De l’anthropos : se savoir humain, entre foi et savoir

Cotutelle de thèse réalisée en littérature comparée (option épistémologie) avec l'Université de Montréal sous la direction de Terry Cochran et en philosophie avec Paris X (Nanterre) sous la direction d'Alain Milon.

Intercultural relations in a global world

The exploration of cross-cultural contact in a global and transnational world is essential for understanding how we can learn to live with difference in ways that go beyond tolerance. This book explores such contact in Euro-American/Australian societies as well as non-western multiethnic societies such as China, Malaysia, Indonesia and countries within Easter Europe. The contributors in this book expose the power relations underpinning such encounters as well as explore the possibilities for meaningful dialogue.

Islamic organizational leadership within a Western society: the problematic role of external context

This research tests qualitatively the relationship between leadership, organizational culture and organizational effectiveness in Islamic organizations in Australia in the early years of the 21st century. We also researched the contextual challenges faced by Islamic organizations in Western societies during the early years of the 21st century. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed qualitatively. Theoretical sampling and theoretical coding generated a positive and negative story-line. A grand narrative of Muslim disenfranchisement and several micro-stories of organizational complexity brought to life the story-lines. One conclusion is that context invariably is problematic for leadership. Another conclusion is that leadership cannot be studied fruitfully out of context. A third conclusion from this substantive setting is that a challenge for Islamic leadership is to reconstitute the context of the organization. An underlying parallel with structure-agency theory is noted. The leadership of Islamic organizations is faced with the traditional leadership challenges found in the extant literature. In addition it must accommodate a problematic external context, a heterogeneous followership, the important role of religion, the influence of Imams, and increasing roles for women and young Muslims. © 2010.

Subjective well-being of Beijing taxi drivers

This study investigates subjective well-being among a sample of Beijing taxi drivers in the lead up to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games using the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI). The specific aims of this study are (a) investigate the psychometric properties of the PWI in this unique population; (b) ascertain whether Beijing taxi drivers are satisfied with their lives; and (c) examine whether the responses to the PWI from participants falls within the narrow range predicted by the 'Theory of Subjective Wellbeing Homeostasis'. The PWI demonstrated good psychometric properties and was consistent with previous studies for Western and non-Western samples. The data revealed a moderate level of subjective well-being (PWI score = 61.1). While Beijing taxi drivers work long hours for low wages, the PWI was nonetheless within the normative range predicted for Chinese societies by the 'Theory of Subjective Wellbeing Homeostasis'. The results suggest that the homeostatic mechanism is fairly resilient, even when the individual leads relatively a hard life based on objective indicators. Specifically, for Beijing taxi drivers, it appears that external, buffers such as personal relationships and feeling part of the community, act to assist the homeostatic system. © 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Diabetes mellitus : magnitude das hospitalizações na rede pública do Brasil, 1999-2001

Contexto: O diabetes mellitus (DM) é uma causa importante de morbimortalidade nas sociedades ocidentais devido à carga de sofrimento, incapacidade, perda de produtividade e morte prematura que provoca. No Brasil, seu impacto econômico é desconhecido. Objetivos: Dimensionar a participação do DM nas hospitalizações da rede pública brasileira (1999-2001), colaborando na avaliação dos custos diretos. Especificamente, analisar as hospitalizações (327.800) e os óbitos hospitalares (17.760) por DM como diagnóstico principal (CID-10 E10-E14 e procedimento realizado) e estimar as hospitalizações atribuíveis ao DM, incluindo as anteriores e aquelas por complicações crônicas (CC) e condições médicas gerais (CMG). Métodos: A partir de dados do Sistema de Informação Hospitalar do Sistema Único de Saúde (SIH/SUS) (37 milhões de hospitalizações), foram calculados indicadores por região de residência do paciente e sexo (ajustados por idade pelo método direto, com intervalos de confiança de 95%), faixas etárias, médias de permanência e de gastos por internação e populacional em US$. Realizou-se regressão logística múltipla para o desfecho óbito. As prevalências de DM foram combinadas aos riscos relativos de hospitalização por CC e CMG (metodologia do risco atribuível) e somadas às internações por DM como diagnóstico principal. Utilizou-se análise de sensibilidade para diferentes prevalências e riscos relativos. Resultados: Os coeficientes de hospitalizações e de óbitos hospitalares e a letalidade por DM como diagnóstico principal atingiram respectivamente 6,4/104hab., 34,9/106hab. e 5,4%. As mulheres apresentaram os coeficientes mais elevados, porém os homens predominaram na letalidade em todas as regiões. O gasto médio (US$ 150,59) diferiu significativamente entre as internações com e sem óbito, mas a média de permanência (6,4 dias) foi semelhante. O gasto populacional equivaleu a US$ 969,09/104hab. As razões de chances de óbito foram maiores para homens, pacientes ≥75 anos, e habitantes das regiões Nordeste e Sudeste. As hospitalizações atribuíveis ao DM foram estimadas em 836,3 mil/ano (49,3/104hab.), atingindo US$ 243,9 milhões/ano (US$ 14,4 mil/104hab.). DM como diagnóstico principal (13,1%), CC (41,5%) e CMG (45,4%) responderam por 6,7%, 51,4% e 41,9% respectivamente dos gastos. O valor médio das internações atribuíveis (US$ 292) situou-se 36% acima das não-atribuíveis. As doenças vasculares periféricas apresentaram a maior diferença no valor médio entre hospitalizações atribuíveis e não-atribuíveis (24%), porém as cardiovasculares destacaram-se em quantidade (27%) e envolveram os maiores gastos (37%). Os homens internaram menos (48%) que as mulheres, porém com gasto total maior (53%). As internações de pacientes entre 45-64 anos constituíram o maior grupo (45%) e gastos (48%) enquanto os pacientes com ≥75, os maiores coeficientes de hospitalização (350/104hab.) e de despesa (US$ 93,4 mil/104hab.). As regiões mais desenvolvidas gastaram o dobro (/104hab.) em relação às demais. Considerações Finais e Recomendações: As configurações no consumo de serviços hospitalares foram semelhantes às de países mais desenvolvidos, com importantes desigualdades regionais e de sexo. O gasto governamental exclusivamente com hospitalizações atribuíveis ao DM foi expressivo (2,2% do orçamento do Ministério da Saúde). A ampliação de atividades preventivas poderia diminuir a incidência do DM, reduzir a necessidade de internações, minimizar as complicações e minorar a severidade de outras condições médicas mais gerais.

On paternalistic leadership fit: exploring cross-cultural endorsement, leader-follower fit, and the boundary role of organizational culture

Although cross-cultural leadership research has thrived in international business literature, little attention has been devoted to understanding the effectiveness of non-western theories beyond their original contexts. The purpose of this study is to examine the cross-cultural endorsement of paternalistic leadership, an emerging non-western leadership theory, using data from GLOBE project. Using multigroup confirmatory factor analyses we found measurement equivalence of a scale derived from GLOBE’s data, which enabled us to compare the endorsement of paternalistic leadership dimensions across 10 cultural clusters and 55 societies. Our study revealed that there are significant differences in the importance societies give to each dimension, suggesting that paternalism as leadership style is not universally nor homogeneously endorsed. Furthermore, results suggest that different patterns of endorsement of each of these dimensions give rise to idiosyncratic shades of paternalistic leadership across societies. Implications for theory and future research on international business are discussed.

La città che cambia: la diffusione urbana. Mobilità residenziale e stili di vita emergenti nel Comune di Argelato (Bologna)

Il presente lavoro di ricerca ha per oggetto il tema della diffusione urbana. Dopo una breve ricostruzione delle varie definizioni presenti in letteratura sul fenomeno - sia qualitative che quantitative - e una descrizione dei limiti di volta in volta presenti all’interno di tali definizioni, si procede con la descrizione dell’evoluzione storica dello sprawl urbano all’interno del mondo occidentale. Una volta definito e contestualizzato storicamente l’oggetto della ricerca, ne vengono analizzate le cause e il complesso sistema di conseguenze che tale fenomeno urbano porta con sé. Successivamente vengono presentate le principali teorie sociologiche attraverso le quali può essere interpretato il fenomeno dello sprawl urbano e vengono descritte le varie forme con cui si può esprimere lo sprawl urbano: non esiste infatti uniformità tra i vari paesaggi suburbani, ma una grande diversità interna alle varie forme in cui si manifesta il fenomeno della dispersione insediativa. Se quanto finora esaminato, soprattutto a livello bibliografico, è riconducibile alla letteratura nordamericana, arrivati a questo punto del lavoro, l’attenzione viene spostata sul continente europeo, prendendo in esame l’emergere del periurbano all’interno del nostro continente e tentando di descrivere sia le contiguità che le differenze tra il fenomeno dell’urban sprawl e quello del periurbano. Infine, adottando un procedimento “ad imbuto”, il lavoro si sofferma sulla situazione del nostro paese in merito alla tematica in questione. L’ultima sezione della ricerca prevede una parte di lavoro empirico. Se, come è emerso nel quadro teorico, molti sono gli elementi che caratterizzano il tema dello sprawl urbano e del periurbano, si è voluto andare a verificare se, ed eventualmente quali, degli elementi descritti, sono presenti in un’area ben delimitata del territorio bolognese, per cercare di capire se si possa parlare di un “periurbano bolognese” e quali caratteristiche esso presenti.

Perception of critical situations involving football fans: dynamics of conflict escalation and de-escalation

Title: The perception of critical situations involving football fans – how conflicts escalate or de-escalate Authors: Brechbühl, A.1, Schumacher, A.1 & Seiler, R.1 1Institute of Sport Science, University of Bern, Switzerland Abstract: Introduction: Fan violence in the context of football matches is a prominent issue in today’s western societies and Switzerland presents no exception. A lot of research has been conducted on reasons for fan violence, mostly with fans of national teams. A prominent model is the Elaborated Social Identity Model (ESIM; Drury & Reicher, 2000): ESIM highlights the importance of interactions between the involved groups and their effect on the development of social identities. Another model is the aggravation mitigation model (AM model; Hylander & Guvå, 2010) which illustrates factors that can contribute towards an escalation or non-escalation of group violence, such as the “categorization” of the opponent group. Despite these models, research about the individual perceptions, and in particular, what factors distinguish between an escalation versus a non-escalation of a potentially violent situation in domestic football, is as yet scarce. This explorative study examines perceptions of critical situations in the domestic football fan context in Switzerland. Methods: An explorative qualitative design was employed to gather data about critical situations (CS) around football matches of two clubs of the Raiffeisen Super League. A CS is defined as a setting in or around the football stadium where violence between football fans and another group could occur. Eight CS were identified and analysed. Fifty-nine narrative interviews with individuals involved in a CS, e.g. fans, police officers or security personnel, were conducted. Interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Results: The involved opposing groups expressed group-specific perceptions. Furthermore a strong tendency to negatively stereotype the opponent group was observed. Provocative symbols, such as balaclavas or riot-gear uniforms, were considered as highly relevant for the interpretation of the situation. Successful communication and sufficient distance between opponent groups supported the appeasement of a CS. These findings also underline the importance of knowledge about the local fan culture. This culture serves as basis for the perception of legitimacy, which was assessed to be essential for a de-escalation of a CS by fans. Discussion/Conclusion: This study improves the understanding of fan violence in the domestic football context in Switzerland. Based on the results it is suggested to deploy security or police forces without riot gear but with the goal of seeking dialogue with the fans to increase the likelihood of a peaceful ending in a CS. The findings also support the applicability of the ESIM (Drury & Reicher, 2000) and the AM model (Hylander & Guvå, 2010) in the context of domestic fan violence. Due to possible differences in the local fan cultures in Switzerland, research in this area should be continued. References: Drury, J., & Reicher, S. (2000). Collective action and psychological change: The emergence of new social identities. British Journal of Social Psychology, 39, 579-604. Hylander, I., & Guvå, G. (2010). Misunderstanding of out-group behaviour: Different interpretations of the same crowd events among police officers and demonstrators. Nordic Psychology, 62, 25-47.

The winner takes it all? Characteristics of adolescents at-risk/problem gamblers in Switzerland

Background: Gambling has and still entertains people in almost all societies throughout the world. Western societies have faced considerable changes in the amount and accessibility of gambling possibilities during the last decades, and the rates of both adolescent gamblers and problem gamblers have increased significantly. Objective: To determine the characteristics of at-risk and problem adolescent gamblers in Switzerland. Subjects: The study population consisted of 3134 students (1669 females) attending post-mandatory education in 15 randomly chosen centres. Participants were divided into non- (n=2207), non-problematic (n=754) and at-risk/ problematic gamblers (n=176). Methods: Both gambling groups were compared to non-gamblers on socio-demographic measures, substance use and Internet use. Overall, 29.6% had gambled during the past year and 5.6% had gambled in a risky or problematic way. Compared to non-gamblers and after controlling for potential confounders, non-problem gamblers were significantly more likely to be male, apprentices and to misuse alcohol. At-risk/problematic gamblers were additionally more likely to smoke cannabis, to be problematic Internet users and to be non-Swiss than non-gamblers. Conclusion: At-risk and problematic adolescent gambling is associated with other health risk behaviours. Health practitioners should include gambling in the psycho-social screening and preventive counselling of adolescents.

El problema de la condición de persona aplicada a los animales no humanos : Antropocentrismo especista, subjetividad y derecho

En este trabajo de tesis de grado buscaremos indagar, desde una perspectiva no-antropocéntrica, una temática contemporánea y de plena actualidad, que se está produciendo en las sociedades occidentales. Se trata del problema de la condición de persona aplicada a animales no humanos, enfocándonos principalmente en tres ejes de análisis: como hemos dicho, la noción de persona, el antropocentrismo especista, y la noción de sujeto. El marco general para pensar estas cuestiones es el cambio de perspectiva en la filosofía y en la ciencia, que comienza a darse con mayor ímpetu desde el último tercio del s. XX. Este cambio en el marco conceptual general, puede entenderse como una crisis en la forma de pensar al ser humano y su relación con el mundo no humano. Este cambio, a su vez, repercute en la sociedad en términos de la emergencia de nuevas reivindicaciones, entre ellas, la de los animales como sujetos de derecho y la plausibilidad de adscribir a algunos de ellos la condición de persona a partir de una serie de características que comparten con los seres humanos. ;Antes de proseguir, consideremos lo siguiente. Tal como señaló Niko Tinbergen con su "¿Qué pregunta, preguntas?" (Stamp Dawkins, 2007) resulta fundamental formular claramente la pregunta que guía nuestras hipótesis de trabajo, para dar cuenta de su sentido. De esta manera, explicitaremos la pregunta desde la que partimos, a saber, ¿Qué pone en juego o en duda la hipótesis de antropocentrismo especista y la de sujeto y persona aplicada a animales no humanos? Claramente es una cuestión compleja. No la abordaremos en la infinidad de sus aristas y derivaciones. Aun así, buscaremos un recorrido temático para pensar las dificultades que se imponen en este tópico contemporáneo

El problema de la condición de persona aplicada a los animales no humanos : Antropocentrismo especista, subjetividad y derecho

En este trabajo de tesis de grado buscaremos indagar, desde una perspectiva no-antropocéntrica, una temática contemporánea y de plena actualidad, que se está produciendo en las sociedades occidentales. Se trata del problema de la condición de persona aplicada a animales no humanos, enfocándonos principalmente en tres ejes de análisis: como hemos dicho, la noción de persona, el antropocentrismo especista, y la noción de sujeto. El marco general para pensar estas cuestiones es el cambio de perspectiva en la filosofía y en la ciencia, que comienza a darse con mayor ímpetu desde el último tercio del s. XX. Este cambio en el marco conceptual general, puede entenderse como una crisis en la forma de pensar al ser humano y su relación con el mundo no humano. Este cambio, a su vez, repercute en la sociedad en términos de la emergencia de nuevas reivindicaciones, entre ellas, la de los animales como sujetos de derecho y la plausibilidad de adscribir a algunos de ellos la condición de persona a partir de una serie de características que comparten con los seres humanos. ;Antes de proseguir, consideremos lo siguiente. Tal como señaló Niko Tinbergen con su "¿Qué pregunta, preguntas?" (Stamp Dawkins, 2007) resulta fundamental formular claramente la pregunta que guía nuestras hipótesis de trabajo, para dar cuenta de su sentido. De esta manera, explicitaremos la pregunta desde la que partimos, a saber, ¿Qué pone en juego o en duda la hipótesis de antropocentrismo especista y la de sujeto y persona aplicada a animales no humanos? Claramente es una cuestión compleja. No la abordaremos en la infinidad de sus aristas y derivaciones. Aun así, buscaremos un recorrido temático para pensar las dificultades que se imponen en este tópico contemporáneo

El problema de la condición de persona aplicada a los animales no humanos : Antropocentrismo especista, subjetividad y derecho

En este trabajo de tesis de grado buscaremos indagar, desde una perspectiva no-antropocéntrica, una temática contemporánea y de plena actualidad, que se está produciendo en las sociedades occidentales. Se trata del problema de la condición de persona aplicada a animales no humanos, enfocándonos principalmente en tres ejes de análisis: como hemos dicho, la noción de persona, el antropocentrismo especista, y la noción de sujeto. El marco general para pensar estas cuestiones es el cambio de perspectiva en la filosofía y en la ciencia, que comienza a darse con mayor ímpetu desde el último tercio del s. XX. Este cambio en el marco conceptual general, puede entenderse como una crisis en la forma de pensar al ser humano y su relación con el mundo no humano. Este cambio, a su vez, repercute en la sociedad en términos de la emergencia de nuevas reivindicaciones, entre ellas, la de los animales como sujetos de derecho y la plausibilidad de adscribir a algunos de ellos la condición de persona a partir de una serie de características que comparten con los seres humanos. ;Antes de proseguir, consideremos lo siguiente. Tal como señaló Niko Tinbergen con su "¿Qué pregunta, preguntas?" (Stamp Dawkins, 2007) resulta fundamental formular claramente la pregunta que guía nuestras hipótesis de trabajo, para dar cuenta de su sentido. De esta manera, explicitaremos la pregunta desde la que partimos, a saber, ¿Qué pone en juego o en duda la hipótesis de antropocentrismo especista y la de sujeto y persona aplicada a animales no humanos? Claramente es una cuestión compleja. No la abordaremos en la infinidad de sus aristas y derivaciones. Aun así, buscaremos un recorrido temático para pensar las dificultades que se imponen en este tópico contemporáneo

Futures dreaming outside and on the margins of the western world

In this article, we challenge the hegemony of western science fiction, arguing that western science fiction is particular even as it claims universality. Its view remains based on ideas of the future as forward time. In contrast, in non-western science fiction the future is seen outside linear terms: as cyclical or spiral, or in terms of ancestors. In addition, western science fiction has focused on the good society as created by technological progress, while non-western science fiction and futures thinking has focused on the fantastic, on the spiritual, on the realization of eupsychia-the perfect self. However, most theorists assert that the non-west has no science fiction, ignoring Asian and Chinese science fiction history, and western science fiction continues to 'other' the non-west as well as those on the margins of the west (African-American woman, for example). Nonetheless, while most western science fiction remains trapped in binary opposites-alien/non-alien; masculine/feminine; insider/outsider-writers from the west's margins are creating texts that contradict tradition and modernity, seeking new ways to transcend difference. Given that the imagination of the future creates the reality of tomorrow, creating new science fictions is not just an issue of textual critique but of opening up possibilities for all our futures.

The Measure of All Things: Rethinking Humanism through Art (Group Show)

University of Buffalo New York Department of Art Gallery. The ancient philosopher Protagoras is most famous for his claim: “Of all things the measure is Man” and today, Western societies continue to promote anthropocentrism, an approach to the world that assumes humans are the principal species of the planet. We naturalize a scale of worth, in which beings that most resemble our own forms or benefit us are valued over those that do not. The philosophy of humanism has been trumpeted as the hallmark of a civilized society, founded on the unquestioned value of humankind defining not only our economic, political, religious, and social systems, but also our ethical code. However, artists recently have questioned whether humanism has actually lived up to its promises and made the world a better place for humankind. Are we better off privileging humans above all else or could there be other, preferable, ways to value life? With the continued prevalence of violent crimes, even genocide, in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, we see the ways in which the discourse of humanism falters, as groups are targeted through rhetoric reducing them to the subhuman, and therefore disposable. But what if the subhuman, nonhuman, and even the non-animal and material, were reconsidered as objects of worth even if far removed from us?