Thèse (M.A.)--Université Laval, 1999. / Comprend des réf. bibliogr.

My aim in this dissertation is to explore the manner in which protest leaders in the post-apartheid context understand themselves and their actions against the backdrop of the socio-historical, political and economic conditions within which protests take place. The aim is to contribute to the debate around the nature of the challenge posed by protest action to the post-apartheid neoliberal order. The study uses an actor-oriented ethnographic methodology to examine at close range the nature of the protest movement in working class South African townships focusing on the so-called service delivery protests. In the quest to understand the action, forms of organisation and ideologies characteristic of the protests, and their significance for post-apartheid society, I use concepts and insights from the literature on social movements, discourse theory and, in particular, Gramsci's ideas on hegemony. The latter helps me to define and assess the threat posed by the protests to the dominant order which I characterise as neoliberalism or neoliberal capitalism. The conclusion that I come to is that the protests are best understood in the context of the transition from apartheid to democracy: its dynamics and its unmet expectations. They represent a fragmented and inchoate challenge to the post apartheid neoliberal order. Their weakness, I argue, partly derives from the effects of the demobilisation of the working class movement during the transition to democracy. It will take broader societal developments, including the emergence of a particular kind of leadership and organisation, for the protests to pose a serious challenge to the present order. The experience of the struggle against apartheid suggests the necessity of a vision of alternatives to inspire, shape and cohere struggles around everyday issues and concerns into struggles for radical society-wide alternatives. Protest action was linked to imagination of a different way of doing things and organising society. Without this link, it is likely that the protest movement will be increasingly isolated and contained with some of its energy used negatively, for example, in populist chauvinism, xenophobic attacks, mob justice, and other forms of anti-social behavior that are becoming a worrisome feature of post-apartheid society. Nonetheless, it provides hope and the foundation for a different future. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

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Submitted by Izabel Franco (izabel-franco@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-08T17:16:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissKAD.pdf: 6658012 bytes, checksum: d55e92d194481c3b4ed161eb948cbb72 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-12T17:22:57Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissKAD.pdf: 6658012 bytes, checksum: d55e92d194481c3b4ed161eb948cbb72 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-12T17:23:43Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissKAD.pdf: 6658012 bytes, checksum: d55e92d194481c3b4ed161eb948cbb72 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-12T17:23:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissKAD.pdf: 6658012 bytes, checksum: d55e92d194481c3b4ed161eb948cbb72 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-27 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / This present research, of qualitative nature, was guided by the question: what characterizes and what are the functions of school demonstrations in different level textbooks for teaching mathematics? In order to answer this question, three high school and three Junior high school textbook collections –which are assessed and approved by the National Textbook Program (PNLD, in Portuguese), the National Curricular Parameters (PCN, in Portuguese) and the PNLD guides for the same presented school levels –were considered as documents. Inspired by the Depth Hermeneutics methodological referential, these demonstrations were considered symbolical. Firstly, the way how research in academic mathematics and Mathematical Education discuss the demonstrations was pointed out. Afterwards, the demonstrations, in different historical periods, were exposed –such as in the literary work “The Elements” by Euclid and in textbooks which were published during reforms in the teaching of mathematics in Brazil. Through a referential of the sociology of the science, the symbolic value of these school demonstrations was discussed. The development of this study has pointed to a discussion about the naturalization processes of the uniqueness and verity of logical values. In addition, the demonstration was presented as a belief linked to symbols of stringency, precision, mathematical scientificity, proof, subdual, respectability and authority. Upon performing content analysis on the selected books, four categories of school demonstrations were set: (1) through experiments and particular cases; (2) through deductive reasoning with an exploratory character; (3) through formal elements of classical reasoning; (4) through particular cases, generalization and explanation. The analysis has shown changes regarding: the methodology for the development of a demonstration; the type of language applied; the way a procedure was introduced and concluded; the use of pictures and inductive, intuitive and visual procedures. In order to complement interpretations and understand the different demonstration fashions expressed in these categories, official documents were used, what made it possible to identify that the school demonstrations in the textbooks fulfill their role in preparing students for the understanding and future development of a formal demonstration, besides being aligned with the goal of developing deductive reasoning and approximation in forming a professional mathematician. Upon that, it can be understood that the formal demonstration is appreciated and motivated in curricular propositions which, despite guiding the use of different demonstration forms adapted to each teaching degree, seek to build a unique idea of demonstration. / A presente pesquisa, de natureza qualitativa, se orientou pela questão: o que caracteriza e quais funções cumprem as demonstrações escolares em livros didáticos dos diferentes níveis do ensino de matemática? A fim de responder essa questão tomamos como documentos três coleções de livros didáticos dos anos finais do ensino fundamental e três do ensino médio, avaliadas e aprovadas pelo Programa Nacional do Livro Didático (PNLD); os Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais (PCN); e os guias do PNLD para os mesmos níveis de ensino citados. Inspiramo-nos no referencial metodológico da Hermenêutica de Profundidade (HP) e concebemos as demonstrações como formas simbólicas. Primeiramente, destacamos como as pesquisas da área da matemática acadêmica e da Educação Matemática discutem a demonstração e, em seguida, expomos as demonstrações em momentos históricos, como na obra “Os Elementos” de Euclides e em livros didáticos publicados durante reformas do ensino de matemática no Brasil. Por meio de um referencial da sociologia da ciência discutimos o valor simbólico das demonstrações escolares. Os encaminhamentos desse estudo nos apontaram para uma discussão acerca dos processos de naturalização da unicidade, verdade e de valores da lógica. Além disso, a demonstração se apresentou como uma crença atrelada a símbolos de rigor, de precisão, de cientificidade da matemática, comprovação, pujança, respeitabilidade e de autoridade. Da análise de conteúdo realizada nos livros didáticos selecionados foram organizadas quatro categorias para as demonstrações escolares: (1) via experimentos e casos particulares; (2) lógico-dedutiva com caráter de exploração; (3) formal com elementos da lógica clássica; (4) mediante casos particulares, generalização e explicação. A análise nos indicou mudanças quanto: à metodologia para o desenvolvimento de uma demonstração; ao tipo de linguagem empregada; à maneira de se introduzir e concluir um procedimento; ao uso de figuras e de procedimentos indutivos, intuitivos e visuais. Para complementar as interpretações e compreender as diferentes formas de demonstrar expressas nas categorias recorremos aos documentos oficiais, que nos permitiram identificar que as demonstrações escolares nos livros didáticos cumprem o papel de preparação dos estudantes para a compreensão e desenvolvimento futuro de uma demonstração formal, além de estarem atreladas ao objetivo de desenvolvimento do raciocínio lógico e a aproximação ao fazer matemático profissional. Com isso entendemos que a demonstração formal é valorizada e incentivada em propostas curriculares que, apesar de orientarem o uso de diferentes formas de se demonstrar adequadas a cada nível de ensino, almejam a construção de uma ideia única de demonstração.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:04:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 EnneKVS_DISSERT.pdf: 2363484 bytes, checksum: 6f0cc9586e37c59c35e9c468df85b7d1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-10-25 / Demonstrations are fundamental instruments for Mathematics and, as such, are frequently used by mathematicians, math teachers and students. In fact, demonstrations are part of every Mathematics teaching environment, because Mathematics considers something true when it can be demonstrated. This is in contrast to other fields of knowledge that employ observation and experimentation to validate truth. This dissertation presents a study of the teaching and learning of demonstrations in Mathematics, describing a Teaching Module applied in a course on the Theory of Numbers offered by the Mathematics Department of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte for mathematics majors. The objective of the dissertation was to propose and test a Teaching Module that can serve as a model for teaching demonstrations. The Teaching Module consisted of the following five steps: the application of a survey to determine the students‟ profiles and their previous knowledge of mathematical language and techniques of demonstration; the analysis of a series of dialogues containing arguments in everyday language; the investigation and analysis of the structure of some important techniques of demonstration; a written assessment; and, finally, an interview to further verify the principal results of the Teaching Module. The analysis of the data obtained though the classroom activities, written assessments and interviews led to the conclusion that there was a significant amount of assimilation of the issue at the level of relational understanding, (SKEMP, 1980). These instruments verified that the students attained considerable improvement in their use of mathematical language and of the techniques of demonstration presented. Thus, the evidence supports the conclusion that the proposed Teaching Module is an effective means for the teaching/learning of mathematical demonstration and, as such, provides a methodological guide which may lay the foundations for a new approach to this important subject / As demonstra??es s?o ferramentas fundamentais para a Matem?tica e, como tal, s?o frequentemente usados por matem?ticos, professores de matem?tica e estudantes. De fato, as demonstra??es fazem parte de todo o contexto de ensino de Matem?tica, porque na Matem?tica consideramos algo como verdadeiro quando isso pode ser demonstrado. Diferentemente dos outros campos do conhecimento que utilizam a observa??o e a experimenta??o para validar suas verdades. A seguinte disserta??o apresenta um estudo sobre o ensino e a aprendizagem das demonstra??es em Matem?tica, descrevendo um M?dulo de Ensino aplicado em um curso de Teoria dos N?meros oferecido pelo Departamento de Matem?tica da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte para alunos do Ensino Superior. A disserta??o teve como objetivo propor e testar um M?dulo de Ensino que pudesse servir de modelo para o ensino das demonstra??es matem?ticas. O M?dulo de Ensino consistiu nas seguintes cinco etapas: aplica??o de uma entrevista para determinar o perfil dos alunos e seus conhecimentos pr?vios sobre linguagem matem?tica e t?cnicas de demonstra??o; an?lise de uma s?rie de di?logos utilizando argumentos na linguagem quotidiana; investiga??o e an?lise da estrutura de algumas t?cnicas importantes de demonstra??es; avalia??o escrita e, finalmente, uma entrevista para comprovar os principais resultados do M?dulo de Ensino. A an?lise dos dados obtidos por meio das atividades de sala de aula, avalia??es escritas e entrevistas nos levaram ? conclus?o de que havia uma quantidade significativa de assimila??o do assunto a n?vel de compreens?o relacional, (SKEMP, 1980). Estes instrumentos verificaram que os alunos obtiveram uma melhora consider?vel no uso da linguagem matem?tica e das t?cnicas de demonstra??o apresentadas. Assim, as evidencias levam ? conclus?o que a proposta do M?dulo de Ensino ? um meio eficaz para o ensino/aprendizagem das demonstra??es matem?ticas e, como tal, fornece um guia metodol?gico que pode lan?ar as bases para uma nova abordagem a esse importante tema

Submitted by Jean Medeiros (jeanletras@uepb.edu.br) on 2017-12-05T12:03:24Z No. of bitstreams: 2 PDF - Anderson de Araújo Nascimento.pdf: 46622103 bytes, checksum: d60f09812020a13c3cb13ccf0c932c21 (MD5) Produto - Anderson de Araújo Nascimento.pdf: 2173471 bytes, checksum: a461965985df3647cd94256a818a4661 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Secta BC (secta.csu.bc@uepb.edu.br) on 2017-12-06T18:38:49Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 PDF - Anderson de Araújo Nascimento.pdf: 46622103 bytes, checksum: d60f09812020a13c3cb13ccf0c932c21 (MD5) Produto - Anderson de Araújo Nascimento.pdf: 2173471 bytes, checksum: a461965985df3647cd94256a818a4661 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-12-06T18:38:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 PDF - Anderson de Araújo Nascimento.pdf: 46622103 bytes, checksum: d60f09812020a13c3cb13ccf0c932c21 (MD5) Produto - Anderson de Araújo Nascimento.pdf: 2173471 bytes, checksum: a461965985df3647cd94256a818a4661 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-08-21 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The present research work investigated the level of geometric thinking and the types of mathematical proofs by 1st year high school students from the application of a Didactic Proposal. This research was constituted as a qualitative one, and as case study, having instruments of the application an essay with the theme Proofs and Mathematical Demonstrations, Didactic Proposal developed by a team of five members who worked collaboratively, inserted in the Project CAPES/OBEDUC/UFMS/UEPB/UFAL Edital 2012, participant observation and audio recording. We developed the didactic proposal with 18 activities, divided into four parts, which stimulated students to reflect, justify, prove and demonstrate. The application of this proposal occurred in June 2015 for 1st year high school students in a public school in the city of Areia, Paraíba. Our research took place in three moments. In the first moment, we apply the essay on the subject mathematical proofs and demonstrations. In the second moment we did a didactic intervention approaching definitions, theorems, proofs and mathematical demonstrations with the objective of taking to the students this knowledge. In the third moment, Part I and II of the Didactic Proposal were applied, involving activities to conjecture and demonstrate the Pythagorean Theorem, Internal Angle Sum Theorem and External Angle Theorem. This proposal helped in the investigation of the mathematical knowledge of the 1st year high school students, divided into 8 pairs and one trio, chosen freely. The two pairs of students who achieved the best performance in our Didactic Proposal were chosen for our case study and the one of better performance had its dialogue recorded and transcribed as a source of evidence of our case study. In our research we analyzed the answers given by the two pairs on Activities 1 and 3 (Part II) and Activity 2 (Part III), totaling in 3 questions. We used the data triangulation method for our case study. Firstly, we draw the profile of the two pairs of students in relation to Proofs and Mathematical Demonstrations. Next, we investigate the types of mathematical proofs used by them and their geometric thinking. To do so, we use discussions about the levels of geometric thinking proposed by Van Hiele and the types of evidence. From our results we can conclude that the pairs of students were able to develop informal justifications, that is, informal proofs. Thus, the pairs presented pragmatic evidence and the types of evidence Pragmatic Justification and Crucial Example. Regarding the geometric thinking proposed by Van Hiele, only one pair could be classified in one of the levels of development of geometric thinking, Level 3, informal deduction. Therefore, we come to the end of this research convinced that it is necessary to start working mathematical proofs and demonstrations in the basic education level, adapting its teaching to the degree of maturity and to the mathematical knowledge of the students, since our results point out that this subject is not approached properly in the classroom. / A presente pesquisa investigou o nível do pensamento geométrico e os tipos de provas matemáticas de alunos do 1º ano do Ensino Médio a partir da aplicação de uma Proposta Didática. Esta pesquisa se constituiu como qualitativa, e estudo de caso, tendo como instrumentos a aplicação de uma redação com o tema Provas e Demonstrações Matemáticas, Proposta Didática desenvolvida por uma equipe de cinco membros que trabalhou de forma colaborativa, inserida no Projeto CAPES/OBEDUC/UFMS/UEPB/ UFAL Edital 2012, observação participante e gravação em audio do diálgo de umas das duplas participantes da pesquisa. Elaboramos uma proposta didática com 18 atividades, dividida em quatro partes, que estimulavam aos alunos refletirem, justificarem, provarem e demonstrarem. A aplicação dessa proposta se deu em junho de 2015 para alunos do 1º ano do Ensino Médio de uma escola pública da cidade de Areia, Paraíba. Nossa pesquisa se deu em três momentos. No primeiro momento, aplicamos a redação sobre o tema provas e demonstrações matemáticas. No segundo momento realizamos uma intervenção didática abordando definições, teoremas, provas e demonstrações matemáticas com o objetivo de levar aos alunos esses conhecimentos. No terceiro momento foi aplicado a Parte I e II da Proposta Didática, envolvendo atividades de conjecturar e demonstrar o Teorema de Pitágoras, Teorema da Soma dos Ângulos Internos e Teorema dos Ângulo Externo. Essa proposta auxiliou na investigação do conhecimento matemático dos alunos do 1º ano do Ensino Médio, divididos em 8 duplas e um trio, escolhidos livremente. As duas duplas de alunos que obteveram melhores desempenhos em nossa Proposta Didática foram escolhidas para o nosso estudo de caso e a de melhor desenpenho teve seu diálogo gravado e transcrito como fonte de evidência de nosso estudo de caso. Em nossa pesquisa analisamos as respostas dadas pelas duas duplas sobre Atividades 1 e 3 (Parte II) e Atividade 2 (Parte III), totalizando em 3 questões. Utilizamos o método de triângulação de dados para nosso estudo de caso. Primeiramente, traçamos o perfil das duas duplas de alunas com relação às Provas e Demonstrações Matemáticas. Em seguida, investigamos os tipos de provas matemáticas utilizadas por elas e o seu pensamento geométrico. Para tanto, utilizamos as discussões sobre os níveis do pensamento geométrico proposto por Van Hiele e os tipos de provas. A partir de nossos resultados pudemos concluir que as duplas de alunas conseguiram desenvolver justificativas informais, ou seja, provas informais. Assim, as duplas apresentaram provas pragmáticas e os tipos de provas Justificativa Pragmática e Exemplo Crucial. Com relação ao pensamento geométrico proposto por Van Hiele, apenas uma dupla pôde ser classificada em um dos níveis de desenvolvimento do pensamento geométrico, o Nível 3, dedução informal. Portanto, chegamos ao final desta pesquisa convictos de que é preciso iniciar o trabalho das provas e demonstrações matemáticas na Educação Básica, adequando seu ensino ao grau de maturidade e aos conhecimentos matemáticos dos alunos, visto que nossos resultados apontam que esse tema não é abordado adequadamente em sala de aula.

This thesis is based on a case study of Tanzanian youths’ political participation in urban Mwanza. The purpose of this study is to examine how urban youths understand their participation in various political activities in an emerging democracy like Tanzania. The research question guiding the study is how youths understand and value voting in elections in comparison to other forms of political participation. The study focuses on three different political activities; to vote, to contact a politician and to participate in a demonstration. The three political activities are combined with Verba et al.’s (1995) theory of the attributes of political activities into a theoretical analysis model. The thesis uses a qualitative methodology based on 19 semi-structured interviews with Tanzanian youths living in urban Mwanza. The results indicated that the youths in Mwanza understood voting as their prime opportunity to communicate their political voices to politicians. However, the youths expressed that political activities beyond voting facilitate them with opportunities to communicate more specific political messages to politicians multiple times.

Thesis (M.A. (Criminology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / The study aimed to determine the relationship between service delivery protests and crime in the Sekhukhune District Municipality. To achieve the study a qualitative approach was adopted. Focus group discussions were held with 10 discussants in each of the municipalities within the Sekhukhune District Municipality (10 in Elias Motsoaledi Municipality, 10 in Ephraim Mogale Municipality, 10 in Greater Tubatse Municipality, 10 in Fetakgomo Municipality, and 10 in Makhuduthamaga Municipality).Thematic analysis were used to analysed data collected from 50 participants. The results revealed that lack of service delivery, corruption, poor housing and unemployment cause service delivery protests. Service delivery protests turn violent due to community frustrations and police presence escalates the violence. Sekhukhune District Municipality members participate in violent service delivery protests due hopelessness and lack of knowledge of participatory mechanisms. Road barricading, tyre burning and vandalism are the nature of criminality associated with service delivery protests. Public protests are caused by a myriad of factors; however the findings indicate that there is a gulf that exists between the public and the municipal authorities. The public voice seems not to be heard by authorities, which leads to the public engaging in public protests. Public protests come only as a last resort, after all public participation avenues have been exhausted including the failure of the authorities to respond timeously to public demands. The study was able to determine the relationship between service delivery protests and crime. Sekhukhune District Municipality need to explore ways for both the invited spaces and invented spaces of participation to co-exist. This will provide for early detection (warning signs) for the levels of frustrations and subsequent protests.

Engagement and proactivity of the general public in democratic process is essential for a stable and functional democracy. Participation of citizens in the political environment can be expressed by either elections or by other forms of political involvement. Current research shows that political participation requires skills, motivation to get involved and support of a group of public actors. Million Moments for Democracy is a civic organisation who support and cultivate political culture in Czechia. This work examines the supporters of the civic movement. The results show that the supporters is a group that has higher individual resources, higher political interest and distrust of the government. The supporters of the civic organisation more politically participate, especially in the activities that the organization emphasizes. The model of belonging to the association showed that the fact that the organisation was originally a protest movement cannot be ignored. Keywords political participation, electoral and non-electoral participation, civic movement, active citizens, demonstrations, petition, politics Title Participation of supporters of the civic association Million Moments in the democratic process

Surgeon expertise can be difficult to capture through direct robot programming. Deep imitation learning (DIL) is a popular method for teaching robots to autonomously execute tasks through learning from demonstrations. DIL approaches have been previously applied to surgical automation. However, previous approaches do not consider the full range of robot dexterous motion required in general surgical task, by leaving out tooltip rotation changes or modeling one robotic arm only. Hence, they are not directly applicable for tasks that require rotation and dual-arm collaboration such as debridement. We propose to address this limitation by formulating a DIL approach for the execution of dual-arm surgical tasks including changes in tooltip orientation, position and gripper actions.<br><br>In this thesis, a framework for multi-step surgical task automation is designed and implemented by leveraging deep imitation learning. The framework optimizes Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) for the execution of the whole surgical tasks while considering tooltip translations, rotations as well as gripper actions. The network architecture proposed implicitly optimizes for the interaction between two robotic arms as opposed to modeling each arm independently. The networks were trained directly from the human demonstrations and do not require to create task specific hand-crafted models or to manually segment the demonstrations.<br><br>The proposed framework was implemented and evaluated in simulation for two relevant surgical tasks, the peg transfer task and the surgical debridement. The tasks were tested under random initial conditions to challenge the robustness of the networks to generalize to variable settings. The performance of the framework was assessed using task and subtask success as well as a set of quantitative metrics. Experimental evaluation showed favorable results for automating surgical tasks under variable conditions for the surgical debridement, which obtained a task success rate comparable to the human task success. For the peg transfer task, the framework displayed moderate overall task success. Quantitative metrics indicate that the robot generated trajectories possess similar or better motion economy that the human demonstrations.