Tesi sul tema "Communitarianism (ethnic)"

This thesis offers a critique of neoliberal transformation in South Africa, which process results in growing social inequality and political apathy among citizens. Many scholars have made political-economic and historical analyses of the neoliberal transition, emphasizing structural changes at work at a ‘macro’ level. However, little attention has been paid to changes that have taken place in South Africa at the ‘micro’ level – changes to individual subjectivity and gender codes. That said, the thesis opens by summarizing the above mentioned political-economic accounts of neoliberalism in South Africa, because such works are indispensable to understanding how the regime is embedded within and buttressed by major global institutions. Yet, to achieve a holistic grasp of ‘neoliberal South Africa,’ more is needed. A sociological investigation into the impact of neoliberalism on ordinary people’s self-identification uncovers deep cultural reasons for the continued perpetuation of this unjust political-economic system. Only if it can be understood why people comply with the system in the face of suffering, can effective counter-measures be proposed and implemented over time. This thesis is inherently transdisciplinary. The approach rejects the privileging of one discipline over others, and likewise cautions against collapsing or dissolving disciplines into one another. Instead, recognizing the valuable contribution that each discipline can make to critical scrutiny of a particular issue, a form of methodological transversalism is used to bring different disciplines into dialogue with one another. Following this interplay of structural and subjective analysis, the thesis uncovers the role that consumerism plays in the political neutralization of South Africans. Consumer culture, tied as it is to profitable accumulation, instigates the neoliberal ‘values’ of economistic calculation, competition, and social atomization. This ethos is inculcated in individuals, both at work and during leisure hours. Moreover, consumerism derives much of its power from its ‘sexual sell,’ the creation of fashionable and ‘exemplary’ models of masculinity and femininity. In South Africa, these hegemonic gender models serve to instill competitive individualism while derogating indigenous values. The thesis proposes that in order to counter neoliberal hegemony in South Africa, and begin reclaiming the cultural autonomy of its peoples, it is important to invigorate indigenous communitarian practices and norms. The original contribution of this thesis consists in placing the African ethos of ubuntu in transversal dialogue with global ecological feminist voices. Both political perspectives reinforce a liberatory alternative vision for a future based on principles of embodied relationality, care giving and protection of community.

Cette thèse analyse le rôle du commerce dans un quartier défavorisé de grand ensemble. Elle évalue notamment la capacité d’un centre commercial dévalorisé aux yeux des acteurs publics à jouer le rôle d’espace « tremplin » pour les habitants du quartier. Pour ce faire, la thèse aborde le commerce comme un système social total, en multipliant les points de vue et les perspectives. Les plateformes commerciales de grand ensemble d’habitat social ont, dès les années 1970,connu un déclin de leur commercialité. Cette évolution est généralement expliquée par divers facteurs, dont la paupérisation de leurs quartiers d’implantation, ou le déploiement des hypermarchés en périphérie des villes françaises. Sont aussi mises en cause des erreurs de conception architecturale et urbaine, avec notamment la déconnexion de ces lieux vis-à-vis des flux piétons et motorisés. Parallèlement, l’image de ces plateformes s’est ethnicisée dans la mesure où les grands ensembles de banlieue sont devenus terres d’accueil d’une immigration postcoloniale. Forte de ces constats, la rénovation urbaine des quartiers défavorisés s’accompagne généralement d’une profonde refonte de l’armature commerciale existante et de la mise en place d’outils de régulation. Pourtant, certaines des polarités commerciales mises en cause par la rénovation urbaine affichent une bonne santé économique avec d’importants chiffres d’affaires, un faible taux de vacance et peu de rotation. C’est notamment le cas de la polarité commerciale du Mas du Taureau à Vaulx-en-Velin. Cette thèse propose ainsi de comprendre comment cet espace marchand de banlieue a pu et a su s’adapter. La thèse commence par explorer les capacités de résilience des commerçants du Mas du Taureau et leurs stratégies de développement économique. Celles-ci s’inscrivent dans une dynamique commerciale collective fondée sur le modèle « petits paniers, beaucoup de paniers ». Ce modèle prend appui sur un ancrage social populaire doté d’un régime d’interconnaissance et un réseau de sociabilité dense . Mais au-delà de l’ancrage dans la proximité, le centre commercial a été capable de rayonner à une échelle métropolitaine. En effet, l’enquête montre que la bonne santé économique et la forte fréquentation du centre commercial dépassent les standards de la polarité de proximité. La thèse analyse donc les principaux facteurs qui ont permis ce passage non programmé d’une polarité de proximité vers une centralité commerciale métropolitaine. Cette centralité s’appuie sur un marché bihebdomadaire et de nombreux commerces sédentaires (boucheries, boulangeries, restaurations) qui rayonnent dans un vaste quadrant de l’aire métropolitaine lyonnaise. L’attractivité du centre commercial du Mas du Taureau fait de lui une centralité minoritaire, s’approchant des standards de la « super diversité », un concept introduit en 2007 par Steven Vertovec. Il apparaît que la capacité du centre commercial à attirer des clients extérieurs au quartier s’opère dans un jeu de spécialisations « ethniques » plein de faux semblants. La plupart des commerçants n’ont pas une stratégie de marketing ethnique, et sont plutôt à la recherche d’un ancrage social et territorial propice au développement économique de leurs boutiques. La thèse s’attarde au demeurant sur les quelques marqueurs ethniques formés localement et qui procurent à l’offre commerciale du Mas du Taureau une image de centralité minoritaire. La thèse examine enfin le point de vue des décideurs publics locaux. Ceux-ci perçoivent souvent cet espace marchand au prisme du communautarisme, conduisant à de nouvelles formes de régulation publique. La polarité commerciale se trouve ainsi administrée par de puissants outils de gestion qui l’installent au centre d’une tension durable. Aujourd’hui, la réussite économique de la polarité commerciale n’est pas reconnue et son maintien ne semble pas envisagé<br>This thesis analyzes the role of commerce in a large underprivileged district. In particular, it evaluates the capacity of a local shopping centre, which some public actors aim to destroy, to be a place of opportunity for its inhabitants. To do so, the thesis approaches commerce as a “total” social system, by multiplying the points of view, including planning, urban design, economic, social as well as political perspectives. Commercial polarities of French large social housing estates have, since the 1970s, experienced a decline in their commerciality. This evolution is generally explained by various factors, including the impoverishment of the neighbourhoods in which they are located, or the deployment of hypermarkets on the outskirts of French cities. Architectural and urban design errors are also questioned, especially the disconnection of these places from pedestrian and motorised traffic. At the same time, following the population dynamics within large suburban complexes, the image of these commercial polarity has become ethnicized. From there, urban renewal in disadvantaged neighbourhoods is generally accompanied by major urban transformations and the introduction of regulatory tools. However, some of the commercial polarities involved in urban renewal are economically healthy with important sales figures, low vacancy rates and low turnover. This is notably the case of the commercial polarity of the Mas du Taureau in Vaulx-en-Velin. This thesis thus proposes to understand how this suburban shopping area has been able to adapt.The thesis begins by exploring the resilience capacities of the Mas du Taureau retailers and shopkeepers and their economic development strategies. Those strategies are based on a regime of mutual knowledge and a dense network of sociability. Besides, the shopping centre has been able to radiate on a metropolitan scale. Indeed, the survey shows that the good economic health and high sales of the shopping centre exceed the standards of proximity polarity. The thesis therefore analyzes the main factors that allowed this unplanned shift from proximity polarity to metropolitan shopping centrality. The latter type of centrality is sustained by a bi-weekly market and numerous sedentary businesses (butcher's shops, bakeries, restaurants) that radiate out over a vast quadrant of Lyon metropolitan area. The attractiveness of the Mas du Taureau shopping centre makes it a minority center approaching the standards of "super diversity", a concept introduced in 2007 by Steven Vertovec. It appears that the shopping centre's ability to attract customers from outside the neighbourhood is based on a game of "ethnic" specialisations full of make-believes. However, the thesis focuses on a few locally trained entrepreneurs and ethnic markers that give the Mas du Taureau's commercial offer an image of minority centrality.Finally, the thesis examines the point of view of local public decision-makers. They often perceive this market space through the prism of communitarianism, leading to new forms of public regulation. The commercial polarity is thus administered by powerful management tools that place it at the centre of a lasting tension. As of today, the economic success of Mas du Taureau commercial polarity is not acknowledged by local public actors and its maintenance is minimal. Through the analysis of the current urban renewal project, the thesis shows the representations of local actors that underlie the project to destroy a dynamic shopping centre in order to rebuild another one with an uncertain future

Thesis (MPhil (Philosophy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009.<br>ABSTRACT: The European Enlightenment secured man’s freedom from doctrinal thought. Scientific progress and technological innovation flourished in the 18th Century, radically changing the lives of all. Man’s mastery and transformation of his environment was matched by revolutionary political reform, resulting in the dissolution of empire and the transfer of power into the hands of the people. Social transformation saw the city-states of pre-modern man supplanted by a globalized community whose existence grew from time and space distantiation facilitated by the new technologies and the development of symbolic forms. These sweeping social, political and ideological changes of the 18th Century fostered the belief that man’s transformative authority was indeed his to command. Man believed he had a right to self-governance and to autonomous decision-making. Kant described moral autonomy as the freedom men have to show rational accountability for their actions and he saw in men a dignity beyond all price because of this moral autonomy. Personal autonomy is seen as the expression of the free will of individuals and is justifiably constrained by the need to respect the interests and agency of others. The principle of autonomy, in the context of medical practice, was not clearly articulated until the early 20th century. Prior to this, the ethical practice of medicine relied upon the beneficent intentions of the practitioners. The limits to patient autonomy have been delineated largely by issues of social justice based upon the need to share scarce resources fairly among members of society. However, autonomy remains a dominant principle and is most clearly exemplified by the process of informed consent obtained prior to any medical intervention. This thesis provides a conceptual analysis of autonomy in the context of informed consent. Following this, several different clinical scenarios are examined for evidence of justifiable limitations to patient autonomy. Each scenario is examined in the light of different moral theories including deontology, utilitarianism, communitarianism and principlist ethical reasoning. Kantian ethical reasoning is found to be resilient in rejecting any limitation to the autonomy principle whereas each of the other theories allow greater scope for morally-justified curtailment of individual autonomy. The thesis concludes with reflection on post-modern society in which the radicalization of what began with the European Enlightenment sees the transformation of pre-modern society into a global community in which epistemological certainty is no longer available. In this environment, the emerging emphasis on global responsibility requires ethical accountability, not only when individuals secure transactions between one another but also between individuals and unknown communities of men and women of current and future generations. The thesis concludes that patient autonomy is justifiably limited in South African medical practice because of issues related to social justice but that the impact of the new genetic technologies and post-modernity itself may in future set new limits to individual patient autonomy.<br>OPSOMMING: Die Europese Verligting het die mensdom bevry van verstarde, dogmatiese denke. Wetenskaplike en tegnologiese ontwikkelinge het tydens the 18de Eeu die lewens van almal radikaal verander. Die mens se bemeestering en transformasie van sy omgewing het gepaard gegaan met revolusionêre politieke hervormings wat gelei het tot die ontbinding van tradisionele politieke ryke en die oordrag van mag aan die mens. Sosiale transformasie het veroorsaak dat die politieke ordeninge van voor-moderne mense deur ‘n globale gemeenskap vervang is wat ontstaan het as gevolg van onder meer die ontkoppeling van tyd en plek (Giddens), en wat deur nuwe tegnologiese ontwikkelings en die ontstaan van simboliese vorms moontlik gemaak is. Hierdie uitgebreide ontwikkelinge het die idee laat ontstaan dat niks vir die 18de Eeuse mens onmoontlik is nie. Die mens het geglo dat hy ‘n reg het op self-bestuur en outonome besluite. Kant het die morele outonomie van die mens beskou as sy vryheid om verantwoordlikheid te neem vir sy eie rasioneel-begronde handelinge en verder het hy ‘n besondere waardigheid in die mens geïdentifiseer vanweë sy morele outonomie. Omdat ‘n mens hierdie eienskap besit, beskik hy oor ‘n hoër waardigheid as alle alle ander lewensvorme. Persoonlike outonomie is die uitoefenimg van die vrye wil van die individu en word om geregverdigde redes beperk deur die regte van ander mense. Die beginsel van outonomie met verwysing na mediese etiek het nie voor die begin van die 20ste eeu prominent geword nie. Voor hierdie tyd het mediese etiek staatgemaak op die goeie voorneme van die praktisyn. Die grense van individuele outonomie word nou bepaal deur die noodsaak van sosiale geregtigheid. Al is dit die geval, bly die beginsel van outonomie die belangrikste beginsel in die etiese debat en word meestal gesien as ‘n deel van die proses van ingeligte toestemming. Hierdie tesis verskaf ‘n omvattende ontleding van outonomie met betrekking tot ingeligte toestemming. Daarna word verskillende kliniese gevalle beskryf en ontleed, en verskeie etiese teorieë gebruik om die wyse waarop pasiënt outonomie reverdigbaar ingekort behoort te word, te bespreek. Die teorie van Kant is in staat om enige inkorting van outonomie in alle gevalle the weerstaan. Elkeen van die ander teorieë verskaf redes waarom die outonomie van individuele pasiënte legitiem ingekort mag word. Hierdie werk sluit af met besinning oor die post-moderne gemeenskap wat ‘n globale samelewing moet aanvaar sowel as die ontoereikenheid van enige kenteoretiese sekerheid. Die ontwikkelende verantwoordelikheid vir die totale mensdom in hierdie wêreld veroorsaak dat individue nie meer slegs moet besluit oor die morele verhouding met sy medemens nie, maar ook oor sy verhouding met mense van gemeenskappe wat geskei is in tyd en ruimte, insluitend sy verhouding met die mense van toekomstige generasies. Hierdie werk sluit af met die gevolgtrekking dat pasiënt outonomie regverdigbaar beperk word in die Suid Afrikaanse mediese praktyk deur die noodsaaklikheid van sosiale geregtigheid. Die verwagte impak van nuwe genetiese tegnologieë en die ontwikkeling van ‘n post-moderne gemeenskap mag nuwe beperkings bring vir pasiënt outonomie.

This thesis examines the concept of civil disobedience, and the role the latter can play in a democratic society. It aims to offer a moral justification for civil disobedience that departs from consequentialist or deontological considerations, and focuses instead on virtue ethics. By drawing attention to the notion of civic virtues, the thesis suggests that, under some circumstances, an act of civil disobedience is the very act displaying a virtuous disposition in the citizen who disobeys. Such disposition is interpreted in light of a duty each individual has to respect her fellow citizens as autonomous agents. This grounds, in turn, a moral obligation to respect the law. The central claim of the thesis is that the obligation towards the law is fulfilled not only through acts of obedience but also, under different circumstances, through acts of disobedience. The status of non-violence as a necessary component of civil disobedience is questioned, and it is argued that a degree of force or violence may be permissible in civil disobedience, when it is compatible with the duty to respect others’ autonomy. Subsequently, the thesis offers an analysis of ‘reasonableness’ as a civic virtue, and by comparing three different approaches to the issue of reasonable disagreement among democratic citizens, it defends the deliberative approach as the most suited for treating fellow citizens as autonomous agents. The last two chapters focus on the importance, for an act of civil disobedience, of the agent’s willingness to accept the legal consequences of her law-breaking behaviour. It is argued that a civil disobedient has an obligation to face the prospect of being punished for the breach of the law. However, in considering the behaviour of a virtuous civil disobedient who appears at her criminal trial, it is also claimed that she should plead not guilty and aim to persuade her fellow citizens that she does not deserve to be punished, because what she did does not constitute a criminal wrong. In doing so, this thesis depicts civil disobedience not as a merely permissible form of behaviour, but as a morally praiseworthy conduct within a democratic community.