Essa Tese procura contribuir no debate sobre a ampliação da importância da produção imobiliária na transformação das cidades brasileiras, discutindo as mudanças evidenciadas em Fortaleza, Ceará. Nesta metrópole, verificou-se nos últimos anos um expressivo aumento do número de lançamentos imobiliários e uma intensa diversificação dos empreendimentos, que são coincidentes ao fortalecimento da atuação de grandes incorporadoras. Estas empresas, mais capitalizadas e adotando novas estratégias de produção, passam a ser responsáveis pela condução de importantes mudanças, possibilitadas, em parte, pela recuperação dos financiamentos habitacionais e pelo processo geral de convergência entre capital financeiro e produção imobiliária. A incorporação imobiliária como lógica específica de produção capitalista do espaço, ao favorecer a inserção de novos capitais no setor e ampliar a flexibilidade na produção, consolida-se como meio para a centralização do capital. Envolvendo a articulação de interesses das incorporadoras nacionais e locais, a centralização será determinante na criação de condições privilegiadas de reprodução do capital no espaço, que intensificarão a valorização imobiliária em diferentes áreas da metrópole reforçando sua diferenciação socioespacial. Partindo das relações de produção do imobiliário sob o domínio da incorporação, procuraremos compreender o significado das mudanças em curso, discutindo a reorganização do capital no setor, a atuação dos principais agentes envolvidos, suas estratégias em maximização dos ganhos e os reflexos na produção do espaço. Para o desenvolvimento dessas discussões exploraremos a articulação dos principais conceitos envolvidos - como incorporação, centralização, valorização imobiliária - com a pesquisa empírica, baseada em entrevistas aos principais agentes envolvidos na produção imobiliária, levantamento de dados sobre a organização do setor, a produção imobiliária e a organização socioespacial da metrópole. Com o aprofundamento dessas discussões, procuraremos demonstrar a hipótese de que em Fortaleza, a partir do fortalecimento da incorporação e seu imbricamento com o financeiro, ocorrerá um importante movimento de centralização do capital no setor imobiliário que ganhará força na redefinição da metrópole ao impor uma nova lógica de produção do espaço, que exacerba a reprodução do capital em detrimento das necessidades da reprodução social. / This thesis contributes to the debate on the growth in importance of property development in the transformation of Brazilian cities, discussing the changes detected in Fortaleza, Ceará. In this city, it was observed over the last years a significant increase in the number of property launches and an intense diversification of property type and location, which are coincident with the increasing role of the largest real estate developers. These companies, heavily capitalized and adopting new development strategies, are responsible for leading important changes in Fortaleza`s real estate sector, which have been made possible, in part, by the recovery of home loans and by the convergence between financial capital and real estate development. Real estate development seen as a specific form of the capitalist production of space, favoring the injection of new capitals in the sector and broadening the flexibility of production, asserts itself as a mean for the centralization of capital. Involving the interest articulation of national and local developers, this centralization will be determining in the creation of privileged conditions of reproduction of capital in space, conditions that will intensify real estate appreciation in different areas of the metropolis, reinforcing the city\'s socio-spatial differentiation. Following from the real estate relations of production dominated by property development, we will try to understand the meaning of current changes, discussing the capital reorganization in the sector, the role of the main agents involved, their strategies to maximize their gains and the effects on the production of space. In order to develop these discussions we will explore the articulation of the main concepts involved here - such as property development, centralization and real estate appreciation - with an empirical research, based on interviews with the main agents in the real estate development sector and on data gathered about the sector organization, property production and the socio-spatial organization of the city. Having discussed these issues in depth, we will try to demonstrate the thesis that with the intensification of real estate development in Fortaleza and its entwinement with financial capital there will be an important movement of capital centralization in the real estate sector, a movement that will become stronger in the redefinition of the metropolis by imposing a new logic of production of space, which exacerbates capital reproduction to the detriment of the necessities of social reproduction.

The discipline of information security management is still in its infancy as evidenced by the lack of empirical scholarly work in this area. Most research within the information security domain focuses on specific technologies and algorithms and how it impacts the principles of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. But, an important area receiving little attention is the antecedents of effective information security management at the organizational level (Stanton, Guzman, Stam & Caldera, 2003). The little empirical research that has been conducted in this area has shown that information security management in many organizations is poor (Baskerville, 1993; Shimeall & McDermott, 1999). Several researchers have identified the need for methods to measure the organization-wide information security posture of organizations (Eloff & Von Solms, 2000; James, 1996). This dissertation attempts to measure the organization-wide information security posture by examining benchmark variables that assess role, planning orientation, and performance structure within the organization. Through this conceptualization of an organization's information security posture, a means is presented to measure overall information security and how it impacts the effective utilization of information security strategies. The presence of the dependent variable, effectiveness, gives academics and practitioners a success measure which can guide more effective decision making in the information security domain. An additional aim of this dissertation is to empirically examine the influence of management practices and decisions on effective use of information security strategies within the organization. The issues of centralization versus decentralization of information security activities will be evaluated along with its impact on information security posture of organizations and the effectiveness of the organization's information security strategies. Data was collected from 119 IT and information security executives. Results show that how the organization structures information security activities is not correlated with more effective utilization of information security strategies. Meanwhile, the organization's information security posture is significantly correlated with more effective utilization of information security strategies. The implications of this research is discussed.

The current study examines the mediating role of General Organizational Means‑efficacy (GOME) in the relationships between organizational context and employee attitudes. The organizational context consists of leadership support, centralization, and emphasis on training and development; and employee attitudes consist of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and career outcomes. The purpose of this study is to reveal what contextual factors in an organization may affect employees’ perceptions of resources available and in turn affects employee attitudes. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze these relationships, and it was found that leadership support and an emphasis on training and development were positively related to GOME, and centralization was negatively related to GOME. It was also found that GOME was positively related to job satisfaction, organizational commitment and career outcomes. Additionally, GOME was found to be a partial mediator of the relationships between organizational context and employee attitudes. These findings add to the limited research on GOME and provide organizations a better understanding of what may influence perceptions of resources within an organization along with how those perceptions may be affecting employee attitudes.

<p>Företag: Midelfart Sonesson AB</p><p>Syfte: Studien skulle ge en bild av vilka kriterier som är betydelsefulla för företag vid rationalisering av lagerställen. Den skulle dessutom ge en bild av vilka tänkbara ekonomiska konsekvenser som kan följa efter en rationalisering. Genom en fallstudie av ett typföretag och genom kompletterande intervjuer med kunniga inom logistik och företagsekonomi skulle författarna undersöka vilka kriterier som företagen lägger mest vikt på när de ska starta ett så stort projekt som lagerställesrationalisering, samt förstå vad kostnadsbesparingen kan bli.</p><p>Metod: En studie av företaget Midelfart Sonesson AB har utförts. Primär- och sekundärdata har samlats in genom personliga intervjuer, litteratur, rapporter, och elektroniska källor.</p><p>Teori: Teorin består av nio olika avsnitt som kan tillämpas på ämnet i uppsatsen. Teorin används för att förstå företagets uppbyggnad, organisation och dess handlande. Det ger en förståelse av lagerhållning och lagerställesrationalisering.</p><p>Empiri: I empirin beskrivs företagets situation idag. Förslag från konsulten tas upp, angående den förändring och det val som de står inför. Material som inkommit genom intervjuer belyses även i empirin.</p><p>Slutsats: Kostnadseffektivitet med bibehållen kundservice är de viktigaste kriterierna. Stora kostnadsbesparingar kan göras vid lagerställesrationalisering.</p> / <p>Company: Midelfart Sonesson AB</p><p>Purpose: The essay should give a picture of which criteria are important to companies when rationalizing their warehouse places. It would also illustrate what the possible economic consequences could be after a rationalization. A case study of a typical company and in addition, interviews with experts in the areas of logistics and business administration should help the authors investigate which criteria the companies emphasize, when they start such a large project as warehouse place rationalizing, and also understand the cost effect.</p><p>Methodology: A study of the company Midelfart Sonesson AB has been done. Primary- and secondary data has been gathered through personal interviews, literature, reports and electronic sources.</p><p>Theoretical perspective: The theory consists of nine different sections that can be applied to the subject of this essay. The theory is used to understand a company’s build-up, organization and its action. It gives a comprehension of stock holding and warehouse place rationalization.</p><p>Empirical foundation: This is where the company’s situation of today is described. The consultant’s recommendations, concerning the transformation and the choice that has to be made, are described. Information received through interviews is also illustrated in the empirical foundation.</p><p>Conclusion: Cost efficiency with maintained customer service is the most important criteria. Large cost savings can be made through warehouse place rationalizing.</p>

Företag: Midelfart Sonesson AB Syfte: Studien skulle ge en bild av vilka kriterier som är betydelsefulla för företag vid rationalisering av lagerställen. Den skulle dessutom ge en bild av vilka tänkbara ekonomiska konsekvenser som kan följa efter en rationalisering. Genom en fallstudie av ett typföretag och genom kompletterande intervjuer med kunniga inom logistik och företagsekonomi skulle författarna undersöka vilka kriterier som företagen lägger mest vikt på när de ska starta ett så stort projekt som lagerställesrationalisering, samt förstå vad kostnadsbesparingen kan bli. Metod: En studie av företaget Midelfart Sonesson AB har utförts. Primär- och sekundärdata har samlats in genom personliga intervjuer, litteratur, rapporter, och elektroniska källor. Teori: Teorin består av nio olika avsnitt som kan tillämpas på ämnet i uppsatsen. Teorin används för att förstå företagets uppbyggnad, organisation och dess handlande. Det ger en förståelse av lagerhållning och lagerställesrationalisering. Empiri: I empirin beskrivs företagets situation idag. Förslag från konsulten tas upp, angående den förändring och det val som de står inför. Material som inkommit genom intervjuer belyses även i empirin. Slutsats: Kostnadseffektivitet med bibehållen kundservice är de viktigaste kriterierna. Stora kostnadsbesparingar kan göras vid lagerställesrationalisering. / Company: Midelfart Sonesson AB Purpose: The essay should give a picture of which criteria are important to companies when rationalizing their warehouse places. It would also illustrate what the possible economic consequences could be after a rationalization. A case study of a typical company and in addition, interviews with experts in the areas of logistics and business administration should help the authors investigate which criteria the companies emphasize, when they start such a large project as warehouse place rationalizing, and also understand the cost effect. Methodology: A study of the company Midelfart Sonesson AB has been done. Primary- and secondary data has been gathered through personal interviews, literature, reports and electronic sources. Theoretical perspective: The theory consists of nine different sections that can be applied to the subject of this essay. The theory is used to understand a company’s build-up, organization and its action. It gives a comprehension of stock holding and warehouse place rationalization. Empirical foundation: This is where the company’s situation of today is described. The consultant’s recommendations, concerning the transformation and the choice that has to be made, are described. Information received through interviews is also illustrated in the empirical foundation. Conclusion: Cost efficiency with maintained customer service is the most important criteria. Large cost savings can be made through warehouse place rationalizing.

Lo scopo della nostra ricerca è di proporre un modello dell'intervento pubblico che differisce dall'approccio standard e di valutare le sue implicazioni in termini di benessere. Noi sosteniamo che in molte circostanze la regolamentazione risulta essere un processo di "give-and-take" pittosto che di "take-it-or-leave-it". Più precisamente, la nostra idea è che la politica regolamentatoria possa essere più generalmente modellizzata come il risultato di un processo di contrattazione, che normalmente implica la partecipazione attiva di ciascun agente coinvolto nell'interazione regolamentatoria. Nel Capitolo 1, seguendo l'intuizione di Spulberg, la regolamentazione è modellizzata come un processo di negoziazione tra i gruppi di interesse dei consumatori e delle imprese, con l'agenzia nel ruolo di mediatore. La nostra analisi mostra che l'impresa regolamentata sfrutta il suo potere contrattuale per ottenere un sussidio, il quale è più elevato che con un'offerta "take-it-or-leave-it" di un meccanismo che massimizza il benessere sociale. L'eccessiva sussidiazione dell'impresa penalizza i consumatori ed implica una perdita di benessere sociale. Noi troviamo altresì che, con informazione asimmetrica sui costi, l'intervallo di tipi dell'impresa che partecipano in equilibrio all'interazione regolamentatoria può essere più grande con la politica negoziata che con la politica "take-it-or-leave-it". Vorremmo sottolineare che il Capitolo 1 è introduttivo e costituisce un passo preliminare per la nostra ricerca. Aldilà dei risultati analitici, il suo contributo è duplice. Innanzitutto, esso descrive le strutture basilari di una politica regolamentatoria negoziata e le sua implicazioni in termini di benessere. In secondo luogo, esso mostra che l'approccio basato sulla contrattazione rappresenta effettivamente un'estensione piuttosto che una negazione dell'approccio standard. In particolare, la contrattazione su una politica regolamentatoria può essere interpretata come un modello generale che include l'offerta "take-it-or-leave-it" come caso limite, che si verifica quando l'impresa è privata di qualsiasi potere di contrattazione durante le negoziazioni. La discussione nel Capitolo 2 sviluppa la struttura precedente e considera un'agenzia che è delegata dal Congresso a rappresentare gli interessi dei consumatori nel precesso di contrattazione con l'impresa sulla politica regolamentatoria. L'esistenza di un'attività di negoaziazione tra l'agenzia e l'impresa è stata largamente ignorata dalla letteratura economica, con la principale eccezione rappresentata dai contributi di Scarpa. Comunque, Armstrong e Sappington, nella loro rassegna sui recenti sviluppi nella teoria della regolamentazione, hanno riconosciuto che la formulazione standard, la quale alloca tutto il potere di contrattazione al regolamentatore, è adottata per convenienza tecnica piuttosto che per realismo. Mentre l'agenzia è stata precedentemente raffigurata come un arbitro imparziale, nel Capitolo 2 supponiamo che essa rappresenti una parte contrattuale, la cui natura può essere benevolente od egoista. In questo contesto, noi studiamo la possibilità di collusione tra l'agenzia regolamentatoria e l'impresa regolamentata, un fenomeno che spesso si verifica in una relazione regolamentatoria. La contrattazione "a latere" tra i due partner colludenti è modellizzata come un processo di negoziazione (eventualmente illegale)parallelo alla negoziazione sulla politica regolamentatoria. La nostra analisi mostra che i consumatori sono penalizzati dalla corruzione, in quanto essi interamente sussidiano il guadagno totale dalla collusione. Inoltre, il nostro modello suggerisce che un'agenzia più forte nel processo di contrattazione rende più desiderabile per il Congresso (cioè per i consumatori)consentire la collusione in equilibrio. Nei primi due capitoli, noi abbiamo considerato l'esistenza di solamente un mercato monopolistico. Il Capitolo 3, che ha beneficiato del contributo fondamentale di Carlo Scarpa, estende l'impianto precedente ed esamina la regolamentazione di due mercati interdipendenti quando i beni sono sostituti. Questo è il caso, per esempio, nelle industrie del gas naturale e dell'elettricità o delle ferrovie e autostrade. Noi ci focalizziamo sul progetto della struttura regolamentatoria. In particolare, noi intendiamo determinare se è meglio per il benessere dei consumatori avere un'autorità unica per entrambi i mercati o suddividere la giurisdizione regolamentatoria tra due differenti agenzie. Quando la politica regolamentatoria è il risultato di un'offerta "take-it-or-leave-it", la nostra analisi mostra che due agenzie - ciascuna massimizzante il surplus totale nel suo proprio mercato - impongono prezzi che sono più bassi di quelli derivanti da centralizzazione regolamentatoria. Al contrario, quando la politica regolamentatoria è il risultato di un processo di contrattazione, noi troviamo che un regolamentatore unico, che sequenzialmente contratta con entrambe le imprese, dà ai consumatori un livello di benesere più elevato, purchè il costo ombra dei fondi pubblici, attraverso i quali la produzione è sussidiata, sia sotto una certa soglia. Dunque, in presenza di negoziazioni, il nostro modello suggerisce che la centralizzazione dovrebbe essere la migliore struttura regolamentatoria per i consumatori nei paesi sviluppati, ove la raccolta fiscale non è troppo distorsiva. Se il costo ombra è sopra questa soglia, come spesso accade nei paesi in via di sviluppo, decentralizzare la struttura regolamentatoria risulta in un miglioramento del benessere sociale. / The aim of our research is to propose a pattern of government intervention which differs from the standard approach and to assess its welfare implications. We argue that in many circumstances regulation turns out to be a process of give-and-take rather than take-it-or-leave-it. More precisely, our idea is that the regulatory policy can be more generally modelled as the outcome of a bargaining process, which normally entails the active participation of each agent involved in the regulatory interaction. In Chapter 1, following Spulber’s intuition, regulation is modelled as a negotiation process between the consumers’ and firm’s interest groups, with the agency in the role of mediator. Our analysis shows that the regulated firm exploits its bargaining power to obtain a subsidy which is higher than under a take-it- or-leave-it offer of a total surplus maximizing mechanism. The oversubsidization of the firm penalizes consumers and entails a total surplus loss. We find also that, under asymmetric cost information, the range of the firm’s types participating in equilibrium in the regulatory interaction may be wider under the negotiated policy than under the take-it-or- leave-it policy. We would like to stress that Chapter 1 is introductory and constitutes a preliminary step for our research. On top of the specific analytical results, its contribution is twofold. First, it describes the basic features of a negotiated regulatory policy and its welfare implications. Second, it shows that the bargaining approach to regulation actually represents an extention rather than a negation of the standard approach. In particular, the bargaining over a regulatory policy may be interpreted as a general set-up which includes the take-it-or-leave- it offer as a limit case, that occurs when the firm is deprived of any bargaining power during negotiations. The discussion in Chapter 2 develops the previous framework and considers an agency which is delegated by Congress to represent consumers’ interests in the bargaining process with the firm over a regulatory policy. The existence of a negotiation activity between the agency and the firm has been by and large ignored by the economic literature, with the main exception represented by Scarpa’s contributions. However, Armstrong and Sappington, in their review on the recent developments in the theory of regulation, have recognized that the standard formulation, which allocates all the bargaining power to the regulator, has been adopted for technical convenience rather than for realism. While it has been previously depicted as an impartial arbitrator, the agency is assumed in Chapter 2 to represent a bargaining party, whose nature may be either benevolent or self-interested. In this setting, we study the potential for collusion between the regulatory agency and the regulated firm, a phenomenon which often occurs in a regulatory relationship. The side contracting between the two colluding partners is modelled as a (possibly illegal) negotiation process parallel to the bargaining over the regulatory policy. Our analysis shows that consumers are penalized by corruption, since they entirely subsidize the total stake in collusion. Furthermore, our model suggests that a stronger agency in the bargaining process makes it more desirable for Congress (i.e. for consumers) to allow collusion in equilibrium. In the first two chapters, we have considered the existence of just one monopolistic market. Chapter 3, which has benefited from the fundamental contribution of Carlo Scarpa, extends the previous setting and examines the regulation of two interdependent markets, whose goods are substitutes. This is the case, for instance, in the industries of natural gas and electricity or railroads and motorways. We focus on the design of the regulatory structure. In particular, we intend to determine whether it is better for consumers’ welfare to have a unique authority for both markets or to split the regulatory jurisdiction between two different agencies. When the regulatory policy is the outcome of a take-it-or-leave-it offer, our analysis shows that two agencies - each maximizing total surplus in its own market - set prices which are lower than those arising under regulatory centralization. On the contrary, when the regulatory policy is the outcome of a bargaining process, we find that a unique regulator, which sequentially bargains with both firms, gives consumers a higher welfare level, as long as the shadow cost of public funds, through which production is subsidized, is below a certain threshold. Hence, under negotiations our model suggests that centralization should be the best regulatory pattern for consumers in developed countries, where tax collection is not too distortionary. If the shadow cost is above that threshold, as it often happens in developing countries, decentralizing bargaining turns out to be consumers’ welfare improving.

<p>Uppsatsens syfte är att se vilka urval, lokala och regionala nyhetsprogram gör innehållsmässigt och geografiskt. De analysenheter vi valt är TV4Nyheterna Jönköping och SVT Smålandsnytt. Vi jämförde även de två programmens inslag beträffande typ och längd.</p><p>Vi studerade under tre veckors tid nyhetssammanfattningen 21.55 från TV4Nyheterna Jönköping och nyhetssammanfattningen 22.15 från SVT SmålandsNytt. Anledningen till att vi valde nyhetssammanfattningar var för att vi vill se vad som kanalerna ansåg vara de viktigaste händelserna under dagen, det som var värt att sammanfatta.</p><p>Den valda metoden är kvantitativ innehållsanalys. Valet gjordes för att vi ville undersöka statistiskt mätbara variabler, som tid, olika ämnen i inslagen och antal inslag per kommun. Detta är statistisk data och lämpar sig bäst då att räkna kvantitativt. Analysen har gjorts med hjälp av en kodbok och kodblanketter.</p><p>Resultaten visade att i TV4Nyheterna Jönköping fanns det en stark centralisering till sändningsorten, Jönköping. I SmålandsNytt däremot fanns inte lika stark koncentration till Växjö, som är SmålandNytts sändningsort, utan även här dominerade Jönköping. Detta anser vi beror på det uppmärksammade studentmordet som rapporterats mycket om i programmen. De inslagslängder som var vanligast i båda nyhetsprogrammen var 16-30 sekunder. Det ämne som uppmärksammandes mest var brott/olyckor. Våra resultat visade inte på några stora skillnader mellan nyhetsprogrammen.</p> / <p>Our aim with the essay is to see how local and regional two news programmes are and which news they prioritize. The chosen programmes are TV4Nyheterna Jönköping and SVT Smålandsnytt. We will look into the differences between those two, when it comes to the type of elements, but also the difference in how long the elements are (in terms of time).</p><p>The material we chose where the news summary 09.55 pm from TV4Nyheterna Jönköping and the news summary 10.15 pm from SVT SmålandsNytt, for three weeks. The reason why we chose news summaries is because we want to see what the channels consider are the most important events during the day, witch news where worth summarize.</p><p>The selected method is quantitative content analysis. We chose that because we wanted to examine statistically measurable variables, as time, different matters in the elements and numbers elements by the municipality. Since it is statistical fact it suits best to count quantitatively. The analysis has been done with the aid of a code book and code forms.</p><p>The results showed that TV4Nyheterna Jönköping had centralization to consignments place, Jönköping. But when it comes to SmålandsNytt, they did not have any centralization to the consignments place, instead Jönköping dominated here also. We consider that this can to do the with murder of a student that has been reported a lot about in the programmes. When it came to the time length of the elements that dominated in both of the news programmes where 16-30 seconds and the most common matters where criminal/accidents. According to Hadenius and Weibull are criminal/accidents one of the most primary readings at the newspaper readers. Our results did not show on some big differences in our two news programmes, SmålandsNytt and TV4Nyheterna Jönköping.</p>

The global spread of the neoliberal paradigm has propelled a recent worldwide trend of educational decentralization/centralization policies. Such policies constitute a contradictory ensemble that has shifted authority and accountability across national, provincial or state, municipal, and school levels. They have also been marked by contestation over the extent to which curricula are nationally standardized or locally defined. Education reform in Brazil in this regard has been shaped by a confluence of neoliberal and critical theoretical currents: enhance the nation’s economic competitiveness in the global market and redress pressing societal issues. Using Basil Bernstein’s concepts of classification and framing together with critical educational scholars’ conceptualizations of knowledge and knowledge in the official and enacted curriculum as conceptual and theoretical frameworks, this comparative ethnographic case study examines the nexus between curriculum, knowledge, and pedagogy in municipal schools in Brazil’s Northeast. In doing so it addresses gaps in comparative educational research on curriculum knowledge along with how educational decentralization/centralization policies are implemented in practice. The central thesis is that municipal school curricula knowledge dynamics—the classification and framing of knowledge in the official curriculum and the relation of such with what knowledge is legitimized in classrooms, how such is transmitted and analyzed, and why—in Brazil’s Northeast encompass a multilevel web of contradictions. This web spans incongruent ideologies, opposing elements of autonomy and accountability, conflicting pedagogical principles and practices, and a chasm between curriculum ideals and urban periphery municipal school realities.

The global spread of the neoliberal paradigm has propelled a recent worldwide trend of educational decentralization/centralization policies. Such policies constitute a contradictory ensemble that has shifted authority and accountability across national, provincial or state, municipal, and school levels. They have also been marked by contestation over the extent to which curricula are nationally standardized or locally defined. Education reform in Brazil in this regard has been shaped by a confluence of neoliberal and critical theoretical currents: enhance the nation’s economic competitiveness in the global market and redress pressing societal issues. Using Basil Bernstein’s concepts of classification and framing together with critical educational scholars’ conceptualizations of knowledge and knowledge in the official and enacted curriculum as conceptual and theoretical frameworks, this comparative ethnographic case study examines the nexus between curriculum, knowledge, and pedagogy in municipal schools in Brazil’s Northeast. In doing so it addresses gaps in comparative educational research on curriculum knowledge along with how educational decentralization/centralization policies are implemented in practice. The central thesis is that municipal school curricula knowledge dynamics—the classification and framing of knowledge in the official curriculum and the relation of such with what knowledge is legitimized in classrooms, how such is transmitted and analyzed, and why—in Brazil’s Northeast encompass a multilevel web of contradictions. This web spans incongruent ideologies, opposing elements of autonomy and accountability, conflicting pedagogical principles and practices, and a chasm between curriculum ideals and urban periphery municipal school realities.

在本研究中，我通過對中國共產黨第十七屆中央委員之間的共事網絡的蒐集和分析，探索的是胡錦濤時代的黨國權力的集中化特徵。作為一個高度組織化的列寧式政黨，中國共產黨在21世紀初期依然保持了對中國的有效的威權統治，其政權的穩定和不穩定性是外界高度關注的焦點，但長期以來也因為資訊的不透明而被視為「黑盒子」。因為任何組織或者制度都是鑲嵌在社會關係中的，而組織內的共事關係是使組織作為組織運轉的重要社會關係，對共事網絡的研究有助於釐清中共作為一個菁英式政黨的組織邏輯。研究結果顯示，傳統的恩庇侍從、派系或者官僚模型對中共權力集中化的解釋都是有限的。在胡錦濤的第二屆中共中央總書記任期內，中共政治菁英的共事網絡中出現的是高度的團體與團體之間鑲嵌的狀況，結構洞大量地存在。而在控制了政治資歷變項的影響後，開放網絡中的社會資本對十七大政治菁英在十八大後擔任黨國的重要職位的機率有顯著的正向影響。社會鑲嵌應有助於解釋中共的威權韌性。 / Through collecting and analyzing the colleague network of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s 17th Central Committee, this research attempts to analyze the characteristic of the party state’s power centralization in the Hu Jintao era. As a highly organized Leninist party, the CCP still effectively maintains its authoritarian control of China at the beginning of the 21st century. The stability and instability of the regime has always been of great interest to outside observers, but its elite politics has always been seen as a “black box” because of its lack of transparency. Insofar as all organizations and institutions are embedded in social relations, and colleague relationships inside an organization are key social relationships that facilitate the organization to run as an organization, a study of the CCP’s colleague network would help to explicate the elitist party’s organizational logic. My finding suggests that classical models of patron-clientelism, factionalism, or bureaucracy provide only limited explanation of the CCP’s current form of power centralization. During Hu Jintao’s second term serving as the General Secretary of the Party, there exist a great amount of mutual embeddedness and structural holes among different groups inside the colleague network of the CCP’s political elites. After controlling the effect of political qualification variables, their amount of social capitals in open networks have significant positive correlation with their chance of occupying more advanced positions after the 18th Party Congress. Social embeddedness helps to explain the CCP’s authoritarian resilience.