In this research four models derived from Terror Management Theory (TMT) were tested by using structural equation modeling.. These models were developed for testing different theoretical alternatives in relation to psychological mechanisms explaining the subjective well-being as an outcome of fear of death. The first two models were based on the original Terror Management Theory. The first supposed that death anxiety as a catalyst motivates individuals in two defenses: developing culturally committed personalities by validation of cultural worldview and thus enhancing self-esteem. The second indicated that every individual had two options in the face of death: enhancing their self-esteem or committing to cultural worldview, in turn, improves the well-being of the individual. The last two models were identified by taking attachment as an alternative variable. In the third model, attachment styles of the individuals were presented as a third defense mechanism in addition to self-esteem and cultural worldview in TMT. They were assumed as mediator variables in the model between fear of death and subjective well-being. The last model treated attachment as a mediator between fear of death and distal defenses of self-esteem and cultural worldview. The results indicated that only the last model was entirely supported.. The lack of support for the first two models might be an indicator of the invalidity of the model in cultures that are not individualistic. For the last two models, the results suggested that attachment was crucial in understanding the relationship between fear of death and subjective well-being from a TMT perspective.

This thesis questions what it was like for pre-service teachers registered in a Bachelor of Education program to experience Kpanlogo, a West African dance from Ghana. Over a period of two years, the primary researcher introduced this dance to her peers first as a pre-service teacher, and then as a graduate student in a variety of ways: 1) practicing it for a performance at a community building talent show on campus, 2) learning it through a professional development workshop, and 3) teaching it to intermediate students at a local school, on two different occasions. Five pre-service teachers responded to an invitation to participate in a phenomenological study about their experiences. The two research questions which guided the interviews were: 1) What was it like to experience Kpanlogo, a West African dance, as a pre-service teacher? 2) What was it like as a pre-service teacher to teach students Kpanlogo? The conceptual framework of Sankofa Cyclical Waves, situated in a collectivist African Worldview orients us to the philosophy of Ubuntu, which posits that humanness is found and cultivated within community. Sankofa, a Ghanaian proverb which encourages its people to go back, physically or spiritually, to retrieve what was once lost or forgotten was used as a particular path to analyze the lived experiences of the pre-service teachers. In this thesis the Sankofa Cyclical Waves provided a structure to identify their various levels of understanding Ubuntu. Experiences analyzed as being novice in nature were awkward at the start, then as the dancer moves towards the end of the continuum, towards Ubuntu, the dancer moves through a series of waves as they become more familiar with rhythms, movements, African dance attire, and becoming a part of the whole; the Other‘s community.

Submitted by Tainá Ometto Bezerra (tainaometto@gmail.com) on 2014-04-30T18:17:40Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao_ TainaBezerra_versaofinal_abril (3).pdf: 6311431 bytes, checksum: e09c6c9c49eb5d90210507e4addd3e01 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Rafael Aguiar (rafael.aguiar@fgv.br) on 2014-05-29T14:49:25Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao_ TainaBezerra_versaofinal_abril (3).pdf: 6311431 bytes, checksum: e09c6c9c49eb5d90210507e4addd3e01 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2014-05-30T13:38:30Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao_ TainaBezerra_versaofinal_abril (3).pdf: 6311431 bytes, checksum: e09c6c9c49eb5d90210507e4addd3e01 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-30T13:38:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao_ TainaBezerra_versaofinal_abril (3).pdf: 6311431 bytes, checksum: e09c6c9c49eb5d90210507e4addd3e01 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-28 / Este estudo analisa como a moradia em condomínios horizontais fechados modifica a relação dos seus moradores com a cidade onde residem, isto é, de que modo o 'estilo de vida condomínios horizontais fechados' altera a maneria como os seus residentes vivenciam a cidade. O exame da dimensão simbólica das relações dos condôminos com a cidade e com o próprio espaço onde vivem foi realizado através de entrevistas com residentes de condomínios horizontais fechados da cidade de Piracicaba. Além disso, foi realizada a análise da publicidade desse tipo de residência privada, para investigar como esses locais estavam sendo vendidos à população. Outra fonte de pesquisa que contribuiu para esta análise foi notícias de jornais que divulgaram as transformações urbanas de Piracicaba ocorridas entre os anos 50 e 90 do século XX. O estudo das transformações urbanas piracicabanas é base para compreender o modelo urbanístico desenvolvido na cidade a partir da segunda metade do século passado, e para entender a alta procura efetuada pelas classes mais abastadas da cidade pelos condomínios horizontais fechados e as implicações desse modelo de moradia urbana na relação entre habitante e cidade. / This study examines how housing in closed condominiums modifies the relation of its residents to the city where they reside, i.e., how the 'lifestyle in closed condominiums' changes how its residents sense and relate the city where they live. The examination of the symbolic dimension of the relations of the shareholders with the city and with their living space itself was conducted through interviews with residents of closed condominiums in Piracicaba. Additionally, I analyzed the advertising of private residence to understand how these places were sold. News newspaper reporting the urban transformations in Piracicaba that occurred between 50 and 90 years of the twentieth century were also used for the study analyses. Studying the urban transformation in Piracicaba is important to understand the urban model developed in the city starting from the second half of the last century, and to understand the high demand for closed condominiums by the wealthier classes. Moreover, such analysis is helpful to understand the implications of this model of urban housing in the relationship between the inhabitant and its city.

This study examines the eschatology of issues related to African folk religion. It argues about the eschatological understanding of time with regard to the afterlife, ancestors and the afterlife, Christ the eschaton and the incarnation of Christ as redeeming of the ancestors. Such a model of local theology can result from a comprehensive reflection based on the Scriptures. As such, this study suggests some principles and praxis that appropriately address mission in the African context. This study also intends to challenge the church in Africa in particular, and cross-cultural workers in general, to redefine their missions and themselves in the face of theological issues, as well as social problems, which occur at all levels of African society. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / Thesis (D. Th. (Missiology))

MEIJER, Rebeca de Alcântara e Silva. Valorização da cosmovisão africana na escola: narrativa de uma pesquisa-formação com professoras piauienses. 2012. 195f. – Tese (Doutorado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação Brasileira, Fortaleza (CE), 2012. / Submitted by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2014-03-11T16:32:40Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2012-TESE-RASMEIJER.pdf: 4665086 bytes, checksum: a9b4b781059524487ca5093f2c3efc49 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo(marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2014-03-11T17:32:02Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2012-TESE-RASMEIJER.pdf: 4665086 bytes, checksum: a9b4b781059524487ca5093f2c3efc49 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-03-11T17:32:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2012-TESE-RASMEIJER.pdf: 4665086 bytes, checksum: a9b4b781059524487ca5093f2c3efc49 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / This thesis focuses on the enhancement of African Worldview in the school situation in teacher training. Its relevance is justified legally from January 9, 2003, when the then president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, promulgates the Law N. 10.639/2003, which concerns the inclusion of the teaching of History and Culture of African and Afro - Brazilian in primary schools. Teachers, it is compliance with law. However, despite what the law cited versa, teachers did not have, in general, in their initial training, adequate preparation for the demands of articulation of such content in their educational practice. However, the CNE / CP no. 01 /2004 instructs that it is the responsibility of higher education institutions nurture the initial and continuing training of teachers, as well as carry out teaching, research and outreach on the topic. Inspired by the elements exposed, I decided to conduct a training course for teachers in the state of Piauí articulating the triad teaching, research and extension, since I am a professor at the Federal University of Piauí, in the city of Floriano, local field research. It is a researchtraining to influence the action research and sociopoética from the fundamentals of theoretical and methodological titled Pret@gogia. The training took place during the school year of 2011 and 2012 at the Municipal School Eleuterio Rezende and his execution took place as university extension numbering four fellows involved. Its main objective was to promote the training course for teachers of elementary school, aiming at the enhancement of generator theme "African Worldview" We conducted seven modules, during which teachers, researcher and scholars extension project studied, developed and implemented action plans for interventional training of teachers. These in turn reissued their pedagogical and curricular transforming the school into the territory of valuing African worldview through the articulation of its theoretical and methodological principles. In addition to this finding, analysis of interventive actions also revealed in the transformative potential of research - teaching – training, particularly in view of the self-training for all of us involved in the process. The research is also grounded in a theoretical- methodological phase of pregnancy the nucleus of Africanidades Cearenses - UFC and I help develop and implement in the context of research and teaching titled pret@gogia. This contribution is guided by the principles of ancestry and orality present in the African worldview. Elaborated a particular style of writing. I venture in creating characters, which I call my "I" s ancestors. They narrate tales from research plots in seeking to articulate the scientific rigor required a survey of literary writing and oral tradition of the African worldview. / A presente tese tem como foco a valorização da Cosmovisão Africana no âmbito escolar em situação de formação de professores. Sua relevância justifica-se legalmente a partir de 9 de janeiro de 2003, quando o então presidente da República, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, promulga a Lei N. 10.639/2003, que versa sobre a inclusão do ensino da História e da Cultura Africana e Afro-Brasileira nas escolas de ensino básico. Aos professores, cabe o cumprimento do disposto legal. Contudo, apesar do que versa citada a lei, os docentes não tiveram, de um modo geral, em sua formação inicial, a preparação adequada para as exigências da articulação de tais conteúdos em sua prática educativa. Porém, a Resolução CNE/CP Nº. 01/2004 orienta que é responsabilidade das Instituições de Ensino Superior oportunizar a formação inicial e continuada de professores, assim como realizar atividades de ensino, pesquisa e extensão sobre o tema. Inspirada pelos elementos expostos, resolvi realizar um curso de formação para professores no estado do Piauí articulando a tríade ensino, pesquisa e extensão, uma vez que sou professora da Universidade Federal daquele estado, na cidade de Floriano, local da pesquisa de campo. Trata-se de uma pesquisa-formação com influência da pesquisa-ação e da sociopoética a partir dos fundamentos do aporte teórico-metodológico intitulado Pret@gogia. A Formação aconteceu durante o período letivo de 2011 e 2012 na Escola Municipal Eleutério Rezende e sua execução deu-se como projeto de extensão universitária contando com quatro bolsistas envolvidos. Seu principal objetivo foi promover o curso de formação para professoras do Ensino Fundamental I, objetivando a valorização do tema gerador “Cosmovisão Africana”. Realizamos sete módulos durante os quais professoras, pesquisadora e bolsistas do projeto de extensão estudaram, elaboraram e aplicaram planos de ação interventivos para a formação das professoras. Estas, por sua vez, reeditaram suas propostas pedagógicas e curriculares transformando o espaço escolar em território de valorização da cosmovisão africana a partir da articulação teórico-metodológica de seus princípios fundamentais. Além dessa constatação, a análise das ações interventivas também nos revelou o potencial transformador-pedagógico de uma pesquisa-formação, sobretudo na perspectiva da autoformação para todas nós envolvidas no processo. A pesquisa também está ancorada em um referencial teórico-metodológico em fase de gestação pelo núcleo das Africanidades Cearenses da UFC, o qual ajudo a elaborar e aplicar no âmbito da pesquisa e do ensino intitulado Pret@gogia. Esse aporte orienta-se pelos princípios da ancestralidade e da oralidade presentes na cosmovisão africana. Elaborei um estilo particular de escrita. Arrisco-me na criação de personagens, que chamo de meus “eus” ancestrais. Eles narram a pesquisa a partir de contos em enredos que procuram articular a exigência científica necessária a uma pesquisa à escrita literária e à tradição oral da cosmovisão africana.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-07T14:27:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 1629174 bytes, checksum: c666435a3a5bfe0ca3374c68e2a8e371 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-03-28 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The value of culture as a primordial element, which is conditioned by the worldview of the people who build it. The idea that every cultural product has its relevance attested in the sense that life has in every worldview, which is always part of a launching point that gives it meaning, hypothetical, mythical, while totally based on hard facts. The value as a basis for ethical norms, moral norms, legal rules. Human rights as an expression of ethics founded on human dignity. The human rights law as a branch of law whose phenomenology is conducted internationally. The UN as a cultural product of an Era, founded on truth contained in the worldview of those who created it. The UN as an institution that synthesizes values of various cultural expressions of the planet, a catalyst for awareness on human rights, promoting the creation of official human rights law. / O valor como elemento primordial da cultura, elemento condicionado pela cosmovisão do povo que a constrói. A idéia de que todo produto cultural tem sua relevância atestada com base no sentido que a vida tem em cada cosmovisão, a qual sempre parte de um ponto inaugural que lhe dá sentido, hipotético, mitológico, mesmo que totalmente baseado em fatos concretos. O valor como base das normas éticas, das normas morais, das normas jurídicas. Os direitos humanos como expressão da ética fundada na dignidade da pessoa humana. O direito dos direitos humanos como ramo do direito, cuja fenomenologia se processa no plano internacional. A ONU como produto cultural de uma época, fundada na verdade contida na cosmovisão dos que a criaram. A ONU como instituição promotora da síntese dos valores das várias expressões culturais do planeta, catalisadora da consciência em direitos humanos, agente fomentadora da criação do Direito dos Direitos Humanos.

O principal objetivo desta tese é a investigação do foco narrativo nos romances Nenhum olhar e Cemitério de pianos, de José Luís Peixoto, com vistas a defender a hipótese de que o narrador em primeira pessoa promove a assunção de duplos. Ambas as obras trazem personagens que contam a sua história e, no processo da narração, entram em contato consigo mesmas, sob uma perspectiva pautada nas deformações intrínsecas à passagem do tempo. Nesse sentido, a faculdade da memória assume um papel fundamental na relativização do passado. Trata-se, em primeiro lugar, de uma análise do plano da expressão. Concomitante à questão do narrador e seus duplos, observamos que o conteúdo de ambos os romances evoca o tema da busca da salvação. Compreendemos que a concepção de mundo que permeia as referidas obras está pautada na jornada de Cristo na Terra e, em especial, ao drama da Paixão. Concluímos, pois, que, ao desejo do narrador em primeira pessoa de contar a sua história, estão intimamente relacionados o fenômeno do duplo e a negação da morte. Desse modo, por meio da duplicação, as personagens entram em contato com uma realidade supratemporal, fundada no mito. / The main objective of this thesis is the investigation of narrative focus on novels Nenhum olhar and Cemitério de pianos, by José Luís Peixoto, in order to defend the hypothesis that the first-person narrator promotes the assumption of doubles. Both works bring characters to tell their story and in the process of narration, get in touch with themselves, a perspective based on the deformations intrinsic to the passage of time. In this sense, the faculty of memory plays a key role in the relativization of the past. It is, firstly, an analysis of the level of expression. Concomitant with the question of the narrator and his double, we observed that the contents of both novels evoke the theme of the quest for salvation. We understand that the world view that permeates these works is based on the journey of Christ on Earth and in particular the drama of the Passion. Therefore we conclude that the desire of the first-person narrator to tell his story, are closely related to the phenomenon of the double and the denial of death. Thus, by duplicating the characters come into contact with supratemporal reality, founded on myth.

The interface between protected and communal lands presents certain challenges for wildlife conservation and the sustainability of local livelihoods. This is a particular case in South Africa, where foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), mainly carried by African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is transmitted to cattle despite a fence surrounding the protected areas.The ultimate objective of this thesis was to improve knowledge of FMD transmission risk by analyzing behavioral patterns of African buffalo and cattle near the Kruger National Park, and by modelling at fine spatial scale the seasonal risk of contact between them. Since vegetation is considered as a primary bottom-up regulator of grazers distribution, I developed fine-scale seasonal mapping of vegetation. With that purpose, I explored the utility of WorldView-2 (WV-2) sensor, comparing object- (OBIA) and pixel-based image classification methods, and various traditional and advanced classification algorithms. All tested methods produced relatively high accuracy results (>77%), however OBIA with random forest and support vector machines performed significantly better, particularly for wet season imagery (93%).In order to investigate the buffalo and cattle seasonal home ranges and resource utilization distributions I combined the telemetry data with fine-scale maps on forage (vegetation components, and forage quality and quantity). I found that buffalo behaved more like bulk feeders at the scale of home ranges but were more selective within their home range, preferring quality forage over quantity. In contrast, cattle selected forage with higher quantity and quality during the dry season but behaved like bulk grazers in the wet season.Based on the resource utilization models, I generated seasonal cost (resistance) surfaces of buffalo and cattle movement through the landscape considering various scenarios. These surfaces were used to predict buffalo and cattle dispersal routes by applying a cumulative resistant kernels method. The final seasonal contact risks maps were developed by intersecting the cumulative resistant kernels layers of both species and by averaging all scenarios. The maps revealed important seasonal differences in the contact risk, with higher risk in the dry season and hotspots along a main river and the weakest parts of the fence. Results of this study can guide local decision makers in the allocation of resources for FMD mitigation efforts and provide guidelines to minimize overgrazing. / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

The ability to view the world from multiple perspectives is essential for tackling complex, interconnected challenges. Yet conventional academic structures are designed to produce knowledge through ever-increasing specialization and compartmentalization. This fragmentation is often reinforced by tacit dualistic assumptions that prioritize linear thinking and abstract ways of knowing. Though the need for integrated approaches has been widely acknowledged, effective techniques for transcending disciplinary boundaries remain elusive. This thesis describes a practical strategy that uses immersive visualizations to cultivate transdisciplinary perspectives. It develops an enactive approach to cosmography, contending that processes of visualizing and interpreting the cosmos iteratively shape ‘views’ of the ‘world.’ The archetypal trope of the heavenly sphere is examined to demonstrate the significance of its interpretations in this history of ideas. Action research and mixed methods are employed to elucidate the theoretical considerations, cultural relevance, and practical consequences of this approach. The study begins with an investigation into the recurring appearance of the heavenly sphere across time, in which its embodied origins, metaphorical influence, and material embodiments are considered. Particular attention is given to how cosmographic tools and techniques have facilitated imaginary ‘flights’ through the heavens, from the ecstatic bird’s eye view of the shaman to the ‘Archimedean point’ of modern science. It then examines how these cosmographic practices have shaped cosmological beliefs and paradigmatic assumptions. Next, the practical utility of this approach is demonstrated through the development of cosmographic hermeneutics, a technique using visual heuristics to interpret cosmic models from transdisciplinary world views. Finally, the performative practice of cosmotroping is described, in which cosmographic hermeneutics are applied to re-imagine the ancient dream of the transcendent ‘cosmic journey’ within immersive vision theaters. This study concludes that the re-emergence of the heavenly sphere within the contemporary Digital Universe Atlas provides a leverage point for illuminating the complexity of knowledge production processes. It is claimed that this research has produced a practical strategy for demonstrating that the ultimate Archimedean point is the ability to recognize the limits of our own knowledge, a crucial first step in cultivating much-needed multi-perspectival and paradoxical spherical thinking.

Scripture is God’s Word in human language – a truth reflected over 2000years of Church history. Without this truth, proper knowledge of God is impossible. All human efforts to come to a true and meaningful understanding of God, lead to a variety of religious “isms.” The pluralism, post-modernism and post-Christian society of the 21st century, brings its own challenges. Words mean nothing and truth is relative. There are, however, unique resemblances with the pluralism, pre-modern and pre-Christian society of the patristic. From a historical-theological perspective, the researcher points out that these resemblances could shed light on the current burning issue around the authority of Scripture. This historic continuity with the patristic and apostolic tradition is addressed in relation to Tertullian and Augustine. Both these Church Fathers had to give Biblical answer to the burning issues of their day that sought to undermine the authority of Scripture. The patristic’s emphasis on the authority of Scripture, stems from the unique unity between the Old and New Testament. It finds expression in the Apostolic preaching – regula fidei – the rule by which sound theology and godly living is guaranteed. Their historical-literal method of Biblical exegesis reflects a Christian worldview in contrast to the secular worldview of their day. In conclusion the researcher points out the relevance of this study for Southern-Africa. The confusion within the ranks of society, and the disillusionment of hundreds of thousands in Africa concerning the role of the Church, ask for clear direction and uncompromising answers on the fundamentals of the Christian faith with the framework of the authority of Scripture. / Dissertation (MA (Church History))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Church History and Church Polity / unrestricted