This qualitative study explored six post high school students' experiences within one high school Dance Academy program, over a four-year period, to learn if their dance experiences promoted student engagement. Student engagement occurs when students are invested in their learning, is the product of motivation and active learning, and is linked to student success. Semi-structured individual and group interviews were used as instruments of data collection and the data was transcribed and analyzed. Four main themes emerged from this study in relation to the students' experiences within the Dance Academy in relation to student engagement: 1) increased self-confidence, 2) healthy relationships amongst peers and with their teacher, 3) a sense of belonging, and 4) increased feelings if self-worth. The outcomes from this study indicate that dance, as part of a high school curriculum, was advantageous in providing these students with a unique learning experience that increased their relationship with the curriculum and fostered student engagement. Further research on the implications of teaching the arts, and in particular dance, in high school could benefit curricular programming and pedagogical practice.

This study examined the perceptions of non-native English speaking immigrant students at a small Canadian university relating to their transition to university, their experiences within the social and academic contexts of the campus, and their sense of belonging on their campus. This study used a phenomenological approach, and was supported by a conceptual framework of minority student persistence and belonging within postsecondary education. The findings of this study suggest that these students’ positive social experiences and perception of the campus as being diverse and open to diversity were connected to students’ sense of belonging. The findings also suggest that increased availability of customized support is needed for non-native English speaking students on this Canadian campus, and that greater awareness among university faculty and administration needs to be paid to students’ integration in classroom and campus practices. This thesis concludes with recommendations for practice and future research.

No description available.

Cette thèse propose une histoire environnementale comparée de parcs nationaux canadien, éthiopien et français. Elle s'appuie sur l'étude des lois, des rapports d'activité et de la documentation archivistique et touristique produits par les gestionnaires des parcs de Forillon, du Semën et des Cévennes, de la fin des années soixante au temps présent. Cette recherche interroge l'objet « parc national » en tant que territoire patrimonial et identitaire façonné pour promouvoir un sentiment d'appartenance à la nation. Avec le comparatisme pour mode d'étude de l'objet, ce travail démontre qu'au-delà des contextes observés, l'invention de la nature vise bien souvent à renforcer les contours matériels et idéels de la nation au nom de laquelle agissent les pouvoirs publics. En France, le parc national des Cévennes sert à la pérennisation d'une nation paysanne, nostalgique et traditionnelle. Au Canada, le parc ForiIlon participe à la naturalisation d'une nation qui se donne à voir vierge, atempororelle et apolitique afin de pallier son passé manquant de profondeur mais débordant de conflits. En Éthiopie, l'Etat s'approprie pour sa part les représentations eco-racistes des institutions internationales telles que l'UICN, le WWF et l'UNESCO afin d'être reconnu sur la scène internationale et de s'imposer, alors, sur un territoire qu'il veut national. Ainsi, dans les trois pays observés, le parc national se révèle un enjeu de lutte. Espace de vie quotidienne converti en un espace de visites temporaires, illégitime l'exercice, par la puissance publique, d'une violence à la fois concrète et symbolique sur les populations locales et environnantes. / This thesis offers a comparative environmental history of French, Ethiopian and Canadian national parks. It rests upon an analysis of laws, management plans, tourist documentation and archive produced by the managers of Cévennes, Semën and Forillon national parks. This research questions the "national park" object as a territory of heritage and identity manufactured by power to promote a national belonging feeling. Using comparison, this work shows that beyond the context, invention of nature is dedicated to the reinforcement of the material and ideal edges of the nation. In France, the Cévennes national park serves as a symbol of a rural, nostalgic and traditional nation. In Canada, Forillon participates to the naturalization of a nation that gives herself to see as a virgin, a-temporal and a-political nation in order to overcome a past lacking of depth but overflowed by conflicts. In Ethiopia, the State adopts the eco-racist representations of international institutions such as IUCN, UNESCO and WWF for being recognized on the international scene and established, therefore, on a territory namely "national". Thus, in these three countries, national park appears as a place of struggle. Space of daily life converted in a space of temporary visit, it legitimates the exertion of a concrete and symbolic violence on local and surrounding populations.

L’objet de cette thèse porte sur la nature de la relation à l’autre et met l’accent sur les conditions de l’engagement relationnel. Le sujet répond à un questionnement éthique à propos de l’isolement qui remet en cause la perception utilitariste de la relation qui prédomine dans la société contemporaine, notamment à travers la conception des supports info-communicationnels et leurs usages. Notre cadre théorique emprunte aux approches de la communication affective (F. Martin-Juchat) et à l’anthropologie relationnelle à travers la notion de quête de sens commun dans la relation (C. Galibert). Il s’agit d’une démarche de recherche-action qui s’interroge sur les possibilités d’améliorer les conditions de la communication engageante. Notre terrain d’étude porte sur l’expérience des personnes âgées. Notre cadre méthodologique est pluridisciplinaire avec des emprunts à la sociologie de la dynamique relationnelle (C. Bidart) et à la psychologie (D. Winnicott). Nos outils d’analyse utilisent la biographie comme support de témoignage (D. Demazière et C. Dubar) et des grilles interprétatives modélisées à partir de la sémiotique situationnelle (A. Mucchielli). Nous démontrons la valeur heuristique de la relation. Elle contribue à une inventivité de la réalité dont nous étudions les conditions. Nous proposons une approche de médiation qui s’appuie sur la formalisation de l’environnement relationnel comme support de narration et que nous qualifions de narrativité relationnelle en référence à l’identité narrative (P. Ricoeur) et à la sémiotique narratologique ( J. Greimas). Elle redéfinit le rôle du média. Notre travail offre des perspectives dans le champ des SIC sur le sujet de la coopération à partir de la notion d’environnements de connivences. / The purpose of this thesis is to put the accent on the conditions of relationships and commitment. Thesubject is based on an ethical investigation of the isolation which challenges the utilitarian perceptionof the relation in the modern society through the communications concept and its supports. Ourtheoretical frame takes from the emotional communication approach (F. Martin-Juchat) and from therelational anthropology through the quest of common sense in relationship (C. Galibert). It is about aresearch-action approach. Our field of study concerns the experience of the elderly. Our methodologicalframe is multidisciplinary with parts of sociology of the relational dynamics (C. Bidart), and psychology(D. Winnicott). Our tools of analysis use the biography and the interpretative tables modelled fromsemiotics situational (A. Mucchielli). We demonstrate the heuristics value of the relation and the factit contributes to the inventiveness of reality which we study the intersubjective relational conditions.We propose a mediational approach based on the formalization of the relationship environment as astory. We qualify it of relational narrative in reference to P. Ricoeur and to J. Greimas. It redefines therole of the media. Our work offers perspectives in the field of SIC around cooperation from collusionenvironments.

Notre recherche a été établie dans le cadre du programme de recherche interdisciplinaire Langages, objets, territoires et hospitalités. Notre objectif est d’apprécier les procédés informationnels, communicationnels et de management pour la valorisation des régions de Nabeul et de Médenine sous l’égide du CGDR et de l’ODS, et d’estimer et d’évaluer la nature du lien entre le sentiment d’appartenance et la valorisation territoriale par le biais de ces dispositifs d’intelligence collective. L’ancrage de notre recherche dans les champs interdisciplinaires des sciences de gestion et des sciences de l’information et de la communication nous a permis d’appréhender notre objet de recherche dans une logique d’instrumentalisation de pratiques et de dispositifs de management du territoire et dans une logique de communication, de transmission de l’information, de capitalisation et de diffusion des connaissances. Toutes ces pratiques étant sélectionnées à travers le ressenti envers le territoire en termes d’identité, d’attachement et de solidarité.In fine cette thèse révèle les liens de causalité entre le sentiment d’appartenance et les dimensions de l’IET et certaines dimensions du KMT et de l’ITP. Nos propositions invitent au diagnostic, l’évaluation et la compréhension du pourquoi de l’abandon de certaines pratiques d’intelligence territoriale, l’adoption de nouvelles formes de communication publique et territoriale pour le renforcement du sentiment d’appartenance et pour assurer un meilleur partage et diffusion de l’information. / Our research has been established as part of the interdisciplinary research program languages, objects, territories and hospitality. Our goal is to understand the informational, communicational and management processes for the development of areas of Nabeul and Medenine under the CGDR and ODS, and to estimate and evaluate the nature of the relationship between sense of belonging and the Territorial Enhancement through the collective intelligence devices. The anchor of our research in interdisciplinary fields of management, information and communication sciences has enabled us to understand our research object in a logic of exploitation practices and devices management planning and in the spirit of communication, transmission of information, funding and dissemination of knowledge. All these practices are selected through the felt to the area in terms of identity, attachment and solidarity. Ultimately this thesis reveals the causal links between the sense of belonging and the dimensions of the TIE and some dimensions of the TKM and the PTI. Our proposals invite the diagnosis, evaluation and understanding the reason of the abandonment of certain practices of territorial intelligence, the adoption of new forms of territorial public communication and to strengthen the sense of belonging and to ensure better sharing and dissemination of information.

This following study aimed to determine the discriminant validity of Sense of Belonging and the different types of organizational commitment, and analyse the relationship and the predictive capacity of these constructs for subjective and psychological well-being. 354 people completed surveys measuring the constructs described. The results showed that Sense of Belonging and the different types of organizational commitment are different constructs, and they have different relationships the diverse indicators of well-being according to the type of employment. The affective commitment was the most relevant predictor in entry level employees, and Sense of Belonging was the only predictor in employees with leadership positions. / Los objetivos del presente trabajo son determinar la validez discriminante del sentido de pertenencia y de los diferentes tipos de compromiso organizacional, y analizar la relación y capacidad predictiva de estos constructos del bienestar subjetivo y psicológico. 354 personas cumplimentaron un cuestionario que permitía medir los constructos descritos. Los resultados muestran que el sentido de pertenencia y los diferentes tipos de compromiso organizacional son constructos diferentes, y que se asocian de forma diferencial con los diversos indicadores del bienestar en función del tipo de puesto de trabajo estudiado. El compromiso afectivo es el predictor más importante para los empleados que desempeñan puestos de base, y el sentido de pertenencia es el único predictor para los puestos de mando.

Dissertação(mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Ambiental, Instituto de Educação, 2011. / Submitted by eloisa silva (eloisa1_silva@yahoo.com.br) on 2012-07-11T23:51:30Z No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertao da alessandra defesa.pdf: 2320582 bytes, checksum: e86e61b18f831279e2e50ac3a9eec18f (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Bruna Vieira(bruninha_vieira@ibest.com.br) on 2012-11-06T17:31:31Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertao da alessandra defesa.pdf: 2320582 bytes, checksum: e86e61b18f831279e2e50ac3a9eec18f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2012-11-06T17:31:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertao da alessandra defesa.pdf: 2320582 bytes, checksum: e86e61b18f831279e2e50ac3a9eec18f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Construir projetos de Educação Ambiental na Escola possibilita o desenvolvimento de posturas éticas, críticas e participativas face às questões socioambientais. O projeto “Conhecer, compreender e interagir com o contexto local” desenvolvido na Escola Estadual Lilia Neves, localizada na Vila da Quinta, em Rio Grande, RS, representa uma alternativa importante para a educação dos jovens do Ensino Médio moradores da zona rural, pois busca despertar o sentido de pertencimento àquela região, por meio do resgate da história local. Essa pesquisa objetiva compreender, à luz da Educação Ambiental, o que a comunidade de aprendizagem, constituída por professoras e alunos desta Escola e moradores das localidades, conta sobre os aspectos naturais e culturais da Vila da Quinta e demais zonas rurais do seu entorno, que visões de mundo, crenças e valores e quais as transformações históricas ocorridas no ambiente são expressas e registradas em vídeo nas expedições de estudos desenvolvidas no Projeto “Conhecer, compreender e interagir com o contexto local”. Procedeu-se a transcrição e análise do vídeo, contendo a gravação das expedições de estudos e de uma avaliação por escrito realizadas pelos envolvidos no Projeto. Foram selecionados alguns recortes do vídeo e, após transcritos, realizada a Análise Textual Discursiva (ATD). O processo analítico possibilitou a identificação das categorias emergentes: aspectos culturais, visões de mundo, crenças e valores, aspectos naturais e transformações históricas. Os dados produzidos foram articulados com os referenciais teóricos da pesquisa (BRANDÃO, CARVALHO, MORIN, FREIRE entre outros), o que propiciou uma maior compreensão do fenômeno investigado. As interlocuções empíricas e teóricas possibilitaram a compreensão de que ao conhecer, compreender e interagir com o contexto local, significando aspectos da cultura (modo de vida, crenças e valores) da comunidade estudada e os aspectos naturais desta região rural localizada no extremo sul do Rio Grande do Sul, as pessoas tornem-se pertencentes e responsáveis pela preservação da cultura e do ambiente. / Constructing Environmental Education projects in schools enables the development of ethical, critical and participative attitudes towards socioenvironmental issues. A project called “Knowing, comprehending and interacting with the local context”, which was carried out at Lilia Neves State School in Vila da Quinta, in Rio Grande, RS, proved to be an important alternative for the education of high school students who live in a rural area because it aimed at triggering the sense of belonging to that region by focusing on local History. This research has the objective of comprehending what the learning community, which is constituted by school teachers and students and dwellers in that region, tells about the natural and cultural aspects related to Vila da Quinta and surrounding rural areas in the light of Environmental Education. It includes their views of the world, beliefs and values, besides the historical changes that happened in that environment. Video recordings were carried out during field trips as part of the project “Knowing, comprehending and interacting with the local context”. After the video transcription and analysis were carried out, those involved in the project made their written evaluation. Some parts of the transcription were selected for Textual Discourse Analysis (TDA). The analysis enabled the identification of emerging categories: cultural aspects, views of the world, beliefs and values, natural aspects and historical transformations. The data, intertwined with theoretical references, such as Brandão, Carvalho, Morin and Freire, led to better understanding of the phenomenon under investigation. Empirical and theoretical interlocutions showed that when people know, understand and interact with their local context and give meaning to cultural issues (style of life, beliefs and values) in the community and natural aspects in this rural area located in the very south of Rio Grande do Sul state, they develop their sense of belonging and feel responsible for the preservation of their culture and their environment.

Very few empirical studies in migration and citizenship focus on immigrants' perceptions of the concept of citizenship and its prominent features. Based on the semi-structured interviews of 8 Pakistani immigrants (Swedish citizenship holders and non-citizenship holders) in Sweden, this study aimed to understand how these immigrants perceive and define Swedish citizenship, and how do they value it in material, symbolic, and emotional terms. Through conceptual framework and literature review of citizenship in its symbolic, materialistic, and emotional term, three central approaches mobility, sense of security, and sense of belonging were derived and analyzed. The findings of this research suggest that immigrants who participated in this study tend to value Swedish citizenship. They are very concerned about their security and protection which is provided by the state to a citizen in every sphere of life; economically, socially, politically; protection against the deportation; and while traveling anywhere in the world. These immigrants perceived that passport makes a difference, and during travel, it enables and constrains inequalities, restrictions, and uncertainties in the mobility arena. Furthermore, when it comes to belongings: the interviewee relate it to work, spending time in the country, and participation in the society. Finally, this study recommends further research with different migrants groups in Sweden to understand the true essence of Swedish citizenship in immigrants' worldview.

This study aims to investigate on the social and cultural integration experiences of Afghan women in Sweden, in terms of their social networks and their socio-cultural practices. In addition, this paper questions where the Afghan women feel belonging to and what factors shape this sense of belonging. For this reason, a qualitative methodology is applied and the data is compiled through semi-structured interviews with ten Afghan women residing in Malmö, Sweden, with using both focus group interviews and individual interviews as the data collecting procedures. The concepts of socio-cultural integration, sense of belonging and social network have been utilized as the theoretical and conceptual frameworks of the study. With regards to social networks, this research intends to investigate on the social interactions of the participants with people of their own ethnic group and also with Swedes. Regarding the socio-cultural practices, the eating habits and the holiday celebration and participation of Afghan women participating in the research are examined as indicators of their cultural integration. The findings of the study reveal that language proficiency is considered as the key factor for socio-cultural integration among the participants. In general, the participants experience different levels of social interactions both with other Afghans and with Swedes. The study also shows that while the participants are committed to the Afghan cultural practices such as eating Afghan foods and celebrating their holidays, they also welcome some of the Swedish cultural practices. In addition, mutual respect has a fundamental place in Afghan women‟s interactions with the host culture and values. Moreover, the participants of this study experience different notions of belonging, and factors such as their family ties, safety, and discrimination vs. acceptance shape their feeling of belonging to both Sweden and Afghanistan. In general, the findings of this study confirm Beg‟s statement (2005) that Afghan women are not a homogenous group, and experience different varieties of socio-cultural integration and different notions of belonging.