This project is about our social denial of death, the questioning of rationality and utopian ideals, and our fears of modernity. The intimate connection once associated with death has been hidden. In this project the remains of the dead are sacred. Death is brought to the forefront. By acknowledging a finite existence and exposing our fear of death, life can be given meaning. The activities of daily life are integrally linked to the crypt. / Master of Architecture

The objective of this essay is to investigate the circulation of knowledge about rationalization in industrial management between 1910-30 in Sweden. It builds on and tries to fill a gap in previous scholarship on the topic of industrial relations and the “rationalization movement” in Sweden. This essay focuses on the industrial employers affiliated with the biggest Swedish industrial union; Sveriges Industriförbund, and how they understood, presented and shared their knowledge about rationalization with each other. Why did the conceptualization of rationalization change during the years in question, and how did this knowledge in transit adapt?  One key finding is that the idea of rationalization changed and came to mean more things, and include more things as the industries faced more social and political challenges from the workers movement. The language surrounding rationalization came to include more demands for cooperation, mutual understanding and more humane working conditions as time went on. Rationalization also tended to be more professionalized and specialized as time went on, as a response to a larger and more intricate industrial apparatus. Because of the need for more skilled engineers and white-collar staff, industrial employers started to advocate for sharing the knowledge about rationalization with their workers. By the end of the 1920’s the industrial employers also knew that mental stimulation, and a general knowledge about the work process was required both for the smooth functioning of the company, but also for the mental functioning of the worker.

The subject of this thesis concerns the tense situation of the pregnant employee in Sweden. Drawing on the critical ontology of Michel Foucault the situation is characterized as a specific problematization within a historical theme around procreation (as an eventuality). The purpose of the thesis is to explain the functioning of the current situation of the pregnant employee as an inherent conflict, but also to draw out the implications of this specific analysis in relation to general wage labor. First an objective analysis is out-lined on how free wage labor gradually develops into a) a rational way of “knowing” about wo/man, b) a normal (institutional) way of organizing this knowledge, and c) a normalized subject position for the expectant individual. Second the investigation turns towards the subjective experience of this positioning. This analysis, drawing on the works of Iris Marion Young and Erving Goffman, focus on a) the conflicts logic b) its practical management and c) the situations’ ethical implications. The empirical material for the second part consists of legal cases, diaries and discussion-threads from the Internet. The conclusions drawn suggest that the pregnant employee is a rather abstract problem but that this abstraction still is real enough to make her disqualified from the calculus regime of employment. The second conclusion states that the pregnant employee becomes temporarily “closeted” and engaged in practices of concealment and tension management. Finally the ethics of this situation is analyzed, stating that the pregnant employee becomes positioned in a situation of structural shame which she has to relate to no matter her specific employment conditions. In the end the wider implications of the analysis is drawn out, stating that wage labor has developed into a biased categorization of individuals as proper or non-proper labor power. Rational discrimination has been normalized, just as the handling of oneself as more or less deviant from norms.

Throughout history, wild green vegetables have played a significant role in human diets around the world, coevolving alongside agriculture and changing land use patterns (Wilson, 1990). Wild greens such as purslane (Portulaca oleracea), lambquarters (Chenopodium spp.) and amaranth (Amaranthus spp.), wild ancestors of crop plants, are prehistoric foods that are cultural and nutritional mainstays in many parts of the world including the Arizona-Mexico borderland region. While consumption of these foods is commonplace on the Mexican side of the border, on the American side their use is less frequent. In this study, I explore the patterns of and barriers to consumption of wild green vegetables by Latinos living in the Arizona (AZ)-Mexico (MX) borderland city of Tucson, AZ. I use Weber's rationalization theory, as well as human agency theory, to guide my exploration of how the dominant food system contributes to dietary acculturation and the loss of agency among Latinos living in Tucson. In-depth interviews and naturalistic observations are employed across a diverse array of market settings, which include a farmers' market, several carniceri­as (Mexican butcher shops), a corner store/tortilleria with procurers and purveyors of Latino and indigenous foods, and a more conventional supermarket. The findings reveal a reduction in knowledge and consumption of heritage greens by Latinos concurrent to their adoption of more mainstream American foods. I consider this pattern and its various implications in the context of the rationalization of the dominant U.S. food system, which leads to a dynamic that favors efficiency and productivity over authenticity and aesthetics.

Os métodos construtivos de revestimento externo produzidos com argamassa vêm evoluindo ao longo do tempo, apresentando como maior mudança a substituição da aplicação manual pela projeção mecânica. Atualmente destaca-se no mercado o sistema de execução de revestimento externo com argamassa industrializada e projeção mecânica contínua com bombas helicoidais. Por se tratar de uma tecnologia ainda não muito utilizada pelas construtoras brasileiras, faltam dados confiáveis acerca de seu potencial de ganho de produtividade, redução de perdas, diminuição de contingente de mão de obra, exigências de infraestrutura para aplicação e custos envolvidos. Sem parâmetros confiáveis, adotar a tecnologia significa assumir um nível de risco elevado e isto dificulta a tomada de decisão por parte das construtoras e, por consequência, dificulta-se a evolução tecnológica. Buscando contribuir para o necessário avanço nas tecnologias de produção de revestimentos de edifícios, o objetivo desta pesquisa é estabelecer parâmetros em relação à tecnologia de produção de revestimentos de fachada que empregam argamassa com projeção contínua. Para tanto, buscou-se informações em referências como teses, dissertações, textos técnicos, normas nacionais, dentre outras, bem como, acompanhou-se e avaliou-se os resultados da implantação de um método construtivo de revestimento de argamassa com projeção mecânica contínua em uma construtora de São Paulo. Foram realizados um protótipo e um piloto que contribuíram para o desenvolvimento da tecnologia por meio de apresentação de soluções para os problemas encontrados, do levantamento de melhores práticas e de dados para o cálculo de índices de produtividade e perda. Buscou-se, portanto, a consolidação da tecnologia de projeção contínua na construtora anteriormente mencionada e no mercado em geral. / The external rendering constructive methods produced with mortar have evolved over time and the greater change in it was the replacement of manual application by mechanical projection. The currently most prominent system in the market is the outer rendering execution system with industrialized mortar and continuous mechanical projection with helical pumps. Since this technology is not widely used by Brazilian construction companies, there is a lack of reliable data regarding its productivity gain potential, loss reduction, reduction of hand quota of work, infrastructure required for application and costs involved. Without reliable parameters, the decision to implement this technology is highly risky which does not encourage constructions companies to decide to apply it and, therefore, makes its technological evolution harder to be achieved. Aiming to contribute to the necessary advancement in technology for the production of rendering, this research has the objective to establish parameters to the rendering technology that uses industrialized mortar with continuous projection. With this purpose, it was used as source and reference the specialized literature such as thesis, dissertations and scientific papers, as well as both national norms. In addition, the research included the monitoring and assessment of the results from the implementation of a rendering execution method with continuous mechanical projection in a construction company in Sao Paulo. A prototype and a pilot scale were built and they contributed to the development of this technology by presenting solutions for problems identified and through the mapping of best practices and gathering data that allowed the calculation of productivity and loss rates. The goal was, thus, to consolidate the continuous projection technology in the above-mentioned construction company as well as in the market in a broader way.

Esse trabalho busca compreender os usos diferenciados que a agricultura empreende ao território, tornando-o cada vez mais fluido aos interesses dos grandes agentes corporativos. De maneira hierarquizada, esses agentes materializam suas intenções no território, visto enquanto um meio para atingir seus objetivos que perpassam por relações de poder pautadas, sobretudo, por fins mercadológicos. Todavia, os usos do território não são homogêneos uma vez que, as ações e os objetos propagam-se nos lugares a partir de relações de conflito e cooperação. Esse uso seletivo aponta para as funções que os lugares devem cumprir a partir das demandas nacionais e internacionais. Essa diferenciação de atividades agrícolas é notada em muitos lugares como é o caso do uso do espaço do município de Ibiúna (SP), constituído pela produção hortícola, mas que novas atividades começam a ganhar expressividade, tornando o espaço agrícola local ainda mais complexo. De um lado, a racionalização da agricultura tornou o território cada vez mais acrescido com os conteúdos da técnica, ciência e informação que possibilitaram importantes avanços nesse setor. Por outro lado, persistem os conflitos pelos quais passam os pequenos agricultores, envolvidos pela crescente normatização dada pelo Estado e pelo mercado, sem contudo, esses agentes fornecerem aparatos à sobrevivência dos agricultores em meio a esse processo. / This work intends to comprehend the so distinguished uses which agriculture enterprises on the territory, becoming increasingly fluid to the interests of the biggest corporative entrepreneurs. By hierarchical means, corporate agents materialize their intentions on territory, what is seen as a pathway through which they achieve their goals by using power relations ruled by market purposes on their favor. However, territory usage is not a homogeneous phenomenon once actions and objects are spread out through places from a core of relations of cooperation and conflict. This uneven usage directs specifics employments that must be accomplished, by places, attending to national and international demands. The agricultural activities differentiation can be noticed in several places of the territory, for instance, as in the use of the district area of Ibiúna?s (SP) space, constituted by horticulture activities, that has been joined by new expressive activities which heightened its complexity. On the one side, the agricultural rationalization has caused the territory to evolve by the use of technical, informational, and scientific contents which made it possible to move the sector forward. On the other hand, the conflicts the farmers go through still persist, related to the growing normatization inflicted by the State and the market which give no support whatsoever to the survival of the farmers, who are immersed in a modernization process.

Elementos pré-moldados são uma opção para aumentar a racionalização no processo construtivo em alvenaria estrutural. Eles associam-se a particularidades desse processo com relação à rapidez de execução, rígido controle de qualidade, coordenação modular e alto nível organizacional da produção. Este trabalho pesquisou os pré-moldados freqüentemente utilizados em edifícios de alvenaria estrutural, tais como: blocos, escadas, contramarcos, vergas e peças de ajuste dimensional. Os pré-moldados foram analisados em seus aspectos estruturais, dimensionais e geométricos, respeitando-se as características que os tornam viáveis no aspecto construtivo, como a facilidade de produção, de manuseio e de transporte. Considerou-se, sempre, a coordenação modular e a compatibilização dimensional entre os componentes e subsistemas. Quando necessário, foram apresentados roteiro e exemplo de projeto, assim como quadros comparativos de vantagens e desvantagens / Precast concrete elements are a good option to improving the rationalization in structural masonry building process. They are related to the following features of this process: reduction of building times consumption, strict quality control, modular coordination and high level of manufacturing organization. This work deals with precast concrete elements commonly used in structural masonry buildings, such as: blocks, stairs, window’s frames, lintels and pieces for dimensional adjustment. Structural, dimensional and geometrical characteristcs of precast concrete elements are analysed, considering the viability of production, transporting and handling the pieces. Modular coordination and the dimensional compatibility are always taken in account. Guidelines, design examples and comparative tables with pros and cons are inserted when convenient

A finalidade deste trabalho é apresentar o desenvolvimento, através da utilização da linguagem de programação AutoLISP, de programa computacional relacionado à etapa de projeto de edifícios em alvenaria. O programa, intitulado ALVPLUS, auxilia nas atividades de modulação das alvenarias, geração automática de elevações e inserção de detalhes relacionados à alvenaria estrutural como disposições construtivas, armaduras, quantitativos de materiais e legendas, dispostos em arquivos eletrônicos do seu banco de dados. Além disso, discute-se os parâmetros associados à implementação da racionalização construtiva, considerando a compatibilização entre o projeto estrutural e os demais projetos (arquitetônico, instalações, entre outros). A utilização deste programa propicia o aumento da produtividade e da padronização dos projetos de alvenarias, assim como o aumento da qualidade e entendimento desses projetos. / This work's purpose is to present the development of software related to the stage of masonry's building design, through the use of the programming language AutoLISP. The software, entitled ALVPLUS, aids in the activities of masonries' modulation, automatic generation of elevations and insertion of details related to the structural masonry as constructive dispositions, armors, materials quantification and legends, available in its database. Besides, it's discussed the parameters associated to the implementation of the constructive rationalization, considering the compatibility between the structural designs and the other projects (architectural, installations, among others). The use of this software propitiates the productivity's increase and the standardization of the masonries' projects, as well as the increase of the quality and understanding of those projects.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T17:27:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pedro Secches.pdf: 409597 bytes, checksum: 552b1fa3062f62932ec902dd43aada65 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-08-08 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / This dissertation s objective is to explore, within Max Weber s work, the concept of rationalization and its importance in the formation of the modern world. As proposed, the process of rationalization is presented as an historic process common to every civilization. A process that, regarding the western civilization, has a distinct peculiarity: the western formal rationality. Which, according to Weber, is the responsible for the formation of the modern world. However, the objective of this research is not limited to describing the formation of the modern world from the development of the western rationalized civilization, but also consists of discussing the possible effects of this process in modern society, according to the weberian critic. In order to do so, it is proposed, firstly, to analyze the author s thought regarding the historical period in which he lived, and also regarding the thinkers that served as influence and/or inspiration on the creation of his own critical analysis. Finally, the concept of rationalization is explored from three different, but complementary, approaches: 1) rationalization as an historic process, 2) the peculiar rationalization of the West in the formation of the modern world, and 3) Weber s critic of the rationalized modern world / Esta dissertação tem por objetivo explorar, na obra de Max Weber, o conceito de racionalização e sua importância para a formação do mundo moderno. Na pesquisa proposta, o processo de racionalização é apresentado como um processo histórico comum a todas as civilizações. Um processo que, no que diz respeito à civilização ocidental, apresenta uma peculiaridade distinta: a racionalidade formal ocidental. Peculiaridade essa, segundo Weber, responsável pela formação do mundo moderno. No entanto, o objetivo desta pesquisa não se limita a descrever a formação do mundo moderno à partir do desenvolvimento da civilização ocidental racionalizada, mas consiste também em discutir os possíveis efeitos desse processo na sociedade moderna, segundo a crítica weberiana. Para tanto, propõe-se, primeiramente, analisar o pensamento do autor com relação ao período histórico em que viveu e com relação aos pensadores que serviram de influência e/ou inspiração na criação da sua própria análise crítica. Por fim, o conceito de racionalização é explorado em três abordagens distintas, porém complementares: 1) a racionalização como processo histórico, 2) a racionalização peculiar do Ocidente na formação do mundo moderno, e 3) a crítica de Weber ao mundo moderno racionalizado

Depuis les années 1990, le secteur hospitalier français est affecté par des réformes néo-managériales visant à renforcer le contrôle étatique sur les organisations de soin et sur les activités médicales. La thèse interroge ces transformations à la lumière du déploiement d'indicateurs qualité dont l'objet est de quantifier, mettre en transparence et améliorer la qualité des prises en charge. De quelle manière ces dispositifs d'évaluation affectent-ils la régulation institutionnelle de l'hôpital, l'organisation des établissements et l'autonomie des professionnels ? La thèse saisit l'action publique dans son caractère organisé, instrumental et cognitif, à partir d’une méthodologie qui croise entretiens auprès des responsables institutionnels, analyse de sources écrites et enquêtes dans quatre établissements hospitaliers. Cette approche permet de retracer le processus de construction des instruments, d'analyser leurs propriétés techniques et cognitives et de caractériser leurs usages sociaux. Ces indicateurs ont émergé dans un contexte institutionnel marqué par les infections nosocomiales et les palmarès hospitaliers. Construits à partir de savoirs hybrides, travaillés et légitimés par de multiples acteurs intermédiaires entre l’État et les professionnels, ils ont été généralisés prudemment, mais massivement, au cours des années 2000. En s'institutionnalisant, ils instillent formalisation, contrôle, traçabilité et auditabilité à l'hôpital. En déplaçant le regard des effets visibles et contraignants des instruments de tarification vers ces mécanismes plus discrets, la thèse montre comment l'évaluation de la qualité rationalise en douceur les bureaucraties professionnelles. / Since the late 1990s, the French hospital sector faces neomanagerial reforms aiming at strengthening state control over care organizations and medical activities. The thesis examines these contemporary transformations through the deployment of quality indicators measuring the quality of medical care, in order to enhance transparency and improve quality. How do these evaluation devices affect the institutional regulation of healthcare, the organization of hospitals and the professional autonomy of medical practitioners? The thesis describes the organized, instrumental and cognitive dimensions of public action, through a qualitative methodology crossing interviews with institutional leaders, analysis of written sources and investigations in four hospitals. It traces the career of these instruments, analyzes their technical and cognitive properties and characterizes their diverse social uses. These indicators have emerged in an institutional context deeply affected by nosocomial infections and hospital rankings. They are made of hybrid knowledge. Multiple intermediaries between state and professional actors shaped and legitimized them. They have been carefully but massively disseminated in the 2000s. Through their institutionalization, they instill formalization, control, traceability and auditability in hospitals. By moving the focus from the visible and constraining effects of payment instruments to these more discrete mechanisms, the thesis shows how quality evaluation softly rationalizes professional bureaucracies.