NCube/papyrus huggingface dataset:
La détermination des droits et des obligations relatifs à l'aide sociale en Allemagne : le cas des individus seuls aptes à l'emploi

This thesis aims to understand the determination of rights and obligations related to single unemployed able-bodied individuals benefiting from the German social assistance between 1990 and 2012. To do so, the thesis reviews the main formal benchmark and actualization mechanisms of monetary rights present in most OECD countries and shows how Germany determines the generosity of social assistance benefits. Raising the somewhat arbitrary nature of these mechanisms, it goes on to argue that the relative generosity of the rights and obligations of unemployed able-bodied individuals can be explained mainly in terms of conditionality and deservingness. Through a literature review on the topic, the thesis illustrates how the categorical differentiation and the particular construction of last resort programs in Germany come to reflect an implicit hierarchy based on deservingness, explaining both the lowest generosity of monetary rights and the greater conditionality attached to social rights concerning single able-bodied individuals. Finally, it argues that the construction of the rights and obligations for these citizens must be understood as a control lever allowing the regulation of both the individual and the labour market. From this perspective, the thesis shows that the Hartz reforms have not only formalized the activation paradigm regulating unemployment in Germany, but that the particular construction of the new scheme for able- bodied individuals ultimately reflects the objective of reducing unemployment by creating jobs in the low-wage sector.

Keyphrases: Activation, Conditionality, Deservingness, Germany, Minimum income protection, Rights and obligations, social assistance
Principle and prejudice : attitudes toward ethnic minorities in Quebec

Immigrant integration poses a particular challenge to sub-state minority nations where citizens are more prone to perceive immigrants as cultural and political threats. However, different ethnic groups might be seen as differentially threatening. This study investigates whether francophone citizens in Quebec perceive different ethnic minority groups differently and whether they are more negative towards these groups than other Canadians. To the extent that negativity exists, the study seeks to understand whether it is grounded principally in racial prejudice or in concerns about culture. Results from national and provincial data show that Quebec francophones are specifically negative toward religious minorities, not racial minorities, and that their negativity is largely couched in concerns over secularism and cultural security. Ethnic antipathy among Quebec’s majority francophone population thus appears to be more group-specific and culturally principled than generalized and racially based.

Keyphrases: immigration, opinion publique, public opinion, ethnic minorities, multiculturalism, Canadian politics
À contre-courant du progrès : une esquisse de la pensée de Christopher Lasch

By retracing the intellectual journey of the historian, moralist, and American critic Christopher Lasch, this paper aims to highlight the relevance of his critical thought. Based on an analysis of his main texts, it is demonstrated that, rather than the pessimism and catastrophism that is often identified with him, Lasch has a fruitful perspective on the uniqueness of the modern era. His trenchant criticisms of contemporary society and of the individual in it address, first and foremost, the moral and social deficiencies that he believes has been caused by the progressive ideal of liberalism. According to Lasch, the assertion of this ideal is incompatible with the essentially contingent and conflicting nature of the human condition. In parallel, the psychological effects which result from what Lasch calls the “culture of narcissism” will be examined as will Lasch’es alternative, which is based on the notions of limits and hope found in the American agrarian populist tradition of the 19th century. Lasch believes that we must engage in this turn to the past in order to bring out a political renewal of society. The study concludes with a discussion of the plausibility of the populist ideal in the 21st century.

Keyphrases: Christopher Lasch, individu, populism, narcissism, progress, right, left, liberalism, individual, limits
An enforced cooperation : understanding scientific assessments in adversarial polities through Quebec shale gas policymaking, 2010-2014

Biotechnology, climate change, natural resources, and ecosystem management are all representative of the “new politics of nature” (Hajer 2003), a term encompassing policy issues with high scientific uncertainties, unadapted regulatory regimes, and acute political conflict. In the hope of diminishing these tensions and generating a consensual understanding, several governments mandated ad hoc scientific institutions to document policymaking and answer stakeholder’s concerns. But do those scientific assessments really help to generate a shared understanding between otherwise polarized policy actors? While it would be possible that these create inclusive collective learning dynamics, policy learning has been shown as being extremely unlikely among competing policy actors. Accordingly, this research documents the conciliatory power of scientific assessments using the Quebec shale gas policymaking case (2010–2014). In doing so, it mobilizes the literature stressing the political nature of science to conceptualize scientific assessment in light of a scientific brokerage theory. Empirically, the research uses Social Network Analysis to unravel the collective learning dynamics found in two information networks built from the 5751 references found in the advocacy and technical documents published by 268 organizations during two public consultations. Precisely, findings demonstrate that scientific brokerage can redirect information flows to counteract the divide between collective learning and political conflict. The argument mobilizes cognitive mechanisms traditionally found in policy brokerage theory, but also introduces often forgotten power interplays prominent in policy-related knowledge diffusion.

Keyphrases: Exponential Random Graph Model, Policy brokerage, Scientific assessment, Collective learning, Policymaking, Social Network Analysis, Political conflict
Réconcilier universalisme et ciblage : l’évolution du paradoxe de la redistribution depuis la fin des années 1980

The Paradox of redistribution by Walter Korpi and Joakim Palme (1998) posits that welfare states that have less targeted social spending redistribute more. However, Ive Marx, Lina Salanauskaite and Gerlinde Verbist (2013) found that the correlation between the social spending targeting index and the redistribution index that demonstrates the paradox has weakened in the 2000s. By replicating the correlations, it seems that the increase targeting of social spending in countries with high redistribution like Denmark and Sweden is the main cause behind the weakening of the correlation between targeting and redistribution.  During the economic crisis of the 80s and 90s, the already low maximum benefits and the will of social-democratic parties to maintain the minimal benefits and replacement rate led Danish and Swedish governments to reduce maximum benefits to restrain the increase of social spending, thus increasing the targeting of social spending without sacrificing universalism.

Keyphrases: redistribution, redistribution paradox, redistribution, targeting, universalism
Les réseaux de corruption à Laval et Montréal : un essai d'interprétation de la corruption municipale québécoise

In the last few years, municipal corruption made its way through the headlines and became a significant issue in Québec, raising major questions about the quality of municipal governance. This research aims to understand how the corruption system operated at the municipal level. First, an examination of the municipal corruption’s legacy will show its recurrent aspect. Then, the corruption phenomena will be studied through a description of the informal governance structure that grew inside municipal institutions. More specifically, Laval’s and Montréal’s cases will be used to portray this governance structure. Della Porta and Vannucci’s model (2012) will be used to elucidate the way agents internalize norms of corruption, how they develop second-party bonds of trust, and, finally, how an enforcer can act to cement and institutionalize networks of corruption. Finally, the research aims to identify and understand which aspects of Quebec’s municipal institutions made then vulnerable to corruption. The limits of formal institutions’ capacity to successfully structure incentives will be addressed through the exposure of some significant weaknesses. We will examine the limits of the institutions aiming to establish external surveillance, to then turn our focus toward internal institutions that could have deterred corruption, which are bureaucracy and democracy.

Keyphrases: Corruption, Institutions informelles, Commission Charbonneau, Democracy, Bureaucracy, Informal Institutions, Commission of Inquiry on the Awarding and Management of Public Contracts in  the Construction Industry, Quebec's Municipalities
Les échecs de la mission canadienne en Afghanistan : déficits de sécurité humaine

The Canadian mission in Afghanistan is the longest foreign intervention in the history of the country and an important part of it was the mission in the province of Kandahar which started in 2006. Today, it appears that this mission presents important failures. In order to have a better understanding of these failures, this work proposes reflection tracks to improve our knowledge on this issue. To do this, this work asks the following question: how did Canada respected the human security approach in its mission to Kandahar? The United Kingdom mission in the province of Helmand in Afghanistan is also used as comparison tool. The hypothesis suggests that Canada did not respect the human security approach and this may contribute to our understanding of the failures of the mission to Kandahar. First of all, detailed results of the missions are presented and it appears that the UK mission obtained better results than the Canadian mission in Kandahar. Afterwards, the human security approach previously conceptualized is used to compare the two missions. With a coding process, Canadian and British reports are used to compare the correlation of the missions with the human security approach. The results show that the UK mission respected much better the human security approach than the Canadian mission. Finally, a content analysis is proposing reflection tracks that may help to explain the failures of the Canadian mission for future research. This work brings two main conclusions. On a first hand, the Canadian mission did not respect the human security approach even if the Canadian officials declared having respected it. Furthermore, it is clear that a lack of human security approach is a strong reflection track for a better understanding of the failures of the Canadian mission in Kandahar.

Keyphrases: Afghanistan, Canadian foreign policy, Human security, Peacebuilding mission
Principaux obstacles à la décision d’investissement des firmes en Afrique

What are the constraints faced by firms in their decision making in Africa ? This study aims at understanding the main challenges of the climate for African affairs by using the World Bank Enterprise Survey database. In this survey, two important questions are asked to the firms' managers to highlight : i) the severity of the constraints and ii) the history of past investment decision. Our results show that firms' investment decision in the sample of African countries considered is impeded by severe obstacles among which corruption, tightness of financial market, unfair competition of the informal sector and the political instability. We perform robustness and sensitivity analysis by extending control variables to firm's size, sector and localization. Our results show that midsize firms are the most vulnerable, firms in the services and manufacturing sector are affected differently and companies in Central Africa are little affected by these constraints.

Keyphrases: Obstacles, Investment, Firms, Africa, Obstacles
The responsiveness of government revenue to marginal tax rates

This thesis uses demographic and income tax data to calculate changes in government revenue following adjustments to marginal tax rates, with a focus on the highest tax bracket.  The study’s scope is a variety of O.E.C.D. countries.  An analysis of behavioral responses of tax payers and the options available to government in terms of taxation policy follows. Past measurement techniques are also scrutinized.

Keyphrases: Marginal, Budget, Revenu, Revenue, Taxation, Accounts
Agents actifs toxiques dans les produits éclaircissants et leurs impacts sur le microbiome cutané humain

Cosmetics are substances used to maintain or change the appearance of external parts of the human body (such as skin, nails or hair). In many countries of Africa and Asia and in some immigrant African communities, many women and sometimes men use products containing active agents such as mercury, hydroquinone and clobetasol propionate to lighten their skin. These main active agents are toxic and their presence in cosmetics is regulated or even banned in several countries. In our study, we determined the concentrations of these ingredients in many products used in West Africa and Canada. In addition, we also explored the effect of these products on the skin microbiome. Our results reveal that 68 to 84% of cream and 7.5 to 65% of soaps exceed the standards when considering mercury, hydroquinone and clobetasol propionate ban in lightening products and concentrations of the three compounds declared on labels of soaps and creams usually did not correspond to concentrations actually measured. According to Shannon diversity index, there seems to be more evenness, less dominance in group of African women with creams than in those without cream. Moreover, we have not found significant differences in the skin microbiome of the group with creams and the one without creams at the phylum and genus level. However, additional detailed studies with more sampling methods could reveal at finer scales (species, strains, etc.) the effect of these products on the human skin microbiome.

Keyphrases: microbiome, creams, soaps, skin, toxics, microbiome
Études de la réponse du métabolisme énergétique à la carence en fer dans les cultures cellulaires de Solanum tuberosum

Iron is an important micronutrient for plant growth and development. It participates as a cofactor for several enzymes and is important for processes such as photosynthesis and respiration. Often soil Fe is not bioavailable to the plant. Plants have developed strategies to solubilize the Fe in the soil to make it available and easy to assimilate. There are two strategies, the first is characteristic of dicotyledones and the second is characteristic of monocotyledones. The model used in these studies is a cell culture of Solanum tubersoum. A first part of the research involved the study of expression and activity of enzymes required in energy metabolism and the provision of precursors for DNA synthesis: Nucleoside dehydrogenase, Ribonucleotide reductase, Glucose 6-phohate dehydrogenase and 6-Phosphogluconate dehydrogenase.  In several organisms, Fe deficiency induces a loss of biomass which is often associated with a decrease in DNA synthesis. In S. tuberosum cell cultures, the results indicate that the loss of biomass observed in Fe deficiency is not linked to a change in the activity or relative expression of these enzymes. Indeed, no significant changes were detected between treatments (+/- Fe) for activity or relative expression. In another part of the research, we evaluated the activity of the metabolism pathways involved in strategy 1, which is used by S. tuberosum. This strategy consumes energetic metabolites: ATP to solubilize Fe and reducing power (NAD(P)H) to reduce the Fe3+ to Fe2+. Metabolic flux studies were done to investigate the alterations of carbon metabolism during Fe deficiency in S. tuberosum. These studies demonstrated that in Fe deficient cells, there is a decrease in the fluxes of some pathways of energy metabolism. Particularly, in the glycolytic flux and the anaplerotic flux of PEPC. Under Fe deficiency there would be a depression of metabolism in S. tuberosum which would allow the cell to slow its metabolism to maintain its vitality. In addition to the fluxes, the levels of pyridine nucleotides were measured since they serve to reduce Fe in the strategy 1. The results show an increase in the reduced forms of these metabolites during Fe deficiency. All results together point out that during Fe deficiency the metabolism decreases, allowing the cell to survive and adapt to the stress.

Keyphrases: Stress, Cell culture, Iron, Carbon metabolism, Energetic metabolism, Deficiency, Glycolytic flux, Anaplerotic flux
Le conflit de travail à l’usine d’Alma de Rio Tinto Alcan en 2012 : un déséquilibre du rapport de force entre un syndicat local et une entreprise multinationale?

This thesis analyzes the multilevel mobilisation of the Metallo’s local union 9490 in Alma during the lockout by multinational company Rio Tinto Alcan that took place during winter 2012.  During the collective bargaining process to renew the collective agreement, the Union is put on lockout.  Australo-british multinational company Rio Tinto had bought Canadian multinational company Alcan in the mid-2000 and wanted to score a return on its investment.  The local union affiliated with FTQ’s Métallos and the international union, the United Steelworkers, wanted to maintain its working conditions and keep the good jobs in the region.  The union put together an international strategic campaign to counter the enormous resources of the employer.  This thesis examines the impact of this international strategic campaign on the fight of a local union with its multinational employer and its impacts on labor relations.

Keyphrases: ressources syndicales, aptitudes syndicales, Métallos, Rio Tinto Alcan, Rio Tinto, strategic campaign, union, multinational company, union force, resources and capabilities, conflict
Reconfigurations de la chaîne de valeur de l’industrie aéronautique au Québec : mises à niveau des processus et des compétences des entreprises sous-traitantes

Comparative case study on the evolution of the greater Montreal’s aeronautic value chain. The object of inquiry is the development of organizational capabilities by outsourcing firms with the help of upgrades on their production systems. These upgrades are considered within a strategic framework in regard to the desired market position and as generating learning and training opportunities. A common learning process among these firms is drawn and shows knowledge conversion activities central to skills development. Analyses indicate that functional upgrades are to favor in order to widen organizational capabilities and the corresponding services offer of these firms to the point of reaching the level of integrator. The value chain paradigm and the resource-based and learning view from strategic management were put together forming a continuum to better assess the phenomenons.

Keyphrases: Organizational capabilities, Upgrade, Value chain, Strategy, Skills, Learning, Training, Knowledge conversion
Étude de l’effet d’interaction entre l’âge, le sexe, et les problèmes anxieux ou les comportements perturbateurs associés à la dépression, chez les adolescents de 12 à 15 ans

There is a lack of research on concurrent comorbidity between mental health problems and depression in youth aged 12-15 years based on adolescent-reports. The objective of this study is to assess the presence of this type of comorbidity and its variation across age and sex subgroups. Secondary analyses were conducted to examine the associations between four mental health problems (specific phobia (SPh), generalized anxiety (GAD), oppositional (ODD) and conduct disorders (CD) and depression, as well as interaction effects with age-groups (12-13 years; 14-15 years) and sex. Mental health problems were measured by the Dominic Interactive for Adolescents (DIA), a highly structured computerized self-report measure. Multivariate logistic regression models were built separately in clinical (n=141) and school (n=464) samples of French-speaking adolescents. There was a significant interaction effect in the clinical sample suggesting that girls were 3 times more likely to present comorbidity between SPh and depression compared to boys. Multivariate models revealed that for other patterns of comorbidity, there was no significant variation of comorbidity across age or sex subgroups. In both samples, global comorbidity was found for GAD, CD, or ODD and depression. Findings highlighted an important comorbidity between anxiety or disruptive problems and depression regardless of age and sex. Measuring the perception of these problems by adolescents aged 12-15 years using the DIA represents an original contribution. It suggests that clinical evaluation of comorbidity should take into account adolescent-reports.

Keyphrases: Adolescents, Comorbidity, Mental health problems, Depression
Associations prospectives entre l'environnement des repas en famille et le développement bio-psycho-social d'enfants d'âge scolaire

Background. Recent research suggests that family meals have a strong influence as a child-rearing environment variable, which could in turn be beneficial to adaptive functioning. Objective. To examine the influence of family meal environment at age 6 on later bio-psycho-social developmental outcomes at age 10. Methods. Participants are from a prospective longitudinal birth cohort of 1 085 girls and 1 138 boys from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD) with parent-reported data on family meal environment at age 6. We conducted a series of ordinary least-squares regressions in which children’s scores on parent reports of general fitness and soft drink consumption, teacher reports of reading and mathematics success, as well as child self-reports of physical aggression, opposition behavior, non-aggressive delinquency, and reactive aggression, were linearly regressed on early family meal environment. Results. A healthier family meal environment at age 6 predicted the following outcomes at age 10: increases in general fitness (β = 0.24; 95%confidence interval [CI], 0.12 to 0.36) and decreases in soft drink consumption (β = -0.43; 95% CI, -0.62 to -0.23), physical aggression (β = -0.38; 95% CI, -0.58 to -0.18), opposition behavior (β = -0.72; 95% CI, -1 to -0.4), non-aggressive delinquency (β = -0.33; 95% CI, -0.50 to -0.17), and reactive aggression (β = -0.70; 95% CI, -0.98 to -0.42). Surprisingly, family meal environment was not significantly related to school achievement. Conclusions. From a population-health perspective, family meals have a strong long-term influence on child development, with respect to health habits and social adjustment. Therefore, they could be potentially featured in an informative campaign on mental and physical health of young people.

Keyphrases: Family meals, Family environment, Parent-child relations, Child development, Longitudinal study