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The central theme of the study is whether deliberate actions to realise aspirations can and would be likely to increase capabilities amongst the poor, and whether such attempts might reduce poverty. Capabilities are seen here as real opportunity sets which people can use to achieve what they want to be or do (Sen, 1990:43-44). In addition Amartya Sen also emphasises the important role of agency in the achievement of capabilities (Sen, 1985). The relationship between aspirations, agency and capabilities is therefore explored, with emphasis on whether people can escape a potential poverty trap by deliberate and focused use of agency. I also ask what role structural opportunities and constraints play in this process. The study has been largely inspired by the idea of Arjun Appadurai (2004) that the poor might be constrained in their efforts to escape poverty because they lack the capacity to aspire, as they might have been socialised to accept that their aspirations would not be realisable. This idea was tested in a five year action research programme in Site C, Khayelitsha, near Cape Town. The dissertation offers an analysis of the programme in which a group of women was assisted in voicing their aspirations and subsequently worked on the realisation of these aspirations with a limited amount of support and facilitation by the researcher. Although many papers have been written on the social and economic implications of Appadurai’s idea, both within and external to the human development approach, the practical implementation of the idea in a project seems to be novel. The analysis of aspirations and capabilities is contextualised in the dissertation. The history and migration of the participating women show how their lives have been shaped by colonialism, apartheid, and their own cultural practices. This is followed by a discussion of the literature which informs the research and the analysis. The capability approach is discussed with particular reference to its conceptual tools, and the differences in the approaches of Sen and Nussbaum are briefly described. I review the ways in which capabilities are generally measured, and discuss the perspectives of different authors on individualism in the approach. Adaptation and agency as seen from the perspective of the capability approach provide important conceptual material for the analysis in a later chapter. A number of studies which assessed capabilities by qualitative means are then briefly reviewed, and these again provide background information for the analysis of the Khayelitsha study. The study on the use of agency in the capability approach reveals that there are lacunae, which could possibly be addressed by amplification from other disciplines. With this in mind agency is further explored in different disciplines – economics, psychology and social theory. Particular attention is given to three classical theorists of agency, Giddens, Bourdieu and Habermas, but the work of Archer, Latour, Long and Joas is also reviewed. I then recommend that the capability approach would benefit from a hermeneutical analysis of agency, and indicate specific elements which I think can be brought forward into such an extension. The literature review also includes a section on aspirations, which takes account of the conceptual relationship between aspirations, agency and capabilities. The empirical material is introduced under the umbrella of an action research programme which spanned a five year period. As part of this programme there was a household survey to obtain benchmark data. This was followed by the presentation of a life skills course based on Participatory Action Research or PRA methods. Between late 2006 and 2010 the women implemented their decisions, and their actions were observed. The main research process during this phase was an ethno-methodological study of the participating women. During this phase a number of life histories were recorded and I also conducted a set of individual interviews which focussed on individual agency. In 2010 I assessed the women’s increase in functionings and capabilities by taking note of actions taken towards achieving their aspirations, and in 2012 I recorded seven interviews on the rural-urban dynamics in their lives. The main findings of the household survey are given in a separate chapter on research findings. The different recordings of the aspirations the women articulated, and how these changed, are also recorded in the chapter on findings. The analysis of the respondents’ increase in functionings and capabilities is done with reference to an adaptation of a diagram published by Robeyns (2005:98), which visualises the essential conceptual parts of the capability approach. I adapt the diagram for a specific social context, for aspiration formulation, for agency assessment, and for the assessment of increased capabilities. In a second analysis chapter I do a hermeneutic agency analysis of six of the participating women in the context of the capability approach, asking whether the pursuit of their aspirations had been agency-unlocking. This is followed by a concluding chapter. / Philosophiae Doctor - PhD

Bakalauro darbe analizuojamas mikčiojimas ir jo įveikimo galimybės. Taikant atvejo analizės metodą per naratyvo strategiją, atliekamas įvykusio fakto kokybinis tyrimas. Tyrimo tikslas - atskleisti mikčiojimo įveikimo galimybes. Tyrime dalyvavo 14 respondentų, 1 mikčiojantysis ir jo mama. Darbas buvo atliktas 2013 - 2014 metų gruodžio – sausio mėnesį Klaipėdos mieste. Pradžioje pateiktas tiriamojo apibūdinimas, kuris remiasi medicininės kortelės duomenimis ir mamos prisiminimais. Anketinės apklausos metodu tirta, kaip pedagogai, mikčiojančiojo draugai ir kiti aplinkiniai žmonės reagavo į mikčiojimą ir kokius pagalbos metodus ir būdus jie taikė siekiant padėti mikčiojančiajam mažinti įtampą ir kalbėjimo baimę. Interviu, tiriamuoju metodu siekta ištirti jo asmeninius išgyvenimus dėl mikčiojimo bei sužinoti, kokius metodus ir būdus jis taikydavo įveikiant savo sutrikimą. Tyrimu nustatyta, kad pats tiriamasis ir jo šeima aktyviai ieškojo galimybių įveikti mikčiojimą. Taikant įvairius medicininės, logopedinės pagalbos metodus bei sportą, jaunuoliui pavyko įveikti sutrikimą. Pedagogai, draugai ir kiti aplinkiniai žmonės palaikydavo tiriamąjį bei suteikdavo jam kompetentingą pagalbą. Tyrimas atskleidė, kad mikčiojimo įveikimą lėmė tam tikri tiriamojo charakterio bruožai, sportas, amžius bei visų aplinkinių žmonių, kaip sistemos, palaikymas ir pagalba. / Final Bachelor degree paper analyses stuttering and ways to overcome this speech disorder. Qualitative research study of accomplished fact is conducted by implementing case analysis method through narrative strategies. Aim of the research study is to distinguish possibilities of overcoming stuttering. 14 respondents, 1 stuttering person and his mother had participated in the research study which was conducted during December 2013 – January 2014 in Klaipeda. Initially, a description of the respondent based on his medical history and recollections of his mother. The survey helped analyse how pedagogues, friends of the stuttering person and surrounding people reacted to the stuttering and what ways and methods they applied in order to help the stutterer reduce tension and overcome the fear to speak. The interview with the stutterer was intended to analyse his personal experience and identify self-therapy methods he applied. The research study showed that the respondent and his family actively searched for ways to overcome stuttering. This young man was able to overcome stuttering with the help of medical and speech therapy methods and sports. His pedagogues and friends were very supportive and ready to help. Results of the research study showed that the respondent overcame stuttering due to his certain personality features, sports, age and support of people that surrounded him.

The aim of this thesis is to analyse David Lodge&rsquo / s campus novels Changing Places: A Tale of Two Campuses (1975) and Small World: An Academic Romance (1984) to see how nihilism is dealt with in the modern academic world by the main characters in the novels. The characters will be examined in the light of Friedrich Nietzsche&rsquo / s Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None (1883-85). As the prophet Zarathustra in Thus Spoke Zarathustra is the mouthpiece of Nietzsche himself, this thesis aims at studying Lodge&rsquo / s novels in the light of Nietzsche&rsquo / s ideas. In this respect, this thesis provides a closer look into Zarathustrian (Nietzschean) concepts of &ldquo / will to power&rdquo / , &ldquo / eternal recurrence&rdquo / and &ldquo / overman&rdquo / , and it reveals to what extent Lodge&rsquo / s main characters can achieve a full &ldquo / will to power&rdquo / , attain a joyful acceptance of &ldquo / eternal recurrence&rdquo / , and overcome themselves on the way to becoming &ldquo / overman&rdquo / . With the elaboration of these three concepts, this thesis aims to uncover the ways in which Lodge&rsquo / s main characters recover from the negative effects of futility and depression caused by nihilism in the modern world.

A presente dissertação aborda considerações e experimentações sobre a filosofia de Friedrich Nietzsche e a literatura de Franz Kafka. Objetiva revalorizar o corpo como protagonista da existência, especificamente a ressignificação do aspecto fisiológico tão denegrido e subestimado pela tradição metafísica. O trabalho parte da experimentação de diferentes textos dos autores estudados e de comentadores, procurando acompanhar o ato de escrever como expressão da vida e uma forma de expressar imageticamente a superação da condição homem. Através da vitalidade que a escrita pode mostrar (sobre o autor/para o leitor), a dissertação empenha-se em percorrer os caminhos trilhados pela decadência, apatia, sofrimento, ressentimento e pela formação da memória no corpo submetido aos desmandos da razão, para finalmente, apresentar uma alternativa a todo o apequenamento diante da vida. Tal alternativa, a metamorfose, é o projeto de superação das estruturas habituais do homem, que evidencia a insurgência do super-homem nietzschiano (Übermensch), assim como corrobora o protagonismo do corpo e do homem diante de sua própria existência. / The present dissertation broaches considerations and experiments on the Friedrich Nietzsches philosophy and Franz Kafkas literature. It aims to revalue the body as the protagonist of the existence, specifically the reframing of physiological aspect so denigrated and underestimated by the metaphysical tradition. This work begins from the experimentation of different texts for the studied authors and commentators, trying to follow the act of writing as an expression of life and a way of expressing imagetically overcoming human condition. Through the vitality that writing can show (about the author/for the reader), this dissertation strives to walk the paths trodden by decadence, apathy, suffering, resentment and the memory formation in the body subjected to the excesses of the reason to finally present an alternative to any diminution towards life. Such an alternative, the metamorphosis, is the project of overcoming the habitual structures of man, which highlights the insurgency Nietzschean overman (Übermensch), and confirms the role of the body and the man in front of his own existence.

A presente dissertação aborda considerações e experimentações sobre a filosofia de Friedrich Nietzsche e a literatura de Franz Kafka. Objetiva revalorizar o corpo como protagonista da existência, especificamente a ressignificação do aspecto fisiológico tão denegrido e subestimado pela tradição metafísica. O trabalho parte da experimentação de diferentes textos dos autores estudados e de comentadores, procurando acompanhar o ato de escrever como expressão da vida e uma forma de expressar imageticamente a superação da condição homem. Através da vitalidade que a escrita pode mostrar (sobre o autor/para o leitor), a dissertação empenha-se em percorrer os caminhos trilhados pela decadência, apatia, sofrimento, ressentimento e pela formação da memória no corpo submetido aos desmandos da razão, para finalmente, apresentar uma alternativa a todo o apequenamento diante da vida. Tal alternativa, a metamorfose, é o projeto de superação das estruturas habituais do homem, que evidencia a insurgência do super-homem nietzschiano (Übermensch), assim como corrobora o protagonismo do corpo e do homem diante de sua própria existência. / The present dissertation broaches considerations and experiments on the Friedrich Nietzsches philosophy and Franz Kafkas literature. It aims to revalue the body as the protagonist of the existence, specifically the reframing of physiological aspect so denigrated and underestimated by the metaphysical tradition. This work begins from the experimentation of different texts for the studied authors and commentators, trying to follow the act of writing as an expression of life and a way of expressing imagetically overcoming human condition. Through the vitality that writing can show (about the author/for the reader), this dissertation strives to walk the paths trodden by decadence, apathy, suffering, resentment and the memory formation in the body subjected to the excesses of the reason to finally present an alternative to any diminution towards life. Such an alternative, the metamorphosis, is the project of overcoming the habitual structures of man, which highlights the insurgency Nietzschean overman (Übermensch), and confirms the role of the body and the man in front of his own existence.

Scholarly research has been written on the forces behind the barriers preventing Hispanic women from reaching the top of the public school ladder. These barriers are to be recognized and addressed. This study focuses not on the barriers which hinder forward and upward career movement, but instead examines how many Hispanic American women have not allowed these barriers to prevent them from achieving their goals of attaining the principalship. This study seeks to determine how Hispanic women principals came to grips with the challenges and barriers to promotion, and to success as K‒12 school leaders. This qualitative research study consisted of 12 Hispanic female school principals from the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area. The three districts selected were Fort Worth Independent School District, Arlington Independent School District, and Grand Prairie Independent School District. Three principals were from Grand Prairie Independent School District, two principals were from Arlington Independent School District, and seven principals were from the Fort Worth Independent School District. All of the 12 Hispanic school principals were interviewed. From the responses to each of the questions, themes became evident. The themes expressed what individual principals had done and the strategies they used to overcome the varied barriers which they confronted. The responses to the interview questions and the themes were very insightful and displayed the women's tenacity, courage, perseverance, and determination to succeed in their aspirations to become Hispanic female principals and leaders in their school districts.

The approach taken by the College of Business and Technology at East Tennessee State University uses multidisciplinary teams to develop an assessment process that unifies the organization's culture to focus on assurance of learning. The theoretical literatures in change management processes and organizational culture are the foundations for the design of the assessment process that spans seven diverse departments and satisfies the requirements of multiple disciplinary accreditors. Lessons learned and recommendations for others are shared.

As the closed innovation model requires firms to be strongly reliant on their own R&D- capabilities in order to generate new innovations (van de Vrande et al., 2009, p. 425), a new approach has emerged over the last decade: The open innovation model. Open innovation is a model where organizations commercialize both their own and external ideas through purposive out and inflows of information (Chesbrough, 2006, p. 1). As a result, enterprises can benefit from the reduction of costs it infers, and simultaneously gain a larger amount of competence (Ghezzi et al., 2018; Rehman et al., 2018; Dodgson et al., 2006).  The open innovation model favors smaller firms and gives them an increasingly prominent position in the innovation landscape (Chesbrough, 2003, cited in van de Vrande et al., 2009, p. 427), and since SMEs are limited by a lack of financial resources, manpower, and substitutes for lack of sales, they especially benefit from collaboration with external parts to increase innovation performance (Hanna & Walsh, 2002; Kaufmann & Tödtling, 2002). However, successfully implementing an open innovation model as an SME comes with its unique challenges. In this study we will aim to investigate how SMEs in Sweden addresses these barriers through the following research question:  How do Swedish SMEs overcome the challenges of open innovation in practice?  The purpose of our study was to explore how SMEs overcome the barriers of working with open innovation in order to provide guidance for organizations who struggle to do so. To answer our research question and fulfill our purpose, we have conducted semi- structured interviews with eight different decision-makers from eight different SMEs. We performed a thematic analysis with an inductive approach. Our study found many ways that SMEs overcome barriers related to open innovation and resulted in several actions for decision-makers to overcome different categories of barriers. For example, our research showed how an equal exchange of value between partners could be an efficient way of maintaining a partnership, how shaping the team to be open for and involved in the organization's innovation work was a way of overcoming the barrier of company culture, and that educating the employees on open innovation was a way of tackling the barrier of lack of resources.  From a theoretical standpoint, our study contributes with a new perspective on the existing literature. It complements what is claimed to be an under-researched area, not only for open innovation in SMEs in general (Lee et al., 2010, p. 299), but also with a focus on overcoming innovation barriers (Hölzl & Janger, 2012, p. 25). It also brings a new geographical perspective of the concept, providing insights from the Swedish innovation climate.

On a scale of 1 to 10… 10 being the worst is an exhibition of sculpture that attempts to visualize the struggle, anxiety, and pain that occurs when your body lets you down during the process of making. Daily chronic pain places limitations on the work that I am able to create. The work in this exhibition not only depicts those limitations, but also expresses the anxiety that takes place while making it. To accomplish this there are several objects that allegorically reference bodies. These bodies are placed in various states of struggle and tension. Ready-made objects are incorporated alongside these bodies to provide a real world context of labor for the sculptures, and also to change the way that the viewer navigates and experiences the space.