We are bound to live with the Roma, but how… The aim of this study is to create a new concept of the environment as an alternative to the current general plan. In the latest urban plan of the town of Banska Stiavnica, the district of Sobov is designed as a recreation zone. However the plan doesn’t tackle the issue of the ethnical minority. This scheme is based on the simple principle of the interconnection of two key topics: the sustainable development in the prevention of social exclusion and the preservation of the environment. On the one hand, it resumes the continuity of resettlement of Sobov, creating a community feeling and the esteem of one´s home in the inhabitants, on the other hand it provides basic information about the district, life of the Roma and their work to the visitors and also offers an appropriate recreation facility. The majority will have to live side by side with the minority and this provides a chance for better housing to the socially challenged citizens in exchange for their participation on the development. The technical solution considers low-cost tower blocks emphasizing the lifestyle and problems of the Roma people using traditional materials, technologies, unqualified labour and also the already existing boreholes to obtain energy with thermal pumps.

O envelhecimento populacional é um fenômeno global que tem sido observado nas últimas décadas. O Censo de 2000 identificou 10 milhões de brasileiros com idades acima de 65 anos, estimando que, até 2030, deverão atingir uma população de 25 milhões de idosos. As conseqüências do crescente número de idosos implicam o aumento das demandas sociais que deverão representar um grande desafio sócio-econômico para o país, exigindo o desenvolvimento de políticas para disponibilizar uma rede de serviços capaz de assegurar os direitos básicos às pessoas idosas. A concentração de esforços realizados por diferentes especialidades buscou aumentar o conhecimento sobre o envelhecimento, criando recursos para a manutenção da independência e autonomia dos indivíduos idosos. Há um consenso sobre os benefícios psicossociais e fisiológicos advindos da prática regular de exercícios físicos, comprovando mudanças de valores e de hábitos em relação à saúde, independente da idade das pessoas. Estudos com idosos mostraram que a participação em algum tipo de atividade física potencializou ganhos físicos, mentais e um expressivo ganho no convívio social e estado de ânimo. Este estudo objetivou construir e validar escalas de atitudes para idosos, com base em medidas sobre crenças e valores frente ao Convívio Social, segundo o modelo bipolar proposto por Fishbein e Ajzen. Foi realizado um estudo piloto com 14 pessoas, homens e mulheres com mais de 60 anos, escolaridade mínima correspondente ao ensino fundamental, em condições físicas e mentais favoráveis para participar na pesquisa. Inicialmente foram identificadas crenças salientes modais em entrevistas focalizadas no convívio social. Baseado nestes dados foram construídas escalas bipolares, do tipo Likert, em sete pontos sobre probabilidade e avaliação, variando entre -3 e +3, tendo 0 como ponto central. Tais escalas foram administradas em 210 sujeitos do sexo feminino com idades superiores a 60 anos, participantes, na maioria, de um Programa de Integração Comunitário de Ribeirão Preto. Os dados foram processados no programa estatístico SPSS, para identificar Componentes Principais, tomando-se como critério uma saturação acima de .45 e eigenvalue superior a 1.00. Com base nestes estudos, foram identificados alguns conteúdos relacionados a Crenças Teleológicas/Espiritualidade ( = .91), Socialização/Continuidade ( = .82), Sabedoria/Amparo ( = .76), Condições de Vida/Sobrevivência ( = .75), Convívio Familiar ( = .73) e Trabalho /Ativação ( = .66). / Population aging is a global phenomenon that has been observed in recent decades. The 2000 demographic Census identified 10 million Brazilians aged over than 65 years, estimating that by 2030 they should reach a population of 25 million elderly people. The consequences of the elderly people increasing number result in social demands increase that should represent a major socio-economic challenge for the country, requiring the development of policies in order to provide a services network capable of ensuring the basic rights for the elderly. The concentration of efforts by different specialties sought to increase knowledge about aging, creating resources for the maintenance of independence and autonomy of older persons. There is a consensus on the physiological and psychosocial benefits arising out of regular physical exercises, showing changes in values and habits with regard to health independent of people age. Studies with elderly showed that participation in some type of physical activity potentiated physical and mental gains and a significant gain in social living and mood. This study aimed to develop and validate attitudes scales for use in elderly, based on beliefs and values measures toward the Social Living, according to the bipolar model proposed by Fishbein and Ajzen. A pilot study was carried out with 14 people, men and women over 60 years, minimum education corresponding to primary education, in physical and mental conditions favorable in order to participate in research. Initially modal salient beliefs were identified in interviews focused on social living. Based on these data were constructed bipolar type Likert scales in seven points about probability and evaluation, ranging from -3 to +3, with 0 as the central point. These scales were applied in 210 women aged over 60 years, most participants in the Community Integration Program of Ribeirão Preto. The data were processed in SPSS statistic program to identify principal components, using saturation above .45 and eigenvalue greater than 1.00 as criterion. Based on these studies, some contents were identified and related to Teleological Beliefs/Spirituality ( = .91), Socialization/Continuity ( = .82), Wisdom/Hold ( = .76), Life Conditions/Survival ( = .75), Family Living ( = .73) and Work/Activation ( = .66).

O envelhecimento populacional é um fenômeno global que tem sido observado nas últimas décadas. O Censo de 2000 identificou 10 milhões de brasileiros com idades acima de 65 anos, estimando que, até 2030, deverão atingir uma população de 25 milhões de idosos. As conseqüências do crescente número de idosos implicam o aumento das demandas sociais que deverão representar um grande desafio sócio-econômico para o país, exigindo o desenvolvimento de políticas para disponibilizar uma rede de serviços capaz de assegurar os direitos básicos às pessoas idosas. A concentração de esforços realizados por diferentes especialidades buscou aumentar o conhecimento sobre o envelhecimento, criando recursos para a manutenção da independência e autonomia dos indivíduos idosos. Há um consenso sobre os benefícios psicossociais e fisiológicos advindos da prática regular de exercícios físicos, comprovando mudanças de valores e de hábitos em relação à saúde, independente da idade das pessoas. Estudos com idosos mostraram que a participação em algum tipo de atividade física potencializou ganhos físicos, mentais e um expressivo ganho no convívio social e estado de ânimo. Este estudo objetivou construir e validar escalas de atitudes para idosos, com base em medidas sobre crenças e valores frente ao Convívio Social, segundo o modelo bipolar proposto por Fishbein e Ajzen. Foi realizado um estudo piloto com 14 pessoas, homens e mulheres com mais de 60 anos, escolaridade mínima correspondente ao ensino fundamental, em condições físicas e mentais favoráveis para participar na pesquisa. Inicialmente foram identificadas crenças salientes modais em entrevistas focalizadas no convívio social. Baseado nestes dados foram construídas escalas bipolares, do tipo Likert, em sete pontos sobre probabilidade e avaliação, variando entre -3 e +3, tendo 0 como ponto central. Tais escalas foram administradas em 210 sujeitos do sexo feminino com idades superiores a 60 anos, participantes, na maioria, de um Programa de Integração Comunitário de Ribeirão Preto. Os dados foram processados no programa estatístico SPSS, para identificar Componentes Principais, tomando-se como critério uma saturação acima de .45 e eigenvalue superior a 1.00. Com base nestes estudos, foram identificados alguns conteúdos relacionados a Crenças Teleológicas/Espiritualidade ( = .91), Socialização/Continuidade ( = .82), Sabedoria/Amparo ( = .76), Condições de Vida/Sobrevivência ( = .75), Convívio Familiar ( = .73) e Trabalho /Ativação ( = .66). / Population aging is a global phenomenon that has been observed in recent decades. The 2000 demographic Census identified 10 million Brazilians aged over than 65 years, estimating that by 2030 they should reach a population of 25 million elderly people. The consequences of the elderly people increasing number result in social demands increase that should represent a major socio-economic challenge for the country, requiring the development of policies in order to provide a services network capable of ensuring the basic rights for the elderly. The concentration of efforts by different specialties sought to increase knowledge about aging, creating resources for the maintenance of independence and autonomy of older persons. There is a consensus on the physiological and psychosocial benefits arising out of regular physical exercises, showing changes in values and habits with regard to health independent of people age. Studies with elderly showed that participation in some type of physical activity potentiated physical and mental gains and a significant gain in social living and mood. This study aimed to develop and validate attitudes scales for use in elderly, based on beliefs and values measures toward the Social Living, according to the bipolar model proposed by Fishbein and Ajzen. A pilot study was carried out with 14 people, men and women over 60 years, minimum education corresponding to primary education, in physical and mental conditions favorable in order to participate in research. Initially modal salient beliefs were identified in interviews focused on social living. Based on these data were constructed bipolar type Likert scales in seven points about probability and evaluation, ranging from -3 to +3, with 0 as the central point. These scales were applied in 210 women aged over 60 years, most participants in the Community Integration Program of Ribeirão Preto. The data were processed in SPSS statistic program to identify principal components, using saturation above .45 and eigenvalue greater than 1.00 as criterion. Based on these studies, some contents were identified and related to Teleological Beliefs/Spirituality ( = .91), Socialization/Continuity ( = .82), Wisdom/Hold ( = .76), Life Conditions/Survival ( = .75), Family Living ( = .73) and Work/Activation ( = .66).

This dissertation explored the social cognitive abilities of the Clark’s nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana), a relatively non-social, food-caching corvid. Corvids are a family of large-brained birds, which are capable of remarkable cognitive feats (e.g., future planning, tool use). These cognitive abilities have been revealed predominantly by testing social species, supporting popular theories that living in social groups drove the evolution of complex cognition. However, few studies have investigated the social cognitive abilities of corvid species that do not live in large groups. Here, I developed novel procedures using the food-caching behaviour of Clark’s nutcrackers as a tool to explore two cognitive abilities predicted to be limited to social species: mirror self-recognition (Chapter 2) and cooperation (Chapter 4). In Chapter 2, birds cached food when alone, with a conspecific present, and with a regular or blurry mirror. The nutcrackers suppressed caching with a regular mirror (as done with a conspecific), but not with the blurry mirror. When integrated with the traditional ‘mark test’, the birds also showed evidence of self-recognition with the blurry mirror by attempting to remove a coloured mark placed on their body with the blurry mirror, but not with an opaque barrier. In Chapter 3, I discuss the importance of self-recognition as a precursor for complex and flexible social cognitive abilities such as cooperation. To investigate cooperation, in Chapter 4 the birds experienced having their caches exchanged with another bird over multiple trials. This procedure assessed whether the normal response of cache suppression with a conspecific could be over-ridden if the experimental contingencies made cache sharing beneficial. The nutcrackers continued to cache in this context, and male birds increased caching when cooperation from the conspecific was exaggerated artificially by the experimenter. Combined, the results indicate the non- social Clark’s nutcracker is capable of mirror self-recognition, and the ability to distinguish one’s ‘self’ from others may facilitate flexible caching decisions, contrary to the predictions of the social living hypotheses. The findings indicate social living alone does not strongly predict complex cognitive abilities and, instead, that multiple evolutionary paths exist for the development of complex cognition. / October 2016

A great number of 475 unofficial and official soccer fields present on the digital cartographical data/2000, in Maceió city, was approached as a phenomenon related to leisure practice, sociability and the most popular sport among Brazilians: soccer. The unofficial soccer fields (campos de pelada) appear on urban scenery due to the need of free leisure places for communities, mainly, the poorer ones. This research goal is to understand the dynamic of unofficial soccer fields as places for sociability that compose the city free places system. Unofficial soccer fields as urban free places directed to leisure and social living, characterized by non-professional use, unprofessional soccer players, and without refinement in its physical structure, and that, in some aspects, contribute for urban environment quality. Before the diversity of observed aspects, physical, social, judicial and cultural, it was necessary to classify them in 8 categories, making possible thus the analysis and the definition of the diferences between unofficial and official soccer fields. Soccer is a collective sport which requires competitive and cooperative spirit, considering that cooperation, in this research, is used as a word and action intensely experienced into the daily of poor communities, among them, the one in the popular Benedito Bentes sector. In this place, the deepening of the study about the 3 unofficial soccer fields made possible the perception of the importance degree that they have for the community and the city, several times assuming the function of a square. The extinction of these urban places may cause a qualitative loss in the community daily life because they are free leisure and social living places. / Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Alagoas / A expressiva quantidade de 475 campos de pelada e campos de futebol constatada sobre a base cartográfica digital/2000 da cidade de Maceió foi abordada como um fenômeno relacionado com a prática do lazer, da sociabilidade e do esporte mais popular entre os brasileiros, o futebol. Os campos de pelada surgem na malha urbana devido a necessidade de espaços gratuitos de lazer pelas comunidades, sobretudo, as menos favorecidas. O objetivo desta pesquisa é o entendimento da dinâmica dos campos de pelada como espaços de sociabilidade constituintes do sistema de espaços livres da cidade. Campos de pelada são espaços livres urbanos destinados ao lazer e convívio social, caracterizado pelo uso não profissional, de peladeiros e amadores, e pela ausência de requinte na sua estrutura física, e que, em alguns aspectos, contribuem para a qualidade ambiental urbana. Diante da diversidade dos aspectos observados, físicos, sociais, jurídicos e culturais, sentiu-se a necessidade de classificá-los segundo 8 categorias, possibilitando assim a análise e definição das diferenças entre campo de futebol e campo de pelada. O futebol é um esporte coletivo que exige espírito competitivo e cooperativo, haja vista que cooperação, nessa pesquisa, é decifrada como palavra e ação intensamente vivenciada no cotidiano das comunidades carentes, entre elas, aquela situada no bairro popular Benedito Bentes. Nessa localidade, o aprofundamento do estudo dos 3 campos de pelada permitiu a percepção do grau de importância que estes exercem para a comunidade e para a cidade, muitas vezes assumindo a função de praça. A extinção destes ambientes urbanos pode gerar uma perda qualitativa no cotidiano da comunidade porque são espaços de lazer e convívio social gratuitos.

Varje år slänger svensken 74 kilo mat per person. För att förstå vad och varför vi slänger mat gick jag igenom vad ett hyreshus slänger i soprummet. Bland den slängda maten kunde jag se att de boende äter mycket ägg och tillsammans med de boende bestämde vi oss för att dem skulle testa att bli hönsägare. I mitt designarbete har jag designat ett modulärt hönshus och ett driftsystem för att de boende i hyreshuset tillsammans ska ta hand om höns och ge sina matrester till hönorna. Jag har undersökt vad de boende behöver för skapa gemenskap kring huset och på bäst sätt sköta driften. Med insikter från denna prototyp designade ytterligare ett modulärt hönshus, denna gång matas hönsen på Konstfack med Konstfacks restaurangs matrester. Jag kallar projektet ”The urban hens” och vill med detta projekt skapa en social mötesplats och verka för en mer cirkulär matekonomi som kan öka förståelse för matens värde.

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / There is a major urban housing crisis in South Africa expressing itself in the failure of the government to provide low-income housing to urban residents. Considering this crisis, the specific purpose of this study was to examine the challenges to effective distribution of low-income housing with specific reference to the Delft Symphony community, focussing on the epoch from the years 2000-2015. The study was motivated by the fact that while there is an abundance of research conducted in the Cape flats, research focusing on the Delft Symphony community (DS community) is scanty especially on low-income housing distribution. This research gap became the focus of this thesis. To understand the challenges to effective distribution of low-income housing, this study was grounded in two theories namely the theory of justice and the self-help housing theory. The study employed qualitative methods in which semi-structured and in-depth interviews were conducted to collect the necessary data. This research used twenty-eight (28) key informants, and these were selected through snowball and stratified samplings. Qualitative data were analysed using content and thematic analysis. The findings revealed that government internal bureaucratic procedures and due processes such as the land approval process seem to contribute to the sluggish distribution of low-income housing in the DS community. The study also found that the low-income housing processes in the DS community are seemingly driven by politics manifesting in the allocation of houses based on political affiliations. The main recommendation from this study is that to improve the distribution of low-income housing, there is a need for the government to revitalise transparency and reduce bureaucratic delays in the processes of low-income housing.