Cette thèse de Doctorat tente d’appréhender l’espace dans l’œuvre d’Edouard Glissant. Pour le chantre du « Tout-Monde », l’espace ne peut se limiter à son île natale, la Martinique. En effet, contrairement à la vision occidentale classique de l’insularité, synonyme d’isolement, ce qui sous-tend et nourrit l’œuvre glissantienne est principalement l’appel des autres terres : non seulement l’archipel caribéen, avec lequel la Martinique partage le même passé esclavagiste et la même géographie accidentée, mais aussi l’ensemble de chaque empan du monde. Loin d’être l’île minuscule, perdue au milieu de l’Atlantique, dans l’ombre du continent américain, la Martinique en devient la préface. Bien plus, dans le sillage du « Tout-Monde », l’île antillaise connaît les mêmes dérives et les mêmes défis. La mer devient, de ce fait, le pont qui relie les terres en même temps qu’il aiguillonne l’imagination. Cette nouvelle perception de la mer est loin d’être une contre-verticale, elle est une nécessité. En raison de la traite et de l’amnésie qui lui est associée, l’histoire des « migrants nus » commence désormais avec le bateau négrier. Tout s’articule autour de cette nouvelle matrice, quand bien même elle serait déniée, où s’origine le chavirement permanent entre souffrance particulière et connaissance de l’Autre. Ainsi, au travers du vertige des mornes, des plantations et de l’ « En-ville », la Martinique apparaît comme un vaisseau fantôme qui garde jalousement ses secrets afin de pouvoir continuer à voguer… / This thesis tries to comprehend the space in the work of Edouard Glissant. For the bard of the “all-world”, the space is not limited to his native island, Martinique. Indeed, contrary to the classical westerner view of the insularity, what underlies and feeds the work of Edouard Glissant is mainly the appeal of lands, which means not only the Caribbean archipelago, but also every place in the world. The Martinique which is supposed to be the tiny island, lost in the middle of the Atlantic and kept in American continent’s shadow, becomes the preface of this one. on top of that, in the wake of the ”all-world”, the west Indian island experience the same drifts and the same challenges. Because of that, the sea becomes the link which gathers lands at the same time as it stimulates the imagination. The new sea’s perception is not a counter-vertical, but it is a necessity. Owing to the slave trade and the amnesia which is associated with, the story of the “naked migrants” begins henceforth with the slave ship. Everything is based on this new matrix, whatever it is denied, and in which the eternal swaying between particular suffering and the other’s knowledge has its roots. Thus, through the vertigo of mountains, plantations and the “in-town”, Martinique seems like a ghost vessel which keeps jealously its secrets in order to continue its voyage.

Salivary cortisol is becoming an effective method with which to quantify cortisol levels, including the ability to track diurnal patterns and acute stress fluctuations. The purpose of this study was to validate salivary cortisol for use in African elephants (Loxodonta Africana), establish baseline cortisol values in three African elephants at Zoo Atlanta and explore the relationship between cortisol and various behaviors and husbandry events. Elephant salivary cortisol was found to be a valid measure based on correlations with serum cortisol and serial dilution results. Salivary cortisol also decreased across the day, but no definitive patterns were revealed. Using baseline values, salivary cortisol was used to examine the effects of enrichment, maintenance and novel training, and a mild stressor. Maintenance training was found to lead to lower cortisol values than novel training. Salivary cortisol after enrichment did not differ from individual overall means. The mild stressor initiated a rise in salivary cortisol. The final focus of this study was to investigate the link between salivary cortisol and stereotypic behavior. Stereotypies are described as repetitive behaviors with little variance and no discernible function or goal. There is not a straightforward relationship between stereotypies and welfare. Analysis of salivary cortisol at various durations into swaying bouts established that swaying appears to decrease cortisol levels. Additionally, behavioral data were collected. Behavioral data confirmed anecdotal reports of circular dominance in these animals. Behavioral data also revealed that although these individuals spend the majority of their time consuming food, one individual in particular devotes a significant amount of her time to swaying, a percentage much higher than that found when Wilson, Bloomsmith, and Maple (2004) examined stereotypic swaying rates in these same animals. Results of this study have direct ramifications for the current management requirements for captive elephants around the world. It helps tap into aspects of psychological well being of captive elephants to elucidate factors influencing welfare and stereotypic behavior. Research of this nature is a critical endeavor if we are to appropriately manage these magnificent animals in captivity.