Dancing politics : connecting women's experiences of rave in Toronto to ageism and patriarchy

Based on a critical analysis of recent Canadian and British media, academic, and political representations of rave, in conjunction with the author's and ten female interviewees' past experiences as active rave participants, the purpose of this thesis is to show the ways that rave can be understood as political. Drawing on a post-structural understanding of politics, which understands macro social issues and micro personal experiences as intimately linked and inseparable, this thesis fills a gap in the existing rave literature by explicitly drawing out (a) the ways that active rave participation is entangled in dominant understandings of age and gender-appropriate activities, and (b) the implications that these entanglements have on the ways that some women experience and construct their past active rave participation. Specifically, the author examines the ways that age and gender intersect and inform the discourses on which research participants drew to describe and rationalize their experiences of becoming, being, and ceasing to be active rave participants in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. At the same time that the majority of research participants' introductions to rave followed heterosexualized and heternormative patterns, they also constructed active rave participation as a way to challenge popular representations of rave as an inappropriate activity, especially for young women. When rationalizing the cessation of their active rave participation, however, these women reproduced depictions of rave participation as a transitory and juvenile phase where older women are particularly misplaced. The various ways that these women simultaneously challenged, experienced, and facilitated dominant ageist and patriarchal discourses about who does and does belong in rave are interpreted as evidence that micro rave experiences cannot be divorced from macro discriminatory discourses, and that "the personal is political."

Caseflow management and the politics of professionalism : lawyers and independent paralegals

Caseflow Management is a public sector program designed to promote effective management of cases through the resolution process in the public court system. Given its public nature caseflow management policy is ultimately an exercise in political will. To date that political will has been dominated by the legal profession which has influenced the Ministry of the Attorney General to limit the term~ of reference for caseflow management and its application to a narrow range of alternatives which are primarily in the interest of the legal profession. This thesis will explain the nature and extent of the politics within the legal profession that impact on caseflow management and demonstrate the potential for better serving the public interest by eXl~anding its terms of reference to incorporate independent paralegals and public / private sector partnerships in the Ontario Provincial Court System for highway traffic offences and other matters of a summary conviction nature.

Ethnic conflicts and international politics : an analysis of the communal regional, and global dimensions of the Cyprus problem

The thesis assesses the impact of international factors on relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots during and after the Cold War. Through an analysis of the Cyprus problem it explores both why external actors intervene in communal conflicts and how they influence relations between ethnic groups in plural societies. The analytical framework employed throughout the study draws on contributions of International Relations theorists and students of ethnic conflict. The thesis argues that, as in the global political system, relations between ethnic groups in unranked communal systems are anarchic; that is, actors within the system do not recognize a sovereign political authority. In bipolar communal systems dominated by two relatively equal groups, the struggle for security and power often leads to appeals for assistance from external actors. The framework notes that neighboring states and Great Powers may heed calls for assistance, or intervene without a prior request, if it is in their interest to do so. The convergence of regional and global interests in communal affairs exacerbates ethnic conflicts and precludes the development of effective political institutions. The impact of external intervention in ethnic conflicts has the potential to alter the basis of communal relations. The Cyprus problem is examined both during and after the Cold War in order to gauge how global and regional actors and the structure of their respective systems have affected relations between ethnic groups in Cyprus. The thesis argues that Cyprus's descent into civil war in 1963 was due in part to the entrenchment of external interests in the Republic's constitution. The study also notes that power politics involving the United States, Soviet Union, Greece and Turkey continued to affect the development of communal relations throughout the 1960s, 70s, and, 80s. External intervention culminated in July and August 1974, after a Greek sponsored coup was answered by Turkey's invasion and partition of Cyprus. The forced expulsion of Greek Cypriots from the island's northern territories led to the establishment of ethnically homogeneous zones, thus altering the context of communal relations dramatically. The study also examines the role of the United Nations in Cyprus, noting that its failure to settle the dispute was due in large part to a lack of cooperation from Turkey, and the United States' and Soviet Union's acceptance of the status quo following the 1974 invasion and partition of the island. The thesis argues that the deterioration of Greek-Turkish relations in the post-Cold War era has made a solution to the dispute unlikely for the time being. Barring any dramatic changes in relations between communal and regional antagonists, relations between Greek and Turkish Cypriots will continue to develop along the lines established in July/August 1974. The thesis concludes by affirming the validity of its core hypotheses through a brief survey of recent works touching on international politics and ethnic conflict. Questions requiring further research are noted as are elements of the study that require further refinement.

Partnership, politics and public administration: a case study of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

Efforts to reform the public sector reflect the social, political and economic environment within which government must function. The recent demands by the public for more consensual decision-making, as well as more efficient, effective and responsive public service, have resulted in a number of reform initiatives, including an emphasis on partnership development. The purpose of this thesis is to examine partnership arrangements within the public sector. Specifically, the thesis will assess the value of partnerships and their impact on government by examining six partnership arrangements involving the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR). The OMNR, having recently been awarded the 1992 Institute of Public Administration of Canada Award for Innovative Management, on the theme of partnership development, is being lauded as an example for other government agencies considering similar alliances. The thesis begins by introducing the concept and practice of partnership within the public sector in general and the OMNR specifically. Descriptive analysis of six OMNR partnerships is provided and a number of criteria are used to determine the success of each of these arrangements. Special attention is paid to the political implications of partnerships and to those attributes which appear to contribute to the successful establishment and iii maintenance of partnership arrangements. The conclusion is drawn that partnerships provide the government with an opportunity to address public demands for greater involvement in decision-making while accommodating government's limited financial resources. However, few truly collaborative partnerships exist within the public sector. There are also significant political implications associated with partnerships which must be dealt with both at the political and bureaucratic levels of government. Lastly, it is argued that while partnerships within the OMNR are experiencing some difficulties, they constitute a genuine attempt to broaden the base of decision-making and to incorporate the concerns of stakeholders into resource management.

Where's Albania? : staking out the politics of the real and reality in documentary cinema

This thesis, entitled, "Where's Albania? Staking Out the Politics of the Real and Reality in Documentary Cinema," charts the documentary tradition's path from its first incarnations, as filmed travelogue or ethnographic study, for example, right through to its development as a form acting as an objective observer, reflexive commentator, and finally, as a postmodern hybrid. This thesis begins by locating the documentary tradition's origins in realism. Foregrounding documentary cinema as a realist style is important in that it is a contention that spans this entire study. After working through the numerous modes of documentary as outlined by Bill Nichols, I suggest the documentary is often best understood as a hybrid form drawing on numerous modes and conventions. This argument permits my study to make a shift into postmodern theory, wherein I examine postmodernism's relationship to the documentary both as being influenced by it, but also as subsequently forcing documentary cinema to look back at itself and reevaluate the claims it has made in the past, and how postmodernism has drawn these claims to the surface of debate. My thesis concludes with a study of the mockumentary. This analysis confirms the link between postmodernism and documentary, but perhaps more importantly, this analysis investigates postmodemism's critique of the image and representation in general, two elements historically linked to documentary cinema's success as "truth teller."

The neoliberalization of street vending policy in Lima, Peru: the politics of citizenship. property and public space in the production of a new urban marginality

Neoliberalism is having a significant and global impact on political, social and economic life across spaces. This work illustrates how neoliberalism is attempting to change the ways in which the urban poor - particularly those that participate in street vending - use urban spaces in Lima, Peru. Using municipal policies, newspaper articles and local academic texts I argue that there is a changing marginality in Lima that is being experienced by street vendors, and currently in los canas of Lima. In particular, I discuss formalization, a neoliberal strategy in street vending policy, which is used with eradication and social assistance strategies in attempts to re-regulate street vendors.

The American Weekly Messenger; or Register of State Papers, History and Politics for 1813 - 1814 Volume 1

Register of state papers, history, and politics for the years 1813 - 1814.

Letter to ���My Dear Sir��� regarding provincial politics from William Benjamin Robinson

Letter to ���My Dear Sir��� regarding provincial politics from William Benjamin Robinson who was the member of the Simcoe legislature for many years, Jan. 9 (4 pages, handwritten), 1845.

History of south America and Mexico ; comprising their discouvery geography, politics, commerce and revolutions

UANL

Politics in extraordinary times : a study of the reaction of political parties and elites to terrorism

Cette th��se porte sur le comportement des ��lites politiques durant les p��riodes de crise nationale et plus particuli��rement sur leurs r��actions aux attentats terroristes. Elle d��montre que les crises terroristes sont tout comme les conflits militaires ou diplomatiques propices aux unions nationales et notamment aux ralliements des partis d���opposition aupr��s du gouvernement. L���analyse statistique d���actes terroristes s�����tant produits dans cinq ��tats d��mocratiques (Allemagne, Espagne, ��tats-Unis d���Am��rique, France et Royaume-Uni) entre 1990 et 2006 r��v��le que l���ampleur d���un attentat en termes de pertes humaines ainsi que la r��p��tition de ces attentats influencent dans une large mesure la r��action des ��lites politiques. Ainsi plus l���ampleur d���un attentat est ��lev��e, plus la probabilit�� d���un ralliement est grande. En revanche, la multiplication des attentats augmente la possibilit�� de dissension entre l���opposition et le gouvernement. Par ailleurs, l���opposition est plus susceptible de se rallier au gouvernement lorsque l���attentat est perp��tr�� par des terroristes provenant de l�����tranger. L���analyse quantitative indique ��galement que l���existence d���un accord formel de coop��ration dans la lutte antiterroriste entre le gouvernement et l���opposition favorise l���union des ��lites. Enfin, les donn��es analys��es sugg��rent que la proportion des ralliements dans les cinq pays est plus importante depuis les attentats du 11 septembre 2001. Une analyse qualitative portant exclusivement sur la France et couvrant la p��riode 1980-2006 confirme la validit�� des variables identifi��es dans la partie quantitative, mais sugg��re que les ��lites r��agissent au nombre total de victimes (morts mais aussi bless��s) et que la r��p��tition des actes terroristes a moins d���impact lors des vagues d���attentats. Par ailleurs, les analyses de cas confirment que les ��lites politiques fran��aises sont plus susceptibles de se rallier quand un attentat vise un haut-fonctionnaire de l�����tat. Il appara��t ��galement que les rivalit��s et ranc��urs politiques propre �� la France (notamment suite �� l���arriv��e de la gauche au pouvoir en 1981) ont parfois emp��ch�� le ralliement des ��lites. Enfin, cette analyse qualitative r��v��le que si l���extr��me gauche fran��aise soutient g��n��ralement le gouvernement, qu���il soit de gauche ou de droite, en p��riode de crise terroriste, l���extr��me droite en revanche saisit quasi syst��matiquement l���opportunit�� offerte par l���acte terroriste pour critiquer le gouvernement ainsi que les partis de l���establishment. La th��se est divis��e en sept chapitres. Le premier chapitre sugg��re que le comportement des ��lites politiques en p��riode de crises internationales graves (guerres et conflits diplomatiques) est souvent influenc�� par la raison d�����tat et non par l���int��r��t ��lectoral qui pr��domine lors des p��riodes plus paisibles. Le second chapitre discute du ph��nom��ne terroriste et de la litt��rature aff��rente. Le troisi��me chapitre analyse les causes du ph��nom��ne d���union nationale, soumet un cadre pour l���analyse de la r��action des ��lites aux actes terroristes, et pr��sente une s��rie d���hypoth��ses. Le quatri��me chapitre d��taille la m��thodologie utilis��e au cours de cette recherche. Les chapitres cinq et six pr��sentent respectivement les r��sultats des analyses quantitatives et qualitatives. Enfin, le chapitre sept conclut cette th��se en r��sumant la contribution de l���auteur et en sugg��rant des pistes de recherche.

Managing Antimicrobial Resistance In Food Production : Conflicts Of Interest And Politics In The Development Of Public Health Policy

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing public health concern and is associated with the over or inappropriate use of antimicrobials in both humans and agriculture. While there has been recognition of this problem on the part of agricultural and public health authorities, there has nonetheless been significant difficulty in translating policy recommendations into practical guidelines. In this paper, we examine the process of public health policy development in Quebec agriculture, with a focus on the case of pork production and the role of food animal veterinarians in policy making. We argue that a tendency to employ strictly techno-scientific risk analyses of antimicrobial use ignores the fundamental social, economic and political realities of key stakeholders and so limits the applicability of policy recommendations developed by government advisory groups. In particular, we suggest that veterinarians��� personal and professional interests, and their ethical norms of practice, are key factors to both the problem of and the solution to the current over-reliance on antimicrobials in food production.