Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Normative study'
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Abdulah, Arif Kemil. "The Qur'anic conception of normative religious pluralism : hermeneutical study." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2012. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=201831.
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By employing both the thematic approach of Qur’ānic exegesis and the textual analysis of the selected verses, the study explores the Qur’ānic conception of religious pluralism. In particular, the focus of the thesis is on the normative religious pluralism, which appears to have been reduced to mere exclusivism in a great number of sources of Qur’ānic exegesis. This thesis’s line of argumentation against religious exclusivism, therefore, starts with clarification that there are different types of religious pluralism. Thus, in the case of the Qur’ān, the confusion between soteriological, alethic, and normative religious pluralism has led to the emergence of the exclusive approach. By drawing clear distinction between the Qur’ānic theological view on other beliefs and the Qur’ānic ethical view on the followers of other beliefs, the study further constructs five main arguments against religious exclusivism. The arguments are elaborated on the basis of the Qur’ānic ethical system, the universal objectives of human relationships, and the Qur’ānic recognition of the two fundamental as well as dialectical elements of the normative religious pluralism, namely commonality and diversity as fact of nature. The thesis concludes on the need for considering that the Qur’ān distinguishes between the eschatological and the terrestrial dimensions as well as ramifications of the normative religious pluralism, where the latter, which is of the essence for the peacebuilding process in this world, is endorsed by the Qur’ān.
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Rau, James Carl 1952. "A normative study of the perception of affect task." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/276921.
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In order to test one implicit assumption of a neuropsychological theory concerning Complex Partial Seizure Disorder and affective-behavioral change, an instrument has been developed. The Perception of Affect Task (PAT) was created to fill an unmet need for an instrument which could assess the perception of affective stimuli across six emotions and neutral by: (1) allowing for a comparative analysis of perceptual abilities relative to the various emotions; (2) allowing for a comparative analysis of verbal and nonverbal perceptual abilities, thereby allowing for a potential analysis of enhancements and/or deficits by hemispheric laterality; and (3) assessing perceived intensity ratings of affective stimuli. As the PAT is to evaluate, in an upcoming study, CPS patients' deviations from normal perception-of-affect abilities, the present study serves to standardize this instrument with a college student sample.
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Sleat, Matt. "On the relationship between truth and liberalism : a normative study." Thesis, University of York, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.428421.
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Rossi, Enzo. "Liberal legitimacy : a study of the normative foundations of liberalism." Thesis, St Andrews, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/563.
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Van, der Elst Wim. "The neuropsychometrics of aging normative studies in the Maastricht Aging Study /." Maastricht : Maastricht : Neuropsych Publishers ; University Library, Universiteit Maastricht [host], 2006. http://arno.unimaas.nl/show.cgi?fid=5835.
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Waltenberg, Fabio Domingues. "Normative and quantitative analysis of educational inequalities, with reference to Brazil /." Louvain-la-Neuve : Univ. Catholique de Louvain, 2007. http://www.gbv.de/dms/zbw/560236182.pdf.
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Masa'deh, Orieb Khalaf. "The application of the theory of norms to the translations of international treaties : a case study of the Jordan-Israel peace treaty." Thesis, Durham University, 2003. http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/1083/.
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This Thesis explains that the development of a method by which researchers can identify normative behaviour of translators will enable the standardisation of equivalences between English and Arabic. The thesis suggests that achieving such a method will minimise political disputes. In showing that norms have an effect on the behaviour of translators, the thesis examines and evaluates the resulting products of translators, i.e. translations, and presents explanations of why these effects occur. By eliminating the choices of equivalences, which were prejudiced by translators' normative behaviour, the standardisation could be achievable. The thesis underscores the inadequacy of the suggestion that translators should learn a certain set of translational norms and should follow them. It argues, however, that being exposed to various norms whether, translational, cultural or otherwise plays an important role in the quality of translation. In illustrating the latter, the thesis provides an empirical study by which one hundred different translations are analysed by the use of a manual corpora method. The experiment records significant factors, which prove the effects of norms on translators, and offers different measures by which these factors are evaluated. Accordingly, the thesis examines the normative behaviour of translators in their decision-making process in relation to the translation of legal texts as part of international documents only. The thesis uses the 10rdanIsraeli Peace Treaty signed in 1994 as a case study. The key point is that, if legal and political translation between English and Arabic is prejudiced by negative normative behaviour, this will without doubt result in political disputes. The aim of this thesis is to suggest a method by which Arabic equivalences of English legal terms are relatively' standardised and compiled in an index to be referred to by legal translators in iUture cases. The thesis suggests the establishment of a translation planning committee (TPC) to act as the authority responsible for conducting the suggested method.
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Phoon, Hooi San. "The Phonological Development of Malaysian English Speaking Chinese Children: A Normative Study." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Communication Disorders, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/4336.
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The lack of culturally appropriate norms for assessing the speech and language status of Malaysian children has been an ongoing issue in Malaysia. At present, there are no normative data against which to assess the phonological skills of Malaysian children. Malaysian Chinese children are usually bilingual or multilingual. They acquire English, Mandarin Chinese and Malay during their preschool years. English that is used in Malaysia is commonly recognized as Malaysian English (MalE). MalE has distinctive phonological characteristics that are different from those of so-called Standard English (SE). However, the variations of MalE may not be completely understood by many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) in Malaysia, and this may lead to difficulty in differentiating speech differences resulting from MalE dialectal features and true speech disorders. As well as establishing speech norms for MalE speaking children, information is needed about the current assessment practices of the phonological development of MalE speaking children. Three studies were carried out for the present thesis.
The first study was designed to provide insight into Malaysian SLPs’ perspectives on the current use of articulation and phonology assessments in the country. It reports the results of a survey of 38 Malaysian SLPs in term of the types of articulation and phonological assessments currently used, SLPs’ perceptions about the adequacy and accuracy of current articulation and phonological assessment in meeting clinical needs, the experiences of SLPs in using current articulation and phonological assessments, as well as their perception of the need for further research in the areas of articulation and phonology. The findings indicated that informal articulation or phonological assessments were widely used. Only a minority of the respondents used standardized articulation or phonological assessments. The majority of the respondents felt that the lack of locally developed standardized tests and the utilization of informal assessments of articulation and phonology in their clinics did not provide accurate diagnoses or intervention plans. They felt that there was a need for collecting phonological developmental data and creating articulation and phonology assessments for Malaysian children.
The second study was designed to identify characteristics of the consonant and vowel inventories of MalE as well as phonetic realizations of speech sounds, by investigating the speech production of ten adult Chinese speakers of MalE. The participants were asked to read a list of 206 single words which contained all expected MalE consonants, consonant clusters and vowels. These speech sounds were sampled in several different words and in different syllable-word positions. This study goes beyond previous studies of MalE phonology by using a quantitative auditory phonetic analysis. The characteristics observed were first categorized according to their frequency of occurrence and then further grouped into categories based on the possible influences of British English or American English as well as local Malaysian languages (Mandarin Chinese and Malay) and dialects. The interference patterns within MalE resulting from the influence of local languages and Chinese dialects were also discussed. The phonological features of MalE which converged with developmental phonological processes in SE children were explored. An understanding of the phonological features and realizations of MalE speech sounds is important because this will help speech-language pathologists to differentiate dialectal phonological features exhibited by MalE speaking children from phonological differences and disorders.
The third study which was also the major study of this thesis was designed to provide valid and reliable normative data for the phonological development of MalE speaking Chinese children between the ages of 3 and 7 years. This study provided a description of the children’s phonological system in MalE in terms of i) age of acquisition of speech sounds, ii) speech sound accuracy and iii) phonological process use. 264 typically developing English speaking Malaysian Chinese children between the ages of 3 and 7 years were recruited to participate in this cross-sectional study. In a pilot study, eleven words were eliminated from the list used in the second study, leaving a list of 195 words which sampled consonants, consonant clusters and vowels in various syllable-word positions and phonotactic structures. The words were illustrated and presented colourfully in composite pictures to elicit a large and well-controlled single word speech sample. All the speech data gained were transcribed phonetically and analyzed quantitatively. The findings revealed that MalE children’s speech sound accuracy was underestimated when MalE dialectal features were not taken into consideration. MalE speaking children exhibited phonological acquisition patterns that were both similar and different to SE. The differences found were mainly due to the cross-linguistic effects of Mandarin Chinese and Malay which were acquired at the same time by MalE speaking children. The influence of Mandarin Chinese and Malay appeared to accelerate or delay the phonological acquisition of MalE based on phonetic similarity theory.
The findings of the present study highlight the need to consider MalE dialectal features in the phonological analysis of MalE speaking children. The differences in phonological acquisition of MalE and SE indicate that the norms of SE are not suitable to be used for MalE speaking children. This study will provide useful and locally appropriate normative developmental data on phonological acquisition for MalE speaking Chinese children. Speech-language pathologists in Malaysia will be able to use it as a guideline in assessing and treating clients with articulation and phonological disorders. In addition, these normative developmental data are a prerequisite to the eventual establishment of a phonological assessment tool specifically designed for MalE.
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Ferreira, Clive J. "Churches as providers of HIV/AIDS care : a normative and empirical study." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/71797.
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Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There is, as yet, no cure for HIV/AIDS, a disease that has affected South African society profoundly. While antiretrovirals (ARVs) are now available and have stemmed the tide of AIDS deaths, medicines alone cannot be seen as a long-term solution. Treatment costs, finite resources, limited health-care capacity, morbidity and the unpleasant side-effects of ARVs, make treatment an untenable solution. The Christian church in South Africa continues to retain a powerful position; it has a significant affiliation; it is present in most geographic areas and inspires trust and confidence. Furthermore, in my view, the church, by its very nature and calling, is mandated not only to demonstrate and provide care, but also to inspire care-giving. In the light of HIV/AIDS, what does care mean? Can it only mean rendering care that is welfarist in nature? Or does the church have the mandate to look beyond immediate suffering, to examine and address those issues that lie at the core of suffering? Research has demonstrated that issues such as poverty, injustice, stigma, discrimination, gender inequality and patriarchy fuel the pandemic. Ultimately, it is the “othering” of people; the failure not to recognise God in another person and our common humanity, that lie at the heart of the problem. These then, I suggest, are the very reasons why the church must address these areas. But that is not all: if HIV/AIDS care is to be rendered in a developmental way, then there must be a thorough understanding of the disease: how is the virus transmitted, how can it be prevented and treated? It is also important to understand that there is not a single global epidemic but many local epidemics; the determinants and risk-factors of these need to be recognised, as must the cultural, economic, political and social contexts that fuel the spread of the disease. The changing nature of society, the effects of globalisation, the evolving nature of care owing to biomedical advances and even the “privatisation” of sex all need to be comprehended. Furthermore, any meaningful rendering of care requires the churches to examine why they should be giving it and the values that underpin such care-giving. I make the case that the churches are required to do nothing less than drive social change in situations of suffering, injustice and abuse. An examination of the history of HIV/AIDS in South Africa illustrates that the churches have often failed to meet up to this calling. An empirical study was conducted as to how the churches render care at a more micro, grassroots level, using a framework propounded by David Korten, who suggests that authentic development must be people-centred, rather than growthcentred. Essentially, development must seek to increase personal and institutional capacities, guided by principles of justice, sustainability and inclusiveness. In these respects, I argue, it accords very strongly with the Christian message. Korten suggests that there are four orientations (or generations) of rendering help but it is only the fourth generation that is truly developmental. Through the use of case study methodology, I sought to examine the manner in which the churches render care, in a region of the Western Cape, outside Cape Town, known as the Helderberg Basin. The area is representative of many peri-urban areas in the Cape: it is predominantly Christian, with a mix of different denominations and racial and socio-economic groupings. It allowed for an assessment of care initiatives afforded by mainline, charismatic and African Independent Churches and in particular, sought to answer the question of whether churches engage with HIV/AIDS in a way that Korten would identify as developmental. From the research, it is clear that the church is hampered by its inability to talk of sex and sexuality; its knowledge of the issues surrounding HIV/AIDS is limited; it has not done a sufficient amount to conscientise its followers; the church has yet to learn to utilise its networks; it lacks technical know-how and is unwilling to engage in the political sphere. Social change is only possible if the church embraces a new vision of how to create a better world. Additionally, I recommend that the church looks to the emerging church movement to achieve radical transformation.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: MIV/VIGS is ‘n siekte wat Suid-Afrika onmeetbaar beїnvloed en waarvoor daar tot op hede geen genesing is nie. Antiretrovirale middels (ARVs) is weliswaar beskikbaar en het die gety van VIGS sterftes gestuit maar medisyne kan nie alleen as die langtermyn oplossing gesien word nie. Behandelingskoste, beperkte hulpbronne en vermoë om gesondheidsorg te lewer, morbiditeit en die negatiewe newe-effekte van ARVs bring mee dat slegs mediese behandeling ‘n onhoudbare oplossing is. Die Christelike kerk in Suid-Afrika behou steeds ‘n magsposisie; dit het ‘n beduidende lidmaatskap asook ‘n teenwoordigheid in meeste dele van die land en boesem vertroue en sekerheid in. Dié kerk is na my mening gemandateer deur haar besondere aard en roeping om nie alleen sorg te bewys en te voorsien nie maar ook om versorging aan te moedig. Maar wat beteken sorg, gegewe die aard van MIV/VIGS? Kan dit slegs die lewering van welsyngerigte sorg beteken? Of sou die kerk die mandaat hê om verder as onmiddellike lyding te kyk en ondersoekend die kwessies wat aan die wortel van lyding lê, aan te spreek? Navorsing het aangetoon dat kwessies soos armoede, onreg, stigma, diskriminasie, geslagsongelykheid en patriargie die epidemie aanvuur. Uiteindelik is dit die objektivering (“othering”) van mense - dit is die onvermoë om God nie in ‘n ander persoon en ons gemeenskaplike mensheid te herken nie - wat die hart van die probleem is. Ek betoog dat hierdie die redes is waarom die kerk hierdie kwessies moet aanspreek. Om ondersoek in te stel of en tot watter mate die kerk sorg verskaf in verband met MIV/VIGS het ek die raamwerk van David Korten gebruik. Dié raamwerk stel voor dat outentieke ontwikkeling mensgesentreerd eerder as groeigesentreed sal wees. Ontwikkeling moet essensieel streef na ‘n toename van persoonlike en institusionele vermoë, gerig deur beginsels van geregtigheid, volhoubaarheid en inklusiwiteit. Ek toon aan dat hierdie beginsels baie sterk ooreenkom met die Christelike boodskap. Korten stel vier hulplewerende oriëntasies (ook genoem generasies) voor maar dit is eintlik slegs die vierde generasie van hulp wat werklik ontwikkelingsgerig is. Maar dit is nie al nie. Indien MIV/VIGS versorging ontwikkelingsgerig gaan wees, moet dit gegrond wees op ‘n diepgaande verstaan en kennis van die siekte soos onder andere, hoe die virus versprei word en hoe die siekte voorkóm en behandel kan word? Dit is ook belangrik om te verstaan dat daar nie slegs ‘n enkele globale epidemie is nie maar verskeie lokale epidemies. Die veroorsakende en risiko faktore van hierdie epidemies moet daarom geїdentifiseer word en so ook die kulturele, ekonomiese, politieke en sosiale konteks wat die verspreiding van hierdie siekte aanhelp. Die veranderende aard van gemeenskappe, die effek van globalisering, die ontwikkelende aard van gesondheidsorg vanweë die vooruitgang in die mediese wetenskap en die “privatisering” van seks moet alles in ag geneem word. Betekenisvolle versorging vereis dat kerke ondersoek instel na waarom die versorging aangebied word en die waardes onderliggend daaraan. Ek stel die saak dat daar van kerke verwag word om sosiale verandering te stuur waar mense swaarkry, onregverdig behandel en misbruik word. ‘n Ondersoek na die geskiedenis van MIV/VIGS in Suid-Afrika illustreer dat kerke dikwels misluk het om aan hierdie roeping gehoor te gee. In opvolging van die bostaande argumente het ek navorsing uitgevoer oor hoe kerke sorg op ‘n mikro of voetsool-vlak aanbied. Hiervoor het ek die genoemde mensgesentreerde ontwikkelingsraamwerk van David Korten gebruik. ‘n Gevalstudie benadering is gevolg in die Helderbergkom wat geleë is in ‘n streek van Wes- Kaapland buite Kaapstad. Hierdie gebied is verteenwoordigend van baie buitestedelike gebiede van die Kaap: dit is oorwegend Christelik en sluit ‘n verskeidenheid van denominasies, rasse en sosio-ekonomiese groeperings in. Die gebied maak ‘n oorsig moontlik van die sorg-inisiatiewe van hoofstroom, charismatiese en Afrika onafhanklike Kerke, en in die besonder van ‘n identifikasie daarvan of kerke betrokke by MIV/VIGS dit doen op ‘n wyse wat Korten sou tipeer as ontwikkelingsgerig. Uit hierdie navorsing het dit duidelik geword dat die kerk gekniehalter word deur ‘n onvermoë om oor seks en seksualiteit te praat; die kerk se kennis beperk is wanneer dit kom by kwessies wat handel oor MIV/VIGS; dit nie genoeg doen om lidmate bewus te maak van VIGS kwessies nie; dit nog veel te leer het oor hoe om netwerke aan te wend; dit tegniese kennis kort en onwillig is om met sake van politieke belang om te gaan. Sosiale verandering is alleen moontlik indien die kerk ‘n nuwe visie voorhou oor hoe om ‘n beter wêreld te skep. Ek beveel ten slotte aan dat die kerk let op die ontluikende kerkbeweging om radikale transformasie te verwesenlik.
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Weisleder, Pedro 1959. "COMPARATIVE INTELLIGIBILITY FUNCTIONS AND SOME NORMATIVE DATA OF FOUR SPANISH WORD RECOGNITION ABILITY LISTS." Thesis, The University of Arizona, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/276520.
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The investigator evaluated a commercially available Spanish word recognition ability test. The material consists of four lists of fifty bisyllabic tetraphonemic Spanish words available from Auditec of St. Louis as: "Spanish speech discrimination lists 1-4". Interlist equivalence, word difficulty, speaker's intelligibility, and P/I functions' slopes were investigated. Taped lists were presented to 16 normal hearing native Spanish speaking adults at four presentation levels. Statistical analysis indicated that the intelligibility of list three is significantly different than the other lists at the.05 level. At the low presentation levels, subjects of Mexican origin obtained better scores than subjects of other nationalities. The P/I functions' slope (4.3%) was comparable to that obtained by investigators of English tests. Most frequently missed words have as common denominators: presence of the /s/ sound, and are words that retain their meaning even after deletion of final /s/. Talker's speech intelligibility was judged to be very clear.
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Dale, Allyson. "Ontogenetic and Gender Dimensions in a Normative Study of the Dreams of Canadians." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/35836.
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The current dissertation examined gender, cultural, and ontogenetic dimensions in the dreams of Canadians. Normative studies in the United States, Europe, and other countries have documented normative data including gender differences and compared their findings to American data to investigate cultural differences. The purpose of the present study was to extend research of this nature by establishing normative data for Canadians. Furthermore, age differences in dreams have been mostly investigated for females, with only a few studies with males, and have used a variety of methodologies and age ranges. Another objective of this study was to document, for the first time, the ontogenetic pattern of the main dream content categories from adolescence to old age for males and females. The rigorous and detailed dream diary method was used to collect dreams which were analyzed using the Hall and Van de Castle method of content analysis.
The first paper consisted of two dreams each from 150 male and female young adult Canadians, ages 18-24, totaling 600 dream reports. Findings provided support for the threat simulation theory as there were more negative than positive themes overall. Furthermore, dream gender differences were consistent with those in waking and the similarity of Canadian and American culture was reflected in dream imagery, supporting the continuity hypothesis of dream formation.
The final two papers examined the ontogenetic patterns of dream content for females and males respectively. The second paper consisted of 75 females across 5 age groups from adolescence to old age (12-17, 18-24, 25-39, 40-64, and 65-85) and the third paper consisted of 50 males across the same age groups with the exception of 31 males in the oldest group (65-85). The ontogenetic patterns of dream content from adolescence to old age reflected waking developmental patterns as proposed by social theories, neurobiological research, and recognized features of aging, supporting the continuity hypothesis.
In terms of the theoretical implications, this work provides support for the hypothesis of the threat simulation theory pertaining to the prevalence of negative content in dreams. It also provides support for the continuity between waking and dreaming hypothesis of dream formation. Implications of these findings regarding our understanding of the sources of dream formation are described. Finally, limitations and future directions, for research examining the evolution of gender differences across the lifespan, are discussed.
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Zygmuntowicz, Catherine E. "A developmental study of normative ritualistic and compulsive behaviour in elementary school children /." Thesis, McGill University, 2006. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=102855.
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The high prevalence of compulsive-like behaviours in normal childhood suggests that these behaviours may play an important role in development. Furthermore, the similarities between the typical compulsive behaviours of childhood and the clinically significant behaviours that characterise Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) suggest that these two phenotypes may share similar neuropsychological profiles. In this study, two theories are investigated; one, that the neuropsychological deficits attributed to the pathogenesis of OCD also play a role in the manifestation of typical compulsive behaviours of childhood. Two, that compulsive behaviour supports the advancement of adaptive behaviour.The participants were 48 elementary school children (19 males) between the ages of 72 and 152 months (M= 106.5, SD = 24.49). Parents rated the frequency of typical compulsive behaviour on the Childhood Routines Inventory (CRI; Evans et al., 1997). Adaptive behaviour was assessed with the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales---Survey Form (VABS; Sparrow, Balla, & Cicchetti, 1984). The measure of set shifting was the manual 64-card version of the Wisconsin Card Sort Task (WCST; Kongs, Thompson, Iverson, & Heaton, 1981). Response inhibition was tested with the Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CPT; Conners, 2000) and the Tapping Test (Diamond & Taylor, 1996). Stepwise multiple regressions were performed to examine the relationships amongst variables of interest. The participants were later divided into three groups (seven years and younger, seven to ten years, ten years and older) to examine relationships by age. Adaptive behaviour and response inhibition were predictive of levels of typical compulsive behaviour across the age range. Together, coping skills and play and leisure skills as assessed on the VABS emerged as the most important predictors of the repetitive compulsive behaviours. Response latency on the tapping task was the strongest predictor of increased levels of just right compulsive behaviour. Set shifting did not predict levels of compulsive behaviour although positive correlations were found in the youngest group. Overall, the data support the notions that clinical OCD and the typical compulsive and ritualistic behaviour of childhood share similar neuropsychological profiles, and that compulsive behaviour in childhood supports the development of increasingly advanced adaptive behaviour.
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Emanuel, Persson Sofia. "Womb for rent; A normative study of the ethical issues in commercial surrogacy." Thesis, Malmö universitet, Fakulteten för kultur och samhälle (KS), 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-21647.
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This thesis intends to demonstrate why commercial surrogacy is not morally justifiable. In order to display the implication of the aim, a normative argumentative method is applied. In the analysis, arguments, and possible counter-arguments of ethical issues of exploitation, commodification, individual freedom and estranged labor in context to surrogacy arrangements is outlined. To strengthen the content of the arguments presented the concept of exploitation, commodification together with the harm principle and the Marxian framework of estranged labor will act as the theoretical framework of the thesis. In the analysis, it is shown that global economic inequalities, and social structures of class and gender make the practice of surrogacy exploitative per se and that the surrogate becomes objectified as she as a person and her body is treated as a commodity. Based on these factors, it is concluded that surrogacy cannot be morally justified.
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Kay, Rebecca. "Dehumanization; A normative definition and a case study on the 'Pacific Solution 11'." Thesis, Kay, Rebecca (2020) Dehumanization; A normative definition and a case study on the 'Pacific Solution 11'. Honours thesis, Murdoch University, 2020. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/56336/.
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Dehumanisation has the potential to be a thick normative tool that can then be applied to prevent moral relativism, by establishing a universal standard of morality. The significance of this is lost within moral philosophy with definitions of dehumanisation both few and rarely agreed upon. To address this, my research aims to create and apply dehumanization as a normative tool. In chapter 1, I will discuss and evaluate the philosophical definitions of dehumanization that feature within the literature. From this process, I shall also offer a list definition of dehumanization, incorporating components that emerge from this evaluative discussion. The list definition of dehumanization will comprise five different outcomes (three regarding action and two language) that are considered dehumanizing when applied upon an individual or group. To demonstrate the applicability of dehumanization as a normative tool, this list definition was used in a case study. This case study will focus on the Australian governments' treatment of non-documented asylum-seekers that arrive in Australia by boat. This issue has been highly politicised, with criticism suggesting asylum-seekers are dehumanized by the Australian government. To neutrally examine what can be considered government treatment, I have chosen to focus on non-document asylum-seeker policy and its consequences. Chapter 2 examines the policy design of the 'Pacific Solution II' and its rhetoric in relation to asylum-seekers. Whilst, chapter 3 considers the observed consequences for asylum-seekers from the implementation of the 'Pacific Solution II'. Through this case study I found no instances of dehumanizing language, but found instances of dehumanizing action. Dehumanizing outcomes regarding action were identified in both the policy's design and in the consequences of its implementation. These dehumanizing actions included: undermining the needs to maintain basic human flourishing, undermining the autonomy of a group or individual without benefiting their interests and alienation of the embodied experience.
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Gordon, Sue, and n/a. "Development of a test of verbal memory for Canberra children : a normative pilot study." University of Canberra. Education, 1986. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060712.115035.
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The aim of this research was to devise and norm a test of
verbal memory suitable for use with children aged 5-10 years.
Subjects were 204 Canberra school children. They were
divided into six age groups, 5-10 years inclusive. Each age group of 34
children contained equal numbers of males and females.
The main memory test involved free recall of a word-list over
several learning trials and two delayed recall trials. This format allowed
the assessment of a range of memory functions including immediate
memory, learning and delayed recall following an interference trial. These
aspects of memory are of known diagnostic significance and are necessary
for satisfying the basic requirements of a comprehensive assessment of
memory functioning. In addition, given that this is a study of verbal
memory, precautions were taken to maximize the likelihood that words
included in the word-list would be encoded solely within the verbal
modality.
Results showed that tests of immediate memory and learning
differentiated between age groups. There were no developmental
differences in retention as measured by recall decrement following
interference. Also, there was no convincing evidence of sex differences for
any of these three measures, with the possible exception of the ten year
old group.
For practical and clinical purposes, the distribution of scores
for each age group on each of these measures is described. In addition,
expected scores of individual children of a given age measured in monthly
increments and confidence intervals for these scores were presented for
measures of immediate memory and learning.
Measures of intelligence for this sample of children were
also recorded.
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Zhou, Guanfeng, and 周冠峰. "Nationalism and Japan's China policy: a normative study of nationalism & foreign policy making." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2009. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B42841598.
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Dyer, Hugh Croil. "The role of normative theory in the study of international relations : a critical assessment." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 1993. http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/1310/.
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The thesis argues for the centrality of normative theory in the study of international relations because of its unique capacity to address values comprehensively, in contrast to the dominant traditions of political realism which marginalises their theoretical significance. Two themes develop, each reflecting opposing pairs: fact/value, is/ought, description/prescription, feasibility/desirability. The first theme concerns the epistemological framework provided by a normative account of such values as the security and stability of knowledge and the orderly apprehension of the world. In contrast to realism, normative theory maintains the distinction between sensory experience and the assignment of meaning, indicating the contingent nature of epistemological foundations. The second theme concerns the political conditions of knowledge which determine the role of different theories, indicating the need for an adaptation of the traditional normative scholarship by overcoming the separation of ethics from politics which has so far limited its role. As values are central phenomena in politics, and politics is essentially normative in form (as is knowledge of it), consideration of value questions cannot be limited to peripheral commentary. The two themes emerge through analyses of the theoretical literature in international relations; of the philosophical foundations of normative theory; of its relationship to ideas and ideologies; of the encapsulation of values and interests in world views; of the communicative dynamic of norms in ethics and epistemology; and finally of the applied cases of deterrence, and foreign policy. The centrality of normative theory is indicated, and its relation to political theory and the study of international relations is examined.
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Zhou, Guanfeng. "Nationalism and Japan's China policy a normative study of nationalism & foreign policy making /." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2009. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B42841598.
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Carmler, Alexander. "Questioning the unquestionable : A normative study of the values, argumentation and logic of the Swedish drug policy." Thesis, Södertörns högskola, Statsvetenskap, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-45717.
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Sweden’s drug policy still invokes the ideas of zero-tolerance and prohibition despite the high reported number of drug-related deaths and arrest rates for using drugs in Sweden in the latest years. To reach knowledge about why prohibition of illegal drugs has remained such a strong staple of Swedish politics for the latest 60 years, this study asks questions about which ideas and arguments constituting the Swedish drug policy, examines the logical coherence of these, and proposes an alternative policy route which aims to mitigate the shortcomings of the current policy. The drug policy field is extensive and studies from different nations show that drug policies that move away from prohibitionist ideas have succeeded in both reducing drug-related mortality rates and reducing the stigma that is attached to either using or abusing psychoactive drugs. Because of an identified unclarity of why the prohibitionary ideas in Sweden have remained despite recent developments, this study aims to fill a gap in existing research by normatively analyzing the ideas in the policy. Since these ideas have great importance in restrictions of individual liberty and public health considerations, knowledge about them is essential to create because liberty and public health are fundamental aspects in any democratic society. The research endeavor performs an internal validity check as the methodological approach to check the internal logic and arguments of the policy and uses a theory of liberty to shed light on the trade-offs between liberty and public health. What is discovered is that the Swedish drug policy builds on inconsistent arguments and incoherent logic and has a moralizing intent that allows for restrictions on individual liberty to reach a utopian vision of a drug-free society. Also, this study shows that it is possible to create a policy that can mitigate the harms caused by the current by adhering to the principle that individual liberty should stretch as far as possible when no harm is caused to another. The implications of this are that it will be harder to justify the zero-tolerance approach in the future and that future policy must look to other policy approaches rather than build policy on assumptions based on outdated moralism.
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Albiz, Niccolas. "Sustainability Education at Industrial Engineering Programs in Sweden : A study of the relevant and received sustainability education, and the associated challenges, at 5-year industrial engineering programs." Thesis, KTH, Hållbarhet och industriell dynamik, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-177134.
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The public concern for sustainability issues is ever increasing whilst the trust in corporations is decreasing. CEOs now see sustainability concern and compliance as an important component in retaining their competitive advantage and regaining the trust of their surrounding community. For these reasons it is important to find new manners of uniting societal improvement with business, requiring new forms of competencies. This study has investigated what sustainability education is actually central to the industrial engineering profile, as well as what of this is then covered in the programs. The study involved two phases. The first involved interviewing experts as to what was central for these engineers to learn, resulting in a content list. The second phase involved mapping the instances of this content in the five largest industrial engineering programs (covering circa 74% of these students) as well as the associated challenges to broaching this content. The first phase was primarily qualitative whilst the second phase was largely quantitative, though each data point consisted of a qualitative interview. Five key insights can be drawn from the study regardless of normative stand-point. 1) The sustainability topics that were deemed relevant cover a vast area of disciplines and aspects. 2) There is a skewedness in the content covered, favouring the environmental aspects. 3) There is a lack of integrative instances where the knowledge from different sources and perspectives is synthesized. 4) The key challenges revolve around concept definition and communication. 5) The normativity, interconnectedness and pedagogics contribute with uncertainty and complexity in the assessment of sustainability education. The study is finalized with a synthesis of the various insights to arrive at the conclusion that having sustainable business practice as the aim of the programs, establishing common content goals and employing active learning approach would circumvent many of the perceived challenges as well as align the programs with the need of the industry. This study contributes with deeper understanding of the sustainability education required and provided to industrial engineering students in Sweden. As such the study has practical applications for the programs studied. The theoretical implications of this study lie in the empirical data achieved regarding the topics of relevance to these engineers, showing high levels of agreement with current literature, as well as the perceived challenges to broaching this content in the current curricula. Furthermore it provides empirical data as to the sustainability education received at different programs.Allmänhetens intresse över hållbarhetsfrågor ökar samtidigt som tilliten för företag minskar. Företagsledare ser numera hållbarhet som en viktig komponent i att bibehålla deras konkurrenskraft och att återfå allmänhetens tillit. Det är således viktigt att finna nya sätt att förena samhällsnytta med företagande, vilket kräver nya sorters kompetens inom hållbarhetsområdet. Denna studie har undersökt vilka hållbarhetsämnen som är centrala för industriell ekonomistudenten, givet deras profil i näringslivet, samt vad av detta som berörs i programmen. Studien var indelad i två faser. Den första ämnade till att skapa en lista av de, för dessa ingenjörer, centrala ämnen genom intervjuer med experter inom området. Den andra fasen kartlagde de ämnen som berördes inom de fem största industriell ekonomiprogrammen (täckandes cirka 74% av studenterna) samt vilka utmaningar som associerades till detta arbete. Den första fasen var till stora delar kvalitativ. Den efterföljande fasen var en kvantitativ kartläggning där varje datapunkt representerade en kvalitativ intervju. Ur studien uppkom fem nyckelinsikter, som står sig oavsett normativ ståndpunkt. Dessa inkluderade: 1) De hållbarhetsämnen som ansågs relevanta för denna målgrupp spänner en vid area av discipliner och aspekter. 2) Fördelningen på ämnen som täcks inom programmen påvisar en preferens mot den miljömässiga aspekten. 3) Det finns en brist på integrerande instanser i utbildningarna, där kunskap från olika aspekter och källor sammankopplas. 4) Nyckelutmaningarna centreras runt definiering och kommunikation. 5) Normativitet, sammankoppling och pedagogik bidrar alla till osäkerhet och komplexitet i bedömning av hållbarhetsutbildningar. Studien avslutas med en syntes av de olika insikterna för att komma till slutsatsen att hållbart företagande som övergripande syfte för utbildningarna, en gemensam målbild för innehållet samt komplettering med ”active learning” metodiker skulle övervinna många av de uppfattade utmaningarna samtidigt som det skulle uppfylla näringslivets kompetensbehov för framtida konkurrenskraft. Denna studie bidrar till förståelsen över vilken hållbarhetsutbildning som bedrivs och vilken som anses behövd av industriell ekonomistudenter i Sverige. Studien har därmed praktiska implikationer för de program som studerades. Teoretiska bidrag inkluderas av den empiriska data som framtagits gällande relevanta hållbarhetsämnen vilka uppvisar hög konvergens med litteraturen inom ämnen, samt de upplevda utmaningar kring att inkludera detta ämne i befintliga program. Vidare bidrar studien med empirisk data kring det som faktiskt berörs idag på de olika industriell ekonomiprogrammen.
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Eagle, Kimberly S. "New Public Management in Charlotte, North Carolins: A Case Study of Managed Competition." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/27412.
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The practice and study of public administration has long included questions of efficiency, effectiveness, and economy. In the literature of the last decade, the New Public Management (NPM) movement argues that government should be run like a business and that entrepreneurial-based techniques should be utilized in an effort to enhance government performance. The normative perspective, however, raises counter ideas. The primary purpose of this research is to examine the impact of managed competition, a NPM technique, on four primary study areas including (1) democratic governance, (2) the politics administration dichotomy, (3) organizational effects, and (4) accountability.
The study findings indicate that the economic model has had a significant impact on the four study areas to varying degrees. The theoretical propositions posed in the study center around principal-agent theory, public choice theory, and the market model and aid in reconciling the NPM perspective with normative considerations applicable to local government practice. Examining managed competition allows us to see how Charlotte has evolved in its attempt to meet demands from both perspectives.Ph. D.
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Pimpa, Nattavud 1974. "Marketing of international education : the influence of normative referents on Thai students' choices of international education." Monash University, Centre for Research in International Education, 2002. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/8199.
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Barros, Cristiane SabÃia. "Internal social responsibility and comprometimento organizacional: a comparative study in pertaining to the state of Cearà companies." Universidade Federal do CearÃ, 2007. http://www.teses.ufc.br/tde_busca/arquivo.php?codArquivo=3526.
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nÃo hÃThis work aimed to investigate the existing links between the Internal Social Responsibiliy (ISR) and the Organizational Commitment. The practices on the Internal Social Responsibility considered herein were the social indications from ETHOS Institute of Companies and Social Responsibility, focusing the following points: dialogues and participation; human respect and decent work (ETHOS, 2006). This study has taken use of a documental and exploratory research(CERVO; BERVIAN, 1983). The research bibliography approached the social responsibility according to Ashley (2003), Mcintosh et al. (2001), Oliveira (2002), Srour (2003), and the organizational commitment with the authors Bastos et al. (1997), Bonavides, Oliveira e Medeiros (2006), Medeiros et al. (2005), Meyer e Herscovitch (2001). The documental research was a base for the research samples and for the identification of the developed actions held by the companies. The present research was done in two big companies in the areas of services: the sewage and water company in Cearà State(CAGECE) and Guanabara Transportation Company(GUANABARA), both winners of Delmiro Gouveia Award in social responsibility and in the social performance category. The data collection was done through a methodology of survey application divided in: elaboration of data collection, a series of ordered questions with three sets of RSI indices, and three bases of organizational commitment, where it was used Liket scale of variation from one to five to the answers. The questionnaire was answered by hand and was applied with two hundred and twenty operational level employees, divided in an equable way in the two companies. The presentation methods and the analysis of data expanded in three blocks: the first deals with the profile of the interviewees out of an arithmetic average and relative attendances; the second presents the main analysis of components through the factorial analysis which present the principal actions in RSI which produced commitment; and the third block deals with a comparative analysis involving the two companies. As instruments of process it was used the SPSS and the Excel programs. The results obtained in this research show that the internal social responsibility has a great influence in the organization commitment of the workers. The actions of the internal social responsibility which most influence in the expected commitment have a lot to do with the social index dialogue and participation, model quoted by Valladares, Leal Filho and Roman(2005); (GuimarÃes and Borges, Marques and Adorno(2005), and the model of commitment generated by these actions is the affectivity.
Este trabalho buscou investigar os vÃnculos existentes entre as prÃticas de responsabilidade social interna - RSI e o comprometimento organizacional. As prÃticas de responsabilidade social internas consideradas foram os indicadores sociais do Instituto Ethos de Empresas e Responsabilidade Social, enfocando os seguintes pontos: diÃlogo e participaÃÃo, respeito ao indivÃduo e trabalho decente (ETHOS, 2006). Este estudo caracteriza-se como uma pesquisa exploratÃria, descritiva e comparativa, apoiando-se em pesquisa bibliogrÃfica e documental (CERVO; BERVIAN, 1983). A pesquisa bibliogrÃfica abordou a responsabilidade social baseada nos autores Ashley (2003), Mcintosh et al. (2001), Oliveira (2002), Srour (2003) e o comprometimento organizacional com os autores Bastos et al. (1997), Bonavides, Oliveira e Medeiros (2006), Medeiros et al. (2005), Meyer e Herscovitch (2001). A pesquisa documental foi base para a definiÃÃo das amostras da pesquisa e para a identificaÃÃo das aÃÃes desenvolvidas pelas empresas. A pesquisa foi realizada em duas empresas de grande porte no ramo de serviÃos, a Companhia de Ãgua e Esgoto do Cearà - CAGECE e a Expresso Guanabara, ganhadoras do PrÃmio Delmiro Gouveia de Responsabilidade Social, na Categoria Desempenho Social 2006. A coleta de dados deu-se por meio da aplicaÃÃo de um survey, dividido em: elaboraÃÃo do instrumento de coleta de dados, sÃrie ordenada de perguntas, com trÃs blocos dos indicadores de RSI e as trÃs Ãncoras de comprometimento organizacional, adotando-se uma escala Liket de variaÃÃo de 1 a 5 para as respostas. O questionÃrio foi respondido por escrito e aplicado a 220 funcionÃrios de nÃvel operacional, divididos de forma igualitÃria nas duas empresas. Os mÃtodos de apresentaÃÃo e a anÃlise dos dados desenvolveram-se em trÃs blocos, o primeiro trata do perfil dos entrevistados a partir de uma mÃdia aritmÃtica e freqÃÃncias relativas, o segundo apresenta a anÃlise dos componentes principais, atravÃs da anÃlise fatorial, que apresenta as principais aÃÃes de RSI que geraram comprometimento, e o terceiro faz uma anÃlise comparativa entre as duas empresas; como instrumentos de processamento, foram utilizados os programas SPSS 10.0 e Excel. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a responsabilidade social interna tem grande influÃncia no comprometimento organizacional do trabalhador. As aÃÃes de responsabilidade social interna que exercem maior influÃncia no comprometimento partem do indicador social diÃlogo e participaÃÃo, modelo citado por Valladares, Leal Filho e Roman (2005); (GuimarÃes e Borges, Marques e Adorno (2005) e o modelo de comprometimento gerado por estas aÃÃes à o afetivo.
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Au, Wing-sze Cecilia. "Story-retelling as a measure of expressive language in school-aged children a normative study /." Click to view the E-thesis via HKUTO, 2002. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record/B36208139.
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Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2002."A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, May 10, 2002." Also available in print.
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Shaver, Mark D. "Wideband energy reflectance measurements: normative study and effects of negative and compensated middle ear pressures." Diss., Wichita State University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10057/3657.
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Conventional clinical procedures for middle ear assessment have been used for several decades
but have shown limitations. Application of a new technology, wideband energy reflectance (ER), has
shown great potential. The ER measurement determines the proportion of acoustic energy reflected by
the middle ear, across a broad frequency range. Negative middle ear pressure (MEP) is a highly
prevalent, and mostly transient, form of middle ear dysfunction which effects ER measurement. Goals
of the present study were to examine various factors relating to the ER test: (1) test-retest reliability, (2)
the effects of pressure manipulations, (3) the effects of negative MEP, and (4) the effectiveness of a
corresponding compensation procedure. Data were collected in 48 adults and analyzed across the
frequency range from 0.223 to 8 kHz. Measurements were conducted using both ambient and dynamic
pressure methods, under three conditions: normal MEP, negative MEP, and compensated negative MEP.
Correlation between immediately repeated tests were strong for all frequencies. The sweeping
pressure procedure caused ER reduction for a few frequencies but differences were small. Thirty-five
subjects were able to produce a negative MEP ranging from -40 to -220 daPa. Negative MEP increased
ER at low- and mid-frequencies while decreasing ER at high-frequencies. Magnitude of changes and
frequency at which maximum change occurred increased when MEP became more negative.
Compensated negative MEP reduced ER at low- and mid-frequencies but increased ER at high-
frequencies. The present study demonstrated that negative MEP altered ER in a frequency-specific
pattern. The compensation procedure eliminated the effects of negative MEP. Immediate test-retest
reliability of the ambient ER test was excellent. Both probe reinsertion and manipulation of the ear
canal and middle ear pressure produced minimal effects.Thesis (Ph.D.)--Wichita State University, College of Health Professions, Dept. of Communication Sciences and Disorders
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Smalley, Michelle. "Childhood anxiety in a UK population : a normative study of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale." Thesis, University of Southampton, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.420249.
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MACHADO, CRISTINA DE AMORIM. "THE FAILURE OF THE NORMATIVE MODELS OF PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE: ASTROLOGY AS A CASE STUDY." PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIRO, 2006. http://www.maxwell.vrac.puc-rio.br/Busca_etds.php?strSecao=resultado&nrSeq=8587@1.
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CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOO tema desta pesquisa diz respeito ao problema da demarcação entre ciência e não-ciência, proposto no âmbito da filosofia da ciência anglo-saxã do século XX. O estudo do caso da astrologia mostra-se relevante para enriquecer essa discussão demarcatória e revelar suas dificuldades, considerando-se que vários filósofos da ciência, como Popper, Kuhn, Feyerabend, Thagard e Laudan, usaram a astrologia como exemplo ao tentar dar conta do problema da demarcação ou problematizar essa questão. O objetivo desta dissertação é, portanto, esclarecer um pouco mais o problema da demarcação da ciência, analisando especialmente o caso da astrologia, e examinar a relevância dessa questão no contexto atual dos estudos sobre a ciência. Com essa inserção no diálogo epistemológico contemporâneo, pretende-se contribuir para um melhor entendimento não só do que é ciência e de quais são suas fronteiras, mas também para a construção de uma visão mais precisa e menos preconceituosa da astrologia.
This research concerns with the demarcation problem which was proposed by the Anglo-Saxon philosophy of science in the twentieth century. Astrology as a case study is relevant to enrich this debate and to reveal its dificulties since various philosophers of science - as Popper, Kuhn, Feyerabend, Thagard, and Laudan - have used astrology as an example to account for demarcation problem or to question it. Therefore the goal of this dissertation is to clarify a little bit more the problem of distinguishing science from non- science, in particular the case of astrology, and to examine the pertinence of this discussion in the current context of the science studies. This survey is inserted into the contemporary epistemological dialogue and it intends to contribute to a better understanding of what is science and which are your frontiers, as well to give a more precise and less prejudicing view of astrology.
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Neupert, Shevaun D. "Daily stressors and memory failures in a naturalistic setting: Findings from the normative aging study." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/280314.
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The role of stress in memory functioning has typically been examined in the laboratory with biological indicators of stress (i.e., stress hormones) and cognitive tests. These studies have generally found a negative association between stress and cognitive performance; that is, people who have higher levels of stress hormones tend to have poorer cognitive performance. The present investigation sought to test this relationship in a naturalistic setting by examining daily stressors and memory failures via a daily diary paradigm. Further, age differences in reactivity (the likelihood of reporting a memory failure when a stressor is experienced) were examined. The primary source of data was the most recent wave of the Normative Aging Study (NAS), a longitudinal study that began in 1961 to examine normal aging processes. One hundred twenty-one adults (69 men, 52 women, age range 44-89) participated in the present study and answered questions regarding their daily stressors and memory failures for eight consecutive evenings. Results from Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) analyses indicated that on days when people experience stressors, they were more likely to also report memory failures compared to stressor-free days. Although age differences in reactivity were not apparent when examining the total frequency of stressors and memory failures, some age differences emerged when looking more specifically at stressor and memory failure type. This study did not directly test the underlying physiological processes of stressors and memory failures, but the results found in a naturalistic setting lend ecological validity to findings that have been previously restricted to the laboratory. Directions for future research (e.g., combining laboratory and naturalistic measures, sampling a wider age range, implementing other sampling techniques, etc.) are discussed.
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Ware, Karen Mary. "A Pilot Study: Normative Data on the Intelligibility of 3 1/2 Year Old Children." PDXScholar, 1996. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/5236.
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Most of the previous published research involving intelligibility has focused on persons with various disabilities or delays. Minimal research has been conducted on intelligibility in young children with no diagnosed speech and/ or language disorders. The result is a gap in normative data by which to set a standard to judge speech as being at an acceptable level of intelligibility for a particular age group. The focus of this pilot study was to collect normative data on the intelligibility of young children, ages 3:6 ±2 months, with no diagnosed speech and/or language disorder. ~ Thirteen subjects, ages 3:6 ±2 months, were recruited from the greater Portland/Vancouver area. These subjects were screened for normal development in speech sound production, expressive/receptive language, and hearing. It was also established that English was the primary language spoken in the home. Resonance, voice quality, and fluency were informally assessed by the researcher during the course of the session and found to be normal. The 100-word speech samples were collected by the researcher on audiotape and later played back to two listeners, who were familiar with the topic but unfamiliar with the speaker. The listeners orthographically transcribed the samples and a comparison was made by the researcher between the two sets of written transcriptions. This comparison provided the percentage of intelligible words, out of a possible 100, which were understood by both listeners. The results showed the mean intelligibility percentage for 31/2-year-old children with no diagnosed speech and/or language disorders to be 88% (SD = 5.7%) with a range of intelligibility from 76% to 96 % . Both the mode and the median for this sample were 90 % . Several other variables were addressed as points of interest but the comparisons were not investigated in depth. The focus of this study was to collect, in a methodically documented manner, normative data on intelligibility in 3 1/2-year-olds. When the results from this study are compared to the only other available data (Weiss, 1982), they were found to fall within 1 SD of each other (SD = 5.7%), indicating that there are no measurable differences between the findings.
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Powers, Brooke Leann. "Bilingual Spanish-English Speaking 4-Year-Old-Children: English Normative Data and Correlations with Parent Reports." PDXScholar, 2010. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/337.
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Many bilingual Spanish-English preschool aged children are impacted by speech sound disorders; and research has shown that bilingual speech sound systems develop differently than monolinguals'. Research has also shown that, for monolingual English and Spanish speakers, parent reports can be a valid tool for identification and single-word assessments can effectively diagnose speech disorder, yet little, if any, normative data or information about the validity of parent reports as an identification tool exists for bilingual Spanish-English speakers. The purpose of the present study was to create bilingual speech normative data for English single-word assessment scores for percent consonants correct (PCC), percent vowels correct (PVC), and the index of phonetic complexity (IPC). It also sought to determine correlations of speech scores and parent reports, which was done as an extension of Stertzbach's 2005 study with monolingual Spanish speakers. Fifty-six bilingual Spanish-English 4-year-olds were administered a single-word assessment in English and normative data was generated from the PCC, PVC, and IPC scores. That normative data was correlated with Likert values from the parent surveys to establish the validity of the report as an identification tool, and finally, the disordered scores (as determined by the normative data) were explored in relation to previous suspicion or diagnosis of disorder. The normative data showed 89% of speech scores falling within the typical range for both PCC and PVC and 93% for IPC. Pearson coefficients were computed by regression analysis and parent reports were deemed a valid tool for identification based on statistically significant correlations (at the .05 level) for 6 of 10 questions. Previous suspicions of disorder, based on parent report or examiner questionnaire, were 87.5% and 91% accurate, respectively, while current diagnosis, based on the presence of an existing Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), was 93% accurate. The results were consistent with previous research showing the prevalence of speech disorder as well as the validity of the parent report.
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Owaida, Husen. "Speech sound acquisition and phonological error patterns in child speakers of Syrian Arabic : a normative study." Thesis, City University London, 2015. http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/15182/.
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The lack of norms for speech sound acquisition and phonological error patterns in the Syrian variety of Arabic is one of the challenging aspects of diagnosing and treating speech disorders in speakers of this language. Although there are normative data which speech language therapists could use to assess the phonological skills of Syrian children, these are based on data standardized on children speaking other varieties of Arabic, such as Jordanian. This may lead to incorrect diagnosis and inappropriate treatment. In order to address this problem, a detailed study of Syrian Arabic was carried out for this thesis. This study was carried out to provide reliable normative data for speech sound acquisition and phonological error patterns in Syrian children between the ages of 2:6 and 6:5. One hundred and sixty typically developing Syrian children were recruited from Damascus to participate in this cross-sectional study. The results indicate that acquisition of the vowels in Syrian Arabic was almost complete by the age of 3. However, some errors persisted at this age and these mainly related to the production of diphthongs. The two diphthongs which were studied did not appear in the children’s speech samples until the age of 5:0-5:5, but they did not reach the acquisition criterion. For the consonants, the results suggest that there is a gradual development in their correct production: correct production started at 71.3% at the age of 2:6-3:0 and increased with age to 94.3% in children aged 6:0-6:5. All the consonants in Syrian Arabic were acquired by age 6:5, except for the affricate /ʒ/. The order of consonant acquisition in terms of sound class was: median approximants > nasals > plosives > the lateral approximant /l/ > all fricatives except/ʒ/ > the trill. The findings also showed that the order of speech sound acquisition in Syrian children is very similar to that in children from other language backgrounds. The results for consonant acquisition also indicated that 11 consonants are acquired between the ages of 2:6-4:0. These early-acquired consonants are / b, f, j, m, n, l, t, d, h, ʔ, w, h /. They include plosives, nasals, the lateral and a few fricatives. One of these fricatives has an anterior place of articulation while three are produced in the posterior portion of the oral cavity, i.e. /h, ʔ, ʕ/. Seven consonants were acquired between the ages of 4:0 and 5:0. These were /x, s, z , ʕ, tˁ, dˁ, k/. Most of which are fricatives and emphatics. The late-acquired consonants are /ʃ, r, sˁ, ɣ/ which are acquired between the ages of 5:0 and 6:5. There were clear differences in the percentage of correctly produced consonants indifferent word positions. In general, word-final consonants were produced correctly slightly more often than those in initial and medial positions. This was true for all agegroups. This difference was significant between initial and final position, and between medial and final positions; however, no significant difference was found between initial and medial positions. As far as the phonological error patterns (all phonological error patterns whatever their percentage big or small) are concerned this study identified a total of 11 phonological error patterns in Syrian children. These errors were: r-deviation, fronting, stridency deletion, de-emphasis, weak syllable deletion, stopping, backing, glottalization, devoicing and assimilation. There was also one dialectal error pattern called epenthesis, in which a vowel is inserted between consonants in order to simplify their pronunciation. Epenthesis is singled out from phonological error patterns that while it is considered a phonological error pattern in some languages, in Syria it is a dialectal error appears in normal speech and as such not consider phonological error pattern. Using a developmental criterion to define the phonological error patterns used by Syrian children, the study revealed that there are 9 typical phonological errors. These errors are: r-deviation, fronting, stridency deletion, de-emphasis, weak syllable deletion, consonant deletion, backing, glottalization, and devoicing. The results of this study showed that Syrian children no longer produce developmental errors by the age of 5:5.
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Hills, Peter M. "Normative questions in multicultural society : a case study of Muslim schools in the British education system." Thesis, University of Essex, 2011. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.548598.
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Peng, Cheng. "Epigenetic and Mitochondrial Biomarkers Linking Air Pollution and Temperature on Human Health: The Normative Aging Study." Thesis, Harvard University, 2016. http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:32644535.
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Fine particulate matter (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 micron or PM2.5) exposure, as well as changes in ambient meteorological conditions are associated with adverse health consequences. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been clearly delineated. Systemic inflammation and oxidative stress are two of the primary pathways proposed to account for the association of PM2.5 / air temperature with health related outcomes. In this dissertation work, we proposed to use two types of novel molecular biomarkers: (1) nuclear DNA (nDNA) methylation, and (2) mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) integrity to assess inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways linking environmental insults and health.
Specifically, in Chapter I, we evaluated the mediating role of promoter region DNA methylation of inflammatory biomarkers (IFN-γ, IL-6, ICAM-1, and TLR-2) linking PM2.5 exposure and abnormal glucose metabolism in The Normative Aging Study. Our study showed that PM2.5 concentrations are associated with higher fasting blood glucose (FBG) level, and this association was in part mediated through ICAM-1 gene methylation, particularly at the longer (28-day) moving average investigated. Our study demonstrates a novel approach of mediation analysis in epigenetic studies and highlights a mediating role of ICAM-1 gene methylation in air-pollution associated abnormal glucose metabolism.
In Chapter II, we assessed the relative effects of PM2.5 mass and PM2.5 components on a novel oxidative stress-related marker—blood mtDNA abundance in The Normative Aging Study. Our study showed that long-term exposure to PM2.5 mass and specific PM2.5 components is associated with decreased mtDNA abundance. Our findings from multi-pollutant modeling suggest that nitrate (NO3-) was associated with higher mitochondrial oxidative stress independent of PM2.5 mass concentration, and mass alone may not fully capture the oxidation potency of PM2.5.
In Chapter III, we explored short-term changes in daily mean and daily standard deviation (SD) (variability) of ambient air temperature with blood mtDNA lesions in The Normative Aging Study. We observed short-term increases in mean air temperature were associated with higher mtDNA lesions in elderly adults, supporting the hypothesis that changes meteorological conditions may induce pathophysiological responses among susceptible populations.
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Isaacson, Lisa Diane. "Establishing Normative Data for Contact Patterns of Fricative Production by Native German Speakers: An Electropalatography Study." BYU ScholarsArchive, 2015. https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/5890.
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Electropalatography (EPG) provides real-time visual biofeedback for linguapalatal contact during speech and swallowing. Historically, EPG has proved to be an effective tool for assessment and treatment of a variety of speech disorders across a wide age range. The present thesis is part of a larger study examining the effectiveness of using EPG in assisting second language (L2) learners to acquire the German fricatives , [x], and //. Real and nonsense word productions were collected from six native German speakers. Electrode activation levels were generally highest for and lowest for [x]. Even when considering the impact of vowel context, [x] consistently showed only trace linguapalatal contact. Further research regarding the use of EPG as a tool for second language acquisition may include the development of linguapalatal contact maps from which L2 learners can compare their production of , [x], and // to native production. It is hoped that the information contained in this thesis will expand the current uses of EPG as a tool to assist L2 learners in acquiring non-native speech sounds.
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Jancenelle, Vivien E. "Signaling Normative and Economic Orientations during Earnings Conference Calls: Market Performance Antecedents and Consequences." Cleveland State University / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1488814095926987.
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Tobias, Scott Andrew. "AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF RURAL – URBAN FAMILY SOLIDARITY." Oxford, Ohio : Miami University, 2003. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?miami1050689943.
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Thesis (M.S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Family and Child Studies, 2003.Title from first page of PDF document. Document formatted into pages; contains ii, 43 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 33-35).
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Liu, Yu, and Patience Attakora Inkabi. "Commitment in NGOs : A Dual Case Study in Sweden." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Företagsekonomi, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-120530.
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Background: A successful organization is the one that recognizes the importance of its human element and take into account their commitment to ensure the attainment of its objectives. However, the focus into the study of commitment among workers is often directed towards for-profit organizations with NGOs receiving less attention. This HRM related issue accord several scholars, is said to be an important factor to be considered in order to ensure a successful organization be it for-profit or NGO. The issue of commitment among workers however tend to take several direction as the result of the multidimensional nature of organizations, hence the varying configurations of commitment mindset (Affective, Normative and Continuance) and the presence of various targets of commitment (e.g. organization, customers etc.) among workers. Aim: The aim of this thesis is to examine the commitment among workers in NGOs, by investigating the various targets of commitment among different categories of workers of NGOs in Sweden. The paper will further investigates whether the targets of commitment among the different categories of workers in NGOs differs and what influences these differences. Through the empirical cases, this thesis will provide appropriate guidance to ensure commitment among categories workers in NGOs and also contribute to previous research with regards to commitment among categories workers in NGOs. Methodology: The qualitative research approach was used in the conducting of this study. A dual case study was undertaken 12 semi-structured interviews with six from each case organization. Participants were drawn from the two main categories of workers in NGOs thus from volunteers and paid workers. Results: The conducted research study reveals there are differences in relations to the targets of commitment among the different categories of workers as well as thedisplay of the different types of commitment towards these targets. The guideline identified by this paper to ensure commitment among workers in NGOs should be a considerable amount of attention to workers development and recognition from the organization.
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Ellenburg, Christine A. "Normative command and control influences a study of cohesion in terrorist organizations and their effect on society." Thesis, Monterey, Calif. : Naval Postgraduate School, 2007. http://bosun.nps.edu/uhtbin/hyperion-image.exe/07Jun%5FEllenburg.pdf.
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Thesis (M.S. in Systems Technology (Command, Control, Communications))--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2007.Thesis Advisor(s): Tara Leweling. "June 2007." Description based on title screen as viewed on August 14, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 219-230). Also available in print.
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Burton, Frances Rosemary. "Formalised cohabitation : a critical and comparative study of an element of English law in a normative regime." Thesis, Liverpool John Moores University, 2016. http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/4446/.
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This thesis examines the insights which may be gained from analysis of the potential for establishing a normative regime in English law for cohabitants, who now form a substantial constituency as an established alternative family unit, headed by apparently committed cohabiting couples, who are neither married nor in registered civil partnerships. The thesis critically analyses the 2006-7 work of the Law Commission in London, the apparent government reluctance to take this further despite Scottish implementation of a similar relationship generated compensation scheme on breakdown of such relationships, and the experience of other jurisdictions which have provided dedicated legislation for such families. The thesis also includes the results of some empirical fieldwork in qualitative studies with practitioners in a small number of key jurisdictions, including some comparative analysis of these experiences, and presents a theory which addresses the practical adverse impact of the lack of such a normative scheme in England and Wales. The thesis makes an original contribution to the debate on this area of English Family Law by providing a theoretical basis for legislation likely to be acceptable within the current modernisation of Family Justice in the recently established Family Court. It aims to meet both the drivers of that modernisation and most of the historic arguments against formally recognising (and discretely addressing the needs of) the substantial and continually growing cohabitant community. It makes further original contribution in analysing experience in the key jurisdictions which have introduced cohabitant legislation, both within our own geographical neighbourhood of the UK and EU and within the common law states of the Commonwealth, which were originally British settlements importing English law with them. Another original contribution is provided by an analysis of how such legislation could fit within the English legal system to provide a pragmatic solution to the escalating numbers of such families who now form a significant group expecting to find clarity in legal provision for their circumstances.
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Caudle, Judith A. (Judith Ann). "A Normative Study of the Pitch Pattern Sequence and Dichotic Digits Tests in Children Aged 6 through 12." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1989. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc500382/.
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Responses of 122 children were obtained on two measures of central auditory processing to establish normative data. Children aged 6.5 through 12.5 years were tested for humming and tapping responses to the Pitch Pattern Sequence Test (PPST) and the two- and four-digit Dichotic Digit Tests (DDT). Children between ages 6.5 and 9.5 years showed progressively better scores on the tapping response of the PPST and on the four-digit DDT. Children above 9.5 years of age demonstrated adult-like responses on both tests. No differences were demonstrated in performance of children aged 6.5 through 12.5 years on the two-digit DDT or on the humming response of the PPST.
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Schwarzkopf, Anke. "Realpolitik or reinforcement of the EU’s normative power : A Case Study on the EU’s relations with the CELAC." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Statsvetenskap, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-130052.
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This research aims to understand the nature and underlying motives of the EU’s relations with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). The frequently claimed normative role of the EU will be examined in the context of the EU- CELAC summit relations, and the cases should be outlined that cause a switch to Realpolitik behavior. Thereby, the EU’s engagement in regional integration and interregional cooperation will be illustrated and EU-CELAC cooperation areas concerning the fight against poverty and social inequality, the consolidation of good governance and the promotion of peace, and lastly, the regional integration, trade, and economic cooperation are analyzed to reach an understanding of their normative or Realpolitik content. The research illustrates the ways of understanding the EU’s normative behavior and power, and the nature of the cooperation between the EU and the CELAC, whereby it should be shown that the EU acts according to normative consideration and only in few exceptions turns towards Realpolitik behavior.
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Alkarni, Saad. "Twitter Response to Vision 2030: A Case Study on Current Perceptions of Normative Disorder within Saudi Social Media." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/38041.
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There has been a mixed public response on social media toward Saudi Vision 2030, which could threaten public support of its implementation. This research investigated local tensions between social, religious, political, and economic values concerning the Saudi Vision 2030 plan, with a view to understanding the opportunities and challenges of social and cultural change within an evolving Saudi society. In this study, Twitter activity is treated as a societal mirror that reflects some of the perceptions regarding the transformations taking place within Saudi society. Both a case study informed by tweets sampled from Saudi Arabia and Vision 2030 related documentation explored how the current public social media discourse reflects existing social, religious, and cultural tensions concerning the government-proposed Vision 2030. This study drew on theoretical framework informed by Durkheim’s and Ibn Khaldun’s theory of social change, Merton’s strain theory, and Luhmann’s Social System Theory, to explore social, political, economic, and religious tensions found within the interactions of Twitter users around projects and events implemented or inspired by Vision 2030. An application programming interface (API) was used to retrieve Twitter posts, while a thematic analysis was applied to published documents related to Vision 2030 to identify Saudi society’s challenges to the implementation of the Vision. The study found that within Saudi society, Vision 2030 had an impact upon the normative disorder already taking place due to the rapid changes brought about by the Vision. Specifically, the study highlighted the link between ambiguous, clear, or absent norms, and a person’s pre-existing background knowledge. Social and religious group norms were more ambitious than clear, whereas economic group norms tended to be clearer. Finally, the study found that over time, through public debates, norms moved from an ambiguous and absent stage and became increasingly well-defined. The study showed that Saudi society, as a result of Vision 2030, is experiencing a normative disorder.
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Griffith, Lori Jean. "Normative study of phonological process patterns of preschool children as measured by the Assessment of phonological processes, revised." PDXScholar, 1987. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/3740.
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The questions this study sought to answer were: Do normally developing children exhibit phonological process deviations; what is the frequency of occurrence of each phonological process deviation by age group; and does the number of phonological process deviations and the average total frequency of occurrence of phonological process deviations decrease as age increases?
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Mojsiejuk, Aleksander. "The Normative Power of the EU in the Framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy : A Case Study on Ukraine." Thesis, Linköping University, Linköping University, Linköping University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, 2009. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-19323.
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Through the use of political conditionality, the EU has exercised what many have chosen to call an international normative power. The fast democratisation process of the central European countries that joined the EU in 2004 has often been attributed to the force of EU’s normative power. Here, the core of the political conditionality was found in a promised future membership – acting as a reward in exchange for democratic reforms. The new European Neighbourhood Policy however, initiated briefly after the 2004 enlargement, gave rise to new prerequisites to the Unions new neighbours and this time enlargement fatigue prevailed in the EU policy. This case study examines and assesses the ability of the EU to exercise its normative power on Ukraine through the new conditions set up by the European Neighbourhood Policy, were a membership perspective neither is promised nor ruled out. The result show that the effective conditions for the conditionality are favourable and that a good progress on the areas of democracy, rule of law and human rights has been achieved. Although difficult to prove, I argue that this progress most probably is partly due to EU’s normative power on Ukraine.
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Mishra, Padmaja. "A quantitative study on regional household expenditure inequalities and a normative approach to federal allocation of resources in India." Thesis, University of East Anglia, 1991. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.292667.
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Standridge, Noah M. "Examining the normative aspects of public participation in community planning a case study of the big bend scenic byway /." [Gainesville, Fla.] : University of Florida, 2003. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/UFE0000968.
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Kalmbach, David A. "THE RECIPROCAL DYNAMICS OF NORMATIVE AFFECTIVE STATES AND PATHOLOGICAL MOOD WITH FEMALE SEXUAL PROBLEMS: A DAILY STUDY OF YOUNG WOMEN." Kent State University / OhioLINK, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1404306961.
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Maia, Victor Heclinton de Macedo. "Comprometimento Organizacional nos Operadores de Call Center : Um estudo de Caso." Master's thesis, Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestão, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/3487.
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Mestrado em Ciências EmpresariaisO comprometimento organizacional é um conceito que tem vindo a ser utilizado para descrever a vinculação dos funcionários para com as organizações. A importância heurística deste constructo deve-se ao facto de estar associado a efeitos positivos, quer para as organizações, quer para os próprios indivíduos. Se, para as primeiras, o comprometimento organizacional permite indiciar uma menor percentagem de comportamentos de retirada organizacional, como sejam o absentismo e o turnover, para os segundos, significa uma maior envolvência com a organização e consequentemente maiores recompensas. Assim, pela sua relevância, o comprometimento organizacional deu origem a um conjunto de estudos no contexto do comportamento organizacional que procuram verificar os seus efeitos individuais e organizacionais, assim como os factores que podem contribuir para o aumento da ligação dos colaboradores às organizações. Um dos modelos que mais consistência e validade tem demonstrado é o "modelo das três componentes" de Meyer e Allen (1991), onde o diagnóstico do comprometimento organizacional é aferido a partir das dimensões afectiva, instrumental e normativa. A presente investigação tem como propósito analisar o comprometimento organizacional nos operadores de call center. O objectivo é identificar qual das componentes do comprometimento organizacional teorizadas por Meyer e Allen, é mais valorizada por estes trabalhadores. Neste estudo, participaram 103 operadores de ambos os sexos, com idades compreendidas entre os 19 e os 44 anos. Em termos metodológicos, fez-se uso do inquérito de comprometimento organizacional de Meyer e Allen, adaptado para o contexto português por Nascimento, Lopes e Salgueiro (2008). Os resultados obtidos, através da análise de frequências e correlações, revelam que os operadores do call center estudado não se sentem comprometidos nem afectiva, nem normativa, nem instrumentalmente. Não foi encontrada qualquer relação entre a componente afectiva e a antiguidade. Apenas a idade se relaciona com a componente afectiva, mas de forma pouco significativa. Na relação entre a componente instrumental e o contrato temporário também não foi identificada qualquer relação.
The organizational commitment is a concept employed to convey the bond between the employees and the organizations they work for. The heuristic importance of the construct is associated with positive effects, either for organizations or for individuals themselves. For the former, the organizational commitment indicates a lower percentage of organizational withdrawal, such as absenteeism and turnover, while for the latter it means a higher commitment with the organization, and consequently better rewards. Due to its importance, the organizational commitment gave rise to a series of studies which aimed to clarify its individual and organizational effects, as well as the elements that may contribute to improving the relationship between employees and organizations. The Meyer and Allen's (1991) three-component model of commitment is one of the most consistent and valid model where the organizational commitment is assessed in its affective, instrumental and normative dimensions. This paper aims to analyze the organizational commitment of call center operators. Its goal is to identify which components of organizational commitment theorized by Meyer and Allen, is more valorized for these workers. The sample of the present study includes 103 call center operators of both sexes, with ages ranging from 19 to 44 years old. The method was the organizational commitment inquiry proposed by Meyer and Allen, adapted to the Portuguese context by Nascimento, Lopes and Salgueiro (2008). In terms of results, it was found through frequency analysis and correlations, that call center operators under investigation did not feel committed to any of the components of organizational commitment. It has not been found any relationship between affective component and tenure. Only age was related to the affective component, but in a negligible way. No relationship was identified between instrumental component and temporary contract.
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Sarajlic-Maglic, Denisa. "The potential of EU normative power to diffuse values to post-conflict states with divisive governance structures : case study of Bosnia and Herzegovina." Thesis, University of Bath, 2015. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.687337.
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The role of the European Union (EU) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) was strengthened in 2011, when the mandate of the EU Special Representative was transferred from the High Representative of the International Community, to the Head of the EU Delegation in BiH. The EU thus assumed a leading role within the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a state-builder and as democratiser. The EU’s growing prominence puts on it even more responsibility for the future of democratisation in BiH, but it continues to suffer from inconsistencies between its principles and actions, weak legitimacy, and a lack of credibility. Although I subscribe to Ian Manners’ concept of the EU normative power, I argue that the EU does not act as normative power in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This thesis argues that the EU is a normative power in principle, but not in practice, and provides a critique of the EU’s role in promoting and strengthening democracy in BiH. I attribute the exceptionalism of BiH to a restrictive context that is saturated with ethnic nationalism, which permeates all aspects of political life, including constitutional structures, institutions, decision-making, political parties, their policies and rhetoric. I argue that in this post-conflict society in which democracy has not consolidated, the promotion of EU norms is hampered by elite agency, an unfavourable context, and the exiting norms and values that are incompatible with EU norms. Based on my findings about the quality of democracy in BiH, I label it an eclectically unconsolidated democracy, which contains many features of different types of unsuccessful democracies. I argue that the legitimacy, identity, and effectiveness of the EU normative power have been compromised and weakened in the context of an unconsolidated democracy. The case of BiH is exceptional, which the EU fails to recognise, and it falsely applies a ‘cookie-cutter approach’ that treats it as any other aspiring democracy and potential member state. Rather than having a distinct international identity (Manners & Whitman, 1998), the EU suffers from a ‘confused international identity’, which is a consequence of many discrepancies in the way in which various EU actors see their own role in BiH, and how they see the role of the EU. My intention is not to dismiss some aspects of EU normative power, but rather to enrich a debate by providing an alternative perspective. For that purpose, I apply a tailor-made framework of analysis which assesses the level of normative transformation under EU democratisation in the case of two dimensions of democratic quality: equality and trust.
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Mitchell, Julia. "A case study investigation into the utility of baseline data versus normative data using a computer-based concussion management programme." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2005. http://eprints.ru.ac.za/511/.
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