Caring responsibilities, change and transitions in young people's family lives in Zambia

Despite diversity in family dynamics within and between societies, globally, it is adults who are usually relied upon to care for family members who are sick, disabled or have other care needs. Young people in Zambia and other African countries affected by the HIV epidemic are under increasing pressure to obtain a good education and employment to support their families, whilst some also have to cope with the loss of parents and care for relatives with little external support. This article discusses the findings of qualitative research that explored the experiences of young people (aged 14-30) who had significant family caring responsibilities and those without such responsibilities in Zambia. Interviews and life-mapping methods were conducted with a total of 35 young people living in rural and urban areas, 12 parents and relatives and 12 professionals. We analyse young people's experiences and perceptions of socially expected transitions, such as completing education and earning an income to support themselves and their families, in addition to more unpredictable changes in young people's family lives. ‘Critical moments’ (Thomson et al, 2002), such as bereavement and loss of parents and other family members, disinheritance of assets and property grabbing, migration and mobility between different relatives homes, parental divorce and separation, often had significant impacts on young people’s ability to navigate their pathways to adulthood according to wider social norms and expectations. A more relational conceptualisation of youth transitions is needed that takes account of young people's caring responsibilities and changing family dynamics.

Impact of externalities on sustainable development: evidence from public-private partnerships in Kazakhstan and Russia

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the influence of public-private partnerships (PPPs) on social and economic conditions in Kazakhstan and Russia from a public economics perspective, namely, through the lens of a market failure and PPPs’ negative externalities. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on the concept of a market failure and using the externalities perspective, the paper investigates whether partnerships are instrumental in solving market problems, which is illustrated by the evidence from ongoing PPP projects in Kazakhstan and Russia. Findings – Results show that citizens face expansion of monopolistic trends in the service provision and decreased availability of public services. Additionally, the government support to partnerships recreates a negative externality in the form of a higher risk premium on loan interest rates that banks use to finance PPPs. The partnerships’ impact on sustainable development often appears detrimental, as they significantly intensify the struggle between sub-national governments for increased transfers from the national budget. Practical implications – The government agencies must incorporate the appraisal of the PPP externalities and their effects on the society in the decision-making regarding the PPP formation. Originality/value – The authors suggest that, although government is interested in PPPs’ positive externalities, in reality many negative externalities may offset the positive spillover effects. As a result, the partnerships’ contributions to economic and social sustainability remain controversial. Extending the value-for-money concept to incorporate the assessment of PPP externalities might significantly enhance the partnership conceptualisation by more comprehensive and accurate assessment of PPPs’ economic and social value.

Exploring brand attachment, its determinants and outcomes

Brand attachment has been regarded as a powerful and salient construct in marketing, argued to predict favourable consumer behaviours. Nevertheless, research trying to understand what are the determinants and outcomes of it is still limited. Using semi-structured interviews and projective techniques, this work identifies that self-congruity, experience, responsiveness, quality, reputation and trust are found to be the determinants of strong brand attachment. The outcomes of brand attachment are intention to recommend, purchase, revisit, resilience to negative information and act of defending the brand. This research sheds light for marketers in understanding the conceptualisation of attachment from the consumers' perspectives, so adopting an important perspective largely under-researched. In addition, this study guides marketers in the important factors regarding how to build stronger attachment and benefit from its outcomes.

Enchanting resilience: relations of care and people-place connections in agriculture

The practices and decision-making of contemporary agricultural producers are governed by a multitude of different, and sometimes competing, social, economic, regulatory, environmental and ethical imperatives. Understanding how they negotiate and adapt to the demands of this complex and dynamic environment is crucial in maintaining an economically and environmentally viable and resilient agricultural sector. This paper takes a socio-cultural approach to explore the development of social resilience within agriculture through an original and empirically grounded discussion of people-place connections amongst UK farmers. It positions enchantment as central in shaping farmers' embodied and experiential connections with their farms through establishing hopeful, disruptive and demanding ethical practices. Farms emerge as complex moral economies in which an expanded conceptualisation of the social entangles human and non-human actants in dynamic and contextual webs of power and responsibility. While acknowledging that all farms are embedded within broader, nested levels, this paper argues that it is at the micro-scale that the personal, contingent and embodied relations that connect farmers to their farms are experienced and which, in turn, govern their capacity to develop social resilience.

Regina Maris and the command of the sea: the sixteenth century origins of modern maritime strategy

The concept of the command of the sea has its roots in medieval notions of the sovereignty of coastal waters, as claimed by several monarchs and polities of Europe. In the sixteenth century, a surge of intellectual creativity, especially in Elizabethan England, fused this notion with the Thucydidean term ‘thalassocracy’ – the rule of the sea. In the light of the explorations of the oceans, this led to a new conceptualisation of naval warfare, developed in theory and then put into practice. This falsifies the mistaken but widespread assumption that there was no significant writing on naval strategy before the nineteenth century.

'More-than-human’ resilience(s)? Enhancing community in Finnish forest farms

Community resilience is widely understood as a critical element in the relatively under-explored concept of social resilience. Through engaging with ‘more-than-human’ literatures, a more expansive view of the ‘social’ emerges, which repositions individuals as networked and agency as relational. This moves resilience away from its hegemonic positioning as a neoliberal strategy of individualisation and responsibilisation, with it instead emerging as an everyday ‘doing’ embedded in the human and non-human networks of relationality that we form and are formed by. The paper develops this socio-cultural conceptualisation through an original and empirically grounded discussion of Finnish farm communities and the role of the forest in developing, maintaining and enhancing these essential, connective assemblages. Resilience becomes conceptualised as dynamic, uneven, multiple and contextual performances or resiliences. While this further problematizes the comparative measurement and operationalisation of resilience, its networked and relational nature arguably offers a more inclusive and ethically grounded concept that, furthermore, negates the socio-ecological divide that persists in resilience thinking.

A tessitura da memória em o vendedor de passados de José Eduardo Agualusa

In the study of African literature in Portuguese language, the theme importance of memory is done by contact those literary works have with the context in which they operate. This study aims to reflect how memory as social element becomes an agent of the composition of literary structure in the O Vendedor de Passados (2004), by José Eduardo Agualusa. Therefore, we have as reference the critical method developed by Antonio Candido (1976), regarding the critical dialectic, in order to understand how such a throwback acts in the structuring of the romance in a relationship with both structural and thematic elements. Firstly, it presents a panoramic reading the Angolan literary scene in the post-independence, relating this context with the route of writing of José Eduardo Agualusa. Then it performs the analysis of the relationships between narratives categories - narrator, characters, space, time - and the memorial element, keeping in mind that these categories would be constructed in dialogue with the memory. Lastly, there is the reflection on the dynamics between fiction and reality apprehended in novelistic discourse in which a seller of past figures in an analysis that takes place from the skeptical look on this work. As a theoretical approach, we highlight mainly readings: Hampaté-Bâ (2010), Laura Padilla (2007), Tania Macêdo (2008) for the observation of the specific African context quickened in the novel; Tedesco (2004), Halbwachs (2006), Le Goff (2003) regarding the conceptualisation of memory; and Landesman (2006), Krause (2004), Gai (1997) in cutting the skeptical outlook with which the romance dialogues

Towards an intelligent graphical interface for linear programming modelling

The increase of computing power of the microcomputers has stimulated the building of direct manipulation interfaces that allow graphical representation of Linear Programming (LP) models. This work discusses the components of such a graphical interface as the basis for a system to assist users in the process of formulating LP problems. In essence, this work proposes a methodology which considers the modelling task as divided into three stages which are specification of the Data Model, the Conceptual Model and the LP Model. The necessity for using Artificial Intelligence techniques in the problem conceptualisation and to help the model formulation task is illustrated.

Educação ou castigo: um estudo sobre mulheres reeducandas

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Orator de Cícero: tradução e estudo de fragmentos de uma poética clássica

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Ética e trabalho: Concepção de uma antítese social

Pós-graduação em Serviço Social - FCHS

Essays on Bayesian Inference for Social Networks

This thesis presents Bayesian solutions to inference problems for three types of social network data structures: a single observation of a social network, repeated observations on the same social network, and repeated observations on a social network developing through time. A social network is conceived as being a structure consisting of actors and their social interaction with each other. A common conceptualisation of social networks is to let the actors be represented by nodes in a graph with edges between pairs of nodes that are relationally tied to each other according to some definition. Statistical analysis of social networks is to a large extent concerned with modelling of these relational ties, which lends itself to empirical evaluation. The first paper deals with a family of statistical models for social networks called exponential random graphs that takes various structural features of the network into account. In general, the likelihood functions of exponential random graphs are only known up to a constant of proportionality. A procedure for performing Bayesian inference using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods is presented. The algorithm consists of two basic steps, one in which an ordinary Metropolis-Hastings up-dating step is used, and another in which an importance sampling scheme is used to calculate the acceptance probability of the Metropolis-Hastings step. In paper number two a method for modelling reports given by actors (or other informants) on their social interaction with others is investigated in a Bayesian framework. The model contains two basic ingredients: the unknown network structure and functions that link this unknown network structure to the reports given by the actors. These functions take the form of probit link functions. An intrinsic problem is that the model is not identified, meaning that there are combinations of values on the unknown structure and the parameters in the probit link functions that are observationally equivalent. Instead of using restrictions for achieving identification, it is proposed that the different observationally equivalent combinations of parameters and unknown structure be investigated a posteriori. Estimation of parameters is carried out using Gibbs sampling with a switching devise that enables transitions between posterior modal regions. The main goal of the procedures is to provide tools for comparisons of different model specifications. Papers 3 and 4, propose Bayesian methods for longitudinal social networks. The premise of the models investigated is that overall change in social networks occurs as a consequence of sequences of incremental changes. Models for the evolution of social networks using continuos-time Markov chains are meant to capture these dynamics. Paper 3 presents an MCMC algorithm for exploring the posteriors of parameters for such Markov chains. More specifically, the unobserved evolution of the network in-between observations is explicitly modelled thereby avoiding the need to deal with explicit formulas for the transition probabilities. This enables likelihood based parameter inference in a wider class of network evolution models than has been available before. Paper 4 builds on the proposed inference procedure of Paper 3 and demonstrates how to perform model selection for a class of network evolution models.

Reconceptualising professional development in early childhood education. A study on teachers' professionalism carried out in Bologna province.

The research undertaken for this doctoral thesis explores the issue of teachers professionalism within pre-school institutions. The issue of early childhood professionalism has become increasingly important in the academic debate over the last decade as it is documented by a growing body of research published on the topic both nationally (Contini & Manini, 2007; Bondioli & Ferrari, 2004) and internationally (Peeters, 2008; Urban & Dalli, 2008; Urban, 2010). The study presented in this thesis aims at investigating teachers’ conceptualisations of professionalism by focusing on their understandings of educational work. The idea standing at the core of this research is that exploring the concept of professionalism from a ground-up perspective could lead to important reflections for a re-conceptualisation of professional development as a space for change directed from within institutions. The study is framed within a broadly sociological concern that inform the data analysis by contextualising the issue of early childhood professionalism in the contemporary socio-political arena. The research involves sixty teachers operating in state, municipal and private pre-school institutions located in Bologna province that took part to focus groups and interviews. The empirical materials, consisting of oral and written statements, are interpreted through phenomenographical analysis that gives account of how features of professionalism vary across the different institutional settings in which they are played out. This thesis, written in English and informed by an European research background, offers a contribution to the furthering of systemic approaches to the investigation of early childhood education professionalism in the context of the national and international academic debate.

Pädagogische, musikpädagogische und curriculare Semantiken in systemtheoretischer Betrachtung - zum Umgang mit populärer Musik an allgemeinbildenden Schulen in Deutschland nach 1945

Die Dissertation untersucht die geistige Produktion im Erziehungssystem anhand des Unterrichtsgegenstands populäre Musik. Hiermit ist sie im Kernbereich der musikpädagogischen Disziplin angesiedelt – Musik und Schule. Ferner rückt die Festlegung auf populäre Musik den Schüler in seinem Alltagswissen in den Vordergrund der Betrachtung. Die Frage nach dem Umgang mit populärer Musik ist somit indirekt eine Frage nach dem Umgang mit schülernahen Erfahrungswelten in der Schule. Innerhalb dieses Forschungsprofils erhält die Arbeit ihre eigentliche Relevanz - sie zeigt auf, wie eine moderne, selbstreferentielle Musikpädagogik eigene bedeutsame Kommunikationen beobachten kann. Entworfen in Anlehnung an die Systemtheorie nach Niklas Luhmann, werden in der Arbeit die unikalen Reflexionszusammenhänge von Pädagogik und Musikpädagogik anhand der folgenden Operationsfelder offengelegt: pädagogische und musikpädagogische Fachliteratur, Lehrpläne und Schulbücher. Nach Luhmann ist es erforderlich verstehend in die Unikalität systemischer Reflexionsleistungen einzudringen, um inkonsistente Anforderungen an die Aufgabe (Musik-)Erziehung und ihre Gegenstände aufzudecken und zukünftige Systemhandlungen zu optimieren. Die Arbeit ist in drei große historische Zeitblöcke gegliedert, die ihrerseits in verschiedene disziplinäre Operationsfelder unterteilt sind. Mit Hilfe dieser zweidimensionalen historisch-interdisziplinären Sichtweise wird populäre Musik als Bezugsgröße aufgewiesen, an der die zentralen Debatten von Pädagogik und Musikpädagogik kondensieren. Anhand von Schlüsselbegriffen wie Kultur, Gesellschaft und Ästhetik aber auch didaktischen Prinzipien wie Schüler- und Handlungsorientierung oder ganzheitliche (Musik-)Pädagogik lässt sich die Vielfalt historisch gewachsener inkonsistenter/konsistenter Forderungen belegen. Aus den Beobachtungen im Umgang mit populärer Musik werden Aufgaben deutlich, die die Disziplinen, vor allem die Musikpädagogik, in der Zukunft zu leisten haben. Diese beschäftigen sich auf der einen Seite mit dem disziplinären Selbstverständnis und auf der anderen Seite mit unbeantworteten didaktischen Fragestellungen wie den Möglichkeiten und Grenzen des einzelnen populären Musikstücks im konkret-situativen Lernkontext von Musikunterricht.

Medienfreiheit in der Demokratiemessung : ein Konzeptualisierungsvorschlag und Evaluation einschlägiger Indizes

Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, einen Beitrag zur Klärung des Zusammenhangs zwischen Medienfreiheit und Demokratie, der zwar weitläufig postuliert, aber dennoch lediglich in geringem Maße erforscht ist, zu leisten und insbesondere die konzeptionelle Rückbindung von Medienfreiheit an die Demokratietheorie zu verbessern. Es wird davon ausgegangen, dass eine Demokratie ohne die Verwirklichung von Medienfreiheit nicht funktionieren kann. Medienfreiheit wird daher als ein Merkmal von Demokratie aufgefasst. Im ersten Teil der Arbeit wird, ausgehend von Larry Diamonds Konzeption einer liberalen Demokratie, eine konkrete Definition und Konzeptualisierung von Medienfreiheit herausgearbeitet. Damit wird ein Maßstab formuliert, der im Folgenden dazu dient existierende Messungen von Medienfreiheit auf ihren konzeptuellen Gehalt hin zu überprüfen. Im zweiten Teil werden existierende Indizes bezüglich ihrer Messung von Medienfreiheit evaluiert. Betrachtet werden hierbei sowohl zwei Demokratieindizes (der Index Politische Rechte und Bürgerliche Freiheiten von Freedom House sowie der Index Liberale Demokratie aus dem Varieties of Democracy-Projekt) als auch zwei Indizes, die explizit Medienfreiheit messen (der Index Pressefreiheit von Freedom House sowie die Rangliste der Pressefreiheit von Reporter ohne Grenzen).