abstract: This dissertation discusses the findings of an ethnographic exploratory study of Turkana nomadic pastoralist children's sociocultural practices of their everyday lifestyles and science curriculum and instruction in Kenyan early childhood curriculum. The study uses the findings from Turkana elders to challenge the dominant society in Kenya that draws from Western education ideology to unfairly criticize Turkana traditional nomadic cultural practices as resistant to modern education. Yet Turkana people have to rely on the cultural knowledge of their environment for survival. In addition, the community lives in abject poverty caused by the harsh desert environment which has contributed to parents' struggle to support their children's education. Cultural knowledge of Turkana people has received support in research demonstrating the role cultural lifestyles such as nomadic pastoralism play as important survival strategy that enable people to adapt to the harsh desert environment to ensure the survival of their livestock critical for their food security. The study documented ways in which the Kenya national education curriculum, reflecting Western assumptions about education, often alienates and marginalises nomadic children, in its failure to capture their cultural Indigenous knowledge epistemologies. The research investigated the relationships between Turkana children's sociocultural practices of pastoralist lifestyles and the national science curriculum taught in local preschools and first grade science classrooms in Kenya and the extent to which Turkana children's everyday life cultural practices inform science instruction in early childhood grades. Multiple ethnographic methods such as participant and naturalistic observation, focus group interviews, analysis of documents, archival materials, and cultural artifacts were used to explore classrooms instruction and Indigenous sociocultural practices of the Turkana nomads. The findings from the elders' narratives indicated that there was a general congruence in thematic content of science between Turkana Indigenous knowledge and the national science curriculum. However, Turkana children traditionally learned independently by observation and hands-on with continuous scaffolding from parents and peers. The study recommends a science curriculum that is compatible with the Indigenous knowledge epistemologies and instructional strategies that are sensitive to the worldview of nomadic children. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction 2010

O estudo tem como objetivo pesquisar, através do processo comunicacional, como as organizações concretizam os discursos sobre a noção de sustentabilidade em suas práticas socioculturais. Utiliza-se como objeto de pesquisa os meios de comunicação dirigida sobre sustentabilidade da Federação do Comércio de Bens, Serviços e Turismo do Rio Grande do Sul – Fecomércio-RS, entre os anos de 2011 e 2012. Através da Pesquisa Bibliográfica (STUMPF, 2005), articulou-se conceitos sobre a comunicação organizacional (BALDISSERA, 2010, 2009b, 2009c, 2004), (OLIVEIRA; PAULA, 2012) e (MARCHIORI, 2008), e o processo de formação dos discursos e textos baseando-se em Pinto (1999) e Maingueneau (2001, 2008). Abordou-se ainda os conceitos de cultura (EAGLETON, 2005) e identificou-se em Thompson (2009), elementos para compreender o processo de concretização da práticas socioculturais pelos sujeitos e os aspectos sociais envolvidos (VIZER, 2011) articulando-os com a cultura nas organizações (SROUR, 2005) e (MARCHIORI, 2008). A noção de sustentabilidade foi discutida com base em Leff (2009a, 2009b 2010a, 2010b), Elkington (2001) e Capra (2002). Assim, evidenciamos as possibilidades da comunicação organizacional para a colaboração na concretização dos discursos sobre sustentabilidade. Além disso, foi utilizado como metodologia o Estudo de Caso (YIN, 2001), Pesquisa Documental (MOREIRA, 2005), e a Análise de Conteúdo (BARDIN, 2011). A pesquisa concluiu que existem aspectos nos textos dos meios de comunicação dirigida da Fecomércio-RS que dão destaque à sustentabilidade e remetem à concretização de práticas socioculturais, evidenciando-se na liderança, envolvimento e educação. Porém, inferiu-se que há um longo caminho para que a sustentabilidade seja compreendida como valor imperativo nas práticas das organizações. / The study aims to research through the communication process, as organizations concretize the discourses on the notion of sustainability in their sociocultural practices. It is used as an object of research the media directed about sustainability of the Federação do Comércio de Bens, Serviços e Turismo do Rio Grande do Sul – Fecomércio-RS, between the years 2011 and 2012. Through the Library Research (STUMPF, 2005), was articulated concepts of organizational communication (BALDISSERA, 2010, 2009b, 2009c, 2004), (OLIVEIRA; PAULA, 2012) and (MARCHIORI, 2008), and the process of formation of discourses and texts based on Pinto (1999) and Maingueneau (2001, 2008). Still approached the concepts of culture (EAGLETON, 2005) and identified in Thompson (2009), elements to understand the process of realization of sociocultural practices by individuals and social aspects involved (VIZER, 2011) linking them with culture in organizations (SROUR, 2005) and (MARCHIORI, 2008). The concept of sustainability was discussed based on Leff (2009a, 2009b, 2010a, 2010b), Elkington (2001) and Capra (2002). Therefore, we highlight the possibilities of organizational communication for collaboration in delivering discourses on sustainability. Furthermore, it was used as the Case Study methodology (YIN, 2001), Documentary Research (MOREIRA, 2005), and Content Analysis (BARDIN, 2011). The research concluded that there are aspects in the texts of the media directed Fecomércio-RS that emphasize sustainability and refer to the realization of sociocultural practices, highlighting its leadership, involvement and education. However, it was inferred that there is a long way to sustainability is understood as an imperative value in the practices of organizations.

O estudo tem como objetivo pesquisar, através do processo comunicacional, como as organizações concretizam os discursos sobre a noção de sustentabilidade em suas práticas socioculturais. Utiliza-se como objeto de pesquisa os meios de comunicação dirigida sobre sustentabilidade da Federação do Comércio de Bens, Serviços e Turismo do Rio Grande do Sul – Fecomércio-RS, entre os anos de 2011 e 2012. Através da Pesquisa Bibliográfica (STUMPF, 2005), articulou-se conceitos sobre a comunicação organizacional (BALDISSERA, 2010, 2009b, 2009c, 2004), (OLIVEIRA; PAULA, 2012) e (MARCHIORI, 2008), e o processo de formação dos discursos e textos baseando-se em Pinto (1999) e Maingueneau (2001, 2008). Abordou-se ainda os conceitos de cultura (EAGLETON, 2005) e identificou-se em Thompson (2009), elementos para compreender o processo de concretização da práticas socioculturais pelos sujeitos e os aspectos sociais envolvidos (VIZER, 2011) articulando-os com a cultura nas organizações (SROUR, 2005) e (MARCHIORI, 2008). A noção de sustentabilidade foi discutida com base em Leff (2009a, 2009b 2010a, 2010b), Elkington (2001) e Capra (2002). Assim, evidenciamos as possibilidades da comunicação organizacional para a colaboração na concretização dos discursos sobre sustentabilidade. Além disso, foi utilizado como metodologia o Estudo de Caso (YIN, 2001), Pesquisa Documental (MOREIRA, 2005), e a Análise de Conteúdo (BARDIN, 2011). A pesquisa concluiu que existem aspectos nos textos dos meios de comunicação dirigida da Fecomércio-RS que dão destaque à sustentabilidade e remetem à concretização de práticas socioculturais, evidenciando-se na liderança, envolvimento e educação. Porém, inferiu-se que há um longo caminho para que a sustentabilidade seja compreendida como valor imperativo nas práticas das organizações. / The study aims to research through the communication process, as organizations concretize the discourses on the notion of sustainability in their sociocultural practices. It is used as an object of research the media directed about sustainability of the Federação do Comércio de Bens, Serviços e Turismo do Rio Grande do Sul – Fecomércio-RS, between the years 2011 and 2012. Through the Library Research (STUMPF, 2005), was articulated concepts of organizational communication (BALDISSERA, 2010, 2009b, 2009c, 2004), (OLIVEIRA; PAULA, 2012) and (MARCHIORI, 2008), and the process of formation of discourses and texts based on Pinto (1999) and Maingueneau (2001, 2008). Still approached the concepts of culture (EAGLETON, 2005) and identified in Thompson (2009), elements to understand the process of realization of sociocultural practices by individuals and social aspects involved (VIZER, 2011) linking them with culture in organizations (SROUR, 2005) and (MARCHIORI, 2008). The concept of sustainability was discussed based on Leff (2009a, 2009b, 2010a, 2010b), Elkington (2001) and Capra (2002). Therefore, we highlight the possibilities of organizational communication for collaboration in delivering discourses on sustainability. Furthermore, it was used as the Case Study methodology (YIN, 2001), Documentary Research (MOREIRA, 2005), and Content Analysis (BARDIN, 2011). The research concluded that there are aspects in the texts of the media directed Fecomércio-RS that emphasize sustainability and refer to the realization of sociocultural practices, highlighting its leadership, involvement and education. However, it was inferred that there is a long way to sustainability is understood as an imperative value in the practices of organizations.

O estudo tem como objetivo pesquisar, através do processo comunicacional, como as organizações concretizam os discursos sobre a noção de sustentabilidade em suas práticas socioculturais. Utiliza-se como objeto de pesquisa os meios de comunicação dirigida sobre sustentabilidade da Federação do Comércio de Bens, Serviços e Turismo do Rio Grande do Sul – Fecomércio-RS, entre os anos de 2011 e 2012. Através da Pesquisa Bibliográfica (STUMPF, 2005), articulou-se conceitos sobre a comunicação organizacional (BALDISSERA, 2010, 2009b, 2009c, 2004), (OLIVEIRA; PAULA, 2012) e (MARCHIORI, 2008), e o processo de formação dos discursos e textos baseando-se em Pinto (1999) e Maingueneau (2001, 2008). Abordou-se ainda os conceitos de cultura (EAGLETON, 2005) e identificou-se em Thompson (2009), elementos para compreender o processo de concretização da práticas socioculturais pelos sujeitos e os aspectos sociais envolvidos (VIZER, 2011) articulando-os com a cultura nas organizações (SROUR, 2005) e (MARCHIORI, 2008). A noção de sustentabilidade foi discutida com base em Leff (2009a, 2009b 2010a, 2010b), Elkington (2001) e Capra (2002). Assim, evidenciamos as possibilidades da comunicação organizacional para a colaboração na concretização dos discursos sobre sustentabilidade. Além disso, foi utilizado como metodologia o Estudo de Caso (YIN, 2001), Pesquisa Documental (MOREIRA, 2005), e a Análise de Conteúdo (BARDIN, 2011). A pesquisa concluiu que existem aspectos nos textos dos meios de comunicação dirigida da Fecomércio-RS que dão destaque à sustentabilidade e remetem à concretização de práticas socioculturais, evidenciando-se na liderança, envolvimento e educação. Porém, inferiu-se que há um longo caminho para que a sustentabilidade seja compreendida como valor imperativo nas práticas das organizações. / The study aims to research through the communication process, as organizations concretize the discourses on the notion of sustainability in their sociocultural practices. It is used as an object of research the media directed about sustainability of the Federação do Comércio de Bens, Serviços e Turismo do Rio Grande do Sul – Fecomércio-RS, between the years 2011 and 2012. Through the Library Research (STUMPF, 2005), was articulated concepts of organizational communication (BALDISSERA, 2010, 2009b, 2009c, 2004), (OLIVEIRA; PAULA, 2012) and (MARCHIORI, 2008), and the process of formation of discourses and texts based on Pinto (1999) and Maingueneau (2001, 2008). Still approached the concepts of culture (EAGLETON, 2005) and identified in Thompson (2009), elements to understand the process of realization of sociocultural practices by individuals and social aspects involved (VIZER, 2011) linking them with culture in organizations (SROUR, 2005) and (MARCHIORI, 2008). The concept of sustainability was discussed based on Leff (2009a, 2009b, 2010a, 2010b), Elkington (2001) and Capra (2002). Therefore, we highlight the possibilities of organizational communication for collaboration in delivering discourses on sustainability. Furthermore, it was used as the Case Study methodology (YIN, 2001), Documentary Research (MOREIRA, 2005), and Content Analysis (BARDIN, 2011). The research concluded that there are aspects in the texts of the media directed Fecomércio-RS that emphasize sustainability and refer to the realization of sociocultural practices, highlighting its leadership, involvement and education. However, it was inferred that there is a long way to sustainability is understood as an imperative value in the practices of organizations.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an emerging viral zoonosis that causes frequent outbreaks in east Africa and on the Arabian Peninsula. The likelihood of RVF global expansion due to climate change and human anthropogenic factors is an important issue. The causative agent, RVF virus, is an arbovirus that is transmitted by several mosquito species and is able to infect a wide range of livestock as well as people. The infection leads to mass abortions and death in livestock and a potentially deadly hemorrhagic fever in humans. RVF has severe socio-economic consequences such as animal trade bans between countries, disruption of food security, and economic disaster for farmers and pastoralists as well as for countries. Human behavior such as direct contact with infected animals or their fluids and exposure to mosquito bites increases the risk for contracting the disease. To better understand the challenges associated with RVF outbreaks and to explore prevention and control strategies, we used the One Health approach. The local community had to be involved to understand the interaction between the environment, animals, and humans. We focused on Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Kenya. First, we systematically reviewed the literature and then we performed cross sectional community-based studies using a special One Health questionnaire. Climatic and remote sensing data were used in combination with statistics to develop a sub-region predictive model for RVF. For both Saudi Arabia and Sudan, the ecology and environment of the affected areas were similar. These areas included irrigation canals and excessive rains that provide an attractive habitat for mosquito vectors to multiply. The surveillance systems were unable to detect the virus in livestock before it spread to humans. Ideally, livestock should serve as sentinels to prevent loss of human lives, but the situation here was reversed. Differences between countries regarding further spread of RVF was mainly determined by better economic and infrastructure resources. In Sudan, there was a lack of knowledge and appropriate practices at the studied community regarding RVF disease symptoms and risk factors for both animals and humans. The community was hesitant in notifying the authorities about RVF suspicion in livestock due to the lack of a compensation system. The perceived role of the community in controlling RVF was fragmented, increasing the probability of RVF transmission and disease. In Kenya, our study found that better knowledge about RVF does not always translate to more appropriate practices that avoid exposure to the disease. However, the combination of good knowledge, attitudes, and practices may explain why certain communities were less affected. Strategies to combat RVF should consider socio-cultural and behavioral differences among communities. We also noticed that RVF outbreaks in Kenya occurred in regions with high livestock density exposed to heavy rains and wet soil fluxes, which could be measured by evapotranspiration and vegetation seasonality variables. We developed a RVF risk map on a sub-regional scale. Future outbreaks could be better managed if such relevant RVF variables are integrated into early warning systems. To confront RVF outbreaks, a policy is needed that better incorporates ecological factors and human interactions with livestock and environment that help the RVF pathogen spread. Early detection and notification of RVF is essential because a delay will threaten the core of International Health Regulations (IHR), which emphasizes the share of information during a transboundary disease outbreak to avoid unnecessary geographical expansion.