In pursuit of an intercultural dimension in EFL-teaching : exploring cognitions among Finland-Swedish comprehensive school teachers

This thesis is about the educational purpose of foreign language teaching (FLT) in an increasingly internationalised world.The past 20-30 years have witnessed a fundamental rethinking of the aims of FLT, entailing a shift in emphasis from linguistic competence over communicative competence to intercultural competence. The growing emphasis on cultural issues, called for by research and international curricular documents, places new demandson language teachers. The overall aim of this study is to deepen the knowledge about the attitudes of teachers at the upper level of the Finland-Swedish comprehensive school towards the treatment of culture in English foreign language (EFL) teaching. The questions in focus are: 1) How do teachers interpret the concept"culture" in EFL-teaching?, 2) How do they specify the cultural objectives of their teaching? and 3) What do they do to attain these objectives? The thesis strives to reveal whether or not language teaching today can be describedas intercultural, in the sense that culture is taught with the aim of promotingintercultural understanding, tolerance and empathy. This abductive and largely exploratory study is placed within a constructivist and sociocultural framework,and is inspired by both phenomenography and hermeneutics. It takes its starting-point in language didactics, and can also be regarded as a contribution to teacher cognition research. The empirical data consists of verbatim transcribed interviews with 13 Finland-Swedish teachers of English at grades 7-9. The findings are presented according to three orientations and reviewed with reference to the 2004 Finnish National Framework Curriculum. Within the cognitive orientation, "culture" is perceived as factual knowledge, and the teaching of cultureis defined in terms of the transmission of knowledge, especially about Britain and the USA (Pedagogy of Information). Within the action-related orientation, "culture" is seen as skills of a social and socio-linguistic nature, andthe teaching aims at preparing the students for contacts with people from the target language areas (Pedagogy of Preparation). Within the affective orientation, which takes a more holistic approach, "culture" is seen as a bi-directional perspective. Students are encouraged to look at their own familiar culture from another perspective, and learn to empathise with and show respect for otherness in general, not just concerning representatives of English-speaking countries (Pedagogy of Encounter). Very few of the interviewed teachers represent the third approach, which is the one that can be characterised as truly intercultural. The study indicates that many teachers feel unsure about how to teach culture in an appropriate and up-to-date manner. This is attributed to, among other things, lack of teacher insights as well as lack of time and adequate material. The thesis ends with a set of recommendations as to how EFL could be developed ina more intercultural direction.

Estimating Attractor Dimension on the Nonlinear Pendulum Time Series

Chaotic dynamical systems exhibit trajectories in their phase space that converges to a strange attractor. The strangeness of the chaotic attractor is associated with its dimension in which instance it is described by a noninteger dimension. This contribution presents an overview of the main definitions of dimension discussing their evaluation from time series employing the correlation and the generalized dimension. The investigation is applied to the nonlinear pendulum where signals are generated by numerical integration of the mathematical model, selecting a single variable of the system as a time series. In order to simulate experimental data sets, a random noise is introduced in the time series. State space reconstruction and the determination of attractor dimensions are carried out regarding periodic and chaotic signals. Results obtained from time series analyses are compared with a reference value obtained from the analysis of mathematical model, estimating noise sensitivity. This procedure allows one to identify the best techniques to be applied in the analysis of experimental data.

The collective dimension of freedom of religion or belief in international law : the application of findings to the case of Turkey

Pertinent domestic and international developments involving issues related to tensions affecting religious or belief communities have been increasingly occupying the international law agenda. Those who generate and, thus, shape international law jurisprudence are in the process of seeking some of the answers to these questions. Thus the need for reconceptualization of the right to freedom of religion or belief continues as demands to the right to freedom of religion or belief challenge the boundaries of religious freedom in national and international law. This thesis aims to contribute to the process of “re-conceptualization” by exploring the notion of the collective dimension of freedom of religion or belief with a view to advance the protection of the right to freedom of religion or belief. The case of Turkey provides a useful test case where both the domestic legislation can be assessed against international standards, while at the same time lessons can be drawn for the improvement of the standard of international review of the protection of the collective dimension of freedom of religion or belief. The right to freedom of religion or belief, as enshrined in international human rights documents, is unique in its formulation in that it provides protection for the enjoyment of the rights “in community with others”.1 It cannot be realized in isolation; it crosses categories of human rights with aspects that are individual, aspects that can be effectively realized only in an organized community of individuals and aspects that belong to the field of economic, social and cultural rights such as those related to religious or moral education. This study centers on two primary questions; first, what is the scope and nature of protection afforded to the collective dimension of freedom of religion or belief in international law, and, secondly, how does the protection of the collective dimension of freedom of religion or belief in Turkey compare and contrast to international standards? Section I explores and examines the notion of the collective dimension of freedom of religion or belief, and the scope of its protection in international law with particular reference to the right to acquire legal personality and autonomy religious/belief communities. In Section II, the case study on Turkey constitutes the applied part of the thesis; here, the protection of the collective dimension is assessed with a view to evaluate the compliance of Turkish legislation and practice with international norms as well as seeking to identify how the standard of international review of the collective dimension of freedom of religion or belief can be improved.

Can the fractal dimension be applied for the early diagnosis of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy?

The fractal dimension has been employed as a useful parameter in the diagnosis of retinal disease. Avakian et al. (Curr Eye Res 2002; 24: 274-280), comparing the vascular pattern of normal patients with mild to moderate non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), found a significant difference between them only in the macular region. This significant difference in the box-counting fractal dimension of the macular region between normal and mild NPDR patients has been proposed as a method of precocious diagnosis of NPDR. The aim of the present study was to determine if fractal dimensions can really be used as a parameter for the early diagnosis of NPDR. Box-counting and information fractal dimensions were used to parameterize the vascular pattern of the human retina. The two methods were applied to the whole retina and to nine anatomical regions of the retina in 5 individuals with mild NPDR and in 28 diabetic but opthalmically normal individuals (controls), with age between 31 and 86 years. All images of retina were obtained from the Digital Retinal Images for Vessel Extraction (DRIVE) database. The results showed that the fractal dimension parameter was not sensitive enough to be of use for an early diagnosis of NPDR.

Unveiling the Influence of Consumer Wine Appreciation Dimension on Purchasing Behavior

Consumption values and different usage situations have received extensive interest from scholars; however, there is a lack of understanding regarding how these two constructs interact when it comes to the purchase decisions of consumers. This study examines the relationship between consumption values, consumption situations, and consumers’ purchasing decisions in terms of their willingness to pay and the purchase quantity. First of all, my model proposes that all four consumption values and different situations have a positive effect on consumers’ willingness to pay as well as the quantity they purchase. It also proposes that varying usage situations moderate the effect of consumption values on consumers’ purchasing decisions. In my conceptual model, I have also integrated the epistemic and conditional values where there is a gap in the existing literature. Prior literature has isolated the consumption values when studying how they affect consumer behavior and has not examined how consumption situations moderate the relationship between consumption values and purchasing decisions. Also, the existing literature has mostly focused on how consumption values affect purchase intentions, brand loyalty, or satisfaction, whereas my study focuses on purchasing decisions. For my study, the participants were randomly chosen from the general wine consumer population and the age range was between 20 and 75, which included 83 male respondents and 119 female respondents. The data received from my respondents support my hypotheses for the model. In my final chapter, I discuss the theoretical and managerial implications as well as suggestions for future research.

"I'm Your Biggest Fan, I'll Follow You ... " Lady Gaga, Little Monsters and the Religious Dimension of Fandom in Pop Music

This thesis examines the religious dimension of fandom in popular music, taking as an object of reflection Lady Gaga and her fans. I combine fan studies with theories of immanence as well as Deleuze and Guattari's notion of the process of becoming, and provide a theoretical reading of the relationship between Lady Gaga and her most fervent fans, the 'little monsters.' Both fandom and religion promise a stable sense of identity and authentic community to devotees. Performing deconstructive discourse analysis on three of Lady Gaga's music videos, I demonstrate how fandom, like organized religion, can simultaneously be an emancipatory practice and a practice that seeks to deny individual subjects their agency. This thesis provides a new theoretical framework for understanding fandom, and illustrates how the purported benefits of both fandom and religion can only be gained when the figureheads of each group are symbolically destroyed by the members themselves.

La dimension juridique des relations entre Samuel de Champlain et les Autochtones de la Nouvelle-France

Contrairement à ce qui s’est produit dans les colonies espagnoles, en Nouvelle-Fance, les Français ont privilégié le maintien de relations pacifiques avec les peuples autochtones. Même si les représentants de la couronne sont autorisés à les assujettir par la force, très rapidement, le roi exige le respect des traités conclus avec eux. Ces alliances constituent d’ailleurs la première étape d’un processus de sédentarisation et de conversion qui doit, dans l’esprit des autorités, culminer par l’assujettissement des Autochtones à la couronne. Pour l’heure, au début du XVIIe siècle, ils sont considérés comme des alliés vivant selon leurs propres coutumes. C’est pourquoi Champlain doit renoncer à appliquer le droit français dans les cas où un Français a été tué par un Autochtone, alors qu’il n’envisage même pas d’imposer ces règles quand les protagonistes sont tous autochtones.

La dimension institutionnelle du développement durable

La Conférence des Nations Unies sur l’environnement et le développement qui s’est tenue à Rio de Janeiro en juin 1992 a été, sans aucun doute, un événement marquant de la coopération multilatérale contemporaine. Le plus grand rassemblement multilatéral jamais organisé auparavant, cet événement aura marqué d’une empreinte indélébile l’architecture institutionnelle du traitement de la question envionnementale et façonne les institutions issues de la Conférence de Stockholm sur l’environnement humain. La Conférence de Rio aura été, au bout du compte, le point de départ d’une ère institutionelle nouvelle et d’une nouvelle façon d’aborder la coopération multilatérale pour la protection de l’environnement. La dimension institutionnelle de la question du développement durable renvoie nécessairement aux progrès qui restent à accomplir en vue d’une meilleure compréhension de la façon dont le développement durable est perçu au niveau national.Cette question traduit aussi la difficulté qu’il y a à adapter le mandat originel des institutions existantes aux exigences multiformes de l’intégration de la question de l’environnement dans les processus de développement économique et social.Elle exige surtout une action concertée tendue en vue d’une plus grande cohérence de l’action internationale qui serait au service d’une nouvelle démarche muliforme à l’égard de l’environnement,au service d’un développement respectueux des équilibres écologiques de notre planète.

La dimension comportementale de la maturité scolaire et l'intervention auprès des parents selon le programme Ces années incroyables

Rapport d'analyse d'intervention présenté à la Faculté des arts et sciences en vue de l'obtention du grade de Maîtrise ès sciences (M. Sc.) en psychoéducation

La dimension humaine des enjeux environnementaux dans un bassin versant au Brésil

RÉSUMÉ La richesse en ressources naturelles est une source de développement économique et social, mais peut également constituer un facteur de dégradation environnementale et de problèmes pour la santé humaine. Les systèmes techniques de gestion des ressources naturelles ne sont pas suffisants pour apporter des solutions à tous les problèmes environnementaux. Mises à part les catastrophes naturelles, c'est l'intervention humaine qui cause la grande majorité des problèmes environnementaux. C'est pour comprendre cette dynamique entre les facteurs naturels et les facteurs économiques, sociaux, politiques, culturels et psychosociologiques que nous avons choisi de centrer cette thèse sur la dimension humaine des problèmes environnementaux – ce qui implique l'analyse des dimensions psychosociologiques et sociales entourant les problèmes environnementaux. Pour une gestion efficace des ressources naturelles, il nous faut donc comprendre l'action humaine, ses motivations et ses contraintes, ses orientations de valeurs et ses croyances, qui orientent les perceptions, les attitudes et les comportements humains par rapport à leur environnement. Pour ce faire, l’étude de valeurs, attitudes, croyances et comportements passe par l’examen attentif des concepts et de leurs définitions, ainsi que par l’analyse des diverses « dimensions » auxquelles chacun des concepts fait référence. Cette thèse porte justement sur les relations entre les valeurs, les croyances, les attitudes et les comportements humains par rapport aux problèmes environnementaux. Pour ce faire, nous avons utilisé un sondage auprès de 1800 répondants, habitants de la région du bassin versant de la Rio das Velhas, située dans la province du Minas Gerais, au Brésil.

Doctrine de l’entreprise et école de Rennes : La dimension sociétale, politique et philosophique des activités économiques affirmée - Présentation d’un courant de pensée au service de l’homme

La Doctrine de l’entreprise démontre sa permanence dans le temps en s’alimentant de la sève juridique que les incessantes réformes législatives viennent fluidifier. Mais, plus encore que sa permanence, ce sont les sources de la Doctrine de l’entreprise qui semble aujourd’hui sérieusement revigorer. La première partie de nos développements sera consacrée à l’étude de ces résultats à travers une présentation de certaines évolutions récentes du droit des sociétés, du droit des procédures collectives et plus généralement du droit des activités commerciales. De plus, l’analyse de la Doctrine de l’entreprise ne semble jamais avoir eu autant d’actualités à l’heure d’une gouvernance d’entreprise malmenée, des pouvoirs en leur sein questionnés, de place de l’entreprise dans la société civile revendiquée, de responsabilité planétaire des acteurs de l’économie affirmée, et d’avenir de l’être humain et de sa civilisation en danger ; il s’agira de la seconde partie de nos développements. Nombre de réformes et de discussions nous semblent donner à la Doctrine de l’entreprise un avenir brillant, du moins tout autant que l’a été son passé et que l’est son présent. Néanmoins, ce second temps de notre réflexion ne saurait gommer quelques critiques. Quelques mots conclusifs termineront notre propos et mettront en lumière les potentialités que recèle en son for la Doctrine de l’entreprise porteuse d’un message qui n’a été que peu perçu.