Title: Excercise regimen in active seniors Aim: This thesis sets out to find out wheher the active elderly people follow guidance of general recommnedations for the excercise regimen designed for them. I'm trying to find out whether the frequency of excercise changes through positive biosocial variables. Secondary goals of the research are monitoring the activity preferences and the level of health condition of the elderly. The last secondary goal of the research is measuring the condition of their muscular apparatus with the help of a hand grip (hand squeezing test), that reflects to a great degree the physical ability of a person. Methods: In this thesis specialist publications were researched, content analysis of a survey was perfomed and a comparison of found results has been carried out. Results: The results for fulfilling the recommended excercise regimen by the active elderly population have been confirmed. The effect of some positive biosocial variables has been confirmed, albeit not all of them. We found out what excercise activities are preferred by our elderly and the test for their muscular strenght was performed to find that the elderly people, visiting fitness centers regularly are stronger than the rest of elderly population. Keywords: age, elderly, seniority, excercise activity,...

A assistência ao parto e ao nascimento no Brasil passou por amplas reformulações nas últimas décadas baseadas na necessidade de melhorar a qualidade e a satisfação das mulheres, crianças e suas famílias. Em busca das redefinições das práticas, estabeleceu-se, no país, o movimento de humanização do parto e nascimento (MHPN). Neste estudo, buscou-se compreender os significados e as práticas construídos a partir do conceito de parto presentes no campo da humanização do parto e do nascimento. Trata-se de uma pesquisa que utilizou a metodologia qualitativa com abordagem etnográfica, realizada em dois grupos participantes do MHPN que tinham como objetivo comum a melhoria da humanização do parto e do nascimento no âmbito do Sistema Único de Saúde. O trabalho de campo ocorreu entre os anos de 2014 e o segundo semestre de 2016. A coleta de dados foi realizada por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas e de observação participante nas atividades dos grupos e em eventos do MHPN, em que foram efetuadas 10 interlocuções com os militantes do movimento. Os dados foram analisados mediante a técnica de análise de conteúdo, organizados em três eixos principais: a militância e os contextos de cuidado, parto e nascimento em suas trajetórias e significados e práticas ao redor do parto e do nascimento. Permitiu-se compreender que esses militantes almejam um parto que chamamos de parto respeitoso, baseados em um cuidado individualizado, em evidências científicas e na garantia de direitos. / Labor and birth care in Brazil have undergone broad reformulations in the last decades based on the need to improve the quality and satisfaction of women, children and their families. In searching for the redefinition of the practices it was established in the country the humanization of labor and birth movement (MHPN). In this study, we sought to understand the meanings and the practices, built from the concept of labor, existent in the field of humanization of labor and birth. It is a research that used the qualitative methodology with ethnographic approach, made in two MHPN participant groups, that had as a common objective the improvement of humanization of labor and birth in the scope of the Unified Health System. Field work took place between the year of 2014 and the second semester of 2016. Data collection was made by means of semi-structured interviews and participant observation in the activities of MHPN groups and events, in which 10 interlocutions with the movement militants were carried out. Data were analyzed using the technique of content analysis, organized in three main branches: militance and care contexts, labor and birth in their trajectories and meanings, and practices surrounding labor and birth. It was possible to understand that such militants desire what we call a respectful labor, based on individualized care, scientific evidence and guarantee of rights.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), as defined by the DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2000), is a multifaceted mental illness characterized by pervasive instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, affect and behavior. Despite a growing consensus that the etiological basis of BPD stems from a combination of biological vulnerability and an early developmental history characterized by invalidation, abuse and/or neglect (e.g., Clarkin, Marziali, & Munroe-Blum, 1991; Linehan, 1993), the reasons for the diversity of troubling symptoms (e.g., self-injury, suicidality, mood reactivity, relationship difficulties) remain unclear. Psychopathology theorists differ in their conceptualization of the fundamental problems (e.g., impulsivity vs. identity disturbance vs. emotion dysregulation) underlying BPD and further research is needed to clarify which features are central to the maintenance of the difficulties associated with the disorder. In the current research, the some of the tenets of Linehan’s (1993) biosocial theory of BPD and the core constructs implicated in her conceptualization of the disorder were explored empirically in several samples of undergraduate university students. According to the biosocial theory, difficulties regulating emotions represent the core pathology in the disorder and contribute causally to the development and expression of all other BPD features. The emotional dysregulation is proposed to emerge from transactional interactions between individuals with biological vulnerabilities (i.e., a highly arousable temperament, sensitive to both positive and negative emotional stimuli) and specific environmental influences (i.e., a childhood environment that invalidates their emotional experience). The theory asserts that the dysregulation affects all aspects of emotional responding, resulting in (i) heightened emotional sensitivity, (ii) intense and more frequent responses to emotional stimuli, and (iii) slow return to emotional baseline. Furthermore, Linehan proposed that individuals with BPD lack clarity with respect to their emotions, have difficulties tolerating intense affect, and engage in maladaptive and inadequate emotion modulation strategies. As a result of their dysfunctional response patterns during emotionally challenging events , individuals with BPD fail to learn how to solve the problems contributing to these emotional reactions. In accordance with this theory, a number of hypotheses were tested. First, it was hypothesized that the interaction between temperamental sensitivity and an adverse childhood environment would predict BPD features over and above that predicted by either construct independently. Second, it was hypothesized that BPD traits would be predicted by high levels of emotional dysregulation (affect lability), problems across different aspects of emotional experience (e.g., intensity, awareness, clarity), and deficits in emotion regulation skills (e.g., poor distress tolerance, self-soothing). Based on the initial findings of the research, a series of competing hypotheses were tested that addressed the nature of the emotional, cognitive and motivational mechanisms that may underlie maladaptive behavior in BPD more directly. Prior to testing these hypotheses, it was important to select a set of measures that would best represent these constructs within an undergraduate population. The purpose of Studies 1a and 1b (N = 147 and N = 56, respectively) was to determine the reliability and validity of a series of self-report measures that assess BPD features and to select one questionnaire with high sensitivity (percentage of cases correctly identified) and high specificity (percentage of noncases correctly identified) as a screener for BPD within undergraduate students by comparing the results of the questionnaires against a “gold standard” criterion diagnosis of BPD (as assessed by two semi-structured interviews: DIB-R and IPDE-I). The second goal of these studies was to conduct a preliminary exploratory analysis of the association of scores on the BPD measures and constructs that have been hypothesized to be relevant to the development and maintenance of BPD symptoms (e.g., “Big Five” personality factors, emotional experience, impulsivity). Overall, the findings of Studies 1a and 1b indicated that screening for BPD in an undergraduate population is feasible and there are several questionnaires that may help in the identification of participants for future studies. Specifically, the McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD; Zanarini et al., 2003), International Personality Disorder Examination DSM-IV Screening Questionnaire (IPDE-S; Loranger, 1999) and Borderline Personality Questionnaire (BPQ; Poreh et al., 2006) were all found to be internally consistent and valid screening measures. Furthermore, the results of correlation and regression analyses between dimensions of the “Big Five” and scores on the BPD measures were consistent with previous findings in the literature that BPD is associated with higher scores on neuroticism, lower scores on agreeableness, and to a lesser degree, lower scores on conscientiousness and extraversion. The similarity in results between the current and past studies suggested that individuals in the present samples showed characteristics consistent with that seen in both clinical and nonclinical populations with BPD traits. The results also provided support for the notion that individuals with BPD have a lower threshold (i.e., greater sensitivity) for both sensory and affective stimuli, as well as higher amplitude of emotional response (i.e., greater reactivity) to such stimuli. Furthermore, the findings suggested that those with BPD traits may lack understanding of their emotional state, may be unable to effectively regulate their emotional state, and that their impulsive behavior may be driven by negative affect. The purpose of Study 2 (N = 225) was to test some of the specific tenets of Linehan’s (1993) biosocial theory. The results suggested that BPD traits are associated with numerous dimensions of temperament [e.g., higher levels of negative affect; lower levels of positive affect; lower levels of effortful control; low sensory threshold (i.e., greater sensitivity) for both sensory and affective stimuli; ease of excitation (i.e., greater reactivity to sensory and affective stimuli)] and childhood environment (e.g., authoritarian parenting style, invalidating parenting, neglect, abuse). An examination of the interactions between dimensions of temperament and childhood environment suggested that interactions between (i) ease of excitation (greater reactivity to sensory and affective stimuli) and environment and (ii) trait negative affect and environment, predicted BPD symptoms over and above the temperament and environment variables alone. The results also suggested that a number of other factors are associated with BPD symptoms, including: increased attention to (or absorption in) emotional states, poor emotional clarity, affect lability (particularly anger), poor distress tolerance, and negative urgency (impulsive behavior in the context of negative affect). The association between BPD symptoms and difficulties identifying feelings seemed to be mediated by affect lability and negative urgency. Self-soothing and self-attacking did not predict BPD traits over and above the other variables. Wagner and Linehan (1999) also proposed that the intense emotions (and emotional dysregulation) experienced by those with BPD interferes with cognitive functioning and effective problem solving, resulting in poor decisions and the observed harmful behaviors. Other researchers have suggested that the repetitive, self-damaging behavior occurring in the context of BPD may reflect impairments in planning and failure to consider future consequences (e.g., van Reekum et al., 1994). Proponents of this view suggest that individuals with BPD show greater intensity and lability in their emotional response to their environment because they are unable to inhibit or moderate their emotional urges (i.e., impulsivity is at the core of the disorder). The purpose of Study 3 (N = 220) was to characterize decision making in an undergraduate sample of individuals with BPD traits and to ascertain the relative contribution of individual differences in the following areas to any deficits identified in decision making: emotional experience (e.g., increased affective reactivity or lability); reinforcement sensitivity (e.g., sensitivity to reward and/or punishment); impulsivity; executive functioning (measured by an analogue version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test); and reversal learning. Decision making was assessed using modified versions of two Iowa Gambling Tasks (IGT-ABCD and IGT-EFGH; Bechara, Damasio, Damasio, & Anderson, 1994; Bechara, Tranel, & Damasio, 2000) that included reversal learning components (i.e., Turnbull et al., 2006). The results of Study 3 showed that participants in the BPD group demonstrated deficits in decision-making as measured by the IGT-ABCD but not on the IGT-EFGH. The results [interpreted in the context of reinforcement sensitivity models, the somatic marker hypothesis (Damasio, 1994) and the “frequency of gain” model e.g., Chiu et al. 2008)] suggested that decision making under uncertainty may be guided by gain-loss frequency rather than long-term outcome for individuals with BPD traits. The results failed to show consistent associations between BPD symptoms and performance on either version of the IGT. Individual differences in emotional experience, executive functioning or reversal learning did not account for the decision-making problems of the BPD group on the IGT-ABCD.

The researches of biosocial skills of the disabled is a very important and relevant subject in estimating the perspectives and possibilities in rehabilitation and psychosocial adaptation of disabled individuals. There is a lack of researches dealing with the influence of various activities and programmes on indices and alternations of biosocial skills. Authors, analyzing biosocial skills, limit themselves to a general survey of the disabled omitting researches related to the nature of disability and level of lesion. There has been no researches conducted revealing the influence of applied physical activities on biosocial skills of the disabled with lesions of spinal medulla up to 2 years and over 2 years after lesion. Aim of survey. To test and evaluate influence of applied physical activities on biosocial skills of the disabled moving in wheelchairs. For implementing this aim several tasks were carried out: 1. To test and evaluate alternations of the biosocial skills of the disabled with different level lesions adopting the programme of applied physical activities. 2. To test and evaluate influence of the programme of applied physical activities on biosocial skills of the disabled with different level lesions after different time periods. 3. To test and evaluate influence of the programmes of applied physical activities of different duration on biosocial skills of the disabled moving in wheelchairs. The survey conducted involving 32 disabled individuals with lesions of... [to full text]

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), as defined by the DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2000), is a multifaceted mental illness characterized by pervasive instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, affect and behavior. Despite a growing consensus that the etiological basis of BPD stems from a combination of biological vulnerability and an early developmental history characterized by invalidation, abuse and/or neglect (e.g., Clarkin, Marziali, & Munroe-Blum, 1991; Linehan, 1993), the reasons for the diversity of troubling symptoms (e.g., self-injury, suicidality, mood reactivity, relationship difficulties) remain unclear. Psychopathology theorists differ in their conceptualization of the fundamental problems (e.g., impulsivity vs. identity disturbance vs. emotion dysregulation) underlying BPD and further research is needed to clarify which features are central to the maintenance of the difficulties associated with the disorder. In the current research, the some of the tenets of Linehan’s (1993) biosocial theory of BPD and the core constructs implicated in her conceptualization of the disorder were explored empirically in several samples of undergraduate university students. According to the biosocial theory, difficulties regulating emotions represent the core pathology in the disorder and contribute causally to the development and expression of all other BPD features. The emotional dysregulation is proposed to emerge from transactional interactions between individuals with biological vulnerabilities (i.e., a highly arousable temperament, sensitive to both positive and negative emotional stimuli) and specific environmental influences (i.e., a childhood environment that invalidates their emotional experience). The theory asserts that the dysregulation affects all aspects of emotional responding, resulting in (i) heightened emotional sensitivity, (ii) intense and more frequent responses to emotional stimuli, and (iii) slow return to emotional baseline. Furthermore, Linehan proposed that individuals with BPD lack clarity with respect to their emotions, have difficulties tolerating intense affect, and engage in maladaptive and inadequate emotion modulation strategies. As a result of their dysfunctional response patterns during emotionally challenging events , individuals with BPD fail to learn how to solve the problems contributing to these emotional reactions. In accordance with this theory, a number of hypotheses were tested. First, it was hypothesized that the interaction between temperamental sensitivity and an adverse childhood environment would predict BPD features over and above that predicted by either construct independently. Second, it was hypothesized that BPD traits would be predicted by high levels of emotional dysregulation (affect lability), problems across different aspects of emotional experience (e.g., intensity, awareness, clarity), and deficits in emotion regulation skills (e.g., poor distress tolerance, self-soothing). Based on the initial findings of the research, a series of competing hypotheses were tested that addressed the nature of the emotional, cognitive and motivational mechanisms that may underlie maladaptive behavior in BPD more directly. Prior to testing these hypotheses, it was important to select a set of measures that would best represent these constructs within an undergraduate population. The purpose of Studies 1a and 1b (N = 147 and N = 56, respectively) was to determine the reliability and validity of a series of self-report measures that assess BPD features and to select one questionnaire with high sensitivity (percentage of cases correctly identified) and high specificity (percentage of noncases correctly identified) as a screener for BPD within undergraduate students by comparing the results of the questionnaires against a “gold standard” criterion diagnosis of BPD (as assessed by two semi-structured interviews: DIB-R and IPDE-I). The second goal of these studies was to conduct a preliminary exploratory analysis of the association of scores on the BPD measures and constructs that have been hypothesized to be relevant to the development and maintenance of BPD symptoms (e.g., “Big Five” personality factors, emotional experience, impulsivity). Overall, the findings of Studies 1a and 1b indicated that screening for BPD in an undergraduate population is feasible and there are several questionnaires that may help in the identification of participants for future studies. Specifically, the McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD; Zanarini et al., 2003), International Personality Disorder Examination DSM-IV Screening Questionnaire (IPDE-S; Loranger, 1999) and Borderline Personality Questionnaire (BPQ; Poreh et al., 2006) were all found to be internally consistent and valid screening measures. Furthermore, the results of correlation and regression analyses between dimensions of the “Big Five” and scores on the BPD measures were consistent with previous findings in the literature that BPD is associated with higher scores on neuroticism, lower scores on agreeableness, and to a lesser degree, lower scores on conscientiousness and extraversion. The similarity in results between the current and past studies suggested that individuals in the present samples showed characteristics consistent with that seen in both clinical and nonclinical populations with BPD traits. The results also provided support for the notion that individuals with BPD have a lower threshold (i.e., greater sensitivity) for both sensory and affective stimuli, as well as higher amplitude of emotional response (i.e., greater reactivity) to such stimuli. Furthermore, the findings suggested that those with BPD traits may lack understanding of their emotional state, may be unable to effectively regulate their emotional state, and that their impulsive behavior may be driven by negative affect. The purpose of Study 2 (N = 225) was to test some of the specific tenets of Linehan’s (1993) biosocial theory. The results suggested that BPD traits are associated with numerous dimensions of temperament [e.g., higher levels of negative affect; lower levels of positive affect; lower levels of effortful control; low sensory threshold (i.e., greater sensitivity) for both sensory and affective stimuli; ease of excitation (i.e., greater reactivity to sensory and affective stimuli)] and childhood environment (e.g., authoritarian parenting style, invalidating parenting, neglect, abuse). An examination of the interactions between dimensions of temperament and childhood environment suggested that interactions between (i) ease of excitation (greater reactivity to sensory and affective stimuli) and environment and (ii) trait negative affect and environment, predicted BPD symptoms over and above the temperament and environment variables alone. The results also suggested that a number of other factors are associated with BPD symptoms, including: increased attention to (or absorption in) emotional states, poor emotional clarity, affect lability (particularly anger), poor distress tolerance, and negative urgency (impulsive behavior in the context of negative affect). The association between BPD symptoms and difficulties identifying feelings seemed to be mediated by affect lability and negative urgency. Self-soothing and self-attacking did not predict BPD traits over and above the other variables. Wagner and Linehan (1999) also proposed that the intense emotions (and emotional dysregulation) experienced by those with BPD interferes with cognitive functioning and effective problem solving, resulting in poor decisions and the observed harmful behaviors. Other researchers have suggested that the repetitive, self-damaging behavior occurring in the context of BPD may reflect impairments in planning and failure to consider future consequences (e.g., van Reekum et al., 1994). Proponents of this view suggest that individuals with BPD show greater intensity and lability in their emotional response to their environment because they are unable to inhibit or moderate their emotional urges (i.e., impulsivity is at the core of the disorder). The purpose of Study 3 (N = 220) was to characterize decision making in an undergraduate sample of individuals with BPD traits and to ascertain the relative contribution of individual differences in the following areas to any deficits identified in decision making: emotional experience (e.g., increased affective reactivity or lability); reinforcement sensitivity (e.g., sensitivity to reward and/or punishment); impulsivity; executive functioning (measured by an analogue version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test); and reversal learning. Decision making was assessed using modified versions of two Iowa Gambling Tasks (IGT-ABCD and IGT-EFGH; Bechara, Damasio, Damasio, & Anderson, 1994; Bechara, Tranel, & Damasio, 2000) that included reversal learning components (i.e., Turnbull et al., 2006). The results of Study 3 showed that participants in the BPD group demonstrated deficits in decision-making as measured by the IGT-ABCD but not on the IGT-EFGH. The results [interpreted in the context of reinforcement sensitivity models, the somatic marker hypothesis (Damasio, 1994) and the “frequency of gain” model e.g., Chiu et al. 2008)] suggested that decision making under uncertainty may be guided by gain-loss frequency rather than long-term outcome for individuals with BPD traits. The results failed to show consistent associations between BPD symptoms and performance on either version of the IGT. Individual differences in emotional experience, executive functioning or reversal learning did not account for the decision-making problems of the BPD group on the IGT-ABCD.

The thesis describes a biosocial model of status stratification in face to face groups. The model is based on the belief that human status behavior is evolutionary extension of animal status behavior (especially primates). Each person of a group is equipped with a signaling mechanism that signals the status of domination or submision (or the status he ought to have). Status communication is among humans very subtle and primarily occurs at a nonverbal level. Status stratification often takes place automatically without the knowledge of the subjects. The biosocial model criticizes classical authors of social stratification, who explain the mechanism primarily at the cognitive level. In the practical part, the thesis attempts to use new methodology to verify the main assumption of an implicit stratification mechanism that is able to function without the involvement of cognition. The research works with a group of people with 6 probands. To indicate status in a group, playing cards were used. In each group, individuals were artificially assigned positions by playing cards. Subsequently, it was recorded how these artificial positions were reflected in the real position of member of the group. In the second part, the influence of personality trait on the position was measured. The main assumption could...

Longtemps marginalisée en criminologie, l’étude des facteurs biologiques du crime a connu une véritable renaissance aux États-Unis depuis les années 2000 sous le nom de « criminologie biosociale ». Le développement de ce courant, qui remonte aux années 1960, doit beaucoup à l’émancipation progressive de la discipline criminologique vis-à-vis de la sociologie, ainsi qu’à l’accès croissant des chercheurs en sciences sociales aux méthodes et données de la génétique comportementale. Si ce mouvement n’est pas homogène, la criminologie biosociale est l’oeuvre principale de chercheurs qui occupent une position dominée au sein du champ criminologique et qui font de l’étude génétique du crime un outil de subversion de la domination sociologique. Le développement de la criminologie biosociale est loin de faire l’unanimité auprès des criminologues états-uniens. Plutôt que de tenter de normaliser les controverses en convaincant leurs adversaires de la pertinence de leurs recherches, les représentants les plus subversifs de la criminologie biosociale adoptent un ton polémique et une attitude combative et jouent sur leur hétérodoxie afin d’acquérir une plus grande visibilité au sein du champ. D’autres tentent de se faire plus discrets en évitant de prendre part aux controverses. Cette prudence est particulièrement visible dans le traitement de la question raciale, nombre de chercheurs préférant éviter de lier la criminologie biosociale à un thème de recherche aussi politiquement sensible. En revanche, la minorité subversive se sert de l’aspect controversé de la question raciale pour en faire un exemple de la censure qui serait pratiquée par les sociologues qui dominent le champ / While it has long been marginalized in criminology, the investigation of biological factors of crime has known a renaissance in the United States since the 2000s under the name of “biosocial criminology”. The development of this movement, that goes back to the 1960s, owes much to the progressive emancipation of the criminological discipline vis-à-vis sociology, as well as to social scientists’ growing access to the methods and data of behavior genetics. Although biosocial criminology is not homogeneous, it is primarily produced by academics that occupya dominated position within the criminological field and that use the genetics of crime as a tool for subverting the sociological domination. The development of biosocial criminology is far from having gained consensus among US criminologists. Rather than trying to normalize controversies by convincing their opponents of their works’ relevance, the most subversive leaders of biosocial criminology adopt a polemical stance and a combative posture and use their heterodoxy to acquire a greater visibility within the field. Others, on the other hand, seek to keep a low profile and avoid engaging in controversies. This carefulness is particularly visible regarding the treatment of the racial question, for numerous researchers avoid tying biosocial criminology up with a research theme as politically sensitive. However, the subversive minority uses the controversial aspect of the racial question as an example of the censorship that dominant sociologists supposedly impose within the field

A assistência ao parto e ao nascimento no Brasil passou por amplas reformulações nas últimas décadas baseadas na necessidade de melhorar a qualidade e a satisfação das mulheres, crianças e suas famílias. Em busca das redefinições das práticas, estabeleceu-se, no país, o movimento de humanização do parto e nascimento (MHPN). Neste estudo, buscou-se compreender os significados e as práticas construídos a partir do conceito de parto presentes no campo da humanização do parto e do nascimento. Trata-se de uma pesquisa que utilizou a metodologia qualitativa com abordagem etnográfica, realizada em dois grupos participantes do MHPN que tinham como objetivo comum a melhoria da humanização do parto e do nascimento no âmbito do Sistema Único de Saúde. O trabalho de campo ocorreu entre os anos de 2014 e o segundo semestre de 2016. A coleta de dados foi realizada por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas e de observação participante nas atividades dos grupos e em eventos do MHPN, em que foram efetuadas 10 interlocuções com os militantes do movimento. Os dados foram analisados mediante a técnica de análise de conteúdo, organizados em três eixos principais: a militância e os contextos de cuidado, parto e nascimento em suas trajetórias e significados e práticas ao redor do parto e do nascimento. Permitiu-se compreender que esses militantes almejam um parto que chamamos de parto respeitoso, baseados em um cuidado individualizado, em evidências científicas e na garantia de direitos. / Labor and birth care in Brazil have undergone broad reformulations in the last decades based on the need to improve the quality and satisfaction of women, children and their families. In searching for the redefinition of the practices it was established in the country the humanization of labor and birth movement (MHPN). In this study, we sought to understand the meanings and the practices, built from the concept of labor, existent in the field of humanization of labor and birth. It is a research that used the qualitative methodology with ethnographic approach, made in two MHPN participant groups, that had as a common objective the improvement of humanization of labor and birth in the scope of the Unified Health System. Field work took place between the year of 2014 and the second semester of 2016. Data collection was made by means of semi-structured interviews and participant observation in the activities of MHPN groups and events, in which 10 interlocutions with the movement militants were carried out. Data were analyzed using the technique of content analysis, organized in three main branches: militance and care contexts, labor and birth in their trajectories and meanings, and practices surrounding labor and birth. It was possible to understand that such militants desire what we call a respectful labor, based on individualized care, scientific evidence and guarantee of rights.

Considerable research has examined human mate preferences across cultures, finding universal sex differences in preferences for attractiveness and resources as well as sources of systematic cultural variation. Two competing perspectives—an evolutionary psychological perspective and a biosocial role perspective—offer alternative explanations for these findings. However, the original data on which each perspective relies are decades old, and the literature is fraught with conflicting methods, analyses, results, and conclusions. Using a new 45-country sample (N = 14,399), we attempted to replicate classic studies and test both the evolutionary and biosocial role perspectives. Support for universal sex differences in preferences remains robust: Men, more than women, prefer attractive, young mates, and women, more than men, prefer older mates with financial prospects. Cross-culturally, both sexes have mates closer to their own ages as gender equality increases. Beyond age of partner, neither pathogen prevalence nor gender equality robustly predicted sex differences or preferences across countries.

I hope this can be used for a greater good than pure study. / This study used a novel combination of interview methodologies, made possible through the nature of instant messaging, and ethnographic methods in order to determine the value of the autistic community on Tumblr.com to its members. Ethnographic study yielded insights about the dialectic quality of any community on Tumblr, autistic community included, as well as the sense of autonomy users have on the site that is different if not greater than what they may practice in the physical world. Interview data suggest a neutral to positive view of the community and its culture overall, though further research with a greater sample of participants is required in order to confirm these findings. Information can be shared quickly between members, and this information provides greater insight into a given user’s autism, be it diagnosed or otherwise, or insight into navigating the neurotypical world. Autism positivity and neurodiversity advocacy is common among participants and the blogs they subscribe to, popularising the idea thereof in the mainstream while validating the identity of autistic people online and offline. This ethos makes its way into more casual site discussions, with memes and other entertainment being shaped by these experiences. The autistic community on Tumblr is an excellent example of a modern biosocial community online, and serves as Hacking’s engine of normalisation both on the site outside of the autistic community and in the physical world through real life events and adoption of site terminology and discourse. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA) / Using a purpose-built blog to learn about site culture and a series of online interviews to discover participant experiences, this study explores the culture of the autistic community on Tumblr and its impact on its members. The autistic community on Tumblr is a place that its members have more freedom to act and express themselves (through art, videos, shared stories etc.) than in the physical world. Through being a way to vent difficult experiences, get information, and enjoy site content made by and for them (in addition to broader appeal media), site users report a neutral to positive effect on their overall quality of life because of the site. Further research is required to confirm any of the patterns in the work.