This dissertation of limited scope traces the attempts by Gorbachev (1985-1991) to reform an economic, political and social system which was in a state of terminal decline. The origins of its demise, it is argued, lay in the ossified command economy inherited from Stalin. The enormous damage inflicted on Soviet agriculture during collectivisation in the 1930s~ when millions of productive peasants died, proved to be a fatal blow to that sector. Tlms, Gorbachev followed a two-fold strategy ofrefonn. Glasnost (openness) was introduced to allow constructive debate on economic and social matters. Despite a hesitant beginning, the right to criticise allowed the emergence of more radical campaigners, such as Yeltsin who demanded greater democracy. Significantly, the revival of ethnic nationalist demands in the republics led to disintegration. Perestroika (restructuring) was intended to modernise and boost living standards. The economy faltered but the market was not yet in place / History / M.A. (History)

Doctorat en philosophie et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

The presence of human destitution, impoverishment and degradation in the midst of plenty has puzzled social thinkers for millennia. One of the oldest and grandest of theories: the theory of ideology attempts to provide an answer to the puzzle of domination in society. Michael Rosen, in his book On Voluntary Servitude (1996), argues that the solution provided by the theory of ideology is problematic. Furthermore, on the basis of his critique, Rosen argues that we should abandon the theory of ideology and consider alternatives to it. Even though many contemporary academics have turned away from the theory of ideology, because they view it as an imprisoning meta-theory, this study explores the possibility of there being a meta-theory that could help us to make sense of the world. Through an examination of Rosen's critique this thesis shows that Rosen is too quick in his dismissal of the theory of ideology because he fails to consider that a revised functionalist theory of ideology can be expanded to account for the mechanism(s) that ensure that, over time, the society in question acquires ideological consciousness to further its welfare. This thesis shows that Rosen is correct in his criticism of the theory of ideology's explanation of domination because the content, history and social effects of ideological consciousness cannot be fully explained in terms of their role in promoting or stabilising relations of domination. In light of Rosen's criticism the thesis shows that if one provides both an explanation of the psychological motivations of individuals and of the nature of the oppressive society in which they find themselves then what I call an integrated theory of ideology can be developed. In order to illustrate the importance of an integrated theory of ideology the study moves away from high-level theoretical abstraction to concrete social analyses, focusing on the work of Frantz Fanon and Steve Biko and their explanations of domination. The reason this study focuses on their work is because in their role as social scientists, Fanon and Biko provided a powerful critique of colonial, post-colonial and neo-colonial society. It will be argued that Fanon and Biko were able to provide a lasting critique of colonial reality because they offered their critique within the framework of such an integrated theory. Consequently, this study argues that, as Fanon and Biko's work illustrate, an integrated theory of ideology qua critical theory ought not to be abandoned because it is crucial for understanding and resisting forms of oppression that exist in the world today.

Doctorat en philosophie et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Doctorat en philosophie et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Doctorat en philosophie et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Doctorat en philosophie et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

The environment in which higher education institutions operate is changing, and these changes are impacting on all aspects of higher education, including postgraduate levels. Changes wrought by globalisation, heralded by rapid advances in technology have inaugurated a new era in which there are long term consequences for higher education. The shift towards more quantitative and measurable "outputs" signifies a fundamental change in the educational ethos in institutions. Effectiveness is now judged primarily on numbers of graduates and publications rather than on other aspects. The drive is to produce a highly educated population, especially through increasing postgraduates who can drive national innovation and improve national economies. This affects academics in a range of ways, not least in the ways in which they engage in teaching, what they are willing to do and how they do it. Such changes influence the kinds of research done, the structures and funding which support research, and thus naturally shapes the kinds of postgraduate programmes and teaching that occurs. This study, situated in the field of Higher Education Studies, adopting a critical realist stance and drawing on the social theory of Margaret Archer and the concepts of expert and novice, explores the experiences of postgraduate supervisors from one South African institution across a range of disciplines. Individual experiences at the level of the Empirical and embodied in practice at the level of the Actual allow for the identification of possible mechanisms at the level of the Real which structure the sector. The research design then allows for an exploration across mezzo, macro and micro levels. Individuals outline their own particular situations, identifying a number of elements which enabled or constrained them and how, in exercising their agency, they develop their strategies for supervision drawing on a range of different resources that they identify and that may be available to them. Student characteristics, discipline status and placement, funding, and the emergent policy environment are all identified as influencing their practice. In some instances supervisors recognise the broader influences on the system that involve them in their undertaking, noting the international trends. Through their narratives and the discourses they engage a number of contradictions that have developed in the system with growing neo-liberal trends and vocationalism highlighting tensions between academic freedom and autonomy, and demands for productivity, efficiency and compliance, and between an educational focus and a training bias in particular along with others. Especially notable is how this contributes to the current ideologies surrounding knowledge and knowledge production. Their individual interests and concerns, and emergent academic identities as they take shape over time, also modifies the process and how individual supervisors influence their own environments in agentic moves becomes apparent. Whilst often individuals highlight the lack of support especially in the early phases of supervision, the emergent policy-constrained environment is also seen as curtailing possibilities and especially in limiting the possibilities for the exercise of agency. Whilst the study has some limitations in the range and number of respondents nevertheless the data provided rich evidence of how individual supervisors are affected, and how they respond in varied conditions. What is highlighted through these experiences are ways pressures are increasing for both supervisors and students and changing how they engage. Concerns in particular are raised about the growing functional and instrumental nature of the process with an emphasis on the effects on the kinds of researchers being developed and the knowledge that is therefore being produced. As costs increase for academics through the environments developed and with the varied roles they take on so they become more selective and reluctant to expand the role. This research has provided insights into ideas, beliefs and values relating to the postgraduate sector and to the process of postgraduate supervision and how it occurs. This includes the structures and cultural conditions that enable or constrain practitioners as they develop in the role in this particular institution. It has explored some of the ways that mechanisms at international, national and institutional levels shape the role and practices of supervisors. The effects of mechanisms are in no way a given or simply understood. In this way the research may contribute to more emancipatory knowledge which could be used in planning and deciding on emergent policies and practices which might create a more supportive and creative postgraduate environment.

Orientador: Luzia Margareth Rago / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T09:14:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Pelegrini_MauricioAparecido_M.pdf: 22722884 bytes, checksum: e69445ee0b8d2e8f0af87988fd62244d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: Em 1978, Michel Foucault escreveu uma série de artigos jornalísticos para o periódico italiano "Corriere della Sera". Intituladas "reportagens de ideias", tinham como objetivo acompanhar o nascimento das ideias no cruzamento com os acontecimentos do tempo presente. No âmbito deste projeto, realizou duas viagens ao Irã (em setembro e novembro), onde acompanhou de perto a movimentação popular durante os eventos da Revolução Islâmica. Para compreender as raízes da oposição ao governo do xá Reza Pahlavi em seus diversos locais de manifestação, Foucault não se restringiu a conversar com os líderes revolucionários, mas entrevistou diferentes categorias de manifestantes, desde os trabalhadores organizados até os profissionais liberais e intelectualizados, passando pelos diversos níveis de organizações religiosas espalhadas pelo país, dos mulás líderes tribais aos aiatolás das grandes cidades de Qom e Teerã. O que lhe interessava era assistir ao nascimento de uma nova forma de pensar entre os iranianos, e isto só seria possível se ele estivesse lá, em meio ao fervilhar revolucionário. O conjunto de textos, que compreende também artigos, manifestos e entrevistas publicados na imprensa francesa, foi objeto de enorme polêmica, principalmente devido aos desdobramentos posteriores à revolução, com a instauração de uma ditadura teocrática de caráter persecutório às minorias e aos direitos humanos, e permaneceram até hoje pouco explorados teoricamente. Esta dissertação pretende analisar as reportagens iranianas de Foucault a partir de sua construção textual, dos conceitos introduzidos e das diversas interpretações que as cercam. Estrutura-se, assim, em três eixos: o primeiro tem o objetivo de recuperar a trama conceitual interna às reportagens; o segundo, analisar as críticas recebidas e seu contexto teórico; o terceiro, apresentar a espiritualidade política como principal inovação introduzida no corpus teórico foucaultiano. Pretende-se destacar, ainda, ressonâncias dos textos iranianos em outras questões elaboradas por Foucault / Abstract: In 1978 Michel Foucault wrote a series of news articles for the Italian newspaper "Corriere della Sera". Called "journalism of ideas", the articles had the purpose of following the birth of ideas upon its crossing with present times¿ events. Within the scope of this project, he made two trips to Iran (in September and November), where he followed up close the popular movement during the events of the Islamic Revolution. In order to grasp the roots of the opposition to the Shah Reza Pahlavi government in its several places of manifestation, Foucault did not restrain himself to talking to revolutionary leaders but rather also interviewed different categories of protestors, from organized workers to independent and intellectualized professionals, going through the several level of religious organizations spread out through the country, from mullah tribal leaders to Ayatollahs of the large cities of Qom and Tehran. Foucault was interested in witnessing the birth of a new form of thinking among Iranians and it would only be possible if he would be there present, amidst the revolutionary effervescence. The set of texts, which comprises also articles, manifestos and interviews published by the French press was object of great polemic, mainly due to the unfolding of events following the revolution, with the instauration of a theocratic dictatorship having a persecutory nature against minorities and human rights, and remaining until nowadays not much theoretically explored. This dissertation has the purpose of analyzing the Iranian reportages by Foucault from its textual construction, of concepts introduced and several interpretations surrounding them. Therefore, this paper is structured in three axis, the first having the purpose of retrieving the internal conceptual scheme of the reportages; the second being the analysis of criticism received and its theoretical context; the third being to present the political spirituality as the main innovation introduced to Foucault¿s theoretical framework. It is intended to emphasize yet the resonances of the Iranian texts in other issues elaborated by Foucault / Mestrado / Historia Cultural / Mestre em História

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of the warrior-hero ideal as it evolves in Shakespeare's English and Roman plays, and its ultimate failure as a standard for exemplary conduct. What this study demonstrates is that the ideal of kingship that is developed in the English histories, especially in the Second Tetralogy, and which reaches its zenith in Henry V, is quite literally overturned in three Roman plays--Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, and Coriolanus. The method of determining this difference is a detailed analysis of these groups of plays. This analysis utilizes the body of Shakespearean criticism in order to note the almost total silence on what this study shows to be Shakespeare's growing disillusionment with the hero-king ideal and his final portrait of this ideal as a failure. It is the main conclusion of this study that in certain plays, and most particularly in the Roman plays, Shakespeare demonstrates a consciousness of something more valuable than political expediency and political legality. Indeed, the tragedy of these political heroes lies precisely in their allegiance to the standard of conduct of the soldier-king. Brutus, Antony, and Coriolanus, among others, suffer defeat in their striving to capture a higher reality. This investigation demonstrates that the concept of honor has lost its value in the social matrix of political machinations.