[pt] Gaibéus, de Alves Redol e As Vinhas da Ira, de John Steinbeck são romances que apresentam semelhanças de tema e estilo, além de revelarem um retrato vivo da vida dos agricultores em Portugal e nos Estados Unidos na década de 1930. Considerando o Neo-Realismo ou Novo Humanismo como base para uma abordagem comparativa entre estas obras, esta tese propõe primeiramente uma análise de alguns aspectos culturais e sociais que influenciaram a criação destes livros, bem como da repercussão crítica que os mesmos obtiveram em seus países. O propósito principal deste trabalho é provar que, através de um duplo ponto de vista crítico englobando um enfoque marxista do materialismo histórico e a teoria da resposta no leitor, é possível determinar as semelhanças entre a dialética empregada pelos seus autores e os elementos estéticos implícitos, os quais fazem estes dois romances semelhantes em arte e conteúdo. / [en] Alves Redol s Gaibéus, and John Steinbeck s The Grapes of Wrath are novels that present similarities in theme and style, besides revealing a lively portrait of agricultural life in Portugal and in the United States during de 1930 s. Considering the Neorealism or New Humanism as the basis for a comparative approach between these works, this thesis proposes firstly an analysis on some cultural and social aspects that influenced the creation of these books, as well as the criticism on them in their countries. The main purpose of this work is to prove that, through a double point of view, comprising both the Marxist focus of historical materialism together with the reader-response theories, it is possible to determine the similarities between the dialectics employed by the authors and the implied aesthetics elements, which make these two novels similar in artistry and content.

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo estudar as diferentes facetas da recepção e da divulgação da obra de Graciliano Ramos em Portugal ao longo dos anos de 1930, 1940 e 1950. Trata-se de um período marcado, entre outros aspectos, 1) pela ampliação, em termos editoriais, da indústria do livro brasileira, o que teria dado início a um processo de inversão de influência tipográfica entre Portugal e Brasil; 2) pela emergência, no âmbito artístico, do neorrealismo luso e pela singular presença da literatura brasileira em terras portuguesas; 3) e, em termos políticos e culturais, pelo esforço de aproximação formal entre os governos de Getúlio e Salazar. Com ênfase nas dimensões jornalística, epistolar e editorial relativas à chegada e à ressonância de Graciliano em Portugal, procurou-se observar como, para além de leituras e apropriações neorrealistas, presencistas e estadonovistas, as produções do autor alagoano se firmaram no panorama cultural português e consolidaram seu nome como um dos principais prosadores de nosso idioma. / This work aims to study the different aspects of the reception and dissemination of the literary work of Graciliano Ramos in Portugal over the years 1930, 1940 and 1950. It is a period marked, among other things, 1) by the expansion, in editorial terms, of the Brazilian book industry, which would have initiated a process of inversion of the publishing influence between Portugal and Brazil; 2) by the emergence, in the artistic context, of the Portuguese neorealism and the singular presence of Brazilian literature in Portuguese lands; 3) and in political and cultural terms, by the effort of a formal approach between the governments of Vargas and Salazar. With an emphasis on journalistic, epistolary and editorial dimensions relating to the arrival and resonance of Graciliano in Portugal, this research tried to observe how, for beyond the readings and appropriations made by neorealists, presencistas and estadonovistas, the productions of this author from Alagoas that was consolidated as one of the greatest prose writers in the Portuguese language.

Notre thèse se propose de démontrer dans quelle mesure et par quels procédés Alves Redol s’inspire de la crise viticole du Alto Douro (1907-1915) sous ses aspects humains, politiques et socio-économiques pour élaborer l’architecture de sa trilogie. Cette problématique permet de découvrir combien la possession et la dépossession de la terre sont incontestablement deux axes fondamentaux qui décident du sort des protagonistes. Ce travail consiste à s’interroger sur les différents mécanismes qui sont au début de cette crise viticole, qui ont engendré un déséquilibre économique et par conséquent, d’importants changements tant au niveau de l’organisation sociale qu’au niveau des rapports sociaux. L’objectif de ce travail est de montrer comment la terre schisteuse du Douro, productrice du vin de Porto, façonne foncièrement l’homme dans sa dépendance fatale de la rigueur inexorable des saisons. Les viticulteurs dans la trilogie redolienne, et par le biais de l’intertextualité, sont aux prises avec une multitude de difficultés dues à plusieurs éléments : facteurs législatifs (signature d’un traité de vente de vin avec et en faveur de l’Angleterre) ; facteurs naturels (sous-production avec le phylloxéra et le mildiou) ; facteurs humains (surproduction et mévente avec la concurrence et surtout avec la contrefaçon du vin de Porto). Dans le sillage des théories marxistes-léninistes et du matérialisme dialectique, nous avons tenté de montrer que, malgré les procédés d’animalisation et de perspectives de privations continuelles des viticulteurs et des sans terre par les détenteurs des moyens de production, la masse rurale unie, réussit à se révolter contre l’exploitant et pour un nouvel ordre social. / Our thesis intends to prove to what extent and by what processes Alves Redol inspired by the Alto Douro wine-growing crisis (1907-1915) in its human, political and socio-economic dimensions to develop the architecture of his trilogy. Posing the problem in this fashion enables us to highlight that land ownership and dispossession are unquestionably two main axes which have an influence on the protagonists’fate. Our work examines the different mechanisms at the root of the wine-growing crisis, which created an economic imbalance, and consequently important changes in social organization as well as social relationships. This work aims at showing how the Upper Douro’s schistose soil, a key element in Porto wine production, also fundamentally fashions man and makes him dependent on the rigour of the cycle of seasons. In Redol’s trilogy, wine-growers, through the intertextuality process, are confronted with many difficulties due to various elements, whether they be legislative (the signing of a wine sales treaty in favour of England), natural (underproduction caused by phylloxera and mildew), or human (overproduction and bad sales due to competition and counterfeiting of Port wine). In keeping with Marxist-Leninist theories and dialectic materialism, we intend to show that, in spite of the dehumanization process and constant deprivation of wine-growers and landless people by those who control means of production, the united rural world succeeded in rebelling against its exploiters to achieve a new social order.

The mainstream theories of international relations (IR) can be categorized under two approaches: Cultural and Systems. Although the two approaches appear to be at the opposite ends of the spectrum, this paper aims to evaluate both approaches, and to provide a systemic approach to foreign policy: The systems thinking and culture (STC). STC attempts to incorporate domestic culture, a unit-level force, in analyzing states’ behavior in the international system, while still preserving the structure, as emphasized in systemic theories like neorealism. The STC model shows how the domestic culture as a unit-level force, and the structure as a systems-level force, can shape a state’s behavior and policies in the international political system.

The submitted dissertation tries to introduce neoclassical geopolitics as a viable approach to the study of international politics from geographical perspective. The dissertation is a compact of six already published articles and a common introduction highlighting main points of the articles and further discussing some issues which were (i) eliminated due to space constrains, or (ii) their significance is rather contextual, in the sense that they set the articles into broader discussions. The first part of the thesis (supported by two articles) deals with a current stage of political geography and geopolitics. The main result is that geopolitics is today a divided (sub)discipline, as geographers are mainly engaged in critical geopolitics and scholars of the International Relations continue in classical geopolitical reasoning (namely those who subscribe themselves under the label of neorealism). The main difference is that geographers consider space as an inter-subjective entity - socially constructed, whereas IR scholars tend to see space as an objective factor. In the combination with other epistemological differences, this different consideration of space has produced an exorbitant barrier between these two fields. One factor dividing the two approaches looms especially large - it is an arduous...

This graduate thesis analyzes the security policy of the United States during the previous administration of President George W. Bush and the current administration of President Obama. The first section is devoted to a detailed analysis of the security strategies of both administrations as well as to their practical applications, not only in the field of defense and military, but also in foreign trade and building of alliances and partnerships. Based on this analysis the first part concludes that, although the Obama's security policy is criticized for being just a "Bush lite", it differs clearly in almost all mentioned areas. The thesis identifies, as the most essential, the difference in the overall concept of the security policy, which is multilateral and less militarily engaged at the time of the Obama administration than during the Bush administration which is characterized by unilateral approach with pre-emptive use of force. The second part of this thesis thus builds on these major differences. Based on previous analysis of both policies then generates hypotheses which aim at finding a cause of this change. To test the hypotheses this study makes use of three classical theories of international relations, which include elements that have been previously identified as a possible driving force...

The book Postproduction: Culture as Screenplay, written by French aesthetician Nicolas Bourriaud is going to be initial text for my diploma thesis. Bourriaud claims, that contemporary art is mostly made by the principle of assemblage; art works are made by reinterpretation, reproducing or by new exhibiting of artefacts or forms of past. The assumption of the original concept in artworks of contemporary artists - semionauts (travelers in the worlds of signs) has been allready completely ineffective. Through the example of hyperrealistic paintings, which has lately reappeared in portfolios of international and czech artists, I will try to show whether its revilal is based on the emergence of new medias, that even more than in the seventies simulate reality or whether they deal with the concept of postpostprodution - the artists lend only formal, in this case, hyperrealistic, signs. This diploma thesis will be completed by the case study of paintings of czech hyperrealist painter Jan Mikulka.

The aim of the Geopolitics of Oil is to find a theoretical conceptualization of oil trade regime evolution and its changes during the period between the end of the World War II and 2011. This thesis builds on the two major theories of international relations: neorealism and interdependence theory. The theoretical part of the paper analyzes their main contributions and weaknesses. This enables to formulate the new approach to political economy of oil with a special emphasis on geo-economics. This thesis seeks to answer two main research questions: 1) "Under which conditions do oil exporters consolidate their energy sector?" and 1) "What is the reason for engagement of foreign powers in the oil regions?" This thesis examines relations between exporters from the Persian Gulf and the United States. Interdependence theory is tested by a calculation of symmetry or asymmetry in interdependent relationship between importers and exporters, which is done by a comparison of the market shares between the two during the period of changes in the oil trade regimes. Neorealist theory and political economy of oil approach are examined through detailed case studies that inquire how oil importers and exporters have tried to use oil to pursue their own power interests. This thesis concludes that the geopolitics of oil...

[pt] A fim de promover mais amplamente e sem qualquer prejuízo para a definição de uma fisionomia do projeto neorrealista para a produção literária e cultural do século XX, esta tese tem como proposta investigar, teórica e criticamente, a produção literária do escritor Manuel da Fonseca. Através da obra Aldeia Nova (1942), poder-se-á verificar como a realidade é apreendida e reconsiderada na ficção de Manuel da Fonseca, assim como a utilização da palavra reflete o modo como o autor interpreta a realidade. Nesta perspectiva, destacaremos, também, como o ideal neorrealista é reproduzido nos espaços e nas ações dos personagens de Manuel da Fonseca. Como consequência dessa investigação e à medida em que se desate o nó que poderia aliar o projeto neorrealista a uma proposta compromissada do literário com um aparente desinvestimento em estratégias de escrita em prol de resultados pedagógicos mais eficientes, este estudo buscará, por fim, legitimar a produção literária e intelectual do escritor Manuel da Fonseca como um projeto marcado por uma nova prática de escrita e pelo compromisso político. / [en] In order to propose the definition of a physiognomy of the neorealist project for the literary and cultural production of the 20th century in a broader way and without any undermining, this thesis aims to investigate the writer Manuel da Fonseca through a theoretical and critical approach. Throughout Aldeia Nova (1942) it is possible to verify how reality is apprehended and reconsidered in Manuel da Fonseca s fictional work, as well as the use of the word as a reflection of the way the author interprets reality. In this perspective, we will also highlight how the neorealist ideal is reproduced in the spaces and actions of Manuel da Fonseca s characters. As a consequence of this investigation and as we untie the knot which could link the neorealist project to a committed proposal by the literary with an apparent disinvestment in writing strategies in favour of more efficient pedagogical results, this study will ultimately seek to legitimize the literary and intellectual production of the writer Manuel da Fonseca as an enterprise marked by a new writing method and political commitment.

This thesis is crafted as an explorative theoretical essay, which aims to disclose the continuities and shifts in constructions of Italian post-war identity through the lenses of Marxist theory and postcolonial film analysis. The research will attempt to locate three paradigmatic cases of post-war Italian cinema and their authors in relation to the historical context, as well as coeval political and theoretical developments in the country. In order to produce a cartography of the Italian social landscape and its spaces of marginality and exclusion, the reader will be guided through this analysis by following the adventures of a paradigmatic character type, whom I will call “the wanderer”, a figure whose itinerant quality reflects the marginality of a social position and attitude that can be summed up by as the “art of getting by” (l’arte di arrangiarsi). As I will show, this position and attitude play a central role in defining a particular identity in relation to established social norms. To trace the transformation of this character, then, is also to trace transformations in the nation’s self-understanding in relation to class, race, gender, and the external world. My interpretation is built on two main theoretical premises. The first one is Gayatri Spivak’s contention that the importance of aesthetics, and aesthetic education, lies in their capacity to mediate between idealism and empiricism, or ethics and social reality. The second premise follows Fredric Jameson’s hypothesis about the creative quality of realism as an aesthetic paradigm, assuming that its primary aim and function is not a representative one, but one of active re-creation of the social reality anew. For me, these two premises are linked by the primary role they assign to aesthetic representation – as connected with imagination – in creating new grounds for social change.