Assurance of corporate sustainability reports relies on the idea of a third-party assuror who is independent and objective. The assurance approaches typically used by accountancy companies have been developed over many years and are supported by internal as well as external standards. With the help of these standards, the assuror provides credibility to the public statements of the companies through a thorough checking of statements, data and supporting systems. However, the orthodox approach overlooks or neglects the many paradoxes and dilemmas that are the daily experience of most assurors, e.g. what it means to be independent and objective while at the same time trying to develop a relation with the client. There has also been criticism of assurance, as currently practiced, as being too rigid, too predictable and providing too few benefits to the companies assured. In this thesis, the author explores why and how his own assurance practice differs from the more orthodox approach. This has led to the description of an alternative approach to assurance, called the ‘artist’ approach that takes the ethical dilemmas and paradoxes into account. The approach has been developed and described on the basis of the author’s own experiences using a critically reflexive methodology. The methodology builds on personal narratives and iterative feedback from fellow researchers and supervisors. The development of the ‘artist’ approach is based on: 1) a critical investigation into the idea of ‘compromise’, which leads to an alternative way of thinking about the practice of assurance; 2) a critical investigation into notions of trust and distrust, and power relations, and the effect of these on assurance work; and 3) a concept of ‘stumbling together’, which is built on relationality and ‘essential references’, where the assuror and the assuree are mutually exploring the territory. In the ‘artist’ approach, the values of independence and objectivity are compromised. The assuror actively strives to build personal trust based (at least in part) on technical kinship. Through this trust the power dynamics of the ‘insider’ and the ‘outsider’ are contained; indeed, the notion of ‘insider/outsider’ is forgotten in the moment. Independence has turned into interdependence, and objectivity into mutual engagement, where both assuror and assuree together might discover new issues not known to either of them before. In the orthodox approach, the assuree is ‘called to account’, whilst in the artist approach, the assuree is invited to ‘give an account’. This process of collaborative exploration allows the potential for radical new discoveries, for both assuror and assuree. The ‘artist’ approach as described here has affinities with complex responsive processes of relating as explained by Stacey. In the ‘artist’ approach, the craftsman approach is always paradoxically present at the same time, and the approach makes use of the same tools and the same framework as the craftsman approach. A wider understanding and application of the ‘artist’ approach can potentially lead to significant changes in the way assurors act, and hopefully to assurance results that are more relevant and useful.

Within the context of ongoing social and demographic transformation, including the trend towards globalization, changing patterns of longevity and increasing ethnic diversity, this thesis examines the lives older Asian-Indian immigrants in the United States. To date, much of what little research exists on this group of elders focuses on acculturation and related stress, but there is limited research on the daily life experiences of these older adults, particularly as they pertain to family life, the practice of filial piety, and informal support exchange within their households, as well as their social lives more generally. Informed by two theoretical approaches, Life Course and Symbolic Interactionism, this research examines older immigrants’ social and family lives. The study employs a qualitative approach and involves in-depth semi-structured interviews with 10 older Asian-Indians living in the Atlanta area. To varying degrees, their lives are family-centered. Traditional Indian practices such as filial piety are individualized according to the intersection of American and Indian cultures and family (e.g., structure and history) and personal (e.g., personal resources) influences. Similar influences operate to shape their family and social lives more generally. These findings enhance existing understandings of older immigrants’ lives and illustrate similarities and differences. In doing so, the research provides valuable information that can promote cultural competence for those working with and designing policies and programs for adults in a rapidly aging and increasingly diverse society.

Today, individuals can relatively easily meet and communicate with each other over great distances due to increased mobility and advances in communication technology. This also allows intimate relationships to be maintained over large geographical distances. Despite these developments, long-distance relationships (LDRs), i.e. intimate relationships maintained over geographical distance, remain understudied. The present thesis aims to fill this knowledge gap and investigates how intimate partners who live so far away from each other that they cannot meet every day make their relationship ongoing beyond face-to-face interaction. Theoretically, this study departs from a symbolic interactionist viewpoint that invites us to study phenomena from the actor’s perspective. Conceptually, the thesis builds on the recent development in sociology of intimate lives that sees intimacy as a relational quality that has to be worked on to be sustained, and that focuses on the practices that make a relationship a relationship. Empirically, the thesis is based upon 19 in-depth interviews with individuals from Latvia with long-distance relationship experience. The thesis consists of four articles. Article I studies the context in which LDRs in Latvia are maintained, focusing on the normative constraints that complicate LDR maintenance. Article II analyses how intimacy is practiced over geographical distance. Article III examines how long-distance partners manage the experience of the time they are together and the time they are geographically apart. Article IV explores the aspect of idealization in LDRs. Overall, the thesis argues for the critical role of imagination in relationship maintenance. The relationship maintenance strategies identified within the articles are imagination-based mediated communication (creating sensual/embodied intimacy, emotional intimacy, daily intimacy and imagined individual intimacy); time-work strategies that enable long-distance partners to deal with the spatiotemporal borders of the time together and the time apart; and creating bi-directional idealization. The thesis is also one of the few works in the field of intimate lives in Eastern Europe and analyses the normative complications that long-distance partners face in their relationship maintenance in Latvia.

Este estudo busca dar visibilidade ao estar-junto-dançando nas Danças Circulares Sagradas, aos encontros e sentidos construídos pelos Corpos Dançantes na convivência do grupo e fora dele. Através dos depoimentos e falas de nove Dançantes do grupo de Danças Circulares Sagradas do Centro Comunitário George Black da Secretaria Municipal de Esportes, Recreação e Lazer, partícipes deste estudo, foi possível identificar o exercício do olhar e da escuta sensíveis. Além da prática da presença e do ritmo, da percepção do erro, da dúvida, como processo inerente do dançar-junto no círculo. Para a constituição de um espaço reflexivo no grupo, utilizei as Cartas de Caminho(Apêndice B), que representam as emoções e sentimentos advindos desse dinâmico, complexo e multidimensional contato dos Corpos Dançantes com o vitalismo manifestado por esse estar-junto-dançando. No entanto, para a realização desse caminho, foi necessário mergulhar nas trilhas e mestres das Danças Circulares Sagradas, suas relações com o Sagrado, seus Mitos e Símbolos, estabelecendo um paralelo com minha história pessoal e os caminhos que me levaram à pesquisa. Busquei teoricamente o apoio de Michel Maffesoli, na perspectiva de um estar-junto sensível e solidário, na visão de complexidade de Edgar Morin e na concepção de corpo próprio de Merleau-Ponty. Muitos outros autores contribuíram para o adensamento reflexivo, mas foram os depoimentos e falas dos Dançantes que me possibilitaram ir além, com vistas a uma Pedagogia do Sensível, onde o ritmo, o olhar e a escuta sensíveis estavam presentes. / This study seeks to give visibility to the being-together-dancing in the Sacred Circle Dances, meetings and meanings constructed by Dancing Bodies in the living of the group and outside it. Through interviews and speeches of nine Dancing group Sacred Circle Dances George Black Community Center of the Municipal Secretary of Sports Recreation and Leisure, participants in this study, we observed the exercise of looking and listening sensitive. In the practice of the presence and rhythm, the perception of error, definitely as a process inherent in dance-along in the circle. To form a reflective space in the group, used the Letters of Way, representing the emotions and feelings arising from this dynamic, complex and multidimensional contact Dancing Bodies with vitalism expressed by this being-together-dancing. However to achieve this way, it was necessary to dive into the tracks and masters of the Sacred Circle Dances, their relations with the Sacred, its Myths and Symbols, drawing a parallel with my personal history and the paths that led me to research. To do so, I sought the support of Maffesoli theoretically, from the perspective of a being-together-sensitive and supportive, in view of the complexity of Morin and designing its own body of Merleau-Ponty. Many others have contributed to the reflective density, but it was the testimony and statements of Dancing that allowed me to go further with a view to the sensitive pedagogy, where the pace, look and listen sensitive were present.

Submitted by Suelen Reis (suziy.ellen@gmail.com) on 2013-04-30T14:29:30Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese_Duarte Ana Cristina.pdf: 2538761 bytes, checksum: c41a8b8878e345509a3166d81dec5c11 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Maria Auxiliadora Lopes(silopes@ufba.br) on 2013-06-11T19:42:26Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese_Duarte Ana Cristina.pdf: 2538761 bytes, checksum: c41a8b8878e345509a3166d81dec5c11 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-06-11T19:42:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese_Duarte Ana Cristina.pdf: 2538761 bytes, checksum: c41a8b8878e345509a3166d81dec5c11 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004 / Este trabalho tem como objeto de estudo o educar e aprender na diversidade como um dos caminhos para a inclusão e a promoção de uma educação de qualidade para todos os alunos de classes regulares de escolas públicas da cidade de Jequié-BA, objetivando, especificamente, proporcionar a inclusão de alunos com necessidades especiais em tais classes regulares, por processo de atendimento competente, de/para todos os alunos, possibilitando-lhes aprendizagem significativa, atentos à diversidade da sala de aula, representada pela multiplicidade de aprendizes, suas multiformas de aprender e de expressar as suas aprendizagens. Trata-se de uma pesquisa do tipo descritiva quase-experimental com intervenção e avaliação quali-quantitativa antes e depois, que investiga a concepção de professores e alunos sobre: aprendizagem; aprendizagem de alunos deficientes; deficiência; inclusão e inserção social do deficiente, bem como, as competências do professor em organizar e dirigir o processo de ensino aprendizagem, que considerem a diversidade e a convivência na sala de aula como caminhos para a inclusão. Participaram da pesquisa 50 professores, 55 alunos e 02 diretoras de duas escolas públicas da cidade de Jequié?BA. Os procedimentos utilizados para a coleta de dados foram: observações sistematizadas; aplicação de questionários/formulários, aplicação de pré e pós-teste e intervenção nas classes, utilizando-se atividades diversificadas, objetivando aprendizagem significativa por meio do contato do sujeito com o objeto em estudo, bem como, na perspectiva do desenvolvimento de competências afetivas e sociais tais como: socialização, solidariedade, ajuda mútua e respeito às diferenças individuais. Os resultados alcançados confirmam a hipótese de que a concepção tradicional de aprendizagem; a concepção negativa sobre a aprendizagem dos alunos portadores de necessidades especiais e sua inserção social; a falta de conhecimento sobre o processo de inclusão; a falta de competência do professor em organizar e dirigir atividades que levem em consideração a diversidade, bem como, a dificuldade, tanto de professores como dos alunos, de conviverem com a diversidade e aceitarem/respeitarem as diferenças individuais, são fatores que estão dificultando o processo de inclusão e a aprendizagem significativa de todos os alunos da classe regular e não apenas dos portadores de necessidades especiais. Diante do exposto, é evidente a necessidade urgente de políticas públicas e programas de formação inicial e continuada que apóiem professores, diretores e alunos nesta caminhada em busca de uma educação de qualidade para todos e que atenda à diversidade das salas de aula, na perspectiva da inclusão de todos os alunos na classe regular. / Salvador

MACEDO, Diego Ximenes. Osciladores harmônicos acoplados dependentes do tempo. 2012. 65 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Física) - Programa de Pós-Graduação em Física, Departamento de Física, Centro de Ciências, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, 2012. / Submitted by Edvander Pires (edvanderpires@gmail.com) on 2015-10-16T21:48:15Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2012_dis_dxmacedo.pdf: 1228459 bytes, checksum: 6d71730075dc0a642cfe80de6f3c9b6d (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Fabíola Bezerra(fabbezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-01-20T14:38:07Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2012_dis_dxmacedo.pdf: 1228459 bytes, checksum: 6d71730075dc0a642cfe80de6f3c9b6d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-01-20T14:38:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2012_dis_dxmacedo.pdf: 1228459 bytes, checksum: 6d71730075dc0a642cfe80de6f3c9b6d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / In this work we present the classical and quantum solutions of time-dependent coupled harmonic oscillators. In these systems the masses, frequencies and coupling parameter (k) are functions of time. Four systems are investigated. To obtain the classical solutions we use a coordinate and momentum transformations along with a canonical transformation to write the original Hamiltonian as the sum of two Hamiltonians of uncoupled harmonic oscillators with modified time-dependent frequencies and unitary masses. We find the analytical expression for position and velocity of each oscillator of the systems. To obtain the exact quantum solutions we use a unitary transformation and the Lewis and Riesenfeld invariant method. The wave functions obtained are written in terms of a c-number quantity () which is solution of the Milne-Pinney equation. For each system we solve the respective Milne-Pinney equation and discuss how the quantum fluctuations and the uncertainty product evolve with time. / Neste trabalho apresentamos soluções clássicas e quânticas de osciladores harmônicos acoplados dependentes do tempo. Nesses sistemas as massas, frequências e o parâmetro de acoplamento são funções do tempo. Quatro sistemas são investigados. Para obter as soluções clássicas usamos uma transformação de coordenada e momento juntamente com uma transformação canônica para escrever o Hamiltoniano original como a soma de dois Hamiltonianos de osciladores harmônicos desacoplados dependentes do tempo com frequências modificadas dependentes do tempo e massas unitárias. Encontramos soluções analíticas para a posição e a velocidade para cada oscilador de todos os sistemas. Para obter as soluções quânticas exatas usamos uma transformação unitária e o método invariante de Lewis e Riesenfeld. As funções de onda são escritas em termos de uma quantidade escalar a qual é solução da equação de Milne-Pinney. Para cada sistema resolvemos a respectiva equação de Milne-Pinney e discutimos como as flutuações quânticas e o produto de incerteza evoluem no tempo.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-07T15:08:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1677439 bytes, checksum: ad3f3e531578f408e59356767d66682a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-10-14 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The theme related to youth and its gathering, pointing out another way to be together as a social enhancer, is discussed at this moment. For this reason, this study arose from a group of youngsters who practice street dance in the town of Cajazeiras, PB. Having as theoretical and methodological axis, Michel Maffesoli´s comprehensive sociology, the study aimed to identify and analyze the sociocultural and educational elements which constitute and which are constituents of these youngsters´ practice. The research, however, demonstrates the street dance as an educative experience, characterized as the way youngsters, involved in it, found to be together. Such experience, nevertheless, translates the dynamicity and plurality of a world in a constant social movement which is reflected in the daily routine of the groups while in interaction, constitutive of identities which are not rigid, but kaleidoscopic. In this sense, matters as global/local culture, youth culture, media, identity, recognition, tribalization and educability compose important axes for understanding the changes concerning the social experiences, especially among the youngsters, nowadays. / Discutem-se, aqui, a temática da juventude e seus agrupamentos, apontando outro modo de estar-junto, potencializador de socialidade. Para tanto, partiu-se de um grupo de jovens praticantes da dança de rua da cidade de Cajazeiras, PB. Tendo como eixo teórico e metodológico a sociologia compreensiva de Michel Maffesoli, o estudo buscou identificar e analisar os elementos socioculturais e educacionais que constituem e são constituintes da prática desses jovens. A pesquisa, portanto, demonstra a dança de rua como uma vivência educativa, caracterizando-se como um modo de estar-junto dos jovens nela envolvidos. Esta vivência, contudo, traduz a dinamicidade e a pluralidade de um mundo em constante ebulição social, que se reflete no cotidiano dos grupos em interação, constitutiva de identidades, as quais não são fixas, mas caleidoscópicas. Nesse sentido, questões como cultura global/local, cultura juvenil, mídias, identidade, reconhecimento, tribalização e educabilidades constituem eixos importantes para a compreensão das transformações das vivências sociais, especialmente entre os jovens, na atualidade.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-07T15:10:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1733336 bytes, checksum: 81a2e2e02d1373ff026287456953c5b0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-12-17 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The present work discourses about "being together" among adolescents aged 15 to 17 years. The general objective is to accomplish a cartography of "being together" among the adolescents, starting from the apprehension of the students' report of a public institution of teaching. For so much, it is looked for to understand the sexuality and its manifestations in the adolescence; to describe the adolescence starting from the affective, sexual and social dimensions; and, to analyze the representations on being together" through the speeches of the research subjects. At the end of the twentieth century, in the 80's, a new form of affective relationship appears, the being together", with the purpose of seeking pleasure. It is characterized by being informal, brief, fleeting, and implicates no commitment. The study starts from the presupposition that, being together" among the adolescents is influenced by the social relationships and the bonds, in the form as they are constituted in the contemporary society. The research is characterized as qualitative, descriptive, of a specific case study. It uses like techniques the simple observation, the questionnaire and the discussion groups. The development of the research pointed to the following conclusions: being together" is constituted as a relationship code of the present time to mean the new, in syntony with a larger opening for the subjects that involve sexuality, in consonance with the way of life of the current society; however, it lives together with the expressed contradiction through old values that still base the vision of the sexuality between the gender. It is the briefest of the relationships, it is based in its connection with the erotic; nothing demands to not to be the pleasure and the satisfaction of the desire. It is valued by the adolescents that see it as the necessary experience in a moment in that they still don't want to establish bonds. / O presente trabalho discorre a respeito do ficar entre adolescentes na faixa etária entre 15 a 17 anos. O objetivo geral é realizar uma cartografia do ficar entre os adolescentes, partindo da apreensão dos relatos dos alunos de uma instituição da rede pública de ensino. Para tanto, busca-se compreender a sexualidade e as suas manifestações na adolescência; descrever a adolescência a partir das dimensões afetivas, sexuais e sociais; e, analisar as representações sobre o ficar através dos discursos dos sujeitos da pesquisa. Ao final do século XX, na década de 80, surge uma nova forma de relacionamento afetivo, o ficar , com a finalidade da busca do prazer. Caracteriza-se por ser informal, breve, fugaz, e implica em ausência de compromisso. O estudo parte do pressuposto de que, o ficar entre os adolescentes é influenciado pelas relações sociais e os vínculos, na forma como são constituídos na sociedade contemporânea. A pesquisa caracteriza-se como qualitativa, descritiva, de um estudo de caso específico. Utiliza como técnicas a observação simples, o questionário e os grupos de discussão. O desenvolvimento da pesquisa apontou para as seguintes conclusões: o ficar constitui-se como um código de relacionamento da atualidade a significar o novo, em sintonia com uma maior abertura para as questões que envolvem sexualidade, em consonância com o modo de vida da sociedade atual; porém, convive com a contradição expressa através de antigos valores que ainda fundamentam a visão da sexualidade entre os gêneros. É o mais breve dos relacionamentos, fundamenta-se na sua ligação com o erótico; nada exige a não ser o prazer e a satisfação do desejo. É valorizado pelos adolescentes que o vêem como a experiência necessária num momento em que ainda não desejam estabelecer vínculos.

Este estudo busca dar visibilidade ao estar-junto-dançando nas Danças Circulares Sagradas, aos encontros e sentidos construídos pelos Corpos Dançantes na convivência do grupo e fora dele. Através dos depoimentos e falas de nove Dançantes do grupo de Danças Circulares Sagradas do Centro Comunitário George Black da Secretaria Municipal de Esportes, Recreação e Lazer, partícipes deste estudo, foi possível identificar o exercício do olhar e da escuta sensíveis. Além da prática da presença e do ritmo, da percepção do erro, da dúvida, como processo inerente do dançar-junto no círculo. Para a constituição de um espaço reflexivo no grupo, utilizei as Cartas de Caminho(Apêndice B), que representam as emoções e sentimentos advindos desse dinâmico, complexo e multidimensional contato dos Corpos Dançantes com o vitalismo manifestado por esse estar-junto-dançando. No entanto, para a realização desse caminho, foi necessário mergulhar nas trilhas e mestres das Danças Circulares Sagradas, suas relações com o Sagrado, seus Mitos e Símbolos, estabelecendo um paralelo com minha história pessoal e os caminhos que me levaram à pesquisa. Busquei teoricamente o apoio de Michel Maffesoli, na perspectiva de um estar-junto sensível e solidário, na visão de complexidade de Edgar Morin e na concepção de corpo próprio de Merleau-Ponty. Muitos outros autores contribuíram para o adensamento reflexivo, mas foram os depoimentos e falas dos Dançantes que me possibilitaram ir além, com vistas a uma Pedagogia do Sensível, onde o ritmo, o olhar e a escuta sensíveis estavam presentes. / This study seeks to give visibility to the being-together-dancing in the Sacred Circle Dances, meetings and meanings constructed by Dancing Bodies in the living of the group and outside it. Through interviews and speeches of nine Dancing group Sacred Circle Dances George Black Community Center of the Municipal Secretary of Sports Recreation and Leisure, participants in this study, we observed the exercise of looking and listening sensitive. In the practice of the presence and rhythm, the perception of error, definitely as a process inherent in dance-along in the circle. To form a reflective space in the group, used the Letters of Way, representing the emotions and feelings arising from this dynamic, complex and multidimensional contact Dancing Bodies with vitalism expressed by this being-together-dancing. However to achieve this way, it was necessary to dive into the tracks and masters of the Sacred Circle Dances, their relations with the Sacred, its Myths and Symbols, drawing a parallel with my personal history and the paths that led me to research. To do so, I sought the support of Maffesoli theoretically, from the perspective of a being-together-sensitive and supportive, in view of the complexity of Morin and designing its own body of Merleau-Ponty. Many others have contributed to the reflective density, but it was the testimony and statements of Dancing that allowed me to go further with a view to the sensitive pedagogy, where the pace, look and listen sensitive were present.

Partnership and marriage are the topics that are still alive and attractive for each age group, who solve their current problems, make their own opinions, take attitudes and they look back in this area of life. In my diploma thesis I tried to check opinions and attitudes of my schoolmates to topic partnership and marriage. Information included in my work consists of secondary data analysis and quantitative survey focused on students´ opinions of family life and marriage. I chose interview as method and questionnaires as technique for a survey. Respondents were asked to answer 19 questions. The total number of printed questionnaires was 150, final number of filled questionnaires was 123. Questionnaire survey was carried out during November and December in year 2006. The inquired group of students was selected by quota selection and they were representative as to their studies at the Southern Bohemia University and last year of their studies at the university. As aims of my diploma thesis I set two hypotheses which were validated by the survey. Survey proved that most students want to live in a marriage though they would often try living together, before marriage. Even though family life and marriage lost some of their positions, they still remain important social background, area where love needs are covered. Another part of the survey showed us, that young generation of students prefer two-children or three-children family model. Moreover survey also proved both the fact that people tend to get married later and increasing age of women who have their first child. Results of the diploma thesis bring big enrichment in form of information about family and of reproduction life of current students of South-Bohemia University in České Budějovice. The results can be used for other studies and research in this area not only to compare family and reproductive life of other university students but also to compare trends in this area in our country.