[pt] A presente tese traz como título: A força salvífica da mortificação - Proposta de uma nova reflexão teológico-pastoral acerca da mortificação cristã. Ela aborda toda a problemática que envolve a teologia e a práxis da mortificação cristã, desde a origem da palavra ascese na filosofia antiga greco-romana, passando pelo surgimento da teologia da mortificação nos antigos manuais de ascética e mística, até a proposta de uma nova reflexão teológico-pastoral sobre o assunto. Esta pesquisa contribuirá primeiramente para a identificação e compreensão dos equívocos que marcaram tanto a teologia como a práxis da mortificação. Notadamente a influência do dualismo neoplatônico e do estoicismo na antropologia cristã, que resultou na visão dualista da realidade e numa espiritualidade marcada pelas penitências exageradas. Esta tese irá propor como solução, para restaurar o verdadeiro sentido da mortificação, uma nova reflexão teológica alicerçada numa antropologia de integração. Esta nova concepção antropológica também considera a pluralidade de dimensões do ser humano, porém é capaz de integrá-las sempre na unidade fundamental que é a pessoa humana concreta. Evita, desse modo, o erro do passado, quando a mortificação foi reduzida a penitências corporais. Mortificação era sinônimo de disciplina do corpo. A partir da antropologia de integração, mortificação será disciplina da pessoa, para vencer o homem velho, o Adão pecador. Essa pesquisa também abordará a contribuição do pensamento e da vida de Madre Maria Teresa de Jesus Eucarístico a este processo de recuperação do verdadeiro sentido da mortificação cristã. Por fim, ainda contribuirá esse trabalho para o resgate do valor positivo da disciplina, como imperativo antropológico para a vida cristã. / [fr] La presente thèse apporte comme titre: La force salvifique de la mortification - Proposée d une nouvelle réflexion théologique-pastoral concernant la mortification chrétienne. Elle aborde toute la problématique et l exercice de la mortification chrétiene, depuis l origine du mot ascèse dans la philosophie grecque, en passant par le bourgeonnement de la théologie de la mortification dans les anciens manuels d ascétique et mystique, jusque la proposition d une nouvelle réflexion théologique sur le sujet. Cette recherche contribuera primièrement à l identification et à la compréhension des erreurs qui ont marqué la théologie ainsi que l exercice de la mortification. Précisément l influence du dualisme neo-platonicien et de l estoicisme dans l anthropologie chrétienne, qu a resulté dans la vision dualiste de la realité et dans une spiritualité caractérisée par les pénitences exagérées. Cette thèse ira proposer comme solution, pour restaurer le vrai sens de la mortification, une nouvelle réflexion théologique basée dans une anthropologie d intégration. Cette nouvelle conception anthropologique aussi considère la pluralitè de dimensions de l homme, néanmoins c est capable de les intégrer toujours dans unité fondamental qui est la personne humaine concrète. Elle évite, de cette manière, l erreurs du passe, quand la mortification a été réduit à un ensemble de pénitences corporelles. Mortification était synonyme de discipline du corps. À partir de l anthropologie d intégration, mortification sera discipline de la personne, pour détruire l homme vieux, Adam pécheur. Cette recherche aussi abordera la contribution de la pensée et de la vie de Madre Maria Teresa de Jesus Eucarístico à ce processus de récupération du vrai sens de la mortification chrétienne. Finalement, encore il contribuera à ce travail au sauvetage de la valeur positive de la discipline, comme impératif anthropologique de la vie chrétienne.

Background: Brands that decide to publish sexist advertisements can generate issues for the company, as well as the perception the consumer has of the brand can become negative. This as consumers form attitudes towards the brand’s delivered communication which influence the overall evaluation the consumer has towards the brand. It is therefore of importance for brands to understand how to respond to sexist advertisements that have been published in order to determine the created negative publicity, where one given approach is to apply one of the image repair strategies. Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe how a brand’s image repair strategy towards its sexist advertisement affects consumers’ attitudes. Methodology: This research undertook a qualitative research approach with a descriptive nature. In order to ensure that the advertisements were classified as sexist and that the image repair strategies correspond with the brand’s responses according to the public, a pre-study was conducted through five semi-structured interviews. For the main study eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with both men and women as participants within the ages of 19-56 years old. Findings: The thesis identified that consumers' attitudes were affected by the four components: correspondence between advertisement and response, authenticity in the response, clarity regarding what actions to take and pre-knowledge of the brand. These components are therefore of importance for companies to take in consideration when responding towards sexist advertisements that they have sent out. Conclusion: Regarding the image repair strategies it was found that the responses given through the strategies of denial, evasion of responsibility and reduction of offensives lacked in all detected components. Furthermore, mortification as a strategy was not perceived as negative regarding the responses, however it still lacked the components. Corrective action was the only strategy where consumers' attitudes did not become negative towards the correspondence and authenticity in the response. However, all five strategies lacked clarity regarding what actions to take.

On January 8th, 2011 tragedy struck in Tucson, Arizona. A gunman opened fire on Representative Gabrielle Giffords' "Congress on Your Corner" event, wounding thirteen and killing six ("Arizona Shooting"). Four days later, President Obama spoke to a grieving crowd at the University of Arizona's McKale Memorial Center. This study seeks to demonstrate how the dramatistic process and the pentad provide insight into how Obama guides the nation through the process of relieving the guilt. Specifically, Obama's call for mortification instead of scapegoating as the means for victimage is examined in light of the context and organizational structure of the speech. In addition, a pentadic analysis of the speech is conducted, showing Obama's stress on the agent-agency ratio and a corresponding idealist-pragmatist outlook. Finally, conclusions are drawn about what this study adds to the academic literature on national eulogies, the presidency, and rhetorical studies at large. / Graduation date: 2012