While biological scientists justify their research into human genetic engineering on the grounds of its 'therapeutic' potential, art - particularly the genre of science fiction (whose origins can be traced to Mary Shelly's famous tale, Frankenstein) - has acted on the social through culture to alert us to the perilous repercussions of usurping the role of the 'Creator of Life.' Now, at the dawn of the new millennium, the scientific project of mapping human DNA seemingly complete, the plight of the genetically-engineered human has become an intense focus of cultural critique. This doctoral project can be differentiated by its focus on aesthetic inquiry into the implications for expressions and representations of corporeality in relation to contemporary biomedical engineering. It has incorporated stem cell research that entails the manipulation and redirection of adult stem cell fates. The project takes the form of practical and theoretical investigations into cellular responses, and is framed within the matrices of both an innovative collaborative art/science research model and the evolving process of practice-led arts research. The exploratory research is discursively located within the system/environment paradigm. This allows for boundaries between the philosophic and scientific disciplines of: 1. epistemology, 2. ethics and aesthetics and 3. biology and technology to become nodes in a relational network associated with: 1. living and non-living, 2. sentience and consciousness and 3. conceptions of humanness. The cycle of practice-led research culminates in a body of work that began with a project entitled apoptosis, and developed into a three part quasi-scientific vital force series of installations. Each of these installations references nineteenth century scientific experimental processes employed in a search for the essential components of the human being itself. The series of interactive installations is discussed and the processual, pioneering research model, whereby the artist becomes the 'human guinea pig' is theoretically and visually articulated. In addition, time-lapse videomicrograph image data, collected through laboratory experiments is interpreted and recontextualised by the artist-researcher for representation in the vital force series of immersive installations. In these installations the implications of the issues raised by biomedical engineering processes are expressed as a very physical, tactile encounter. The aim is that these encounters engender a multi-sensory experience for the individual viewer, who, when immersed in the aesthetic, corporeal, interactive installations as a participant who completes the work through their engagement. Thus, the significance of the study lies in its re-privileging of the aesthetic experience of corporeality in the discourses surrounding genetic manipulation. This exegesis, like the doctoral project itself, is cyclical; following the inseparable processes of theory and practice through which the implications of the core research issues for a hybrid art/science practice are explored. It echoes the qualitative, post-positivist research methodology used throughout the project, which aimed to overcome the third person perspective through such strategies as interactivity and hybridity.

Roman PAZDERSKÝ, The Goll's style. A study to the historical thinking of Jaroslav Goll, diploma thesis, FF UK, Prague 2013 This thesis seeks to expose the theme style of famous Czech historian Jaroslav Goll (1846- 1929). The methodological basis of this work is the concept of style analysis as one of the possible ways to understanding the Goll's historical thinking. Style, understood as the outward projection or reflection of deep contents of historian's historical thinking, leads the author this work to the detailed reflections of real nature of Goll's thought about the history and historiography, which often finds itself in evident collision with the stereotypical image of the Goll's rigid historiographical "positivism". The author wants, on the basis of precise analysis of the Goll's texts (including the surviving notes of his university lectures), to offer a qualified statement especially about non-positivist moments of the Goll's historical thinking, which are in his work represented firstly by the way of Goll's approach to historical themes and secondly by the so-called "symptomatic features of the Goll's historiographical style". All these problems open also a much broader issue on the adequacy of the concept "positivism" as a general designation for the intellectual orientation of the...

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:30:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Andre Araujo Molina.pdf: 1153717 bytes, checksum: b02ef3ea4dada82db877e8aa75b72bf2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-06-18 / Law as a social phenomenon may be object of study in various knowledge fields, depending on the observer s view. Jurists have always tried to answer What are rights? (object of Juridical Science), as well as what the best methods for this study are. Two big groups were formed. On one side the jusnaturalists; on the other side those who deny the existence of rights besides the positive right, making the object of law science coincide with the law imposed at certain time and space. This second group is called the positivists. Recently, a third way has been built embedded in the idea that rights are not only based on rules, as positivists want, but on rules and principles. This is an intermediary methodological position which does not deny some of the positivist theses, but aims to resume moral in Law through principles. In Brazil, this position is called postpositivist. In our point of view, only the post-positivist method is appropriate to give concreteness to the constituent ideas, creating a mechanism for enforcement of fundamental rights, because they have a framework of principles. And the Labor Law, which is inserted in the frame of the Constitution, also seeks for a new method of interpretation and application that is the post-positivist, as it is lavish in ensuring fundamental rights and the conflict between social and liberal ideals. The objective of this work is to insert the Brazilian Labor Law in the postpositivist methodology model, mainly using the principle of proportionality to consider principles in cases of collision. Therefore we analyzed the formation of labor law, showing its social-marxist origin as well as that the positivist method employed by the near unanimity of the users of labor law no longer meets the complexities of postmodernity and the guidelines of the Constitution / O direito como fenômeno social pode ser objeto de estudo nas mais diversas áreas do conhecimento, conforme o recorte dado pelo observador. Os juristas sempre tentaram responder o que é o direito? (objeto da Ciência Jurídica), bem como quais os métodos mais adequados para esse estudo. Dois grandes grupos se formaram. De um lado os jusnaturalistas; de outro lado, os que negam a existência de direitos além do direito positivo, fazendo coincidir o objeto da ciência do direito com a legislação posta em dado momento temporal e espacial. Esse último grupo é o positivista. Recentemente, uma terceira via vem sendo pavimentada, a partir da idéia de que o direito não é formado apenas de regras, como querem os positivistas, mas de regras e princípios. Trata-se de uma posição metodológica intermediária, que não nega algumas das teses do positivismo, mas busca a retomada da moral no direito, por intermédio dos princípios. Essa posição foi, no Brasil, batizada de pós-positivista. A nosso ver, apenas o método pós-positivista é o adequado a dar concretude ao ideário constituinte, criando um mecanismo de aplicação dos direitos fundamentais, os quais possuem a estrutura de princípios. E o Direito do Trabalho, inserido que está na moldura da Constituição, também reclama um novo método de interpretação e aplicação, qual seja o pós-positivista, na medida em que é pródigo na garantia de direitos fundamentais e no conflito entre ideais sociais e liberais. O objetivo da dissertação é inserir o Direito do Trabalho brasileiro no modelo metodológico pós-positivista, principalmente utilizando o princípio da proporcionalidade para ponderar princípios em casos de colisão. Para tanto analisamos a formação do direito do trabalho, demonstrando sua raiz social-marxista, bem como que o método positivista empregado pela quase unanimidade dos aplicadores do direito laboral não mais atende às complexidades da pós-modernidade e as diretrizes da Constituição

Change and the management thereof has become an integral part of management. To survive and prosper in the future, organisations have to understand the internal and external forces of the constantly changing world in which they operate. One example of the implications of change is the role of the communication practitioner that evolved from that of a technician to a strategist during recent decades. The communication practitioner has to realise that research is an effective tool to prove the value of the communication function. This study explores the use of environmental scanning as a strategic tool for an organisation to obtain a competitive edge. Knowledge management and the measurement of relationships in communication are closely related to environmental scanning. Environmental scanning is a process by which an organisation learns about events and trends in the internal and external environment. It helps establishes relationships between these trends and considers the main implications for problem identification and decision making. Any scientific research should be done against a theoretical framework. The systems theory and the information gap theory provide the theoretical framework for this study. Empirical research was conducted amongst the principals, marketing directors; information technology directors and scenario planners of all universities, technikons and registered private universities in South Africa. A total response rate of 58.7% was realised. A major finding was that, although most universities and technikons conduct environmental scanning and rate it as very important, there is no formalised, strategically aligned effort to integrate the findings with the strategic direction of the institution. The impact of environmental scanning on the respondents’ institutions is rated as significant to very significant. A revised model of environmental scanning was subsequently proposed. This model can also serve as a basis for future research and development. In spite of the different ways in which environmental scanning is conducted and applied, it has potential as a strategic tool - specifically to improve the role and contribution of the communication practitioner in the realisation of organisational goals. / Dissertation (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Communication Management / DPhil / Unrestricted

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of THRASS (Teaching Handwriting, Reading and Spelling Skills) on the word level accuracy skills of a group of grade 2 learners. Word level accuracy is one sub skill in learning to read and is an indicator of the word recognition abilities of the child. THRASS is a program that has been designed to systematically teach phonics and, thus, teaches the basic building blocks of word sounds and structure so as to improve the child’s decoding ability and word recognition ability. The research took place within the positivist paradigm and the methodology is quantitative in nature. The data collection method took the form of a one group pretest-posttest design, where a standardised reading test was administered prior to exposing the participants to the THRASS Program and then readministered one year later on the same group of learners. Data analysis took the form of statistical analysis to investigate any statistical significant difference in the word level accuracy skills of those Grade 2 learners. The result showed that over the period of a year the average reading accuracy age for the target population increased by four months. However, after statistical analysis the difference was not statistically significant. The Null Hypothesis that; exposing a group of Grade 2 learners to the THRASS Program for a period of one year will have no statistically significant influence on their word level accuracy skills cannot be rejected . However, the changes both in average reading accuracy as well as error patterns have inspired recommendations for further research. Copyright / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

Introdução. Desde a promulgação da Constituição Federal de 1988 no Brasil, que consolida a saúde como um direito social, a ser garantido de forma integral e universal pelo Estado brasileiro, os cidadãos passaram a reivindicar este direito em juízo, acionando legitimamente o Estado para a garantia de suas pretensões sanitárias. E, neste sentido, o número de ações que demandam medicamentos vem crescendo de forma exponencial no Brasil, impactando diretamente a política pública de saúde, e suscitando debates sobre a segurança sanitária dos medicamentos dispensados em juízo. Objetivo. Evidenciar de que forma as questões técnicas e políticas que envolvem o direito social à assistência farmacêutica vem sendo debatidas dentro de processos judiciais que tem por objeto a solicitação de medicamentos em face do Estado. Isto para que se possa relacionar estes resultados aos atuais debates sobre o papel do Poder Judiciário em face da garantia do direito à saúde, e seu impacto perante a política pública de saúde. E, também, aos atuais debates político-sanitários sobre a prescrição médica, e sua importância para o exercício do direito em foco. Método. A metodologia de pesquisa revestiu-se em duas etapas distintas. A primeira etapa consistiu na análise de processos judiciais que versavam sobre a demanda de medicamentos em face do Estado, provenientes de quatro Tribunais Estaduais do país, em primeira instância: São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul e Rio de Janeiro. Os processos foram analisados através do uso da Metodologia Qualiquantitativa do Discurso Coletivo. A segunda etapa consistiu na pesquisa de artigos científicos, nas principais bases de dados de periódicos científicos de saúde pública, que tivessem relação com a pergunta de pesquisa: Como hoje estrutura-se a discussão político-sanitária em torno da prescrição médica? Resultados. Pela análise dos processos judiciais, evidencia-se que as demandas que envolvem pedidos de medicamento em juízo vêm sendo deferidas pelos juízes, prioritariamente, com base nas prescrições médicas individuais e com base na leitura pura do ordenamento jurídico, sem considerar as dimensões técnicas e políticas que envolvem o direito à assistência farmacêutica. A análise dos artigos científicos nos demonstra a vasta discussão técnica acerca da prescrição médica e suas implicações sanitárias, e aponta a necessidade de contraditar esses documentos e investir em educação e informação médicas, em prol da segurança sanitária dos pacientes-cidadãos. Conclusão. O direito à saúde é um direito complexo, que requer, para a sua adequada proteção e garantia, que ultrapassemos o paradigma positivista, com sua leitura exclusivamente normativa e dogmática, em prol de um novo paradigma que permita maior penetração de questões e saberes técnicos e políticos no âmbito do direito. Tanto judicial quanto extrajudicialmente precisam ser criados caminhos de proteção à saúde, que abriguem todos os profissionais jurídicos, políticos e técnicos envolvidos na temática, rumo à construção interdisciplinar do direito à saúde e da cidadania sanitária no Brasil / Introduction. Since the enactment of the 1988 Federal Constitution in Brazil, that consolidates health as a social right, the citizens began to demand this right in court, lawfully driving the state to guarantee their health claims. And, in this sense, the number of actions that require medicines is growing exponentially in Brazil, which impact directly the public health policy, and stimulate discussions about the safety of drugs dispensed by the courts. Objective. Show how the technical and political issues, involving the social right to pharmaceutical assistance has been debated in legal proceedings whose objective is the solicitation of drugs against the State. This to be able to relate these findings to the current debates about the role of the judiciary, in view of the guaranteed of right to health and its impact on the public health policy. And, also, to the current political debates about health prescription, and its importance for the right in focus. Method. The research methodology is coated in two stages. The first step was the analysis of court cases that focused the drug demand against the State, from Four State Courts in Brazil: Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and Rio de Janeiro. The processes were analyzed through the use of qualitativequantitative methodology of collective discourse. The second step consisted in the search of scientific articles in major databases of scientific journals of public health, that were related to the following research question: How today\'s discussion is structured around the political health context of the medical prescription? Results. The analysis of court proceedings, results clear that the demands that involve medication in court have been deferred by the judges, primarily, based on the individual medical prescriptions, and based on the pure reading of the legal system, without considering the technical and political dimensions that involve the right to pharmaceutical assistance. The analysis of scientific articles shows us the extensive technical discussion about the prescription and its health implications, and highlights the need to contradict these documents, and invest in education and medical information, towards the safety of patients-citizens. Conclusion. The right to health is a complex right, which requires for its adequate protection and security, that we move beyond the positivist paradigm, with its exclusively normative reading and dogmatic rules, towards a new paradigm which allows greater penetration of issues and political and technical knowledge within the law. Both judicial and extrajudicial ways need to be created to protect health, involving all legal, politicians and technicians professionals involved in the matter, toward interdisciplinary construction of the right to health and health citizenship in Brazil

[pt] Esta dissertação busca analisar a proposta filosófica de Larry Laudan para a superação dos impasses epistemológicos gerados no debate entre a concepção fundacionista de ciência dos positivistas lógicos e a crítica relativista que foi promovida pelos epistemólogos da virada histórica. Aqui serão discutidas as principais questões levantadas neste confronto no tocante à metodologia da ciência. Para tal, nos deteremos sobre a gênese e sobre colapso do naturalismo lingüístico-descritivo do Círculo de Viena, mostrando o enfraquecimento de suas teses centrais ora pela análise de suas contradições internas, ora pela abordagem das críticas que lhe foram dirigidas por outras escolas de pensamento, em especial, a crítica histórica. Por fim, nos deteremos sobre o modelo metametodológico de Laudan e sua perspectiva naturalista de metodologia científica baseada em regras normativas. / [en] This essay seeks to analyze Larry Laudan`s philosophical proposal to overcome the epistemological predicaments raised in the discussion between positivists and historical turn`s relativists. Here, we will discuss the main questions raised in this confrontation about the scientific methodology. In such case, we will detain over the origin and breakdown of the linguistic-descriptive naturalism created by logical positivism. We will present the feebleness of the positivist`s central thesis, unveiling the internal contradictions of the proposal and the critiques from others schools of thought, in special, the criticism from historical turn`s point of view. At last, we will focus Laudan`s metamethodological model of science`s philosophy and its naturalist perspective based in normative rules.

Introdução. Desde a promulgação da Constituição Federal de 1988 no Brasil, que consolida a saúde como um direito social, a ser garantido de forma integral e universal pelo Estado brasileiro, os cidadãos passaram a reivindicar este direito em juízo, acionando legitimamente o Estado para a garantia de suas pretensões sanitárias. E, neste sentido, o número de ações que demandam medicamentos vem crescendo de forma exponencial no Brasil, impactando diretamente a política pública de saúde, e suscitando debates sobre a segurança sanitária dos medicamentos dispensados em juízo. Objetivo. Evidenciar de que forma as questões técnicas e políticas que envolvem o direito social à assistência farmacêutica vem sendo debatidas dentro de processos judiciais que tem por objeto a solicitação de medicamentos em face do Estado. Isto para que se possa relacionar estes resultados aos atuais debates sobre o papel do Poder Judiciário em face da garantia do direito à saúde, e seu impacto perante a política pública de saúde. E, também, aos atuais debates político-sanitários sobre a prescrição médica, e sua importância para o exercício do direito em foco. Método. A metodologia de pesquisa revestiu-se em duas etapas distintas. A primeira etapa consistiu na análise de processos judiciais que versavam sobre a demanda de medicamentos em face do Estado, provenientes de quatro Tribunais Estaduais do país, em primeira instância: São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul e Rio de Janeiro. Os processos foram analisados através do uso da Metodologia Qualiquantitativa do Discurso Coletivo. A segunda etapa consistiu na pesquisa de artigos científicos, nas principais bases de dados de periódicos científicos de saúde pública, que tivessem relação com a pergunta de pesquisa: Como hoje estrutura-se a discussão político-sanitária em torno da prescrição médica? Resultados. Pela análise dos processos judiciais, evidencia-se que as demandas que envolvem pedidos de medicamento em juízo vêm sendo deferidas pelos juízes, prioritariamente, com base nas prescrições médicas individuais e com base na leitura pura do ordenamento jurídico, sem considerar as dimensões técnicas e políticas que envolvem o direito à assistência farmacêutica. A análise dos artigos científicos nos demonstra a vasta discussão técnica acerca da prescrição médica e suas implicações sanitárias, e aponta a necessidade de contraditar esses documentos e investir em educação e informação médicas, em prol da segurança sanitária dos pacientes-cidadãos. Conclusão. O direito à saúde é um direito complexo, que requer, para a sua adequada proteção e garantia, que ultrapassemos o paradigma positivista, com sua leitura exclusivamente normativa e dogmática, em prol de um novo paradigma que permita maior penetração de questões e saberes técnicos e políticos no âmbito do direito. Tanto judicial quanto extrajudicialmente precisam ser criados caminhos de proteção à saúde, que abriguem todos os profissionais jurídicos, políticos e técnicos envolvidos na temática, rumo à construção interdisciplinar do direito à saúde e da cidadania sanitária no Brasil / Introduction. Since the enactment of the 1988 Federal Constitution in Brazil, that consolidates health as a social right, the citizens began to demand this right in court, lawfully driving the state to guarantee their health claims. And, in this sense, the number of actions that require medicines is growing exponentially in Brazil, which impact directly the public health policy, and stimulate discussions about the safety of drugs dispensed by the courts. Objective. Show how the technical and political issues, involving the social right to pharmaceutical assistance has been debated in legal proceedings whose objective is the solicitation of drugs against the State. This to be able to relate these findings to the current debates about the role of the judiciary, in view of the guaranteed of right to health and its impact on the public health policy. And, also, to the current political debates about health prescription, and its importance for the right in focus. Method. The research methodology is coated in two stages. The first step was the analysis of court cases that focused the drug demand against the State, from Four State Courts in Brazil: Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul and Rio de Janeiro. The processes were analyzed through the use of qualitativequantitative methodology of collective discourse. The second step consisted in the search of scientific articles in major databases of scientific journals of public health, that were related to the following research question: How today\'s discussion is structured around the political health context of the medical prescription? Results. The analysis of court proceedings, results clear that the demands that involve medication in court have been deferred by the judges, primarily, based on the individual medical prescriptions, and based on the pure reading of the legal system, without considering the technical and political dimensions that involve the right to pharmaceutical assistance. The analysis of scientific articles shows us the extensive technical discussion about the prescription and its health implications, and highlights the need to contradict these documents, and invest in education and medical information, towards the safety of patients-citizens. Conclusion. The right to health is a complex right, which requires for its adequate protection and security, that we move beyond the positivist paradigm, with its exclusively normative reading and dogmatic rules, towards a new paradigm which allows greater penetration of issues and political and technical knowledge within the law. Both judicial and extrajudicial ways need to be created to protect health, involving all legal, politicians and technicians professionals involved in the matter, toward interdisciplinary construction of the right to health and health citizenship in Brazil

Dans l'histoire de la pensée criminologique, l'école positiviste s'est distinguée par ses idées quelque peu révolutionnaires sur le crime, le criminel et également sur la manière de s'en défendre. Enrico Ferri, illustre représentant de cette école, est celui qui a le mieux synthétisé et diffusé ces idées dans le champ juridique international. C'est lui qui le plus contribué à donner à cette école son caractère de politique criminelle et de doctrine de droit pénal. mais malgré tout, il reste très peu étudié. Contrairement à d'autres criminologues, il n' pas eu la chance de voir ses idées répandues et mises en relief dans les sphères de la littérature criminologique, bien que sa pensée ait exercé une influence importante sur les transformations du droit pénal et que certaines de ses idées connaissent aujourd'hui un regain d'actualité. La pensée de Ferri se distingue particulièrement par la réaction sociale qu’il préconise à l’égard du criminel. Celle-ci découle de sa nouvelle approche scientifique du phénomène criminel et des transformations qu’il voulait opérer dans le droit pénal, pour l’adapter aux données de la criminologie. Ferri propose un système positiviste préventif et répressif de défense sociale. La prévention s’effectuera par des substitutifs pénaux. La répression sera assurée par des mesures réparatrices, des mesures neutralisatrices et des mesures éliminatrices, adaptées à la dangerosité de chaque délinquant. Cette pensée de Ferri connaît un certain renouveau dans l’actuel système pénal, à travers la résurgence des deux notions fondamentales de sa réaction sociale, en l’occurrence, la notion de dangerosité et la notion de mesures de sûreté. / In the history of criminological thought, the positivist school has been to some extent distinguished by its revolutionary ideas about crime, the criminal, and also about how to defend oneself against it. Enrico Ferri, the illustrious representative of this school, is the person who has best synthesized and disseminated these ideas in the international legal field. It is he who most contributed to giving this school its character of criminal policy and criminal law doctrine. Nevertheless, Ferri remains very little studied. Unlike other criminologists, he has not had the chance to see his ideas spread and brought to the fore in the spheres of criminological literature, notwithstanding that his thinking has had a significant influence on the transformations of criminal law and some of his ideas are now gaining new relevance. Ferri's thinking is distinguished in particular by the social reaction he advocates towards the criminal, which stems from his new scientific approach to the criminal phenomenon and the transformations he wanted to make in criminal law, to adapt it to the data of criminology. Ferri proposes a positivist preventive and repressive system of social defence. Prevention will be carried out by criminal substitutes. Repression will be ensured by restorative measures, neutralizing measures and elimination measures, adapted to the dangerousness of each offender. Ferri's thinking is undergoing a certain renewal in the current penal system, through the resurgence of the two fundamental notions of his social reaction, in this case, the notion of dangerousness and the notion of security measures.

In the 21st century, there is a growing realisation that providing principals with the necessary opportunities of training in leadership and management skills has become increasingly important as a way to increase school effectiveness and achieve quality performance. Central to this argument is the fact that principals are merely accorded a status and role without the necessary training. The purpose of this study was therefore to explore the effectiveness of state-funded professional development programmes of school principals with specific reference to Soshanguve secondary schools and also to ascertain the extent to which principals’ training meets the schools’ and principals’ needs given the changed conditions that exist in the country. The study employed a quantitative research methods approach to collect data from 100 educators and 20 Head of Departments (HoDs). This was done through administration of questionnaires. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), which was used to generate the frequencies and descriptive statistics that were used to answer research questions. While it is expected that principals should effectively and rigorously be developed to enable them to improve teaching and learning at their schools, the study, however, found that training of school principals in Soshanguve was elusive and ineffective, and as result, the majority of these principals lack basic management training prior to and after their entry into principalship. The study has shown that apart from being faced with various challenges and being promoted to principalship without the necessary leadership experience, principals rely on trial-and-error experience and common sense in leading and managing schools. The study also showed that a majority of principals are in great need of being professionally developed in some specific areas. Furthermore, the study discovered that the Department of Basic Education does not seem to be making efforts in ensuring that principals are professionally developed. Consequently, principals develop on their own through informal professional development strategies. In conclusion, the study recommended, amongst others, that principals should be encouraged to take personal responsibility and initiative in preparing and developing school leadership through self-study, reading literature, attending seminars and workshops out of their own personal volition. That Department of Basic Education (DoBE) needs to look into ways of subsidising the training of school principals. DoBE should also find ways of formally incorporating more of the private sector and non-governmental organisations to help in the preparation and development of principals for school leadership by allowing them to offer in-service courses for potential principals and serving principals. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)