Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Centre for Science in Society'
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1
Goodlett, Dana Louise. "Resilience in Uncertainty: An Examination of a Moroccan Centre Serving Unwed Mothers." Scholar Commons, 2016. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/6089.
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Utilizing a gender-based violence approach, this study investigated service delivery realities for a Moroccan women’s centre serving unwed mothers and their babies. Primary research methods included participant observation and semi-structured interviews (n=20) with unwed mothers and centre staff. This study aimed to determine what factors lead mothers to seek assistance, types of assistance offered, and challenges and future opportunities for services. Findings indicate a lack of social support to mothers, lack of social and economic support for the centre and reduced service capacity, and the use of deceit in interactions between mothers and staff rooted in cultural notions of shame. Future opportunities for program development and sustainability are discussed. This work hopes to contribute to a richer understanding of gender-based violence in local contexts through the investigation of unwed mother’s experiences of gender-based violence in Moroccan society and how these experiences impact the reality and capabilities of social service provision.
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Souza, Daniel Maurício Viana de. "Divulgação científica em museus e centros de ciência interativos : a construção social de uma ciência-espetáculo." reponame:Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da UFRGS, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10183/142489.
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Esta tese objetiva analisar a representação social da ciência resultante das ações de divulgação científica desempenhadas em exposições de museus e centros de ciência interativos. Partindo da premissa de que para a promoção de canais de comunicação pública, democrática e integradora acerca da ciência e sua produção é necessário o entendimento de que tais fenômenos se inserem numa relação de dependência e reciprocidade com demais elementos que compõem o tecido social, discute acerca dos fatores que impossibilitam um diálogo capaz de identificar com clareza que a ciência é, em última instância, socialmente construída. A insistência na adoção de linguagens pautadas em uma historicidade progressivamente retilínea e num superestímulo visual massificador de ‘imagens/aparência’, vem contribuindo para a afirmação de uma ideia universal e homogênea de ciência, ou seja, aprocessual e produtora de conhecimentos irrefutavelmente verdadeiros. Assim considerando, toma aqui a noção de ‘sociedade do espetáculo’ tanto como teoria sobre a sociedade, quanto, condição social que se projeta de forma verticalizada sobre a divulgação científica operada em instituições museológicas, implicando diretamente na construção da ciência e seus significados sociais. Tal condicionamento exercido pelo ‘espetáculo’ se sustenta, portanto, em dois vetores ideológicos fundamentais, por um lado, a ‘imagem’ tomada como ‘aparência’, configurando um território linguístico-narrativo pautado na alienação, na naturalização e na universalização. E por outro lado, a ‘historicidade’ como supressão do tempo social – socialmente construído –, delineando um quadro no qual a comunicabilidade é baseada na ausência de processos, na concepção do tempo como mercadoria, no conceito de ‘ideia fora do lugar/tempo’ e no pressuposto da neutralidade (científica). Do ponto de vista empírico, opta por investigar diferentes exposições em quatro museus e centros de ciência interativos, no Brasil e em Portugal, implementando as técnicas da observação e da entrevista fundamentalmente.This thesis aims to analyze the social representation of science as a result of the actions of scientific divulgation performed in exhibitions from interactive museums and science centres. Starting from the premise that the promotion of public communication channels, democratic and inclusive about science and its production is necessary to the understanding that such phenomena are in a relationship of dependency and reciprocity with other elements that make up the social structure, discusses about the factors that prevent a dialogue capable of identifying with clarity that the science is ultimately, socially constructed. The insistence on adoption of languages based on a rectilinear and progressively historicity and in a super-stimulus visual massive of ‘images/appearance’, has contributed to the affirmation of a universal and homogenous idea of science, in other words, a-processual and producer of irrefutably true knowledge. So considering, here takes the notion of 'society of the spectacle' as much a theory of society, as, social condition that is projected in a vertical way on the scientific divulgation operated in museological institutions, implying directly in the construction of science and their social meanings. This conditioning exercised by the 'spectacle' is based, therefore, on two fundamental ideological vectors, on the one hand, the 'image' as 'appearance', setting up a linguistic and narrative territory based on alienation, naturalization and universalization. And on the other hand, the 'historicity' as suppression of social time - socially constructed - outlining a framework within which the communicability is based on the absence of processes, in the conception of time as a commodity, in the concept of 'idea out of place/time' and the premise of neutrality (scientific). From an empirical point of view, chooses to investigate different exhibitions in four interactive museums and science centres, in Brazil and Portugal, implementing the techniques of observation and interview, fundamentally.
3
Lerosier, Thomas. "Itinéraires technopolitains : la formation d’un territoire scientifique et technologique (Grenoble – 1950-2015)." Thesis, Université Grenoble Alpes (ComUE), 2016. http://www.theses.fr/2016GREAP002.
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La formation d’un territoire scientifique et technologique est le fruit d’un processus, dont les origines institutionnelles remontent au XIXe siècle, mais auquel prend part une grande variété de phénomènes à compter des années 1950. Cette thèse explore plusieurs itinéraires dans l’histoire de Grenoble qui sont autant de points de vue sur l’émergence de l’un des premiers pôles de recherche de la province française. Entre les années 1950 et 2015, la recherche s’organise et devient progressivement le cœur des institutions d’enseignement supérieur. L’acquisition d’importants instruments de recherche et le développement des technologies électroniques définissent certains types d’organisation de la recherche et façonnent, par là, tout l’environnement scientifique. De nouvelles manières d’occuper l’espace et d’intégrer la structure urbaine se développent avec le déploiement des campus et des parcs technologiques. Peu à peu, les acteurs scientifiques et politiques se saisissent explicitement de ce territoire scientifique en l’intégrant à leurs propres stratégies ou en produisant à son sujet un discours normatif. Mais, la formation de ce territoire est aussi l’enjeu de controverses. Elle génère des contestations sociales qui, subissant de profondes reconfigurations au cours du temps, peinent à peser sur le développement des sciences et technologies. En définitive, Grenoble ne devient un véritable territoire scientifique et technologique qu’après les années 1980, car c’est à partir de ce moment que les activités de recherche et d’innovation occupent une position déterminante dans l’espace social et géographique grenobloisThe creation of a scientific and technological territory results from a historical process. It takes its institutional origins in the 19th century, but many phenomena take part of it since the 1950s. This doctoral thesis examines several ‘trajectories’ in the history of one of the first scientific cities of the French Province. Between 1950 and 2015, the research structures itself. It becomes the heart of the higher education institutions. The Grenoble scientific instruments and the development of the electronic technology define the organization of the scientific research and shape the scientific environment altogether. New ways of occupying the space and integrating the urban structure are developed with the deployment of the university campus and of technology parks. Progressively, scientific and political actors are involved in the scientific territory by integrating it to their own strategies or by producing a normative discourse about it. Besides, the creation of this territory generates social protests that, however, barely succeed in influencing the development of science and technology. Ultimately, Grenoble really becomes a scientific and technological territory after the 1980s when science and innovation become central in social and geographic space of Grenoble
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Helgason, Ingi. "Complex pleasures : designing optional interactions for public spaces." Thesis, Edinburgh Napier University, 2017. http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1022893.
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This research aims to contribute to knowledge about the design of interactive systems sited in public spaces. In particular, the study concerns "optional interactions" where systems invite interaction from passers-by. These systems are action-orientated ratherthan goal-oriented, are designed to encourage engagement, and offer positive and rewarding experiences through the activity of interaction. This is in contrast to systems that provide functional services that are actively sought out by people, such as ticketvending machines or cash dispensers. This thesis asserts that this kind of optimal, designed experience can be examined and understood through comparisons with approaches taken by new-media artists working in interactive, technological media. Artists have different priorities, and use different methods to those employed by Human-Computer Interaction researchers, and this study aims to further understanding of the potential of these artistic approaches for interaction designers. The setting for these optional interaction systems is any public or semi-public environment, including museums, galleries, shopping centres, foyers and urban settings. As well as understanding the public and social context of these interactions, the experiential aspects of interaction are of primary importance in this study. The work is conducted with the aim of providing practical and theoretical resources to interaction designers tasked with creating engaging interactive systems that initiate and sustain experiences that are highly regarded by the participant. The thesis presents a designframework titled the Optional Interactions Design Framework.
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Nilsson, Olof. "Access Barriers - from a user´s point of view." Doctoral thesis, Mittuniversitetet, Institutionen för informationsteknologi och medier, 2005. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-5799.
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Abstract The aim of this thesis is to suggest a model to assist in the ability to judge access by private persons to Information Technology, IT, and to Public Information Sys-tems, PIS. It has its starting point in the Swedish Government´s endeavour to turn Sweden into the first information society for all. When the available statistics con-cerning the access to a PC and the Internet in Swedish homes are studied it is easy to think that this vision may soon be realised. Of course, access to the technical equipment is a fundamental condition in order to be able to use the Public Informa-tion Systems, but unfortunately, is not the only one. A number of studies have shown that it is not possible to equate possession and use. A number of access models or frameworks designed to judge whether or not a person has access to the ICTs do exist. However, it is my opinion that there is a de-ficiency in these models; they do not start out from the individual user´s prerequi-sites, but rather judge the external conditions available for possible access. Assisted by four empirical studies, interviews and questionnaires, a number of ac-cess barriers experienced by the users have been identified. The studies show that in addition to the technological hindrances, a series of more elusive ones also exist originating from prevailing norms and values in the environment the user lives in. The barriers are categorised into five groups; to have, to be able, to will, to may and to dare. Together these notions form the User Centred Access Model, UCAM, which is suggested for use in charting and communicating the necessary considera-tions that must be taken into account in the development of Public Information Sys-tems. KeywordsLanguagePI - Publika Informationssystem
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Ralston, Stuart Edward. "Virtual reality science centre exhibits." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Computer Science, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/9275.
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Virtual Reality (VR) systems have become widely recognised by the public as a result of media attention, but the cost of the underlying hardware has limited research in the field. Recent improvements in computing power, rendering software, and their availability have started to lower the price of personal VR system components, allowing VR to become an increasingly affordable technology. Science centre exhibits have traditionally been a starting point for high impact science products, presenting them directly to the public. VR technology is currently in a state where its introduction into a science centre is feasible. This thesis describes three computer-based science exhibits that have been designed and introduced to the Science Alive! science centre in Christchurch, New Zealand. The first exhibit, called Juggling In a Virtual Environment (JIVE), teaches the user to juggle virtual objects in VR. The exhibit was constructed using an IBM compatible personal computer, a modified Mattei PowerGlove, a data projector, a 2 metre by 1.5 metre fabric screen, and public domain rendering software. The main advantages of the system are that it is economical and it attempts to teach skills that are otherwise difficult to learn. Overall, the PowerGlove proved to be unreliable due to background noise, a restricted working angle of the ultrasonic tracking, and a high breakage rate of the finger sensors. The second exhibit, called Cybertennis, was constructed using the same hardware as JIVE, except for modifying the breakage-prone PowerGlove into a bat. A new virtual world was designed to allow the user to play a game of tennis with an artificial opponent.
The third exhibit, called the Data Digester, is an electronic questionnaire; consisting of a
Macintosh personal computer, a touch screen device, and HyperCard developing software. The Data Digester gathers information for market research, demographic investigations, and exhibit evaluation.
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Blomley, Matthew. "The new science, social science, and society." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.620289.
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Neves, Fabrício Monteiro. "Bíos e Techné : estudo sobre a construção do sistema de biotecnologia periférico." reponame:Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da UFRGS, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10183/18352.
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Esta tese trata, de forma ampla, da relação ciência e sociedade. Especificamente procura compreender o processo de construção do sistema biotecnológico em face do contexto ao qual está relacionado. A argumentação teórica estrutura-se em torno de questões levantadas pelos estudos sociais da ciência e tecnologia, e tem como marco teórico a teoria dos sistemas sociais de Niklas Luhmann, que parte da diferença sistema/entorno para compreender a relação ciência e sociedade. A questão levantada refere-se à estrutura de reprodução da ciência contemporânea e sua relação com o entorno. A hipótese argumenta que a estrutura do sistema biotecnológico sofreu uma mudança, da reprodução baseada na "verdade" à reprodução baseada no "funcionamento". Esta última forma de reprodução emerge em função das perturbações do entorno da ciência, principalmente em função do contexto caracterizado por exigências tecnológicas. Vinculadas a tais exigências estão ainda exigências de aplicação, legalidade, lucratividade, segurança, inovação. A pesquisa utilizou entrevista semi-estruturada com líderes de grupos de pesquisa em biotecnologia em seis estados da federação, e pesquisa documental, como métodos de coleta de dados, e utilizou técnicas qualitativas de análise, especificamente, a análise de conteúdo temática. De maneira mais específica, a investigação localiza-se na periferia do sistema global de ciência e tecnologia, e apresenta como a diferenciação centro/periferia também incide na reprodução do sistema biotecnológico. Para tanto, constrói-se o conceito de regime de produção de conhecimento, um regime de perturbações recíprocas entre sistemas, limitado pelas configurações institucionais dos Estados nacionais. Tal regime, no Brasil, foi caracterizado pelos sistemas do direito, da economia, da política e da ciência, e as perturbações dos três primeiros na biotecnologia é o que se investiga nesta pesquisa. Conclui-se que a pesquisa biotecnológica produz um outro tipo de verdade, a saber, a verdade eficaz.This thesis deals with the relationship between science and society. It particularly seeks to understand the process of construction of biotechnology and its context. Beyond this, it searches to link biotechnology research to the global society and to the specific context of peripheral science The theoretical argument is structured around issues raised by social studies of science and technology, and uses the theoretical framework of the theory of social systems of Niklas Luhmann, who considered the difference system / environment to understand the relationship between science and society. The main question raised refers to the structure of the reproduction of contemporary science and its relation with the environment. Therefore, our hypothesis argues that the structure of the biotechnology has changed from a reproduction based on "truth" to a reproduction based on "operation". The latter form of reproduction emerges in the light of disturbances around the science, especialy in a context characterized by technological requirements. Besides theses, there are requirements for application, legality, profitability, safety and innovation. This research was conducted using semi-structured interviews with leaders of biotechnology research groups from six brazilian states. Besides, a documentary research was conducted and a thematic content analysis was performed. Particularly, this research is located at the periphery of the global system of science and technology, and presents how the differentiation center/periphery also affects the reproductive system of biotechnology. In this sense, we construct the concept of knowledge production regime, a regime of mutual disturbances between systems, which is limited by the institutional configurations of national states. In Brazil, such regime was characterized by systems of law, economy, policy and science. This research has focused on the disturbance of the first three on biotechnology. It is concluded that research biotechnology produces another kind of truth, namely truth effectively.
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Durusan, Firat. "Debates On Civil Society: From Centre-periphery To Radical Civil Societarianism." Master's thesis, METU, 2008. http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12610292/index.pdf.
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The radical democratic conception of civil society strives for theoretically constructing and politically defending civil society as a social sphere autonomous from both the economy and state. As a position taken against Marxist and liberal theories, radical civil societarianism views the cultural and normative structures of modern societies as independent from and prior to systemically conceived economic and political relations. These structures is purported to give way to spontaneous social solidarity characterising civil society. With the mechanisms of domination and exploitation defined outside civil society, this approach ends up with excessive
voluntarism characterising social relations thereof. Similarly, in the Turkish context, the dominant centre-periphery approach is predicated upon the external contradiction between the vertical state-society relations and horizontal relations between social actors. It is argued that the dominance of the former has caused the underdevelopment of civil society which is a particular expression of the latter. In any case, social conflicts are detached from structural political and economic mechanisms and conceived in voluntaristic terms. Consequently, the normative position radical civil societarianism takes vis-à-vis social movements fails to go beyond an imposition of the arbitrary notion of &ldquo
civility&rdquo
through the discourse of self-limitation.
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Kruger, Cornelius Erick. "The design of an interactive science centre in the centre of Pretoria." Tshwane University of Technology. Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment. Department of Architecture, 2012. http://encore.tut.ac.za/iii/cpro/DigitalItemViewPage.external?sp=1000170.
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Thesis (MTech. degree in Architecture: Applied Design)--Tshwane University of Technology, 2012.The current state of the South African education system is woefully inadequate to support and sustain students’ interest in further studies, especially in the field of science and technology. The number of young scientists graduating from tertiary education facilities is very low and should be increased greatly during the next few years if South Africa is to progress technologically. The introduction on of an interactive science centre is one of the methods which could affect the youth and potentially spark their interest in science and technology. The current network of science centres in South Africa is unable to provide sufficient facilities to support the informal education sector.
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Ely, Joshua J. "Society and Science: Ancient Astronomy." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2012. https://dc.etsu.edu/honors/31.
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Astronomy is the oldest scientific field in human history. As such, it is linked heavily with Ancient History as a central part of understanding, scientific development and cultural appreciation in the world of antiquity. The goal of this thesis will be to investigate the importance of the ancient astronomers, their discoveries, the differences in cultural understandings of the universe due to environmental and political reasons, planets and the cosmos, and the impacts their discoveries had on the ancient world.
Primary sources will be various writings and documents by ancient astronomers and philosophers such as Eratosthenes, Hipparchus, Plato and the Pythagorean concept. Also to be consulted will be ancient documents that explain the cosmos and nature of this universe from the cultural aspect of the Egyptian, Maya, Mesopotamian, and Hellenistic civilizations. Secondary sources will a variety of modern historical and scientific writings about the history of astronomy. These will include Astronomy of the Ancients by Kenneth Brecher and Michael Feirtag, Ancient Egyptian Science by Marshall Clagett, and A History of The Ancient Mathematical Astronomy by Neugebauer. Also included will be modern sources that explain astronomical events and notions.
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Andrei, Elena mihaela. "Figures de l'excentricité dans la littérature française du XIXe siècle : le cas des Illuminés de Gérard de Nerval." Phd thesis, Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Etienne, 2013. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00977376.
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L'excentricité, comprise généralement au sens littéral (terme emprunté à l'astronomie et à la géométrie) qu'au sens symbolique (l'excentricité comme catégorie esthétique), représente une notion clé qui dynamise et définit l'acte de l'écriture de Gérard de Nerval, sa pensée et son âme, non seulement dans Les Illuminés, mais aussi dans son oeuvre entière. En gros, elle est constitutive de l'acte de la création littéraire de Nerval~ elle détermine et active la pensée de l'auteur, ses gestes et comportements, sa raison et folie, ses doutes, certitudes, credos, ainsi que ses aspirations.L'excentricité abordée en tant que métaphore est dans l'écriture de Nerval un catalyseur de thèmes, d'idées profondes et de mouvements, compte tenu que la métaphore n'est pas une simple figure rhétorique, mais le moteur de la génération et de la régénération du sens. De même, notre apport consiste dans le propos d'une nouvelle dimension de recherche sur l'excentricité, à savoir l'analyse de cette notion en tant qu'instrument d'étude. Le but n'est pas, bien entendu, de se proposer une approche exhaustive de l'excentricité, respectivement de l'excentrique, et cela parce que ces notions débordent le cadre linguistique. Au lieu de conceptualiser les termes, nous nous penchons plutôt sur le mécanisme de fonctionnement de ces notions, renvoyant simultanément à la notion de centre et à la sortie du centre.Les notions d'"excentricité", respectivement d'"excentrique" ne peuvent pas être conçues d'une façon absolue, comme des objets constitués une fois pour toutes, c'est pourquoi l'analyse de leurs sens ou significations demande d'ouvrir un champ plus vaste de recherche qui nepeut pas délaisser les contenus idéologique, historique, philosophique, religieux et littéraire du XIXe siècle, dans lesquels ces notions naissent et s'enrichissent.
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Hassmund, David. "WSC Wind Science Centre : Centret för vindenergi." Thesis, Mittuniversitetet, Avdelningen för industridesign, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-20246.
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Målet med projektet har varit att designa en byggnad där information om vindkraft kan presenteras. Utgångspunkten iprojektet har varit upplevelsen med ett antal studier som grund. Området som berörs är Borgsjö som är optimalt läge fördenna typ av informationsbyggnad. Genom studiebesök, enkätundersökning, intervjuer och analys har ett antal konceptframställts. För att engagera besökarna så har även en enhet för utomhusbruk tagits fram där användaren med sin egenstyrka kan generera elektricitet och jämföra med miniverket. Slutkonceptet är en sluten byggnad med en interaktiv projektionoch statisk informatoin med interaktiva möjligheter på motsatt sida. Pekskärmar visade dig vara ett föredraget interaktionsmediumtillsammans med projektorn, alternativet pekskärm har dock valts bort i slutkonceptet till fördel för denstatiska lösningen.
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Palacpac, Eric Parala. "Science-Society interface in the Philippines." Thesis, University of Leeds, 2009. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.515554.
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Reza, Faisal 1980. "Human cloning : science, ethics, policy, society." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/29582.
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Thesis (B.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Program in Science, Technology, and Society, 2003.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-74).
The interplay of science, ethics, policy and society contribute to our understanding of and relation with human cloning. Genetic science and technology at the end of the twentieth century has permitted successful cloning of mammals and other animals. Such advancement has raised key ethical issues regarding the prospect of cloning human beings. Evaluation of these issues has led to policies aimed at regulating this novel technology. In tum, these policies strive to prepare our society for the scientific possibilities and ethical implications of human cloning.
by Faisal Reza.
B.S.
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Lundberg, Karin. "Citizens and Contemporary Science Ways to dialogue in science centre contexts." Thesis, Högskolan Dalarna, Vetenskapskommunikation, 2005. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:du-2536.
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The current paper presents a study conducted at At-Bristol Science Centre, UK. It is a front-end evaluation for the “Live Science Zone” at At-Bristol, which will be built during the autumn of 2004. It will provide a facility for programmed events and shows, non-programmed investigative activities and the choice of passive or active exploration of current scientific topics. The main aim of the study is to determine characteristics of what kind of techniques to use in the Live Science Zone. The objectives are to explore what has already been done at At-Bristol, and what has been done at other science centres, and to identify successful devices. The secondary aim is mapping what sorts of topics that visitors are actually interested in debating. The methods used in the study are deep qualitative interviews with professionals working within the field of science communication in Europe and North America, and questionnaires answered by visitors to At-Bristol. The results show that there are some gaps between the intentions of the professionals and the opinions of the visitors, in terms of opportunities and willingness for dialogue in science centre activities. The most popular issue was Future and the most popular device was Film.
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Schmitt, Daniel. "Expérience de visite et construction des connaissances : le cas des musées de sciences et des centres de culture scientifique." Phd thesis, Université de Strasbourg, 2012. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00802163.
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Pouvons-nous saisir, comprendre et décrire l'expérience de visite dans un musée ? Cette étude aborde l'expérience des visiteurs à partir d'une perspective énactive comme ce qui fait sens du point de vue du visiteur dans le cours de sa visite. Les principaux résultats portent sur une méthode d'investigation originale dans le champ muséal qui autorise un nouveau point de vue sur l'expérience des visiteurs dans les musées. Nous montrons que l'analyse du cours d'expérience réalisée à partir d'un entretien en re-situ subjectif permet de décrire et de comprendre les unités élémentaires de l'expérience des visiteurs, ainsi que l'expérience globale de visite avec précision, finesse et profondeur. Nous mettons en évidence les actions et les cheminements cognitifs des visiteurs qui concourent à la construction de leurs connaissances et nous proposons des cours d'expérience typiques aux visites de musées.
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Koekemoer, Hannes. "A descriptive study of offender on offender assaults in Pollsmoor Medium B Correctional Centre." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25049.
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In recent years, Correctional Centre violence has been much debated. Although the literature on violence is well developed, little is known about the nature and extent of violence in South African Correctional Centres, despite widespread concern and speculation. Furthermore, it is unclear whether this particular context of violence is due to the often hostile environment of Correctional Centres, or due to violent nature of inmates held in custody. This research study aims to investigate Correctional Centre violence in a South African Correctional Centre, looking specifically at offender-on-offender assaults that occurred in Pollsmoor Medium B Correctional Centre, by looking at assault incident reports and investigations. Discourse and thematic analysis was applied to single out the nature and contexts of the assaults reported. It was found that the assaults usually took place in certain spaces and times, but also that perpetrators and victims of violence often shared various commonalities. Additionally, certain units seemed more prone to violence than others, related to the finding that there were definite indications of spaces controlled by inmates and spaces controlled by correctional Officers. The study concludes that violence in South African Correctional Centres cannot be seen isolated from the offender, the outside world and their backgrounds.
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Fu, Shun Tom. "I.T. museum & E-learning Centre." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2002. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B31986420.
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Stankevičiūtė, Veslava. "Kokybės vadybos sistemų diegimas mokslo centre." Master's thesis, Lithuanian Academic Libraries Network (LABT), 2005. http://vddb.library.lt/obj/LT-eLABa-0001:E.02~2005~D_20050627_105236-91678.
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Development of science and science institutions, science situation in Lithuania is reviewed in this work. Also analysis of statistical data of science researches is shown, the possibility of innovation in Western Europe and in Lithuania. The conception of science center was described. The management structure of the science center was studying in this work. In assistance of these definitions was created the model of the quality management systems implementation in science center. Quality management system is created by ISO 9001:2000 requirements. To perfect the activity of science center is implementing quality management systems. However, it is not enough the benefit of the quality management system for organizations but they needs the useful application of these systems in standard for its activity and business. Questionnaire of Lithuanian science officers was organized to evaluate the factors influenced for quality of science center activity. Data was analyzing and the model of quality of science center activity perfection was created, which main variables are time, information bases, financial resources, personnel qualification, and technological (laboratory) equipment.
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Oppenheim, Beth T. "The periphery as the centre: trajectories of responsibility and community support in contemporary Maputo, Mozambique." Doctoral thesis, University of Cape Town, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25403.
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Development researchers have long held a belief that developed states use their power to provide Aid or other forms of external assistance such as private philanthropy, assistance of Non-Governmental Organisations, and other private financing to underdeveloped, or developing, nations to achieve global economic and political stability. Development scholars (including geographers) have largely attributed this to a sense of responsibility. Many have assumed this assistance to travel in one direction, i.e. from Global North to Global South, thus overlooking the modalities of care and hospitality among individuals within countries of the Global South. In this thesis, I posit that looking at everyday modes of assistance at the community level would challenge scholars to re-think the ways in which place matters in development. Analysing qualitative data gathered through interviews and focus groups in two neighbourhoods in Maputo, Mozambique, this study is ultimately an investigation of proximity. I argue that the closeness of people in these complex community relationships matters in three ways: (i) the everyday practices of assistance in these communities are modes of resistance to an oppressive state; (ii) forms of assistance serve as expressions of local (as opposed to national) identity; and (iii) religious institutions play a significant role in fostering public discourse, rather than motivating assistance itself. In speaking more specifically about how proximity matters, this study contributes uniquely to the growing realisation that development must come from within.
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Jafari, Rad Shirin. "Time, knowledge & space sharing : Science & Discovery Centre - Lund Science Village." Thesis, KTH, Arkitektur, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-133493.
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The buildings face into the landscape & influence the urban fabric around where the sculptural interplay of the envelope & ground transforms onto its glass facades. Here time, ideas, space & knowledge is shared by creating environments where the participants can inform & be re-informed by the adaptiveness of the architecture surrounded. The dynamic of the spaces generates creative thinking & increases the social interaction & sharing throughout the transformational sequences giving various spatial experiences.Byggnaderna står i landskapet och påverkar stadsstrukturen runtom där det skulpturala samspelet utav höljet & marken transformeras på dess glasfasader. Här kommer tid, idéer, utrymme och kunskap delas genom skapandet av miljöer där deltagarna kan informera och åter-informeras av arkitektur omgiven. Dynamiken i rummen genererar kreativt tänkande och ökar den sociala interaktionen & utbytet emellan genom de transformbara sekvenserna i de olika rumsliga upplevelserna.
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Daneshpour, Negar. "Time, knowledge & space sharing : Science & Discovery Centre - Lund Science Village." Thesis, KTH, Arkitektur, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-123064.
Full textAbstract:
The buildings face into the landscape & influence the urban fabric around where the sculptural interplay of the envelope & ground transforms onto its glass facades. Here time, ideas, space & knowledge is shared by creating environments where the participants can inform & be re-informed by the adaptiveness of the architecture surrounded. The dynamic of the spaces generates creative thinking & increases the social interaction & sharing throughout the transformational sequences giving various spatial experiences.Byggnaderna står i landskapet och påverkar stadsstrukturen runtom där det skulpturala samspelet utav höljet & marken transformeras på dess glasfasader. Här kommer tid, idéer, utrymme och kunskap delas genom skapandet av miljöer där deltagarna kan informera och åter-informeras av arkitektur omgiven. Dynamiken i rummen genererar kreativt tänkande och ökar den sociala interaktionen & utbytet emellan genom de transformbara sekvenserna i de olika rumsliga upplevelserna.
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Hay, Gordon Lindsay. "Ideology, science, and discourse in contemporary society." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1996. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp05/mq22049.pdf.
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Hartwick, Elaine R., and Louise Zimmer. "The dialectic relation between society and science." Thesis, Boston University, 1985. https://hdl.handle.net/2144/30810.
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Thesis (M.A.)--Boston UniversityPLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you.
The questions examined are central to the ongoing debate in science, which encompasses two general positions when answering the question, what is science? One position is the positivist tradition which views science as objective and value-free, while the other more structural tradition views science as value-laden. It was the latter position we adopted in handling the material.
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Dick, Barbara Kathleen. "Modern Arabic science fiction : science, society and religion in selected texts." Thesis, Durham University, 2016. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/11907/.
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This thesis examines a selection of original SF or SF-inflected texts written in Arabic from the 1960s to the present day. It is a thematic study, considering their presentation of and attitudes to science and technology, utopias and ideal societies and religion. Although some critics attempt to figure SF as a continuation of the Thousand and One Nights fantastical tradition and the mirabile literature of the Middle Ages, Arabic science fiction, as an essentially modern genre, traces its earliest origins to the late 1950s in Egypt. It has experienced several sudden efflorescences during the following decades in the texts of a handful of authors, most of whom are Egyptian. In the past ten years, following a 2006 seminal essay by Iraqi-German engineer and SF critic Achmed Khammas on “The Almost Complete Lack of the Element of ‘Futureness’”, media and academic interest in Arabic science fiction has burgeoned, with both established (Ahmed Khalid Towfik) and new (Noura Noman) authors publishing in the genre in the past five years. In light of the relative lack of criticism of the Arabic corpus, this thesis seeks to begin the project of conducting a full critical study through a reading of selected texts from the 1960s to the present day, the majority of which have not previously been translated into English. The approach taken is broadly sociological, examining the texts in the light of three themes outlined above – science, ideal societies and the treatment of religion - that frequently frame SF criticism in English.
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Islam, Md Khademul. "Pupils' interaction with a Science Centre: Communication perspective analysis." Thesis, Högskolan Dalarna, Vetenskapskommunikation, 2005. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:du-2535.
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The purpose of this study was to investigate pupils’ knowledge about science and what role science center is playing as a medium of communication to increase knowledge among students. This study also tried to find out pupils’ interaction: how they use science center as a source of scientific information, what they learn from their visit to a science center, their pattern of communication with it. This project also measured attraction, holding and learning power of exhibits of the science center at Dalarna University in Borlänge and learning power of planetarium program and slide show of Stella Nova Planetarium at Dalarna University.The subjects of this study consisted of students of class seven and eight and teachers of an urban school in Borlänge, Sweden. To find out students’ learning in a science center a pre and post visit test were conducted through questionnaires. Interview method by questionnaires was also used to explore pupils’ interaction with science center.The results of this study show that students learn by their visit to a science center but learning was not statistically significant (0.05).Girls learnt better than boys. School classes that have better pre-knowledge about science before a visit to a science center learnt worse than other classes having less pre-knowledge. Girls and boys interact with a science center in different ways. Science center is playing important role as a science communicator.
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Thomas, Geoffrey. "A virtual musical instrument exhibit for a science centre." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Department of Computer Science, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/3992.
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Virtual reality is a technology rapidly gaining interest from research and commercial
groups around the world, but it's introduction into New Zealand has been slow. The
majority of the general public have no concept of virtual reality, and only a few research
institutes have begun virtual reality programmes of any sort.
Partially this is due to the high cost of 'off the shelf' virtual reality systems, which
is usually beyond the range of many organisations. Also the complexity of the software
and the knowledge required to create and manipulate this software makes it a daunting
prospect for many.
This work describes the development of an economical system for the demonstration
of virtual reality and some of its concepts and applications to the general public, in
the form of an educational science centre exhibit. The system creates virtual musical
instruments, overlayed onto the real world, and the user experiences these instruments
as if they were in physical existence.
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Seekings, Jeremy, Khehla Shubane, and David Simon Simon. "An evaluation of the European community / Kagiso Trust Civic and Advice Centre Programme." Commission of the European Communities, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66010.
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This report evaluates the Civic and Advice Centres Programme (CACP) administered by Kagiso Trust (KT) with funds from, primarily, the Commission of the European Communities (CEC). Between 1987 and 1992 over R 13 mn was disbursed through this programme. The authors of this report were appointed by the CEC and KT as consultants in November 1992. This is our final report. This report is the product of an evaluation conducted by the consultants in accordance with Terms of Reference defined by the CEC and KT. As such the report does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of either the CEC or KT. It is important to indicate clearly what this report is and is not. It is a report for the funding organizations - KT and the CEC - on their funding of civics and advice centres. It is not a study of civics and advice centres perse. There are important aspects of the civic movement which are not examined here. Our recommendations are offered to the funding organizations. Neither our analysis nor our recommendations are intended to be prescriptive of or for civics and advice centres. It is up to civics and advice centres to assess their own experiences and to choose their own routes into the post-apartheid future. Our concern here in this report has merely been to point out to the funders how their funds have been used, and how funds might be constructively used in future to further the democratisation of governmental and developmental processes. The consultants are grateful to all of the individuals and organizations who were able to spare time to discuss with us their experiences and perceptions of the CACP. They are too many to name here, but they are listed in Annex B. Our role as consultants has been in part to collate the many incisive comments made to us in our many discussions around the country. There are few suggestions here which have not been made by one or other of our interviewees. We are grateful to the CEC and KT for the assistance they provided. At KT’s head office we have been extensively assisted by Spencer Malongete, Pam Hamese and Muzwandile Lumka. We are grateful also to the staff of the KT regional offices who met with us and helped to schedule appointments with projects. Kagiso Trust organised a reference group for the consultants which on two occasions generously criticised early drafts of the report. It has not been easy to co-ordinate the work of three consultants based in Cape Town, London and Johannesburg. Our research was originally divided on a geographical basis. Jeremy Seekings examined the CACP in Cape Town, the Eastern Cape and Border, and parts of the Orange Free State. Khehla Shubane examined the CACP in the Transvaal and Natal. David Simon conducted research in parts of the Transvaal, Southern Cape, and Cape Town. Most of the sections of the report were drafted by one or other of the consultants, and revised in light of comments from one or both of the other consultants. Jeremy Seekings was primarily responsible for sections 2.4, 3, 4, 5, 7.1 and 8. David Simon was primarily responsible for sections 1, 2.2 and 2.3, 6.6, 7.2 and 7.3, and 10. Jeremy Seekings and David Simon drafted the rest of section 6. Khehla Shubane was primarily responsible for section 9 and the executive summary, and made extensive inputs into sections 3.3 and 5.
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Hallim, Robyn. "Marie Corelli science, society and the best seller /." University of Sydney. English, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/521.
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Issues which faced Britain in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries include the effects of new scientific theories on traditional religious belief, the impact of technological innovation, the implications of mass literacy and the changing role of women. This thesis records how such issues are reflected in contemporary literature, focusing on the emergence of popular culture and the best seller, a term which conflates author and novel. The first English best seller was Marie Corelli and, by way of introduction, Part I offers a summary of her life and her novels and a critical overview of her work. Part II of the thesis examines how the theory of evolution undermined traditional religious belief and prompted the search for a new creed able to defy materialism and reconcile science and religion. Contemporary literature mirrors the consequent interest in spiritualism during the 1890s and the period immediately following the Great War, and critical readings of Corelli�s A Romance of Two Worlds and The Life Everlasting demonstrate that these novels - which form the nucleus of her personal theology, the Electric Creed - are based on selections from the New Testament, occultism and, in particular, science and spiritualism. Part III of the thesis looks at the emergence of �the woman question�, the corresponding backlash by conservatives and the ways in which these conflicting views are explored in the popular literature of the time. A critical examination of the novella, My Wonderful Wife, reveals how Corelli uses social Darwinism in an ambivalent critique of the New Woman. Several of Corelli�s essays are discussed, showing that her views about the role of women were complex. A critical analysis of The Secret Power engages with Corelli�s peculiar kind of feminism, which would deny women the vote but envisages female scientists inventing and operating airships in order to secure the future of the human race. Interest in Marie Corelli has re-emerged recently, particularly in occult and feminist circles. Corelli�s immense popularity also makes her an important figure in cultural studies. This thesis adds to the body of knowledge about Corelli in that it consciously endeavours to avoid spiritualist or feminist ideological frameworks, instead using contemporary science as a context for examining her work.
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Kemp, Stephen. "Reconciling science and society : a critical historicist approach." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2001. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/22369.
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This thesis criticises a pervasive dualism in the philosophy of social sciences, the division between natural science and society. It argues that analysis which relies on this division misrepresents both natural scientific investigation and other social activities. From a dualistic perspective, those activities that allow a successful interaction with the material world, typically associated with natural science, are held to have a non-social aspect. Their theories (or 'meanings') are said to have a ground outside of the historical development and change which is characteristic of other social practices. It is this ground which is held to explain the progressive character of science. Conversely, those activities that are seen as fully social in character are theorised as if they were not variably successful in the achievement of their goals. As an alternative to this division, a 'critical historicist' approach is developed, drawing on post-positivist philosophy of science. It is argued that all social activities, including scientific investigation, are constituted by meanings, develop historically (rather than having a non-historical foundation), and are variably successful in character. This conception of social activity is then used to criticise existing philosophies of social science for their dualistic approach. Both anti-naturalistic approaches, represented by structuration theory, and naturalistic approaches, represented by realism, are considered. Structuration theory argues that natural science and other social practices are distinct because the latter involve issues of meaning not encountered in the former. This claim is challenged, and it is argued that issues of meaning are the same in natural science and other social activities. Although realism's analysis of social life is inspired by natural scientific investigation, it also distinguishes the properties of the two, suggesting that social activity involves both an 'objective' (scientific) aspect and a 'social' aspect. The thesis argues that this separation leads to analytical incoherence, and an indefensible conception of both 'science' and 'society'. It is suggested that the adoption of a critical historicist approach would remove this incoherence.
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White, Avery F. "An Open Society: Robert Nozick’s Utopian Project." The Ohio State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1565805139549975.
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Lay, Jean-Pierre. "Le centre sous la Ve République." Lyon 3, 1988. http://www.theses.fr/1988LYO23016.
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Le centre est une position politique dont l'existence meme est contestee. Pourtant, elle est assez souvent revendiquee par differents partis politiques car elle peut apparaitre avantageuse a bien des egards. Toutefois, selon nous, seules certaines formations politiques peuvent reellement s'en prevaloir. Deux grandes familles politiques ont ete retenues dans cette etude : la famille radicale d'une part qui comprend deux formations le parti radical valoisien et le mouvement des radicaux de gauche, et la famille democrete-chretienne d'autre part qui est representee par le centre des democrates sociaux. Ces familles politiques ont connues bien des difficultes sous la cinquieme republique a tel point qu'on aurait pu penser qu'elles allaient disparaitre. Cependant, en depit du mode de scrutin aux legislatives et de l'election du president de la republique au suffrage universel direct, elles sont parvenues a se maintenir. Mieux meme, a la toute derniere periode un groupe politique se reclame a nouveau du centre a l'assemblee nationale. Mais le centre ne constitue plus l'axe de la politique francaise et la bipolarisation reste toujours tres forte. De 1969 a 1986 la majeure partie du centre s'est progressivement alliee a droite. En 1988 on peut se demander si un mouvement inverse n'est pas engageCenter is a political position which existence is contested. Still, she is rather often claimed by differents political parties because she can appear advantageous in many respects. Yet, after us, only certain political formations can really take advantage of it. Two great political families has been selected in this study : radical family on one side which is divided in two formations : the "parti radical valoisien" and the "mouvement des radicaux de gauche", and the family of the christian democracy on the other side which is representated by the centre des democrates sociaux". These political families have known too many difficulties under the fifth republic to such an extent that we should have thought that she went to disappear. Meanwhile, in spite of mode of poll for parliamentary elctions (assemblee nationale only) and in spite of the election of the president of the republic at the direct universal suffrage, they have succeeded to maintain them. Best same, at the all last period a political group claims again from center at the "assemblee nationale". But center don't constitute the axis of french politic and bipolarisation remains always very strong. From 1969 till 1986 major part of center has progressively join the right. In 1988 we can ask if an inverse movement is not engaged
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Martin, Claudette. "Examining Visitor Attitudes and Motivations at a Space Science Centre." Thesis, Högskolan Dalarna, Vetenskapskommunikation, 2004. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:du-1162.
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The H.R. MacMillan Space Centre is a multi-faceted organization whose mission is to educate, inspire and evoke a sense of wonder about the universe, our planet and space exploration. As a popular, Vancouver science centre, it faces the same range of challenges and issues as other major attractions: how does the Space Centre maintain a healthy public attendance in an increasingly competitive market where visitors continue to be presented with an increasingly rich range of choices for their leisure spending and entertainment dollars?This front-end study investigated visitor attitudes, thoughts and preconceptions on the topic of space and astronomy. It also examined visitors’ motivations for coming to a space science centre. Useful insights were obtained which will be applied to improve future programme content and exhibit development.
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Lemmon, Danielle Kelly. "An outcome evaluation of the Centre of Science and Technology." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25363.
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Globally education policy, practice and research has emphasized the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) secondary schools in diminishing the skills-gap in STEM disciplines. This research presents an outcome evaluation of a STEM-focused secondary school in the Western Cape of South Africa. The evaluation focused on the academic performance of the COSAT learners in comparison to learners who did not form part of the programme. Additionally, the evaluation focused on the retention of COSAT alumni in STEM disciplines. With increased academic performance of COSAT learners as well as the long-term retention of learners in the STEM field this research provides evidence of the intermediate and long-term impact of a STEM secondary school.
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Joshi, Ayush. "The germinal centre artificial immune system." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2017. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/7532/.
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This thesis deals with the development and evaluation of the Germinal centre artificial immune system (GC-AIS) which is a novel artificial immune system based on advancements in the understanding of the germinal centre reaction of the immune system. The key research questions addressed in this thesis are: can an artificial immune system (AIS) be designed by taking inspiration from recent developments in immunology to tackle multi-objective optimisation problems? How can we incorporate desirable features of the immune system like diversity, parallelism and memory into this proposed AIS? How does the proposed AIS compare with other state of the art techniques in the field of multi-objective optimisation problems? How can we incorporate the learning component of the immune system into the algorithm and investigate the usefulness of memory in dynamic scenarios? The main contributions of the thesis are: • Understanding the behaviour and performance of the proposed GC-AIS on multiobjective optimisation problems and explaining its benefits and drawbacks, by comparing it with simple baseline and state of the art algorithms. • Improving the performance of GC-AIS by incorporating a popular technique from multi-objective optimisation. By overcoming its weaknesses the capability of the improved variant to compete with the state of the art algorithms is evaluated. • Answering key questions on the usefulness of incorporating memory in GC-AIS in a dynamic scenario.
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Judson, Tracey F. "Civil society, second society and the breakdown of Communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe : Poland, Czechoslovakia and Romania." Thesis, Loughborough University, 1999. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/33163.
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This thesis proceeds from the premise that the demise of the Communist systems of rule in Eastern Europe is not fully explicable using ''traditional" theories of transition or democratisation. This thesis is, therefore, concerned initially with the limitations of existing theoretical frameworks. It proposes a line of enquiry that accounts for the breakdown of Communism through an analysis of a domestic variable: second society. In particular, it addresses the question of why the former European Communist regimes experienced differing modes of breakdown in 1989. The thesis adopts a comparative approach and focuses on the three different cases of Poland, Czechoslovakia and Romania. By comparing them, it analyses the extent to which variations in the modes of breakdown can be explained by the second society variable. The case studies are divided into three sections. The first considers the historical issues and factors that conditioned the nature of the Communist regime and of emerging opposition. The second analyses the development of second society within each country and the third section considers the impact of second society on the mode of regime breakdown in 1989. The thesis concludes that the case studies , demonstrate a causal relationship between the second society variable and the mode of breakdown experienced by the Communist regimes.
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Abramsky, R. S. "Lay empowerment in science." Thesis, Loughborough University, 1999. https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/33212.
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The thesis examines the nature and effectiveness of the communications system by which information about science reaches those not professionally involved with the subject. The range and diversity of individual engagements with science, has been explored, as have the links between such engagements and people's other non-professional activities and objectives.
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Jolibert, Catherine. "Governance of Biodiversity: Bringing together society, policy and science." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/117448.
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Esta investigación está motivada por dos observaciones. En primer lugar, la constatación de que, a pesar de la multiplicación de directivas, leyes e iniciativas, la biodiversidad continúa disminuyendo. En segundo lugar, el reconocimiento de que la biodiversidad articula consideraciones sociales, políticas y científicas. En este marco, la pérdida de biodiversidad requiere de un análisis teórico en tres dimensiones, teniendo en cuenta las cuestiones sociales y éticas (¿cuál es el valor de la biodiversidad?), políticas (¿cuáles son los mecanismos legítimos para proteger la biodiversidad?) y epistemológicas (¿cómo podemos entender la biodiversidad?). Esta tesis presenta una conceptualización de la biodiversidad teniendo en cuenta estos tres niveles. Se discute cómo podemos mejorar la gobernanza de la biodiversidad desde estas tres perspectivas, poniendo así en relieve las bases sociales, políticas y científicas que la humanidad necesita entender y apoyar si quiere tratar de forma efectiva la cuestión de la protección de la biodiversidad.
Para responder a esta pregunta, he enfocado mi investigación en las interfaces entre los actores clave de la investigación europea en biodiversidad. Adopto un punto de vista normativo según el cual las investigaciones que incluyen a las partes interesadas son por definición más ‘sociales’. En este contexto, los objectivos de esta tesis son: (i) pasar de un enfoque antropocéntrico basado en las necesidades humanas hacia otro más global y ecosistémico, (ii) poner de relieve las perspectivas que reconocen los procesos politicos de gobernanza de abajo a arriba, (iii) avanzar hacia procesos poliédricos y multidireccionales de producción y transferencia de conocimientos, y (iv) convertir las tensiones y desafios relacionados con la investigación intercultural e interdisciplinaria en oportunidades.
Para cumplir estos objetivos, la tesis se apoya en cuatro estudios que valoran críticamente (i) la extensión del Modelo de Desarrollo de Escala Humana hacia lo no-humano como parte del análisis de los conflictos ambientales en el sur de Europa, (ii) dos mecanismos de gobernanza: la participación de los actores no gubernamentales y la producción de escenarios para la planificación ambiental en Europa occidental, (iii) los niveles y formas de involucramiento de los participantes en los proyectos europeos de investigación en biodiversidad (FP6) y el impacto de un enfoque más participativo, y (iv) los retos y oportunidades que surgen cuando nueve estudiantes de Doctorado escriben sus tesis a partir de sus proyectos de investigación interdisciplinarios (GoverNat).
Para mejorar la gobernanza de la biodiversidad, propongo una visión holistica de las necesidades humanas y no humanas, reconociendo el valor intrínseco del mundo de los seres vivos (la dimensión social del concepto de biodiversidad, capítulo 1); fortalecer la vida comunitaria presente y futura promoviendo los procesos de toma de decisión colectivos de abajo a arriba (dimensión política del concepto de biodiversidad, capítulo 2); involucrar y compartir las experiencias de las partes interesadas claves, creando redes locales para la co-construcción de un conocimiento común (dimensión científica del concepto de biodiversidad, capítulo 3); y generar las condiciones para permitir la comunicación interdisciplinaria (capitulo 4).
Esta tesis ofrece argumentos y herramientas para justificar la protección de la biodiversidad en sus dimensiones social, política y científicas, en un contexto interdisciplinario. Tambièn alimenta el debate sobre el diseño de las políticas públicas. A partir de ahora, necesitamos apoyar un enfoque integrador de la gobernanza basado en las necesidades fundamentales y en el cual el público esté involucrado. Esto permetirá una reflexión inclusiva, permanente pero dinámica sobre las propuestas futuras de políticas ambientales.This research is underpinned by two observations: despite man-made directives, laws and initiatives, biodiversity is still shrinking; and the very concept of biodiversity combines societal, political and scientific considerations. The challenge of biodiversity loss therefore requires us to consider a three-layered theoretical framework that contains social and ethical (what are the values of biodiversity?), political (what are the legitimate mechanisms by which biodiversity can be protected?) and epistemological questions (how can we understand biodiversity?). In this thesis I develop this three-layered understanding of biodiversity and of the general issue of how we may best improve biodiversity governance from these three viewpoints in order to highlight the social, political and scientific foundations that humanity must understand and support if it is to address the issue of biodiversity protection in an effective way. To respond to this question, I focus on science-stakeholders interfaces in the field of European biodiversity research. I adopt a normative standpoint in which research that includes stakeholders was by definition more ‘social’, integrating human needs and the impact of human activity as fundamentals that should be considered if we are to meet the environmental challenges of the present and the future. In this context, the objectives of this thesis are (i) to shift from an anthropocentric human needs-based approach to a more global and ecosystemic one, (ii) to highlight perspectives that acknowledge the redistribution of state functions towards non-state, and bottom up environmental governance process, (iii) to shift toward multi-faceted, multi-directional process of knowledge production and transfer, and (iv) to turn the tensions and challenges related to interdisciplinary and intercultural research for sustainable development into opportunities. To reach these objectives, the thesis builds on four case studies that cover a critical assessment of (i) the extension of the Human-scale Development model to non-humans in analysing environmental conflict in South Europe, (ii) two mechanisms of governance: the participation of non-state actors and scenario-building for environmental planning in Western Europe, (iii) the level and modalities of stakeholder engagement in EU-funded FP6 biodiversity research projects and the impact of a more participatory approach, and (iv) the challenges and opportunities that arise when nine PhD students set out to write a doctoral dissertation within an interdisciplinary research project (GoverNat). To improve biodiversity governance, I therefore propose a holistic view of human and non-human needs, recognizing the intrinsic value of the living world (i.e. the social dimension of the concept of biodiversity, chapter 1); strengthen community life present and future, encouraging bottom-to-top collective decision-making (i.e. political dimension of the concept of biodiversity, chapter 2); involve and share experiences of key stakeholders, creating local networks for the co-construction of common knowledge (i.e. scientific dimension of the concept of biodiversity, chapter 3); and enable interdisciplinary communication and networks that require time and patience (chapter 4). This thesis offers arguments and tools to justify the protection of biodiversity in its social, political and scientific dimensions, and therefore also in an interdisciplinary context. It also feeds the debate on sustainable public policy-making. From now on, we need to support an integrative approach to governance in which the public are involved based on fundamental needs. This would enable an inclusive, permanent but dynamic reflexion on future environmental policy proposals.
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Kawana, Y. "John Stuart Mill's projected science of society, 1827-1848." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 2009. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/18561/.
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The purpose of the thesis is to examine John Stuart Mill’s political thought from about 1827 to 1848 as an exercise in intellectual history. It focuses, first, on Mill’s view, formulated by the late 1830s, that contemporary society was ‘civilized’, and second, on his project of a science of society, which he aspired to develop in the late 1830s and early 1840s. By the late 1830s, Mill came to the view that his contemporary society was a ‘commercial society or civilization’, dominated by the middle, commercial class. The first part of my thesis, constituted by Chapters 2-4, discusses the way in which Mill formed his notion of civilization, and what he meant by the term ‘civilization’. Mill paid attention to the implications of the rise of the middle class, and regarded such phenomena of contemporary society as the corruption of the commercial spirit and excessive social conformity as an inevitable consequence of the rise of the middle class. The second part of the thesis, constituted by Chapters 5-9, examines Mill’s projected science of society. In the late 1830s and early 1840s, Mill attempted to develop a new science of society whose subject-matter was the nature and prospects of commercial, civilized society. This aspiration culminated in A System of Logic, published in 1843. In examining Mill’s projected science, I pay particular attention to the fact that he conceived new sciences of history and of the formation of character, both of which were indispensable in his project, although he failed to give a complete account of these sciences. My thesis shows that the implications of his interest both in history and in the formation of character are more significant than Mill scholars have assumed.
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Crosswhite, F. S. "Editorial - Trivia, Computers, Research, American Society, and Plant Science." University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ), 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/554217.
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Catford, Andrew Robert, and andrew catford@worldvision com au. "Putting the Community in the Centre: Towards Effective Village-Based Planning and Development in Vietnam." RMIT University. Global Studies, Social Science and Planning, 2008. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20080731.114440.
Full textAbstract:
In addition to successful economic reforms, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) is also in the process of implementing reforms in the areas of civil society, decentralisation and grassroots democracy, within what is generally considered a strong state environment. Relevant research argues that uninhibited democracy, decentralisation and civil society are important elements in achieving what has been popularly termed community 'participation' by development practitioners. This process was particularly assisted by the release of the grassroots democracy decree of 1998 and its subsequent update in 2003 that set out the details of what Vietnam required from the village and commune levels as part of the reform process. Interestingly, it is also these two levels that form the dividing line between government and community in Vietnam. Although there have been several studies investigating the strengths and weaknesses of the implementation of the grassroots democracy decree and other related policies, village-based planning and development programs, which are a development approach piloted by several non-government organisations (NGOs) and donors to address these issues, have not been comprehensively evaluated. These programs, which are generally long-term, area-based, holistic and integrated, have frequently been observed to deliver many of the relevant elements within the larger notions of democracy, decentralisation, civil society and participation. The research explores the effectiveness of village-based planning and development approaches within the Vietnamese context using both quality and quantity criteria to assess elements of program effectiveness, focussing primarily on community level perspectives. Four projects of a selected international non-government organisation (INGO), were used as a detailed case study utilising a combination of qualitative focus groups and interviews, complimented by two quantitative household interviews. These community opinions were triangulated against the opinion of other key stakeholders including government, bilateral and multilateral aid donors, as well as Vietnamese and International NGOs involved in such approaches. The research highlights that with careful attention, village-based planning and development approaches do have the ability to more effectively allow the community to be put back into the 'centre of development' in Vietnam, rather than being passive recipients or marginalised by the development process. A set of seven key elements that contribute to more effective village-based planning and development approaches in Vietnam has been outlined in this thesis. It is hoped that these key elements might be further utilised by donor, NGO and government agencies to support the appropriate replication and up-scaling of the approaches to enable development needs and poverty to be more effectively reduced in Vietnam However, the approaches are not without their challenges, in particular in terms of achieving integrated planning from village to national level, being flexible enough for the variety of ethnic minority and geographical areas, effectively involving a broad and appropriate range of individuals and organised civil society groups and, perhaps most importantly, taking the approaches beyond the current few pilot programs to a national scale that forms a more integral part of the government's overall poverty reduction strategy.
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Frémont, Jean-Pierre. "La quadrature du centre : histoire du centre en France de 1945 à 1998." Paris 1, 1998. http://www.theses.fr/1998PA010317.
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Parmi les historiens des familles politiques à l'époque contemporaine, rares sont ceux qui ont abordé le centre, tandis que la droite comme la gauche font l'objet d'une abondante littérature dans laquelle se comptent nombre d'œuvres magistrales. Pour le centre en revanche, l'impression d'une histoire éclatée domine largement. La question est en effet envisagée par les auteurs sous l'angle des partis et des courants, ce qui contribue à donner une vision morcelée de celui-ci. À l'issue de cette étude sur le centre en France, de 1945 à nos jours, force est de constater la persistance de l'ambiguïté liée à cette notion. Il n'y a pas durant cette période un centre unique et clairement identifie sur l'échiquier politique, mais des centres ou plutôt des avatars du centre, successifs ou concomitantsContemporary, few historians in political families talked about the centre; however, those from the left and right parties are subjected to a plentiful literature including many masterly works. Nevertheless, for the centre, we can notice a domination of an historical explosion. The writers through the parties and trends considered the question, which gives a break up vision of this one. At the conclusion of this study about the centre party in france from 1945 to nowadays, we can notice that this subject is still ambiguous. During this period, it didn't exist a unique and identified party on political affairs, but many centres or even successive or concomitant avatars of the centre
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Beiers, Robin John. "Conceptions of sound before and after visiting an interactive science centre." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 1994. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36481/1/36481_Beiers_1994.pdf.
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Although formal science lessons are the major instruction tool used by teachers,
there is an increasing awareness that learning science from informal sources is
also a valid tool of teaching. This thesis describes a phenomenographic study of
the conceptions of sound held by a group of twenty-seven grade 7 students.
These conceptions, or categories of description, were collected before and after a
visit to an interactive science centre. The research questions forming the aims of
the research were: What conceptions of sound do these students hold? Do these
conceptions change after a visit to an interactive science centre?
To investigate the conceptions of sound held by students, individual interviews
were undertaken prior to the visit to the science centre. The students were
interviewed a second time after their visit. Discussion at both these interviews
was based around questions and stimulus material developed by the researcher to
help students focus on the production, reflection and transmission of sound. The
transcriptions of both sets of interviews were subjected to a phenomenographic
analysis.
Categories and sub-categories of description were found for three sub-concepts of
sound - sound production, sound reflection and sound transmission. Student
conceptualisations of sound which described these three sub-concepts of sound
were found to be stimulus related. The allocation of students to these categories
and sub-categories of description was verified by an independent judge. An interjudge
reliability rate of over 90% was found for each of the three sub-concepts of
sound.
The pre-visit and post-visit categories and sub-categories of description held by
individual students in relation to each of the stimuli were examined. This
examination revealed that 26 of the 27 did change their levels of understanding of
aspects of the sub-concepts of sound.
The conceptualisations of sound identified in this group of students and the fact that after one museum visit most students in the study exhibited some change in a
scientifically more acceptable direction have implications for teachers, curriculum
planners and museum curators. These implications and possible directions for
further research are discussed.
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Thornton, Timothy John. "Political society in early Tudor Cheshire 1480-1560." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1993. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.359719.
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Hassan, Qais Mahmoud. "A multilayered agent society for flexible image processing." Thesis, University of Hull, 2008. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:1688.
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Medical imaging is revolutionising the practise of medicine, and it is becoming an indispensable tool for several important tasks, such as, the inspection of internal structures, radiotherapy planning and surgical simulation. However, accurate and efficient segmentation and labelling of anatomical structures is still a major obstacle to computerised medical image analysis. Hundreds of image segmentation algorithms have been proposed in the literature, yet most of these algorithms are either derivatives of low-level algorithms or created in an ad-hoc manner in order to solve a particular segmentation problem. This research proposes the Agent Society for Image Processing (ASIP), which is an intelligent customisable framework for image segmentation motivated by active contours and MultiAgent systems. ASIP is presented in a hierarchical manner as a multilayer system consisting of several high-level agents (layers). The bottom layers contain a society of rational reactive MicroAgents that adapt their behaviour according to changes in the world combined with their knowledge about the environment. On top of these layers are the knowledge and shape agents responsible for creating the artificial environment and setting up the logical rules and restrictions for the MicroAgents. At the top layer is the cognitive agent, in charge of plan handling and user interaction. The framework as a whole is comparable to an enhanced active contour model (body) with a higher intelligent force (mind) initialising and controlling the active contour. The ASIP framework was customised for the automatic segmentation of the Left Ventricle (LV) from a 4D MRI dataset. Although no pre-computed knowledge were utilised in the LV segmentation, good results were obtained from segmenting several patients' datasets. The output of the segmentation were compared with several snake based algorithms and evaluated against manually segmented "reference images" using various empirical discrepancy measurements.
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Giustozzi, Antonio. "War, politics and society in Afghanistan 1978-1992." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 1997. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.265765.
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Guénolé, Thomas. "Les centres en France : idéologie et incarnations contemporaines du centre." Paris, Institut d'études politiques, 2013. http://spire.sciences-po.fr/hdl:/2441/7o52iohb7k6srk09n8lg2cgrj.
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Dans un premier temps, cette thèse démontre l'existence d'une pensée politique spécifique du centre sur le temps long de l'histoire des idées, d'Aristote à Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. Elle établit dans ce but, pour chaque grande époque de l'histoire des idées, un syndoxe (du grec « pensée commune ») des penseurs ayant transposé la vertu de mesure dans la pensée politique. Elle en déduit un paradigme de la pensée politique du centre, et établit que cette pensée politique constitue une idéologie. Dans un deuxième temps, cette thèse démontre que l'électorat contemporain du centre (1999-2012) se reconnaît dans cette idéologie. Elle déduit en outre des préférences partisanes et personnelles de cet électorat l'existence de quatre familles du centre : le centre-droit, le centre-gauche, le centre-vert, et l'extrême centre. Elle identifie par ailleurs les personnalités et partis ayant incarné ces familles du centre de 1999 à 2012. Dans un troisième temps, cette thèse identifie les quatre familles du centre de la Révolution française à nos jours. Elle démontre par ailleurs, en utilisant des instruments de la science économique, que le financement des partis politiques est en concurrence ouverte et que la répartition des sièges à l'Assemblée nationale est en duopole : elle en déduit un modèle explicatif et prédictif des choix tactiques des partis, le modèle GRADD, qui explique l'éclatement du centre en quatre familles par leurs divergences de préférence d'alliances dans le duopole. Des entretiens avec des personnalités politiques emblématiques permettent en outre de valider les conclusions de la thèseFirst, we prove the existence of a specific centrist political thought that goes from Aristotle to French centrist President Valery Giscard d'Estaing. To do so, considering each great age of political thought, we build a syndox (Ancient greek, « common thought ») of thinkers who stood for the virtue of moderation on the field of political thought. Thus we can identify a paradigm of centrist political thought. We then prove this paradigm is an ideology. Secund, we prove contemporary centrist voters (1999-2012) approve this ideology. We also deduct from their preferences among political parties and famous politicians that there are four families embodying Centre: centre-right, centre-left, green-centre, extreme-centre. We also identify parties and politicians that embodied these four families from 1999 to 2012. Third, we identify these four families from French Revolution to nowadays. We also prove, thanks to tools coming from economic science, that financing of political parties is a competitive market, whereas access to seats at National Assembly is a duopoly. We then build a model that allows us to explain and predict tactical choices made by parties: the « GRADD model. » It explains that centre is divided into four families because of divergent tactical preferences when considering both sides of the duopoly. Interviews with major politicians also make it possible to confirm our conclusions
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Gleason, Mary Louise. "The Royal Society of London years of reform, 1827-1847 /." New York : Garland, 1991. http://books.google.com/books?id=_rHaAAAAMAAJ.
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Orjuela, Luis Javier. "Columbian society in the 1990s : fragmentation, legitimacy, and efficiency." FIU Digital Commons, 2003. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/2638.
Full textAbstract:
During the nineties, Colombia experienced a two-fold process of restructuring. First, the political system underwent a process of constitutional reform in order to strengthen the state and increase its legitimacy, surpass the exclusionary character of the political regime, and achieve greater equity in the distribution of social resources. Second, the economy made the transition from a Keynesian development strategy to a strategy of "opening" or liberalization and internationalization of the economy, in order to increase the economic efficiency by reducing the “size” of the state and its regulatory role. The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze the interplay and contradictions of economic and political factors in the restructuring of the Colombian politico-economic system.
The main finding of this dissertation is that the simultaneous adoption of a neoliberal economic strategy and of the Political Constitution of 1991, have had a contradictory relationship: while the “political opening” has produced favorable conditions for fostering programs of democratization and social integration, the “economic opening” has counteracted that possibility given that it implies a social exclusionary process. This tension has aggravated the problems o f political and social integration that have traditionally characterized Colombian society.
This crucial tension has also been characteristic o f Latin America in the nineties. However, it has been neglected and undertheorized in most of the democratization studies of American comparative politics. Most of them lack consideration of structural aspects. According to those studies, the cause of regime change is determined by the strategic elections of actors. Contrary to these approaches, I develop a structural perspective. I consider that social phenomena are partly determined by structural factors, and scientific research should, assign them decisive importance, since a fundamental basis for social action and transformation is to be found in the dynamics o f relationships between individuals and structures and the development of contradictions within structures.