Lake Winnipeg and the issue of its declining health are at the heart of this research. At stake is not only the integrity of this ecosystem but also the substantial commercial fishery that depends upon it. Finding a solution to this problem involves a complex mixture of social, economic and ecological considerations. In response to such multi-faceted questions there is an increasing awareness for the role of public participation in decision-making. In recognition of this, there is a move away from top-down governance to one that acknowledges the need for innovative approaches to governance as well as the role for the participation of non-state actors in decision-making. This type of participatory governance decentralizes power in order to permit citizens the opportunity to bring to bear their knowledge in the quest for sustainable solutions. One such source of knowledge is local knowledge. Accordingly, this research explores the local knowledge about Lake Winnipeg held by its commercial fishers and how that knowledge is included in the Lake’s governance. This goal is pursued through the examination of four specific objectives that are: 1) to establish the sorts of local knowledge that fishers hold and the ways in which they gained this knowledge; 2) to identify what informal and formal governance processes already exist for participation of the fishers in the governance of Lake Winnipeg; 3) to determine by what means and to what extent this local knowledge has been shared in governance processes about the Lake; 4) to identify opportunities for the incorporation of the fishers’ local knowledge into the governance of the Lake. A qualitative approach was used to address the goals of the research and included literature review, a focus group with fishers, and interviews with fishers and government personnel. Analysis revealed that the commercial fishers possess local knowledge extending across a broad range of topics from hydrology, ecology, weather, water quality and fish diet, habitat, behaviour and morphology. This knowledge was gained primarily through personal observation, but also from other fishers, scientists, and the media. The more formal participatory processes in which the fishers became engaged have been limited to issues relating to the fishery. These formal processes included the Lake Winnipeg Fisheries Management Advisory Board, the Manitoba Commercial Inland Fishers Federation, and the Lake Winnipeg Quota Entitlement Review Task Force. In addition to these formal processes there was also a less formal network of contact between fishers and those in government and science. This network has involved fishers sharing their local knowledge about the fishery and. to a lesser degree, about the Lake’s environment more generally. Taken together, these various processes have supplied, with variable success, some opportunities for fishers to share their local knowledge and influence fishery related decisions. However, the extent of their participation has been significantly impaired by a number of critical factors. Of these, the most detrimental barrier identified was a lack of meaningfulness and transparency in the key process, the Advisory Board. This, in turn, resulted in frustration, mistrust of government, and ultimately, withdrawal from that process. Reflecting on these problems, fishers made a number of recommendations including the creation of a co-management board and the use of interviews and surveys, public meetings, and collaborative research as ways to ensure that their knowledge is shared and that their concerns and recommendations are considered in meaningful ways that influence fishery and Lake-related decisions.

Public participation is an important aspect of Environmental Assessment (EA) processes where the public can have an influence on decisions about development affecting them or their surrounding environment. A case study was conducted on the Wuskwatim Generating Station and Transmission Line Project EA process in order to identify barriers to participation faced by Aboriginal publics. Nine general barrier types were identified including: resource deficiencies, accessibility, information deficiencies, communication barriers, inadequate consultation, timing and scheduling constraints, lack of trust, lack of understanding, and coercion and control of dissent. The findings indicate most barriers faced by Aboriginal publics were procedural in nature and may be addressed through improvements in the design and implementation of participatory processes. A number of interrelationships were noted among barrier types suggesting that barriers to participation cannot be addressed in an isolated manner. Recommendations to improve future EA process and areas requiring further research are also discussed.

Public participation continues to hold an uncertain position in professional city planning practice. At the scale of the neighbourhood, planners are faced with a variety of options to engage the public and key stakeholders. This case study will compare three public engagement processes taking place in the South Point Douglas neighbourhood of Winnipeg. Each of the processes will highlight differing approaches to the relationship between planner and public in a neighbourhood context. Key stakeholder interviews are used at the conclusion of the study to evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of these planning processes.

No description available.

No description available.

Motherhood has been described as an identity, a role, and a way of participating in life (Arendell, 2000; Farber, 2004). Motherhood has also been described as 'work', the care taking, nurturing and teaching of children (Francis-Connolly, 2000). Mothers with arthritis have reported difficulty in the tasks of parenting and household work (Allaire et al., 1991; Backman, Kennedy, Chalmers & Singer, 2004; Barlow, Cullen, Foster, Harrison & Wade, 1999; Grant, Cullen & Barlow, 2000; Reisine, Grady, Goodenow & Fifield, 1998), however, we know little about how a mother experiences these challenges. While the subjective experience of being a mother and having a disability is intrinsically linked to participation, health and social interaction (Farber, 2004), research has not been conducted on how mothers with arthritis experience mothering in the presence of arthritis, and how this experience affects their participation, identity and social interaction. This narrative research study asks "How is being a mother and doing motherhood activities affected by your arthritis?" Study objectives include: 1) Describe mothers' experiences of nurturing, teaching and caring for their children. 2) Describe how mothers understand and explain the effect of arthritis on their role of mother. 3) Describe whether or not this understanding changes how mothers participate and interact in their community. Narrative inquiry was used to explore the experiences of eight married mothers with inflammatory arthritis who have at least one child (aged 0-18) living at home. Purposive sampling allowed representation of families from different communities, with children of different ages. Data collection included two in-depth interviews, participant observation, document review, and fine art painting. Data was coded and analyzed using narrative inquiry techniques (Coffey & Atkinson, 1996; Riessman, 1993; Sandelowski, 1991). Overarching storylines are presented as narratives that describe the mother's experiences of identifying with the role of mother, participation, fatigue and the social context in which mothering occurs. This study contributes to the sparse body of literature on the impact of arthritis on participation in maternal practices and social interaction, informing health professionals about the experience of mothering with arthritis.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.P.A.)--Bowling Green State University, 2007. / Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 111 p. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-64). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 99 p. : ill., map. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-96).