The art of being together: a social constructionist perspective on dialogic methods in the organizational context

The purpose of this project is to understand, under a social constructionist approach, what are the meanings that external facilitators and organizational members (sponsors) working with dialogic methods place on themselves and their work. Dialogic methods, with the objective of engaging groups in flows of conversations to envisage and co-create their own future, are growing fast within organizations as a means to achieve collective change. Sharing constructionist ideas about the possibility of multiple realities and language as constitutive of such realities, dialogue has turned into a promising way for transformation, especially in a macro context of constant change and increasing complexity, where traditional structures, relationships and forms of work are questioned. Research on the topic has mostly focused on specific methods or applications, with few attempts to study it in a broader sense. Also, despite the fact that dialogic methods work on the assumption that realities are socially constructed, few studies approach the topic from a social constructionist perspective, as a research methodology per se. Thus, while most existing research aims at explaining whether or how particular methods meet particular results, my intention is to explore the meanings sustaining these new forms of organizational practice. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 25 people working with dialogic methods: 11 facilitators and 14 sponsors, from 8 different organizations in Brazil. Firstly, the research findings indicate several contextual elements that seem to sustain the choices for dialogic methods. Within this context, there does not seem to be a clear or specific demand for dialogic methods, but a set of different motivations, objectives and focuses, bringing about several contrasts in the way participants name, describe and explain their experiences with such methods, including tensions on power relations, knowledge creation, identity and communication. Secondly, some central ideas or images were identified within such contrasts, pointing at both directions: dialogic methods as opportunities for the creation of new organizational realities (with images of a ‘door’ or a ‘flow’, for instance, which suggest that dialogic methods may open up the access to other perspectives and the creation of new realities); and dialogic methods as new instrumental mechanisms that seem to reproduce the traditional and non-dialogical forms of work and relationship. The individualistic tradition and its tendency for rational schematism - pointed out by social constructionist scholars as strong traditions in our Western Culture - could be observed in some participants’ accounts with the image of dialogic methods as a ‘gym’, for instance, in which dialogical – and idealized –‘abilities’ could be taught and trained, turning dialogue into a tool, rather than a means for transformation. As a conclusion, I discuss what the implications of such taken-for-granted assumptions may be, and offer some insights into dialogue (and dialogic methods) as ‘the art of being together’.

Technologies that motivates healthy toothbrushing: practices through social translucence

Fifty percent of the European Union’s population suffers from an oral disease. Studies have repeatedly shown that while acquiring healthy toothbrushing practices early on in one’s life is of significance, children and adults often fail to adhere to those. In this thesis we attempt to design and prototype interactive technologies that motivate healthy tooth brushing habits on individuals. Rather than focusing on the technologies’ persuasive power over individuals, we tap on the social mechanisms employed by families. In this sense, we think of these technologies as social translucent rather than persuasive, whose goal is to raise awareness within the family on each other’s habits and that aim at leveraging families’ existing social mechanisms for behavior change, rather than replacing them. More specifically, we aim to gain insights with respect to the following questions: a) What are the drivers and barriers towards adhering to healthy tooth brushing behaviors? b) Can we effectively measure toothbrushing behaviors? c) How can technologies leverage family communication practices in motivating proper toothbrushing behaviors? First, we present two studies about children and adults’ tooth brushing behaviors and how these are influenced by social interactions within the family. Secondly, we present the design and prototyping of two systems that sense toothbrushing practices and provide feedback, using the Social Translucence Framework as a design lens. We conclude with an overview of lessons learnt from the prototyping of these systems supported by an analysis of the strengths and pitfalls of the developed technologies.

O marketing e a atuação social das empresas: uma relação possível

The present work is about a study of multiple cases with exploratory and descriptiveperspective and qualitative emphasis. Its field of study is constituted by three local companieswith description of social performance, with emphasis in the personal interview with thecontrollers. Its main objective consists of understanding as it has occurred the marketingrelation with the enterprise social performance in the context of these companies located inthe State of the Rio Grande do Norte who carry out social investments. For this, it hassearched to analyze the types and characteristics of the developed social actions, to evaluatethe motivations and objectives of the accomplishment of social actions, to verify theimportance and influence of the social performance in the dynamics of the companies, toverify the level of specific knowledge and information in the areas of marketing and socialperformance in the companies and to evaluate the process of communication (promotion andspreading) of the social performance carried out by the companies. It has been verified thatthe company A directly associates it its social and ambient activities with differentiationbenefits, competitiveness, creation of value, loyalty, relationships, image, prestige,positioning of the company, sale and financial return, beyond benefits in the internal level asbigger motivation of its employees and retention of talents, not existing rejection to theinterlacement of the concepts related to the marketing and the social one. Already in companyB rejection in relating its practical social to the marketing, being observed after posteriorquestionings, that the relation of direct and indirect form exists and those divulgations of theseactions are carried out, contradicting the arguments of the controllers of that the actions wouldnot be carried out to generate media. In company C, it been verified rejection andcontradiction with relation to the concepts related to the marketing, alleging itself that theimage of the harnessed company to its social performance is not used in proper benefit,evidencing itself that this company divulges its action and is marketable benefited, even so isnot this the main objective of its social programs. It has concluded that the association ofthese two concepts is positive and favorable to the development of the businesses and thesocial actions of the companies, legitimizing them and benefiting the involved company,groups in the actions and the society that profits socially from the private social involvement in the social matters

O renascimento do parto e da (reinvenção da) emancipação social na blogosfera brasileira: contra o desperdício das experiências

The birth models of care are discussed, in the light of classical and contemporary social science theoretical background, emphasizing the humanistic model. The double spiral of the sociology of absences and the sociology of emergences is detailed, being based, on one hand, on the translation of experiences of knowledge, and, on the other, on the translation of experiences of information and communication, by revealing the movement articulated by Brazilian women on blogs that defend and bring into light initiatives aiming to recover natural and humanized birth. A cartography of the thematic ideas in birth literature is produced, resulting in the elaboration of a synthetic map on obstetric models of care in contemporaneity, pointing out the consequences of the obstetric model that has become hegemonic in contemporary societies, and comparing that model to others that work more efficaciously to mothers and babies. A symbolic cartography of the activism for humanizing birth on the Brazilian blogosphere is configured by the elaboration of an analytical map synthetizing the main mottos defended by the movement: Normal humanized birth; Against obstetrical violence; and Planned home birth. The superposition of the obstetric models of care s map and the rebirth of birth s analytical map indicates it is necessary to reinforce three main measures in order to make a paradigmatic turn in contemporary birth models of care possible: pave the way for the humanistic care of assistance in normal birth, by defending and highlighting practices and professionals that act in compliance with evidence based medicine, respecting the physiology of birth; denaturalize obstetric violence, by showing how routine procedures and interventions can be means of aggression, jeopardizing the autonomy, the protagonism and the respect towards women; and motivate initiatives of planned home birth, the best place for the occurrence of holistic experiences of birth. It is concluded that Internet tools have allowed a pioneer mobilization in respecting women s reproductive rights in Brazil and that the potential of the crowd s biopower that resides on the blogosphere can turn blogs into a hegemonic alternative way to reach more democratic forms of social organization. In that condition of being virtually hegemonic in contesting the established power, these blogs can be understood, therefore, as potentially great contra-hegemonic channels for the rebirth of birth and for the reinvention of social emancipation, as their author s articulate and organize themselves to strive against the waste of experience, trying to create reciprocal intelligibility amongst different experiences of world

A Acessibilidade como veículo de inclusão social: proposta de dispositivo computacional para os deficientes visuais da cidade de Natal/RN

This study aims to propose a computing device mechanism which is capable to permit a tactile communication between individuals with visual impairment (blindness or low vision) through the Internet or through a local area network (LAN - Local Network Address). The work was developed under the research projects that currently are realized in the LAI (Laboratory of Integrated Accessibility) of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte. This way, the research was done in order to involve a prototype capable to recognize geometries by students considered blind from the Institute of Education and Rehabilitation of Blind of Rio Grande do Norte (IERC-RN), located in Alecrim neighborhood, Natal/RN. Besides this research, another prototype was developed to test the communication via a local network and Internet. To analyze the data, a qualitative and quantitative approach was used through simple statistical techniques, such as percentages and averages, to support subjective interpretations. The results offer an analysis of the extent to which the implementation can contribute to the socialization and learning of the visually impaired. Finally, some recommendations are suggested for the development of future researches in order to facilitate the proposed mechanism.

Entre a fé, a obra social e a publicidade: uma análise crítica do discurso da responsabilidade social da Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus

Situated on Applied Linguistics (PENNYCOOK, 1998; MOITA LOPES, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009), this thesis, which is inscribed in a qualitative-interpretative approach of a critical analysis perspective , lies on the speech of social responsibility and the way like that is employed in seeking for legitimacy and prestige within the neopentecostal brazilian religious field, more specifically of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God. The general goal of this research is t reflect upon the speech on social responsibility and the rethoric of selfpromotion of the Universal Church through the role of social actors in the making of his her identities, materialized in the newspaper Folha Universal. In order to achieve that, we have conjugated, in this research, social and discursive analysis. On the linguistic-discursive approach, the research is based on the Critical Analysis of Discourse (ACD), specially in Fairclough (2001, 2003, 2006), a proposal that provides theoretical-methodological tools to investigate the language beyond the linguistic structures , that is, the discourse, social practices in which it occurs and more ample structures. Theoretical assumptions were also used of Sistemico-Functional Linguistics(LSF), matching with categories of the Transitivity System of Halliday (1994, 2004), of the forms of representation of social actors in the socioeconomic perspective by Van Leeuwen (1997, 2008) and of the Appraisal system by Martin and White (2005). As we develop the argumentation on thesobre social role of religion in this thesis, we make use of the authors such as Freston (1994), Oro (1997, 2003), Campos (1996, 1999), Mariano (1999), Meneses (2008), among several ones. We have also used a series of concepts and categories coming from the field of communication and marketing on the business social responsability and social marketing . In this area, we take as references the contributions of Bueno (2003), Fossá and Sartoretto (2003) and Zenone (2006). The corpus of the work is framed by news taken at the newspaper Folha Universal, in which are given the social responsibility actions of the church . The timeframe used was on the editions of 2010 thru 2012. Results found at he analysis of the News lead to semantic features of Assessment of Affection, Judgment and Appreciation, many times followed by Gradation, and the Attribution, one of the subsystems of the Attachment, are evidence of positive assessments for the Universal Church and its agents and make up rethorical elements which provide structure for the discourse of the Universal Church at the newspaper Folha Universal consisted of its image (style) of social responsibility . Results show that the most frequente social actors of the discourse are, on one hand, the Universal Church itself and its volunteers, famous (actors, actresses, presenters), politicians and authorities, on the other hand, the population which was helped by the Church social projects . The first group seems to be Always activated, however the second one, most of the time rather passive. These are also represented by assimilation in most of the occurrences, however the other ones by individualization and nomination entitled by honorification, except for the volunteers that are represented either as an individual, or as a group

Chemical communication, aggression, and conspecific recognition in the fish Nile tilapia

The chemical modulation of agonistic behavior and conspecific recognition were tested in juveniles of the fish Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.). After a 7-day isolation period, the fish were grouped (four individuals per aquarium) for 7 days. Then fish of alpha and beta ranks (previously matched for similar size) were paired in a neutral territory for analysis of their agonistic interaction. Pairs composed of alpha and beta fish were established with either fish from the same group (familiar) or from two different groups (unfamiliar). The pairs were tested in contiguous compartments, either with water exchange between the compartments or in the absence of water exchange. In each condition the fish were separated by a transparent glass partition. Twelve pairs were tested in each experimental condition. Fish behavior was videotaped and the following variables were analyzed: (a) frequency of and time spent in agonistic patterns, (b) latency to start fighting, and (c) duration of swimming. Water exchange between compartments decreased agonistic interactions. This effect, however, was more pronounced in pairs of fish coming from the same group (in this case, subordinate fish spent less time in confrontations than dominant ones). We conclude that chemical communication decreases aggression in this species by (1) inducing an alarm reaction and (2) increasing conspecific recognition (thus stabilizing the dominance hierarchy). (C) 1997 Elsevier B.V.

Consumption of bottled water by children in the city of Bauru, State of São Paulo, Brazil - A brief communication

Objectives: To determine the consumption of bottled water by children in the city of Bauru, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: A stratified sample of the 17 areas established by the city plan was used to identify a total of 1,000 homes for visitation. Information was collected using a questionnaire concerning the type of water consumed and population demographics. Results: Overall, around 30 percent of all residences used bottled water. Among all households where bottled water was consumed, about 26 percent had children residing. For those with children and bottled water, 81 percent reported to use bottled water for the preparation of the children's foods and beverages. Conclusions: An important percentage of children consume bottled water in the city of Bauru, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Considering previous studies showing that fluoride concentrations vary in bottled water, public health measures should be implemented in order to guarantee adequate levels of fluoride in commercialized water. © 2007, American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Youth and social cohesion in Ibero-America: a model in the making. Summary

Includes bibliography

How to drag with a worn-out mouse? Searching for social justice through collaboration

We consider what a concern for social justice in terms of social inclusion might mean for teacher education, both practising and prospective, with particular reference to the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in mathematics education taking place at a borderland school. Our discussion proceeds through the following steps: (1) We explore what a borderland position might denote to address what social inclusion might mean. (2) We consider the significance of mathematics education and the use of ICT for processes of social inclusion. (3) We briefly refer to the Interlink Network, as many of our observations emerge as reflections on this project. (4) We present different issues that will be of particular importance with respect to teacher education if we want to establish a mathematics education for social inclusion. These issues concern moving away from the comfort zone, establishing networks, identifying new approaches, moving beyond prototypical research, and getting in contact. This brings us to (5) final considerations, where we return to the notion of social justice. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009.

The behavior and natural history of Chartergellus, a little-known genus of neotropical social wasps (Vespidae Polistinae Epiponini)

This study reviews published data on the behavior and natural history of Chartergellus and presents the first observations on social interactions in this genus of tropical swarm-founding wasps. Observations of Chartergellus golfitensis in Costa Rica and C. punctatior in Colombia showed that queens perform a post-oviposition egg-guarding vigil, and a bending display like that characteristic of epiponine social wasps that lack consistent morphological differences between workers and queens and have caste determination in the adult stage. Young, old, and queen (egg-laying) females of C. golfitensis showed small differences that indicate color changes with age, and structural differences that could be due to seasonal or colony-cycle changes in developmental conditions, but do not rule out the possibility of pre-adult caste determination, a phenomenon that needs to be carefully distinguished from pre-adult caste bias. Sexual dimorphism and the behavior of males at the nest in C. golfitensis is described, as well as the aggressive and avoidance behavior of females toward males. Nest structure in both species is as described previously for Chartergellus species, but some anomalies and their possible evolutionary significance are discussed. Cell initiation by an egg-laying queen, a behavior never seen by workers, and by a young female with slightly developed ovaries, may be vestiges of ancestral solitary reproductive traits where developed ovaries are associated with cell construction. © 2010 Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica dell'Università, Firenze, Italia.

Ten theses concerning social conflict in Latin America

Includes bibliography

Daspu e a redefinição da representação social da prostituta nos meios de comunicação de massa do Brasil

Pós-graduação em Comunicação - FAAC

A gestão da comunicação e da informação nas empresas contemporâneas sob a ótica da responsabilidade social

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

O processo de apropriação social das novas tecnologias: as contribuições da televisão digital na formação e atuação dos professores da educação básica

Pós-graduação em Televisão Digital: Informação e Conhecimento - FAAC