelles entre les différents entrepreneurs et les autres acteurs du territoire, ainsi que leurs ancrages locaux, se construisent avec des objets techniques, matériels ou immatériels. La seconde partie de la thèse s'intéresse à la construction collective des accords. La théorie de l'acteur réseau (ou sociologie de la traduction) est mobilisée pour détailler le processus d'intéressement. Trois situations sont observées. Elles concernent les débats autour de la gestion de sites de pratique et la fabrication d'un évènementiel innovant. Les résultats montrent que des réseaux sociotechniques se mettent en place autour de ces situations. Ceux-ci permettent l'enrôlement d'acteurs variés (collectivités, services de l'Etat, professionnels, associations...), endogènes et exogènes au territoire. Le processus d'intéressement donne lieu à la production de solutions collectives, lesquelles engagent souvent l'enrôlement de nouveaux artefacts. Ces instruments de l'action collective agissent lorsqu'ils sont mis en œuvre et débordent parfois des missions qui leur ont été confiées. Ces mouvements locaux mettent en jeu l'identité et la territorialité des acteurs engagés. Ils participent aussi à la production de repères territoriaux. Ainsi, nous observons que le territoire se construit avec ces débats localisés. La synthèse générale propose d'observer les dynamiques territoriales comme un écosystème d'acteurs territoriaux. Cette proposition souligne les relations d'interdépendance entre acteurs (humains et non-humains), endogènes et exogènes au territoire ainsi que la variété des modes de gouvernance associés. Ce travail enrichit l'approche classique de la géographie sociale en proposant une lecture de la composition progressive et toujours en cours des territoires.
28
Aragón-Durand, F. d. J. "Unpacking the social construction of 'natural' disaster through policy discourses and institutional responses in Mexico : the case of Chalco Valley's floods, State of Mexico." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2009. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/18983/.
Full textAbstract:
This research analyses 'natural' disaster policies for Mexico. The objective is to demonstrate that 'natural' disaster and the policies oriented to prevent them are socially constructed. It adopts a constructionist perspective because it is concerned with the understanding of collective social constructions of meaning and knowledge that are determined by political and social processes. This study focuses on the relation between the discourses of disaster causality, policy problem construction and policy responses in Mexico. The central argument is that in Mexico when disaster is conceived as a 'natural' phenomenon the exposure of vulnerable people to disaster risk is concealed therefore inhibiting the emergence of socially sensitive responses at policy level. Two analytical inter-related frameworks were elaborated. The first framework was set up to examine the discursive construction of floods causality as a policy problem and the second one to unpack the argumentative construction of policy responses. The research chooses the case of Chalco Valley's floods that took place in June 2000 in the State of Mexico, Mexico and the institutional responses deployed before, during and after the floods as the empirical ground on which the central argument is examined. Four different disaster discourses were found at policy level, namely inadvertence by 'ignorance', inadvertence by 'carelessness', accidental and structural. These were shaped by how causal ideas of disaster were assembled and made persuasive. In turn, these four different discourses construct four different floods policy problems and therefore imply four types of policy responses even though important connections were found amongst them. These connections represent relevant policy coalitions upon which policy change can be sought. It was found that people's vulnerability to floods is a component in only one discourse, namely structural causality discourse, and therefore in one group of policy responses. The research approach and the findings suggest areas to improve policy making and research in the disaster field in Mexico. The outcome of the research contributes to a better understanding of the how scientists, policy makers and people affected by disaster assign meanings and beliefs, construct knowledge and use evidence to support and legitimise disaster causality claims in different ways. These epistemological differences have to be acknowledged for improving policy formulation and implementation aimed at reducing disaster risk of vulnerable people.
29
De, Abreu Negreiros Bianca. "Building design and environmental performance : thermal comfort through thermal mass and natural ventilation in social housing in Northeast Brazil." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2018. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/building-design-and-environmental-performance-thermal-comfort-through-thermal-mass-and-natural-ventilation-in-social-housing-in-northeast-brazil(71a83bde-8a7c-43d1-a181-2bb340dcb639).html.
Full textAbstract:
Environmental consciousness leads the construction industry to greater concerns about local adaptation, less waste of resources and energy efficiency In Brazil, earth construction is a feasible approach to house building in many locations and can play a useful part in resolving the housing problems faced by that country, being already a popular approach to providing affordable housing for low income groups within the population, particularly in the Northeast Region of the country, although usually not built correctly. Although used since the colonial period, from 1500, knowledge around earth systems is not formally embedded within the Brazilian building standards and this is unhelpful in terms of promoting quality of performance of buildings thus constructed. For example, appropriate use of high thermal mass in conjunction with natural ventilation, which is frequently used in Brazil due to energy costs, can significantly influence the thermal comfort within residences, but appropriate guidance is lacking. This research considers the combined effects of earth construction and natural ventilation upon thermal comfort within social housing in Northeast Brazil. The main thesis hypothesis is that the use of thermal mass provided by earth construction combined with natural ventilation results in acceptable levels of thermal performance with respect to thermal comfort in both hot and humid and hot and dry climates. The aim is to evaluate the thermal performance of high thermal mass dwellings using adobe system combined with natural ventilation in the bioclimatic zones of Brazil's Northeast Region. The method explores thermal performance simulation using Design Builder, a graphical interface for Energy Plus program. The assessment uses parametric analysis and the adaptive thermal comfort index from de Dear and Brager (1998). The results suggest that earth construction provides a high number of comfort hours in all bioclimatic zones in Northeast Brazil and ventilation use enhances the comfort sensation.
30
Cintron, David. "THE TAÍNO ARE STILL ALIVE, TAÍNO CUAN YAHABO: AN EXAMPLE OF THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF RACE AND ETHNICITY." Master's thesis, University of Central Florida, 2006. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/3870.
Full textAbstract:
Definitions and boundaries of race and ethnicity are socially constructed. They are malleable inventions created by the negotiation of ascribed ideas from outside groups and asserted notions from the inside group's membership. The revitalization of Taíno identity and culture within the Puerto Rican and related communities is a classic case example of this negotiation. Although objective conditions exist to recognize the descendants of these Caribbean aboriginals as an identifiable group, their identities are contested and sometimes ridiculed. Even though Taíno heritage is accepted as an essential root of Puerto Rico's cultural and biological make-up, this group has been classified as extinct since the early 16th century. This thesis analyzes the official newsletters of the Taíno Nation of the Antilles--one of the leading organizations working for revitalization. The content of this material culture was dissected and organized into rhetorical categories in order to reveal patterns of endogamic assertions of race and ethnicity. This thesis will provide a descriptive analysis of the Taíno Nation's rhetorical process of convincing the world that they do in fact exist.M.A.
Department of Sociology
Sciences
Applied Sociology
31
Cederholm, Eleonore. "Hur tänker 8-åriga barn i de naturvetenskapliga ämnena? : Barns uppfattningar om begreppet luft." Thesis, Karlstad University, Karlstad University, 2006. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-322.
Full textAbstract:
Att alla oavsett ålder, mer eller mindre har funderingar över världens struktur och beskaffenhet tror jag mig våga påstå. Hur dessa ser ut i de lägre åldrarna är en intressant fråga som jag tittat närmare på.
Genom enskilda elevintervjuer och litteraturstudier har jag sökt svar på frågor som; Vilka uppfattningar/kunskaper har 8-åringar om begreppet luft? Hur ser elevernas vardagsförklaringar ut jämfört med de vetenskapliga? Hur kan jag som blivande lärare använda mig av elevernas vardagstänkande?
Svaren på mina tre frågor kan kort sammanfattas som följer: Att tankar om begreppet luft fanns. Luft är något självklart, nödvändigt och alltid närvarande. Tankestrukturen hos eleverna är ett vardagstänkande som förklaras på ett vardagligt språk. Uppmärksammandet av begreppet lugt gjorde även att ytterligare tankar om luft kom fram. Medveten om hur barnen tänker och förstår saker och ting får jag som blivande pedagog möjlighet att agera och bygga min undervisning vidare utifrån detta. Detta ger den meningsfulla undervisning jag som pedagog ska sträva efter.
Med en ökad insikt om att även små barn har funderingar om naturvetenskapliga begrepp hoppas jag kunna visa att det är mycket lönsamt och givande att jobba på ett förundersökande sätt. Genom att eleverna är delaktiga från början och får hjälpa till att forma undervisningen får jag respons i form av ett positivt engagemang, nyfikenhet och vetgirighet.
32
Gomér, Johan Johansson, and Erika Wärneryd. "Natura 2000- implementation and application in Sweden, Case study of Botniabanan and Tre Toppar." Thesis, Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, Sektionen för planering och mediedesign, 2009. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:bth-1175.
Full textAbstract:
When Sweden first implemented Natura 2000 in 1995, it was done in a hurry and not all the information from the European Commission was interpreted as it was intended. The fact is that it took a long time for the authorities in Sweden to really understand Natura 2000 and its potential. The big break came in 2000 when the Swedish environmental Code was changed to match the regulations of Natura 2000. This created problems for already planned projects in Sweden that now had to follow the new rules. The implementation also provided the environmentalist management to advance at the expense of the spatial planning in a struggle about the governance over the landscape. In this thesis the Natura 2000 network is described as an instrument and compared to other nature protections in Sweden. The thesis also gives a description on how Natura 2000 is built up and how it was and is implemented in Sweden. The Environmentalist paradigm and planning paradigm are described and presented in the case studies Tre Toppar and Botniabanan. The development of the two cases is also described to get a picture of how differently they were managed and how different they turned out in the end.Examination name of the thesis: Natura 2000- The implementation and the Use in Sweden, Case study of Botniabanan and Tre Toppar. Johan Johansson Gomér: +46703089306 Erika Wärneryd: +46735070737
33
Phillips, Daleana. "Constructing Definitions of Sexual Orientation in Research and Theory." Digital Archive @ GSU, 2007. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/sociology_theses/19.
Full textAbstract:
Definitions of sexual orientation are reflections of theoretical positions within the essentialist versus social constructionist debate. A cognitive sociological approach to analyzing the positions within this debate allows theorists and researchers to be aware of three distinct theoretical positions or thought communities: natural kinds thought community, social kinds thought community, and empty kinds thought community. Standard content analysis and grounded theory methods are used to analyze the principles, strategies, and practices each thought community uses to mark group membership into various sexual categories. The analysis reveals that each theoretical perspective is marking group membership differently.
34
Fournier, Gérald. "Évolution et civilisation : report des pressions sélectives, émancipation et ‘technosymbiose’ : de l’anthropologie de Charles Darwin à l’économie évolutionniste étendue." Thesis, Lyon 1, 2010. http://www.theses.fr/2010LYO10237.
Full textAbstract:
Le processus sélectif est-il nié, persistant ou dialectiquement réalisé dans la civilisation ? De ce problème, deux thèses générales se dégagent : (1) celle de l’épuisement de la sélection naturelle, la société humaine témoignant d’une véritable émancipation vitale et (2) celle d’un report des pressions de sélection, le système de contraintes sélectives demeurant effectif. En fait, cette interrogation se trouve esquissée dès l’« anthropologie » de Charles Darwin (1871), sujette encore à débats, notamment sur l’existence du darwinisme social de ce dernier, forme, justement, de report des pressions de sélection. Face à la thèse de l’incohérence doctrinale de cette « anthropologie », qui légitime malgré elle qu’on fasse tout dire de Darwin, on proposera une cohérence articulée autour du concept de sympathie et des effets combinés de la sélection, de la culture et de l’habitude. Ensuite, il s’agira de proposer une théorie de l’émancipation vitale, mêlant report des pressions de sélection et émancipation par procès ‘technosymbiotique’, néologisme au lien fort avec la cultural niche construction (Odling-Smee). Prendre la civilisation comme une niche écologique, la culture comme un paramètre, résoudra une bonne part des problèmes théoriques et de ce dualisme identitaire qu’on retrouve si souvent dans notre approche de l’homme et de sa société. La réflexion sur la civilisation nous conduira à nous interroger sur le biotope économique, comme marque essentielle et originale de notre niche écologique. Notre émancipation biologique côtoie ainsi le maintien du système de contrainte sélectionniste, dans un biotope, dès lors, de plus en plus biomimétiqueIs the selective process irrelevant, does it persist, or is it dialectically achieved in civilization? Two general theses arise from this question: (1) either the progressive extinction of natural selection, human society thus witnessing a genuine vital emancipation or (2) the persistence of selection pressures, the system of selective constraints thus remaining effective. In fact, this question was outlined in 1871 with Charles Darwin’s “anthropology”; his anthropology and notably his social Darwinism, a form of displacement of selection pressures continue to be debated today. Confronted with the thesis of the doctrinal inconsistency of this “anthropology” which allows Darwin’s words to be interpreted at will, we shall put forward a form of coherence based on the concept of sympathy and the combined effects of selection, culture and habits. We shall then put forward a theory of vital emancipation that combines the persistence of selection pressures and emancipation via a technosymbiotic process, a neologism similar to cultural niche construction (Odling-Smee). Considering civilization as an ecological niche and culture as a parameter will solve most theoretical problems, notably related to the identity dualism associated with a conventional approach to man and society. Our reflection on civilization will lead us to focus on and investigate into the economic biotope understood as an essential and specific feature of our ecological niche. Following this approach, man’s biological emancipation coexists with a system of selectionist constraint in a biotope that is, as a consequence, increasingly biomimetic
35
Cole, Julian C. "Practice-dependent realism and mathematics." Connect to resource, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1124122328.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005.Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xi, 248 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 244-248). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center
36
Demaret, Julie. "Le processus de construction de légitimité des contrôleurs de gestion." Phd thesis, Université François Rabelais - Tours, 2014. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00997829.
Full textAbstract:
Cette thèse examine comment se construit et évolue la légitimité individuelle du contrôleur de gestion en situation dans l'organisation. Dans un premier temps, un cadre conceptuel est élaboré pour permettre l'étude de la légitimité professionnelle individuelle d'un contrôleur de gestion. Est en particulier mise en évidence la présence de natures et de sources de légitimité distinctes, sur lesquelles se fondent les stratégies de légitimation des contrôleurs. La recherche se fonde sur des études de cas multiples réalisées sur trois terrains distincts. Elle permet de dégager des trajectoires individuelles de construction de légitimité. L'analyse transversale des cas révèle les mécanismes collectifs qui peuvent orienter les trajectoires. Elle détaille les mécanismes d'évaluation qui conduisent les trajectoires à être fructueuses, mais aussi infructueuses. Elle démontre également " l'attraction " que les pressions institutionnelles exercent sur ces trajectoires individuelles de construction de légitimité.
37
Dormaels, Mathieu. "La construction du patrimoine mondial : transformations physiques et appropriation locale dans la patrimonialisation du centre-ville historique d'Arequipa, Pérou." Thèse, Université d'Avignon, 2013. http://www.archipel.uqam.ca/5808/1/D2511.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Créé en 1972 par l'adoption de la Convention concernant la protection du patrimoine mondial, culturel et naturel, le patrimoine mondial a connu en 40 ans une croissance importante, qui s'est accélérée ces dernières années. D'abord le résultat de préoccupations d'experts après la Seconde Guerre mondiale, il est devenu l'élément incontournable et prestigieux d'une culture qui s'internationalise au rythme virtuel des nouvelles technologies, des flux mondiaux et de l'ère numérique. Mais il semble également représenter un ancrage de plus en plus marqué à la fois dans la matérialité des sites, toujours plus nombreux sur la célèbre liste, et dans leur unicité. Parmi l'ensemble de ces sites, les centres historiques connaissent des situations où l'inscription ajoute un niveau de complexité supplémentaire aux tensions déjà existantes et caractéristiques de ces ensembles urbains. Ainsi, la reconnaissance internationale et la hausse du tourisme ou les espoirs de développement local qu'elle paraît entraîner semblent transformer physiquement l'environnement urbain, mais aussi ses usages et sa population, entre autres. Le plus souvent, la réflexion à propos de ces sites s'intéresse donc à l'aménagement et à la gestion du site transformé, où les habitants sont un élément parmi d'autres à ordonner, avec l'objectif de préserver le site tout en profitant des retombées économiques de son exploitation touristique. Cette recherche tente au contraire d'examiner comment ces sites se transforment et comment ils deviennent du patrimoine mondial, en postulant que cette approche peut en permettre une meilleure compréhension. Elle propose en outre que ce processus de patrimonialisation n'est pas seulement le fait des autorités, mais qu'il repose aussi sur les habitants qui continuent de donner un sens à ces espaces urbains. En effet, le patrimoine est entendu ici comme une construction sociale résultant de la production de représentations par les groupes sociaux qui le revendiquent. La compréhension de ce processus de patrimonialisation nécessite donc que le chercheur débute par la mise en évidence des différentes représentations patrimoniales qui composent la signification symbolique du patrimoine. Le site choisi pour cette étude, le centre historique de la ville d'Arequipa au Pérou, répond à la volonté de se concentrer sur une région où la conception du patrimoine urbain est particulière, plus sociale et plus inclusive des habitants, et où les enjeux urbains sont exacerbés par des contrastes forts entre richesse et pauvreté, entre les centres-villes et les périphéries, entre des cultures urbaines et rurales. Parmi les différentes villes de la région dont une partie est inscrite au patrimoine mondial, Arequipa répond aux critères de faisabilité définis pour cette recherche afin d'en atteindre les objectifs. L'étude s'inscrit dans une perspective phénoménologique et propose une herméneutique de la patrimonialisation, c'est-à-dire une interprétation des représentations patrimoniales à partir de leur contexte de production, permettant de restituer les différents processus de patrimonialisation et ainsi de comprendre l'évolution des valeurs patrimoniales et des transformations qui y sont liées. Pour ce faire une méthode historico-interprétative d'analyse contextualisée des données recueillies dans les documents, par l'observation et par des entretiens, est utilisée. Cette analyse souhaite ainsi contribuer au développement des études patrimoniales en proposant une approche herméneutique qui puisse servir à d'autres travaux. Cette recherche démontre que la patrimonialisation du site du patrimoine mondial du centre historique d'Arequipa est un processus hybride, à la fois physique et symbolique, institutionnel et social, global et local. Elle met en évidence la construction de représentations patrimoniales liées à l'inscription, mais aussi la reconstruction a posteriori d'une continuité historique entre les représentations issues de différents processus de patrimonialisation. Elle montre enfin que les interventions sur l'environnement bâti sont plutôt le résultat de l'expression des valeurs patrimoniales qui lui sont attribuées que la recherche d'un état de conservation particulier. Ce travail permet aussi de dégager certains effets liés moins au site lui-même et plus à la reconnaissance en tant que patrimoine mondial. Au-delà de l'effet d'hybridation déjà évoqué, on remarque une exacerbation des caractéristiques du site, antérieures à son inscription. Par ailleurs, il semble que le lien entre patrimoine mondial et tourisme amène les autorités locales et la population à prendre en compte, dans leurs interventions, les attentes supposées des touristes qu'ils espèrent attirer. Cette mise en abyme des représentations conférerait au patrimoine mondial un caractère « métapatrimonial ». Enfin, d'autres conséquences de l'inscription semblent exister, bien qu'elles n'aient pas été confirmées par cette étude, notamment en termes économiques et fonciers. Ces effets pourraient sans doute faire l'objet d'autres études, concernant d'autres sites, pour en comprendre le rôle dans le processus de patrimonialisation. Quant au site du centre historique d'Arequipa, son évolution et sa patrimonialisation se poursuivent afin de lui permettre de continuer à correspondre à sa valeur universelle exceptionnelle.
______________________________________________________________________________
38
Venant, Fabienne. "Représentation et calcul dynamique du sens : exploration du lexique adjectival du français." Phd thesis, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), 2006. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00067902.
Full textAbstract:
Ce travail de thèse présente un modèle de construction du sens d'un genre nouveau, défini dans le cadre des mathématiques du continu. Le langage y est vu comme un système morphodynamique, obéissant aux principes de base de la Gestalttheorie. Les unités linguistiques découpent leur sens dans un espace sémantique possédant une structure de variété différentiable. Nous avons implémenté ce modèle et l'avons testé sur le lexique adjectival français. Une méthode de construction automatique des espaces sémantiques, reposant sur l'analyse d'un graphe de synonymie, permet d'explorer le lexique adjectival dans son ensemble, ou de construire des espaces locaux. Les espaces sémantiques locaux servent de base à une méthode dynamique de calcul du sens, permettant de prendre en compte les différents facteurs de polysémie adjectivale. L'utilisation des espaces sémantiques globaux ouvre de belles perspectives, tant dans le domaine du calcul du sens que celui de l'exploration de graphes petit monde.
39
"Reclaiming nature: nature & human nature." 2006. http://library.cuhk.edu.hk/record=b5892453.
Full textAbstract:
Ko Wai Lam."Architecture Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Architecture Programme 2005-2006, design report."
Includes bibliographical references.
Acknowledgement
Synopsis
Thesis Statement
Theoretical Research
Cases Studies
Concept of Buffering
Program
Site
Strategies
Design Development & Process
Final Design
Bibliography
40
Chen, Ying-Hsiu, and 陳盈秀. "A Greenwashing City: Exploring the Social Construction of City Nature through the ‘Beautiful Taipei’ Programs in Taipei." Thesis, 2012. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/91478260152659291825.
Full textAbstract:
碩士國立臺灣大學
地理環境資源學研究所
100
In the process of urbanization of nature, the existing types and value of nature are often determined by the development status and social requirements of cities. For the coming of 2010 Taipei International Flora Exposition, the Taipei City Government had promulgated policies to support the urban landscape renovation project - ‘Beautiful Taipei’ programs. The second program, named ‘Reducing the Dilapidated Buildings for Urban Environment Renewal,’ provides floor-to-area ratio (FAR) bonus as an incentive for temporary green open spaces in the city. The widespread urban green landscapes in this typology have drawn massive attention and provoked discussion over producing greening and open spaces inside city, especially in a context where urban renewal and urban regeneration have become crucial development issues for Taipei, a metropolis long lacking sufficient urban open spaces. ‘Greening as Beautification’ has always been regarded as an important method in environmental governance for a city. However, this study found that advocating urban renewal and creating a green urban image had already become an important mechanism for governing Taipei. The ‘greening as beautification’ strategy advocated by the second program of ‘Beautiful Taipei’ has manipulated nature’s aesthetic value in the landscape realm and been mis-related to ecological benefits – so as to convey the political purposes for urban marketing. Furthermore, policies such as building archive and FAR bonus had included the production of ‘green (spaces)’ in urban renewal agenda, imposing a real-estate identity on nature, and the exchange value of nature has been therefore tagged with an exact price. As for the third sector, it on the one hand debates over whether to compromise with such temporary, unrooted nature and to use FAR bonus as incentives for production of nature and, on the other hand, attempts by alternative producing strategies of green (spaces) to reestablish man-land relationships together with community building. The increased scarcity of and demand on ‘green (spaces)’ in contemporary urban development have revealed the contested green space under the name of urban development in a capital-oriented society. While different actors contesting over interpretation and appropriation of green, they stimulate the development of urban physical environment by either temporality, mobility, community scale, incorporating profitable land developments, or the rudimentary ‘green’ community building. Being influenced by this development in the urbanized nature, ‘green’ also gains significance and is further shaped to satisfy purposes of urban marketing and urban renewal. Consequently, in the name of greening, the actors involved in urban governance have camouflaged and facilitated the actual urban development and resulted in the issues of greenwashing.
41
Chern, Shin Yi, and 陳心怡. "Social Construction Of Poverty Relation In Native Taiwanese." Thesis, 1993. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/13118368798969506922.
Full text
42
Yu-LinHsueh and 薛峪霖. "The Linking of Social Capital to Social Actions in the Chinese Community-The Construction of Native Social Capital Theory." Thesis, 2013. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/3h2q27.
Full textAbstract:
碩士國立成功大學
政治經濟學研究所
101
For social science field, social capital has been an academic concept and widely discussed. That was a critical connotation when it worked in the Western society and the Chinese Community. In the Western society, the base of social capital theory was Individualism, differ from familism and collectivism in the Chinese Community, therefore the Western specific phenomenon could not provide good explanations for the Chinese Community. In view of the “guanxi” concept was similar with social capital, this study constructed a native social capital theory, included “guanxi” concept to explain the linking of social capital to social actions. The main question of this study is how to apply the native social capital theory to explain the linking of social capital to social actions and social action patterns. In other words, why the social network in the Chinese Community is a vital variable to social actions? And how the favor power in the Chinese Community linked “guanxi” concept? This study refer to Ho, Yau-Fai (1998) proposed “methodological relationalism“, Hwang, Kwang-Kuo (2009) proposed “Confucian social relations” and the theory of social capital by Robert Putnam, to construct the native social capital theory. This study considered that it cannot only use quantitative research to comprehend the favor situation and face situation of the native social capital theory. Consequently, this study use triangulation to be research method, used questionnaire and in-depth interview simultaneously. First, this study applies exploratory factor analysis to measure the relations between social capital and social actions. Second, this study applies semistructed interviews to analyze thesis data. About the sampling of qualitative method, this study selected the purposeful sampling. The purposeful sampling included the person of community empowerment; all of them presented the particular and representative. This study confirmed the social network of the person of community empowerment, its social network strengthened then others. It will assist this study to clarify the linking of social capital to social actions. This study discovered: social capital can effect social actions. It can generalize three patterns: one is the spontaneous leading; another is the institutional designing; and the other is recourse injecting. These consequence provided the examination for native social capital theory constructing.
43
McIvor, DP. "Modelling community preparation for natural hazards: Understanding hazard cognitions." Thesis, 2010. https://eprints.utas.edu.au/16777/2/whole-McIvor-thesis-2013.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
The present study adopts a mixed methods approach, integrating data from quantitative and qualitative studies, to examine the all-hazards validity of a model developed to predict adoption of hazard preparedness measures and to systematically elicit information regarding factors that influence decisions to adopt preparation activities to minimise the effects of natural hazards. The research focuses on how social and societal factors interact to influence the adoption of protective measures against the effects of natural hazards. The premise upon which the model is based argues that that it is not information per se that determines action, but how people interpret it in the context of experiences, beliefs and expectations that are developed and enacted in a social context.
The quantitative analysis involves testing the Social Predictor Model of Intentions to Prepare for Natural Hazards (Paton, 2006) to assess the underlying social influences of intentions to prepare for both earthquakes and floods. Participants for this component of the study were from locations in New Zealand (Napier) and Australia (Benalla, Launceston, Ingham and Longford) that face high risk of exposure to earthquake and flooding hazards respectively. Findings demonstrated that the individual, community and institutional components of the model interact to influence people’s intentions concerning the efficacy of adopting hazard mitigation strategies. These findings also support the applicability of the model for multiple hazards and across diverse locations.
The qualitative component of the study used means-end chain theory (Gutman, 1982, 1997) to elicit more detailed information from participants regarding their decision making process regarding the adoption of preparation activities to minimise the effects of natural hazards. Interviewees were recruited from locations at risk of flooding and earthquakes in both New Zealand (Napier) and Australia (Benalla, Victoria and Launceston Tasmania). A major finding arising from the qualitative data was the distinction people made in the trust and distrust of civic emergency management authorities. These decisions were based on the relevance that people attached to information provided by these authorities. A further important finding was the motivating role of the responsibility that individuals felt towards the wellbeing of others. Individuals felt that it was an obligation on their part to render assistance to others.
Overall, the findings indicate that facilitating sustained preparedness involves understanding how people construe the relationship between themselves, the hazard and the protective measures available to them and assisting their protective decision making within this socio-ecological context. Delivering hazard mitigation strategies thus involves engaging with community members in order to understand their needs and to render meaningful assistance in their decisions. It is when people believe that information relating to hazard mitigation is meaningful that these strategies will be attended to and adopted.
44
Tseng, Chiu-Chin, and 曾秋瑾. "A study of Relationships between Social Factorsand construction of Natural Treatment Systems- Case study on the residents of the communities of Tainan." Thesis, 2007. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/02679902351388349836.
Full textAbstract:
碩士嘉南藥理科技大學
環境工程與科學系暨研究所
95
This main purpose of research is investigating on the construction of treatment system affected by the social humane factors. The survey target is the residents of community in Tainan county, Taiwan. The investigation method is base on questionnaire which focuses on social viewpoints concering natural treatment system and the amount of the effective sample retrieved is 382. In this research, the factors might relate to the construction of natural treatment system are divided into five areas ： "policy", "management", "ecological restoration ", "public health", and "education"The detailed issues of these five areas are shown as the following: 1. Policy : Most of residents in the community felt that the construction of natural treatment system will affect the sustainable development of the community and also can benefit residents with proper plan if combined with recreation facilities in the plan. They hope the government can support and provide the budget for the project. Also think that the sewage system would be more practical than natural treatment system, so besides the sewage system, most of residents agree that the construction of natural treatment system is one of the important issues in the political decision making. 2. Management: Most of residents think that the operation and management of the natural treatment system is very important and is necessary to be complied by administrative staffs under guidance of specialized experts. Meanwhile, operating budget and participation of the local people in the community also influence the sustainable operation of the system. But 80% of the residents think that the natural treatment system has difficulty to be maintained. Therefore, setting up the proper viewpoints of public when planning the system is an important step. 3. Ecological restoration: Most of the people think the natural treatment system can be an ideal place for the ecology and would achieve ecological restoration by providing habitats for wild animals and plants. Therefore, natural treatment systment would improve the pollution due to the environmental and the ecological protection. So that the multi-functional systems will be a direction to be considered in the future. 4. Public health: Most residents aware pollution reduction will result from natural treatment system in the community where they are living in. But many of them worry about the system may cause mosquito and become the hazardous place for the children. Therefoure, public health is the one of important issues to be considered in the future. 5. Education : Most residents think the establishment of natural treatment system promotes the idea of ecological restoration, flocs the consciousness of the community, and has function of environmental education. These results need residents other communities to participate. So, collection of the various suggestions from the residents, residents participation in setting up and planning, and gain of the support of residents are goals to be worked on in order to achieve sustainable management of natural treatment system in the future.
45
Toueir, Nada. "Resilience and the cultural landscape : the case of the Lower Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina." Thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1866/15964.
Full textAbstract:
Le but de cette recherche est d’évaluer l’importance du paysage culturel dans la résilience des communautés urbaines post-catastrophes. Ce travail se concentre sur le quartier du Lower Ninth Ward dans la ville de La Nouvelle-Orléans (États-Unis) après le passage de l’ouragan Katrina en 2005. Les catastrophes naturelles prennent une envergure et causent des dommages considérables lorsqu’elles touchent des villes. La reconstruction post -désastre est donc très dispendieuse pour les villes et les gouvernements, d’autant que certaines régions sont dévastées au point qu’elles doivent être reconstruites au complet. Cependant, le coût le plus lourd à assumer reste celui en vies humaines et si rebâtir les éléments concrets d’une ville est une tâche difficile à entreprendre, reconstruire une communauté est considérablement plus complexe. Dans le but de comprendre une telle démarche, cette recherche se concentre sur les éléments intangibles, comme l’attachement au lieu et les réseaux sociaux, dont une communauté a besoin pour se reconstituer de façon durable et résiliente.
Le concept de résilience est très contesté dans la littérature et plusieurs chercheurs se sont essayés à le mesurer. Cette recherche adopte une perspective critique sur le concept et le revisite d’un point de vue holistique pour mettre en lumière sa complexité. Cette démarche permet de remettre en question l’importance de mesurer un concept finalement en perpétuelle redéfinition dans le temps et selon les échelles géographiques. De plus, en établissant une relation entre résilience et paysage culturel, il a été possible de mieux comprendre la complexité de la résilience.
Touchant à plusieurs disciplines (architecture de paysage, urbanisme et sociologie), cette recherche utilise une méthodologie qui reflète son aspect multidisciplinaire : les méthodes mixtes. Ces dernières permettent la collecte de données quantitatives et qualitatives qui produisent une vue globale de la situation post-Katrina à travers le regroupement de recensions statistiques, d’observations de terrain et d’articles de journaux. Parallèlement, des entretiens ont été réalisés avec des résidents du quartier ainsi qu’avec des professionnels pour mieux comprendre les différents points de vue. Cette méthodologie a permis de produire des résultats au niveau du cas d’étude autant qu’au niveau théorique.
La recherche valide l’importance de prendre en compte le paysage culturel dans les situations post-catastrophes, (en particulier) dans la mesure où il s’agit d’un élément souvent négligé par les urbanistes et les acteurs locaux. En effet, les éléments constitutifs du paysage culturel tels que l’attachement au lieu et les réseaux sociaux, participent d’un sentiment d'appartenance (« home ») et d’une volonté, pour les résidents, de reconstruire leurs habitations, leur communauté ainsi que leur quartier. Toutefois, il faut reconnaître que ces éléments ne suffisent pas à retrouver ce qu’ils ont perdu. Ainsi, l’étude du paysage culturel permet non seulement de mieux comprendre la complexité de la résilience, mais démontre également que cette dernière est une construction sociale.The purpose of this research is to determine the importance of using the cultural landscape in evaluating the resilience of an urban community after the occurrence of a natural disaster. The focus is on the neighborhood of the Lower Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 in the city of New Orleans. Natural disasters are gaining significance and magnitude when they hit cities, which are becoming more and more populated over the years. The damage these disasters cause is colossal. It is very costly for cities to undergo major disasters and sometimes, large sections of cities need to be entirely rebuilt. The costliest price is the human life, and as history marks it, too many lives have perished due to disasters. While rebuilding is a challenging task, yet feasible, rebuilding a community is not as tangible as rebuilding the infrastructure. This research focuses on the many intangible aspects, like place attachment and social networks, a community needs to rebuild itself in a sound and resilient way. The concept of resilience is very contested in the literature and many have attempted to measure it. This research takes a step back and scrutinizes the concept of resilience from a holistic perspective, which highlights its complexity. This leads to questioning the importance of measuring the concept, especially that it changes with time and with the different scales of geography. In addition, a relationship between the cultural landscape and resilience is established, which allows for a better understanding of this complexity. Taking a little from multiple disciplines (Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning, and Sociology), this research resorts to a methodology that reflects its multidisciplinary aspect. The methodology is the mixed methods research design, which allows the collection of quantitative and qualitative data. The focus is to gather census data, newspaper articles, and observations to give a general perspective on the post-Katrina situation. Interviews are collected from residents and from professionals so as to tackle the research from different angles. This allows reaching results at the case study level as well as the theoretical level. This research validates the importance of using the cultural landscape in post-disaster situations as planners and government officials overlook it. Some of the elements that constitute it like place attachment and social networks motivate people to return to their original neighbourhoods and rebuild their homes and community. These elements, however, cannot by themselves give people back what they lost in the disaster. By relating the cultural landscape to the concept of resilience, it implies that resilience is a social construction.