Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Tamilen'

The present study concentrates on the lifestyles and experie~ces of British-born young Tamils, and explores various components of their identities. Not many sociological studies have been condu~ted on the Tamil community in Britain. The study approaches its subject area through combining detailed ethnographic and interview research on young British Tamils with a consideration of wider arguments relating to ethnicity, migration, diaspora and youth. The findings are organised in terms of the four key themes of traditional culture, friendship, media, and politics, each one combined with relevant conceptual and empirical theorisations. Diasporic theories help to understand broader trends relating to various aspects of identity and these contribute towards the development of theories on minority youth inter-culture and newethnicities. Specifically, the study focuses on British-born young Tamils based in London, aged between 16 - 29. The ethnography focuses on their cohesiveness as a group, their relationship with parents and traditional Tamil culture and with other elements of British society, including White British youth culture and ethnic minority youth cultures. This qualitative study deploys research techniques together with interviews and ethnographic observations to examine current understanding of cultural identities, ethnicity and community. The analysis highlights the complex and dynamic nature of the identities of the young respondents and their experiences of being British-Tamils. The notion of hybridisation starts to figure quite strongly with the development of intercultural forms of mixed identities relating to the maintenance of traditional culture, friendship patterns and media interests. Interestingly however, young Tamils' political engagement with recent political events has developed a greater awareness of their Tamil identity and politicised youth ethnicity than before. The implications may be observed in terms of a greater impact upon their future cultural orientations - an increase In Tamil media usage, more interest in their mother tongue and the development of connections with the transnational Tamil community. ii.

This study investigated language shift in the Tamil community, a minority group in Singapore, and the maintenance of their mother tongue, Tamil as well as notions of identity amongst young Tamils. Contrary to previous studies, this study takes a stance that there is a possibility for Tamil to be a living language in Singapore, and in light of the positive attitudes and growing support observed amongst young English-educated Tamils, the declining use in Tamil may be gradually averted.

This study endeavours to explore the diasporic processes of Sri Lankan Tamils in Sydney, their cultural life, their migration patterns, their long-distance nationalism and their audiovisual media consumption. In doing so it presents a social profile of the Sri Lankan Tamils in Sydney while exploring the communities' demographical and topographical features. The ethnic unrest in Sri Lanka and the changing immigration policies in Australia were the major factors influencing migration of the Sri Lankan Tamils to Australia. This study delves into the various aspects of everyday Tamil life, like Tamil periodicals, associations, films and schools. It is an attempt to understand the individual, cross-cultural and communal dynamics of the way these cultural institutions are used by Sri Lankan Tamils in Sydney to maintain and negotiate their cultural identity in Australia.<br>Master of Arts (Hons)

This study endeavours to explore the diasporic processes of Sri Lankan Tamils in Sydney, their cultural life, their migration patterns, their long-distance nationalism and their audiovisual media consumption. In doing so it presents a social profile of the Sri Lankan Tamils in Sydney while exploring the communities' demographical and topographical features. The ethnic unrest in Sri Lanka and the changing immigration policies in Australia were the major factors influencing migration of the Sri Lankan Tamils to Australia. This study delves into the various aspects of everyday Tamil life, like Tamil periodicals, associations, films and schools. It is an attempt to understand the individual, cross-cultural and communal dynamics of the way these cultural institutions are used by Sri Lankan Tamils in Sydney to maintain and negotiate their cultural identity in Australia.

During the course of history, the world have come to see powerful nations rise and fall, religions spread and diminish – and all too often there have been violent struggles between religious groups and secular forces, a fact that we still see in our world today. In the West, we often hear about the violent and fundamental dimensions of Islam. Buddhism is rarely a part of the equation in a western context, regarding violence. A common perception is the picture of Buddhism as a guardian of non-violent principles and values. The central theme of this essay circuits around views on violence and warfare in the Sri Lankan context, where religion and violence have come to be intertwined, often with political overtones. With different theoretical frameworks and angles I have illustrated and analyzed how the historical development can be linked to classical buddhist sources and how some singalease buddhists make use of a mythical glorious past to justify violence and warfare against the tamil minority population. But like all religious traditions there are also counterforces and exceptions that diverge from the mainstream, which I have found importnant to illuminate. Religious phenomena can be a complex matter to investigate and trying to see the variations within a religious tradition can be difficult but one way to adress theese issues (when it comes to religion and violence in Sri Lanka) is to give diverse and multifaceted pictures of the conflict for when it comes to religion, there are never one-sided answers.

Denne studien undersøker medieforbruk og medievaner hos diasporaer og hva slags betydning medier har i diasporamiljøer. Gjennom dybdeintervjuer med seks tamiler og somaliere har jeg søkt svar på hvordan medievanene og medieforbruket hos somaliere og tamiler er, og hvorvidt man kan snakke om en disaporisk mediebruk. Videre har jeg også søkt svar på hva slags betydning medievanene og mediebruken til tamiler og somaliere i Norge har i forhold til kulturell vedlikeholdelse og felles samhørighet. Studien viser at diasporamedlemmer bruker ulike medier og til ulike formål. Ut i fra det som kom til uttrykk gjennom informantene, kan man skille mellom ulike typer diasporiske mediebrukere:1) den diasporiske mediebrukeren, 2) den internasjonale mediebrukeren, 3) den allsidige mediebrukeren og 4) den "norske" mediebrukeren. Det som er tydelig er at medier i stor grad brukes til å opprettholde opprinnelig kultur og identitet, og fungerer som et "lim" mellom hjemlandet og deres nye vertsland. Samtidig bruker samtlige informanter norske medier og bidrar slik til økt integrering i deres vertsland. Berker og Levold (2007) sitt begrep "tunge internettbrukere" er passende for å beskrive mediebruken til informantene i denne studien, ettersom de fleste viste seg å være storkonsumenter av både massemedier og personlige medier. Gjennom informantenes medieforbruk forekommer det også det som Thussu (2007) definerer som diasporisk medieflyt, hvor kommunikasjon og innhold spres i alle mulige retninger. I tillegg kom det frem hvordan diasporamedlemmer gjerne lever i det som Appadurai (1996) omtaler som diasporasfærer, hvor kontakt med andre diasporamedlemmer utgjør nettverk på tvers av landegrenser.

The primary objective of this dissertation is to provide a syntactic analysis of morphology in Estate Tamil, a dialect of Tamil spoken in tea estates, particularly in the Haputale area, in Sri Lanka. Tamil is significant for the theory of morphology not only because it is rich in a number of inflectional and derivational suffixes, but also because it exemplifies the co-occurrence of these two types of suffixes in the same lexical element, e.g. in participial and gerundive nouns. Further, these nouns have verbal morphology inside the nominal suffixes. Thus, the data from Tamil challenge the hypotheses that assume a distinction between inflection and derivation. Consequently, hypothesizing that all bound morphemes with selectional properties are functional heads, I explore morphosyntactic properties of deverbal nominals. In chapter 1, I claim that Estate Tamil is a distinctive dialect, contrary to the assumption that it is the same as Indian Tamil. Chapter 2 discusses some data and the questions that they raise for the theory of morphology. I argue that the criteria suggested for determining the distinction between inflection vs derivation and lexical rules vs syntactic rules are not adequate. Consequently, suggestion is made that all bound morphs with selectional properties can be analysed syntactically. Chapter 3 distinguishes lexical and functional categories and describe some theoretical assumptions in which morphology in Tamil is analysed in this dissertation. In Chapters 4 to 6, I analyse verbal morphology because the deverbal nominals contain verbal suffixes. Chapter 7 provides an account of morphology in deverbal nominals incorporating the verbal analysis given in the previous chapters. Finally, Chapter 8 describes the implications and consequences of the morphosyntactic analysis of Estate Tamil.

This dissertation examines the divergent trajectories of ethnic and national politics in the Tamil speaking regions of India and Sri Lanka. Despite comparable historical experiences and conditions, the south Indian Tamil speaking areas were peaceably accommodated within a pan-Indian framework whilst Sri Lankan politics was marked by escalating Tamil-Sinhala ethnic polarisation and violent conflict. The dissertation explains these contrasting outcomes by setting out a novel theoretical framework that draws on the work of Reinhart Koselleck and his analysis of the links between concepts and political conflict. It argues that in the era of popular sovereignty the nation and ethnicity have become central and unavoidable concepts of political order, but concepts that can be deliberately constructed through political activity in more or less inclusive ways. Setting out the conceptual connections between the nation, ethnicity and popular sovereignty, the dissertation shows how the conceptual tension between a unified national identity / interest and ethnic pluralism becomes a central and unavoidable locus of political contestation in the era of popular sovereignty. Tracing the politics of ethnicity and nationalism in India and Sri Lanka from the late nineteenth century to the late 1970’s, the analysis shows that the accommodation of Tamil identity within Indian nationalist frameworks and the escalation of Tamil – Sinhala ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka cannot be linked to differences in ethnic demography, political system, historical experiences or the structure of economic incentives. It reveals instead that these divergent outcomes are best explained as effects of contingent and competitive processes of political organisation and mobilisation through which deliberately more or less ethnically inclusive national identities are asserted, established and then contested.

This thesis considers the concepts of purity and pollution in a Tamil village context from a cosmological or religious viewpoint. Thus it contrasts with the Dumontian understanding which I argue is dominated by a 'secular' point of view. This approach enables us to clarify the ideological situation of the village Harijans (ex-Untouchables) and to properly analyze their practices. This ultimately contributes to the still inadequate studies of Harijans. The reconsideration of pollution from a cosmological viewpoint, which leads us to focus on pollution associated with life crises and the cults of local deities, elucidates the essential (deep) dimension of pollution which I term "pollution". That is, "pollution" indicates the creative dimension of pollution which contains the logic of sacrifice. In this sense, "pollution" should be clearly distinguished from the shallow dimension of pollution, defined as "impurity", which has an unambiguously negative connotation as the opposite of "purity". Through a comparison of the practices of the dominant castes in the village (the Pillais and the Kallars) and those of the Harijans (the Paraiyars), in terms of funeral ceremonies, cults of lineage deities and the activities of the local Milk Cooperative Society, it is revealed that the dominant castes and the dominated Paraiyars primarily share a basic Tamil culture which holds "pollution" ideology as its fundamental value, even though the dominant castes manipulate the ideology of "purity-impurity" for their social domination. It is also argued that the practices of the Paraiyars can not be understood by a static and simplistic viewpoint, like that of consensus and disjunction theories, but that they should be interpreted as complex procedures which are strategies for seeking self-development. The findings of this thesis, therefore, are that between the dominant castes and the Harijans there is both cultural consensus based on "pollution" ideology and disjunction in terms of their interpretative and strategic manoeuvres.

India is a country with progressing technical and economical development, but the development is not evenly distributed. Farmers in the Indian rural areas are struggling. There are worries that climate changes could have a negative impact on agriculture. This study was performed in Kancheepuram with support from the non-governmental organization Hand in Hand. The aims of this study were to analyze effects on agriculture due to watershed management in a village and to describe the crop patterns in a village and compare the yield with a village without watershed management. Data was collected by interviewing farmers in the villages Arapedu and Tenpakkam. In Arapedu watershed management was applied and in Tenpakkam it was not. Data collected by Hand in Hand on precipitation, village records, well inventory and maps were analyzed. The water level in the wells increased in most wells between 2007 and 2008, but due to short data series it was not possible to affirm if this was due to the watershed management or increased rainfall in the early months of 2008 compared to 2007. No evidence of change in precipitation in the area was observed. Only precipitation data was analyzed since other climate data was absent. Hand in Hand was working within a broad spectrum in the village. Apart from the watershed project they are working with empowerment of women´s situation, self-help groups, microfinance and against child labor. This study period was too short to confirm effects of watershed management. However this study can be used as a baseline study for future evaluations. Key words: Rainwater harvesting, watershed management, Tamil Nadu

The purpose of this dissertation is to establish the extent to which women's membership in self-help groups and their involvement in various activities of these groups, with particular reference to Micro Credit programs, impacted their socio-economic empowerment. The objective is to study the socio-economic empowerment impact factors (evidences) in women members of micro-credit self-help groups in rural India upon the self, the family and the community.<br>Data selected for analyses was based on an operational model of empowerment that encompassed indicators of purported empowerment at the personal, family and community levels. The working hypotheses in quantitative analyses are that there are significant differences in income, savings, assets, expenditure, basic amenities, as well as attitudinal and behavioral changes in the rural women before and after their group membership.<br>The qualitative interviews helped to assess the life conditions of the women as the process of empowerment before and after their participation in self-help group micro-credit program. The qualitative interviews were to corroborate the veracity of reported progress from the survey to shed some light on the specific factors that contributed to their empowerment in line with their present quality of life at personal, family and community levels. Hence, the impact of the program is measured as the difference in the magnitude of a given parameter between the pre-and post-SHG situations by comparing the life condition of members before joining the self-help group to their condition three years after joining.

This thesis considers topics in the area of negation-NPI-licensing and the scope interaction of quantifiers with negation. No prior approaches have been able to answer questions that might lead to a standard and uniform analysis of negative polarity items across languages. We explain NPI-licensing by means of a semantico-pragmatic outlook. We consider non-truthfunctional aspects of meaning which imply that certain pragmatic conditions are necessary for a sentence to be fully understood in the context of discourse. It becomes easier to argue that negation, be it overt or covert, is the only licenser for NPIs; and chances of major cross-linguistic variation are nullified in this generalization and subsuming all categories of licensers under the nomenclature of Negative Implicature Terms. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Texte remanié de: Doctoral tesis--Geography--University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, 2004.<br>Publ. à l'issue d'un congrès international : "Peri-urban dynamics : population, habitat and environment on the peripheries of large Indian metropolises" tenu à New Delhi en août 2004. Bibliogr. p. 83-90.

La incorporación de titanio en la estructura de tamices moleculares ha dado lugar a la obtención de catalizadores altamente efectivos en procesos de oxidación selectiva. En particular, la síntesis de la zeolita de poro grande Ti-Beta y del material mesoporoso Ti-MCM-41, ha permitido ampliar el campo de aplicación de estos materiales en procesos de Química Fina ya que el mayor diámetro de poro de estas estructuras permite la oxidación de sustratos muy voluminosos para los que la Ti-Siliclita-1, único material disponible hasta el momento, era prácticamente inactiva. En el presente trabajo se ha llevado a cabo un estudio sobre la actividad catalítica de la Ti-Beta y la Ti-MCM-41 para, a partir del mismo, diseñar los procedimientos de síntesis de estos tamices moleculares de poro grande y ultragrande más adecuados para la oxidación de diferentes sustratos orgánicos tales como olefinas, alcoholes y alcanos empleando peróxidos como oxidantes. Durante el estudio se ha puesto de manifiesto la influencia de parámetros concernientes tanto al propio catalizador (composición química, carácter hidrófilo/hidrófobo) como a la propia reacción química (estructura del sustrato, tipo de oxidante, naturaleza del disolvente, ...) sobre la actividad catalítica de la zeolita Ti-Beta. Por último, se estudió la aplicación de la Ti-Beta y la Ti-MCM-41 en procesos de oxidación con un claro interés comercial como son la epoxidación de ácidos y ésteres de ácidos grasos y la epoxidación de terpenos y donde se ha observado la viabilidad de estos catalizadores como alternativas reales a los catalizadores actuales que se emplean en estos procesos<br>Esteve Ciudad, P. (1998). Oxidación selectiva de hidrocarburos sobre tamices moleculares de poro grande conteniendo titanio [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/5763<br>Palancia

[EN] Zeolites and related zeotypes are microporous materials formed by interconnected TO4 tetrahedra (T= Si, Al, P..), creating pores and cavities of molecular dimensions. The ability of controlling the chemical composition and pore topology of zeolites allows their use in different industrial applications, such as separation/gas adsorption, ion exchange and catalysis. This thesis focuses on the synthesis of different microporous crystalline materials (zeolites, zeotypes) with the appropriate framework topologies and chemical compositions, for their application as catalysts in different industriallyrelevant chemical processes. The first two parts of the present thesis deal with the synthesis of small pore zeolite materials containing large cavities in their structure, with controlled physicochemical properties for their use in particular industrial applications. To achieve this purpose, it has been first proposed the combined use of metal complexes with specific organic structure directing agents (OSDAs). This methodology would allow the "one-pot" preparation of small pore zeolite materials containing selective metallic active sites, which may show adequate catalytic properties for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx. On the other hand, it has been proposed the use of bulky and rigid aromatic molecules as OSDAs, to favor the crystallization of small pore zeotypes with large cavities. These aromatic molecules would be able to form bulky soluble self-assembled dimers in the synthesis gel through pi-pi interactions, allowing the crystallization of small pore zeolites with controlled acidic properties for their application in catalysis. The last part of the thesis describes the synthesis of zeolites presenting extra-large pores. These materials with high pore accessibility would allow their use in catalytic processes involving bulky molecules, reducing the diffusion pathways of reactants and products. In order to synthesize this type of microporous materials, it has been proposed the use of bulky aromatic proton sponges as OSDAs for the first time. This synthesis methodology has allowed the synthesis of the ITQ-51 zeotype.<br>[ES] Las zeolitas o zeotipos, son materiales microporosos formados por tetraedros TO4 (T= Si, Al, P...), conectados entre sí por átomos de oxígeno compartidos, formando un sistema de poros y cavidades de dimensiones moleculares. Las aplicaciones más importantes de los materiales zeolíticos dependen del tamaño de poro y de la uniformidad de éstos, así como de su composición química. En función de estos factores, las zeolitas se pueden emplear en diversas aplicaciones tales como separación/adsorción de gases, intercambio iónico y, fundamentalmente, catálisis. La presente tesis doctoral se centra en la síntesis de distintos materiales microporosos cristalinos (zeolitas, zeotipos) con topologías de red y composiciones químicas adecuadas, para su posterior aplicación como catalizadores en procesos químicos de interés industrial y medioambiental. La primera y segunda parte de la tesis doctoral se ha centrado en la síntesis de materiales zeolíticos de poro pequeño con grandes cavidades en su estructura, y con unas propiedades físico-químicas adecuadas para su uso en determinadas aplicaciones industriales. Por un lado, se ha empleado la combinación de complejos metálicos junto con agentes directores de estructura orgánicos (ADEOs) específicos, permitiendo la preparación directa en una sola etapa de materiales zeolíticos de poro pequeño con centros activos metálicos en su interior, con excelentes propiedades como catalizadores para la reducción catalítica selectiva de NOx. Por otro lado, se han empleado cationes aromáticos voluminosos y rígidos para dirigir la cristalización de zeotipos de poro pequeño con grandes cavidades, mediante la formación de dímeros solubles auto-ensamblados a través de interacciones pi-pi, permitiendo el control de las propiedades ácidas de los zeotipos sintetizados para su aplicación en catálisis. La última parte de la tesis doctoral se ha centrado en la síntesis de materiales zeolíticos de tamaño de poro extra-grande. Este tipo de materiales son muy importantes porque permiten la reactividad de moléculas voluminosas, disminuyendo los problemas de difusión de reactivos y productos. Con el objetivo de sintetizar este tipo de materiales microporosos, se han empleado por primera vez esponjas de protones voluminosas como ADEOs, obteniéndose el zeotipo ITQ-51.<br>[CAT] Les zeolites o zeotipus, són materials microporosos formats per tetraedres TO4 (T= Si, Al, P...) connectats entre sí per àtoms d'oxigen, formant un sistema de porus i cavitats de dimensions moleculars. Les aplicacions més importants dels materials zeolítics depenen tan del tamany dels porus com de la seua composició química. En funció d'estos factors, les zeolites es poden emprar en diverses aplicacions de gran interès industrial, com separació/adsorció de gasos, intercanvi iònic i, fonamentalment, catàlisi. La present tesi doctoral es centra en la síntesi de diferents materials microporosos cristal·lins (zeolites, zeotipus), amb topologies de xarxa i composicions químiques adequades per a la seua aplicació com a catalitzadors en processos químics d'interès industrial i mig ambiental. La primera i segona part de la tesi doctoral s'ha centrat en la síntesi de materials zeolítics de porus menuts amb grans cavitats en la seua estructura, i amb unes propietats fisico-químiques adequades per a la seua aplicació en determinades aplicacions catalítiques. Per a aconseguir este propòsit, s'ha empleat per un costat la combinació de complexos metàl·lics junt amb agents directors d'estructura orgànics (ADEOs) específics, el que permet la preparació directa en una sola etapa de materials zeolítics de porus menut amb centres metàl·lics adequats per a la seua aplicació com catalitzadors en la reacció de reducció catalítica selectiva (RCS) de NOx. Per un altre costat, s'han empleat cations aromàtics voluminosos i rígids per a dirigir la cristal·lització de zeotipus de porus menut amb grans cavitats, per mitjà de la formació de dímers auto-acoplats a través d'interaccions pi-pi. Este procediment permet el control de les propietats àcides dels zeotipus sintetitzats per a la seua aplicació en processos catalítics. L'última part de la tesi doctoral s'ha centrat en la síntesi de materials zeolítics de porus extra-gran. Este tipus de materials són interesants perquè permeten la reactivitat de molècules voluminoses, disminuint els problemes de difusió dels reactius i productes. Amb l'objectiu de sintetitzar este tipus de materials microporosos, s'han empleat per primera vegada esponges de protons voluminoses com ADEOs, permetent la síntesi del material ITQ-51.<br>Martínez Franco, R. (2016). Síntesis de nuevos tamices moleculares con diámetro de poro variable y aplicaciones catalíticas [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/61450<br>TESIS<br>Premiado

Diss. Ph. D.--Madras--University of Madras, 1980.<br>Mention parallèle de titre ou de responsabilité : Treatment of love in Hindi Riti poetry and Tamil Sangam poetry : a comparative study / Dr. T. S. Kuppusamy,... La page de titre porte la mention : "Hindi Riti-kavya tatha tamil sangam-kavya mein shringar-nirupan " / T. S. Kuppusamy. Bibliogr. p. 364-374. Index.

This study explored public library provision to the Tamil Community in Singapore using a focus group methodology. Results of the study were analysed and implications for the library services for the Tamil community in Singapore outlined. Improvement is needed in collections, facilities, programming and services, particularly in the area of provision to young people. Among other suggestions, the participants proposed an Internet portal in Tamil. Many indicated that the library could help in promoting the usage of Tamil language in Singapore through facilitating the reading and use of the Tamil language. Participants perceived this as vital to preserve the Tamil culture in Singapore and ensure its survival as part of the country’s unique cultural heritage in the future. The Tamil language among the other Indian languages has been given official status in Singapore, and this recognition of Tamil as a national language has given the Tamils intrinsic satisfaction. The language provides them with a living link to their ethnic culture. They believe the library can help them regain their cultural identities and also assist them in repositioning themselves well in Singaporean society. The contribution of this study to the professional literature is the idea of cultural identity being central in public library services to special user groups.

Notre doctorat a pour objet la spatialisation de la discrimination sexuelle envers les filles au Tamil Nadu, Inde du Sud. Dans un premier temps, nous avons réalisé un historique de l'infanticide dans le monde et analysé les méthodes de choix du sexe d'un enfant. Après avoir dressé un tableau des discriminations subies par les femmes et les filles, notre analyse géographique, toujours replacée dans un contexte asiatique, a étudié la diffusion de l'infanticide et de l'avortement sexo-sélectif en Inde. Dans cette optique, nous avons utilisé la base de données informatisée du recensement, principalement les variables sex-ratio, sex-ratio à la naissance et sex-ratio 0-6 ans en Inde, Inde du Sud puis, plus localement, dans la région du Kongu Nadu, Tamil Nadu. Nous avons ainsi cartographié la diffusion des anomalies de ces sex-ratios. À cette spatialisation, les enquêtes de terrain ont alors apporté des explications socio-culturelles, mais aussi d'ordre économique, notamment par l'étude des principales castes impliquées dans les pratiques discriminantes. Dans le village étudié, nous avons ensuite analysé les pratiques de genre au sein de la caste des Kongu Vellalars Gounders, mais aussi l'infanticide qui persiste dans la région concernée, malgré les actions des programmes gouvernementaux et des ONG. Nous avons ensuite analysé un ensemble de facteurs responsables, plus ou moins directement, de l'altération des sex-ratios. Ce champ a apporté une compréhension de la concentration géographique des infanticides, des origines de ce phénomène et son évolution vers des nouvelles technologies de reproduction, liées aux déterminations sexuelles et à l'avortement sexo-sélectif<br>My pH-D concentrates on the spatial patterning of sexual discrimination against girls in Tamil Nadu, South India. First, we have realized a historical view of infanticide around the world, and also analyzed the methods of sexual determination. Then we present a pattern of discriminations against women and girls and also the programs and legislations in their favor. We also focused on the perception of these practices, by the questioning of reproductive rights and ethics in India. My geographical analysis, always linked to an Asiatic context, consists, in the study of the diffusion of female infanticide and female selective abortion in India. For this purpose I use the computerized data base of Indian census, mainly the variables sex-ratio, sex-ratio at birth and sex ratios 0-6 years in India, South India and more precisely in the region of Kongu Nadu in Tamil Nadu. I also mapped the spreading of abnormalities of the sex ratio 0-6 years. Fieldwork provided several socio-cultural explanations and economic points to the geographical pattern. The gender practices in the caste of Kongus Vellalars Gounders were then analyzed with a comparison to the other castes of the village under study, but also infanticide in the region and the role of governmental programs and ONG. Then, we have analyzed one group of factors, responsible, of the sex ratio's mutation. This third field provides an understanding of such facts as the clustering of infanticide, the origins of this practice and its evolution towards new medical technologies linked with sexual discrimination. At his end, this research sketches out the south-Indian demographic perspectives which derive from these phenomenon

Sri Lanka is the theatre of a three decade-long armed ethnic conflict between the predominantly Sinhala government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eel am - the militant group fighting for a separate state for the island's Tamil speaking people. This contemporary conflict is rooted in a perceived historical crisis between Tamil and Sinhala ethnic groups which spans more than two millennia. This study examines the perceived historical crisis between the two lingua ethnic nations from a post­modern perspective, to better understand the contemporary interpretation which has led to a militant and at times terrorist conflict. It also focuses on the fusion of contemporary and historical narratives used by the LTTE to further their strategic goals. The study defines the notion of terrorism as a politico-military strategy stripped of its populist pejorative interpretations, to understand the strategy of terrorism as part of a communication process designed to terrorise a target audience and demand its political compliance by harnessing terror as a psychological weapon. The study further discusses the role of traditional mainstream media in this communication process and the result of state imposed media censorships set in place to prevent terrorist news voices from reaching the media consumer. This thesis argues media censorship creates a news media vacuum ideally suited to terrorist-backed alternative cyber media, such as Tamilnet, which are resistant to state imposed media censorship. This results in the alternative media being the only significant source of news from the conflict zone, creating a media monopoly which allows terrorist narratives and politically loaded reports to filter into mainstream media copy. Based on an analysis of Tamilnet, this study outlines the role of terrorist-backed cyber media and its relationship with traditional and contemporary sources of news in the current media landscape.

[EN] The aim of this thesis is to study the use of zeolites for the separation of light hydrocarbons. In order to do so, different zeolites were synthesized and characterized by different techniques to determine their crystallinity, composition and porosity. Then, adsorption measurements of various gases were carried out in order to determine both the adsorption capacity and the adsorption rate, as well as the isosteric heat of adsorption associated to these processes. Thus, the separation capacity of the zeolites for a given mixture of gases or vapors was evaluated. The main intention is to show how the development of new materials must be focused on the optimization of industrial chemical processes. Specifically, the scope of the materials studied during the thesis is related to the petrochemical industry. Given the nature of the zeolites, i.e. their high chemical and thermal strength, and their narrow pore size distribution in the molecular range, it is possible to use them for the separation of light hydrocarbons. First of all, thermodynamic and kinetic models given in the literature are presented, as well as the equations that calculate the isosteric heat of adsorption. Then, those models are compared in order to choose which provide with the best fitting of the experimental data. So, a methodology in the analysis of the results has been established during the development this work. The thesis is then focused on the separation of CO2 and CH4 for the upgrading of natural gas. In the first part, the effect of the zeolitic topology on the separation performance of both gases is studied, by using purely siliceous small pore zeolites. Next, the effect that the different polarity of the LTA zeolite, determined by the Si/Al ratio, might have on the adsorption capacity and selectivity to separate CO2 and CH4 is analyzed, establishing the optimum aluminum content that combines a good selectivity and high regenerability. Finally, zeolite Rho is used in the separation of both gases, because its pore size is in between the kinetic diameter of both molecules and have the Si/Al ratio close to the previously found optimal. So, it was obtained one of the zeolites with greater selectivity for CO2 and CH4 separation from those described in the open literature. In a third section, a new zeolite, named ITQ-50, obtained by solid state transformation from another zeolite under conditions of ultrahigh pressure, being the first case reported in the literature is presented. The results of adsorption of various gases in zeolite ITQ-50 are also shown. On the one hand, the adsorption of CO2 and CH4 was studied in order to evaluate the capability to separate both gases. On the other hand, the most relevant data from isotherms and kinetic measurements of short chain hydrocarbons (C3-C4) are discussed, focusing the study on the separation of alkanes and alkenes. Finally, the influence of the presence of high germanium content in the zeolitic framework of ITQ-29 on the diffusion of light hydrocarbons, in particular propane and propene, is studied. This is one of the most significant separation processes in the refining and petrochemical industry.<br>[ES] La presente tesis tiene por objeto estudiar el uso de zeolitas para la separación de hidrocarburos ligeros. Para ello, se sintetizaron distintos materiales zeolíticos y se caracterizaron mediante distintas técnicas para determinar su cristalinidad, composición y porosidad. Posteriormente, se realizaron medidas de adsorción de distintos gases con el fin de conocer tanto la capacidad de adsorción como la velocidad a la cual se adsorben, así como el calor isostérico de adsorción asociado a dicho proceso. De esta forma, se evaluó la capacidad de separación que presentan las zeolitas estudiadas para una determinada mezcla de gases o vapores. Se pretende mostrar cómo el desarrollo de nuevos materiales debe estar enfocado a la optimización de procesos químicos industriales. Concretamente, el campo de aplicación de los materiales estudiados durante la tesis está centrado en la industria petroquímica. Dada la naturaleza de las zeolitas, es decir, su elevada robustez química y térmica, así como su estrecha distribución de tamaños de poro en el rango molecular, se hace posible su utilización para la separación de hidrocarburos ligeros. En primer lugar, se presentan los modelos de ajuste termodinámicos y cinéticos de las isotermas y cinéticas de adsorción descritos en la bibliografía, así como las ecuaciones que permiten calcular el calor isostérico de adsorción. A continuación, se comparan dichos modelos con el fin de elegir cuál se ajusta mejor a los datos experimentales. Esto ha permitido establecer una metodología en el análisis de los resultados obtenidos a lo largo de la elaboración del trabajo. Un segundo apartado se centra en la separación de CO2 y CH4 para la valorización de gas natural. En una primera parte se estudia el efecto que la topología zeolítica tiene en la capacidad de separar ambos gases, para lo que se usaron zeolitas puramente silíceas de poro pequeño. A continuación, se analiza el efecto que la distinta polaridad de la zeolita con estructura LTA, determinada a través de la relación Si/Al, pudiera tener en la capacidad adsorción y selectividad para separar CO2 y CH4, estableciendo un óptimo en el contenido en aluminio que permitiese aunar una buena selectividad y una alta regenerabilidad. Finalmente, se utiliza zeolita Rho en la separación de ambos gases, por ser de tamaño de poro comprendido entre el diámetro cinético de ambas moléculas y tener la relación Si/Al cercana al óptimo previamente encontrado. Se obtuvo así una de las zeolitas con mayor selectividad para lleva a cabo la separación de CO2 y CH4 de entre las descritas en la bibliografía. En un tercer apartado se presenta una nueva zeolita, ITQ-50, obtenida por transformación en estado sólido a partir de otra zeolita en condiciones de ultra alta presión, siendo éste el primer caso reportado en la bibliografía. También se muestran y discuten los resultados de adsorción de distintos gases en dicha zeolita. Por un lado, se mostraron los resultados obtenidos en la adsorción de CO2 y CH4 con el objeto de evaluar sus propiedades para la separación de estos gases. Y por otro lado, se exponen los datos más relevantes derivados de las medidas de isotermas y cinéticas de adsorción de hidrocarburos de cadena corta (C3-C4), centrando el estudio en la separación de alcanos y alquenos. Finalmente, se estudia la influencia que tiene la presencia de contenidos elevados de germanio en la red de la zeolita ITQ-29 sobre la difusión de hidrocarburos ligeros, en concreto, propano y propeno, ya que ésta es una de las separaciones más relevantes en la industria del refino y petroleoquímica.<br>[CAT] La present tesi té per objecte estudiar l'ús de zeolites per a la separació d'hidrocarburs lleugers. Per a això, es van sintetitzar diferents materials zeolítics i es van caracteritzar mitjançant diferents tècniques per determinar la seva cristal¿linitat, composició i porositat. Posteriorment, es van realitzar mesures d'adsorció de diferents gasos per tal de conèixer tant la capacitat d'adsorció com la velocitat a la qual s'adsorbeixen, així com la calor isostérica d'adsorció associada a aquest procés. D'aquesta manera, es va avaluar la capacitat de separació que presenten les zeolites estudiades per a una determinada barreja de gasos o vapors. Es pretén mostrar com el desenvolupament de nous materials ha d'estar enfocat a l'optimització de processos químics industrials. Concretament, el camp d'aplicació dels materials estudiats durant la tesi està centrat en la indústria petroquímica. Donada la naturalesa de les zeolites, és a dir, la seva elevada robustesa química i tèrmica, així com la seva estreta distribució de mides de porus en el rang molecular, es fa possible la seva utilització per a la separació d'hidrocarburs lleugers. En primer lloc, es presenten els models d'ajust termodinàmic i cinètic dels processos d'adsorció descrits en la bibliografia, així com les equacions que permeten calcular la calor isostérica d'adsorció. A continuació, es comparen aquests models per tal d'escollir quin s'ajusta millor a les dades experimentals. Això ha permès establir una metodologia en l'anàlisi dels resultats obtinguts al llarg de l'elaboració del treball. Un segon apartat se centra en la separació de CO2 i CH4 per a la valorització de gas natural. En una primera part s'estudia l'efecte que la topologia zeolítica té en la capacitat de separar els dos gasos, per al que es van utilitzar zeolites purament silícies de porus petit. A continuació, s'analitza l'efecte que la diferent polaritat de la zeolita amb estructura LTA, determinada a través de la relació Si/Al, pogués tenir en la capacitat adsorció i selectivitat per separar CO2 i CH4, establint un òptim en el contingut en alumini que permetés unir una bona selectivitat i una alta regenerabilitat. Finalment, s'utilitza zeolita Rho en la separació d'aquestos gasos, per tindre una mida de porus comprès entre els diàmetres cinètics de les dues molècules i tenir la relació Si/Al propera a l'òptim prèviament trobat. Es va obtenir així una de les zeolites amb major selectivitat per portar a terme la separació de CO2 i CH4 d'entre les descrites a la bibliografia. En un tercer apartat es presenta una nova zeolita, ITQ-50, obtinguda per transformació en estat sòlid a partir d'una altra zeolita en condicions d'ultra alta pressió, sent aquest el primer cas reportat a la bibliografia. També es mostren i discuteixen els resultats d'adsorció de diferents gasos en aquesta zeolita. D'una banda, es van mostrar els resultats obtinguts en l'adsorció de CO2 i CH4 amb l'objecte d'avaluar les seves propietats per a la separació d'aquests gasos. I d'altra banda, s'exposen les dades més rellevants derivades de les mesures d'isotermes i cinètiques d'adsorció d'hidrocarburs de cadena curta (C3-C4), centrant l'estudi en la separació d'alcans i alquens. Finalment, s'estudia la influència que té la presència de continguts elevats de germani a la xarxa de la zeolita ITQ-29 sobre la difusió d'hidrocarburs lleugers, en concret, propà i propè, ja que aquesta és una de les separacions més rellevants en la indústria petroquímica.<br>Palomino Roca, M. (2016). Estudio de procesos de separación de hidrocarburos ligeros mediante el empleo de tamices moleculares [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/63244<br>TESIS

Ce travail cherche à mettre en lumière les conditions de la création artistique en pays tamoul. Les dates ont été imposées par les sources et vont de la fin du VIe siècle à la colonisation de l'Inde. Le cœur de l'étude est néanmoins constitué par la période chola. Dans une première partie sont analysés les documents à notre disposition : l'épigraphie, qui fournit des noms et des dates, et la littérature technique, qui présente une réflexion théorique produite parallèlement aux inscriptions. A partir de ces deux ensembles, la deuxième partie définit les principaux acteurs du processus de création : les commanditaires, les artistes mais aussi les intermédiaires entre ces deux catégories. La troisième partie met ces éléments en relation avec les œuvres produites afin de voir comment s'est déroulé le processus allant de la commande à la réalisation tout en tâchant de déterminer quelle était l'attente des commanditaires<br>This study aims to bring out the conditions of the artistic creation in the Tamil country. Chosen due to the available sources, the dates range from the end of the 6th century to the beginning of the colonial time in India. The core study, however, is the Chola period. The first part of the study is an analysis of the documents : epigraphy, on one hand, which gives dates and names, and technical literature, on the other, offering a theoretical reflection developed along with the inscriptions. With these two groups of sources, the second part defines the actors of the artistic process : the patrons, the artists as well as the go-betweens. The third part links these elements to the monuments and the artefacts, in order to establish how the process leading from the commissioning to the realisation took place. It also seeks to explain the intentions of the patrons

This research investigates the skills that Tamil refugees who have moved to the UK bring with them, the extent to which they utilise these skills, and how they adapt and develop their skills for the UK labour market. Through qualitative research with twenty-six Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka, and a further seventeen interviews with 'elite' contacts in London, the refugees' experiences of integration through employment are examined. Here the human and social capital factors influencing the use, or lack of use, of skills within the Tamil refugee community are analysed. Particular focus is placed on contrasting the practices of male and female refugees and the variations of perceptions of individual success within wider perceptions of success in broader Tamil societies. Further research undertaken with Tamils in Montreal offers a counterpoint to the situations of refugees in London, providing an international perspective on the wider Tamil diaspora. The concepts of success, gender. coping strategies, gratitude and integration are used to theorise the employment experiences of individuals. With a few exceptions, most previous research investigating the skills of immigrant groups has focused on the demand for, rather than the supply of, skills. and on the economic, rather than social, aspects of skill utilisation and adaptation. Research in this area has important implications for policies that disperse asylum seekers away from their ethnic communities. Supporting the utilisation of skills could contribute to overcoming some skill shortages and integrating refugees into society, as well as enhancing the lives of the refugees themselves. This thesis argues that the ethnic community and ethnic economy playa crucial role in shaping the employment experiences of Tamil refugees. The importance of the wider Tamil refugee community and the ability to be immersed within the Tamil ethnic economy on a day-to-day basis, however also contributes to the difficulties that Tamil refugees face integrating into wider societies. This is not a unique situation. Tamil refugees face some similar experiences to other immigrant groups. Consequently this work builds upon earlier work concerned with the migrationasylum nexus, arguing that the differentiation between forced migrants and economic migrants has been over-simplified when examining their experiences in host countries.

The dissertation presents a comparative synchronic study of the morphosyntactic features of modern spoken Sinhala and Tamil, the two main languages of Sri Lanka. The main motivation of the research is that Sinhala and Tamil, two languages of diverse origins—the New Indo-Aryan (NIA) and Dravidian families respectively—share a wide spectrum of morphosyntactic features. Sinhala has long been isolated from the other NIA languages and co-existed with Tamil in Sri Lanka ever since both reached Sri Lanka from India. This coexistence, it is believed, led to what is known as the contact-induced restructuring that Sinhala morphosyntax has undergone on the model of Tamil, while retaining its NIA lexicon. Moreover, as languages of South Asia, the two languages share the areal features of this region. The research seeks to address the following questions: (i) What features do the two languages share and what features do they not share?; (ii) Are the features that they share areal features of the region or those diffused into one another owing to contact?; (iii) If the features that they share are due to contact, has diffusion taken place unidirectionally or bidirectionally?; and (iv) Does contact have any role to play with respect to features that they do not share? The claim that this research intends to substantiate is that Sinhala has undergone morphosyntactic restructuring on the model of Tamil. The research, therefore, attempts to answer another question: (v) Can the morphosyntactic restructuring that Sinhala has undergone be explained in syntactic terms? The morphosyntactic features of the two languages are analyzed at macro- and micro-levels. At the macro-level, a wide range of morphosyntactic features of Tamil and Sinhala, and those of seven other languages of the region are compared with a view to determining the origins of these features and showing the large scale morphosyntactic convergence between Sinhala and Tamil and the divergence between Sinhala and other NIA languages. At the micro-level the dissertation analyzes in detail two morphosyntactic phenomena, namely null arguments and focus constructions. It examines whether subject/verb agreement, which is different across the two languages, plays a role in the licensing of null arguments in each language. It also examines the nature of the changes Sinhala morphosyntax has undergone because of the two kinds of Tamil focus constructions that Sinhala has replicated. It is hoped, that this dissertation will make a significant contribution to the knowledge and understanding of the morphosyntax of the two languages, the effects of language contact on morphosyntax, and more generally, the nature of linguistic variation.

Tamil cinema is marked by its remarkable output of films and reception across the globe. More than 5000 films were produced in Tamil during the last century alone, and Tamil films have a longer and denser history of reception among the South East Asian diaspora--in countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore, mainly among the Tamilians and other South Indians--than films made in any other Indian language. The studios of Madras, arguably the most influential in shaping a film industry in terms of its form and content outside the classical Hollywood system, were at the center of Tamil cinema's productivity during the defining decades of the 1940s and 50s, a period marked by British Rule, the Second World War, India's independence, and the electoral politics of the Dravidian movement. However, a sustained and scholarly study of this history has been marked by its absence, primarily due to the enormity of the task, the challenges associated with data collection, and the availability of archival materials. Therefore, my primary objective in this dissertation is to fill this void, and study the most eventful period in the history of the Madras studios (1940-57) when they produced their landmark and seminal films. An understanding of the history of the studios and a detailed reading of their major films sheds light on the complex intersection of the cultural, economic, and political factors which shaped the studios and their owners, and the type of productions they were interested in. Tamil cinema is often criticized as verbose and theatrical mainly due to lack of parallel and art cinema movements like in neighboring states of Kerala and Karnataka. The "Madrasi Picture" has become the convenient way to label a melodramatic tearjerker juxtaposed with comedy. My challenge to this perception in this thesis, therefore, is to foreground Tamil Cinema's theatrical roots embedded in folk traditions and the Parsi theatre, and its ability to navigate through multiple influences, and yet retain a specificity of its own in terms of innovative genres, narrative devices, and formats which keep significantly influencing Indian popular cinema.

Women's status in Indian agrarian communities has been discussed in terms of cultural and agricultural practices, which affect women adversely in the northwestern wheat region and favourably in the southern rice region. The correlation is tested by the female farm labour participation (FLP) rate and the juvenile sex ratio (JSR).<br>I examine the correlation between women's contribution to agriculture and their status in wet paddy and dry millet regions in Tamil Nadu. Compared to northwestern India, the JSRs are more balanced and FLPs are high in both regions, yet the implications of high FLPs differ. Thanjavur shows a high female labour participation in peak seasons, but year-round underemployment. In Kongu, the cultivation of garden crops requires both male and female labour throughout the year.<br>The contrasts originate from varied factors such as ecology and irrigation, cropping system, the distribution of land wealth, and on- and off-farm employment opportunities.

La thèse ne souligne pas une prédisposition culturelle mais rend compte d'une situation dont l'exception garde de toute généralisation, produit mouvant et atypique de la société sud indienne, précipité d'histoire régionale et coloniale, à la croisée des cultures musulmane et hindoue. L'enquête ethnographique prit pour objet un phénomène récent - aujourd'hui disparu - dont on ne pouvait augurer la stabiblité ni l'avenir : le développement ces quinze dernières années d'institutions privées de détention illicite à Ervadi (Tamil Nadu, district de Ramanathapuram). Leurs pensionnaires y sont conduits par la force, enchaînés deux par deux pendant un temps indéfini dont seul est maître celui qui décide de l'admission - un proche. Il s'agit de comprendre le contexte qui rend possible et légitime la violation des droits fondamentaux des personnes mises à l'écart - la malnutrition, les conditions sanitaires précaires, les sévices corporels, parfois, entraînent la mort. J'ai cherché à décrire le processus d'institutionnalisation des douze établissements dénombrés comptant au moment de l'enquête 493 pensionnaires. Quels sont les facteurs qui encouragent une forme de regroupement inédite au pays tamoul - certains conjoncturels, d'autres structurels? On observe leur concentration autour de l'enclos qui cerne le dargah, la tombe d'un saint musulman. La multiplication de ces entreprises va de pair avec sa fraîche renommée et la politique de développement mise récemment en oeuvre par son comité: on écrit une histoire qui atteste les vertues thérapeutiques du lieu en même temps que l'authenticité des héritiers. Il convient d'analyser les versions de l'histoire locale élaborées par les différentes communautés : les indous, premiers autochtones, les musulmans aux communautés hétérogènes se scindant en musulmans étrangers et natifs. Il s'agit, en outre, de démêler le réseaux d'influences et de subordinations locales, l'histoire qui les sous-tend faisant des représentants de la loi et de l'ordre, pourtant postés sur place, de souriantes potiches. On assiste à une extension de facto de l'immunité du dargah hors de ses murs. Ces établissements dénommés "Mental Hostels" prospèrent en raison de leur vocation affichée et de la nature du pouvoir - familial- qu'on leur délègue.

This thesis is a Tamil to English translation of Tirukkaḷirruppaṭiyar (TKP), composed by Uyyavanta Tevanayanar toward the end of the twelfth century C.E. The work contains one hundred quatrains of Tamil poetry composed in veṇpa meter. It is a poetic expansion of Tiruvuntiyar (TU), an earlier composition likely by the author's teacher's teacher. The TKP is a transitional text between the devotional religious bhakti(patti -Tamil) hymns of the nayanmar, who lived between the sixth century and the twelfth, and the Saiva-Siddhanta (Caiva Cittantam-Tamil) Theo-philosophical system, which developed between the thirteenth and the fourteenth centuries. TKP is the second work in the canon of fourteen texts called the Meykaṇṭa Sastra (Meykaṇṭa Cattiraṅkaḷ -Tamil), TU being the first. The introduction in the thesis discusses the date of the author, his position in the lineage of teachers, major themes found in the work such as the importance of a teacher, types of worship, miracles of the Saiva saints and final release from the cycle of births and deaths. TKP's similarities and differences with the TU, and how the TKP provides a foundation for later Saiva Siddhanta thought are addressed. Besides translation, each verse has a gloss and there are several appendices, tables and charts with additional information.

The main hypothesis of this dissertation is that the emergence, development, and subsequent spread of modern Hinduism, beginning from the late 18 th century India, are products of an ongoing process of globalization. The Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora in Canada is an example of the larger historical process of a globalization of Hinduism. It is therefore argued that any analysis of contemporary socio-religious change must be undertaken within the broader parameters of globalization theory. The discussion begins with an examination of the social and historical contexts that led to the emergence of Hinduism as a "religion" in the modern sense of the term, and surveys its spread and development in the global diaspora. It is proposed that such factors as population size, ethnic composition, and density, along with socio-political and technological developments at universal and particular levels, each have played prominent roles in the reconstruction of Hinduism in minority situations. This assumption is illustrated with a case study of Sri Lankan Tamils in Canada. The globalising processes of Sri Lankan Tamils began at the end of the 17th century when Ceylon came under Portuguese rule. The introduction of modern institutions under subsequent Dutch and British rule escalated the process, bringing about socio-religious changes that led to the current political situation. Consequently, Sri Lankan Tamils began arriving in Canada in the 1980s as refugees. The majority settled in Toronto and Montreal where they soon began reconstructing their religious institutions and temples. Three particular religious institutions, the Ganesha Temple in Toronto, the Thirumurukan Temple in Montreal and the Hindu Temple of Ottawa-Carleton, are examined in order to determine how Tamils are reconstructing Hinduism as a minority religion in Canada under global conditions. Results based on field data show the occurrence of "globalization", that is the simultaneous globalization of local forms of Hinduism and the localization of global Hinduism.

The Sri Lankan civil war has been ongoing for over twenty years. Fought out in the civilian areas of the North and East of Sri Lanka, between the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) it has completely transformed the lives of ordinary people living in the primary battlefields of the North and East. The last twenty years has seen massive internal and external displacement from the North and East as well as the complete reordering of physical and social landscapes of the past, the present, and thus the future. This thesis is centred roughly on stories of one place, Jaffna and the concept of ur/home that Daniel (1984) argues is central to ideas of Tamil personhood. I examine what home means when disproportionate movement occurs and what happens to displaced families and individuals. The thesis examines both Tamils and Muslims from the North, and takes at the heart of its inquiry, the nature of belonging, and who is allowed to belong and who is not. Through a few individual biographies I trace themes of displacements and memory. I look at what people's ideas of home are, and, what happens to these ideas of home in displacement. In particular I examine how people come to find that by inhabiting different places/homes, they may become different kinds of persons. This becomes folded into generational structures. Thus I look at the work of inheritance of property, memory, kinship that different generations attempt to transmit and pass on in an attempt to be related to each other. The intimate and the familial are linked to the ongoing political situation where the interior becomes the repository of stories disallowed in the exterior. I use the metaphor of houses and rooms in my thesis to point to the conditions of internal terror that framed my research. Tamils, living with internal terror, could only tell stories in the spaces of the interior. In contrast working with Muslims, outdoor ethnography was possible. I discuss the freedom to belong, denied to Muslims, and the freedom to speak, denied to Tamils. Thus, I reflect upon the different imaginations of speaking and silence, residence and belonging for different political and social locations within the same history and place. In the end this is a thesis about how individuals reflect upon their lives. While it is not based in Jaffna, it is on Jaffna past, Jaffna present, Jaffna imagined and Jaffna lost. It looks at the specificities of how people deal with the larger human dramas of love, loss, home and the relationship of the self to kin.

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2006.<br>Includes bibliographical references (p. 22).<br>In the wake of the recent tsunami that swept across Asia, there is a dire need to salvage and rebuild the lives and livelihoods that were swept away. The aim of this thesis project is to design and model a transitional shelter for the Indian region of Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is located on the southern coast of India, and was the region most affected by the recent tsunami. The transitional shelter should be a shelter that serves as an infrastructure that can be absorbed into a more permanent structure with the flexibility to promote future expansion. The design of the structure takes into consideration climactic concerns such as ventilation or seismic issues, and tries to suggest cultural continuity between the new architecture and previous architectures.<br>by Shauna Jin.<br>S.B.