This study investigated the process of bereavement in the Xhosa, Zulu and Tswana cultures with participants including three cultural experts and a bereaved family from each ethnic group. Data was collected using semi – structured interviews mainly in the participants’ homes. Analysis was used by comparing and contrasting the information gathered. Empirical research findings revealed that the process in the African culture specifically in these three ethnic groups is different from the western culture as stated in the literature. The literature review findings show that the western culture’s processes of bereavement seem focused in the intrapersonal processes. However, the African Black cultures seem to be focused more on interpersonal processes of bereavement. Recommendations are made in the study on how a western trained Educational Psychologist can approach a bereaved client coming from these ethnic groups. Recommendations are also made for Educators and Parents. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

Située dans le discours actuel à la mode sur la diversité culturelle, l’objet de cette thèse consiste à comprendre l’orientation pratique d’une organisation internationale en matière de gestion de sa diversité culturelle interne. Il propose que, face aux changements qui ont modifié la configuration sociodémographique de la sphère organisationnelle, il serait intéressant de partir d’une organisation pour laquelle la diversité est une tradition tributaire de son fonctionnement. L’organisation sujet d’étude est internationale, affiliée à l’Unesco. Cette dernière étant reconnue pour son mandat qui valorise et protège les cultures. L’ancrage épistémologique de la thèse est bi-disciplinaire. Il considère deux champs théoriques sur lesquels se construit la diversité culturelle. Le premier est forgé dans les théories de management dites « occidentales » sur la diversité. Le deuxième champ, s’établit sur une approche dynamique de la culture apportée par les « Cross-Cultural Studies ». La méthodologie que nous avons mobilisée pour cette recherche est principalement qualitative. Elle est également diverse puisqu’elle veut identifier trois niveaux d’analyses. D’abord, l’étude historique réalisée se fonde sur l’analyse d’articles choisis tirés des archives de l’« organisation mère » (Unesco). Elle se veut être une étude exhaustive qui révèle l’évolution du discours « global » de cette organisation sur la diversité culturelle depuis sa création. Ensuite, afin de mieux comprendre le discours interne de l’Organisation sur la diversité culturelle, une analyse du contenu d’un « halo » de ses politiques internes a lieu. Elle nous permet de comprendre la valeur que prend la diversité culturelle dans son discours « organisationnel » dans la période de temps que nous traitons. Enfin, les histoires « individuelles » des acteurs de la diversité culturelle, apportent une description riche et, complètent l’analyse avec leurs interprétions des pratiques de gestions mises en place à leur égard. Des éléments de recherche sous adjacentes sont aussi amenés dans la thèse et font également partie du processus de l’analyse de la pratique de la diversité culturelle dans l’Organisation. En effet, la thèse se penche sur le problème conceptuel sur la « diversité culturelle ». Elle apporte des éclaircissements à la terminologie à travers l’analyse de ses différents emplois dans la littérature organisationnelle. Par ailleurs, elle clarifie la notion d’organisation internationale et propose une description du contexte unesquien défini par sa diversité culturelle interne. L’ensemble des niveaux examinés a permis de mettre en évidence une double constatation. D’une part, le paradoxe entre les trois niveaux. D’autre part, la neutralité des pratiques de gestion de la diversité culturelle pour les employés et la demande implicite de reconnaissance de leurs identités culturelles. Des recommandations sont proposées et des suggestions pour de recherches ultérieures sont formulées à la conclusion de la thèse. / The thesis is developed in the current “in vogue” speech on cultural diversity. The main objective of our purpose consists in understanding the orientation of an international organization regarding the management of its cultural diversity. We think that, according to the change that modifies the socio-demographic configurations of the organizational context, it would be interesting to study an organization for which diversity is a tradition of its functioning. Our subject of study is an international organization affiliated to Unesco. The latter is recognized for its position, which values and protects the cultures. The field of knowledge is bi-disciplinary. The first one is forged in the theories of management on diversity. The second field comes from “Cross-Cultural Studies”. The methodological approach is also diversified in order to identify three levels of analysis of the cultural diversity in the Organisation. First, we have realized a historic study, based on the analysis of chosen articles from Unesco’s archives. It aims to reveal the evolution of the global discourse on cultural diversity, since its creation. Then, to better understand the internal organisational discourse about its cultural diversity, an analysis of the content of a “halo” of the internal policies takes place. This analysis allows us to understand the value of cultural diversity in a particular period. Finally, the stories of the actors of cultural diversity bring a rich description and complete the analysis with the interpretation of these actors of the management of the cultural diversity in the Organization. Additional elements of search are brought in the thesis and they are a part of the process of the analysis of the global orientation of the Organisation on the cultural diversity. We bring clarifications to the terminology of cultural diversity though an analysis of its use on the organisational literature. Besides, the thesis clarifies the notion of international organisation and proposes a description of the unesquian context defined by its internal cultural diversity. All the examined levels allowed highlighting a double observation. On one hand the paradox between the three levels; Global-organisational-individual. On the other hand, the neutrality of the practices of management of the cultural diversity and the request of recognition of the cultural identities, implicitly formulated by them. In conclusion, we provide the contributions and limitations of the thesis and we propose research possibilities.

A combination of cross-cultural and symbolic methodologies suggests that women warriors occur in societies where there is both an emphasis on the sacred feminine that allows women greater access to positions of power and authority (as per Peggy Sanday) and where marital residency rules permit female fighters (following David B. Adams´s theory on women warriors). While neither theory can stand alone in explaining the existence of women warriors, when combined both theories give a solid picture of societies that allow for female combatants. In this paper I propose that by combining Sanday’s work on female power and Adams’s work on women warriors we can come to a better understanding about just what makes the cultures that allow for women’s participation in warfare unique, and perhaps what characteristics must be in place in order for a culture to have women warriors. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The purpose of this study was to understand how early adolescents talk about cross-racial and cross-ethnic friendships. Gordon Allport's intergroup contact theory provided the framework for studying the elements needed for inter-racial and inter-ethnic friendship formation. Qualitative data were drawn from four separately recorded peer group conversations. Participants (n=18) were recruited from Parrish Middle School in Salem, Oregon. Patterns that emerged from the data were sorted, categorized and identified according to the tenets of intergroup contact theory or extensions of intergroup contact theory. Analysis also looked at the use of metaphors and storytelling among adolescents. Results showed that while intergroup contact theory tenets of interdependence and common goals can foster cross-ethnic and cross-racial friendships, most students form these friendships through friendship chaining and common interests. Dual racial identity and peer group influence can also be positive factors in cross-racial and cross-ethnic friendship development. Further, storytelling examples by adolescents showed similar techniques to those used by adults. Overall the results from this study support intergroup contact theory as continuing to be a useful conceptual framework for encouraging cross-group relations.

The aim of this thesis was to identify and analyze workplace conflict by enquiring into the nature of conflict, conflict management, and human resources (HR) strategies for conflict management in international companies based in Japan (ICBIJ). This study explores one part of a conflict system comprising cultural issues, HR strategies, conflict, and its effect on retention. The research question is "What is the nature of the conflict experienced by Japanese workers in international companies based in Japan and what type of conflict management do they access?" 16 Japanese workers were surveyed yielding qualitative and qualitative data. Findings indicate that workplace conflicts are both interpersonal and organizational. Participants used a variety of strategies to manage conflict which varied depending on the type of conflict and the rank of the participant. The findings indicate gaps between the ideal situation as described in the literature and reality.

This study focuses on confrontational behavior patterns exhibited by Japanese and U.S. college students in the Portland Metropolitan area. Four questions are addressed: 1) is there a difference Japanese and U.S. confrontation styles? 2) do Japanese use differing confrontation styles depending upon whom they are interacting with? 3) do U.S. individuals use differing confrontation styles depending upon whom they are interacting with? and 4) is there a significant gender difference between Japanese and U.S. confrontation styles? In addition, correlations between the Japanese and U.S. reported confrontation styles and their demographic data are examined.

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This thesis provides new insight into the EMU’s impact on the Euro-area firms’ performance, by examining the firms’ accounting rates of return and financial cash flows. The impact is evaluated separately for the EMU formation and the physical Euro adoption, and over different time horizons. The existing literature does not directly examine these issues. This study uses the regression model of the difference-in-differences approach to examine 121 Euro-area and North American firms, covering 14 sectors, over the period from 1992 to 2008. The results indicate a positive impact of the EMU on the firms’ financial cash flows, especially after the Euro adoption, which support the related literature. However, the accounting rates of return suggest a mostly negative impact. The magnitude of the impacts declines over time. The results are robust with respect to GDP as a control variable. The study also reports the EMU’s impact on 4 major industrial sectors. / viii, 68 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm

During the past few years, Deaf culture has emerged as an important philosophy that could lead to a radical restructuring of Deaf education methods. The purpose of this study was to determine attitudes concerning Deaf culture from teachers of residential based schools for the Deaf who are Deaf and Hearing.Prior to initiating direct contact with the teachers, the superintendents or principals of the selected residential schools were contacted via mail, and their permission secured. In the United States, 279 teachers (69 teachers who are Deaf, 210 teachers who are Hearing) from seven midwest residential based schools for the Deaf and in South Korea 310 teachers (26 teachers who are Deaf, 284 teachers who are Hearing) from all eleven residential based schools for the Deaf participated.Two-factor ANOVA procedures with repeated measures on one factor were utilized to analyze the teachers' attitudes toward Deaf culture in America and South Korea from a 30-question survey using a five-point Likert scale.This study concluded that: (a) Deaf culture was a subculture in mainstream society whether it was a multi- or singular cultural society--although attitudes toward Deaf culture were accepted more negatively in a singular society than those in a multi-cultural society; (b) Deaf culture was accepted by teachers of schools for the Deaf who are Deaf more readily than those who are Hearing in both multi- or singular cultural societies; and (c) there was no significant correlation between attitudes of teachers who were employed at different levels of instruction, such as elementary and middle or secondary school. / Department of Special Education

This study investigated the process of bereavement in the Xhosa, Zulu and Tswana cultures with participants including three cultural experts and a bereaved family from each ethnic group. Data was collected using semi – structured interviews mainly in the participants’ homes. Analysis was used by comparing and contrasting the information gathered. Empirical research findings revealed that the process in the African culture specifically in these three ethnic groups is different from the western culture as stated in the literature. The literature review findings show that the western culture’s processes of bereavement seem focused in the intrapersonal processes. However, the African Black cultures seem to be focused more on interpersonal processes of bereavement. Recommendations are made in the study on how a western trained Educational Psychologist can approach a bereaved client coming from these ethnic groups. Recommendations are also made for Educators and Parents. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)