Access to abstract permanently restricted to Ball State community only / Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only / Department of Special Education

This study explored how the well-being of the gays, lesbians and bisexuals (GLBs} in Botswana could be promoted. The health and human rights approach that places dignity before rights was selected as a framework for investigation. The respondents' (n=47) levels of well-being were assessed through a questionnaire with 76 items that included the General Well-Being Schedule. The findings indicated that varying degrees of distress were experienced by 64 % of the GLBs in this study. The GLBs identified a need for HIV/AIDS education and had concerns about their general health, discrimination and vulnerability for violence including sexual attacks. Their levels of well-being were influenced by both positive internal acceptance of their sexual orientation and negative external acceptance by society. Levels of involvement of health professionals was poor, and linkage between health and human rights was proposed to reduce dignity violations and improve the quality of life of the GLBs in Botswana. / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

Thesis (MTech (Tourism and Hospitality Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2014. / The success of any hotel depends entirely upon the satisfaction of its consumers. In order to get this right, hotels have to know the buying behaviour of their customers, hence the saying that “the Customer is King, therefore the Customer is always right!” The Botswana hospitality and tourism market has experienced remarkable changes of late. The well-known hotel brands seem to have increased their market share in the existing market, which used to be dominated by local brands. A brand is a powerful tool that attracts more consumers to buying particular products and services. Some companies may even regard it as equity, as it can add value to the products with which it is associated. It is in this regard that branded properties are important in the hospitality industry. “Brands play an intangible role in the operational effectiveness of any organisation” (Bruce & Harvey, 2008:6). “Brands are increasingly important to tourist destinations and are used by all consumers in the process of buying situations” (Kotler, Bowen & Makens, 2006:315). This study focused on exploring the research problem, which stated: What will the effect of branding be on consumer buying behaviour in the hospitality industry of Gaborone? and the sub-problem, which stated: Will there be an increase in the buying behaviour of consumers due to branding in the hospitality industry of Gaborone? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the sales managers of the three participating hotels, and two questionnaires were distributed – one for guests and one for staff. The analysis of the questionnaires and the interview results indicated that the guests and employees of the hotels were aware of the brands that were available to them in the hospitality industry of Gaborone, Botswana. This was shown by the results that revealed that 52.99% guests stated that the hotel brand had a very important effect in their decision making on which hotel to choose, and 76.06% of the employees thought that the hotel brand had a very important effect in the decision making of customers on which hotel to choose.

Magister Scientiae (Physiotherapy) - MSc(Physio) / Physiotherapists are increasingly treating peole living with HIV/AIDS. However, there is little information which has been reported on their attitudes in providing treatment to people with HIV/AIDS or what facilitates positive attitudes. The aim of this study was to determine attitudes of physiotherapists towards treating people living with HIV/AIDS in Botswana. / South Africa

Remaining viable cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) populations in Africa are threatened by direct persecution through conflict with farmers and habitat degradation and fragmentation. Botswana is considered a stronghold for free roaming cheetahs in Africa, yet the country has had relatively limited research on its cheetahs, and information from the east of the country is lacking. Data on the current status of populations is thus required to make informed management decisions. My study provides estimates of population density, abundance, distribution and status for the demographically open cheetah population of the Northern Tuli Game Reserve (NOTUGRE) in Botswana. The effectiveness of two population monitoring methods, namely camera trapping and a photographic survey, were also investigated. Moreover, I report on the level of conflict between livestock farmers and predators on rural communal farmlands within and adjacent to NOTUGRE. Data were collected between May 2012 and November 2013. Results indicate a low population density of 0.61 ± 0.18 adult cheetahs per 100 km² and a minimum population size of 10 individuals (nine adults and one cub). Camera traps placed at cheetah scent-marking posts increased detection rates and provided ideal set up locations. This approach, together with Spatial Explicit Capture- Recapture (SECR) models, is recommended for future studies. The long-term studies that are required to better understand the status of cheetahs in Botswana do not exist. Thus, photographic surveys may provide an alternative method for providing baseline data on population numbers, distribution and demography. The third aspect of my study gathered information on levels of livestock loss and human tolerance of predators through the use of interviews (n = 80). Conflict with subsistence farmers is a concern as livestock depredation is relatively high (9.1% of total livestock owned) and farmers had an overall negative attitude towards conservation of large predators. My results suggest that human-predator conflict in this area is more complex than the direct financial loss from depredation. Hence, reducing depredation rates alone is unlikely to change farmer tolerance of wildlife on farmlands. Improved, responsible farm management, including self-responsibility for livestock rearing, and positive appreciation for wildlife are necessary. The NOTUGRE cheetah population requires further research to understand possible threats to the population. Furthermore, a better understanding of the connectivity between cheetahs of NOTUGRE, South Africa and Zimbabwe is required. The number of cheetahs within NOTUGRE is too small to sustain a viable population, hence conserving cheetahs outside of the protected area should be a priority for the conservation of the population. This can only be achieved through assistance and involvement from national authorities, local people and conservation organisations.

The Okavango is a vast inland delta system in northern Botswana which receives an annual flood from the highlands of southern Angola. There are distinct communities of fish in the Okavango which can be separated from each other by the physical characteristics of the different habitat types with which they co-evolved. This thesis provides an account of the biology and ecology of selected fish species in the Okavango Delta. Their response to the annual flood regime, and the environmental factors which limit their distribution and abundance, are examined. The thesis emphasizes the importance of water fluctuations in determining the nature of the fish fauna and the reaction of the fishes in terms of community structure, movements, breeding, predator-prey interactions and feeding. Four major ecotones were studied in the Okavango Delta. In the riverine floodplain and perennial swamp ecotones a higher species diversity was recorded than in the seasonal swamp and drainage rivers ecotones where diversity was lowest and comprised mainly of smaller fish species. A greater variety of habitat types was associated with the riverine floodplain and perennial swamp relative to the seasonal swamp and drainage rivers. The variety of habitat types between ecotones is associated with the degree of flood inundation in the respective ecotones. During the course of this study, annual recruitment of fish into the drainage rivers was from refugia in the seasonal swamp whereas the greatest degree of lateral and longitudinal movement was in the riverine floodplain and perennial swamp. Movement was in response to both biological requirements, such as availability of food and spawning sites, and physical features of the environment, such as the changing water depth. The total catch per unit effort (CPUE) of fish throughout the year was more constant in the riverine floodplain and perennial swamp than in the seasonal swamp and drainage rivers where CPUE fluctutated widely. An increase in CPUE during the duration of this study was apparent and related to the magnitude of the annual flood. In contrast to most other African wetlands, the arrival of the annual flood in the Okavango Delta coincides largely with the dry winter months. This situation presented an opportunity to compare the influence of floods and water temperature on the reproductive biology of the selected fish species. The results show a definite pattern and indicate that both the flood cycle and increased water temperatures greatly influence the breeding cycles of the selected species. The tilapia Oreochromis andersonii exhibited a considerable degree of phenotypic plasticity. Fish from the seasonally inundated areas showed a smaller mean size, egg size and larger number of eggs relative to fish in the perennially flooded areas. The size at sexual maturity was also smaller. These different reproductive characteristics exhibited by O. andersonii are dependent on the degree of water retention in the different habitats. The fishes of the Okavango have adopted other reproductive strategies to survive the changing environmental conditions brought about by an annual flood cycle. These strategies include the construction of foam nests, as described for Hepsetus odoe, for guarding the young and to provide an oxygen-rich environment. Two main non-piscivorous feeding pathways were identified in the Okavango. These are a detritus pathway based on dead plant and animal material, and an epiphyte pathway, based on algae and invertebrates that are attached to plant stems. Seasonal changes in diet in relation to the annual flood were recorded. The most dramrtic change was demonstrated by the catfish Clarias gariepinus which congregates in mass aggregations in the northern regions of the Delta and hunt in packs. Pack-hunting by catfish is a regular response to the annual fluctuations in water level. It is my conclusion that the main flow of biotic and abiotic stimuli within the Okavango Delta originates from the relatively hydrologically stable riverine floodplain and perennial swamp ecotones to the widely fluctuating seasonal swamp and drainage rivers ecotones. The relatively stable ecotones allow a diverse and biotically interdependent fish community to develop, whereas the widely fluctuating seasonal swamp and drainage rivers ecotones are characterized by a less diverse and interdependent fish community. The degree of abiotic and biotic interdependence among fish in an ecotone is very important for the long term management of the Okavango Delta. Potential developers have to determine whether the effect of a given action by man is likely to result in a long term disturbance or merely in an elastic recoil to a more or less similar state. Recommendations are made on the conservation and management of Okavango fishes taking into account the ecological characteristics of the delta.

The purpose of this thesis is to analyse the effects of post-independence modernisation policies within the cattle sector in Botswana and to suggest alternative ways of dealing with the challenge of development. The study pursues four research objectives which are: 1. to examine the environmental effects of cattle production by discussing the impacts of policies on disease control as well as changes in rangeland condition; 2. to discuss the social impacts of the modernisation approach to development by examining data on the distribution of cattle, the financial returns that accrue to owners, and the level of subsidies which the sector receives from the government; 3. to determine the degree of vulnerability of the Botswana cattle sector to decisions made outside the country by investigating the influence of the EEC and certain environmental groups on the beef industry. 4. to suggest a set of principles aimed at making development more ecologically sensitive, more beneficial to most people, and more self-reliant in terms of economic and political decisions. Modernisation theory according to Hirschman and Rostow contends that inter-dependence with capitalist economies is a prerequisite for development (primarily defined as economic growth and not addressing environmental issues); that the accumulation of wealth will lead to the reduction of poverty; and that all countries can benefit from the development process. By contrast, Dependency theory according to authors including Prebisch, Frank, Amin, and Sunkel has argued that inter-dependence with capitalist economies retards development; that the national accumulation of wealth does not lead to improved living conditions for much of the population; and that there is little prospect for economic growth in the peripheral countries. The analysis of policies and measures adopted by the Botswana government involving land reform, disease control, pricing and marketing policies and the use of subsidies reveals that economic growth and access to markets have been attained at the expense of both environmental quality and equity. Future policy for the livestock sector cannot ignore criticism of these impacts without jeopardising the beef trade which has largely been determined by the EEC. This European Community influence raises questions about the extent to which Botswana is in control of her development policy. Drawing largely from the work of Gardner, the thesis addresses the above concerns by suggesting a set of policy guidelines which identify both the ends and means of decision-making. This framework recognises that the goals of development must include ecological sustainability and economic and political self-reliance in addition to material benefits. Although it recognises the magnitude of the development problems, the thesis concludes by suggesting specific issues which should be investigated to improve living conditions in the country. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

D.Phil. (Engineering Management) / The construction industry has been recognised internationally as one of the most dangerous industries in which to work, with the statistics often explained in terms of the industry’s inherently hazardous nature. In Botswana a total of 281 fatalities were reported to government agencies, mainly recorded in the high-risk sectors over the period of 2000-2004. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role played by key stakeholders in the health and safety (H&S) performance of the Botswana construction industry and to evaluate their level of H&S commitment and implementation. The aim was to determine how clients, designers and contractors can successfully contribute to H&S performance. Five objectives were identified in this research study. The first was to examine the role of key stakeholders in minimising H&S accidents and incidents in the overall H&S performance of the construction industry of Botswana. The second was to establish whether relevant health and safety planning measures contribute to health and safety performance of the construction industry in Botswana. Thirdly, it was to investigate the extent to which the existing legislative framework is relevant to health and safety performance in the construction industry. The fourth was to determine health and safety commitment levels of clients, designers and contractors’ top management in the construction industry of Botswana. The final objective was to design a multi-stakeholder consultative framework that would address H&S from inception to implementation of the construction project. These objectives were achieved through a research design which included a literature review, methods used and procedures developed to administer the questionnaires, data-collection and analysis through various statistical methods. These included descriptive statistics and nonparametric inferential statistics. The results are then presented in statistical format, tables and graphs. While the literature review revealed that construction industry H&S in developed nations is driven by legislation and regulations, the analysis indicated that there is neither statutory obligation nor the desire on the part of designers and the clients to consider H&S...

M.Cur. / Obstacles to labour companionship at Bamalete Lutheran Hospital (BLH) in Botswana are discussed. There is an underutilization of labour companionship in the BLH maternity ward despite several efforts that have been made to introduce labour companionship. Labour companionship is a rare exception in the BLH labour ward. Why is labour companionship underutilized at Bamalete Lutheran Hospital and what could be done to promote labour companions? An explorative, descriptive, qualitative, contextual, multiple case study was conducted to explore and describe obstacles to, and the need for, the utilisation of labour companionship, and to develop and recommend strategies to overcome the identified obstacles to labour companionship at BLH. Five unaccompanied primigravidae were selected from mothers who had delivered at BLH. Their ideal labour companions and the attending midwives were also selected for the study. A semi-structured interview with open-ended questions and an audiotape were used to collect data from the primigravidae and their ideal companions. Naive sketches were used to collect data from the attending midwives. Morse and Field cognitive processes were used to analyse the data (1996: 103). This study identified four major obstacles to labour companionship as the lack of knowledge about the concept of labour companionship and the availability of the service by the primigravidae; the lack of knowledge on how labour companionship should be practised in a hospital setting by the ideal companions; the lack of privacy of the labour ward unit; and the reluctance of the midwives to implement labour companionship. The Botswana Sexual Reproductive Health information, education and communication (IEC) approach was utilized as a guide in developing the promotion strategies for labour companionship at BLH

This study examines the construction of crime reality by The Voice and The Midweek Sun newspapers by means of a content analysis and involved the exploration of violent crime news reporting, measured against police statistics. The two publications, The Midweek Sun, and The Voice newspapers, were quantitatively and qualitatively analysed to identify the types of violent crimes reported and to determine any differences they may have compared to the Botswana Police crime records, between themselves, and on how they framed or depicted violent crimes. The results were collected using a coding sheet, new story analysis form and analysed against official police records to determine any inconsistencies that may have existed between the crimes covered by two newspapers and police statistics. The qualitative analysis involved a coding sheet to identify lexical features and rhetorical devices in the headlines. The lexical units included compound words and fuzzy words. The rhetorical elements scrutinised included metaphors, alliteration, rhyme, puns, and idioms. The research analysed the news headlines. The study will assist in shedding light on the accuracy of crime news reporting, levels of sensationalism, overreporting or underreporting of violent crimes. / Communication Science / M.A. (Communication)