An exploration of transformation theory and the western tradition: a critical evaluation of a graduate studies class

This qualitative study is an exploration of transformation theory, the Western tradition, and a critical evaluation of a graduate studies class at a university. It is an exploration of assumptions that are embedded in experience, that influence the experience and provide meaning about the experience. An attempt has been made to identify assumptions that are embedded in Western experience and connect them with assumptions that shape the graduate class experience. The focus is on assumptions that facilitate and impede large group discussions. Jungian psychology of personality type and archetype and developmental psychology is used to analyze the group experience. The pragmatic problem solving model, developed by Knoop, is used to guide thinking about the Western tradition. It is used to guide the analysis, synthesis and writing of the experience of the graduate studies class members. A search through Western history, philosophy. and science revealed assumptions about the nature of truth, reality, and the self. Assumptions embedded in Western thinking about the subject-object relationship, unity and diversity are made explicit. An attempt is made to identify Western tradition assumptions underlying transformation theory. The critical evaluation of the graduate studies class experience focuses upon issues associated with group process, self-directed learning, the educator-learner transaction and the definition of adult education. The advantages of making implicit assumptions explicit is explored.

Ethics, tourists and the environmental practices of the North American cruise ship industry: a comparison study of the ethical standards of Alaskan and Caribbean cruise ship tourists

Please consult the paper edition of this thesis to read. It is available on the 5th Floor of the Library at Call Number: Z 9999 R43 S54 2005

Management renewal? Consequences of the new conception of the ���best interests of the corporation��� in North American and French Corporate Law

Corporate law integrates a stakeholder conception through the comprehensive meaning of the best interests of the corporation. In this paper, I address criticisms about classical definition of the firm���s purpose. Even if American law is more discreet and uncertain, it is possible to defend a broad conception of the best interests of the corporation. The interests of Canadian and French firms include their partners. While the notion of int��r��t social is debatable in France, Canada has recently modified its point of view regarding the purpose of the firm. Indeed, the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada Magasins �� rayons Peoples Inc. (Syndic de) v. Wise in 2004 changed the concept of corporate law. With respect to fiduciary duties, the Supreme Court set aside the traditional interpretation of the ���best interests of the corporation��� which gave primacy to shareholders��� interests. The Court held that the expression ���best interests of the corporation��� refers to the maximization of the corporation���s value. This innovative vision of the best interest of the corporation introduces stakeholder theory and corporate social responsibility (CSR) into corporate law and provides a new field for the firm���s management to frame their responsibilities. This paper concludes with an extended discussion of the implications of stakeholder and CSR influence for the future of corporate law, economy and financial researches.

The parenting styles and the feeding practices of parents of diabetic adolescents

M��moire num��ris�� par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Universit�� de Montr��al.

Doctrines and practices of the Burhaniya Sufi Order in the arab world and in the west between 1938 and 2012 : a decolonial and transdisciplinary analysis from an insider perspective

Ce m��moire pr��sente une exploration d��coloniale et transdisciplinaire des doctrines et pratiques de la confr��rie soufie transnationale Burhaniya, dans le monde arabe et en Occident. Il traite principalement de la p��riode s�����tendant de la fondation de la confr��rie en 1938 jusqu���en 2012. Pour bien contextualiser les particularit��s de l�����mergence de cette confr��rie moderne, ce m��moire pr��sente tout d���abord son ancrage historique par l�����tude de ses racines en lien avec l���histoire du soufisme en Afrique du Nord et en Asie de l���Ouest. Puis, ce m��moire offre une analyse comparative de certains des principaux contextes nationaux o�� s���est diss��min��e cette confr��rie, �� partir du Soudan, vers l�����gypte, la France, l���Allemagne, les ��tats-Unis et le Canada. Suite �� ses recherches, l���auteur conclut que les cheikhs de la Burhaniya ont facilit�� l���expansion de la confr��rie en occident et ont perp��tu�� un h��ritage soufi plut��t traditionnel au sein du monde moderne. Ils ont su le faire en pr��servant les doctrines fondamentales de leur tradition tout en adaptant leurs pratiques �� divers contextes.

Social Media Use in Medical and Health Professional Education: Role of the Librarian on a Faculty Steering Committee

Objective: An interprofessional steering committee was created at Universit�� de Montr��al���s Faculty of Medicine to examine how social media are integrated in medical and health professional education in universities across the globe, and to propose a strategic plan for integrating social media in the Faculty���s various curricula. This presentation will summarize the steering committee���s work and describe the librarian���s contribution. Methods: The Committee���s project leader first conducted a literature search on best practices of social media in medical and health professional curricula. A reference website was then created (mse.med.umontreal.ca) to provide easy access to a large number of the articles and resources reviewed. A steering committee was constituted and 11 meetings were held over a 9-month period. The Committee comprised 18 members and included assistant deans, academic program directors, professors, communication advisors, undergraduate and graduate students and a librarian. An online survey on social media use by students and professors of the Faculty was conducted, ten pilot projects were put forward and a three-year strategic plan was proposed. Results: A total of 1508 students and 565 professors participated in the survey. Results showed that both groups had a strong interest in learning how social media could be integrated in academic and professional activities. Participants reported concern with risks associated with social media use and expressed the need for a Faculty policy and guidelines. The librarian���s contribution to the steering committee included: writing posts on the website���s internal blog, assisting in the design of the survey questionnaires and writing the final report���s survey results chapter. She also proposed two pilot projects: creating a social media learning portal and an altmetrics workshop. Conclusions: Based on the literature review and the survey results, the Committee affirmed the importance of integrating social media in the various study programs of the Faculty of Medicine. Despite the restricted timeline, this interprofessional steering committee was able to carry out its mandate because of the leadership and expertise of each of its members. As the librarian had the most experience with the use of social media in a professional context, her knowledge was instrumental in assisting the project leader in a group mainly composed of social media non-users.

Practices of Local Social Forums: The Building of Tactical and Cultural Collective Action Repertoires

Since the first edition of the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, 2001, similar initiatives have flourished at the local scales. In the existing literature, local social forums are generally considered to be a natural replication of the world social forums. Beyond the label ���social forums,��� what do the practices of local social forums specifically entail and what is the meaning of these practices for local activists?I propose a comparison of eight cases situated in two distinct societies (Quebec and France). I use a multi-approach methodology, combining direct observation, focus groups, interviews, and documentary analysis.I show that despite strong national differences, a highly decentralized process, and the strong autonomy of local actors, local social forums share structural characteristics, and the expression ���social forum��� is associated with ways of doing things that limit the variety of local social forum initiatives: organizers share a common intentionality; the mode of operation of local social forum process and event belong to the same political culture and translate into the same practices; and the outputs of these gatherings are similar in terms of the building of ties. Overall, local social forums are used as tactical and cultural collective action repertoires by actors, redefining the boundaries of social resistance and its practices.

Activism and participation among people of migrant background : discourses and practices of inclusiveness in four italian cities

Alors que l���int��r��t pour les processus d���int��gration des immigrants et des minorit��s ethniques est en pleine croissance parmi les chercheurs europ��ens, les facteurs qui expliquent les diff��rentes formes de participation civique et politique doivent ��tre examin��s plus en profondeur. Prenant pour base la litt��rature sur l���immigration, cette ��tude examine la question de recherche suivante: Comment peut-on expliquer les variations des formes de participation civique et politique des activistes issus de l���immigration au niveau local? Afin de r��pondre �� cette question, cette ��tude identifie les formes de participation de la part d���activistes issus de l���immigration dans quatre villes Italiennes et examine les discours et les pratiques de multiples acteurs impliqu��s dans le domaine de l���immigration dans un contexte national d���hostilit�� croissante. Cette th��se soutient que pour comprendre diff��rentes formes de participation, il est important de consid��rer non seulement l�����tat et les acteurs institutionnels, mais aussi les acteurs non-institutionnels et examiner comment ces derniers influencent les opportunit��s ainsi que les restrictions �� la participation. Par ailleurs, cette recherche examine les canaux conventionnels et non-conventionnels dans quatre villes italiennes et ��tudie les activistes issus de l���immigration comme des acteurs politiques pertinents, capables de se mobiliser et d���influencer la participation �� travers leur interaction et alliances avec les acteurs de la soci��t�� d���accueil. Cette recherche a permis de produire trois r��sultats. Le premier montre que les approches d���int��gration adopt��es par les acteurs sont importantes. Cette ��tude a identifi�� trois approches d���int��gration: 1) �� welfariste ��, bas��e sur l���id��e que les immigrants sont dans le besoin et doivent donc recevoir des services; 2) interculturelle, bas��e sur l���id��e que les immigrants sont de futurs citoyens et que l���int��gration est r��ciproque; 3) promotion des droits politiques, bas��e sur l���id��e que les immigrants ont des droits politiques fondamentaux ; et qui encourage l���ouverture des canaux de participation politique, surtout aux immigrants priv��s du droit de vote local. L���analyse empirique d��montre que, alors que l���approche welfariste n���encourage pas la participation parce qu���elle con��oit les immigrants comme des acteurs passifs, les autres deux approches ont respectivement un impact sur les formes de participation civique et politique. La deuxi��me conclusion souligne le r��le des acteurs de gauche. En particulier, cette ��tude montre que les acteurs qui ouvrent de canaux pour la participation ne sont pas uniquement les acteurs de gauche mod��r��e, comme les autorit��s locales, les partis politiques et les syndicats, mais aussi les groupes de gauche radicale et non-institutionnelle. Chaque acteur de gauche comprend et agit diff��remment par rapport aux sujets de l���immigration et de la participation et ce fait influence comment les activistes issues de l���immigration se mobilisent. La troisi��me conclusion met en ��vidence le r��le de la perception des opportunit��s par les activistes issus de l���immigration et la fa��on avec laquelle ils s���approprient les discours et les pratiques des acteurs de gauche. Ce travail d��montre que l���ouverture de canaux est possible gr��ce �� l���engagement de personnes issues de l���immigration qui agissent �� travers les opportunit��s qui leurs sont offertes, cr��ent des alliances avec la gauche et d��fient les discours et pratiques des acteurs locaux.

Studies on improved practices of prawn farming for higher production in central Kerala

The thesis entitled "Studies on improved practices of prawn farming for higher production in central Kerala" prepared by the author describes various practices prevailing in the study area in order to elucidate their relative merits. The study on semi-intensive farming at Mundapuram, Kannur was also carried out and included in the thesis for comparison.The author felt it important to make a critical study of the existing culture practices in the central Kerala, a region where it has been existing since time immemorial.Careful analysis of data accrued by the author has helped him to identify strength, weakness, opportunities and threats confronting the shrimp farming. As a result it was possible to evolve an appropriate management technology taking into consideration the various ecological (location specific), social and economical conditions prevalent in the vast study area.

Hegemony, Private Actors, and International Institutions: Transnational Corporations as the agents of transformation of the trade regime from GATT to the WTO

Diese Dissertation hat das Ziel, zum einen die Transformation des Handelssystems von der GATT zur Welthandelsorganisation (WTO) im Kontext einer ver��nderten Weltordnung und zum anderen die Rollen von transnationalen Unternehmen im Rahmen dieser Transformation zu untersuchen und zu verstehen. Die Arbeit wird theoretisch vom Neogramscianismus angeleitet, da die etablierten Ans��tzen in den Internationalen Beziehungen und der International Politischen ��konomie nur unzureichend die intersubjektive Natur von Regimen und nicht-staatlichen Akteuren darstellen. F��r Anh��nger des Neogramscianismus sind internationale Regime intersubjektive Einheiten, deren Zusammenspiel von Ideen und Machtkonfigurationen historische Strukturen pr��gen. Die Hegemonie ist ein Konzept, das soziale Einfl��sse als Agenten historischen Wandels in international Regimen und der Weltordnung zusammenbindet. Mit dem Konzept der Hegemonie wird eine Machtsituation beschrieben, in der politische Macht in legitime Autorit��t ��bersetzt wird, indem die Zustimmung subalterner Akteure eingeholt wird. Hegemonie beinhaltet die konsensuellen Aspekte von Machtaus��bung in einer jeweiligen Weltordnung. Diese Dissertation argumentiert vor allem, dass die Transformation des Handelssystems als hegemonisch bezeichnet werden kann, da sie parallel mit der Transformation der Weltordnung von einer von den USA dominierten Nachkriegszeit zu einer neoliberalen Hegemonie stattfand. Mit der Transformation zur Welthandlungsorganisation wird der legale Rahmen des Handelssystems neu strukturiert und ihre normative Grundlagen neu definiert, wodurch der ethische Rahmen des Neoliberalismus reflektiert wird. Diese ��nderungen werden in der neuartigen Anerkennung der legitimen Autorit��t des Marktes gegen��ber Nationalstaaten und der Anerkennung von der Notwendigkeit von bindenden Disziplinen, die Regierungen ��bergeordnet sind, reflektiert. Diese Dissertation analysiert zwei F��lle, um die Rolle von transnationalen Unternehmen innerhalb diese Transformationsprozesses zu erkl��ren. Dabei wird der Fokus vor allem auf die Aktivit��ten und F��higkeiten der Unternehmen gerichtet, die Ausrichtung des Handelsregimes zu bestimmen. Die erste Studie untersucht die Eingliederung von Dienstleistungen in das GATT Regime vor und w��hrend der Uruguay-Runde (1986 ��� 1994) und argumentiert, dass diese Eingliederung zu einer Neudefinierung von Liberalisierung und Normen der Nichtdiskriminierung f��hrte. Die zweite Studie analysiert den gescheiterten Versuch, ausl��ndische Direktinvestitionen noch bevor und w��hrend der 2001 begonnenen Doha Runde in die Welthandelsorganisation zu integrieren. Letztendlich wird in dieser Dissertation argumentiert, dass transnationale Unternehmen, die in den Vereinigten Staaten ans��ssig sind, hegemonische Agenten der Regimetransformation waren und eine wichtige Rolle dabei gespielt haben, Dienstleistungen in das GATT einzubinden. Und zwar gelang ihnen dies durch eine in den sp��ten 1970er Jahren begonnenen Kampagne. Auf der einen Seite war die Kampagne darin erfolgreich, etablierte Denkstrukturen zu Handelsthemen systematisch im Sinne des Neoliberalismus zu ver��ndern ��� und zwar sowohl hinsichtlich der normativen Inhalte als auch der intersubjektiven Bedeutungen des Regimes. Auf der anderen Seite deutet der Fall des Investitionsabkommens die Grenzen der hegemonischen Ideen, Institutionen, und Str��mungen seit den fr��hen 90er Jahren an. Transnationale Unternehmen, die in Europa ans��ssig waren, sind mit ihren Bem��hungen gescheitert, das Regime weiter zu transformieren und das Thema Investitionen in die legalen und normativen Rahmenbedingungen der WTO zu integrieren. Die Priorit��ten und Strategien der transnationalen Unternehmen, die Agenda der WTO zu beeinflussen, waren beschr��nkt und wurden im Kontext einer angefochtenen neoliberalen Hegemonie geformt, die wiederum von dem Widerstand und anti-hegemonischen Kampagnen der Zivilgesellschaft beeinflusst wurden. Die Analyse in dieser Dissertation wurde durch eine qualitative Diskursanalyse von Sekund��r- und Prim��rquellen durchgef��hrt: Regierungsvorschl��ge, Verhandlungstexte, Konferenzzusammenfassungen und Statements von Unternehmen.

Pesticide-handling practices of smallholder coffee farmers in Eastern Jamaica

Pesticide use among smallholder coffee producers in Jamaica has been associated with significant occupational health effects. Research on pesticide handling practices, however, has been scarce, especially in eastern Jamaica. This explorative study aims at filling this gap and provides a first basis to develop effective interventions to promote a safer pesticide use. A random sample of 81 coffee farmers was surveyed. The majority of farmers reported to suffer from at least one health symptom associated with pesticide handling, but safety practices were scarcely adopted. There was also the risk that other household members and the wider local community are exposed to pesticides. The lack of training on pesticide management, the role of health services and the cost for protective equipment seemed to be the most significant factors that influence current pesticide handling practices in eastern Jamaica. Further research is recommended to develop a systemic understanding of farmer���s behaviour to provide a more solid basis for the development of future intervention programmes.

Effects of transformation processes in 'jubraka' agroforestry systems of the Nuba Mountains, Sudan, on nutrient fluxes

Intensification processes in homegardens of the Nuba Mountains, Sudan, raise concerns about strongly positive carbon (C) and nutrient balances which are expected to lead to substantial element losses from these agroecosystems, in particular via soil gaseous emissions. Therefore, this thesis aimed at the quantification of C, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) input and output fluxes with a special focus on soil gaseous losses, and the calculation of respective element balances. A further focus in this thesis was rainfall, a valuable resource for rain-fed agriculture in the Nuba Mountains. To minimize negative consequences of the high variability of rainfall, risk reducing mechanisms were developed by rain-fed farmers that may lose their efficacy in the course of climate change effects predicted for East Africa. Therefore, the second objective of this study was to examine possible changes in rainfall amounts during the last 60 years and to provide reliable risk and probability statements of rainfall-induced events of agricultural importance to rain-fed farmers in the Nuba Mountains. Soil gaseous emissions of C (in form of CO2) and N (in form of NH3 and N2O) of two traditional and two intensified homegardens were determined with a portable dynamic closed chamber system. For C gaseous emission rates reached their peak at the onset of the rainy season (2,325 g CO2-C ha-1 h-1 in an intensified garden type) and for N during the rainy season (16 g NH3-N ha-1 h-1 and 11.3 g N2O-N ha-1 h-1, in a traditional garden type). Data indicated cumulative annual emissions of 5,893 kg CO2-C ha-1, 37 kg NH3-N ha-1, and 16 kg N2O-N ha-1. For the assessment of the long-term productivity of the two types of homegardens and the identification of pathways of substantial element losses, a C and nutrient budget approach was used. In three traditional and three intensified homegardens observation plots were selected. The following variables were quantified on each plot between June and December in 2010: soil amendments, irrigation, biomass removal, symbiotic N2 fixation, C fixation by photosynthesis, atmospheric wet and dry deposition, leaching and soil gaseous emissions. Annual balances for C and nutrients amounted to -21 kg C ha-1, -70 kg N ha-1, 9 kg P ha-1 and -117 kg K ha-1 in intensified homegardens and to -1,722 kg C ha-1, -167 kg N ha-1, -9 kg P ha-1 and -74 kg K ha-1 in traditional homegardens. For the analysis of rainfall data, the INSTAT+ software allowed to aggregate long-term daily rainfall records from the Kadugli and Rashad weather stations into daily, monthly and annual intervals and to calculate rainfall-induced events of agricultural importance. Subsequently, these calculated values and events were checked for possible monotonic trends by Mann-Kendall tests. Over the period from 1970 to 2009, annual rainfall did not change significantly for either station. However, during this period an increase of low rainfall events coinciding with a decline in the number of medium daily rainfall events was observed in Rashad. Furthermore, the availability of daily rainfall data enabled frequency and conditional probability calculations that showed either no statistically significant changes or trends resulting only in minor changes of probabilities.

Effects of transformation processes in 'jubraka' agroforestry systems of the Nuba Mountains, Sudan, on plant diversity

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

Best practices in literacy instruction.

Libro dirigido a profesores en activo o en formaci��n en el ��rea de la alfabetizaci��n. Estructurado en cinco partes presenta los ��ltimos estudios sobre el aprendizaje y la ense��anza de la escritura y la lectura, y los aplica de forma pr��ctica desarrollando diferentes estrategias de ayuda para los alumnos, al mismo tiempo que ofrece recomendaciones para orientar la toma de decisiones institucional en la materia. Trata adem��s aspectos como la evaluaci��n, motivaci��n, integraci��n de diferentes tipos de textos y recursos multimedia, la alfabetizaci��n de adolescentes y el trabajo con estudiantes de ingl��s como lengua extranjera.

Remaking place and securitising space: Urban regeneration and the strategies, tactics and practices of policing in the UK

Urban regeneration programmes in the UK over the past 20 years have increasingly focused on attracting investors, middle-class shoppers and visitors by transforming places and creating new consumption spaces. Ensuring that places are safe and are seen to be safe has taken on greater salience as these flows of income are easily disrupted by changing perceptions of fear and the threat of crime. At the same time, new technologies and policing strategies and tactics have been adopted in a number of regeneration areas which seek to establish control over these new urban spaces. Policing space is increasingly about controlling human actions through design, surveillance technologies and codes of conduct and enforcement. Regeneration agencies and the police now work in partnerships to develop their strategies. At its most extreme, this can lead to the creation of zero-tolerance, or what Smith terms 'revanchist', measures aimed at particular social groups in an effort to sanitise space in the interests of capital accumulation. This paper, drawing on an examination of regeneration practices and processes in one of the UK's fastest-growing urban areas, Reading in Berkshire, assesses policing strategies and tactics in the wake of a major regeneration programme. It documents and discusses the discourses of regeneration that have developed in the town and the ways in which new urban spaces have been secured. It argues that, whilst security concerns have become embedded in institutional discourses and practices, the implementation of security measures has been mediated, in part, by the local socio-political relations in and through which they have been developed.