A representação da natureza no romance francês do século XIX

Busca-se determinar as características da representação da natureza no romance francês do século XIX, analisando-se Paul et Virginie de Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, Les travailleurs de la mer de Victor Hugo e L’Ève future de Villiers de l’Isle-Adam, por meio da teoria sócio-crítica e do embate com o texto. Na primeira parte, faz-se um retrospecto da representação nas artes e na literatura, destacando-se as concepções de Aristóteles e as do Romantismo. Apresenta-se também um panorama das concepções da natureza no tempo e no espaço e reflete-se sobre as relações do homem com o mundo natural, bem como sobre as teorias a elas referentes no âmbito da história, da pintura e da literatura. Na segunda parte, analisam-se os três romances escolhidos, buscando-se neles os modos e os sentidos da representação literária da natureza. Conclui-se pela existência, nas três obras estudadas, de uma atitude ambígua do homem diante da natureza, que havia sido anteriormente detectada na história. Embora diferenciadas entre si, sob alguns aspectos, as representações da natureza no corpus estudado demonstram o registro, no universo literário, de marcas do contexto histórico, político e social em que os três romances foram escritos, publicados e usufruidos.

Max Aub, crítico e historiador literario

Fundamentado en las semejanzas y diferencias de las consideraciones sobre los autores que se dan en Discurso de la novela española contemporánea y en La prosa española del siglo XIX, este estudio señala la poética del realismo planteada por Max Aub en sus estudios críticos y en sus textos de ficción, modalidades que conviven en su prolífica obra. Se destaca que su contribución al estudio de la literatura española y mexicana es sobresaliente tanto por su enfoque socio-histórico, como por su perspectiva, que no intenta hacer una "historia" de la literatura sino relacionar los procesos de creación que se suceden en el tiempo con la Historia y sus avatares. El autor, que en sus años juveniles había militado en las vanguardias, se decantó, a partir de la guerra civil, por la escritura realista y, como no podía ser menos, su punto de mira estuvo en Galdós. Cuando se remonte en La prosa española a los albores del siglo XIX y vuelva a hacer un recorrido similar a éste para abordar al punto donde empieza el discurso, el análisis del proceso evolutivo de la novela española le reafirmará en su idea de la inevitabilidad del realismo, como único camino por esta "ley española". Los ensayos críticos de Aub refiriéndose a otros autores son, en suma, inseparables de sus personales ideas y cuitas acerca de la teoría y la praxis literaria.

Max Aub, crítico e historiador literario

Fundamentado en las semejanzas y diferencias de las consideraciones sobre los autores que se dan en Discurso de la novela española contemporánea y en La prosa española del siglo XIX, este estudio señala la poética del realismo planteada por Max Aub en sus estudios críticos y en sus textos de ficción, modalidades que conviven en su prolífica obra. Se destaca que su contribución al estudio de la literatura española y mexicana es sobresaliente tanto por su enfoque socio-histórico, como por su perspectiva, que no intenta hacer una "historia" de la literatura sino relacionar los procesos de creación que se suceden en el tiempo con la Historia y sus avatares. El autor, que en sus años juveniles había militado en las vanguardias, se decantó, a partir de la guerra civil, por la escritura realista y, como no podía ser menos, su punto de mira estuvo en Galdós. Cuando se remonte en La prosa española a los albores del siglo XIX y vuelva a hacer un recorrido similar a éste para abordar al punto donde empieza el discurso, el análisis del proceso evolutivo de la novela española le reafirmará en su idea de la inevitabilidad del realismo, como único camino por esta "ley española". Los ensayos críticos de Aub refiriéndose a otros autores son, en suma, inseparables de sus personales ideas y cuitas acerca de la teoría y la praxis literaria.

Max Aub, crítico e historiador literario

Fundamentado en las semejanzas y diferencias de las consideraciones sobre los autores que se dan en Discurso de la novela española contemporánea y en La prosa española del siglo XIX, este estudio señala la poética del realismo planteada por Max Aub en sus estudios críticos y en sus textos de ficción, modalidades que conviven en su prolífica obra. Se destaca que su contribución al estudio de la literatura española y mexicana es sobresaliente tanto por su enfoque socio-histórico, como por su perspectiva, que no intenta hacer una "historia" de la literatura sino relacionar los procesos de creación que se suceden en el tiempo con la Historia y sus avatares. El autor, que en sus años juveniles había militado en las vanguardias, se decantó, a partir de la guerra civil, por la escritura realista y, como no podía ser menos, su punto de mira estuvo en Galdós. Cuando se remonte en La prosa española a los albores del siglo XIX y vuelva a hacer un recorrido similar a éste para abordar al punto donde empieza el discurso, el análisis del proceso evolutivo de la novela española le reafirmará en su idea de la inevitabilidad del realismo, como único camino por esta "ley española". Los ensayos críticos de Aub refiriéndose a otros autores son, en suma, inseparables de sus personales ideas y cuitas acerca de la teoría y la praxis literaria.

Signal or Noise? Information Theory and the Novel

In the context of a hostile funding environment, universities are increasingly asked to justify their output in narrowly defined economic terms, and this can be difficult in Humanities or Arts faculties where productivity is rarely reducible to a simple financial indicator. This can lead to a number of immediate consequences that I have no need to rehearse here, but can also result in some interesting tensions within the academic community itself. First is that which has become known as the ‘Science Wars’: the increasingly acrimonious exchanges between scientists and scientific academics and cultural critics or theorists about who has the right to describe the world. Much has already been said—and much remains to be said—about this issue, but it is not my intention to discuss it here. Rather, I will look at a second area of contestation: the incorporation of scientific theory into literary or cultural criticism. Much of this work comes from a genuine commitment to interdisciplinarity, and an appreciation of insights that a fresh perspective can bring to a familiar object. However, some can be seen as cynical attempts to lend literary studies the sort of empirical legitimacy of the sciences. In particular, I want to look at a number of critics who have applied information theory to the literary work. In this paper, I will examine several instances of this sort of criticism, and then, through an analysis of a novel by American author Richard Powers, Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance, show how this sort of criticism merely reduces the meaningful analysis of a complex literary text.

Motivation and the gift relationship

This thesis proposes a theory of Motivation to Work, as a particular condition of general motivation, using the Maussian concept of the Gift to explain the operation of Lacanian Desire. Specifically, it argues that de-motivation stems from Gift rejection. However, as the arguments are not paradigmatically commensurable with managerialist theories, it has been necessary to establish the epistemological tradition of which this work is representative, namely, Critical Theory and Post-Structuralism/Post- Modernism. In distinction to the managerialist explanations of motivation, management and work, behaviourist theories of motivation are characterised as more properly a concern with psychological incentives, management in its current socio-historic institutionalised form as a process of social domination and work as a social experience of domination, but also as a forum for social life generally. However, as such a view receives little theoretical or empirical confirmation from managerialist literature, it is argued that it is necessary to broaden the catchment area of relevant writing, and that the literary arts have more insight than orthodox science. This is supported by reference to modern literary theory in terms of the Form/Content distinction. Central to this argument is the ontological concept of Difference and its `political' use in maintaining social domination by privileging certain forms over others. Having established the basis on which to articulate this theory of motivation, the Lacanian concept of Desire is explored, together with its relevance to motivation and management/organisation theory. The theory of the Gift Relationship is then explicated and developed, together with some of its popular sociological conceptualisations, and an argument made for an understanding in terms of its psychological signficance in explaining the operationalisation of Lacanian Desire. This is related to the work situation and to its relevance for organisational management. In conclusion, its utility is considered, as are some potential criticisms of the arguments put forward.

Incursión en el espacio ontológico de las novelas “La ninfa inconstante” de Guillermo Cabrera Infante y “Todos se van” de Wendy Guerra

This thesis examines the phenomenological projection of space in two Cuban novels: La ninfa inconstante (2008) by Guillermo Cabrera Infante (1929–2005), and Todos se van (2006) by Wendy Guerra (1970–). Both novels are paradigmatic of two generations of Cuban writers who portray the city of Havana as a backdrop against which to project socio-political and biographical narratives. To problematize ethical and political omissions in the novels, this work incorporates disciplines such as philosophy, urbanism, architecture, sociology and literary theory. Through the concepts of prominent phenomenologists, such as Gaston Bachelard, Martin Heidegger and Maurice Merleau-Ponty, amongst others, this study evaluates how space becomes a construction to ambivalent dynamics of truth telling within contrasting, suffocating sociopolitical contexts. In addition, it explores how these phenomenological spaces are defined in relation to power. For instance, the Cuban Revolution, and its aftermath of more than 52 years, brings forth a sense of displacement and placelessness. The novels present and develop both authors’ spatial consciousness (that we call “ontological space”), which is not necessarily a container of three-dimensional objects, but instead, fictional emergent constructions. This thesis concludes that literature can become a meaningful space to cope with unbearable realities.

'Stepping out' with Gargantua : learning new research practices in the educational theatre of absurdity

Access to new forms, conduct and practices of educational research remain elusive providing researchers stay within the narrow theoretical constructs-the static, single vista ofconventional research models. This dissertation presents the findings of an experimental study that aims to extend the discourse of educational research through a 'performative ethnographic analysis' by using a single-site case study approach. The case study is an analytical parody based on multiple discourse relevant to a 'new' and different approach to educational research so that a more comprehensive and complex process of reading and writing text becomes possible. Throughout this process, a generative methodology and interpretative base are anticipated to provide a metaphoric focus for a critical dialogue. The discourse informing the theoretical and interpretative base of the study include philosophy, science, visual arts, literary theory, critical postructuralist theory and theatre performance. The data are presented as a series of performance narratives in the form of socio-drama, interspersed with critical reflection that enables the researcher, the research participant and reader to become part ofa triadic construct. The findings from this study have major implications for informing contemporary educational research, as they demonstrate that by approaching research in 'new' and different ways, the researcher and the educational community have access to insights that are unavailable within the constraints of conventional models ofresearch.

Using the imagination : consumer evoking and thematizing of the fantastic imaginary

This article explores the process by which consumers evoke and thematize the fantastic imaginary when playing a fantasy-based trading card game. Interviews with 15 informants, all players of Magic: The Gathering, serve as data. The result is a new framework that reveals how the fantastic imaginary is evoked and thematized. A typology of thematizing strategies employed by consumers is also presented. Implications are discussed in relation to consumer research, imagination theory, literary theory of the evoked fantastic imaginary, and the imaginary in play.

Aligning ICT in assessment with teaching and learning : enhancing student achievement in the middle years

Student underachievement in the middle years (typically Years 4 to 9) is a concern in education. Incorporating Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in assessment that is aligned to teaching and learning has the potential to engage students in higher cognitive processes that lead to increased student achievement. To examine this proposition an investigation was undertaken into teachers’ perceptions of alignment and the implications of those for student achievement in ICT enhanced middle years assessment tasks. This investigation used a collective case study design underpinned by socio-cultural theory. Two methods were used for data collection, namely, semi-structured interviews with individual teachers and a focus group discussion with teachers and another with students. Findings revealed teachers’ perceptions that alignment: assists in mediating achievement of learning outcomes in quality middle years assessment tasks, assists in creating a challenging but supportive environment in which positive learning dispositions and success is encouraged for all students, and contributes to more rigorous use of ICT in assessment. The process of implementing alignment was found to be complex but assisted through prioritising particular practices. These findings enabled the development of eight steps which serve as a guide to the effective implementation of alignment in middle years assessment tasks.

Higher Order Thinking through ICT: What do middle years teachers think really matters?

The middle years of schooling has emerged as an important focus in Australian education. Student disengagement and alienation, the negative effects of non-completion of the senior years of schooling and underachievement have raised concerns about the quality of education during the middle years. For many schools, reshaping the middle years has involved incorporating Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to motivate students. However, simultaneously there is a need to ensure that programs are academically rigorous. There is little doubt that there are potential benefits to integrating ICT into programs for middle years’ students. However, little is known about how middle years’ teachers perceive higher order thinking, which is a component of academic rigour. This paper investigates the question of What are teachers’ perceptions of higher order thinking in an ICT environment? The study is underpinned by socio-cultural theory which is based on the belief that learning occurs through social interaction and that individuals are shaped by the social and cultural tools and instruments they engage with. This investigation used a collective case study design. Two methods were used for data collection. These methods are semi-structured interviews with individual teachers and a class and a focus group discussion with teachers. Findings indicate that teachers hold various perceptions of higher order thinking that lead to productive approaches to integrating ICT in middle years’ classrooms. The paper highlights that there may be a continuum of perceptions of higher order thinking with ICT. This continuum may inform professional developers who are guiding and supporting teachers to integrate ICT into middle years’ classrooms.

Developing a model of technology appropriation: A Marxian perspective

This paper explores the philosophical origins of appropriation of Information Systems (IS) using Marxian and other socio-cultural theory. It provides an in-depth examination of appropriation and its application in extant IS theory. We develop a three-tier model using Marx’s foundational concepts and from this generate four propositions that we test in an empirical example of IS in anesthesia. Using Marxian theory, this paper seeks common ground among existing theories of technology appropriation in IS research. This work contributes to IS research by (1) opening philosophical discussions on appropriation and the human ↔ technology nexus, (2) drawing on these varying perspectives to propose a general conceptualization of technology appropriation and (3) providing a starting point towards a general causal model of technology appropriation.