This thesis paper set out to investigate the research puzzle of why some nonviolent conflicts lead to democratisation while others do not, as well as what explains this variation. A time series, cross-case comparison between the Arab Spring revolutions of Tunisia and Egypt was conducted exploring the link between organisational structure of prominent organisations participating in the movement and the success or failure of the countries’ later democratisation efforts. The hypothesis formulated claims that formal organisational structures are more likely to lead to successful democratisation. After the empirical material was collected, the results of the analysis lead to the conclusion that there is a link between organisational structure and successful or failed democratisation via the mediating variables of clear leadership and the presence of durable organisations. Afterwards, the limitations of the study are discussed. To strengthen the existing body of literature, potential avenues for future research are presented.

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The Jasmin Revolution in Tunisia began at the end of 2010. Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest against the corrupt police officials that had forced him to pay bribes in order to run his business. His protest became the symbol for the revolution that followed. A combination of political instabilities along with an economic downturn that lead to unemployment created dissatisfaction among the people in Tunisia. The Protest grew into a revolution that demanded action against the widespread unemployment, lack of democracy and human rights. A democratization process started after the revolution because of the protests. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse how Tunisia developed a democratic system of governance, if the notion of human rights has changed since the democratization process started and to analyse the relationship between human rights and democracy within the case of Tunisia. Three democratization theories, are applied to this case on Tunisia in order to answer these questions. The theorists are Robert A. Dahl with a theory of constitutionalism and institutionalism, Chantal Mouffe with a theory of agonistic pluralism and Seyla Benhabib with a theory of deliberative democracy.  The three theorists have different opinions regarding democracy and democratization processes but they all agree that the modern notion of democracy is of liberal character and that inclusion and that equality is important for a democracy. This thesis shows that the democratization of Tunisia’s governance could arise because the process had a relatively liberal agenda, which is perceived through the theories as the modern concept of democracy. The three theories require inclusion and equality for a transition to be democratic. Tunisia has included the citizens in the work of establishing a better relationship between the state and citizens but also when drafting the new constitution after the revolution. The actions taken by Tunisia are compatible with the theories, and maybe an explanation to the democratization process. The relationship between democracy and human rights is important when discussing the democratization of Tunisia. The revolution demanded democracy and human rights, something that the state could not deny. In order to honour the revolution and its demands the government in Tunisia tried to incorporate human rights into the democratic work, linking the relationship between democracy and human rights. Therefore, it can be viewed as a liberal democratization process. This thesis proves that Tunisia is not a democracy, but the process after the revolution is still remarkable and one day I can only hope that the process will be complete.

This thesis seeks to explore the social, cultural, economic and political factors that influence female labor force participation rates. Specifically, this research will focus on female economic activity in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. MENA is often understood as being monolithic in its treatment of women. This study aims to challenge this rhetoric by evaluating the factors that impact female labor in MENA. Upon considering multiple social, cultural, economic and political factors, this thesis will focus on the role of oil and religion in influencing female labor rates. Finally, this study will explore these influences on a micro-level and the role of oil and religion will be examined as to how they apply to female economic activity in both Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.

L'objectif de cette thèse est le développement d'un vaccin recombinant capripoxvirus protégeant contre la variole des ruminants, la Fièvre de la Vallée du Rift (FVR) et la Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) comme modèle vaccinal destiné aux pays atteints par ces infections. Une première partie de ce travail a consisté en une enquête sérologique en Tunisie pour évaluer les prévalences PPR et FVR. L'enquête menée a montré une séroprévalence PPR de 7,6% et l'absence de FVR. Le risque lié à une infection par le virus de la fièvre de la vallée du Rift n'est pas nul en raison de l'identification des vecteurs compétents Culex theileri et Culex pipiens dans les zones échantillonnées. L'élaboration du vaccin capripoxvirus FVR-PPR porte sur l'expression des gènes NSmGN-FVR et H-PPR où chacune des valences est insérée dans le site de la thymidine kinase et le site d'un analogue du récepteur à l'interleukine 8 respectivement. Le vecteur choisi pour la souche vaccinale Kenya Sheeppox-1. Bien que nos travaux aient conduit à l'obtention du capripoxvirus double recombinant, ce dernier n'a pu être purifié. L'alternative a donc été d'évaluer l'effet protecteur et l'immunogénicité induits par le simple recombinant capripoxvirus- NSmGN-FVR, qui est un produit de l'étape intermédiaire dans l'élaboration du double recombinant FVR-PPR. L'effet protecteur de notre construction a été validé par deux expérimentations chez des souris Mus m. musculus MBT/Pas, avec épreuve infectieuse. Le nombre de doses administrées, les voies d'administration ont été déterminants dans cette protection justifiée par l'obtention d'anticorps neutralisants anti-FVR. L'étude de l'immunogénicité a été réalisée sur un modèle caprin sans épreuve infectieuse, une séroconversion FVR a été observée. La lymphoprolifération et le typage des sous populations lymphocytaires ont été analysés. / The aim of this thesis was to develop a capripoxvirus based recombinant vaccine against ruminant pox, Rift Valley fever (RVF) and peste des petits ruminants (PPR) considered as a vaccine model for countries affected by these infections. The first part of the work consisted in a serological survey conducted in Tunisia to detect the PPR and RVF presence. A PPR seroprevalence of 7.6% has been found and no antibodies against RVF were detected. However, the risk of infection with rift valley fever virus persists since competent vectors such as Culex pipiens and Culex theileri has been identified in the sampled areas. The development of the RVF-PPR vaccine candidate is based on the NSmGN-FVR and H-PPR gene expression - where each of the genes is inserted into the thymidine kinase and the Interleukin 8 receptor analogue genes, respectively. The vector chosen is the vaccine strain Sheeppox Kenya-1. Although the double recombinant RVF-PPR has been produced, it could not be purified. The alternative was to evaluate the protection and the immunogenicity of the single recombinant capripoxvirus NSmGN-FVR, which is a product of an intermediate step of the process of the double recombinant preparation. The protection of our vaccine candidate has been performed by two mice experiments in Mus m. musculus MBT/Pas, with challenge. The number of doses, the route of administration played a key role in the protection confirmed by the presence of neutralizing anti-RVF antibodies. The study of the immunogenicity of the vaccine candidate was conducted in goats without challenge, RVF seroconversion has been shown. Lymphoproliferation studies and lymphocytes subpopulations typing have been analysed.

An introductory conversation with a new person I just met usually goes like this: So, where is your accent from ? Are you American? Well, yes, .....but no. Not really. I do have American citizenship and I lived in the US for fifteen years but I grew up in France. Ok, so you’re French? Well, yes, but .....not totally. My mother is French but my father is Tunisian. Ok, so you’re Tunisian? Well, yes, but... not wholly. I don’t speak Arabic, so I don’t totally feel Tunisian. So what are you? American? French? Tunisian? With my work, I ask the same questions. What is this? What does it do? How do I, the maker, relate to it? How does the viewer, the other side of the conversation, relate to it and understand it? Can we understand each other if we do not speak the same language? Who am I and who are you anyway?

Dans un environnement très compétitif, les entreprises ont besoin de contrôler et revoir constamment leurs positions stratégiques et repenser leurs compétences centrales via de nouvelles pratiques organisationnelles et managériales telle que l’essaimage. L’essaimage, se présente donc, comme un choix stratégique qui doit se faire d'une manière réfléchie dans le cadre de management innovant d’entreprise. Les initiatives d’appui à l’essaimage s’avèrent comme pistes prometteuses pour la création de l’emploi, la création de valeur et la création de richesse.Nous avons ainsi identifié les déterminants manageriels et organisationnels qui favorisent d’avantage le développement de l’essaimage, particulièrement dans le contexte tunisien à travers une recherche combinant une analyse de type qualitatif et longitudinal avec des éléments quantitatifs validant les résultats obtenus dans trois entreprises. / In a highly competitive environment, companies need to constantly monitor and review their strategic positions and rethink their core competencies through new organizational and managerial practices such as the spin-off. Therefore the spin-off presents itself as a strategic choice that must be taken in a thoughtful way in the context of innovative business management. The supporting initiatives of the spin-off appear as promising leads for job creation, value creation and wealth creation. We have identified the managerial and organizational determinants that primary promote the development of spin-offs, particularly in the Tunisian context through a research combining qualitative and longitudinal analysis with quantitative elements validating the results obtained in three different companies.

Dans les environnements semi-arides la ressource en eau est soumise aux irrégularités du climat. Les eaux de surface sont très irrégulièrement réparties dans le temps et dans l'espace. Le cumul annuel des précipitations est généralement faible et les évènements sont rares et intenses, causant des crues violentes et une forte érosion. Les eaux souterraines constituent souvent la principale ressource pérenne utilisable et elles sont largement mises à contribution. Pour pallier aux conséquences néfastes de ces régimes hydrologiques, des projets de grands barrages ont été menés dans ces zones pour favoriser le stockage d'eau. Paradoxalement, la mise en place de ces ouvrages crée un déficit en eau dans certaines zones en induisant des pertes par évaporation et la diminution de la recharge des nappes. Des situations complexes nouvelles sont ainsi créées, nécessitant des modes de gestions adaptés. En Tunisie centrale, le bassin versant du Merguellil fournit un exemple de processus hydrologique profondément modifié par la construction d'un grand barrage. Le bassin revêt une importance stratégique pour la région. Il alimente la plaine de Kairouan qui constitue le plus fort potentiel de développement agricole du pays et dont la nappe alluviale est surexploitée. Les écoulements intermittents de l'oued rechargeaient autrefois la nappe phréatique de la plaine. Le barrage d'El Haouareb construit en 1989 bloquant désormais les écoulements de surface, la recharge se produit plus en amont via le socle calcaire fissuré de l'ouvrage. Cette modification du fonctionnement hydrologique entraine une perte significative d'eau par évaporation et concentre la recharge à l'extrême amont de la plaine, au pied du barrage. Le but de cette thèse est d'identifier les mécanismes de recharge qui s'opèrent au niveau du seuil d'El Haouareb. L'infiltration depuis le lac de barrage a été quantifiée d'après le bilan hydrologique de la retenue et cet état de 56 % de perte par infiltration, 24 % de perte par évaporation, 14 % utilisés pour l'irrigation et 6 % relâchés depuis 1989. Le bilan a été fait à des pas de temps plus fin pour permettre de modéliser les entrées dans le système aquifère.L'identification des flux transitant à travers le seuil calcaire a été menée en croisant des approches hydrodynamiques (analyse du signal) et géochimiques (profils et chronique de CE et températures, chimie des ions majeurs, isotopes stables de la molécule de l'eau). La confrontation des différentes méthodes a permis de consolider les résultats et de pallier aux imperfections de certaines données de terrain dans un contexte hydrologique et hydrogéologique complexe. Un modèle simplifié de l'aquifère fracturé et un schéma de fonctionnement du seuil ont ainsi pu être établis, permettant d'anticiper l'évolution des mécanismes de recharge dans le bassin du Merguellil sous des contraintes climatiques futures. / In semi-arid environment, surface waters are unevenly distributed in time and space and particularly vulnerable. The total annual rainfall is generally low and the rain events are rare and intense, causing severe flooding and erosion. Therefore, the groundwater resource is widely exploited, often inducing overexploitation problems.To overcome the negative consequences of these hydrological regimes, large dam have been built to increase the water storage. These structures can paradoxically create a water deficiency in some areas by inducing evaporation losses and reducing aquifer recharge. In central Tunisia, the Merguellil catchment provides an example of hydrological processes profoundly changed by the construction of a large dam. The basin is of strategic importance for the region. It feeds the great agricultural plain of Kairouan which suffers f overexploitation for decades. Before the building of the El Haouareb dam, the Merguellil intermittent flows were the main source of recharge to the Kairouan plain aquifer. Dam El Haouareb built in 1989 now blocking surface runoff, recharge occurs further upstream through the cracked limestone base of the structure. This modification of the hydrological causes a significant loss of water by evaporation and concentrate recharge of the plain at the foot of the dam.The purpose of this thesis work is to identify the recharge mechanisms occurring at the threshold of El Haouareb. Infiltration from the lake was quantified calculating the water budget of the reservoir. The total water budget between 1989 and 2006 was made up by: infiltration 56%, evaporation 24%, abstraction 14% and dam releases 6%. Calculations had been conducted for smaller time scale to allow the quantification of the entries in the aquifer system.The identification of flows passing through the calcareous threshold was conducted by crossing hydrodynamic approaches (signal analysis) and geochemical (profiles and records of electrical conductivity and temperature, major ions, stable isotopes of the water molecule). The comparison of different methods helped to consolidate the results and to overcome the imperfections of some field data in a hydrological and hydrogeological complex context.A basic model and a simplified diagram of the El Haouareb aquifer have been established and allow anticipating the evolution of recharge in the Merguellil catchment under future climatic pressure.