A experiência de depressão na contemporaneidade: uma compreensão fenomenológico-existencial

The depression is one of the most common forms of getting ill nowaday. Due to the increase in incidence of depression cases registered worldwide, this theme has been the subject of important studies, especially regarding the symptomatological description and biological etiology of the disease. This research had the objective to understand the unique experience of depression experienced by people who recognize themselves in depression, under the focus of existential phenomenology of Martin Heidegger. To reach the proposed objective, individuals narratives interviews were conducted with four participants, starting from the triggering question, "from your experience, how is for you to being depressed?". The survey revealed that depression affects the whole person and is related to stressful life contexts. Depression was narrated as an experience of disempowerment and lack of self esteem and personal worth. The collaborators of the research referred to the depression from sad, angry, bored and pessimistic mood. The time is experienced as a restriction to the projective opening towards the possibilities of being in which the future is seen as catastrophic and the past lived as debt and guilt. The corporeality, in depression is experienced through the weight, fatigue and pains for no reason. The space is lived from the notion of fall and collapse. We also realized the desire for isolation and avoidance of social contact. Suicide is desired and represents the end of the suffering in life. The depression has proved, still, very stigmatized, because it is discredited and misunderstood. The stigma also addressed to the experience of hospitalization and the unsuitability to the socially imposed standards of beauty, which generates enough suffering to the depressed person. The medication was described based on its positive effects, as a balance and suffering reducer, but also as a producer of dependence. Were also identified according to the collaborators, traces of selfdemand, ordenality and being-for-others, characteristic of typus melancholicus. This study contributes to an understanding of the depression that goes beyond the merely biological perspective and symptomatology of the pathology. The investigation of the depressive experience, through the lens of Heidegger's phenomenology, showed us the phenomenon of the depression in their singularity, complexity and multiple meanings, showing the close relationship between the formation of the depression and the context of personal and social life of the participants

Efeitos do turno fixo sobre a saúde mental em operadores de petróleo :um estudo de caso em dois ativos produção da Petrobrás

Un conjunto de cambios viene siendo implantado en la Petrobrás procurando que sus unidades de negocios resulten más modernas y competitivas para atender las necesidades del mercado. Dentro de esta perspectiva, un nuevo régimen de trabajo, denominado turno fijo , ha sido implantado en dos activos de producción de la provincia de Rio Grande do Norte. Tal situación originó varios reclamos de los petroleros y, consecuentemente, el interés del SINDIPETRO-RN en obtener una evaluación más precisa de las consecuencias de los mismos. Este estudio, realizado a partir de la demanda sindical de esos trabajadores, ha tenido como objetivo central analizar los efectos del turno fijo sobre la salud mental de los operadores de producción, actualmente lotados en los referidos activos. El estudio ha sido realizado con 39 operadores que representan el 82,9% de la población objeto de este estudio. La muestra ha sido homogénea en cuanto al género, grado de instrucción, edad y tiempo de servicio en la compañía, lo que ha posibilitado un mayor control de las variables y un estudio comparativo entre los dos activos. Para el desarrollo del estudio, se han aplicado los siguientes instrumentos de colecta de datos: una escala de medida probada y validada (QSG-12), un cuestionario abierto, entrevistas individuales y una ficha socio-demográfica. Las respuestas del cuestionario abierto han sido categorizadas mediante la aplicación de análisis de contenido. Los resultados de ese tratamiento y las respuestas del QSG-12 han sido registradas en la forma de banco de datos del SPSS for Windows (Statical Package for social sciense for Windows) para luego procederse con el desarrolllo de los análisis estadísticos. Los principales resultados encontrados en el estudio han sido que la mitad de los participantes de la muestra han presentado resultados de deteriorización de la autoeficacia más elevado que 1,44 (un una escala de 0 a 3) y, en tensión emocional y depresión, el resultado es más elevado que 1,67; la mayoría se da cuenta del aumento de carga de trabajo, revela acentuado sufrimiento con el distanciamiento de la familia, y 58,8% presenta enfermedades psicosomáticas crónicas. La percepción de los operadores sobre el turno fijo e el análisis de éste, conforme el modelo vitamínico de Warr, conducen a la conclusión de que el turno fijo es uno de los factores que está influyendo negativamente en la salud mental de esos trabajadores

A Água nossa de cada dia: percepção, uso e predisposições comportamentais de alunos do ensino médio de Natal, Rio Grande do Norte

Although water scarcity is recognized as one of the main world-wide problems to be faced by human kind, ecologically unsustainable patterns of behavior still persist. Thus, the objective of this study was to analyze pro-environmental behavior related to water, as well as meanings associated to it by high school students of Federal Center of Technological Education of Rio Grande do Norte, in Natal. The convenience sample was composed by 315 students, 146 women and 169 men, who answered a questionnaire about use and perception of water, containing indicators of proenvironmentalism, environmental care, sustainable development, time perspective, externalities and collectivism, besides socio-demographic items. According to participants, water is synonymous of life, even though the relationship they present with it is ambiguous, much more functional than ecological; they consider it a finite resource, an indispensable life patrimony, however there was no coherence between such conceptions and the self-reported behaviors of water use. Results indicated three important predictors of pro-environmental behavior: sex of respondent, New Ecological Paradigm Scale and telephone/address left for eventual contact to participate in future environmental campaigns. They may be used in additional studies for theoretical development, or to assist in the planning of programs of environmental education, aimed at the inhibition of the effects of a culture of consumption and of an utilitarian perception of water, extending individual and collective efforts towards the preservation of common resources as water

Adolescentes preocupadas em conquistar um corpo magro: Um estudo sobre discursos produzidos em diários eletrônicos

The concern about a good physical condition is heavily present nowadays, in documentary films about health and in the media, and it is also expressed through the outstanding growth of physical academies, beauty institutes and aesthetic medicine and all kind of aesthetic surgeries. In the western world the body wave is a significant trend, characterized by the great investments in body image. However, what is overlooked is the fact that in parallel trend grows the number of teenagers, especially females, with all kind of problems related to their body image. As adolescence is a moment of transformations, teenagers tend to be more aware of their body image and often neglect food ingestion and try to build their bodies following the images they have from top models and movie stars. The low self-esteem accompanying this sort of experience is an additional problem. Therefore the research aim to analyze discourses regarding the body image produced in world wide web diaries (blogs). The blogs selection was made through the site www.blogs.com.br, which is considered the widest guide of electronic diaries in Brazil. We looked after blogs including the keyword body and from adolescents aged 10 to 19, who showed concern about a slim body. Three blogs were chosen, considering the example criteria. Discourse analysis shows that these teenagers feel unsatisfied with their bodies, searching by all means the thinness presented as a aesthetic paradigm in western societies which often implies neglecting their own health, using appetite inhibitor drugs, restricting or totally abstaining food ingestion for long periods of time, or provoking themselves vomits after ingesting food. These behaviors, together with intense fear of gaining weight, can be characterized as alimentary disorders, related to the body image. As they usually hide this sort of behaviors from family and friends who do not share this concern, the blogs seem to be an easy tool for adolescents to find peers with whom to share common values and ideas and reaffirm their identities and virtual sense of community

A motivação e o significado do trabalho de bancários: estudo comparativo entre dois momentos do processo de reestruturação produtiva

This master s dissertation deals with motivation and the meaning of work amongst bank employees. This is done considering a cognitive perception. Work is understood here under a social and subjective comprehension, once it deals with significance attribution. Motivation is the process that rules choice of the different possibilities of individual behavior, all of which according to the Expectation Theory. This study aims to analyze the implications of the productive restructure, since it is related to technological innovation, organizational changes and management, in motivation and work significance. Thus, the objective of the research is to verify motivational differences and the meaning of work amongst bank employees. This is done in two distinct moments of the productive restructure of bank employees in Natal-RN. The research is divided in two parts. In the first one, changes that occurred in banks between 1999 until 2005 were identified by the means of interviews with 7 bank managers. The analyzed perspective was training intensifying, quality emphasis of customer attendance, the use of automation/technology, staff stabilization, change in staff profile, work intensification, etc. In the second study the Inventory of Motivation and Work Meaning was applied. Thus, questions related to work focus, social demographic data, in 187 bank employees were dealt with. The collected data was compared to data from previous work. It was observed that productive restructure has a reflection in the meaning of work increasing self-expression, economical reward, and responsibility in work conditions. All of the item mention beforehand maintain the level of inhumanness and consummation and respond as being the characteristics of the real work environment. On the other hand, bank employees value less justice, self-expression and more the survival perspective, implying instrumental values to work. As for motivation, it is increased among bank employees. These employees have greater expectations that their work produce results since they believe in their interference in work results

Saúde mental em operadores de petróleo do Rio Grande do Norte

The importance of identifying the consequence of the hours worked on people in society has been well recognized within Organizational and Work Psychology. From this point of view, the present research had the objective of analysing the effects of work regimes on the mental health of petroleum operators of Petrobrás. The sample totaled 144 subjects, corresponding to 27% of the work population. The mental health of the participants was evaluated using the following instruments of measurement: QSG-12, Scale of self-esteem, Scale of Positive and Negative Affections and the Scale of Valuable Attributes of IMST, each representing an empirical factor used to indicate and measure the five dimensions of mental health. The subjects perceptions of their work regime and the rest of their conditions of work were evaluated using scales of descriptive attributes of IMST, by applying a semi-structured questionnaire and by use of interviews. A socio-demographic file was used to collect information related to the biographical and socio-occupational profile of the worker sample. The answers to the questionnaire were inserted into the data bank of SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science), for statistical analysis, and the interviews were analised based on the technique of Contents Analysis recommended by Bardin (1995). The main results revealed that one third of the worker sample were tense; however, the mental health of the majority was preserved. Cluster Analysis applied to the group of seven factors which measured the five dimensions of mental health identified four profiles of psychological well-being shared between members of the sample. It was observed that the people working in the system of Continuous Shift Alternation (TIR) and in the system of Pre-advising tended to present balanced and satisfactory profiles, while the ones which worked in the Administrative Field tended to present anxious and oscillating profiles, and thus were more affected psychologically. These were also the ones that also perceived the more negative aspects of their laborious conditions (reduced chances of self-improvement, physically stressful and financial resources below expectations with which to supply family and personal necessities. In agreement with the ecological model formulated by Warr (1987), the present study concluded that the positive and negative effects on the psychological well-being tended to occur as a consequence of the perceptions the petrol operators developed to face their work conditions

Participação de moradores no programa de coleta seletiva em três bairros de Natal/RN: explorando determinantes psico-socio-ambientais

The general purpose of the study was the analysis of residents' participation in the program of door-by-door collection of recyclable residuals in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte. Even though the conception of such program by municipal managers was basically aimed at providing job opportunities and income for the collectors, the main objective of the investigation was to verify whether residents' participation could be attributed to their environmental commitment. Data collection involved three municipal districts and was performed in three stages, with complementary methodological strategies (observation, questionnaire, and interview), and characterized by selfevaluation, by residents, and hetero-evaluation, by collectors. Social, demographic, situational/contextual, and dispositional data were identified to help in the analysis of residents' adherence to the program. Separating and delivering recyclable residuals was the most frequent type of residents' participation, which demonstrates their low level of appropriation of decisions related to the program, taking part on it as passive agents. Two forms of motivation towards participating in the program were found: environmental and social. Despite the first being more frequent, it was associated to lack of environmental awareness related to the process, which may very well imply a mere reproduction of pro-environmental discourse. Motivation towards social issues was strongly connected to philanthropic forms of help. Knowledge was revealed as na important predictor for participation, as well as social networks, formed by neighbors, relatives and friends. Despite the social emphasis in the design of the program, it is possible to conclude that some residents also perceive its environmental benefits, possibly as consequence of a knowledge originated outside the program. Initiatives of environmental education should be promoted in order to minimize the allegation of lack of knowledge as justification for non-participation. Similarly, actions to put together municipal management and population would be welcome, to promote joint decisions towards sustainable styles of life

Obtenção de sistemas microemulsionados e estudo de simulação por dinâmica molecular de sistemas micelares objetivando a veiculação de produtos naturais bioativos

Among the new drugs launched into the market since 1980, up to 30% of them belong to the class of natural products or they have semisynthetic origin. Between 40-70% of the new chemical entities (or lead compounds) possess poor water solubility, which may impair their commercial use. An alternative for administration of poorly water-soluble drugs is their vehiculation into drug delivery systems like micelles, microemulsions, nanoparticles, liposomes, and cyclodextrin systems. In this work, microemulsion-based drug delivery systems were obtained using pharmaceutically acceptable components: a mixture Tween 80 and Span 20 in ratio 3:1 as surfactant, isopropyl mirystate or oleic acid as oil, bidistilled water, and ethanol, in some formulations, as cosurfactants. Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery Systems (SMEDDS) were also obtained using propylene glycol or sorbitol as cosurfactant. All formulations were characterized for rheological behavior, droplet size and electrical conductivity. The bioactive natural product trans-dehydrocrotonin, as well some extracts and fractions from Croton cajucara Benth (Euphorbiaceae), Anacardium occidentale L. (Anacardiaceae) e Phyllanthus amarus Schum. & Thonn. (Euphorbiaceae) specimens, were satisfactorily solubilized into microemulsions formulations. Meanwhile, two other natural products from Croton cajucara, trans-crotonin and acetyl aleuritolic acid, showed poor solubility in these formulations. The evaluation of the antioxidant capacity, by DPPH method, of plant extracts loaded into microemulsions evidenced the antioxidant activity of Phyllanthus amarus and Anacardium occidentale extracts. For Phyllanthus amarus extract, the use of microemulsions duplicated its antioxidant efficiency. A hydroalcoholic extract from Croton cajucara incorporated into a SMEDDS formulation showed bacteriostatic activity against colonies of Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli bacteria. Additionally, Molecular Dynamics simulations were performed using micellar systems, for drug delivery systems, containing sugar-based surfactants, N-dodecylamino-1-deoxylactitol and N-dodecyl-D-lactosylamine. The computational simulations indicated that micellization process for N-dodecylamino-1- deoxylactitol is more favorable than N-dodecyl-D-lactosylamine system.

Síntese de catalisadores nanoporosos na ausência total e parcial de direcionadores orgânicos para pirólise catalítica de óleos pesados e intermediários

The processing of heavy oil produced in Brazil is an emergency action and a strategic plan to obtain self-sufficiency and economic surpluses. Seen in these terms, it is indispensable to invest in research to obtain new catalysts for obtaining light fraction of hydrocarbons from heavy fractions of petroleum. This dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy reports the materials preparation that combine the high catalytic activity of zeolites with the greater accessibility of the mesoporosity, more particularly the HZSM-5/MCM-41 hybrid, done by synthesis processes with less environmental impact than conventional ones. Innovative methodologies were developed for the synthesis of micro-mesoporous hybrid material by dual templating mechanism and from crystalline zeolitic aluminosilicate in the absence of organic template. The synthesis of hybrid with pore bimodal distribution took place from one-single organic directing agent aimed to eliminate the use of organic templates, acids of any kind or organic solvents like templating agent of crystalline zeolitic aluminosilicate together with temperature-programmed microwave-assisted, making the experimental procedures of preparation most practical and easy, with good reproducibility and low cost. The study about crystalline zeolitic aluminosilicate in the absence of organic template, especially MFI type, is based on use of H2O and Na+ cation playing a structural directing role in place of an organic template. Advanced characterization techniques such as X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Highresolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), Adsorption of N2 and CO2, kinetic studies by Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Pyrolysis coupled to Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (Pyrolysis-GC/MS) were employed in order to evaluate the synthesized materials. Achieve the proposed objectives, has made available a set of new methodologies for the synthesis of zeolite and hybrid micro-mesoporous material, these suitable for catalytic pyrolysis of heavy oils aimed at producing light fraction

Práticas educativas e integralidade na saúde da família: um estudo etnográfico

Primary Health Care, especially in the family health strategy, it is expected that the joint assistance and actions of health promotion. The Ministry of health (BRAZIL, 2007) defines health education as an eyeshadow strategy of prevention and health promotion, based on reflective practices, which allow the user to their condition of historical, social and political subject, under the vision of an expanded clinic on the part of health professionals. In this sense, there are guidelines for it professionals to develop educational activities and that they can interfere in the health/disease process of the population, with a view to the development of autonomy of the subject. This research had as objective to understand in the light of the integrality of the care, as is the production of health education practices, within the framework of the family health strategy from ethnographic study in a family health unit (USF). The location of the research was the unit of USF Felipe Camarão II in West Health District, in the city of Natal, RN, Brazil, selected from preliminary mapping of educational practices deployed in units of health of the family of this municipality, based on criteria such as time-to-deployment of USF and sustainability of existing actions. Immersion in the field consisted of participant observation with journaling, held during the period of August 2012 to January 2013, in which she accompanied team work processes in clinical-welfare actions on the USF, in households and in educational activities of group character. The results presented in ethnographic description were analyzed based on the axes proposed by Ayres (2009) for identification of integrality in health practices:the axis of the needs; the axis of the purposes; the joint axis; and the axis of the interactionsThe evidence described from observation point the presence of each axle up health education practices developed by the teams, even incipient form, namely: articulation and appreciation of knowledge and practices of popular culture with local initiatives (Pastoril do Peixe Boi Encantado, Auto de Natal e Grupo Terapia e Arte); Clinical integration with health promotion actions and coordination of multidisciplinary knowledge, with professional-user link (course for pregnant women). However, a few challenges were identified to be faced in order to move forward in these practices in integral care: the need to break with the fragmentation of actions; strengthening teamwork; need for greater sustainability policy of collective actions; intersectoral work aimed at a better role of the State in the face of the health-disease process, adding to the action of individuals.The analysis produced from observation of the processes experienced indicates the need for a better recognition of local managers that actions similar to those that occur in the USF Felipe Camarão II enable advances in completeness as allows inclusion of actors involved in the processes of health work, and stimulate participation and shared responsibility in the fight for health-disease situations

Impacto da cárie precoce severa na infância na qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde bucal de pré-escolares sob privação social

Early childhood caries, especially in its severe form, which is characterized by an acute and aggressive nature, can have negative impacts on thequality of life of a child, due to effects such as difficulty in chewing, decreased appetite, weight loss, insomnia, changes in behavior and a decreased performance in school, among others. Moreover, the quality of life of the child`s family can also be affected, as the pain and discomfort caused by this type of caries result in loss of working days of parents, spending on dental treatments, changes in sleep patterns and stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of severe early childhood caries in the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) of public daycares`s preschool children through the Escala de Impacto da Saúde Bucal na Primeira Infância, a Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS). A single calibrated examiner (kappa=1.0) evaluated, through the dmfs index, the oral health of 116 children aged between 3 and 5, which were included in one of three study groups: "caries-free", "not-severe early childhood caries" and "severe early childhood caries". The parents responded to ECOHIS, to assess their perception regarding the OHRQoL of their children, and a questionnaire on socioeconomic conditions. The OHRQoL was measured through the total scores and domains of ECOHIS. Descriptive analysis, Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis test, chi-square test and Poisson multiple regression with robust variance were used. Among the children observed, 38.8% were caries-free, 27.6% showed not-severe early childhood caries and 33.6% showed severe early childhood caries. Regarding the total score of ECOHIS, severe early childhood caries had a greater negative impact on OHRQoL, compared to caries-free and not-severe early childhood caries groups (p <0.001). Regarding the child subscale, there was significant difference between the "severe early childhood caries" group and the other groups in all domains, except for theone of self-image / social interaction. In the family subscale domains, there was statistical significance between the severe early childhood caries and the caries-free groups in all domains (p <0.001), whereas between the "severe early childhood caries and not-severe early childhood caries groups there was a statistically significant difference only in the domain of parental anguish (p <0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that early childhood caries and the parent`s age were significantly associated to OHRQoL (p <0.05), independently of the other variables in the model. The presence of severe early childhood caries resulted in greater negative impact on OHRQoL (AdjPR= 6.016; 95%CI = 3.12 11.56; p<0.001), while older parents reported better OHRQoL (AdjPR = 0.603; 95%CI = 0.428 - 0.850; p = 0.004). The presence of severe early childhood caries had a negative impact on OHRQoL of preschool children and their families.

Qualidade de vida de pacientes com deformidade dentofacial

In the last decade, an increasing number of studies focusing on the impact of oral deformities on quality of life have been published. However, the evaluation of patients at different phases of the treatment has not been performed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the impact that dentofacial deformities have on patients` quality of life, as well as the influence exerted by social, economic, demographic and orthodontic factors, type and severity of malocclusion. A bicentric study - of the cross-sectional type of repeated panels - involving two cities - Natal and Rio de Janeiro - was carried out. A total of 227 patients participated in the study: 71 patients in the initial phase of the treatment (before any orthosurgical procedure), 115 patients in the pre-surgical (with braces) phase and 41 patients in the postoperative phase. The quality of life was measured using the Orthognatic Quality of Life Questionnnaire - OQLQ, translated and validated into Portuguese. The normative and aesthetic need for treatment was assessed with the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) and the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI); the social, economic and demographic factors, the type of service and malocclusion were also assessed. The data were analyzed through χ2/ Fisher`s exact test to seek the association between the nominal categorical variables in the three phases of treatment, Mann Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis test for gauging the existence of significant differences between two and three groups regarding each domain of OQLQ, respectively. For all tests, it was adopted a significance level of 5%. There was a statistically significant difference (p <0.001) in the general scores of OQLQ and in the domains of social aspects, facial aesthetics and oral function, when the "postoperative group" was compared to the "initial" and "orthodontic preparation" groups. Women, single, aged between 31 and 59 and living in Natal had the greatest impact on quality of life among patients in the "orthodontic preparation" group. Only the variable "income" (2 to 3 minimum wages), for the "initial" group, and gender (female) for the "postoperative" group, showed significant association with quality of life. The normative variable IOTN (DHC and AC) showed significant association with the OQLQ for the "initial" group, and the IOTN-AC-auto in the group of orthodontic preparation, being less important to women. We conclude that the ortho-surgical therapy has positive effects on quality of life after orthognathic surgery

O cotidiano do(a) Assistente Social frente as demandas apresentadas pela paciente portadora do câncer de mama em tratamento no Hospital Doutor Luiz Antônio em Natal/RN

This work deals with an analysis related to the social worker s practice in the oncology area. It aims to identify demands, work conditions as well as current challenges related to this profession. It considers the specificities of breast cancer and relates it to political decisions in the health sector considering the concept of contemporary capitalism. The study analyzes professional action and the demands presented by breast cancer patients who are currently in treatment in Hospital Dr. Luiz Antônio em Natal-Rio Grande do Norte-Brazil. The methodological procedures considered of documental analysis, semi-structured interviews (with two social workers that work with fifteen breast cancer patients) as well as participant observation; which was done counting with my own professional practice in the oncology area. Thus, the research also discusses the breast cancer issue in the life of the users considering their social-economical, cultural and political determinants. Factors such as age in which the diagnosis was known, the relation user/social workers, number of children, rights of the oncology patient, place where he/she lives, education, civil status, (re)insertion of the professional in the work field, perception of self-esteem and bio-psycho-social representation of breast cancer in the lives of these women, all of which were dealt with in this research

Caracterização sócio-ambiental do bairro de Felipe Camarão- Natal/ RN

The rapid growth of the Brazilian cities in the latest years has brought a series of problems regarding housing policies and, therefore, the provision of dwellings for the low-income class people. Following the pattern of other capital cities, Natal has repeated the pattern of urbanization practiced in the country, which concentrates the low-income class inhabitants in specific zones of the city known as peripheries or even in a dwelling place for less-favored classes such as Felipe Camarão, which is one of ten boroughs belonging to the western administrative zone, a region which has historically received less attention from the public administrators towards infrastructure investments. Based on those aspects, the general objective of this work is to investigate which main social-environmental alterations have resulted from the processes of urbanization and field occupation in that area. The specific objectives are concerned with verifying 1) the process of urbanization and the process of dividing urban soil from the 1960s; 2) the current configuration of the public spaces in the borough; 3) the process of the deprivation of the original landscape characteristics of Environmental Protection Zones; 4) the dynamics of land occupation which are predominant in dune areas; 5) the dynamics of land occupation which are predominant in mangrove areas; 6) and the destruction of green covering on the land with its consequent alteration of the local floristic pattern. The methodology consisted of in-loco visits; the application of questionnaires as community research; a survey of bibliography published by the organisms and institutions in charge of carrying out the city hall s environmental and housing policies; and descriptive statistics of the collected data. Concerning the pattern of occupation which is predominant in the borough, the treatment of space dispensed by the local dwellers has culminated in the emergence and consolidation of environmental alterations which are clearly different from common occurrence in both the building area represented by housing complexes and in the green areas represented by dunes and mangroves. The data show that there was the predominance of the irregular land occupation process over the official housing policy during the population settlement which contributed with a series of frequent and foreseeable problems in the dynamics of urbanization of poverty such as invasions and appropriations of land parcels, the beginning of irregular arrangement of streets, the formation of villages and slums, which are full of self-constructed housing units, and the occupation and degradation of susceptibly fragile environmental areas such as the dune slopes and the mangroves

Adaptação sociocultural de gestores espanhóis expatriados no Brasil

This study aims at understanding how sociocultural adjustment occurs in the case of managers, and their spouses, expatriated to Brazil by private and public Spanish organizations. To do so, it adopts as main theoretical frame the expatriate adaptation model proponed by Parker & McEvoy (1993), based on Black, Mendenhall & Oddou s model (1991), which establishes three dimensions of adaptation: adjustment to work; adjustment to general environment and adjustment to interaction with host country nationals. This work, of exploratory and descriptive nature, used field research to gather primary data subsequently analyzed with a qualitative approach. Data collection came from individual in-depth interviews with three Spanish managers expatriated in Brazil and two of their spouses. Resulting data were analyzed through one of content analysis procedures, thematic analysis. This research shows that adjustment is obstructed by cultural distance or cultural novelty rather than by work role characteristics, being more successful in expatriates that carry previous solid sociocultural knowledge about host country. It also verifies that the degree of expatriate adjustment is enhanced by the comprehension of cultural differences that originate values and behaviors different from those of the expatriate. It points out that individual factors such as perception and relation skills, flexibility, empathy and self-efficacy are positively linked to the three dimensions of adjustment: work, general adjustment and interaction adjustment. It finds expatriate adjustment to be lowered by spouse unsuccessful adjustment and shows that location in an environment perceived as short in key infrastructures is negatively linked to adjustment in expatriates coming from strongly urban environments. It concludes that expatriate adjustment occurs through progressive understanding of host country environment and through comprehension of the sociocultural context that explains differences between host country behaviors and values and those from the country of origin, a process which is favored by expatriate individual characteristics not directly linked to his/her technical qualification, such as perception and relation skills, flexibility and empathy, together with solid sociocultural knowledge about the host country. This research propones, therefore, that organizations involved in expatriation processes should include in their selection criteria the degree to which candidates possess personal characteristics and sociocultural knowledge that may facilitate adaptation