Submitted by Ana Hilda Fonseca (anahilda@ufba.br) on 2016-04-07T17:53:48Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese_de_Doutorado_Rennan_G_O_Araujo.pdf: 2718676 bytes, checksum: 59eab9c3f63867e32dff273384239532 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ana Hilda Fonseca (anahilda@ufba.br) on 2016-05-10T17:42:10Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese_de_Doutorado_Rennan_G_O_Araujo.pdf: 2718676 bytes, checksum: 59eab9c3f63867e32dff273384239532 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-10T17:42:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese_de_Doutorado_Rennan_G_O_Araujo.pdf: 2718676 bytes, checksum: 59eab9c3f63867e32dff273384239532 (MD5) / CNPq e FAPESB / A farinha de trigo é um produto muito importante consumida em muitas partes do mundo. A determinação de seus constituintes é de interesse tanto nutricional como toxicológico. No intuito de rastrear nutrientes e contaminantes presentes na composição mineral da farinha de trigo consumida em cidades brasileiras foi desenvolvido um estudo de investigação de forma a ampliar dados sobre tal gênero alimentício. Foram desenvolvidos quatro trabalhos para determinação de metais em farinha de trigo usando técnicas espectrométricas atômicas. O primeiro trabalho consistiu na determinação de manganês em amostras coletadas na cidade de Salvador, Bahia, Brasil - utilizando amostragem suspensão e detecção por espectrometria de absorção atômica com chama (FAAS). A concentração de manganês nas amostras variou entre 5,2 ± 0,7 a 7,6 ± 0,5 μg g-1. Os limites de detecção e de quantificação foram 0,13 e 0,44 μg g-1, respectivamente. A precisão foi expressa através do desvio padrão relativo (%RSD) foi de 3,5 % (n=10). A exatidão foi confirmada através de análise de três materiais de referência certificados de farinha de arroz. O uso da calibração com padrões aquosos facilitou um procedimento simples e rápido para determinação de manganês em farinha de trigo. No segundo trabalho, foram comparados dois métodos analíticos para determinação de cádmio empregando a espectrometria de absorção atômica com atomização eletrotérmica em forno de grafite (GF AAS) sem a digestão da amostra de farinha de trigo através da amostragem direta de sólidos (SS) e a amostragem em suspensão com múltiplas injeções (SlS) como introdução. Após a otimização das condições usando a mistura paládio e magnésio como modificador químico, a temperatura de pirólise usada foi de 800 ºC, e 1600 ºC como temperatura de atomização, sem observação de sinal fundo de absorção. A calibração versus padrões aquosos foi utilizado para ambos os métodos otimizados. Foram estabelecidas as figuras de mérito: massa característica 0,6 e 1,0 pg, limite de detecção (3σ, n = 10) 0,2 e 0,7 ng g-1, limite de quantificação (10σ, n = 10) 0,7 e 2,3 ng g-1 e precisão expressa como desvio padrão relativo (n=5) de 6 – 16% e 9 – 23% para SS e SlS, respectivamente. As análises de materiais de referência certificados de farinha de trigo, folhas de maças, farelho de milho e pão confirmaram a exatidão dos métodos. Seis amostras de farinha de trigo foram analisadas para determinação de cádmio coletadas em cidades brasileiras, sendo encontrado a concentração desse elemento variando entre 8,9 ± 0,5 e 13 ± 2 μg kg-1 nas amostras. Aplicou-se teste t-Student aos resultados obtidos pelo os dois métodos propostos, estando os dados concordantes para nível de 95% de confiança. O método SS foi escolhido como método de rotina, devido à sua simplicidade, a velocidade de análise e os melhores valores de figura de mérito. O terceiro trabalho, a composição mineral da farinha de trigo consumida no Brasil foi avaliada. Na etapa de amostragem foram coletadas 54 amostras em 15 cidades, incluindo as principais cidades brasileiras como: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Porto Alegre, Recife e outras. Os elementos determinados foram: cálcio, cobre, magnésio, manganês, ferro, fósforo, potássio e zinco. A técnica analítica empregada foi a espectrometria de emissão óptica com plasma indutivamente acoplado (ICP OES). A validação do método (incluindo digestão e determinação) foi confirmada usando um material de referência certificado de farinha de trigo fornecido pelo NIST. Considerando as 54 amostras analisadas, os resultados demonstraram que os macronutrientes: cálcio, magnésio, potássio e fósforo encontram-se em média de 0,27; 0,35; 1,71 e 1,92 mg g-1, com variação da concentração de 0,11 – 1,96; 0,19 – 0,51; 0,76 – 3,16 e 0,81 – 7,15 mg g-1, respectivamente. Os micronutrientes: cobre, ferro, manganês e zinco encontram-se em média de 1,84; 37,82; 8,25 e 9,41 g g-1, com a variação de concentração de 1,00 – 2,80; 10,46 – 146,58; 3,89 – 14,74 e 5,07 – 13,93 g g-1, respectivamente. Os resultados foram avaliados também usando as técnicas de análise multivariadas: análise de componente principal (PCA) e análise de agrupamento hierárquico (HCA). Por fim, o quarto trabalho foi desenvolvido para determinação de Ba, Cr, Rb, Sr, V, Se e Mo empregando a espectrometria de massa com plasma indutivamente acoplado (ICP-MS) em 25 amostras de farinha de trigo coletadas em cidades brasileiras. Foi utilizado o procedimento de digestão assistida por microondas em sistema fechado. A validação do método foi confirmada através da adição e recuperação para todos analitos e análise de material de referência certificado de farinha de trigo NIST 1567a para Se, Mo e Rb. Os valores foram satisfatórios com uso de germano como padrão interno. Apreciando as 25 amostras analisadas, os resultados demonstraram que concentração variou entre 1,71 – 10,83 µg g-1 para Ba; 0,060 – 0,307 µg g-1 para Cr; 0,77 – 4,23 µg g-1 para Rb; 0,61 – 5,72 µg g-1 para Sr; 0,023 – 0,108 µg g-1 para V; 0,058 – 0,952 µg g-1 para Se e 0,115 – 0,684 µg g-1 para Mo. Os resultados foram avaliados também usando as técnicas de análise multivariadas: PCA e HCA. / The wheat flour is a very important product consumed in many parts of the world. The determination of its constituents is of interest both nutritional and toxicological. In order to trace nutrients and contaminants present in the mineral composition of wheat flour consumed in Brazilian cities was conducted a research study in order to expand data on such foodstuff. There have been four works for determination of metals in wheat flour using atomic spectrometric techniques. The first work was the determination of manganese in samples collected in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil - using slurry and detection by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The concentration of manganese in the samples ranged between 5.2 ± 0.7 a 7.6 ± 0.5 μg g-1. The limits of detection and quantification were 0.13 and 0.44 μg g-1, respectively. The precision was expressed by the relative standard deviation (RSD%) was 3.5% (n=10). The accuracy was confirmed through analysis of three rice flour certified reference materials. The use of calibration standards agaisnt aqueous facilitated a simple and rapid procedure for determination manganese in wheat flour samples. In the second work, were compared two methods to cadmium determination employing graphite furnance atomic absorption spectrometry (GF AAS) without the digestion of the wheat flour sample, through direct solid sampling (SS) and slurry with multiple injections(SlS) as form of introduction. After the optimization of conditions using a mixture of palladium and magnesium as chemical modifier, the temperature pyrolysis used was 800 º C and 1600 º C as temperature, atomization, without remark the of background. The calibration against aqueous standards was used for both methods optimized. The parameter of merit were established: characteristic mass of 0.6 and 1.0 pg Cd, detection limit (3σ, n = 10) of 0.2 and 0.7 ng g-1, limit of quantification (3σ, n = 10) of 0.7 and 2.3 ng g-1 and precision expressed as standard deviation relative (n = 5) between 6-16% and 9-23% for SS and SlS, respectively. The analysis of certified reference materials of wheat flour, apples leaves, corn brad and brown bread confirmed the accuracy of the methods. Six samples of wheat flour were collected in Brazilian cities and analyzed for determination of cadmium. The cadmium concentration found range between 8.9 ± 0.5 and 13 ± 2 μg kg-1 in the samples. It was applied the Student's t-test results obtained for two methods proposed, and the data agreement on a 95% confidence level. The SS method was chosen as routine method, because of its simplicity, speed of analysis and the best values of parameter of merit. The third work, the mineral composition of wheat flour consumed in Brazil was evaluated. In the sampling step 54 samples were collected in 15 cities, including principal Brazilian cities such as: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Porto Alegre, Recife and others. The elements determinate were: calcium, copper, magnesium, manganese, iron, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. The samples were digested using nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide in open system. The analytical technique employed was Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP OES). The method validation (including digestion and determination) was performed using a certified reference material of wheat flour furnished by National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST). Considering the 54 samples analyzed, the results demonstrated that the macronutrients: calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphor have average content of 0.27, 0.35, 1.71 and 1.92 mg g-1, for concentration ranges of 0.11-1,96, 0.19-0.51, 0.76-3.16 and 0.81-7.15 mg g-1, respectively. The micronutrients: copper, iron, manganese and zinc have average content of 1.84, 37.8, 8.2 and 9.4 μg g-1, for concentration ranges of 1.00-2.80, 10.5-146.6, 3.9-14.7 and 5.1-13.9 μg g-1, respectively. The results were also evaluated using the multivariate analysis techniques: principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA). Finally, the fourth work was conducted to determination of Ba, Cr, Rb, Sr, V, Mo and employing inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in 25 samples of wheat flour collected in Brazilian cities. The procedure assisted by microwave digestion in closed system was used. The accuracy of the method was confirmed by the addition and recovery for all analytes and analysis of certified reference material of wheat flour NIST 1567 for Se, Mo and Rb. The parameter of merit were satisfactory with used isotope of german (74Ge) as internal standard. The 25 wheat flour samples were analyzed, the results showed concentration ranged between 1.71 - 10.83 μg g-1 for Ba, 0060 - 0307 μg g-1 for Cr, 0.77 - 4.23 μg g-1 to Rb; 0.61 - 5.72 μg g-1 for Sr; 0.023 – 0.108 μg g-1 to V; 0.058 – 0.952 μg g-1 for Se and 0.115 – 0.684 μg g-1 for Mo. The results were also evaluated using the techniques of multivariate analysis: PCA and HCA

Submitted by isabela.moljf@hotmail.com (isabela.moljf@hotmail.com) on 2016-08-08T15:32:55Z No. of bitstreams: 1 aparecidamariasimoesmimura.pdf: 1278299 bytes, checksum: 673e59e18120184eda18db151df38037 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-08-09T11:53:07Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 aparecidamariasimoesmimura.pdf: 1278299 bytes, checksum: 673e59e18120184eda18db151df38037 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-09T11:53:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 aparecidamariasimoesmimura.pdf: 1278299 bytes, checksum: 673e59e18120184eda18db151df38037 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-27 / FAPEMIG - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais / A determinação de elementos-traço em sedimentos tem recebido especial atenção no campo da ecologia e química ambiental. Tais espécies não são biodegradáveis e possuem a tendência de se acumular em organismos vivos e sedimentos, contaminando assim todo o ecossistema. Assim, os sedimentos podem atuar como um reservatório destas espécies e ser utilizados para investigar o histórico de poluição em certas áreas. Dentro deste contexto, o objetivo deste estudo foi desenvolver e otimizar um método de extração assistida por ultrassom para a determinação de Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd e Pb em sedimentos por espectrometria de absorção atômica. Vários procedimentos de extração foram estudados. Para otimizar as condições do procedimento de extração foi utilizado um planejamento fatorial fracionário. As condições ótimas para a extração foram: 0,1 g de sedimento, 7,0 mL de HF concentrado, 3,0 mL de HCl concentrado, 3 h de sonicação e temperatura do banho de ultrassom igual a 60 º C. Os resultados obtidos pela calibração externa e por adição de padrão foram concordantes a 95% de confiança para todos os analitos. As temperaturas de pirólise e atomização para as determinações de Cd e Pb por GF AAS foram estudadas. Na determinação de Pb foi utilizada a mistura de modificadores químicos (Pd e Mg). O método de extração proposto apresentou resultados adequados em relação à precisão (RSD < 10% com F AAS e < 20% com GF AAS). A exatidão foi confirmada através de estudos de adição e recuperação (com resultados de 89 a 107% de recuperação) e análise dos materiais de referência certificados Buffalo River e Marine Sediment (com recuperações na faixa de 74 a 106%). Comparado ao método oficial para a digestão de amostras de sedimentos, o tempo de preparo foi menor, favorecendo assim a frequência analítica, além do uso de menor volume de ácido, reduzindo os gastos e minimizando a geração de resíduos químicos. O método foi aplicado para a análise de amostras provenientes do Rio Doce e do Córrego Igrejinha. Foram encontrados resultados abaixo do máximo permitido pela legislação para as amostras do Rio Doce para todos os analitos, com exceção do Cr, que apresentou valores próximos ao nível máximo aceitável (90 mg kg-1). Já para as amostras do Córrego Igrejinha, todos os valores encontrados foram elevados, indicando um forte impacto ambiental na região. / The determination of trace elements in sediments has being receiving special attention in the field of ecology and environmental chemistry. Such species are not biodegradable and have a tendency to accumulate in living organisms and sediments, thus contaminating the entire ecosystem. Thus, sediment may act as a reservoir of these species and can be used to investigate the history of pollution in certain areas. Within this context, the aim of this study was to develop and optimize a method of ultrasound-assisted extraction for the determination of Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in sediments by atomic absorption spectrometry. Several extraction procedures were studied. To optimize the extraction conditions a fractional factorial design were used. The optimum conditions for extraction were: 0.1 g of sediment, 7.0 mL concentrated HF, 3.0 mL concentrated HCl, 3 h of sonication time and ultrasound bath temperature equal to 60 ° C. The results obtained by external calibration and standard additions were consistent at 95% confidence level for all analytes. The pyrolysis and atomization temperatures for the determination of Cd and Pb by GF AAS were studied. In the determination of Pb was used the chemical modifiers (Pd and Mg). The proposed extraction method showed adequate results in terms of precision (RSD < 10% with F AAS and < 20% with GF AAS). The accuracy was confirmed by spike tests (with recoveries between 89107%) and by analyzing the certified reference materials Buffalo River and Marine Sediment (with recoveries in the range of 74 to 106%). Compared to the official method for the digestion of sediment samples, the preparation time was lower, thus favoring the analytical frequency, and the use of lower volume of acid, reducing costs and minimizing the generation of waste chemicals. The method was applied to the analysis of samples from the Rio Doce and Córrego Igrejinha. About the Rio Doce samples, the results were below those maximum permitted by legislation for all analytes, with the exception of Cr, which showed alarming values, very close to the maximum acceptable level (90 mg kg-1). About the samples from Córrego Igrejinha, all values were high, indicating a strong environmental impact in the region.

[pt] No presente trabalho é proposto o desenvolvimento de um método analítico para determinação de S por espectrometria de absorção molecular de alta resolução com fonte contínua e forno de grafite (HR-CS GF MAS). As amostras foram preparadas por dissolução ácida e os padrões de calibração, assemelhados à matriz da amostra dissolvida, contendo sulfato, tioureia ou L-cisteína foram estudados em função de suas diferentes estabilidades térmicas. A técnica de HR-CS GF MAS é uma alternativa interessante para determinação de S, pois apresenta alta resolução espectral que minimiza interferências espectrais, pelo uso de um monocromador de alta resolução que permite a separação das linhas de absorção molecular do analito e da matriz, pelo uso do forno de grafite como fonte de atomização, que permite a separação da matriz e do analito antes da etapa de medida do sinal analítico. Com isso, este trabalho tem por objetivo desenvolver um método analítico para determinação de S em amostras de cabelo por HR-CS GF MAS, a fim de avaliar os níveis deste elemento no organismo e compará-los com os resultados obtidos por ICP OES. As condições escolhidas para temperatura de pirólise e de vaporização foram 1000 graus C e 2400 graus C, respectivamente, utilizando 800 microgramas de W, como modificador permanente, e 15 microgramas e 10 microgramas, respectivamente, de uma mistura de Pd(mais)Mg, como modificador em solução. O valor determinado para a concentração de S no material certificado de referência NCS DC73347a (cabelo humano) está de acordo com o descrito em seu certificado, bem como as concentrações de S determinadas em 14 amostras de cabelo, que estão em concordância com as determinadas por ICP-OES de acordo com teste t-pareado (95 por cento de confiança), o que comprova a boa exatidão do método proposto. / [en] In the presented work it is proposed the development of an analytical method for sulfur determination by high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry (HR-CS GF MAS). The samples were prepared by acid dissolution and the calibration standards containing sulfate, thiourea, L-cysteine were studied as a function of their different thermal stabilities and its capability for matrix matching. The HR-CS GF MAS technique is an interesting alternative for sulfur determination, since its capability to perform an interference-free analysis due to its high resolution monochromator that allows to overcome the spectral overlapping and by the use of the graphite furnace as atomizer which minimizes the matrix effects before the analytical measurement. The aim of this work is to develop an analytical method for sulfur determination in hair samples by HR-CS GF MAS, in order to evaluate the levels of this element in the human body and to compare them with the results obtained by ICP OES. The chosen conditions for pyrolysis and vaporization temperatures were 1000 C degrees and 2400 C degrees, respectively, using 800 micrograms of W as permanent modifier combined with 15 micrograms and 10 micrograms, respectively, of Pd(plus)Mg mixture as modifier in solution. The value determined for S concentration in the certified reference material NSC DC73347a (human hair) was in agreement with those reported in its certificate, as well as sulfur concentrations determined in 14 hair samples, which are in agreement with those determined by ICP-OES according to the t-paired test (95 percent level of confidence), which proves the good accuracy of the proposed method.

This thesis is about an organised group or ‘squad’ of young men in Port Vila, the capital of the Pacific Islands nation-state of Vanuatu, and their practices of place making in the rapidly developing context of ‘town’. The young men studied are second-generation migrants and thus first-generation born and raised ‘urbanites'. Based on twenty months of fieldwork, this thesis examines how these young men are transforming Freswota Community - the residential area in which they live - from a place with no shared and relevant social meaning into a place imbued with greater collective significance. First, I demonstrate how these young men experience themselves as ‘unplaced’, a condition which entails two aspects. They are displaced from the social structure and kinship systems within which their parents previously ordered their lives and from which they have drawn their social identity. Additionally, the young men experience themselves as marginalised from the formal education and employment structures of town. Following this, I show that it is through practices of place making, which they refer to as ‘planting roots’, that these young men are emplacing themselves in the Freswota area. ‘Planting roots’ includes such processes as developing their own shared history, naming roads, building topogeny and developing their own community social structure and social order. I argue that these processes are leading to the emergence of a new phenomenon: primary town emplacement. By coming into relationship with Freswota land, these young men are not only transforming it from virtual no-place into some place, they are also transforming themselves from ‘unplaced’ persons into emplaced ‘Freswota men’. I conclude that this is generating a new locative identity: it is now the Freswota community rather than their parents’ home island places that is emerging as their primary location of belonging and the source both of their sense of self and their social identification. A central aim of this thesis is to draw attention to the positive and creative ways in which unemployed young men, usually criticised and stigmatised as delinquents in newly and rapidly urbanising contexts, are actively engaged in developing their community and their relationships in order to live more viable and socially productive lives.

Environmental histories are multi-dimensional accounts of human interaction with the environment over time. They observe how and when the environment changes (material environmental histories), and the effects of human activities upon the environment (political environmental histories). Environmental histories also consider the thoughts and feelings that humans have had towards the environment (cultural/ intellectual environmental histories). Using the methodological framework of environmental history this research, located in sub-tropical northern Belize, brings together palaeoecological records (pollen and charcoal) with archival documentary sources. This has created an interdisciplinary account which considers how the vegetation of northern Belize has changed over the last 3,500 years and, in particular, how forest resources have been used during the British Colonial period (c. AD 1800 – 1950). The palaeoecological records are derived from lake sediment cores extracted from the New River Lagoon, adjacent to the archaeological site of Lamanai. For over 3,000 years Lamanai was a Maya settlement, and then, more recently, the site of two 16th century Spanish churches and a 19th century British sugar mill. The British archival records emanate from a wide variety of sources including: 19th century import and export records, 19th century missionary letters and 19th and 20th century meteorological records and newspaper articles. The integration of these two types of record has established a temporal range of 1500 BC to the present. The palaeoecological proxies provide a low resolution record over a period of 3,500 years (c. 1500 BC – AD 2010) whereas the archival record provides annual resolution over a period of approximately 150 years (c. AD 1800 – 1950). This research also uses documentary sources to reconstruct temperature and precipitation for Belize City during the period 1865 – 2010, which is the first of its kind from Belize, and the oldest continuous record from Central America. It also provides the meteorological context for further exploration into British colonial interaction with ‘tropical’ climates. Perhaps because of its status as Britain’s only Central American colonial outpost, Belize has remained on the periphery of research concerning European interactions with tropical climates. This environmental history draws together a new account of health, place and space in the 19th century colonial tropics, drawing out how different understandings of the aetiologies and transmission of disease developed, in particular yellow fever. These different research strands are brought together to create an account that considers material, political and cultural aspects of environmental history. This has enabled the identification of eight phases of human interaction with the landscape at Lamanai, which are broadly indicative of general trends across northern Belize. These include the establishment of Maya field-based agriculture c. 1600 BC and a later phase of substantial Maya construction and site development c. 170 BC – AD 150. A period of active Maya management of forest, field, savanna and palm resources is also observed c. AD 500 – 1000. Polarised imaginings of the Maya as both destroyers and protectors of the tropical forest are challenged. Spanish interaction with the landscape is evident during c. AD 1500 – 1700 and this is followed by a period of substantial British colonial exploitation of timber resources, with logwood extracted c. AD 1660 – 1910 and mahogany extracted c. AD 1750 – 1945. These periods of extraction were only identifiable in the pollen record by combing the chronology from the documentary record with observed changes in the vegetation record and this demonstrates how these two contrasting methodologies can be usefully integrated. This environmental history rejects the binary opposition of benign, passive Maya landscapes and the violent, devastated European colonial landscape (Denevan, 1992). Analysis of the pollen and documentary records reveal that biodiversity is at the highest levels post AD 1950, which suggests that the forest can regrow even after multiple, diverse and prolonged periods of anthropogenic use in a matter of decades.

Between 1989 and 2007, Poland went through numerous reforms, the aim of which was to build a democratic country based on the rule of law. At the core of the multiple transition from the communist state to democracy was devolution which has been translated at different scales, national, regional and local. Of central importance were the local government reforms. Analyses of local outcomes of democratisation need to include the difficult to measure effects which manifest themselves through activities of local authorities and local communities. The aim of this thesis is to help fill the gap in understanding the processes and outcomes of the democratic transition by investigating the functioning of democracy at the local level, focusing on local self-government and its relations with civil society in the context of democratic consolidation in one of the major cities in Poland – Poznań and two of its community-based self-governing bodies called Estates which are accessory sub-local government units. The main question of this thesis is what is democratic about Poznań’s local government today. Here, the functioning of local representative democracy and citizens’ inclusion in local decision making are key. It is argued that in a ‘healthy’ democracy the actual practices of local authorities should facilitate an increasing involvement of local residents in decision-making processes. Consequently I focused on local democratic practices trying to evaluate local government’s responsiveness, effectiveness and accountability. In the light of the prevailing opinion that civil society in CEE has been weak, the effectiveness and efficiency of civil society in Poznań and its relations with the local authorities were explored. The study was based on a combination of qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (questionnaires) methods of research. The research identifies that the activities of the local government of Poznań are symptomatic of the authorities’ recognition of the need to be responsive, effective and accountable. Poznań’s authorities have partners in civil society. Among these partners are organisations with a low level of formality, i.e. a community, neighbourhood and a group of residents which organise themselves to achieve their objectives. The environment (law, regulations and attitudes of local authorities) in which they operate was noted to be important to their activities and much effort has been put into upgrading the quality and intensity of the authorities’ communication with local residents. The learning process has reached the stage at which the democratic system has begun to improve itself, a sign of a maturing democracy. The thesis addresses a gap in the literature on the processes underpinning democratic consolidation in Poland. Its findings suggest that as the reformers of Polish local government in the years immediately following the overthrow of communist rule believed, local democracy and local democratic practices are an important component of the wider (national) project of democratic consolidation.

This thesis examines the relationship between British colonial legacies and a culture of migration amongst mobile Malaysians (tertiary-educated Malaysians with transnational migration experience). Drawing from Bourdieu’s “habitus”, I propose the concept of “citizenship habitus” – a set of inherited dispositions about the meanings and significance of citizenship – to understand how and why mobile Malaysians carry out certain citizenship and migration practices. These practices include: firstly, interpreting and practising Malaysian citizenship as a de-politicised and primordial (ethno)national belonging to “Malaysia” that is conflated with national loyalty; and secondly, migration (especially for overseas education) as a way of life (i.e. a culture of migration) that may not be recognised as a means of circumventing pro-Bumiputera (lit. “sons of soil”) structural constraints. Methodologically, I draw from my reflexive reading of archival documents and interview-conversations with 67 mobile Malaysians: 16 in London/UK, 27 in Singapore, six in other global locations, and 18 returnees. I argue that mobile Malaysians’ citizenship and migration practices have been informed by three British colonial legacies: firstly, the materialising of race and Malay indigeneity; secondly, the institutionalisation of race-based school systems and education as an aspired means towards social mobility; and thirdly, race-based political representation and a federal state consisting of an arbitrary amalgamation of socio-economically and historically diverse territories. The Malayan Emergency (1948-1960) further instilled state-led focus on “racial tensions”, resulting in default authoritative strategies to govern, educate, and motivate the citizenry. These colonial legacies, inherited and exacerbated by the post-colonial Malaysian state, contributed to the institutionalisation of Malaysia’s Bumiputera-differentiated citizenship and race-based affirmative action policies, with particular effects on education, migration and social mobility. By adopting a postcolonial approach to migration phenomena, this thesis highlights the longevity of British colonial legacies with long-lasting effects on Malaysia’s contemporary skilled migration, both in terms of migration geographies and citizenship practices.

Waste management has become one of the major global environmental concerns of our times associated, as it is, with the consumerist tendencies which fuel the engine of economic growth and environmental impacts. Existing policies in the UK have not yet managed to curb the problem of steadily increasing waste generation despite efforts by Central government and the European Union to set inflexible national targets for waste management. A major problem is that while central government sets the overall goals to be achieved, actual waste collection and disposal are functions of 'local government. In many cases local governments lack the resources and capacity to make economically efficient and environmentally effective decisions. Waste management infrastructure must be developed for the long-term, yet economic efficiency considerations often conflict with local political objectives and with a wide range of resource constraints. Local government is not always the most suitable level to deal with problems that often have regional impacts or can be more efficiently organised within larger geographic units. The European Commission is starting to re-consider the application of its rigid waste management hierarchy in light of suggestions that sustainable solutions may vary across regions. Changes in the regulatory environment for solid waste and the regionalisation of disposal infrastructure present economic opportunities which pose the need for institutional change in waste practices. The study examines the institutional arrangements for municipal solid waste management within the South West of England region. Using in-depth key actor interviews, questionnaires, and Force Field Analysis, key actor and stakeholders perceptions on the concept of sustainable waste management are examined, and opportunities and obstacles arising from evolving institutional arrangements are identified. The study finds that there are significant barriers to the development of more sustainable Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) in the South West Region, iii especially in the areas of 'culture' (both public culture and organisational), regional institutional capacity, and related markets. Amongst the issues that need to be addressed are the interrelated issues of public awareness, participation and empowerment, parochialism and the lack of power of regional institutions to deal with Local Authority waste management contracts within an implementable strategy for the region, the (often negative) influence of the markets related to MSWM, the lack of responsibility for funding of programmes aimed at changing public behaviour, and potential conflict of interest amongst stakeholder groups. Central government, Local Authorities and the waste management industry all need to instigate significant changes in institutions and institutional arrangements in order to achieve a move towards more sustainable MSWM.

This doctoral study investigates the different forms, levels, and pathways of youth engagement with climate change and the implications for the well-being of youth in different contexts of vulnerability and adaptability. It aims to understand such engagement through the accounts and interactions of youth themselves and within their own environmental, socio-cultural, and political context, thereby contributing a holistic understanding of youth engagement in specific countries, an area under-researched in current literature. cultural stereotypes, and socio-political worldviews and structures; b) the need for enhancing young people's skills and prospects for future employment and welfare within an increasingly interconnected, technologically-driven, and sustainability-oriented workplace, through incorporating more critical, futures-oriented, and inter-disciplinary pedagogies of education and learning for sustainability within the higher education curriculum; c) the importance of academic and socio-political spaces and opportunities that foster critical reflection, interpersonal interaction, and collective action in strengthening young people's influence for change and their subjective and social well-being; and d) the need for more critical and empowering platforms and pathways that promote meaningful youth engagement and conscious power-sharing amongst youth and other stakeholders in society. Key recommendations emphasize multi-stakeholder partnerships with youth across political, academic, medical, civic and corporate spectrums to empower young people, especially higher education youth, to meaningfully contribute to future educational, developmental, and health agendas and strategies. The study aligns its conceptual and methodological rationale through applying a critical interpretivist research approach which ensures an analytical, contextual, and in-depth understanding of such engagement in different countries. It is conducted in the Netherlands and South Africa, which historically have had distinct vulnerabilities and approaches to climate change and diverse pathways for youth engagement. Particular emphasis is placed on higher education youth who constitute the future leaders, informed decision makers, and active and innovative agents of society. Fieldwork was undertaken throughout 2011, coinciding with the International Year of Youth and the COP17 international climate change conference. In each country, focus groups were conducted with university and college students from diverse socio-demographic and academic backgrounds. These focus groups sought depth and meaning through critical reflection, futures thinking, and a profound and interactive dialogic process. Qualitative interviews investigated more in-depth the emerging themes; whereas participant-observation, meetings with key informants, and document review promoted a comprehensive and valid understanding of the context in which such engagement is taking place. Key findings reveal: a) the contextual power differentials that strongly shape youth efficacy and agency, especially personal demographic and academic backgrounds, cultural stereotypes, and socio-political worldviews and structures; b) the need for enhancing young people's skills and prospects for future employment and welfare within an increasingly interconnected, technologically-driven, and sustainability-oriented workplace, through incorporating more critical, futures-oriented, and inter-disciplinary pedagogies of education and learning for sustainability within the higher education curriculum; c) the importance of academic and socio-political spaces and opportunities that foster critical reflection, interpersonal interaction, and collective action in strengthening young people's influence for change and their subjective and social well-being; and d) the need for more critical and empowering platforms and pathways that promote meaningful youth engagement and conscious power-sharing amongst youth and other stakeholders in society. Key recommendations emphasize multi-stakeholder partnerships with youth across political, academic, medical, civic and corporate spectrums to empower young people, especially higher education youth, to meaningfully contribute to future educational, developmental, and health agendas and strategies.

At the global level, a noticeable rise has been observed in the adverse impact of an increasing number of hazards, in particular floods, on society. This condition has brought into greater focus the issues of vulnerability, environmental justice and resilience in the recovery of community groups. In Mauritius, economic development, growth in population and intensive land use have resulted in greater human use-environment interaction with accompanying increase in flood conditions and the vulnerability of inhabitants exposed to flood risk. Traditional top-down hazard risk reduction strategies have not been very effective in reducing vulnerability or in promoting resilience of affected communities as they are often left to fend for themselves immediately after the emergency and relief stage of the recovery process. Using three case studies, this thesis explored the perception of the affected communities in building resilience to recover in the aftermath of flood hazards. Mixed methods of collecting and analysing data using both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. They provided a comprehensive way of gathering information from households, agency stakeholders and secondary sources. The data were analysed and the results assessed through the lens of the overarching concept of community resilience that encompasses six types of resilience. This new approach provided a holistic perspective in exploring factors that influence the building of community resilience and the realisation of long-term recovery and rehabilitation. Findings from this study showed evidence of social inequity and environmental injustice mostly among the low income groups in all the three case studies. Evaluation of results revealed a number of factors that were gradually increasing their level of vulnerability and adversely impacting on their resilience. In order to achieve recovery and community resilience, the various types of resilience needed to be reinforced. It was found that social networking and a combination of local knowledge with that of experts, through community participation in decision making, were crucial in reinforcing community resilience. Based on the research findings, an integrated framework for disaster risk reduction management (IFDRRM) was developed. The framework could be applicable in defining policy options and implementation strategies in Mauritius and possibly in other Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) with similar challenges.