Chicana decolonial feminism asks us to re envision a world that allows for various forms of beings, creating identities based on political coalitions, having an active compassion that translates into direct action that seeks to dismantle binaries that reinscribe colonialism. Chicana decolonial feminist thought actively seeks to dismantle sexism, to dismantle racism, to focus on personal experience as theory, to focus on the body as knowledge, reconceptualize knowledge, envision new ways of being, and writing that is accessible to all. I use two concepts active compassion and interconnectedness of being that are central to chicana decolonial feminism. Chicana feminist texts and newspaper articles from the 1970s are analyzed to demonstrate how chicana decolonial feminism is seen in these texts.

There is a growing body of interest in wellbeing across political, educational and social bodies in the UK. The thinking behind this is for human as well as economic reasons, to help people make more informed choices in their lives. There are suggestions to measure wellbeing more often and use that data to help government improve policies and enable companies and individuals to live more productive lives for example by considering being more altruistic to improve personal and family wellbeing during a time of financial austerity (O’Donnell, 2014: 9). There is a fundamental problem however in that there is no common understanding of what wellbeing is across different bodies and agencies, including education, mainly because the term is subjectively defined. Yet teachers are required to report to parents on children’s wellbeing and also safeguard their wellbeing, Teachers’ Standards 2012 (DfE, 2013), but there are no common measures of wellbeing in use nationally. The purpose of this case study is to try to reduce ambiguity about wellbeing issues through identifying gaps in knowledge in the literature about what wellbeing in schools is. The investigation uses qualitative methods and as an inside researcher, to aid authenticity of data, a two-tier approach to gathering data is taken within a constructivist paradigm. The approach enables three voices to be heard, that of pupils and parents (data set one) and then teachers (data set two). The first pupil theme revealed that pupils had a strong sense of connectedness to the school, friends and teachers while the second theme showed approaches to learning that had resonated with pupils. The theme to emerge from parents was a loving community where they felt enabled to entrust their children to teachers who were passionate about their role and evidenced compassion in their working with children. Themes from teachers revealed responsive and enthused professionals who, through collaboration in action learning sets, influenced transition arrangements and ways they felt they could be further empowered in their role. Wellbeing deriving from empowerment through interconnected relationships within and across the three groups leads to an analysis of the community as one that accepts difference. The significance of this for wellbeing in education and policy is discussed.

Ubuntu is an African humanist philosophy described by the Nguni aphorism “umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” which translates as a person is a person through other people. While Ubuntu has been a domain of extensive scholarly research, to date almost all of this work has been philosophical or conceptual; by contrast, there is a dearth of empirical research examining the nature of Ubuntu. Scholars provide indicator values, namely descriptive abstract nouns, of Ubuntu with no consistency in how the indicator values were derived because the concept lacks a clear definition. The challenges arising from the lack of a clear definition of Ubuntu can be attributed to the fact that there is no empirical research that has been conducted to develop a reliable and valid measure of Ubuntu. This research operationalised Ubuntu by developing a psychometrically reliable and valid scale for measuring Ubuntu. The research established the underlying dimensions of Ubuntu. This thesis develops and validates a scale to measure Ubuntu using a mixed-methods, multiple study approach. First, a literature review identifies 82 indicator values of Ubuntu. Next, using focus groups, depth interviews, and q-sorting, three nascent components of Ubuntu emerge: humanness, interconnectedness, and compassion. Finally, across three quantitative studies, the scale is purified to seventeen items which exhibit a three-factor structure that is psychometrically reliable and valid. The Ubuntu scale has discriminant validity relative to a collectivism scale and demonstrates predictive validity in terms of charitable and altruistic behaviours. This study contributes towards the development of theory through conceptualisation of Ubuntu. The current study utilised large sample sizes to replicate the factor structure, reliability, and construct validity of the measure including nomological validity assessment and measurement invariance. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / DPhil / Unrestricted

This dissertation consists of two topics. Chapter 1 The Microstructure of the Reinsurance Network among US Property-Casualty Insurers and Its Effect on Insurers' Performance models the connectivity within the US property-casualty (P/C) reinsurance market as a network. It provides the first detailed empirical analysis of the microstructure of the reinsurance network including both affiliated and unaffiliated insurers. I find that reinsurance networks are highly sparse and yet largely connected, and exhibit hierarchical core-periphery structure. Moreover, an insurer's network position, measured by its network centrality, has economically significant implications for its loss experience and performance. Particularly, I find that there is an inverse U-shaped relationship between an insurer's network position and its combined ratio, and a U-shaped relationship between an insurer's network position and its performance measured by risk adjusted return on assets and risk adjusted return on equity. I also analyze the resilience of the reinsurance network against possible contagion risk by simulating economic impacts resulting from failures of one or more strategically networked reinsurers. The simulation results suggest that US Property-Casualty insurance industry is resilient to the failure of one or more top reinsurers. Chapter 2 Tail Risk Spillover and Its Contribution to Systemic Risk: A Network Analysis for Global Reinsurers analyzes the dynamic short-run tail risk dependence among global reinsurers and studies its contributions to global reinsurers' systemic risk, where a reinsurer's tail risk is measured by the Value-at-Risk. The tail risk dependence or tail risk spillover among global reinsurers is modeled as networks based on Granger Causality test. The results show that the tail risk interconnectedness among global reinsurers is subject to the impacts of both the insurance industry-wide shock and economy-wide shocks, where the former seems to have a larger effect than the latter. Moreover, I find that a reinsurer's role in the tail risk network as measured by degree/eigenvector centrality contributes significantly to its systemic risk, i.e., a more central tail risk network position will cause a higher level of systemic risk. I also find that there is a threshold effect of tail risk connectedness to systemic risk. That is, when the tail risk connectedness, as measured by daily network density, is below its median state, an increase in a reinsurer's tail risk network centrality will result in a decrease in its systemic risk possibly through risk diversification. In contrast, when the tail risk connectedness is above such threshold, an increase in the reinsurer's tail risk network centrality will lead to an increase in its systemic risk. / Business Administration/Risk Management and Insurance

Although there is a vast body of literature on family resilience, very little represents research from an explicitly Indigenous paradigm. This research process included an Indigenous research path and a case study informed by Indigenous worldview. The data collected in both informed the findings presented here and contributed to the creation of the final model for building resilience in Indigenous families. The results demonstrate how self-determination in research, service delivery, organizational leadership, spiritual connection and individual, every-day practice can be a powerful expression of freedom, liberty and humanity. The case study maps how the self-determination of an Aboriginal organization, resulted in the creation of a program that assists violent Aboriginal men reconcile their traumatic histories, reconnect to an interconnected worldview and repatriate their responsibilities as men within a strong, healthy Aboriginal society.

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Dans la section trois du dernier chapitre de la deuxième partie de "Procès et réalité", Whitehead dénonce le mythe d'une existence purement privée. Selon lui, croire qu'il est possible d'isoler des individus valant absolument pour eux-mêmes ne fait pas sens. L'étude que nous présentons ne porte donc pas sur l'individuation proprement dite mais sur le problème qui résulte du fait de renvoyer la « philosophie de l'organisme » au thème traditionnel de l'individuation. Bien que le procès de concrescence fasse apparaître des moments d'unité subjective porteurs de traits individuels, le sens du mot « individu » est généralement indexé sur celui de « substance ». La doctrine whiteheadienne de l'interconnexité réserve en effet aux individus le statut d'abstractions; tout fait identifié comme individuel se voit encadré d'une « relativité essentielle ». Ce statut, qui exclut que les individus puissent être des existants au sens plein du terme, s'explique par une réévaluation des rapports de l'abstrait au concret, qui interdit de confondre individuation et concrescence. En s'intéressant à la genèse d'un acte de perception, Whitehead montre en effet que l'unité réelle est strictement processuelle. Une thèse extrême est défendue : le procès constitutif d'un acte percevant ne laisse, une fois achevé, qu'une combinaison contextualisée de déterminants abstraits. Cependant, l'analyse des phases de l'expérience laisse poindre une explication de la genèse de nos jugements à propos des individus. La formulation du problème de l'interprétabilité de l'expérience, en coordonnant uniformité naturelle, persistance physique et symbolisme perceptif, ouvre sur line possible élucidation des effets d'individualité, d’essentialité et de substantialité observés dans l'expérience. Tout au plus est-il possible d'esquisser à grands traits, en lien avec la question de la réification des objets physiques, ce que pourrait être une théorie de l'individuation biologique articulée à une conception stratifiée de l'univers. / Ln section three of the last chapter of the second part of "Process and Reality", Whitehead denounces the myth of pure privacy. ln his view, the belief that it is possible to isolate individuals, each with an absolute value, does not make sense. The study presented here does not, therefore, address individuation itself but rather. the problem resulting from the association of the "philosophy of the organism" with the traditional theme of individuation. Although the process of concrescence creates moments of subjective unity exhibiting individual features, the meaning of the word "individual" is mostly connected to that of "substance". Indeed. the status reserved to individuals by Whitehead's doctrine of interconnectedness, is that of abstractions : every fact identified as "individual" finds itself framed by an "essential relativity", This status, which precludes individuals being existents in the fullest sense of the term, can be explained by a reassessment of the relationship between the abstract and the concrete, which prevents any confusion of individuation and concrescence. Focussing on the origination of an act of perception in this way, Whitehead makes clear that real unit y is strictly process-relational and transient. An extreme theory is defended : the formative process of an act of perception, once completed, leaves only a contextualized combination of abstract determinants. However, the analysis of the phases of experience leads us towards an explanation of the origination of our judgements concerning individuals. By formulating the problem of the interpretability of experience through a combination of natural uniformity, physical endurance and perceptive symbolism, Whitehead could throw light on the effects of individuality, essentiality and substantiality observed in experience. At the very most, guided by the question of the concretion of physical objects, it would be possible to sketch a rough outline of what might be a theory of biological individuation expressed through a layered model of the universe.

The thesis consist of two parts - a creative part and a written report.The creative part is a picture book about rivers and the plentiful connections they have with The creative part is a picture book about rivers and the plentiful connections they have with us humans. It follows a child and her grandma as they look for answers to a question – what is a river? In their imaginary expedition, they discover rivers flowing in the sky and in living organisms; meet pilgrims and conquistadores, magical shape-shifting river dolphins and older-than-dinosaurs species of sturgeons; fish and bathe; gathering all the stories they participate in into their own story about the river. The book combines factual infor­mation, various stories from riverine environments as well as more loose associations and metaphors. The themes I touch upon include folklore, myths, daily needs of people rivers cater to, cultural metaphors, environmental problems, peculiarities of plants and animals, history, language etc. Every spread of the book is like a different chapter about different meanings rivers might have in different contexts. The book tells about a river as a journey, home, a refreshment, a name, a meeting place, a riddle, memory, depth, energy, a reflection, a path, the ocean; and as a thread that connects stories of different times and places. To make my book, I used a variety of materials, including pencils, watercolours, gouache, digital drawing; and a collection of geographical, historical, mythological references I have gathered as well as my own memories of growing up close to a river. I have tried to balance both factually accurate and poetic storytelling to create a story of interconnectedness and wonder. The key questions I worked with were: how to tell a story about natural environment in an engaging way; how to find a narrative structure that would communicate my story effectively and would have its inner logic; how to deal with issues of historical consciousness, ecological awareness, management of natural resources in a context of children’s books; how to encourage readers to think about relations of their physical and emotional environemnts. The title of the book is What Is a River? . It is supposed to be for children, but also for adults who would find the subject interesting. The report analyses the background, processes, and results of making the book.

This study measured the effectiveness of an international social work course in increasing MSW students’ understanding of global interconnectedness and cultural competence utilizing an exploratory quantitative research design. Data were collected from twelve participants from a social work school in the west coast who completed a survey prior to beginning the course and again after completing the course. The study found that participants had an increase in both cultural competency and global interconnectedness after the course. The results of this study correlate with the limited literature available on the topic of international social work and supports the expansion of study abroad experiences for social work students structured in the manner of the international social work course studied.

The topic of my research is the lived experiences of eight psychotherapists and counsellors who consciously work with unusual phenomena as it arises in the therapeutic encounter. Unusual phenomena in this thesis refers to felt experiences which are considered to be beyond the everyday in the Cartesian paradigm and are often referred to as spiritual and/or mystical phenomena. Exploring these phenomena brings to light the potentialities in the vastness of consciousness which is considered to be an integral aspect of human existence in the thesis. I chose Heidegger’s hermeneutic phenomenological methodology for the research because it gives credence to the many and varied possibilities and potentialities both in particular lived experiences and in human existence as a whole. Van Manen’s lived existential provides the framework in which the participants’ experiences are explored. What emerged from the research is that unusual phenomena are not unusual for the participants. Although such phenomena are less visible and therefore less familiar in the everyday world, they are recognizable through their consistent presentation. This includes the participants having a powerful sense of ‘knowing’ which is all-encompassing and is beyond familiar landmarks such as the linear models of time and space. The participants bring their ‘knowing’ into the everyday world through embodiment and through their acknowledgment of the interconnectedness of existence. The expression of interconnectedness is experienced by the participants as lovingness, from which the ability for immediate healing in their therapeutic work becomes apparent. The participants’ accounts show a capacity for accessing the subtleties of human existence which emerge in the phenomenological process as the forgotten feminine of consciousness. The feminine of consciousness is a term used to describe a fundamental state of ‘being’ in contrast to the everyday masculine principle of ‘doing’. The research has implications for psychotherapy and counselling as it illuminates the need for a holistic approach which acknowledges the multidimensionality of human existence.