A linguagem XML tem se tornado um padrão no intercâmbio de informações naWeb. No entanto, a maioria das organizações continua a armazenar seus dados em bancos de dados relacionais. Diante deste ambiente, surge a necessidade de se construir aplicações que permitam às empresas o intercâmbio de informações via XML, mas sem que estas empresas tenham que migrar suas bases relacionais. Neste trabalho, é apresentada uma técnica para importar e exportar documentos XML, focada em cenários entre empresas onde visões XML são extraídas de uma base de dados relacional e enviadas via Web (ou qualquer outro meio) para outra aplicação que as edita e as retorna. Através da edição da visão XML, a própria base de dados relacional é modificada, atualizando assim os dados da empresa. A base de dados relacional deve ser atualizada com as novas informações da visão XML. Neste tipo de transação tem-se as seguintes considerações: 1. A visão XML pode ser atualizada por qualquer aplicação. Editores de texto, banco de dados XML e aplicações específicas estão entre as aplicações que podematualizála. 2. A aplicação que recebe a visão XML fica de posse dela por um período não determinado, podendo inclusive não retornar a visão. Durante este período a aplicação pode ficar desconectada da base de dados geradora da visão XML. 3. Enquanto a visão XML está sendo editada, outras aplicações podem acessar e atualizar a base de dados. 4. Não existe conhecimento semântico específico sobre os dados contidos na visão XML. Portanto, para este tipo de aplicação, não é realista fazer um controle de concorrência baseado em bloqueios das tuplas contidas na visão. Da mesma forma, não é possível esperar que o usuário expresse, através de uma linguagem ou formato padrão, as alterações efetuadas na visão XML. Ocorre neste ambiente dois problemas: (i) identificar as modificações feitas na visão e (ii) identificar e resolver conflitos que possam ser causados por modificações na base de dados durante a transação. O objetivo deste trabalho é desenvolver uma técnica para exportação e importação de visões XML que minimize estes dois problemas. Neste trabalho é proposta uma arquitetura que utiliza algoritmos de detecção de diferenças em documento XML e uma extensão do sistema de atualização de visões XML PATAXÓ, um sistema já existente de importação e exportação de documentos XML em bases relacionais. Também é apresentado, para o módulo de gerenciamento de transações da arquitetura, uma proposta de detecção e tratamento de conflitos baseada em regras geradas apenas sobre a estrutura da visão XML. / XML has become the standard format for exchanging information on the Web. However, many organizations continue storing their data in relational databases. In this context, it becomes necessary to build applications that allow companies to exchange information via XML without having to share their relational databases. This thesis introduces a technique for exporting and importing XML documents from relational databases in a scenario of business to business (B2B) applications. In the considered scenario, a XML view is extracted from a relational database and then sent via the Web (or any other means) to another separate application where the information is edited and then sent back after a certain period of time. Changes introduced on the XML view must be mapped into updates on the relational database, thus implementing business transactions etc. These types of transaction have the following considerations. 1) Any application may be used to edit the XML view. There is no need for a specific application to update it. 2) The application that receives the XML view retains its view during an indeterminate period of time having the option of not returning the view. During this period of time, the application is disconnected from the relational DBMS. 3) During the period of time in which the XML view is being updated, other applications may access and update the database. 4) There is no specific semantic knowledge regarding the data contained within the XML view. Therefore, with this type of application, it is not realistic to have a pessimistic concurrency control mecahnism based on data locking. In the same way, it is not realistic to expect a user to express the updates contained within the XML view through a specific language. Thus there are two main problems to be solved. Firstly, the identification of which modifications were made within the view, and secondly, identifying and solving conflicts that may arise due to updates in the database during the transaction. The objective of this thesis is to develop a technique for exporting and importing XML views that addresses these two problems. The thesis describes an approach to detect XML differences, as well as a extension of Pataxó, an already existing XML import/export system for relational databases. Additionally, the thesis describes the transaction management module that implements the proposed approach for detecting and handling conflicts due to updates on the XML view.

For years there has been an ongoing conflict, geographically concerning the southern parts of Thailand. The Malay-Muslim inhabitants of the area state that they do not fully belong to Buddhist Thailand and therefore require independence in various forms. Along with the Muslims, the Buddhist inhabitants of the area also suffer from daily violence and killings. The counteractions over the years seems to have resulted in chaotic conditions where civilians die regularly. After many years of violence, this complex situation has not successfully been ended and is still current. This case study will examine the requisites for peace in southern Thailand. The conflict has been studied through a conflict management perspective, thereof the choice of theory; Svante Karlsson’s conflict management theory. The conflict has been described, discussed and applied to the chosen theory. Results presented in this study shows that it is possible to achieve peace in the southern provinces of Thailand, however cooperation between the parts is necessary. A combination of several conflict management methods by Svante Karlsson can possibly result in peace in southern Thailand.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / State practice and literature suggest that devolution of power can address the main challenges of underdevelopment, internal conflict and abuse of centralised power in developing states. However, this thesis advances the argument that the design features of devolved government for these purposes are not always compatible. Accordingly, while there are complementary and neutral design features in the three designs, trade-offs have to be made between the unique design features in order to ensure the effective pursuit of the three purposes through a single system of devolved government. Kenya, the case study for this inquiry, confirms the international trend as its major challenges over the last 50 years have been underdevelopment, internal conflict and abuse of central power. As such, development, ethnic harmony, and the limiting of central power featured prominently throughout the entire constitutional review process as purposes to be pursued by means of devolution of power. To this end, the devolution of state power is one of the central elements of the current constitutional dispensation in Kenya. There are trade-offs made in Kenya‟s devolution design in order to accommodate the three purposes of devolution. However, the overall result has been that the emphasis falls on development at the expense of conflict resolution and limiting central power. Nevertheless, regardless of the trade-offs and nature of the final design, the design‟s effectiveness or lack thereof may depend very much on factors external to the design. Lack of political will to make devolution work can negate the effectiveness of even the most perfect design; by same token, political will could make an apparently bad design effective. In practice, therefore, effectiveness depends on an array of other context-specific factors. / South Africa

Magister Artium - MA / Ethiopian ethnic groups exhibit highly autochthonous cultural norms and values that are embedded in their traditional beliefs, systems, and religions. This study shows how, at the grassroots level, the Gurage ethnic group in Ethiopia, uses culturally legitimate forms of conflict resolution practices to mobilize and reinforce gender hierarchies, and how the discourses of culture, custom, tradition, social stability and cohesion are connected to gendered power relations. The study provides an analysis of how discourses of culture in African contexts influence, and become a compelling framework for both men and women to define themselves in institutions of marriage, and in related practices of conflict resolution and mediation.Drawing on a rich body of Southern African theory and analysis and by deploying it in relation to marriage in the Ethiopian context, the research shows that customary practices of conflict resolution have been one of the central Ethiopian definitions of authentic culture. Ethiopia, unlike the rest of Africa, reveals many complexities in exploring popular mechanisms and institutions that are very convincingly ''pre-colonial''. At present, these are manifested through cynicism towards western culture, reluctance to readily embrace it, and an accentuated sense of national pride shaped through the struggle against hovering ethnocentricism, imperialism and neo-imperialism. The research explores the dynamics of power that influence married couples' decisions about where and how they should resolve their martial disputes, and in selecting between the formal justice system and customary mediating mechanism. First-hand information was gathered from women and customary leaders, via participatory methodologies, and the data served as input to explain why and how discourses of culture are being mobilized so powerfully to reinforce gender hierarchies in Ethiopia. The research findings evidently show how ''culture'' is ''made real'' and authentic for Ethiopians, particularly for members of the Gurage ethnic group, through the dealings of popular cultural practices: the resolution of marital conflicts. I argue that marital conflict resolution in Gurage is an elaborate practice that validates patriarchal agenda, overseen by male elders, to regulate problems within individual marriages. The research problematised the recognition of ''customary practice'' in the Constitution as alternative systems by presenting the limited rights Gurage women have as opposed to the ''freedom of choice'' that is granted in the Constitution. The case reveals the difficulty of having two laws that have different understanding of human rights.

This study, which is entitled, “Elizabeth I and the 1559 Act of Uniformity: A Study of the Impact of Gender Roles and Religious Conflict” analyzes the impact of 16th century gender roles and religious conflict to explain the decision of Elizabeth I, Queen of England from 1558 – 1603, to champion the passage of the Act of Uniformity through Parliament in 1559. Through the analysis of primary sources, specifically Elizabeth’s letters from her childhood through the Act’s passing in 1559, an understanding of these influences on Elizabeth is developed which illuminates important turning points in her life and the subsequent development of her personal desire to mitigate religious conflict in England and to bring unity to her people. The analysis was conducted through the use of historical analysis of primary sources in combination with the use of Narrative Thematic Analysis in order to discover themes within the sources. The themes which emerged then offered insight into Elizabeth’s personal development and her decisions regarding the Act of Uniformity. The focus of this dissertation is guided by the context of 16th century gender roles and the 16th century Protestant Reformation which ultimately laid the foundation for Elizabeth’s birth and directly influenced her education as well as religious and personal development. The impact of gender roles and the expectations placed upon Elizabeth is intertwined with the subsequent religious conflict Elizabeth witnessed in England from her birth. The results focus on illustrating areas of conflict in the 16th century and how each area of conflict is relevant to comprehend if there is to be success in altering the path of both gender conflict and religious conflict in the modern era.

American prisons are overflowing with inmates exacting an incalculable human and moral cost on inmates, their families, and society. A central theme in criminality is the inability to deal with conflict and the affiliated emotions in an appropriate manner. Further, problem-solving, communication, and consequential thinking skills are lacking in the lives of many inmates due to lack of proper role models, lack of skills, and lack of expectations. Focusing on inmate education is one of the most effective forms of crime prevention according to leading criminological theorists. This phenomenological study was an assessment of a ten-session, holistic conflict resolution course for inmates called Reach Out with Purposeful Engagement Skills. The course is centered on emotional intelligence skills including self-awareness, self-regulation, and empathy, and incorporates a multi-theoretical framework consisting of (a) human needs theory, (b) hope theory, (c) social construction theory, (d) appreciative inquiry, and (e) restorative justice principles. The teaching methodology was centered on positive criminology, a sub-group of positive psychology which embraces concepts such as compassion, encouragement, goodness, gratitude, positive modeling, and spirituality. An underlying belief was that recognition of individual participant strengths, if nurtured and developed, can contribute toward personal change. Results of the study describe participant’s perceptions of self-efficacy in conflict resolution which resulted in personal change and empowerment. This study contributes toward qualitative literature supporting socio-emotional education for inmates delivered in a constructive environment to inspire transformation at a deep and necessary level in order to support and promote desistance.

While the challenge of improving young North Americans’ civic engagement seems to lie in the hands of schools, studying alternative ways of teaching citizenship education could benefit the current educational system. In this context, free schools (i.e., schools run democratically by students and teachers), guided by a philosophy that aims at engaging students civically through the democratic activities that they support, offer a relatively unexplored ground for research. The present inquiry is a case study using tools of ethnography and drawing upon some principles of complexity thinking. It aims at understanding students’ citizenship education experiences during democratic activities in a Canadian free school. It describes many experiences that can arise from these activities. They occurred within a school that operated democratically based on a consensus-model. More precisely, they took place during two kinds of democratic activities: class meetings, which regulated the social life of the school, and judicial committees, whose function was to solve conflicts at the school. During these activities, students mostly experienced a combination of feelings of appreciation, concernment and empowerment. While experiencing these feelings, they predominantly engaged in decision-making and conflict resolution processes. During these processes, students modified their conflict resolutions skills, various conceptions, and their participation in democratic activities and in the school. Based on these findings, the study concludes that students can develop certain skills and attitude associated to citizenship education during these activities and become active from a citizenship perspective. Hence, these democratic activities represent alternative strategies that can assist educators in teaching about citizenship.

Current political research on peace negotiations is fundamentally incomplete because it lacks the capacity to explain individual intents, choices and actions. This dissertation asks what impact individual negotiators, their approaches and choices of tactics have on peace talks and their outcomes. Individual people—be they representatives of rebel groups, non-governmental organisations or states—negotiate peace agreements. Consequently, an examination of individual motivations and actions in negotiations yields important knowledge. A fuller understanding of political negotiations, negotiators, and their tactics in Sierra Leone and Liberia is facilitated through a multidisciplinary consideration of the psychology, law and management studies literatures that consider individual motivations, biases, and behaviours. Based on extensive field research in Sierra Leone and Liberia, including numerous interviews with key players, I argue that individuals and their specific approaches and tactics influenced and altered the course of these peace negotiations, as well as their outcomes. Negotiators engaged in peace talks with underlying approaches (such as competitive, collaborative and cooperative styles) and then came to use various tactics (including shifting goalposts, hardball, silence, and bad faith), many of which were influenced by their innate biases and frames. Exploring these individuals’ conduct gives us previously unexplored insight into peace processes.

Religion has often been viewed as a source of conflict and violence in international relations. Yet history provides that religion has also been a source and inspiration for peace building and non-violent resistance. The role of religious leaders in conflict transformation has been treated as a marginal phenomenon. Appleby (2000) points out that identifying and documenting the roles of religious actors in resolving protracted conflicts remains an unfinished task. This thesis is an attempt to meet such challenge by focusing on religious leaders and their role in search of solutions in deeply rooted conflicts. Working from the premise that religious leaders can make a substantial contribution in conflict transformation, the overarching goal of this thesis is to examine what roles religious actors play and how equipped they are to serve their communities in their capacity as peacemakers.

When people work closely together in organizations it is nonetheless inevitable that certain conflicts arise. Conflicts are many times associated with something negative and thus often avoided. To strive to become an organization free of conflicts is nonetheless unrealistic nor preferable. This paper will examine such overarching question from the perspective of the business manager. This study aims to explore how conflicts affect organization and what differences exists between positive and destructive conflict within work-groups. The study conducted is of a cross-sectional nature with the aim to reflect upon the concept of a ‘conflict’ through a variety of perspectives. The empirical study was conducted through interviews, where the respondents had a chance to assess the various conflicts that exists within their respective organization. The paper concludes by arguing that conflicts are necessary within organizations. To avoid and prevent conflicts is not desirable as conflicts are important for an organization’s progress. Dealing with conflicts through constructive discussions can result in a better dialogue between the management and employees and thus lead to more transparent management decision-making. Another important aspect of dealing with conflicts is that it can prevent terminations, sick leave and redeployment. / Inom organisationer samverkar människor för att uppnå mål. När människor arbetar tillsammans kan konflikter uppstå, vilket är vanligt förekommande inom organisationer. Konflikt är många gånger ett negativt laddat begrepp, men att sträva efter en helt konfliktfri organisation är inte möjligt och inte heller önskvärt. Konflikter kan utveckla organisationen eftersom nya synsätt och tankar får möjlighet att diskuteras, vilket inte bör ses som något negativt. Att hantera destruktiva konflikter blir av stor betydelse för organisationer samtidigt som de positiva konflikterna uppmuntras. Med detta som bakgrund utgår studien från frågeställningen: Vad kännetecknar en positiv konflikt till skillnad från en destruktiv konflikt i en arbetsgrupp ur ett chefsperspektiv? Syftet med studien var att ta reda på hur konflikter påverkar organisationer, och vilka skillnader det finns mellan positiva och destruktiva konflikter i arbetsgrupper. Men även vem som ansvarar för att ta itu med de destruktiva konflikterna som kan uppstå i organisationen och hur de kan förhindras. För att uppfylla studien syfte har en jämförelse gjorts mellan de teorier som uppsatsen behandlar och den empiriska undersökningen. Undersökningsdesignen för studien var en tvärsnittsdesign för att få möjligheten att se fenomenet, konflikter, med variation. Den empiriska undersökningen har genomförts genom fysiska- och mejlintervjuer där respondenterna fick möjligheten att individuellt diskutera konflikter som förekommer i organisationen, vilket bidragit till variation av svaren. De teorier som återfinns i studien behandlar tidigare forskning kring konflikter, konflikthantering och vilka krav arbetsgruppen kan ställa på chefer. I uppsatsen presenteras modeller vilka berör konfliktnivån i relation till medarbetarnas prestationsnivå, även förståelse kring konflikters uppkomst och hur hantering av dessa kan förebygga destruktiva konflikter. I uppsatsen tas även en modell upp som förklarar vad som sker när destruktiva konflikterna inte hanteras. Slutsatser som framkommit i uppsatsen är att konflikter är nödvändiga i organisationer. Att inte förebygga och försöka undvika alla typer av konflikter är av stor betydelse, eftersom vissa konflikter i form av diskussion och dialog kan resultera i bättre beslutsfattande för organisationen. Vissa konflikter kan även ses som ett engagemang då medarbetare påtalar brister i organisationen, vilket bidrar till att problemområden uppmärksammas och organisationen i sin tur utvecklas. Det är däremot av stor betydelse att chefer uppmärksammar och tar itu med destruktiva konflikter, eftersom de kan leda till uppsägningar, utbrändhet och omplaceringar.