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Multi-stakeholder dialogue and collaborations have been considered as ‘panacea’ for complex local to global problems confronting governments, businesses and society. And for over a decade now, they have also been increasingly promoted as mechanisms to achieve sustainability. There is, however, a dearth of empirical studies that give deeper insights into the practical dimensions and various implications of such processes for sustainability. This dissertation explores how multi-stakeholder organising processes for sustainability occur in local settings. It relies on a theoretical framework that combines institutional and social movements theoretical perspectives. Such a theoretical cross-fertilisation has been helpful in explaining: (a) how the macro institutional context of sustainable development influences micro interactions of individuals during collaborations; and (b) how those micro interactions may influence the sustainability movement organised at macro societal levels. The dissertation is philosophically based on the principles of critical hermeneutics. It draws on the works of Hans-Georg Gadamer and Jürgen Habermas to understand the nature of reality, society and human relationships. The study also uses literature on sustainable development, organising, dialogue, collaboration, stakeholder engagement, emotions and time. Three cases of multi-stakeholder dialogic collaborations organised to address sustainability of two regions in New Zealand were investigated through observations, interviews with participants and documentary research. These processes were developed in response to a regulatory change in New Zealand – the new Local Government Act (2002) which emphasises sustainable development of communities. The data across the three cases was analysed using principles of grounded theory and critical hermeneutics. Analysis reveals how various kinds of institutional pressures (engulfing cultural-cognitive, regulative and normative institutions connected with sustainable development) confront different stakeholders with varying intensities. Those pressures influence stakeholders to become involved in and commit to such collaborations. And as stakeholders participate in such processes, they are shown to engage with one another rationally and emotionally, and with different conceptions of time. The collaborations thus can be characterised by a complex fusion of rationality, emotionality and temporality. On the one hand, multi-stakeholder dialogic collaborations stimulate learning, facilitate relationship building and build social capital for implementing sustainable development. They thus prove themselves as potent governance mechanisms that can help to institutionalise sustainable development. On the other hand, multi-stakeholder dialogic collaborations for sustainability are highly messy, unpredictable, paradoxical and conflict-ridden processes of stakeholder engagement. They are shown to suffer from three major problematics: problematic of misunderstandings; problematic of stakeholders’ emotions; and problematic of stakeholders’ time. They thus, ironically and paradoxically, are also problematic solutions for sustainability.

The increasing rates of intervention in childbirth are an issue for women, their families, health professionals, and society across much of the Western World. This study is a response to these increasing rates of intervention, as reflected in the research question: 'What is shaping the practice of health professionals and the understanding of the public in relation to increasing intervention in childbirth?' The participants in the study were nine health professionals: midwives and obstetricians, who were interviewed individually, and thirty-three members of the public who took part in six focus groups. The research was carried out under the umbrella of critical hermeneutics, and the particular approach used was that of critical interpretation as formulated by Hans Kogler. This approach enabled a hermeneutical thematic analysis of that which is shaped (worldviews) and a critical structural analysis (discursive orders, social practices, relationships of power and structures of domination) of the shaping and shapers of practice and understanding. The research process facilitated by critical interpretation in identifying and describing the shaping and shapers of practice and understanding adds an important dimension to the statistical picture of increasing intervention that is of concern, both to health professionals and the public. The research revealed that the everyday world and its associated processes of socialisation in the 21st century - in particular pain, choice, and technology - shape the practice of health professionals and the understanding of the public in relation to increasing intervention. The study's findings were supported by the revelation that many of the social and cultural values, such as convenience, ease, and control, that underpin Western society in the 21st century, correlate with what intervention has to offer, which results in intervention being increasingly sought after and utilised. This milieu of intervention, which increasingly surrounds childbirth, is shown to be calling into question those things that have traditionally been at the heart of childbirth: the ability of the woman to birth and the clinical skills of the health professional. This research provides insight and awareness of those things that are shaping understanding and practice and birth itself and creating a milieu in which intervention is increasingly normalised.

All across the world, people struggle daily to create and enhance their sense of identity. Such struggles are waged in many ways, including through the process of rediscovering and reinterpreting history. Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, an African American congregation in a suburb of Atlanta, is engaged in a search for its church cemetery, lost when the land was sold to the military during the nation’s mobilization for World War II. The church’s efforts are analyzed in the context of identity creation -- a search for links to a mythic and self-sufficient past. Archaeological methods reveal compelling evidence that the cemetery lies in a location previously unknown to the community. Through a collaborative process, the church community and the investigator identify the possible cemetery location and develop plans to institute reforms that are sustainable and agreeable to all parties.

The increasing rates of intervention in childbirth are an issue for women, their families, health professionals, and society across much of the Western World. This study is a response to these increasing rates of intervention, as reflected in the research question: 'What is shaping the practice of health professionals and the understanding of the public in relation to increasing intervention in childbirth?' The participants in the study were nine health professionals: midwives and obstetricians, who were interviewed individually, and thirty-three members of the public who took part in six focus groups. The research was carried out under the umbrella of critical hermeneutics, and the particular approach used was that of critical interpretation as formulated by Hans Kogler. This approach enabled a hermeneutical thematic analysis of that which is shaped (worldviews) and a critical structural analysis (discursive orders, social practices, relationships of power and structures of domination) of the shaping and shapers of practice and understanding. The research process facilitated by critical interpretation in identifying and describing the shaping and shapers of practice and understanding adds an important dimension to the statistical picture of increasing intervention that is of concern, both to health professionals and the public. The research revealed that the everyday world and its associated processes of socialisation in the 21st century - in particular pain, choice, and technology - shape the practice of health professionals and the understanding of the public in relation to increasing intervention. The study's findings were supported by the revelation that many of the social and cultural values, such as convenience, ease, and control, that underpin Western society in the 21st century, correlate with what intervention has to offer, which results in intervention being increasingly sought after and utilised. This milieu of intervention, which increasingly surrounds childbirth, is shown to be calling into question those things that have traditionally been at the heart of childbirth: the ability of the woman to birth and the clinical skills of the health professional. This research provides insight and awareness of those things that are shaping understanding and practice and birth itself and creating a milieu in which intervention is increasingly normalised.

Multi-stakeholder dialogue and collaborations have been considered as ‘panacea’ for complex local to global problems confronting governments, businesses and society. And for over a decade now, they have also been increasingly promoted as mechanisms to achieve sustainability. There is, however, a dearth of empirical studies that give deeper insights into the practical dimensions and various implications of such processes for sustainability. This dissertation explores how multi-stakeholder organising processes for sustainability occur in local settings. It relies on a theoretical framework that combines institutional and social movements theoretical perspectives. Such a theoretical cross-fertilisation has been helpful in explaining: (a) how the macro institutional context of sustainable development influences micro interactions of individuals during collaborations; and (b) how those micro interactions may influence the sustainability movement organised at macro societal levels. The dissertation is philosophically based on the principles of critical hermeneutics. It draws on the works of Hans-Georg Gadamer and Jürgen Habermas to understand the nature of reality, society and human relationships. The study also uses literature on sustainable development, organising, dialogue, collaboration, stakeholder engagement, emotions and time. Three cases of multi-stakeholder dialogic collaborations organised to address sustainability of two regions in New Zealand were investigated through observations, interviews with participants and documentary research. These processes were developed in response to a regulatory change in New Zealand – the new Local Government Act (2002) which emphasises sustainable development of communities. The data across the three cases was analysed using principles of grounded theory and critical hermeneutics. Analysis reveals how various kinds of institutional pressures (engulfing cultural-cognitive, regulative and normative institutions connected with sustainable development) confront different stakeholders with varying intensities. Those pressures influence stakeholders to become involved in and commit to such collaborations. And as stakeholders participate in such processes, they are shown to engage with one another rationally and emotionally, and with different conceptions of time. The collaborations thus can be characterised by a complex fusion of rationality, emotionality and temporality. On the one hand, multi-stakeholder dialogic collaborations stimulate learning, facilitate relationship building and build social capital for implementing sustainable development. They thus prove themselves as potent governance mechanisms that can help to institutionalise sustainable development. On the other hand, multi-stakeholder dialogic collaborations for sustainability are highly messy, unpredictable, paradoxical and conflict-ridden processes of stakeholder engagement. They are shown to suffer from three major problematics: problematic of misunderstandings; problematic of stakeholders’ emotions; and problematic of stakeholders’ time. They thus, ironically and paradoxically, are also problematic solutions for sustainability.

The legislation governing the care of people with dementia is based on consent and therefore reflects the western society’s idealization of autonomy. However, common symptoms of dementia include decreased ability to make adequate decisions and an impaired judgement. The purpose of this study was to understand the rationality in organizing the care of people with dementia without the presence of coercion, based on experience of nursing staff working in dementia care. How does the nursing staff reason about the use of coercion in the care of people with dementia? How do they relate to current legislation? To answer these questions three focus group interviews were made, consisting of nursing staff working at special units for people with dementia. The study was based on a critical hermeneutic perspective where ruling norms, values and beliefs were questioned. The result showed that the nursing staff considered use of coercion as an inevitable part of their work to ensure safety for people with dementia. Additionally, the result showed that the nursing staff used various strategies to work in a way that was compatible with the current legislation, although these strategies often failed to be sufficient enough to ensure the protection of people with dementia. Based on the result, this study discusses the conflict occurring between the discourses on autonomy in the society in relation to organizing a safe dementia care

Considerando-se que a tecnologia assume um papel importante nos debates atuais sobre educação em virtude da rapidez e multiplicidade de seus efeitos na sociedade em rede (Castells, 2006), a presente pesquisa enfoca os letramentos como questão crucial à aprendizagem. O objetivo desta tese é investigar como estudantes universitários, usuários da Internet, de diferentes cursos, em universidades públicas e privadas, constroem sentidos, a partir de seus contextos sócio-culturais, em relação às diferentes formas de prática social e respectivas epistemologias. Para realizar esta pesquisa, um site foi criado no qual os participantes, hiperleitores, interagiam entre si, escolhendo temas de uma gama de modalidades as quais incluíam imagens, vídeo games, charges, conteúdo de emails, filmes, músicas, lendas urbanas e notícias de outras formas midiáticas. Esta tese baseia-se em concepções recentes sobre letramentos, principalmente o letramento crítico, como uma prática social. Nessa perspectiva, a construção de epistemologia, realidade e autoria são sempre concebidas como sendo situadas, múltiplas, contestáveis e sujeitas à transformação, conforme salientam Cope, Kalantzis, 2000; Gee, 2004; Lankshear, Knobel, 2005; Muspratt, Luke, Freebody, 1997. Nesta, procuro estabelecer uma conexão entre letramento crítico, hermenêutica crítica (Ricoeur, 1978) e desconstrução (Derrida, 1997). A conclusão revela que a Internet representa um espaço propício para a construção de conhecimento e sugere, como no título Letramentos na sociedade digital: navegar é e não é preciso, que certeza e incerteza coexistem no processo de navegação, conforme a construção de sentidos dos participantes na qual visões convencionais e mais críticas se mesclam. / Bearing in mind technology has played a very important role in contemporary debates about education due to its rapid and multiple effects in network society (Castells, 2006), this research assumes literacies as absolutely central to learning. The aim of this dissertation is to investigate how university students, familiar with the Internet, majoring in various courses, from private and public universities, construct meanings, from and with their historical contexts, in relation to different forms of social practices along with the kind of epistemology embedded with them. In order to carry out this investigation, a site was built in which the participants of this research, hyperreaders, interacted with each other through choosing to discuss issues from an array of modalities including images, video games, animated jokes, email contents, films, music, urban legends, current news from other media. This dissertation draws on contemporary notions of literacies, mainly critical literacy, as a social practice. From this perspective, it is assumed that the construction of epistemology, reality and authorship are always contextualized, multiple, questionable and subject to transformations, according to Cope, Kalantzis, 2000; Gee, 2004; Lankshear, Knobel, 2005; Muspratt, Luke, Freebody, 1997. The study connects critical literacy, critical hermeneutics (Ricoeur, 1978) and deconstruction (Derrida 1997). The conclusion reveals that the Internet represents a propitious space for knowledge construction and it suggests, as in the title Literacies in the digital society: navigating is and is not precise, that both certainty and uncertainty coexist in the process of navigation through the participants´ meaning making in which conventional and more critical views are intertwined.

The aim of this study was to explore the nature of frontline nurses’ experiences of living with rapid and continuous organizational change in a tertiary health care institution. The phenomenon under study was organizational change. A component of this research was also to explore the possibility of change fatigue in nurses’ discourse. Change is inevitable, and increasingly rapid and continuous in health care as organizations strive to adapt, improve and innovate in response to external pressures. These pressures challenge hospitals to strive for patient safety, quality assurance and provision of exceptional family centred care. Attending to these pressures require time, energy and money. Rapid and continuous change creates a push/pull relationship between innovation and budget. New technologies require extra resources however, simultaneous restructuring and optimization efforts see hospitals decreasing available resources. This creates a challenging workplace for nurses who must engage in organizational change activities with limited resources. Organizational change challenges health care providers in a variety of ways because it restructures how and when patient care delivery is provided, changing ways in which nurses must carry out their work. Little research has been done regarding the impact of rapid and continuous organizational change for frontline health care providers, most notably, nurses. In this study a critical hermeneutic design was applied. Guided by the theoretical framework of critical management studies, the researcher explored concepts of organizational change, experience of change, change fatigue, and power and voice. The setting was an urban pediatric teaching hospital located in eastern Ontario. The researcher sought breadth, depth, complexity and richness of data in understanding the experience of organizational change, which supported a decision to seek a sample size of ten to fifteen participants. Thick description commenced at fourteen participants. Face to face interviews were conducted using open-ended questions to understand nurses’ experiences of change. Brown and Gilligan’s Voice-centred relational method of data analysis was used – a multi-levelled analysis exploring the concept of voice in relation to self, other, culture, society and history. Rapid and continuous organizational change in the workplace profoundly impacted nurses’ work, their relationships to the self, other, culture, society and history. Nurses recognized that many change initiatives reflected an ideological shift in health care that supported a culture of service, whilst sacrificing a culture of care. A culture of service prioritized cost-savings and efficiency, which saw nurses lose the time and resources required to provide quality, safe care. Nurses felt morally responsible to uphold a culture of care, which proved challenging, and at times unobtainable. The inability to provide quality, safe care resulted in a multitude of negative emotional repercussions, which fostered moral distress. Nurses exhibited elements of change fatigue, further contributing to feelings of voicelessness and powerlessness within their workplace. Organizational change must be re-conceptualized in ways that ensure change initiatives uphold institutional integrity and better support the provision of morally authentic nursing practice. Health care organizations should place nurses at the forefront of planning, implementation and evaluation of change initiatives in order to alleviate the many negative experiences of organizational change noted in this study.

Considerando-se que a tecnologia assume um papel importante nos debates atuais sobre educação em virtude da rapidez e multiplicidade de seus efeitos na sociedade em rede (Castells, 2006), a presente pesquisa enfoca os letramentos como questão crucial à aprendizagem. O objetivo desta tese é investigar como estudantes universitários, usuários da Internet, de diferentes cursos, em universidades públicas e privadas, constroem sentidos, a partir de seus contextos sócio-culturais, em relação às diferentes formas de prática social e respectivas epistemologias. Para realizar esta pesquisa, um site foi criado no qual os participantes, hiperleitores, interagiam entre si, escolhendo temas de uma gama de modalidades as quais incluíam imagens, vídeo games, charges, conteúdo de emails, filmes, músicas, lendas urbanas e notícias de outras formas midiáticas. Esta tese baseia-se em concepções recentes sobre letramentos, principalmente o letramento crítico, como uma prática social. Nessa perspectiva, a construção de epistemologia, realidade e autoria são sempre concebidas como sendo situadas, múltiplas, contestáveis e sujeitas à transformação, conforme salientam Cope, Kalantzis, 2000; Gee, 2004; Lankshear, Knobel, 2005; Muspratt, Luke, Freebody, 1997. Nesta, procuro estabelecer uma conexão entre letramento crítico, hermenêutica crítica (Ricoeur, 1978) e desconstrução (Derrida, 1997). A conclusão revela que a Internet representa um espaço propício para a construção de conhecimento e sugere, como no título Letramentos na sociedade digital: navegar é e não é preciso, que certeza e incerteza coexistem no processo de navegação, conforme a construção de sentidos dos participantes na qual visões convencionais e mais críticas se mesclam. / Bearing in mind technology has played a very important role in contemporary debates about education due to its rapid and multiple effects in network society (Castells, 2006), this research assumes literacies as absolutely central to learning. The aim of this dissertation is to investigate how university students, familiar with the Internet, majoring in various courses, from private and public universities, construct meanings, from and with their historical contexts, in relation to different forms of social practices along with the kind of epistemology embedded with them. In order to carry out this investigation, a site was built in which the participants of this research, hyperreaders, interacted with each other through choosing to discuss issues from an array of modalities including images, video games, animated jokes, email contents, films, music, urban legends, current news from other media. This dissertation draws on contemporary notions of literacies, mainly critical literacy, as a social practice. From this perspective, it is assumed that the construction of epistemology, reality and authorship are always contextualized, multiple, questionable and subject to transformations, according to Cope, Kalantzis, 2000; Gee, 2004; Lankshear, Knobel, 2005; Muspratt, Luke, Freebody, 1997. The study connects critical literacy, critical hermeneutics (Ricoeur, 1978) and deconstruction (Derrida 1997). The conclusion reveals that the Internet represents a propitious space for knowledge construction and it suggests, as in the title Literacies in the digital society: navigating is and is not precise, that both certainty and uncertainty coexist in the process of navigation through the participants´ meaning making in which conventional and more critical views are intertwined.