The theory of constitutional pluralism suggests that interacting legal orders that are (or claim to be) constitutional in nature need not—and should not—necessarily be regarded as being hierarchically arranged, with one ‘on top of’ the others. Rather, the relationships between the orders can be conceived of heterarchically. However, there is an assumption in much of the literature that the ‘interface norms’ that regulate the relationships within such a heterarchy are universal by nature, capable of undifferentiated application across differing constitutional orders. This thesis examines whether interface norms are in fact universal by nature, or whether they are relationship- and context-dependent, taking as its field of study three interacting legal orders—those of Ireland, the European Union, and the European Convention on Human Rights. It uses an established model of constitutional pluralism based on ‘coordinate constitutionalism’ to test the assumption of universality across three constitutional frames: the ‘vertical’ relationship between Ireland and the European orders, the ‘horizontal’ relationship between the European orders, and the ‘triangular’ panoply of state, Union and Convention. Having analysed the interface norms at work in these relationships, both in isolation and in the round, the thesis concludes that these norms are not in fact universal, and that different conceptions of constitutional pluralism need to pay much greater attention to the specific nature of any given constitutional order and its relationship with other orders in the constitutional heterarchy.

The confrontation with difference is an especially large challenge when it comes to religion and religious beliefs. Because religion is integral to so many, it becomes a sticking point in negotiations, conversations, and policy development. Even for those without particularly strong religious convictions, religion must be considered in their interactions with those who do. It is precisely that interaction that I seek to further understand. Engaging in dialogue with those of different faiths or value systems brings to the surface myriad difficulties, chief among which is the challenge of simply coming together to begin the conversation. The most appealing approach to that challenge is often to find some sort of common ground on which everyone can agree, a foundation upon which relationships can be built. That common ground, however, can be just as harmful to the end-goal of dialogue as not having dialogue in the first place. Common ground approaches focus on similarities, ignoring or discounting the differences which both make us who we are and make conversations difficult to have. In ignoring differences, participants are forced to relegate salient aspects of their beliefs to a private (unseen) arena, where they may wither away, dulled from disuse, eventually no longer relevant as an identifier. The foremost question I seek to answer, then, is the following: How can religious identity be maintained in light of such approaches to dialogue?

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, School of Law, 2013. / Conflicts of rights involving the freedom of religion should be approached on the basis of a close examination of the proper competence of law and religions. This examination begins by asking what questions law and religion are best suited to answer in a post theocratic age that views constitutional laws as operating under and within the conditions of diversity and pluralism. An analysis of religious employer exemption cases in two jurisdictions, South Africa and Canada, shows that certain contemporary “liberal” approaches fail to accord sufficient respect to associational diversity. An historical view of the relationship between law and religion, reviewing both “the goods of religion” and “the limits of law” suggests that contemporary liberalism tends to diminish the role of religions and religious associations giving too much power to the State and/or the Courts with a corresponding failure to let religions play the role within culture that their proper jurisdictions, correctly understood, admit and that an open culture requires. The analysis shows that the Canadian and South African courts have, in some cases, explicitly but more often implicitly, stepped into the role of answering metaphysical, philosophical and theological questions for which they are not suited. This problem -- erroneous jurisdictional extension by law -- is the use of law by equality activists who wish to force homogeneous conceptions such as “equality” or “non-discrimination” on all aspects of society, including religious associations, irrespective of whether those subordinate groups should be accorded the respect entailed by the principle of diversity- - a respect already allowed for in the laws related to religious employer exemptions. The arguments defending these practices inappropriately extend the ambit of law into theology and therefore away from its proper role as recognized within history, sociology, anthropology, psychology and theology. Moreover, they take liberal theory in an illiberal direction - a direction that should be rejected in favour of a conception of deep diversity. It is concluded that with a legal presumption in favour of associational diversity and the use, in adjudication of rights conflicts, of the “oculus” (that is, explicitly seeing issues that involve religious associations from the perspective of the religious association) a fairer treatment of diversity and difference can occur in constitutional democracies. An approach to rights adjudication based on this presumption and informed by this attitude will promote greater diversity and better “fit” with the principles of “pluralism”, “multiculturalism”, “diversity” and “accommodation” that underlie the modus vivendi rather than a “convergence” approach to liberalism and accord better with constitutional rights and freedoms taken as a whole.

Thesis advisor: Dominic Doyle / Moral, aesthetic, and religious pluralism has become a source of disagreement and friction in the modern world. Within the context of modernity and precipitated by the American and French revolutions, liberal democracy has aimed to organize the social and political life of societies in which their inhabitants sustain different, distant, and sometimes contradictory conceptions of the good life. Liberal secular principles have been the framework used to protect fundamental values such us freedom, equality, and mutual respect. In order to preserve the stability of a plural society, liberalism insists that moral and religious convictions must remain a private matter. Democracy and tolerance, it was argued, would be best preserved if religious convictions were removed from the public/political conversation. Yet the debate about the appropriate relationship between religion and politics regularly resurfaces among political and moral philosophers, social theorists, and theologians. / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

Orientador: Vera Lúcia Messias Fialho Capellini / Banca: Monica Pereira dos Santos / Banca: Kester Carrara / Resumo: O notório destaque assumido por questões sociais relacionadas a diversidade cultural no atual cenário mundial é o tema central da discussão do presente trabalho. A temática da diversidade cultural foi abordada no contexto educacional através do currículo do Estado de São Paulo e do relato de professores do ensino fundamental ciclo I. A investigação buscou analisar e interpretar os resultados encontrados para a presença da diversidade cultural nas Orientações Curriculares do Estado de São Paulo e na Coleção Ler e Escrever distribuída para todas as escolas estaduais. A análise desses dois documentos aconteceu a partir da busca por palavras, através do software MAXQDA. A opinião dos professores foi levada em consideração a partir da aplicação de um questionário desenvolvido pela própria pesquisadora, em que os resultados obtidos foram comparados com os resultados obtidos nos documentos. Para o embasamento teórico assumiu-se os Estudos Culturais a partir de Hall (1997) como referência para o entendimento de cultura e a Teoria Histórico-Critica como norte conceitual para uma concepção de homem em constante desenvolvimento, capaz de transmitir conhecimento através da linguagem, sujeito transformador da realidade e por ela transformado, constituindo-se plenamente no contato e convívio social. Silva e Moreira (1995) e Candau (2005, 2011) foram os principais autores considerados na discussão sobre o currículo e a necessidade de questioná-lo, transgredi-lo. Santos (2000) e Capellini (2... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The important emphasis given by social issues related to cultural diversity in the current world scenario is the central theme discussed in this work. The theme of cultural diversity was addressed in the educational context through the curriculum of the Sate of São Paulo and the report of elementary school teachers. The research aimed to anlyze and interpret the results related to cultural diversity in the São Paulo State Curriculum Guidelines and in the "Coleção Ler e Escrever", which were distributed for all state schools. The analyisis of these two documents was carried out from a world search using the MAXQDA software. The teachers' opinion was obtained form a questionnaire developed by the researcher and their responses were compared with the results obtained in the documents. Hall (1997) and Cultural Studies authors were used as a reference for the understanding of culture and the Historical-Critical Theory was the conceptual guide for discussing a concept of humanity in frequent development, that is able to transmist knowledge through language and able to modify reality and be transformed by it. Silva and Moreira (1995) and Canday (2005, 2011) were the main authors considered for the discussion about the curriculum and the necessity to question and transgress it. Santos (2000) and Capellini (2009) grounded the understanding of inclusive education. The results showed that cultural diversity is part of the curriculum, but is insufficiently addressed in the parameters and occurrences analysed. Consistent with this, theachers find it difficult to address some themes in the classroom (especially sexuality, gender and religion) and expressed little theoretical knowledge on the subject... (Complete abstract electronic access below) / Mestre

Tradições acadêmicas no ensino da ecologia, assim como livros-texto convencionais redigidos de forma enciclopédica muitas vezes mascaram uma história de grandes controvérsias que existe por trás dos fundamentos teóricos desta disciplina. Muitos ecólogos são formados sem se darem conta dos diversos debates conflituosos que certamente circundam o corpo teórico de seus programas de pesquisa. Contudo, basta um aprofundamento mínimo na literatura para que se perceba a grande confusão que se transformou a formalização teórica da ecologia. Com suas raízes na história natural do século XIX e com uma ênfase empiricista, a ecologia passou por uma fase de formalização teórica calcada em uma episteme dedutivo-nomológica e na modelagem matemática de sistemas dinâmicos no começo do século XX. Este enfoque no aspecto conjectural da ecologia se consolidou na década de 1960 e muitos pesquisadores passaram a alegar que este seria o método ideal para a formalização de teorias sólidas e gerais. Entretanto, na década seguinte se inicia um contra-movimento, que criticou duramente esta escola alinhada ao pensamento dos físicos, culminando em debates que resultaram em posturas de radicalismo extremo em relação a qual é o objeto de estudo da ecologia e como o ecólogo deve proceder em sua atividade. Neste momento, passa a ser crucial que o cientista se volte à filosofia e à história das ciências para entender mais profundamente as origens e os motivos dessas confusões. Este conhecimento se faz necessário para que o ecólogo possa se posicionar criticamente dentro destas controvérsias e assim (re)definir seu próprio programa de pesquisa com mais coerência. Contudo, é preciso estar preparado para uma jornada psicologicamente intensa. Para muitos, esta empreitada histórico-filosófica gera um sentimento de frustração (no mínimo um grande desconforto intelectual) ao perceberem que a epistemologia não provê uma resposta simples e consensual para perguntas muito básicas como: o que é um conhecimento cientificamente válido? Quais são os fundamentos da teoria ecológica? A falta de treinamento em epistemologia associado à uma relutância psicológica em se envolver na área, mantiveram grande parte dos ecólogos afastada do debate filosófico, fazendo com que alguns equívocos sobre a ciência ecológica se propagassem por gerações. Assim, disputas intermináveis se sucederam na literatura dividindo os ecólogos ao invés de unir-los. Criou-se uma sensação geral de que há uma dicotomia entre teoria e empiria (também vista na forma de uma dicotomia conjectura-inferência), o que me parece um problema grave pois essa divisão é ilusória; a ciência é uma fusão desses dois componentes. Esta percepção dicotômica se estende a outros temas epistemológicos muito relevantes (\\textit{e.g.} indução ou dedução, descrição de padrões ou explicação por processos e mecanismos causais, generalidade ou precisão), o que a meu ver é prejudicial para um avanço fluente do conhecimento. Esta tese é uma tentativa de contextualizar historicamente o desenvolvimento do pensamento ecológico e revisar criticamente o debate epistemológico científico, assim como algumas controvérsias heurísticas relacionadas à modelagem de padrões e processos ecológicos, para então prover um argumento favorável ao pluralismo epistemológico na ecologia. Ao final, faço uma síntese das controvérsias epistemológicas, apresentando uma proposta de como conceber um programa de pesquisa em ecologia aberto ao pluralismo epistemológico. Para isso, valerei-me da noção de caixa preta epistemológica e de redes complexas de conhecimento tanto para mostrar que o pluralismo epistemológico pode ser visto como uma questão cultural intrínseca da ciência, como também para sugerir que uma postura colaborativa em detrimento de uma competitiva (conflituosa) é muito mais intuitiva e coerente para um ecólogo do século XXI. Acredito que uma predisposição ao sincretismo cultural em detrimento de um etnocentrismo “irracional” tem grande potencial de catalisar o avanço atravancado e controverso da ciência ecológica / Academic traditions in teaching ecology, as well as conventional encyclopedical textbooks often mask a history of great controversies behind the theoretical bases of this discipline. Many ecologists are trained without realizing the many conflicting debates that surround the theoretical body of the research programs they are inserted in. However, a simple deepening in the literature is enough to sense the confusion that theoretical formalization of ecology has become. With its roots in 19th century natural sciences and with empiricist emphasis, ecology went through a phase of theoretical formalization based on a deductive-nomological epistemology and in mathematical modeling of dynamic systems in the beginning of 20th century. This focus on the conjectural aspect of ecology consolidated in the 60\'s and many researchers claimed this would be the ideal method to formalize solid and general theories. Yet in the following decade a counter-movement began, strongly criticizing this school of thought aligned with physicists, culminating in debates that resulted in extreme radicalism regarding the definition of ecology\'s study subject and how the ecologist should proceed in his activity. At this point it becomes crucial to the scientist to face philosophy and the history of sciences to further understand the origins and reasons for these confusions. This knowledge enables the ecologist to critically position oneself within these controversies and thus (re)define his own research program coherently. One should be prepared however, for an intense psychological journey. For many this historical-philosophical quest brings a sense of frustration (a great intellectual discomfort at least) since the epistemology does not provide a simple and consensual answer to basic questions such as: what is a valid scientific knowledge? What are the bases of ecological theory? This way, the lack of training in epistemology associated with psychological reluctance to get involved in this area, have kept most ecologists away from the philosophical debate, allowing some mistakes and misconceptions about the ecological sciences to propagate for generations. Thus, endless disputes in the literature divided ecologists instead of uniting them. A general sense was created that there is a dichotomy between theory and empiricism (also seen as a dichotomy between conjecture-inference), which seems to me as a serious problem given this division is illusory; science is the fusion of these two components. This dichotomous perception extends to other very important epistemological themes (e.g. induction or deduction, pattern description or explanation through causal processes and mechanisms, generality or precision), what hampers the advancement of ecological knowledge. This thesis is an attempt to contextualize historically the development of ecological thought and critically review the scientific epistemological debate, as well as some heuristic controversies related to modeling of ecological patterns and processes, to provide a favorable argument towards an epistemological pluralism in ecology. Finally, I synthesize the epistemological controversies, proposing how to conceive a research program in ecology opened to epistemological pluralism. For such I\'ll make use of the notion of an epistemological black box and of complex knowledge networks, both to show that epistemological pluralism can be seen as a cultural matter intrinsic to science, and also to suggest that a collaborative attitude instead of a competitive (conflicting) is much more intuitive and coherent with the 21st century ecologist. I believe that a predisposition to cultural syncretism in place of an “irrational” ethnocentrism has great potential to catalyze the advancement of the hampered and controversial science of ecology

En portant son regard sur le droit dans les pays d’Afrique francophone, une constante apparaît, le conflit entre tradition et modernité ou entre coutume et droit moderne. Le droit pénal n’échappe pas à ce conflit qui a un impact sur la politique criminelle des États depuis les indépendances jusqu’à nos jours. C’est pourquoi une réflexion sur « le droit pénal africinsous tension : entre tradition et modernité » mérite d’être menée. En effet, les études et articles foisonnent sur la question de la tradition et de la modernité en droit. Le plurijuridisme qui en résulte a aussi fait l’objet de nombreuses études. Mais ces études font très rarement cas de l’impact de cette situation sur les politiques criminelles étatiques. On constate également, au-delà de la seule critique de principe du mimétisme, une absence d’études spécifiques sur les conséquences de ce conflit sur la qualité des législations. D’ailleurs, ce mimétisme suffit-il à lui seul à expliquer ce conflit et ses conséquences sur la vie juridique ? La présente étude ne manque donc pas d’intérêt et constitue un apport à la perception de la situation juridique des Etats d’Afrique francophone en matière pénale tout autant qu’elle propose la construction d’un Droit Africain. / By focusing on the law in the countries of Francophone Africa, a constant appears, the conflict between tradition and modernity or between custom and modern law. Criminal law is not immune to this conflict, which has an impact on the criminal policies of states since independence to the present day. This is why a reflection on "criminal law in French-speaking African countries between tradition and modernity" deserves to be carried out. Indeed, studies and articles abound on the question of tradition and modernity in law. The resulting plurijuridism has also been the subject of many studies. But these studies rarely mention the impact of this situation on state criminal policies. Beyond the mere criticism of mimicry, there is also a lack of specific studies on the consequences of this conflict on the quality of legislation. Moreover, is this mimicry enough to explain this conflict and its consequences on legal life? The present study does not lack interest and constitutes a contribution to the perception of the legal situation of the States of Francophone Africa in criminal matters just as much as it proposes the construction of an African Law.

Orientador: Juliano Maurício de Carvalho / Banca: Carlo José Napolitano / Banca: Antonio Francisco Magnoni / Banca: Eula Dantas Taveira Cabral / Banca: Catalina Norminanda Montoya Vilar / Resumo: A pesquisa propõe, por meio de um recorte histórico entre 2006 e 2016, analisar a efetividade das políticas públicas de comunicação voltadas à diversidade cultural no cinema brasileiro. Considerando fatores econômicos, sociológicos e culturais visa identificar se as mesmas estão sendo efetivas para a proteção, promoção e desenvolvimento da diversidade cultural no país. Trabalha-se como a hipótese de que as políticas públicas não estão sendo efetivas, não atendendo a todos objetivos propostos na regulação. Utiliza-se como fundamentação teórica-metodológica o materialismo histórico-dialético. Adota-se pensadores oriundos dos Estudos Culturais e da Escola Francesa para auxiliar na sistematização do conceito de diversidade cultural. A partir dos dados levantados, aplica-se análise de efetividade das políticas públicas envolvendo eficácia, eficiência e equidade, além de metodologia específica para análise de área para indústria audiovisual, trabalhando com mapeamento e desenvolvimento de indicadores. Como resultados encontrados são identificados movimentos econômicos de tendência a concentração e homogeneização especialmente dos processos de distribuição e consumo cinematográficos no Brasil, corroborando a hipótese proposta. / Abstract: The research proposes, through a historical review between 2006 and 2016, to analyze the effectiveness of public communication policies aimed at cultural diversity in Brazilian cinema. Considering economic, sociological and cultural factors, it aims to identify if they are being effective for the protection, promotion and development of cultural diversity in the country. The hypothesis is that public policies are not being effective, not meeting all objectives proposed by the regulation. The historical-dialectical materialism is used as theoretical-methodological foundation. Authors from Cultural Studies and the French School are used to help systematize the concept of cultural diversity. Based on gathered data, effectiveness analysis of public policies are performed considering efficacy, effectiveness and equity, besides specific methodology to audiovisual industry analysis, working with mapping and performance indicators development. As results, are identified economic movements with tendency to concentration and homogenization, especially considering the processes of distribution and cinematographic consumption in Brazil, corroborating the hypothesis proposed. / Doutor

This thesis presents a specific case study of the developing relationship between religious pluralism and national identity in Scotland by focusing on a particular high-profile group - Interfaith Scotland (IFS) - the country's national interfaith body, which has received little scholarly attention. This thesis argues that IFS represents religious pluralism as interrelated with contemporary Scottish national identity through its organisation and its literature: representing Scotland as one nation of many faiths. This discourse of unity in diversity presents a structured and limited religious pluralism based on the world religions paradigm (WRP), and is compatible with a civic-cultural form of nationalism. The WRP involves a model of religion which focuses on broad global traditions such as Christianity, Hinduism and Islam, over specific local communities and distinct denominations. These global traditions are defined by coherent, intellectual and ethical dimensions represented as closely equivalent. This paradigm is evident from the governing structures within IFS itself which represents individual religious bodies according to the world tradition into which they can be classified and affords a secondary, non-governing status to those who are not recognised as part of one of these traditions. Their world religions approach is also evident from representations of 'religions' in their literature, which emphasise broader intellectual and ethical traditions even in relation to communities outside the major traditions they recognise and the 'Non-religious' Humanist movement. This demonstrates their reliance on these categories in depicting Scotland and its population. The chapters of this thesis will explore how IFS depicts the Scottish nation and its population through the category of 'religion': the Christian majority, religious minority groups and the Non-religious. It also examines how IFS draws on civic and cultural resources to construct a common Scottish national identity compatible with their structured and limited pluralism. This civic-cultural nationalism is often banal or implicit, reinforcing the conception of interfaith relations taking place within a Scottish national framework through innocuous references to Scotland as a bounded society and the use of common cultural symbols of Scottishness to represent the 'unity' encasing that religious diversity. This can be classified as a form of nationalism because it represents the overarching secular national political framework of Scotland as supremely authoritative, as the legitimate basis for the political representation of the population rather than any specific religious identities. IFS' nationalism was especially evident during the lead up to the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence during which they consistently affirmed the right of the Scottish population to national self-determination without endorsing either position. The key themes of IFS' expressions of nationalism and the world religions paradigm are related. The conception of religions as of global importance as intellectual and ethical traditions rather than specific political movements at the local level means that religious identifications do not conflict with the territorially limited authority of the nation. Through these discourses 'religious' and 'national' identities are represented as compatible and non-competitive. This thesis relates to the wider comparative study of the changing relationship between religion, secularism and nationalism in the contemporary world. It makes a contribution to the critical social scientific study of interfaith groups and the role they play in governance, processes of national integration, the reinforcement of national identity in civil society, and the construction of religious identities. It provides evidence that the relationship between nationalism and religion is not always either wholly separated or related to religious exclusivism as with certain forms of religious-nationalism, but that religious pluralism can also be related to forms of nationalism despite assumptions of their incompatibility.

Presenting an authoritative one-party rule since fifty years, the case of Singapore does not concord with the various theories of democratization. After proving that Singapore is not a Liberal-Democracy, we argue that the country manages to create a model of stability both in terms of politics and economy, that act as trade- offs to liberal characteristics. The approach uses a qualitative analysis of the electoral framework, a cultural comprehension of contemporary elements and data on its economic success. Ultimately, this thesis aims at studying the idea that Liberal-Democracy is not a model that necessarily needs to be implemented for the functioning of all nations.