Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T16:44:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Stela Maris Milanez.pdf: 3406700 bytes, checksum: a814c62e48c7c67b6ceb11d9ec18b3ae (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-10-11 / This dissertation aimed to increase awareness of the cultural meaning of consumer goods, centering the analysis on a research subject whose rituals of consumption and the emotional bond established with the marks are not unconventional. Supported by a method of ethnographic research, this study sought to understand the meaning of brands, particularly the Condensed Milk Girl in the life of the subject analyzed. In relation to the structure theory, first presented and explained the dynamics of consumer society so that they can understand consumer behavior derived by it. Then perform a theoretical review of the issue of cultural meanings of consumer goods, the movement model of meanings, making the connection between this theory and the research subject. In the second chapter was discussed on the brand concept, its expressiveness and its link with the senses. In the third chapter there was a need to study the Nestlé company, its history and rescued by analyzing the expression of the brand Miss, so exalted by the subject of this research. The last chapter was responsible for bringing the whole discussion of the results of research and analysis of the subject, were described and analyzed the rituals of consumption according to McCracken (2010) and how these were incorporated into the life of the study subject. The discussion about the materialization and fetishistic manifestation of emotional ties researched the subject with the brand were also found in this chapter. As a contribution to marketing, this work brings an addition to the research of cultural meanings of consumer goods and also about the rituals of consumption, because this issue needs further research and a theory. Finally, the study of this subject was an interesting example of ritual in our society, is also presented as an interesting area of study of Social Sciences / A presente dissertação teve como objetivo ampliar o conhecimento sobre o significado cultural dos bens de consumo, centralizando a análise em um sujeito de pesquisa cujos rituais de consumo e o vínculo emocional estabelecido com as marcas não são nada convencionais. Amparado por um método etnográfico de pesquisa, este trabalho buscou compreender a significação das marcas, em especial o Leite Condensado Moça na vida do sujeito analisado. Em relação à estrutura teórica, primeiramente apresento e explico a dinâmica da sociedade de consumo para que se possa compreender o comportamento consumista por ela derivado. Depois, realizo uma revisão teórica da temática dos significados culturais dos bens de consumo, do modelo de movimentação destes significados, realizando a ligação entre esta teoria com o sujeito da pesquisa. No segundo capítulo discutiu-se sobre o conceito de marca, suas expressividades e seu vínculo com os sentidos. Já no terceiro capítulo houve a necessidade estudar a empresa Nestlé, resgatando sua história e analisando as expressividades da marca Moça, tão exaltada pelo sujeito desta pesquisa. O último capítulo foi responsável por trazer toda a discussão dos resultados da pesquisa e análise do sujeito, foram descritos e analisados os rituais de consumo segundo McCracken (2010) e como estes foram incorporados na vida do sujeito do estudo. A discussão sobre a manifestação fetichista e a materialização dos vínculos emocionais do sujeito pesquisado com a marca também foram evidenciados nesse capítulo. Como contribuição para o marketing, esta dissertação traz um acréscimo às pesquisas de significados culturais dos bens de consumo e também acerca dos rituais de consumo, pois esta temática carece de pesquisas e de um aprofundamento teórico. Por fim, o estudo de tal sujeito foi um interessante exemplo de ritual na nossa sociedade, se apresentando também como um interessante espaço de estudo das Ciências Sociais

Há um chamado hoje para a conversão do consumo a um ato que é \"consciente\", com reflexão sobre os impactos trazidos à sociedade e à natureza. O presente estudo tem como objetivo contribuir para o entendimento de como o consumo consciente é compreendido e praticado pelos consumidores. O método de investigação utilizado foi a pesquisa exploratória, composta por revisão teórica e pesquisa empírica. Foram revisados a gestão de marca, sustentabilidade e consumo e apresentado o consumo consciente. Moradores da cidade de São Paulo foram entrevistados sobre seu conhecimento, suas práticas e preocupações na área. Os resultados mostram que há uma compreensão do consumo consciente e algumas práticas, principalmente as que trazem beneficios financeiros para os consumidores. Há preocupações que demonstram que há espaço para que nos próximos anos o consumidor reflita e aja na direção do desenvolvimento necessário do consumo consciente. Apresentou-se um modelo sobre como sensibilizar o consumidor para o tema. / There is a call today for the conversion of consumption to an act that is \"conscious\", with reflection on the impacts brought to society and nature. The present study aims to contribute to understanding how conscious consumption is understood and practiced by consumers. The research method used was exploratory research, composed by a theoretical review and an empirical research. The literature review began by brand management, sustainability and consumption presenting conscious consumption. The research was done with residents of the city of São Paulo on their knowledge, practices and concerns in the area. The results show that there is an understanding of conscious consumption and some practices, especially those that bring financial benefits to consumers. There are concerns from the consumers that demonstrate that there is room for them to reflect more and develop new atitudes and habits. A model on how to make consumers aware and sensitive about the theme was developed.

The patterns of human diet and migration of the population of Boğazköy in north-central Anatolia were investigated through the application of carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N) and sulphur (δ34S) stable isotope analysis of bone collagen. The materials used for this research include human and faunal bone samples dating from the Bronze Age to the Roman period. This is the first isotopic study conducted at Boğazköy and for these time periods in north-central Anatolia. The aim of the research was both to reconstruct the dietary habits and mobility patterns of this community as well as investigating the usefulness of δ34S analysis as a dietary tool in this region of Anatolia. Examining the diet and economy at Boğazköy through an isotopic perspective provides a clearer understanding of the life of the inhabitants of the city and sheds light of the political and sociological changes observed during this period in Anatolia. Analysis across different periods revealed that the Bronze Age stands out with the most enriched δ15N (9.9±0.8‰) and δ34S (12.6±3.0‰) values, suggesting a higher consumption of protein in relation to later periods and/or foreign origin for these individuals. With the exception of the Bronze Age, dietary behaviours were very similar across all phases of occupation and do not differ significantly from those observed at other Anatolian sites. The δ13C (‒18.6±0.4‰) and δ15N (9.0±0.9‰) average values for the Iron Age, Hellenistic and Roman periods suggested a diet predominantly based on C3 terrestrial sources. Variations between individuals, implying the consumption of different levels of animal protein, were not directly connected to sex or age. The δ13C results for several of the domestic animals suggest inclusion of C4 plants in their diets. Slight elevated δ13C values for humans indicates the consumption of these animals or the variability of C3 plant values, which may relate to the aridity of this region. The δ15N results suggest the consumption of low quantities of meat, dairy products and/or the contribution of pulses. The application of δ34S has also provided insight into Boğazköy’s economy by suggesting the use of transhumance as a herding strategy during the Iron Age. The presence of foreigners during the Hittite period is also implied by the δ34S results from the human samples. These indicate a coastal provenance where sea-spray effect was visible; however, the lack of a δ34S baseline data for large regions of Anatolia hinders further interpretation of the results.

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to investigate the underlying causes for the millennials’ engagement into reusing clothes who are characterised by both, a high consumption of second-hand clothing and a certain environmental awareness. Considered as both, a sustainable consumption practice as well as a current trend, it shall be focused in what way these aspects influence the millennials’ consumption of second-hand clothing. Design/Methodological Approach - For answering the research questions, a qualitative approach was followed including 10 semi-structured face-to-face interviews with millennials who shop second-hand clothing in Swedish charity thrift shops. Findings - The findings reveal various motivations of millennials for shopping second-hand clothing and its connection to being a current trend. It is somewhat influencing millennials that shopping second-hand clothing is a sustainable consumption practice. However, it is rather motivated to be part of the trend. In some cases it displays a justification for a higher consumption of clothing. However, environmental concerns do not appear as the primary motive. The findings lead to the assumption that shopping second-hand clothing fulfils the same needs as fashionable clothes do for the millennials. Originality/ Value - Little research has been conducted to understand the millennials’ underlying causes for engaging into second-hand shopping. Recently, they have been discovered as a cohort with a high affinity to reusing clothes. This study examined millennials’ various motivations, taking a closer look on environmental concerns as shopping second-hand clothing is considered as a sustainable consumption practice. Furthermore, it is investigated which role second-hand shopping has in the overall clothing consumption of millennials. Though the findings are not generalizable, they can serve as a basis for future quantitative research within this contemporary and relevant field in the world of textiles and clothing.

Consumption has emerged as a pivotal concept in environmental sustainability debates. Since the 1992 Earth Summit, there has been an increasing focus on the role that consumption and consumer lifestyles play in global environmental change. Agenda 21 called on countries to promote more 'sustainable consumption' patterns and lifestyles. Despite these recommendations, there are significant political and ideological challenges to implementing effective sustainable consumption policies at a global and national level. This thesis explores the politics of sustainable consumption in New Zealand. Using critical discourse analysis and in-depth semi-structured interviews with nine consumers, I employ post-structural and cultural geography theories to unpack the problematic nature of sustainable consumption. In particular, I examine dominant environmental and consumption discourses to explore why barriers to sustainable consumption exist. It is important to examine these issues from a socio-cultural perspective, as the dominant hegemonic discourses relating to the environment and sustainability shape both policy responses and public understandings of environmental change and sustainability issues. Prevailing policy responses to environmental change in New Zealand construct the 'environmental problem' in narrowly scientific and economic terms. Concern has centred on 'managing' carbon emissions, rather than addressing the underlying drivers of environmental degradation which lie in current political-economic structures and consumption levels. As such, environmental policy has been embedded within an ecological modernisation discourse which links sustainability with notions of 'progress' and efficiency. Under this discourse, the consumer has been repositioned as an important 'political' agent responsible for fostering sustainable consumption and environmental care. Through largely non-political and non-regulatory measures, consumers have been encouraged to reduce their 'carbon footprints' by considering the environmental impacts of their daily personal consumption habits. This approach has individualised and depoliticised environmental issues, obscured the complexities of personal consumption and sustainability, and left limited options for participation in processes of change.

Water and electricity are fundamentally linked. Policy reforms in both industries, however, do not appear to acknowledge the links nor consider their wider implications. This is clearly unhelpful, particularly as policy makers attempt to develop effective responses to water and energy issues, underpinned by prevailing drought conditions and impending climate change. Against this backdrop, this research has comprehensively analysed the links between water and electricity – termed water-energy nexus – in the context of New South Wales. For this purpose, this research has developed an integrated methodological framework. The philosophical guidance for the development of this framework is provided by Integral Theory, and its analytical foundations rest on a suite of research methods including historical analysis, inputoutput analysis, analysis of price elasticities, and long-term scenario analysis. This research suggests that the historical and inextricable links between water and electricity, in the absence of integrated policies, has given rise to water-energy trade-offs. In the electricity industry, water-intensive coal-fired power stations that dominate base-load capacity in the National Electricity Market has resulted in intra- and inter-jurisdictional water sharing tradeoffs. Intermediate and peak demand technologies, suchas gas-fired, cogeneration and renewables, however, would significantly reduce the industry’s water consumption and carbon emissions. Drought and climate change adaptation responses in the water industry are likely to further increase electricity demand andpotentially contribute to climate change, due to policies that encourage investment in energy-intensive technologies, such as desalination, advanced wastewater treatment and rainwater tanks. Increasing electricity costs due to water shortages and the introduction of emissions trading will futher increase water and electricity prices for end users. Demand management strategies in both industries will assist in curbing price increases, however, their effectiveness is lessened by investment in water- and energy-intensive technologies in both industries. The analysis also demonstrates that strategies to reduce water and electricity consumption of ‘other’ production sectors in New South Wales is overwhelmingly dependent on how deeply a particular sector is embedded in the economy, in terms of its contribution to economic output, income generation and employment growth. Regulation, demand management programs, and water pricing policies, for example, that reduce the water and energy intensity of agriculture and key manufacturing sectors are likely to benefit the wider economy and the Environment. The future implications of the water-energy nexus are examined through long-term scenario analysis for New South Wales for 2031. The analysis demonstrates how policy decisions shape the domain for making philosophical choices by society - in terms of the balance between relying on alternative technologies and market arrangements, with differing implications for water and electricity use, and for instigating behavioural change. Based on these findings, this research puts forward a range of recommendations, essentially arguing for reorienting existing institutional arrangements, government measures and industry activities in a way that would encourage integration between the water and energy policies. Although the context of this research is New South Wales, the findings are equally relevant for other Australian states, which share the same national water and energy policy frameworks. Further, the concepts and frameworks developed in this research are also of value to other countries and regions that are faced with the task of designing appropriate policy responses to redress their water and energy challenges.

In this thesis, we develop a simulator for estimating the energy consumed in executing tasks on a mobile device - the Palm Pilot. We measured the energy consumed by each instruction of the device's assembly language and incorporated these measurements into a public domain emulator for the Palm Pilot. This emulator is cycle accurate and therefore our energy estimates for running high-level tasks is also quite accurate. We validated our simulator via a series of benchmarks where predicted and measured values of energy consumed are compared. Finally, to illustrate how the simulator can be used for energy saving purposes, different versions of a Palm Pilot cryptographic application are analyzed. / Graduation date: 2001

A computer simulation program, Controlled Atmosphere Simulation (CAS), was written in Microsoft Visual Basic 3.0, Professional Edition to evaluate energy use by three type of atmosphere generators used in fruit storage warehouses. The program consists of pulldown time and energy use models for a membrane air separator, an ammonia fractionating burner, and a catalytic oxygen burner. Predicted results subsequently became input to an interactive computer program, Fruit Storage Refrigeration Energy Simulation (FruSTRES), which was developed to simulate energy use by cold storage ammonia refrigeration systems. The resulting model package was then used to predict overall annual energy use in fruit storages, based on number and size of rooms, building construction, equipment operation (both refrigeration and CA), commodity stored, storage period(s), and weather conditions. The CAS accurately predicted the pulldown time of each type of equipment under normal operation. The resulting model package (CAS and FruSTRES), will be an invaluable tool in design and analyses of ammonia refrigeration and atmosphere generation systems used in common and controlled atmosphere fruit storages. / Graduation date: 1998

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With the postmodern prevalence of shopping as both a recreational and subsistence activity, social class identity is increasingly constituted around access to the landscape of consumption. U.S. middle-class identity is normalized in commercial spaces and the exclusion of the lower-class from these spaces perpetuates wider social disparities. For socially aware members of the middle-class, distinction may be achieved by selectively shopping throughout the metropolitan area with the goal of influencing corporate practices. Yet this distinction is not without cost as middle-class shoppers are prime targets of identity marketing schemes and of the neoliberal regime’s construction of consent. Through 15 self-proclaimed middle-class shoppers’ reported use of Atlanta’s postmodern landscape of consumption, this study focuses on performances of middle-classness and representations of commercialized spaces with the goal of furthering the anthropological understanding of class identity and urban space as heterogeneous.