Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T16:19:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Fernanda Rodrigues Fernandes.pdf: 606573 bytes, checksum: 1d7825886416330cd4570c30afe3eef2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-09-13 / This research is an ethnographic case study that analyzes, in a descriptive form, the English language lessons in a second year high school classroom in a state school in the city of Goiânia. For this, we conducted a participant-observation research study, which, according to Spradley (1980), occurs when the researcher observes what happens in the research field and also participates in the activities that occur therein. The aim of this study was to know the difficulties faced by the actors in the classroom examined in order to propose what we call action or intervention to help control one of the known difficulties that, in this case was indiscipline during the English classes. Our proposed action was to carry out activities that would promote peer interaction and cooperative and/or collaborative learning, encouraging students‟ participation in the classes (FIGUEIREDO, 2006; OXFORD, 1997). During the research, we realized that several factors influenced the English classroom dynamics and thus the students‟ behavior. Therefore, the classroom under study and the issue of indiscipline in the English classes could not be seen in isolation. In order to best understand this reality, we used chaos/complexity theory (LARSEN-FREEMAN, 1997), comparing the English language classroom to a complex system. According to Larsen-Freeman (1997), complex systems are dynamic, complex, nonlinear, chaotic, unpredictable, sensitive to initial conditions, open, selforganizing, adaptive and sensitive response. By proposing this perspective of the classroom as a complex system, this study helps to understand that the difficulties experienced in the English language classroom, amongst them indiscipline, must be faced by all those who, directly or indirectly, take part in this complex system. / Este trabalho se caracteriza por ser um estudo de caso de base etnográfica que busca analisar de forma descritiva as aulas de língua inglesa de uma turma do 2º ano do ensino médio de uma escola pública estadual localizada na cidade de Goiânia. Para isso, realizamos uma observação-participante, que, segundo Spradley (1980), ocorre quando o pesquisador, além de observar o que acontece no campo de pesquisa, também participa das atividades que nele ocorrem. O objetivo deste estudo é conhecer as dificuldades enfrentadas pelos atores da sala de aula analisada a fim de propor o que denominamos de ação ou intervenção para ajudar a contornar uma das dificuldades verificadas, que, no caso, foi a indisciplina durante as aulas de inglês. Nossa proposta de ação foi a realização de atividades em pares que pudessem promover a interação e a aprendizagem colaborativa e/ou cooperativa, incentivando assim a participação ativa dos alunos nas aulas de inglês (FIGUEIREDO, 2006; OXFORD, 1997). No decorrer da pesquisa, percebemos que diversos elementos influenciam a dinâmica da sala de aula de língua inglesa investigada e, consequentemente, o comportamento dos alunos. Dessa forma, a sala de aula analisada e a questão da indisciplina nas aulas de inglês não podem ser vistas de forma isolada. Para compreendermos melhor essa realidade, utilizamos a teoria do caos/complexidade (LARSEN-FREEMAN, 1997), comparando a sala de aula de língua inglesa estudada a um sistema complexo. Isso porque ela apresenta características próprias desse tipo de sistema. Segundo Larsen-Freeman (1997), os sistemas complexos são dinâmicos, complexos, não-lineares, caóticos, imprevisíveis, sensíveis às condições iniciais, abertos, auto-organizáveis, sensíveis à resposta e adaptativos. Ao propor essa perspectiva da sala de aula como um sistema complexo, este estudo contribui para entendermos que as dificuldades vivenciadas na sala de aula de língua inglesa em questão, dentre elas a indisciplina, devem ser enfrentadas por todos aqueles que fazem parte direta ou indiretamente desse sistema complexo.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This thesis examines the widely unknown history and origins of Muscatatuck Colony, located in Butlerville, Indiana. The national eugenics movement impacted the United States politically, medically, legally, and socially. While the United States established mental institutions prior to the eugenics movement, many institutions, including ones in Indiana, were founded as eugenic tools to advance the agenda of achieving a “purer” society. Muscatatuck was one such state institution founded during this national movement. I explore various elements that made the national eugenics movement effective, how Indiana helped advance the movement, and how all these elements impacted Muscatatuck’s founding. I investigate the language used to describe people that were considered “mentally inferior,” specifically who the “feeble-minded” were and how Americans were grouped into this category. I research commonly held beliefs by eugenicists of this time-period, eugenic methods implemented, and how these discussions and actions led to the establishment of Muscatatuck in 1920. Muscatatuck Colony, though a byproduct of the national eugenics movement, outlived this scientific effort. Toward the mid and late twentieth century, Muscatatuck leadership executed institutional change to best reflect American society’s evolving thoughts on mental health and how best to treat people with mental disabilities. Muscatatuck Colony reveals a complicated narrative of how best to treat or care for people within these institutions, a complex narrative that many mental institutions share.