This thesis is an application of the theory and method of the comparative world-systems approach to West Polynesia. This study examines the interactions between the archipelagos of Tonga, Fiji, and Samoa during the period between 1770 and 1870, that include the exchange in prestige valuables, military/political interactions, and marriages. Using the nested interaction net model of Chase-Dunn and Hall, this thesis analyzes the interactions in order to determine whether the interactions display systemic properties, that is to say whether the interactions are important in the social reproduction in each of the particular societal units of the region. The archival evidence shows that the region was an indigenous world-system, whereby interactions served to maintain the stability of the system, which then as a result of European involvement in the region resulted in an increase of Tongan political domination, before the entire system was broken up and governed by different colonial powers. / Graduate

Prostitution has recently received increased attention in historical archaeology, but studies pertaining to this topic have been driven by artifacts instead of theory and therefore have been unable to address broader social and economic issues, as is the goal of the field. The approach developed here moves significantly toward this goal in the study of prostitution in the 19th-century mining West.World-systems theory is established as an organizing framework for the study of prostitution in the mining West, a vital internal periphery of the United States and a site of sudden, intense cultural collision due to the expansion of the capitalist world-economy. Prostitution is situated within the context of women's informal labor in peripheries to demonstrate how prostitutes supported formal labor in the mining West and therefore contributed to the maintenance and reproduction of capitalism.The archaeological approach attends to the cultural collision by recognizing gender, ethnicity, and class as active, interacting, and shifting constructions emphasized to assign oneself or others as appropriate to spaces, activities, or interactions and seeking to identify processes of identity formation through manipulated behaviors and symbols. It additionally calls for archaeologists to look at how each construction organized society through the other two.The approach concludes with the development of relevant research questions under the headings of negotiating with and navigating around Victorianism. The former attempt to understand the range of experiences of prostitutes in a way that listens to the "voices" of both prostitutes and Victorians, i.e., through a negotiation, to better realize the personal agency of prostitutes. The latter relate to the labor and economic contributions of prostitutes to the capitalist world-economy, to better recognize and understand their historical agency.Implementation of the approach occurs through its application to recently excavated data from a red-light district in late 19th-century Prescott, Arizona. The results demonstrate that the historical-archaeological study of mining-West prostitution, with the benefit of organizing theory, has excellent potential for providing information on economic processes surrounding an important form of women's labor in a periphery and on social processes that characterized an intercultural-frontier periphery associated with a hegemonic Victorian core.

Syftet med detta examensarbete var att på uppdrag av Skellefteå Kraft AB studera produktionsplanering för regleringsbar vattenkraft och avgöra hur vatten i ett magasin kan värderas. Vidare skulle även en applikation skapas för att kunna beräkna dessa vattenvärden.   Produktionsplanering för vattenkraft visade sig oftast delas upp i tre nivåer, i en lång-, säsong- och korttidsplaneringsdel, där detaljrikedomen i modellbeskrivningarna ökar med minskande tidshorisont. Anledningen till uppdelningen är en följd av att både noggrannhet och långsiktighet önskas, tanken är därmed att låta den högre nivån ge den lägre en långsiktighet den annars saknat. Möjliga kopplingar mellan nivåerna diskuterades, där en priskoppling genom vattenvärden argumenterades för att vara den bästa.   Därefter studerades metoder för vattenvärdeberäkningar och matematiska villkor för optimal produktion, varvid ett eget program i Matlab kunde skrivas. Programmet beräknar vattenvärden vid en enmagasinmodell utifrån tillrinnings- och prisprognoser, där prognoserna tillåts att delas upp i ett valfritt antal scenarion.   Testkörningar av programmet visar att vattenvärdena går ned inför en prognostiserad vårflod, för att på så vis skapa plats åt det inkommande vattnet. Det visas även att vattenvärdenas ISO-kurvor, som markerar var i tid och magasinsnivå ett visst vattenvärde gäller, blir flackare vid större magasin och djupare vid mindre inför den kommande vårfloden. Men även att ISO-kurvorna påverkas av produktionskapaciteten.   Vidare visar testkörningarna att vattenvärdena är starkt kopplade till både tillrinningarnas- och prisprognosernas form och nivå, eftersom att spill vill undvikas samtidigt som produktionen önskas styras till perioder av höga priser.   Innan vattenvärdena från programmet används i praktiken bör ytterligare testkörningar göras för att jämföra ekonomiskt utfall i förhållande till nuvarande arbetssätt. Därför är detta också ett förslag på vidare arbete, tillsammans med en eventuell utvidgning av programmet till en flermagasinsmodell. / The purpose of this master's thesis was to study hydropower production scheduling on behalf of Skellefteå Kraft AB and to determine how water in a reservoir could be priced. Furthermore an application for calculating these water values was to be made.   Hydropower production scheduling was found most often divided into three levels, into a long-, medium- and short-term scheduling part, where the degree of detail increases with decreasing time horizon. The reason for this breakdown into levels are that a high detail in the model descriptions is desired, while still maintaining a good long-term planning. The idea is thus to let the higher level give the lower one an insight for future events it would otherwise lack. Possible couplings between the levels was discussed, where a coupling through price and water values was argued to be the best.   Subsequently methods for water value calculations and mathematical conditions for optimal production was studied, in which an own program in Matlab could be written. The program calculates water values at a single reservoir model by the help of forecasts of future inflow and price, where the forecasts are allowed to be divided into any number of scenarios.   Test runs of the program shows that water levels are reduced before the spring flood, thus to make room for the incoming water. It is also shown that the ISO-curves for the water values, which indicates where in time and reservoir level a certain water value is located, becomes flatter at larger reservoirs and steeper at smaller reservoirs before the incoming spring flood. But also that the ISO-curves are affected by the production capacity.   The test runs further shows that the water values are strongly linked to both the shape and level of the inflow and price forecasts, since it is desired to avoid spill while directing the production to periods of high prices.   Additional runs to compare the economic outcomes relative to current practice should be made before using the water values of the program in practice. Therefore this is also a proposal for further work, along with a possible extension of the program into a multi-reservoir model.

Imaging has revealed that brain activation of verbs with verifiable products (‘throw, kick’) activate language areas as well as the motor cortex responsible for the performance of the action described. An exploratory comparison of eye related verbs with no verifiable products (‘observe’) to mouth related verbs with verifiable products (‘shout’) has revealed a similar activation pattern. Thus in order to further study mental action verbs with no verifiable products, the present two-part study used words that were suitable across two modalities (e.g. you can ‘perceive’ both through vision and audition) and compare them to themselves under differing contexts of auditory and visual verbs so as to eliminate any word characteristics differences, as well as explored the two modalities directly. The primary purpose was to delineate whether associative learning or the mirror systems theory might better account for the acquisition of this unique subclass of verbs. Results suggest that Mirror systems theory more likely accounts for the observed cognitive processing differences between the two verbs. Keywords: Verbs, language, Event-related potentials, abstract, associative learning theory, mirror systems theory.

This dissertation examines the socio-cultural conditions of Japanese society as reflected in factors that induce recent Japanese immigration to Canada. The examination is based on interview research done with six female and six male Japanese immigrants living in Vancouver, who arrived in Canada after the mid-1990s. While previous migration studies emphasized political-economic conditions as the causes of migration flow, the narratives of these interviewees reveal a different migratory pattern that is motivated by spiritual well-being and life values. In order to encapsulate the complexity of contemporary migration flow, the push/pull factors that induced interviewees' emigration are thematically categorized and analyzed within a frame that emphasizes both these factors' interdependence with the interrelationships of Japanese social systems that have swayed the interviewees' decision to emigrate from Japan, and the nature of complexity in Japanese society. Showing the pluralism of these factors, they are categorized into nine themes: 1)physical environment; 2) spiritual enrichment and a stress-reduced life style; 3) socio-cultural constraints; 4) family life; 5) education; 6) age restrictions; 7) gender roles; 8)diversification, and 9) self-actualization. Luhmann's theory of social systems and Foucault's notion of governmentality serve as touchstones for the re-interpretation of the push/pull factors based on the examination of the interrelations among three Japanese social systems of family, education, and employment. The analysis reveals the complexity of the push/pull factors. Moreover, the interviewees' image of a "simple Canada," which also contributes to their decision to immigrate, is explained in terms of the "double complexity" of Japanese society stemming from both the complexity of modern society and the complexity of an amalgam of "modern" and "pre-modern" elements in Japanese society. Through an extensive examination of the correlations between the experiences of contemporary Japanese migrants and Japanese social systems, this study brings new insights to discussions on tensions between human agency and social structure, and the importance of intangible, mental images in the ways people shape their lives.

No description available.

This paper provides an overview on the evolutionary theory of the firm. The specific feature of the evolutionary approach is that it explains the adaptive behaviors of firms through the tension between innovation and selection. It is suggested that the evolutionary theory can provide a useful basis for a theory of the firm which is concerned with change over time and development. (author's abstract) / Series: Working Papers Series "Growth and Employment in Europe: Sustainability and Competitiveness"

The interactions between educators and learners in the classroom have been proved to be pivotal in learners’ academic performance and social interactions. Furthermore, positive interaction impacts on both the educators’ and learners’ emotional wellbeing. With this in mind, this study aimed to explore educators’ experiences of their interactions with learners in the Foundation Phase. The theoretical underpinning of this study, namely community psychology and systems theory states that interaction is a dynamic process between two individuals and that people must always be considered in context, taking into mind their family, community and social environment. This qualitative study used a case study design, utilizing a focus group discussion in two public schools to gather data. Ten female educators participated, six from the one school and four from the other. They were all English speaking and all had been teaching for more than five years. The discussions were directed by one main question, namely: “Tell me about your experiences of the interactions with the learners in your classroom”. Additional probing questions were also utilized. These two schools were chosen as one is well resourced and the other school is underresourced, and so they provide a different perspective on the subject being explored in this study. Thematic analysis was utilized and revealed the following main themes. Firstly, the educators reported being very aware of both the educational and emotional needs of the learners, as well as the impact of the family background on the learners’ behaviour. Furthermore, the experiences of the educators in relation to the learners were mostly negative, reporting often feeling frustrated, hopeless and angry. They did, however, have some positive experiences. As a result of the learners’ needs and their experiences, the educators employed various strategies to meet the identified needs of the learners, to manage the classroom environment and regulate themselves. These findings are considered in the light of international and South African research and found to concur with this literature, in that educators use interaction to achieve the tasks required by the curriculum, to manage classroom discipline and structure and to meet the emotional needs of the learners. Additionally, the difference in the two schools was revealed in the influence of external factors. The educators from the less resourced school experienced much frustration and stress in contending with the learners’ particularly challenging home lives, as well as the inefficiency of the education department, in matters such as assessing learners or placing them correctly, according to their needs. In the light of these findings, the researcher recommends further studies to determine whether what was reported by the educators in this study, can be generalized to all educators in the Foundation Phase. If this is indeed so, educators could be empowered to be more effective in their interactions with the learners in their class, which could, in turn, result in better academic performances for the learners and a more positive experience for the educators. / Thesis (MA (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The interactions between educators and learners in the classroom have been proved to be pivotal in learners’ academic performance and social interactions. Furthermore, positive interaction impacts on both the educators’ and learners’ emotional wellbeing. With this in mind, this study aimed to explore educators’ experiences of their interactions with learners in the Foundation Phase. The theoretical underpinning of this study, namely community psychology and systems theory states that interaction is a dynamic process between two individuals and that people must always be considered in context, taking into mind their family, community and social environment. This qualitative study used a case study design, utilizing a focus group discussion in two public schools to gather data. Ten female educators participated, six from the one school and four from the other. They were all English speaking and all had been teaching for more than five years. The discussions were directed by one main question, namely: “Tell me about your experiences of the interactions with the learners in your classroom”. Additional probing questions were also utilized. These two schools were chosen as one is well resourced and the other school is underresourced, and so they provide a different perspective on the subject being explored in this study. Thematic analysis was utilized and revealed the following main themes. Firstly, the educators reported being very aware of both the educational and emotional needs of the learners, as well as the impact of the family background on the learners’ behaviour. Furthermore, the experiences of the educators in relation to the learners were mostly negative, reporting often feeling frustrated, hopeless and angry. They did, however, have some positive experiences. As a result of the learners’ needs and their experiences, the educators employed various strategies to meet the identified needs of the learners, to manage the classroom environment and regulate themselves. These findings are considered in the light of international and South African research and found to concur with this literature, in that educators use interaction to achieve the tasks required by the curriculum, to manage classroom discipline and structure and to meet the emotional needs of the learners. Additionally, the difference in the two schools was revealed in the influence of external factors. The educators from the less resourced school experienced much frustration and stress in contending with the learners’ particularly challenging home lives, as well as the inefficiency of the education department, in matters such as assessing learners or placing them correctly, according to their needs. In the light of these findings, the researcher recommends further studies to determine whether what was reported by the educators in this study, can be generalized to all educators in the Foundation Phase. If this is indeed so, educators could be empowered to be more effective in their interactions with the learners in their class, which could, in turn, result in better academic performances for the learners and a more positive experience for the educators. / Thesis (MA (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

För att en organisation ska kunna skapas, existera och utvecklas är internkommunikation en grundförutsättning, vilket gör att hela organisationen drabbas om kommunikationen inte fungerar. En god internkommunikation kan lyfta en verksamhet, motivera och öka känslan av delaktighet hos de anställda och generera arbetsglädje och positiv effekt på de anställdas arbetsinsats, vilket i slutänden har stor inverkan på organisationens resultat och framgång. Studien baseras på en kvalitativ undersökning av internkommunikationen ur ett systemteoretiskt perspektiv på ett medelstort bilföretag i södra Sverige. Tio semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts på två olika anläggningar med intervjupersoner från organisationens olika nivåer. Studien syftar till att öka kunskapen kring vilka kommunikationsstrukturer, rutiner och kanaler som skapar bäst förutsättningar för en effektiv internkommunikation med inriktning mot kommunikationen mellan ledning och medarbetare. Resultatet visar att det cirkulerar stora mängder information dagligen i organisationen. De anställda efterfrågade tydligare kommunikationsstrukturer, beskrivningar av kommunikationsansvar samt informationspolicys. Från materialet i intervjuerna framkom även att de anställda föredrar muntlig kommunikation vid komplexa och komplicerade frågor och skriftlig kommunikation föredras vid snabb, tydlig och operativ kommunikation, men att de anställda i vissa fall kunde se fördelar med kombinationen skriftlig och muntligt kommunikation. Resultatet visar även att direktkommunikationen mellan ledningen och medarbetarna på anläggningarna är begränsad, men att de anställda ändå anser att möjligheten till dialog är god.  Slutsatsen är att många av kommunikationsproblemen i den undersökta organisationen beror på otydligheter i organisationsstrukturen vilket bland annat lett till att organisationen inte har någon tydlig kommunikationsstruktur med riktlinjer och informationspolicys. Vidare har vi även kommit fram till slutsatsen att flera av bristerna i informationsflödet delvis kan bero på ledningens sätt att hantera kommunikationen och informationen i den undersökta organisationen. / For an organization to be created, exist and develop, internal communication is a prerequisite, witch leads to the entire organization suffering if the communication fails. A good internal communication can lift an activity, motivate and increase the sense of participation among employees and generate job satisfaction and positive effect on employee job performance, which ultimately has a major impact on the organization's performance and success. The study is based on a qualitative survey of internal communication from a systems theory perspective on a medium sized automotive company in southern Sweden. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted at two different sites with informants from all the organization levels. The study aims to increase knowledge about the communications structures, procedures and channels that creates the best conditions for an effective internal communication with focus on communication between management and employees. The result shows that it circulates large amounts of information daily in the organization. The employees demanded clearer communication structures, descriptions of communication responsibilities and information policies. The material in the interviews also revealed that employees prefer oral communication of complex and complicated issues and written communication is preferred for fast, clear and operational communications, although employees in some cases could see the advantages of the combination of written and oral communication. The results also show that direct communication between management and employees at the facilities are limited, but the employees still believe that the possibilities for dialogue are good. The conclusion is that many of the communication problems in the investigated organization is due to the vagueness of the organizational structure, which has led to that the organization does not have a clear communication structure with guidelines and information policies. Furthermore, we have also come to the conclusion that many of the deficiencies in the information flow may partly reflect management's way of handling the communication and information in the studied organization.