This thesis explores the commercial links between Scotland and France in the long seventeenth century, with a focus on the Scottish mercantile presence in France’s Atlantic ports, particularly during periods of domestic and international upheaval. This study questions long-held assumptions regarding this relationship, asserting that the ‘Auld Alliance’ continued throughout the period, despite the widely held belief that it ended in 1560. Such assumptions have led scholars largely to ignore the continuing commercial relationship between Scotland and France in the long seventeenth century, focusing instead on the ‘golden age’ of the Auld Alliance or the British relationship with France in the eighteenth century. Such assumptions have been fostered by the methodological approaches used in the study of economic history to date. While I acknowledge the relevance of traditional quantitative approaches to economic history, such as those pioneered by T. C. Smout and which continue to be followed by historians such as Philipp Rössner, I follow alternative methods that have been recently employed by scholars such as Henriette de Bruyn Kops, Sheryllynne Haggerty, Xavier Lamikiz, Allan Macinnes and Steve Murdoch. These scholars have pioneered methodologies that prioritise private sources, allowing us to delve into the motivations and actions of the individuals who actually effected trade, be they merchants, factors, skippers or manufacturers. The core of my research has therefore entailed the discovery and use of previously untapped archival material including account books, letter books and correspondence, which illuminate the participation of these individuals in international trade. Such a study, while filling a specific gap in our understanding of Scotland’s overseas relations, applies a more social methodology to this topic, suggesting that scholars’ approaches need to be fundamentally altered if we are truly to understand the whole picture of Scotland’s, or indeed any nation’s, commercial relationships or wider economic position.

This thesis argues that social debt profoundly transformed the environment in which literature was produced and experienced in the early modern period. In each chapter, I examine the various ways in which social debt affected Renaissance writers and the literature they produced. While considering the cultural changes regarding patronage, love, friendship, and debt, I will analyze the poetry and drama of Ben Jonson, Lady Mary Wroth, William Shakespeare, and Thomas Middleton. Each of these writers experiences social debt in a unique and revealing way. Ben Jonson's participation in networks of social debt via poetry allowed him to secure both a livelihood and a place in the Jacobean court through exchanges of poetry and patronage. The issue of social debt pervades both Wroth's life and her writing. Love and debt are intertwined in the actions of her father, the death of her husband, and the themes of her sonnets and pastoral tragicomedy. In Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice (c. 1596), Antonio and Bassanio’s friendship is tested by a burdensome interpersonal debt, which can only be alleviated by an outsider. This indicated the transition from honor-based credit system to an impersonal system of commercial exchange. Middleton’s A Trick to Catch the Old One (1608) examines how those heavily in debt dealt with both the social and legal consequences of defaulting on loans.

This dissertation considered trade and trade finance in Mesopotamia over a period of 2000 years commencing with Sumeria and ending with Achaemenid Persia, taking in Ur III and Assyria. A range of financial instruments was selected together with important business transactions, for instance, agricultural finance, specifically the brewing industry and the working capital requirements of merchants and money lenders. The role of women in private enterprise was examined, including their role in retail finance. The great estates of temple and palace had a substantial impact on finance and trade throughout the periods. Their interaction with merchants and money lenders was important to the study. I used reductionism to facilitate analysis of complex products highlighting the essentials of finance namely, borrowing, lending and return. The study concludes that, during the era under consideration, the evolution and enhancement of the financial instruments and products developed in self-generated, incremental and progressive steps. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M.A. (Ancient Near East Studies)

The present MA thesis analyzes how body and blood functions as historical and narrative elements in Yu Hua's novel Chronicle of a Blood Merchant (1995). In the novel, the story and the plot can not be regarded as disparate items; the two levels of the text are tightly interwoven by what the thesis introduces as a sangvinolent narration. The term conceptualizes the use of blood as a structural element and the thrust of the text, in this case how the ability to sell blood is a prerequisite for the story and the plot. Close readings reveal the structural correlations between the blood-selling main-character Xu Sanguan in the plot on the one hand, and in the story on the other, which can be detected to have, inter alia, an effect on the temporality of the narrative. Themes linked to identity, belonging and survival (performativity, mimicry, reification and alienation) permeate the text. In the novel the body and bodily fluids are sacrificed in order to form and enforce perceptions of identity and societal roles. The rhetorical use of ‘blood and tears’ (Ch. xue yu lei) indicates thematic connections to the Chinese revolutionary literature, and furthermore, the use of flesh and blood can be read in relation to the cannibalistic discourses crucial to Chinese modernity since Lu Xun.

An international maritime labour market study, the thesis focuses on the Dutch naval labour market, analysing wartime Zeeland admiralty crews. The research is based primarily on unique naval pay sources. Analysis of crew compositions has not been made on this scale in the period before. The 1667 Dutch Medway Raid is the starting point, where a few British played a leading role – amongst many others reported on the Dutch side. Pepys and Marvell primarily blamed their joining the enemy on the lure of superior Dutch payment. The thesis asks how many British there were really, how they came to be in Dutch service, and whether this involvement occurred, as indicated, at other times too. Part One is thematic and explores the background mechanisms of the maritime environment in detail, determining causation. First, the two naval recruitment systems are compared and completely reassessed in the light of state intervention in the trade sphere. Two new sets of ‘control’ data – naval wages and foreign shipping – are amongst the incentives and routes determined. British expatriate communities are examined as conduits for the supply of naval labour and civilian support. British personnel are compared and contrasted with other foreigners, against the background of Anglo-Dutch interlinkage and political transition from neutrality through conflict to alliance. Part Two is chronological, covering four major wars in three chapters. Micro-case studies assembled from the scattered record streams enable analysis of the crews of particular officers and ships. Seamen were an occupation that made them a very little known group: the thesis examines the different career types of British personnel of many different ranks, shedding light on their everyday lives. The thesis shows that British personnel were an integral part of Dutch crews throughout the period, even when the two nations were fighting each other. The basic need of subsistence labour for employment took precedence over allegiance to nation/ideology, demonstrating limitations in state power and the continual interdependence forced on the maritime powers through the realities of the labour market.

Thesis (Master of Military Studies)--USMC Command and Staff College, 2008. / Title from PDF title screen. Text document in PDF format. Includes bibliographical references (p. 21-22).

On the assumption that different registers of translated drama have different functions and that they therefore present information differently, the aim of the present study is to identify textual features that distinguish an Afrikaans stage translation from a page translation of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. The first issue addressed concerns the nature and extent of lexical cohesion in these two registers. The second issue concerns my contention that the dialogue of a stage translation is more "involved". (Biber 1988) than that of a page translation. The research was conducted within the overall Descriptive Translation Studies (DTS) paradigm but the analytical frameworks by means of which these aims were accomplished were derived from text linguistics and register variation studies, making this an interdisciplinary study. Aspects of Hoey's ( 1991) bonding model, in particular, the classification of repetition links, were adapted so as to quantify lexical cohesion in the translations. Similarly, aspects of Biber's (1988) multi-dimensional approach to register variation were used to quantify linguistic features that signal involvement. The main finding of the study is that drama translation register (page or stage translation) does have a constraining effect on lexical cohesion and involved production. For Act IV of the play an overall higher density of lexical cohesion strategies was generated by the stage translation. In the case of the involved production features analysed, the overall finding was that the stage translation displayed more involvement than the page translation, to a statistically highly significant extent. The features analysed here cluster together sufficiently to reveal that in comparison with an Afrikaans page translation of a Shakespeare play, a recent stage translation displays a definite tendency towards a more oral, more involved and more situated style, reflecting no doubt a general modern trend towards creating more appropriate and accessible texts / Linguistics and Modern Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (Translation Studies)

This study discusses the extent to which Charles Sturridge's Where Angels Fear to Tread, Merchant Ivory's Howards End, and David Lean's A Passage to India have aimed at, and succeeded in, exploring the thematic concerns of E.M. Forster's novels. A brief introductory chapter explains the motivation behind this research, and the choice of critical methodologies used. It concludes with an outline of some of the problems confronting film-makers wishing to explore the concerns of novels. The first chapter, which is devoted to Where Angels Fear to Tread, reveals that while Sturridge is "faithful" to Forster's novel at a superficial level, basing most of his scenes on, and taking most of his dialogue directly from, the text, he does not explore Forster's themes. The facility with which film tells stories proves to be a treacherous trap for Sturridge. His version of Where Angels Fear to Tread is totally vacuous because he failed to develop anything beyond the story -- Forster's "tapeworm" of time (Aspects of the NoyeI41). The causality that Forster calls plot seemed beyond Sturridge's comprehension, leaving his film little more than an endless progression of "and then[s]" (Forster, Aspects 87). Characters are not given their full weight; symbols and leitmotifs are overlooked; the allegorical elements he did recognize, he failed to understand, and thus misplaced, so that the epiphanic moments of the novel are lost. There is no possibility of thematic concerns emerging from a film in which plot, characterization, symbol and rhythm are ignored. Sturridge's apparent inability to understand his source is in stark contrast to Merchant Ivory's sensitivity to Howards End, and their evident familiarity with literary criticism on the work. Chapter two explores the way in which their adaptation smooths out putative flaws in characterization and plot, and uses filmic rhythm and camera work to suggest comments made by the novel's narrator. Almost wholly successful in developing the novel's themes, Merchant Ivory's Howards End does not, however, successfully explore the spiritual dimensions of Forster's novel. Film is a medium capable of great subtlety, but its strength lies in its ability to capture the seen; the unseen tends to evade its grasp. It is in dealing with the unseen that Lean's A Passage to India misses greatness, for in virtually every other respect his version of Forster's masterpiece is superb. Chapter three explores Lean's creative and flexible approach to adaptation, his acute sensitivity to the differing demands of film and novel, and his confident technical mastery. It also explores, however, the emptiness at the heart of his film, an emptiness that is the result of his trivialization of the spiritual concerns of Forster's novel.

Wind power has become a major supplier of electricity in the European market in the last years. In 2020, 13% of electricity generated on the European continent was wind energy (onshore and offshore) and these shares are projected to increase in the next years due to reasons such as climate change and the energy security aspect. While an increased share of renewable electricity in the electricity mix has a lot of benefits, it also comes with challenges. One of these challenges are the electricity market design and the offtake mechanisms that find application. If national expansion goals for wind energy are to be achieved, wind power plants need to be profitable and hence be an attractive and competitive investment. If wind farms are running within the prevalent merit order system where the energy source with the highest marginal cost sets the electricity price, there is a risk of low or even negative income at times of high wind or solar irradiation. The unforeseeable and potentially low revenues also lead to worse conditions in the financing of wind projects, resulting in high financing costs. To counteract this challenge, governments have set up policy frameworks and subsidies and owners of wind farms have adopted different offtake mechanisms such as pay-as-produced PPAs (power purchase agreements) and baseload PPAs. Additionally, many operators hedge their assets, meaning that risks are reduced by deployment of different offtake mechanisms. All of this is where this study ties in. The objective was to evaluate how the design of markets and offtakes and their respective pricing level and predictability impact the best turbine fit in North and Central Europe. To get to an answer, two key onshore markets within the region have been chosen and characterized, namely Germany and Sweden. Two different turbine types, one with a low capacity factor but high rated power and one with a lower rated power but high capacity factor, have been examined in these markets in order to evaluate which turbine type performs better. A third turbine type which is a new concept in the technology demonstrator stage has been added to the study to assess its performance as compared to the existent turbines. The evaluation has been performed in form of a Use Case Analysis and Sensitivity Study. Finally, the results have been compared and generalized into key takeaways that can be transferred into other markets in the region of North and Central Europe. The study finds that different market characteristics and offtake mechanisms do in fact impact turbine selection and the best turbine fit. Important factors that have been found in this research are the key financial metric (NPV and IRR), market constraints such as a grid constraint, and offtake mechanisms and the predictability of revenues that comes with the offtake. The main impacts on wind turbine selection that can be tied to offtake mechanisms are the payment received per unit of electricity and the level of security that comes with the offtake mechanism. Constant incomes improve financing conditions, meaning that resources from crediting institutes are granted at better conditions if the income can be anticipated. For both markets, the optimal turbine fit varies depending on the boundary conditions. High capacity factor turbines have been found to be a better fit if the developing company considers the IRR as focal financial metric. If the NPV is the focal metric, the results are less clear: While low capacity turbines are a better fit for sites with low revenues from electricity pricing and lower wind conditions, turbines with high rated power benefit from high and secured electricity pricing and high wind speeds where rated power is reached. The German EEG as a special case promotes installation of high capacity turbines due to high and constant revenues per MWh. While the overall Value Pool (payment per MWh of electricity) is higher for Germany, business cases in Sweden benefit from higher turbine lifetimes. / Vindkraft har under de senaste åren blivit en viktig leverantör av el på den europeiska marknaden. År 2020 var 13 % av elproduktionen på den europeiska kontinenten vindkraft (på land och till havs) och dessa andelar förväntas öka under de kommande åren på grund av orsaker som klimatförändringar och energisäkerhet. Även om en ökad andel förnybar el i elmixen har många fördelar, kommer den också med utmaningar. En av dessa utmaningar är elmarknadens utformning och de uttagsmekanismer som tillämpas. Om de nationella utbyggnadsmålen för vindkraft ska kunna uppnås måste vindkraftverken vara lönsamma och därmed utgöra en attraktiv och konkurrenskraftig investering. Om vindkraftsparkerna drivs inom det rådande merit order-systemet, där den energikälla som har högst marginalkostnad sätter elpriset, finns det risk för låga eller till och med negativa intäkter vid tillfällen med mycket vind eller solinstrålning. De oförutsägbara och potentiellt låga intäkterna leder också till sämre villkor för finansiering av vindkraftsprojekt, vilket resulterar i höga finansieringskostnader. För att motverka denna utmaning har flera regeringar inrättat politiska ramverk och subventioner och ägare av vindkraftsparker har infört olika uppköpsmekanismer såsom PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) med betalning efter produktion och PPA för basbelastning. Dessutom säkrar många operatörer sina tillgångar, vilket innebär att riskerna minskas genom användning av olika upptagningsmekanismer. Målet var att utvärdera hur utformningen av marknader och upptag samt deras respektive prisnivå och förutsägbarhet påverkar den bästa turbinanpassningen i Nord- och Centraleuropa. För att komma fram till ett svar har representativa marknader inom regionen valts ut och karakteriserats, nämligen Tyskland och Sverige. Två olika turbintyper, en med låg kapacitetsfaktor men hög nominell effekt och en med lägre nominell effekt men hög kapacitetsfaktor, har undersökts på dessa marknader för att utvärdera vilken turbintyp som presterar bättre. En tredje turbintyp som är ett nytt koncept i teknikdemonstratorstadiet har lagts till i studien för att bedöma dess prestanda jämfört med de befintliga turbinerna. Utvärderingen har utförts i form av en användningsfallsanalys och en känslighetsstudie. Slutligen har resultaten jämförts och generaliserats till viktiga slutsatser som kan överföras till andra marknader i regionen Nord- och Centraleuropa. Studien visar att olika marknadsegenskaper och uppköpsmekanismer påverkar valet av turbin och vilken turbin som passar bäst. Viktiga faktorer som har hittats i denna forskning är det viktigaste finansiella måttet (NPV och IRR), marknadsbegränsningar som spetshöjd eller nätbegränsningar, och uppköpsmekanismer och förutsägbarheten av intäkter som kommer med uppköpet. De viktigaste faktorerna som påverkar valet av vindkraftverk och som kan kopplas till avsättningsmekanismer är den betalning som erhålls per enhet el och den säkerhetsnivå som följer med avsättningsmekanismen. Konstanta inkomster förbättrar finansieringsvillkoren, vilket innebär att resurser från kreditinstitut beviljas på bättre villkor om inkomsterna kan förutses. För båda marknaderna varierar den optimala turbinpassningen beroende på gränsvillkoren. Turbiner med hög kapacitet har visat sig passa bättre om utvecklingsföretaget betraktar internräntan som ekonomiska nyckeltal. Om NPV är det centrala måttet är resultaten mindre tydliga: Medan turbiner med låg kapacitet passar bättre för platser med låga intäkter från elpriser och lägre vindförhållanden, gynnas turbiner med hög nominell effekt av höga och säkra elpriser och höga vindhastigheter där nominell effekt uppnås. Det tyska EEG är ett specialfall som främjar installation av turbiner med hög kapacitet på grund av höga och konstanta intäkter per MWh. Medan den totala värdepoolen (betalning per MWh el) är högre för Tyskland, gynnas affärsfall i Sverige av högre livslängd för turbinerna.

Ce mémoire analyse la place juridique du marchand dans les sociétés camerounaise et québécoise. Le droit a toujours cherché à catalyser les activités des marchands en régulant l’accès à leur profession, en contrôlant leurs activités et en leur imposant de nombreuses obligations. La préoccupation des législateurs québécois et camerounais vis-à-vis de l’entité qu’est le marchand est palpable, les nombreuses lois mises sur pied pour encadrer ce personnage en témoignent. Le droit camerounais et le droit québécois abordent le sujet du marchand de façon différente. Nous verrons que dans l’appellation et dans le régime applicable à cette entité, le législateur québécois et son homologue camerounais se retrouvent la majorité du temps aux antipodes l’un de l’autre, mais il arrive parfois que leurs règles présentent des similitudes. Les nombreuses règles mises en place par les législateurs pour réguler les actions du marchand vont nous amener à examiner l’importance que ce dernier a au sein de la société. Conscients du pouvoir que le marchand peut avoir, les législateurs n’ont-ils pas fixé un grand nombre de règles par peur que ce dernier abuse de ce pouvoir ? Cette interrogation nous mènera au dernier volet de ce mémoire qui consistera à analyser les rapports de forces entre le marchand et les consommateurs premièrement, et entre le marchand et l’État en seconde place. L’intérêt de cette recherche est en premier lieu juridique évidemment. En effet, au cours de notre étude, nous verrons des notions telles que la commercialité et ses éléments constitutifs et nous ouvrirons le débat sur son utilité et sa désuétude. Nous aborderons également le rôle joué par le commerçant dans le processus de globalisation du droit et la création d’un droit post-moderne. En plus d’avoir un intérêt juridique, ce sujet révèle également un intérêt socio-économique car il nous amènera à aborder la notion de « commerçant de fait », une entité apparue à cause de la précarité économique et sociale à laquelle la majorité des pays africains fait face. / This study analyzes the legal place of the merchant in Cameroonian and Quebec societies. The law has always sought to catalyze the activities of merchants by regulating access to their profession, controlling their activities and imposing numerous obligations on them. The concern of Quebecer and Cameroonian legislators concerning the merchant is palpable, the large number of laws put in place to regulate this character testify to it. Cameroonian law and Quebec law approach the subject of the merchant in different ways. We will see that in the calling and in the regime applicable to this entity, the Quebecer legislator and its Cameroonian counterpart find themselves most of the time at opposite ends, but sometimes it happens that their rules present similarities. The rules put in place by legislators to regulate the actions of the merchant will lead us to examine the importance that the latter has within society. Aware of the power that the merchant can have, haven't the legislators set a large number of rules for fear that the latter will abuse this power? This question will lead us to the last part of this study which will consist in analyzing the balance of power between the merchant and the consumers first, and between the merchant and the State in second place. The interest of this research is obviously primarily legal. Indeed, during our study, we will see notions such as commerciality and its constituent elements and we will open the debate on its usefulness and its obsolescence. We will also discuss the role played by the merchant in the process of globalization of law and the creation of post-modern law. In addition to having a legal interest, this subject also reveals a socio-economic interest because it will lead us to approach the notion of "commerçant de fait", an entity that appeared because of the economic and social precariousness to which the majority of Africans countries faces.