El objetivo general que se persigue con el presente trabajo es conocer de forma concreta y precisa los problemas existentes en los centros educativos de barrios marginados en Brasil, (en particular en los primeros cursos de la educación primaria) y proponer, en base a los resultados, estrategias para facilitar la planificación del trabajo didáctico del profesorado y su desarrollo en las aulas.Para ello se ha realizado una investigación de campo consistente en un estudio de caso en dos escuelas de barrios marginados de Tubarão (Estado de Santa Catarina) en Brasil y un análisis de los elementos teóricos utilizados. El estudio es esencialmente cualitativo y las técnicas usadas para la obtención de los datos han sido la observación, el relato y la entrevista-conversación realizada de forma abierta.El trabajo resultante se estructura en los siguientes apartados:a) Una primera parte en la que se hace una descripción del problema, se define la finalidad del trabajo, sus objetivos y se presenta la planificación del estudio a través de un diagrama (capítulo 1).b) Una segunda parte en la que se realiza el estudio teórico y la descripción histórica o diacrónica de la educación en Brasil. Se presenta, además, el contexto o realidad actual, y se definen los conceptos y enfoques de la enseñanza-aprendizaje en las escuelas brasileñas. Dentro de esta segunda parte, en los capítulos 2, 3 y 4, se analizan los Parámetros Curriculares Nacionales, conocidos como PCNs., presentándolos como producto de la historia, de la realidad social, económica y geográfica del País y de las directrices y normativas. El capítulo 5 contiene un estudio del contexto del Estado de Santa Catarina en el que se señalan las condiciones específicas de la ciudad de Tubarão y de las escuelas de barrios marginados de esta población. Esta parte de la tesis finaliza con un estudio sobre las "escuelas carentes" o escuelas de barrios marginados (capítulo 6).c) Una tercera parte, que corresponde a la investigación de campo. En ella se presentan, en primer lugar, la tipología de la investigación cualitativa, así como las escuelas en las que se efectuó el estudio de caso. Seguidamente se indican las diferentes técnicas utilizadas para la obtención de los datos (diario de observación del aula, relatos del profesorado, observación del Consejo Escolar del Centro, entrevista-conversación con el director) y, finalmente, se analizan los datos obtenidos en los dos centros, utilizando diversas técnicas y el programa de análisis de contenido "Atlas-ti"(capítulo 7).d) Una cuarta parte, que corresponde al capítulo 8, en la que se presentan las conclusiones obtenidas en la investigación. Estas están divididas en "conclusiones generales" y "conclusiones específicas". Las últimas se refieren a aspectos como la motivación, el aprendizaje de los niños y las niñas, las conductas sociales negativas en relación con otras personas, con el medio y con los compañeros, la desestructuración familiar y el trabajo del profesorado.e) Una quinta y última parte que se desarrolla en base a estas conclusiones. En ella se presenta el modelo "FORMARSE PARA ACTUAR". Se trata de un modelo de planificación de estrategias didácticas para el profesorado, cuyo fin es facilitar la preparación de dichas estrategias desde un planteamiento interdisciplinar y de conexión con la realidad. Se persigue también que los profesores puedan desarrollar clases con mayor calidad, aumentando así su interés y la motivación de los alumnos. Las propuestas están dirigidas a los dos primeros ciclos de educación primaria (cursos 1º, 2º, 3º y 4º). Finalmente, y a modo de ejemplo, se elaboran tres estrategias para cada uno de dichos cursos. / The general aim of this work is to study the problems of educational institutions in the excluded neighbourhoods in Brazil. Based on the study's conclusions, we propose a set of strategies to facilitate didactic work planning and its development in classrooms.To reach this aim, we have carried out a case study research in two schools of excluded neighbourhoods in the city of Tubarão (State of Santa Catarina). The study is essentially qualitative. The techniques used have been the observation, the report and the interview.The work has five parts:1) Chapter 1: problem description, work's aim, objectives and planning.2) In this part we carried out the theoretical study and the historical description of the education in Brazil. We show, also, the context or present reality, and we define the concepts of "teaching-learning" in the Brazilian schools. More specifically, in chapters 2, 3 and 4, we study the Curricular National Parameters (well-known as PCNs). The chapter 5 contains a study of Santa Catarina State context, where the conditions of Tubarão city are specifically indicated. This part concludes with an inquiry about the schools of excluded neighbourhoods (chapter 6).3) Case study: research in the two institutions and analysis of results (chapter 7). In this part we describe the schools in which the case study was made. We indicate also the different techniques used for reaching the data.4) Chapter 8: conclusions reached by the research. The conclusions are divided in "general" and "specific". The specific conclusions refer to the motivation, the learning of children and girls, the social negative behaviours, the de-structured families and the teachers' work. 5) Finally: we propose a pattern named "TRAIN TO ACT". It is a planning model of didactic strategies. The suggestions are focussed on the first two cycles of primary education (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th courses).

Elections are the engine that drives democracy. The central question of this dissertation relates to the speed of that engine: How long does it take for elections to reflect changing preferences in the electorate? The findings presented in this dissertation suggest that electoral change is the result of a gradual process of natural selection in which the political environment, rather than district service activity, is the key variable. Comparing elections data across different types of district environment, I find evidence that the environment affects levels of competition and electoral outcomes. Utilizing an event history statistical model to examine various risk factors for electoral defeat, I find that the political environment of the district is the most important factor influencing the risk of defeat even when controlling for district service behaviors. Over time, the district environment operates as a self-correcting mechanism, purging political misfits and replacing them with representatives who better reflect the ideology of the district. Electoral change typically results more from evolution than revolution – it may not occur quickly, and it may not occur in every district, but it does occur when and where it is needed.

The Rasch sampler is an efficient algorithm to sample binary matrices with given marginal sums. It is a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm. The program can handle matrices of up to 1024 rows and 64 columns. A special option allows to sample square matrices with given marginals and fixed main diagonal, a problem prominent in social network analysis. In all cases the stationary distribution is uniform. The user has control on the serial dependency. (authors' abstract)

Cette étude entend poser le problème des violences dans le monde universitaire parisien du XIVe siècle jusqu’au milieu du XVe siècle. Le monde universitaire est compris comme l’ensemble des maîtres, des étudiants et des serviteurs attachés juridiquement au studium. Il s’agit d’analyser l’évolution du phénomène en tenant compte du contexte politique troublé lié à la guerre de Cent Ans, à la guerre civile et au Schisme. Cette thèse aspire à mettre en évidence que les violences étaient un phénomène significatif identitaire pour les gens de l’Université. L’étude des sources historiques variées allant des documents normatifs et des traités didactiques aux données judiciaires et aux chroniques, permet de révéler un large spectre des pratiques violentes touchant le monde du studium parisien. / This study intends to rase the problem of violence in Parisian university world from the XIVth to the middle of the XVth c. The university world in this work is understood as a totality of masters, students and servants who were legally linked to the studium. We propose to examine the evolution of the phenomenon taking account of the troubled character of the political context which was due to the Hundred Years War, the civil war and also to the Schism. This study aims at highlighting the phenomenon of violence as significant to the identity of the university population. The analysis of varied historical sources ranging from the normative documents and didactic treaties to judicial data and chronicles, allows to reveal a large range of violent practices concerning the world of the studium of Paris.

Cette étude traite des représentations littéraires du « démon de la fornication » et des notions avoisinantes du tabou et de la transgression dans la société tardo-antique de l’Orient chrétien à travers la lecture des Vies de saints. Elle focalise sur les « Vies de saintes prostituées » et celles « de saintes adultères », qui concrétisent les perceptions de l’homme tardo-antique autour de la question de la transgression des tabous sexuels. Mais à côté de la représentation littéraire de la transgression réelle (d’ordre principalement sexuelle) de normes sociales, nous serons étonnés de trouver d’autres formes de transgression, tantôt imaginaire tantôt réelle. Pour cette raison nous avons examiné d’autres cas « marginaux » de saints, dont les Vies nous fournissent des indices précieux sur toute la gamme de normes sociales et de prescriptions taboues de la société tardo-antique : la fuite du mariage, le refus du travail, l’homosexualité, la contestation du pouvoir (paternel et politique), la mendicité, le vagabondage, la folie et le rire n’étant que les plus importants. Pourtant, la seule énumération de ces sujets pose un autre problème éminemment plus important que la représentation littéraire, celui de la place des marginaux dans cette société. Quelle était la place, alors, de tous ceux qui étaient considérés comme des « rejetés » sociaux dans la société de l’Antiquité tardive, quelle était la place des prostituées, des adultères, des homosexuels, des fous, des clochards, des chômeurs, des vagabonds et quelles étaient les attitudes vis-à-vis d’eux et quelles répercussions sociales et psychologiques affrontaient-ils ? En essayant de répondre, nous avons essayé de mettre en avant l’hypothèse de l’existence d’une catégorie particulière de Vies de saints qui traiterait toutes ces questions taboues : les « Vies de saints populaires » dont les principales caractéristiques nous avons essayé d’établir et d’interpréter dans une synthèse historique qui conclue cette étude. / This study treats the literary representations of the “demon of fornication” and the adjacent notions of taboo and transgression in the late-antique society of Christian East through a close reading of the Lives of Saints. It focuses on the “Lives of Holy Harlots” and those of “Holy Adulteresses”, which materialize the late-antique man’s perceptions about the question of the transgression of the sexual taboos. But just along with the literary representations of social norms’ real transgression, mostly sexual, we can also find other forms of transgression, either real or imaginary. For this reason we have examined other cases of “border-line” saints, whose Lives provide us with precious indications about the whole range of social norms and the taboo limitations of the late-antique society: the denial of marriage and work, the homosexuality, the contesting of the paternal and political power, the begging, the wandering, the madness and the laughter, only being the most important. However, the simple enumeration of such subjects evokes the question of the position of the outcasts in this society. Which was the place of all those who were considered as social “rejections” in the late-antique society, which was the place of prostitutes, of adulteresses, of homosexuals, of foolish people, of the wandering or begging workless people, and which were the attitudes towards them or the social and psychological repercussions that they were obliged to confront? Upon trying to answer to these questions, we’ve stumbled upon the existence of a distinct category of Lives of Saints which treats all those taboo subjects: the “Lives of popular Saints” (or the “Popular Lives of Saints”), whose main characteristics we have tried to establish and to interpret in an historical synthesis that concludes this study.

In this thesis we prove several results on the structure of solutions to optimal transportation problems. The second chapter represents joint work with Robert McCann and Micah Warren; the main result is that, under a non-degeneracy condition on the cost function, the optimal is concentrated on a $n$-dimensional Lipschitz submanifold of the product space. As a consequence, we provide a simple, new proof that the optimal map satisfies a Jacobian equation almost everywhere. In the third chapter, we prove an analogous result for the multi-marginal optimal transportation problem; in this context, the dimension of the support of the solution depends on the signatures of a $2^{m-1}$ vertex convex polytope of semi-Riemannian metrics on the product space, induce by the cost function. In the fourth chapter, we identify sufficient conditions under which the solution to the multi-marginal problem is concentrated on the graph of a function over one of the marginals. In the fifth chapter, we investigate the regularity of the optimal map when the dimensions of the two spaces fail to coincide. We prove that a regularity theory can be developed only for very special cost functions, in which case a quotient construction can be used to reduce the problem to an optimal transport problem between spaces of equal dimension. The final chapter applies the results of chapter 5 to the principal-agent problem in mathematical economics when the space of types and the space of available goods differ. When the dimension of the space of types exceeds the dimension of the space of goods, we show if the problem can be formulated as a maximization over a convex set, a quotient procedure can reduce the problem to one where the two dimensions coincide. Analogous conditions are investigated when the dimension of the space of goods exceeds that of the space of types.

In this thesis we prove several results on the structure of solutions to optimal transportation problems. The second chapter represents joint work with Robert McCann and Micah Warren; the main result is that, under a non-degeneracy condition on the cost function, the optimal is concentrated on a $n$-dimensional Lipschitz submanifold of the product space. As a consequence, we provide a simple, new proof that the optimal map satisfies a Jacobian equation almost everywhere. In the third chapter, we prove an analogous result for the multi-marginal optimal transportation problem; in this context, the dimension of the support of the solution depends on the signatures of a $2^{m-1}$ vertex convex polytope of semi-Riemannian metrics on the product space, induce by the cost function. In the fourth chapter, we identify sufficient conditions under which the solution to the multi-marginal problem is concentrated on the graph of a function over one of the marginals. In the fifth chapter, we investigate the regularity of the optimal map when the dimensions of the two spaces fail to coincide. We prove that a regularity theory can be developed only for very special cost functions, in which case a quotient construction can be used to reduce the problem to an optimal transport problem between spaces of equal dimension. The final chapter applies the results of chapter 5 to the principal-agent problem in mathematical economics when the space of types and the space of available goods differ. When the dimension of the space of types exceeds the dimension of the space of goods, we show if the problem can be formulated as a maximization over a convex set, a quotient procedure can reduce the problem to one where the two dimensions coincide. Analogous conditions are investigated when the dimension of the space of goods exceeds that of the space of types.

The issue of identity is receiving the most attention in recent times. Communities, groups and individuals tend to ask themselves who they are after the colonial period. The dawn of modern democracy and the fall of the Berlin Wall have become important sites of self-definition. In this study, I examine narratives of self-invention and selflegitimisation from a variety of texts ranging from poetic to dramatic voices. The author creates characters who represent his wishes, desires and fears in dramatic form. The other characters re-present the other members of his family. He uses autobiographical voices to re-create and re-present history, particularly his family history which has been dismembered by memory's inability to recover the past in its entirety. Memory, visions and dreams are used as tropes to negotiate the pain of loss. These narratives assist him to recapture that which has been lost dearly, and imaginatively re-members what has been dismembered. The autobiographical I shifts into an autobiographical we where the author uses his poetry to lambast the injustices of apartheid. The study further examines some aspects of postcolonial identity, which include the status of African writing and the role of africalogical discourse, the conception of home in apartheid South Africa as well as the juxtaposition of power between indigenes and settlers. These reflect the problem of marginality as a postcolonial condition and how the marginals can be returned to the centre of power. Marginalisation of the indigenes occurs by coercion, inferiorisation, tabooing certain political and cartographical spaces, harassment, torture and imprisonment. Despite these measures, the poetry of NS Puleng persisted to remove the fetish of apartheid disempowerment and disenfranchisement. / African Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

The issue of identity is receiving the most attention in recent times. Communities, groups and individuals tend to ask themselves who they are after the colonial period. The dawn of modern democracy and the fall of the Berlin Wall have become important sites of self-definition. In this study, I examine narratives of self-invention and selflegitimisation from a variety of texts ranging from poetic to dramatic voices. The author creates characters who represent his wishes, desires and fears in dramatic form. The other characters re-present the other members of his family. He uses autobiographical voices to re-create and re-present history, particularly his family history which has been dismembered by memory's inability to recover the past in its entirety. Memory, visions and dreams are used as tropes to negotiate the pain of loss. These narratives assist him to recapture that which has been lost dearly, and imaginatively re-members what has been dismembered. The autobiographical I shifts into an autobiographical we where the author uses his poetry to lambast the injustices of apartheid. The study further examines some aspects of postcolonial identity, which include the status of African writing and the role of africalogical discourse, the conception of home in apartheid South Africa as well as the juxtaposition of power between indigenes and settlers. These reflect the problem of marginality as a postcolonial condition and how the marginals can be returned to the centre of power. Marginalisation of the indigenes occurs by coercion, inferiorisation, tabooing certain political and cartographical spaces, harassment, torture and imprisonment. Despite these measures, the poetry of NS Puleng persisted to remove the fetish of apartheid disempowerment and disenfranchisement. / African Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

This thesis project studies robust portfolio optimization with Expected Short-fall applied to a reference portfolio consisting of Swedish linear assets with stocks and a bond index. Specifically, the classical robust optimization definition, focusing on uncertainties in parameters, is extended to also include uncertainties in log-return distribution. My contribution to the robust optimization community is to study portfolio optimization with Expected Shortfall with log-returns modeled by either elliptical distributions or by a normal copula with asymmetric marginal distributions. The robust optimization problem is solved with worst-case parameters from box and ellipsoidal un-certainty sets constructed from historical data and may be used when an investor has a more conservative view on the market than history suggests. With elliptically distributed log-returns, the optimization problem is equivalent to Markowitz mean-variance optimization, connected through the risk aversion coefficient. The results show that the optimal holding vector is almost independent of elliptical distribution used to model log-returns, while Expected Shortfall is strongly dependent on elliptical distribution with higher Expected Shortfall as a result of fatter distribution tails. To model the tails of the log-returns asymmetrically, generalized Pareto distributions are used together with a normal copula to capture multivariate dependence. In this case, the optimization problem is not equivalent to Markowitz mean-variance optimization and the advantages of using Expected Shortfall as risk measure are utilized. With the asymmetric log-return model there is a noticeable difference in optimal holding vector compared to the elliptical distributed model. Furthermore the Expected Shortfall in-creases, which follows from better modeled distribution tails. The general conclusions in this thesis project is that portfolio optimization with Expected Shortfall is an important problem being advantageous over Markowitz mean-variance optimization problem when log-returns are modeled with asymmetric distributions. The major drawback of portfolio optimization with Expected Shortfall is that it is a simulation based optimization problem introducing statistical uncertainty, and if the log-returns are drawn from a copula the simulation process involves more steps which potentially can make the program slower than drawing from an elliptical distribution. Thus, portfolio optimization with Expected Shortfall is appropriate to employ when trades are made on daily basis. / Examensarbetet behandlar robust portföljoptimering med Expected Shortfall tillämpad på en referensportfölj bestående av svenska linjära tillgångar med aktier och ett obligationsindex. Specifikt så utvidgas den klassiska definitionen av robust optimering som fokuserar på parameterosäkerhet till att även inkludera osäkerhet i log-avkastningsfördelning. Mitt bidrag till den robusta optimeringslitteraturen är att studera portföljoptimering med Expected Shortfall med log-avkastningar modellerade med antingen elliptiska fördelningar eller med en norma-copul med asymmetriska marginalfördelningar. Det robusta optimeringsproblemet löses med värsta tänkbara scenario parametrar från box och ellipsoid osäkerhetsset konstruerade från historiska data och kan användas när investeraren har en mer konservativ syn på marknaden än vad den historiska datan föreslår. Med elliptiskt fördelade log-avkastningar är optimeringsproblemet ekvivalent med Markowitz väntevärde-varians optimering, kopplade med riskaversionskoefficienten. Resultaten visar att den optimala viktvektorn är nästan oberoende av vilken elliptisk fördelning som används för att modellera log-avkastningar, medan Expected Shortfall är starkt beroende av elliptisk fördelning med högre Expected Shortfall som resultat av fetare fördelningssvansar. För att modellera svansarna till log-avkastningsfördelningen asymmetriskt används generaliserade Paretofördelningar tillsammans med en normal-copula för att fånga det multivariata beroendet. I det här fallet är optimeringsproblemet inte ekvivalent till Markowitz väntevärde-varians optimering och fördelarna med att använda Expected Shortfall som riskmått används. Med asymmetrisk log-avkastningsmodell uppstår märkbara skillnader i optimala viktvektorn jämfört med elliptiska fördelningsmodeller. Därutöver ökar Expected Shortfall, vilket följer av bättre modellerade fördelningssvansar. De generella slutsatserna i examensarbetet är att portföljoptimering med Expected Shortfall är ett viktigt problem som är fördelaktigt över Markowitz väntevärde-varians optimering när log-avkastningar är modellerade med asymmetriska fördelningar. Den största nackdelen med portföljoptimering med Expected Shortfall är att det är ett simuleringsbaserat optimeringsproblem som introducerar statistisk osäkerhet, och om log-avkastningar dras från en copula så involverar simuleringsprocessen flera steg som potentiellt kan göra programmet långsammare än att dra från en elliptisk fördelning. Därför är portföljoptimering med Expected Shortfall lämpligt att använda när handel sker på daglig basis.