Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T19:30:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Nirlene Nepomuceno.pdf: 7141675 bytes, checksum: 3327ede728e6cb5db4b3a10c13893ce4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-06-10 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This paper outlines the emergence of black festivities around Christmas holidays, in Brazil and the Caribbean during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Its main objective is to identify its dynamic processes of transformation, as well as strategies used by slaved Africans to both adapt to the "new world ", and to perpetuate the ties that bound them to Africa, a necessary step to resist colonial power embodied into oppression and violence. In addition to the seasonality of the period between Christmas and January 6, these black festivities share fragments of performative literacies , which inspite of their similarities and differences are revealing the contribution of African civilization in the Americas. We propose to "read" these festivities through, mainly, cultural practices, customs and the African body which in its displacement uploaded experiences and knowledge / Este trabalho acompanha a emergência de festas de protagonismo negro, de ocorrência no ciclo natalino, em regiões do Brasil e do Caribe, durante os séculos XVIII e XIX. O objetivo é identificar seus dinâmicos processos de transformação, bem como estratégias de adaptação ao novo mundo a que africanos escravizados, burlando a repressão e a violência do poder colonial, lançaram mão para perpetuarem os vínculos que os ligavam à África. Para além da sazonalidade do período, compreendido entre Natal e 6 de janeiro, essas festas negras partilham fragmentos de textos performativos , que em suas similaridades e diferenças são reveladores do aporte civilizacional africano nas Américas. Propomos ler essas festas privilegiando costumes, práticas e, principalmente, o corpo africano, que em seu deslocamento carregou experiências e saberes

This dissertation is a study of appetite in Plato’s Timaeus, Republic and Phaedrus. In recent research is it often suggested that Plato considers appetite (i) to pertain to the essential needs of the body, (ii) to relate to a distinct set of objects, e.g. food or drink, and (iii) to cause behaviour aiming at sensory pleasure. Exploring how the notion of appetite, directly and indirectly, connects with Plato’s other purposes in these dialogues, this dissertation sets out to evaluate these ideas. By asking, and answering, three philosophically and interpretatively crucial questions, individually linked to the arguments of the dialogues, this thesis aims to show (i) that the relationship between appetite and the body is not a matter of survival, and that appetite is better understood in terms of excess; (ii) that appetite is multiform and cannot be defined in terms of a distinct set of objects; and (iii) that appetite, in Plato, can also pertain to non-sensory objects, such as articulated discourse. Chapter one asks what the universe can teach us about embodied life. It argues that Plato, in the Timaeus, works with an important link between the universe and the soul, and that the account of disorder, irrationality and multiformity identifying a pre-cosmic condition of the universe provides a key to understanding the excessive behaviour and condition of a soul dominated by appetite. Chapter two asks why the philosophers of the Republic’s Kallipolis return to the cave, and suggests that Plato’s notion of the noble lie provides a reasonable account of this. By exploring the Republic’s ideas of education, poetry and tradition, it argues that appetite – a multiform and appearance oriented source of motivation – is an essential part of this account. Chapter three asks why Socrates characterizes the speeches of the Phaedrus as deceptive games. It proposes that this question should be understood in the light of two distinctions: one between playful and serious discourse and one between simple and multiform. It argues that the speeches of the Phaedrus are multiform games, and suggests that appetite is the primary source of motivation of the soul addressed, personified by Phaedrus.

The present dissertation ia an analysis in the history of ideas of the 12th-century Persian-Islamic thinker Abß Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazâlî's political ideas and his political reversal, ie. his abandonment of a religiously-influenced political theory in favour of a Persian-influenced political theory. This study is based upon source studies and a comparison between his manual for government and other writings in which his political ideas are expressed, along with a comparative study of his manual and other manuals of the same period. The dissertation begins with a description of the socio-political conditions of the 11th- and 12th-century Islam and provides a background to the seizing of power in the eastern region of the Islamic realm by the Central Asian Turks, accenting their relationship to the militarily and politically enfeebled c Abbasid caliphate in Baghdad. The dissertation also describes the status of political theory in the Islamic world and the various political currents of the era. During his lifetime, al-Ghazâlî was one of the foremost authorities of Islamic theology, honoured with the title Hujjat al-Islam, "sign of Islam". He was also a respected critic of Islamic philosophy who in one of his books proclaimed the caliphate to be the religiously and logically necessary head of Islam. In the mid-1090s al-Ghazâlî went through a spiritual crisis which led to his stepping down from his post as head of Nizâmiyya school in Baghdad, subsequently affiliating himself with Stjfîsm and retiring from public life. Having reemerged at the begining of the I2th century al-Ghazâlî wrote his manual Nasîhat al-Multik (Counsel for Kings) for the Saljfiq sultan Sanjar, where he in contrast to his earlier political writings employed pre-Islamic Persian ideas, eg. the idea of the ruler as being chosen by God, Farr-i îzadî (divine radiance), and the principle of justice. He now proclaimed the sultân to be the head of the Islamic state and elevated the Turkish sultan to "God's shadow on earth", not once mentioning the role of the caliphate. Furthermore, he made use of numerous fabricated Persian narratives in this book, presenting the pre-Islamic Persian era as a lost Golden Age. The present dissertation studies whether al-Ghazâlî's "conversion" to Sûfîsm in the 1090s played a role in his political reversal and his use of pre-Islamic Persian ideas, or if this should be interpreted as a literary conceit typicall such manuals. Moreover, the dissertation examines whether his transition to a Persian-influenced political theory implies a change in and therefore an abndonment of his fundamental political ideals, or if one may instead speak of a form of continuity in his political thought. This would mean that these new ideas should be seen as novel, normative sources which al-Ghazâlî employed in order to retain his fundamental political ideals under the pressure of the changed political climate. / <p>Diss. Umeå : Univ., 1994</p> / digitalisering@umu

Optical parameters measured via absorption spectroscopy and high-resolution fluorescence spectroscopy were used to characterize dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the springshed of Kings Bay, a spring-fed estuary located on Florida's Springs Coast. Over the past 40 years, springs supplying groundwater to Kings Bay have shown an increase in nitrate concentration. The overall goal of this project was to fingerprint wells and spring sites with elevated nitrogen concentrations using CDOM optical properties and establish relationships between nutrient and optical parameters. Samples were obtained from various sites: springs, Kings Bay surface (KBS), wells, coastal waters in and at the mouth of Crystal River (Coast) and lakes and rivers (LNR), during dry and wet seasons. The relationships between the environmental parameters and traditional optical parameters which provide insight into source characteristics were analyzed. Excitation emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMS) provided information about the concentration and chemical nature of organic matter in the study area. CDOM optical properties combined with salinity clearly separated the sources of fixed nitrogen in the Bay. Northern springs with elevated dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentration had lower salinities and showed a presence of protein peaks. CDOM concentration was negatively correlated with total nitrogen (TN) and DIN, which suggests that these are subjected to anthropogenic influences. Humic peaks dominated the composition of the southern springs. CDOM concentrations were much higher than in the northern springs and there was a positive correlation between CDOM and both TN and DIN. These findings suggest that the fixed nitrogen in the southern springs is naturally occurring organic matter and the low concentrations may partially be a result of subsurface mixing of saltwater and freshwater in the aquifer. Thus, hypothesis testing showed that there was a significant difference between northern and southern springs Hypothesis testing also showed that there is a significant and unexpected positive relationship between CDOM and salinity studying Kings Bay, which is due to the low CDOM concentration in the springs discharging fresh water. This unique dataset also determined that the intercept of the mixing line was significantly different form zero. This indicates that CDOM is present and detectable at very low concentrations. Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) was used to evaluate CDOM composition from excitation emission matrix spectra (EEMs) and five components were identified: two humic, two marine humic, and one protein-like. The marine-like components, peak M, were produced in the marine environment and in meteoric groundwater. The study found a unique groundwater marker for coastal regions. Northern Kings Bay sites were characterized by a protein-like component, which has been associated with wastewater. Additional optical and environmental parameters were used in discriminate analysis, which successfully identified the CDOM markers for both natural and anthropogenic sources of nutrients in the environment. It is vital to improve the analysis of water, nutrients, and carbon from groundwater discharge into the coastal zone. Elevated DIN concentrations in groundwater are a widespread problem in Florida and over the past 30 years many spring waters have shown an increase in DIN concentrations. Nutrient discharge into delicate coastal areas can lead to ecological concerns. Investigating CDOM and nutrient distribution together can be a beneficial tool that can help differentiate sources from riverine/lacustrine, estuarine, marine, groundwater, and sewage impacted categories.

No description available.

No abstract available. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1985.

The land issue is one among the many challenges faced by South Africa. In this work I look at dispossession of land in the South African context, and reflect on the biblical account of Naboth's vineyard. Naboth was dispossessed of his vineyard through the abuse of power and the lack of justice. In like manner, people of colour in South Africa were dispossessed of their land by a very powerful minority. The legal system did not protect the weak and vulnerable - hence many injustices occurred. The aim of this dissertation is to remind ourselves of land dispossession through the abuse of power and the lack of justice. Through this reminder, I encourage and challenge the church of its responsibilities in the land discussion. The church has a biblical mandate to speak out prophetically and to become proactive in correcting the injustices of the past. Through the church responding in this manner, it will directly assist in poverty alleviation and will drive toward an improved quality of life for all human beings. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu- Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

This dissertation aimed at establishing the extent to which eThekwini Municipality aligned its Inner City projects to principles for urban regeneration and spatial planning objectives as outlined in the City’s Integrated Development Plan. The study makes reference to two distinctive inner city precincts; examining what led to current state of each precinct, through political, economic, environmental and social transformation. The Central Business District is looked at as a prime example of a degenerated space within the city and the Kings Park Sporting Precinct is looked at as an example of a successful regeneration endeavour within Durban. Information was obtained through primary and secondary sources. The bulk of the information gathered was through key informant interviews, shop keeper interviews, site visits, official reports and from eThekwini Municipality Shape File Data on the Geographical Information System. Through the analysis of data collected, the study found that eThekwini Municipality’s efforts to regenerate the Durban CBD have not been successful to date. The CBD is still in a severe state of urban decay with sustainable development only occurring in areas that are controlled by the elite. The study also found that the Kings Park Sporting Precinct has undergone extensive regeneration and proves to be a great asset to Durban for present and future generations. Its success however, also carries social challenges with the common perception that the precinct is an exclusive space. Almost 20 years post democracy, the eThekwini Municipality, is still struggling to maintain the integrity of its Inner City. Parts of the Inner City have improved but there and other parts that are still subject to extreme urban decay. The study makes recommendations for the economic, environmental and social improvement of the Durban CBD and for the social enhancement of the Kings Park Sporting Precinct. / M.T.R.P. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2013.

[Truncated abstract] The dibbler, Parantechinus apicalis, is an endangered marsupial that exists on Boullanger, Whitlock and Escape islands off Jurien Bay in Western Australia. The introduced house mouse, Mus domesticus, exists on Boullanger and Whitlock islands, and the King’s skink, Egernia kingii, inhabits Boullanger and Escape islands. The grey-bellied dunnart, Sminthopsis griseoventer, exists on Boullanger Island. Over the last 150 years, the wedge-tailed shearwater, Puffinus pacificus, has colonised the islands to varying degrees. The interaction between dibblers and other island species is not clear. The purpose of this study was to determine the main factors regulating the dynamics of mammals, and in particular dibblers, on the Jurien islands. This was achieved by examining the effect of seabirds, the competitive interactions between species living on the islands, and seasonal changes in the environment. Animals were trapped for a period of 30 months, and their population structure, body condition, longevity, habitat preferences, diet and ecophysiology were examined. The results presented support the theory that by increasing soil nutrient concentrations, burrowing seabirds increase the primary productivity of islands, which has flow on effects to other trophic levels. Densities of seabirds and soil nutrient concentrations were highest on Whitlock Island, intermediate on Escape Island, and lowest on Boullanger Island . . .Thirty-five percent of dibblers on Escape Island were missing their tail or a limb, probably as a result of aggression from King’s skinks. Competition from high numbers of house mice on Boullanger Island, and from high numbers of King’s skinks on Escape Island, may increase the occurrence of male die-off on these islands. The better body condition and greater longevity of dibblers on Whitlock Island, despite high numbers of house mice, suggests that abundant resources are available to sustain both species. This study demonstrates that high densities of seabirds positively affect the population dynamics of mammals on the Jurien islands. Burrowing seabirds appear to influence the dynamics of dibblers more so than competition from house mice or King’s skinks. The findings from this study will assist the Dibbler Recovery Team with future management decisions regarding the viability of dibblers on the Jurien islands, and with decisions regarding the necessity to control house mouse numbers in the presence of native species.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Spanish and Portuguese, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF document. Abstract in English, text in Spanish. Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-77).