This thesis examines Robert Nozick’s critique of John Rawls’s theory of justice, focusing on the Chamberlain Argument as a challenging example in their debate. The Chamberlain Argument illustrates the tension between Rawls’s theory, which aims to distribute resources according to a certain pattern for social benefit, and its implications on individual freedom. Nozick argues that such patterned theories infringe upon individual liberty by coercively redistributing resources. Through analysis of patterned theory, it becomes evident, Nozick claims, that such frameworks prioritize specific distributions over individual liberty. I find that Nozick made a valid point in his objection to Rawls. However, I consider that the problem of patterned theories represented by Nozick in his critique of Rawls, is rooted in the first principle, not in the second. I assert that there is much more literature on Rawls’s second principle, but much less on his first principle. To address Nozick’s critique, this thesis proposes a modification to Rawls’s first principle, emphasizing self-respect as a foundational value. By reconceptualizing liberty within the Rawlsian framework, this thesis aims to fortify it against objections like the Chamberlain Argument, ultimately enhancing its coherence and theoretical robustness. For this reason, the research question is as follows: How can the Rawlsian theory overcome the Chamberlain argument? The one thesis I will pursue is that Rawls’s two principles can be immune to Nozick’s Chamberlain Argument, when the first principle is modified according to the priority of rights over liberty. To do so, the goal is to defend a Rawlsian pattern theory of justice. Firstly, I show that the first principle should be grounded on the priority of the rights instead of the good of the person. By reconceptualizing the concept of self-respect, I show that Rawls’s first principle is mainly focused on a negative concept of liberty, which I modify to a positive concept through what I call reciprocal self-respect. Secondly, I formulate responses to Nozick’s Chamberlain Argument and argue that social justice requires a holistic view of the society, not only as individuals, but also as collective and common. This view emphasizes the interdependency of individuals in a society, which presupposes duties of reciprocal self-respect, chosen rationally in the original position behind the veil of ignorance. Thus, Chamberlain would never have been able to make profits and succeed without society, infrastructure, opportunities and hotbed for success and self-determination.

The fundamental advancement of information technology has given rise to distance education industry hence it has helped to the popularity of distance education among people. However, for employing innovative and advanced tools universities need financial resources. Reaching to these resources is not easy and accessible. Interaction equivalency theorem can be a good solution for overcoming the financial problems but designers are reluctant to utilize it because they think that education quality will decrease due to lack of teacher interaction. This study demonstrated that students’ perception toward interaction equivalency is positive as long as they have high level of interdependency with other students. Without this level of, students are not motivated in order to continue their courses. This study by providing techno-pedagogical design and IS design theory for support of IE helps e-learning practitioners who want to design an acceptable distance educational system with limited financial resources. / Program: Magisterutbildning i informatik

「合作策略」已是近年來實務界頗為流行的風潮,也因此引起學術界的廣 泛討論;然而過去的研究多未將環境特質與各種合作策略間的關係加以釐 清;本研究的目的,即嘗試以資源依賴論為基礎,將廠商所面對的產業環境 對其合作策略型態選擇的影響作一有系統的整理,期能找出每一種產業環 境下最適當的合作策略。自變數包括產業成長率、需求波動性等，中介變 數為廠商所面對的互賴關係,應變數則為合作策略之型態。由於相關課題 尚無十分成熟的架構,同時許多變項資料難以結構化或量化的問卷訪談蒐 集,本研究係採個案撰寫的方式進行,依不同的產業環境特色,分別選擇汽 車業、水泥業、旅行業與微電腦業為研究對象,在觀察各產業的產業環境 特性與具代表性的合作策略型態後,歸納產業環境與一般廠商可採行的合 作策略間之關聯,並利用中介變項推論其可能原因,將此類現象化約為較具 一般性的通則。本研究之發現為:當廠商間的競食性互賴與共生性互賴均 強時,以採用「垂直分工」型的合作較佳,以汽車業為代表;二者均弱時,「 聚沙成塔」型的合作較佳,以微電腦業為代表。前者強而後者弱時,以「波 動網路」型合作較適合,此以旅行業為代表;反之,當後者強而前者弱時,則 以「免戰協議」型的合作為佳,水泥業是代表性之產業。

How to quantify security is a classic question in the security community that until today has had no plausible answer. Unfortunately, current security evaluation models are often either quantitative but too specific (i.e., applicability is limited), or comprehensive (i.e., system-level) but qualitative. The importance of quantifying security cannot be overstated, but doing so is difficult and complex, for many reason: the “physics” of the amount of security is ambiguous; the operational state is defined by two confronting parties; protecting and breaking systems is a cross-disciplinary mechanism; security is achieved by comparable security strength and breakable by the weakest link; and the human factor is unavoidable, among others. Thus, security engineers face great challenges in defending the principles of information security and privacy. This thesis addresses model-based system-level security quantification and argues that properly addressing the quantification problem of security first requires a paradigm shift in security modeling, addressing the problem at the abstraction level of what defines a computing system and failure model, before any system-level analysis can be established. Consequently, we present a candidate computing systems abstraction and failure model, then propose two failure-centric model-based quantification approaches, each including a bounding system model, performance measures, and evaluation techniques. The first approach addresses the problem considering the set of controls. To bound and build the logical network of a security system, we extend our original work on the Information Security Maturity Model (ISMM) with Reliability Block Diagrams (RBDs), state vectors, and structure functions from reliability engineering. We then present two different groups of evaluation methods. The first mainly addresses binary systems, by extending minimal path sets, minimal cut sets, and reliability analysis based on both random events and random variables. The second group addresses multi-state security systems with multiple performance measures, by extending Multi-state Systems (MSSs) representation and the Universal Generating Function (UGF) method. The second approach addresses the quantification problem when the two sets of a computing system, i.e., assets and controls, are considered. We adopt a graph-theoretic approach using Bayesian Networks (BNs) to build an asset-control graph as the candidate bounding system model, then demonstrate its application in a novel risk assessment method with various diagnosis and prediction inferences. This work, however, is multidisciplinary, involving foundations from many fields, including security engineering; maturity models; dependability theory, particularly reliability engineering; graph theory, particularly BNs; and probability and stochastic models.

How to quantify security is a classic question in the security community that until today has had no plausible answer. Unfortunately, current security evaluation models are often either quantitative but too specific (i.e., applicability is limited), or comprehensive (i.e., system-level) but qualitative. The importance of quantifying security cannot be overstated, but doing so is difficult and complex, for many reason: the “physics” of the amount of security is ambiguous; the operational state is defined by two confronting parties; protecting and breaking systems is a cross-disciplinary mechanism; security is achieved by comparable security strength and breakable by the weakest link; and the human factor is unavoidable, among others. Thus, security engineers face great challenges in defending the principles of information security and privacy. This thesis addresses model-based system-level security quantification and argues that properly addressing the quantification problem of security first requires a paradigm shift in security modeling, addressing the problem at the abstraction level of what defines a computing system and failure model, before any system-level analysis can be established. Consequently, we present a candidate computing systems abstraction and failure model, then propose two failure-centric model-based quantification approaches, each including a bounding system model, performance measures, and evaluation techniques. The first approach addresses the problem considering the set of controls. To bound and build the logical network of a security system, we extend our original work on the Information Security Maturity Model (ISMM) with Reliability Block Diagrams (RBDs), state vectors, and structure functions from reliability engineering. We then present two different groups of evaluation methods. The first mainly addresses binary systems, by extending minimal path sets, minimal cut sets, and reliability analysis based on both random events and random variables. The second group addresses multi-state security systems with multiple performance measures, by extending Multi-state Systems (MSSs) representation and the Universal Generating Function (UGF) method. The second approach addresses the quantification problem when the two sets of a computing system, i.e., assets and controls, are considered. We adopt a graph-theoretic approach using Bayesian Networks (BNs) to build an asset-control graph as the candidate bounding system model, then demonstrate its application in a novel risk assessment method with various diagnosis and prediction inferences. This work, however, is multidisciplinary, involving foundations from many fields, including security engineering; maturity models; dependability theory, particularly reliability engineering; graph theory, particularly BNs; and probability and stochastic models.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:29:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-02-28Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:59:33Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 faccin_gm_me_mar.pdf: 1354599 bytes, checksum: 8327460599738c8c2021f924afea272f (MD5) / Na contemporaneidade, as discussões ambientais permeiam a agenda política global. Isso porque as degradações ao meio ambiente possuem impactos que vão além das fronteiras nacionais dos Estados. A interdependência dos países implica em pensar o problema em âmbito transnacional. Entretanto, supomos que a sociedade, com um modelo econômico baseado na ênfase no lucro, não se sensibiliza com a questão ambiental. Nesse contexto, o caso das mudanças climáticas nos comprova que se faz necessária uma articulação que vise a cooperação internacional, pois atitudes isoladas não são suficientes para conter o aquecimento global. Nessa direção, buscamos compreender nesse estudo os motivos que conduziram os países a negociarem um regime internacional do meio ambiente. Em específico, trataremos da criação do Mecanismo de Desenvolvimento Limpo e do estudo empírico da cogeração de energia no setor sucroalcooleiro brasileiro, pois estes vêm sendo apresentados como possíveis alternativas econômicas para a sustentabilidade ambiental e para a mitigação do delicado problema climático que a humanidade terá que enfrentar no século XXI / Nowadays, the environment matters take part in the global political agenda. This happens because the environment degenaretion results in impacts that are beyond the state boundaries. The interdependency among the countries incite us necessarily to think about the problem in the internacional ambit. Though, it is supposed that the society based on economical pattern of profit is not sensitive to the enviromental matter. In this context, the climate change issue proves that an articulation focused in the internacional cooperacion is necessary, then isolated attitudes are not enough to hold the global warming. According to this view, this study attempts to comprehend the reasons that led the contries to negociate an internacional regime. Specifically, we deal with the creation of the Clean Development Mecanism and the empirical study of energy cogeneration in sugar and alcohol sector as an economical alternative to sustain the environment and to appease the delicated climate problem that the mankind must face in the twenty-one century

Mit dem Begriff der Intersektionalität wird die Verschränkung verschiedener Ungleichheit generierender Strukturkategorien, wie Geschlecht, Ethnizität, Klasse, Nationalität, Sexualität, Alter etc. erfasst. Er soll aufzeigen, dass keine dieser Kategorien alleine steht, sondern sowohl für sich als auch im Zusammenspiel mit den anderen einen die gesellschaftlichen Machtverhältnisse mitkonstituierenden Effekt hat. Die historischen Wurzeln liegen im 19. Jahrhundert und gehen auf die Erfahrungen Schwarzer Frauen und Lesben zurück, die sich im Feminismus westlicher weißer Mittelschichtsfrauen nicht wiederfanden. Leslie McCall unterscheidet drei methodologische Zugänge: den anti-kategorialen Ansatz, den intra-kategorialen Ansatz und den inter-kategorialen Ansatz.

Ausgehend von einem sozialkonstruktivistischen, pragmatisch-kognitiven Verständnis von Namen untersucht die Studie die diskriminierenden Wahrnehmungen, die über Personen-namen in Deutschland und Schweden aufgerufen werden. Durch Anwendung der kritischen Theorien und Zugänge der Black Feminist, Postcolonial, Postmigrant, Trans und Disability Studies auf Namensdiskurse werden gegenwärtige sowie historische hegemoniale Normen dekonstruiert. Mit Hilfe des durch intersektionale Machtverhältnisse konstituierten Dispositivmodells wird die Intelligibilität von Personennamen zur Diskussion gestellt. Vergewohnheitung (accustoming) als neues analytisches Konzept macht nachvollziehbar, wie hegemoniales Wissen zu Namensgebung auf strukturalistische und essentialisierende Weise erworben und internalisiert wird. Die Analyse administrativer und legislativer Diskurse zeigt, wie hegemoniale Namensnormen historisch und institutionell vergewohnheitet wurden. Dass ein Personenname institutionell auch durch individuelle Wahrnehmung bestimmt wird, illustriert die Analyse des ‚Kindeswohl‘, einem zentralen Argument für Namensentscheidungen auf Standesämtern. Ein weiteres Beispiel für die Rechtfertigung ent_wahrgenommener diskriminierender Namenspraktiken ist das Sprachgefühlkonzept, dessen Verwendung daraufhin untersucht wird, inwiefern es nationalistische Vorstellungen des Eigenen und des Anderen aufruft. Schließlich wird die An- und Aberkennung von Menschsein als Konsequenz diskriminierender Namenshandlungen adressiert. Eine Sammlung empowernder Interventionen in diskriminierende Namenspraktiken sowie Empfehlungen für eine kontra_diskriminierende, antistrukturalistische Wahrnehmung von Personennamen runden die Studie ab. Mit ihrem transdisziplinären Ansatz veranschaulicht die Arbeit, wie disziplinäre Grenzen überschritten und Diskursfelder und -materialien, die traditionellerweise in den Rechts-, Geschichts-, Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaften analysiert werden, in die Genderforschung integriert werden können. / Based on a social constructivist, pragmatic cognitive understanding of naming, the study investigates the discriminatory hegemonic presuppositions and perceptions that are interpellated with personal names in Germany and Sweden. The critical lens of Black Feminist, Postcolonial, Postmigrant, Critical Trans and Disability Studies is applied in order to deconstruct current and past hegemonic naming norms. By regarding the un/intelligibility of names as constituted by intersecting power relations, racism_genderism_ableism_migratism_ classism, the dispositive model helps to identify what personal names and naming practices are made un/thinkable. Accustoming is introduced as an analytic tool to understand how hegemonic knowledge on naming is acquired and internalized in a structuralist and essentializing way. The analysis of administrative and legislative discourses demonstrates how hegemonic naming norms have been historically and institutionally accustomed. That a personal name is not only determined by institutional but also by individual decision-making is illustrated on the example of the child’s well-being, a commonly used argument for name decisions at registry offices. The feel for language as another norm to justify de_perceived name discrimination is analyzed against the background of how sprachgefühl as an emotive concept interpellates nationalist images of the self and the Other. The final chapter addresses the consequences of discriminatory naming practices: the definition and denial of personhood. The study concludes with a collection of empowering interventions in discriminatory naming practices and recommendations for a contra_ discriminatory anti-structuralist perception of personal names. By employing a transdisciplinary approach, the study illustrates how disciplinary boundaries are transgressed and how different discourse areas and material that traditionally are investigated in law, history, linguistics and literature is integrated in Gender Studies research.

Water distribution systems, electrical power transmission systems, and other civil infrastructure systems are essential to the smooth and stable operation of regional economies. Since the functions of such infrastructure systems often are inter-dependent, the systems sometimes suffer unforeseen functional disruptions. For example, the widespread power outage due to the malfunction of an electric power substation, which occurred in the northeastern United States and parts of Canada in August 2003, interrupted the supply of water to several communities, leading to inconvenience and economic losses. The sequence of such failures leading to widespread outages is referred to as a cascading failure. Assessing the vulnerability of communities to natural and man-made hazards should take the possibility of such failures into account. In seismic risk assessment, the risk to a facility or a building is generally specified by one of two basic approaches: through a probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) and a stipulated scenario earthquake (SE). A PSHA has been widely accepted as a basis for design and evaluation of individual buildings, bridges and other facilities. However, the vulnerability assessment of distributed infrastructure facilities requires a model of spatial intensity of earthquake ground motion. Since the ground motions from a PSHA represent an aggregation of earthquakes, they cannot model the spatial variation in intensity. On the other hand, when a SE-based analysis is used, the spatial correlation of seismic intensities must be properly evaluated. This study presents a new methodology for evaluating the functionality of an infrastructure system situated in a region of moderate seismicity considering functional interactions among the systems in the network, cascading failure, and spatial correlation of ground motion. The functional interactions among facilities in the systems are modeled by fault trees, and the impact of cascading failures on serviceability of a networked system is computed by a procedure from the field of operations research known as a shortest path algorithm. The upper and lower bound solutions to spatial correlation of seismic intensities over a region are obtained.

The aim of the dissertation is to add to our knowledge and understanding of how groupwork and group tasks are construed among students. This is accomplished be creating a model, which describes the pattern of interaction and the experience that emerge as students try to handle the group-work situation. An additional aim is to use the outcomes of the study as a basis for discussions about how to carry out group-work in the classroom. The methodological point of departure is grounded theory and the theoretical perspective is symbolic interaktionism. A theoretical model - Students’ creation of trust in group-work - has been constructed from observations and interviews in grade 7 and 8 from a local school. The model describes what happens when students with different social and academic ambitions meet in a group assignment and become interdependent. The students have to consider their own and others’ ambitions, the composition of the group, as well as the task, and they have different possibilities to influence these factors. Easiest to influence are the construction of the task and the group composition, which they also try to do so as to diminish the differences in ambitions and the interdependency. They do not always succeed and they handle the remaining differences in ambitions and dependency through creation of trust, by constructing different behaviours during the group-work. The insights derived from the theoretical model - Students’ creation of trust in groupwork - could have practical implications when group-work is applied. This means that teacher could assist the students in their efforts to create trust among group members. This study has pointed out construction of the task, clear goals, and group composition as import pre- requisites for the use of group-work as a means of instruction. The dissertation ends with a discussion about teachers’ possibilities to contribute to collaboration in group-work through the construction of tasks, composition of the groups and to the construction of goals which creates situations of trust in group-work. / Syftet med avhandlingen är att öka kunskapen om och förståelsen för hur grupparbete och grupparbetsuppgift konstrueras mellan eleverna. Detta sker genom att skapa en modell, som beskriver det interaktionsmönster och de upplevelser som uppstår när elever försöker hantera sin situation vid grupparbete. Ytterligare ett syfte är att studiens innehåll ska kunna ge underlag för diskussion om hur grupparbete kan användas i skolan. I studien används grounded theory som metodologisk ansats och det teoretiska perspektivet är symbolisk interaktionism. En teoretisk modell – Elevers tillitsskapande i grupp (ETG-modellen) – har konstruerats med hjälp av en observations och intervjustudie i år 7 och 8 på en kommunal grundskola. Modellen beskriver vad som händer när elever med olika social och ämneskunskapsmässig ambition möts i en gruppuppgift och blir ömsesidigt beroende av varandra. När ett grupparbete ska genomföras har eleverna sin egen och de andras ambition, gruppsammansättning och uppgiften att beakta, vilket de har skiftande möjligheter att påverka. De försöker påverka gruppsammansättning och uppgiften för att minska ambitionsdifferensen samt beroendet till andra. Hur de hanterar den kvarstående ambitionsdifferensen via ett tillitsskapande genom att konstruera olika tillvägagångssätt i grupparbetet visas i studien, vilket bidrar till en ökad förståelse av elevernas upplevelse och hanterande av grupparbetsuppgifter. Kunskapen från ETG-modellen kan ha praktisk betydelse när grupparbete som arbetsform används. För att i undervisningen med grupparbete bistå eleverna med deras strävan till att skapa tillit har avhandlingen visat att uppgiften, gruppsammansättningen, och deras olika ambition blir viktiga förutsättningar för detta. Avslutningsvis diskuteras därför lärarens möjligheter att bidra till en samarbetssituation genom att utforma gruppuppgifter, konstruera grupper och sätta mål som skapar samarbetssituationer som eleverna kan uppleva som tillitsfulla.