Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The advent of the computer age has seen many fundamental changes in the economics. The ease with which organisations can store and transmit information in unprecedented quantities and speeds has changed the face of the economy as well as the way in which organisations conduct their day to day operations. Information has become the primary resource for organisational competitiveness and this has seen an increasing drive for efficient information generation and management in an economy that is interconnected on a global scale. The demand for better information management practices is driven by the realisation that the global economy is susceptible to sudden and unpredictable changes that can potentially have global consequences. The more information organisations have at their disposal, the better their chances are of remaining competitive and relevant in the global economy. The informational economy confronts organisations with two very significant problems, the first is information overload due to the sheer volume of information that is available to them. The second problem is that despite the volume of available information organisations still are not privy to all the information that is required to lessen the impact of uncertainty that is so characteristic of the global economy. Organisations therefore always run the' risk of becoming irrelevant if they do not change constantly. This drive for continuous change and the dependence on information has led some organisational theorists and economists to compare the global economy and organisations to nonlinear systems found in nature. Examples of nonlinear systems are living organisms, ecologies and solar systems. All of these systems are characterised by high levels of interconnectedness and interdependence among individual units within a shared environment, which they co-create. Nonlinear systems are of particular interest to organisational theorists because these systems process information about the environment to adapt in an unpredictable way to unpredictable changes. Such systems are incredibly resilient because they are able to learn and adapt to different conditions. Another notable aspect of nonlinear systems is the clear structured and complex organisation that they exhibit in the absence of centralised control mechanisms. Every unit has the liberty to experiment with new designs and from the success of individual units an organised and stable system emerges with a strong link between the success of individuals and the whole system. The order that exists within nonlinear systems is known as self-organisation because it is not superimposed but emerges instead in a spontaneous manner. Nonlinear systems are therefore more than just the sum of their parts. The notion of nonlinear systems and self-organisation has seen authors such as Stacey, Wheatley and Senge develop new ideas about organisational development, leadership and organisational strategic thinking. Their ideas are based on what is popularly known as 'The New Science'. These ideas attempt to encourage organisations realise that the global economy functions as a nonlinear system and that organisations stand a better chance of success if they learn to understand the principles of nonlinear systems and to utilise the inherent creative and organising characteristics of such systems. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die aanvang van die rekenaar era het verskeie fundamentele veranderinge in ekonomie mee gebring. Die gemak en snelheid waarmee organisasies informasie kan stoor en versprei is ongekend en het terselfde tyd die voorkoms van die ekonomie verander asook die wyse waarop organisasies op 'n daaglikse basis funksioneer. Informasie het die belangrikste hulpbron geword vir organisasies in terme van kompetering en dit het 'n groter dryfkrag vir doeltreffende informasie ontginning en bestuur mee gebring in 'n ekonomie wat op 'n wereldwye skaal in mekaar gevleg is. Die aanvraag vir beter informasie bestuur praktyke word gedryf deur die wete dat die wereld ekonomie vatbaar is vir skielike en onvoorspelbare veranderinge wat potensieel 'n wereldwye impak kan he. Hoe meer informasie organisasies tot hul beskikking het hoe beter is hul kans om relevant en kompeterend te bly in die wereld ekonomie. Die informasie ekonomie konfronteer organisasies met twee fundamentele probleme. Die eerste gevaar is dat organisasies oorlaai kan word met informasie as gevolg van die absolute volume van beskikbare informasie. Die tweede probleem spruit voort uit die feit dat ten spyte van die beskikbare informasie, lei organisasies steeds aan 'n gebrek aan algehele informasie, organisasies kan dus nooit toegang he tot al die informasie wat benodig word om die impak te verminder van die onsekerheid wat so kenmerkend is van die wereld ekonomie. Organisasies loop dus altyd die gevaar om irrelevant te raak as hulle nie konstant aanpas by nuwe omstandighede nie. Hierdie soeke na konstante verandering en die afhanklikheid op informasie het verskeie organisasie teoretici en ekonome daartoe gelei om 'n vergelyking te tref tussen die wereld ekonomie en organisasies aan die een kant en nie-Iiniere sisteme wat in die natuur voorkom. Voorbeelde van sulke sisteme sluit lewende organismes, ekostelsels en sterre stelsels in. Die komponente van al hierdie sisteme is op 'n komplekse wyse inmekaar geweef en interafhanklik op mekaar binne die raamwerk van gemeenskaplike omgewing waarvoor hierdie komponente mede verantwoordelik is. Nie-liniere sisteme is van besondere belang vir organisasie teoretici omdat die betrokke sisteme informasie verwerk aangaande hul omgewing om op 'n onvoorspelbare wyse aan te pas by onvoorspelbare veranderinge in die omgewing. Sulke sisteme is uitsonderlik standvastig deurdat hulle kan leer en aanpas by verskillende omstandighede. Nog 'n merkbare aspek van sulke sisteme is die duidelik gestruktureerde en komplekse organisasie wat bestaan ten spyte van 'n algehele gebrek aan gesentraliseerde beheer meganismes. Elke komponent is vry om met 'n nuwe ontwerp te eksperimenteer en vanuit die sukses van die komponente spruit die sukses van die sisteem. Die organisasie wat sigbaar is in nie-liniere sisteme staan bekend as self-organisasie omdat dit nie voortspruit uit 'n sentrale beheer meganisme nie maar instede spontaan onstaan as 'n gevolg van die aksies van komponente. Nie-Iiniere sisteme het die potensiaal om meer te kan wees as die somtotaal van hul komponente. Die beginsel van nie-liniere sisteme en selforganisasie het skrywers soos Stacey, Wheatley en Senge daartoe gelei om nuwe idees te ontwikkel rakende organisasie ontwikkeling, leierskap en strategiese beplanning in organisasies. Hierdie idees is gegrond in wat algemeen bekend staan as 'The New Science'. Die idees van hierdie skrywers is gemik daarop om organisasies aan te moedig om raak te sien dat die wereld ekonomie soos 'n nie-liniere sisteem funksioneer en dat organisasies as sulks 'n beter kans staan om sukses te behaal as hulle sou leer om die beginsels van nie-liniere sisteme te begryp en die inherente kreatiewe en organiserings eienskappe van sulke sisteme uit te buit.

Este trabalho estuda a apropriação e ocupação de espaços digitais para divulgação de tema social em Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem (AVA), de uma universidade com o perfil, eminentemente, tecnológico. Para isto é destacada a importância da inserção de um elemento digital para motivação de inclusão de temas transversais aos materiais didáticos eletrônicos disponibilizados aos alunos. A necessidade de compreensão da relevância de práticas que adotam o pensamento linear-reducionista da lógica clássica e o entendimento de suas deficiências que podem ser supridas por abordagens alternativas, definiram as reflexões iniciais da pesquisa. As questões da dualidade entre tecnologia e Educação, em uma visão complexa com viés transdisciplinar, trazem a integração de assuntos numa diversidade que inclui o uso de recursos tecnológicos na Educação, o papel educativo da comunicação, práticas pedagógicas, conteúdos educacionais, tema transversal e AVA, estabelecendo entre eles, novas e interessantes conexões. A inclusão de considerações sobre o Paradigma Emergente da Educação e sobre as responsabilidades atribuídas ao sistema educacional brasileiro traz uma preocupação sobre questões legais numa amplitude mais abrangente ao contexto educacional. A estrutura da pesquisa é fundamentada na teoria da complexidade proposta por Edgar Morin, alinhada aos pensamentos de Basarab Nicolescu sobre transdisciplinaridade. As ideias sobre Educação incluem reflexões progressistas de Paulo Freire, proposta pedagógica inovadora de Maria Aparecida Behrens, comunicação na Educação na visão de José Manuel Moran, vertentes tecnológicas na visão de Andrew Feenberg, Pierre Lévy e Lucia Santaella e, na compreensão de Isabel Petraglia, a função da escola para unir dualidades com características antagônicas como emoção e razão e teoria e prática. O objetivo geral da investigação foi, a partir da integração compreendida dos referenciais diversos, estruturar o processo de inserção de objetos virtuais de sugestão transdisciplinar (ovst) para mostrar as potencialidades de espaços disponíveis no AVA e dar visibilidade à transdisciplinaridade na educação. Para atingir este objetivo, além do estudo do referencial teórico e do estabelecimento das conexões, foi realizada uma pesquisa prática que envolveu a inserção do ovst nos cursos postados no AVA-Moodle da Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR). Para complementar a fundamentação teóricometodológica e orientar a pesquisa de campo, adotaram-se técnicas de Análise de Conteúdo propostas por Laurence Bardin. Foi realizado o diagnóstico dos cursos através de critérios para seleção de cursos e, em seguida, a verificação da incidência transdisciplinar do tema social: Educação Ambiental, nos textos didáticos e o desenvolvimento do ovst e sua inserção nos cursos. A análise apontou pouca adesão de docentes à prática transdisciplinar. A pesquisa confirmou que é viável a promoção do diálogo entre disciplinas e permitiu que, de forma coerente com a proposta, fosse apresentado o entendimento de fluxo do pensamento complexo, para a situação pesquisada. Pode-se incluir como contribuições a extensiva caracterização de referencial teórico para suporte à pesquisa sobre objetos virtuais, uma sistemática consistente para exames de materiais postados no AVA, com critérios e procedimentos de observação de materiais didáticos e a proposta, assentada em referenciais sólidos, de uma sistemática para definição de ovst, inclusive, com outros temas de interesses diversos. / This work examines the means for claiming and occupying available digital spaces for disclosing social themes in a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), in a University with technological characteristics. For that, the importance of providing a digital element as a resource for including transverse themes into didactic electronic archives accessible to the students is highlighted. The need to fully understand the importance of practices that adopt the linear and reductionist thinking derived from the classical logic and the comprehension of its limitations, that can be overcome with alternative approaches were the starting point for this research. The questions posed by the duality between Technology and Education, considering a complexity point of view associated with a transdisciplinar approach, allowed the integration of a diversity of elements such as: the use of technological resources in Education, the communication role in the learning process, pedagogical practices, educational issues, transversal themes and a VLE. From that, novel and challenging connections could be established. Examining the aspects of Education Emergent Paradigm along with the responsibilities attributed to the Brazilian Educational System induced a wide range preoccupation over legal questions associated to the educational context. The research structure is based on the complexity theory proposed by Edgar Morin, aligned with the transdisciplinarity ideas suggested by Basarab Nicolescu. The scope on the Education field included: progressist observations from Paulo Freire works, innovative pedagogic model from Maria Aparecida Behrens, communication in Education from José Manuel Moran, technological possibilities considering the views from Andrew Feenberg, Pierre Lévy e Lucia Santaella, and, finally, the thought from Isabel Petraglia, who suggests that the school should merge antagonistic dualities such as: reason and emotion or theory and practice. This investigation aims at structuring the process for developing and inserting a digital element of transdiciplinarity suggestion (ovst) to highlight the potential usage of available spaces in a VLE and provide visibility to transdisciplinarity in Education. To fulfill this objective, besides a thorough references examination and the derived connections development, a survey which involved the inclusion of an ovst in courses posted in the VLE-Moodle, at Federal University of Technology of Parana. To support the theoretical and methodical approach and guide the field research, the Content Analysis Techniques proposed by Laurence Bardin, were applied. The characteristics of the courses in the VLE were identified by specific set of criteria seeking to verify the occurrence of Environmental Education, a social and transdisciplinar theme, inside them. The analysis indicated that there is low level of transdisciplinar practices by UTFPR lecturers. This research has confirmed that it is possible to promote the dialogue between different disciplines. Additionally, the flow of a complexity thought for the examined field could be demonstrated. The contributions of this research are the extensive references review on the virtual objects, a consistent approach to explore the materials posted in the VLE and a proposed systematic to structure and define an ovst involving themes with distinct points of view.

Este trabalho estuda a apropriação e ocupação de espaços digitais para divulgação de tema social em Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem (AVA), de uma universidade com o perfil, eminentemente, tecnológico. Para isto é destacada a importância da inserção de um elemento digital para motivação de inclusão de temas transversais aos materiais didáticos eletrônicos disponibilizados aos alunos. A necessidade de compreensão da relevância de práticas que adotam o pensamento linear-reducionista da lógica clássica e o entendimento de suas deficiências que podem ser supridas por abordagens alternativas, definiram as reflexões iniciais da pesquisa. As questões da dualidade entre tecnologia e Educação, em uma visão complexa com viés transdisciplinar, trazem a integração de assuntos numa diversidade que inclui o uso de recursos tecnológicos na Educação, o papel educativo da comunicação, práticas pedagógicas, conteúdos educacionais, tema transversal e AVA, estabelecendo entre eles, novas e interessantes conexões. A inclusão de considerações sobre o Paradigma Emergente da Educação e sobre as responsabilidades atribuídas ao sistema educacional brasileiro traz uma preocupação sobre questões legais numa amplitude mais abrangente ao contexto educacional. A estrutura da pesquisa é fundamentada na teoria da complexidade proposta por Edgar Morin, alinhada aos pensamentos de Basarab Nicolescu sobre transdisciplinaridade. As ideias sobre Educação incluem reflexões progressistas de Paulo Freire, proposta pedagógica inovadora de Maria Aparecida Behrens, comunicação na Educação na visão de José Manuel Moran, vertentes tecnológicas na visão de Andrew Feenberg, Pierre Lévy e Lucia Santaella e, na compreensão de Isabel Petraglia, a função da escola para unir dualidades com características antagônicas como emoção e razão e teoria e prática. O objetivo geral da investigação foi, a partir da integração compreendida dos referenciais diversos, estruturar o processo de inserção de objetos virtuais de sugestão transdisciplinar (ovst) para mostrar as potencialidades de espaços disponíveis no AVA e dar visibilidade à transdisciplinaridade na educação. Para atingir este objetivo, além do estudo do referencial teórico e do estabelecimento das conexões, foi realizada uma pesquisa prática que envolveu a inserção do ovst nos cursos postados no AVA-Moodle da Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR). Para complementar a fundamentação teóricometodológica e orientar a pesquisa de campo, adotaram-se técnicas de Análise de Conteúdo propostas por Laurence Bardin. Foi realizado o diagnóstico dos cursos através de critérios para seleção de cursos e, em seguida, a verificação da incidência transdisciplinar do tema social: Educação Ambiental, nos textos didáticos e o desenvolvimento do ovst e sua inserção nos cursos. A análise apontou pouca adesão de docentes à prática transdisciplinar. A pesquisa confirmou que é viável a promoção do diálogo entre disciplinas e permitiu que, de forma coerente com a proposta, fosse apresentado o entendimento de fluxo do pensamento complexo, para a situação pesquisada. Pode-se incluir como contribuições a extensiva caracterização de referencial teórico para suporte à pesquisa sobre objetos virtuais, uma sistemática consistente para exames de materiais postados no AVA, com critérios e procedimentos de observação de materiais didáticos e a proposta, assentada em referenciais sólidos, de uma sistemática para definição de ovst, inclusive, com outros temas de interesses diversos. / This work examines the means for claiming and occupying available digital spaces for disclosing social themes in a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), in a University with technological characteristics. For that, the importance of providing a digital element as a resource for including transverse themes into didactic electronic archives accessible to the students is highlighted. The need to fully understand the importance of practices that adopt the linear and reductionist thinking derived from the classical logic and the comprehension of its limitations, that can be overcome with alternative approaches were the starting point for this research. The questions posed by the duality between Technology and Education, considering a complexity point of view associated with a transdisciplinar approach, allowed the integration of a diversity of elements such as: the use of technological resources in Education, the communication role in the learning process, pedagogical practices, educational issues, transversal themes and a VLE. From that, novel and challenging connections could be established. Examining the aspects of Education Emergent Paradigm along with the responsibilities attributed to the Brazilian Educational System induced a wide range preoccupation over legal questions associated to the educational context. The research structure is based on the complexity theory proposed by Edgar Morin, aligned with the transdisciplinarity ideas suggested by Basarab Nicolescu. The scope on the Education field included: progressist observations from Paulo Freire works, innovative pedagogic model from Maria Aparecida Behrens, communication in Education from José Manuel Moran, technological possibilities considering the views from Andrew Feenberg, Pierre Lévy e Lucia Santaella, and, finally, the thought from Isabel Petraglia, who suggests that the school should merge antagonistic dualities such as: reason and emotion or theory and practice. This investigation aims at structuring the process for developing and inserting a digital element of transdiciplinarity suggestion (ovst) to highlight the potential usage of available spaces in a VLE and provide visibility to transdisciplinarity in Education. To fulfill this objective, besides a thorough references examination and the derived connections development, a survey which involved the inclusion of an ovst in courses posted in the VLE-Moodle, at Federal University of Technology of Parana. To support the theoretical and methodical approach and guide the field research, the Content Analysis Techniques proposed by Laurence Bardin, were applied. The characteristics of the courses in the VLE were identified by specific set of criteria seeking to verify the occurrence of Environmental Education, a social and transdisciplinar theme, inside them. The analysis indicated that there is low level of transdisciplinar practices by UTFPR lecturers. This research has confirmed that it is possible to promote the dialogue between different disciplines. Additionally, the flow of a complexity thought for the examined field could be demonstrated. The contributions of this research are the extensive references review on the virtual objects, a consistent approach to explore the materials posted in the VLE and a proposed systematic to structure and define an ovst involving themes with distinct points of view.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / In his novels Slaughterhouse-five and The Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut explores issues of cultural identity in technologically-advanced societies post-World War II. With the rise of globalization and rapid technological advancements that occurred postwar, humans worldwide were mitigating the effects of information overload and instability in cultural identity. The influx of cultural influences that accompany a global society draws attention to the fluidity and inevitability of cultural change. A heightened awareness of cultural influences—past and present—creates anxiety for the generation living postwar and before the dawn of the Information Age. This generation suffers from “cultural schizophrenia”: a fracturing of the psyche characterized by anxiety over unstable cultural identities and agency. With the characters of Billy Pilgrim and Winston Niles Rumfoord, Vonnegut explores the different reactions to and consequences of cultural schizophrenia. His unique writing style is an effective hybrid of science fiction conventions and the complexities of human culture and society. Ultimately, Vonnegut explores the dangers of detachment and the complicated nature of agency with novels that are both innovative and accessible.