VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Hollywood "heroes": a critical approach to viewing teachers in film
Keywords: Teachers in motion pictures
Teaching

Many varied images of teachers have been portrayed in Hollywood films. Since I am a teacher, Hollywood portrayals of teachers intrigue me. This thesis will examine the way in which teachers are represented in two Hollywood films, John N. Smith's Dangerous Minds (1995) and John G. Avildsen's Lean On Me (1989). I explore the ways in which these films construct the teacher as hero through recent literature on teacher self-image, as well as work in cultural studies. I suggest that these Hollywood representations are problematic, particularly from the perspective of teachers-as-audience members. I argue that it is imperative that we do not accept these images at face value. Instead I propose that we develop critical strategies to view Hollywood films such as these in order to combat any stereotypes encoded in the images. In doing so, it is my hope that viewers are able to create their own meanings.
Towards a democratic news media and society: creating and navigating our information society for a sustainable future
Keywords: Democracy
Information resources
Mass media
Press
Media literacy
Journalism
Political participation
Social participation

This dissertation provides an up-to-date interdisciplinary analysis of the state of our global news media system (with particular emphasis on the Canadian/North American scene), the implications and possibilities of new information and communication technologies (ICTs), and a positive vision for a more democratic news media and society, while introducing new theoretical concepts and policy recommendations. The investigator utilized, and adapted, an illuminative evaluation (qualitative) approach in which a diversity of media professionals (primarily from alternative/progressive media) and communications scholars were interviewed for their opinions on the state of our news media, the impact of ICTs (primarily the Internet/World Wide Web), and their insight into how we can improve our old and new media culture for a sustainable and democratic future. These illuminations, derived from semi-structured interviews and augmented by response-based literature reviews and reflection, allowed the investigator to garner an in-depth, and fresh, analysis of the key developments, issues, challenges and opportunities facing our global information society as we begin the 21st Century. Among the various illuminations and proposed solutions contained in this study are two primary findings. The first finding, or illumination, involves the investigator's development of a new information model/media literacy tool, which the author calls the Information Quality Continuum (IQC), to serve as a conceptual instrument to help guide citizens, news media providers, communications scholars, educators and policy makers to create, navigate and shape a more democratic news media and society—a democratic “information society” that provides citizens with a wealth of what the researcher calls Vital Human Information (VHI), as opposed an undemocratic “information economy” that primarily provides consumers with a superfluous flood of Trivial Consumer Information (TCI). The researcher also operationally tests the IQC (via a quantitative Internet news archival search) to further clarify, and elaborate on, its theoretical and practical usefulness. The second major illumination involves a proposal for a new breed of public journalism, which the author calls “People's Journalism” (based on the Popular Education traditions of Paulo Freire and the principles of Participatory Research), that would serve to significantly democratize and improve our existing news media system. Taken together, these two illuminations, as well as other insights derived from this investigation, offer hope and prescriptions for achieving viable and democratically informed 21st century society.
Interculturalism as a tool for cross-cultural equity: education for indigenous communities in Chile and Argentina
Keywords: Education, Bilingual
Intercultural communication
Race relations
Discrimination in education
Indigenous peoples, Chile
Indigenous peoples, Argentina
Educational equalization, Argentina
Ethnic relations
Educational equalization, Chile

This thesis examines the influences of asymmetric cross-cultural relations, between indigenous communities and the dominant society, in the intercultural discourse in education in Argentina and Chile since the end of dictatorship rule in the 1980's. It analyzes changes in the legal framework and in official and grassroots programs for intercultural bilingual education, taking into consideration the role of indigenous communities and organizations, non-governmental organizations, Nation-State governments, international institutions, and regional/international trends in interculturalism. I argue that the intercultural discourse is influenced by these actors in different and sometimes contradictory ways that do not necessarily contribute to more equitable cross-cultural relations. However, there exist possibilities for strengthening democratic forms of interculturalism within this context, in which the role of the local communities is of particular importance. This study also engages in a conceptual discussion of the meaning of the generally ambiguous term "interculturalism," particularly in relation to formal education.
State consent, investor interests and the future of investment arbitration: reanalyzing the jurisdiction of investor-state tribunals in hard cases
Keywords: Investments, Foreign, Law and legislation
Arbitration and award
Consent (Law)
Capitalists and financiers, Legal status, laws, etc
Jurisdiction (International law)

While the international investment regime has enjoyed an extended period of enthusiastic subscription, this euphoria has begun to recede in some quarters. Although sovereign consent to waive immunity is at the heart of investor-State arbitration, many States feel that this consent has been illegitimately expanded. In this regard, this thesis examines the degree to which the interpretive approach taken to state consent to arbitration can affect whether an investment tribunal will assert jurisdiction over an investment dispute. Investor-State tribunals often confront 'hard cases' where their authority to decide a dispute is vigorously contested by respondent host states. This thesis examines the degree to which investment tribunals have an obligation to adopt a cautious, state-centered approach to the interpretation of state consent to arbitration in such cases. It then considers the different means available to States to further impose such an obligation on investment tribunals as a matter of international law.
Fer kinase is a ovel regulator of inflammatory signaling pathways
Keywords: Molecular biology
Medicine
Immunology

The inflammatory response is a fundamental host response to infection or injury. Intensive research examining the mechanism of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) has shown a delicate balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory responses is critical for the resolution of inflammation, and an overexuberant host inflammatory response may lead to the development of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and end organ damage.
Reading the pictorial world of the child: emerging literacies in child art
Keywords: Drawing ability in children
Art, Study and teaching (Primary)
Drawing, Study and teaching (Primary)
Drawing, Psychology of
Creative thinking in children

This thesis is an exploration of the emerging literacies in child art. The study was situated in my Grade 1/2 classroom in the inner city. The potential of reshaping current educational usages and practices of literacy through reading the pictorial representations of children was supported by the literature on literacy, multiple literacies, the arts, and art education. The hermeneutic phenomenological methods of Max van Manen (2001) provided the pedagogical and educational basis for this emergent research. Themes emerged through the use of classroom observations, artifacts, and the reflections of the researcher from journals and field notes. Experiencing the children's artwork shaped the manifestation of seven multiple literacies: spiritual, visual, poetic, aesthetic, gender, print, and story. Though drawing and writing research (Dyson, 1990, 1993; Barrs, 1986, 1988; Vygotsky, 1978, 1987) has examined the relationship between the symbolic forms of print and images, such interconnections focus frequently on the importance of language as an oral construct and as text. The thirty-six pieces of artwork used in this study were the prime focus. Interpretations implied that the images created by children could stand on their own as graphic forms of thought, giving depth to meaning-making and literacy acquisition. This research takes a different form from current multiple literacy research. Teachers are provided the text to read the world of the children through pictorial representations. Multiple ways of knowing and honouring the sociocultural identities of the students shapes the potential to transform learning. The multiple literacies uncovered through experiencing the images children create offer new dimensions in understanding and reshaping literacy development. This doctoral journey illuminated my understanding of the inner city children I teach. It allowed me to draw on my past knowledge, experience present understandings, and open the door to future possibilities. Crystallizing the significance of meaning-making, not only in the lives of the children we teach, but in our own inner landscapes, creates the prospect of energizing new beginnings in our quest for knowledge.
Co-operation and competition in the regulation of international equity markets: toward local and global welfare
Keywords: Stock exchanges, Law and legislation
Securities

International equity markets are increasingly but not perfectly integrated. Securities law, notably rules pertaining to the timely disclosure of information and the reduction of information asymmetry between firms and their shareholders, diverge across countries. It is believed this diversity of regulatory regimes is a cause of segmentation across equity markets. It remains to be seen how market participants are able to assess the value of different regulatory regimes in terms of risk and returns. Nevertheless, harmonisation of national regulatory regimes through active international co-operation is the main approach to curb this regulatory diversity and lead to market integration. On the other hand, some authors suggest regulatory competition between markets will eventually lead to a de facto harmonisation of law. This dissertation addresses the soundness regulatory co-operation and examines the perspective of convergence of regulatory regimes and financial systems as a result of the increasing integration of financial markets.
Psychological harassment among Ontario secondary school teachers
Keywords: Bullying in the workplace
High school teachers, Psychology
School principals
Teachers, Job stress
Psychological abuse
Harassment
Work, Psychological aspects

This qualitative study, using semi-structured interviews and an interview guide, examines the perceptions of six Ontario secondary school teachers who have experienced workplace psychological harassment, and identifies the characteristics and effects of this problem, the coping mechanisms employed, and victims' awareness and effectiveness of related policies and procedures. Using convenience sampling, volunteer participants consisted of Ontario secondary school teachers who had experienced psychological harassment by a superior and/or colleague within the past two years. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed according to the research questions' key variables. The results indicate psychological harassment is predatory and dispute-related, escalatory, and can include a single incident; affects victims psychologically, physiologically, and behaviourally; affects school operations, student development, and absenteeism; that third party intervention and exit are the most effective coping mechanisms to stop harassment, that victims are largely unaware of related policies and procedures, and that these are largely ineffective.
Impact of disclosure and corporate governance on the relevance of fair value gains and losses in the commercial banking industry
Keywords: Accounting
Banks and banking

This thesis investigates whether the quality of bank's fair value gains and losses (FVGL) as perceived by the market participants is a function of its risk management process for a sample of 180 U.S. commercial banks for the period 2003-2005. To capture the market's perception of the quality of FVGL, I use two complementary measures of market association--value relevance measured as the association between stock returns and FVGL based on the returns model and risk relevance measured as the variance contribution of FVGL to the volatility of unexpected stock returns based on the variance decomposition model (VD model). As bank's actual risk management process is unobservable to outsiders, I use disclosure relating to the risk management activities and corporate governance to measure the effectiveness of this process. The returns model-based tests suggest that the FVGL-returns association is significant only when conditioned on disclosure. In contrast, the VD model-based tests show that FVGL are significant unconditionally in explaining the volatility of unexpected returns. Both the FVGL-returns association and the relative variance contribution of FVGL to the volatility of unexpected returns are increasing in disclosure. The effect of corporate governance operates indirectly through the medium of disclosure. Further, I classify disclosure by type of risk and find that both the FVGL-returns association and the relative variance contribution of FVGL increase with the level of disclosure related to interest rate risk, credit risk and derivatives risk for banks that are exposed to these risks. Overall, the results suggest that disclosure aids market participants directly, whereas corporate governance aids market participants indirectly (via disclosure) in evaluating the fair value estimates.
The Black/Jamaican Criminal: The Making of Ideology
Keywords: Racism in the press, Ontario
Race discrimination, Ontario
Crime and race, Press coverage
Crime and race, Ontario
Jamaicans, Press coverage
Jamaicans, Ontario
Blacks, Press coverage
Blacks, Ontario

This thesis examines the process of racialization and criminalization of Black/Jamaicans by one of Toronto's leading daily newspapers; The Toronto Sun (herein called "The Sun." The framework for this study is based on two related aspects to the theory of anti-Black racism: (1) That anti-Black racism is a particular form of systemic and structural racism in Canadian society, which historically and contemporarily has been perpetrated against Blacks. Anti-Black racism has meaning and saliency in the perpetuation of dominant and hegemonic systems of whiteness and the marginalization and banishment of Black/Jamaicans from Canadian society; and (2) That the naming of anti-Black racism is a form of resistance against dominant and hegemonic systems of Whiteness and the building of agency and social transformation against racism and other forms of oppression. The research methodology applies a hybrid of textual analysis to news reports produced by The Sun during 1993 and 1994 to 30 and 236 articles respectively, on Black/Jamaicans involved in crime. The study shows the ways in which (a) the language and discourse selected in these news reports reproduced existing stereotypes and racist ideologies about Blacks and crime. (b) the examination of The Sun's reports revealed the way in which media discourses related to Jamaica, immigration and race promulgates racial ideologies in which Black/Jamaicans are othered. (c) The consequences of othering of Black/Jamaicans is social exclusion or marginalization within Canadian society and banishment by way of deportation, more often than not, to Jamaica. Finally, the study recommends changes in the reporting and depiction of Black/Jamaicans as criminal by The Sun and other media outlets. The study also calls for the building of a unified Black community together with its allies to take resistive actions against this ideology of the Black/Jamaican criminal and against anti-Black racism.
Environmental taxes and global warming
Keywords: Pollution, Taxation
Global warming

Environmental taxation is a market based mechanism which could be used to reduce pollutants including those that affect the global environment. The focus of this thesis is on the use of environmental taxes to address global warming, especially through energy and carbon taxes. For years governments have been using command and control mechanisms to reduce polluting emissions in production, with no real effectiveness. Energy and carbon taxes are an alternative policy instrument. Through its implementation, polluting could become a cost for producers, creating incentives to reduce emission, develop and implement environmentally friendly technology. This implementation will also create a shift or reallocation of the costs created by pollution. This thesis will try to explain how environmental taxes would be useful to approach global warming. It also discusses several issues which must be taken into consideration when implementing and designing this mechanism, giving consideration to several options and approaches.
Graduate students' training and knowledge in childhood sexual abuse
Keywords: Adult child abuse victims, Counseling of
Adult child abuse victims, Ontario
Counselors, Education (Graduate)
Counselors, Ontario
False memory syndrome

This study assessed the current training and knowledge of graduate student counsellors about childhood sexual abuse. Participants were 32 graduate students from OISE/UT and York University. Twenty-six females, five males and one undeclared filled out a questionnaire during April to August 2006. Although the average hours of instruction received from graduate schools about childhood sexual abuse was four hours, ten participants did not receive any training at all. Two-thirds of the sample had not sought training outside graduate school. While most participants thought that childhood sexual abuse is a prevalent problem that resulted in impaired adult functioning, two-thirds of the sample did not feel prepared by graduate schools to treat clients with abuse histories. This researcher concluded that graduate students are still being poorly prepared by graduate schools. Direct implications/applications of this research point to possible changes in the curriculum regarding students' training and knowledge of childhood sexual abuse.
Revelation, knowledge, and ethics: A working theory for Jewish education
Keywords: Jewish religious education, Philosophy
Jewish ethics, Study and teaching
Revelation, Judaism
Education, Aims and objectives

The aim of this thesis is to describe a working theory for Jewish education that explores the relationship between Jewish epistemology and ethics. This involves a philosophical examination of the concept of revelation in order to explicate the epistemological and ethical structures implicit in this concept. Particular reference is made to Emmanuel Levinas' understanding of the concept of revelation as it relates to an ethical relationship with the other. Lawrence Kohlberg's formalist method and cognitive, stage-based theory of moral development is used comparatively to help elucidate and differentiate specifically Jewish structures of epistemological and moral development. Biblical and rabbinic sources explored at all stages of the theory: to identify a Jewish mode of philosophical reasoning; to clarify the purpose of Jewish education as ethics; to explicate how the structures of revelation operate through halakhah; and as an allegory for a stage-based model of Jewish moral development.
The sign language skills of hearing mothers and their relationship to the sign language skills of deaf adolescents
Keywords: Sign language
Parents of deaf children, Language
Mothers, Language
Deaf children, Language
Deaf children, Means of communication

As part of a longitudinal study of deaf students in Ontario, the sign language skills of 25 hearing mothers of deaf adolescents were assessed using a modified version of the Sign Communication Proficiency Interview developed by Newell, Caccamise, Boardman and Holcomb (1983). Features of English-based sign systems such as English vocabulary (initialization), English sign markers, pronouns and English word order were predominant while a few mothers incorporated some features of ASL in their signing such as negation, the use of space, facial grammar, and occasional use of ASL vocabulary. On a scale ranging from ‘Novice’ to ‘Superior’, the mothers' scores ranged from ‘Novice’ to ‘Intermediate’ with an average score of ‘Survival’. The majority of the mothers had been signing since their deaf teen was in preschool. Further analysis revealed no relation between the mothers' sign skills and the sign skills of their deaf teens.
Learning english and learning to teach english: the case of two teachers of english in Pakistan
Keywords: English language, Study and teaching
English language, Pakistan
English teachers, Pakistan
Teaching

In this study, I have examined how Fatima and Khulood, two experienced secondary school teachers of English in Pakistan, develop their classroom practices in two diverse educational settings: Fatima in a private English-medium school and Khulood in a government Urdu-medium school. In particular, the study examined two interrelated forms of learning: (a) learning English, both in a formal classroom setting and in an informal setting; and (b) learning to teach English by attending formal workshops and courses and by making self-initiated efforts to improve their practices on the job. The study not only depicts and discusses Fatima's and Khulood's current teaching practices through four teaching lessons but also takes a broader perspective on the development of their classroom practices over their careers. This study employed narrative inquiry which places importance on the teachers' subjective understanding, presenting their experiences, as they themselves understand them. Through the two teachers' stories, the study provides a detailed analysis of the way English is learned and taught as a second and a foreign language in Pakistan. Two themes emerged from the analysis of Fatima's and Khulood's development of classroom practices: (a) continuity and change, and (b) change and continuity. The first theme, continuity and change, traces the various ways in which Fatima and Khulood follow the continuity of their teaching tradition and at the same time initiate minor changes in their teaching development. The second theme, change and continuity, focuses on the ways they bring about such changes within that continuity. It describes what they learned to do on their own while teaching and how they developed their practices over time on the job. The study demonstrates how teacher development is both a biographical and an experiential process. Teachers develop and understand their classroom practices by: (a) recalling and reconstructing memories of how they learned English and how others taught English; and (b) engaging in, reflecting on, adapting, and adding to their day-to-day practices. This inquiry is significant because it offers a more in depth portrayal of how teachers of English in two different contexts in Pakistan understand the development of their classroom practices.