Alan Sokal has questioned the postmodern assertion that 'science is ... a "myth'', a "narration" ... a "social construction'" (1998: x). This dissertation examines his reasons for rejecting this allegedly postmodern declaration. Firstly, it suggests that the basis for Sol'1ll's contention that a 'true' world exists beyond one's awareness of it extends to an attack on modem philosophy, and is not limited to its postmodern component. Then, it describes defences of the 'linguistic construction' of science as thinly veiled attempts at emulating scientific discourses. In a more speculative vein, the dissertation goes on to evaluate claims made against science in terms of its connection to warfare; its insensitivity to mythology, and its generally misdirected values. It is in terms of value that the dissertation detects an analogous relationship between the discourses of mythology and science. Finally, a playful 'postmodern' reading is attempted of Sol'1ll's use of fiction in establishing the truth of his assertions. / English Studies / M.A.(English)

Le droit public des biens est en pleine mutation. Les mouvements affectent principalement la définition de lapropriété publique et celle du domaine public. Au cœur de ces notions se trouve l’affectation des biens à l’utilitépublique. En effet, cette dernière est directement liée au domaine public puisqu’elle constitue un critère dereconnaissance de l’appartenance d’un bien au domaine public. Le premier remède à la crise fut l’adoption de laréforme législative de 2006 aboutissant au Code général de la propriété des personnes publiques.L’affectation est relativement mise en avant au sein de ce Code. La réforme demeure, cependant, superficielle. Eneffet, une logique différente de celle de la propriété aurait dû prévaloir pour résoudre les enjeux majeurs de cettecrise. C’est en démontrant que la notion d’affectation, autonome par rapport à celle de la propriété publique, doitrester un élément fondamental de reconnaissance du domaine public, ce dernier devant être réduit à l’essentiel. Mais,elle doit surtout conduire, une fois libérée du critère organique, à une meilleure valorisation des propriétés publiques.Aujourd’hui, des biens affectés à l’utilité publique appartiennent à des personnes privées. Ils ne font certes pluspartie du domaine public mais demeurent pourtant soumis à l’application d’un régime juridique protecteur,assimilable aux règles de la domanialité publique.In fine, la protection de l’affectation s’envisage en dehors de la propriété publique, tout en conciliant la satisfactionde l’intérêt général avec les impératifs économiques. / The public law of the properties is in full transformation. The movements affect mainly the definition of the publicproperty and that of the public domain. In the heart of these notions is the affectation of the properties in the publicutility. Indeed, this last one is directly bound to the public domain. The first remedy in the crisis was the adoption ofthe legislative reform of 2006 ending in the general Code of the property of the public persons.The affectation is relatively emphasis within this Code. The reform remains, however, superficial. Indeed, a logicdifferent from that of the property should have prevailed to resolve the major stakes in this crisis. Whiledemonstrating the notion of affectation, autonomous with regard to that of the public property, has to remain afundamental element of recognition of the public domain, this last one that must be reduced to the main part. But, itespecially has to lead, once freed from the organic criterion, in a better valuation of the public properties.Today, properties allocated to the public utility belong to private persons. They are not certainly a part any more ofthe public domain but remain nevertheless subdued with care of a protective legal regime, comparable to the rules ofthe public domaniality.At the end, the protection of the affectation envisages except the public property, while reconciling the satisfactionof the general interest with the economic imperatives.

Cette thèse s’inscrit dans le cadre des travaux réalisés sur les dynamiques organisationnelles de la prévention des risques professionnels, conduits en particulier par l’Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité (INRS). L’enjeu central de la thèse est de proposer des modalités d’action qui tiennent compte des réalités du travail et des réalités industrielles. A partir d’interventions menées dans cinq centres de tri des déchets d’emballages ménagers, dans un contexte d’industrialisation de la filière du recyclage, cette recherche vise à mieux comprendre le travail des opérateurs de tri pour identifier des leviers d’action en prévention. Les centres de tri des déchets sont des entités productives inscrites dans le secteur de l’économie verte, dont les enjeux industriels sont porteurs des deux dimensions structurantes du développement durable : la territorialité et la durabilité sociale. La méthode mobilisée vise à proposer une objectivation du travail des opérateurs de tri, tenant compte de la spécificité de ce secteur et dans la perspective d’une prévention durable. Pour cela, une analyse de l’activité a été menée, couplée à l’utilisation de différents outils de confrontation mobilisés auprès des opérateurs de tri, individuellement ou collectivement. Les analyses ont montré que les centres de tri sont des lieux de production inscrits dans leur territoire. Les opérateurs sont amenés à réguler la production en raison des limites du système technique, qui ne tient pas compte du caractère territorialisé des déchets. En effet, les déchets issus des collectes sélectives des ménages qui sont acheminés sur le site en vue d’être triés comportent des caractéristiques territorialisées : en fonction de dimensions économiques et sociales spécifiques au territoire, de dimensions politiques concernant les choix au niveau de la collecte et du tri des déchets, de dimensions liées au mode de consommation et de vie des habitants sur le territoire, de dimensions liées aux caractéristiques morphologiques de l’espace, ou encore d’attractivité du territoire. Cependant, nous avons pu constater que cette dimension n’est pas prise en compte lors de la conception des centres de tri et lors de la mise en place de stratégies de prévention. L’expérimentation d’extension des consignes de tri à laquelle nous avons contribué a même conduit à argumenter que s’opéraient un découplage entre les caractéristiques du système technique et celles du territoire, qui peut engendrer une intensification du travail et ainsi affecter la durabilité du travail. Ces résultats nous permettent de proposer deux orientations pour l’action en prévention afin de contribuer à la conception de systèmes de travail de tri durables. La première vise à mieux identifier la coordination des acteurs de niveaux décisionnels différents : internes à l’entreprise et externes positionnés à l’échelle des territoires. Pour répondre à cet objectif, le champ de l’ergonomie a été déplacé pour mobiliser des cadres théoriques issus d’autres approches disciplinaires, dont celle de l’économie des proximités. Ce déplacement du champ vise à mieux prendre en compte les exigences posées par le réel et à produire des dispositifs mobilisant ces acteurs pour satisfaire l’exigence de transformation effective des situations de travail. La seconde vise à proposer des recommandations pour la conception de systèmes technico-organisationnels plastiques favorables à la santé et à l’efficacité. Les apports de cette thèse conduisent à proposer une approche de la prévention « en adhérence » qui articule les exigences essentielles d’une prévention réglementaire et les réalités industrielles des organisations productives et pour laquelle trois conditions ont ainsi été identifiées : ... / This thesis is a part of the studies carried out on organizational dynamics regarding occupational risks prevention, led in particular in the French National Institute for Research and Safety (INRS). The key issue is to put forward terms and conditions of prevention which take into account the work realities and industrial realities.From interventions carried out in five waste sorting centres for household packaging, in a context of industrialization of the waste recycling sector, this research aims to better understand the work of sorting operator, in order to determine vectors for actions in prevention. The waste sorting centres are productive entities, part of green business sector, where industrial challenges carry two major dimensions of sustainable development: territoriality and social sustainability.The method that we chose aims to put forward an objectification of the waste sorting operator’s work activity, taking into account the specifics of this sector, in the prospect of a sustainable prevention. To do so, an analysis of the work activity, according to the ergonomics work analysis method (EWA) was conducted, complete by several confrontation tools used with workers, both individually and collectively.The results showed that waste sorting centres are production sites located in a specific territorial context. Workers have to manage the production while taking into account the limits of their technical system, faced with waste as a territorialized object. Waste comes from separate households’ collection and is brought in the centre for the purpose of being sorted. It has territorialized characteristics, depending on specific territorial economical and social factors. Additionally, political factors regarding choices in terms of waste collecting and sorting, factors related to the consumption pattern and households’ lifestyle on the territory, factors related to the morphological features of the territory, and related to territorial attractiveness are also considered. However, this dimension is not taken into account during both the waste sorting centres design phase and the implementation of prevention strategies. The national testing phase for an extension of waste sorting instructions that we contributed to led to, argue that a disconnection was taking place between the characteristics of the technical system and the characteristics of the territory. This disconnection may lead to work intensification, directly impacting work sustainability.These results allow us to put forward two directions for actions in prevention in order to contribute to the design of sustainable sorting work systems. The first aims to better identify the coordination between actors belonging to different decision-making levels: some internal stakeholders, within the sorting centres, and external actors, on a territorial scale. To achieve this goal, the field of ergonomics has been shifted to mobilize theoretical frameworks originating from other disciplinary approaches, as proximity economics. This shifting aims to better take into account the requirements of industrial realities, and to produce mechanisms mobilizing these actors to satisfy the need for an effective transformation of work situations. The second direction aspire to put forward recommendations for the design of technical and organizational plastic systems, i.e. systems which leave sufficient rooms of manoeuver, factor for operators’ health, and that make work systems more efficient. The contributions of this thesis lead to develop an approach of prevention « in connection » which articulate the essential requirements of a regulatory prevention, and the industrial realities of the productive organization, for which three requirements have been identified: (i) develop the prevention problem from the knowledge co-production with workers, (ii) articulate work and industrial performance requirements, (iii) including prevention into territorialized industrial projects.

The sites I visit turned into routines a long time ago. Everywhere someone has decided what should be there and what will not fit. I retreat into my daydreams, away from everyday life. A longing for something different, something wonderful. I decided to go where I've never been, searching for something unknown. Sometimes the escape and search is similar, and with the same goal. This is a story about a journey to a new place, which is familiar in more ways than one. It's about everything that is designated, but by whom and for whom? About possibilities, to see what the world could be, potential, dreams and hope. The project aims to implement a fantasy, and show a different reality. I found a place on the border between urban buildings and vast nature. An end, a beginning and a passage. There is a tree, a symbol of knowledge and vegetation, a premonition of what's coming. The closest we come to untouched nature begins on the other side of the slope. But here, where I stand, everything is decided. I understand that my world is synthetic. My project is a site-specific design in Akalla, where I created a tree wig and a stone landscape.

The purpose of this study is to provide descriptions of conversations with survivors of suicide, including their relationships with the persons who committed suicide, the relationships that followed these deaths, their experiences of suicide, and the way that they made sense of these deaths. The epistemological framework of this dissertation is ecosystemic and social constructionist. This study involved in-depth interviews with three suicide survivors, exploring personal and professional domains. Thematic analysis was the method used to generate patterns of meaning. The researcher recounted the research participants' stories and punctuated emergent themes and patterns according to what she deemed important. Each story was contextualised, and included reflections of the researcher. Themes both common and unique to each participant story were highlighted and discussed. The information yielded from this study could have value to survivors of suicide and psychotherapists whose clients commit suicide. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

This study is concerned with the nature of suffering as experienced by women struggling with problems related to the body. Since the body is viewed to be integral in the formation of a woman's identity and self-concept, any illness, ailment or deficiency associated with it may lead the woman to experience pain and suffering. To explore meanings of personal suffering related to the body three contexts have been chosen. These are familial breast cancer, eating disorders and infertility. Common themes of suffering that were co-constructed in the interviews between six women participants and myself form the basis of this study. These themes emerged through the process of social constructionism and dialogue. Through the process of language, personal realities and meanings were discussed and shared to elicit a greater understanding of the nature of suffering. A qualitative approach, using the case study method, was also adopted to provide rich descriptions of the different experiences with suffering. The case study presentations illustrate the linguistic domain between the participants and myself. It is hoped that the information presented in this study will contribute to a therapeutic understanding of personal suffering as experienced by women. / Psychology / D. Litt et Phil.

Text in English / The Student Self-Empowerment and Enrichment Programme (SSEEP), formed a resourceful context for this study, which was action-oriented and experience-based. The aim of the SSEEP was to disseminate knowledge, and to create a domain for dialogue that facilitated connection with others and created spaces for the telling and sharing of stories. The philosophy which informed this study was that individuals interpret their experiences and make sense thereof through narratives or stories, which are socially constructed through language. Qualitative research methods were used to interpret the data. Facilitators' and students' experiences in the SSEEP were recorded in field notes, and photographs and 'memory boxes', which were analysed using a hermeneutic method. Personal interviews with four students were analysed using narrative analysis. The purpose of this study was to identify the processes, themes and meanings that contribute to the enhancement of students' personal resources. Facilitators and/ or students co-constructed alternative stories to ones that thwarted their growth, or subjugated them, which led to the creation of new realities that individuals could 'perform', and to recreating themselves in new ways. They could not but be changed by the encounter, and moved from the anonymity of silence to the healing of affirmation through narrative. The promotion of healing, the provision of support or education, and improvement of self-understanding and personal efficacy, were goals that seemed to have been attained. It was also hoped that personal growth would bring life-enhancing contributions to other contexts as well, such as the students' personal, family and community contexts. The guidelines proposed in this study could be of value to those who wish to become involved at grassroots level in designing and implementing their own programmes in the tertiary-education context. They are particularly relevant within present day South Africa taking the diversity of the population into account. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

Chronic headache may be the most frequently reported somatic symptom, yet it puzzles health experts and poses a considerable treatment challenge. It was suggested that this is because conventional views of headache, adhering to a Newtonian-Cartesian epistemology, focus almost exclusively on intrapsychic factors ignoring the wider social context in which the problem is embedded. An overview of the existing body of knowledge on the most widely researched headache conditions was presented, and it was argued that a conceptual shift is required to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the problem. This study was conducted within an holistic, ecosystemic epistemology. A qualitative approach employing a case study method was adopted to provide rich descriptions of the contexts in which two chronic headache sufferers' symptoms were embedded. The case study presentations also illustrated the attempts that were made to intervene into the headache contexts from a second-order cybernetics stance. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Alan Sokal has questioned the postmodern assertion that 'science is ... a "myth'', a "narration" ... a "social construction'" (1998: x). This dissertation examines his reasons for rejecting this allegedly postmodern declaration. Firstly, it suggests that the basis for Sol'1ll's contention that a 'true' world exists beyond one's awareness of it extends to an attack on modem philosophy, and is not limited to its postmodern component. Then, it describes defences of the 'linguistic construction' of science as thinly veiled attempts at emulating scientific discourses. In a more speculative vein, the dissertation goes on to evaluate claims made against science in terms of its connection to warfare; its insensitivity to mythology, and its generally misdirected values. It is in terms of value that the dissertation detects an analogous relationship between the discourses of mythology and science. Finally, a playful 'postmodern' reading is attempted of Sol'1ll's use of fiction in establishing the truth of his assertions. / English Studies / M.A.(English)

This dissertation demonstrates and illustrates the challenges involved in the construction of new realities when Duhl's (1983) idea of using metaphor to apply the ecosystems concept of wholeness of systems, was exercised in two ways. Firstly, the study was written in the form of an imaginary conversation between the author in the role of researcher and an imaginary peer consultant, about making sense of ways of thinking. Through presenting her observations to other observers, who are actually herself, a new reality was constructed for the author. Secondly, new individual and group realities were constructed by a group of social workers in the SANDF, who encountered their own ways of thinking through metaphorical means such as sculpting. Recommendations, co-constructed by the author, the imaginary peer consultant and two more imaginary colleagues, suggest possible uses of the ecosystems perspective in social work including in settings such as the SANDF. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))