Dans les démocraties occidentales, la notion d’opinion publique occupe une place importante dans l’action des politiciens et le discours des médias. Elle y renvoie généralement à la somme des opinions individuelles des citoyens, aux résultats de sondages. Or, les limites de l’opinion publique ainsi conceptualisée apparaissent de plus en plus clairement aux chercheurs en sciences sociales, et cela jette un doute sur sa valeur comme guide des politiques publiques. Pour mieux comprendre la place de l’opinion publique dans le processus démocratique québécois, nous avons cherché à connaître les conceptions qu’en ont certains acteurs-clés : les chroniqueurs politiques et éditorialistes francophones du Québec. Au moyen d’entrevues, nous avons documenté leurs « théories profanes » à ce sujet, c’est à dire leurs façons de voir l’opinion publique et sa place dans le processus démocratique. L’exercice nous apprend que ces « commentateurs habituels » distinguent plusieurs formes d’opinion publique, de valeur inégale. Celle qui revêt le plus d’intérêt pour eux est une « opinion publique latente », qui intègre des dimensions d’intensité et de propension à changer. Ils jugent les sondages utiles mais insuffisants pour appréhender l’opinion publique; aussi l’interprètent-ils à partir de conversations et d’un certain « sens de l’opinion publique ». Selon eux, les médias peuvent influencer l’opinion publique, mais surtout influencer la tenue d’une délibération publique et la façon dont les décideurs lisent l’opinion publique. Ils estiment aussi pouvoir, par leur travail journalistique, favoriser l’émergence d’une opinion publique raisonnée, ce qui est conforme à leur idéal de démocratie participative. / The notion of public opinion is central to political action and media coverage of politics, in western democracies. It usually refers to the sum of all citizens’ individual attitudes, and to survey results. Yet, the limitations of public opinion thus conceptualized appears ever more clearly to scholars, calling into question its value as an input to the political process. In order to better understand the role of public opinion in the political process in Quebec, we have been seeking to understand how some important political actors — elite francophone political columnists and editorialists — view public opinion. By interviewing those journalists, we gathered their “lay theories”, i.e. the way they understand public opinion and its place in the democratic process. We found out that these pundits distinguish different types of public opinion, which are of unequal value to them. They are mostly interested in “latent public opinion”, a concept that includes dimensions of intensity and transformation potential of opinion. They believe surveys are somewhat useful, but incomplete tools for assessing public opinion. Therefore, they turn to other means of knowing it: conversations, and a certain “public opinion sense”. According to them, the media can have an influence on public opinion, but above all it can have an influence on public deliberation and on the way politicians view public opinion. Respondents also believe they can contribute, by their journalistic work, to the construction of a more considered public opinion — which is in tune with their ideal of participatory democracy.

This study investigated the impact of victim provocativeness and rape history upon male and female subjects' perceptions of attribution of blame toward the rape victim. One hundred and forty-four subjects (a) read one of 12 fictional case reports of a rape incident from a sexual abuse center which systematically varied level of victim provocativeness and rape history and (b) completed a nine-item Rape Questionnaire (RQ). Data were analyzed by a 2 (subject's sex) x 3 (level of provocativeness) x 2 (rape history) analysis of variance on the Rape Questionnaire total score. An ancillary multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) was also performed on the nine Rape Questionnaire items to check for potential masking of individual item differences from the Rape Questionnaire score. In addition, the data were reanalyzed in the 2 x 3 x 2 design by substituting high versus low scorers on the Attitudes Towards Women Scale (AWS) based upon median splits of the AWS for subject sex. The 2 (subject sex) x 3 (provocativeness) x 2 (rape history) MANOVA resulted in a sex by provocativeness interaction with males, relative to females, attributing more blame as the victim's level of provocativeness increased. In addition, significant differences emerged for provocativeness, rape history, and sex of subject. In general, subjects attributed more blame as the victim's provocativeness increased. Similarly, victims with rape histories were assigned more blame than victims without rape histories. The 2 (AWS) x 3 (provocativeness) x 2 (rape history) MANOVA resulted in a main effect for all three independent variables. In general subjects attributed more blame as the victim's provocativeness increased. Also victims with rape histories were assigned more blame than victims without rape histories. Finally, profeminist individuals attributed less blame to the victim than did traditional individuals. Implications for training of professional counselors and other service-providers are discussed. Future research directions are also noted.

This thesis explores the conversation surrounding the recent attempts by the Vermont Legislature to pass a Sugar-Sweetened Beverage tax in the years 2014-2016. We explore the common perceptions expressed by a sample of Vermont residents and also look at how Vermont media outlets portrayed the tax through frames of reference. Framing is a method of emphasizing certain points of an issue. This thesis reports the common opinions of Vermonters, the media framing of the issue, and if there is any relationship between them in two academic journal articles. The first article looks at the common frames used in Vermont media during the 2014-2016 period. Classifying 10 pro- and anti-tax frames from 30 common arguments, the article analyzes the use of these frames, their prevalence in different news outlets, and their frequency during time periods. The article also looks at sponsors of these frames and measures which frames individuals and organizations are sponsoring. The study finds that anti-tax advocates most often cite economic hindrances as a reason to oppose the tax and pro-tax advocates predominately cite health benefits and economic tax benefits as a reason to support the tax. In the final year, pro-tax advocates sponsored economic benefits more than any other frames and this argument coincided with the statewide discussion of a budget shortfall. The second article measures the relationship between the media portrayal of the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage tax and the opinions of Vermont citizens regarding the tax. By looking at the prevalence of pro- and anti-tax frames usage in each year, a logistic regression model was built to measure the odds of people favoring tax based off of independent variables, including frames. Vermont residents fluctuated in their opinion of the tax over the years. It was found that in 2015, pro-tax frames made people more likely to support the tax. Democrats were also more likely to support the tax and Republicans were more likely to oppose the tax. This thesis provides insight into the conversation surrounding Sugar-Sweetened Beverage taxes in Vermont. It helps to shed light on the issue, how different groups feel about the issue, and how frames of thought presented through the media can relate to Vermonters' opinion of the tax.

When Maria-Pia Boëthius book Heder och samvete was published in 1991, it came to shake the notion that Sweden had been fully neutral during the Second World War. Boëthius was the first to argue that this was not at all the case, which opened up for this study. Using a historiographical frame of reference, this study examined how research between the years 1958 and 1991 described and portrayed Sweden during the Second World War in general and the Winter War in particular. Had those descriptions of Sweden during the Finnish Winter War changed over time? The investigation revealed that the five researchers in this study tended to show tracks of contemporary History Research. The investigation also showed that many descriptions were reused without change over time. The Neutrality issue was constantly occurring in those research works, but not always precise in concrete actions where Sweden behaved in one way or the other. The Foreign Minister of that time, Rickard Sandler, came to symbolize both the Finnish-friendly and the failed policy. Swedish public opinion was described as generally positive towards Finland, although passive at first. Why the opinion swung to a Finnish benefit was not in any research works justified.

Introduction: Renewed efforts for controlling criminality in Sweden are demanded by the Swedish Government. Restorative justice conferences (RJC), in Sweden known as mediation, can be described as a meeting mediated by a trained facilitator in which the offender and the victim of a crime meets, sometimes together with their friends and family. RJC aims to promote the offender to take responsibility for his or her actions and repair the damage the victim has suffered. Research on RJC shows promising results in regard of reduced recidivism and increased victim benefits. No Swedish publication studying public opinion on RJC has been found. The theoretical framework of reintegrative shaming stated that a community that offer reintegration is essential for successful crime prevention. Aim: To measure the level of RJC support held by a Swedish community sample in regard of different offender and offence characteristics. Method: Participants were recruited at a Swedish authority located in nine different cities (n = 192) and surveyed using an online questionnaire. The questionnaire was based on two scales measuring benefits of restorative justice and support for participation in restorative justice derived from a previous study. Results: The respondents had an overall positive attitude toward RJC. No respondent demographic was associated with the total level of restorative justice support although differences were found when using age and gender as independent variables. Respondents were more positive of RJC for juvenile offenders and non-violent crime. Discussion: A discussion regarding the public support for RJC in relation to offender recidivism is provided established on reintegrative shaming and previous empirical evidence. Concluding arguments for RJC to be extended in a wider context in the Swedish penalty system are presented. / <p>2016-06-01</p>

The urban population is predicted to increase to 66% by 2050. The rapid growth of urbanization and increasing congestion are significant challenges faced by the world today. Innovative solutions in urban mobility are key for a successful development and a sustainable future. The new paradigm, Internet of Things (IoT), facilitates the need for new approaches in urban transportation, leading to a modern concept: Smart Mobility. The boom of technology and innovation from recent years allowed a great expansion of IoT. Furthermore, the number of smart devices that communicate, cooperate and complement each other, grows rapidly in every domain broadening the scope of IoT applications. This paper sets to discuss the impact that IoT might have on urban mobility, mentioning its implications, challenges and technical solutions. It further reviews the advancements made in the transport infrastructure along the years that support the emergence of Smart Mobility. Three main research questions stay at the forefront of this paper which are drafted in pursuit of the solutions for the problems and challenges currently faced by urban transportation. Which leads to a sustainable future with efficient and effective urban transportation system. The paper uses a mix-method approach, using on one hand qualitative research for literature review (State of the field) and on the other hand quantitative research to assess public opinion on the research topic, through an online questionnaire. To answer the research questions with proper arguments, both research methods were necessary, which lead to optimal results. The results of the questionnaire were interpreted based on Spearman's correlation and descriptive statistical analysis. They brought an in-depth view on the public opinion regarding IoT and the developments enabled by this paradigm within the urban mobility sphere. The output of the questionnaire highlights the eagerness of participants usually stuck in traffic to see innovation within urban mobility. Over all the results based on the opinions suggest that the public strongly believes in the Internet of Thing's applications and its adaptation will benefit the urban transportation system. Furthermore, new developments in the urban mobility sphere will be largely embraced.

A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo investigar as atividades do professor com gêneros argumentativos em sala de aula e analisar em que medida a preparação dessas atividades contribuem com a escrita do gênero artigo de opinião por alunos do 9º ano do Ensino Fundamental de uma escola pública do Estado de São Paulo. Seguindo os preceitos dos PCNs e do Currículo do Estado de São Paulo, adotou-se a língua como objeto de estudo da disciplina de Língua Portuguesa, assim como as concepções de gêneros discursivos apoiadas em Bakthin (2003), Marcuschi (2008) e Rojo (2000). Em relação à organização do trabalho pedagógico, apoiados nas orientações de Schneuwly e Dolz (2004) planejou-se uma sequência didática para a produção de artigo de opinião. Tomou-se como produção inicial e produção final as avaliações externas aplicadas, respectivamente, no primeiro e segundo semestre, as AAP (Avaliação de Aprendizagem em processo). As atividades dos materiais didático-pedagógicos utilizados foram selecionadas procurando atender a reflexão sobre as características do gênero formuladas por Rodrigues (2000) Brakling (2000) e outros autores pesquisados. Quanto às estratégias de ensino de produção textual escrita, recorremos a Antunes (2003) e Geraldi (1991), evidenciando as etapas de planejamento e preparo para a produção escrita. A análise das produções, dentro de uma perspectiva enunciativa e interacionista da língua, procurou evidenciar os recursos linguísticos-discursivo empregados pelos alunos para a construção da argumentação. Para melhor compreender o uso desses recursos argumentativos recorreu-se à Retórica de Aristóteles associando-se aos estudos da Nova Retórica de PERELMAN & OLBRECHTS-TYTECA (1996). Os resultados da pesquisa demonstram que há uma relação direta entre as escolhas teóricas para a organização do trabalho pedagógico e a melhora da qualidade de escrita dos alunos. Confirmou-se também a hipótese da relevância do ensino dos gêneros argumentativos, pois os alunos-autores demonstraram um posicionamento crítico em relação aos temas abordados nas produções textuais. Houve ganhos quanto à organização e produtividade textual, efeito das atividades de leitura e alimentação temática, mas por outro lado, as fragilidades das atividades específicas para a construção do gênero, aliados aos problemas relativos às propostas sugeridas apontam para uma reorientação do trabalho com o gênero artigo de opinião. / This research aims to investigate teacher-proposed classroom activities involving argumentative genres and analyze the extent up to which the preparation of those activities contribute to the writing of opinion articles of 9th-graders of a public school run by São Paulo state. Based on the National Curriculum Parameters and on the Curriculum of the State of São Paulo, language was embraced as the study object of the discipline Portuguese, along with the conceptions of discourse genres by Bakhtin (2003), Marcuschi (2008), and Rojo (2000). Regarding the organization of the pedagogical work, a didactic sequence based on Schneuwly and Dolzs (2004) guidelines was planned aiming at the writing of an opinion article. The external Evaluations of Learning in Process in the first and in the second semesters were taken respectively as initial and final production. The activities in the didactic-pedagogical materials were selected when in keeping with the reflections on the characteristics of the genre opinion article proposed by Rodrigues (2000), Brakling (2000), among others. As to the teaching strategies of written production, the research resorted to the works of Antunes (2003) and Geraldi (1991), making evident the planning and preparation stages of the written production. The analysis of the productions, from an enunciative and interactional perspective of language, sought to reveal the linguistic-discursive strategies used by students in the construction of argumentation. In order to better understand the use of those strategies, Aristotles Rhetoric was resorted to, as well as the New Rhetoric, by Perelman and Olbrechts-Tyteca (1996). The results of the research suggest that there is a direct relation between the theoretical choices for the organization of the pedagogical work and the improvement observed in student writing. The teaching of argumentative genres proved relevant, as student-authors were able to take a critical stand towards the topics of the written assignments. Improvements were observed regarding text organization and productivity an effect of the reading and topic-related activities; on the other hand, the weak points of the specific activities for genre construction, alongside the problems related to the suggested plans, point to the reorientation of the work with opinion articles.

A pesquisa tem como objeto a imaginação na filosofia de Pascal, a qual parece se revelar não propriamente como uma região da alma, mas como força e seus efeitos, os duplos o costume, a opinião e a fantasia , que são as formas segundo as quais a imaginação se expressa nas três ordens de realidade definidas por Pascal, ou seja, segundo as quais ela encarna e assume contornos visíveis. O objetivo é seguir os embates entre a imaginação nas duas ordens de realidade às quais Pascal atribui um papel positivamente epistemológico: aqueles entre imaginação e razão nos apresentarão seu duplo na ordem espiritual, a opinião, serão objeto do primeiro capítulo; os embates entre imaginação e coração gestam a fantasia na ordem da caridade e serão abordados no segundo capítulo. No terceiro e derradeiro capítulo da dissertação, examinaremos a relação entre imaginação e perspectiva para explorar outras dimensões dos instrumentos hermenêuticos que Pascal mobiliza em Pensamentos com o intuito de melhor fundamentar a hipótese dos duplos da imaginação. / This research has as object the imagination in Pascals philosophy, which seems reveals itself not properly as region of the soul but as a force and its effects, the doubles the custom, the opinion e the fantasy , that are the forms accordingly which the imagination express itself on the three orders of reality defined by Pascal, such as, accordingly which she embodies and and takes on visible contours. The goal is to follow the conflicts between imagination in the two orders of reality to which Pascal assigns a positive epistemological role: those between imagination and reason will present in his double in the spiritual order, opinion, will be the subject of the first chapter; the clashes between imagination and heart bear costume in the order of charity and will be discussed in the second chapter. In the third and final chapter of the this work, we examine the relationship between imagination and perspective to explore other dimensions of hermeneutical instruments Pascal mobilizes in The thoughts in order to better support the hypothesis of doubles of imagination.

224 pages / Natural scientists warn that global climate change is a risk with potentially devastating consequences for human societies and natural ecosystems around the world. Meeting this challenge will require a concerted national and international effort to dramatically reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. It will also, however, require public support for political leaders and government mitigation policies, and committed action by individual citizens and consumers. This dissertation examined whether the American public perceives global warming as a real threat, supports public mitigation policies, or has taken individual actions to mitigate climate change. It found that measures of affect, imagery and cultural worldviews predict public risk perceptions, policy preferences, and individual behaviors. Finally, it used affective image analysis to identify several distinct "interpretive communities" within the American public. The data comes from three surveys: a national survey of the American public completed in February, 2003 (n=673); a statewide survey of the Oregon public completed in February, 2001 (n=900); and a survey of student activists at the 2000 World Climate Conference (COP6) in The Hague, Netherlands (n=112). This research describes an American public with broad concern about global warming, strong bipartisan support for international treaties and national mitigation policies, and strong opposition to higher energy or gasoline prices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Relatively few Americans have undertaken individual mitigation behaviors. While global warming does have negative connotations for most Americans, the thoughts and images evoked by this term primarily reflect impacts temporally and spatially distant from most people's lives. Critically, this research also finds that Americans do not currently associate global warming with any impacts on human health. Overall, these results suggest that American public opinion about global warming is at a critical turning point. Americans are aware and concerned about global climate change and predisposed to support political leaders and mitigation policies across party lines. Global warming is not a national priority, however, and Americans have yet to confront the tradeoffs that will ultimately be required.

余惠冰 = The Hong Kong General Teaching Council : a policy discourse / Yu Wai Bing. / 呈交日期: 2000年8月. / 論文(哲學博士)--香港中文大學, 2001. / 參考文獻 (p. 257-271) / 中英文摘要. / Cheng jiao ri qi: 2000 nian 8 yue. / Available also through the Internet via Dissertations & theses @ Chinese University of Hong Kong. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Yu Huibing = The Hong Kong General Teaching Council : a policy discourse / Yu Wai Bing. / Lun wen (Zhe xue bo shi)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue, 2001. / Can kao wen xian (p. 257-271) / Zhong Ying wen zhai yao.