7,873 research outputs found
Political power and the development of the GB renewable heat incentive
No full textThis is the final version of the paper. Available from BIEE via the link in this record.A transformation of the UK’s heat system is required to ensure that the goals of sustainable and
secure energy are met. This transformation could require a complete shift away from fossil fuels
to primarily renewable sources of heat. Like in any transformation, social and political power is
likely to be an important factor. This paper documents research which has focussed on the sociopolitical
power of actors to affect policy and regulation in the area of UK sustainable heat policy. It
draws on theory from the sociological literature around socio-political power and literature
around lobbying to examine the GB renewable heat incentive policy. It shows that while there
have been numerous attempts to influence GB heat policy, these attempts are limited in their
success and unpicking the role actors versus evidence is extremely difficult. The research also
shows the methodological complexity of examining political influencing
Reformulating the rj-McMC Algorithm for 3D Inversion of Passive Seismic Data for Near-Surface Characterization
No full textGeophysical subsurface characterization techniques could, due to their non-invasive nature, play a crucial role in the design and subsequent construction of infrastructure in urban & industrial environ- ments. Geo-data specialist company Fugro sees potential in upgrading their current ambient-seismic- noise-tomography workflow, to make use of state-of-the-art inversion schemes with the main goal of increasing the quality and accuracy of the initial-site characterization delivered to clients. In this thesis I explore the feasibility of utilizing the reverse-jump Markov chain Monte Carlo (rj-McMC) algorithm for the inversion of ambient seismic noise for characterization in urban & industrial environments. Specif- ically, testing the potential of scaling down this inversion algorithm to fit in a small scale, near-surface framework. To achieve this, I first carried out analyses to evaluate the appropriate Rayleigh wave frequency range, after which realistic noise hyperparameters, suited for this reduced scale problem, were obtained. Because of the potential exploitation of in-situ borehole measurements, I reformulated the Bayesian prior within the rj-McMC algorithm to implement these constraining shear wave velocity values appropriately. I conducted extensive synthetic experiments to gain insight into the behavior of this adapted algorithm, from which it was concluded that the inherent dynamic discretization partially prevents these constraints from being implemented to their full extent. Nevertheless, promising results lead me to conclude that the use of the rj-McMC algorithm for application in near-surface urban & industrial environments is feasible.Applied Geophysics | IDEA Leagu
Standard Voting Power Indices Work: An Experimental Investigation of Pure Voting Power
No full textWe evaluate the accuracy of power indices by experimentally measuring the political power embodied in blocks of votes per se. The experiment incorporates several subjects interacting in online chat rooms under supervision. Chat rooms and processes for selecting subjects reduce or eliminate extraneous political forces leaving logrolling as the primary political force. Results show that two standard power indices reflect voting power while other power indices and proportionality do not.Voting, Power Index, P Power, Shapley-Shubik, Banzhaf, Johnston, Burgin, Experiment.
As lutas dos trabalhadores da educação: do novo sindicalismo à ruptura com a CUT
No full textEste trabalho tem como objeto as lutas dos trabalhadores da educação, organizados no Sindicato Estadual dos Profissionais da Educação do Rio de Janeiro (SEPE-RJ) e no Sindicato Nacional dos Docentes do Ensino Superior (ANDES-SN), no período compreendido entre a eclosão do Novo Sindicalismo e meados da década de 2000, quando ocorreu a desfiliação dessas entidades da Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT). O processo histórico de constituição dos trabalhadores da educação como uma nova força política é analisado a partir dos embates travados entre esses atores sociais e o Estado nos momentos de radicalização da luta de classes, as greves. Também são abordadas as transformações no processo de trabalho docente, durante o mesmo períodoThis research discusses the fight for better working conditions in which teachers and other education related professionals, who are organized in labour unions (SEPE- RJ and ANDES-SN) have been being engaged since the beginning of a movement called Novo Sindicalismo until the mid of the 2000’s decade, when those unions were separated from CUT (a central labour union). The struggle between organized education professionals and the Government during strikes is the starting point to analyze the arising of a new political power. The changes in the teaching process during the same period is also studied400 f
Clowns, Fools, and Killers: An Exploration of Horror, Comedy, and Madness Through the Roles of Murderer 2 and Sir Richard Ratcliffe in William Shakespeare\u27s Richard III
No full textThis document is a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Arts with a Concentration in Musical Theatre. It is a detailed account of author RJ Magee’s artistic and scholarly process in creating the roles of Murderer 2 and Sir Richard Ratcliffe in William Shakespeare’s Richard III. The production was performed as part of Minnesota State University, Mankato’s mainstage season in October of 2022. In five chapters, this thesis chronicles the actor’s process: a preproduction analysis, a historical and critical perspective, a rehearsal and performance journal, a post-production analysis, and a process development analysis. Appendices and works cited are included
Young men in RJ-settings: An offstage performance
No full textEmpirical, qualitative studies in Danish and Norwegian RJ-sessions show, that young men (offenders and victims) are characterised by passive acquiescence, by not expressing opinions, by getting out of their ‘turn to talk’ as quickly as possible and by silence. The way this type of ‘non-acting’ has been understood is that youth are subject to adult conceptions and interpretations of the mediation situation, and that the youth have not yet developed empathy and moral reasoning. In other words the young men are seen as taking a kind of ‘underdog’ position in the RJ-settings.The interpretation of the “non-attitude” is changing, when applying Goffman’s notion of people performing a preferred identity, rather than an inherent or fixed self. That means that the words and actions of the participants in the mediation sessions are largely considered to be embedded in the context. In combination with Foucault and the neo-liberal conception of power as productive - meaning that power does not only repress and limit but shapes and forms the subject - the youngsters´ “non-attitude” could be seen as a resignation or refusal of being dictated by the meeting´s RJ-script. Such a script expects self-reflection and articulation of personal feelings, which does not correspond to traditional ideals of masculinity as strength, authority and control. From this point of view the young men are not trying to fit in, but actually the opposite: to make a revolt by not entering the “scene” - doing an “offstage” performance. This issue is especially relevant because of the fact that young men are often part of a RJ-setting. <br/
Strategic power indices: Quarrelling in coalitions
No full textWhile they use the language of game theory known measures of a priory voting power are hardly more than statistical expectations assuming voters behave randomly. Focusing on normalised indices we show that rational players would behave differently from the indices predictions and propose a model that captures such strategic behaviour.Banzhaf index, Shapley-Shubik index, a priori voting power, rational players
Embodied Dialogic Love: How Restorative Justice Facilitators Perceive Power and Offer Meaningful Disruptions
No full textThesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2025As Restorative Justice (RJ) programs emerge throughout the U.S. as alternatives to the Western adjudication system, I examine an understudied yet impactful element of RJ: facilitators. RJ itself is a framework rooted in Indigenous worldviews to reveal intersectionality in our relationships especially after a harm has occurred in order to restore harmony and pursue justice in the community. Nevertheless, when situated within or in partnership with the domination systems of the U.S. that intersectionally oppress such as the criminal-legal system, significant tensions emerge. RJ facilitators are a locus of sociopolitical and institutional frames whose positionality and role are not only a unique, understudied perspective from which to critically examine the relationship between RJ programs and state institutions but also can interrupt historically oppressive power dynamics. This dissertation examines how RJ facilitators navigate the complexities of power, identity, and institutions to create dialoguing environments focused on self-determined healing. Through in-depth interviews with 23 RJ facilitators across the U.S., I investigated how facilitators conceptualized themselves and RJ in relation to power. From the data and through women of color feminist and grounded theory analysis, a grounded framework emerged to conceptualize the localized practices and perceptions of RJ facilitators: Embodied Dialogic Love (EDL). This framework provided an understanding of how facilitators engage with their own identities and situate themselves in relation to power through RJ processes and programs. Ultimately, I argue that Embodied Dialogic Love is a reflexive and communicative framework practiced by restorative justice facilitators that guides how they create meaningful disruptions to craft healing environments while navigating complex tensions they face when addressing systems of power. Facilitators adopting an EDL framework demonstrated an orientation to care for others and centralized the needs of the parties, meaning facilitators also held a heightened awareness, understanding, and curiosity for their own embodied social identities and the ways in which their social location and historic institutional power and relationships impacted their work. Facilitators communicated embodied love by co-creating a dialogic environment where they sought to empower parties to pursue healing while also interrupting institutional power and navigating tensions. By conceptualizing RJ and RJ facilitator practices and perceptions through EDL, this project contributes to larger discourses on social change (particularly in restorative justice), the future of RJ and its relationship to state institutions, and how facilitators operate as powerful players who interrupt power, co-create dialoguing spaces, and foster collective empowerment for self-determined healing
Strategic power indices: Quarrelling in coalitions
No full textWhile they use the language of game theory known measures of a priory voting power are hardly more than statistical expectations assuming voters behave randomly. Focusing on normalised indices we show that rational players would behave differently from the in-dices predictions and propose a model that captures such strategic behaviour.Banzhaf index, Shapley-Shubik index, a priori voting power, rational players
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Estimates of entrainment mortality for striped bass and other fish species inhabiting the Hudson River estuary
No full textAmerican Fisheries Society Monographs #4An empirically derived age-, time-, and space-variant equation was used to estimateentrainment mortality at power plants for seven fish species inhabiting the Hudson River estuary.Entrainment mortality is expressed as a conditional rate, which is the fractional reduction in yearclassstrength due to entrainment if other sources of mortality are density-independent.Estimates of the conditional entrainment mortality, based on historical and projected oncethroughcooling operation of five power plants, were 11-22% for striped bass, 11-17% for whiteperch, 5-7% for Atlantic tomcod, 14-21% for American shad, 4-11% for river herring (alewife andblueback herring combined), and 35-79% for bay anchovy. Closed-cycle cooling (natural-draftcooling towers) at three of the power plants (Indian Point, Bowline Point, and Roseton) wouldreduce entrainment mortality of striped bass by 50-80%, of white perch by 75-80%, of Atlantictomcod by 75-70%, of American shad by 80%, or river herring by 30-90%, and of bay anchovy by45-80%. The life stages most vulnerable to entrainment mortality were post-yolk-sac larva andentrainable-size juvenile
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