Human society faces serious environmental and social threats as a result of systemic unsustainable actions and values. This is a time of cultural self-evaluation and profound change. This study examines how 13 social and environmental change-based organizations, through network partnerships and a robust organizational knowledge-base, are responding to these challenges. A systems perspective was used as a guide to promote a holistic understanding of the actors within the system, their perceptions of success, strategies, actions and tools used to guide them toward sustainability. The results indicate that organizations seeking to scale-up their impact toward sustainability might benefit from the following success factors: 1. Collaboration with diverse partners to contribute to more effective interventions in complex systems, 2. Integrating comprehensive definitions of sustainability with organizational vision to facilitate success, 3. The application of leverage points and transparent prioritization processes to asure congruence between organizational purpose and actions, 4. Practices of dialogue and deep listening build rewarding partnerships and, 5. Metrics that support partnerships and gauge progress toward sustainability. In conclusion network partnerships have the potential to generate widespread sustained change and can be supported by complex systems science and a Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development.

Avec l'évolution des machines parallèles, le besoin en protocole de tolérance aux fautes devient de plus en plus important. Les protocoles de tolérance aux fautes existants ne sont pas adaptés à ces architectures car soit ils forcent un redémarrage global (protocoles de sauvegarde de points de reprise coordonnés) soit ils forcent l'enregistrement de tous les messages (protocoles à enregistrement de messages). Nous avons étudié les caractéristiques des protocoles existants. Dans un premier temps, nous avons étudié le déterminisme des applications, étant donné que les protocoles existants supposent des exécutions non déterministes ou déterministes par morceaux. Dans notre étude, nous nous sommes intéressés au modèle par échange de messages, et plus précisément aux applications MPI. Nous avons analysé 26 applications MPI et avons mis avant une nouvelle caractéristique appelée "déterminisme des émissions" qui correspond à la majorité des applications étudiées. Dans un second temps, nous nous sommes intéressés aux schémas de communications des applications afin d'étudier l'existence des groupes de processus dans ces schémas. L'étude a montré que pour la plupart des applications, il est possible de créer des groupes de processus de façon à minimiser la taille des groupes et le volume des messages inter-groupe. A partir de là nous avons proposé deux protocoles de tolérance aux fautes. Le premier est un protocole de sauvegarde de points de reprise non coordonnés pour les applications à émissions déterministes qui évite l'effet domino en n'enregistrant qu'un sous ensemble des messages de l'application. Nous avons également adapté le protocole pour l'utiliser sur des groupes de processus. Par la suite, nous avons proposé HydEE, un protocole hiérarchique fondé sur le déterminisme des émissions et les groupes de processus. Il combine un protocole de sauvegarde de points de reprise coordonnés au sein des groupes à un protocole à enregistrement de messages entre les groupes. / With the evolution of parallel computers, the need for fault tolerance protocols is becoming increasingly important. The existing fault tolerance protocols are not adapted to thèse architectures because they either force a global restard (coordinated checkpointing protocols) or all message logging (message logging protocols). We studied the characteristics of the existing protocols. We first studied the determinism of the applications, since existing protocols assumenon deterministic or piecewise deterministic executions. In our study, we examined the message passing model, and more specifically MPI applications. We have analyzed26 MPI applications and have put forward a new characteristic called "send-determinism" which corresponds to moststudied applications. In a second step, we studied the communication patterns of the applications to study the existence of clusters of processes in these patterns. The study showed that for most applications, it is possible to create clusters of processes to minimize the size of clusters and the volume of inter-cluster messages. Then we designed two fault tolérance protocols. The first one is an uncoordinated checkpointing protocol which is based on the send-deterministic assumption and avoids emissions deterministic domino effect while logging only a subset of the application messages. We have also adapted the protocol to clusters of processes. Then, we proposed HydEE, a hierarchical protocol that is lso based on the send-deterministic assumption and that is used on clusters of processes. It combines coordinated checkpointing protocol inside clusters to a message logging protocol for inter-cluster messages.

With the purpose of verifying the quality of industrialization of yogurt without artifivcial preservatives with fruit pulp it was decided to use the Analysis of Risks and Critical Control Points, APPCC in SETREM agro industry. The work has started with an APPCC group first constitution were, hen in a second moment established the risks and ways of prevention. Subsequently, the points to be controlled and the points that demonstrate greater risk incidence were determined, the ones called priorities, the critical points of control that the critical limits determined. For the critical limits the control procedures had been established among them the statistics was used carrying out the statistical process control in temperature control during the fermentation of the yogurt where from the superior and inferior limits the control letters were built to follow the process. In order to verify the efficiency of the equipment and operators the application of the Measurement System Analysis (MSA) in ten yogurt samples during the determination of pH-gâmetro. Later wasandyzed necessary corrective actions were delimited to be applied in apply wag lines of the critical limits. Some procedures verification for proper system APPCC were needed, that is, procedures in addition to those used in the control to demonstrate if the system APPCC is being efficient. With the application of the tools, the guarantee of the quality of the final product was gotten decreasing the necessity of the finished product inspections / Com a finalidade de verificar a industrialização do iogurte sem conservante com polpa de fruta, com qualidade, é que se decidiu empregar a ferramenta de Análise de Perigos e Pontos Críticos de Controle, APPCC, na agroindústria/SETREM. O trabalho iniciou com a constituição da equipe APPCC, a qual inicialmente se estruturou para num segundo momento levantar os perigos e medidas preventivas. Subseqüentemente, determinaram-se os pontos a serem controlados e os pontos que demonstram maior incidência de risco, os assim chamados prioritários, os pontos críticos de controle, para os quais determinou-se os limites críticos. Para os limites críticos foram estabelecidos os procedimentos de monitoração entre os quais utilizou-se da estatística, realizando-se o controle estatístico de processo no controle da temperatura durante a fermentação do iogurte sem conservante com polpa de fruta onde, a partir dos limites superiores e inferiores, construíram-se os gráficos de controle. Para verificar a eficiência do equipamento/operador, utilizou-se a aplicação da análise do sistema de medição, MSA, em dez amostras de iogurte durante a determinação do pH, com a utilização do pH-gâmetro. Posteriormente, delimitaram-se as ações corretivas necessárias a serem aplicadas nos desvios dos limites críticos. Também foram necessários alguns procedimentos de verificação para o próprio sistema APPCC, ou seja, utilizaram-se procedimentos em adição àqueles aplicados na monitoração para evidenciar se o sistema APPCC está sendo eficaz. Com a aplicação da ferramenta, obteve-se a garantia da segurança do produto final, diminuindo-se a necessidade de testes dos produtos acabados

From the growing emphasis in the meat products security that gets to the consumer, it has been stimulated the identification of the ways to reduce or put down Salmonella spp before slaughter, since the reduction of the infection rate before slaughter results in an increase in security of the meat products. Salmonella spp highlights as the main pathogenic bacteria joined in the slaughter line by the swine itself and its ausence in the final product is extremely important to compete in the market, which presents a growing demand in relation to the quality of the products. The present paper was done in a slaughter plan of a slaughterhouse under Federal Inspection, situated in a town in Rio Grande do Sul, where 50% of the slaughter animals are produced by the integration system and 50% come from the other small farm available on the market. This paper aim was to evaluate the Salmonella spp incidence perceptual in the slaughter line in four predetermined steps by visual observation of the operation, through the microbiological analysis. A total of 128 superficial swine carcasses rubbing were collected from different steps in the slaughter line: skin after scalding and skinning; from abdominal cavity carcass after the evisceration, the carcass spine portion, including the skin of the swine loin; and the skin after the final shower. We also collected 32 cecal materials to microbiological analysis. Salmonella spp was found in 9,37% of the swine sampled. The presence of Salmonella spp was detected in 81,25% of the cecal analyzed samples in both groups. The integrated swine group presented greater perceptual of Salmonella spp in the different sampling points (5,47%) when linked with the studied groups, whereas the swine of the third showed 3,91% of the positive. In the skin collection point after-scalding and integrated swine skinning (ISS) it was found 18,75% of positive sample and in the third swine sample (TSS) 12,50%. In the abdominal cavity of the integrated swine after the evisceration step (ISE) it was detected no positive sample (0%), yet to the swine from the third (TSE) was found a positively (6, 25%). Sample from the spine portion after the carcass division step of the integrated swine (ISD) with saw showed 12,50% of the positive sample, while in the swine sample from the third (TSD) 6,25%. In the samples of the swine skin after the final shower with chlorine water of the integrated swine group (ISS), it was detected 12,50%, and in the swine from the third samples (TSS) 6,25%. Among the presented results there was no significant difference to the level of 5%. The achieved data confirm the scalding and skinning steps as the main Control Critical Points (CCP) to the analyzed slaughterhouse. In general, the integrated swine group revealed greater incidence of microorganisms in the different steps in the slaughter line, confirming that Salmonella spp epidemic in swine is complex, presenting a variety of determining factors in the microorganism transmission. / A partir da crescente ênfase na segurança de produtos cárneos que chegam ao consumidor, tem-se estimulado a identificação de meios para reduzir ou eliminar Salmonella spp antes do abate. Assim, a redução das taxas de infecção pré-abate resulta em aumento na segurança dos produtos cárneos. Salmonella spp destaca-se como a principal bactéria patogênica incorporada na linha de abate pelo próprio suíno e sua ausência no produto final é de extrema importância para competir no mercado, que apresenta uma crescente exigência em relação à qualidade dos produtos. O presente estudo foi realizado em uma planta de abate de um frigorífico sob Inspeção Federal, situado em um município do Rio Grande do Sul, onde 50% dos animais abatidos são produzidos pelo sistema de integração e 50% obtidos de outras granjas disponíveis no mercado (terceiros). Avaliou-se o percentual de incidência de Salmonella spp na linha de abate de suínos, em quatro etapas prédefinidas por observação visual das operações, através de análise microbiológica. Um total de 128 esfregaços superficiais, de carcaça suína, foram coletados de diferentes etapas da linha de abate: pele, após a escaldagem e depilação;da cavidade abdominal da carcaça, após a evisceração; da porção espinhal da carcaça, incluindo a pele da região lombar do suíno; e da pele após o chuveiro final. Também foram realizadas 32 coletas de material cecal (fezes) para análise microbiológica. Salmonella spp foi encontrada com uma freqüência de 9,37% dos suínos amostrados. Nas fezes de ambos os grupos a presença de Salmonella spp foi detectada em 81,25% das amostras analisadas. Relacionando com os grupos em estudo o grupo de suínos integrados apresentou percentual superior de presença para Salmonella spp nos diferentes pontos de amostragem (5,47%), enquanto os suínos de terceiros apresentaram 3,91% de positividade. No ponto de coleta de pele pós-escaldagem e depilação de suínos integrados (PSI) foi encontrado 18,75% de amostras positivas e nas amostras de suínos de terceiros (PST) 12,50%. Na cavidade abdominal de suínos integrados após a etapa de evisceração (ESI) não foi detectada nenhuma amostra positiva (0%), já para os suínos de terceiros (EST) foi encontrada uma positividade (6,25%). Amostras da porção espinhal após a etapa de divisão da carcaça de suínos integrados (SSI) com serra apresentaram 12,50% de amostras positivas, enquanto nas amostras de suínos de terceiros (SST) 6,25%. Nas amostras de pele dos suínos após a lavagem final da carcaça com água clorada do grupo de suínos integrados (CSI) detectou-se 12,50% e nas amostras de suínos de terceiros (CST) 6,25%. Entre os resultados apresentados não houve diferença significativa ao nível de 5%. Os dados obtidos confirmam as etapas de escaldagem e depilação, como o principal Ponto Crítico de Controle (PCC) para o frigorífico estudado. A previsão inicial e motivo deste trabalho de confirmar os suínos de terceiros como principais veículos de Salmonella spp para o interior do frigorífico não foram confirmados. De modo geral, o grupo de suínos integrados revelou maior incidência do microrganismo nas diferentes etapas da linha de abate, confirmando que a epidemiologia por Salmonella spp em suínos é complexa, apresentando múltiplos fatores determinantes na transmissão do microrganismo.

Au cours de la deuxième moitié du SIM3 (entre 41 et 29 ka cal AP), et pour la première fois dans l’histoire de l’humanité,les artisans préhistoriques dispersés sur l’ensemble du continent européen intègrent les matières osseuses – ivoire,os et bois de cervidé – à leurs stratégies technologiques pour la manufacture de pointes de projectile aurignaciennes. Cestechnologies comprennent deux catégories, les pointes à base fendue et celles à base massive. Malgré leur standardisationapparente, la variabilité des formes et des dimensions des armatures mérite d’être explorée afin de comprendre en quoi cesdonnées peuvent préciser nos connaissances sur l’organisation technologique de ces sociétés et sur l’histoire de la dispersiondes populations d’Homo sapiens en Europe. Dans le cadre de cette thèse, la morphométrie géométrique est adaptéeà l’étude de la culture matérielle dédiée aux activités cynégétiques; l’échantillon directement concerné par cette analyseregroupe 547 armatures mises au jour dans 49 sites répartis entre la façade atlantique et les Carpates. Cette approchepermet l’identification de huit conceptions volumétriques reproduites par les artisans aurignaciens pour la manufacturedes pointes à base fendue, et de deux pour les pointes à base massive, une d’entre elles se déclinant en six variantes. Larépartition spatiotemporelle de ces conceptions indique que les pointes de projectile aurignaciennes en matière osseusene constituent pas un proxy de la dispersion des Homo sapiens nouvellement arrivés en Europe, mais signalent plutôt lafédération de populations déjà présentes sur le continent et liées les unes aux autres par le développement de stratégies socioéconomiquesparticulières. Ainsi, l’apparition de ces technologies dans le registre archéologique est interprétée commeune solution aux contraintes imposées par une mobilité accrue des groupes; l’adoption subséquente de l’innovation surl’ensemble de l’Europe est mise en relation avec l’éruption des champs Phlégréens. Enfin, la mutation typologique observéepar le remplacement des pointes à base fendue par celles à base massive suggère des transformations profondes dans lamise en œuvre des stratégies technologiques. Les pointes à base fendue témoignent de l’adoption d’une stratégie planifiéesur le long terme tandis que les pointes à base massive se conforment aux critères attendus dans le cadre d’une stratégieexpéditive et ce, indépendamment de la conservation de patrons de mobilité similaires. / During the second half of MIS3 (ca. 41-29 kyr BP), for the first time in the history of humankind, prehistoric artisansscattered across Europe integrated a variety of osseous materials – ivory, bone, and antler – into their technologicalstrategies in order to manufacture Aurignacian projectile points. These armatures can be categorized into “split-based”and “massive-based” types. Despite their relative standardization, the observed variability of the forms and dimensions ofthese implements requires further investigation. The aim of the present study is to gain a better understanding of the technologicalorganization favoured by these prehistoric artisans, and to improve our knowledge about the dispersal of Homosapiens populations in Europe. Geometric morphometric analysis is adapted to the study of 547 Aurignacian osseousprojectile points recovered from 49 European sites located between the Atlantic and the Carpathian Mountains. This approachallowed the identification of eight volumetric templates used by Aurignacian artisans during the manufacture ofsplit-based points. Two volumetric templates were identified for massive-based points, one of which includes a numberof variants. Spatial and chronological distribution of these templates indicates that, contrary to the dominant hypothesis,Aurignacian projectile points do not represent a proxy for the dispersal of Homo sapiens into Europe. It is argued that amore parsimonious interpretation is to consider them as a signal of the development of innovative socioeconomic strategiesby groups already present on the continent and linked to one another. This innovation corresponds to an adaptivetechnological solution for prehistoric groups engaged in increased mobility. The subsequent adoption of this innovationat a continental scale can be linked to the Campanian Eruption. Finally, the change in types, i.e., the replacement of splitbasedpoints by massive-based points, suggests that an important transformation occurred in the technological strategiesimplemented by earlier and later Aurignacians even though they favoured a similar mobility pattern. Split-based pointsare likely the products of a technological strategy associated with curation of these objects, while massive-based points areconsistent with the implementation of an expedient strategy.

The aim of this project is to enable automatic cataloguing and measuring archeological discoveries. The first step is image processing, which is performed via thresholding, segmentation and adjusting found objects. After these procedures, examined objects are represented by a komplex vector. The second part is focused on measuring the point and identification of its shape. The access to retrieved data is permitted by user interface created in the last part of this project.

L’irrégularité des pluies, l’évaporation considérable de l’eau de surface et des points d’eau traditionnels, entrainent une insuffisance de l’eau au Burkina Faso notamment en milieu rural. Cela contraint l’État et les partenaires à la mise en place des points d’eau modernes. Elle ne tient pas compte des positions, des valeurs culturelles qui légitiment la gestion traditionnelle de l’eau. La nouvelle gestion de l’eau renvoie à une problématique du rapport à l’eau et relève d’une modification sociale. Cette modification provient des pratiques, de leur évolution par rapport au système social mais aussi des processus intervenant sur les pratiques elles-mêmes. Les individus font l’apprentissage de la nouvelle gestion de l’eau, se positionnent selon le contexte en fonction de leurs appartenances dans le rapport à l’eau, des modes de solidarités comme moyen d’action communautaire par rapport aux oppositions sociales. C’est dans cette perspective que la thèse analyse à partir de la gestion de l’eau, les tensions et les recompositions sociales dans cinq villages autour du bassin versant du Nakambé. / The erratic rainfall, evaporation of considerable surface water and traditional water sources, cause a shortage of water in Burkina Faso, particularly in rural areas. This forced the state and partners to the development of modern water. It does not take into account the positions, cultural values that legitimize the traditional management of water. The new water management refers to a problematic relationship with water and is a social change. This change results from practices, their evolution from the social system but also the processes involved in the practices themselves. People are learning about the new water management, positioning themselves as the context in terms of their membership in relation to water, modes of solidarity as a means of Community action in relation to social opposition. It is against this background of the thesis analyzes from the water management, tensions and social blending in five villages around the catchment Nakambé.

L’objectif général de cette thèse est de montrer qu’il est possible de révéler l’idéologie qui caractérise un discours, en se fondant sur son étude sémantique et en s’attachant à la description détaillée des mots de la langue. Dans cette perspective, nous nous sommes intéressée au discours des théoriciens de l’Antiquité Grecque lorsqu’ils ont décrit le phénomène musical. Les premiers témoignages concernant les rapports entre la musique et les mathématiques proviennent des écrits pythagoriciens. Les auteurs de la Grèce Classique de nous les plus connus, Platon, Aristote et son disciple Aristoxène en particulier, s’exprimèrent bien souvent au sujet de la musique en tenant compte de ce qu’ils savaient des théories pythagoriciennes à ce sujet, que ce soit pour les suivre, les développer ou au contraire, les critiquer. Quel que soit leur point de vue, ils constituent pour nous la source permettant de reconstruire les théories pythagoriciennes. L’engouement pour la théorie et ses structures abstraites, inspirées de l’essor des premières mathématiques constitue une caractéristique des discours sur la musique que nous étudions. Pour angle d’approche, notre travail pluridisciplinaire s’est efforcé de contribuer à une meilleure connaissance du rôle des opposés ὀξύς [oxus] et βάρυς [barus] dans la construction d’un savoir proprement musical comme dans les premières pierres d’un savoir scientifique et philosophique dans l’Antiquité grecque. Pour mieux comprendre le rôle de ces mots, nous utilisons, sur la langue grecque ancienne, le modèle de description sémantique proposée par la Sémantique des Points de Vue, sémantique dont l’objectif est de mettre au jour l’idéologie cristallisée dans les mots de la langue. / The general objective of this thesis is to show that the ideology characterizing a discourse can be revealed by its semantic study and, more precisely by the detailed description of the words of the language in which this discourse is uttered. With this objective in mind, we have worked on the texts of the Greek Antiquity theoreticians in which they describe the musical phenomenon. The first testimonies about the relationship between music and mathematics can be found in the Pythagorean texts. When the best-known authors Plato, Aristotle and more particularly his disciple Aristoxenus wrote about music, they drew their inspiration from what they knew of the Pythagorean theories, either to follow and develop them or, on the contrary, to criticize them. Whatever their position on the matter, they form the source from which the Pythagorean theories can be reconstructed. The craze for theory and abstract structures, inspired by the development of the first mathematics constitutes a striking feature of the discourses on music we study. We have chosen to envisage the corpus with a multidisciplinary approach to further comprehend the role of the opposites oxus and barus in the building of the musical knowledge, as well as in the construction of the scientific and philosophic knowledge in ancient Greece. In order to better understand the role of these words, we use the Viewpoints Semantics, whose main goal is to systematically reveal the ideology crystallized in the words of natural languages.

The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system was used as a basis for describing a methodology for the management of reproduction in small ruminant flocks. The seven principles of the HACCP system are: <ul> 1. Conduct a hazard analysis 2. Identify critical control points 3. Establish critical limits for each control point 4. Establish monitoring procedure 5. Establish corrective actions 6. Establish a record keeping procedure 7. Establish verification procedures. </ul> The first principle of HACCP requires a description of the production system. The small ruminant reproduction process was subdivided into four sub-processes with a total of 33 phases. The ewe management cycle consists of 12 phases and the ram management cycle, replacement ewe cycle and replacement ram cycle each consists of seven phases. The reproductive process was described by a flow diagram. The hazards were categorized as management, environmental, nutritional, genetic, predatory, physiological and disease factors that could affect reproductive performance. The second principle requires the establishment of Critical Control Points (CCP). Seventeen CCPs in the reproductive process were established and monitoring and diagnostic procedures for each of the critical control points was described together with suggested corrective actions. The resulting HACCP plan formed the basis of consultations with 30 commercial small stock enterprises. Each of the Critical Control Points was applied to at least three and up to 30 of the flocks over the period of the trial to establish the practicality and validity of the procedures which were described as standard operating procedures. Data forms were designed for the structured collection of data regarding the process as well as the CCPs. The Critical Control Points and forms that were selected in this project were as follows: <ul> <li> CC1. Ewe selection. Prior to Ewe preparation. Ewe selection data form</li> <li> CC2.Ram selection. Prior to Phase two of ram preparation. Ram selection data form</li> <li> CC3. Ewe preparation. Prior to start of mating (end of flushing period). Ewe preparation data form</li> <li> CC4. Ram preparation. Prior start of mating (end of flushing period). Ram preparation data form</li> <li> CC5. Joining. Start of mating period. Joining data form</li> <li> CC6. Mating. End of mating period. Mating data form</li> <li> CC7. Scan. >35 days after mating. Scan data form</li> <li> CC8. Rescan. ≥ 30 days after initial scanning. Rescan data form</li> <li> CC9. Pregnant. Prior to start of lambing. Pregnancy management data form</li> <li> CC10. Lambing. End of lambing period. Lambing data form</li> <li> CC11. Marking. After neonatal period. Marking data form</li> <li> CC12. Weaning. Separation of lambs from ewes. Weaning data form</li> <li> CC13. Ewe replacement. At ewe selection. Replacement maiden data form</li> <li> CC14. Ram replacement. At ram selection. Replacement ram data form</li> <li> CC15. Genital soundness. Prior to ram selection. Ram genital soundness data form</li> <li> CC16. Ram recovery. About 8 weeks after mating. Ram recovery data form</li> <li> CC17. Last day of lambing. About 146 days after end of joining. Last day of lambing data form.</li> </ul> In addition to the specific procedures described in the seventeen CCP's three CCP's were described that can be performed to assist in monitoring the general health and welfare of the flock at strategic points in the management cycle: <ul> <li> CC 18 Body condition score</li> <li> CC 19 Helminthic status</li> <li> CC 20 Nutritional status.</li> </ul> Qualitative aspects of the critical control point as well as certain quality control questions were described as a generic quality control form. This generic form is modified annually to reflect hazard issues that need to be followed up the following year. Specific questions are entered on the form which is diarised for the next year. The use of these generic forms assisted in the process of continuous improvement by ensuring that adjustments to the Flock Health and Production Plan are made to prevent repeating management failures. Examples of the use of the CCP's are described on the basis of data that was collected from the flocks that participated in the project. Upon conclusion a questionnaire was completed by 12/25 of the flock managers who participated. The results of the survey indicated that there was general acceptance of a HACCP – based management system for the management of reproduction in the small ruminant enterprises by the flock managers that responded to the questionnaire. Flock managers agreed that the program must be adapted to their individual needs, would not be a problem to implement but needed to be simple and many would need assistance. Training and information was considered important aspects. There was general consensus that financial results should form part of the program and that comparisons within the group on an anonymous basis is accepted. The two responses that showed the least variance were the needs to reduce production risk and to be informed of potential hazards. Flock managers disagreed the most in their response about the range of control points they would implement. This correlates with the expressed need to have individually adapted programs. Flock managers were not very positive about the benefits of a quality control and certification system. Predation proved to be the most important hazard followed by parasites and stock theft, all three being highly variable as indicated by a large variance. The HACCP-based methodology should be applied in and extended form to all aspects of the flock production system to assist in improving sustainability. Copyright / Dissertation (MMedVet)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Production Animal Studies / unrestricted

Based on six-years ethnographic research, this thesis provides an in-depth account of a contemporary British drug market. The study follows a group of twenty-five friends, termed The Lads, during their transition from late-adolescence (16-22) through to early adulthood (22-28). This was a critical stage in their life course; it was a time when many had begun advancing into the world of work and business entrepreneurship, in search of their chosen career. Yet it was during this time that two key developments occurred: bulk volumes of illicit drugs became available to The Lads through credit and the UK experienced several years of economic recession and stagnation. The economic constraints The Lads encountered during this time prompted many to become involved in the trafficking of illegal drugs. Though their entry into the markets was not necessarily motivated out of absolute need or poverty, the experience of low-paying salaries, the loss of work and income, and the inability to secure legitimate investment capital, all made drug dealing an alluring source of untaxed revenue, available as and when needed. This study assesses the practices of this cohort of closed-market drug dealers, who capitalised on their expansive social networks as a means of trafficking a variety of illegal substances at the time of these two developments. During the course of the research their involvement came to span several stages of the supply chain, including: mid-level wholesale brokerage, import/export, wholesale, and retail (i.e. to the end-users). The study addresses various structural elements of their trade, including drug purchasing and selling, the assessment and mitigation of risks in relation to law enforcement, and the use of informal credit (i.e. ‘fronting’) as one of the principle facilitating factors of The Lads’ various trade networks. A variety of data collection methods were employed over many years to garner a depth of understanding and appreciation difficult to achieve in the study of active offenders. The data comprises of life narratives, observations, interview data and economic data. The findings offer some new insight into: the kinds of people who deal drugs; what characteristics they share; how they function as traders; what motivates them to either enter or exit the trade, and what social structures influence their offending careers?These young men were not the archetypal drug dealer: they were neither predatory nor territorial. They were ambitious and hard working. Drug dealing was simply a shortcut to the lifestyle they aspired to; it was a source of capital; a means of funding their studies; a ‘means to an end’. To these young men, drug dealing was just another form of work: a bad job that paid a good salary.