Multiple exchange rates and industrialization in Brazil, 1953-1961: macroeconomic miracle or mirage?

This dissertation revisits Brazil's experience with multiple exchange rates (MERs) between 1953 and 1961. Exchange controls such as MERs were common across the world during the early days of the Bretton Woods arrangement, despite the resistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which assumed they caused instability and balance of payments crises. Latin America’s use of exchange controls was widespread, with different exchange rates also adopted as instruments to stimulate import substitution industrialization (ISI). Brazil’s MER system was, however, a unique experiment, with all the country’s imports included in a regime of auctions of foreign exchange, resulting in a controlled depreciation process with different sectoral exchange rates. The experience had two phases, the first of which diverged from other cases in the region in lasting much longer, maintaining stable macroeconomic conditions, and avoiding IMF interventions. The second phase resulted in a decline of the system's macroeconomic effectiveness and its eventual collapse in 1961. This research investigates the peak and decline of Brazil’s MER systems by analyzing a new quantitative dataset that is further complemented by qualitative sources. The main thesis is that Brazil’s MER regime was a ‘successful’ experience during its first phase, with a singular design that supported the stabilization of macroeconomic conditions. Officials were ‘guiding the invisible hand’ of the market to help balance macroeconomic variables. The dissertation also shows that the MER system was not a protectionist instrument to stimulate import substitution in advanced sectors and did not generate distortions to sectoral industrial growth. It was, however, transformed during its second phase into a mechanism to subsidize private sector imports and increase the government’s direct participation in the industrial effort, which was an industrial deepening process with costly macroeconomic consequences

Pluralism in economics : from epistemology to hermeneutics

The objective of this paper is to bring elements from the philosophical movement ofhermeneutics and pragmatism to the discussion on methodology in economics, with aspecific concern on the theory of truth. Our aim is to present the concept of thehermeneutic space, developed by the philosopher Richard Rorty, as a rational justificationfor pluralism in economics. We consider the hermeneutic space an interesting conceptwhich should allow us to overcome the void left by the incapacity of epistemologicaltheories to explain the evolution of sciences. It defends the idea that our culture, values andways of interpreting things are what build the sciences, not any closed epistemologicalmethod. In this sense, pluralism is nothing more than letting the hermeneutic space work,without epistemological barriers, and understanding that this is desirable for the futuredevelopment of economics as a science. This approach differs from all othermethodological justifications for pluralism because it does not rely on any epistemologicalmethod, but assumes that the hermeneutic space can entirely fulfill the gap created by them

Handlungsmöglichkeiten von Sonderpädagoginnen und Sonderpädagogen in der Primarstufe im Bereich der Prävention gegen sexuellen Missbrauch von Schülerinnen und Schülern mit erhöhtem Förderbedarf

Die vorliegende Masterarbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Prävention von sexuellem Missbrauch von Kindern mit erhöhtem Förderbedarf. Dabei liegt der Fokus auf präventiven Methoden, die von österreichischen Sonderpädagoginnen und Sonderpädagogen in der Primarstufe angewendet werden, um Schülerinnen und Schüler mit erhöhtem Förderbedarf bestmöglich vor sexuellem Missbrauch zu schützen. Die Erkenntnisse dieser Forschungsarbeit stützen sich einerseits auf einen fundierten theoretischen Hintergrund und andererseits auf die praxisnahe Expertise von acht österreichischen Sonderpädagoginnen und Sonderpädagogen. Die zentralen Ergebnisse dieser Masterarbeit unterstreichen den Beitrag, welchen die Schule als Erziehungs- und Fürsorgeinstanz leisten muss, um Kinder mit erhöhtem Förderbedarf so weit wie möglich vor sexuellem Missbrauch zu schützen. Die Verankerung präventiver Methoden wird dabei als unerlässlich angesehen, um ein Umfeld zu schaffen, in welchem die Entwicklung, das Wohlbefinden und der Schutz der Schülerinnen und Schüler mit erhöhtem Förderbedarf im Vordergrund stehen. Zu diesen präventiven Methoden gehören unter anderem die Sensibilisierung sowie Aufklärung aller am Schulleben Beteiligten, die Stärkung der kindlichen Integrität und die Kooperation mit Erziehungsberechtigten sowie externen Fach- und Beratungsstellen.This master thesis deals with the prevention of sexual abuse of pupils with special needs. The focus is on preventive methods used by Austrian special education teachers in primary school in order to protect pupils with special needs as best as possible against sexual abuse. The findings of this research are based on a theoretical basic on the topic as well as on the practical expertise of eight Austrian special education teachers. The main results of this master thesis underline the contribution that a school has to make as educational and caregiving institution in order to protect children with special needs as much as possible from sexual abuse. The implementation of preventive methods is considered essential to create an environment where the development, well-being and protection of pupils with special needs take precedence. These preventive methods include raising awareness and educating all those involved in school life, strengthening children’s integrity and fostering collaboration with parents and external professionals

Education and development projects in Brazil (1932-2004): political economy perspective

This paper discusses the long-run history of education policies in Brazil. It is suggested that the main reason for the educational backwardness was the existence of strong political interests over education. It is also defended that these interests can be empirically observed in the allocation of public resources between the different levels of education, with political choices favouring specific groups in society. It was not a matter of lack of investment in education, but of inadequate allocation of resources. This pattern of political-based policies created a strong negative path dependence of misallocation of resources in education in Brazil, particularly with significant underinvestment in secondary education

Helicopter Hybridisation - The Key for Drastic Reductions of Fuel Burn and Emissions

With the objective to secure the future of the helicopter in times of strongly growing fuel prices, a hybrid drive system is proposed, consisting of Diesel engines, generators and electric engines, replacing turbines, gear boxes and the tail rotor drive train. Instead the electric-engines will drive the main and tail rotor and will thereby allow new degrees of freedom in design and operation. The hybridisation has become attractive by the appearance of advanced high torque, low weight electric motors, high power density batteries and new efficient Diesel engines. The advantages of such systems become visible mainly for missions with moderate TOW or over long distances, since here the beneficial effects of rpm reduction and lower fuel burn dominate