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This dissertation examines factors that explain interactions between undergraduate African and African American students enrolled at one Historically Black University (HBCU). It explores beliefs, cultural and contextual factors that shed light on interactions across the two categories of students. The research 1) identifies factors that explain inter‐group interaction; 2) analyzes identified factors; and 3) examines their impact on overall attitudes, behaviors, interactions, and relations across the two groups. Identity theory and social identity theory are applied to explain interaction patterns. Both theoretical frameworks acknowledge the importance of the individual’s goals and purposes and apply conceptions of the self in exploring identity formation. While identity theory focuses on social structural arrangements and the link between persons, social identity theory focuses on characteristics of situations in which the identity may be activated. These theories show how interpersonal and intergroup interactions merge into identities, generate and change social limitations, and build social relationships. Data were collected using surveys and through in‐depth individual and focusgroup interviews. Thirty‐one (31) participants were interviewed individually, and three focus‐group interviews were conducted with 14, 16 and 17 participants respectively. Two more large‐group sessions of 33 and 51 participants also contributed information for the study. Participants were observed in their university setting. Web documents and course syllabi were analyzed for applicable information. The study finds that cultural differences, perceptions and misconceptions about the out‐group, and lack of balanced knowledge about the out‐group, contribute to minimal inter‐group interaction. In addition, increased intercultural knowledge and exposure lead to enhanced inter‐group identification and interaction, and ultimately functioned to minimize misconceptions and advance inter‐group understanding. Understanding cultural and other differences between Africans and African Americans as an integral part of inter‐group relationships enables people to be more accepting and accommodating of difference and of one another. Also, engaging members of both groups in discussions about inter‐group interactions raised awareness and developed in them a critical stance toward their own responsiveness to others they may consider different.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Waikato, 2008. / Title from PDF cover (viewed October 3, 2008) Includes bibliographical references (p. 164-176)

Thesis (D. Min.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2006. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 194-199).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2006. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 194-199).

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The research has as main purpose to comprehend the logic involved in the institutional visibility construction process in the internet, from two distinct interaction spaces: an institutional portal and an Orkut community. With this purpose, the following specific objectives were established: to comprehend the visibility construction project in the internet, to identify the way which the Federal University of Santa Maria - UFSM portal is organized, and to recognize through the utilized strategies, some logics of the process through which questions regarding this institution gain visibility in this space; to identify how the biggest Orkut community about UFSM is organized and recognize through the utilized strategies, some logics of the process through which questions regarding this University gain visibility in this space. This is a qualitative research and is fundamentally interpretative. An empirical observation was done on both objects: the UFSM portal and the community in the Orkut about UFSM with the biggest number of participants. The methodology to treat these objects is based on the observation and description of how each one of the interaction spaces in the internet is organized. Moreover, three characteristics which we find to be essential on the institutional visibility construction process in these spaces were observed: type of interaction, thematic range and themes maintenance. The literature review allows to characterize the media as a visibility sphere in the contemporary days, having a crucial role on legitimating institutions. In this way, the study highlights the importance to investigate the process of media visibility construction in face of the new socio-technological possibilities, such as internet. As a communication channel in the media field, the internet builds specific models and process of interaction. In this way, it also permits a peculiar modality of institutional visibility, where questions referring to a specific institution, which is seeking for legitimation, can be displayed either by the responsible for the institutional communication or by other members, in the board or not, of the institution. The result from this proposal was the observation that the in the portal, the process of visibility construction of UFSM is characterized by a logic of linearity. On the other hand, this process in the community is constituted by logic of negotiation, dialogical. / A pesquisa tem como objetivo central compreender as lógicas envolvidas nos processos de construção da visibilidade institucional na Internet a partir de dois espaços distintos de interação: um portal institucional e uma comunidade do Orkut. Para esse objetivo, foram definidos os seguintes objetivos específicos: compreender o processo de construção da visibilidade na Internet; identificar o modo como está organizado o portal da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria - UFSM e reconhecer através das estratégias utilizadas algumas lógicas do processo pelo qual as questões referentes a essa instituição ganham visibilidade nesse espaço; identificar o modo como está organizada a maior comunidade sobre a UFSM do Orkut e reconhecer através das estratégias postas em operação algumas lógicas do processo pelo qual as questões referentes a essa Universidade ganham visibilidade nesse espaço. A pesquisa possui um caráter qualitativo e é fundamentalmente interpretativa. Foi realizada uma observação empírica em dois objetos: o portal da UFSM e a comunidade sobre a UFSM no Orkut com o maior número de participantes. A metodologia para o tratamento desses objetos consiste na observação e descrição do modo como está organizado cada um dos espaços de interação na Internet, além da observação de três características que julgamos essenciais no processo de construção da visibilidade institucional nesses espaços: tipos de interação, abrangência temática e manutenção dos temas. A revisão de literatura permite caracterizar a mídia como esfera de visibilidade na contemporaneidade, exercendo um importante papel no que se refere à legitimação das instituições. Nesse sentido, o estudo destaca a importância de investigar o processo de construção da visibilidade midiática diante de novas possibilidades sóciotecnológicas, como a Internet. Enquanto modalidade de comunicação do campo midiático, a Internet constitui modelos e processos específicos de interação, nesse sentido, ela também possibilita uma modalidade peculiar de visibilidade institucional, na qual a disponibilização de questões referentes a uma determinada instituição, que busca legitimar-se, pode ser realizada tanto pelos responsáveis por sua comunicação institucional, como por outros indivíduos membros do quadro da instituição ou não. Dessa proposta resultou a observação de que no portal o processo de construção da visibilidade da UFSM caracteriza-se por uma lógica de linearidade, ao passo que na comunidade esse processo constitui-se por uma lógica de negociação, dialógica.

Industrial robots have been identified as one of the most effective solutions for optimising output and quality within many industries. However, there are a number of manufacturing applications involving complex tasks and inconstant components which prohibit the use of fully automated solutions in the foreseeable future. A breakthrough in robotic technologies and changes in safety legislations have supported the creation of robots that coexist and assist humans in industrial applications. It has been broadly recognised that human-robot collaborative systems would be a realistic solution as an advanced production system with wide range of applications and high economic impact. This type of system can utilise the best of both worlds, where the robot can perform simple tasks that require high repeatability while the human performs tasks that require judgement and dexterity of the human hands. Robots in such system will operate as “intelligent assistants”. In a collaborative working environment, robot and human share the same working area, and interact with each other. This level of interface will require effective ways of communication and collaboration to avoid unwanted conflicts. This project aims to create a user interface for industrial collaborative robot system through integration of current robotic technologies. The robotic system is designed for seamless collaboration with a human in close proximity. The system is capable to communicate with the human via the exchange of gestures, as well as visual signal which operators can observe and comprehend at a glance. The main objective of this PhD is to develop a Human-Robot Interface (HRI) for communication with an industrial collaborative robot during collaboration in proximity. The system is developed in conjunction with a small scale collaborative robot system which has been integrated using off-the-shelf components. The system should be capable of receiving input from the human user via an intuitive method as well as indicating its status to the user ii effectively. The HRI will be developed using a combination of hardware integrations and software developments. The software and the control framework were developed in a way that is applicable to other industrial robots in the future. The developed gesture command system is demonstrated on a heavy duty industrial robot.

<p>U ovom radu se ispituje fenomen&nbsp; kvaliteta 5 vrsta bliskih odnosa u odraslom dobu (majka, otac, brat/sestra, prijatelj, partner). Istraživanjem se razmatraju specifičnosti bliskih odnosa na domaćoj populaciji i razlike u kvaliteti bliskih odnosa s obzirom na nekoliko personalnih i kontekstualnih karakteristika ispitanika. Poseban akcenat se stavlja na relacije između individualnih (osobine ličnosti, afektivna vezanost, autoritarnost i stilovi komunikacije) i socijalnih (porodična interakcija sa majkom i ocem) determinanti i kvaliteta bliskih odnosa.</p> / <p>This paper examines the quality phenomenon of 5 types of close relationships in adulthood (mother, father, brother / sister, friend, partner). The research examines the specificity of close relationships on the domestic population and the differences in the quality of close relationships with regard to several personal and contextual characteristics of the respondents. Particular emphasis is put on the relationships between individual (personality traits, attachment, authoritarianism and communication styles) and social (family interaction with mother and father) determinants and quality of close relationships.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

This diploma thesis seeks to describe the basic concepts of sociological approaches to identity as well as related concepts from the sociological reflections on the Internet. First, the thesis introduces the fundamental ideas of identity theories, as they were formulated by the authors of symbolic interactionism in the first half of the 20th century. Subsequently, the key sociological concepts of individual and collective identities are described in more details and in this context there is also reminded the social construction of reality theory, that provides an explanation of the connection between the individual and collective levels of analysis. Finally, this thesis discusses concepts reflecting the relationship between individual identities and communication on the Internet, especially within so-called virtual communities, and also introduces concepts, which seeks to characterize the role of Internet in the processes of collective identities formation.