Extensão universitária e associativismo popular : um estudo a partir da educação ambiental crítica

Partimos do pressuposto que a universidade pública é um bem do povo e deve servir aos interesses da sociedade, sobretudo aos interesses daqueles cuja vida é ameaçada mediante as condições desiguais sob as quais a sociedade capitalista se funda. Entendemos que a extensão universitária é uma atividade da universidade e deve, como ensino e pesquisa, ser reconhecida como produtora de conhecimentos e não por trabalhos assistenciais, como se caracteriza, na realidade concreta, a extensão universitária analisada nesta dissertação. Com base nisso, o trabalho que se segue discorre sobre a relação de dependência das associações populares, ligadas ao movimento da economia popular solidária à extensão da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande – FURG, especificamente aquela realizada pelo Núcleo de Desenvolvimento Social e Econômico – NUDESE-FURG, da região de Rio GrandeRS. O objetivo do trabalho foi conhecer a relação entre o núcleo e as associações, problematizando-a com base em alguns princípios da Educação Ambiental Crítica (diálogo, totalidade, relação teoria/prática e participação social). O referencial que sustenta o trabalho articula autores da sociologia do trabalho, economia da educação, ecologia política, geografia crítica, todos, de alguma forma, ligados ao materialismo histórico como perspectiva de análise. O trabalho se caracteriza como um estudo de caso, onde os principais recursos perpassaram pela análise de documentos e, fundamentalmente, as entrevistas gravadas e transcritas na íntegra, pelas quais nosso estudo se baseia. A análise do material foi feita a partir dos pressupostos da análise crítica do discurso, a qual busca entrelaçar os pronunciamentos dos sujeitos com a totalidade social na qual o discurso está inscrito, possibilitando o alcance do significado concreto. O estudo demonstra que a extensão universitária desenvolvida pelo NUDESE-FURG tem características assistencialistas, cuja consequência prática é a realização de atividades para os trabalhadores associados (principalmente elaboração e gestão de projetos), impedindo que as associações desenvolvam suas ações sem depender do núcleo. Além disso, ao assumir recursos financeiros oriundos de projetos (via editais), as associações apenas transferem para o Estado a condição de dependência do intermediário, o que não extingue o problema, mas reafirma-o. Por isso, entendemos que a Educação Ambiental Crítica oferece, por meio dos princípios que utilizamos, um instrumento crítico importante ao estudo de processos e políticas que buscam a emancipação dos sujeitos. Isso porque, também, ao reconhecer a crise socioambiental que vivemos, fruto do modo de produção capitalista, dos conflitos existentes na sociedade (portanto dos diferentes interesses, concepções e valores em disputa), pela apropriação da riqueza produzida, podem-se possibilitar conhecimentos úteis dos trabalhadores das associações. Para que isso aconteça, defendemos o encontro da extensão universitária do NUDESE-FURG com a Educação Ambiental Crítica, caso a emancipação, de fato, esteja no horizonte das práticas deste núcleo, já que pelo estudo, nesta pesquisa, predomina dependência de tais grupos do NUDESE-FURG.

Degradación ambiental y conflictos armados: las conexiones

"La seguridad ambiental es un concepto complejo que puede ser analizado desde varios enfoques. La conexión entre degradación ambiental, escasez de recursos, poco desarrollo económico e inestabilidad política puede generar rápidamente conflictos llamados ambientales, terrorismo ecológico y guerras verdes. Sin embargo, en la mayoría de las investigaciones sobre degradación ambiental y conflictos armados no se tienen en cuenta los factores desarrollo económico y régimen político, pues se considera que los problemas ambientales pueden, por sí solos, conducir a situaciones conflictivas nacionales, regionales e internacionales. En este contexto, los propósitos de este artículo son plantear las diferentes tendencias ideológicas de la seguridad ambiental, definir el contenido y las causas de los conflictos ambientales y proponer un marco analítico complementario que incluya las variables políticas y económicas como generadoras de conflictos ambientales y de conflictos armados de alta intensidad. Al final, se propone una agenda de investigación en materia de seguridad ambiental para Colombia."

AGENDA AMBIENTAL DEL AGUA EN COSTA RICA

La crisis de gobcrnabilidad de los recursos hídricos es clara y evidente en Costa Rica. Estos recursos están en proceso de deterioro y peligrosamente amenazados. En tan solo cinco décadas se pasó de la riqueza y abundancia de agua, a la vulnerabilidad y escasez de ésta. Un conjunto de realidades ha originado la mencionada crisis: la ausencia de políticas hídricas integrales, claras y estables, un marco legal desactualizado. estático y de mínimo cumplimiento, que ha permitido el uso ineficiente y la contaminación de los cuerpos de agua y desde luego la cultura dominante de poca o ninguna valoración del agua como recurso vital para el desarrollo presente y futuro de todas las especies que poblamos el país.La Agenda Ambiental del Agua en Costa Rica ha sido elaborada mediante un proceso parlicipativo. donde diversos actores sociales en diferentes regiones —Limón, Liberia y la Gran Area Metropolitana (GAM)— priorizaron los 10 principales problemas y sus potenciales soluciones:1) La educación formal e informal es muy débil respecto a como alcanzar el uso eficiente e inteligente de los recursos hrdricos. Igualmente, es débil para revertir el patrón de manejo de vertidos sin responsabilidad social.2) La excesiva centralización de las decisiones. Muy poca participación ciudadana tanto en la estructura organizativa como en la toma de decisiones.3) La inoperancia del marco institucional y legal —desconocimiento por parte de la sociedad civil de los procesos de denuncia y otros; la tramitología de denuncia es demasiado lenta e ineficiente, razón por la cual los denunciantes se cansan y desaniman—.4) La deficiente y casi nula valoración económica del agua, que tome en cuenta el manejo integral de las cuencas y la búsqueda de la permanencia del recurso en el futuro.5) La ausencia de planes hídricos de cuencas donde el plan regulador sea un componente básico.6) La desigual calidad del agua para los costarricenses según operador del servicio y región geográfica.7) La contaminación de aguas superficiales y subterráneas.8) La ausencia de conocimiento, socialización, sistematización y movilización en relación con el manejo del agua. Es necesario el aumento de las capacidades tanto técnicas y científicas como de cambio de cultura y conocimiento popular.9) Falta de información básica y mecanismos claros para poder utilizarla.10) La información existente en la actualidad se encuentra dispersa en diferentes orgarnza ciones y en algunos investigadores, lo que impide su uso efectivo.La Agenda Ambiental del Agua en Costa Rica aproxima los costos para la solución de los problemas apuntados anteriormente. Se necesita invertir alrededor de US$J .500 millones para abordar la gestión integrada de los recursos hídricos en el país.Abstract: The crisis of governance of thc watcr resources is clear and evideni in Costa Rica. These resources are in proccss oídeterioration anddangerously threatened. In only five decades it passed of che wealth and water abundance, to che vulnerability and shortagc of thc same one. A set of realities has originated dic mentioned crisis; dic abscncc of an integral, clear and siable water policy, a legal framework out of date. static one and of minimal fulfillmeni. which has allowed che inefficicrn use and ihe pollution ofihe water bodies. And certainly. hc dominecring culture of small ci no valuation to the water as vital resource for thc prcscnt and future dcvclopment of alI dic species. thai we populate che country.The Environmental Agenda of the Water in Costa Rica has bccn claborated by means of a participatory proccss. which includes several social actors in diverse regions —Limon. Liberia and Great Metropolitan Area (GAM) These actors prioritized lO principal problems related to water resources and thcir potential solutions:1) The formal and informal education is very weak with regard to since as reaches the efficient and intelligeni use of thc water resources. Equally. dic boss of managing is weak for revert of spilt without social responsibilicy.2) The excessive centralization of che decisions with very little civil parlicipation. both in the organizational siructure and in the decision making process.3) The un.workability of ihe institutional and legal framewoik —ignorance cii che pan of civil society of che proces.ses of denunciation and others the denunciation niechanism is ioo slow and inefticieni, a reason for which dic cbtmants get tired and discouragc—.4) Thedeficientone and almosi voideconomic valuationofthe waier. which bears in mmd the integral managing of the basin and dic scarc h of dic permancncy of dic resource to future.5) Thc absence of water plans of basin where dic regulatory plan is a basic component.6) The unequal quality of the water for dic Costa Ricans according tooperacor of dic service and geographica] region.7) The pollution of superficial and underground waters.8) The absence of knowledgc. socializ.arion, systematizing and mobilization in relation co the waier managing. Thc increase of dic capacities is necessary so much tcchnical and scicntific like of change of culture and popular knowledge.9) Lack of basic information and clear mechanisms to be able to use it.10) Thc cxisting information aL preseni is dispersed in different organizations and in sorne investigators, which prevents ihe effective use of the same one.The Environmental Agenda of the Water in Costa Rica brings the costs near for the solution of the pointed problems previously. Costa Rica needs to invest about US$1.500 million Lo approach ihe integrated managcment of the water resources in the country.

Skydweller and representations of the adolescent crisis : group identity versus alienation

This document contains a creative work – the text of a young adult novel, Skydweller – and an exegesis discussing the ways in which identity and the adolescent crisis of group identity versus alienation are represented in young adult science fiction/fantasy novels.

A tale of two cities: Education responds to globalisation in Hong Kong and Singapore in the aftermath of the Asian Economic Crisis

It has been suggested that although the most theorisation about globalisation has emerged from “western” contexts, the material implications of globalisation have been felt most strongly in non-western regions. With this in mind, we are undertaking a situated analysis of how two states, Singapore and Hong Kong, are interacting with the broader processes of globalisation through their educational policies. We apply Foucault's conceptual tool of governmentality to understand (i) the conduct of governing in the contemporary nation-state, and (ii) how the “right” rationalities are being inculcated by government to create “desiring subjects” who will play their part in ensuring national prosperity. We use the Asian Economic Crisis as a point of departure to show how global-local tensions are being managed by Singapore and Hong Kong. We conclude that both these global cities have adroitly managed the Asian economic crisis to steer their citizens away from pursuits of greater political freedom and towards concerns of material well being. They have done so through a selective interpretation of globalisation, by simultaneously resisting and embracing the contradictory strands of globalisation. Education has emerged as a critical space for this selective absorption of globalising trends.

Policing the rural crisis

There is a growing sense of crisis in rural ways of life, which manifests itself in economic decline, depopulation, depleted environments, and a crisis of rural identities. Crime is one potent marker of crisis, the more so as it spoils the image of healthy, cohesive community. The social reaction it elicits, the policing of this ‘other rural’, is also a guide to the dimensions of crisis. The social sciences have witnessed a renewed international interest in the study of ‘other rurals’: the neglected, invisible or excluded aspects of country life. This book brings a fresh approach to the study of crime that challenges the urban-centric assumptions of much western criminology and sociology. It explores rural crime and social reactions to it, in relation to processes and patterns of community formation and change in rural Australia, including the social, economic, cultural and political forces shaping the history, structure and everyday life of rural communities. Policing the Rural Crisis is based on five years of extensive original empirical research in rural and regional Australia. It draws on ideas and debates in contemporary social theory across several disciplines, making the analysis relevant to the study of crime and social change elsewhere.

Measuring performance of municipal real estate : softening the impact of financial crisis to local governments

Asset management in local government is an emerging discipline and over a decade has become a crucial aspect towards a more efficient and effective organisation. One crucial feature in the public asset management is performance measurement toward the public real estates. This measurement critically at the important component of public wealth and seeks to apply a standard of economic efficiency and effective organisational management especially in such global financial crisis condition. This paper aims to identify global economic crisis effect and proposes alternative solution for local governments to softening the impact of the crisis to the local governments organisation. This study found that the most suitable solution for local government to solve the global economic crisis in Indonesia is application of performance measurement in its asset management. Thus, it is important to develop performance measurement system in local government asset management process. This study provides suggestions from published documents and literatures. The paper also discusses the elements of public real estate performance measurement. The measurement of performance has become an essential component of the strategic thinking of assets owners and managers. Without having a formal measurement system for performance, it is difficult to plan, control and improve local government real estate management system. A close look at best practices in public sectors reveals that in most cases these practices were transferred from private sector reals estate management under the direction of real estate experts retained by government. One of the most significant advances in government property performance measurement resulted from recognition that the methodology used by private sector, non real estate corporations for managing their real property offered a valuable prototype for local governments. In general, there are two approaches most frequently used to measure performance of public organisations. Those are subjective and objective measures. Finally, findings from this study provides useful input for the local government policy makers, scholars and asset management practitioners to establish a public real estate performance measurement system toward more efficient and effective local governments in managing their assets as well as increasing public services quality in order to soften the impact of global financial crisis.

Rethinking financial literacy in the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis

Systemic risks and other factors that contributed to the global financial crisis have highlighted the need to reconsider the scope and nature of financial literacy initiatives and programs. In this article, we argue the case for rethinking financial literacy and the need for integrated solutions that explicitly incorporate solutions to behavioural shortcomings exhibited by individuals in their financial decision-making. While recognising the need to consider behavioural biases in individuals’ financial decisions, to date regulatory responses have largely ignored those biases in their proposed education and other strategies designed to address poor financial literacy and improve financial disclosure that, in turn, will improve financial decision-making.

An analysis of the Brisbane residential property market and the global financial crisis

The period from 2007 to 2009 covered the residential property boom from early 2000, to the property recession following the Global Financial Crisis. Since late 2008, a number of residential property markets have suffered significant falls in house prices, buth this has not been consistent across all market sectors. This paper will analyze the housing market in Brisbane Australia to determine the impact, similarities and differences that the4 GFC had on range of residential sectors across a divesified property market. Data analysis will provide an overview of residential property prices, sales and listing volumes over the study period and will provide a comparison of median house price performance across the geographic and socio-economic areas of Brisbane.

Crisis communication under transformative change : the emergent context and roles of primary and secondary organisations

In an era of complex challenges that draw sustained media attention and entangle multiple organisational actors, this thesis addresses the gap between current trends in society and business, and existing scholarship in public relations and crisis communication. By responding to calls from crisis communication researchers to develop theory (Coombs, 2006a), to examine the interdependencies of crises (Seeger, Sellnow, & Ulmer, 1998), and to consider variation in crisis response (Seeger, 2002), this thesis contributes to theory development in crisis communication and public relations. Through transformative change, this thesis extends existing scholarship built on a preservation or conservation logic where public relations is used to maintain stability by incrementally responding to changes in an organisation‘s environment (Cutlip, Center, & Broom, 2006; Everett, 2001; Grunig, 2000; Spicer, 1997). Based on the opportunity to contribute to ongoing theoretical development in the literature, the overall research problem guiding this thesis asks: How does transformative change during crisis influence corporate actors’ communication? This thesis adopts punctuated equilibrium theory, which describes change as alternating between long periods of stability and short periods of revolutionary or transformative change (Gersick, 1991; Romanelli & Tushman, 1994; Siggelkow, 2002; Tushman, Newman, & Romanelli, 1986; Tushman & Romanelli, 1985). As a theory for change, punctuated equilibrium provides an opportunity to examine public relations and transformative change, building on scholarship that is based primarily on incremental change. Further, existing scholarship in public relations and crisis communication focuses on the actions of single organisations in situational or short-term crisis events. Punctuated equilibrium theory enables the study of multiple crises and multiple organisational responses during transformative change. In doing so, punctuated equilibrium theory provides a framework to explain both the context for transformative change and actions or strategies enacted by organisations during transformative change (Tushman, Newman, & Romanelli, 1986; Tushman & Romanelli, 1985; Tushman, Virany, & Romanelli, 1986). The connections between context and action inform the research questions that guide this thesis: RQ1: What symbolic and substantive strategies persist and change as crises develop from situational events to transformative and multiple linked events? RQ2: What features of the crisis context influence changes in symbolic and substantive strategies? To shed light on these research questions, the thesis adopts a qualitative approach guided by process theory and methods to explicate the events, sequences and activities that were essential to change (Pettigrew, 1992; Van de Ven, 1992). Specifically, the thesis draws on an alternative template strategy (Langley, 1999) that provides several alternative interpretations of the same events (Allison, 1971; Allison & Zelikow, 1999). Following Allison (1971) and Allison and Zelikow (1999), this thesis uses three alternative templates of crisis or strategic response typologies to construct three narratives using media articles and organisational documents. The narratives are compared to identify and draw out different patterns of crisis communication strategies that operate within different crisis contexts. The thesis is based on the crisis events that affected three organisations within the pharmaceutical industry for four years. The primary organisation is Merck, as its product recall crisis triggered transformative change affecting, in different ways, the secondary organisations of Pfizer and Novartis. Three narratives are presented based on the crisis or strategic response typologies of Coombs (2006b), Allen and Caillouet (1994), and Oliver (1991). The findings of this thesis reveal different stories about crisis communication under transformative change. By zooming in to a micro perspective (Nicolini, 2009) to focus on the crisis communication and actions of a single organisation and zooming out to a macro perspective (Nicolini, 2009) to consider multiple organisations, new insights about crisis communication, change and the relationships among multiple organisations are revealed at context and action levels. At the context level, each subsequent narrative demonstrates greater connections among multiple corporate actors. By zooming out from Coombs‘ (2006b) focus on single organisations to consider Allen and Caillouet‘s (1994) integration of the web of corporate actors, the thesis demonstrates how corporate actors add accountability pressures to the primary organisation. Next, by zooming further out to the macro perspective by considering Oliver‘s (1991) strategic responses to institutional processes, the thesis reveals a greater range of corporate actors that are caught up in the process of transformative change and accounts for their varying levels of agency over their environment. By zooming in to a micro perspective and out to a macro perspective (Nicolini, 2009) across alternative templates, the thesis sheds light on sequences, events, and actions of primary and secondary organisations. Although the primary organisation remains the focus of sustained media attention across the four-year time frame, the secondary organisations, even when one faced a similar starting situation to the primary organisation, were buffered by the process of transformative change. This understanding of crisis contexts in transforming environments builds on existing knowledge in crisis communication. At the action level, the thesis also reveals different interpretations from each alternative template. Coombs‘ (2006b) narrative shows persistence in the primary organisation‘s crisis or strategic responses over the four-year time frame of the thesis. That is, the primary organisation consistently applies a diminish crisis response. At times, the primary organisation drew on denial responses when corporate actors questioned its legitimacy or actions. To close the crisis, the primary organisation uses a rebuild crisis posture (Coombs, 2006). These finding are replicated in Allen and Caillouet‘s (1994) narrative, noting this template‘s limitation to communication messages only. Oliver‘s (1991) narrative is consistent with Coombs‘ (2006b) but also demonstrated a shift from a strategic response that signals conformity to the environment to one that signals more active resistance to the environment over time. Specifically, the primary organisation‘s initial response demonstrates conformity but these same messages were used some three years later to set new expectations in the environment in order to shape criteria and build acceptance for future organisational decisions. In summary, the findings demonstrate the power of crisis or strategic responses when considered over time and in the context of transformative change. The conclusions of this research contribute to scholarship in the public relations and management literatures. Based on the significance of organisational theory, the primary contribution of the theory relates to the role of interorganisational linkages or legitimacy buffers that form during the punctuation of equilibrium. The network of linkages among the corporate actors are significant also to the crisis communication literature as they form part of the process model of crisis communication under punctuated equilibrium. This model extends existing research that focuses on crisis communication of single organisations to consider the emergent context that incorporates secondary organisations as well as the localised contests of legitimacy and buffers from regulatory authorities. The thesis also provides an empirical base for punctuated equilibrium in public relations and crisis communication, extending Murphy‘s (2000) introduction of the theory to the public relations literature. In doing this, punctuated equilibrium theory reinvigorates theoretical development in crisis communication by extending existing scholarship around incrementalist approaches and demonstrating how public relations works in the context of transformative change. Further research in this area could consider using alternative templates to study transformative change caused by a range of crisis types from natural disasters to product tampering, and to add further insight into the dynamics between primary and secondary organisations. This thesis contributes to practice by providing guidelines for crisis response strategy selection and indicators related to the emergent context for crises under transformative change that will help primary and secondary organisations‘ responses to crises.