To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Superstitions.
Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Superstitions'
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Superstitions.'
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
Yeckering, Kara. "Young Childrens' Understanding of Superstitions." TopSCHOLAR®, 2003. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/574.
Full textAbstract:
The aim of this study was to examine young children's understanding of superstitions—specifically bad luck superstitions. Children between the ages of 4 and 9 received a set of interview questions concerning their experiences with superstitions, their beliefs about the efficacy of superstitions, and their knowledge of the mental and physical components of superstitions. Participants also completed a belief task designed to assess the relative importance of belief and action in superstitions. The findings indicate developmental patterns in children's awareness of superstitions and beliefs in efficacy of superstitions. With age, children demonstrated a significantly greater awareness of superstitions. In contrast, children demonstrated a significant decrease in beliefs in the efficacy of superstitions by the age of seven. Regarding children's perceptions of the necessary components of superstitions, there were important similarities in the developmental pattern of children's responses. Across all age groups, the action component of a superstition (as opposed to a belief component) was found to be the primary factor in effectiveness of superstitions to "bring bad luck." These findings are discussed in relation to children's beliefs about good luck superstitions, magic, wishing, prayer, and the potential modes of cultural transmission of supernatural beliefs.
2
Ofori, Kwaku Patrick. "Psychological consequences of superstitions in sport." Thesis, University of Stirling, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/15907.
Full textAbstract:
Superstitious thoughts or behaviours have been demonstrated to occur frequently and persistently among students and athletes. One major limitation in the superstition in sports literature is that researchers attempt to measure only negative superstitious beliefs; however, to date, little is known about types of superstitions, how superstitions are developed and maintained, their psychological functions and malfunctions, or their behavioural consequences. Study 1 demonstrates the widespread prevalence of superstitions within the present population of undergraduate student athletes in British and Ghanaian universities, and explores several specific superstitions that appear to be particularly common. There were significant main effects of gender and nationality on both positive and negative superstitious beliefs. British student athletes tended to endorse both types of superstition to a greater extent than Ghanaian student athletes, whereas Ghanaian student athletes engaged in superstitious behaviour more than British student athletes. In Study 2, the results suggested that people may enact their positive superstitious beliefs and religion as coping mechanisms and as secondary control strategies to offer them the comfort of feeling in control under conditions of impending failure. Results from the two qualitative studies (Studies 3 and 4) demonstrated some support for elite footballers’ engaging in rituals which serve a functional outcome. These findings suggest that superstitious and religious behaviour can protect against debilitating interpretations of anxiety by increasing self-confidence or allowing athletes to perceive symptoms as controllable and facilitative. Interestingly, athletes who have acquired their superstition by means of conformity note that they experienced cognitive dissonance. Dissonance emerges when two beliefs are inconsistent. Apparent contraction between an athlete’s personal superstitious behaviour and their teams’ superstitious behaviour may give rise to self-doubt, which can erode the athlete’s confidence and create other negative psychological consequences to team process. Study 5 provided empirical evidence for the notion that activation of personal superstition improved performance more than conforming to other superstitions, and that performance was better than that of athletes in the control group. In this regard, the reported findings uniquely contribute to our understanding of superstitions and their effects on psychological as well as behavioural consequences. The present findings are in line with previous research on the psychological functional benefits of superstition. At the same time, these findings suggest fresh interrogations for future research on the subject of superstitions. Possible applications to the student athletes and professional athletes are discussed.
3
Belaúnde, Barriga José. "Hume and the contention of superstitions." Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú - Departamento de Humanidades, 2013. http://repositorio.pucp.edu.pe/index/handle/123456789/113142.
Full textAbstract:
This paper proposes an interpretation of the renowned last section of Hume's Natural History of Religion, after examining this work and its relations with some of his other works. The aim of this study is to give the clues to understanding Hume's critique of a rationally founded natural religion. The paper mainly contends that Hume destroys the basis for a rational religion independent or autonomous regarding superstition. He does so by means of a historical analysis of religious belief's process embedded in human nature's principies. All forms of religion are, therefore, some form or other of superstitious belief.En este artículo se presenta una interpretación del conocido párrafo final de la Historia natural de la religión, mediante un examen de esta obra y de sus relaciones con otras obras de Hume. El objetivo de este estudio es proporcionar las claves para entender la crítica de Hume a una religión natural racional mente fundada. La tesis principal sostieneque Hume. mediante un análisis histórico del proceso de la creencia religiosa a partir de los principios de la naturaleza humana, destruye el sustento para una religión racional independiente o autónoma respecto a la superstición. Toda modalidad de religión es. por consiguiente, unau otra forma de creencia supersticiosa.
4
Gelabertó, Vilagran Martín. "Prediction et catechese contre la superstition en catalogne (xvii-xviii siecles)." Montpellier 3, 1998. http://www.theses.fr/1998MON30057.
Full textAbstract:
Au cours de l'epoque moderne prend naissance une vaste campagne religieuse de conquete spirituelle, emanant principalnent des missionnaires apostoliques populaires. Cette campagne, qui plonge ses racines dans le bas moyen age, a pour but essentiel de catechiser les communautes rurales. Son objectif final est la transformation profonde et definitive des comportements hu♭ mains afin de les conformer a l'esprit et aux preceptes chretiens issus de la contre-reforme nee du concile de trente. A cet egard, l'investigation se propose d'analyser les diffe♭ rentes methodes et procedes employes par l'eglise institutionne♭ lle, par le biais de la predication et de la catechese, pour reformer, chez les gens du peuple, les conduites jugees supersti♭ tieuses ou magiques auxquelles s'adonnaient les populations rurales dans toute l'europe et de les extirper de la culture populaire, dans les differentes manifestations, et d'examiner, aussi, les transformations que cette problematique aurait pu subir, au cours de la periode historique qui nous occupe, par suite d'avatars culturels et ideologiques. En ce qui concerne la catalogne, plus que d'une eradication il conviendrait de parler, dans bien des cas, de la substitution de nombreuses activites magiques de la culture populaire, par de nouvelles fondees sur les ceremonies catholiques. Cependant, cette politique eclesiastique echoue, dans une large mesure, a cause des resistences d'une grande partie de la population aux efforts doctrinaux du clerge; en effet, celle-ci conserve un systeme de pratiques autonomes protrectrices de caracter superstitieux, en marge de toutes les prescriptions de l'eglise institutionnelle, et que la predication pastorale ne peut pas eradiquer.
5
Wagner, Marc-André. "Le cheval dans les croyances et les superstitions germaniques." Paris 4, 2003. http://www.theses.fr/2003PA040002.
Full textAbstract:
Quelle était la place du cheval dans le paganisme des Germains, et comment les croyances relatives a cet animal ont-elles évolue dans l'occident chrétien et dans les traditions allemandes ? Le cheval se distingue des autres animaux dans les rites et les mentalités germaniques : double de l'homme, mais aussi forme des puissances, il constitue un lien entre leurs deux mondes, ce qui le définit comme animal sacré. La diversité de ses rôles - il est notamment un génie de la fécondité, un démon de la mort , l'instrument de transes chamaniques et le masque de rituels initiatiques - renvoie à sa fonction fondamentale qui est d'incarner le cycle vital cosmique, que son sacrifice régulier vise a entretenir. La christianisation a combattu ce rite (par l'interdiction de l'hippophagie) comme celui de l'offrande funéraire du cheval, parallèlement à l'élimination progressive de l'animal réel hors de la sphère religieuse (défilés, rogations à cheval). Le cheval symbolique des clercs est ambivalent : tandis qu'il est plutôt associé au péché dans leur prédication (exempla), sa valorisation est le plus souvent positive dans leurs bestiaires mystiques. Si les pratiques post-médiévales conservent la croyance aux vertus apotropaïques et bénéfiques du cheval (importance de l'organothérapie notamment), les mémorats (Sagen) en retiennent en revanche une image sombre et négative. Sur la très longue période, c'est l'association du cheval avec la troisième fonction indo-européenne qui domine dans l'espace germaniqueWhat was the place of the horse in germanic paganism, and how did horse-related beliefs evolve within the christian west and the german traditions ? The horse stands out among all animals in germanic rite and mentality : seen as a double of the human being, as well as a representation of the gods, the horse links their two spheres, which poses it as sacred animal. The diversity of its roles - fertility genius, daemon of death, instrument of chamanistic trances and mask of initiatic rituals, among others - refers to its fundamental function which is to incarnate the cycle of cosmic life, maintained by its regular sacrifice. Christianity struggled against this rite (especially through the prohibition of hippophagy) and against the rite of horse-burial. Simultaneously, all physical trace of the horse itself was progressively eliminated from the religious sphere (mounted processions and rogation ceremonies). As for the symbolic horse of the clerks, it is ambivalent : whereas it is rather linked with sin in their preaching (exempla), its connotations are mostly favourable in their mystic bestiaries. Whereas the post-medieval practices keep the belief in the apotropaic and beneficial powers of the horse (importance of organotherapy for instance), the legends (sagen) generally carry a dark and negative image. Over a very long period, the association of the horse with the third indo-european function is the outstanding feature in the germanic world
6
Lee, Annie. "The History of Contraception: From Ancient Superstitions to Modern Science." The University of Arizona, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/626587.
Full text
7
Lantuejoul, Lasson Émilie. "La critique des superstitions d’après le "Décalogue" d’Ulrich de Pottenstein." Paris 4, 2007. http://www.theses.fr/2007PA040086.
Full textAbstract:
Membre de l’école de Vienne, Ulrich de Pottenstein (1360-1417 ?), homme d’Eglise et théologien, est l’auteur de l’une des oeuvres catéchétiques de langue allemande les plus importantes du début du XVe siècle. Cette oeuvre comporte une exégèse du premier commandement du Décalogue, qui s’apparente à une liste originale de croyances hétérodoxes, objet de la présente étude. La première partie de cette recherche s’applique à situer l’auteur et son oeuvre dans leur contexte théologique, intellectuel et historique. Dans une seconde partie, l’utilisation des principales sources de l’auteur - la Bible, le Décret de Gratien, la Somme théologique de saint Thomas - est étudiée et affirme le caractère compilateur de l’oeuvre. La troisième partie propose une analyse des pratiques superstitieuses relevées dans la liste d’Ulrich de Pottenstein notamment en la comparant à des listes de superstitions d’auteurs contemporains et en en proposant une classification qui repose sur la distinction de trois catégories : l’observation des signes et du temps, la divination et les pratiques magiquesUlrich von Pottenstein (1360-1417 ?) was both a clergyman and a theologian. He was a member of the Vienna Circle and the author of one of the most important catechism works written in German in the early 15th century. Ulrich von Pottenstein’s work includes an exegesis of the first commandment of the Decalogue, which is the subject of this study. The Decalogue is similar to an original list of heterodox beliefs. The first part of this thesis aims to place the author and his work in their theological, intellectual and historical context. The second part is dedicated to the study of how the author uses his main sources (the Bible, Gratian’s Decree, and Thomas Aquina’s Summa Theologica) and highlights the compiling nature of the opus. In the third part, the superstitious practices listed by Ulrich von Pottenstein are analysed, in particular through comparison with other contemporary lists of superstitions, and also by classifying them into three categories : the observation of signs, time and weather, divination and magical practices
8
Bryce, Christy. "Lucky Pennies and Four Leaf Clovers: Young Children's Understanding of Superstitions." TopSCHOLAR®, 2002. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/theses/619.
Full textAbstract:
The development of organized, explanatory systems of knowledge is an integral part of human nature; it allows us to categorize objects and events and to make predictions based on our experiences. In our society, the quest for answers to the questions "How?" and "Why?" begins early in life. By the preschool years, children are actively seeking and providing explanations for an abundance of physical and social events, and they are developing knowledge of causal forces at work in the environment (Bullock, Gelman, & Baillargeon, 1982; Rosengren & Hickling, 1999). Paradoxically, at about the same age at which children demonstrate they have a fundamental understanding of natural causal forces operating in the world, they are introduced by our culture to concepts and beliefs that seem to contradict their early theories. For example, children learn of popular superstitions (e.g., a four-leaf clover bringing good luck) that employ causal mechanisms outside the realm of natural laws governing the physical world. This concept raises the question of whether or not children with a fairly sophisticated understanding of normal causal forces believe in superstitions and, if so, how they reconcile these supernatural beliefs with their knowledge of natural causal relations. The aim of this study was to examine young children's understanding of superstitions. Children between the ages of 5 and 9 received a set of interview questions concerning their experiences with superstitions (e.g., "Do you know what a superstition is?"); their beliefs about the efficacy of superstitions (e.g., "Do superstitions always come true or just some of the time?"); and their knowledge of the mental and physical components of superstitions (e.g., "Do you have to believe it will come true for it to really happen?"). Participants also completed a belief task designed to assess the relative importance of belief and action in superstitions. The findings indicate developmental patterns in childrenn's awareness of superstitions and beliefs in efficacy of superstitions. With age, children demonstrated a significantly greater awareness of superstitions. In contrast, children demonstrated a significant decrease in beliefs in the efficacy of superstitions by the age of seven. Regarding children's perceptions of the necessary components of superstitions, there were important similarities in the developmental pattern of children's responses. Across all age groups, the action component of a superstition (as opposed to the belief component) was found to be the primary factor in the effectiveness of superstitions to "bring good luck." These findings are discussed in relation to children's beliefs about magic, wishing, and prayer, and the potential modes of cultural transmission of supernatural beliefs.
9
Bachari, Mohammed El. "Croyances et projections : djinns, pathologie, thérapie et le sein maternel." Paris 5, 1996. http://www.theses.fr/1996PA05H001.
Full textAbstract:
Le travail de la culture se montre comme celui de la restauration de la situation infantile ; tout semble oriente vers le milieu utérin, et on ne reconnait plus qu'une loi, celle du ventre (rahim). Le présent travail a pour objectif de mettre en lumière la relation qui existe entre les djinns, la pathologie, la thérapie et le sein maternel. Nous allons essayer de démontrer les motivations inconscientes de la croyance en certains mythes, explorer le travail créatif de l'imaginaire, suivre le rôle joue par ce dernier dans la pathologie et la thérapie, tenter de dégager les éléments culturels qui sont derrière l'efficacité de quelques démarches thérapeutiques traditionnelles et enfin exposer les points faibles et les points forts de ces éléments.
10
Clauss, Martine. "Les croyances dans les propos de table de Martin Luther." Thesis, Paris 4, 2009. http://www.theses.fr/2009PA040170.
Full textAbstract:
Relevant de l’histoire des mentalités, notre étude vise à cerner les croyances présentes dans les Propos de table de Martin Luther : à partir des nombreuses occurrences se rapportant au diable, aux « esprits », aux diverses créatures diaboliques, à la magie et à la sorcellerie, notre objectif a été, sous l’habillage chrétien que revêtent les récits, de reconnaître, d’identifier et de reconstituer une filiation avec des faits de croyance bien antérieurs à la Réforme. Cette confrontation des textes a permis de redécouvrir des restes de croyances ancestrales sous la forme d’entités venues de temps immémoriaux. La diabolisation systématique pratiquée par Luther n’est possible que grâce au recours à des êtres issus de la petite mythologie tels que, par exemple, les génies domestiques. En parallèle, l’analyse des manifestations de « revenants », d’« apparitions » et des esprits frappeurs ainsi que celle des actions néfastes des sorcières illustrent une certaine conception du devenir après la mort, une notion de vie post mortem et dans l’au-delà, parfois bien éloignée du dogme chrétien, ce qui permet de nuancer le portrait traditionnellement véhiculé de LutherBased on a choice of texts from the Table-Talk of Martin Luther, the aim of this study is to show how certain ancestral beliefs dealing with death and with life in the other world after dying are solidly anchored in the mentalities of people and of the Reformer too, in an era in which humanist thinking prevailed and in texts under the influence of the Christianity. In doing so, certain “phenomena” are portrayed such as household genies, “spirits”, “revenants” and apparitions. On another hand, we consider the “phenomena” as they relate to the behaviour of men and women taxed with witchcraft and magic, the whole instigated by the devil of course
11
Sararueangpong, Pasit. "How embarrassment and superstitiousness affect consumers' superstitious purchase decision?" Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2022. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/227460/1/Pasit_Sararueangpong_Thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
As an irrational belief, yet common, superstitious beliefs have played a role in consumer behaviours across different cultures. Some consumers embrace them, while some consider them embarrassing. This thesis investigated how embarrassment can demotivate consumers from purchasing a product with superstitious meaning. Although a decision appears to be a quick decision, it is influenced by multiple factors.
12
Pool, Robert. "There must have been something... : interpretations of illness and misfortune in a Cameroon village /." Amsterdam : R. Pool, 1989. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb35512686t.
Full text
13
Paradis, Geneviève. "La superstition et les habitudes de jeu au bingo." Master's thesis, Université Laval, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11794/62160.
Full textAbstract:
Plusieurs études font état de la popularité croissante des jeux de hasard et d’argent mais peu d’entre elles ont été effectuées sur un des jeux les plus populaires du Québec, le bingo. La présente étude, réalisée auprès de 96 joueurs de bingo, précise les relations entre la superstition et les habitudes de jeu (la tendance à participer à d’autres jeux de hasard et d’argent, la fréquence de participation et la somme d’argent misée). Les hypothèses stipulent que le montant d’argent misé, la fréquence de participation et la tendance à jouer à d’autres jeux que le bingo sont liées à la superstition. Les analyses indiquent des liens positifs significatifs entre la superstition et la fréquence de participation, les habitudes de jeu, et le lieu de contrôle. Cependant, on ne retrouve pas de corrélation significative entre la superstition et le montant d’argent misé. La discussion soulève les implications théoriques et cliniques de ces résultats.
14
Simmons, Kianna R. "Evoking Luck." ScholarWorks@UNO, 2012. http://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/1482.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract
Gambling is a universal activity, although not a recently studied behavior in Sociological literature. This study uses symbolic interaction, play, and illusion of control theories to examine luck rituals at casino slots. Gamblers were observed through covert participant observations over a seven-month observation period in The casino, and yielded 388 observations. Analysis of the gamblers demonstrated the fact that luck rituals do exist and are used at the slot machines in a casino setting. Luck rituals are associated with participants’ belief in their ability to control the uncontrollable. The illusion of control provides a framework through which the results are discussed. Illusions of control are particularly likely to occur in situations with a high amount of uncertainty. This study showed that more women and African Americans participate in luck rituals than men.
15
Sparkes, Hilary R. "Shadow worlds and "superstitions" : an analysis of Martha Warren Beckwith's writings on Jamaican folk religion, 1919-1929." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2015. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/71099/.
Full textAbstract:
My doctoral research is an examination of the pioneering nature of Martha Warren Beckwith’s writings on Jamaican folk religion. Beckwith, an American anthropologist and folklorist, visited Jamaica four times between 1919 and 1924. During her visits she recorded aspects of African-Jamaican folk life ranging from stories, songs and proverbs to rites of passage, children’s games and plant lore, as well as various forms of folk religion. She is regarded as pioneering in choosing Jamaica for her fieldwork at a time when the Caribbean was overlooked by many American and British anthropologists. In this thesis, I argue that in her methodology and treatment of her subject matter she was also ahead of her time. Beckwith is still often cited in modern writings on African-Jamaican religions with little or nothing in the way of background or context. Using close textual analysis, I examine both the nature of Beckwith’s research and exactly how ground-breaking it was when compared to those commenting on African-Jamaican spiritual beliefs in the same era. Although a variety of people wrote about African-Jamaican folk religions, my focus is on the way these faiths were covered by anthropologists and folklore collectors as a distinct group. This was also a period when both anthropology and folklore studies had moved away from being the preserve of amateurs and were developing as academic disciplines. An analysis of the works of late post-emancipation researchers such as Beckwith gives an insight not only into how African-Jamaican folk religions were practised and perceived at that time but also how changes in folklore and anthropology theory and practice impacted on such perceptions.
16
Bonmati, Marie-Claude. "Souillure et purification dans les sociétés traditionnelles : croyances, superstitions, coutumes, rituels, mythes, mettant en relation l'homme et l'excrément." Nice, 1995. http://www.theses.fr/1995NICE2023.
Full textAbstract:
L'etude des excretions (ici limitees a l'urine et aux feces) ne peut se contenter d'un point de vue hygieniste opposant le propre et le sale. Nos hypotheses rejoignent celles de mary douglas, a savoir que "la reflexion sur la salete implique la reflexion sur le rapport de l'ordre au desordre, (. . . ), de la forme au manque de forme, de la vie a la mort". Les conduites de l'homme refletent les representations collectives que l'on se fait d'un monde ordonne regit par des prescriptions et des interdits. S'interroger sur la maniere dont la relation homme excrement s'y joue, evaluer les formes de langue et de langage s'y rapportant, noter les temps et eventuellement les rythmes de ces relations, tel a ete notre propos. Partant du plus concret (les lieux) pour aboutir au plus abstrait (interpretation symbolique), nous avons egalement etudie les diverses utilisations des excretions ainsi que les rituels scatologiques presents dans differentes fetes. C'est tout particulierement a la charniere de l'annee (periode des douze jours n'appartenant a aucun temps (raccord des annees soli-lunaire) et marquee de rituels d'inversion) que les excretions entrent dans le systeme plus general de benediction par l'injure et de purification par l'ordureThe study of excrements (here limited to urine and defecation) cannot be confined to the simple hygienist standpoint which opposes cleanliness and dirtiness. Our approch ties up with mary douglas's position, that any reflection upon dirtiness implies a reflection upon the link between order and disorder, form and formlesness, death and life. Man's behaviour mirrors the ways in which the human group collectively sees the ordered world ruled by regulations and taboos. This study analyses the various aspects of the relationships between man and excretion, the linguistic forms expressing them and the temporality and rhythm of their occurrences. Starting with the most concrete elements (such as places) and ending up with the most abstract (symbolic interpretations), the various uses made of excrements are then examined, together with scatological rituals central to annual festivals and celebrations. More specifically, it is when the year changes - a period of twelve days belonging to no time and marked with rituals of inversion - that excretion becomes part of that system in which benediction is carried out through abusive language and purification through filth
17
Valenzuela-Escobedo, Sergio. "Mänk’áčen : mécanique photographique, mysticisme et superstition chez les peuples originaires d'Amérique du Sud." Thesis, Aix-Marseille, 2021. http://www.theses.fr/2021AIXM0328.
Full textAbstract:
Toumayacha Alakana : cette expression populaire est à l’origine de ma recherche : elle signifie « regarder la tête couverte d’un voile ». C’est ainsi que les Fuégiens ont nommé l’acte de photographier au XIXe siècle, quand ils ont vu les premiers appareils photographiques avec les opérateurs qui ont débarqué en Amérique dès 1840. Quels noms les peuples locaux ont-ils donnés à ces nouvelles images-objets ? Comment cet outil inconnu a-t-il été perçu ? Que signifie d’être regardé la tête couverte d’un voile ? C’est par un changement de focale et une inversion du point de vue que cette thèse approche l’étude de l’acte photographique en Amérique du Sud. La compréhension de la photographie peut-elle changer si on l’aborde en l’étudiant à partir du regard que ces peuples portent sur l’appareil photographique ?Dire que les Amérindiens ne veulent pas être photographiés, en particulier parce qu’on « va leur voler leur âme », est un mythe colonial ; cette croyance occidentale donne de la valeur aux images que les explorateurs rapportent. La question du refus des appareils est beaucoup plus complexe et variée : la résistance peut porter sur la prise de vue, sur la circulation de l’image de soi, sur le caractère unilatéral de la transaction, sur l’incompréhension de l’appareil comme sur des conséquences politiques et spirituellesToumayacha Alakana : this popular expression lays at the root of my research. It means “to look with a veiled head”. It is how the Fuegians named the act of photographing in the19th century, when they saw their first cameras, as operators came to America around 1840.What names did native people give to those new images-cum-objects ? How was that unknown device perceived ? What does it mean to be looked at by a veiled head ? My doctoral research offers a shift of of focus and point of view on the act of photography in South America. Can our understanding of photography change if we take native peoples’ perspective on the camera as a starting point ?The idea that native people do not want to be photographed, especially because it would be “stealing their souls”, is a colonial myth. This western belief gave value to the images brought back by explorers. The reasons behind refusing the camera are much more complex and diverse : they can be about the camera angle, the circulation of the image of the self, the one-sided nature of the transaction, the lack of understanding of the device, or political and spiritual considerations
18
Morita, Ikuko. "Le "fonds populaire" dans la prose d'imagination de Guillaume Apollinaire." Thesis, Paris 3, 2014. http://www.theses.fr/2014PA030054.
Full textAbstract:
Mon travail consiste à étudier des éléments du “ fonds populaire ” dans l’œuvre théâtrale et dans les textes de fiction en prose d’Apollinaire ; à restituer leur contexte temporel et géographique. Je considère la façon dont il les utilise et enfin je tente d’élucider la façon dont s’élabore la signification multiple de ces éléments. Qu’il s’agisse des mots, qu’il s’agisse des mœurs, chaque élément du fonds populaire est chargé d’un double, voire d’un triple sens imprévu et qui se fonde sur un système de signes collectif et personnel. Chaque œuvre du poète crée un univers nouveau avec ses lois propres et avec l’implication particulière d’éléments du fonds populaire. Mon étude montre combien Apollinaire fait appel à ce fonds populaire sur le plan non seulement de la matière, mais aussi de la structureThis work is the study of the inherent elements of folk culture in Apollinaire's theatrical works and fictional prose, placing their context in time and geographical location. I examine the way he uses these elements and I try to clarify the ways in which their multiple meanings can be developped. Whether concerning words or way of life, each element from folk culture is loaded with an unexpected double or even triple meaning based on a system of collective and personal signs. Each of the poet's works creates a new universe with its own laws and particular emphasis on elements fron folk culture. My study shows the extent to which Apollinaire draws on this popular culture not only in subject matter but also in structure
19
Savickaitė, Eglė. "Studentų prietarai: tradicija ir masinė kultūra." Master's thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2008. http://vddb.library.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2008~D_20080804_135820-86608.
Full textAbstract:
Darbe pristatomi šiuolaikiniai prietarai, kurie yra būdingi Vytauto Didžiojo universiteto (VDU) lietuvių ir užsienio studentų bendruomenėms. Pagrindinis darbo objektas – studentų prietarai susiję su pasisekimu ar nepasisekimu egzaminų (atsiskaitymų) metu.
Darbo tikslas – išanalizuoti, kokius pagrindinius prietarus, praktikas ar turimus objektus, susijusius su pasisekimu ar nepasisekimu egzaminų metu, turi šiuolaikiniai lietuvių ir užsienio studentai. Kita vertus, siekiama išsiaiškinti pačių studentų požiūrį į jų atliekamus veiksmus ar turimus objektus.
Darbas paremtas 2006 metų pavasarį bei 2008 metų pavasarį autorės surinkta medžiaga, kada pusiau struktūruoto interviu metodu (naudojant klausimynus) buvo apklausta 100 lietuvių ir 30 užsienio studentų studijuojančių VDU. Surinkti duomenys buvo sisteminti tipologiškai. Darbe aptariami įvairūs studentų turimi amuletai, pranašiški ženklai ar atliekami veiksmai, kurie įtakoja būsimus įvykius.
Norint išvengti įtakos respondentų atsakymams, prietaro bei tikėjimo sąvokos klausimyne nenaudotos. Prietaro sąvoka buvo pradėta vartoti surinktos medžiagos sisteminimo eigoje, kada paaiškėjo, kad tik penktadalis šiuolaikinių lietuvių studentų nuoširdžiai tiki tuo, ką atlieka, ar tuo, ką turi. Pagrindinė sąvoka prietaras šiame darbe yra daugiau suprantama kaip neracionalus praeities požiūrių reliktas. Tačiau tarp studentų egzistuoja ir individualūs, kartais psichologinio pobūdžio prietarai, kurie yra arba, laikui bėgant, taip pat gali... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]The research deals with contemporary superstitions in the Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) lithuanian and foreign students’ community. The main object of this investigation is students` superstitions that are related with success or failure during examinations. The purpose of this research is to analyze what kind of basic superstitions, non rational actions or objects nowadays lithuanian and foreign students use, that are related with success and failure during examinations, has dominion over nowadays students. On the other hand, to elucidate students opinions to the actions have been done or convictions they have. The work is based on the material that was gathered during the spring 2006 and during the spring 2008 when 100 of VDU lithuanian and 30 foreign students were quizzed by a partly structured interview (using questionnaires); The gathered data is systematized typologically. Various kinds of students’ amulets, fateful signals, and doings that influence forthcoming events are talked. In pursuance to avoid influence on the respondent answer, the concept superstition or belief was not used in the questionnaire. The concept superstition is started to use during systematizing the material when became clear that only the fifth part of nowadays students stated that they sincerely believe in the actions they do or the objects they have. The main concept superstition in this work is perceived as non rational relic of some standpoints of the past. On the other hand, some... [to full text]
20
Galanopoulos, Philippe. "Le Dr. Bourneville, l'hystérie et l'anticléricalisme au début de la Troisième République : un médecin à l'assaut des superstitions et des croyances religieuses." Versailles-St Quentin en Yvelines, 2005. http://www.theses.fr/2005VERS001S.
Full textAbstract:
Cette thèse s'intéresse aux travaux cliniques du docteur Bourneville (1840-1909) sur l'hystérie et à leur instrumentalisation à visée anticléricale. Assistant du professeur Charcot à La Salpêtrière durant huit années (1871-1879), puis chef de la section dite " des enfants " de Bicêtre (1879-1905), Désiré-Magloire Bourneville n'aura eu de cesse d'identifier les phénomènes démoniaques et divins aux plus pures manifestations pathologiques de la grande névrose. Niant par là même l'influence du diable et de Dieu sur la santé et la vie des hommes, il aura ainsi tenté, depuis les années de l'Ordre moral jusqu'au vote de la loi de Séparation de l'Eglise et de l'Etat, de rejeter la religion et les religieux dans un passé fait d'obscurantisme et de barbarie, pour mieux réclamer la fondation d'une République positive, c'est-à-dire, laïque et scientifiqueThis thesis concerns the clinical work of Dr. Bourneville (1840-1909) on hysteria and its instrumentality towards an anticlericalism aim. For eight years he was assistant to Pr. Charcot in the Salpêtrière (1871-1879), then head of the section called “des enfants” in Bicêtre (1879-1905). Désiré-Magloire Bourneville had never ceased identifying the demoniac and divine phenomena to the purest pathological manifestations of the “great neurosis”. Denying at the same time the influence of the devil and of God on the health and the life of humans, he had thus tried, since the years of the “Ordre moral” till the law of Separation of the Church from the State, to throw back religion and religious into a past made of obscurantism and barbarity, so as to better reclaim the foundation of a positive Republic, that is to say, laic and scientific
21
Martin, del Campo Rios Jaime. "Religion and superstition through a cognitive perspective : examining the relationship of religious and superstitious beliefs to cognitive processes." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/32224.
Full textAbstract:
Religion and superstition are complex constructs since they are intertwined with a variety of psychological aspects and are correlated to positive and negative-related effects. For instance, both phenomena have been associated with advantages at behavioural (i.e. performance enhancements) and cognitive levels (i.e. executive function deficits). This thesis represents a systematic attempt to study these constructs under a non-reductionist approach and emphasizes the cognitive processes. Despite underlying and behavioural similarities, both phenomena were treated as peripheral (although independent) constructs with the intention of: a) forwarding the idea that both religion and superstition can have a neuroscience edge and can be integrated thus into novel and/or well-established electrophysiological and cognitive paradigms, b) exploring the links between religious and superstitious factors (namely luck belief) in relation to behavioural performances and cognitive functions, and c) underlying the advantages of a multidimensional non-reductionist view for both constructs. Overall, results further indicated that it is necessary to treat religion and superstition as related (but not equal) multifaceted phenomena. Both negative and positive-related effects were found: physiological evidence showing a correlation between unlucky beliefs and deficits in executive functions (EFs), when comparing event-related potentials (electroencephalogram-derived technique) recorded during a Stroop task of a group associated to these beliefs; a performance enhancement effect related to the use of a religious amulet during an anagram task; finally, a high correlation between negative-oriented beliefs and EFs in a screening that was based on a battery scale containing a myriad of religious, superstitious and EF sub-factors.
22
Brehier, Ludivine. "La superstition dans les contes fantastiques français du dix-neuvième siècle." Thesis, Paris 3, 2014. http://www.theses.fr/2014PA030031/document.
Full textAbstract:
Cette étude est consacrée à la potentielle part superstitieuse immanente aux contes fantastiques français du XIXe siècle. Au sein de cette forme concise du récit, nous cernons l’impact dégagé par la collision du fantastique et de la superstition, ces deux ennemis de la raison, témoins d’une époque où l’imaginaire est à la recherche d’un nouveau souffle littéraire. Nous revenons sur les origines de la rencontre de ces deux notions en faisant le point sur leurs étymologies et histoires respectives, puis mettons en exergue leurs assonances narratives. Le second temps de notre analyse s’articule autour des auteurs précurseurs, initiateurs et romantiques allant de J. Cazotte à P. Mérimée. Notre troisième partie est consacrée aux œuvres phares de la seconde moitié du siècle, qui, sous l’impulsion du très remarqué E. A. Poe et de quelques auteurs réalistes jugés mineurs, profitent d’un nouvel imaginaire s’achevant avec le décadentisme de J. Lorrain. Ces recherches permettent de constater la présence, la nécessité et l’évolution de la croyance dans un genre tributaire d’une verve particulièrement réceptive au désenchantement causé par une réalité exécrée. Nous observons que fantastique et superstition se situent conjointement à la croisée du monde ordinaire et d’un au-delà alternatif paradoxalement anxiogène et salvateur, reflet de la sensibilité des fantastiqueurs qu’ils retranscrivent au travers d’une pensée de plus en plus macabre au fil du siècle, folklore traditionnel puis pathologies psychiatriques à l’appuiThis study is dedicated to the potential superstitious part inherent to French fantastic tales of the XIXth century. Within this concise form of storytelling, we outline the impact arising from the collision of fantastic and superstition, two enemies of reason, witness of a time when imagination was in search of a new breath in literature. We return to the origins of the reunion of these two notions by considering their respective etymologies and evolutions, before focusing on their narrative similarities. The second part of our analysis revolves around the precursors, initiators and romantic authors, from J. Cazotte to P. Mérimée. Our third part is dedicated to major works of the second half of the century, which, at the instigation of the particularly famous E.A. Poe and other few realistic authors considered as less influent, benefit from a new form of imagination ending with J. Lorrain’s Decadent movement. This study shows the existence, necessity and evolution of the belief, in a genre dependent on a verve particularly receptive to the disillusion caused by a despised reality. We observe that fantastic and superstition both stand at the point where the ordinary meets an alternative hereafter which is paradoxically source of anxiety and salvation, reflecting the sensibility of the fantastic authors who transcribed it into an increasingly macabre imagination throughout the century, supported by traditional folklore, then by psychiatric pathologies
23
Rousseau, Vanessa. "Le goût du sang : Croyances et polémiques dans la chrétienté occidentale à l'Age Moderne." Paris 13, 2003. http://www.theses.fr/2003PA131010.
Full textAbstract:
En prenant en compte les pratiques culinaires et pratiques d'abstinences spécifiques à la chrétienté occidentale de l'Age Moderne nous nous sommes plus spécifiquement intéressés aux croyances, préjugés et tabous portés sur le sang. L'interdit de consommer du sang, présent dans la tradition juive et cela dès les temps hébrai͏̈ques les plus reculés, fut préservé par la chrétienté jusqu'au XIIème siècle. A compter du XIIIème siècle des mets de sang font leur apparition sur les tables chrétiennes non sans quelques réticences et préjugés hérités des temps anciens. L'analyse historique et philosophique des systèmes de croyances et préjugés portés sur le sang dans la tradition chrétienne entre le XVème et le XVIIIème siècle, ont permis de constater que le sang était au centre de toutes les interrogations ayant trait au divin, à la santé du vivant et à la mort. Cette substance vitale est sensée concentrer en elle tout le pneuma, toute l'âme et toute la spécificité du vivant comme être destiné à la mort. La consultation d'ouvrages ecclésiastiques, théologiques et hagiographiques témoigne de polémiques fort anciennes qui font du sang une substance au centre de tous les préjugées sur la notion de vie, de santé et de contagion par l'intermédiaire d'un rituel eucharistique au fondement du geste de foi de la Nouvelle Alliance. La compréhension et l'analyse d'ouvrages de médecine, de sciences culinaires, de livres des métiers et livres de recettes, certains autres ouvrages consacrés aux croyances populaires relatant des accusations de meurtres rituels, d'anthropophagie ou de vampirisme mettent à jour les raisons symboliques, religieuses et suprasensibles qui font du fluide sanguin une substance à la fois pure et impure : un pharmakon qui relie le monde du vivant à celui de la mort mais aussi le monde humain à celui du divin, notamment par le geste de mise à mort de l'animal à consommer (avatar des gestes sacrificiels anciens)While taking into account culinary practices and traditions of abstinence in Western Christianity in the Modern Age, this dissertation focuses more specifically on beliefs, prejudices and taboos concerning blood. The interdiction forbidding the consuming of blood, already present in early Jewish tradition, was perpetuated in Christianity until the 12th century. Beginning in the 13th century, dishes containing blood appeared on Christian tables, but not without a certain reluctance accompanied by the memory of prejudices inherited from former times. The historical and philosophical analysis of the beliefs and prejudices regarding blood in the Christian tradition between the 15th and 18th centuries demonstrates that blood was at the center of debates concerning health, death and the divine. This vital substance is supposed to include all the pneuma, the soul and the specificity of the human as a being who is necessarily destined to die. Ecclesiastical, theological and hagiographic works bear witness to the long-standing controversies which place blood at the center of prejudices about ideas concerning life, health and contamination or contagion through a eucharistic ritual which is the basis of the faith of the New Alliance. The analysis of medical and culinary works, books on various trades and recipes books-as well as other writings devoted to popular beliefs concerning ritual murders, cannibalism or vampirism-helps reveal the symbolic, religious and supersensible reasons which make blood both a pure and impure substance: a pharmakon which links the land of the living with the world of the dead as well as the human world with the divine, notably in the action of killing animals for consumption (an avatar of early sacrificial acts)
24
Horne, Marie E. "Ancient Superstitions Steeped in the Human Heart: Rumors of the Supernatural as Resistance Narrative in The House of the Seven Gables." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2009. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/2303.
Full textAbstract:
Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables continuously plays with the idea of narrative authority to explore concepts of class and power within the novel. Since these concepts of class and power are also a central focus of Subaltern Studies, applying some of this body of scholarship to the novel brings into focus these concepts and sheds light on the motivations and types of resistance in the novel. The upper class characters, including the Pyncheons, construct and maintain a narrative based on the declarations of professionals and officials of the state and church. It discusses only the most noble characteristics and events of the upper classes and relies solely on rational, empirical thought. They create this narrative to maintain their authority and dominance. The lower classes, including the Maules, construct an alternate narrative to resist the upper class that is collected and passed down through rumor. Supernatural elements like ghosts and curses figure prominently in this narrative. It is only when the Pyncheon and Maule families begin to listen to and validate multiple narratives that class and power become less important and the reconciliation between families happens.
25
Aupest-Conduche, Dominique. "PAIENS, IDOLES ET SUPERSTITIONS PAIENNES DANS LA GAULE CHRETIENNE DU IVe AU VIIe SIECLE : les temoignages de la litterature, de l'hagiographie et de la legislation conciliaire." Paris 4, 1986. http://www.theses.fr/1986PA040038.
Full textAbstract:
Au paganisme greco-romain commun a l'ensemble de l'empire, se mele au ive siecle, dans les milieux intellectuels de la province, un gout tres vif pour les antiquites gauloises. Par ailleurs les seuls actes de resistance violente a l'action des missionnaires se font pour defendre des temples de tradition indigene. Au ve siecle il n'est plus question de nostalgie gauloise chez les derniers paiens cultives qui mettent l'accent sur la foi en la perennite de rome. Par contre dans le reste de la population, un repli sur la vie locale et, dans certains cas, sur les cultes locaux, se produit. Les francs ont frequente les sanctuaires locaux cote a cote avec les indigenes. Les rites pratiques dans ces sanctuaires sont essentiellement de tradition gauloise et c'est le rapprochement avec les textes insulaires qui semble le mieux en rendre compte. Probablement sous la pression des grands, eux-memes obliges de tenir compte de leurs familles, les rois merovingiens ont menage paiens et pratiques paiennes jusqu'au debut du viie siecle. Le milieu du viie siecle marque la disparition des derniers sanctuaires paiens. Les pratiques qui survivront dans certains cas pendant des siecles, ne sont plus que des superstitions d'origines fort diversesThe iv th century gallo-roman intellectuals are mixing with their grecoroman paganisme a strong liking for gaulish antiquities. The only known cases of armed resistance to christianity are in relation with the defence of indigene sanctuaries. From the beginning of the v th century, cultivated pagans have no more gaulish tendancies: their faith is in the perennity of rome. However, the bulk of the population is turning to local life and, in some cases, to local cults. Pagan francs go to local sanctuaries together with the gallo-romans. These sanctuaries rites are mainly indigene and are better accounted for by island texts. Merovingian kings tolerated pagans and pagan-pratices till the beginning of the vii th century, probably under pressure from the grands and their familiae. By the middle of the century, the last sanctuaries are being destroyed. The many practices remaining, sometimes for centuries, are only superstitions of miscellaneous origins
26
Edzang, Abaga Jean-Bosco. "Lecture hégélienne des fondements de l'État moderne en Afrique." Phd thesis, Université Paris-Est, 2008. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00462178.
Full textAbstract:
Ce travail s'interroge sur les fondements de l'Etat moderne en Afrique à travers l'oeuvre de Hegel. Confronter l'oeuvre de Hegel avec les réalités africaines relève en soi de l'audace à cause de sa thèse polémique sur l'anhistoricité des cultures non occidentales et spécialement celles de l'Afrique. Cependant, la pensée politique de Hegel constitue un cadre théorique original capable d'interpréter l'actualité la plus gaie (comme la prospérité des nations) et la plus absurde (comme une guerre civile ou la pauvreté). Ce que les peuples sont, ils le doivent à leur histoire, leurs cultures et à leurs institutions. Des auteurs comme Hippocrate, Montesquieu et Karl Ritter avaient fait de l'environnement géographique le facteur des civilisations, des progrès techniques et scientifiques des peuples. Mais chez Hegel, les hommes doivent à l'Etat moderne d'être libres d'une liberté qui compénètre toutes les sphères de la vie éthique. Là où l'Etat n'est pas, il n'y a ni liberté ni progrès
27
Fernandes, Kátia Goreth Sardinha. "A PERSONIFICAÇÃO DO MAL EM GRANDE SERTÃO: VEREDAS DE GUIMARÃES ROSA." Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás, 2016. http://tede2.pucgoias.edu.br:8080/handle/tede/3471.
Full textAbstract:
Submitted by admin tede (tede@pucgoias.edu.br) on 2016-09-09T11:37:29Z
No. of bitstreams: 1
KÁTIA GORETH SARDINHA FERNANDES.pdf: 1014050 bytes, checksum: e1369e89d3283b287c346eff63fbd15b (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-09T11:37:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 KÁTIA GORETH SARDINHA FERNANDES.pdf: 1014050 bytes, checksum: e1369e89d3283b287c346eff63fbd15b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-05-10
This Master’s dissertation aimed to analyze and investigate the personification of evil in Grande Sertão: Veredas of Guimarães Rosa. (Great Wilderness): Paths of starting from that the religiosity in the work is present in Brazilian literature, and it is relevant at all times, because it concerns the popular culture of the people, with regional hinterlands traits. Addressing some ways how society prepares its imaginary about the demon figure, the devil figure often regulates the way of acting and thinking of the people according to the local culture in which they live, in this case the wilderness. The research Work of Grande Sertão: Veredas contributes to survey the specific situations of personification of evil and its main culture traits established by people who lived in a particular place. The analysis in its social-historical and cultural context is relevant to note and understand the interconnection and the interrelation of these situations of cultural regionalism and the relations of que religious phenomenon. For the academic field it means to deepen the knowledge of the religious phenomenon in relation to this literature concepts in the work Grande Sertão: Veredas contains narratives that reflect the realities of the existence of God and the Devil lived in the backcountry people culture. Here it can be seen the popular imagination in the devil figure, very present in the religious and popular culture in the work of Guimarães Rosa. Based on these principles, is intented to address the Devil’s existence raised by own narrator and protagonist, the roughneck Riobaldo. The devil appers throughout the work, in various metaphors or populars images involving good and evil, love and hate especially, saying and popular names of the devil and beliefs of religiosity present in the backcountry.
Esta dissertação de Mestrado buscou analisar e investigar a personificação do mal em Grande Sertão: Veredas de Guimarães Rosa partindo de que a religiosidade na obra está presente na literatura brasileira, sendo relevante em todas as épocas, porque diz respeito à cultura popular do povo, com traços regionais do sertão. Abordando algumas formas de como a sociedade elabora seu imaginário acerca da figura do demônio, a figura do diabo regula muitas vezes a forma de agir e pensar das pessoas de acordo com a cultura local em que estão inseridos, neste caso o sertão. A pesquisa da obra Grande Sertão: Veredas contribui para fazer um levantamento das situações específicas da personificação do mal e seus principais traços de cultura estabelecida por pessoas que viviam em uma determinada região. A análise em seu contexto sócio-histórico e cultural torna relevante observar e compreender a interconexão e interrelação dessas situações do regionalismo cultural e as relações do fenômeno religioso. Para o campo acadêmico isso significa aprofundar os conhecimentos sobre o fenômeno religioso em relação aos conceitos de literatura presente na obra Grande Sertão: Veredas. O texto Grande Sertão: Veredas contém narrativas que refletem realidades da existência de Deus e do demônio vividas na cultura do povo sertanejo. Aqui poderá ser visto o imaginário popular na figura do demônio, muito presente na cultura popular religiosa e na obra de Guimarães Rosa. Com base nestes princípios, pretende-se abordar o problema da existência do diabo, levantado pelo próprio narrador e protagonista, o jagunço Riobaldo. O diabo aparece, ao longo da obra, sob diversas metáforas ou imagens populares envolvendo o bem e o mal, o amor e o ódio, sobretudo, ditos e nomes populares sobre o demônio e crenças da religiosidade presente no sertão.
28
Rothé, Sophie. "Casanova en mouvement : des attraits de la raison aux plaisirs de la croyance." Thesis, Tours, 2014. http://www.theses.fr/2014TOUR2008.
Full textAbstract:
Le mythe de Casanova a longtemps réduit l’individu à un charmeur écervelé. Il a aussi masqué son statut d’écrivain. Afin de poursuivre l’œuvre de dévoilement de ses écrits, cette thèse étudie l’un des paradoxes qui les jalonnent. Imprégné de philosophie éclairée, le chevalier de Seingalt expose son mépris pour les croyances superstitieuses. Toutefois, témoin de la persistance de l’irrationnel au siècle des Lumières, il devient charlatan et met ses talents théâtraux au service de la duperie, développant ainsi une « esthétique de la superstition ». Pourtant, au cours de son existence, en particulier lors de l’expérience des Plombs, l’imposteur devient victime de ses craintes irrationnelles. Incapable de fixer ses convictions, ses postures philosophiques demeurent contradictoires, et marquent son écriture elle-même. Passant des attraits de la raison aux plaisirs de la croyance, l’aventurier s’abandonne donc plaisamment au mouvement, non seulement en matière féminine mais aussi en littérature et philosophieFor a long time, the myth of Casanova has reduced him to a brainless womanizer and has overshadowed his literary work. In order to furtherunveil his writings, this thesis studies one of the paradoxes that are regularly found in them. Steeped with enlightened philosophy, the chevalier de Seingalt shows his despise for superstitious beliefs. However, as he is confronted to irrationality during the Age of Enlightment, he becomes a charlatan and uses his theatrical skills to dupe other people, which makes him develop an « aesthetic of superstition ». Still, at some point of his life – in particular during the Leads episode – the imposter falls victim to his own irrational fears. Unable to decide on his convictions, his philosophical thoughts remain contradictory andaffect his writings. As he switches from the appeal of reason to the pleasures of belief, the adventurer indulges himself in wavering, not only in terms of women, but also in literature and philosophy
29
Chautant, Gisèle. "Croyances et conduites magiques dans la France du XVIIème siècle d'après l'affaire des poisons." Grenoble 2, 1998. http://www.theses.fr/1998GRE29054.
Full textAbstract:
L'affaire des poisons (1679-1682) est un proces jugeant des criminels coupables d'empoisonnements, de sacrileges et de crimes de leze-majeste. Elle concerne un grand nombre de personnes appartenant a tous les rangs de la societe. L'ensemble des documents qui la concerne sont recenses dans les tomes iv a vd des archives de la bastille. Publiees par f. Ravaisson. Cette etude propose d'utiliser ces documents en tant que source en vue de presenter les mentalites, ainsi que les pratiques magiques au xviieme siecle. La premiere partie, intitulee " le contexte socio-cukurel ", dresse un portrait des femmes impliquees dans l'affaire (chapitre i) et presente les moeurs et les mentalites des protagonistes (chapitre ii). Le chapitre iii expose les croyances et les pratiques religieuses des personnes impliquees dans l'affaire, tandis que le chapitre iv concerne les pratiques sacrileges. La deuxieme partie, " les praticiens de la magie et leurs clients ", presente les magiciens et les pythonisses de la capitale, ainsi que les pratiques auxquelles ils recouraient (chapitres v et vi). Il s'agit, ensuite, de determiner les motivations qui poussaient une abondante clientele a rendre visite aux magiciens (chapitre vii) puis, de presenter la base du pouvoir de ces derniers (chapitre viii). La troisieme partie, " signification socio-psychologique du recours a la magie ", expose, d'une part, les relations qui s'etablissaient entre les differents milieux sociaux ainsi que ceux qui unissaient les magiciens d'un meme reseau et, d'autre part, le contexte psychologique dans lequel evoluaient les protagonistes de l'affaire (chapThe trial of poisons (1679-1682) pass judgment on persons who are guilties of empoisonment, sacrilege, high treason in paris. It deals with a large part of people beyonging to every social rank. The documents related to this trial were published by f. Ravaisson in les archives de la bastille, from volume iv to vii. The purpose of this study is to use documents to describe mentalities and magic practise-, during the xviith century. In the first part, called " social-cultural context ", women concerned by the process and also habits and mentalities of the protagonists are presented (chapter i and h). In chapter iii, believes and religious practises are presented. Chapter iv is about sacrilegious practises. In second part, chapters v and vi are about magicians and practises they did ; chapter vii explains why the custom came to magicians , chapter viii is about the power of men and women who told fortunes. The third part presents, on the one hand (chapter ix), the relationships between social ranks and magicians , on the other hand (chapter x), it presents the psyche-logic context which protagonists li
30
Neaimi, El-Sadek. "La Superstition raisonnable, représentation de la mythologie égyptienne dans la littérature française du XVIIIe siècle." Thesis, Paris 4, 2011. http://www.theses.fr/2011PA040057.
Full textAbstract:
La "Superstition raisonnable" est titre qui apparaît contradictoire, mais il donne en deux mots l'ensemble de la pensée des Lumières sur la culture et la civilisation pharaoniques. Les philosophes et les écrivains du XVIIIe siècle considèrent que l'Egypte ancienne est le berceau des arts et des sciences, mais aussi elle est l'origine des cultes irrationnels. Cependant, la production littéraire et philosophique des Lumières ne se contente pas à étudier cette question d'origine des cultes en évoquant le pharaonisme, mais elle s'y inspire aussi dans certains romans tels Le Taureau blanc, Séméramis. Et Durant tout le XVIIIe siècle, le sujet Egyptien est présent, chez les franc-maçons, les antiquaires, les historiens d'arts, les érudits les historiens, comme chez certains poètes et romanciers. C'est pourquoi, une des difficultés qui surgit est de trouver un fil conducteur pour étudier la représentation de l’Egypte antique dans la pensée du XVIIIe siècle en raison de la diversité de la représentation de l’Egypte, non pas seulement au cours du siècle, mais aussi à l’intérieur d’un même ouvrage. C’est en raison de ces diverses approches du pharaonisme par les écrivains des Lumières que cette thèse emprunte des chemins interdisciplinaires, qui se reflètent dans la diversité de la bibliographie. Ainsi Cette étude essaie de donner quelques éclaircissements sur des textes qui n’ont pas fait l’objet de réflexion suffisante de la part des dix-huitiémistes alors qu’ils le méritent, car ces textes sont représentatifs de l’inquiétude philosophiqueThe reasonable superstition, representation of the Egyptian mythology in French literature of eighteen century, The title of this thesis appear contrast but it gave us a good idea about Pharaoh representation in enlightenment century. This thesis studies how is about the civilization and the culture of the ancient Egypt in the philosophy writing and the literature : novels, dramas and poetry in eighteen century. The philosophers and the writers of eighteen century thinks that the ancient Egypt was the origin of the science and the art, but this country was also the origin of superstition like in the writing of Boulanger L'Antiquité devoilée pas elle-elle même. But the writers and the philosophers don't satisfy to study this question of originin the Egyptian myth, but in the same time they find some inspirations in the mythology of Isis and Osiris in some novels like Le Taureau blanc and Semeramis of Voltaire. Some dramatists inspire also in this mythology like Tanis et Zelide and les lois de Minos of Voltaire, also in his poem Sesostris and in the creation of another writers Banier, Boulanger, Charles de Brosses, Caylus dramatist and poets Bitaubé, Rocher. Also this thesis is an interdisplinary study because this subject have a multiple approachs
31
Pourmorshed, Hormat Saadat. "Superstitious Behavior Classroom Game Teaching." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2016. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc862844/.
Full textAbstract:
Superstitions flourish in cultures around the word and in everyday life. Superstitions are so prevalent and influence personal and political decisions, therefore, we sought to develop a classroom demonstration of superstitious behavior that could be used to show quickly and effectively how powerful adventitious reinforcement could be in modifying behavior. An online game was developed and played by one hundred thirteen university students enrolled in a class on critical thinking. Participants gained points (reinforcement) arbitrarily during either 25% or 50% of each game's (A or B) 3 minute duration. Although points were non-contingent, students often engaged in superstations rules or patterns. Results of both self-reports and computer generated data showed, the games were successful in producing superstitious behavior patterns in about 50% of our participants. More students showed superstitious behavior in the 50% game than in the 25% game. We conclude that this is due to the higher reinforcement rate of in 50% game. For future studies, rearranging the stimulus array into a pattern that does not itself strongly control behavior could help refine the results.
32
Conde, Ana. "La répression de la sorcellerie par le tribunal inquisitorial de Cuenca (fin du XVe siècle - XVIIIe siècle)." Paris 4, 2005. http://www.theses.fr/2005PA040202.
Full textAbstract:
Profondément liée à l'histoire de la construction et de l'affirmation du pouvoir, loin d'être marginale, l'histoire de la répression de la sorcellerie par le tribunal inquisitorial de Cuenca met en lumière l'emprise de l'Église sur le corps social, tout comme son rapport avec le politique. Balisée par les sources disponibles — c'est-à-dire par les dates du premier et du dernier procès de sorcellerie dressés par ce tribunal — la période historique abordée dans cette étude court de la fin du XVe siècle au XVIIIe siècle. Notre étude porte sur l'évolution de la répression de deux modèles de sorcellerie : dans un premier temps, il s'agit de la répression d'une sorcellerie plus récente, la sorcellerie démonologique ou brujería, puis d'une sorcellerie traditionnelle, chronologiquement antérieure, qui cherche des explications magiques à la vie, à la mort et aux malheurs d'ici-basDeeply-rooted into the construction and affirmation of power, far from being marginal, the history of repression of witchcraft by the inquisitorial court of Cuenca enlights the influence of the Church over society and its relations with Monarchy. Marked out by the available sources (i. E. The dates of the first and last trials started by this court), the historical period analyzed in this study runs from the end of the XVth century to the XVIIIth century. Our study examines the evolution of repression of two witchcraft standards : first, the repression of a recent witchcraft — brujería, or the demonology witchcraft — and second, a more traditional and ancient witchcraft, which tries to find magical explanations to life, death, and here below misfortune
33
Costa, Rui Manuel Correia Santos. "Crenças sobre a saúde e a actividade física : Um Estudo com professores e funcionários das escolas da região de Viseu." Master's thesis, Instituições portuguesas -- UP-Universidade do Porto -- -Faculdade de Ciências do Desporto e de Educação Física, 2000. http://dited.bn.pt:80/29235.
Full text
34
Silva, Raquel Cristina Cunha Soares da. "Crenças sobre saúde e actividade física-estudo com professores das escolas do Concelho da Maia." Master's thesis, Instituições portuguesas -- UP-Universidade do Porto -- -Faculdade de Ciências do Desporto e de Educação Física, 2001. http://dited.bn.pt:80/29485.
Full text
35
Costa, Rui Manuel Correia Santos. "Crenças sobre a saúde e a actividade física : Um Estudo com professores e funcionários das escolas da região de Viseu." Master's thesis, Universidade do Porto. Reitoria, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10216/10142.
Full text
36
Laflamme, Patrick. "Superstitious perception in humans and convolutional neural networks." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/62605.
Full textAbstract:
The advent of complex Hierarchical Convolutional Neural Networks (HCNNs) has led to great progress in the field of computer vision, with modern implementations of HCNNs rivalling human performance in object recognition tasks. The design of HCNNs was inspired by current understanding of how the neurons of the human visual system are organized to support object recognition. There are researchers who claim that the computations undertaken by HCNNs are approximating those of the human visual system, because of their high accuracy in predicting the neural activity of regions of the brain involved in object classification (Cichy, Khosla, Pantazis, Torralba, & Oliva, 2016; Khaligh-Razavi & Kriegeskorte, 2014; Yamins et al., 2014). However, there has been little investigation of how HCNNs and humans compare on other tasks that HCNNs have not been trained on. Our study compared the similarity of one HCNN, AlexNet, and humans on a superstitious perception task that involves falsely recognizing a learned object in the absence of strong evidence for its presence. We began by validating a new technique that quantifies human performance on the superstitious perception task. The first phase of the research revealed that human behaviour in the task is dependent on whether participants employed an active or passive task strategy. Next, the responses of our HCNN to the same images were analyzed in a similar manner. The results showed that HCNNs behaved similarly to humans in some ways and differently in others. Specifically, the classification images generated for the HCNN were similar to those derived from human participants, but the HCNN was also more consistent in its responses than humans. A second finding was that the differences in human participants classification images (created by adopting active versus passive strategies) could not be accounted for by simply altering the proportion of false alarm responses in the HCNN. This suggests that HCNNs may be using criteria similar to humans’ perception when evaluating the likelihood of an object being present. The higher similarity between humans and HCNN in the passive condition suggests that the criteria similarities are largest when humans recruit minimal central executive resources in the decision-making process.Arts, Faculty of
Psychology, Department of
Graduate
37
Valletta, Frederick Victor Alfred. "Witchcraft, magic and superstition in England, 1640-1670." Thesis, King's College London (University of London), 1998. https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/witchcraft-magic-and-superstition-in-england-164070(48c85851-6de7-4051-9114-8e1ac3c39dc9).html.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis examines the relationship between élite and popular beliefs in witchcraft, magic and superstition in England. In particular, these issues are considered against the background of political, religious and social upheaval characteristic of the Civil War, Interregnum and Restoration periods. Throughout the work it is stressed that deeply held superstitions were fundamental to belief in witches, the devil, ghosts, apparitions and supernatural healing. In addition the way such superstitions were used by both political and religious authorities is examined. Despite the fact that popular - superstitions were often condemned, it was recognised that their propaganda value was too useful to ignore. A host of pamphlets and treatises was published during this period unashamedly incorporating such beliefs. The employment of demonic imagery and language in such polemics may not have been officially sanctioned, but it had the advantage of at least being easily understood and recognised by most people. The work is divided into an introduction, seven chapters, a conclusion and three appendices. Chapter 1 looks at the religious and political background to witchcraft belief and justifies the period chosen. Chapter 2 analyses the demonological literature of the period and assesses the influence of the devil on people's consciousness, including how the devil was portrayed and what was known of his powers. Chapter 3 examines the way in which reports of the supernatural, such as ghosts, apparitions and monstrous births, were interpreted as prodigies and utilised for religious or political purposes. Chapter 4 assesses the role, influence and methods of unofficial healers, particularly cunning folk and white witches, and examines how they came into conflict with their patients, official practitioners of medicine and the prevailing religious authorities. Chapter 5 is concerned with the legal problems inherent in witchcraft trials, especially the influence the populace may have had on the judicial process. Chapter 6 consists of a local study of a number of episodes of witchcraft, concentrating on Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Somerset. Chapter 7 assesses why people made allegations of witchcraft, and, more importantly, why people may have confessed to witchcraft. The three appendices provide respectively: quantitative data on individual witches gleaned from all the sources examined, an explanation of sympathetic magic, the principles and beliefs concerning humoural medicine.
38
Irvin, Margaret. "Some speculations on magic, ritual and superstition in antiquity /." [St. Lucia, Qld.], 2004. http://www.library.uq.edu.au/pdfserve.php?image=thesisabs/absthe18654.pdf.
Full text
39
Sjöstedt, Samuel. "Religion och Magi : Religio et Superstitio." Thesis, Uppsala universitet, Religionshistoria, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-325931.
Full text
40
Pirocchi, Francesco Maria. "Anton van Dale’s De Oraculis (1683-1700) : a critical introduction." Thesis, Paris, EPHE, 2016. http://www.theses.fr/2016EPHE5029.
Full textAbstract:
La thèse soumise à votre attention est une analyse critique du De Oraculis (première édition 1683, deuxième édition avec des différences substantielles 1700) l’ouvrage le plus connu de l’anabaptiste néerlandais Anton van Dale (1638-1708). Ce livre a eu une considérable résonance dans le milieu culturel de son temps, mais il a été très souvent délaissé dans les études – pourtant dans les années récentes un nouvel intérêt pour la pensée de van Dale a émergé. C’est un ouvrage savant et érudit. L’auteur y soutient que les oracles ne sont que des fourberies et des ruses des prêtres pour duper le peuple. Mais l’enquête de van Dale sur les oracles montre des similarités dangereuses entre paganisme et christianisme : on pourrait en fait croire que la même critique des oracles et du paganisme peut être adressée aux prophéties et à la religion chrétienne. Je soutiens qu’au contraire le De Oraculis est en ligne avec la tradition de pensée reformée – en particulier, mais pas seulement, avec l’anabaptisme, et aussi avec les discussions savantes qui, dans la tradition des études humanistes, ont animé la République des Lettres. L’analyse du contexte culturel du De Oraculis et de l’ouvrage lui-même est au cœur de cette thèse. Le résultat final est une contribution originale à la connaissance d’un livre presque oublié et d’une époque qui a été centrale pour le développement de l’identité culturelle européenneThe dissertation submitted to your attention is a critical analysis of De Oraculis (first edition 1683, second edition with major changes 1700), the most famous work by the Dutch Anabaptist Anton van Dale (1638-1708). This book had a remarkable impact on the culture of its time, but has often been overlooked in the studies – although a growing interest for the thought of van Dale has arisen in recent years. It is a scholarly, erudite work; its main contention is that the oracles are shams fabricated by crafty priests to exploit the people. But van Dale’s enquiry into the oracles reveals dangerous similarities between paganism and Christianity: it might even lead to believe that the same criticism of oracles and paganism can be addressed to Christian prophecies and religion as well. I argue instead that De Oraculis is in line with the tradition of thought of the Reformation – especially, but not only, with Anabaptism – and with the learned discussions that animated the Republic of Letters, following the humanist tradition of scholarship. The study of the cultural context of De Oraculis and the detailed examination of the text are the core of this dissertation. Its final outcome is an original and innovative contribution to the knowledge of a (nearly) forgotten book and of a period that has been pivotal in the development of the European cultural identity
41
Mohammadi, Doostdar Alireza. "Fantasies of Reason: Science, Superstition, and the Supernatural in Iran." Thesis, Harvard University, 2012. http://dissertations.umi.com/gsas.harvard:10215.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation examines uncertainties about the supernatural among members of the urban middle class in Tehran, Iran. In particular, I attend to the ways in which the category of the supernatural (mavara) has become, for some people, an object of potential scientific (`elmi) inquiry that must be distinguished from approaches usually ascribed to the rural, the uneducated, and the poor, often deemed as either superstitions (khorafat) or parochically religious (dini). By examining a range of encounters with the supernatural - such as attempts to explain communications with the souls of the dead, make sense of spirit possession, and differentiate real magic from charlatanism - I highlight the varied modalities through which perspectives and forms of reasoning imagined to be rational and scientific are brought to bear on matters that are understood to lie, at least partially, within the purview of religious knowledge. I situate such supernatural encounters against a backdrop of state disciplinary and coercive measures, thereby illuminating important shifts in Iran's politico-religious landscape in the past two decades, such as the waning of the religious authority of the Shi`i ulama among certain sections of society. This declining authority does not necessarily imply a weakened interest in Islam (although this is sometimes the case). Rather, it has opened up a space for reception and deliberation of a multiplicity of sources of religious knowledge, both Islamic and non-Islamic. These include forms of Western-imported spirituality and occultism that have been entering Iran for over a century, with their most recent wave consisting of translated texts of New Age spirituality, self-help success literature, and popular psychology that have gained popularity since the end of the war with Iraq. The metaphysical models on offer through these spiritual systems are usually promoted and understood as scientific rather than religious. That is, rather than being seen as contradicting Islamic notions, these formulations are often viewed as parallel to them. By attending to such notions and their everyday manifestations, my project brings into focus various hybrid forms of religious-scientific knowledge, experience, and discourse that have largely been ignored in the study of modern Muslim societies.
42
Zhang, Yunzhou. "The Effects of Superstition as Destination Attractiveness on Behavioral Intention." Thesis, Virginia Tech, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/32609.
Full textAbstract:
Superstitious beliefs date back thousands of years and continue to the present, and research suggests that superstitious beliefs have a robust influence on product satisfaction and decision making under risk. The study therefore examines how superstition attitude will impact potential touristsâ intention to visit a destination so that relevant organizations (e.g. destination management/marketing organizations) could better understand potential touristsâ behaviors, identify a niche market encompassing those prone to superstition, and tailor the tourism products to the needs and beliefs of potential tourists.
The study used a survey instrument which consists of four components: the scale of Superstition as Destination Attractiveness (SADA), the revised Paranormal Belief Scale, the measurement of Intention to Visit, and respondentsâ demographics and travel experiences. A mixed-method data collection procedure was adopted to populate the sample. A total of 323 questionnaires were collected from Virginia Tech students, at both undergraduate and graduate level.
A multiple regression analysis method was employed for hypothesis testing. The result of the data analysis supported both hypotheses, and the study finds that the more positive potential touristsâ attitude is about superstition, the more likely they are to visit a destination with superstition as its attractiveness, and the more trait of superstition a potential tourist bears, the stronger the relationship between potential touristsâ attitude about superstition and their intention to visit a destination with superstition as its attractiveness. Implications and future studies were suggested based on the findings of the study.Master of Science
43
Lewis, John Rees. "Amulets : the psychology of magical thought in a contemporary context." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2000. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.323047.
Full text
44
Rigaudières, Cécile. "Région Aquitaine, maladies de peau : de la superstition au traitement scientifique." Bordeaux 2, 1997. http://www.theses.fr/1997BOR2P030.
Full text
45
Burnes, Colleen, and na. "Attitudes to gambling in Melbourne among adolescents of different ethnic backgrounds." Swinburne University of Technology, 2000. http://adt.lib.swin.edu.au./public/adt-VSWT20070709.162916.
Full textAbstract:
Three hundred and fifty Years 10,ll and 12 students from six coeducational
schools in metropolitan Melbourne were surveyed regarding their gambling
behaviour with the use of a survey which included the Australian Gambling
Scale (AGS) (Senn, 1996), The questionnaire also included a Gambling
Activities Checklist, Superstition Scale and Leisure Activities Checklist. The
first hypothesis, that being male would be a predictor of gambling fiequency
and problem gambling, was not supported. However, the second hypothesis,
that early age of onset of gambling, experience of a big win, family interest
in gambling and superstitious beliefs would predict gambling frequency, and
that gambling frequency along with the previously listed variables would
predict problem gambling was partly supported. Having had an early big
win, parental gambling, western superstition (but not eastern), gambling for
excitement, gambling to win money and gambling with friends predicted
gambling frequency. Gambling fiequency, gambling for excitement and
gambling to win money predicted problem gambling. Ethnic differences
were found in predictors of gambling frequency and problem gambling.
Reliability analysis on the newly-developed AGS indicated high internal
consistency (1 =.90). The scale needs to be validated by comparing it to a
well-established problem gambling scale, such as the South Oaks Gambling
Screen.
46
Mason, Edward. "MORE THAN AN "IMMODERATE SUPERSTITION": CHRISTIAN IDENTITY IN THE FIRST THREE CENTURIES." UKnowledge, 2013. http://uknowledge.uky.edu/history_etds/20.
Full textAbstract:
Only recently have scholars given particular attention to the development of the racial discourse present in early Christian apologetics. This study is aimed at understanding the Latin and Greek literary antecedents to the development of a Christian discourse on race and identity and examining in detail the apex of this discourse in the work of third century apologist Origen of Alexandria. Origen’s work represented the apex of an evolving discourse that, while continuing to use traditional vocabulary, became increasingly universalizing with the growth of the Roman Empire. By understanding how Christians in the first three centuries shaped their attitudes on race and identity, scholars can better comprehend the place of Christianity within the cultural framework of the Roman Empire.
47
Kayani, Ahsan Ul Haq. "Fatalism, superstition, religion, and culture : road user beliefs and behaviour in Pakistan." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2011. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/56433/1/Ahsan_Kayani_Thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Road traffic crashes have emerged as a major health problem around the world. Road crash fatalities and injuries have been reduced significantly in developed countries, but they are still an issue in low and middle-income countries. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2009) estimates that the death toll from road crashes in low- and middle-income nations is more than 1 million people per year, or about 90% of the global road toll, even though these countries only account for 48% of the world's vehicles. Furthermore, it is estimated that approximately 265,000 people die every year in road crashes in South Asian countries and Pakistan stands out with 41,494 approximately deaths per year. Pakistan has the highest rate of fatalities per 100,000 population in the region and its road crash fatality rate of 25.3 per 100,000 population is more than three times that of Australia's. High numbers of road crashes not only cause pain and suffering to the population at large, but are also a serious drain on the country's economy, which Pakistan can ill-afford.
Most studies identify human factors as the main set of contributing factors to road crashes, well ahead of road environment and vehicle factors. In developing countries especially, attention and resources are required in order to improve things such as vehicle roadworthiness and poor road infrastructure. However, attention to human factors is also critical. Human factors which contribute to crashes include high risk behaviours like speeding and drink driving, and neglect of protective behaviours such as helmet wearing and seat belt wearing. Much research has been devoted to the attitudes, beliefs and perceptions which contribute to these behaviours and omissions, in order to develop interventions aimed at increasing safer road use behaviours and thereby reducing crashes. However, less progress has been made in addressing human factors contributing to crashes in developing countries as compared to the many improvements in road environments and vehicle standards, and this is especially true of fatalistic beliefs and behaviours. This is a significant omission, since in different cultures in developing countries there are strong worldviews in which predestination persists as a central idea, i.e. that one's life (and death) and other events have been mapped out and are predetermined.
Fatalism refers to a particular way in which people regard the events that occur in their lives, usually expressed as a belief that an individual does not have personal control over circumstances and that their lives are determined through a divine or powerful external agency (Hazen & Ehiri, 2006). These views are at odds with the dominant themes of modern health promotion movements, and present significant challenges for health advocates who aim to avert road crashes and diminish their consequences. The limited literature on fatalism reveals that it is not a simple concept, with religion, culture, superstition, experience, education and degree of perceived control of one's life all being implicated in accounts of fatalism. One distinction in the literature that seems promising is the distinction between empirical and theological fatalism, although there are areas of uncertainty about how well-defined the distinction between these types of fatalism is.
Research into road safety in Pakistan is scarce, as is the case for other South Asian countries. From the review of the literature conducted, it is clear that the descriptions given of the different belief systems in developing countries including Pakistan are not entirely helpful for health promotion purposes and that further research is warranted on the influence of fatalism, superstition and other related beliefs in road safety. Based on the information available, a conceptual framework is developed as a means of structuring and focusing the research and analysis. The framework is focused on the influence of fatalism, superstition, religion and culture on beliefs about crashes and road user behaviour. Accordingly, this research aims to provide an understanding of the operation of fatalism and related beliefs in Pakistan to assist in the development and implementation of effective and culturally appropriate interventions. The research examines the influence of fatalism, superstition, religious and cultural beliefs on risky road use in Pakistan and is guided by three research questions: 1. What are the perceptions of road crash causation in Pakistan, in particular the role of fatalism, superstition, religious and cultural beliefs? 2. How does fatalism, superstition, and religious and cultural beliefs influence road user behaviour in Pakistan? 3. Do fatalism, superstition, and religious and cultural beliefs work as obstacles to road safety interventions in Pakistan? To address these questions, a qualitative research methodology was developed. The research focused on gathering data through individual in-depth interviewing using a semi-structured interview format. A sample of 30 participants was interviewed in Pakistan in the cities of Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The participants included policy makers (with responsibility for traffic law), experienced police officers, religious orators, professional drivers (truck, bus and taxi) and general drivers selected through a combination of purposive, criterion and snowball sampling. The transcripts were translated from Urdu and analysed using a thematic analysis approach guided by the conceptual framework.
The findings were divided into four areas: attribution of crash causation to fatalism; attribution of road crashes to beliefs about superstition and malicious acts; beliefs about road crash causation linked to popular concepts of religion; and implications for behaviour, safety and enforcement.
Fatalism was almost universally evident, and expressed in a number of ways. Fate was used to rationalise fatal crashes using the argument that the people killed were destined to die that day, one way or another. Related to this was the sense of either not being fully in control of the vehicle, or not needing to take safety precautions, because crashes were predestined anyway. A variety of superstitious-based crash attributions and coping methods to deal with road crashes were also found, such as belief in the role of the evil eye in contributing to road crashes and the use of black magic by rivals or enemies as a crash cause. There were also beliefs related to popular conceptions of religion, such as the role of crashes as a test of life or a source of martyrdom. However, superstitions did not appear to be an alternative to religious beliefs. Fate appeared as the 'default attribution' for a crash when all other explanations failed to account for the incident. This pervasive belief was utilised to justify risky road use behaviour and to resist messages about preventive measures. There was a strong religious underpinning to the statement of fatalistic beliefs (this reflects popular conceptions of Islam rather than scholarly interpretations), but also an overlap with superstitious and other culturally and religious-based beliefs which have longer-standing roots in Pakistani culture. A particular issue which is explored in more detail is the way in which these beliefs and their interpretation within Pakistani society contributed to poor police reporting of crashes. The pervasive nature of fatalistic beliefs in Pakistan affects road user behaviour by supporting continued risk taking behaviour on the road, and by interfering with public health messages about behaviours which would reduce the risk of traffic crashes. The widespread influence of these beliefs on the ways that people respond to traffic crashes and the death of family members contribute to low crash reporting rates and to a system which appears difficult to change. Fate also appeared to be a major contributing factor to non-reporting of road crashes. There also appeared to be a relationship between police enforcement and (lack of) awareness of road rules. It also appears likely that beliefs can influence police work, especially in the case of road crash investigation and the development of strategies.
It is anticipated that the findings could be used as a blueprint for the design of interventions aimed at influencing broad-spectrum health attitudes and practices among the communities where fatalism is prevalent. The findings have also identified aspects of beliefs that have complex social implications when designing and piloting driver intervention strategies. By understanding attitudes and behaviours related to fatalism, superstition and other related concepts, it should be possible to improve the education of general road users, such that they are less likely to attribute road crashes to chance, fate, or superstition. This study also underscores the understanding of this issue in high echelons of society (e.g., policy makers, senior police officers) as their role is vital in dispelling road users' misconceptions about the risks of road crashes. The promotion of an evidence or scientifically-based approach to road user behaviour and road safety is recommended, along with improved professional education for police and policy makers.
48
Lacroix, Geneviève. "Moralité et responsabilité : cas de la pratique des quimboiseurs et des prêtres catholiques martiniquais." Thesis, Université Laval, 2008. http://www.theses.ulaval.ca/2008/25254/25254.pdf.
Full text
49
Grimm, Gunter E. "Kometenforschung zwischen Aberglauben und Science-fiction - Comet research between superstition and science fiction." Gerhard-Mercator-Universitaet Duisburg, 2002. http://www.ub.uni-duisburg.de/ETD-db/theses/available/duett-08162002-150835/.
Full text
50
Filotas, Bernadette. "Pagan survivals, superstition and popular cultures in early medieval pastoral literature, 500-1000." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2001. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp05/NQ61389.pdf.
Full text