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<p>Sandstone and shale samples were selected within the systems tracts for laboratory analyses. The sidewall and core samples were subjected to petrographic thin section analysis, mineralogical analyses which include x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and stable carbon and oxygen isotopes geochemistry to determine the diagenetic alteration at deposition and post deposition in the basin. The shale samples were subjected to Rock-Eval pyrolysis and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) prior to gas chromatographic (GC) and gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analyses of the rock extracts, in order to determine the provenance, type and thermal maturity of organic matter present in sediments of the Orange Basin. The results revealed a complex diagenetic history of sandstones in this basin, which includes compaction, cementation/micritization, dissolution, silicification/overgrowth of quartz, and fracturing. The Eh-pH shows that the cements in the area of the basin under investigation were precipitated under weak acidic and slightly alkaline conditions. The &delta / 18O isotope values range from -1.648 to 10.054 %, -1.574 to 13.134 %, and -2.644 to 16.180 % in the LST, TST, and HST, respectively. While &delta / 13C isotope values range from -25.667 to -12.44 %, -27.862 to -6.954% and -27.407 to -19.935 % in the LST, TST, and HST, respectively. The plot of &delta / 18O versus &delta / 13C shows that the sediments were deposited in shallow marine temperate conditions.</p>

Polycrystal models, beginning with the work of Sachs (1928) and Taylor (1938), have been used to predict very complex material behavior. The basis of these models is single crystal plasticity theory, which is then extended to model an actual (polycrystalline) material composed of a large number of single crystals or grains. Crystal plasticity models are formulated at the scale of the individual grain, which is viewed as a fundamental material element. To first order this is a reasonable approximation, and results in qualitatively good predictions. However, it is also well known that the grain is not a uniform entity, and that a great deal of non-uniform activity, including the development of well-defined dislocation structures, occurs within individual grains. The goals of this research are to complete an experimental data set for validation of material modeling, and to then improve the physical basis of predictive polycrystal plasticity models. Preferred orientations (textures) of oxygen free high conductivity (OFHC) copper were measured using reflection x-ray diffraction techniques. Monotonic strain paths included a variety of strain levels for both compression and torsion. One of the significant contributions of this research was the measurement of textures resulting from non-monotonic deformation histories, specifically compressive prestrain (to two different levels) followed by torsion to an effective plastic strain of 1.00. We also concluded synchrotron radiation experiments to map Laue images to examine subgrain microtexture formation at various stages of finite deformation. The second major contribution is to polycrystal plasticity modeling. Improvements to the plasticity model were achieved by including the effects of gradually developing, sub-grain scale microstructures, without explicitly modeling the structures, in terms of both crystallographic texture formation and work hardening. The effects of these microstructures were incorporated through the use of new internal state variables. They result in a broadening of the peaks of the macroscopic texture and a reduction of the rate of texture formation. Predictions of crystallographic orientation distributions were verified by plotting stereographs, which were shown to match measured crystallographic textures. The microstructural hardening law was introduced through a new form of latent hardening, which was shown to match experimental stress-strain behavior more closely than the basic model of Pierce, Asaro, and Needleman (1982). This latent hardening form augmented a Taylor-type term, which reflected statistically stored dislocations in the slip system hardness. Significantly, this improvement was also noted in the case of non-monotonic loading, which the standard model could not predict even to first order. Also, in the course of this research a planar double slip model was used as a precursor to the full three-dimensional modeling. The objective was to use the planar model to test various formulations, at least qualitatively, since it is a simpler model. As a result of comparisons between the three-dimensional simulations and the planar ones, the planar model was shown to be an insufficient tool for developing new texture and hardening evolution schemes as compared to the three-dimensional models. The planar model was unsuitable for modeling any but the most basic crystal plasticity relations and most simple deformation paths in a qualitative manner.

This dissertation argues that Venetian space in the sixteenth century was embedded with various boundaries that individuals challenged and that communities and Venetian secular and ecclesiastical authorities reinforced. The development of Venetian urban space played an essential role in the formation of Venetian civic identity, which in turn was predicated upon the myth of Venice. The time period examined includes the re-establishment of the Roman Inquisition, and the early period of the Inquisition in Venice, which were concomitant with a time of religious and social disruption. Documents of the Venetian government and contemporary diarists offer contextual evidence; however, trials before the Holy Office in Venice, particularly cases involving those accused of witchcraft, inform the greatest portion of this study. Drawing on such evidence, this dissertation challenges the argument that “Venetian” society was cohesive and well balanced. By repurposing common and sacred items to invoke supernatural entities and perform heterodox practices, those accused of witchcraft challenged the Venetian secular and ecclesiastical authorities as they created a competing vision regarding the definition of domestic sacred space. Examination of the neighborhood as a social space reveals boundaries, both real and imagined, and the challenges to the boundaries that those living on the margins of society displayed through the creation of their own communities. Finally, inhabitants’ use of public space and their movement throughout these spaces offers evidence of challenges to boundaries as well as the measures authorities took in re-establishing these boundaries. Ultimately, competing desires for belonging and legitimacy, as well as disagreements over physical, ideological, and social boundaries set Venetian inhabitants and authorities in opposition.

During the last decades, scholars have discussed the changes of Swedish alcohol culture. Among other things, it has been suggested that parallel with increased consumption levels men’s and women’s drinking is becoming more similar. In connection with this discussion, the purpose of this thesis is to examine Swedish alcohol culture(s) by analysing the meanings that focus groups from different generations ascribe to drinking in relation to different life periods: childhood, adolescence and adulthood. More specifically, it aims to analyse how the interviewees specify and negotiate normative boundaries and self-presentations in relation to norms and discourses of gender and age. An essential part of the analysis is to examine differences within gender and age-groups, as well as the similarities between them. The findings suggest that even though drinking patterns are changing in terms of quantity and choice of beverage, meanings, motives and norms seem to be rather stable – especially in regard to gender. Overall, a distinction is being made between men and women: Femininity is constructed in terms of control, responsibility and caring, and masculinity in terms of fearlessness, breaking of boundaries, and loss of control. Men’s and women’s drinking are also accounted for in different ways. While men’s drinking behaviours are excused with arguments about biology and hormones, women’s (anticipated) responsibility is explained with their connection to motherhood. However; these norms vary in strength and are expressed in different ways, depending on the drinking norms of different life-periods; mainly moderate in childhood and adulthood, and mainly orientated to binge-drinking in adolescence. With regard to positive meanings ascribed to drinking, similarities between age and gender groups are also generally greater than the differences between them. Thus, gendered differences are mainly constructed in relation to behaviours that are perceived as risky or problematic.

The shift from management and governance of ecosystems to relational complex adaptive social-ecological systems (SES) emphasizes a dynamic and integrated humans-in-nature perspective. Such a shift also needs to investigate how diversity and differences in cultures and morals relate to the existence of SES. The papers of this thesis relate these dimensions to SES resilience theory. Paper I analyzes cultural and landscape ecological aspects of trees and tree planting in Androy, Madagascar. Culturally, planting trees serves as a symbol of renewal, purification, agreement and boundary-making. Ecologically, planting trees contributes to the generation of ecosystem services in an otherwise fragmented landscape. Paper II tests the role of forest patches for generating pollination services to local beans that constitute an important protein staple in Androy. The results indicate a significant effect of insect pollination on bean yields and a strong spatial pattern of locating bean plots closer to forests than expected by chance, improving rural food security. Paper III addresses the adaptive capacity of the indigenous forest management in Androy with regard to religious and climatic drivers of change. Paper IV is concerned with cultural analysis of the robustness of provisioning ecosystem services in Androy and the interdependence of morality, cultural practices and generated ecosystem services. Paper V explores how social-ecological memory (SEM) can be seen both as a source of inertia and path dependence and a source of adaptive capacity for renewal and reorganization in the emerging theory about social-ecological systems. Paper VI analyses the film Avatar and discusses ethical–epistemic obligations of researchers as cross-scale knowledge brokers in emerging forms of global environmental politics. The thesis has interdependencies between the social and the ecological and shown that cultural and moral analyses bring important insights and challenges to resilience thinking. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Submitted. Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 5: Submitted. Paper 6: In press.</p>

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The aim of this study was to examine adolescent perceptions of risky behaviour using a mobile phone. This research may contribute to creating an awareness of risky and healthy adolescent uses of mobile phones. Anonymous sketches were collected from Grade 10 learners depicting their understanding of risky behaviour using the mobile phone. Thereafter, 12 learners agreed, through informed consent, to participate in semi-structured interviews. All participants considered the mobile phone an integral part of their social lives. Participants noted the benefits of using their mobile phones for their school work, such as searching the internet, taking photos of, and recordings of class work. Participants indicated that engaging in activities that allow for self-expression using the mobile phone, as well as knowing how much information to post, and using the mobile phone for what it was intended for (i.e. communication), was healthy behaviour. Participants indicated that sharing one’s address, phone number, and personal or intimate photographs and videos was risky behaviour. Participants did not extend their definitions of healthy behaviour to include moderate use of the mobile phone on a daily basis, and in fact reported spending an average of 4-5 hours daily on their mobile phones. Participants indicated numerous incidents of cyberbullying (although that term was not explicitly used), such as online racism, creating and distributing demeaning lists, and nude or offensive photographs of one another. Participants’ moral boundaries appeared to be negotiable, due to inconsistent opinions on what was considered acceptable or unacceptable behaviour on their mobile phones. Participants revealed a desire to be trusted with their mobile phones, yet indicated that they hid information from their parents. Findings show that, although the participants knew and understood the risks that exist in mobile interactions, they continued to engage in these risky behaviours. / Thesis (MA (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The aim of this study was to examine adolescent perceptions of risky behaviour using a mobile phone. This research may contribute to creating an awareness of risky and healthy adolescent uses of mobile phones. Anonymous sketches were collected from Grade 10 learners depicting their understanding of risky behaviour using the mobile phone. Thereafter, 12 learners agreed, through informed consent, to participate in semi-structured interviews. All participants considered the mobile phone an integral part of their social lives. Participants noted the benefits of using their mobile phones for their school work, such as searching the internet, taking photos of, and recordings of class work. Participants indicated that engaging in activities that allow for self-expression using the mobile phone, as well as knowing how much information to post, and using the mobile phone for what it was intended for (i.e. communication), was healthy behaviour. Participants indicated that sharing one’s address, phone number, and personal or intimate photographs and videos was risky behaviour. Participants did not extend their definitions of healthy behaviour to include moderate use of the mobile phone on a daily basis, and in fact reported spending an average of 4-5 hours daily on their mobile phones. Participants indicated numerous incidents of cyberbullying (although that term was not explicitly used), such as online racism, creating and distributing demeaning lists, and nude or offensive photographs of one another. Participants’ moral boundaries appeared to be negotiable, due to inconsistent opinions on what was considered acceptable or unacceptable behaviour on their mobile phones. Participants revealed a desire to be trusted with their mobile phones, yet indicated that they hid information from their parents. Findings show that, although the participants knew and understood the risks that exist in mobile interactions, they continued to engage in these risky behaviours. / Thesis (MA (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

This doctoral thesis examines how modernisation affects and is affected by existing local culture and identity. It is about the relation between the social and mental barriers experienced, expressed and manifested in the social culture of local community, and modernisation’s dynamic powers over time. The thesis deals with different time periods from the 1800’s until today with regard to expressions and consequences of modernity. People during the societal transformation of Sweden in the 19th and 20th centuries are culturally depicted from a micro-perspective. An overall perspective for the analysis of modernity uses the concepts of basal and variable modernity, borrowed from the historian of ideas Sven-Eric Liedman. The perspective makes possible the separation between on the one hand the structural modernisation within the fields of economy, technology and natural sciences, and on the other hand the cultural modernity manifested in conceptions of the world, politics, existential viewpoints, aesthetic expressions and social culture. Within the first-mentioned fields, where basal modernity dominates, a uniform and cumulative developmental pattern emerges as well as an almost self-propelled continuity toward the next innovation or stage of development. Within the latter fields, however, a non-uniform pattern emerges, where modernisation is constantly the object of alternative interpretations and attitudes. This variable modernity is characterised by a cultural struggle between conflicting ideologies and strategies in relation to ongoing modernisation. Different individuals and groups position themselves between acceptance and resistance, progressiveness and the critique of civilisation, the preservation of traditions and the will to change. In this course of events new affinities and identifications, but also new dissociations and antagonisms are created in local social contexts. Modernity leads both to the obliteration of boundaries and to the emergence of new social and mental boundaries. This process can also lead to existing geographical borders being charged with a new ideological content so their importance is revitalised.