The aim of this research was to empower Coloureds in Greenspark based on qualitative and quantitative research from a narrative approach so that they can develop their potential as leaders in the community by means of a group work leadership development programme. The thesis comprises of five Sections. SECTION A This section indicates the actuality of the research. The problem statement as well as the aim and five objectives are explained in this section. This research was undertaken within the DR & U model, namely The Developmental and Utilization model of Grinnell (1981) with a combined qualitative and quantitative research approach. This research was done from a social constructivist paradigm, and the research epistemology was qualitative by nature. The exploratory design was used as research plan. In order to note down data collection and processing systematically, video recordings were made of the group discussions. Two external evaluators as well as the group members themselves were also used to do the evaluation. The group work leadership development programme was also evaluated by the group members by means of a self-compiled questionnaire. SECTION B This section took the form of five articles in which the research findings were reported. All five articles form part of the overarching research aim and objectives and of the entire research project. However, each article is a distinctive subdivision of the entire research project, because it also functions independently - each with an own objective, own research methodology as well as a distinctive content. Section B consists of the following articles: Article 1 The objective of Article 1 was to establish the role the empowerment approach plays from the post-modern perspective in social work, by means of literature analysis. Empowerment was applied differently in different situations within the post-modern philosophy. Group work as a method of social work is a possible way in which the empowerment of individuals can be dealt with. Together with the community, the parties involved are responsible for empowering individuals. Article 2 The objective of this article was to establish the points of departure of the narrative approach by means of a literature analysis. From the literature analysis, it became clear that the narrative approach does not work with strategies, but with responsibilities, in which each individual takes responsibility for his/her own social construction, which includes his/her choices for life. Article 3 Article 3 discussed the role the narrative approach plays in group work within social work. Guidelines for dealing with empowerment within the group work process from the narrative approach were determined by means of a literature analysis. The focus was on relevant literature with specific reference to narrative theory, which included empowerment as well as the post-modern way of thinking and the description of group work. Article 4 The objective of Article 4 was to determine the role the narrative approach possibly plays in group work. The theoretical knowledge was utilised from the narrative approach in developing a group work leadership development programme. Article 5 With Article 5, the objective was to evaluate the group work development programme. This evaluation was attended to by two external consultants, as well as the group members themselves. SECTION C In Section C, the synoptic findings, conclusions and recommendations with regard to this research were discussed. The limitations of the research under review were indicated and recommendations were made with the view to use it in group work theory and in practice for training and research purposes. SECTION D Although each article and sections A and C are accompanied by an own source list, a combined source list of the entire research is given in this section. SECTION E All addendums that were referred to in the thesis are contained in this section. / Thesis (Ph.D. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

The aim of this study was to gain an understanding about how people with a former alcohol abuse expresses and gives meaning to feelings of guilt and shame in autobiographical books. In particular the purpose of the study was to find out how the authors writes about feelings of guilt and shame, whether it was expressed explicitly or implicitly, and which meaning the authors gives to feelings of guilt and shame and how these feelings are related to each other. We randomly selected 8 autobiographical books by using different criterias. The foundation of this study was social constructionism, which is also a foundation for one of our analysis methods: discourse analyse. This analysis method was used for the analysis of the expressions that were made in an explicit way. The second analysis method we used for our results was a hermeneutic orientation, which was used for the expressions phrased in an implicit way. The main result of this study was that the authors expressed feelings of guilt and shame in different ways. It occurred both as explicit and implicit expressions and sometimes they described these feelings as if it was two feelings that intertwined and were very alike. Our conclusion is that these feelings are of significance for people with an alcohol abuse and that the authors gave these feelings a negative tenor.

This study is concerned with the inter-subjectively co-constructed narratives of experience, for Child and Youth Care practitioners, in an agency-based school program which focuses on treatment of DSM diagnosed children. This school-based program is formally committed to a strength-based practice for treatment of mental disorder. A Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) diagnosis is required for admission to this program. This agency-based practice exists at the intersection of dissonant discourses of understanding, in the treatment of children’s mental disorder. In this study, a narrative methodology of inquiry, situated in a post-modern epistemology of understanding, was utilized to investigate the narratives of experience of four Child and Youth Care practitioners. Narratives are distinctive units of speech that are typically employed by the narrator to convey evaluative meaning in context. Narratives inquiry represents a useful means for understanding questions of experience, as people use narratives to organize and evaluate their knowledge and transactions with the social world. The narrative, as a reflection of intersubjective constructs of meaning, provides a means of understanding the individual or group through its conveyance of lived experience. The results of this study include four narratives, written in the first person, communicating the subjective experiences of Child and Youth Care practitioners in this unique practice setting. Each of these narratives suggests the importance of, and methods towards, finding ways for strength-based practitioners to practice in harmony in landscapes of deficit-focused understandings.

Education is rapidly moving away from the instructional models of the 19th century and educationalists are now asserting that not only do students need to be able to learn by rote but also to be able to think in a more profound and complex manner. Students are required to develop new processes to handle the rapidly changing world that they are expected to take part in as they complete their formal learning. This change is evident in all the developed nations and Australian students are finding that they are being asked to demonstrate a range of higher order thinking skills in all their school subjects. Science courses in Queensland require students to be assessed on both complex reasoning and scientific process skills. Studies have shown that students can develop these skills in a number of ways that include the exposure to appropriate open-ended hands-on tasks. As higher order thinking skills underlie the development of both complex reasoning and scientific process, it is important that science educators take appropriate steps to facilitate the development of this level of thinking. This study examined the use of some higher order thinking skills by students using Information Technology in their science classroom. It investigated the degree to which students used their higher order thinking skills when engaged in a computer simulation of a complex science task. The study involved two pairs of Year 9 students, one pair each from the upper and lower quartiles of the year level, in a private Years 4 to 12 boys' school in an inner Brisbane suburb. All students had been immersed in Information Technology in Years 4 to 8 as part of a technology-across-the-curriculum project for all year levels in the school and at the time of the study were at the end of their second semester in Year 9. Students had worked with a large number of computer applications in all their subjects, averaging about one lesson in the computer room per day across all their subjects for the past year of schooling. The school also had a policy for learning and teaching that revolved around the development in students of critical thinking and, specifically in Science, complex reasoning, and scientific process skills. During this study, students engaged in a computer simulation requiring the application of skills and knowledge already learnt in their science course. The modules of this simulation developed an understanding of the essentials for life and the quantities of a range of items from water to seeds to land areas that would be required for a number of people that would be needed to staff the Lunar Base. Prompts were given on the way, which assisted students in their decision making. Students progressed through the various areas and stages of the development of the Lunar Base until they were satisfied that each area supported the others and that there was no imbalance that needed to be corrected. Once all stages had been completed, students were free to change variables and experiment further as they saw fit in order that they might produce the most self-sufficient Lunar Base possible. There was some evidence that the simulation did encourage the students in the pairs observed to think in greater depth about the materials and to argue their convictions in an improved manner. As well as the students appearing to increase in competency in argument over the period of time, the four students in their final interviews, spoke of feeling satisfied with the results of the lessons. The students also appeared more engrossed in their task and the pedagogy provided in the task was appreciated as it gave meaning to why they were required to learn scientific materials as well also presenting them with ways to find the knowledge for themselves.

This study seeks to make a theoretical contribution to the rapidly growing field of International Entrepreneurship by investigating the process of internationalization of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Bell, McNaughton, Young & Crick, (2003) emphasized the need for researchers to re-conceptualize their thinking on the internationalization process of smaller firms. While there has been substantial research done on the small business internationalization and how the participation of these firms in the global economy has fuelled economic growth in a number of countries (Audretsch & Thurik, 2003; Acs, Randall Morck, Shraver & Yeung, 1997; Storey, 1994; Alam & Pacher, 2003), there is tangible evidence that SMEs in Australia are not keeping up with global trends. Studies conducted on Australian firms allude to the following reasons for their constrained presence in international markets: (i) geographic and psychic distance; (ii) costs disadvantage; (iii) overdependence on inward FDI from large foreign multinationals; (iv) a history of inward-looking and narrowly focussed economic development policies of the Australian government. These factors had the combined effect of imbalanced economic growth which was particularly detrimental to the small business sector (Australian Trade Commission, 2002; Maitland & Nicholas, 2002; Alam & Pacher, 2003). Despite the identified obstacles, some Australian SMEs have succeeded in penetrating international markets. This study involved a preliminary qualitative investigation of selected Australian SMEs and their unique internationalization process. Evidence from the case study based investigation will indicate that the respondent firms have leveraged on entrepreneurial qualities to overcome the obstacles and enhance their success in international markets. As such, the internationalization process for these selected firms is seen as an extension of and integral to their entrepreneurial behaviour. Using the lenses provided by relevant facets of the entrepreneurship, internationalization and strategy scholarly fields, this exploratory qualitative study, while building the foundation for further empirical research into the internationalization process of SMEs, can serve as a guide to researchers for ascertaining future directions in this emergent field. The findings from the study are intended to contribute to a body of knowledge encompassing the cross-border operations of SMEs. The research also has value from a practical perspective as Australian SMEs can draw from this body of knowledge as they pursue opportunities internationally.

This study aims to investigate how diagnosis as a social construction affectsrecognition of students from youth workers experiences. Youth workers assurveyors have been chosen because of their broad social network and the lack ofearlier studies concluding their experiences. The research question for this paperis: How does the diagnosis, as a social construction, affect the recognition ofstudents based on the experiences of youth workers? This study is based on aqualitative research method and in order to reach results we used a semi-structuredinterview. The theoretical framework that have been used in this study is KariIngstad’s theory regarding sickness as a social construction and Carl-GöranHeidegren’s theory regarding recognition. The results of this study indicate thatthere is a connection between diagnosis as a sickness and recognition of abehavior. Our conclusion is that the diagnoses does not work as a recognition ofhow a person really is but as a helping tool for recognition in social contexts. / Denna studie syftar till att undersöka hur diagnos som en social konstruktionpåverkar erkännandet av en elev utifrån fritidspedagogers erfarenhet.Fritidspedagoger som undersökningspersoner har valts i syfte om att de har ettbrett socialt nätverk och att få studier tar hänsyn till fritidspedagogers erfarenheter.Frågeställningen till detta arbete lyder: Hur fungerar diagnosen, som socialkonstruktion, för erkännandet av elever utifrån fritidspedagogers erfarenhet?Studien grundar sig i en kvalitativ undersökning och för att komma fram till ettresultat använde vi oss av en semistrukturerad intervju. De teoretiska perspektivsom används i denna studie är Kari Ingstads teori om sjukdom som en socialkonstruktion och Carl-Göran Heidegrens teori om erkännande. Studiens resultattyder på att det finns en växelverkan mellan diagnos som en sjukroll ocherkännande av ett beteende. Vår slutsats är att diagnosen inte leder till etterkännande för hur en elev är utan fungerar som ett hjälpmedel för erkännande isociala sammanhang.

The Programme for Purchase of Food from Family Farming (PAA), created in 2003, has achieved year by year a larger number of municipalities, served family farmers bearers of the Declaration of Able for Pronaf and people facing food insecurity and social vulnerability. In the case of farmers, very types fall into this category through state legal frameworks often not responsive to the cultural, social, anthropological and especially the distinctive differences compared with the market. The COPERTERRA participates in this program since 2009 and has increased the volume of resources, expanding its area of action along the protected institutional markets. Initially, it was hoped that from the experience acquired the proponents who participate in the PAA, these cooperatives and associations, would open new spaces together with local/regional markets, achieving greater financial autonomy. The social construction of markets ( CSM ) is a theory that has been worked by many researchers as an alternative to traditional markets with functional features, usually marginal analysis proposed by theorists in the formal economy and the highly standardized dominant agrifood system. The CSM creates and strengthening short circuits of marketings, adds to the intangible and immaterial qualities products, creates new equivalences and aggregates the prices of material goods, such as identification of origin and process. Until then, these elements are not being discussed in the action plan of the PAA. To seek answers and understanding about the possibility of advancements in the field of markets for family farmers by ensuring marketing, expanded participation in local/regional market through the PAA, we performed a case study, using a qualitative/quantitative research, fieldwork and applying semi-structured interviews with open questions, analysis of secondary data collected from the cooperative and Conab, and direct observation. The interviews were transcribed and processed by the content analysis method. As a result of work done, some of the elements found in the CSM theory emerged in the interviews, even though the program does not work and cooperative on this perspective. What we found was an extreme dependence on institutional markets, with the cooperative marketing does not perform even with entities that are benefited by the PAA and carry out purchases to meet the demands of their beneficiaries. Customers outside the institutional markets are not representative of the cooperative in revenue . The institutional arrangement enables the qualification adopted in the implementation of the proposal exempts the cooperative, as the SESC - Mesa Brazil performs pickup and delivery of donated products, however the distance farmers supplying to consumers. Among beneficiaries of PAA consumers interviewed , there is widespread ignorance about the program, objectives and operation, diagnosed from a large share of qualified managers SESC - Mesa Brazil , which makes this is the reference in implementation of the proposal. Similarly, family farmers also unaware of the program. Overall, it is understood that state action could provide advances in the construction of markets, with the participation of actors and public policies that meet assumptions contained in the theory. / O Programa de Aquisição de Alimentos da Agricultura Familiar (PAA), criado em 2003, tem alcançado ano a ano um maior número de municípios, atendido agricultores familiares portadores da Declaração de Aptidão ao Pronaf e pessoas em situação de insegurança alimentar e ou vulnerabilidade social. No caso dos agricultores familiares, muito tipos se enquadram nessa categoria através dos marcos legais estatais, muitas vezes, não se respeitando as diferenças culturais, sociais, antropológicas e principalmente, a relação diferenciada com o mercado. A COPERTERRA participa deste programa desde 2009 e tem aumentado o volume de recursos, expandindo a sua área de ação junto aos mercados institucionais protegidos. Inicialmente, esperava-se que a partir da experiência adquirida pelas proponentes que participam do PAA, essas cooperativas e associações abririam novos espaços juntos aos mercados locais/regionais, alcançando uma maior autonomia financeira. A construção social de mercados (CSM) é uma teoria que vem sendo trabalhada por diversos pesquisadores, como forma alternativa aos mercados tradicionais, com características funcionais, geralmente marginais nas análises propostas pelos teóricos da economia formal, pelo sistema agro alimentar dominante altamente standardizado. A CSM cria e fortalece os circuitos curtos de comercialização, agrega aos produtos qualidades intangíveis e imateriais, cria novas equivalências e as adiciona aos preços de bens materiais, tais como identificação de procedência e de processo. Até então, tais elementos não estão sendo debatidos no plano de ação do PAA. Para se buscar respostas e entendimento sobre a possibilidade de avanços no campo dos mercados para a agricultura familiar através da garantia de comercialização, ampliação da participação no mercado local/regional através do PAA, realizou-se um estudo de caso, através de uma pesquisa quali-quantitativa e trabalho de campo aplicando-se entrevistas semiestruturadas com perguntas abertas, análise de dados secundários coletados junto à uma cooperativa e a Conab, além de observação direta. As entrevistas foram transcritas e processadas pelo método da análise de conteúdo. Como resultado do trabalho realizado, alguns dos elementos encontrados na teoria da CSM surgiram nas entrevistas, mesmo que o programa e a cooperativa não trabalhem sobre esta perspectiva. Identificou-se uma extrema dependência dos mercados institucionais, sendo que a cooperativa não realiza comercialização nem mesmo com as entidades que são beneficiadas pelo PAA e que realizam compras para atender a demanda de seus assistidos. Os clientes fora dos mercados institucionais não são representativos no faturamento da cooperativa. O arranjo institucional adotado possibilita a qualificação na execução da proposta, desonera a cooperativa, à medida que o SESC-Mesa Brasil realiza a retirada e entrega dos produtos doados, porém distancia os agricultores fornecedores dos consumidores. Entre consumidores beneficiários pelas propostas do PAA estudado neste trabalho, há um grande desconhecimento sobre o programa, objetivos e operacionalização, diagnosticado a partir de uma análise qualificada realizada pelos gestores do SESC Mesa Brasil, o que faz com que este seja a referência na execução da proposta. No mesmo sentido, os agricultores também desconhecem o programa. No geral, entende-se que a ação estatal poderá proporcionar avanços na construção de mercados, com a participação de atores e com políticas públicas que atendam pressupostos constantes na teoria.

This study aimed to analyze statements made by professional practitioners and clients in verdicts related to compulsory drug treatment. The statements were examined in order to illustrate their contribution to the social construction of drug addicts. The study also aimed to address the power professionals have over individuals with drug problems. The data consisted of twelve verdicts obtained from administrative courts located in three different geographical areas in Sweden. Based on a qualitative approach we used a critical discourse analysis as a framework for the examination of vocabulary and sentence structures. The findings were further examined through a social constructivist approach and power theories. The results showed how all parties in the verdict can contribute to the social construction of drug addicts through substantial information that is given as well as the use of additional terms and discursive words. Themes and patterns identified within the statements showed how the clients’ life situation were described in terms of homelessness, unemployment, mental illness and crime. The results also showed that the clients were described as either responsible for or victimized by the drugs, a description that has a high impact on how the clients are subsequently perceived. It was also prominent that the professional statements, compared to the client’s, enjoyed higher degrees of credibility. The professional statements were also more often perceived as true due to the choice of words and structures of the sentences. Consequently, we could illustrate how professionals by the authority granted by their job title are given the power to depict and affect the social construction of drug addicts as a group.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:50:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 5549.pdf: 5006318 bytes, checksum: fd2220183f70dedce82b0b8c94c5e374 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-09-05 / Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos / The ergonomics actions demand design processes for working conditions, products, processes or working organization. However, the integration of ergonomics into the design processes of organizations is still new. Several reasons account for this, whose common point rests on the failure of the models and practices to trigger design processes from the results generated by the analysis. It is recommended that these processes are developed within a paradigm of social construction in order to facilitate the participation of social actors and stimulate cooperation and incorporation of diverse knowledge involved. From a qualitative analysis, essentially descriptive, of ergonomics and design approaches, the research aims at defining an integrated approach, from the exploration of the contributions of the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) and its tools to design process in ergonomics. The tools of TRIZ, in the context of ergonomics, can be applied at all stages of the design process, encouraging and equipping analysis, scenario building, anticipating conflicts and developing solutions. The proposed approach covers five main points including (i) system analysis / problem and constraints identification, (ii) analysis of the situation from the perspective of ideality, comparing past, present and future. (iii) determination of parameters and contradictions by building scenarios, (iv) use of the matrix of contradictions to explore the most relevant inventive principles, and (v) thereafter, the collective construction of the solution, its implementation and reassessment. The research also proposes a matrix of contradictions along with 39 ergonomics parameters. Built on the traditional TRIZ matrix structure and keeping the original inventive principles, the matrix enables the exploration of ideas to solve the contradictions found in the course of the project. The results are a conceptual and a operative starting point for the integration of ergonomics to design processes. / As intervenções em ergonomia demandam processos de concepção (ou reconcepção) sejam de situações, produtos, processos ou da organização do trabalho. Paradoxalmente, sua integração aos processos de projeto no cotidiano das organizações ainda é incipiente. Diversas são as razões apontadas, cujo ponto comum repousa sobre a insuficiência dos modelos e práticas em, a partir dos resultados gerados pelas análises, deflagrar processos de concepção. A partir de uma análise qualitativa, essencialmente descritiva, a pesquisa teve como objetivo a delimitação de uma abordagem integradora, através da exploração das contribuições da Teoria de Solução de Problemas Inventivos (TRIZ) e suas ferramentas ao processo de projeto em ergonomia. Sob a perspectiva da concepção, as ferramentas da TRIZ, associadas à ergonomia, podem ser aplicadas em todas as fases do processo de projeto, favorecendo e instrumentalizando a análise, a elaboração de cenários, a antecipação de conflitos e o desenvolvimento de soluções. O foco está na construção do problema, de forma a permitir a identificação e eliminação de contradições que caracterizam os determinantes do trabalho. A abordagem proposta abrange cinco pontos principais que incluem (i) a análise do sistema/problema e identificação de constrangimentos; (ii) a análise da situação em três espaços temporais (passado, presente e futuro), sob a perspectiva da idealidade; (iii) a determinação de parâmetros e contradições, através da construção de cenários; (iv) a utilização da matriz de contradições para explorar princípios inventivos relevantes; e, (v) a construção da solução, sua implementação e reavaliação. Também como resultado da pesquisa e visando instrumentalizar o processo de desenvolvimento de propostas de melhorias, é apresentada uma matriz de contradições em ergonomia, fruto da determinação de 39 parâmetros de ergonomia, que traduzem os determinantes das situações passadas e presentes, bem como os condicionantes futuros e englobam aspectos físicos cognitivos e organizacionais. Dispostos na estrutura matricial da TRIZ clássica e mantendo os princípios inventivos originais, exemplificados a partir de sua aplicação à solução de problemas em ergonomia, a matriz permite a exploração de princípios para a solução de contradições identificadas. Os resultados, materializados na abordagem e matriz propostas, constituem um ponto de partida conceitual e operativo para a integração da ergonomia aos processos de projeto.

This study is based on interviews with six students from Stockholm that have shared their feelings/opinions about how they experience their identity as a student. The aim of this master’s thesis is to examine how the identity of students is constructed but also how the post modern society affects the life that the students are living. With a higher demand on education and responsibility of making the right decisions, the student’s main concern is not only her studies, but also the goal to succeed in her life. The result points out that the environment which the student lives in has an influence on how the identity develops. The identity has nothing to do with the actually fact that the student studies, but with how the student acts outside the university.