Experimental examination of the generality of learned helplessness has previously been confined to treatment and tests employing aversive motivators, such as electric shock. In the present study, rats were used to evaluate the effect of inescapable shock on their performance in a water test of competitive dominance which employs no aversive motivator. The subjects were paired and pre-tested for competitive dominance. In the experimental groups one member of each pair was treated with inescapable shock and the pairs were then post-tested for competitive dominance either 48, 72, or 168 hours after treatment. The control subjects were pre- and post-tested with no treatment intervening. Competitive dominance ranks were assigned to subjects after each test. Rank differences from pre- to post-test were analyzed for treated and control subjects. Controls showed no shifts in dominance from pre- to post-test, while significant shifts toward subordination appeared in all three experimental groups. No treated subjects showed shifts toward dominance. Significant pre- to post-test differences in drinking time were produced in all treatment groups, with the greatest difference at 72 hours after treatment. These results parallel those of Glazer and Weiss (1976) for escape time latencies at different times of posttreatment testing. The results of the present study, in contrast to those of Glazer and Weiss, cannot be accounted for by the principles of stimulus control. Instead, they support the claim of Maier and Seligman (1976) for considerable generality to the effect of learned helplessness, though the generality observed in this study is not explained by current principles of learning theory.

In this thesis, I propose an argument against the possibility of moral dilemmas, which I construe as situations in which moral wrongdoing is inescapable. The first chapter addresses some terminological matters and attempts to sort out the main issues of contention between proponents and opponents of moral dilemmas. The second chapter lays out my argument, which I dub the "Argument from Action-Guidingness," against proponents of moral dilemmas. Negative moral judgments of the sort "X is wrong" typically carry with them the implication that X ought not to be done. If judgments of wrongness always have this action-guiding force, then moral dilemmas, which say that all courses of action available to the agent are morally wrong, threaten morality with incoherence. To avoid this problem, proponents of dilemmas will be forced to abandon the action-guiding implications of negative moral judgments when dilemmas arise. But this move is not without its own difficulties, which I elucidate. The final chapter identifies flaws in two prominent arguments in favor of dilemmas: the argument from moral distress and the argument from incommensurable values. The latter half of the chapter examines Sayre-McCord's "fairness argument" against dilemmas, and contrasts it with the argument from action-guidingness. / Master of Arts

abstract: I present in this dissertation a theory of moral disillusion. In chapter 1 I explain moral innocence and its loss. I show that becoming morally responsible requires shattering the illusion that one is not an appropriate candidate for the reactive attitudes. The morally responsible individual must understand that she can be an agent of wrongdoing. In chapter 2 I explore the nature of the understanding that accompanies the different phases of disillusion. I show that moral disillusion is an ability, not to follow moral principles, but to question them. In chapter 3 I argue that another phase of disillusion involves an acquaintance with evil. One shatters the illusion that only malicious individuals can be evildoers. Morally good people can also bring about evil. I conclude that evil is the exploitation of the extremely vulnerable. In chapters 4 and 5, I analyze more complex phases of moral disillusion. These stages are characterized by an understanding that one can be an agent of unchosen evil, that one might bring about evil even when pursuing the morally best course of action, and that one can be morally responsible for doing so. In order to understand unchosen evil and the tragedy of inescapable moral wrongdoing, the individual sees that moral responsibility ought to track what we care about, rather than what we believe. In chapter 6 I show that Kierkegaard's conception of the self is a philosophy of moral disillusion. I argue that his prescription that we shatter moral illusions is congruent with Harry Frankfurt's prescription that we ought to care about some things and not others. From this discussion emerges the explicit distinction between moral disillusion and moral goodness. Moreover, I conclude that the morally disillusioned are morally accountable for more than those still harboring moral illusions. Although moral disillusion does not entail becoming morally good, by acquiring the ability to raise questions about moral principles and to affect the content of one's cares, one acquires the ability to take responsibility for, and potentially minimize, evil. To have and understand these abilities, but not to care about them, increases one's moral accountability. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Philosophy 2012

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This doctoral thesis addresses the issue of moral dilemmas, specifically dilemmas of serious severity. These specific dilemmas are analyzed in an attempt to connect them to the thesis of Inescapable Moral Wrongdoing and the psychological trauma situation experienced by the agent in these situations. At first, examples of literature and philosophy that illustrate and explain each situation are presented. Such examples are Sophie s Choice, by William Styron, the dialogue between Socrates and Cephalus, in Book I of The Republic by Plato, and the case of the student of Sartre, in Existentialism is a Humanism. In a second moment, the study aims to carry out some important distinctions between types of moral dilemmas, namely: soluble, insoluble and symmetrical dilemmas. The main theories that deal with solution of moral dilemmas are exposed, divided in rationalist theories and "experientialist" theories. The former are analyzed so that it is shown that they do not accept genuine moral dilemmas, neither the thesis of the Inescapable Moral Wrongdoing, providing solutions for difficult moral dilemmas and even symmetrical, making use of principles of deontic logic, as the Kant Principle and the Agglomeration Principle. On the other hand, the theories of experientialist nature, which most interest this work, are those that accept the genuineness of moral dilemmas and admit the existence of the Inescapable Moral Wrongdoing. Therefore, some make use of the Remainder Thesis (TR), to which this work is affiliated. This theory states that in some specific moral dilemmas, even though the rational moral deliberation has been followed, the agent will suffer from feelings of regret, due to an emotional remainder concerning the duty that was not fulfilled or a violated value. Thus, according to the Remainder Thesis, the best explanation for this remainder and feelings of regret is the Inescapable Moral Wrongdoing theory. Therefore, the term "wrongdoing" is used in the sense of violating important moral values for the agent, and not in the sense of violating correct moral deliberation conclusions. To systematize the discussion, in a third moment, this study focuses on providing a definition capable of including the specific cases of moral dilemmas with inescapable moral wrongdoings (Definition of Moral Dilemmas with Inescapable Moral Wrongdoings - MDIMW). Moral dilemmas of serious severity are included in this definition, ones with a high moral cost to the agent, which are able to hurt the agent s moral sensibility and generate strong feelings of grief, which can lead to serious psychological trauma. The example of Sophie s Choice plays a crucial role in this discussion, while it fits the MDIMW. Finally, it is brought to the discussion the concept of "moral injury", recent term used in psychiatry to refer to situations of difficult moral choices usually faced by former war combatants. Certain serious moral choices faced by these agents would be able to generate "moral injury" to their moral codes, become risk factors for the manifestation of traumas and, in more serious cases, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Thus, analyzing the relationships between moral choices of serious severity, inescapable moral wrongdoings, trauma and the possibility of its overcoming, are the main objectives of this study. / A presente tese de doutorado aborda o tema dos dilemas morais, especificamente dilemas de séria gravidade. Estes dilemas específicos são analisados buscando-se conectar aos mesmos a tese do erro moral inevitável e à situação de trauma psicológico vivida pelo agente. Em um primeiro momento, expõem-se exemplos da literatura e da filosofia capazes de ilustrar e explicar tais situações. Tais exemplos são a Escolha de Sofia, de William Styron, o diálogo entre Sócrates e Céfalo, no livro I da República de Platão e o caso do aluno de Sartre, em O Existencialismo é um Humanismo. Em um segundo momento, o trabalho objetiva realizar algumas distinções importantes entre tipos de dilemas morais, a saber: solúveis, insolúveis e simétricos. São expostas as principais teorias que se ocupam da solução de dilemas morais, divididas entre teorias racionalistas e experiencialistas . As primeiras são analisadas para que fique demonstrado que não aceitam dilemas morais genuínos e, tampouco, a tese do erro moral inevitável, oferecendo soluções para dilemas morais difíceis e até mesmo simétricos, fazendo uso de princípios da lógica deôntica, como o Princípio de Kant e o Princípio de Aglomeração. Por outro lado, as teorias de cunho experiencialista, que mais interessam a este trabalho, são aquelas que aceitam a genuinidade dos dilemas morais e admitem a existência do erro moral inevitável. Para tanto, algumas fazem uso da Tese do Resquício (TR), à qual este trabalho se filia. Tal tese afirma que em alguns dilemas morais específicos, mesmo que a deliberação moral racional tenha sido seguida, o agente sofrerá de sentimentos de pesar, devido a um resquício emocional relativo ao dever não cumprido ou valor violado. Dessa forma, partindo-se da Tese do Resquício, defende-se que a melhor explicação possível para este resquício e os sentimentos de pesar correlatos é a tese do erro moral inevitável. Assim, utiliza-se o termo erro no sentido de violar valores morais importantes para o agente e não no sentido de violar conclusões de deliberação moral corretas. Para sistematizar a discussão, em um terceiro momento, este trabalho se concentra em oferecer uma definição capaz de abarcar os casos específicos de dilemas morais com erros morais inevitáveis (Definição de Dilemas Morais com Erros Morais Inevitáveis DMEMI). São incluídos em tal definição dilemas morais de séria gravidade, com custo moral alto para o agente, capazes de ferir sua sensibilidade moral e gerar fortes sentimentos de pesar, capazes de levar a traumas psicológicos sérios. O exemplo da Escolha de Sofia desempenha papel crucial nessa discussão, ao encaixar-se em DMEMI. Por fim, é trazido à discussão o conceito de dano moral , termo recente utilizado pela psiquiatria para se referir a situações de escolhas morais difíceis enfrentadas geralmente por ex-combatentes de guerra. Determinadas escolhas morais graves enfrentadas por estes agentes seriam capazes de gerar danos morais aos seus códigos morais e serem fatores de risco para manifestação de traumas e, em casos mais sérios, de Transtorno de Estresse Pós-traumático (TEPT). Assim, analisar as relações entre escolhas morais de séria gravidade, erro moral inevitável, trauma e a possibilidade de sua superação, são os principais objetivos deste trabalho.

The response deficit following exposure to inescapable shock has been termed "learned helplessness." This experiment was designed (a) to determine whether learned helplessness following an inescapable footshock induction procedure extends to 48 hours, and (b) to test the hypothesis that electroconvulsive shock (ECS) reverses learned helplessness in rats. Subjects were tested for helplessness in a bar-press shock-escape task. Results indicated that helplessness was not present 48 hours after exposure to inescapable shock. A slight indication of helplessness was observed in the first 10 trials of the 60-trial task. In addition, ECS was shown to enhance performance in the test task; however, this facilitation effect was seen only in control animals that were not previously exposed to inescapable footshock.

Evidências experimentais sugerem que uma variedade de estressores ativa o controle hipotalâmico das respostas neuroendócrinas e autonômicas que estão envolvidas na produção de células do sangue e na liberação destas células da medula óssea para a circulação. A alga Chlorela vulgaris (CV) exibe várias atividades imunomoduladoras como, por exemplo, a capacidade de estimulação das células hematopoéticas e de ativação de leucócitos maduros. No presente trabalho analisamos o efeito imunoprotetor da CV em animais submetidos aos estressores físicos (estresse por choque escapável - CE e inescapável - CI) e ao estressor psicogênico (grupo de animais que testemunhou a exposição ao choque inescapável - T) e inoculados com a bactéria Listeria monocytogenes (LM). Os parâmetros imunológicos observados foram: 1) Crescimento e diferenciação de progenitores hematopoéticos para granulócitos e macrófagos (CFU-GM) da medula óssea; 2) Atividade funcional (burst e fagocitose) de neutrófilos circulantes avaliados por citometria de fluxo; 3) Sobrevida de animais inoculados com dose letal de LM e/ou submetidos aos estressores físicos e psicogênico. Nos grupos CI e T observamos uma redução no número de CFU-GM na medula óssea. Por outro lado, não houve redução deste parâmetro nos animais do grupo CE quando comparado ao medido no grupo controle. Observamos uma maior susceptibilidade do organismo a infecção por LM quando o estresse foi aplicado previamente à inoculação com dose subletal desta bactéria. No entanto, o tratamento com 200 mg/Kg/dia de CV por 5 dias consecutivos mostrou uma ação protetora, restabelecendo a mielossupressão induzida pelo choque inescapável ou pelo estressor psicogênico e/ou pela infecção. A aplicação de choques escapáveis não alterou significativamente o perfil da resposta hematopoética produzida pela infecção. O estudo da eficácia terapêutica de alga, avaliada pelo tratamento de animais infectados com dose letal de LM, demonstrou uma sobrevida de 50% no grupo infectado e de 20% nos grupos infectados e submetidos aos diferentes tipos de estresse, inclusive naquele exposto ao estresse escapável. Ao considerarmos os efeitos dos estressores sobre a atividade funcional de neutrófilos sanguíneos, observamos uma redução na capacidade de fagocitose nos grupos CI e T, e um aumento do burst induzido pela fagocitose. No grupo CE houve um aumento na capacidade de fagocitose destas células, enquanto que o burst não foi alterado. O estudo dos efeitos da CV sobre a atividade funcional de neutrófilos demonstrou uma capacidade da alga de impedir a redução da fagocitose produzida pelo estresse físico por choque inescapável e psicogênico, sem interferir com o burst oxidativo, que estava aumentado nestes grupos. Impediu também o aumento da capacidade de fagocitose verificado no grupo CE. Esses resultados sugerem que a CV possua propriedades protetoras contra os efeitos induzidos pelo diferentes tipos de estressores sobre a série granulocítica/macrofágica, a atividade funcional de neutrófilos e sobre a sobrevida de animais estressados e infectados com dose letal de LM. / Evidence suggests that a variety of stressors can activate the hypothalamic control of the neuroendocrine and autonomic responses involved in the production´s control of blood cells and their release from bone marrow to circulation. The algae Chlorella vulgaris (CV) has several imunomodulatory activities, as the stimulation of hematopoietic cells and the activation of mature leukocytes. The present study evaluated the mieloprotective effects of CV in rats exposed to physical stressors (inescapable - CI and escapable footshock - CE) and to psychogenic stressors (animals that witnessed the inescapable shock application - T), which were inoculated or not with a sublethal dose of the bacterium Lysteria monocytogenes (LM). The immunologic parameters observed were: 1) The growth and differentiation of bone marrow progenitors into granulocytes and macrophages (CFU-GM); 2) the functional activity (oxidative burst and phagocytosis) of blood neutrophils, using flow citometric methods; 3) The rate of survival of animals infected with lethal dose of LM and submitted or not to the stressors. The CI and T groups were mielossupressed. On the other hand, in the CE group, no differences in the number of CFU-GM were observed, when compared to controls. An increase in the susceptibility of the organism was observed when the animals received the inescapable shock application and the psychogenic stressor before the inoculatium of sublethal dose (7,8x108) of the 15 bacterium. However, this mielopoietic response was recovered with the pre-treatment with 200 mg/Kg/day for 5 consecutive days of CV, reestablishing the mielossupression caused by the stress and the infection. The escapable shock didn´t produce any significant difference in the hematopoetic response observed in the infection. The study of the survival rate of rats infected with the letal dose of LM showed that the pre-treatment with CV protected 50% of the animals that were only infected with LM, whereas in the group previously stressed the protection was of 20%. Here, the same response was observed in the animals submitted to the different types of stressors evaluated in this work. To assess the effect of CV treatment in the response of mature blood cells, we considered the functional activity of neutrophils of animals submitted to the stressors. We observed a reduction in phagocytosis in the CI and T groups, and an increase in the oxidative burst induced by the phagocytosis. In the CE group there was an increase in the blood neutrophil phagocytosis, while the production of oxidative burst remained equal to that of control group. The treatment with CV reestablished the changes in phagocytosis to normal values in all the groups, but it produced no changes in the respiratory burst, which was increased in the circunstances of the inescapable shock and of the psychogenic stressor, when compared to the values of control group. Considering our results, we suggest that CV has protective properties against the effects produced by the different types of stressors on the CFU-GM, the functional activity of neutrophils and on the rate of survival of animals stressed and infected with lethal dose of LM.

Evidências experimentais sugerem que uma variedade de estressores ativa o controle hipotalâmico das respostas neuroendócrinas e autonômicas que estão envolvidas na produção de células do sangue e na liberação destas células da medula óssea para a circulação. A alga Chlorela vulgaris (CV) exibe várias atividades imunomoduladoras como, por exemplo, a capacidade de estimulação das células hematopoéticas e de ativação de leucócitos maduros. No presente trabalho analisamos o efeito imunoprotetor da CV em animais submetidos aos estressores físicos (estresse por choque escapável - CE e inescapável - CI) e ao estressor psicogênico (grupo de animais que testemunhou a exposição ao choque inescapável - T) e inoculados com a bactéria Listeria monocytogenes (LM). Os parâmetros imunológicos observados foram: 1) Crescimento e diferenciação de progenitores hematopoéticos para granulócitos e macrófagos (CFU-GM) da medula óssea; 2) Atividade funcional (burst e fagocitose) de neutrófilos circulantes avaliados por citometria de fluxo; 3) Sobrevida de animais inoculados com dose letal de LM e/ou submetidos aos estressores físicos e psicogênico. Nos grupos CI e T observamos uma redução no número de CFU-GM na medula óssea. Por outro lado, não houve redução deste parâmetro nos animais do grupo CE quando comparado ao medido no grupo controle. Observamos uma maior susceptibilidade do organismo a infecção por LM quando o estresse foi aplicado previamente à inoculação com dose subletal desta bactéria. No entanto, o tratamento com 200 mg/Kg/dia de CV por 5 dias consecutivos mostrou uma ação protetora, restabelecendo a mielossupressão induzida pelo choque inescapável ou pelo estressor psicogênico e/ou pela infecção. A aplicação de choques escapáveis não alterou significativamente o perfil da resposta hematopoética produzida pela infecção. O estudo da eficácia terapêutica de alga, avaliada pelo tratamento de animais infectados com dose letal de LM, demonstrou uma sobrevida de 50% no grupo infectado e de 20% nos grupos infectados e submetidos aos diferentes tipos de estresse, inclusive naquele exposto ao estresse escapável. Ao considerarmos os efeitos dos estressores sobre a atividade funcional de neutrófilos sanguíneos, observamos uma redução na capacidade de fagocitose nos grupos CI e T, e um aumento do burst induzido pela fagocitose. No grupo CE houve um aumento na capacidade de fagocitose destas células, enquanto que o burst não foi alterado. O estudo dos efeitos da CV sobre a atividade funcional de neutrófilos demonstrou uma capacidade da alga de impedir a redução da fagocitose produzida pelo estresse físico por choque inescapável e psicogênico, sem interferir com o burst oxidativo, que estava aumentado nestes grupos. Impediu também o aumento da capacidade de fagocitose verificado no grupo CE. Esses resultados sugerem que a CV possua propriedades protetoras contra os efeitos induzidos pelo diferentes tipos de estressores sobre a série granulocítica/macrofágica, a atividade funcional de neutrófilos e sobre a sobrevida de animais estressados e infectados com dose letal de LM. / Evidence suggests that a variety of stressors can activate the hypothalamic control of the neuroendocrine and autonomic responses involved in the production´s control of blood cells and their release from bone marrow to circulation. The algae Chlorella vulgaris (CV) has several imunomodulatory activities, as the stimulation of hematopoietic cells and the activation of mature leukocytes. The present study evaluated the mieloprotective effects of CV in rats exposed to physical stressors (inescapable - CI and escapable footshock - CE) and to psychogenic stressors (animals that witnessed the inescapable shock application - T), which were inoculated or not with a sublethal dose of the bacterium Lysteria monocytogenes (LM). The immunologic parameters observed were: 1) The growth and differentiation of bone marrow progenitors into granulocytes and macrophages (CFU-GM); 2) the functional activity (oxidative burst and phagocytosis) of blood neutrophils, using flow citometric methods; 3) The rate of survival of animals infected with lethal dose of LM and submitted or not to the stressors. The CI and T groups were mielossupressed. On the other hand, in the CE group, no differences in the number of CFU-GM were observed, when compared to controls. An increase in the susceptibility of the organism was observed when the animals received the inescapable shock application and the psychogenic stressor before the inoculatium of sublethal dose (7,8x108) of the 15 bacterium. However, this mielopoietic response was recovered with the pre-treatment with 200 mg/Kg/day for 5 consecutive days of CV, reestablishing the mielossupression caused by the stress and the infection. The escapable shock didn´t produce any significant difference in the hematopoetic response observed in the infection. The study of the survival rate of rats infected with the letal dose of LM showed that the pre-treatment with CV protected 50% of the animals that were only infected with LM, whereas in the group previously stressed the protection was of 20%. Here, the same response was observed in the animals submitted to the different types of stressors evaluated in this work. To assess the effect of CV treatment in the response of mature blood cells, we considered the functional activity of neutrophils of animals submitted to the stressors. We observed a reduction in phagocytosis in the CI and T groups, and an increase in the oxidative burst induced by the phagocytosis. In the CE group there was an increase in the blood neutrophil phagocytosis, while the production of oxidative burst remained equal to that of control group. The treatment with CV reestablished the changes in phagocytosis to normal values in all the groups, but it produced no changes in the respiratory burst, which was increased in the circunstances of the inescapable shock and of the psychogenic stressor, when compared to the values of control group. Considering our results, we suggest that CV has protective properties against the effects produced by the different types of stressors on the CFU-GM, the functional activity of neutrophils and on the rate of survival of animals stressed and infected with lethal dose of LM.

No description available.

The present thesis employs fuzzy-polynomial control techniques in order to improve the stability analysis and control of nonlinear systems. Initially, it reviews the more extended techniques in the field of Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy systems, such as the more relevant results about polynomial and fuzzy polynomial systems. The basic framework uses fuzzy polynomial models by Taylor series and sum-of-squares techniques (semidefinite programming) in order to obtain stability guarantees. The contributions of the thesis are: ¿ Improved domain of attraction estimation of nonlinear systems for both continuous-time and discrete-time cases. An iterative methodology based on invariant-set results is presented for obtaining polynomial boundaries of such domain of attraction. ¿ Extension of the above problem to the case with bounded persistent disturbances acting. Different characterizations of inescapable sets with polynomial boundaries are determined. ¿ State estimation: extension of the previous results in literature to the case of fuzzy observers with polynomial gains, guaranteeing stability of the estimation error and inescapability in a subset of the zone where the model is valid. ¿ Proposal of a polynomial Lyapunov function with discrete delay in order to improve some polynomial control designs from literature. Preliminary extension to the fuzzy polynomial case. Last chapters present a preliminary experimental work in order to check and validate the theoretical results on real platforms in the future. / Pitarch Pérez, JL. (2013). Contributions to fuzzy polynomial techniques for stability analysis and control [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/34773

AFRIKAANS : In die studie word gepoog om aan te dui op watter ingrypende maniere die Afrikaner se problematiese verlede altyd weer opduik in die hede, en op watter maniere hierdie verlede die groei en ontwikkeling van ’n nuwe Suid-Afrikaanse identiteit kan verhinder, of andersins, hoe ’n grondige en bewuste Auseinandersetzung met die verlede kan lei tot beter begrip, nie alleenlik van die verlede nie, maar ook van die hede en (ideaalgesproke) van die toekoms. Daar word geredeneer word dat ’n proses van bewuste konfrontasie met die verlede noodsaaklik is vir die ontwikkeling van ’n lewensvatbare identiteit. Hierdie proses sluit in ’n bewuswording en ontleding van die houdings van skuld (ook kollektiewe skuld), verlies en melancholie jeens die verlede. ’n Belangrike newe-komponent van die verhandeling is om hierdie proses te koppel aan verhaaltegniese middele wat aangewend word in die bundel vertellings onder bespreking. Daar word gepoog om ’n noodwendige verband te lê tussen tematiek en narratiewe tegnieke. In die verhandeling word aandag gegee aan die temas van skuld en verlies in die verhale, asook die vele motiewe wat gekoppel kan word aan hierdie twee temas. Daar word ook aandag gegee aan verteltegnieke soos tydsvorme, assosiatiewe skryfwyse, vertellingstrant en die stem van die verteller, wat aangewend word om die konfrontasie met en houdings jeens die verlede uit te beeld. Daar word geargumenteer in die verhandeling dat die prosa in hierdie bundel as vertellings gereken moet word, eerder as kortverhale (of meer spesifiek, short stories), en wel omdat die temas en die verteltegnieke bymekaar aansluit met die oog op ’n spesifieke leserrespons wat ’n grondige konfrontasie met en bestekopname van die verlede behels. ENLISH : The study focuses on the inescapable presence of a problematic past in contemporary South Africa, and the ways in which this past prevents the development of a new South African identity. It argues that a fundamental reckoning with the past will lead to a better understanding of the present and the future, and is essential to the development of a viable South African identity. This process of reckoning with the past involves an awareness and analysis of attitudes towards the past, which includes guilt (also collective guilt), loss and melancholy. The process of Auseinandersetzung with the past is then linked to specific narrative techniques which are employed in the collection of short prose under discussion. It is argued that there exists a connection between theme and narrative technique. Narrative techniques under discussion include tense (past and present tense), associative writing, narration and voice. It is argued that the short prose in the collection under discussion should be defined as (oral) narratives (vertellings), rather than Short Stories. The reader response towards an (oral) narrative differs from the response towards a Short Story, and the difference is essential in the process of confrontation with the problematic past/history. Copyright / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Afrikaans / unrestricted