No description available.

The Orange-bellied Parrot is one of only two obligate migratory parrots in the world. The species is listed nationally as endangered and has been the subject of intensive study and conservation activities over the past 25 years. Reproductive and demographic data collected over this period from the wild population form the basis of this thesis. Remote breeding sites in southwestern Tasmania at Melaleuca and Birchs Inlet were used to study this species in the wild. Through deployment of up to 52 artificial nest boxes and observations of natural nests at Melaleuca it was possible to collect information on a range of reproductive success parameters over a long period, including 12 consecutive breeding seasons. In addition, the provision of up to 33 nest boxes over seven consecutive years at Birchs Inlet provided a comparison with the use of nest boxes by several competitors at Melaleuca. The use of colour-bands to identify 760 individuals from 16 different cohorts provided the means to assess a range of behavioural and demographic parameters of the species. This study confirmed the Orange-bellied Parrot has a regular migratory pattern with birds beginning to return to the breeding area on the 2nd October (plus or minus 5.1 days s.d) in each year. The first birds to return are those in their second year of life or older, while first-year adult birds begin to arrive 13 days later. The median arrival date for birds in their second year or older was the 23rd October compared with 9th November for firstyear adult birds. There was no difference between the sexes in arrival date. The mean date of last departure from Melaleuca was 5th April (plus or minus 11.1 days s.d). A total of 190 nests with known contents were studied in the wild and, of these 185 nests contained eggs and five nests contained no eggs. This study found the earliest laying date was on the 29th November and the latest was the 19th January with eggs (95%) laid during December (n = 101 eggs). Clutch size ranged from 2-6 eggs with over half of the clutches having 5 eggs and 95.3% of all clutches 4-6 eggs in size. The mean clutch size was 4.7 eggs per active nest across all years and there was no evidence the species can produce second clutches in the wild. The mean incubation period for Orange-bellied Parrot eggs was 21.4 plus or minus 0.8 days (n = 49 observed incubations). The mean dimensions of unhatched eggs was 22.9 plus or minus 0.98 mm by 18.5 plus or minus 0.67 mm (n = 99 eggs). The 185 nests with eggs studied by this work contained a total of 874 eggs. Of these 695 eggs hatched and 179 eggs failed to hatch. Of the 179 failures, 107 eggs (69.7%) were infertile, 48 eggs (26.8%) were fertile and 24 eggs (13.4%) were of unknown fertility. Of the 48 unhatched fertile eggs, 23 eggs (47.9%) were early-term failures, 15 eggs (31.2%) were mid-term failures and 10 eggs (20.8%) were late-term failures. The mean egg fertility rate for the species was calculated to be 85.6% (plus or minus 2.91 s.e). Hatching success from all eggs laid was 79.5% (i.e. 695 nestlings hatched from 874 eggs laid) with the mean hatching success across all years being 80.2%. A total of 89 nestlings died prior to fledging. Early stage deaths represented 44.9% (n = 40) of all mortalities and late stage deaths 55.1% (n = 49). The annual egg failure and nestling mortality varied across years. Of a total of 268 egg and nestling failures across all years, 66.8% (n = 179 eggs) were attributable to hatch failure and 33.2% (n = 89 nestlings) to mortality. Unhatched infertile eggs represented most (39.9%, n = 107) of all failures. Of the 190 nesting attempts, only 27 failed to produce any young. The most common cause of total nest failure was attributed to failure to hatch (44.4%, n = 12) followed by nestling deaths (37%, n = 10) and no eggs laid (18.5%, n = 5). Average brood size was 4.0 nestlings plus or minus 0.09 s.e (range = 1-6) from 173 nests with 65.9% of nests producing four (33.5%) or five (32.4%) nestlings. The majority of nests produced four fledglings with a mean fledgling brood size of 3.7 plus or minus 0.09 s.e (range = 1-6) from the 163 successful nests. Only 4.3% of successful nests produced the maximum of six fledglings. Of the 190 Orange-bellied Parrot nests studied, 85.8% (n = 163) produced fledglings. The distribution of nest productivity is presented and discussed in detail. The number of fledglings produced per breeding attempt varied between zero and six. A total of 69% of all nests produced 3-5 fledglings whereas 33% of all nests produced four fledglings. The fledging success for 12 consecutive breeding seasons was 87.2% (606 fledglings from 695 nestlings) and the mean fledging success across all years was 86.9% (plus or minus 2.47 s.e). The overall breeding success for the Orange-bellied Parrot was 69.3% (606 fledglings from 874 eggs laid). The overall reproductive output of the species was 3.3 fledglings per nest (606 fledglings from 185 nests) from an investment of 4.7 eggs laid. Egg fertility, nestling survival and fledgling survival of Orange-bellied Parrots in the wild is noticeably higher than for the captive population, and is equal to or exceeds many other Psittacidae. The reproductive success results reported here are comparable with the more common Turquoise Parrot Neophema pulchella of mainland Australia. Although the Orange-bellied Parrot has a healthy mean fecundity rate of 1.62 females/egg laying female, there was some variability between years, with a low of 0.87 females/egg laying female in 1998/99. The mean lifespan of the Orange-bellied Parrot was calculated to be 2.22 years (plus or minus 0.074 s.e, range = 0.37-11.70, N = 693) with no significant difference between male and females. Males lived on average for 2.75 years (plus or minus 0.127 s.e, range = 0.43-11.70, n = 240) and females lived on average for 2.67 years (plus or minus 0.141 s.e, range = 0.18-10.41, n = 189). The oldest male recorded was 11.70 years of age and the oldest female recorded was 10.41 years of age. This study was not able to compare the reproductive lifespan of wild Orange-bellied Parrots with captive-bred birds due to database problems or with other Psittacidae due to lack of comparable studies. The capacity to compare the wild population with captive-bred birds and other Psittacidae will greatly enhance our knowledge of the species. This work suggests the Orange-bellied Parrot does not have a strong fidelity to mates, nest site or nesting zone. This finding is contrary to previous assumptions made about the species. This study did not measure hollow availability; however, a comparison of the use of nest boxes between Birchs Inlet and Melaleuca indicates competition from introduced species may be limiting the breeding range and reproductive success. Survivorship rates of juveniles to first breeding (c. one year old), adults and both sexes were determined. Mean survivorship of juveniles over the study was 55% (plus or minus 3.2 s.e) and is within expected limits when compared to other Psittacidae. Mean survivorship of adults was 63.6% (plus or minus 2.0 s.e). There was a decreasing trend in survival rates across all cohorts from 1999 onward with average annual survival declining markedly thereafter. The reason for this decline is unclear. There was no difference in survival rate of each sex over the study. This study has significantly increased our understanding of the reproductive success and demography of the Orange-bellied Parrot. This information will reduce the level of uncertainty in the Population Viability Analysis model for the species and, in turn, increase the power of such models to assess the species status and test the effectiveness of conservation measures. Some of the results of this study have important implications for future research and conservation of the species. These are discussed, and include management of nest boxes, refinement of mark-recapture studies, population viability analysis and influence of introduced nest competitors.

Principals and vice-principals occupy a vital role in our public schools. They hold politically and organizationally powerful positions to influence change and support educational reform. Riehl (2000) points out that one’s practice of leadership is influenced by one’s identity, thus knowing who administrators are is significant. Although understanding who our formal administrators are is still an emerging area of scholarly inquiry, most of the educational literature focuses on administrators from the mainstream, dominant culture. Little attention has been given to who our visible minority principals and vice-principals are, especially within in a Canadian and British Columbia context. This study explores how the life histories and life experiences of visible minority principals and vice-principals of BC who are immigrants and children of immigrants have created their identities. In particular, how have their experiences as “other” influenced their praxis as formal school leaders? Using a life history methodological approach, data were gathered through semi-structured in-depth interviews. Six themes and three sub-themes emerged from the interviews that highlight participant life experiences, meaning and learning about their identity and praxis as leaders. Participants linked their present views, beliefs, and approaches to leadership with events and personal experiences from their past. Participants’ enactment of school leadership was informed by their experiences trying to fit in with mainstream culture; identity issues and cultural identity development; connecting with minority students and families; needing to promote diversity; being mentored and now being mentors; and influencing change. Therefore, a connection was made by the research participants between who they are as leaders and how their experiences have influenced them. / Graduate / 0514 / shailoo@uvic.ca

No description available.

In this work, behavioural field studies and metabolic studies in the laboratory were conducted to elucidate the extent of adaptation of the platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus to its highly specialised semiaquatic lifestyle. Energy requirements of platypuses foraging, resting and walking were measured in a swim tank and on a conventional treadmill using flow-through respirometry. Foraging behaviour and activity pattern of platypuses in the wild were investigated at a sub-alpine Tasmanian lake where individuals were equipped with combined data-logger-transmitter packages measuring foraging activity or dive depth and ambient temperature. Energy requirements while foraging in the laboratory were found to depend on water temperature, body mass and dive duration and averaged 8.48 W kg-1. Mean rate for subsurface swimming was 6.71 W kg-1. Minimum cost of transport for subsurface swimming platypuses was 1.85 J N-1m-1 at a speed of 0.4 m s-1. The metabolic rate of platypuses resting on the water surface was 3.91 W kg-1 while minimal RMR on land was 2.08 W kg-1. The metabolic rate for walking was 8.80 and 10.56 W kg-1 at speeds of 0.2 and 0.3 m s-1, respectively. Minimal cost of transport for walking was predicted to be 2.13 J N-1m-1 at a speed of 1.7 m s-1. A formula was derived, which allows prediction of power requirements of platypuses in the wild from measurements of body mass, dive duration and water temperature. Activity patterns of platypuses in the wild were highly variable. Forty percent of the platypuses studied showed patterns, which deviated considerably from the nocturnal pattern generally reported for the species. Some animals showed diurnal rhythms while others temporarily followed the lunar cycle. Foraging trips lasted for an average of 12.4 h of continuous foraging activity per day (maximum: 29.8 hours). There were significant differences in diving behaviour between sexes and seasons. Activity levels were highest between August and November and lowest in January. While foraging, platypuses followed a model of optimised recovery time, the optimal breathing theory. Mean dive duration was 31.3 seconds with 72 % Energetics and foraging behaviour of the platypus 6 of all dives lasting between 18 and 40 seconds. Mean surface duration was 10.1 seconds. Mean dive depth was 1.28 m with a maximum of 8.77 m. Up to 1600 dives per foraging trip with a mean of 75 dives per hour were performed. Only 15 % of all dives were found to exceed the estimated aerobic dive limit of 40 seconds indicating mainly aerobic diving in the species. Total bottom duration per day was proposed as a useful indicator of foraging efficiency and hence habitat quality in the species. In contrast to observations made earlier in rivers, temporal separation was found to play a vital role for social organisation of platypuses in the lake system that was investigated. It is suggested that high intra-specific competition as well as limited burrow sites and a limited number of at the same time highly productive foraging locations were responsible for this observation. Mean burrow temperature in the wild was 17.5 and 14.2ºC in summer and winter, respectively, and was fairly constant over the platypus's resting period. In the cooler months, burrow temperature was up to 18ºC higher than ambient air temperature. By combining both field and laboratory data, a time-energy budget for the platypus was created. Mean field metabolic rate was 684 kJ kg-1 day-1 and was significantly higher in the winter months. Mean food requirement was 132 g fresh matter kg-1 day-1. Feeding rates were 68 % higher in winter than in summer. While platypuses in the swim tank were found to expend energy at only half the rate of semiaquatic eutherians of comparable body size, cost of transport at optimal speed as well as field metabolic rates were in line with findings for eutherians. These patterns suggest that locomotor efficiency of semiaquatic mammals might have reached a limit for energetic optimisation. The semiaquatic lifestyle seems to pose comparable energetic hurdles for mammals regardless of their phylogenetic origin.

It is clear that unmarried cohabitation is increasing in Chile. It is less clear what unmarried cohabitation is and why is it rising. In Latin America cohabitation is common among low income groups, and has been described as a surrogate marriage for the disadvantaged. Cohabitation in the region entails conventional gender roles and having children. It has been explained by colonial dominance, poverty, kinship, and machismo. The evidence amassed here indicates that although in practice cohabitation is similar to marriage, they are not the same. In fact, cohabitation has decreased social visibility. Cohabitation does not entail any social ceremony or rite. As it is not institutionalised it remains concealed from both social recognition and social scrutiny. Thus it tolerates partners who are dissimilar, or can be sustained despite a higher level of difficulties in a relationship. The findings validate previous research as cohabitation is sparked by pregnancy, parental tolerance - mainly through not enforcing marriage -, a close mother-son bond –which inhibits marriage-, and the material costs of marriage. The research follows a life course perspective. It is based on twenty four qualitative life histories of urban deprived young people, women and men, involved in a consensual union and with children. In Chile from the 1990s onwards cohabitation started to show a sharp increase. Prevalent views explain rising cohabitation as an outcome of processes of individualization, democratization of relationships, and female emancipation. This research suggests that rising cohabitation, among young people from low income groups in Chile, is linked to enhanced autonomy (i.e. declining patriarchy), and to social benefits targeted to single mothers. Young people are gaining autonomy as union formation is increasingly an outcome of romantic love and not of being forced into marriage. Furthermore cohabitation rose right at the end of Pinochet’s dictatorship, at a time of enhanced freedom and autonomy. By contrast, rising cohabitation does not seem to be related to female emancipation. Interviewees themselves reproduce conventional gender roles, and social policies targeted to the single mother are based on conventional views on womanhood.

The concepts of 'empowerment', 'agency' and 'gender' have been variously interpreted and applied by donors and development actors, and in largely instrumental terms. Theoretically, these concepts - as well as gender mainstreaming, the primary tool proposed to achieve gender equality - have drawn criticism for being disassociated with the original political intent to transform power relations. Practically, the current state of knowledge around the outcomes of gender and development programming is rife with institutional perspectives of donors and NGOs reflecting in the short-term, with voices of the constituents of development conspicuously absent. Understanding how gender and development interventions are perceived and experienced by recipients in the context of their life course is an urgent task required not only to improve the current state of knowledge, but also to understand what kinds of measures lead to positive societal changes. Drawing from ten life histories of recipients of gender mainstreamed development programming in Northern Sri Lanka, this dissertation probes how recipients situate and make sense of gender mainstreamed development programs as they navigate a post-war reality. Findings show that encounters with development programming and the development apparatus in general contributed to some positive social changes, with certain groups of women expressing agency and even moments of empowerment. However, the longitudinal scope of this study reveals that these experiences take place within the prevailing structural confines of insecurity that take place at the macro (state), meso (development apparatus) and micro (community) levels. These findings uncover how gender hierarchies and factors of identity influence these limits on choice, and therefore challenge current understandings of agency, empowerment, and the role of development programming within society. This research points to the limitations of donor-driven development programs that are ill-equipped to address structural issues of gendered insecurity, patriarchal societal norms, and deep-seated trauma. Further, this research offers new dimensions to existing frameworks around the interaction of masculinities, femininities, identity and conflict, suggesting that factors of identity must be complemented with significant experiences across a life course in order to understand how constituents receive and perceive development interventions, and to what extent these interventions are ultimately equipped to facilitate change. Methodologically, this dissertation offers innovative feminist approaches to foregrounding recipients' knowledge and experience of the development process, including pursuing more partnership approaches that include development actors, constituents, and researchers.

Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo buscar nas histórias de vida dos pantaneiros a imagem discursivamente construída do homem pantaneiro. É através do uso da língua, aliado a outros aspectos do contexto social em que vive e atua, que o homem constitui-se como sujeito que estabelece vínculos sociais com outros sujeitos e com outras culturas, construindo dessa forma, a sua história. O pantaneiro, vivendo do trabalho no Pantanal sul-mato-grossense, região com características geográficas e sócio-históricas singulares, constitui-se, histórica e socialmente, por meio da riqueza lingüística que se concretiza na convivência com outros falantes do português e com os do espanhol e do guarani, línguas presentes na interação discursiva do dia-a-dia, resultantes do convívio, em regime de fronteira aberta, com o Paraguai e a Bolívia. Dessa perspectiva, a questão que se coloca é: em que medida se constrói a imagem do pantaneiro através de seu próprio discurso? Ou, mais especificamente, em que medida é possível evidenciar as imagens do pantaneiro construídas pelo discurso oral do próprio pantaneiro? Diante dessas indagações, o desafio é estudar o discurso do homem pantaneiro, tendo como fundamento teórico a Análise do Discurso, dita de linha francesa, em particular a interdiscursividade que remete a noções como heterogeneidade discursiva, sujeito e as condições de produção do discurso. Esses aspectos teóricos são pensados a partir de três eixos que dizem respeito ao sujeito e suas ações: eixo das ações que se realizam com a linguagem, eixo das ações que se realizam sobre a linguagem e eixo das ações da linguagem. O capítulo 1 deste trabalho apresenta uma contextualização do Pantanal em seus aspectos geográfico, histórico e social. O capítulo 2 traz um breve histórico da AD e do sujeito nesse percurso. O capítulo 3 trata da AD em sua fase contemporânea, pontuando a questão do discurso, do interdiscurso, do sujeito e as condições de produção do discurso. O capítulo 4 apresenta uma breve retomada do percurso da oralidade, dos gêneros do discurso e dos gêneros histórias de vida e depoimento que compõem o título desta tese. O capítulo 5 apresenta a análise das quatro histórias de vida dos pantaneiros selecionadas para este trabalho / This research´s aim is to look for in the pantaneiros (People who live in the Pantanal region) life history, the image that was discursively built of the panateiro man. It is through the use of language plus other aspects from the social context where they live and work that the man forms a subject that keeps social contacts with other subjects and other cultures, building this way , the history. The pantaneiro, living from the work in the south-mato-grossense Pantanal, which region has its own geographic and social historic features, composes, historic and socially, through the linguistic wealth that becomes true while living with other Portuguese speakers and with the Spanish and Guarani ones, languages presented in the discursive interaction day by day, which are resulted from the feast in open boundaries with Paraguay and Bolivia. From this perspective, the question that is presented is: in which level the pantaneiro image is built through its own speech? Or more specific, in which level it is possible to evidence the pantaneiro images built by its own oral speech? Considering these issues the challenge is to study the pantaneiro man speech, by the speech analyses, interdiscursive which remits to notions as discourse heterogeneity, subject and the production conditions discourse, these theoretic aspects are considered from three axles that are related to the subject and its actions: actions axles that are realized with the language, actions axles that are realized about and actions axles of language. Chapter 1 of this research shows a Pantanal contextualization in its geographic, historical and social aspects. Chapter 2 brings a brief historic of DA and the subject in its course. Chapter 3 talks about the DA in its comtemporary phase, showing the discourse issue of the interdiscourse, the subject and is production conditions discourse. Chapter 4 shows a brief retaking of the oral part, of the discourse genres and life histories genres and deposition that composes this research´s tittle. Chapter 5 shows the analyses of four life histories from the pantaneiros selected for this work.

Esta pesquisa busca contemplar um aspecto pouco explorado no campo educacional brasileiro ao abordar os sentidos, as repercussões e as marcas que experiências de consecutivas reprovações escolares no início da escolarização imprimem à trajetória escolar e à história de vida dos indivíduos. Para isso, partiu-se dos quatro estudos de caso apresentados por Maria Helena Souza Patto na obra A produção do fracasso escolar: histórias de submissão e rebeldia. Como se desdobraram as histórias escolares e de vida dessas pessoas? Como lidaram com a experiência de fracasso ao longo da escolarização? Que lugar a escola ocupou na vida dessas pessoas? Tendo essas questões como ponto de partida, a investigação envolveu pesquisa empírica e ampla revisão bibliográfica. Essa última contemplou análise do periódico Revista Brasileira de Estudos Pedagógicos no período de 1991 a 2008 sobre o tema do fracasso escolar, além de outras obras de referência sobre o tema. O trabalho de campo foi realizado em um bairro na cidade de São Paulo constando de três etapas principais: 1) localização dos sujeitos; 2) realização de visitas domiciliares para realização de entrevistas (com e sem gravação) com roteiros semiestruturados e elaboração de registros ampliados sobre as visitas; 3) análise dos registros ampliados e das transcrições das entrevistas. Os procedimentos metodológicos exigiram o desenvolvimento de estratégias variadas para localização das quatro pessoas envolvidas, após mais de 25 anos do estudo inicial; desde contatos com antigos moradores, associações locais, diretoria de ensino e escola, até buscas em sítios na internet. As análises dos registros e das entrevistas tiveram como aporte teórico autores que trabalham com história oral e pesquisa (auto)biográfica e apontam para trajetórias escolares que tomaram direções bastante distintas. Percebemos que as vivências escolares não determinaram de modo linear os rumos da vida de nossos entrevistados. Suas trajetórias são frutos de uma complexa combinação que envolve relações e vivências com pessoas e instituições, inclusive escolares, que são interpretadas como (im)possibilidades de apoio ou incentivo. Situações por vezes imponderáveis, que resultam das relações com o mundo, com os outros e consigo mesmo. A vida é, portanto, perpassada por uma multiplicidade de pertencimentos e interferências; cada sujeito se constitui a partir dessa complexidade de relações com diversos grupos sociais e culturais. Desse modo, a escola mostrou-se, na visão dos próprios indivíduos, como uma das instituições que os compõem, dentre tantas outras. / This research looks into a little explored aspect of the Brazilian educational field by dealing with the meanings, the repercussions, and the marks that repeated experiences of school failure at the start of school life leave on the individual\'s school trajectory and life history. To such end, the work starts from the four case studies described by Maria Helena Souza Patto in her A produção do fracasso escolar: histórias de submissão e rebeldia [The production of school failure: histories of submission and rebellion]. How have these people\'s school, and life, histories unfolded? How have they dealt with the experience of school failure throughout their school lives? What place did the school occupy in their lives? Prompted by these questions, the investigation included an empirical study and a wide bibliographical survey. The latter part involved an analysis of the Revista Brasileira de Estudos Pedagógicos [Brazilian Journal of Pedagogical Studies] in the 1991-2008 period on the theme of school failure, in addition to other reference works on this topic. The fieldwork was conducted in a borough of the City of São Paulo, and comprised three stages: 1) locating the subjects; 2) visiting their homes to conduct the interviews (with and without voice recording) based on semi-structured scripts, and preparation of extended records of the visits; 3) analysis of the extended records and of the transcriptions of the interviews. The methodological procedures required developing different strategies to locate the four individuals involved after more than 25 years of the initial investigation; from contacts with long-term residents of the area, local associations, and education directorship and schools, to searches in websites. Theory-wise the analyses of the records and interviews were based on authors that work with oral history and(auto)biographical research, and point to school trajectories that took quite distinct directions. It was possible to observe that the school experiences did not determine in a linear fashion the life paths of the interviewees. Their trajectories resulted from a complex combination involving relationships and experiences with people and institutions, including school-related ones, which are interpreted as (im)possibilities for support or incentive. Situations sometimes imponderable, that result from relations with the world, with other people and with themselves. Life is, therefore, filled by a multiplicity of instances of belonging and interferences, each subject constitutes him/herself from such complex of relationships with various social and cultural groups. In this way, the school turned out to be, in the individuals\' own view, one among the many institutions that concurred to build them.

Esta pesquisa busca contemplar um aspecto pouco explorado no campo educacional brasileiro ao abordar os sentidos, as repercussões e as marcas que experiências de consecutivas reprovações escolares no início da escolarização imprimem à trajetória escolar e à história de vida dos indivíduos. Para isso, partiu-se dos quatro estudos de caso apresentados por Maria Helena Souza Patto na obra A produção do fracasso escolar: histórias de submissão e rebeldia. Como se desdobraram as histórias escolares e de vida dessas pessoas? Como lidaram com a experiência de fracasso ao longo da escolarização? Que lugar a escola ocupou na vida dessas pessoas? Tendo essas questões como ponto de partida, a investigação envolveu pesquisa empírica e ampla revisão bibliográfica. Essa última contemplou análise do periódico Revista Brasileira de Estudos Pedagógicos no período de 1991 a 2008 sobre o tema do fracasso escolar, além de outras obras de referência sobre o tema. O trabalho de campo foi realizado em um bairro na cidade de São Paulo constando de três etapas principais: 1) localização dos sujeitos; 2) realização de visitas domiciliares para realização de entrevistas (com e sem gravação) com roteiros semiestruturados e elaboração de registros ampliados sobre as visitas; 3) análise dos registros ampliados e das transcrições das entrevistas. Os procedimentos metodológicos exigiram o desenvolvimento de estratégias variadas para localização das quatro pessoas envolvidas, após mais de 25 anos do estudo inicial; desde contatos com antigos moradores, associações locais, diretoria de ensino e escola, até buscas em sítios na internet. As análises dos registros e das entrevistas tiveram como aporte teórico autores que trabalham com história oral e pesquisa (auto)biográfica e apontam para trajetórias escolares que tomaram direções bastante distintas. Percebemos que as vivências escolares não determinaram de modo linear os rumos da vida de nossos entrevistados. Suas trajetórias são frutos de uma complexa combinação que envolve relações e vivências com pessoas e instituições, inclusive escolares, que são interpretadas como (im)possibilidades de apoio ou incentivo. Situações por vezes imponderáveis, que resultam das relações com o mundo, com os outros e consigo mesmo. A vida é, portanto, perpassada por uma multiplicidade de pertencimentos e interferências; cada sujeito se constitui a partir dessa complexidade de relações com diversos grupos sociais e culturais. Desse modo, a escola mostrou-se, na visão dos próprios indivíduos, como uma das instituições que os compõem, dentre tantas outras. / This research looks into a little explored aspect of the Brazilian educational field by dealing with the meanings, the repercussions, and the marks that repeated experiences of school failure at the start of school life leave on the individual\'s school trajectory and life history. To such end, the work starts from the four case studies described by Maria Helena Souza Patto in her A produção do fracasso escolar: histórias de submissão e rebeldia [The production of school failure: histories of submission and rebellion]. How have these people\'s school, and life, histories unfolded? How have they dealt with the experience of school failure throughout their school lives? What place did the school occupy in their lives? Prompted by these questions, the investigation included an empirical study and a wide bibliographical survey. The latter part involved an analysis of the Revista Brasileira de Estudos Pedagógicos [Brazilian Journal of Pedagogical Studies] in the 1991-2008 period on the theme of school failure, in addition to other reference works on this topic. The fieldwork was conducted in a borough of the City of São Paulo, and comprised three stages: 1) locating the subjects; 2) visiting their homes to conduct the interviews (with and without voice recording) based on semi-structured scripts, and preparation of extended records of the visits; 3) analysis of the extended records and of the transcriptions of the interviews. The methodological procedures required developing different strategies to locate the four individuals involved after more than 25 years of the initial investigation; from contacts with long-term residents of the area, local associations, and education directorship and schools, to searches in websites. Theory-wise the analyses of the records and interviews were based on authors that work with oral history and(auto)biographical research, and point to school trajectories that took quite distinct directions. It was possible to observe that the school experiences did not determine in a linear fashion the life paths of the interviewees. Their trajectories resulted from a complex combination involving relationships and experiences with people and institutions, including school-related ones, which are interpreted as (im)possibilities for support or incentive. Situations sometimes imponderable, that result from relations with the world, with other people and with themselves. Life is, therefore, filled by a multiplicity of instances of belonging and interferences, each subject constitutes him/herself from such complex of relationships with various social and cultural groups. In this way, the school turned out to be, in the individuals\' own view, one among the many institutions that concurred to build them.