El medi està androcentrat. Qui el desandrocentritzarà?... Experiència femenina, coneixement ecològic i canvi cultural

The article is the result of an attempt to define universal categories which permit a nonandrocentric conceptualization of the natural environment, in which femenine experience in environmental topics is unveiled and emphatized as a collective heritage. The theoretic content concentrates on defining and outlining the characteristics of two basic concepts: the femenine model of conscience and environmental actionr and ccwomen's ecologismn. The potential of both concepts for structuring research in genderlenvironment relations is demostrated. Finally, the article offers reasoned criticism of the androcentric nature of the guide-lines which predominate in environmental management and proposes, as the basis of an alternative model, the recognition of the legitimacy and authority of feminine experience in environmental affairs

Local model predictive control for navigation of a wheeled mobile robot using monocular information

Aquesta tesi està inspirada en els agents naturals per tal de planificar de manera dinàmica la navegació d'un robot diferencial de dues rodes. Les dades dels sistemes de percepció són integrades dins una graella d'ocupació de l'entorn local del robot. La planificació de les trajectòries es fa considerant la configuració desitjada del robot, així com els vértexs més significatius dels obstacles més propers. En el seguiment de les trajectòries s'utilitzen tècniques locals de control predictiu basades en el model, amb horitzons de predicció inferiors a un segon. La metodologia emprada és validada mitjançant nombrosos experiments.

À procura da identidade de Heinz : um modelo de compreensão da motivação moral

RESUMO: As teorias psicológicas da moralidade dividem-se na conceptualização da motivação moral, o tema desta dissertação. Os modelos construtivistas, apoiados na epistemologia genética, privilegiam a cognição como factor determinante mas, as teorias que enfatizam o funcionamento individual admitem que as emoções e a identidade interferem na tendência de cada pessoa agir moralmente. Particularmente apoiados na segunda perspectiva, testámos um modelo preditor da motivação moral com três variáveis, identidade, identidade moral e integridade, todas avaliadas por medidas psicométricas, em duas amostras. A primeira era composta por 320 estudantes do 12º ano de uma escola do concelho de Lisboa, com idades compreendidas entre 18 e 20 anos (M=18,22; Dp=0,49), 108 masculinos e 194 femininos e a segunda era composta por 174 sujeitos, estudantes finalistas de cursos profissionais de uma escola do concelho de Lisboa frequentada por alunos provenientes de ambientes sociais caracterizados pelo stresse sócio-económico e familiar, e até, em bastantes casos, que já tinham participado em actos ilegais relacionados com furto, vandalismo, tráfico de drogas, e agressões, com idades compreendidas entre 18 e 22 anos (M=18,98; Dp=1,075), 104 masculinos e 70 femininos. A primeira amostra foi considerada normativa e a segunda de risco psicossocial. Para avaliar a motivação moral foi construída uma medida que incluiu dois aspectos: a consciência moral, relativa à avaliação objectiva e subjectiva que os indivíduos fazem das situações morais que através de processos de análise de conteúdo foi distinguida em três categorias exclusivas: não transgressão, transgressão relativizada e transgressão; e a autoatribuição de emoções que indica a probabilidade objectiva dos indivíduos cometerem acções morais. Foi verificada a existência de diferenças individuais em ambas as medidas da motivação moral e, também, a existência de diferenças na atribuição de emoções em função da consciência moral: os sujeitos da categoria transgressão apresentaram atribuições mais negativas do que os sujeitos de transgressão relativizada e estes, por sua vez, apresentaram atribuições mais negativas que os sujeitos da categoria não transgressão. Estes resultados confirmam o papel da identidade na motivação moral. A análise da predição confirmou que a integridade, a identidade e a identidade moral, em ordem decrescente de capacidade explicativa, constituem factores preditores tanto da consciência moral como da auto-atribuição de emoções. ABSTRACT: Moral motivation, the subject of this thesis, is differently viewed by several psychological perspectives. Constructivist models supported by genetic epistemology define cognition as the determinant factor while theories that emphasize individual functioning admit that emotions and identity have a central role in the way that persons could morally act. Particularly supported in this second approach we tested a predictive model of moral motivation with three variables, identity, moral identity and integrity, all evaluated by psychometric scales, in two samples. The first sample had 320 graduate high school students with age between 18 and 20 (M=18,22; SD=0,49), 108 male and 194 female and the second sample had 174 graduate students of vocational courses in high school of a risk social and familiar environment, many of them had already done illegal acts such as stealing, vandalism, drug traffic and aggressions; they had ages between 18 and 22 (M=18,98; SD=1,08), 104 male and 70 female. The first sample was considered normative and the second one was classified as psychosocial risk. To evaluate moral motivation we developed a measure that assesses two aspects: moral conscience, who includes both objective and subjective evaluation of moral situations that was distinguished in three exclusive categories by procedures of content analysis: non-transgression, justifiable transgression and transgression; and self-attribution of emotion that indicates the likelihood of committing moral actions. We observed individual differences in both measurements of moral motivation and also verified differences in emotional attribution on the basis of moral conscience: the individuals of transgression category presented more negative attributions than those of justifiable transgression and in turn the latter presented more negative attributions than individuals of non-transgression category. These results confirm the role of identity in moral motivation. The predictor analysis confirmed integrity, identity and moral identity, in descending order of explanatory power, as predictive variables of moral consciousness and self-attribution of emotions.

Il silenzio e l’umanità autentica : antropologia ed etica fra Montaigne e Heidegger

During the long history of Western thought, silence has always represented the main condition for the development of a deep meditation about the Self. Through this activity, which could seem to be in contrast with social life and philosophical praxis, several thinkers have tried to reach the spiritual nature of human beings. However, when they had to assign a foundation to it, the same meditation, which had started from the same bases, brought them to opposite conclusions. The motive for this divergence is grounded on the fact that materiality is not the only component that constitutes silence, since it has indeed a complex nature and so it consists also of an immaterial part. In addition, this inner and more hidden aspect could only be perceived through a direct contact that is rarely and personally achieved. As a consequence of this complexity, beside an interpretation of silence as a manifestation of God’s voice and a proof of the transcendent peculiarity of human beings, another reading has developed along a parallel path. This interpretation has represented silence as an expression of an utterly immanent spirituality that characterizes humanity. Two authors, in particular, can exhibit this frequently forgotten second stream of Western thought that has unceasingly run from Hellenistic age to contemporary culture: they are Michel de Montaigne and Martin Heidegger. This essay seeks to rebuild this long and complex plot of the history of Western thought through the texts’ recourse. At the same time, it seeks to grasp, in the relationship between men and silence, some fundamental prerequisites that could be considered absolutely necessary in order to design an anthropology and, consequently, an ethics with the characteristics of a recovered authenticity. These two renovated categories, according to the immanent feature of silence, have their own justification exclusively in the voice of human conscience and their purpose lies precisely in the relationship with others.

A identidade moral e a integridade são preditoras da motivação moral?

Com o objetivo de analisar os componentes que induzem o comportamento moral, apoiámo-nos nas teorias psicológicas que admitem a importância do papel das emoções e da identidade na motivação para a ação moral, contrariamente ao que era defendido pelas teorias construtivistas, que apenas referiam a cognição como motor do funcionamento moral. Deste modo elegemos a identidade moral e a integridade como variáveis que podem estar associadas à motivação moral. Participaram 91 adultos emergentes, com idades compreendidas entre os 18 e os 25 anos (M = 20,63; Dp = 2,33), 14 do género masculino e 77 do género feminino. Para avaliar a motivação moral, a identidade moral e a integridade utilizámos respetivamente a PMAM, EIM e EI. Os objetivos foram verificar se existem diferenças individuais na consciência moral e nas emoções atribuídas a atos de transgressão, se a intensidade das emoções auto-atribuídas varia em função da consciência moral, e se a identidade moral e a integridade estão associadas à motivação moral. Os resultados mostram que existem diferenças individuais tanto na consciência moral como na atribuição de emoções. Os sujeitos avaliaram as transgressões de cuidado, não cuidar de parente e infidelidade, com emoções mais negativas e com maior utilização de consciência moral de transgressão, do que as transgressões anti-sociais, fraude e mentira. Verificámos também que a intensidade emocional varia em função da consciência moral. As categorias de Transgressão Identitária e Transgressão estão associadas com emoções mais negativas e as de Transgressão Relativizada e Não Transgressão estão relacionadas com emoções menos negativas. Foi ainda encontrada associação entre a identidade moral e integridade com a motivação moral, mas apenas para as transgressões anti-sociais.

Habilidades cognitivas e competências de leitura em crianças do 1º ano

A criança quando inicia a educação pré-escolar, já sabe muitas coisas sobre o mundo que a rodeia através do seu meio familiar e sociocultural. O conjunto de estimulações fornecidas, desde muito cedo, faz com que a criança desenvolva o potencial cognitivo e afetivo. O desenvolvimento e as aprendizagens adquiridas dependem das estimulações realizadas pelo meio envolvente e da qualidade das interações logo desde o nascimento. Este processo antes da entrada na escola é movido pelo desejo de saber da criança e a sua exploração do meio, passando com o início da escolaridade a ser movido por necessidades externas à criança. O aluno é confrontado com um currículo formal com objetivos prévios de aprendizagem que, por vezes, podem estar além dos seus desejos de descoberta ou da sua história de vida. A aprendizagem da leitura é uma construção que tem início antes da entrada no 1º ciclo através do desenvolvimento da linguagem oral e do contacto com a cultura escrita, que permite novas modalidades de comunicação, nova capacidade de simbolizar e de dominar o meio envolvente. O sucesso escolar vai depender quer das aprendizagens prévias quer da capacidade de adaptação e integração no meio escolar. Foi nosso propósito verificar se existem habilidades cognitivas antecedentes que predizem o sucesso da leitura. O interesse por este estudo prende-se com a necessidade que professores e restantes profissionais da educação têm em compreender e analisar com cuidado a situação de entrada na aprendizagem da leitura de cada uma das crianças. Escolhemos, baseado na literatura científica, duas habilidades que testamos previamente em alunos do 1.º ano: a consciência fonológica e o vocabulário. Entre Março e Junho foi aplicado um teste de leitura/descodificação. O estudo é de tipo correlacional que se situa entre o estudo descritivo e uma abordagem experimental. Constatamos que na análise dos resultados obtidos nesta pesquisa, não observamos correlação entre os níveis da consciência fonológica e a leitura e o vocabulário e a leitura, não permitindo afirmar que existe uma relação preditora de uma dessas habilidades com a competência leitora.

Contribution socio/conceptuelles au 12 ème Atelier International du MINOM : la mort de l' ecomusee?

L’écomusée aura vécu ses heures de gloire, partagé entre le scepticisme et l’adhésion inconditionnelle. Point de rencontre et synthèse des musées de pays, de la vague participative issue des mouvements de socialisation dans le monde, de l’éveil d’un sentiment de nostalgie et de précarité face aux patrimoines et aux identités mises à mal pendant le second conflit mondial, le questionnement et le rejet de valeurs jusque là considérées comme les refuges sûrs de la stabilité, par la continuité, des sociétés, l’avènement de l’écomusée représente à la fois un phénomène de prise de conscience de la globalité des rapports humains entretenue avec leurs environnements respectifs, aussi de rupture en introduisant, dans les meilleurs cas, la dimension critique de questionnement et de refus s’adressant aux systèmes et aux mentalités paralysantes qu’ils entretiennent pour en assurer le maintiens.

Lecturas personales: reflexiones nada académicas sobre Los poderes-omnímodos (Del Fabulador)

En el presente ensayo la autora reflexiona sobre varios aspectos de Los poderes omnímodos, de Alfredo Pareja Diezcanseco. Primero, el equilibrio entre las historias personales y la historia del país, más que de la vida del presidente Velasco Ibarra, parece ocuparse por reconstruir la memoria de una época de trágica importancia en el Ecuador, en el contexto de la historia mundial. Por otro lado, el personaje Pablo Canelos representa el arquetipo de una conciencia intelectual crítica, atenta, a veces incluso apegada al sentimiento, aunque padece de cierto desarraigo afectivo. En tercer lugar, los personajes femeninos por momentos parecen, otra vez, arquetipos, se destacan varios rasgos de Juanita Rincón: sus sentimientos casi siempre confusos respecto de sus relaciones y sus búsquedas afectivas, marcada por el parricidio y la orfandad materna temprana. Balbina Carrillo, construida a partir de valores femeninos tradicionales: afectuosa, sensible y sentimental, movida a complacer y a hacer feliz al hombre más allá de sus propias necesidades, pulsiones y deseos. Finalmente, en lo temático se reflexiona sobre el desencanto de los ideales revolucionarios frustrados. La novela puede considerarse una representación de cómo los ecuatorianos de la primera mitad del siglo XX enfrentaban la historia y la vida intelectual, política y social de su tiempo.

Hoy empiezo a acordarme de Miguel Donoso Pareja: hiperconciencia de una memoria creativa (Crítica)

La autora lee la novela Hoy empiezo a acordarme, del ecuatoriano Miguel Donoso Pareja, desde la perspectiva de la ficción como un intento –vano–, por parte del narrador, de encontrarse a sí mismo, escritura-travesía hacia un yo que resulta ser siempre “otro”. El personaje pretendería transformar no exclusivamente su realidad, sino la ficción misma en un universo navegable para el lector, la escritura fragmentada en vehículo que no lo lleve a destino alguno, sino a su propio punto de partida. Más que construir una novela de perfección formal, el narrador pretendería involucrar al lector en su propio viaje-búsqueda. Donoso partiría de la escritura como presencia y ausencia, como verdad y mentira, para construir esta novela con historias fragmentadas que se alimentan tanto del recuerdo como del olvido, en un cabal ejercicio de hiperconciencia narrativa.

La legalidad de las inversiones como un requisito para la protección de los tratados internacionales de inversiones (Tema Central)

Un gran número de acuerdos internacionales de inversiones (AII) contiene la formulación “inversiones realizadas de conformidad con las leyes nacionales” o una enunciación similar. En términos generales, la tendencia ha sido considerar que esta formulación hace referencia a la legalidad y a la validez de la inversión. El objetivo del presente trabajo es analizar en qué medida las inversiones extranjeras realizadas ilegalmente pueden beneficiarse de la protección de los AII y de su mecanismo de solución de controversias. Para ello, la primera parte identificará las posibles localizaciones de esta formulación y sus implicaciones. La segunda examinará qué sucede con las inversiones que se tornan ilegales, si la ilegalidad debe ser tratada como una objeción jurisdiccional o como una cuestión de fondo y, finalmente, si la ilegalidad es consecuencia de la violación de normas substantivas o también de meras formalidades.

The French Constitutional Council as the Rottweiler of the Republican Ideal in the Language Field: Does Jurisprudence Really Reflect Reality? EDAP 03/2012, 2012

France is known for being a champion of individual rights as well as for its overt hostility to any form of group rights. Linguistic pluralism in the public sphere is rejected for fear of babelization and Balkanization of the country. Over recent decades the Conseil Constitutionnel (CC) has, together with the Conseil d’État, remained arguably the strongest defender of this Jacobin ideal in France. In this article, I will discuss the role of France’s restrictive language policy through the prism of the CC’s jurisprudence. Overall, I will argue that the CC made reference to the (Jacobin) state-nation concept, a concept that is discussed in the first part of the paper, in order to fight the revival of regional languages in France over recent decades. The clause making French the official language in 1992 was functional to this policy. The intriguing aspect is that in France the CC managed to standardise France’s policy vis-à-vis regional and minority languages through its jurisprudence; an issue discussed in the second part of the paper. But in those regions with a stronger tradition of identity, particularly in the French overseas territories, the third part of the paper argues, normative reality has increasingly become under pressure. Therefore, a discrepancy between the ‘law in courts’ and the compliance with these decisions (‘law in action’) has been emerging over recent years. Amid some signs of opening of France to minorities, this contradiction delineates a trend that might well continue in future.

Construction contracts: law and management (3rd edition)

This book is aimed primarily at students for whom the study of building or civil engineering contracts forms part of a construction-based course. We have had in mind the syllabus requirements for first degrees in Building, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Quantity Surveying and Building Surveying, as well as those of postgraduate courses in Construction Management and Project Management. We have also assumed that such students will already have been introduced to the general principles of English law, especially those relating to contract and tort. As a result, while aspects of those subjects that are of particular relevance to construction are dealt with here, the reader must look elsewhere for the general legal background. In producing this third edition, we have again been greatly assisted by the many helpful comments made by reviewers and users of its predecessor. Nonetheless, our basic aim is identical to that which underpinned the first edition: to provide an explanation of the fundamental principles of construction contract law, rather than a clause-by-clause analysis of any particular standard-form contract. As a result, while we draw most frequently upon JCT 98 for our illustrations of particular points, this merely reflects the pre-eminent position occupied by that particular form of contract in the UK construction industry. We conclude by repeating our previous warning as to the dangers inherent in a little learning. Neither this book, nor the courses for which it is intended, seek to produce construction lawyers. The objective is rather to enable those who are not lawyers to resolve simple construction disputes before they become litigious, and to recognize when matters require professional legal advice. It should be the aim of every construction student to understand the legal framework sufficiently that they can instruct and brief specialist lawyers, and this book is designed to help them towards that understanding.

UK commercial property lease structures: Landlord and tenant mismatch

UK commercial property lease structures have come under considerable scrutiny during the past decade since the property crash of the early 1990s. In particular, tenants complained that the system was unfair and that it has blocked business change. Government is committed, through its 2001 election manifesto, to promote flexibility and choice in the commercial property lettings market and a new voluntary Commercial Leases Code of Practice was launched in April 2002. This paper investigates whether occupiers are being offered the leases they require or whether there is a mismatch between occupier requirements and actual leases in the market. It draws together the substantial data now available on the actual terms of leases in the UK and surveys of corporate occupiers' attitude to their occupation requirements. Although the data indicated that UK leases have become shorter and more diverse since 1990, this is still not sufficient to meet the current requirements of many corporate occupiers. It is clear that the inability to manage entry and exit strategies is a major concern to occupiers. Lease length is the primary concern of tenants and a number of respondents comment on the mismatch between lease length in the UK and business planning horizons. The right to break and other problems with alienation clauses also pose serious difficulties for occupiers, thus reinforcing the mismatch. Other issues include repairing and insuring clauses and the type of review clause. There are differences in opinion between types of occupier. In particular, international corporate occupiers are significantly more concerned about the length of lease and the incidence of break clauses than national occupiers and private-sector tenants are significantly more concerned about leasing in general than public-sector occupiers. Proposed solutions by tenants are predictable and include shorter leases, more frequent breaks and relaxation of restrictions concerning alienation and other clauses. A significant number specify that they would pay more for shorter leases and other improved terms. Short leases would make many of the other terms more acceptable and this is why they are the main concern of corporate occupiers. Overall, the evidence suggests that there continues to be a gap between occupiers' lease requirements and those currently offered by the market. There are underlying structural factors that act as an inertial force on landlords and inhibit the changes which occupiers appear to want. Nevertheless, the findings raise future research questions concerning whether UK lease structures are a constraining factor on UK competitiveness.

Developments in the Doha Round and WTO dispute settlement: some implications for EU agricultural policy

Progress in the Doha Round is assessed against the changes to the common agricultural policy (CAP) brought about by the Fischler reforms of 2003-2004, and that proposed for sugar. An elimination of export subsidies could place EU exports of processed foods at a competitive disadvantage because of high sugar and milk prices. Provided the single payment scheme falls within the green box, the likely new limits on domestic support should not be problematic for the post-Fischler CAP. However, an ambitious market access package could open up EU markets and bring pressure for further reform. If there is no Doha agreement, existing provisions will continue to apply, but without the protection of the Peace Clause; and increased litigation is likely. Further CAP reform is to be expected.

The EU's Export Refunds on Processed Foods: Legitimate in the WTO?

Export subsidies on processed foods are an important trade policy instrument for the European Union. GATT Article XVI legitimised the use of export subsidies on primary agricultural products, under certain circumstances, but forbade the use of export subsidies on non-primary products. However it was never satisfactorily resolved whether export subsidies could be paid on the primary agricultural products incorporated into processed products, such as pasta. The Uruguay Round Agreements, and particularly the Agreement on Agriculture (the URAA), apparently legitimised the EU’s practice of paying export subsidies on incorporated agricultural products, at least while the Peace Clause was in force. With the demise of the Peace Clause the question arises whether GATT Article XVI has any residual force, given that the range of primary agricultural products exempted by Article XVI from the ban on export subsidies is narrower than the list of agricultural products covered by the URAA.