Este é um estudo sobre a dimensão cognitiva do discurso, como definida pela semiótica de linha francesa, que parte da teoria já produzida no âmbito dessa disciplina sobre o tema e busca articulá-la e atualizá-la para melhor compreender o modo como o conhecimento é construído discursivamente. Inicialmente definida por Greimas (1983) como o espaço em que o sujeito aciona as modalidades crer e saber, agenciando-as com vistas à criação do sentido, essa dimensão é posteriormente reformulada dentro da própria teoria, notadamente por Zilberberg (1988), que a concebe como um espaço fiduciário centrado na noção de valor onde o sujeito exerce uma atividade de reconhecimento de natureza avaliativa. Para além dos limites da própria semiótica enquanto disciplina, o crer, o saber e a atividade de cunho cognitivo recobrem, enquanto tópicos de pesquisa, um amplo e intrincado campo transdisciplinar para a reflexão, que abarca, por exemplo, o milenar debate conduzido pela filosofia sobre os problemas da verdade e da crença. Desse modo, devido à natureza vasta de nosso tema assim delimitado, a fim de poder refletir e debater sobre essa ampla e multifacetada questão com alguma objetividade, adotamos primeiramente um ponto de vista epistemológico discursivo e imanente, que busca identificar, descrever e explicar como os objetos cognitivos têm seu sentido estruturado, e também como se dão alguns problemas a partir do momento em que eles são discursivizados, ou seja, postos em circulação por meio do discurso. Além disso, selecionamos quatro objetos de análise, em relação aos quais defendemos, respectivamente, as quatro hipóteses desta tese: (i) a partir da observação e exame de alguns modelos semióticos que, ao se voltarem à descrição da dimensão cognitiva do discurso, procuraram captar e representar graficamente aí uma dinâmica necessária e conexa, postulamos a existência de um princípio de movimento ligado à atividade cognitiva; (ii) por meio da análise do conto A Cartomante, de Machado de Assis, defendemos a incidência decisiva do querer nas avaliações e escolhas de ordem cognitiva; (iii) valendo-nos do estudo de dois dois erros de interpretação de sujeitos em relação aos seus objetos cognitivos (leitores que enviaram cartas aos autores de romances Umberto Eco e Virginia Woolf para corrigir o conteúdo de textos ficcionais porque eles não condiziam com a realidade e o episódio de disseminação massiva de uma notícia falsa de internet ocorrido em 2015 no Brasil), apontamos o papel fundamental da confiança na construção do conhecimento humano; (iv) e, finalmente, com base em trechos do romance Em busca do tempo perdido, de Marcel Proust, postulamos a ação da memória como uma instância produtora de sentido ela mesma junto ao que a semiótica entende como dimensão cognitiva do discurso. / This is a study about the cognitive dimension of discourse as defined by french semiotics which stems from the theoretical approaches to the theme already produced within the field and intends to articulate and update them in order to better understand how knowledge is built discursively. Initially defined by Greimas (1983) as the space in which the subject triggers the modalities of believing and knowing, actuating them with the purpose of meaning making, this dimension is later reformulated within the theory itself, notably by Zilberberg (1988), who conceives it as the fiduciary space centered in the notion of value where the subject exerts a recognition activity of evaluative nature. Beyond the limits of semiotics as a discipline, believing, knowing and the cognitive activity cover, as research subjects, a broad and intricate transdisciplinary field of inquiry, which encompasses, for instance, the ancient debate in philosophy about truth and belief. Thereby, due to the vast nature of our subject thusly circumscribed, in order to be able to reflect upon and debate this wide and multifaceted issue with some objectivity, we primarily adopted the point of view of a discursive and immanent epistemology, which intends to identify, describe and explain how cognitive objects have their meaning structured and also how some issues arise when they are discursivized, in other words, circulate by means of discourse. Furthermore, weve chosen four study cases, in relation to which we defend the four hypotheses of this dissertation: (i) from the observation and examination of some semiotic models which, when used to describe the cognitive dimension of discourse, intended to capture and represent graphically a necessary and connected dynamics therein, we postulate the existence of a movement principle tied to o the cognitive activity; (ii) from the analysis of the short story A Cartomante, by Machado de Assis, we defend the decisive incidence of wanting in cognitive evaluations and choices; (iii) studying two interpretive mistakes made by subjects in relation to their cognitive objects (readers who sent letters to the novelists Umberto Eco and Virginia Woolf to correct the content of fictional texts since they didnt match reality, and the episode of the massive spreading of fake internet news in 2015 in Brazil), we point to the central role of trust in the process of building human knowledge; (iv) and, finally, from excerpts of the novel In Search of Lost Time, by Marcel Proust, we postulate the activity of memory as an instance that produces meaning in itself, in what semiotics understands as the cognitive dimension of discourse.

Este é um estudo sobre a dimensão cognitiva do discurso, como definida pela semiótica de linha francesa, que parte da teoria já produzida no âmbito dessa disciplina sobre o tema e busca articulá-la e atualizá-la para melhor compreender o modo como o conhecimento é construído discursivamente. Inicialmente definida por Greimas (1983) como o espaço em que o sujeito aciona as modalidades crer e saber, agenciando-as com vistas à criação do sentido, essa dimensão é posteriormente reformulada dentro da própria teoria, notadamente por Zilberberg (1988), que a concebe como um espaço fiduciário centrado na noção de valor onde o sujeito exerce uma atividade de reconhecimento de natureza avaliativa. Para além dos limites da própria semiótica enquanto disciplina, o crer, o saber e a atividade de cunho cognitivo recobrem, enquanto tópicos de pesquisa, um amplo e intrincado campo transdisciplinar para a reflexão, que abarca, por exemplo, o milenar debate conduzido pela filosofia sobre os problemas da verdade e da crença. Desse modo, devido à natureza vasta de nosso tema assim delimitado, a fim de poder refletir e debater sobre essa ampla e multifacetada questão com alguma objetividade, adotamos primeiramente um ponto de vista epistemológico discursivo e imanente, que busca identificar, descrever e explicar como os objetos cognitivos têm seu sentido estruturado, e também como se dão alguns problemas a partir do momento em que eles são discursivizados, ou seja, postos em circulação por meio do discurso. Além disso, selecionamos quatro objetos de análise, em relação aos quais defendemos, respectivamente, as quatro hipóteses desta tese: (i) a partir da observação e exame de alguns modelos semióticos que, ao se voltarem à descrição da dimensão cognitiva do discurso, procuraram captar e representar graficamente aí uma dinâmica necessária e conexa, postulamos a existência de um princípio de movimento ligado à atividade cognitiva; (ii) por meio da análise do conto A Cartomante, de Machado de Assis, defendemos a incidência decisiva do querer nas avaliações e escolhas de ordem cognitiva; (iii) valendo-nos do estudo de dois dois erros de interpretação de sujeitos em relação aos seus objetos cognitivos (leitores que enviaram cartas aos autores de romances Umberto Eco e Virginia Woolf para corrigir o conteúdo de textos ficcionais porque eles não condiziam com a realidade e o episódio de disseminação massiva de uma notícia falsa de internet ocorrido em 2015 no Brasil), apontamos o papel fundamental da confiança na construção do conhecimento humano; (iv) e, finalmente, com base em trechos do romance Em busca do tempo perdido, de Marcel Proust, postulamos a ação da memória como uma instância produtora de sentido ela mesma junto ao que a semiótica entende como dimensão cognitiva do discurso. / This is a study about the cognitive dimension of discourse as defined by french semiotics which stems from the theoretical approaches to the theme already produced within the field and intends to articulate and update them in order to better understand how knowledge is built discursively. Initially defined by Greimas (1983) as the space in which the subject triggers the modalities of believing and knowing, actuating them with the purpose of meaning making, this dimension is later reformulated within the theory itself, notably by Zilberberg (1988), who conceives it as the fiduciary space centered in the notion of value where the subject exerts a recognition activity of evaluative nature. Beyond the limits of semiotics as a discipline, believing, knowing and the cognitive activity cover, as research subjects, a broad and intricate transdisciplinary field of inquiry, which encompasses, for instance, the ancient debate in philosophy about truth and belief. Thereby, due to the vast nature of our subject thusly circumscribed, in order to be able to reflect upon and debate this wide and multifaceted issue with some objectivity, we primarily adopted the point of view of a discursive and immanent epistemology, which intends to identify, describe and explain how cognitive objects have their meaning structured and also how some issues arise when they are discursivized, in other words, circulate by means of discourse. Furthermore, weve chosen four study cases, in relation to which we defend the four hypotheses of this dissertation: (i) from the observation and examination of some semiotic models which, when used to describe the cognitive dimension of discourse, intended to capture and represent graphically a necessary and connected dynamics therein, we postulate the existence of a movement principle tied to o the cognitive activity; (ii) from the analysis of the short story A Cartomante, by Machado de Assis, we defend the decisive incidence of wanting in cognitive evaluations and choices; (iii) studying two interpretive mistakes made by subjects in relation to their cognitive objects (readers who sent letters to the novelists Umberto Eco and Virginia Woolf to correct the content of fictional texts since they didnt match reality, and the episode of the massive spreading of fake internet news in 2015 in Brazil), we point to the central role of trust in the process of building human knowledge; (iv) and, finally, from excerpts of the novel In Search of Lost Time, by Marcel Proust, we postulate the activity of memory as an instance that produces meaning in itself, in what semiotics understands as the cognitive dimension of discourse.

This research is in the area of lexicography and investigates the relationship between Shona terminology development and the culture of the language community for which the terminology is intended. It is a contextual analysis of compound nouns found in Shona terminological dictionaries. The study specifically explores how lexicographers together with health, music, language and literature specialists make use of their knowledge about Shona cultural contexts in the creation of compound nouns. Thus, this research foregrounds Shona socio-cultural contexts and meaning generation in terminology development. This study employs a quadruple conceptual framework. The four components of the framework that are utilised are the Traditional Descriptive Approach (TDA), Cognitive Approach (CG), Systemic Functional Approach (SFL), and Semiotic Remediation (SRM). TDA is used in the linguistic categorisation of Shona compound nouns. In addition, it provides the metalanguage with which to describe the constituent parts of Shona compound nouns. As TDA is mainly confined to the linguistic dimension, this research employs CG, SFL, and SRM to explore the cultural and socio-cognitive dimensions of terminology development.

This research is in the area of lexicography and investigates the relationship between Shona terminology development and the culture of the language community for which the terminology is intended. It is a contextual analysis of compound nouns found in Shona terminological dictionaries. The study specifically explores how lexicographers together with health, music, language and literature specialists make use of their knowledge about Shona cultural contexts in the creation of compound nouns. Thus, this research foregrounds Shona socio-cultural contexts and meaning generation in terminology development. This study employs a quadruple conceptual framework. The four components of the framework that are utilised are the Traditional Descriptive Approach (TDA), Cognitive Approach (CG), Systemic Functional Approach (SFL), and Semiotic Remediation (SRM). TDA is used in the linguistic categorisation of Shona compound nouns. In addition, it provides the metalanguage with which to describe the constituent parts of Shona compound nouns. As TDA is mainly confined to the linguistic dimension, this research employs CG, SFL, and SRM to explore the cultural and socio-cognitive dimensions of terminology development.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This research is in the area of lexicography and investigates the relationship between Shona terminology development and the culture of the language community for which the terminology is intended. It is a contextual analysis of compound nouns found in Shona terminological dictionaries. The study specifically explores how lexicographers together with health, music, language and literature specialists make use of their knowledge about Shona cultural contexts in the creation of compound nouns. Thus, this research foregrounds Shona socio-cultural contexts and meaning generation in terminology development. This study employs a quadruple conceptual framework. The four components of the framework that are utilised are the Traditional Descriptive Approach (TDA), Cognitive Approach (CG), Systemic Functional Approach (SFL), and Semiotic Remediation (SRM). TDA is used in the linguistic categorisation of Shona compound nouns. In addition, it provides the metalanguage with which to describe the constituent parts of Shona compound nouns. As TDA is mainly confined to the linguistic dimension, this research employs CG, SFL, and SRM to explore the cultural and socio-cognitive dimensions of terminology development. / South Africa

This dissertation is conducted in Gedeo, with the aim of revealing the dynamics of IK of agroforestry system of Gedeo. The dynamics were seen from the perspective of the intergenerational variation in IK acquisition and transmission. The study investigated drivers of IK changes and continuities and the implications to sustainability. The study employed an interdisciplinary approach whereby geographical concepts and approaches were supplemented by anthropological and developmental psychology approaches and concepts. Thus, an exploratory mixed research approach was used. The dynamics were seen by employing cross-sectional approach. Thus, synchronic data were collected from several sources, by employing ranges of qualitative and quantitative tools. The respondents were drawn from the local people and agricultural experts. Accordingly, 72key informants were chosen through purposive and snowball sampling. To determine the spatio-temporal variation of IK, 290 informants aged between 12 and 65 were chosen using multistage stratified sampling. For the household survey, 252 participants were selected using multistage stratified and systematic random sampling. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic content analysis and case summary while for quantitative data mean, standard deviation, ANOVA, chi-square, and t-test were employed. The analysis results have shown that the agroforestry system exhibits both indigenous and modern practices. The indigenous practices, which sustained for longer time through generational transfer, appear to be engulfed by modern practice. The study identified knowledge and skill gap between young people and adults. The gap is more significant in normative dimension of IK. This can be attributed to declining rate of IK transmission and acquisition among successive generations, which in turn is attributed to weak contact between young people and adults, and changes in the lifestyle of the young people. Besides, biodiversity loss, demographic pressure, modernization, introduction of market economy, and top-down development approach are among the drivers of the gradual loss of IK. The gradual loss of IK was to have an impact on sustainability of the system. This calls for concerted efforts to maintain the sustainability of IK through revitalization of IK transmission and acquisition. Finally, joint effort is required to document IK, include in school curriculum, and integrate with the modern practices. / Geography / Ph. D. (Geography)

[pt] Desenvolvimento de software é um processo altamente colaborativo, no qual a construção do software é o objetivo comum. É apoiado em várias fases por ferramentas computacionais, dentre elas as ferramentas de modelagem de software. Modelos são parte importante do processo de desenvolvimento de software e o foco desta pesquisa, que tem como objetivo investigar a comunicabilidade de modelos de software que são produzidos e consumidos através de ferramentas de modelagem. A comunicabilidade de modelos de software é a capacidade que estes artefatos têm de efetuar o processo de comunicação entre pessoas, ou a de serem usados como instrumentos para realizar parte significativa deste processo. As ferramentas de modelagem têm impacto direto nessa comunicabilidade, já que os produtores e consumidores de modelos interagem com tais ferramentas ao longo do processo de desenvolvimento do software. Durante essa interação, os modelos de software, que são artefatos intelectuais, são criados, alterados, evoluídos, transformados e compartilhados pelas pessoas envolvidas nas atividades de especificação, análise, design e implementação do software em desenvolvimento. Além da influência das ferramentas, a modelagem de software também deve considerar a utilização de notações previamente definidas como premissas para as atividades de modelagem. Esta pesquisa é uma investigação como ferramentas e notações de modelagem influenciam e apoiam o processo intelectual de produção e consumo de modelos de software. Temos a Engenharia Semiótica como teoria guia desta pesquisa, tendo em conta um aspecto essencial para esta que é: um estudo criterioso das ferramentas que os envolvidos no desenvolvimento do software utilizam para construir, usar e divulgar modelos através dos quais coordenam o seu trabalho de equipe. O uso de modelos no processo de desenvolvimento de software é um fenômeno que apresenta vários fatores que não podem ser isolados. Portanto, propomos a tripla Tool-Notation-People (TNP) como um recurso de articulação para caracterizar questões observadas sobre modelos no desenvolvimento de software, ao longo de toda a pesquisa. Junto com a tripla TNP, apresentamos um método que combina as perspectivas cognitiva e semiótica para avaliar as ferramentas de modelagem de software, produzindo dados sobre a metacomunicação designer-usuário, sendo os usuários, neste caso, os desenvolvedores de software. Nosso objetivo é rastrear potenciais relações entre a experiência de interação humano-computador dos evolvidos no processo de desenvolvimento de software no momento de criar/ler/editar modelos com: (a) o produto (tipos de modelo) gerado neste processo; e (b) as interpretações que tais modelos evocam quando usados efetivamente em situações práticas do cotidiano para comunicar e expressar ideias e entendimentos . A Engenharia Semiótica apresenta duplo interesse nesta pesquisa. Por um lado, como uma lente de observação , ela nos oferece diversos recursos para investigar e compreender a construção e uso de artefatos computacionais, seus significados e seus papéis no processo de comunicação. Por outro lado, um melhor entendimento sobre o processo completo que resulta, em última análise, na experiência do usuário durante a interação com o software é relevante para a evolução da própria teoria. Ou seja, esta pesquisa produziu mais conhecimento sobre as condições de comunicação e mútuo entendimento daqueles que, segundo a teoria, comunicam sua intenção e princípios de design através da interface , uma fonte potencialmente valiosa de explicações sobre problemas de comunicabilidade em IHC. / [en] Software development is a highly collaborative process where software construction is the common goal. It is supported at several stages by computer tools, including software modeling tools. Models are important artifacts of the software development process and constitute the focus of this research, which aims to investigate the communicability of software models produced and consumed with the support of modeling tools. Software model communicability is the capacity that such artifacts have of carrying and effecting a communication process among people, or of being used as an instrument to perform a significant part of such process. Modeling tools have a direct impact in that communicability, since model s producers and consumers interact with those tools throughout the software development process. During that interaction, software models, which are intellectual artifacts, are created, changed, evolved, transformed and shared by people involved in activities of specification, analysis, design and implementation of the software under development. Besides the influence of tools, software modeling also needs to take into consideration previously defined notations as premises for modeling activities. This research is an investigation on how tools and notations influence and support the intellectual process of production and consumption of software models. We have Semiotic Engineering as our guiding theory given the essence of it that is: a careful study of tools people interact with to build, use and publish models through which they coordinate teamwork. The use of models in the software development process is a phenomenon that includes several factors that cannot be isolated from each other. Therefore, we propose a Tool-Notation-People triplet (TNP triplet) as a means of articulation to characterize observed issues about models in the software development. Along with the TNP triplet, we introduce a method that combines semiotic and cognitive perspectives to evaluate software modeling tools, producing data about the emission of designer-user metacommunication, users in this case being software developers. We aim to track potential relations between the human-computer interaction experience of those involved in the software development process while creating/reading/editing models with: (a) the product (types of models) generated in the process; and (b) the interpretations that such models evoke when used effectively in everyday practical situations to communicate and express ideas and understandings. The interest of working with Semiotic Engineering in this research is twofold. First, as an observation lens, the theory offers many resources to investigate and understand the construction and use of computational artifacts, their meanings and roles in the communication process. Second, a better perspective about the complete process that results, ultimately, in the user experience during the interaction with the software is relevant for the theory s own evolution. In other words, this research has produced further knowledge about the communication conditions and mutual understanding of those who, according to the theory, communicate their intent and design principles through the interface, a potentially valuable source of explanations about communication problems in HCI.

This dissertation is conducted in Gedeo, with the aim of revealing the dynamics of IK of agroforestry system of Gedeo. The dynamics were seen from the perspective of the intergenerational variation in IK acquisition and transmission. The study investigated drivers of IK changes and continuities and the implications to sustainability. The study employed an interdisciplinary approach whereby geographical concepts and approaches were supplemented by anthropological and developmental psychology approaches and concepts. Thus, an exploratory mixed research approach was used. The dynamics were seen by employing cross-sectional approach. Thus, synchronic data were collected from several sources, by employing ranges of qualitative and quantitative tools. The respondents were drawn from the local people and agricultural experts. Accordingly, 72key informants were chosen through purposive and snowball sampling. To determine the spatio-temporal variation of IK, 290 informants aged between 12 and 65 were chosen using multistage stratified sampling. For the household survey, 252 participants were selected using multistage stratified and systematic random sampling. The qualitative data were analyzed using thematic content analysis and case summary while for quantitative data mean, standard deviation, ANOVA, chi-square, and t-test were employed. The analysis results have shown that the agroforestry system exhibits both indigenous and modern practices. The indigenous practices, which sustained for longer time through generational transfer, appear to be engulfed by modern practice. The study identified knowledge and skill gap between young people and adults. The gap is more significant in normative dimension of IK. This can be attributed to declining rate of IK transmission and acquisition among successive generations, which in turn is attributed to weak contact between young people and adults, and changes in the lifestyle of the young people. Besides, biodiversity loss, demographic pressure, modernization, introduction of market economy, and top-down development approach are among the drivers of the gradual loss of IK. The gradual loss of IK was to have an impact on sustainability of the system. This calls for concerted efforts to maintain the sustainability of IK through revitalization of IK transmission and acquisition. Finally, joint effort is required to document IK, include in school curriculum, and integrate with the modern practices. / Geography / Ph. D. (Geography)

This thesis analyses the conversion processes of 17 urban Muslims in Kenya who decided to follow Jesus Christ. It first describes conversion from a multidisciplinary perspective by introducing sociological, psychological, anthropological, theological and missiological understandings of such a change in religious affiliation. Next in-depth interviews are analysed using principles of grounded theory, where new theory is developed by interaction between data from reality, the analysis and existing theories (abductive reasoning). The main findings are that the conversion of Muslims who accept Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord is a process that develops over a period of time through phases with a cognitive and an affective dimension. Changes with regard to convictions and attitudes take place simultaneously on several properties or ‘layers’ of both dimensions. The process is influenced by significant factors in the form of causal and intervening conditions, resulting in consequences for the convert in the form of a transformation as well as in changed relationships with the community. Gender, socio-economic level, education as well as the community from which the converts come influence the process. In order to describe the complex dynamics that are at work in such conversion processes of Muslims, a Matrix of Conversion Processes is developed in which the multiple movements of a convert on the two dimensions are put in relation to six chronological phases. A matrix of different types of conversion processes and the description of four typical processes emerge from the analysis. In order to facilitate conversion processes, cognitive and affective elements need to be addressed together. The interaction between different factors, the will-power of the person and the influence of God determine the development, an understanding that is relevant for conversion studies, as well as for missiology and the missionary task of the church in Kenya and beyond. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)

This thesis analyses the conversion processes of 17 urban Muslims in Kenya who decided to follow Jesus Christ. It first describes conversion from a multidisciplinary perspective by introducing sociological, psychological, anthropological, theological and missiological understandings of such a change in religious affiliation. Next in-depth interviews are analysed using principles of grounded theory, where new theory is developed by interaction between data from reality, the analysis and existing theories (abductive reasoning). The main findings are that the conversion of Muslims who accept Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord is a process that develops over a period of time through phases with a cognitive and an affective dimension. Changes with regard to convictions and attitudes take place simultaneously on several properties or ‘layers’ of both dimensions. The process is influenced by significant factors in the form of causal and intervening conditions, resulting in consequences for the convert in the form of a transformation as well as in changed relationships with the community. Gender, socio-economic level, education as well as the community from which the converts come influence the process. In order to describe the complex dynamics that are at work in such conversion processes of Muslims, a Matrix of Conversion Processes is developed in which the multiple movements of a convert on the two dimensions are put in relation to six chronological phases. A matrix of different types of conversion processes and the description of four typical processes emerge from the analysis. In order to facilitate conversion processes, cognitive and affective elements need to be addressed together. The interaction between different factors, the will-power of the person and the influence of God determine the development, an understanding that is relevant for conversion studies, as well as for missiology and the missionary task of the church in Kenya and beyond. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)