Qu'en est-il des intellectuels en ce début de XXIe siècle? Qui sont-ils? Et quel devrait être la portée et le sens de leur engagement dans l'espace public? Telles sont les questions qui animent notre questionnement philosophique actuel. Au carrefour de ces interrogations philosophiques, un questionnement encore plus profond émerge: la réalité même de la notion d'intellectuels. Dans les années quatre-vingt-dix, le sociologue Pierre Bourdieu sera, en France, la figure tutélaire de l'intellectuel engagé. Au-delà de son indéniable charisme médiatique, ce penseur appuie l'autorité sociale de son discours sur la reconnaissance internationale d'une oeuvre scientifique considérable. Une oeuvre qui, en définitive, s'intéresse aux rapports existants entre l'individu et l'action ( praxis ). De surcroit, l'un des axes importants que développent les travaux de Pierre Bourdieu est une sociologie critique des intellectuels. C'est pourquoi, dans la perspective de notre propre questionnement sur la notion d'intellectuels, nous avons choisi pour interlocuteur principal: le sociologue français. Avec l'intuition initiale, pour la rédaction du présent mémoire, que le cadre conceptuel bourdieusien constitue un outil théorique particulièrement pertinent pour développer et articuler une meilleure compréhension de la notion d'intellectuels. D'ailleurs, c'est cette hypothèse première de la fécondité des travaux de Pierre Bourdieu que cherche à valider l'ensemble de nos développements théoriques en se demandant si : «le cadre conceptuel bourdieusien permet, véritablement, une clarification significative de la notion d'intellectuels?» Notre réponse, à cette évaluation du cadre conceptuel bourdieusien, s'élaborera grâce à la lecture critique d'un corpus ciblé de l'oeuvre bourdieusienne. Notre analyse portant, pour l'essentiel, sur les concepts d'«habitus» (chap. I), de «champ» (chap. II) et de «violence symbolique» (chap. III). Ces trois concepts forment les trois chapitres de notre mémoire. Tout d'abord, parce que l'étude de l'habitus, en tant qu'«extériorité intériorisée» d'un individu donné, est propice au décryptage des trajectoires sociales, à la fois publiques et privées, des intellectuels. Le champ pour sa part, compris comme la cristallisation d'un microcosme social autonome à l'intérieur du grand univers social, est susceptible de nous révéler les «tenants et les aboutissants» des interactions sociales qui animent le monde social des intellectuels. Enfin, avec l'idée de violence symbolique, nous verrons comment l'actualisation de cette force «douce et invisible», qui s'exerce avec l'assentiment même de ses victimes, est en réalité l'expression d'un «pouvoir symbolique» qui en tant que pouvoir idéologique est pouvoir d'une essence proprement intellectuelle. Enfin, comme le cadre conceptuel bourdieusien, malgré son indéniable apport à notre travail de recherche, renferme également d'importantes limites conceptuelles. La conclusion générale du présent mémoire, nous apprendra combien il est nécessaire de nuancer la fécondité, initialement supposée, de ce cadre conceptuel pour penser la notion d'intellectuels.

Le changement de la structure du couple qui a eu lieu dans la société depuis la fm des années 60 (Kaufmann, 1993), génère de l'incertitude quant à la durabilité de la relation et peut activer la jalousie (Mathes & Severa, 1981), qui viserait à protéger le couple et les investissements qui y ont été faits (White, 1984). Des liens bidirectionnels complexes semblent exister entre la jalousie et l'engagement conjugal : en même temps que le fait d'être engagé peut réduire la jalousie (White, 1999), une plus grande perception d'engagement est liée à plus d'émotions négatives de jalousie (White, 1981a). Le système d'attachement, activé par la menace de séparation, pourrait influencer autant la jalousie (Sharpsteen & Kirkpatrick, 1997) que l'engagement (Simpson, 1990). Ainsi, cette recherche visait à explorer les liens entre l'engagement, l'attachement et la jalousie, à la lumière d'une nouvelle conceptualisation de l'engagement : le modèle multimodal d'engagement conjugal (QMEC ; Brassard, Brault-Labbé, & Gasparetto, 2011). Pour ce faire, 317 adultes de la population générale en couple depuis six mois et plus au moment de leur participation à la recherche ont répondu à une batterie de questionnaires en ligne, incluant une mesure d'engagement (optimal, surengagement et sous-engagement), d'attachement romantique (anxiété, évitement), de jalousie (émotionnelle, comportementale et cognitive), et de désirabilité sociale. Les analyses de régression hiérarchique ont démontré que l'anxiété d'abandon est liée positivement aux trois échelles de jalousie, positivement liée au surengagement et au sous-engagement et négativement liée à l'engagement optimal. L'évitement de l'intimité était lié négativement à la dimension affective de la jalousie, à l'engagement optimal et au surengagement, et positivement lié au sous-engagement. Les composantes motivo-affective de l'engagement optimal, cognitive et comportementale du surengagement et cognitivo-comportementale du sous-engagement étaient positivement associées à la jalousie, tandis que composante cognitive de l'engagement optimal y était liée négativement. La discussion porte sur les retombées cliniques et les pistes de recherche future.

Exploring a space with our body is a strong experience; it is not like looking at a pic- ture of a space or listening to a detailed description of it. Being somewhere physically is a fundamental element involved in our unique and personal perception of a room. However, I often feel constrained by social and cultural rules in my bodily explora- tion of spaces. My aim throughout the project is to engage people into sharing their feelings and experiences about space, in order to better understand the relationship between the human body and the architecture in western societies. Through an experimental process I am articulating and reflecting upon a design meth- od to dialogue and engage with a large range of people. By using some tools from the field of interior architecture, I am building physical artefacts used as a means to challenge the bodily engagement of the users. The analysis of the interaction between the user and the artefacts, constituted the basis for me to elaborate on the two design proposals. The process also gives me the opportunity to reflect on my influence and responsibility as an interior architect into promoting, challenging and inviting people to more bodily engagement in space. / <p>The full thesis contains copyrighted material which has been removed in the published version</p>

One of the most valuable assets in any organisation is the employees, although a small percent of employees in organisations are truly motivated and energised. It is essential for organisations to look into the engagement of its employees. This mini-dissertation focuses on a comparative study of the occupational wellness between lecturers and the technical IT support staff of an academic institution of the North West province in South Africa. The objectives were to determine and compare the engagement of employees in the categories mentioned above. Thereafter a comparison was made with specific aspects of the work and work environment. Literary research was done in order to discuss and conceptualise terms such as wellness and health, occupational stress and occupational wellness. Thereafter the burnout and engagement concepts were discussed. Empirical research was done by using questionnaires that were disseminated among the two different employee groups identified for the study. Firstly, the Work and Well-being questionnaire was used to determine the work engagement levels of the different groups. This questionnaire focussed on the vigour, absorption and dedication dimensions of the study sample. In this survey the reliability indicated that all the dimensions of engagement were accepted and that employees of the IT support staff group have an overall higher level of work engagement than the lecturer group. Secondly, the Job Resources questionnaire was used to evaluate how specific aspects of the work and work environment are experienced by both IT personnel and lecturing personnel. Results gained from the Cronbach‟s alpha coefficient method indicated that the questionnaire regarding factors like emotional overload, achievement, collegiality, supervision, information regarding performance and satisfaction with pay were indicated as reliable and accurate. The results from the Job Resources questionnaire indicated that emotional overload and feelings of achievement in the work environment is higher in the IT group than for lecturers. The rest of the factors tested were significantly equal for both groups. The final chapter takes the information from the previous chapters to reach a conclusion. The key finding was that the IT sample has a higher level of absorption and dedication of engagement than the lecturer sample. Secondly, the findings were that the emotional overload and achievement for the sample population is higher for the IT staff than the lecturing staff. The collegiality, supervision, information regarding performance and satisfaction with pay were at the same level for both the IT group and lecturer group. Limitations were identified along with recommendations to the organisation and future research possibilities. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Katherine Nesse / Public engagement in rural, aging communities is often an after thought when creating plans, strategies, or projects in these communities. Initiatives that focus specifically on interacting with aging ruralites through new media is almost non-existent. However, engagement through web-based forums or social media is a growing trend. At the same time, older people have proven that they do not use the internet or social media as frequently as younger generations. To bridge the gap of inexperience with online forms of engagement, I investigate whether educational components introduced through traditional face-to-face forms of public engagement can increase the participation of older residents. To test this, I introduce social media and online engagement to older adults through an educational presentation at a public meeting in Council Grove, Kansas, in cooperation with the Flint Hills Regional Council. I monitored social media and online websites connected to the public meeting prior to and after the meeting to track changes in engagement that occurred due to the meeting. Though there was little change in engagement on the two websites I monitored, the survey results suggest that the people at the meeting appreciated the introduction and did have some familiarity with the internet and the online engagement environments. Unfortunately, this research does not definitively answer the question asked. It suggests that further education presented in future meetings may increase online engagement when implemented at a larger scale.

Many “at risk” students are successful in middle school and high school, and are college bound, despite the fact that they face numerous factors that place them at-risk for academic failure or for dropping out of school. One of the key factors that makes these students unique and academically successful is resiliency. Resiliency is identified as the ability to recover or adjust easily from misfortune or change. Resiliency might also be defined as an individual’s ability to effectively cope with challenges in a stressful environment. However, this definition does not account for those who are, at one point, not able to effectively cope with challenges, but who are able to reverse this cycle over time. This study sought to better understand the nature by which Hispanic students who were previously failing academically were able to reverse that cycle and become academically successful. For the purpose of this study, resiliency is defined as a process in which individuals overcome hardship and adversity to create lives that are meaningful and successful. What do Hispanic students do that makes them resilient and academically successful after experiencing academic failure? This research study addresses how students move from school related risk to academic resiliency. Many studies explore the qualities of resilient traits, but do not examine how resilient characteristics develop over time and through the interplay of one’s social and personal experiences. Often times, it is assumed that academically successful students have always been resilient, but in many instances, this might not be the case.

Employees affected by burnout syndrome often experience reduced engagement and decreased job performance, costing their organizations through lost productivity and profit. However, it is not clear what causes employee burnout in working environments. The purpose of this correlation study was to examine the relationships between project cost, project team member role, project schedule, and project team member burnout. This study was grounded in the job demands-resources theory, which states that all employees experience demands in their work that may lead to long-term stress and eventually burnout syndrome if these demands are not mitigated by job resources. The population for this study consisted of project management team members located in the Southern United States. The research question for this study examined the relationships among project cost, project team member role, project schedule, and burnout of project team members. A survey provided the data for analysis (N = 159). Study data were evaluated using correlational analysis. Multiple linear regression results indicated no significant relationships existed between project cost, project team member role, project schedule, and the 3 constructs of burnout syndrome: cynicism, exhaustion, and professional efficacy. This study may contribute to social change by increasing awareness of what contributes to employee burnout. This research is relevant to project management team members and business leaders. Burnout leads to reduced employee engagement, lost profit for the business, and health impairment for burned out employees. Project teams and business leaders would benefit by incorporating information from this study in programs designed to reduce, mitigate, or eliminate burnout among project management personnel.

Parent involvement is as an important contributor to students' academic and social success in school. However, parent involvement at a suburban public K-4 school has lagged, specifically in activities that have been shown to have a positive influence on student achievement. The purpose of this study was to examine parents' perceptions about their involvement in school activities as a means of identifying strategies to increase their engagement. A conceptual framework based on Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler's motivational constructs for involvement guided this study. The research questions focused on parents' perceptions of their participation, reasons for and against engaging in school activities, and what the school could do to support their involvement. A purposeful sampling method was used to select participants from among 3rd and 4th grade parents. A basic qualitative design was used to capture the insights of 9 parent participants through individual interviews. Emergent themes were identified through open coding, and the findings were developed and checked for trustworthiness through member checking, an audit trail, reflexivity, and rich descriptions. The findings revealed that parents perceived teachers and administrators should welcome their involvement, create events that recognize parent challenges, and engage parent support. A professional development project was created to provide teachers with strategies to develop effective parent-teacher teams. This study has implications for positive social change by providing a structure to increase parent involvement in constructive and purposeful partnerships with teachers and the school. This in turn could positively influence students' academic journey and achievement.

[Abstract]: It is universally acknowledged that teachers are a critical key in the enhancement of student achievement in our schools. Less accepted is that teachers are key knowledge workers in emerging 21st century societies, demonstrating understandings of how new knowledge is created as well as what it looks like. The related issue of how schools actually function as productive professional learning communities, and how teachers engage in their own learning processes, remains at best vaguely understood.The research on which this dissertation was based sought to establish new insights into the dynamics of how teachers who are engaged in a process of successful development and revitalisation create new knowledge and make significant new meaning. The research acknowledged that meanings ascribed to the processes in question might well be influenced by issues of ideology. Thus, in addition to drawing heavily on recent literature relating to the concepts of professional learning communities, distributed leadership and collective intelligence, the study incorporated a multiperspective dimension. The following research problem was established to guide the creation of research questions, a research design and related methodology:What emerges as a construct of collective intelligence in schools when teacher engagement in a pedagogical knowledge formation process is viewed from different ideological perspectives?The collective in this study was constituted of the membership of two professional learning communities independently engaged in a widely used process of school revitalisation, the IDEAS (Innovative Designs for Enhancing Achievement in Schools) process. IDEAS utilises a number of distinctive educational constructs, including parallel leadership, alignment of key organisational elements and a schoolwide approach to teaching and learning, to engage the professional community of a school in the creation of significant new knowledge in the form of vision statements, values and pedagogical frameworks.The data collected from each school community’s knowledge-generating experiences are presented in two case study bricolages. Interpretation of these data led to identification of particular characteristics associated with professional learning processes for successful meaning-making. Further analysis of the data, through the lenses of three ideological perspectives (critical reflection, hermeneutic phenomenology and orgmindfulness) resulted in the proposal of a construct for collective intelligence in schools.Of particular significance as a result of the research is the postulation of a new image of the professional teacher – one who recognises his/her capacity for engagement in collective and reflective practices through the exercise of new ways of thinking and acting in support of student achievement. The findings prompt further inquiry into the deep meanings associated with the dynamics of successful professional learning communities in both schools and a spectrum of other organisations.

Zugl.: Bern, Fachhochsch. Soziale Arbeit, Diplomarbeit, 2006