This pedagogy of weaving the Nigerian Tiv a'nger into life writing, mobility and place blends in my experiences, cultures, geographical locations and stories. As I travel through and within countries as an international student, I draw from postcolonial and feminist scholars such as Anzaldua (1987), Bhabba (1994), Rushdie (2011) and Trinh (1994) in negotiating a hybrid space where my sense of belonging and home is continuously unsettled and negotiated. In this thesis, I use the a’nger as a metaphor for blending, merging and blurring text, identities, and questioning the conditions which produce stories, memories and events. In this auto/ethno/graphic pedagogy of weaving the Tiv a'nger into my encounters as a traveller, sojourner and mother, I am seeking to link my cultural background with my scholarship in the faculty of education and the faculty of law as a literary metissage that allows me to situate my narrative within broader sociopolitical discourses that query gender race and class issues (hooks, 2003; Fanon, 2008). I am guided by a desire to show that stories are research and that stories influence our movements as Africans in diaspora (Achebe, 1973; Wa Thiong’o, 1986). In drawing from the stories of my Tiv ancestors through African indigenous a’nger, I am guided by a quest to decolonize a space in academia to include other ways of knowing and being in the world. In retelling my stories, I open up conversations about the experiences of international students from Africa who relocate to other countries in the quest for continuous education. I use qualitative research methodologies such as auto/ethno/graphy (Douglas & Carless, 2013), bricolage (Kincheloe, 2005), metissage (Lionnet, 1991), multimodality (Morawski et al., 2016); and life writing (Hasebe-Ludt, Chambers & Leggo, 2009) to linger, tarry and trouble the sites between history and culture, home and abroad, us and them.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The importance of transport should not be underestimated. Transport progresses a person’s quality of life: it connects people to one another and provides access to work, services and recreational opportunities. However, post-apartheid South Africa is unfortunately still faced with a legacy of segregation. While the less-privileged, who mostly live at the fringe of Central Business Districts (CBDs), are captive users of public transport, the private vehicle trend, under the privileged, is becoming more evident. This research project thus proposes that a balanced and integrated sustainable transport system be promoted. That is, one that will aid South Africa in growing and improving its general socio-economical status by providing all its citizens with (equal) access to a balanced transport network. It is believed that, if a multimodal system is promoted, the deficiencies of the current heterogeneous non-integrated systems may be overcome. Therefore, if South Africa’s transport network is augmented with a multimodal platform, the nation will be able to move its citizens effectively and efficiently, without jeopardising the economy, social matters and the environment, today and in the future. Moreover, South Africa will also have the necessary stimulus to utilise the already available resources at its disposal by working together as ‘one’. This research project thus stipulates a (generic) sequential approach needed in achieving an integrated (sustainable) public transport system. The goal of this research project is to create awareness of the benefits that may arise from, and the implementation steps required in obtaining, such a multimodal platform. The focus area for researching the proposition made herein is the City of Cape Town’s (CoCT’s) land transport networks. The City has a management facility, with resultant transport data repository, known as the Transport Management Centre (TMC). This TMC is regarded as one of the finest state of the art facilities in the world and the features thereof offer a sufficient base and point of departure for the promotion of a multimodal transport system. By conducting research in this field, the following portraying aspects, needed for the realisation of the proposition made herein, were found. Firstly, in order to obtain an integrated sustainable transport system, the appropriate Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) need to be integrated. It is believed that, if an intelligent transport scheme, grounded on ITS applications, is advocated, the City will be in the position to more effectively monitor what is going on, to more accurately predict what might happen in the future, and to manage its transport system proactively on an area-wide basis. Secondly, in order to meet the integration requirements imposed by multimodal transport, a centralised database needs to be created. With such a database in place, information sharing across all modes of private- and public land transport, and thus also between the investors or the operators, will be possible. An example of such a database was developed in Microsoft Access and the modes considered therein are: MyCiti, Metrorail and Golden Arrow Bus Service (GABS). The data stored in this database is historic, but the incorporation of real time information was also catered for. Thirdly, it is believed that the success of the City’s transport system, and the development of a multimodal system, is dependent on the provision of an efficient Advanced Traveller Information System (ATIS). The idea is to promote multimodal transport as a convenient transit option by providing travellers with information on journey planning that aims to counteract their reluctance to change. In order to develop such a multimodal Journey Planner (JP), the unimodal networks considered herein were combined into a supernetwork on which Dijkstra’s Shortest Path Algorithm was applied. This algorithm was programmed in Microsoft Excel’s Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) and it incorporates the following user criteria: the origin, the destination, the user’s mode preference, and the user’s optimisation preference of either time or distance. In conclusion, it can be argued that, with information becoming such a vital commodity in everyday life, the catering for informed travellers are the key to successful future transport services. If travellers are informed about the transport networks’ performance, a positive attitude is fostered. Moreover, by providing travellers with information on journey planning, their feelings of uncertainty and fear of the unknown, that are present in (especially) public transport services, may be neutralised. This information will give the public carte blanche to make decisions that give them the perception of having more ‘control over their lives’. Therefore, if a multimodal JP that can be accessed from one portal is created, people’s inclination to acquire more information will be met. And as a result, traversing in an integrated manner may become the norm. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die belangrikheid van vervoer mag nie onderskat word nie. Vervoer speel ’n belangrike rol in die bevordering van ’n persoon se lewenskwaliteit: dit verbind mense met mekaar en verskaf toegang tot die werksplek, diensteverskaffers, en vryetydsbesteding. Post-apartheid Suid-Afrika is egter nog steeds vasgevang in ’n nalatenskap van rasseskeiding. Die minderbevoorregtes, wat meestal aan die buitewyke van die stad woon, is geforseerde gebruikers van openbare vervoer, terwyl die neiging (onder die bevoorregtes) om privaatvoertuie te gebruik, aan die toeneem is. Hierdie navorsingsprojek beveel dus aan dat ’n gebalanseerde, geïntegreerde en volhoubare vervoerstelsel bevorder moet word. ’n Sodanige stelsel sal help om die sosio-ekonomiese status van Suid-Afrika te bevorder. Dít kan net bereik word as alle landsburgers gelyke toegang tot ’n gebalanseeerde vervoernetwerk het. As ’n multimode-stelsel dus bevorder word, kan die tekortkominge van die huidige heterogene, nie-geïntegreerde stelsels oorkom word. Indien Suid-Afrika se vervoernetwerk ’n multimodale platform het, kan die landsburgers effektief en doeltreffend vervoer word sonder om die ekonomie, sosiale aangeleenthede of omgewing, tans en in die toekoms, in gedrang in te bring. Suid-Afrika sal boonop, met so ’n platform in plek, ook die nodige stimulus hê om die bestaande hulpbronne optimaal te gebruik. Hierdie navorsingsprojek verskaf ’n (generiese) in-volgorde-benadering om ’n volhoubare, geïntegreerde openbare vervoerstelsel daar te stel. Die doel is om bewustheid van die voordele wat uit ’n multimodale platform spruit, sowel as die nodige stappe vir die uitvoering daarvan, te kweek. Die fokusarea van die navorsing is die Stad van Kaapstad se land-vervoernetwerke. Die Stad het ’n beheerfasiliteit waar vervoerdata versamel word. Dit staan bekend as die vervoer-beheersentrum (TMC: Transport Management Centre). Hierdie fasiliteit word as toonaangewend in die wêreld beskou. Die kenmerkende eienskappe van hierdie fasiliteit bied verder ook ’n goeie vertrekpunt vir die bevordering van ’n multimodale stelsel. Die navorsing in hierdie veld het die volgende bydraende faktore, wat benodig word om die voorstelling te realiseer, geïdentifiseer. In die eerste plek moet die intelligente vervoerstelsels (ITS: Intelligent Transport Systems) geïntegreer word om ’n geïntegreerde volhoubare vervoerstelsel daar te stel. Indien ’n intelligente vervoerskema, gebaseer op tegnologiese inisiatiewe, aangemoedig word, sal die Stad van Kaapstad in die posisie wees om sy vervoerstelsel pro-aktief te bestuur deur meer effektief te monitor wat aangaan en meer akkuraat te voorspel wat in die toekoms mag gebeur. Tweedens moet daar ’n gesentraliseerde databasis geskep word. Met hierdie databasis sal die nodige integrasievereistes vir ’n multimodale vervoerstelsel, bereik word. Inligting kan dan gedeel word tussen privaat- en openbare landvervoer, asook tussen die beleggers en die operateurs van die verskillende vervoermodusse. ’n Voorbeeld van so ’n databasis is in Microsoft Access geskep en die modusse wat deel daarvan uitmaak, is: MyCiti, Metrorail en Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS). Die data wat hierin vervat is, is histories, maar daar is vir intydse inligting voorsiening gemaak. In die derde plek is die sukses van die Stad van Kaapstad se vervoerstelsel en die ontwikkeling van ’n multimodale stelsel afhanklik van die daarstelling van ’n effektiewe, gevorderde inligtingsstelsel vir pendelaars (ATIS: Advanced Traveller Information Systems). Die idee is om ’n multimodale vervoerstelsel as ’n gerieflike opsie onder pendelaars te bevorder. Dit kan bereik word deur inligting rakende reisbeplanning aan pendelaars daar te stel. Met die verkryging van sodanige kennis sal die pendelaar se weerstand teen verandering ook afneem. Om so ’n multimodale reisbeplanner (JP: Journey Planner) te ontwikkel, is die eenmodaal-netwerke gekombineer om ’n supernetwerk te skep. Dijkstra se algoritme is op die supernetwerk toegepas. Die algoritme is in Microsoft Excel se VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) geprogrammeer en dit bevat die volgende gebruikerskriteria, nl. die begin- en eindpunt, die gebruiker se modes-voorkeur en die gebruiker se gekose optimeringsvoorkeur van tyd of afstand. Ten slotte kan gesê word dat inligting ’n groot rol in die mens se daaglikse lewe en aktiwiteite speel. Daar kan dus geredeneer word dat die sleutel tot suksesvolle vervoerdienste daarin lê om vir ingeligte pendelaars voorsiening te maak. As pendelaars ingelig is oor die stand van die vervoernetwerk maak dit hul houding meer positief. Verder, as pendelaars ook inligting oor reisbeplanning het, kan dit hul gevoel van onsekerheid en vrees jeens (veral) openbare vervoer teenwerk. Met al hierdie inligting tot sy beskikking kan ’n persoon dus sy eie keuses maak en dit lei daartoe dat die persoon meer in beheer voel. As ’n multimodale JP geskep word, voed dit die mens se begeerte vir meer inligting. En met ’n sodanige JP in plek, kan geïntegreerde pendel moontlik die norm word.

Carlos Julião (1740-1811) é um militar de origem italiana a serviço do exército português a quem são atribuídos documentos iconográficos conservados em coleções brasileiras e portuguesas. Na medida em que esses documentos incorporam representações de tipos sociais provenientes de várias partes do mundo colonial português, eles ultrapassam o campo estrito do desenho militar e ganham um novo interesse para os estudos da História da Arte. Especialmente no caso do Brasil, as figurinhas desenhadas por Julião precedem o registro dos tipos sociais operado pelos artistas viajantes do século XIX. Este trabalho visa examinar a obra de Julião sob pontos de vista diversos, na tentativa de entendê-la dentro do contexto histórico em que se situa. Dessa forma, recorre-se à reconstituição da trajetória biográfica do autor, ao exame da prática do desenho em Portugal no Setecentos, bem como ao estabelecimento de relações com tradições da representação em vigência na arte européia. Em última instância, esta tese buca encontrar para Julião um lugar no contexto da História da Arte no Brasil colônia. / Carlos Julião (1740-1811) is an Italian born military man, serving under the Portuguese Army. He is supposed to be the author of iconographical documents preserved in Brazilian and Portuguese collections. Once those documents are related to the depiction of social characters from different Portuguese colonies, all over the world, they go beyond the specificity of the military drawing, reaching an interesting status as Art History. Concerning Brazil, specifically, the human figures by Julião are far ahead the social types depicted by the traveler-artists of the 19th century. The present work intends to examine the oeuvre of Carlos Julião under several points of view, with the aim of understanding it within its historical context. Concerning such approach, the reconstitution of the artist biography has been searched, the use of the drawing in Portugal during the 18th century has been examined, as well as possible relations linking his work to representational traditions of European art. Ultimately, this thesis searches to place Julião within the History of Art in colonial Brazil.

Carlos Julião (1740-1811) é um militar de origem italiana a serviço do exército português a quem são atribuídos documentos iconográficos conservados em coleções brasileiras e portuguesas. Na medida em que esses documentos incorporam representações de tipos sociais provenientes de várias partes do mundo colonial português, eles ultrapassam o campo estrito do desenho militar e ganham um novo interesse para os estudos da História da Arte. Especialmente no caso do Brasil, as figurinhas desenhadas por Julião precedem o registro dos tipos sociais operado pelos artistas viajantes do século XIX. Este trabalho visa examinar a obra de Julião sob pontos de vista diversos, na tentativa de entendê-la dentro do contexto histórico em que se situa. Dessa forma, recorre-se à reconstituição da trajetória biográfica do autor, ao exame da prática do desenho em Portugal no Setecentos, bem como ao estabelecimento de relações com tradições da representação em vigência na arte européia. Em última instância, esta tese buca encontrar para Julião um lugar no contexto da História da Arte no Brasil colônia. / Carlos Julião (1740-1811) is an Italian born military man, serving under the Portuguese Army. He is supposed to be the author of iconographical documents preserved in Brazilian and Portuguese collections. Once those documents are related to the depiction of social characters from different Portuguese colonies, all over the world, they go beyond the specificity of the military drawing, reaching an interesting status as Art History. Concerning Brazil, specifically, the human figures by Julião are far ahead the social types depicted by the traveler-artists of the 19th century. The present work intends to examine the oeuvre of Carlos Julião under several points of view, with the aim of understanding it within its historical context. Concerning such approach, the reconstitution of the artist biography has been searched, the use of the drawing in Portugal during the 18th century has been examined, as well as possible relations linking his work to representational traditions of European art. Ultimately, this thesis searches to place Julião within the History of Art in colonial Brazil.

This thesis focuses on the transformation of identities of international master students attending Örebro University along with their perception of how this experience will affect their future. A qualitative content analysis of 10 semi-structured interviews was employed to explore the topic and answer the research questions. The thesis is guided by the theoretical background that stands on the synthesis of Jenkins’ perception of identity and the identity theory, supplemented by the understanding of international students as ‘student travellers’. The analysis of respondents’ narratives revealed that all aspects of their identity were affected. International students, throughout their stay abroad, live in a certain bubble as they distance themselves from the society on one hand and identify with the international students’ group on the other, affecting their social identity. However, before a new identity is formed and while the old one is being changed, the students experience a state of limbo during which uncertainty of roles emerges. Their person identity is influenced as well due to the international experience providing an opportunity to consciously alter some aspects of personality and, furthermore, to promote their independence, open-mindedness, and awareness of other cultures. Additionally, through contact with these other cultures, the international student develops into a person of two minds – international and of the country of their origin. In regards to the students’ perception of the future, the desire to stay international, to travel and live abroad is essential in creating something of a nomad life. Moreover, the respondents considered the international experience to have a positive impact on their career through an advantageous position over others along with the acquisition of an international network.

Nous étudions des problèmes NP-difficiles portant sur les graphes contenant des blocages.Nous traitons les problèmes de coupes du point de vue de la complexité paramétrée. La taille p de la coupe est le paramètre. Étant donné un ensemble de sources {s1,...,sk} et une cible t, nous proposons un algorithme qui construit une coupe de taille au plus p séparant au moins r sources de t. Nous nommons ce problème NP-complet Partial One-Target Cut. Notre algorithme est FPT. Nous prouvons également que la variante de Partial One-Target Cut, où la coupe est composée de noeuds, est W[1]-difficile. Notre seconde contribution est la construction d'un algorithme qui compte les coupes minimums entre deux ensembles S et T en temps $2^{O(plog p)}n^{O(1)}$.Nous présentons ensuite plusieurs résultats sur le ratio de compétitivité des stratégies déterministes et randomisées pour le problème du voyageur canadien.Nous prouvons que les stratégies randomisées n'utilisant pas de mémoire ne peuvent pas améliorer le ratio 2k+1. Nous apportons également des éléments concernant les bornes inférieures de compétitivité de l'ensemble des stratégies randomisées. Puis, nous étudions la compétitivité en distance d'un groupe de voyageurs avec et sans communication. Enfin, nous nous penchons sur la compétitivité des stratégies déterministes pour certaines familles de graphes. Deux stratégies, avec un ratio inférieur à 2k+1 sont proposées: une pour les graphes cordaux avec poids uniformes et l'autre pour les graphes où la taille de la plus grande coupe minimale séparant s et t est au plus k. / We study NP-hard problems on graphs with blockages seen as models of networks which are exposed to risk of failures.We treat cut problems via the parameterized complexity framework. The cutset size p is taken as a parameter. Given a set of sources {s1,...,sk} and a target $t, we propose an algorithm which builds a small edge cut of size p separating at least r sources from t. This NP-complete problem is called Partial One-Target Cut. It belongs to the family of multiterminal cut problems. Our algorithm is fixed-parameter tractable (FPT) as its execution takes $2^{O(p^2)}n^{O(1)}$. We prove that the vertex version of this problem, which imposes cuts to contain vertices instead of edges, is W[1]-hard. Then, we design an FPT algorithm which counts the minimum vertex (S,T)-cuts of an undirected graph in time $2^{O(plog p)}n^{O(1)}$.We provide numerous results on the competitive ratio of both deterministic and randomized strategies for the Canadian Traveller Problem. The optimal ratio obtained for the deterministic strategies on general graphs is 2k+1, where k is a given upper bound on the number of blockages. We show that randomized strategies which do not use memory cannot improve the bound 2k+1. In addition, we discuss the tightness of lower bounds on the competitiveness of randomized strategies. The distance competitive ratio for a group of travellers possibly equipped with telecommunication devices is studied. Eventually, a strategy dedicated to equal-weight chordal graphs is proposed while another one is built for graphs with small maximum (s,t)-cuts. Both strategies outperform the ratio 2k+1.

The present study examines a Mobility Management measure called “test traveller project”, which aims at increasing the public transport modal share by offering free public transport tickets to those who often use their car for their daily commuting and trips. The existing literature consists of a rather limited number of cases and their scope is usually limited because only some of the main elements that influence one’s travel behaviour are considered in each study. Furthermore, literature is not unanimous in concluding that this measure can reduce car use. This work studies more than 50 cases in Sweden, and by employing the Theory of Planned Behaviour the effects of test traveller projects have been examined in an empirical case in the Swedish municipality of Botkyrka, located in the Stockholm metropolitan area. The findings underline that a test traveller project, despite its limitations, may be a valid and relatively simple tool available to public bodies and public transport companies for enticing a segment of car drivers to switch to public transport where it is a valid alternative. In fact, according to the literature, the major results achievable are around 20% of new public transport users among test travellers, whereas in Sweden 20% has been achieved by the first upper quartile of the projects. In particular, the effectiveness of a test traveller project is greater when combined or conducted in parallel with other measures such as improvements in the public transport offer and/or changes in the transport system aiming at disadvantaging car use. The case study of Botkyrka has confirmed that attitudes are the major influencing factor when making the transport mode choice. Further, it has confirmed that environmental concerns and the time passed from one’s residential relocation also play an important role. Habits seem to be less important, thus adhering to that literature whose authors argue that an external event (such as moving home) makes people reflect upon and rethink their travel habits. The case study in Botkyrka has empirically demonstrated how the project participants correct their beliefs and perceptions about public transport, sometimes in a positive way and sometimes in a negative way. An interesting finding is the existence of a new category of people living in the suburbs. Literature indicates that, in the same suburban context, individuals with suburban land use preferences tend to use the car more that individuals with urban land use preferences. In the case study of Botkyrka clearly emerged as a majority among the test traveller project participants a category of individuals who have a suburban land use preference but at the same time would like to use public transportation instead of their car and have high environmental concerns.

<p>To say that Gypsy and/or Traveller and/or Romany life stories have existed on the periphery of literary studies can be considered an understatement. In this study of the relational self, <i>Narrating Gypsies, Telling Travellers</i>, examines the discursive and structural complexities involved in the practices of writing and speaking in the production process and narrative trajectories of the life stories of Gordon Sylvester Boswell (1970), Nan Joyce (1985), Jimmy Stockins (2000), and Jess Smith (2002 and 2003).</p><p>The study emphasizes relational aspects of self-construction, which includes links to the national (hi)stories of Scotland, Ireland and England. Beginning with an eighteenth-century scaffold confession and moving through colonial, post-colonial, national and internal colonial narratives, the study follows a discursive path that re-emerges and reverberates in the spoken and/or written words of the story narrators. The study problemetizes the effectiveness of resistance as the historical depth and relationally produced dual-nature of domination is analysed. Above all the study positions modes of domination and self-domination within processes of forgetting forged through consensual, subtle and coercive practices related to points of view and the taken-for-granted.</p>

To say that Gypsy and/or Traveller and/or Romany life stories have existed on the periphery of literary studies can be considered an understatement. In this study of the relational self, Narrating Gypsies, Telling Travellers, examines the discursive and structural complexities involved in the practices of writing and speaking in the production process and narrative trajectories of the life stories of Gordon Sylvester Boswell (1970), Nan Joyce (1985), Jimmy Stockins (2000), and Jess Smith (2002 and 2003). The study emphasizes relational aspects of self-construction, which includes links to the national (hi)stories of Scotland, Ireland and England. Beginning with an eighteenth-century scaffold confession and moving through colonial, post-colonial, national and internal colonial narratives, the study follows a discursive path that re-emerges and reverberates in the spoken and/or written words of the story narrators. The study problemetizes the effectiveness of resistance as the historical depth and relationally produced dual-nature of domination is analysed. Above all the study positions modes of domination and self-domination within processes of forgetting forged through consensual, subtle and coercive practices related to points of view and the taken-for-granted.

Changeable Message Signs (CMS) are commonly utilized by transportation agencies to inform motorists of traffic, roadway, and environmental conditions. They may be used to provide information, such as delay and alternate route guidance, in the event of an incident, construction or a roadway closure. The effectiveness of CMS in managing freeway traffic, however, is a function of many factors including the number of CMS installations, the location of CMS, the messages displayed, varied traffic network characteristics, and drivers' response to incident conditions and CMS information. The objective of this thesis is to develop a CMS location planning model that can be used by transportation agencies to develop a CMS location plan that could achieve the largest long-term benefit to the system. This research is mainly motivated by the lack of systematic, robust and practical methods for locating CMS. State-of-practice methods rely mostly on the practitioner's experience and judgement. Other methods fail to incorporate reasonable driver behaviour models, consider time-varying demand, allow for computational efficiency on large networks, or consider the spatial variation of incidents on a traffic network. A new CMS location optimization model has been developed that is unique in both model realism and computational efficiency. The model incorporates several components to estimate incident delay, predict driver response, estimate network-wide benefit, and choose those CMS locations that would provide the most benefit. Deterministic queuing methods are used in conjunction with historic incident characteristics to approximate the delay impact of an incident with and without CMS. A discrete choice model is used to predict the rate at which drivers would switch from the incident route to a less congested alternative under CMS information. A network traffic assignment model is then incorporated in an attempt to estimate the resulting traffic induced by incidents. Genetic algorithms are utilized as an optimization technique to choose a set of CMS that would provide the most benefit. An extensive computational analysis was performed on both a hypothetical network and a segment of Highway 401 through Toronto. A sensitivity analysis was performed to test the model's response to parameter and data estimation errors. The model was found to be most sensitive to the diversion model parameters. The model produced reasonable results with locations selected upstream of major freeway interchange diversion points. Considering the additional components included in the proposed model, and its ability to consider more location schemes, the proposed model may be considered superior to previous CMS location models.