This thesis assesses sanitation realities experienced by peri-urban slum dwellers in Chennai, India, to investigate whether rapid economic growth translates into pervasive safe sanitation, otherwise a threat to human security. This is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of ‘leaving no one behind’. The empirical methodology consists of qualitative comparative case studies approached through rapid appraisal. At least 5 interviews at each of the 10 different slum settlement locations within the Chennai Metropolitan area were conducted. Both the locations and the settlers were conveniently sampled. The settlements were chosen as they mostly lay in a rapidly urbanizing area. The selection of interviewee was determined by availability, yet leaning towards women who are more vulnerable when lacking safe sanitation facilities, and who are the primary caregivers in the household. The research found that out of the 10 settlements visited, 5 habitually practiced open defecation, as no sanitation facilities were available. Hence some settlers were restricted in their freedom to be safe from emotional or physical harm: threatened by dangerous pathogens released into the environment, and insecurities due to lack of privacy. Conceptually the thesis applies an understanding of how affecting influences in individual history and living environment impact upon an individual’s conscious mind, connecting the capability approach to consciousness research. The thesis argues how settlers, overlooked by public services, and subjected to the dangerous and humiliating practice of open defecation, are faced with mental health issues and a diminished likelihood to productively engage, and exercise agency for human growth.

Submitted by Eduardo Lima (edul@ufba.br) on 2015-05-23T19:21:15Z No. of bitstreams: 1 AtuacaoCorpoCognitivoDMMDCEduardoLima2015V204Impressao.pdf: 3762181 bytes, checksum: 124395f7ae3ba5087598639603d6c3c9 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria Auxiliadora da Silva Lopes (silopes@ufba.br) on 2015-05-28T19:16:17Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 AtuacaoCorpoCognitivoDMMDCEduardoLima2015V204Impressao.pdf: 3762181 bytes, checksum: 124395f7ae3ba5087598639603d6c3c9 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-28T19:16:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 AtuacaoCorpoCognitivoDMMDCEduardoLima2015V204Impressao.pdf: 3762181 bytes, checksum: 124395f7ae3ba5087598639603d6c3c9 (MD5) / A tese da Atuação do Corpo Cognitivo, baseada no trânsito metafórico da cognição individual para coletiva, desenvolve-se numa pesquisa qualitativa interdisciplinar que toma como referentes teóricos da cognição humana os estudos da mente incorporada de Varela, Thompson, Rosch, Lakoff, Johnson e outros, e da mente consciente de Damásio. Propondo para a compreensão da cognição individual a ideia da atuação do corpo cognitivo, que procura explicar, de que se constitui, como se configura e atua. Então, arrisca a metáfora da atuação do corpo cognitivo como abordagem epistêmica das formas de construção e difusão de conhecimento numa comunidade de prática, seguindo os estudos de Wenger e tendo como lócus de atuação e observação a comunidade de prática que trabalha na manutenção do ambiente Moodle na Universidade Federal da Bahia. A atuação do corpo cognitivo dá rota a esta navegação que tem como rumo a criação coletiva do conhecimento e justifica-se socialmente pela importância de desenvolver o conhecimento do conhecer. / ABSTRACT The thesis Cognitive Body Enaction, based on the metaphorical transit between individual and collective cognition, is developed in an interdisciplinary qualitative research that takes human cognition theoretical references from Varela, Thompson, Rosch, Lakoff, Johnson and others embodied mind studies and Damásio's conscious mind. Proposing the individual cognition understanding by means of cognitive body enaction idea, explains his constitution, how stands up and actuates. Then, taking some risk, proposes the cognitive body enaction metaphor as an epistemic approach to forms of knowledge construction and dissemination in a community of practice, following Wenger's studies and using the community of practice that maintains the Moodle environment at Federal University of Bahia as locus for action and observation. The cognitive body enaction gives route to this navigation, whose direction is the collective knowledge creation which is socially justified by the knowledge of knowing development.