In nest-building species, offspring survival and reproductive success of parental individuals are strongly influenced by nest location and quality. Thus, quantifying the influence of abiotic conditions on nest integrity is important to predict the effects that weather variability may have on offspring survival and parental reproductive success. Here we investigated how rainfall affects nest integrity and how nest integrity influences male attractiveness and nest tenure. Our study species was the harvestman Quindina limbata, in which males build cup-like mud nests on fallen logs and protect the eggs against predators and fungi infestation. Our dataset is based on 12 months of regular inspections of over 150 nests in a tropical rainforest from Costa Rica. We found that 43% of the nests were destroyed by rainfall. The drag force promoted by rainfall running on the log surface negatively affected nest integrity by decreasing the wall perimeter and the floor area. The intensity of fungi cover was not explained by nest position or by precipitation. No matter the body size of the owner males, nests with high integrity received more eggs than nests with low integrity. Curiously, nests with high values of fungi cover received more eggs. Finally, nest integrity and fungi cover did not affect nest tenure, but the probability of males abandoning their nests increased with time they did not receive eggs. Considering that intense rainfall occurs all year long in tropical forests, the best males can do to decrease the chances of nest destruction is to select protected places to build their nests. Protected sites may keep nest structure better preserved, improve offspring survival, attract more females, and ultimately increase male reproductive success / Em espécies que constroem ninhos, a sobrevivência da prole e o sucesso reprodutivo dos indivíduos parentais são fortemente influenciados pela localização e qualidade dos ninhos. Portanto, quantificar a influência das condições abióticas sobre a integridade dos ninhos é importante para prever os efeitos que a variabilidade climática pode ter na sobrevivência da prole e no sucesso reprodutivo dos pais. Neste estudo, investigamos como a chuva influencia a integridade dos ninhos e como a integridade dos ninhos influencia a atratividade masculina e o tempo de posse do ninho. Nossa espécie de estudo foi o opilião Quindina limbata, em que os machos constroem ninhos de barro em troncos caídos e protegem os ovos contra predadores e infestação por fungos. Nosso conjunto de dados é baseado em 12 meses de inspeções regulares de mais de 150 ninhos em uma floresta tropical na Costa Rica. Descobrimos que 43% dos ninhos foram destruídos pela chuva. A força de arrasto promovida pela chuva na superfície dos troncos caídos influenciou negativamente a integridade dos ninhos, diminuindo o perímetro da parede e a área do piso. A intensidade de cobertura de fungos não foi explicada pela posição do ninho ou pela precipitação. O tamanho corporal dos machos não influenciou o ganho de ovos, mas ninhos com alta integridade receberam mais ovos do que ninhos com baixa integridade. Curiosamente, ninhos com altos valores de cobertura de fungos receberam mais ovos. Por fim, a integridade dos ninhos e a cobertura de fungos não influenciaram o tempo de posse do ninho, mas a probabilidade de os machos abandonarem seus ninhos aumentou com o tempo em que não receberam ovos em seus ninhos. Considerando que temporais ocorrem durante todo o ano em florestas tropicais, os melhores machos devem selecionar locais protegidos para construção dos seus ninhos a fim de diminuir as chances de destruição promovida pela chuva. Locais protegidos podem manter a estrutura do ninho melhor preservada, melhorar a sobrevivência da prole, atrair mais fêmeas e, finalmente, aumentar o sucesso reprodutivo dos machos

Submitted by RICARDO MATSUKURA LINDEMEYER (esulricardo@gmail.com) on 2018-09-24T19:05:55Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Aplicação da Teoria de Opções Reais na Avaliação de um Complexo Eólico_Ricardo Matsukura Lindemeyer_FINAL.pdf: 4907461 bytes, checksum: e0c2449b0e4ab9007a9f2ca970fba9fa (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Joana Martorini (joana.martorini@fgv.br) on 2018-09-24T19:09:33Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Aplicação da Teoria de Opções Reais na Avaliação de um Complexo Eólico_Ricardo Matsukura Lindemeyer_FINAL.pdf: 4907461 bytes, checksum: e0c2449b0e4ab9007a9f2ca970fba9fa (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Suzane Guimarães (suzane.guimaraes@fgv.br) on 2018-09-25T12:45:21Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Aplicação da Teoria de Opções Reais na Avaliação de um Complexo Eólico_Ricardo Matsukura Lindemeyer_FINAL.pdf: 4907461 bytes, checksum: e0c2449b0e4ab9007a9f2ca970fba9fa (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-25T12:45:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação_Aplicação da Teoria de Opções Reais na Avaliação de um Complexo Eólico_Ricardo Matsukura Lindemeyer_FINAL.pdf: 4907461 bytes, checksum: e0c2449b0e4ab9007a9f2ca970fba9fa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-08-27 / Nos últimos anos, o mercado livre de energia tem apresentado um elevado nível de crescimento. Pelo lado da oferta da energia, a fonte eólica atingiu 8% da matriz elétrica brasileira. Para os investidores em energia eólica, o processo de valuation é desafiador, pois as usinas oferecem uma série de flexibilidades gerenciais. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar as principais características da Teoria das Opções Reais (TOR) e a aplicabilidade desta ferramenta na avaliação de projetos de investimento em usinas eólicas. O objeto de análise foi a reconstrução de quatro usinas eólicas, que oferece uma série de opções, como adiamento, abandono ou expansão cadenciada. A energia das usinas seria destinada ao mercado livre e a principal incerteza considerada sobre o fluxo de caixa foi o preço de venda da energia produzida. Empregou-se o modelo de árvores binomiais, devido a natureza das opções (americanas). As opções de abandono e adiamento agregaram valor ao projeto, enquanto que a opção de expansão não gerou valor. Concluiu-se que a TOR permite identificar em quais cenários as decisões poderão ser tomadas, e que as usinas eólicas bem como o setor possuem muitas opções reais que precisam ser identificadas e precificadas, e o presente trabalho mostra formas de aproveitá-las. / In recent years, the free energy market has shown a high level of growth. On the supply side of energy, the wind power source reached 8% of the brazilian electricity matrix. For wind energy investors, the valuation process is challenging as mills offer a range of management flexibilities. The objective of this work is to present the main characteristics of the Real Options Theory (TOR) and the applicability of this tool in the evaluation of investment projects in wind farms. The object of analysis was the reconstruction of four wind farms, which offers a series of options, such as postponement, abandonment or cadenced expansion. The energy of the plants would be destined to the free market and the main uncertainty considered on the cash flow was the sale price of the energy produced. The model of binomial trees was used, due to the nature of the (american) options. The abandonment and deferral options added value to the project, since the expansion option did not generate value. It was concluded that the TOR allows to identify in which scenarios the decisions can be made, and that the wind farms as well as the sector have many real options that need to be identified and priced, and the present work shows ways to take advantage of them.

Introdução: A situação epidemiológica da tuberculose (TB) no âmbito mundial e no Brasil ainda evidencia importante magnitude, acrescentandose o problema crescente da Tuberculose Multirresistente (TBMR). A TB é exemplo consagrado que evidencia as desigualdades sociais e as limitações de acesso à saúde. A adesão ao tratamento da TBMR é um dos aspectos cruciais do cotidiano da assistência em saúde e uma das maiores dificuldades no controle da enfermidade. Objetivos: Analisar como se processa a adesão ao tratamento para a TBMR, em um grupo de indivíduos que completaram com sucesso o tratamento medicamentoso; e propor alternativas para incrementar a adesão. Métodos: Estudo de abordagem qualitativa, desenvolvido em Centro de Referência para Controle da TB e TBMR do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Foram coletados, no período de abril a setembro de 2012, depoimentos de indivíduos que vivenciaram o adoecimento por TBMR e que aderiram ao tratamento medicamentoso até a alta por cura. Os depoimentos foram analisados segundo técnica de análise de discurso e interpretados à luz da Hermenêutica-Dialética e da Teoria da Determinação Social do Processo Saúde-Doença. Resultados: Entrevistouse 21 sujeitos, sendo: 17 (80,9%) pertencentes ao sexo masculino; 19 (90,4%) encontravam-se na faixa etária produtiva; 11 (52,4%) tinham 9 ou mais anos de escolaridade; 14 (66,7%) estavam afastados do trabalho ou desempregados durante o tratamento e relataram ter recebido auxílio, como vale transporte e cesta básica; 14 (66,7%) eram acompanhados pela Estratégia Saúde da Família; 18 (85,7%) tinham tratamento anterior para TB; 20 (95,2%) realizaram o tratamento da TBMR na modalidade Diretamente Observado, executado na Unidade Básica de Saúde (19: 95,0%); 16 (76,2%) caminhavam até o local para o Tratamento Diretamente Observado; sendo que 17 (80,9%) levavam até 30 minutos para o deslocamento; 16 (76,1%) realizaram o tratamento por 18 a 20 meses; 7 (33,6%) possuíam outra doença além da TBMR; 4 (40,0%) faziam uso de cigarro e nenhum sujeito fazia uso de álcool, durante o tratamento.Verificou-se que, como produto da forma como se realiza o trabalho e a vida, há uma variedade de questões que acabam por mediar o processo de adesão ao tratamento, que são determinadas por relações de interdependência e de subordinação. Fundamentalmente, a adesão ocorreu devido ao desejo de viver face à inevitabilidade da morte; ao suporte físico, emocional/psicológico e financeiro; e à forma como o serviço de saúde oferece o cuidado e se organiza para o tratamento medicamentoso. Conclusão: A adesão ao tratamento medicamentoso da TBMR não se reduz a um ato de vontade estritamente individual, mas depende da forma como se realiza a vida em sociedade e da acessibilidade aos serviços de saúde. Ressalta-se a necessidade de entender tais processos para apoiar a prática assistencial dos profissionais de saúde envolvidos no tratamento das pessoas com TBMR, em particular a Enfermagem, com vistas a fortalecer a adesão e apoiar as estratégias para o controle da TBMR. / Introduction: The epidemiological situation of Tuberculosis (TB) in the world, as well as in Brazil, shows an important magnitude, adding to the growing problem of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB). TB is an enshrined example highlighting the social inequalities and limited access to health care. Adherence to treatment of MDR-TB is a crucial aspect of everyday health care and one of the greatest difficulties in controlling the disease. Objetive: To analyze the adherence process to the treatment for MDR-TB in a group of individuals who have successfully completed drug treatment; and propose alternatives for increasing the treatment adherence for MDR-TB. Methods: A qualitative study, developed in a Reference Center for Tuberculosis Control and MDR-TB in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. During the period of April - September 2012, testimonials were collected from individuals who experienced MDR-TB and who adhered to drug treatment until discharge for being cured. The reports were analyzed according to discourse analysis technique and interpreted in the light of hermeneutics-dialectics and the Theory of Social Determination of the Health-Disease Process. Results: Twenty-one (21) subjects were interviewed, 17 (80.9%) were male; 19 (90.4%) were in the productive age group; 11 (52.4%) had 9 or more years of schooling; 14 (66.7%) were out of work or unemployed during treatment and reported receiving aid, such as transportation vouchers and food baskets; 14 (66.7%) were accompanied by the Family Health Strategy; 18 (85.7%) had previous treatment for TB; 20 (95.2%) underwent the treatment of MDR-TB in the form Directly Observed, performed in the Basic Health Care Unit 19: (95.0%); 16 (76.2%) walked to the location for the Directly Observed Treatment; and 17 (80.9%) took 30 minutes for the displacement; 16 (76.1%) underwent treatment for 18 to 20 months; 7 (33.6%) had diseases other than MDR-TB; 4 (40.0%) were tobacco smokers and no subject was using alcohol during treatment. It was found that, as a product of how the work is done and life, there are a variety of issues that ultimately mediate the adherence process to the treatment, which are determined by relations of interdependence and subordination. Fundamentally, the treatment adherence for MDR-TB was due to the desire to live, given the inevitability of death; physical support, emotional/psychological and financial; and how the health service offers care and is organized for medical treatment. Conclusion: Adherence to medication treatment of MDR-TB is not limited to a strictly individual act of will, but it depends on how one lives life in society and their access to health services. The need to understand these processes to support the care practice of health professionals, involved in the treatment of people with MDR-TB, needs to be emphasized, particularly in nursing, in order to strengthen the membership and support the strategies for the control of MDR-TB.

A família sofreu, no século passado, séc. XX diversas mudanças. As próprias relações mudaram: industrialização e urbanização aceleradas, emancipação da mulher, duas Guerras Mundiais que alavancaram o tema dos direitos humanos, com evidente repercussão nos direitos da personalidade. Tudo isso alterou o perfil da família e das relações que ocorrem em seu seio. Na verdade, estabeleceu-se uma perspectiva limitadora do poder em geral, da ascendência sobre outrem, inclusive no âmbito do pátrio poder, hoje poder familiar. Sem embargo disso, passada a euforia inicial, é hora de buscar caminhos para a plena efetivação desses direitos. Isso dependerá, em grande medida, da própria interpretação judicial, já que na decisão jurisdicional o ordenamento convertido numa fórmula específica para a solução daquela lide atinge o seu ápice. Se a afetividade e a grita por justiça e ética nas relações familiares é inafastável, mais do que isso, é louvável, porque consagra a dignidade da pessoa humana, por outro lado, a ideologia e a patrulha moral em temas existenciais devem ser evitadas. Ativismo judicial não se confunde com invasividade. A intrujice do Estado na família pela função legislativa, executiva ou judiciária deve incentivar um repensar das próprias expectativas que os operadores do Direito, sobretudo do Direito de Família, possuem a respeito do potencial transformativo de seus saberes. Assim, sempre buscando o justo termo, a dissertação examina as hipóteses de intervenção judicial no exercício abusivo do poder familiar, tanto na dimensão patrimonial quanto na dimensão existencial. Na primeira, analisa-se a administração dos bens dos filhos, o usufruto que, por lei, lhe é correlato e sua interpretação à luz do princípio do melhor interesse da criança e do adolescente. Na segunda, o objeto da investigação é o ponto ótimo de equilíbrio entre a intervenção que concretiza os direitos e a intervenção invasiva, errônea. Surgem ponderações sobre a ideologia e sua influência na exegese judicial, em temas como alienação parental e abandono afetivo que habitam o novo léxico deste Direito de Família sequioso de substância o qual, entretanto, não pode abdicar de uma postura autocrítica sob pena de manietar as próprias possibilidades de realização pessoal que alega defender. / Family underwent several changes in the last century, the twentieth century. The very relationships did change: accelerated (rapid) industrialization and urbanization, women´s emancipation, two World Wars, levered the human rights subject, with obvious repercussion on the rights of personality. All of that has modified family profile and the relationships that occur within its core. Actually, in general, a limiting perspective of power was established on the ascendancy over the other, inclusively in the extent of parental power, currently said family, or parental authority. With no embargo of this, after leaving behind the initial euphoria, now is the moment to look for ways towards the thorough accomplishment of these rights. This will depend, largely, on the judicial interpretation, for in the jurisdictional decision converted into a specific formula aimed at the solution of that dispute, it reaches its climax. If, on one hand, affectivity and the outcry for justice and ethics within family relationships cannot be set apart, and, more than that, they are praiseworthy - for they consecrate dignity of the individual - on the other hand, when it comes to existential matters, ideology and moral patrolling ought to be avoided. Judicial activism does not confound with invasiveness. State intrusion on family through legislative, or executive, or judiciary activity, should encourage a review of the very expectations that Law operating professionals have particularly those in the Family Law field regarding the transformational potential of their knowledge. Therefore, looking always for the right boundary, the dissertation investigates the hypotheses for judicial intervening in abusive family authority, considering not only property dimension, but also the existential. On the first we analyze the administration of assets of sons, the usufruct that by force of law correlates to it, and its interpretation in the light of best interest for child and adolescent. On the second, the object of our investigation is the optimal balance point between intervention that makes rights concrete, and the invasive, erroneous interference. We ponder over ideology and its influence on the judicial exegesis, in subjects such as parental alienation and affective abandonment, which dwell in this Family Law new lexicon, avid for substance, but which, however, cannot waive from a self-criticism posture, under penalty of handcuffing the very own possibilities of personal fulfillment it alleges to defend.

In an European context of agricultural land abandonment, the role of the farming community as landscape stewards is crucial for maintaining the rural landscape as well as the ecosystem services provided by this landscape. Such stewardship is studied here by assessing the participation of the farming community in the management of Menorca Biosphere Reserve, a small Mediterranean island with very well conserved and rich rural landscape which is not escaping this tendency of land abandonment. A survey of 41 farms and interviews with 15 stakeholders were performed in order to assess the role of the farming community in participatory management processes and the effectiveness of the Menorca Biosphere Reserve Agency (MBRA) in facilitating their participation.The results show that the participatory activities of the MBRA are effective and highly valued by participating stakeholders but could be improved by: 1) engaging non-associated farmers and traditional farmers in the MBRA activities 2) finding a consensual and long-term solution on issues related to the access to private rural land 3) providing rapid feedback to participants after meetings and 4) transforming the MBRA structure in order to deal with changes and an uncertain future. Failing to do this could illegitimate further participatory activities, erode trust among stakeholders and alienate the farming community and the society, thereby affecting the maintenance of the rural landscape.This case study highlights the importance of appropriate management structure for adaptive co-management to benefit from the participation of stakeholders in general and farmers in particular. The findings should be of interest to managers, scholars and practitioners using adaptive co-management approaches to manage complex social-ecological systems such as rural, cultural landscapes.

[pt] Os modelos de Black & Scholes e binomial para avaliação de opções financeiras dão como resultado prêmios cujo valor aumenta proporcionalmente ao aumento da incerteza do retorno dos ativos subjacentes às opções, medida pelo desvio-padrão. Também na avaliação de empresas, a teoria das opções financeiras pode ser estendida para avaliar as mesmas como opções reais. Este método é adequado quando se analisam ativos de empresas sujeitos a fortes incertezas, situação na qual a flexibilidade das opções adiciona valor considerável aos ativos físicos. Seguindo esta ótica, a pesquisa analisou uma linha aérea internacional de uma empresa de transporte aéreo regular de passageiros. A análise é adequada na medida em que a indústria do transporte aéreo, atualmente em crise, está sujeita a fortes incertezas de receita de passageiros e também de custos como o de combustível. Pela análise por opções reais, a pesquisa demonstrou que a flexibilidade existente acerca das opções de aumentar, reduzir freqüências nos vôos ou até mesmo abandonar as operações, aliada às incertezas de mercado, adiciona valor considerável aos ativos de uma empresa aérea. Assim, avaliar as mesmas apenas baseando-se no método ortodoxo do Valor Presente Líquido num cenário de crise como o atual, constitui-se numa análise incompleta. A pesquisa utilizou uma modelagem discreta no tempo e estado, com a combinação das incertezas de receita e combustível evoluindo segundo uma árvore quadrinomial. / [en] The Black & Scholes and the binomial models for financial options valuation give, as a result, premiums whose value increases proportionally to the increase of the degree of uncertainty about the return of the underlying assets, as measured by the standard deviation. When companies are valuated, financial options theory can be extended to valuate them as real options. This method is adequate when analysing company assets subjected to great uncertainty, in which the options flexibility adds considerable value to the physical assets. In this context, this research shows the analysis of an international airline of a regular passenger air transport company. The analysis is adequate as long as the air transport industry, nowadays in crisis, is subjected to strong uncertainties like passenger revenue and fuel costs. Through the real options analysis, the research showed that the flexibility given by the options of increasing or decreasing flights frequencies, and even of abandoning operations, together with the Market uncertainties, adds considerable value to the assets of an air carrier. In this sense, valuating them only according to the orthodox method of the Net Present Value in a scenario of crisis as nowadays, is an incomplete analysis. The study was based on a discrete time and discrete state model, combining the evolution of revenue and fuel cost uncertainties according to a quadrinomial decision tree.

This thesis deals with the problem of unwanted children in Czech Republic and looks for answers to solve it. Unwanted children are those children whose parents, for whatever reason, do not want to take care of them. Institutional solution is the solution decided by court. In the text there are presented options of these children and options of their parents. The paper therefore deals with a description of surrogate children care and its forms - surrogate family care and institutional care. Besides it brings also a description of forms system of legal anonymous abandonment of a newborn child. Characterizes children, reasons why parents abandon them and the parents themselves. Mentions causes of placing children into institutions and briefly describes also these institutions, including number of children placed in them. For better orientation it also outlines a gradual historical development of care of unwanted children.

Development for sustainable poverty alleviation requires engagement with the values and cultural frames that enable or constrain communities to steward ecosystems and maintain their capacity to support human well-being. Rooted in a social-ecological systems (SES) perspective, this thesis explores the concept of sense of place to understand how emotional and cultural connections to place mediate human responses to change and influence interventions for development. Sense of place is both the attachments to place, as well as the descriptive meanings to which one is attached. Paper I presents an approach and agenda for studying sense of place in SES that emphasizes place attachment and meaning underlying stewardship actions and responses to change. This is empirically explored through a case study on the Wild Coast, South Africa - an area with multiple contested meanings. In this former Bantustan (an area set aside for black South Africans), Apartheid created interdependence between small-holder agriculture and labour migration, where rural homesteads relied on remittances from migrant household members. Today, the contribution of agriculture to livelihoods has declined and many households rely on income from social grants. Interacting social and ecological factors in this region have resulted in social-ecological trap conditions and circular migration continues to be the pattern. Community conservation and ecotourism is one strategy for local socio-economic development. Papers II and III explore community tensions around a proposed nature reserve declaration. In Paper II, a focus on the meanings of locally-defined ecotopes (e.g. forest and abandoned fields) illuminates the interpretations of underlying social-ecological processes. Paper III examines the use of place meanings in narratives of change to show tensions in the discourse of win-win conservation. The stalling of this particular intervention indicates the importance of engaging with multiple meanings of place and the cultural importance of nature. Papers IV and V focus on declining agriculture and continued labour migration. From a theoretical model of people’s abilities, desires and opportunities, Paper IV develops a typology of responses that may contribute to maintaining or resolving social-ecological traps. For this case study, the model identifies the mismatch between i) cultural expectations that frame the desire to farm, and ii) the decline in opportunities for off-farm income to support agriculture. Paper V demonstrates that these expectations are expressed in the idea of emakhaya (the rural landscape of home) as well as reinforced through cultural rituals. The paper identifies a place-based social contract between the living and the ancestors that helps to maintain circular migration and agricultural practices. This suggests that sense of place contributes to system inertia but may also offer opportunities for stewardship. Sense of place is socially constructed as well as produced through experience in ecosystems, and thus constitutes an emergent property of SES. The thesis demonstrates the use of participatory methods to produce an inclusive understanding of place and SES dynamics. The application of place meanings through these methods facilitates critical engagement with imposed interventions. Finally, the thesis shows that sense of place and culture are key for understanding inertia in SES and the capacity for transformation towards stewardship. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 1: Manuscript. Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 5: Manuscript.</p>

AFRIKAANS : Hierdie studie behels drie narratiewe wat gekonstrueer is uit onderhoude met boere wat die boerdery na 1994 verlaat het. Die fokus van die studie is om die private en openbare diskoerse wat ’n konteks skep vir boere om die boerdery te verlaat, te identifiseer. Daar is tans ’n eksodus van boere uit die landbou. Hierdie tendens skep ’n konteks vir destabilisasie van die platteland en beïnvloed al die betrokke rolspelers. Tog is min of geen navorsing in die sielkunde oor die belewenisse van hierdie groep mense onderneem nie. Die navorsing is uitgevoer vanuit ’n sosiale konstruksionistiese benadering wat binne die postmoderne diskoers geanker is. ’n Diskoersanalise is uitgevoer op die teks van drie navorsingsdeelnemers wat nog tot onlangs toe geboer het, maar intussen hul narratiewe moes rekonstrueer. Die unieke betekenis wat deur die navorsingsteks gekonstrueer word, is dat die verduidelikende lokus vir menslike gedrag vanaf die klassieke fokus op persoonlike belewenisse en verstandelike prosesse wat binne individue gesetel is, na ’n fokus op prosesse en strukture van menslike interaksie verskuif. Die navorsingsteks beskik dus oor die vermoë om ’n bewustheid by sielkundiges en verwante beroepe te konstrueer om vanuit ’n nuwe perspektief na die sielkundige diskoers te kyk. In hoofstuk een deel ek my eie boerderynarratief met die leser en stel die navorsingsvraag bekend. In hoofstuk twee word die konteks waarbinne boerdery in Suid-Afrika gesitueer is, aan die hand van ’n literatuurstudie uiteengesit. Dit word in hoofstuk drie opgevolg met ’n verduideliking van die paradigmatiese vertrekpunt, naamlik sosiale konstruksionisme. Diskoersanalise wat as ’n metode gebruik word om die teks te eksploreer word ook bespreek. Met hierdie agtergrond in gedagte word daar in hoofstuk vier oorgegaan na die fokus van die navorsing, naamlik die eksplorasie van teks. ’n Diskoersanalise is op die teks van drie navorsingsdeelnemers gedoen. Diskoerse wat in die proses geïdentifiseer is, sluit die volgende in: gesin-van-oorsprong-diskoers; beroepsdiskoers; politieke diskoers; misdaad-diskoers; ekonomiese diskoers; stoettelersdiskoers; middelman-diskoers; patriargale diskoers; ouderdomsdiskoers; beleggingsdiskoers; biomediese diskoers; opvoedingsdiskoers; die koöperasie as ’n instelling; sowel as diskoerse wat in die pers gevoer word. Hierdie diskoerse vorm saam die konteks waarbinne boere besluite oor hul toekoms neem. Die bevindings word nie as die waarheid hanteer nie, maar as die waarheid wat deur taal en magsverhoudings in stand gehou word. U word genooi om verder te lees en die sentrale posisie wat taal beklee in die skepping van die realiteit van die mens se bestaan, en in die konstruering van die navorsingsnarratief, vir uself te ontdek. ENGLISH : This study comprises three narratives that were constructed from interviews conducted with farmers who had given up farming after 1994. The focus of the study is to identify the private and public discourses that create a context for farmers to give up farming. Currently, an exodus of farmers is taking place from agriculture. This trend creates a context for the destabilisation of rural areas and affects all parties involved. However, in the field of psychology little research, if any, has been conducted into the experiences of this group of people. The research was conducted from a social constructionism approach anchored in the postmodern discourse. A discourse analysis was done of the text of three research participants who had been farming until recently, but who since had to reconstruct their narratives. The unique meaning constructed by the research text is that the explanatory locus of human behaviour has moved away from the classic focus on personal experiences and mental processes residing in individuals, to a focus on processes and structures of human interaction. The research text has the potential of constructing awareness among psychologists and related professions to view the psychological discourse from a new perspective. In chapter one I share my own farming narrative with the reader and introduce the research question. Chapter two comprises the context in which the farming industry is situated in South Africa based on a study of relevant literature. That is followed by an explanation of the paradigmatic point of departure known as social constructionism in chapter three. Discourse analysis is also discussed as a method used to explore the text. Bearing this in mind, chapter four moves on to the research focus, that is the exploration of text. A discourse analysis was done of the text of three research participants. Discourses identified in the process include the following: family-of-origin discourse; career discourse; political discourse; crime discourse; economic discourse; stud-farming discourse; middleman discourse; patriarchal discourse; age discourse; investment discourse; bio-medical discourse; educational discourse; the cooperative as an institution; as well as discourses conducted in the press. Together these discourses form the context within which farmers make decisions about their future. The findings are not dealt with as the truth, but as the truth maintained in language and relationships of power. You are invited to read on and to discover for yourself the central position which language holds in creating the reality of man’s existence and in constructing the research narrative. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Psychology / unrestricted

Les dispositifs permettant d'agrandir les images représentent les formes les plus courantes d'aides en réadaptation visuelle. Grâce à un essor technologique considérable, les lunettes électroniques, qui fonctionnent comme des aides grossissantes électroniques (fournissant un agrandissement variable, amélioration du contraste, utilisables les mains libres), sont devenues d'avantage disponibles, efficaces et utilisées par les personnes malvoyantes. Cependant, il existe un manque de données probantes et de connaissances au regard des taux d'abandon des lunettes électroniques, des facteurs prédictifs de leur utilisation, ainsi que sur les interventions efficaces qui pourraient optimiser leur utilisation.Afin de mieux comprendre l'utilisation des lunettes électroniques au sein de la population malvoyante, une étude en trois phases a été menée à travers l’exemple des lunettes eSight dans le but de : 1) examiner et synthétiser les facteurs qui influencent l'utilisation d'aides visuelles grossissantes à l'aide d'un examen de la portée afin de guider les études ultérieures; 2) déterminer à travers une étude transversale quelles sont les variables qui prédisent un changement d’utilisation des lunettes électroniques chez leur usager; et 3) élaborer des recommandations fondées sur des données probantes concernant la faisabilité d'une intervention de téléréadaptation auprès des utilisateurs de lunettes électroniques et étudier l'impact de cette modalité sur l’utilisation de leur dispositif et leur qualité de vie.Les travaux de cette thèse contribuent à soutenir l’idée que le choix d’utiliser des aides visuelles grossissantes dépend de causes multifactorielles. Les facteurs personnels et surtout la motivation représentent des prédicteurs importants. Les difficultés de transport et le manque d’entrainement ont été identifiés comme des obstacles importants à l’utilisation des aides visuelles. D’autre part, l’amélioration de la qualité de vie favorise le maintien de l’utilisation des lunettes électroniques. Compte tenu de ces résultats, un programme de formation personnalisée par téléréadaptation a été mis au point pour répondre aux besoins spécifiques des utilisateurs, offrant une attention individualisée pour optimiser l'utilisation des lunettes électroniques. Cette thèse fournit des preuves sur la faisabilité d'administrer plusieurs sessions d’entrainement en réadaptation de basse vision via la téléréadaptation chez des utilisateurs de lunettes électroniques. Les lunettes électronique eSight améliorent la qualité de vie et la vision fonctionnelle des utilisateurs, qu’elle soit associée à la téléréadaptation ou au programme d’autoformation du fabricant. Cela indique que les instructions fournies par la téléréadaptation ou par l'autoformation proposée dans un contexte commercial sont tout aussi efficaces pour améliorer la qualité de vie et les capacités visuelles et que la téléréadaptation pourrait être offerte comme une modalité de formation allternative. Afin d’orienter les recommandations de pratiques fondées sur des données probantes en matière de téléréadaptation, et de répondre au mieux aux besoins des personnes avec une basse vision, d'autres études examinant les effets de la pratique et de l’entrainement sont nécessaires. / Magnification devices are among the most common forms of aids in low vision rehabilitation. They are intended to increase the level of independence and function during activities of daily living. Novel head-mounted display magnification devices for low vision that operate as electronic vision enhancements (providing variable magnification, contrast enhancement, hands-free use) have become more and more available, efficient and are increasingly being utilized, thanks to considerable technological development. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding abandonment rates, factors predicting abandonment of such devices, and efficient intervention characteristics that optimize their use.To better understand the use of head-mounted displays throughout the low vision population, a three-phase study has been conducted using eSight Eyewear as an example device in order to: 1) investigate and synthesize barriers and facilitators influencing the use of magnifying visual aids, using a scoping review to guide the subsequent cross-sectional and prospective studies; 2) identify which variables best predict a change in device use among current head-mounted display users, using a cross-sectional design; and 3) develop evidence-based recommendations regarding the feasibility of a telerehabilitation intervention on head-mounted display users and study the impact of this modality on their device use and quality of life.This thesis provides supporting evidence for the multifactorial decision-making process around the use of magnifying visual aids. Device users’ low motivation, transportation to rehabilitation services and insufficient training have been identified as important barriers to magnifying low vision aid use. Improving users’ quality of life helps to maintain the use of head-mounted displays. Considering these findings, a personalized training regime via telerehabilitation was developed to meet specific users’ needs, providing individualizing attention to optimize the use of head-mounted displays. This thesis provides evidence about feasibility of administering several low vision rehabilitation training sessions via telerehabilitation with head-mounted display users. eSight Eyewear, either with telerehabilitation or with the manufacturer self-training standard, improves quality of life and functional vision outcomes.This indicates that instructions provided by telerehabilitation or though the eSight self-training standard are equally successful in improving quality of life and visual abilities outcomes and that telerehabilitation could be provided as an alternative training modality. To help guide evidence-based practice recommendations for low vision telerehabilitation implementation that meet the unique needs of individuals with low vision, further studies examining benefits of practice and training are needed.