Human autonomy effectiveness and development projects

Development is about people’s lives and their opportunities to use and enlarge their desirable human potentials. This article aims to switch the focus in design, implementation and evaluation of projects, from only an abstracted conception of ‘the project’ and the goods which it is meant to deliver, to a relevant conception of people as agents of change. Participation in a project leads to empowerment when people are self-motivated and involved in valued processes that achieve outcomes valued by them. The article proposes a ‘human autonomy effectiveness’ (HAE) criterion relevant for sustainable human development, that is built on a (relational) conception of autonomy and is relevant throughout the project cycle. Second, it develops an analytical approach to assess a project’s influences on human autonomy, by reference to changes in the determinants (agency powers, access to resources, and structural contexts) and to relevant decision-making during the project, and suggests how to operationalise this in the form of a practical assessment matrix

Exploring human autonomy effectiveness: Project logic and its effects on individual autonomy

We have proposed elsewhere an alternative analytical framework for project evaluation and a criterion of ‘human autonomy effectiveness’ to examine the effects of aid projects on the lives, opportunities and capacities of participants (Muñiz Castillo & Gasper, 2009). A project is human-autonomy effective when it promotes an expansion of individual autonomy that allows people to support and sustain their own development, in a way that does not constrain other priority capabilities. In this paper, we explore how four aid projects influenced the autonomy of local participants, by examining their project logic. We elicit key assumptions behind the projects’ design and implementation; identify significant project practices (forms of interaction and practical strategies); and analyse the practices’ possible influence on the participants’ autonomy. The paper shows that we need to understand the project logic in a deeper way than through the conventional ‘logical framework’ approach. Power relations between project stakeholders are crucial elements of the actual practices that influence the access to resources as result of the projects. Moreover, practices such as top-down design or excessive conditionality could harm participants’ autonomy despite being supportive to other goals, and thus have negative longer-run significance. When project practices constrain the opportunities and perceived competence of individuals to help themselves, the ‘development’ or change promoted by those projects is not sustainable (Ellerman, 2006)

TICs e a sua utilização na disciplina de educação física no ensino primário

Resumen: Introducción: En los últimos años se ha visto cómo se ha pasado de una enseñanza más tradicional al empleo de las tecnologías en prácticamente todos los ámbitos. El área de Educación Física es una de las disciplinas que menos ha evolucionado. Objetivos: Reflejar el área de educación física y la Cultura Digital en Andalucía, cómo han evolucionado las clases de E.F. de primaria en la legislación a nivel nacional y los recursos de los que disponen los centros escolares a nivel autonómico (Andalucía). Métodos: Se ha utilizado como herramienta para recoger información la encuesta. Resultados y discusión: Se ha comparado los datos obtenidos de las encuestas realizadas a 14 profesores. Conclusiones: Pese a que se suele tener la idea de que los profesores más jóvenes usan más la tecnología, los resultados muestran lo contrario.Abstract: Introduction Recent years have seen a shift from more traditional education to the use of technology in virtually all areas. The area of Physical Education is one of the disciplines that has evolved the least. Aim: To reflect the area of physical education and digital culture in Andalusia, how primary education classes have evolved in legislation at a national level and the resources available to schools at an autonomous level (Andalusia). Methods: The survey has been used as a tool to collect information Results & discussion: The data obtained from surveys of 14 teachers have been compared. Conclusions: Although it is often thought that younger teachers use technology more, the results show the opposite.Resumo: Introdução: Nos últimos anos assistiu-se a uma mudança da educação mais tradicional para a utilização da tecnologia em praticamente todas as áreas. A área da Educação Física é uma das disciplinas que menos evoluiu. Objectivos: Para reflectir a área da educação física e da cultura digital na Andaluzia, a forma como as aulas de educação física na escola primária evoluíram na legislação a nível nacional e os recursos disponíveis para as escolas a nível regional (Andaluzia). Métodos: O inquérito tem sido utilizado como instrumento de recolha de informação Resultados e discussão: Foram comparados os dados obtidos a partir de inquéritos realizados junto de 14 professores. Conclusões: Embora se pense frequentemente que os professores mais jovens utilizam mais a tecnologia, os resultados mostram o oposto

Thick brane in 7D and 8D spacetimes

We consider a thick brane model supported by two interacting scalar fields in 7D and 8D general relativity. Using the special type of a potential energy, we obtain numerically the regular asymptotically flat vacuum solutions. A possibility of obtaining the similar solutions for an arbitrary number of the extra spatial dimensions is estimated.Comment: 3 Ref's are adde

Observational constraints on Horava-Lifshitz cosmology

We use observational data from Type Ia Supernovae (SNIa), Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO), and Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), along with requirements of Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN), to constrain the cosmological scenarios governed by Horava-Lifshitz gravity. We consider both the detailed and non-detailed balance versions of the gravitational sector, and we include the matter and radiation sectors. We conclude that the detailed-balance scenario cannot be ruled out from the observational point of view, however the corresponding likelihood contours impose tight constraints on the involved parameters. The scenario beyond detailed balance is compatible with observational data, and we present the corresponding stringent constraints and contour-plots of the parameters. Although this analysis indicates that Horava-Lifshitz cosmology can be compatible with observations, it does not enlighten the discussion about its possible conceptual and theoretical problems.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures, version published in JCA

Plasma Wakefield Acceleration with a Modulated Proton Bunch

The plasma wakefield amplitudes which could be achieved via the modulation of a long proton bunch are investigated. We find that in the limit of long bunches compared to the plasma wavelength, the strength of the accelerating fields is directly proportional to the number of particles in the drive bunch and inversely proportional to the square of the transverse bunch size. The scaling laws were tested and verified in detailed simulations using parameters of existing proton accelerators, and large electric fields were achieved, reaching 1 GV/m for LHC bunches. Energy gains for test electrons beyond 6 TeV were found in this case.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

The energy dependence of ptp_t angular correlations inferred from mean-ptp_{t} fluctuation scale dependence in heavy ion collisions at the SPS and RHIC

We present the first study of the energy dependence of $p_t$ angular correlations inferred from event-wise mean transverse momentum fluctuations in heavy ion collisions. We compare our large-acceptance measurements at CM energies $\sqrt{s_{NN}} =$ 19.6, 62.4, 130 and 200 GeV to SPS measurements at 12.3 and 17.3 GeV. $p_t$ angular correlation structure suggests that the principal source of $p_t$ correlations and fluctuations is minijets (minimum-bias parton fragments). We observe a dramatic increase in correlations and fluctuations from SPS to RHIC energies, increasing linearly with $\ln \sqrt{s_{NN}}$ from the onset of observable jet-related fluctuations near 10 GeV.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Azimuthal anisotropy and correlations in p+p, d+Au and Au+Au collisions at 200 GeV

We present the first measurement of directed flow ($v_1$) at RHIC. $v_1$ is found to be consistent with zero at pseudorapidities $\eta$ from -1.2 to 1.2, then rises to the level of a couple of percent over the range $2.4 < |\eta| < 4$. The latter observation is similar to data from NA49 if the SPS rapidities are shifted by the difference in beam rapidity between RHIC and SPS. Back-to-back jets emitted out-of-plane are found to be suppressed more if compared to those emitted in-plane, which is consistent with {\it jet quenching}. Using the scalar product method, we systematically compared azimuthal correlations from p+p, d+Au and Au+Au collisions. Flow and non-flow from these three different collision systems are discussed.Comment: Quark Matter 2004 proceeding, 4 pages, 3 figure

Azimuthal anisotropy: the higher harmonics

We report the first observations of the fourth harmonic (v_4) in the azimuthal distribution of particles at RHIC. The measurement was done taking advantage of the large elliptic flow generated at RHIC. The integrated v_4 is about a factor of 10 smaller than v_2. For the sixth (v_6) and eighth (v_8) harmonics upper limits on the magnitudes are reported.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, contribution to the Quark Matter 2004 proceeding