Unlimited or disrupted communication? How does the development of the mobile phone effect our ability of social action?

The aim of this essay is to discuss the thesis of the German Sociologist Günter Burkhart that in modern societies a phenomenon appeared which he calls “handymania”, an excessive and nearly addictive use of the mobile phones especially from adolescents. After a short overview about the history of the cell phone, I will relate this development to Jürgen Habermas “theory of communicative action”, more precisely to his diagnosis of a pathological society (“lifeworld”) to find out if the “handymania” could be one expression of it. Adjacent I will present social-psychological theories from E.H.Erikson and Tilmann Habermas to ascertain whether juveniles could really be a high-risk group for this kind of addiction. I will focus on the ability to communicate in an Habermasian way that could be seriously harmed by the unregulated usage of cell phones.

Cultural innovation and transmission of tool use in wild chimpanzees:evidence from field experiments

Animal Cognition, V.6, pp. 213-223

Use of leaves for drinking water

The use of leaves for drinking water is a widespread tool-use behavior among chimpanzees. Although this tool-use behavior is widely described as the use of leaf sponges, it can actually be found in three different forms: leaf sponges, leaf-folding, and leaf spoons. Among the chimpanzee community of Bossou, we can observe all three forms, albeit in different frequencies. Here I describe the longitudinal record of manufacture and use of leaf tools for drinking water, highlighting the learning process underlying the acquisition of the skill. The degree of laterality evident in both immature and mature performers is also presented here. The use of leaves for drinking water emerges at the age of 1.5 years old, but the manufacture of leaf tools only starts at 3.5 years of age. Infants and juveniles were observed to use drinking tools that had been discarded by other individuals after use. Concerning handedness in general, the chimpanzees are ambidextrous, with some individuals biased to one side.

Estrategias Locales de Desarrollo para el Combate a la Pobreza y Exclusión Social en la Región Metropolitana de São Paulo-Brasil

MARQUES, B.P. (2008) “Estrategias Locales de Desarrollo para el Combate a la Pobreza y Exclusión Social en la Región Metropolitana de São Paulo - Brasil”, in Atas do XI Colóquio Ibérico de Geografia, Alcalá de Henares, pp. 1-15, ISBN 978-84-8138-792-6.

El dilema de los recursos naturales en América Latina: La maldición de la abundancia

Dissertação de Mestrado em Relações Internacionais e Ciências Políticas Especialização Globalização e Ambiente