Genomic imprinting, the parent-of-origin specific silencing of alleles, plays an important role in phenotypic plasticity and consequently evolution. The leading explanation for genomic imprinting is Haig's conflict theory, which suggests that alleles from each parent have evolved under different selectional pressures, resulting in the differential expression of patrigenes and matrigenes. Previous studies have mainly used mammals and flowering plants to test Haig’s theory. However, there is a lack of independent evidence to support the theory. My PhD thesis attempts to conduct an independent test of Haig’s conflict theory using buff tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris. A methylation system to facilitate genomic imprinting has not been found in this species. Therefore the first aim of the study was to establish the presence of a functional methylation system in B. terrestris before testing Haig's conflict theory using worker reproduction in queen-less colonies. The initial finding is that a methylation system exists in B. terrestris. The next study, investigating the presence of methylated genes, revealed differential methylation patterns in caste and life stages. Finally, genes involved with worker reproduction in a range of social insects were identified, but distinguishing the matrigene and the patrigene for each gene was unsuccessful. Therefore the final study investigating the presence of imprinted genes in B. terrestris and whether they conform to the expression patterns hypothesised by Haig’s conflict theory could not be analysed. Although this study did not provide conclusive evidence to support Haig’s conflict theory, the presence of methylation in genes involved with worker reproduction in reproducing and non-reproducing B. terrestris workers suggests that further analysis is needed. With adequate evidence, proving Haig’s conflict theory will not only expand our knowledge of invertebrate methylation, but also our understanding of conflict within social insect societies and our knowledge of how genomic imprinting affects phenotypic plasticity.

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / The role of statutory social workers is often misperceived by other role players in interdisciplinary teams; but even more so in the law fraternity spectrum. As such, social workers experience many challenges working with attorneys, magistrates and court clerks because they are often undermined by their counterparts in the interdisciplinary team. This places great strain on professional relationships in settings where these professions are required to work collaboratively, such as statutory services with children and families. Therefore, the aim of this study was to understand the role of the social worker in the interdisciplinary team providing statutory services to children and families in the Cape Metropole. The theoretical framework selected for this study is conflict theory, because it is suited to explain the often-strenuous relationship between social workers and the rest of the interdisciplinary team in the law fraternity.

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This thesis asks whether sharing personal experiences with people from the other side of a conflict contribute to reconciliation. The reconciliatory work of four multinational women´s organizations in Bosnia-Hercegovina are examined in the light of contact theory and thinking on narrative, looking specifically at the possibilities of talking and the obstacles of a post-conflict society. Taking Trudy Govier´s writing as a starting point reconciliation is defined as a renewal of trust through forgiveness that makes long-term co-operation possible. Contact theory offers alternative circumstances where the process of reconciliation can start. Thinking on narrative brings light on the act of talking and listening and how that can influence the circumstances and the actors.15 semi-structured interviews were held with women in Bosnia-Hercegovina. Seven of them were organizers, eight of them participants. The questions were formulated and the transcribed interviews were analyzed with the help of five themes: talking, change, co-operation, trust, future and reconciliation.This thesis comes to the conclusion that reconciliation has to be seen as both an individual and a societal issue. It is a personal experience, but it cannot be separated from the society the person lives in. Talking can bring two people from different sides of a conflict together but the future and possibilities of their relationship is tightly bound to events in their community, the views of people around them and the general atmosphere of their surrounding environment. The concept of reconciliation is full of contradictions that reflect the complexities in a post-conflict society. The contradictions are both practical and emotional, lived and felt. In all its’ contradictions, reconciliation is about bridging gaps. After a war there is a gap between people who have lost faith in each other. There is also a gap between the past and the present, a gap left by all that was lost in the conflict. There is a gap between the individual and the society that betrayed her by ceasing to be a society and becoming chaos. All these gaps have to be traversed. A story told in earnest and listened to in the same spirit binds a tightrope over the gap for storyteller and listener. But there is a whole lot else besides that influencing the success of the tightrope walkers.

Researchers investigating lesbian intimate partner violence (IPV) encourage a movement from the study of prevalence rates to the examination of the complexities of IPV in lesbian relationships (Ristock, 2003). The current study examined power differentials and their associations with reported physical and psychological violence in lesbian relationships. Additionally, the study sought to determine whether power differentials predict physical and psychological violence within the relationship. Secondary data analysis of the National Violence Against Women Survey (NVAWS; Tjaden & Thoennes, 1998) was used. Overall the sample (N = 80) was primarily White, high school graduates, with an average age of 30. A preliminary exploratory factor analysis of a measure used in the NVAWS revealed two factors'jealousy and control tactics. These factor scores were used in later analyses. Chi-square tests revealed no significant relationships between income, age, race, employment, health status, or education power differentials and the presence of physical and psychological violence (i.e., verbal attack). Significant associations were found between control tactics and age, as well as education differentials. Finally, significant associations were found between control tactics and psychological violence, as well as control tactics and jealousy. Multiple linear regressions(MLR) were used to determine which power differential discrepancy scores and factor scores(i.e., jealousy, control tactics [predictors]) could be used to predict physical and psychological violence (criteria). No significant predictions could be made for physical violence. Presence of jealousy and control tactics was found to be a highly significant predictor, accounting for 20% of the variance in psychological violence. / Master of Science

How do young people in Estonia experience the political, politics and citizenship? How are these civic experiences connected to young peoples’ experiences with the media? Anne Kaun’s thesis Civic Experiences and Public Connection presents a theoretical and empirical investigation of how civic experiences, particularly public connection, emerge in the context of contemporary Estonia. Employing open-ended online diaries and in-depth interviews, she aims to develop an in-depth understanding of how young people experience democracy today, and how they express themselves as citizens; expression not only through the physical performance of citizenship, but also through orientation, interest in, and reflection about issues that are of common concern or should be seen as such. The empirical investigation of public connection as critical media connection, playful public connection and historical public connection, is based on narrative analysis and embedded in a theoretical exploration of key concepts in the context of civic culture studies, namely the political, politics and citizenship. Combining Chantal Mouffe’s conflict theory with Paul Ricoeur’s narrative identity, Kaun aims to shed light on contemporary democracy from the citizens’ perspective. The author proposes a holistic approach to both civic experiences and the role that media might play in relation to them. Following a non-media- centric approach, she shows that media, despite their ubiquity, are an important but not exclusive source of the civic experiences of young adults in Estonia.

The current study examines the association of macro-level economic factors and the creation or enactment animal cruelty laws across the states at a fixed time. Criminologists have postulated that economic factors influence the legal system (Chambliss and Seidman, 1971). This thesis addresses whether state-level economic and related macro-level factors influences the amount and types of state animal cruelty legislation lawmakers enact. To do so, this thesis examined animal cruelty legislation and their association with measures of agricultural and farm production, Democratic Party, Republican Party, and pro-animal interest groups across all states of the United States for the time period (2012-2013). Findings suggested that three out of the four variables had significant relationships. The Democratic Party had the strongest relationship, but only Animal interests groups had a significant positive relationship. In all, this study explores how economic influence can influence the creation of animal cruelty legislation. Furthermore, the study opened up theoretical methods for more comprehensive analyses on the creation of law.

¡@In view of the political economy of education, the purpose of this thesis is to study the educational thought of Martin Carnoy, who is a political economist and an educationist in the U.S. We are concerned with the relationship between education and capitalist state.¡@Central to this thesis is the state theory and discuss the functions and roles of education in different context, including colonial period, developing countries and advanced capitalist state. ¡@Since the spread of imperialism in colonial period, the colonial schooling is dominated by the colonizer and rationalizes the colonialism. The colonial schooling is therefore a liberating force to help the colonized against the colonizer. According to Lenin¡¦s imperialism, Carnoy explains the relation between colonial education and colonizer in the colonial period. ¡@In developing countries, both the conditioned capitalist state and transition state, the state bureaucracy makes national economic growth its first priority and so does the educational goal. People desire their children to learn more knowledge, however, to increase mass education rapidly. Based on educational dependency theory, Carnoy accounts for the roles of education in the Third World state. ¡@In advanced capitalist state, the state is a product and shaper of class struggle. Thus, the source of education change is pressed by economic reproductive and democratic dynamics. According to the last thought of Poulantzas, Carnoy constructs the ¡§social-conflict theory¡¨ to predict that economic development and social movements influence the education policies. ¡@It should be concluded, from Carnoy¡¦s educational thought, that the core of Carnoy¡¦s education work is the state theory. He criticizes the problems of capitalist education and approves the positive functions of schooling.

Although the functional enhancement and price decrease of computer hardware have rapidly increased the popularity of computers, quality software is the key to determine the value of information systems. Unfortunately, software development is a highly uncertain business. Many projects fail or escalate. Since software development is a labor and knowledge intensive taks, proper management of team composition is a critical research issue. The purpose of his research is to explore the relationship between knowledge diversity of software team and project performance. Research on team composition and performance is not new. However, few have studied the relationship on software development team. In this research, a research framework based on conflict theory is developed and an empirical study was conducted on Taiwanese firms to examine the extended model. Major funding include (1) knowledge diversity has significant positive effects on task conflict, and the task conflict has significant positive effects on team learning, (2) value diversity has positive effects on relationship conflict, and the relationship conflict has positive effect on the quality of interaction. These findings are useful in helping decision makers to manage software project teams by selecting the right team members.

Taiwan society had evolved in the past 15 years, and the citizens had more opportunities to participate in puclic policy decisions.However, the formation of the policy about Mainland China in Taiwan is a very diffcult thing. A lot of different opinions and ideology we can not control. Coping with Mainland China affairs is invitable to Taiwan. No matter economic, politics or society, Taiwan always faces the menace of the Mainland China. Therefore, making a good Mainland China policy is important. Cohering a common comsensus is also essential.And Social Judgment Theory is a descriptive and normative approach to judgment and decision making developed by Kenneth Hammond (1965,1975,1996) on the basis of Lens Model. Social Judgment Theory has been applied to the analysis of multiple cue probability learning, interpersonal conflict, interpersonal learning, and social policy decisions. It has also produced the policy decision aid. Moreover, Social Judgment Theory emphasizes that the¡§Judgment¡¨is generally more effective (reaches a higher achievement level), and more efficient(reaches a given achievement level more quickly) by utilizing of cognitive feedback while making decision. In this study, a serious of simulated decision maing tast about importing Mainland China talent and the Social Jugdement Theory and Cognition Conflict Paradigm have been employed and tested by way of a laboratory quasi-experiment. The research prove : 1.Cognitive feedback is more effective than outcome feedback in regard to the improvement of individual decision quality. 2. Dual cognitive feedback is more effective than outcome feedback in regard to the improvement of individual decision quality. 3.Dual cognitive feedback is more effective than outcome feedback in regard to the elimination of cognitive conflict. Comparing Taiwan with Mainland China MPA students, we can find the students in Taiwan and Mainland China are all concerning about the cues variable of polotics. They all think the politics is the most important variable about the strait affairs.