A proposta desta pesquisa foi a de conhecer como o cotidiano de mulheres em situação de confinamento se (re)configura a partir da mediação da telenovela nesse novo ambiente de socialização. De que modo o ver telenovela nesse ambiente bem como suas memórias de recepção do gênero e sua matriz cultural articulam mundos possíveis na prisão. Busca, ainda, compreender como as memórias da telenovela se articulam às memórias pessoais e qual a importância dessa narrativa em seu dia a dia. A partir das proposições da “Metodologia dos mundos possíveis” de Luis Jesus Galindo Cáceres e das mediações de Jesus Martín-Barbero buscou-se compreender como a telenovela medeia seu cotidiano, como articula outros mundos que vão além dos limites impostos pelas grades e como estes mundos se relacionam com as temporalidades da prisão, bem como de suas memórias. Discute também como esse cotidiano medeia a relação com a telenovela, sobretudo a partir de suas memórias e relatos de vida, mas também da observação desse cotidiano e dos relatos sobre o momento vivido, de modo a correlacionar suas memórias (antes do ingresso na prisão) e as expectativas futuras. O estudo foi realizado no Presídio Regional de Itajaí, Santa Catarina, para o qual foram entrevistadas oito mulheres de diferentes faixas etárias, regimes e tempo de cumprimento de pena. A principal técnica adotada foi a história de vida em consonância com a proposição da metodologia dos mundos possíveis. Estes relatos foram tensionados na correlação entre memória, tempo presente e futuros contingentes e de que modo a telenovela participa desse processo de construção e reconstrução do cotidiano e de mundos possíveis. Os resultados apontam para uma “memória do melodrama” e um processo de construção de mundos possíveis a partir da identificação e projeção de suas trajetórias nas trajetórias das personagens da telenovela, sobretudo no que se refere às memórias e práticas relacionadas à família. / The purpose of this research was to know how the everyday of incarcerated women (re)configures itself from the telenovela mediation in this new environment of socialization. How the action of watching telenovelas in this environment and how their memories of reception of this genre and its cultural matrix articulates possible worlds in prison. Seeks to understand yet how the memories of the telenovelas articulate to the personal memories and which the importance of this narrative in their everyday lives is. From the propositions of the “Possible Worlds Methodology”, from Luis Jesus Galindo Cáceres, and Mediations Theory, from Jesus Martín-Barbero, seeks to understand how the telenovela mediates their daily routine, how it articulates others worlds beyond the limits imposed by the time slots and how these worlds relate to the temporalities of prison, and their memories. It also discusses how this everyday mediates the relationship with the telenovela, especially from the memories and life stories, but also from the observation of this everyday life and the stories about the moment lived, in order to correlate their memories (before being sent to prison) and the futures expectations. The research was done at Presídio Regional de Itajaí, Santa Catarina, for which eight women of different ages, regimes, and time of imprisonment were interviewed. The main technique adopted was the Life Story in line with the proposition of possible worlds methodology. These stories were tensioned in the correlation between memory, present time and future contingent and how the telenovela participates of the construction and reconstruction of the everyday life and possible worlds process. The results points to a “melodrama memory” and to a possible world construction process from the identification and projection of their trajectories in the characters’ trajectories in the telenovela, especially as regards to memories and related family practices.

A proposta desta pesquisa foi a de conhecer como o cotidiano de mulheres em situação de confinamento se (re)configura a partir da mediação da telenovela nesse novo ambiente de socialização. De que modo o ver telenovela nesse ambiente bem como suas memórias de recepção do gênero e sua matriz cultural articulam mundos possíveis na prisão. Busca, ainda, compreender como as memórias da telenovela se articulam às memórias pessoais e qual a importância dessa narrativa em seu dia a dia. A partir das proposições da “Metodologia dos mundos possíveis” de Luis Jesus Galindo Cáceres e das mediações de Jesus Martín-Barbero buscou-se compreender como a telenovela medeia seu cotidiano, como articula outros mundos que vão além dos limites impostos pelas grades e como estes mundos se relacionam com as temporalidades da prisão, bem como de suas memórias. Discute também como esse cotidiano medeia a relação com a telenovela, sobretudo a partir de suas memórias e relatos de vida, mas também da observação desse cotidiano e dos relatos sobre o momento vivido, de modo a correlacionar suas memórias (antes do ingresso na prisão) e as expectativas futuras. O estudo foi realizado no Presídio Regional de Itajaí, Santa Catarina, para o qual foram entrevistadas oito mulheres de diferentes faixas etárias, regimes e tempo de cumprimento de pena. A principal técnica adotada foi a história de vida em consonância com a proposição da metodologia dos mundos possíveis. Estes relatos foram tensionados na correlação entre memória, tempo presente e futuros contingentes e de que modo a telenovela participa desse processo de construção e reconstrução do cotidiano e de mundos possíveis. Os resultados apontam para uma “memória do melodrama” e um processo de construção de mundos possíveis a partir da identificação e projeção de suas trajetórias nas trajetórias das personagens da telenovela, sobretudo no que se refere às memórias e práticas relacionadas à família. / The purpose of this research was to know how the everyday of incarcerated women (re)configures itself from the telenovela mediation in this new environment of socialization. How the action of watching telenovelas in this environment and how their memories of reception of this genre and its cultural matrix articulates possible worlds in prison. Seeks to understand yet how the memories of the telenovelas articulate to the personal memories and which the importance of this narrative in their everyday lives is. From the propositions of the “Possible Worlds Methodology”, from Luis Jesus Galindo Cáceres, and Mediations Theory, from Jesus Martín-Barbero, seeks to understand how the telenovela mediates their daily routine, how it articulates others worlds beyond the limits imposed by the time slots and how these worlds relate to the temporalities of prison, and their memories. It also discusses how this everyday mediates the relationship with the telenovela, especially from the memories and life stories, but also from the observation of this everyday life and the stories about the moment lived, in order to correlate their memories (before being sent to prison) and the futures expectations. The research was done at Presídio Regional de Itajaí, Santa Catarina, for which eight women of different ages, regimes, and time of imprisonment were interviewed. The main technique adopted was the Life Story in line with the proposition of possible worlds methodology. These stories were tensioned in the correlation between memory, present time and future contingent and how the telenovela participates of the construction and reconstruction of the everyday life and possible worlds process. The results points to a “melodrama memory” and to a possible world construction process from the identification and projection of their trajectories in the characters’ trajectories in the telenovela, especially as regards to memories and related family practices.

The present text develops a model designed to generate conceptual theories with respect to the pictorial (visual) form of representation. This is achieved by combining a computational approach to cognition with philosophical devices of the analytic tradition. The model itself, simulating the structure of reality, consists of (i) a metaphysical stage based on Armstrong's theory of combinatorial possibility, (ii) an epistemological stage proposing emergent phenomena founded upon the notion of computational irreducibility, and (iii) a semantic stage proposing a stochastic account of concepts anchored in the intensional/extensional apprehension of meaning. Towards the end, the model is applied to develop a conceptual account of a case of social, political, and economic organization of human communities as depicted in the visual propaganda of the so-called Islamic State.

This thesis describes and explains rumours as sociological phenomenon. It deals with circumstances under which rumour arises, how it spreads and how it persists in society. It also deals with the prerequisites for understanding the transmission and any believing in rumour. Emphasis is placed on understanding the rumours without negative connotations which is mostly attributed to it. The theory of fictional worlds brings idea that rumour should not be always fictional, fictitious and a priori negative, but rather should be considered as possibly true, especially in terms of the phenomenon, which it refers. It does not matter how many different variations of the rumour story exist, since all create a frame of reference through which is better spread the rumour; adoption of the rumours is not a sign of fiction, but rather a prerequisite to embed among people. The thesis promotes the view that a rumour is spread mainly due to its content and message, which is mainly a warning. The aim is not to pass the exact story, but to warn about a phenomenon that occurs in society. It is not important wheather the rumour is true in each detail, because the only important aspect is truth of phenomenon which the rumour refers to. Keywords Rumour, theory of possible worlds, conspiracy theories, contemporary legend,...

This thesis demonstrates how the dynamics of hypertext fiction can inform an understanding of spectatorial practices provoked by contemporary performance and installation work. It develops the notion of the ‘hypertextual experience’ to encapsulate the particular qualities of active user engagement instigated by the unstable aesthetic environments common to digital and non-digital artworks. The significance and application of this term will be refined through an examination of different works in each of the study’s six chapters. Those discussed are as follows: Performances: Susurrus, by David Leddy; Love Letters Straight from the Heart and Make Better Please, by Uninvited Guests; The Waves, by Katie Mitchell; House/ Lights and Route 1 & 9, by the Wooster Group; Two Undiscovered Amerindians Discover the West, by Coco Fusco and Guillermo Gómez-Peña. Digital works: Afternoon (1987) by Michael Joyce; Victory Garden (1992) by Stuart Moulthrop; TOC by Steve Tomasula; The Princess Murderer by Deena Larsen. Installations: H.G. and Mozart’s House, by Robert Wilson; Listening Post, by Mark Hanson and Ben Rubin. In developing and discussing the hypertextual experience the thesis uses a number of conceptual frameworks and draws on philosophical perspectives and digital theory. A central part of the study employs an adaptation of possible worlds theory that has been recently developed by digital theorists for examining hypertext fiction. I extend this application to installation and performance and explore the implications of framing a spectator’s experience in terms of a hypertextual structure which foregrounds its performative operations and its engagement with machinic processes.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-13T14:10:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Angelina Sinato.pdf: 4423636 bytes, checksum: d730b2743c12cd1b2ea763288de39597 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-29 / The objective of this study t is to analyze the global discourse of the social entrepreneurship scene. Therefore, we use the methodology of critical discourse analysis (FAIRCLOUGH, 2001) and (VAN DIJK, 2003) on social entrepreneurs life narratives to understand their social role in contemporary society. The object is the narratives present in digital media, which constitute the image of social entrepreneurs worldwide institutions: Ashoka, Skoll Foundation and Schwab. These organizations articulate new possible worlds (LAZZARATO, 2006) and represent in an emblematic way the new spirit of capitalism (BOLTANSKI and CHIAPELLO, 2009). Moreover, attribute legitimacy to social entrepreneurs, who are seen as modern Olympians, true culture models (MORIN, 2011). The social entrepreneur, in summary, joins the competence as a regular entrepreneur with dedication to work for the "common good". The pragmatism of the entrepreneurial figure combines heroic characteristics, which are the symbolic power (BOURDIEU, 2005). This process occurs through a complex network of production, circulation and consumption of these globalized symbolic heroic narratives. From the spread of the phenomenon of social entrepreneurship, we seek to understand their origin, their rhetoric constitution and how the social and cultural aspects are linked to it, as the process of celebritization (TORRES, 2014) the figure of the social entrepreneur. / O objetivo desse estudo é analisar o discurso globalizado da cena do empreendedorismo social. Para tanto, utilizamos a metodologia da análise crítica do discurso (FAIRCLOUGH, 2001) e (VAN DIJK, 2003) de narrativas de vida de empreendedores sociais para compreender seu papel social na contemporaneidade. Tomamos como objeto as narrativas, presentes na mídia digital, que constituem a imagem dos empreendedores sociais em instituições de abrangência mundial: Ashoka, Skoll Foundation e Schwab. Essas organizações articulam novos mundos possíveis (LAZZARATO, 2006), e representam de maneira emblemática o novo espírito do capitalismo (BOLTANSKI e CHIAPELLO, 2009). Além disso, atribuem legitimidade aos empreendedores sociais, que passam a ser vistos como olimpianos modernos, verdadeiros modelos de cultura (MORIN, 2011). O empreendedor social, em síntese, une a competência para empreender com a dedicação ao trabalho pelo bem comum . O pragmatismo da figura empreendedora se alia a características heroicas, que constituem o poder simbólico (BOURDIEU, 1989) desses atores sociais. Esse processo se dá por meio de um complexo circuito de produção, circulação e consumo simbólico dessas narrativas heroicas globalizadas. A partir da difusão do fenômeno do empreendedorismo social, buscamos entender sua origem, sua constituição retórica e quais são os aspectos sociais e culturais a ele atrelados, como o processo de celebrização (TORRES, 2014) da figura do empreendedor social.

The writer has attempted to discuss the distinction between the necessary and the contingent. It begins with a criticism against the possibility for a so-called ‘a possible worlds realism’ to give a “philosophical explanation” of this distinction. The writer argues that this is impossible, since it requires that a notion of this distinction be already accepted (more precisely that the necessity of such a theory is already accepted). After this specific criticism, the writer intends to show that this is a more general problem that follows any explanation of the contingent/necessary distinction. The writer then discusses the counter-argument that the requirements placed on these explanations are set to high, therefore the writer shows in theory the problem can be solved and sketches a more specific way how to explain and show the basis for this distinction. / Författaren har avsett att diskutera distinktionen mellan det nödvändiga och det kontingent. Det börjar med en kritik mot möjligheten för en så kallad ’möjliga världars realism’ att ge en ”filosofisk förklaring” av denna distinktion. Författaren argumenterar för att detta är omöjligt, eftersom det kräver att en sådan distinktion redan är accepterad (mer specifikt att nödvändigheten av en sådan teori redan är accepterad). Efter denna specifika kriticism, så avser författaren visa att detta problem är generellt och att det följer alla försök att förklara den kontingenta/nödvändiga distinktionen. Författaren diskuterar sedan motargumentet att de krav som ställts på dessa förklaringar är för högt ställda, därför visar författaren hur problemet kan lösas i teorin och visar också en förenklad modell av en lösningsmetod.

No description available.

This thesis starts from the observation that, while it is common for commentators to divide postmodern fiction into two general fields – one experimental and anti-mimetic, the other cautiously mimetic, there remains a fairly significant field of postmodern texts that use largely mimetic approaches but represent worlds that are categorically distinct from actuality. This third group is even more pronounced if popular culture and “commercial” fiction, in particular sf and fantasy, are taken into account. Additionally, the third category has the interesting characteristic that the texts within this group very often generate unusual loyalty among its fans. Based on a renewed investigation of the main genre critics in postmodern fiction, the first chapter suggests a tripartite division of postmodern fiction, into formalist, metamimetic, and transreferetial texts. These are provisionally circumscribed by their reference worlds: formalist fiction attempts to derail its own capacity for presenting a world; metamimetic fiction presents mediated versions of worlds closely reminiscent of actuality; and transreferential fiction sets its narrative in worlds that are experienced as such, but are clearly distinct from actuality. If transreferential fiction deals with alternate worlds, it also very often relies on the reader’s immersion in the fictional world to provide unique, often subversive, fictional experiences. This process can be identified as the exploration of the fictional world, and it is very often guided so as to be experienced as a virtual reality of sorts. If transreferential texts are experienced as interactive in this sense, it is likely that they convey experiences and insights in ways different from either of the other two strands of postmodern fiction. In order to investigate the interactive experience provided by these texts, an extended conceptual and analytical set is proposed, rooted primarily in Ricoeurian hermeutics and possible-worlds theory. These two main theoretical approaches approximately correspond to the temporal and the spatial dimensions of texts, respectively. Much of the power of these texts rooted in the care they take to guide the reader through their fictional worlds and the experiences offered by the narrative, often at the hand of fictioninternal ‘guides’. These theoretical approaches are supplement by sf theoretical research and by Aleid Fokkema’s study of postmodern character. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 apply the theoretical toolset to three paradigmatic transreferential texts: sf New Wave author M John Harrison’s Viriconium sequence; Gibson’s Sprawl trilogy; and Jeff Noon’s Vurt and Pollen, texts that have much in common with cyberpunk but which make much more extensive use of formalist techniques. Each chapter has a slightly different main focus, matching the text in question, respectively: aesthetic parameters and worldcreation strategies of transreferential fiction; close “guidance” of the reader and extrapolation; and virtual reality and identity games. The final chapter presents the findings from the research conducted in the initial study. The findings stem from the central insight that transreferential texts deploy a powerful suit of mimetic strategies to maximise immersion, but simultaneously introduce a variety of interactive strategies. Transreferential fiction balances immersion against interactivity, often by selectively maximising the mimesis of some elements while allowing others to be presented through formalist strategies, which requires a reading mode that is simultaneously immersive and open to challenging propositions. A significant implication of this for critical studies – both literary and sf – is that the Barthesian formalist reading model is insufficient to deal with transreferential texts. Rather, texts like these demand a layered reading approach which facilitates immersion on a first reading and supplements it critically on a second. The final chapter further considers how widely and in what forms the themes and strategies found in the preceding chapters recur in other texts from the proposed transreferential supergenre, including sf, magic realist and limitpostmodernist texts. / Thesis (PhD (English))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

This thesis starts from the observation that, while it is common for commentators to divide postmodern fiction into two general fields – one experimental and anti-mimetic, the other cautiously mimetic, there remains a fairly significant field of postmodern texts that use largely mimetic approaches but represent worlds that are categorically distinct from actuality. This third group is even more pronounced if popular culture and “commercial” fiction, in particular sf and fantasy, are taken into account. Additionally, the third category has the interesting characteristic that the texts within this group very often generate unusual loyalty among its fans. Based on a renewed investigation of the main genre critics in postmodern fiction, the first chapter suggests a tripartite division of postmodern fiction, into formalist, metamimetic, and transreferetial texts. These are provisionally circumscribed by their reference worlds: formalist fiction attempts to derail its own capacity for presenting a world; metamimetic fiction presents mediated versions of worlds closely reminiscent of actuality; and transreferential fiction sets its narrative in worlds that are experienced as such, but are clearly distinct from actuality. If transreferential fiction deals with alternate worlds, it also very often relies on the reader’s immersion in the fictional world to provide unique, often subversive, fictional experiences. This process can be identified as the exploration of the fictional world, and it is very often guided so as to be experienced as a virtual reality of sorts. If transreferential texts are experienced as interactive in this sense, it is likely that they convey experiences and insights in ways different from either of the other two strands of postmodern fiction. In order to investigate the interactive experience provided by these texts, an extended conceptual and analytical set is proposed, rooted primarily in Ricoeurian hermeutics and possible-worlds theory. These two main theoretical approaches approximately correspond to the temporal and the spatial dimensions of texts, respectively. Much of the power of these texts rooted in the care they take to guide the reader through their fictional worlds and the experiences offered by the narrative, often at the hand of fictioninternal ‘guides’. These theoretical approaches are supplement by sf theoretical research and by Aleid Fokkema’s study of postmodern character. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 apply the theoretical toolset to three paradigmatic transreferential texts: sf New Wave author M John Harrison’s Viriconium sequence; Gibson’s Sprawl trilogy; and Jeff Noon’s Vurt and Pollen, texts that have much in common with cyberpunk but which make much more extensive use of formalist techniques. Each chapter has a slightly different main focus, matching the text in question, respectively: aesthetic parameters and worldcreation strategies of transreferential fiction; close “guidance” of the reader and extrapolation; and virtual reality and identity games. The final chapter presents the findings from the research conducted in the initial study. The findings stem from the central insight that transreferential texts deploy a powerful suit of mimetic strategies to maximise immersion, but simultaneously introduce a variety of interactive strategies. Transreferential fiction balances immersion against interactivity, often by selectively maximising the mimesis of some elements while allowing others to be presented through formalist strategies, which requires a reading mode that is simultaneously immersive and open to challenging propositions. A significant implication of this for critical studies – both literary and sf – is that the Barthesian formalist reading model is insufficient to deal with transreferential texts. Rather, texts like these demand a layered reading approach which facilitates immersion on a first reading and supplements it critically on a second. The final chapter further considers how widely and in what forms the themes and strategies found in the preceding chapters recur in other texts from the proposed transreferential supergenre, including sf, magic realist and limitpostmodernist texts. / Thesis (PhD (English))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.