NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
Regards sur le mouvement Femen, ses actions et ses paradoxes

In the public scene, nudity always carried signs. Being a symbol of vulnerability in some contexts, it may also represent the madness, freedom, the desire to shock or even an ardent appeal to be heard in some cases. This is actually the reason why activist feminist Femen movement militants are using their bodies as the main weapon of political demands by featuring themselves breast naked in their events. Despite of the visibility of the movement that now extends internationally; their methods of claims remain highly controversial and are the source of several critical. But beyond all these criticisms, what is the Femen movement telling us? What is it telling us about today’s society, on its paradoxes, its tensions and power struggles? This thesis aims to answer these questions. It is structured as follows: A first part focuses on the history of the movement, its directions and the main criticisms addressed to it. This first part is also presenting the conceptual framework of the thesis that is built around five major points: nudity as political protest tool, the image society, the body, appearance and beauty, the “spectacular urban resistance” and finally, engagement and disengagement activist. The second part presents the methodology; an ethnographic approach including semi-structured interviews with Femen activist and founder of the Quebec branch as well as the participant observation during formal and informal trainings and meetings of the group. Finally, the last section presents the results of the field. These highlight the many paradoxes and contradictions inherent in the movement, which we appear as an overview of some of the big contradictions of our society. A society of image and show. Where body, especially women’s body has gained a particular and paradoxical centrality. A society of ‘’free’’ individuals who adhere to stereotypical standards. A society in which "causes", those on the left and feminism in particular, are struggling to speak coherently, in part because of internal tensions crossings where the individual prevails too often on the collective. A society where religion is nested more than ever, blurring once again the protest lines.

Keyphrases: Femen, Image, Paradoxes, Nudity, Body, Feminism, Activism, Militancy, Beauty standards, Entertainment Society
Sociologie du dandysme : biographie sociologique de Stefan Zweig

The Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867-1918) is one of the last European Empire to collapse with the end of World War One. Tightly linked with internal conditions such as Austro- Hungarian politics and economics, the central theme of this work concerns the emergence of the social phenomenon of dandysm in Vienna at the beginning of the XXth century. Remarquably modern, the social figure of the dandy is studied following the ideal-typical method, a legacy of Max Weber. Following the sociological writings of Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Robert Michels, the typical portrait of the four socio-economic figures such as the bourgeois, the proletarian, the bohemian and the aristocrat allows, in the first part of the thesis (chapter two), to show the features and to conceptually delineate the figure of the dandy. Once this portrait is forged, it is possible to compare the Viennese reality with the case of the poet Stefan Zweig. The appearance of the dandy, at the end of the Habsburg monarchy, is not alien to many external conditions that are themselves particularly linked to this first part of the XXth century, marked notably by nationalism and World War I. Discussed in the second part of the thesis (chapter three), the economic conditions, that are expressed with either literature or journalism, reflect this social phenomenalization in which the dandy takes part. The study of the social appearance of the dandy being at the very center of this study, the present thesis seeks to understand this phenomenon through a sociological biography of the writer and poet Stefan Zweig. In the fourth and fifth chapter, highlights of his biography meet its social resonance with dandysm through the man itself, his work, his life and the way he lived it. Finally, the influence of aesthetics and philosophy on dandy’s life, especially following Friedrich Nietzsche’s very own word and ideas, will be presented as well as the importance of values of pacifism and cosmopolitism, as influences of Jewish religion. In conclusion, I return to the ideal- type of dandy by questioning its usefulness in understanding contemporary phenomena.

Keyphrases: Max Weber, Vienne, Dandy, Stefan Zweig (1881-1942), Ideal-type, Aesthetics, Vienna, Habsburg, Austrian-Hungarian Empire
Hijab et sport : représentations et auto-représentations des athlètes hijabis de haut niveau

The inspiration for this master's thesis comes from the third item of the rule 50 in the Olympic Charter : No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other Olympic areas. (CIO 2013: 96) This rule is not only restrictive for athletes wearing the hijab, but it is also used to discredit them. Why this constraint? Should not sport be accessible for all, given all the benefits it offers?   Taking the conceptual basis of gendered islamophobia concepts (Zine 2006), embodied intersectionality (Mirza 2012) and nationalism (Balibar 1997 [1988]) as well as the racialized regime of representation (Hall 1997) as analytical basis, this master's thesis offers a cross-reading of three types of discourses : the media discourses on the hijab in sports and on the women who wear it ; the discourses held by the hijabis athletes themselves ; and public discourses, including fans. Through the study of the "public personality" of four hijabis athletes as built on their Facebook page, all of the top athletes, and the exchanges that these have had on this platform with their audience, this study shows alternative discourses to those of the dominant medias who widely see the hijab in sports as a problem. These include the positive role that these athletes play in promoting sports and physical activity among Muslim women, especially those wearing the hijab.

Keyphrases: Facebook, Representations, Resistances, Media discourse, Nationalism, Islamophobia, Hijabis athletes
Réflexions sur la religion invisible : le développement personnel vu par la sociologie des religions

My master thesis focuses on personal development. Drawing on the sociology of religion put forward by Thomas Luckmann in his book The Invisible Religion (1970 [1967]), I understand personal development as a “new” social form of religion. In this book, the sociologist argues that religion has become, in modern societies, a quest for existential meaning driven by the theme of self-realization. Defining religion as a system of meanings and linking its contemporary form to self-realization, Luckmann’s approach allows for the development of a theoretical framework that apprehends personal development as one manifestation of the “invisible religion.” Because it is not be perceived as religion, contemporary religion would be—according to Luckmann—be invisible. Not being tied to any official religious institution, the new form of religion would manifest itself in the private sphere. In my thesis, I question the ubiquity of personal development in the contemporary world in terms of its visibility/invisibility.      The present thesis is an empirical study on personal development; it aims to make visible one invisible manifestation of religion in our lives. To this end, I develop a method that enables to identify its presence in the contemporary world. After a review of the literature on personal development in the first chapter, I present in my second chapter Luckmann’s book and the questions at the heart of the thesis. In the third chapter, I discuss the method used to capture a contemporary manifestation of religion, a discourse analysis. In the fourth chapter, I seek to uncover the knowledge paradigms of the personal development, often associated with the field of non-religious, by reading a selection of books from this literature : Le chemin le moins fréquenté (1987 [1978]), Écoute ton corps (1991 [1987]), Les quatre accords Toltèques (1999 [1997]) et Le secret (2007 [2006]). After delineating their “meaning system of personal development”, I dedicate myself, in the fifth chapter, to highlight the invisible religion in a “visible” one; a group whose members consider religious, the Raelian Movement. For this purpose, I undertake to a second discourse analysis with sources published by the Movement: La méditation sensuelle (1980), Le Message donné par les Extra-Terrestres (1997) et Le Maitraya: extraits de son enseignement (2003). In doing so, I assess the place of the invisible religion in contexts that are specifically perceived as non-religious and religious. I conclude my thesis by addressing issues related to the visibility of religion and, based on my results, suggest new research perspectives for the sociology of religion.

Keyphrases: Thomas Luckmann, Personal development, Sociology of religion, Thomas Luckmann, Invisible religion, Raelian Movement
Le jardinier et le politique : analyse de l'agriculture urbaine en tant que pratique de développement local à Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso

Originally a practice of development from the “bottom”, responding to the dynamics of sustenance in cities, urban agriculture in countries of the “South” has recently been promoted and developed by development actors. With the goal of reducing poverty and empowering vulnerable populations, urban agriculture development projects are part of an “inclusive” development paradigm, advocating for the participation of all segments of society. But the case of the city of Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, where two urban agriculture development projects were conducted under the leadership of city hall, shows that these projects are not always successful. Using a comparative approach, this study examines the factors influencing the “success” or “failure” of urban agriculture projects. This thesis uses an actor-oriented approach, which analyzes the interactions among designers/implementers and beneficiaries of projects, to show that a differentiation regarding the accountability of designers/implementers toward beneficiaries had a significant influence on the results. Furthermore, we explain that this variation in accountability has resulted from by the asymmetrical relations of power between designers/implementers of projects and beneficiaries. These designers/implementers had the opportunity to articulate their privileged position according to their will in an accountable or an unaccountable way, thereby influencing the results.

Keyphrases: Burkina Faso, Bobo-Dioulasso, Inclusive development, Urban agriculture, Accountability, Relations of power
Ku Kia'i Mauna: Warriors Rising in Kapu Aloha Re-Branding the Hawaiian Identity Through the Revival of Place Authenticity

In 2010, the Thirty Meter Telescope Corporation, composed of an inter-university alliance of researchers in astronomy, presented the Thirty Meter Telescope project, proposed to be built on the sacred mountain Mauna Kea, located on Hawai’i Island. Inspired by Idle No More, a grassroots Hawaiian activism movement was formed in an attempt to stop the desecration of this natural temple. Rapidly, a movement was born: ‘A’ole TMT, meaning “No to the TMT”. This dissertation shows the reasons motivating such a social initiative and presents the resources that active agents to the ‘A’ole TMT Movement mobilized to formally halt the TMT project. This thesis establishes how – in the context, first, of the accomplishments of the American Civil Rights Movement and, second, of the social and environmental justice movement Idle No More – Hawaiians have managed to re-brand their cultural and spiritual attributes and hence revive the authenticity of their nation as a singular and unique place through a renewed connection with Hawaiian lieux de mémoire.

Keyphrases: Place branding, Études hawaiiennes, Social movements, Authenticity, Lieux de mémoire, Indigenous politics, Environmental justice, Hawaiian studies
On Critical Junctures and Legacies : an Analysis of the Evolution of Brazil’s African Affairs (1985-2015)

The purpose of this dissertation is to analyse the evolution of Brazil’s African policy and Brazil-African relations, lending particular emphasis to those changes brought by President Lula da Silva since his accession to power in 2003. The scope of the work covers the period from the mid-1980s through 2015, extending into President Dilma Rousseff‘s administration. It follows the theoretical framework proposed by David Collier and Ruth Collier (1991) on critical junctures, including some adaptations to the context of the present research. The study is divided into four main chapters, starting with the literature review, followed by an analysis of Brazil’s African engagement between 1985 and 2002. Immediately after, the two remaining chapters, respectively, focus on the hypothesized critical juncture and the legacy of Brazil’s new African policy. The work closes by drawing conclusions and stating its contribution to the broader study of Brazil’s foreign policy, including the applicability of underexplored theoretical models in the field, such as the critical junctures framework.

Keyphrases: Brazil’s African policy, Critical juncture, Legacy, Brazilian engagement, President Lula da Silva
Du journalisme à la politique : l'impact de la profession et de la visibilité médiatique sur la couverture journalistique

This thesis investigates the professional relationship between media and politics in Quebec and, precisely, the case of former journalists that seek a political candidacy. We propose that the increasing mediatization of politics is the cause behind this phenomena. In this context, political parties need to recruit political actors who master the media logic, because we assume that this ability leads to a better control of both the message and agenda setting. Concretely, we investigate whether former political journalists are able to gain more visibility and a more positive media coverage in comparison to other candidates with a different professional pathway. We explore this proposal through a content analysis of 2159 newspaper articles during the Quebec provincial elections of 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2014. The results demonstrate that former political journalists are able to gain more visibility than other candidates, but not a more positive coverage.

Keyphrases: Political science, Media, Journalist, Political journalism, Media logic, Election campaigns, Media visibility, Media capital, Mediatization of politics, Political communication
Identification de protéines impliquées dans le guidage du tube pollinique par les ovules de Solanum chacoense

In Angiosperms, the pollen tube, a tubular outgrowth of the pollen grain, enables passive transport of sperm nuclei through various tissues along the pistil in order to reach the embryo sac of the egg cell, where double fertilization occurs. One of the main challenges for the pollen tube is to cross several structures to reach the micropyle. Along its journey, the pollen tube is influenced by gradients of attractant proteins, guiding its way down to the ovary and then to the micropyle of the ovule. The success of sexual reproduction in angiosperms relies on these guiding phenomena. The last attractants that will precisely guide the pollen tube are secreted by the two synergids cells of the embryo sac are cystein-rich proteins, LURE. Solanum chacoense is a wild potato from South America cohabiting on the same territory with many other tuberous Solanum species that could theoretically be capable of hybridizing. However, few hybrids are found in nature, their formation being limited by hybridization barriers. Pollen tube guidance can be such a barrier in interspecific crosses due to a lesser communication fit between the male and female players during pollinations. The LURE micropylar attractants are major agents of this communication. Identifying S. chacoense’s micropylar attractants could elucidate some of the mechanisms limiting hybridization between tuberous Solanaceae. Transcriptomic and secretomic studies allowed the characterization of 95 ScCRP potentially involved in this micropylar guiding. In this project, 20 of these ScCRP were selected as potential candidates. These candidates were successfully cloned and expressed in a bacterial system and then purified. Finally, the attraction potential for three of them was tested in a semi-in vivo system using gelatin embedded proteins beads to analyze the pollen tube's behavior.

Keyphrases: chimio-attractants, communication pollen-pistil, Solanaceae, Solanum chacoense, chemoattractants, pollen tube guidance, micropylar attraction, pollen-pistil communication, Cystein-rich protein (CRP)
Succès d’une plantation de feuillus en forêt post-agricole avec des protections contre les cervidés sous différentes largeurs d’ouvertures par bande

Following abandonment of agricultural land, regrowth forests typically show a low diversity of tree species. One possible solution, enrichment underplanting, must consider protection against browsing, which hinders sunlight from reaching the seedlings. We examined the effects on growth of three different widths of strip opening (3, 6 or 9 meters) mixed with two protective sleeves (a small mesh and a large one). In the experiment, light levels reaching seedlings of yellow birch and burr oak range from 8 to 46 %PAR. The nine meters strip was the best to promote diameter and height growth of yellow birch, regardless of the protective sleeves used. The small mesh sleeve produced a smaller growth in all the openings, for both species in diameter and only for yellow birch in height. Burr oak diameter was also reduced by the small mesh protection. With increased light, mean length of branches and leaf area for yellow birch increased, as well as diameter for burr oak. Good growth of yellow birch makes it a species of interest for enrichment planting. A strip opening of 6 meters width could be enough to ensure artificial regeneration of yellow birch, while limiting disturbances and reducing costs. Large mesh sleeve would be best to maximize growth.

Keyphrases: Forêt post-agricole, Enrichment planting, Underplanting, Light, PAR, Post-agricultural forest, Strip opening, Deer browsing, Tree shelter, Undercover planting
Estimation de l'impact des parasitoïdes sur les populations de pucerons en champ

Building upon an existing aphid population dynamics model, we develop a method to quantify the contribution of parasitoids in reducing the maximum aphid density. We validated the method, over a two years study in soybean fields, using the biological model made of the soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura) and Aphelinus certus Jasnosh, its most abundant parasitoid in north-eastern North America. The method estimated that natural populations of A. certus reduced peak soybean aphid densities by only 1-6%. The cause of this low regulation is associated to the late establishment of A. certus population in soybean field, although the underlying mechanisms remains unknown. Proportion hyperparasitism on A. certus, before peak soybean aphid densities, were too low for hyperparasitism to be accounted for the poor efficacy of A. certus in regulating the soybean aphid. Regarding aphid population dynamics, we proposed a re-parameterisation of the aforementioned model to facilitate the interpretation of its parameters when field colonization by aphids is not simultaneous. This allowed us to identify a high predictability in peak aphid densities from colonization time for the soybean aphid. We recommend using models to forecast peak aphid densities and to use the impact assessment method to incorporate augmentative parasitoid release strategies into aphid management programmes.

Keyphrases: Aphis glycines, Aphelinus certus, Biological control, Model, Population dynamics, Soybean, Hyperparasitoid
Une invasion dans la discrétion : répartition, origines et expansion des limaces européennes du complexe d'Arion subfuscus s.l. au Québec

Accurate identification of exotic species is required to assess the magnitude and nature of consequences on their new habitats. The Arion subfuscus s. l. species complex comprised slugs of European origins that are amongst the most abundant slug species in northeastern North America and various impacts of their presence are reported. However, the identities of the species introduced remain unknown in most regions. This study aims at determining the current distribution, taxonomic identity and the origins of the members of the A. subfuscus s. l. complex in Quebec (Canada) based on mitochondrial 16S rDNA. A total of 526 specimens from 68 locations throughout Quebec and one site in Nova Scotia were SSCP analysed and their sequences were determined. Eight haplotypes of the allopatric A. fuscus and A. subfuscus s. s. (lineages S1 and S2) were detected. Results confirmed that slugs from distinct European regions were introduced multiple times. Comparison with previous survey revealed an impressive expansion of the distribution during the last 50 years. Arion fuscus is the major invasive species found throughout Quebec, contrasting with previous North American studies. The potential role of international trade in the introduction history of exotic species is discussed.

Keyphrases: Arion fuscus, Arion subfuscus, Invasion, Invasive, SSCP, Allopatry, Distribution expansion, Exotic, Mitochondrial haplotypes, Mitochondrial lineages, Slug, Sequencing
Dynamique saisonnière du microbiome intestinal en réponse à la diète traditionnelle inuite

The human gut microbiome represents a diverse microbial community specific to individuals and populations, which is heavily influenced by factors such as genetics and lifestyle. Diet is a major force shaping the gut microbiome, and the effects of dietary choices on microbiome composition have been thoroughly investigated. It has been shown that a change in diet also changes the gut microbiome, but the effects of seasonal diets are poorly known. The traditional Inuit diet is primarily based on animal products, which vary seasonally based on prey availability. To investigate the dynamics of the Inuit diet over time, we collected gut microbiome samples from Inuit volunteers living in Resolute Bay (Nunavut, Canada), and compared them to samples collected from individuals of European descent living in Montréal (Québec, Canada) and consuming a typical Western diet. We sequenced the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene to characterize the diversity and composition of the Inuit microbiome, and surveyed differences among samples collected with toilet paper or from stool. Our results show that these sampling methods provide similar, but non-identical portraits of the microbiome. Based on sequencing from toilet paper samples alone, we found that inter-individual variations of the microbiome community composition were greater than within-individual variations, both in Nunavut and Montreal, with significant differences in microbiome explained by dietary preferences. No defined seasonal shift of microbiome composition was detected in samples collected over time. However, within-individual microbial diversity fluctuated more with time in Nunavut than in Montreal. Together, these results underline that the traditional Inuit diet still has an important impact on the composition, diversity and stability of the Inuit gut microbiome, even if the traditional seasonality of the diet is less pronounced than expected, due to an increasingly westernized diet in Nunavut.

Keyphrases: Variation temporelle, Gut microbiome, Inuit traditional diet, Temporal variation, Western diet, Dietary transition, 16s rRNA