Thesis (Ph.D. (African Languages)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / Muhumbulo muhulwane wa ngudo, wo vha wa u sedzulusa na u sengulusa mbonalo ya mushumo wa vhutunguli nga ṅanga dza sialala ḽa mvelele ya Tshivenḓa. Ṱhoḓisiso yo vha yo sedzesaho kha tshenzhemo na vhupfiwa ha ṅanga dza sialala nga ha kuvhonele kwavho kwa mushumo wa vhutunguli kha mushumo wavho wa ḓuvha ḽiṅwe na ḽiṅwe. Tsenguluso yo vha ya u fhaṱusa lushaka nga ha ndeme ya vhutunguli kha vhutshilo ha ḓuvha ḽiṅwe na ḽiṅwe na u khakhulula kuhumbulele kwo shandeaho nga ha vhutunguli ha sialala ḽa Vhavenḓa sa vhu no fhura vhathu tshelede ngeno mishumo yaho i sa tendisei. Ngudo yo sumbedza vhuvha ha mushumo wa vhutunguli ha sialala u bva tsikoni u swika ṋamusi na thuso ine ya vhu ṋetshedza miṱani na kha shango, u tsivhudza lushaka nga u vhamba maano a u vhulunga nḓivho na uri i nga pfukiselwa hani kha vhaswa. Ho shumiswa madzhenele a khwalithethivi kha u kuvhanganya mafhungo. Mafhungo o kuvhanganywa nga nḓila ya inthaviyu vhathu vho livhana zwifhaṱuwo na nga luṱingo khathihi na u ṱalela nyito. Mafhungo o kuvhanganyiwaho o khoudiwa nga maitele a hone, ha bveledzwa thero. Thero dzo tumbulwaho dzo kona u livha kha mawanwa na themendelo. Tsedzuluso yo vhonala yo vula lushaka maṱo kha u dzhiela vhutunguli ha sialala nṱha.

Dans les dernières décennies du XVIe siècle, s’épanouit une histoire « à hauteur d’homme », du fait de son objet et du fait des limites qu’elle se donne à elle-même. Les usages de la fortune contribuent au développement de cette pratique d’écriture qui se veut séculière et manifeste un intérêt pour les réalités humaines, mais dans laquelle la volonté divine est nettement prise en considération. Un prologue permet de définir la fortune comme un lieu commun et comme un objet polémique dans le contexte d’une crise politique et religieuse. L’étude s’attache ensuite à un corpus d’ouvrages d’histoire (Le Roy, La Popelinière, Belleforest…) et de Mémoires (Marguerite de Valois, Henri de Mesmes, Monluc…), rédigés ou publiés entre 1560 et 1600. Elle montre comment les usages du terme fortune permettent de penser l’adversité (I), de concevoir l’action (II) et de s’approprier le passé (III). Elle s’intéresse à la manière dont est élaborée la structure du récit, dont est construite une stratégie argumentative qui permet la valorisation d’une identité nobiliaire ou d’un parcours politique et militaire, et dont sont conférées aux faits passés une portée édifiante ou une valeur pratique. La fortune ne constitue pas un moteur de l’histoire comme somme d’événements, mais peut être un outil de l’écriture de l’histoire qui permet de désigner et de penser les rapports de l’homme à ce qui lui est extérieur (l’action d’autrui, les circonstances), ce qui lui échappe (l’action divine, l’action royale) mais aussi à ses propres failles et à ses propres capacités. / During the last decades of the XVIth century, a history flourishes « at human size », for its object and for the limits it gives itself. Uses of fortune contribute to the development of a writing which wants to be secular and shows interest for human realities, yet in which the divine will is strongly taken into consideration. The prologue defines fortune as a commonplace and as a polemical object in the context of a political and religious crisis. Then the study analyses a corpus of history books (Le Roy, La Popelinière, Belleforest…) and Memoirs (Marguerite de Valois, Henri de Mesmes, Monluc…) which are written or published between 1560 and 1600. It demonstrates how uses of the word fortune allow to think adversity (I), to understand action (II) and to take ownership of the past (III). This dissertation is interested in the elaboration of the narrative structure, in the construction of an argumentative strategy which gives value to a noble identity or a political and military experience, and in the way facts are given an edifying or a pratical significance. Fortune is not a driver of history as sum of events, but can be a tool to write history, to name and to think the relation of man to what is external to him (someone else’s action, circumstances) and out of range (divine action, royal action), but also to his own flaws and capabilities.

Le retour à meilleure fortune est un fait juridique résultant de l’amélioration soudaine de la situation patrimoniale d’un débiteur, par un gain à la loterie ou un héritage, le mettant en mesure de payer ses créanciers. Pris en compte dans la cession de biens sous l’Antiquité, le débiteur de bonne foi n’échappait à la prison pour dettes que contre l’abandon de ses biens et l’engagement de s’acquitter du reliquat dû après leur vente si la fortune venait de nouveau à lui sourire. Le droit positif n’accorde, aujourd’hui, que peu de place à ce fait juridique. En droit public, celui-ci constitue encore, dans le Code de l’action sociale et des familles ainsi que dans celui des collectivités territoriales, un critère de récupération des aides publiques. Et, en droit privé, la liberté contractuelle permet encore d’assortir la remise de dette d’une clause de retour à meilleure fortune afin d’organiser une réversibilité de l’abandon de créance. L’article 2284 du Code civil donne encore un effet juridique à cette situation en intégrant au gage commun des créanciers tous les biens nouveaux acquis par le débiteur. Partant de là, le retour à meilleure fortune devrait profiter aux créanciers. Mais ce principe est aujourd’hui malmené par un droit « à ne pas payer ses dettes ». Qu’il soit un consommateur ou un professionnel, le débiteur de bonne foi peut obtenir la purge de ses dettes. L’obligation de paiement du débiteur est alors éteinte y compris si la fortune vient de nouveau à lui sourire. Seuls les créanciers dont les droits sont juridiquement préservés des effets de la purge peuvent encore prétendre à un paiement dans une telle situation. Pour l’essentiel, le débiteur conserve donc l’acquis de son retour à meilleure fortune. D’ailleurs, la Commission européenne a demandé aux Etats-membres de l’Union d’encourager le rebond du débiteur par une politique en faveur de la seconde chance. Le législateur français a ainsi adopté différentes mesures en faveur du rebond pour encourager celui qui a échoué à retenter sa chance. Les présents travaux envisagent donc les incidences juridiques du retour à meilleure fortune en distinguant les situations dans lesquelles il est valorisé de celles où il est neutralisé ; avant d’aborder les mesures en faveur du rebond du débiteur. / Return to better fortune is a legal item, consisting in a better financial state to the debtor by lottery or by inheritance. In this way, the creditors can obtain payment if the debtor’s situation happens to improve suddenly. A long with the transfer of property in Antiquity, the debtor in good faith could only avoid prison by abandoning his property and committing to pay off the balance due following its sale if fortune were again to smile on him. These days, the civil law contains indirect echoes of this concept. Today, the law accords but little room to this payment cause of action against a debtor. It is true that, under public law, it still qualifies as a criterion for recovery of public aid in the family and social Code as well as in the local authorities Code. And under private law, freedom of contract allows deferral of debt to be made subject to a return to better fortune clause so as to organize reversibility of abandoning property. Article 2284 of the Civil code includes all newly acquired property within a general pledge to creditors. In this way, return to better fortune should be profitable to creditors: they can obtain payment. But, for the main part, this concept is today ill-supported by a law “not to pay one’s debts”. Whether to be a consumer or a professional, the debtor in good faith can obtain purge of his debts. The debtor’s obligation to pay is thus extinguished, even if fortune were again to smile on him. Only creditors whose rights can be preserved juridically, by purge of this debts, are alleged to be paid in such a situation. But for the main part, the debtor conserves the fruit of his return to better fortune. Such policy in favor of a second chance, sought by the European institutions, has lead to the French legislator adopting recovery-favorable measures: the taking over of a company in difficulty has been favored and reintegration of the failed facilitated. Certain hurdles to recovery have also been removed in this research : on the one hand, return to better fortune valued, on the other hand, this situation neutralized ; before taking up the actions in favor of a second chance for the debtor.

Due to the social uncertainties caused by Taiwan¡¦s economic recession and rapid social changes, many people try to seek solace in fortune telling, which they believe can bring them peace of mind. Therefore, how to provide a high quality and high credibility fortune-telling environment lest people should be swindled by ill-intentioned fortune tellers is a public policy and a social responsibility that the government shouldn¡¦t evade. In terms of the great influence of Chinese Numerology on Taiwanese people and its great demand, I suggest in my research paper that an environment suitable for the development of Chinese Numerology be provided in Taiwan society. In this way, the mid-term quality control and long-term academic development of Chinese Numerology can be assured. This thesis aims at exploring the theory and technique of Chinese Numerology, an ancient Chinese science and culture. Through the related courses offered by the technological and vocational education system, internationally top-notch Chinese Numerology professionals and Feng Shui experts can thus be cultivated. Due to the limitation of time, human resources and money, the field of my research paper focuses mainly on the influence Chinese Numerology has exerted on Taiwanese people and what expectations the have had of it. As National Kaohsiung Hospitality College can educate outstanding restaurant and hotel personnel, so can vocational technological universities offering Chinese Numerology courses cultivate excellent experts in this field. By absorbing Chinese and Western traditional cultural ideas, these experts will create Taiwan¡¦s Chinese Numerology industry and make themselves become internationally acclaimed. Questionaires are distributed asking people in Kaohsiung what they think of the implementation of Chinese Numerology in technological and vocational education system. It is hoped that the cultivation of internationally top-notch Chinese Numerology professionals and Feng Shui experts will consolidate Taiwan¡¦s leading status in the field of Chinese Numerology, which will become Taiwan¡¦s unique cultural feature in the future. At the end of my thesis, three suggestions are made. First, for the development of Chinese Numerology, related courses should be incorporated into the curricula of technological and vocational universities. Second, the Chinese Numerology certificate system should be established. Third, academic research centers of Chinese Numerology should be set up to cultivate more high-quality experts in this field.

Considéré comme un historien qui sacrifie rigueur et exactitude à son souci de la rhétorique, Quinte-Curce jouit, et avec lui son histoire « romancée », d’une réputation en demi-teinte. Au-delà de faiblesses et d’un mélange des genres entre histoire, morale et rhétorique du reste caractéristiques de l’ensemble de l’historiographie romaine, les Historiae Alexandri Magni constituent un témoignage intéressant sur la représentation du pouvoir à Rome au Ier siècle de n.è. En s’appuyant sur un portrait rigoureusement construit, Quinte-Curce met en relief l’évolution du Conquérant, soumis à la tentation de l’Orient, de la fortune et de ses modèles héroïques. L’historien se livre alors à une véritable entreprise de démystification qui touche la nature même de cet Orient merveilleux, la fortune providentielle dont se réclame le Macédonien et même le langage. Sont ainsi condamnés la quête effrénée de gloire que poursuit le roi, et son rêve de divinisation : l’Orient est synonyme de renversement généralisé des normes et des valeurs, la fortune une illusion conduisant à un sentiment d’impunité. En déconstruisant la propagande d’Alexandre, Quinte-Curce révèle alors un autre imaginaire – le sien – en même temps qu’une idéologie. En filigrane, il propose aussi un idéal du pouvoir qui repose essentiellement sur l’équilibre et sur la responsabilité du prince. Par là, il interroge, au regard des réalités politiques de son temps, la pertinence d’un mythe central dans l’imaginaire politique romain et dont l’ombre plane sur tous les ambitieux, à commencer par les empereurs ou les candidats à l’Empire. Son récit bien mené incite donc à une réflexion réelle sur l’exercice du pouvoir, ses enjeux et ses limites. / Considered a historian who sacrifices his rigor and accuracy for the sake of rhetoric, Curtius Rufus enjoys, and with him his “fictionalized” history as well, a halftone reputation. Notwithstanding its shortcomings and a mixture of genres between history, moral and rhetoric, which are also typical of the entire Roman historiography, the Historiae Alexandri Magni are an interesting testimony of the representation of power in Rome in the first century A.D. Building on a rigorously constructed portrait, Quintus Curtius highlights the evolution of the Conqueror, subject to the temptations of the East, of fortune and its heroic models. The historian attempts to debunk the very nature of this wonderful East, the providential fortune claimed by Macedonian, and even language. The unbridled quest for glory pursued by the king and his dream of deification are here condemned: the East stands for a general inversion of norms and values, and fortune becomes an illusion leading to a feeling of impunity. By deconstructing Alexander's propaganda, Curtius then reveals another imaginary—his own—along with an ideology. Implicitly, it also proposes an ideal of power mainly based on balance and on the responsibility of the prince. The historian questions the relevance of a central myth of the Roman political imagination in the political context of the times, whose shadow looms over all ambitious men, starting with emperors or candidates for the Empire. His well crafted narrative is a call for a reflection on the actual exercise of power, its challenges and limitations.

Over the past three decades, employer-sponsored 401(k) plans have grown in popularity as they have proved to be a valuable benefit employers can provide to employees and tax-deductible expense that employers can easily account for on their books. However, a major concern around these plans is that they have come to take the place of traditional pension plans offered by employers, forcing employees to assume full responsibility for their retirement savings. This paper evaluates the overall effectiveness of 401(k)s at the top 50 companies in the Fortune 100, examining participation rates, account balances, and employer contributions. It concludes that employees that have 401(k)s at these 50 companies fare much better than the average American with regard to retirement savings. Nonetheless, the substitution of traditional pensions with 401(k) plans by companies in the United States is problematic. Employees, which previously could rely on a company pension in retirement, are unintentionally delaying retirement due to a lack of savings. Furthermore, a growing number of workers without retirement savings will certainly put a strain on Social Security funds in the coming decades.

University of Macau / Faculty of Arts and Humanities. / Department of English

Estudo dos temas da fortuna e da superstição no Tratado teológico-político de Espinosa. Na primeira parte, estudo o sentido destes temas no prefácio, texto cuja forma é retórica. Na segunda parte, estudo como os mesmos temas reaparecem em capítulos do Tratado teológico-político, textos que têm forma demonstrativa. / Study of the themes of fortune and superstition on the Spinoza\'s Theological- political treatise. In the first part, I study the meaning of these themes in preface whose form is rethoric. In the second part, i study how the same themes are treated in chapters of the Theological-political treatise, texts whose form is demonstrative.

This thesis looks at how the Roman poet Lucan uses the character of Cato to elucidate his beliefs about Fortune and Stoicism. The traditional Stoic view of Fortune views it as a force for good that allows people to improve through hardship. Lucan portrays Fortune as a purely antagonistic force that actively seeks to harm the Roman people and corrupt even good individuals like Cato. Lucan's Fortune arranges events to place Cato in a situation where it is impossible to maintain his virtue. Rather than providing him an opportunity to improve in the civil war, Fortune makes it so that whatever choice Cato makes, he becomes guilty. Brutus' dialogue with Cato in Book 2 of Pharsalia illuminates the position that Cato is in. Brutus looks to Cato as the traditional Stoic exemplar that can forge a path for virtue in civil war. However, Cato admits that joining any side in the civil war would cause him to become guilty. Fortune's support of Caesar and its dominance over contemporary events has forced Cato into this situation. Cato's desert march in Book 9 continues to show Fortune's dominance over Cato by continually denying him opportunities to gain virtue for himself. Lucan's portrayal of Fortune shows his rejection of Stoic teaching about Fortune and the ultimate futility of trying to remain virtuous in a time of civil war.

Climate change affects the health of people and the environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published research that explains the danger of greenhouse gas emissions on humans, wildlife, and the planet. Initiatives and policies are enacted every day to counter the harm that is done to the environment. Many companies now publish environmental impact reports or Corporate Sustainability Reports (CSR) to promote industry transparency. Participating in environmental and social initiatives is also a competitive advantage for these Fortune 500 companies. Customers can support a company based on their environmental friendliness or social responsibility. Companies are then encouraged to promote social issues like workplace diversity, women in management, and community development; and environmental issues like habitat conservation, green building, and energy reduction. The general merchandising sector companies scored from highest to lowest in the following order: Walmart, Nordstrom, Sears Holdings, Macy’s, PPR, Target, Kohl’s, JC Penney, Dollar General, Belk, Neiman Marcus, Shopko Stores, Follett, Family Dollar, Dillards, Newegg.com, Michael’s Stores, and Fry’s Electronics. These companies represent the most successful companies based on their strategies to reduce their environmental impact. Extended Producer Responsibility, green building, and community initiatives are three categories that are imperative to discuss when addressing environmental and social reporting.