Fiji has been noted for its problems with racial tensions. Previous analyses have focused on the role of the Fijian elite in propagating racial tensions against the Indo-Fijian community. Therefore, this thesis endeavoured to find out, how do ordinary Fijians feel about ethno-nationalism? Are they active players in spreading such sentiments? The study placed increased focus on eastern Fijians, given that their elite had their power entrenched at Cession. This examination found that while stereotypes and biases that are ethno-nationalistic in nature do exist, eastern Fijians want other challenges to be addressed. More specifically, poverty and gender issues are two concerns requiring attention. Modernization has increased poverty, as many Fijians lack the skills to access better paying jobs. The Fijian culture plays a big role here, as it encourages ordinary Fijians to view education suspiciously. Furthermore, cultural emphasis on rank and patriarchy makes Fijians, including women, subservient to those with higher status. This means that problems such as violence against women are prevalent. NGOs are involved in trying to address these concerns, although with limited success. NGOs and ordinary Fijians conflict in how best to deal with poverty. NGOs argue that changes at the political level will help decrease poverty. On the other hand, the Fijian grassroots want direct measures to help them overcome their plight. With gender issues, womens NGOs are more successful, as their work also gives direct attention to Fijian women. This is highlighted by the fact that more Fijian women are speaking out against their plight. This study is significant because it shows that ordinary Fijians are not active players in the promotion of ethno-nationalism. Instead, other actors, such as the Fijian elite and NGOs, are involved in ethno-nationalistic disputes.

Fiji has been noted for its problems with racial tensions. Previous analyses have focused on the role of the Fijian elite in propagating racial tensions against the Indo-Fijian community. Therefore, this thesis endeavoured to find out, how do ordinary Fijians feel about ethno-nationalism? Are they active players in spreading such sentiments? The study placed increased focus on eastern Fijians, given that their elite had their power entrenched at Cession. This examination found that while stereotypes and biases that are ethno-nationalistic in nature do exist, eastern Fijians want other challenges to be addressed. More specifically, poverty and gender issues are two concerns requiring attention. Modernization has increased poverty, as many Fijians lack the skills to access better paying jobs. The Fijian culture plays a big role here, as it encourages ordinary Fijians to view education suspiciously. Furthermore, cultural emphasis on rank and patriarchy makes Fijians, including women, subservient to those with higher status. This means that problems such as violence against women are prevalent. NGOs are involved in trying to address these concerns, although with limited success. NGOs and ordinary Fijians conflict in how best to deal with poverty. NGOs argue that changes at the political level will help decrease poverty. On the other hand, the Fijian grassroots want direct measures to help them overcome their plight. With gender issues, womens NGOs are more successful, as their work also gives direct attention to Fijian women. This is highlighted by the fact that more Fijian women are speaking out against their plight. This study is significant because it shows that ordinary Fijians are not active players in the promotion of ethno-nationalism. Instead, other actors, such as the Fijian elite and NGOs, are involved in ethno-nationalistic disputes.

A truss spar, named as 'Constitution' was installed in Gulf of Mexico located at 90.58' 4.8" West Longitude and 27.17'31.9" North Latitude. Since its installation in October 2006, it has weathered multiple hurricanes. After the installation, British Maritime Technology (BMT) installed an Environmental Platform Response Monitoring System (EPRMS). The EPRMS is an integrated system collecting myriad of data that include the significant wave height and peak period of waves, the magnitude and direction of current and wind in the vicinity of the truss spar, its six-degree of freedom (6-D) motions, and tensions in its mooring lines and Top-Tension Risers. With the permission from Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC), these data are available to the Ocean Engineering Program at Texas A&M University (TAMU). In this study, the coupled dynamic analysis of the spar interacting with the mooring and riser systems will be performed using a numerical code, named as 'COUPLE'. 'COUPLE' was developed and is continuously expanded and improved by his former and current graduate students and Professor Jun Zhang at TAMU for the computation of the interaction between a floating structure and its mooring line/riser/tendon system in time domain. The main purpose of this study is to exam the accuracy and efficiency of 'COUPLE' in computing offshore structure motions and mooring line tensions and discuss the main issues of the computation. The numerical results will be compared with the corresponding ones obtained using another commercial software, 'Orcaflex', and the corresponding field measurement during Hurricane Ike which occurred on 12th September of 2008 and a winter storm on 9th November of 2009. The satisfactory agreement between the numerical prediction made using 'COUPLE' and field measurement are observed and presented. The results of the comparisons between 'COUPLE' with 'Orcaflex' and field measurements in this study have verified the accuracy and efficiency of 'COUPLE' in computing offshore structure motions and mooring line tensions due to its nonlinear hybrid wave model which could better estimate the second-order difference-frequency wave loading.

No description available.

This thesis investigates the factors associated with provision of education for children with autism spectrum disorders. The child is at the centre of this investigation, as the issues and constraints clearly impact on the quality of the provision delivered. Educational provision for children with autism also affects families and social agencies. The family is usually first to recognise that their child is not developing as he or she should. Typically, a diagnosis of autism or autistic spectrum disorder leads the family to the LEA in an effort to get the child's educational needs met within a school setting. Improvement in educational provision for children can only be obtained when it is based on research in this area. This is especially true for the case of children diagnosed with autism, as research is limited. What research does exist focuses on specific methodologies or proposed causes, and does not explore the effects that appropriate provision has on a child. To aid this thesis, systems theory has been employed to explore the tensions and dilemmas that exist. This ecosystemic approach is useful when teasing apart the influences both proximal and distal that benefit the child's educational experience. These influences can come from the school, home, LEA or the interactions between and among these partners. This study will examine these influences. Through the use of a case study, the researcher observed a school during its day-to-day implementation of educational provision. In addition, the views of an LEA and parents were sought through the use of interviews and a survey. The main research findings showed several factors as having influence on the child in regards to educational provision. Investigation into a school showed the difficulties associated with putting provision into practice. When faced with severe staffing shortages, absence of active leadership,, and extreme behavioural problems of the children, teaching activity was thwarted. Survey results revealed the difficulties faced by parents in securing provision. Parents reported high levels of stress that this research correlated to longer waiting times, late diagnosis, type of provision, and guidance from specialists. Significant also, was the finding that survey parents reported a statistically significant decrease in the age of diagnosis of the children. Significant findings revealed through LEA interviews found that although striving to work with families, efforts were frustrated by increasing numbers of children, limitations on the number of children accepted into favoured placements, and parental self imposed restrictions on placement choice. Lastly, this research proposed several key suggestions based on the literature review and the research undertaken to improve and promote best practice in the agreement, allocation and enactment of educational provision.

Horizontal relationships between subsidiaries within an MNC are rarely shown on an organisation chart but the interactions along this dimension are critical to the achievement of an MNC’s global operations and strategic activities. Different interaction logics of social relationships and economic exchanges in horizontal relationships induce simultaneous competition and collaboration between the subsidiaries. Collaboration and competition is a business reality in inter-subsidiary relationships as they collaborate to share resources and knowledge, but ultimately compete for resources, customers and profits. While much research has focused on the effects of internal collaboration, and to a lesser extent internal competition, on organisational performance, little is known about the antecedents of competition and collaboration and the interplay of simultaneously occurring interactions. By focusing on one or the other, any understanding of the inherent tensions between the two is overlooked. This research explores the coopetitive nature of the inter-subsidiary relationship using a qualitative approach within three MNCs, where internal competition and collaboration are more salient. Data were gathered from 98 semi-structured interviews with top and senior management, top management focus groups and a body of secondary data including internal reports, policy documents and external publications, among others, has been referenced. The study makes three key contributions. First, by extending Luo’s (2005) theoretical model of intra-MNE coopetition, the study identifies additional respective antecedents of competition and collaboration. Second, the study locates inherent tensions arising from inter-subsidiary coopetition and explicates how the tensions are managed by the HQ and subsidiaries using spatial, balancing and assessing mechanisms and specific interventions. Third, the study offers an empirically-based model of inter-subsidiary coopetition with a more dynamic and temporal set of multiple relationships among the subsidiaries within the MNCs. Management implications include that senior management teams be aware of the opportunities and constraints of promoting a culture of collaboration while simultaneously fostering inter-subsidiary competition through internal accounting policies and incentive systems, and that the capability of senior managers to work effectively within dual organisational structures be developed and incorporated into executive development programmes.

No description available.

No description available.

For this research, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with primary caregivers that have adult children with disabilities. These interviews explored the lived experience of caregiving of primary caregivers. Three main themes surrounding care were found, all falling within the larger context of tensions in care. The first theme captures tensions in policy that promote empowerment but also produce disablement. Second, tensions exist between service agencies and lived experience of care. Lastly, tensions exist between were between the burdens and rewards of caregiving. It is these three themes and tensions that impact caregiving experiences at a personal level with the participants. These tensions are explored at a qualitative level and are illuminated by the lived experiences of the participants. Through this research the complex and understudied world of disability and care are explored. This research has implications for future policy development of support services for families that have an adult child with developmental disabilities. Further, these tensions illuminate the complex world of caregiving for those with disabilities in a way that examines life course impacts on caregivers themselves. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.