I examine whether policies that specifically target gender inequality improve the well-being of women and girls. In the first paper I study the impact of Ethiopia’s gendered land certification programs on household consumption patterns and infant and under-five mortality. After years of communism during which all land was nationalized, in 1998, Ethiopia embarked on a land tenure reform program. The reform began in Tigray region where land certificates were issued to household heads, who were largely male. In a second phase carried out during 2003-2005, three other regions, Amhara, Oromia, and SNNP, issued land certificates jointly to household heads and spouses, presenting variation in land tenure security by gender. I leverage this variation in land certification across regions and over time, to study whether inclusion of women yielded different effects. Using data from the Ethiopia Demographic and Household Surveys and longitudinal data from the Ethiopia Rural Household Survey I construct a treatment group of male-headed households in joint land certification regions and a comparison group of male-headed households in Tigray and study changes between the two groups after implementation of their respective land certification programs. I find that, compared to household-head land certification, joint certification was accompanied by increased household consumption of food, health care, women’s clothing, and girls’ clothing, and a decrease in girls’ infant and under-five mortality. These effects are largely restricted to households with illiterate mothers indicating that inclusion of women in land tenure reform empowered previously disempowered women who then used their improved position to allocate more household resources to their daughters. In the second paper, I examine the relationship between women's land ownership and participation in transactional sex, multiple sexual partnerships and unprotected sex, and HIV infection status. Using a sample of 5,511 women working in the agricultural sector from the 1998, 2003 and 2008–09 Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys, I find that women's land ownership is associated with fewer sexual partners in the past year and lower likelihood of engaging in transactional sex, indicators of reduced survival sex, but is not associated with unprotected sex with casual partners, indicating no difference in safer sex negotiation. Land ownership is also associated with reduced HIV infection among women most likely to engage in survival sex, i.e., women not under the household headship of a husband, but not among women living in husband-headed households, for whom increased negotiation for safer sex would be more relevant. The third paper examines the prevalence of son preference in families of East and South Asian origin living in the United States by investigating parental time investments in children using American Time Use Surveys. The results show that East and South Asian mothers spend more total time and more quality time with their young (aged 0-5 years) sons than with young daughters while fathers’ time with young children is gender neutral. I find gender specialization in time with children aged 6-17 with fathers spending more time with sons and mothers spending more time with daughters. These findings document health and social consequences of gender inequities within households. The findings also highlight that gender-sensitive policies have the potential to transform intrahousehold dynamics and help realize gender equality policy objectives.

Tung Yan Wah. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-87). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 摘要 --- p.ii / Acknowledgement --- p.iii / Table of Contents --- p.iv / List of Tables --- p.v / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- History of education financing --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2 --- Fiscal system and the financing of rural education --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3 --- Purpose of this study --- p.8 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Literature Review --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1 --- Problems and issues --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2 --- Disparity in education provision --- p.14 / Chapter 2.3 --- Factors explaining variations in education expenditure: regression analysis --- p.19 / Chapter 2.4 --- Financing arrangement --- p.21 / Chapter 2.5 --- Concluding remarks --- p.26 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- Methodology --- p.28 / Chapter 3.1 --- Estimation of degree of provision --- p.28 / Chapter 3.2 --- Regression analysis --- p.35 / Chapter 3.3 --- Education transfer mechanism --- p.39 / Chapter 3.4 --- Concluding remarks --- p.42 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Results and Discussion --- p.43 / Chapter 4.1 --- Degree of provision --- p.43 / Chapter 4.2 --- Regression results --- p.47 / Chapter 4.3 --- Education transfer mechanism --- p.49 / Chapter 4.4 --- Concluding remarks --- p.53 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Conclusion --- p.55 / Appendix 1 Box 1 --- p.59 / Appendix 2 Tables --- p.60 / References --- p.83

Key Words: Formal Institution, Organizational Informal Institution, Institutionalisation of Public Administration, Chinese Land Administration, New Institutionalism / The conclusions of this dissertation are as follows. The institutionalization of public administration in China have not achieved an ideal level no matter examining from the formulation of institution, the recognition and implementation of institution or the performance of administration and the penalty of the anti-institutional behavior. The main reason lead to this situation is that the local administration actors will develop informal institutions (rules) for the sake of protecting their own interests or accomplishing the task from above during administration and policy implementation under current institutional settings. These organizational informal institutions (rules) influence the implementation of formal institution and lead to the low performance and low institutionalization of public administration in the whole while they help to achieve local interests and temporary administration objects. / The existing researches always take the low institutionalization and low performance of Chinese governance as the function of such factors as rationalization of Weberian bureaucracy, structure and function of governance, political system, and so on. And raise hypotheses on Chinese governance form basing on the above knowledge. This dissertation will interpret the operation of local public administration from "organizational informal institutions", and supply a new interpretative perspective other than the current studies for the institutionalization, performance and their causes on Chinese public administration. / The new institutionalism literature considers the informal institutions as spontaneous, scattered, and unwritten ones and supposes their effects were just one-fold and one-shot. The findings of this article show that the popular, isomorphic informal rules in Chinese local administration are organizational even written ones. Theft effects upon formal institutions are not just one-fold and one-shot but complex and variable. These findings give some amendment or complement to the new institutionalism on the role of the informal institutions. / The questions to be interpreted in this dissertation are as follows: How is the status in quo of the institutionalization and performance of Chinese public administration at the local level under reform? Why in some field the formal law and institution often haven't been implemented fully? What are the factors affecting the institutionalization and performance of Chinese public administration? What roles do the formal and informal institutions play? Why do the organizational informal rules exist in Chinese public administration popularly? This dissertation will supply a new evaluation and analysis of the institutionalization and performance of Chinese local governments through a case study on local administration. / This dissertation also discusses systematically the factors lead to the informal institutions from the interest structure, property right, and integrated institutional arrangement and analyses the social effects of the organizational informal institutions. It has also summarized theoretically and systematically the informal institutions (rules) lying in Chinese local land administration for the first time and given a deep interpretation on the bad performance of the macro- regulation and control of real estate market. The approaches to reform land administration and improve the regulation of real estate market in China have also been discussed. / 謝志巋. / Adviser: Tsao King Kwun. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 73-01, Section: A, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 297-309). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / Xie Zhikui.

"September 2004." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 222-231) / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

In this study, we explore the reason why Ming people did not use sea transportation to solve the problem of supplying Beijing from the perspectives of political history and intellectual history. Chapter 2 and chapter 3 reconstruct the decision-making processes in sea transportation. Chapter 4 analyses state and local political factors which influenced the result of decision-making. Chapter 6 discusses the spread and evolution of sea transportation knowledge in the intellectual sphere. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) / Sea transportation in this study refers to a specific form of maritime activity---grain transportation by sea. Sea transportation in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) was conducted in the years before the Grand Canal became the major route of grain transportation. Although retrospectively it was only a transitional means of grain transportation in the dynasty, it was often proposed to be an alternative to canal transportation when the Grand Canal was malfunctioning. Because of what was involved in the grain supply of the imperial capital, sea transportation never ceased to be an issue in the political history of the Ming. / 樊鏵. / 呈交日期: 2006年9月. / 論文(哲學博士)--香港中文大學, 2007. / 參考文獻(p. 339-359). / Cheng jiao ri qi: 2006 nian 9 yue. / Adviser: Hung-lam Chu. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-08, Section: A, page: 3545. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / School code: 1307. / Lun wen (zhe xue bo shi)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue, 2007. / Can kao wen xian (p. 339-359). / Fan Hua.

本研究探討深思的可能性模型（Elaboration Likelihood Model）在設計推廣使用營養標籤的廣告中的適用性。香港的一所中學的169位學生參與了一個2 x 2 x 3（健康意識：高vs. 低 x 論據：數據 vs. 經驗 x 代言人：專家vs. 名人 vs. 普通人）的實驗。 部分假設得到支持。 健康意識的主效果明顯。 具有較高健康意識的青少年更易被廣告說服。 健康意識和代言人具有交叉效應。對於健康意識較高的人來說，營養師更有說服力， 而對於健康意識較低的人來說，名人更有影響力。論據和代言人的搭配影響了資訊的處理路徑。如果以數據為主的論據是由普通人提供的，則更易推動青少年使用營養標籤。而如果以個人經驗為主的論據是由名人提供的，則更有效。統計結果將在深思的可能性模型下得以展開討論。 本文還會對開展針對青少年的公共健康傳播運動提出建議。 / This study tested the utility of the Elaboration Likelihood Model in creating effective Public Service Announcements (PSAs) of nutrition label use. Students (N=169) from a secondary school in Hong Kong participated in a 2x2x3 (Health consciousness: High vs. Low x Argument: Informational vs. Testimonial x Source: Expert vs. Celebrity vs. Ordinary Person) factorial design experiment. Hypotheses were partially supported. Main effect was located for health consciousness. Adolescents with high health consciousness were more persuaded by the PSAs. There was an interaction effect between health consciousness and source. A dietitian as the source was most persuasive to people with high health consciousness, while low health conscious people were most influenced by a celebrity. The information processing route was biased by the match of argument and source. Informative argument made by an ordinary person was more likely to motivate adolescents to use nutrition label, while testimonial argument made by a celebrity was the most effective. The findings are discussed in light of ELM and match-up hypotheses. Recommendations are also offered for public health communication campaigns. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Dong, Zhuowen. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-84). / Abstracts also in Chinese; appendixes in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Acknowledgements --- p.iii / Table of Content --- p.vi / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Introduction --- p.1 / Publicity Campaign of Nutrition Labelling Scheme in Hong Kong --- p.1 / Adolescent and Nutrition Label (NL) --- p.3 / Significance of the Research --- p.4 / Organization of Thesis --- p.7 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Literature Review --- p.9 / Adolescents and Preventive Health Behavior --- p.9 / Health Consciousness --- p.10 / Information Processing of Adolescents --- p.12 / Informative or Testimonial Argument --- p.13 / Expert vs. Celebrity vs. Ordinary person --- p.15 / Source credibility --- p.20 / Initial attitude --- p.24 / Self-efficacy --- p.25 / Chapter Chapter 3: --- Theoretical Framework --- p.28 / The Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion --- p.28 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- Research questions and Hypothesis --- p.34 / Chapter Chapter 5: --- Methodology --- p.39 / Subjects and Design --- p.40 / Procedure --- p.40 / Materials and Manipulations --- p.41 / Independent variables --- p.44 / Dependent variables --- p.46 / Chapter Chapter 6: --- Results --- p.49 / Health Consciousness Assessment --- p.49 / General results --- p.49 / Covariate --- p.56 / Predictors of Behavioral Intention --- p.56 / Hypothesis Testing and Answers to Research Questions --- p.57 / Chapter Chapter 7: --- Discussion --- p.59 / Chapter Chapter 8: --- Implication --- p.66 / Chapter Chapter 9: --- Limitation and Direction for Future research --- p.69 / References --- p.72 / Lists of Appendices / Chapter Appendix A --- :Experiment Questionnaire --- p.85 / Chapter Appendix B --- :Experiment Masterial--- PSA --- p.87 / Chapter Appendix C --- :Experiment Masterial--- PSA --- p.88 / Chapter Appendix D --- :Experiment Masterial--- PSA --- p.89 / Chapter Appendix E --- :Experiment Masterial--- PSA --- p.90 / Chapter Appendix F --- :Experiment Masterial--- PSA --- p.91 / Chapter Appendix G --- :A Proposed PSA of Nutrition Labels --- p.92

Integrated water management is a wicked public policy problem with no clear path to resolution. This dissertation is an in-depth qualitative comparative analysis of two collaborative governance processes created to tackle complex water problems in New Zealand and Oregon, U.S.A. Both cases convened a wide range of state and non-state actors in efforts to find common ground, build consensus for change, and develop innovative water policy solutions. The goal of this comparative case study analysis is to gain a better understanding of collaborative network governance frameworks as applied to integrated water management and primary factors for success. The proposition posits that collaborative networks involving public, private, and non-profit actors are better equipped than government-driven efforts to develop desired outcomes. To test this proposition, the research questions probe the role of state and non-state policy actors, conditions for collaboration, strength of actor ties, development of trust and social capital, barriers to success, and the role of climate change as a policy driver in these two case studies. The comparative case study analysis yields fascinating insights that adds to the network governance literature. In the New Zealand case, a collaborative-led process called the Land and Water Forum (LAWF) showed that this ongoing network offers benefits to creating consensus on complex water issues. LAWF succeeded in moving policy conversations forward where previous government-led efforts had failed. Within the LAWF collaborative network, non-state actors formed strong ties; however, relationships with state actors exhibited weaker ties. With Oregon's integrated water policy, a collaborative network approach created a more conducive environment for meaningful dialogue among vested interests, and built some levels of interdependency and trust, thus generating a wider array of policy options than through previous legislative and bureaucratic efforts. However, long-standing political, legal, and institutional challenges continue to constrain effective integrated water management and the delivery of integrated outcomes in Oregon. The Oregon case did not exhibit strong leadership within the collaborative to broker challenging policy issues. Also, it faced implementation challenges as one state agency was given responsibility for stewarding integrated water management but lacked authority for implementation or coordination with other state agencies. Overcoming fragmented natural resource governance arrangements remains a daunting challenge. This research revealed three key findings: (1) in both cases, collaborative network governance worked well for framing and designing new integrated water policies, but encountered implementation challenges; (2) managing the complexities around the intersection of top-down, vertical command and control governance with horizontal collaborative approaches remains an ongoing challenge to New Public Governance; and (3) the two cases represent examples of the use of formal and informal processes for policy development. The benefits of collaborative governance for policy development are substantial, and the limitations appear to be obstacles to overcome and not fatal flaws. The main challenge lies in transitioning from policy and planning to implementing changes on the ground affecting the way we manage water today and in the future.

This thesis is a decolonial feasibility study on the National Department of Housing’s (now National Department of Human Settlement) policy of eradicating informal settlements by 2014. In this thesis I argue that the policy intent of eradicating informal settlements by the proposed date of 2014 cannot be feasible without transcending the structure that produce these informal settlements in the first place. This is why even though we are towards the end of 2014 there is not yet clear evidence that the informal settlements are being eradicated or will be eradicated in the near future. In this dissertation, I argue that informal settlements are a product of a global power structure of coloniality (multiple forms of colonialisms that survive the demise of apartheid) that produces inequalities among human beings including the habitat sphere. I deploy the experience of Mshenguville informal settlement to demonstrate that the experience of informal settlement is just but a marker or sign of inequality among human beings in the age of Western-centred modernity. Thus those in informal settlement are considered to exist on the darker side of modernity as opposed to those in splashy suburb who experience the brighter side of modernity. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

"December 2003" / Bibliography: leaves 221-230. / vi, 230 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Public Health, 2004

University of Macau / Faculty of Law