A la fois phénomène social et institution juridique, il n’est d’organisation familiale qui échappe à la règle de droit. La place de chacun de ses membres est fixée en fonction d’un statut identifié. De singulière, la famille peut, dans ses rapports avec l’enfant, être plurielle. L’enfant et ses familles, nucléaires et élargies, n’existe que par ses liens familiaux. Son statut hétéroclite l’amène à coexister avec le groupe familial. Les schémas d’existence et de coexistence de l’enfant, de sa naissance à son décès, ne sont pas neutres juridiquement, tant les enjeux extrapatrimoniaux que patrimoniaux sont marqués. / At the same time social phenomenon and legal institution, it is not of family organization which escapes the legal provision. The place of each one of its members is fixed according to an identified statute. Of singular, the family can, in her relationship with the plural child, being. The child and his families, nuclear and widened, exist only by his family ties. Its heteroclite statute leads it to coexist with the family group. The diagrams of existence and coexistence of the child, of his birth to its death, are not neutral legally, as well the extrapatrimonial challenges as patrimonial are marked.

Avec l’apparition de plusieurs sources d’obligations en droit romain (le contrat et le délit), les juristes ont cherché à classer ces sources. Cela a commencé avec la classification des Institutes de Gaius. Cette étude propose d’étudier l’évolution de la classification des sources des obligations depuis son apparition en droit romain jusqu’à ses aspects les plus récents. Elle porte en conséquence sur les classifications doctrinales de l’ancien droit, la classification présente dans le Code civil et son interprétation par la doctrine du XIXe siècle, et les évolutions de cette classification au XXe siècle sous l’influence du droit allemand notamment. / With the appearance of several sources of obligations in Roman law (contract and torts), jurists sought to classify these sources. That started with the classification of Gaius in his Institutes. This study proposes to study the evolution of the classification of the sources of the obligations since its appearance in Roman law until its most recent aspects. It relates consequently to doctrinal classifications of the former law, classification present in the Civil code and its interpretation by the doctrines of the 19th century, and the evolutions of this classification at the 20th century under the influence of the German right in particular

L’inflation est un facteur important à considérer pour les agents participant aux marchés financiers puisqu’elle vient éroder la valeur des actifs qu’ils possèdent. Depuis quelques d’années, l’émission d’obligations à rendement réel permet de corriger cet effet en remboursant les investisseurs pour l’inflation ayant affecté l’économie pendant la période de détention. La coexistence d’obligations à rendement réel et nominal est potentiellement intéressante puisqu’elle permet de mesurer l’inflation anticipée par les investisseurs. En effet, selon la loi de Fisher, l’écart entre le rendement des obligations nominales et celui des obligations réelles (le taux d’inflation neutre) mesure le taux d’inflation prévu par les marchés. Pour les décideurs politiques, les investisseurs et autres agents intervenant sur les marchés, il est important de connaître tout indicateur pouvant aider à prévoir l’inflation. Cependant, le taux d’inflation neutre n’a pas une corrélation parfaite avec l’inflation anticipée. Plusieurs facteurs peuvent potentiellement expliquer cette divergence. Par exemple, plusieurs études semblent établir que l'existence de primes diverses affecte le taux d’inflation neutre (TINM) et pourrait réduire la capacité de ce nouvel indicateur à mesurer avec exactitude les anticipations d’inflation à long terme du marché. Dans ce contexte, l'objectif principal de cette étude est d’expliquer l’évolution et les déterminants du taux d’inflation neutre et en quoi ces déterminants et primes viennent affecter l’équation de Fisher et l’interprétation du TINM comme mesure des anticipations inflationnistes. / Inflation is an important consideration for agents participating in financial markets, because it erodes the value of assets. For several years, the issuance of real return bonds (RRBs) has offered one way to correct this effect, by compensating investors for inflation born during the holding period. The coexistence of real and nominal bond yields is potentially interesting since it might allow to measure the inflation anticipated by investors. Indeed, under Fisher’s law, using the difference between real (indexed) and nominal bond yields (the BEIR) can be used to measure inflation expectations. For policy makers, investors and other agents involved in the markets, it is important to analyze any indicator that can help predict inflation. However, the BEIR may not exhibit a perfect correlation with expected inflation. Several factors may partly explain the discrepancy. For example, several studies show that various premiums affecting the BEIR might reduce the ability of this new indicator to measure correctly the market’s long-term inflation expectations. The main objective of this study is to explain the behaviour of the BEIR and how this behaviour, as well as the existence of these premiums, impact Fisher’s equation and the BEIR’s ability to correctly measure inflation expectations.

Denna uppsats har som syfte att utforska människors upplevelse av skyldigheter mot dem själva. Anser de attdet finns sådana, vad är de i så fall och känns dem? Genom en webbaserad enkät och elva semi-struktureradeintervjuer utforskas detta ämne. Resultatet visar att alla deltagare i intervjustudien anser att man harskyldigheter mot sig själv. Av det 229 svarande i enkätstudien tyckte 84,88 procent att man hade det. Vidarevisade resultatet att dessa skyldigheter främst innefattade postmateriella värderingar och uttryck som ”attvara sann mot sig själv” och ”att stå för sina åsikter” var förhärskande. Förutom detta fanns det också enkonflikt med andra då många av respondenterna i intervjustudien upplevde att de var skyldiga sig själva att”säga nej”. Till sist värderade respondenterna sin egen hälsa högt samt möjligheten att få uttrycka sin person / This paper aims to explore the human experience of obligations towards themselves. Do they believe thatthere are such? If so, what are they and how do they feel? Through a web-based survey and eleven semistructuredinterviews this topic has been explored. The result shows that all participants in the interviewstudy believes that it has obligations to themselves. Of the 229 respondents in the survey 84.88 percentresponded that they thought they had obligations towards themselves. Furthermore, the results showed thatthese obligations mainly comprised post-material values and expressions as "to be true to yourself" and "tostand up for your opinions" were prevalent. Besides this, there was also a conflict with others when many ofthe respondents in the interview study felt that they owed themselves to "say no". Finally, respondents ratedtheir own health as well as high opportunity to express their personality highly.

Master of Science / Department of Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering / Chih-Hang Wu / The recent economic crisis has been partially blamed on the decline in the housing market. This decline in the housing market resulted in an estimated 87% decline in value of collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) between 2007 and 2008. This drastic decline in home values was sudden and unanticipated, thus it was incomprehensible for many investors how this would affect CDOs. This shows that while analytical techniques can be used to price CDOs, these techniques cannot be used to demonstrate the behavior of CDOs under radically different economic circumstances. To better understand the behavior of CDOs under different economic circumstances, numerical techniques such as Monte Carlo simulation can be used instead of analytical techniques to price CDOs. Andersen et al (2005) proposed a method for calculating the probability of defaults that could then be used in the Monte Carlo simulation to price the collateralized debt obligation. The research proposed by Andersen et al (2005) demonstrates the process of calculating correlated probability of defaults for a group of obligors. This calculation is based on the correlations between the obligors using copulas. Using this probability of default, the price of a collateralized debt obligation can be evaluated using Monte Carlo simulation. Monte Carlo simulation provides a more simple yet effective approach compared to analytical pricing techniques. Simulation also allows investors to have a better understanding of the behaviors of CDOs compared to analytical pricing techniques. By analyzing the various behaviors under uncertainty, it can be observed how a downturn in the economy could affect CDOs. This thesis extends on the use of copulas to simulate the correlation between obligors. Copulas allow for the creation of one joint distribution using a set of independent distributions thus allowing for an efficient way of modeling the correlation between obligors. The research contained within this thesis demonstrates how Monte Carlo simulation can be used to effectively price collateralized debt obligations. It also shows how the use of copulas can be used to accurately characterize the correlation between obligor defaults for pricing collateralized debt obligations. Numerical examples for both the obligor defaults and the price of collateralized debt obligations are presented to demonstrate the results using Monte Carlo simulation.

I re-examine “rating shopping” and “rating catering” in the market for AAA rated collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) by replicating the study of Griffin and Tang (2013) using post-crisis data. I find a sharp increase in the amount of CDOs that received a single rating, suggesting that CDO underwriters were more cautious about formally soliciting multiple ratings. However, I also find a decrease in AAA rating disagreements between S&P and Moody’s, implying that issuers shopped their CDOs through informal conversations with agencies. Finally, I find investors correctly accepted tighter credit spreads for dual-rated CDOs because dual-rated CDOs experienced fewer rating downgrades than single rated deals. These results differ from the pre-crisis findings of Griffin and Tang (2013) and are consistent with the existence of rating shopping and disappearance of rating catering during the post-crisis period.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: We live in a time of unprecedented wealth and ease, taking airplanes to exotic locales and enjoying a variety of foods from across the globe. Significant improvements in healthcare have increased life expectancy to three times that of Ancient Egypt, once considered the most advanced civilization of its time. Yet despite these advances, millions of children continue to suffer. Ninety-nine percent of the millions of child deaths before the age of five each year are preventable through low cost treatments. Poor children who live past age five usually experience a lifetime of intellectual, physical, and emotional setbacks because of their disadvantaged circumstances. What, if anything, is to be done? This dissertation argues we have strong moral obligations to help children by providing a substantive equality of opportunity so that any differences in socioeconomic or life circumstance result from individual choice, not poor moral luck. These obligations are grounded in the common morality, arise from cosmopolitan applications of beneficence, and include the provision of nutritious food, safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, shelter, certain levels of healthcare and education, and love and guidance. Although the task before us is large, it is not impossible and thus incumbent upon us to fulfill it. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ons lewe in ‘n tyd van ongekende rykdom en gemak, waar ons vlieg na eksotiese bestemmings en ‘n verskeidenheid van kos en ontspanning van regoor die wêreld geniet. Groot verbeterings in mediese sorg het ons lewensverwagting opgestoot tot drie keer die van Antieke Egipte, wat eens op ‘n tyd beskou is as die mees gevorderde samelewing op aarde. Ten spyte van hierdie vooruitgang is daar steeds miljoene kinders wat hulself in ellendige toestande bevind. Nege-en-negentig persent van die kinders onder vyf jaar oud wat jaarliks sterf kon gered word deur laekoste mediese sorg. Arm kinders wat wel langer as ouderdom vyf leef, ervaar gewoonlik ‘n leeftyd van intellektuele, fisiese en emosionele terugslae as gevolg van hulle benadeelde omstandighede. Wat, indien enigiets, kan gedoen word? Hierdie proefskrif argumenteer dat ons ‘n sterk morele plig het om kinders te help deur substantiewe gelykheid van geleenthede te skep sodat verskille in sosio-ekonomiese of lewensomstandighede die resultaat sal wees van individuele keuses, en nie morele geluk nie. Hierdie pligte word begrond deur ons gemeenskaplike moraliteit, spruit voort uit ‘n kosmopolitaanse toepassing van goedwilligheid (‘beneficence’), en sluit die voorsiening van veilige drinkwater, voldoende sanitasie, skuiling, sekere vlakke van mediese sorg en opvoeding, en liefde en voorligting in. Alhoewel die taak wat wat voor ons staan ‘n groot een is, is dit nie onmoontlik nie en dus is dit ons plig om dit te vervul.

This thesis expands on the model presented in Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka’s Zoopolis for how companion animals might be treated as co-citizens in a post-Animal Rights world. I will attempt to clarify the distinct political obligations owed to companion animals throughout their lifetimes by individual caregivers and by the state. In particular, I argue that there is nothing in the genetic make-up of most companion animals that precludes them from being “autonomous agents” in adulthood, meaning that if allowed to develop their agency, most animals would be able to lead flourishing lives independent of human companions. I suggest that, for young companion animals, guardians have political obligations to develop the autonomous agency of their dependents, with help from the state. That said, for adult animals which develop autonomous agency, I argue that both a human caregiver and the animal have a right to sever their relationship with each other, just as we give adult children the right to leave their parents’ care and also give parents the “right to kick out” adult children who are capable of supporting themselves. However, while advocating for human caregivers’ rights to sever relationships with autonomous pets, I nonetheless maintain that the state will always retain obligations to its citizens to provide them with a basic level of welfare, and these obligations extend to companion animals as well. Thus, the thesis will consider ways that companion animals can flourish without human companionship. Questions I am concerned with are: Can companion animals lead worthwhile lives without human caregivers? What obligations do caregivers and states have to raise animal young? When and how can these obligations be terminated? And lastly, how might we restructure our public and political institutions to accommodate animals who voluntarily or involuntarily leave relationships with caregivers? / Thesis (Master, Philosophy) -- Queen's University, 2013-11-15 09:18:40.613

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.

Over the last twenty-five years, fuel poverty in England has successfully transitioned from niche academic interest to mandated concern of the state. More recently still, government have opted to charge energy suppliers with primary delivery responsibility for fuel poverty programmes. The original contribution to knowledge made by this thesis is in offering a novel comparative analysis of the potential for the state and energy suppliers to effectively support fuel poor households. This research offers one of the first academic assessments of the new suite of policies championed by the coalition government formed in 2010. It is also amongst the first pieces of work to apply and critically assess the new official metric for fuel poverty, the Low Income, High Costs definition. By assessing delivery choices against the tenets of neoliberalism identified as guiding recent UK governments, the work further takes into account the motivations of policymakers. A diverse methodological approach is applied, incorporating policy evaluation, quantitative analysis, synthesis of existing literature, and professional engagement. This research establishes that in passing the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000, politicians did not appreciate the demands of the commitment to eradicate fuel poverty by 2016. Subsequently, supplier obligations initially intended as a means of mitigating climate change have become the primary policy tool for tackling fuel poverty. The evidence presented here suggests, however, that suppliers are inherently poorly suited to this task for a variety of reasons: their access to the data required to successfully identify fuel poor households is limited; they fund activity in a manner that is unavoidably regressive; and the extent to which they are able to deliver programmes more efficiently than the state is, particularly for economic interventions, subject to question. It is consequently argued that, whilst supplier obligations are likely to appeal to an austerity-driven, neoliberal government as an expedient means of keeping expenditure away from the public purse and of limiting the role of the state, this work demonstrates that increased government involvement and greater political ambition will be required if fuel poverty policies are to be successful.