No amplo domínio da discussão historiográfica que cobre o tema da população livre de cor ou dos pobres livres, o trabalho se propõe a discutir a inserção social de indivíduos oriundos de setores populares na primeira metade do século XIX na Bahia, debruçando-se especialmente sobre a experiência de homens e mulheres de cor preta, livres ou libertos, nascidos na América, responsáveis por fundar e transformar experiências de mutualismo popular na Bahia do século XIX. A investigação se concentra nas conexões entre as tradições religiosa e secular da ajuda mútua popular promovida por negros no Brasil, por meio da ênfase no estudo das decisões e dos modelos institucionais adotados por integrantes de uma irmandade de pretos fundada em 1832 e de uma sociedade mutual de cor (1851). Saída de uma dissidência entre os irmãos, a Sociedade Protetora dos Desvalidos foi, até onde se sabe, a única mutual autorizada a funcionar oficialmente como uma sociedade de cor, num período de não reconhecimento, e de repressão, da identidade racial de pretos pelo Estado brasileiro. / This thesis aims to discuss the experience of free colour people in Bahia nineteenth century, on the vast theme of popular social mobility that recent historians have been facing in Brazilian historiography. These individuals were black, american born, free or freed men and women, and they helped to create and to change patterns of popular mutual aid in Bahia nineteenth century. This research focuses on connexions between religious and secular traditions of mutual aid of black individual associations by analysing institutional models and strategic decisions made by the members of a black lay sodality founded in 1832 and of a black mutual society, created in 1851. The Sociedade Protetora dos Desvalidos (1851) resulted from a dissidence within the sodality and it was the sole mutual black association officially authorized by the government within an age when black racial identity was not likely to be recognized by Brazilian state.

No amplo domínio da discussão historiográfica que cobre o tema da população livre de cor ou dos pobres livres, o trabalho se propõe a discutir a inserção social de indivíduos oriundos de setores populares na primeira metade do século XIX na Bahia, debruçando-se especialmente sobre a experiência de homens e mulheres de cor preta, livres ou libertos, nascidos na América, responsáveis por fundar e transformar experiências de mutualismo popular na Bahia do século XIX. A investigação se concentra nas conexões entre as tradições religiosa e secular da ajuda mútua popular promovida por negros no Brasil, por meio da ênfase no estudo das decisões e dos modelos institucionais adotados por integrantes de uma irmandade de pretos fundada em 1832 e de uma sociedade mutual de cor (1851). Saída de uma dissidência entre os irmãos, a Sociedade Protetora dos Desvalidos foi, até onde se sabe, a única mutual autorizada a funcionar oficialmente como uma sociedade de cor, num período de não reconhecimento, e de repressão, da identidade racial de pretos pelo Estado brasileiro. / This thesis aims to discuss the experience of free colour people in Bahia nineteenth century, on the vast theme of popular social mobility that recent historians have been facing in Brazilian historiography. These individuals were black, american born, free or freed men and women, and they helped to create and to change patterns of popular mutual aid in Bahia nineteenth century. This research focuses on connexions between religious and secular traditions of mutual aid of black individual associations by analysing institutional models and strategic decisions made by the members of a black lay sodality founded in 1832 and of a black mutual society, created in 1851. The Sociedade Protetora dos Desvalidos (1851) resulted from a dissidence within the sodality and it was the sole mutual black association officially authorized by the government within an age when black racial identity was not likely to be recognized by Brazilian state.

Current approaches to post-war state reconstruction are primarily dominated by the liberal peace thesis. These approaches tend to ignore the indigenous institutions, societal resources and cultural agencies of post-conflict societies, although such entities are rooted in the sociological, historical, political and environmental realities of these societies. Such universalised and 'best practice' approaches, more often than not, tend to reproduce artificial states. The Poro and Sande are the largest indigenous sodality institutions in the 'hinterlands' - a pejorative term attributed to rural Liberia and Sierra Leone. Both the Poro and Sande exercise spiritual, political, economic and social authority. In this thesis, I use critical realism and the case study approach to investigate: a) the extent to which the liberal peace practitioners who are leading state reconstruction in Liberia and Sierra Leone recognised the role and potential utility of the Poro and Sande institutions; b) the extent to which the Poro and Sande were engaged; and c) the implications for the quality and viability of the reconstructed states. This evidence-based research suggests that the liberal peace project sidelined indigenous institutions, including the Poro and Sande, in the post-war recovery and rebuilding exercises. The disregard for indigenous and emerging resources in the context of state reconstruction in Liberia and Sierra Leone has contributed to the resurgence of 19th century counter-hegemonic resistance from the sodality-governed interior of both countries. At the same time, the reconstructed states are drifting back towards their pre-war status quo. Authority structures remain fragmented, kleptocracy is being restored, webs of militarised patronage networks are being emboldened, and spaces for constructive dialogues are shrinking. This thesis underscores the need for indigenisation as a complementary strategy to help reverse the deterioration, and to maximise gains from massive investments in peacebuilding.

The old anthropological question of the comparison between an archaic or traditional commercial law on one hand and a modern commercial law on the other is revisited using a conceptualization of an empirical study of legal comparisons performed within the real decision-making processes at work in the current Czech justice system. Commercial law is represented by a single legal institution - the law of reciprocity (comitas gentium) - which regulates the cooperation between various legal authorities and legal systems potentially entangled in cross-border commercial disputes. The reader is first introduced to the context and evidence-dependency of any legal comparison ranging from the representation of law and feud in Yemen at an asylum trial, to the legal systems regulating exchange contracts in Afghanistan involving cross-border disputes. The idea of comparing legal systems as two autonomous social units is abandoned in favor of the study of the comparative practices of a small population of Czech legal authorities, which furnishes readers with plenty of questions about the social organization of legal cognition. The dissertation refrains from drawing final conclusions using legal comparisons, instead it focuses on the limitations and barriers of marshalling evidence (symbolic representations) of...

The old anthropological question of the comparison between an archaic or traditional commercial law on one hand and a modern commercial law on the other is revisited using a conceptualization of an empirical study of legal comparisons performed within the real decision-making processes at work in the current Czech justice system. Commercial law is represented by a single legal institution - the law of reciprocity (comitas gentium) - which regulates the cooperation between various legal authorities and legal systems potentially entangled in cross-border commercial disputes. The reader is first introduced to the context and evidence-dependency of any legal comparison ranging from the representation of law and feud in Yemen at an asylum trial, to the legal systems regulating exchange contracts in Afghanistan involving cross-border disputes. The idea of comparing legal systems as two autonomous social units is abandoned in favor of the study of the comparative practices of a small population of Czech legal authorities, which furnishes readers with plenty of questions about the social organization of legal cognition. The dissertation refrains from drawing final conclusions using legal comparisons, instead it focuses on the limitations and barriers of marshalling evidence (symbolic representations) of...

Current approaches to post-war state reconstruction are primarily dominated by the liberal peace thesis. These approaches tend to ignore the indigenous institutions, societal resources and cultural agencies of post-conflict societies, although such entities are rooted in the sociological, historical, political and environmental realities of these societies. Such universalised and `best practice¿ approaches, more often than not, tend to reproduce artificial states. The Poro and Sande are the largest indigenous sodality institutions in the `hinterlands¿¿a pejorative term attributed to rural Liberia and Sierra Leone. Both the Poro and Sande exercise spiritual, political, economic and social authority. In this thesis, I use critical realism and the case study approach to investigate: a) the extent to which the liberal peace practitioners who are leading state reconstruction in Liberia and Sierra Leone recognised the role and potential utility of the Poro and Sande institutions; b) the extent to which the Poro and Sande were engaged; and c) the implications for the quality and viability of the reconstructed states. This evidence-based research suggests that the liberal peace project sidelined indigenous institutions, including the Poro and Sande, in the post-war recovery and rebuilding exercises. The disregard for indigenous and emerging resources in the context of state reconstruction in Liberia and Sierra Leone has contributed to the resurgence of 19th century counter-hegemonic resistance from the sodality-governed interior of both countries. At the same time, the reconstructed states are drifting back towards their pre-war status quo. Authority structures remain fragmented, kleptocracy is being restored, webs of militarised patronage networks are being emboldened, and spaces for constructive dialogues are shrinking. This thesis underscores the need for indigenisation as a complementary strategy to help reverse the deterioration, and to maximise gains from massive investments in peacebuilding.

Individuals and organisations follow a general developmental cycle, that begins with birth, and progresses through growth, maturity, decline and death. While individuals necessarily die after a period of years, organisations may continue through many generations, though they too may die. Once an organisation reaches maturity, it tends toward decline, for sin has corrupted not only men, but all creation (Rms. 8:21-22). Though all things tend toward decay and death, they can be revitalised, for such is the power of God's grace. Like all organisations, the church can become ineffective. Many prefer abandoning the old organisation and starting a new work. Revitalisation may be the better solution, though it is certainly the greater challenge. This project considers the organisational life cycle biblically, historically and contemporarily. It considers how the church grows, and what keeps it from growing. It also considers the merits of creating `new wineskins,' versus revitalising old ones. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

Individuals and organisations follow a general developmental cycle, that begins with birth, and progresses through growth, maturity, decline and death. While individuals necessarily die after a period of years, organisations may continue through many generations, though they too may die. Once an organisation reaches maturity, it tends toward decline, for sin has corrupted not only men, but all creation (Rms. 8:21-22). Though all things tend toward decay and death, they can be revitalised, for such is the power of God's grace. Like all organisations, the church can become ineffective. Many prefer abandoning the old organisation and starting a new work. Revitalisation may be the better solution, though it is certainly the greater challenge. This project considers the organisational life cycle biblically, historically and contemporarily. It considers how the church grows, and what keeps it from growing. It also considers the merits of creating `new wineskins,' versus revitalising old ones. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M.Th. (Missiology)

The aim of the thesis is to describe and analyze the function of the Jesuit order in the royal city of Jihlava in the years 1625-1682 with special focus on the question how the Jesuit college managed to anchor itself in an environment that was mostly Lutheran for almost a century. The thesis is based on sources of both municipal and Jesuit provenance - i.e. mostly of Latin and German provenance, stored dominantly in the Moravian Land Archive in Brno and in the funds of the State District Archive in Jihlava. Thus, the thesis expands the topic of an already defended bachelor thesis, which focused on the establishment and institutional security of the Jesuit college in the context of the political and religious development of Moravia. The thesis thoroughly describes the relationship between the royal city and its burghers and the Jesuit college. From the viewpoint of the burghers, I follow the relationship on a study of pious gifts given to the Jesuit college by the burghers on ground of their testaments. This allows determining the level of attention paid to the Jesuit college by the burghers and whether they preferred it to other church institutions in the city. The next chapter offers an insight into the interaction on ground of the educational activities of the Jesuit order - it ascertains the...