This thesis aims at analysing the attitudes of youngsters in Brussels towards sociological minorities. The term “minorities” is used to refer to the main social groups that suffer from subordination and misrecognition by the wider society according to the philosophical theory of recognition: women, lesbians and gay men, and ethnic minorities. Our dataset is composed of a sample of seventy schools in the Brussels Capital Region. In total, three thousand one hundred and twenty one pupils attending in 2007 the last grade of secondary education participated in the study. About half of the sample consists of pupils with a migrant background originating from about 100 different countries. This cultural diversity, reflecting one of the main characteristics of the population of the Brussels Capital Region, is at the centre of the thesis. Because of the hierarchical structure of the sample (pupils aggregated within schools), the culturally diverse population of our sample and the multidimensionality of prejudice, multilevel multivariate linear responses models were performed. In brief, these models allowed us to interpret items regrouped according to their common variation across social (and ethnic) groups and not according to their a priori content similarities. Furthermore, these models allowed us to integrate three different research traditions on prejudice: social psychology on the dimensionality of prejudice, sociology on the impact of socio demographic characteristics on prejudice and school effectiveness research on the role schools may play in reducing pupils’ prejudice. With these models, we could demonstrate the capacity of multilevel techniques to encompass the complexity of prejudice and norms, and to provide an interdisciplinary approach of social processes. Besides the impact of gender and socio economic differences on prejudice, the association between ethnic origin and prejudice was the focus of the analysis at the individual level. Hence, the empirical literature showed that respondents of foreign descent and respondents from the receiving society do not hold similar attitudes towards minorities. This association was investigated in a twofold strategy: after having assessed ethnic differences on the different kinds of prejudice, the explanatory power of possible mediators -such as the experience of group-level institutional discrimination or the bidimensional identification- on this association was tested. The choice of these mediators was influenced by different disciplines of the social sciences. Hence, besides the empirical literature specific to the topic of prejudice, these mediators are derived from theories of political sciences, of sociology of immigration, of social psychology and of cross-cultural psychology. The results showed that these mediators could indeed explain to a large extent ethnic differences on prejudice towards minorities. On the school level, we have shown that the impact schools may have on pupils’ prejudice is a differentiated one. Hence, this impact varies according to both the targets and the dimensions of prejudice. Moreover, besides school institutional characteristics, several contextual characteristics were investigated such as the cultural and social diversity within a school. Our results showed that the impact on prejudice of social and cultural diversity within schools was non-significant. This is, however, most probably related to a masking effect by the specificities of the education landscape in Brussels: differences between schools are huge and homogeneity within schools is important, given that the educational field is highly segregated both in social and in cultural terms. The implications of these results based on an interdisciplinary approach for future research and for policymakers are discussed.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xiii, 108 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 93-99).

This paper examines the development of the Zinneke Parade, a new intangible heritage project in Brussels. Using an interdisciplinary approach which encompasses heritage studies and multicultural studies, it analyses the processes and aims of the parade. With rising globalisation and the corresponding fragmenting of societies has come the many legitimacy claims of identity politics. The resulting growth of multiculturalist and interculturalist approaches in ethnoculturally diverse societies and increased pluralism in heritage projects form the background of the Zinneke Parade. Through narratives gathered from interviews and promotional materials, this paper discusses how Zinneke manifests both interculturalist and pluralist heritage approaches.

Thesis--Freie Universität Berlin. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 216-249) and index.

Ce travail analyse la localisation du commerce de détail bruxellois sous l'angle des facteurs de localisation différentielle, c'est-à-dire en examinant les caractéristiques des lieux qui ont une influence sur le fonctionnement du commerce, en terme de chiffre d'affaire ou de bénéfice, qui contribuent à la survie d'un commerce et qui engendrent des localisations diverses selon les types de commerces. Pour mettre en évidence ces facteurs, les analyses exploitent le postulat selon lequel la localisation à un moment donné d’un commerce ayant certaines caractéristiques répond à des contraintes, les facteurs de localisation, qui sont prises en compte de manière explicite ou implicite. La géographie du commerce dans la ville à un moment donné en traduit l'influence combinée.<p><p>L'analyse mobilise un inventaire détaillé décrivant la localisation du commerce bruxellois en 1997. Une première exploitation, dans une logique déductive, a permis de tester systématiquement l'effet de distinctions spatiales jugées pertinentes sur la structure des fonctions commerciales. Cela a surtout eu pour objet de mettre en évidence, sur une base empirique cohérente (unité de temps, de lieu et de nomenclature), la sensibilité des divers types de commerces aux facteurs de localisation différentielle les plus communément cités (hiérarchie, micro-centralité, spécialisation, standing, population non-résidentes, caractéristiques de l'environnement et du bâtiment). Pour ce faire, on a d'abord cherché à classer les lieux selon leurs propriétés vis-à-vis du facteur de localisation considéré et à discerner si ces différenciations contribuaient à moduler les profils de localisation des différents types de commerces.<p><p>Sur base de ce profil de localisation, la réponse des types de commerces aux contraintes imposées par le facteur de localisation et les mécanismes de différenciation qu'il entraîne ont été mis en lumière. Enfin, le classement des types de commerces vis-à-vis de chaque facteur de localisation différentielle a servi à construire de nouveaux indicateurs permettant de décrire les caractéristiques et le fonctionnement de l'espace commercial sur la base d'inventaires commerciaux.<p><p>Une seconde démarche, dans une logique inductive, a consisté à explorer l'ensemble des données disponibles dans la SitEx en vue d'en dégager les discriminations les plus marquantes. Cette analyse de la structuration spatiale du commerce à Bruxelles avait pour but la recherche d'affinités spatiales, qui ont ensuite été interprétées en terme de facteur de localisation différentielle. Les résultats ont confirmé qu'il est possible de discerner par des outils géostatistiques classiques les affinités spatiales du commerce dans la ville et que ces affinités peuvent être souvent raccrochées aux facteurs de localisation énumérés par la littérature. Mais surtout, ces analyses multivariées contribuent à l'évaluation de l'importance relative de ces différents facteurs dans la différenciation des paysages commerciaux.<p><p>Après avoir examiné l'impact des évolutions récentes (1997-2002, dans les principaux nodules commerçants) sur les résultats engrangés sur base des données exhaustives de 1997, les éléments en faveur d'une approche des facteurs de localisation différentielle par l'analyse des inventaires commerciaux ont été synthétisés, des applications pratiques évoquées et des compléments d'investigation proposés. / Doctorat en sciences, Spécialisation géographie / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Dans le système de production de l’habitat qui existe à Bruxelles, en ce début de 21ᵉ siècle, le logement est à la fois un bien répondant à un besoin vital, un bien faisant l’objet d’un droit inscrit dans la constitution, et une marchandise. Sa production est majoritairement laissée à des sociétés privées – pour l’essentiel des sociétés de promotion immobilière – auxquelles on laisse aussi le soin d’en fixer les prix, sur base de leur perception du marché du logement. Un marché où se rencontrent une demande et une offre, des “consommateurs” et des producteurs de logements, dont les intérêts sont diamétralement opposés. Un marché qui, contrairement à ce qu’en attend la théorie économique néoclassique, ne crée pas un équilibre, mais une crise perpétuelle. Un marché qui entretient et amplifie les inégalités sociales, et dont le fonctionnement génère, à Bruxelles, des conditions de vie indignes pour une part croissante de ménages.<p><p>Cette étude lève le voile sur les mécanismes à l’œuvre du côté des sociétés qui sont les agents principaux de la production capitaliste de logements. Ces sociétés sont celles qui assurent, dans le domaine résidentiel, la fonction de promoteur immobilier (une fonction assurée par toutes sortes de sociétés, qui n’ont pas toutes officiellement la promotion immobilière comme activité principale). Il s’agit d’étudier empiriquement les façons dont ces sociétés utilisent, entretiennent, et transforment l’espace urbain et la géographie résidentielle des différentes classes sociales dans la ville.<p><p>La partie théorique propose une réflexion sur la façon dont les promoteurs peuvent maximiser leur taux de profit à travers la localisation de leurs opérations de logements. Elle fait le lien entre les pratiques des promoteurs telles que j’ai pu les observer, la théorie de la rente foncière, et la question de la reproduction / transformation de la division sociale de l’espace. La partie empirique porte sur les promoteurs de logement, à Bruxelles, dans les années 2000. Elle décrit les promoteurs de logement actifs en Région bruxelloise, sur la base des données disponibles, par l’intermédiaire d’une typologie et de portraits d’entreprises. Elle compare ensuite les stratégies spatiales des différentes sortes de promoteurs, ce qui permet d’identifier les caractéristiques spécifiques qui influencent leurs choix de localisation. / Doctorat en sciences, Spécialisation géographie / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

The increasing challenges caused by non-renewable energy in regard to climate change, the increased flux of migration to urban areas, and the undeniable impact of human activities on these phenomena have given rise to a wide range of scientific work analysing the relationship between urban form and energy. Pioneering research in this field shows a link between the density of cities and their energy consumption. While concerns surrounding sustainable urbanism have grown, urban thinking has evolved, and the interdependence between planning and mobility, and planning and building are increasingly being explored beyond the traditional ways in which they have been considered in isolation. Environmentally conscious design of dense urban forms is thus at the heart of sustainable urbanism. This research uses the concept of urban form to explain the city as a spatial phenomenon. Urban form is proposed as an analytical lens through which the contributions of design characteristics are revealed, for an energy-efficient urban planning policy.Although the link between urban form and energy performance is clearly established, research is lacking on the influence of spatial organization on energy saving in cities from efficient urban fabrics. The urban scale dimension of research on energy consumption attracts much less interest than that of the building, which is very present within the literature. Therefore, the research question was formulated as follows: “How can urban form and energy performance be connected to meet the increasingly unique and changing expectations or needs of places and populations?”. In this regard, the approach adopted in this research is a methodological contribution to knowledge.To answer this question, a research framework was developed with several research methods were employed to answer a set of sub-questions. The first –“What are the links between urban form and energy consumption?”– should be seen as exploratory questions to form a complete picture of the problem. It is answered through a combination of literature review and analysis of urban form elements. The second sub-question –“How can urban form indicators be integrated into the decision-making process for an energy-efficient urban planning policy?– is a fundamental question and is theoretically answered by a literature review and through the development of a theoretical framework. The third sub-question –“What are the links between socio-economic variables, transport infrastructure energy consumption and urban form?”– is the first of three questions that structure the empirical research. It resulted in a statistical data analysis for the selected case area, i.e. the Brussels-Capital Region. The fourth sub-question –“ What are the links between building geometry and solar gains?”– is answered with the analysis of a 3D simulation model of a district area in renovation. The last sub-question –“What are the design priorities required to reduce urban energy use?”– led to the development of a conclusion at multiple scales of urban form analysis. After introducing the topic, the research question and the research framework in the first chapter, chapters 2 to 6 respectively respond to each of the sub-questions. To answer the first sub-question, a historical analysis of the relationship between energy and urban form is presented in chapter 2. The discipline of urban form study in the fields of architecture urbanism and geography introduced four main schools of thought and three main approaches to analyse the urban form during the period 1960-2018. These schools support the viability of urban form analysis as an instrument for planning, as it makes us consider how urban form design affects the energy usage of the city. At the same time, urban planners need to consider the urban not to be simply a set of data, but a subject of inquiry that depends on an assumed initial definition and conceptualisation.In chapter 3, the methodological aspects used in this research are detailed and give an answer to the second sub-question. Four complementary systems of urban form elements are highlighted and connected to the energy indicators identified in the literature review. The scale of analysis for each of the urban form elements is also presented in this chapter with argumentation and detailed definition of the urban indicators. At the same time, the econometric statistical analysis is developed and explain the potential of; correlation, cointegration and causality analysis in building an efficient urban planning policy. In chapter 4, the Brussels-Capital Region mobility data for a 26 years period (1990-2016) are statistically analysed. The link between urban form indicators, transport and socio-economic indicators show the importance of road length development on increasing energy consumption in transport for the region. It also highlights the need for policy planning more inclined to take the “time” into consideration to be able to support future energy-efficient policy measure. In chapter 5, the analysis of the relationships between urban form and energy is scaled down to the street and building scales. A solar analysis is conducted on two different urban form models (the closed block and the open block). The results point to the importance of urban planning design considering open space an object of inquiry rather than simply leftover space between buildings. It is also reasserting the need for 3D model analyses in the preliminary stages of the conception of the technical specifications provided by the region for each project. Finally, in the chapter 6, the applicability and merits of the theoretical framework are first reflected upon. Next, the newly gained insights about the processes behind urban form and energy nexus are presented. Then, an answer is given to the main research question in the form of recommendations. These recommendations are based on the idea that the study of urban form development could be used as a powerful tool for crafting urban regulation guidelines and practices for a more integrated, sustainable urbanism. / Doctorat en Art de bâtir et urbanisme (Polytechnique) / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

In this thesis I investigate the potentials for regional authorities to make use of Europe and discuss in what ways these efforts can initiate Europeanization of a top-down, horizontal, and cyclical nature. The empirical material that the analysis is based upon was gathered during my participant observation period at the City of Malmö EU office. Both working practically with European affairs and conducting interviews with other regional representatives provided me an opportunity to receive a first-hand experience of the way Swedish local and regional representatives are working to receive advantages from their presence in Brussels. The network governance concept is in the thesis introduced to explain how policy making is organized and in the light of these observations I reflect on to what extent the regional presence and activities in Brussels is leading to a process of Europeanization. The findings suggest that there are many ways in which the Swedish regional representatives are able to receive advantages from their presence in Brussels. The thesis also reveals various ways in which the regions become influenced by Europe, especially from participating in partnerships and networks that are making use of the EU as a platform for interaction and learning.

Doctorat en philosophie et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Doctorat en sciences sociales, politiques et économiques / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished