During every summer Olympic Games, the sport of gymnastics rises briefly to the world’s attention as the public admire the incredible skills and feats performed by fit muscular bodies on a range of apparatus. The gymnastics they watch consists of performances in which bodies assemble with apparatus. This thesis utilises an Actor Network Theory (ANT) perspective to follow this assembling of gymnastics in the five codes of competitive gymnastics competed in New Zealand: women’s artistic gymnastics, men’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampolining and competitive aerobics. This thesis is a descriptive ethnography of the world of high performance gymnastics. It begins by examining some of the controversies that have operated to both criticise and rework the sport. Next, the gymnasts are followed through the selection processes that lead them to become members of national squads and teams. It then moves to the training gymnasium and examines the variety of non-human actants that work in the gymnasium to assemble gymnastics. The next two chapters examine how gymnasts are found to enrol and assemble with video technologies and sports science professionals in their efforts to improve performance. Following this, gymnasts are observed to produce a routine at a competition which is translated into a score and ranking through the highly complicated and laborious process of judging. Finally, the thesis concludes with the story of Angela McMillan, New Zealand’s most successful athlete within the gymnastic codes. Throughout are a range of accounts from participants, together with observations, describing attempts to secure the stabilisation of gymnastics as an actor-network that produces internationally successful athletes. All the networks followed involve a continual process of enrolling, un-enrolling, translating and mediating, with power constantly shifting and being shared between various heterogeneous actants including coaches, parents, the national federation and the international federation. At times these networks stabilise with particular actants, such as sports scientists or technologies, being enrolled, while at other times the paths of the networks come to an end as particular assemblages or actants, such as physical ability tests, are no longer enrolled. In contrast to a perception that successful high performance sports include key actors and resources, this thesis shows how the networks that produce high performance gymnasts are highly unpredictable and messy, with humans and non-humans both equally influential in affecting every branch of the networks. Processes such as talent identification, training and judging are found to be complicated and unstable.

Zugl.: Hamburg, Techn. Univ., Diss., 2008

Med det här kandidatarbetet vill vi belysa en alternativ väg att gå för att ge även de karaktärer som inte är knutna till det narrativa en större och mer betydelsefull plats inom digitala spel. Tillsammans med Bruno Latours Actor-Network Theory undersöker vi relationer mellan bland annat tid, plats och den vardagliga människan. Med observationer som startpunkt undersöker vi hur en identitet kan brytas ner för att omformas till något nytt, något som kan skapa en känsla av unikt och levande till den annars relativt tomma existens som är en ickespelbar karaktär. För att ta det här steget blir begreppet persona en viktig beståndsdel i skapandet av något mer lekfullt och livfullt. Genom att forma identiteter baserade på observationer och sedan förstå relationen mellan dessa identiteter och dess fiktiva egenskaper skapar vi personas med egna behov och bekymmer.   Detta kandidatarbete kommer att förklara olika metoder och processer till att skapa karaktärer och sedan analysera och diskutera resultatet i form av animationer där individers unika egenskaper och attribut förklaras och visualiseras. / With this bachelor thesis we want to shine a light upon an alternative path to take when it comes to giving characters that is not hard knitted to the narrative a greater and more meaningful place inside a digital game. Together with Bruno Latour's Actor-Network Theory we research the relations between time, place and the everyday person. With observation as a starting point we look at how we can break down an identity to reshape and make something new from it, something that can create a lifelike and unique feeling in the otherwise relatively plain and empty existence that is a non-playable character. For us to be able to take that step we include the concept of persona, an important factor in creating something more full of fun and life. Through the shaping of identities based on observation and understanding the relationship between these identities and their fictive attributes a persona is created with its own needs and worries.  This bachelor thesis will also explain the methods and processes needed to create characters followed by analysing and discussions based on the results, the animation of the unique attributes of individuals and how it is explained and visualised.

Denna uppsats bygger på en observationsstudie. Under två veckor observerades en forskargrupp vid en av de prekliniska institutionerna vid Karolinska Institutet. Under observationen var forskargruppen med om en organisatorisk flytt till en medvetet utformad byggnad med en tänkt vision gällande ökad interaktion och samarbete. Genom att studera rummet ur ett sociologiskt perspektiv var syftet att se vad mer som kan påverka beteende utöver den rumsliga utformningen. Rummets påverkanseffekt undersöktes genom studiet av samspelet mellan rummets strategiska utformning och de observerade forskarnas beteende. Studien utgick från följande två frågeställningar: Hur tar sig visionen med Biomedicum i uttryck i den strategiska utformningen av byggnaden? samt Hur gör forskarna för att markera territorium i en ny miljö?. För att besvara frågeställningarna användes ett teoretiskt ramverk bestående av Actor-Network Theory samt Kärrholms teori om territorium och territoriella produktionsformer som kompletterades med Certeaus definitioner av strategi och taktik. Utifrån observationen kunde vi se exempel på två olika produktionsformer gällande territorium: territoriell strategi samt territoriell taktik. Den territoriella strategin kunde vi se exempel på i utformningen av Biomedicum. Regler kring användandet av rummet och rummets utformning användes för att främja målet med Biomedicum, vilket bland annat formulerats som att möjliggöra samarbete mellan forskare. Från forskarnas sida kunde vi se olika exempel på territoriell taktik. Den slutsats vi kunde dra av vårt resultat är att det inte endast är det rumsliga som påverkar. Rummet hade visserligen en stark påverkanseffekt men forskarna kunde kringgå den genom territoriell taktik.

Existem diversas pesquisas que tratam o assunto do processo de implementação dos Sistemas de Gestão Empresarial (SGE) no setor empresarial. A maioria delas focalizada no planejamento e o controle do gerenciamento no contexto formativo e abrangente que as envolve. Contudo, ainda existe uma lacuna ao estudar o processo de implementação nas pequenas e médias empresas que tenham orientação empreendedora. Devido ao fato de que estas empresas encontram-se num ambiente descontrolado, evidenciando saídas de rumo diante qualquer planejamento (drifting), tornam-se interessante os estudos de caso neste setor. Sendo assim, compreender como acontece o processo de implementação de um SGE e quais são as práticas que podem ser executadas para promover sua utilização sucedida é o foco deste trabalho de pesquisa. Para tanto foram utilizados os conceitos teóricos trazidos pelo trabalho de Ciborra (2002, 2000, 1999) em conjunto com a abordagem da Teoria do Ator- Rede (TAR) proposta pelo Latour (2005), Callon (1998) e Law (1992). O trabalho mostra a forma de utilização da TAR, evidencia os conceitos trazidos pelo Ciborra (2002, 2000, 1999) e propõe práticas para promover a utilização dos SGE para a fornecedora do estudo. Além disso, demonstra a necessidade de fazer mais pesquisas, no setor empresarial objeto deste estudo, uma vez que este tipo de empresa não aplica as melhores práticas mostradas nas diversas pesquisas apresentadas na literatura. Assim também, sugere-se a continuação deste estudo analisando outros atores que introduzam o ambiente tecnológico, econômico e social desse setor para poder identificar outros motivos pelos quais os atores executaram e fizeram as escolhas relatadas, pois com a TAR estudou-se a interação entre os atores envolvidos no processo de implementação do SGE, apresentando uma descrição de como foi construído esse processo. / There are several researches that deal with the matter of ERP implementation process on enterprise sector. Most of them focused on planning management control on overarching formative context that involves them. However, there is still a gap when a study is made on implementation for small and medium sized companies with entrepreneur orientation. Because these companies are settled in a non-controlled environment, noticing miss-routing upon any planning (drifting), it is interesting to have case studies in this sector. Thus, understanding how ERP implementation process is made and which are the procedures that can be applied to promote a succeed utilization is the focus of this research work. For this, it has been used theorical concepts brought by the work of Ciborra (2002, 2000, 1999) and the theorical approach of actor-network theory (ANT) proposed by Latour (2005), Callon (1998) and Law (1992). This work has shown the utilization of the ANT, it has evidenced the concepts brought by Ciborra (2002, 2000, and 1999) and suggests practices to promote the utilization of ERP for the supplier followed on this study. Besides, it is suggested to continue this study by introducing actors that represents the technological, economical and social environment of the studied sector to identify others reasons for actors’ options, once with the ANT was shown the interaction between the actors during the implementation process as a description of how the process was constructed as a result of this interaction.

Denna kandidatuppsats undersöker och jämför tre olika metoder för analys av film med grund i ett genusperspektiv. De metoder som undersöks är Bechdeltestet, Connotation Frames och slutligen en analysmetod som vi valt att referera till som Film Actor-Network Theory (FANT). Med FANT kan man analysera film genom att se till karaktärerna och deras fiktiva sociala nätverk. Filmerna som används för analys av metoderna är Juno (2007) och Fight Club (1999). Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka dessa analysmetoder och se hur effektivt de belyser jämställdhet i film. Resultatet är att dessa metoder belyser jämställdhet på olika sätt. Connotations Frames och FANT analyserar på en djupare och mer ingående nivå än Bechdeltestet. Connotation Frames ser till makt och agens i handling och dialog, och Bechdeltestet gör en snabb analys om två kvinnliga karaktärer pratar med varandra om något annat än män. Appliceras alla analysmetoder på en film kan det visa på ett resultat som är närmare en heltäckande genusanalys.

By considering the current scenario of Alagoas, which shows high rates of violence, particularly involving young people, this research starts on the questioning of how young people have become a government's problem for the State and aims therefore to problematize public youth policies, geared toward combating violence in the state of Alagoas. Drawing on in an analysis and problematization of everyday life, to take the way young people and violence are produced in public policy, we used the theoretical framework of Social Psychology, that dialogue with ideas of Michel Foucault and Bruno Latour. We used as conceptual tools the theorizations of Foucault on governmentality and biopolitics, to discuss public policies and as theoretical-methodological tool cartography of controversies based on Actor-Network Theory. According to this theory the networks are formed by human and non-human elements and the study of the network is given to follow the manufacture and construction of facts as well as the actors and their mediations on the network. From this we perform a mapping of public policies on youth network, aimed at confronting violence, identifying the plans, projects and programs targeting youth and to combat violence in order to know the actors / actants and existing mediations on this network. This mapping led us to the, Youth Alive: a plan prevention of violence against black youth plan. Based on this plan document, we have chosen three axes of discussion, to problematize the formulation and implementation of public policies concerning youth, in this violence scenario, the highlight: the controversy over the target audience of the plan, the naturalization of the relationship between youth and violence and, finally, the naturalization of the relationship between youth and drugs. / Ao considerar o cenário atual de Alagoas, que apresenta altos índices de violência, principalmente envolvendo jovens, esta pesquisa parte do questionamento de como os jovens têm se tornado um problema de governo para o Estado e, objetiva, portanto, problematizar as políticas públicas de juventude, voltadas para o enfrentamento da violência, no estado de Alagoas. Apoiando-nos numa análise e problematização do cotidiano, ao tomar a forma como os jovens e a violência são produzidos nas políticas públicas, recorremos aos referenciais teóricos da Psicologia Social, que dialogam com ideias de Michel Foucault e Bruno Latour. Utilizamos como ferramentas conceituais as teorizações de Foucault sobre governamentalidade e biopolítica, para discutir as políticas públicas e como ferramenta teórico-metodológica a cartografia das controvérsias, baseada na Teoria Ator-Rede. De acordo com esta teoria as redes são formadas por elementos humanos e não-humanos e o estudo da rede se dá ao seguirmos a fabricação e construção de fatos, bem como os atores e suas mediações na rede. A partir disso, realizamos um mapeamento da rede de políticas públicas de juventude, voltadas para o enfrentamento à violência, identificando os planos, projetos e programas que se dirigem para os jovens e o combate à violência, de modo a conhecer os atores/atuantes e as mediações existentes nesta rede. Este mapeamento levou-nos ao Juventude Viva: plano de prevenção à violência contra a juventude negra. Com base no documento deste plano, elegemos três eixos de discussão, para problematizar a formulação e implantação de políticas públicas de juventude, neste cenário de violência, a destacar: a controvérsia sobre o público-alvo do plano, a naturalização da relação entre juventude e violência e, por fim, a naturalização da relação entre juventude e drogas.

Estudo qualitativo de natureza descritiva, objetivando analisar a autoria científica a partir do compartilhamento de dados de pesquisa. Para esta finalidade, foi utilizada a Teoria Ator-Rede (ANT), a qual busca, a partir de uma ideia de simetria entre humanos e não humanos, não assumir uma divisão entre essas entidades, possibilitando visualizar o estabelecimento e a dissolução de uma rede a partir das relações que se criam em diversos níveis. Esses atores-rede, actantes, estão mobilizados para a estruturação de redes temporárias a partir de um programa de ações, através da transformação e da modificação do significado ou dos elementos que veiculam. Os dados levantados, os quais serviram de base para descrição e análise a partir da literatura que também emergiu do que foi coletado, foram recolhidos a partir de observação, de entrevistas e de materiais bibliográficos. A investigação ocorreu junto ao Repositório de Dados de Estudos Ecológicos do Programa de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade (PPBio). Conclui que os objetos conceituais e pragmáticos não podem ser vistos de maneira isolada, mas sim como atores-rede afetados diretamente pela tecnologia, devendo ser considerados atuantes importantes no processo de produção, compartilhamento e uso de dados digitais de pesquisa. A construção de um fato científico e social como a autoria, é coordenada por uma série de elementos que foram levantados com o auxílio da ANT, como a coleta de dados, a curadoria, os próprios dados científicos, seus metadados, as fontes de fomento, a política de dados, o repositório e seus softwares de gerenciamento e envio de dados e metadados, o licenciamento, a propriedade e a responsabilidade, agindo como um tipo de instrumentalização de um arranjo de fenômenos, isto é, uma ferramenta que, atuante como conceito e/ou como processo, permite que seja consolidado um conjunto de ações instituídas a partir de regras explícitas e implícitas. / Qualitative study of descriptive nature, aimed to analyze the scientific authorship from the data sharing. For this purpose, we used the Actor-Network Theory (ANT), which seeks, from an idea of symmetry between human and non-human, do not assume a division between those entities, allowing to view the establishment and dissolution of a network from the relationships that are created at different levels. These actors-network, actants, are mobilized for structuring temporary networks from an action program, through the transformation and modification of the meaning or the elements they provide. The data collected, which were the basis for description and analysis from the literature that also emerged from what ware collected by observation, interviews and bibliographic materials. The study was carried out by the Repositório de Dados de Estudos Ecológicos do Programa de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade (PPBio). Concludes that conceptual and pragmatic objects can not be seen in isolate way, but as actors directly affected by the technology, should be considered important actants in the process of production, sharing and use of digital research data. The construction of a scientific and social fact as authorship, is coordinated by a number of elements that were raised with the help of ANT, such as data collection, curation, scientific data and its metadata, funding sources, data policy, repository and its management software for data and metadata, licensing, ownership and responsibility, acting as a kind of exploitation of a phenomena arrangement, ie, a tool that can be seen as concept and/or as a process, allows it to be consolidated a set of actions established from explicit and implicit rules.

This thesis investigates Iberian communities in central Hispania Citerior during the Roman Republic. I demonstrate the usefulness of an actor-network approach for understanding a topic characterised by scarce archaeological datasets. This approach is not intended to create a new narrative for Roman Provincial Studies but instead allows us to ask new questions: what was at stake for these communities? What was of interest to the Iberians? How did things happen? Iberians lived primarily in small, often fortified settlements in elevated locations, although some larger settlements are known and during the Republic many sites were abandoned for new locations on flatter ground. I find that throughout the period settlements were often clustered, creating communities distributed in small groups of sites. These Iberian groups grew versatile staple crops in a variety of locations but may have tailored additional crops to regional environmental conditions. I consider the potential for collaboration in the autumn ploughing and conclude that any such collaboration must have relied on dense and wide relationships given changing patterns of variability in rainfall. I show differences within coin circulation that suggest Iberian coins were part of distinct sets of relationships. I also test the ability of carts to pass over various long-distances routes and find that some coins were bound up in the same assemblages as cart transport. The thesis positions the interface between all these different assemblages as crucial to further work on these communities.

Recycling and solid waste management are a serious problem in the Russian North. The necessary infrastructure, as well as the awareness of the citizens is missing to resolve this problem efficiently. Artists and environmental activists have therefore looked for a way to make people aware of the need for recycling and initiate social change in this regard. The medium that has been chosen by activists and artists alike is art. By involving people in creating an art object or by presenting art to them, the activists and artists hope to initiate awareness concerning our consumption patterns and, like this, show them that recycling is one of many solutions. This thesis should demonstrate how intertwined the connections between the different groups of people, but also with the (art) objects are. This is done by drawing on the actor-network-theory by Bruno Latour as an analytical tool to understand these connections. Key component in this theory, as well as the artist-activist- collective is reassembling. By constantly reassembling people into new projects, as well as household items into art objects, the collective manages to remain visible to the public and to be flexible enough to react to changing needs.