Les peintures murales de Baouît ont suscité dès leur découverte l’intérêt des historiens de l’art et en particulier des spécialistes de l’Orient chrétien. Devenues un corpus emblématique de l’art copte, à la charnière de l’Antiquité tardive et du haut Moyen Âge, elles représentent une manne iconographique d’autant plus exceptionnelle que les décors de cette période sont rares autour du bassin méditerranéen. Tout en se faisant l’écho des édifices protobyzantins en grande partie disparus, elles rendent compte d’une communauté monastique florissante au début de l’époque arabe. Elles constituent également une source précieuse, complémentaire des textes, sur la vie spirituelle des moines d’Égypte. La présente étude est le fruit d’une synthèse opérée entre la relecture de la documentation ancienne et les données apportées par les investigations récentes. La reprise des travaux archéologiques sur le site invitait à reconsidérer l’ensemble du matériel pictural mis au jour au début du XXe siècle, en vue notamment de préciser, à la lumière des programmes iconographiques et des nouvelles découvertes, la fonction et la datation desdites chapelles. Enfin, elle apporte un éclairage unique sur les peintres qui ont œuvré à Baouît et qui ont transmis, par l’intermédiaire de leur travail pictural, une image de leur communauté et une part de la spiritualité égyptienne. / Since their discovery, the wall paintings from Bawit aroused art historians’ interest, especially among scholars of the Christian East. They are an emblematic corpus of Coptic art, in the transition period between the Late Antiquity and the early Middle Ages. Their significance is even more exceptional, considering the fact that they are very few around the Mediterranean basin. While echoing the largely extinct early byzantine buildings, they reflect a flourishing monastic community at the beginning of the Arab era. They are also a valuable source of information, complementary to the texts, about the spiritual life of the Egyptian monks. This study is the result of a synthesis between the proofreading of the archives and the data provided by the recent investigations. The new start of excavations on the site invited us to reconsider all the pictorial material discovered at the beginning of the 20th century, in order to clarify the function and the date of the said “chapels”, in the light of the iconographic programs and new discoveries. Finally, it gives a unique insight of the painters who have worked at Bawit and who have transmitted, through their pictorial work, an image of their community and a part of the Egyptian spirituality.

Dans ma thèse j’étude la normativité monastique et les aspects institutionnels de l’Ordre de Vallombrosa entre le XIème et le XVème siècle. L’étude a apporté de nouveaux résultats et il est divisé en trois parties :Dans la première j’introduis le lecteur aux sources et à l’historiographie sur le sujet.Dans la deuxième je déroule le thème de la normativité. Pour les origines j’approfondis le lien entre les sources hagiographiques, le mouvement réformateur de Florence, les premiers moines et l’institutionnalisation en congregatio de Vallombrosa. Je discute d’une façon systématique et textuelle le problème de la datation des coutumiers, des rédactions des constitutions et la diffusion et l’usage des constitutions et des statuts.Dans la troisième j’étude les institutions de l’Ordre singulièrement avec l’aide des sources normatives et du contexte historique, en vérifiant leurs changements ou cours des siècles. Les chapitres sont dédiés aux principales institutions de l’Ordre, c’est-à-dire l’abbé général, le chapitre général et les visiteurs.Enfin la thèse est dotée d’importantes annexes où on peut trouver : l’édition critique des constitutions à partir du 1323 jusqu’au 1455, des tables de concordances des normes du XIème siècle jusqu’à l’an 1310, et celles de statuts de Vallombrosa (1323-1455). / In my thesis, I study the monastic normativity and the institutional aspects of the Vallombrosa Order between the 11th and the 15th centuries. The study has brought new results and it is divided into three parts:In the first part I introduce the reader to sources and to historiography on the subject.In the second I develop the theme of normativity. For the origins, I explain the connections with the hagiographic sources, the reforming movement in Florence, the first monks and the institutionalization in congregatio of Vallombrosa. I discuss in a systematic and textual way the dating’s problem of the customary, the writing of the constitutions and the diffusion and the use of the constitutions and statutes.In the third I study the institutions of the Order with the help of normative sources and the historical context, by checking their changes through the centuries. The chapters are devoted to the main institutions of the Order, that is the Abbot General, the General Chapter and the Visitors.Finally, the thesis is completed with important appendices where one can find: the critical edition of the constitutions from 1323 to 1455, the tables of the concordances of the norms from the 11th century until 1310, and those of Statutes of Vallombrosa (1323-1455).

There is little research-based and theoretical literature about adult education or English literacy classes in nonformal settings such as library literacy programs in the community (Mathews-Aydinli, 2008; McCook & Barber, 2002b). The purpose of this phenomenological case study was to explore the motivation, learning supports, learning barriers, and program change recommendations of Third Age Learners in a nonformal library ESOL setting. This study provides insight into the demographic variable of linguistically-isolated Third Age English Language Learners (ELLs) participating in a library conversationally-based ESOL program. The results can guide libraries offering services, as well as those considering offering services to these customers (American Library Association [ALA], 2008a). Data collected included in-depth, face-to-face interviews, classroom observations, documents, learner and teacher essays, researcher journals, and analytic memos. The researcher coded all data with NVIv o 8 qualitative software then half of the data was coded with Atlas-TI 5 software by a second coder. A thematic analysis was completed in order to triangulate the data. The purposeful sample consisted of 21 participants at a Florida library adult ESOL program which included 11 learners and 10 teachers. The 11 learners were selected based on their ethnic background, predominantly those of Hispanic background. Eight learner findings and four teacher-perceived findings were identified in this study. / The learner findings included: (a) to understand people at work; (b) to find or expand employment; (c) to practice conversation, pronunciation, listening, grammar and language rules; (d) to meet and get to know people; (e) assiduous teaching; (f) self-directed learning strategies support second language learning success; (g) more publicity, more classes, tutoring, language learning labs, study skills classes, and classroom management training; and (h) lack of family/community support and opportunities to practice English. Teacher-perceived findings mirrored learner findings (a) through (f) and (h), and included: (a) to increase teacher support, communications, and training; (b) to encourage the use of library resources: children's materials; language and music CDs; audiovisual materials, and Internet websites; (c) libraries are safe, supportive, and welcoming environments; and (d) how the give and take between learners and teachers is helpful to both. Discussion of the findings, conclusions, and recommendations are included. / by Mary Anne Cassell. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Les reliques sont des objets associés aux saints, ou au Christ. Une relique est porteuse d’une puissance spirituelle, une virtus, source de miracles. Depuis l’Antiquité et surtout le Moyen Âge, les reliques ont joué un rôle essentiel dans la vie des sociétés chrétiennes. Il n’en reste pas moins que les théologiens semblent n’avoir réservé au culte des reliques qu’une faible part de leurs écrits, au point d’être considéré par l’historiographie actuelle comme ayant eu « une élaboration théorique inversement proportionnelle à son importance ». Le présent mémoire se propose d’étudier, à travers les différents témoignages laissés sur le culte des reliques, durant l’Antiquité et le Moyen Âge, quelles ont pu être les conceptions, croyances et controverses autour du culte des reliques. L’hypothèse par conséquent proposée est celle d’un « problème des reliques », intimement lié aux évolutions du culte des saints et aux conceptions sur l’eucharistie tout au long du Moyen Âge. Un glissement se produit au cours du Moyen Âge, d’une critique jugée hérétique du culte en lui-même, à un refus des abus et du flou entourant ce culte au nom de l’orthodoxie. Ces paroles persistantes, à défaut d’un débat, sur la validité, les mécanismes mystiques et les abus d’un tel culte se sont ainsi cristallisées au XIIe siècle chez plusieurs auteurs contemporains, tels Thiofrid d’Echternach et surtout Guibert de Nogent, soulignant le besoin d’une élaboration théorique et d’une codification de ces pratiques. / Relics are items linked to the saints, or to the Christ. Relics carry spiritual power, called virtus, source of miracles. Since the Antiquity, and especially since the Middle Age, relics played an essential part in the life of christian societies. The fact remains that the medieval theologians seemed to have reserved, for the cult of relics, a small part of their writings, as to be regarded by historians as having been presenting "a theoretical elaboration inversely proportional to its significance " and did not elicit any debate. This thesis thus proposes to study, through the various accounts left on the cult of relics, the ancient and medieval, what were the views, beliefs and controversies around the cult of relics. The hypothesis is therefore proposed that a "problem of the relics" existed, throughout the Middle Age, intimately linked to developments in the cult of saints and ideas on the Eucharist. A shift occurs during the Middle Ages, from a criticism, considered heretical, of the cult itself, to a denial of abuse and vagueness of this cult in the name of orthodoxy. These persistent speeches, if not a debate, about the validity and the mystical mechanisms and abuse of such a cult, would be well crystallized in the twelfth century, reflected in many contemporary writers, such as Thiofrid Echternach and especially Guibert of Nogent, stressing the need for theoretical development and codification of these practices.

Today, as we live longer, dementia diseases are becoming more prevalent around the world. Thus, further knowledge of how to maintain levels of cognitive functioning in old age and how to identify factors that postpone the onset of dementia are of acute interest. Lifestyle patterns and social life are important aspects to consider in this regard. This thesis includes three studies. Study I investigated the association between participation in various leisure activities in old age (≥65 years) and risk of incident all-cause dementia. Analyses of the total follow-up time period (15 years) showed that higher levels of “Social” and “Total” leisure activity were associated with decreased risk of dementia. In Study II, the aim was to investigate the association between various aspects of social relationships in old age (≥65 years) and risk of incidents of all-cause dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Results showed that over the total follow-up period (16 years) higher values on the relationship index were associated with reduced risk of both dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Visiting/visits of friends and acquaintances more than once a week was related to decreased risk for all-cause dementia, but not for Alzheimer's disease. However, in neither Study I nor II did any of these factors alter the risk of all-cause dementia or Alzheimer's disease when near-onset dementias were removed from the analyses (Study I, up to five years; Study II, up to three years). In Study III the aim was to investigate the association between social network size and cognitive ability in a middle-aged (40–60 years) sample. The idea was that if social network size can moderate negative age-related influence on memory functions, it might also put an individual on a cognitive trajectory that is beneficial in old age. Results from longitudinal analyses showed that baseline network size was positively related to five-year changes in semantic memory and with changes in both semantic and episodic memory at the ten-year follow-up. Social network size was unrelated to changes in visuospatial performance. Taken together, enrichment factors measured in old age (≥ 65 years) did not alter the risk of all-cause dementia or Alzheimer's disease when near-onset dementias were removed from the analyses. These results might reflect protective short-term effects or reverse causality, meaning that in the prodromal phase of dementia individuals tend to withdraw from activity. Social network size in middle age (40-60 years), however, appears to have beneficial long-term effects on cognitive functioning. The results highlight the importance of long follow-up periods and the need to adjust for the influences of reverse causality when investigating the impact of a socially and mentally active life on cognitive functioning.

This master thesis deals with the subject of mass graves as a result of war and violence; how, where and why they are created, what they represent and how they are used throughout the Scandinavian Iron Age and Middle Ages. To analyze and discuss these questions, I have used nine case studies as well as several literary sources such as Beowulf, Tacitus and Jordanes. To further increase the depth of this discussion and to help us understand the mass graves themselves, I have also included subject of warfare in the form of a walkthrough of violence and social psychology. Together, these pieces have helped me form the basis for an analysis and discussion of the three acts I have created: The Ingroup act of deposition, The Outgroup act of deposition and the Triumph act of deposition.

A les primeres dècades de la catorzena centúria la vestimenta catalana (i en general, la d’Occident) és sacsejada per novedoses formes que canvien la silueta dels seus portadors tant masculins com femenins. Al mateix temps, aquestes vestidures s’adornaren amb un creixent i refinat luxe que transpassà els reduïts límits dels cercles cortesans i aristocràtics per abastar a grups socials com la burgesia enriquits pel comerç o els negocis i que es podien permetre destinar un elevat dispendi per al seu guarda-roba. El centre cronològic de més interès pel que fa a l’evolució vestimentària de Catalunya arrenca als anys 40 i acaba a finals dels 80, amb una dècada entremig, 1340-1350, que es rebel•la fonamental per a la generalització d’importants canvis en la indumentària. Tot i així, els límits cronològics han estat a vegades ampliats als segles XIII o XV quan així ho ha requerit l’estudi dels antecedents o de l’evolució tipològica d’una determinada peça de vestir. El treball s’ha basat en l’estudi dels principals vestits externs, de les vestidures anomenades a l’època subiranes. La més estesa és la cota de la qual les imatges artístiques ens han permès identificar diverses variants tipològiques que hem denominat cota A, cota B, cota C, cota talar i cota ardia. Al costat de les cotes s’han considerat altres vestits externs com l’aljuba, el pellot, el curtapeu i el gipó. Tanmateix, l’estudi abasta també els vestits interiors que acompanyaven als exteriors com la gonella, la gonella encordada i la samarra així com el mantell i la gramalla que eren considerats peces d’abrigall. L’establiment de tipologies de diferents peces de vestir i la seva evolució cap a noves formes s’ha basat en l’anàlisi de fonts documentals, literàries, iconogràfiques i arqueològiques. Un apartat preferent d’aquest treball és el constituït per l’anàlisi de les lleis sumptuàries. En el decurs del segle XIV les autoritats dictaren a diverses ciutats i poblacions del territori europeu diverses ordinacions destinades a limitar el creixent luxe vestimentari i les supèrflues despeses que aquest comportava. Les lleis sumptuàries catalanes que han estat examinades en aquest estudi són les de Barcelona, Cervera, Mallorca i Berga. En definitiva, la indumentària esdevení un autèntic codi que no havia de ser transgredit ja que establia i feia reconeixibles jerarquies i funcions. Tanmateix, a mesura que va evolucionant el segle XIV, el llenguatge de la vestimenta coneix insistents intervencions del poder, tant del civil com del religiós, per a regular-lo i, en definitiva, “domesticar-lo”. / In the first decades of the fourteenth century the Catalan outfit (and in general the West) is shaken with innovative ways that change the shape of its wearers, both male and female. At the same time these garments were adorned with a growing and refined luxury which went over the narrow limits of the court and aristocratic circles to encompass social groups such as the bourgeoisie enriched by trade or business who could afford to spend a large expense in their wardrobe. The chronological center of most interest regarding the evolution of Catalonia dress starts in the 40s and finishes in late 80s, with a decade in between, from 1340 to 1350, which reveals fundamental to the spread of important changes in clothing. However, the chronological limits have been sometimes extended to the thirteenth or fifteenth when so has required the study of history or the typological evolution of a particular garment. The work is based on the study of the major suits outside the garment, called at the time “subiranes”. The most widespread is the “cota”, of which its artistic images have permitted the identification of several typological variants which we have called cota A, cota B, cota C and cota ardia. Beside the cota other external dresses have also been considered such as l'aljuba, el pellot, el curtapeu i el gipó. However, the study also covers internal suits accompanying the outer skirt, such as la gonella, la gonella encordada i la samarra as well as el mantell i la gramalla which were considered coat pieces. The establishment of various types of garments and their evolution into new forms is based on the analysis of documentary sources, literary, archaeological and iconographic. A preferred section of this paper is constituted by the analysis of the sumptuary laws. During the fourteenth century the authorities dictated in several cities and towns throughout Europe several ordinances designed to limit the growing luxury in dressing and the wasteful expending this entailed. Catalan sumptuary laws that have been examined in this study are in Barcelona, Cervera, Majorca and Berga. In short, the clothes became a real code which should not be violated since it established and made recognizable hierarchies and functions. However, while the fourteenth century evolves, the language of dress knows persistent interventions.

The purpose of this study was to understand the factors that encourage midlife women to make exercise and dietary changes, the prevalence of those changes, the process by which women make them, the factors that support or impede them, and how we can enhance women’s capacity to make health behaviour changes in midlife. Since the literature highlighted the importance of self-efficacy in changing health behaviour, and of health-related quality of life as a widely recognized measure of women’s mental and physical wellbeing, the study sought to understand the relationship between exercise and dietary self-efficacy, health behaviour change and health-related quality of life (SF-36), by testing a modified version of Bandura’s 1977 and 2002/2004b models of self-efficacy. The methodology involved postal surveys as well as semi-structured interviews with a subsample of the women who completed the survey. Surveys were sent to 866 women aged 51-66 years from rural and urban locations in Queensland, Australia. Five hundred and sixty-four (69%) were completed and returned. Survey data was analysed using descriptive and bivariate statistics and structural equation modeling. Thematic analysis was used to analyse interviews. The results confirmed that midlife is a significant time for women to make positive health behaviour changes. Almost 40% of women made a change to their exercise and around 60% made a dietary change since turning 40. The main exercise change was doing more walking and the most common dietary change was reducing fat intake. Self-efficacy was shown to be a key influence on whether women made positive changes to their health in midlife. In the relationship between health behaviour change and health-related quality of life, making a positive change to exercise was significantly related to physical but not mental health, and making a dietary change was not related to either physical or mental health. Body mass index was shown to be an important influence on both self-efficacy and health-related quality of life (particularly physical health). Interviews were conducted with 29 of the participants. Interview data reinforced that the main motivations to make a positive health behaviour change among midlife women were being overweight, having an injury or being diagnosed with an illness or health condition. Witnessing the hardship experienced by others with a degenerative disease could also prompt a positive behaviour change. Successful changes mainly involved modifying existing practices and repeating new behaviours until they became part of the daily routine. The main facilitators of health behaviour change were having positive role models, having more time due to retirement, and having support from significant others (such as husbands), health professionals and organizations such as Weight Watchers. The main obstacles to making changes were work, care giving, illness and injury. Bandura’s (1977, 2000/2004b) model was partially supported, but the cross-sectional nature of the study may have been a limitation in demonstrating all aspects of the self-efficacy process. In summary, women are willing to make positive health behaviour changes in midlife, but they need education and support to have those changes be effective. It is anticipated that this research will lead to a greater understanding of the significance of midlife as a time for making healthy lifestyle changes that have the potential to improve women’s health and quality of life in later years.

Cette recherche doctorale porte sur l’analyse des « céramiques communes à pâte grossière » issues de 4 fouilles archéologiques de la Vénétie : celles de la cathédrale de Padoue, de Rocca de Monselice (Padoue), du château de Montagnone à Montegrotto Terme (Padoue) et de l’ancien cinéma Astra à Chioggia (Venise). Cette recherche se focalise plus particulièrement sur la « céramique commune à pâte grossière » employée pour l’usage culinaire à l’échelle de la Vénétie. Elle vise à mieux comprendre les changements de morphologies, de matières premières employées mais également de fonctionnalité entre le IVe et le XIV siècle apr. J.-C. Dans le cadre de ce travail, cette catégorie de céramique a été étudiée à travers une approche pluridisciplinaire associant, à la démarche d’archéologique et de typologique classique, des observations pétrographiques et des analyses chimiques de résidus organiques. La combinaison de ces expértises a permis d’observer :• une évolution typologique à l’échelle de la période chronologique investie pour la région de Padoue ces dernières ayant été confrontée avec des données déjà publiée pour la région de la Vénétie et des territoires limitrophes ;• des caractéristiques pétrographiques et un changement des « recettes » de pâtes employées dans la production de la céramique pour les usages culinaires ;• certains aspects fonctionnels des céramiques, notamment sur pour artefacts retrouvés lors de la fouille de la cathédrale de Padoue, permettant même de proposer des hypothèses sur les habitudes alimentaires ;• un lien entre l’évolution des « céramiques communes à pâte grossière » et les dynamiques économiques et politiques régionales. / The aim of this research is the study of cooking wares, founded in 4 archaeological sites of Veneto region (North-eastern Italy): the archaeological excavation near the Padua cathedral, the archaeological excavation of Rocca di Monselice Castle (PD); the archeological sites of Montagnone of Montegrotto Terme castle; and the excavation in the ex-cinema Astra in Chioggia (VE). Therefore the object of this research is to observe over long time (from 4th to 14/15th century) the cooking wares of a small territory of Veneto region, the central-eastern part, to understand the evolutional change of morphologies, the origins of raw materials and the pottery function.The pottery was studied with the exploitation of different techniques and methodologies: the archaeological and typological approach; the petrographical analysis and the organic residue analysis. This method allowed the observation of:$\begin{itemize}\item the pottery morphological evolution, over long time in a small territory, taking into account also the published ceramic datas of Veneto and the nearest regions;\item the petrographical characteristic and the different use of ceramic paste over a log term for the cooking wares;\item for the archaeological site of Padua cathedral, the functional aspect of pottery. This aspect permits to speculate on the diet habits;\item the link between the cooking and coarse wares and the historical and economical aspects of Veneto. \end{itemize}$Finally this research gives a database to better understand the production characteristics of Paduan cooking wares.

La maison des XIIIe-XVIe siècles n’avait jamais fait l’objet d’une enquête approfondie en Lorraine. Jusqu'ici, seule l'architecture civile de la ville de Metz a manifestement attiré l'attention. Dans le reste du territoire régional, le bâti domestique hérité du Bas Moyen Âge n'a pas acquis la même notoriété. Il n'a apparemment pas laissé de traces suffisamment prégnantes dans le paysage architectural pour engendrer des recherches significatives. Cet état de conservation a priori constitue un verrou méthodologique qui nous invite à changer de paradigme. Différents concepts, hérités de la sociologie, de la sémiologie architecturale et des logiques de temporalité permettent d'appréhender le sujet sous un angle anthropo-historique. L'examen de la bibliographie régionale souligne que les travaux antérieurs, même ponctuels, suivaient déjà cette orientation. Aujourd'hui, la recherche profite d'une documentation qui s'est très largement enrichie. Elle s'appuie sur un recensement approfondi, des études architecturales et diverses interventions archéologiques. L’ensemble de ces traces matérielles constitue un répertoire inédit dont la spatialisation semble refléter, pour partie, les évolutions de l’écoumène lorrain des XIIIe-XVIe siècles. Pour mieux entrevoir sa résonance socioculturelle, l’architecture a été interrogée selon trois orientations : sa survivance patrimoniale, ses formes délaissées et les savoir‑faire locaux. Ce biais microhistorique participe à la définition d'un archétype de la maison des XIIIe-XVIe siècles tout en démontrant sa part d'héritage en Lorraine. / Until now the buildings of the 13th-16th centuries in the Lorraine region have not yet been investigated systematically by modern building research. Only the profane architecture of the city of Metz has been studied occasionally. In the rest of the study region, the domestic building constructed during the late Middle Age is remaining still largely unknown, without any doubt resulting from a lack of its visibility. It is evident that the bad state of conservation is remarkably hampering modern methodological building research. This has forced us to modify our scientific approach by integrating sociological concepts, the architectural language and the evidence of important chrono-historical developments. The regional bibliography dealing with this subject is evidencing that the anthropo-historical approach has largely influenced former studies and analysis. Today, modern research is taking profit from a much more developed scientific documentation, which is based on a systematic inventory, architectural studies and results from archaeological excavations. The stock of the inventoried buildings is without any doubt reflecting the socio-political developments of the Lorraine region between the 13th and the 16th c. AD. In this work the building’s architecture was studied from three different viewpoints to understand their today’s socio-cultural value: the surviving and persisting elements deriving from older architectural practices, the abandonment of practices and techniques and, not to forget, the local architectural and technical Know-how. This approach has allowed identifying the archetype of the domestic building in the Lorraine region between the 13th and 16th centuries and its heritage within the known historical building stock.