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

Validation of stress indicators for the assessment of animal welfare and prediction of pork meat quality variation at commercial level

Les procédures appliquées avant l’abattage des animaux influencent directement la qualité de la viande en modulant l’état physiologique des porcs; ainsi, l’augmentation de la température corporelle, les taux élevés de lactate sanguin et l’épuisement des réserves de glycogène entre autres, occasionnent la majorité des baisses de qualité. L’objectif de cette thèse était de valider des outils indicateurs de stress porcin pour les fermes et les abattoirs. Ceux-ci seraient appliqués à la surveillance du bien-être animal et à la prédiction de variation de qualité de la viande porcine au niveau commercial. Premierement, les résultats de la thèse ont permis de conclure qu’un des outils développés (analyseur portatif de lactate) mesure la variation du niveau de lactate sanguin associé à l’état physiologique des porcs dans la phase péri-mortem et aide à expliquer la variation de la qualité de la viande chez le porc à l’abattoir, en particulier dans les muscles du jambon. Deuxièmement, les résultats des audits du bien-être animal appliqués de la ferme à l’abattoir ont démontré que la qualité du système d’élevage à la ferme d’origine et les compétences du chauffeur de camion sont d’importants critères affectant la réponse comportementale des porcs à la manipulation avant l’abattage. Ces résultats ont également démontré que les conditions de logement à la ferme (la faible densité et l’enrichissement dans les enclos), le comportement des porcs en période pré-abattage (glissade), ainsi que les interventions du manipulateur (utilisation du bâton électrique) dans la zone d’étourdissement de l’abattoir affectent négativement la variation de la qualité de la viande. L’application des protocoles d’audits dans la filière porcine a également démontré que le respect des critères de bien-être animal fixés par un outil de vérification est primordiale et permet de contrôler les conditions de bien-être des porcs à chaque étape de la période pré-abattage, de produire une viande de qualité supérieure et de réduire les pertes. Les audits de bien-être animal sont donc un outil qui apporte des resultats très pertinents pour aider a éviter les variations de la qualité de la viande chez le porc. Troisièmement, la thermographie infrarouge s’est avéré être une technique prometteuse permettant d’évaluer la variation de température corporelle de l’animal pendant et après un stress physique, en particulier lorsque cette mesure est prise derrière les oreilles. En conclusion, les outils validés à travers cette thèse représentent des méthodologies non invasives et potentiellement complémentaires à d’autres approches d’évaluation de l’état physiologique et du bien-être animal par rapport au stress, permettant de réduire les pertes de qualité de viande (par exemple en utilisation conjointe avec le niveau de lactate sanguin et les indicateurs de stress comportemental, entre autres).

Use of DNA profiles for investigation using a simulated national DNA database: Part II. Statistical and ethical considerations on familial searching.

Familial searching consists of searching for a full profile left at a crime scene in a National DNA Database (NDNAD). In this paper we are interested in the circumstance where no full match is returned, but a partial match is found between a database member's profile and the crime stain. Because close relatives share more of their DNA than unrelated persons, this partial match may indicate that the crime stain was left by a close relative of the person with whom the partial match was found. This approach has successfully solved important crimes in the UK and the USA. In a previous paper, a model, which takes into account substructure and siblings, was used to simulate a NDNAD. In this paper, we have used this model to test the usefulness of familial searching and offer guidelines for pre-assessment of the cases based on the likelihood ratio. Siblings of "persons" present in the simulated Swiss NDNAD were created. These profiles (N=10,000) were used as traces and were then compared to the whole database (N=100,000). The statistical results obtained show that the technique has great potential confirming the findings of previous studies. However, effectiveness of the technique is only one part of the story. Familial searching has juridical and ethical aspects that should not be ignored. In Switzerland for example, there are no specific guidelines to the legality or otherwise of familial searching. This article both presents statistical results, and addresses criminological and civil liberties aspects to take into account risks and benefits of familial searching.

Ètica per aixecar la Moral : Problemes ètics als serveis socials bàsics en temps de crisi

Els riscos ètics als serveis socials en temps de crisi es multipliquen i s’intensifiquen, però en essència no es tracta de riscos nous ni diferents dels que es podien produir en temps de bonança econòmica i social. No obstant, la cruesa del context dels serveis socials bàsics (freqüència de les situacions límit que s'han d'atendre, les qüestions internes i externes de la pràctica professional, el malestar i desencant dels professionals) pot suposar una oportunitat de visibilitat i prendre consciència d'aquests riscos ètics. A la vegada, l'anàlisi i l'abordatge d'aquest nou context des d'una perspectiva ètica pot suposar un antídot que permeti ressituar la pràctica professional (amb els seus límits, però també amb les seves possibilitats), millorar-ne la qualitat i la transparència, i, de retruc, trencar amb la dinàmica de cronificació de la insatisfacció i queixa professional. És a dir, la perspectiva ètica pot ajudar a aixecar la moral dels professionals. Així doncs, amb aquesta recerca pretenem assolir els següents objectius: Identificar els riscos ètics de la intervenció als serveis socials bàsics en relació als efectes i l'impacte de la crisi econòmica; analitzar els diferents riscos ètics identificats i efectuar propostes d'abordatge i minimització d'aquests riscos ètics

Improving farm animal welfare

Kirjallisuusarvostelu

Benefits, challenges, and limitations of fair trade as a social justice movement

This thesis answers some important questions about how Fair Trade is experienced and perceived by some Northern sellers, consumers, activists, advocates, practitioners, and an importer. As it relates to sellers, I focus only on small scale independent businesses (i.e. I do not include large corporate businesses in my interview sample). Fair Trade works to establish a dignified livelihood for many producers in the South. Some of the most important actors in the Fair Trade movement are the people who buy, sell, and/or advocate for Fair Trade in the North. Fair Trade is largely a consumer movement which relies on the purchase of Fair Trade products. Without consumers purchasing Fair Trade products, retailers providing the products for sale, and activists raising awareness of Fair Trade, the movement, as it is presently constituted, would be non-existent. This qualitative research is based on 19 in-depth i.nterviews with nine interviewees involved with Fair Trade in Canada. I focus on benefits, challenges, and limitations of Fair Trade in the context of their involvement with it. I describe and analyze how people become involved with Fair Trade, what motivates them to do so, what they hope to achieve, and the benefits of being involved. I also describe and analyze how people understand and deal with any challenges and limitations associated with their involvement with Fair Trade. I also explore whether involvement with Fair Trade influences how people think about other products that they purchase and, if so, in what ways. I focus mainly on the commodity of coffee, but my discussion is not limited to this single commodity. Interviewees' experiences with and participation in Fair Trade vary in terms of their level of involvement and interest in the broader Fair Trade movement (as opposed to just participating in the market component). This research reveals that while Fair Trade is a small movement, sellers, consumers, and activists have had much success in the advancement of Fair Trade. While challenges have not deterred interviewees from continuing to participate in Fair Trade, analysis and explanation of such challenges provides the opportunity for Fair Trade practitioners to develop effective solutions in an effort to meet the needs of various Fair Trade actors.

Analyzing the learning of the taking personal and social responsibility model within a new physical education undergraduate degree program in El Salvador

EI Salvador presents an unfortunate history that includes a military regime and a civil war that together created a legacy of violence in which the country still struggle nowadays. Salud Escolar Integral (SEI) was created in 2005 as a program to combat youth violence throughout the re-formulation of physical education (PE) classes in public schools, promoting life skills learning that supports the resolution of conflicts with nonviolent ways. In 2007, SEI supported the creation of a physical e~ucation teacher education (PETE) degree at the Universidad Pedag6gica de EI Salvador (UPES), having the goal to assist pre-service teachers with a better understanding of humanistic principles. The present research analyzed if after attending all three years ofUPES PETE program, students presented high self-perception levels of competence and confidence related to attitude, skills and knowledge to teach PE within humanistic principles. Taking Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) was the theoretical framework used to analyze the development of humanistic principles. The study had a mixed-method longitudinal design that included questionnaires, reflection templates and interviews. In conclusion, although it is suggested that UPES should provide better support for the development of the teaching principles of empowering students and transfer learning, most of the humanistic principles were highly promoted by the program. At last, it is suggested that future research should track teachers' progress while teaching in schools, in order to analyze if the theory of promoting humanistic principles have also become a daily practice.

Accountants' ethical sensitivity

O'Fallon and Butterfield (2005) in a review of the business ethics literature concluded that "ethical awareness" also called ethical sensitivity has received the least attention of the four steps in Rest's (1986) ethical decision making model. Available measures for ethical sensitivity are limited to specific contexts and suffer from several limitations. I extend the previous literature by creating a new measure for ethical sensitivity (AESS) that encompasses relevant dimensions for the accounting profession and is not specific to a particular setting. I also introduce a new individual differences variable to the accounting ethics literature. Specifically, I investigate the relationship between anti-intellectualism and ethical awareness. My findings support AESS as a measure of ethical sensitivity.

Assessment of the impact of government animal welfare policy on farm animal welfare in the UK

The paper presents the method and findings of a Delphi expert survey to assess the impact of UK government farm animal welfare policy, form assurance schemes and major food retailer specifications on the welfare of animals on forms. Two case-study livestock production systems are considered, dairy and cage egg production. The method identifies how well the various standards perform in terms of their effects on a number of key farm animal welfare variables, and provides estimates of the impact of the three types of standard on the welfare of animals on forms, taking account of producer compliance. The study highlights that there remains considerable scope for government policy, together with form assurance schemes, to improve the welfare of form animals by introducing standards that address key factors affecting animal welfare and by increasing compliance of livestock producers. There is a need for more comprehensive, regular and random surveys of on-farm welfare to monitor compliance with welfare standards (legislation and welfare codes) and the welfare of farm animals over time, and a need to collect farm data on the costs of compliance with standards.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Increasing Psychologists' Willingness to Assess and Treat Substance-abusing Clients.

The high prevalence of substance abuse in the United States and the low rates of assessment and treatment of these disorders by mental health providers points to a growing need to understand the factors that prevent substance-abusing individuals from receiving adequate services. Psychologists are one group of mental health providers that show little interest in working with this population and receive little research attention on the topic. This paper explores the potential role that education, previous experience, and the impact that holding stigmatizing beliefs towards substance-abusing individuals has on psychologists' willingness to provide clinical services for clients struggling with addiction. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is explored as a potential intervention for psychologists.

Responsabilitat social i ambiental d’empreses multinacionals tèxtils: observatori ambiental

El treball tracta d’ explicar quines són les conseqüències sobre la societat i el medi ambient dels països que reben els processos productius de les empreses tèxtils deslocalitzades. El treball es divideix en: una part teòrica, on es fa un breu recorregut per la història del tèxtil i una relació entre medi ambient -indústria tèxtil i multinacionals tèxtils-societat. I en una part pràctica, on s’ analitzen les deu empreses amb major índex de vendes de roba a Espanya i també es comfigura un índex d’ ètica d’ empresa en termes socials i ambientals.Aquest treball pretén ser una eina per a futurs treballs d’ educació per al consum, per tal que els consumidors puguin escollir uns o altres productes, tenint en compte variables que vagin més enllà del renom de la marca, el preu o els colors atraients dels envasos que els contenen

Cuando la mirada y la palabra del otro exigen respuesta: Reflexiones Éticas en el abordaje psicosocial de un caso con funcionamiento intelectual límite (FIL) y trastorno límite de personalidad (TLP)

Este trabajo de investigación pretende realizar una mirada ética “comprometida y crítica” a la realidad psicosocial de las personas que presentan inteligencia límite y trastorno de personalidad atendidas en la unidad de hospitalización especializada de salud mental para personas con discapacidad intelectual. La finalidad es ofrecer, a través del análisis de un caso clínico con problemática social, la pluralidad de situaciones que se dan desde el ámbito socio sanitario que comprometen su atención integral e integradora y que exigen una pluralidad de respuestas no sólo desde la práctica asistencial sino también desde la ética. Se realiza una descripción exhaustiva de su historia patobiográfica y se detiene en el análisis de aquellos problemas éticos más relevantes y significativos aparecidos durante estos dos años. Finaliza con una serie de conclusiones extrapolables a este perfil poblacional que deben realizar una estancia psiquiátrica de media estancia en la red especializada enumerando algunas consideraciones o recomendaciones a tener en cuenta para una atención ética

Una aproximació de l’ètica a la pràctica diària en un servei d’atenció a persones amb Discapacitat Intel·lectual

Treball que reflexiona i planteja quines poden ser les millors accions per tal d’incidir des de l’ètica a la pràctica diària en un servei d’atenció a persones amb Discapacitat Intel·lectual

Moving from values inaction to values-in-action : an exploration of how values can be managed intentionally by national sports organizations

The study examined the intentional use of National Sport Organizations' (NSOs) stated values. Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS) was applied to an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) approach of interviewing NSO senior leaders. One intention of this research was to foster a connection between academia and practitioners, and in so doing highlight the gap between values inaction and values-in-action. Data were collected from nine NSOs through multiple-case studies analysis of interview transcripts, websites, and constitutional statements. Results indicated that while the NSOs operated from a Management by Objectives (MBO) approach they were interested in exploring how Management by Values (MBV) might improve their organization's performance. Eleven themes from the case studies analysis contributed to the development of a framework. The 4-1 framework described how an NSO can progress through different stages by becoming more intentional in how they use their values. Another finding included deepening our understanding of how values are experienced within the NSO and then transferred across the entire sport. Participants also spoke about the tension that arises among their NSO' s values as well as the dominant values held by funding agents. This clash of values needs to be addressed before the tension escalates. Finally, participants expressed a desire to learn more about how values can be used more intentionally to further their organization's purpose. As such, strategies for intentionally leveraging values are also suggested. Further research should explore how helpful the 4-1 framework can be to NSOs leaders who are in the process of identifying or renewing their organization's values.