Much of the research done on religious gays and lesbians has focused upon the cognitive strategies they employ in order to negotiate conflicts experienced between their religious and sexual identities. In contrast to taking a psychological approach, this study focuses upon the role of social context in helping gay and lesbian Catholics to successfully negotiate their religious and sexual identities. Using participant-observation data of a small gay and lesbian Catholic community, the Holy Cross Community (HCC), as well as from interviews with ten of its members, I examine the role of the interpersonal context in identity processes. I outline the way that members create a community of inclusion, a community of affection, and a community of shared responsibility, which helps HCC's members in successfully enacting both their religious and sexual identities within a social context. In the discussion, I explain how HCC provides a place where members experience a sense of normalcy and where they worship in an environment that does not challenge their identities. From a social movements perspective, this in turn has a diminishing effect on the impetus for HCC's members to effect change on their behalf.

Many countries in Europe have experienced fertility below replacement level for a long period of time. Population ageing and difficulties in sustaining current living standards follow low fertility levels. To be able to increase fertility levels it is necessary to give women and men in Europe opportunities to fulfil their desired life, with or without children. Work-family reconciliation policies can either prevent people from or allow them to combine a career and a family. To what extent these policies have an influence on short-term childbearing intentions in Poland and Sweden is the focus of this study. Using data from the Gender and Generation Survey, the results show that women in Poland are more likely to intend to have a first child within the next three years than are women in Sweden, despite less favourable work-family reconciliation policies, while childless men in Poland are less likely to intend to have a child in the near future than are men in Sweden. It also shows that the attitudes towards parental leave policies have an effect on first childbearing intentions, but that attitudes towards childcare systems play a minor role when intending to become a parent or not in the near future. Common to the work-family reconciliation policies is that the attitudes towards them are contextually embedded.

For many years, El Salvador and Guatemala were submerged in brutal and bloody conflicts that cost the lives of tens of thousands. United Nations-brokered Peace Accords officially brought the years of violence to an end in 1992 and 1996, respectively. As the two countries slowly emerged from their respective Cold War-inspired internal conflicts, the question of what place the past would have in the present came to the fore. This dissertation explores the way past violence is talked about in the public sphere. It analyzes post-Peace Accords public discourse in both countries, with a particular focus on the issues of memory, forgetting, truth, reconciliation, and related terms. It examines the different tasks memory and truth were assigned in the Peace Accords, especially in relation to the truth/truth-like commissions created out of those accords, and in the years since, and looks at the language those who reject memory and truth use to oppose them. This dissertation argues that a common discursive framework exists in Guatemala that dictates that all sectors must insist on the importance of remembering the violence to prevent repetition. This is the human rights community's discourse, but it is one which even conservatives who wish for forgetting must repeat. Conservatives can only promote forgetting within the limits of this discursive framework, and they do so by talking about amnesty, perdón (pardon/forgiveness), and reconciliation. The situation in El Salvador is different. There is no common discursive framework that demands memory to prevent repetition and promote reconciliation. Rather than this, conservatives openly insist on amnesty and amnesia, while the human rights community insists on truth and memory. The discursive battle between forgetting and truth is El Salvador's discursive framework. Yet talking about memory, truth, reconciliation, and related topics leaves space to promote different truths, memories, or narratives of the past. This, indeed, is precisely what happens in both countries as different sectors actively promote their own truth, memory, or narrative, especially at moments of rupture or when their truth or discourse is challenged, as in 2012 when Salvadoran president Mauricio Funes asked for perdón for the El Mozote massacre and during Guatemala's 2013 genocide trial. Running throughout the discussion about discourse and discursive frameworks is a critique of the insistence on the existence of one truth, memory, or narrative of the past. This is the foundation on which truth and truth-like commissions are built. Yet rather than focusing on the truth of the past, this dissertation argues that the process of openly talking about the past and sharing truths and experiences will do more to contribute to reconciliation and non-repetition than insisting that there is and can only be one truth and that everyone must embrace it.

This study deals with the pastoral counselling of people who became ill as a result of unresolved trauma. Some of the important questions raised in this study, included: Why are certain traumatic events physically harmful to people? 0 What is the relationship between unresolved trauma and the development of disease in the human body? Which additional factors play a role in the development of disease? The basis theoretical research clearly showed that a wounded person can be healed and restored by God; even if the wounding took place a long time ago. The traumatized person can bring his/her pain to God, uninhibitedly, with the expectation that God's healing power can heal. Negative thoughts and emotions, which are harmful to a person, must be brought under the truth of the Word, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit; with the intention to correct these thoughts and emotions. The meta-theoretical research has clearly shown a relationship between unresolved trauma and the development of disease in humans. Unresolved emotions can create certain emotions that work in negatively on a person's body. Unresolved trauma can also lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. For the purpose of the empirical study, four cases, of people who experienced trauma, were selected and studied. These people all struggled with new diseases after their traumatic experiences. The results highlighted the importance of considering the unique personal history of each individual; especially with reference to unresolved traumatic experiences in a person's past. The co-operation between the researcher and the medical profession regarding the results of the case studies should be noted. Chapter 6 clearly points out that the point of departure in pastoral counselling is God, the Holy Trinity. Vital dimensions of the Biblical counselling process are the following: Establishing involvement with counselees. Inspiring in them Biblical hope. 0 A thorough inventory and Biblical interpretation of counselees and their problems. Instructing counselees in an accurate and appropriately Biblical way to inspire in them decisive commitment to Biblical obedience and the implementation of Biblical instructions. / Thesis (M.A. (Pastoral))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

The evolution of biological species depends on changes in genes. Among these changes are the gradual accumulation of DNA mutations, insertions and deletions, duplication of genes, movements of genes within and between chromosomes, gene losses and gene transfer. As two populations of the same species evolve independently, they will eventually become reproductively isolated and become two distinct species. The evolutionary history of a set of related species through the repeated occurrence of this speciation process can be represented as a tree-like structure, called a phylogenetic tree or a species tree. Since duplicated genes in a single species also independently accumulate point mutations, insertions and deletions, they drift apart in composition in the same way as genes in two related species. The divergence of all the genes descended from a single gene in an ancestral species can also be represented as a tree, a gene tree that takes into account both speciation and duplication events. In order to reconstruct the evolutionary history from the study of extant species, we use sets of similar genes, with relatively high degree of DNA similarity and usually with some functional resemblance, that appear to have been derived from a common ancestor. The degree of similarity among different instances of the “same gene” in different species can be used to explore their evolutionary history via the reconstruction of gene family histories, namely gene trees. Orthology refers specifically to the relationship between two genes that arose by a speciation event, recent or remote, rather than duplication. Comparing orthologous genes is essential to the correct reconstruction of species trees, so that detecting and identifying orthologous genes is an important problem, and a longstanding challenge, in comparative and evolutionary genomics as well as phylogenetics. A variety of orthology detection methods have been devised in recent years. Although many of these methods are dependent on generating gene and/or species trees, it has been shown that orthology can be estimated at acceptable levels of accuracy without having to infer gene trees and/or reconciling gene trees with species trees. Therefore, there is good reason to look at the connection of trees and orthology from a different angle: How much information about the gene tree, the species tree, and their reconciliation is already contained in the orthology relation among genes? Intriguingly, a solution to the first part of this question has already been given by Boecker and Dress [Boecker and Dress, 1998] in a different context. In particular, they completely characterized certain maps which they called symbolic ultrametrics. Semple and Steel [Semple and Steel, 2003] then presented an algorithm that can be used to reconstruct a phylogenetic tree from any given symbolic ultrametric. In this thesis we investigate a new characterization of orthology relations, based on symbolic ultramterics for recovering the gene tree. According to Fitch’s definition [Fitch, 2000], two genes are (co-)orthologous if their last common ancestor in the gene tree represents a speciation event. On the other hand, when their last common ancestor is a duplication event, the genes are paralogs. The orthology relation on a set of genes is therefore determined by the gene tree and an “event labeling” that identifies each interior vertex of that tree as either a duplication or a speciation event. In the context of analyzing orthology data, the problem of reconciling event-labeled gene trees with a species tree appears as a variant of the reconciliation problem where genes trees have no labels in their internal vertices. When reconciling a gene tree with a species tree, it can be assumed that the species tree is correct or, in the case of a unknown species tree, it can be inferred. Therefore it is crucial to know for a given gene tree whether there even exists a species tree. In this thesis we characterize event-labelled gene trees for which a species tree exists and species trees to which event-labelled gene trees can be mapped. Reconciliation methods are not always the best options for detecting orthology. A fundamental problem is that, aside from multicellular eukaryotes, evolution does not seem to have conformed to the descent-with-modification model that gives rise to tree-like phylogenies. Examples include many cases of prokaryotes and viruses whose evolution involved horizontal gene transfer. To treat the problem of distinguishing orthology and paralogy within a more general framework, graph-based methods have been proposed to detect and differentiate among evolutionary relationships of genes in those organisms. In this work we introduce a measure of orthology that can be used to test graph-based methods and reconciliation methods that detect orthology. Using these results a new algorithm BOTTOM-UP to determine whether a map from the set of vertices of a tree to a set of events is a symbolic ultrametric or not is devised. Additioanlly, a simulation environment designed to generate large gene families with complex duplication histories on which reconstruction algorithms can be tested and software tools can be benchmarked is presented.

No description available.

This dissertation seeks to compare paradigms of reconciliation in African tradition (including African indigenous religion and culture) and Christianity, in order to enhance the reconciliation process in South Africa. The aim is to enable and promote dialogue between African tradition and Christian tradition, with special reference to the reconciliation paradigms they offer. In order to accomplish this, the first step taken is to establish what African tradition has to offer in terms of reconciliation resources. African traditional religion, philosophy and anthropology are identified as providing a conceptual basis for reconciliation. Certain African traditional legal resources as well as African indigenous ritual resources are also considered able to contribute to social reconciliation. The next step in the dissertation is to establish what the Christian faith tradition has to offer in terms of reconciliation paradigms. The following resources available to, and stemming from, Christianity are discussed: reconciliation in the Bible; the narrative of the cross and the resurrection; the inter-linked concepts of sin, repentance and forgiveness; the church as reconciling community and institution. After having elaborated on certain reconciliation paradigms lodged in both African tradition and Christianity, the next step is to explore ways in which these paradigms interact. In some respects, they are found to clash and disagree because of their differences and the discontinuities between them. Yet in significant ways they indeed connect to and complement each other. This dissertation seeks to highlight points of agreement and connection between the paradigms of reconciliation provided by African tradition and Christian tradition. Moreover, it seeks to illustrate that the two cultural and religious traditions could interact fruitfully for the benefit of South African society. A concrete example of such positive interaction and mutual enrichment is brought forward, viz. a "new" ritual of reconciliation that combines resources from both traditions. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

The study focuses on the National Vision Discussion Document (NVDD) from Zimbabwe, and is a reflection of the need for, and the churches’ approach to, reconciliation in Zimbabwe. The analysis of the social context in which the NVDD was written sets the tone for this study, and provides the basis for discussing and constructing a deeper theology of reconciliation in Zimbabwe. Two criticisms of the NVDD are advanced, namely, the lack for a critical social analysis, and a weak theological reflection. In responding to the first criticism, the study undertakes a detailed analysis of three key areas of enmity, namely, the ethnic conflicts between the Shona and Ndebele, the racial conflicts between white and black centered on land, and the political conflicts between ZANU-PF and civil society and the MDC. In responding to the second criticisms, the theology is deepened through an examination of Miroslav Volf’s, Exclusion and Embrace, John de Gruchy’s, Reconciliation: Restoring Justice, the Kairos Document and the Belhar Confession. Reconciliation was seen to lie at the edge of two parallel truths; justice and forgiveness; truth and reconciliation. In conclusion, the study established the basis for a deeper theology of reconciliation, by focusing on three key areas: social dynamics, theological reflection, and practical and logistical steps to national reconciliation. For a deeper theology of reconciliation, seven levels for reconciliation were suggested: individual, social, cultural, institutional, political, theological and religious. From these seven levels, two strategies for the practice of reconciliation were suggested: ecumenical and strategic partnerships. It should be noted that events in Zimbabwe continue to progress at a rapid rate and the social context changes from week to week. However, these current events suggest that the study remains relevant for national reconciliation and theological praxis because of the abiding issues of conflict that cry out for reconciliation. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

Societies divided by brutal conflicts require possible ways to reconstruct their peaceful societies. As a nation that is divided by an ethnic conflict that spanned almost three decades, Sri Lanka urgently requires an ongoing peace process. High quality education for the younger generation can provide the positive force for generating peace and preventing from future conflicts. This study investigated how Olympism education could strengthen conflict resolution competencies among primary students in ethnically divided societies in Sri-Lanka. This research examined the initiatives first by coming across the impact of education in promoting peace among Sri Lankan primary students. Secondly, the study provided an explanation for the potential of Olympism in conflict resolution and promoting peace among Sri Lankan primary students. The study introduced an integrated model of Olympism values and conflict resolution strategies, and this program was trialed in two primary schools one each of the two main ethnic groups of Singhalese and Tamils in Sri Lanka. A mixed method approach was used and data was collected using surveys and interviews. In each school, there was one group that was taught the programme and was the experimental group, and there was a control group not taught the programme. The pre and post-test survey data from all students in the control and experimental groups were analysed according to four hypothesises using Analysis of Variance. The interviews of 16 students from the experimental group from both schools were analysed thematically and contributed data about students’ perspectives. This study aimed to discover possible unifying factors and attain a more holistic view about the nexus of Olympism, physical education and conflict resolution. Considering the effects of the intervention, the most notable finding of this study was that conflict resolution and Olympism education integrated curriculum intervention significantly improved experimental group students’ conflict resolution competencies. It was also found that students’ conflict resolution competencies improved regardless of their gender or ethnicity. The experimental group students also had an increase in Olympism competencies. The competencies that students had the greatest change were related to physical, social, critical and conflict resolution literacy. The findings from the interviews supported the stages of Mezirow’s Transformative Learning theory. This research concluded that strategically designed and carefully managed Olympism lessons could help students to develop and enhance competencies of conflict resolution.

In this thesis, I present a model of multidomain evolution with associated algorithms and software for phylogenetic analysis of multidomain families, as well as applications of this novel methodology to case-studies and the human genome. Phylogenetic analysis is of central importance to understanding the origins and evolution of life on earth. In biomedical research, molecular phylogenetics has proved an essential tool for practical applications. Current molecular phylogenetic methods are not equipped, however, to model many of the unique characteristics of multidomain families. Genes that encode this large and important class of proteins are characterized by a mosaic of sequence fragments that encode structural or functional modules, called domains. Multidomain families evolve via domain shuffling, a process that includes insertion, internal duplication, and deletion of domains. This versatile evolutionary mechanism played a transformative role in major evolutionary transitions, including the emergence of multicellular animals and the vertebrate immune system. Multidomain families are ill-suited to current methods for phylogeny reconstruction due to their mosaic composition. Different regions of the same protein may have different evolutionary histories. Moreover, a protein may contain domains that also occur in otherwise unrelated proteins. These attributes pose substantial obstacles for phylogenetic methods that require a multiple sequence alignment as input. In addition, current methods do not incorporate a model of domain shuffling and hence, cannot infer the events that occurred in the history of the family. I address this problem by treating a multidomain family as a set of co-evolving domains, each with its own history. If the family is evolving by vertical descent from a conserved set of ancestral domains, then all constituent domains will have the same phylogenetic history. Disagreement between domain tree topologies is evidence that the family evolved through processes other than speciation and gene duplication. My algorithms exploit this information to reconstruct the history of domain shuffling in the family, as well as the timing of these events and the ancestral domain composition. I have implemented these algorithms in software that outputs the most parsimonious history of events for each domain family. The software also reconstructs a composite family history, including duplications, insertions and losses of all constituent domains and ancestral domain composition. My approach is capable of more detailed and accurate reconstructions than the widely used domain architecture model, which ignores sequence variation between domain instances. In contrast, my approach is based on an explicit model of events and captures sequence variation between domain instances. I demonstrate the utility of this method through case studies of notch-related proteins, protein tyrosine kinases, and membrane-associated guanylate kinases. I further present a largescale analysis of domain shuffling processes through comparison of all pairs of domain families that co-occur in a protein in the human genome. These analyses suggest that (1) a remarkably greater amount of domain shuffling may have occurred than previously thought and (2) that it is not uncommon for the same domain architecture to arise more than once through independent events. This stands in contrast to earlier reports that convergent evolution of domain architecture is rare and suggests that incorporating sequence variation in evolutionary analyses of multidomain families is a crucial requirement for accurate inference.