A presente dissertação de mestrado tem por objetivo analisar os múltiplos determinantes propulsores da reprovação dos alunos dos 1 e 2 períodos dos Cursos Técnicos Integrado ao Ensino Médio em Química e Controle Ambiental no Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio de Janeiro/campus Nilópolis. Não cabe nesse estudo dar conta de todos os determinantes, por que são muitos e, é inalcançável exauri-los, mas, refletir sobre os que mais respondem sobre a reprovação. O Ensino Médio e a Educação Profissional possuem centralidade neste trabalho justamente pela relação dual e dicotômica entre trabalho e educação no sistema capitalista e assunção da educação pelo Estado. É intenção de o trabalho discutir até que ponto o IFRJ na intencionalidade da educação que ministra vai em direção da transformação ou conformação social. A discussão dos dados realizou-se num movimento constante entre as partes e o todo, ou seja, sem ponto absoluto de partida ou de chegada. Para realizar a pesquisa foram utilizados questionário e entrevista semi-estruturados aplicados com os alunos do 1 e 2 períodos dos cursos, com os professores que ministram aulas nestes períodos, coordenadores dos cursos de Química e Controle Ambiental, os dirigentes da direção de ensino sistêmica e do campus e a Coordenação Técnico-Pedagógica. O roteiro do questionário e da entrevista teve como eixo central levantar os principais fatores apontados pelos pesquisados que direta/indiretamente conduzem a reprovação. As principais conclusões apontam para a individuação e culpabilização da reprovação, a externalização do fenômeno, a filosofia institucional liberdade com responsabilidade e a estrutura administrativa e pedagógica. / The present Masters dissertation has the goal of analysing the multiple variables that determine the retention of students who are in the 1st and 2nd semesters of the Chemistry and Environmental Control Technical Course Integrated with High School at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology, located in Rio de Janeiro/Nilopolis campus. The goal of this study is not to analayze all the variables that contribute to students retention; because such variables are numerous, it would be impossible to analize all of them. Instead, this study aims to reflect about the variables that are most responsible for students retention. The High School and the Professional Education have centralized their efforts in this analysis because of the duo and dichotomic relationship between work and education in the capitalist system, and the ascension of education by the State. The intention of this study is to discuss up to what point the IFRJ, in the intentionality of the education it provides, goes on the direction of transformation or social conformity. The discussion of the data took place in a constant movement between the parts and the whole, this is, without any absolute finish or start points. This research was conducted using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with students from the 1st and 2nd semesters of the courses. These questionnaires/interviews were administered during the class period by the teachers who taught them, by the coordenators of the Chemistry and Environmental Control courses, by the directors of campus and systemic learning, and by the Technical-Pedagogic coordenation. The script of the questionaires and interviews had the central goal of finding out the most important factors pointed out by the interviewees as direct/indirect contributors to retention. The most important conclusions indicate an individualization and blaming of retention, externalization of the phenomenon, the instutional philosophy freedom with responsibility, and the administrative and pedagogic structure.

La lingüística formal solo es posible si realiza un programa de tres exclusiones: la exclusión de la referencia, de la diacronía y del Sujeto. El primero en abrazar este programa fue Saussure y, luego, las diferentes versiones del estructuralismo lo siguieron. Sin embargo, quiero sugerir aquí que una cuarta exclusión es indispensable para entender las teorías que emergen en los límites del estructuralismo (el hiper estructuralismo de Lacan/ Milner) como el programa biologizante del Minimalismo chomskiano y los intentos absolutizantes de Q. Meillassoux: la exclusión del significado. / Formal linguistics is posible only if a program of three exclusions is put into place: exclusion of reference, diachrony and the Subject. The first one to embrace this program was Saussure and then, the different versions of structuralism followed suite. However, I would like to suggest here that a fourth exclusion is needed in order to understand theories that emerge in the outer limits of structuralism (Lacan/Milner’s hyper-structuralism), Chomsky’s biologizing proyect and Q. Meillassoux’s absolutizing attempts: the exclusion of meaning.

Tout au long de l’accompagnement et de la vie partagée avec des parents très pauvres à qui les enfants étaient enlevés souvent dans des conditions inhumaines, j’ai essayé de comprendre ce qui explique l’attitude des services sociaux.Quatre phénomènes justifient le traitement des familles pauvres par les services sociaux, la police et les tribunaux de la famille :la déshumanisation, l’objectivisation et la naturalisation des parents, la banalisation de la souffrance tout cela s’accompagnant du phénomène d’’’othering’’ (altérité).À cause de leur situation de pauvreté, les parents sont stigmatisés et les services ne leur font pas confiance, un soupçon permanent pèse sur eux, et pour chaque difficulté qui se produit, ils sont suspectés d’en être la cause. / Doctorat en Sciences politiques et sociales / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Este trabalho analisa as questões relacionadas às mulheres e aos afrodescendentes em Cabo Verde, no Brasil e em Trinidad e Tobago, tomando como base as obras Preces e Súplicas ou Os Cânticos da Desesperança (2005), da escritora cabo-verdiana Vera Duarte, Poemas da Recordação e Outros Movimentos (2008), da autora brasileira Conceição Evaristo e, por fim, She Tries Her Tongue, Her Silence Softly Breaks (1989), da escritora afro-caribenho-canadense Marlene NourbeSe Philip, verificando como suas poéticas são refrações dos contextos sociais, políticos, econômicos, educacionais e culturais de seus países. Para a realização deste estudo, utilizamos a teoria de Jacques Rancière (2013; 2005; 2003; 1996), a qual afirma que a política está na base da estética e na distribuição desigual de parcelas; e a visão do teórico Homi K. Bhabha (2005), a respeito da subjetivação e estereotipia, com o objetivo dominação. Além disso, instaurouse um questionamento sobre a violência baseada no gênero, o racismo e a violência linguística, temas abordados pelas autoras com o intuito de apresentar ao mundo a situação, notadamente, das mulheres negras em seus contextos. Nesse sentido, o objetivo desta pesquisa tece realidades conflitantes, aproximando-se da busca por uma voz feminina que dá espaço àqueles que não são ouvidos e estão inseridos em sociedades excludentes / This thesis examines the issues related to women and African descendants in Cape Verde , Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago , taking as a basis the works Preces e Súplicas ou Os Cânticos da Desesperança (2005) by the Cape Verdean writer Vera Duarte , Poemas da Recordação e Outros Movimentos (2008 ) by the Brazilian author Conceição Evaristo, and finally , She Tries her Tongue , her Silence Softly Breaks (1989 ) by the African -Caribbean - Canadian writer Marlene Nourbese Philip. In this work we examine how their poetics are refractions of social, political, economic, educational and cultural contexts in their countries. To achieve that we use the theory of Jacques Rancière (2013; 2005; 2003;1996) , which affirms that politics is in the very foundation of aesthetics and the unequal distribution, and also the works of the theorist Homi K. Bhabha (2005 ) about subjectivity and stereotyping with the aim of domination. Moreover, we bring up the question of gender-based violence, racism and linguistic violence. These issues are addressed by the authors in order to present to the world the situation of women, mainly black women, in their contexts. In this regard, the objective of this research weaves conflicting realities, approaching the search for a female voice that gives space to those who are not heard and are inserted into societies of exclusion

Orientador: Ângela Fátima Soligo / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-18T08:20:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gimenez_EloisaHilsdorfRocha_D.pdf: 1807336 bytes, checksum: 8b993f0c4c4d5705145de7b9230f4f20 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011 / Resumo: Crianças são encaminhadas com queixas escolares constantemente e desnecessariamente para serviços especializados. Estão sendo diagnosticadas erroneamente, o que contribui para estigmatizá-las. Filas de espera para atendê-las são uma realidade e a demanda crescente clama por outras intervenções. Foi por reconhecer tal situação que a coordenadora de um núcleo educacional, que tem como propósito atender queixas escolares, solicitou o trabalho de uma assessoria em Psicologia Escolar, da qual fiz parte junto com outra profissional que também é psicóloga. Realizamos este trabalho durante um ano e três meses e foi por intermédio dele que defini que o núcleo educacional e o trabalho da assessoria fariam parte de minha pesquisa de doutorado. Para tanto, estabeleci os seguintes objetivos: 1) Analisar o funcionamento do núcleo educacional e investigar se ele atende efetivamente a proposta de acolhimento da demanda escolar; 2) Conhecer e analisar as concepções sobre o núcleo dos profissionais que trabalham neste local, bem como de diretores, coordenadores e professores; 3) Compreender as modificações ocorridas no funcionamento de um núcleo educacional a partir das intervenções da assessoria escolar. Participaram desta pesquisa 31 sujeitos, entre funcionários do núcleo, diretores, coordenadores e professores da rede municipal de ensino de uma cidade do interior paulista. Todos responderam a entrevistas semiestruturadas, que foram gravadas e posteriormente transcritas. Além deste instrumento, utilizei-me de registros em diário de campo e de registros ampliados. Os dados foram analisados qualitativamente de acordo com a teoria defendida por González Rey (2002; 2003; 2005) e os resultados mostraram que a as intervenções que o núcleo realizava e a forma como ele estava estruturado contribuíram para perpetuar o processo de estigma e exclusão escolar, embora fora proposto com objetivo contrário a este. Foi possível verificar que ainda é grande a expectativa para que o núcleo educacional intervenha diante das queixas escolares a partir de uma perspectiva médica e clínica. Mediante isto e devido ao fato de vários profissionais que integram o núcleo discordarem que este seja seu propósito, está ocorrendo um movimento em busca de diálogos para que os papéis e funções do núcleo sejam devidamente estabelecidos. Este movimento foi compreendido como favorável, pois anteriormente à assessoria ele não ocorria. Transformações ocorreram e puderam ser compreendidas por intermédios das mudanças nas concepções, nas práticas e no funcionamento do núcleo. Este local passou a direcionar suas intervenções também para o contexto escolar, o que está permitindo maior diálogo e integração com as escolas. Os profissionais, em sua maioria, avaliaram a assessoria como algo positivo, reconheceram sua contribuição e manifestaram necessidade de serem novamente assessorados. Este processo será extremamente válido, pois poderá contribuir para que o núcleo caminhe, cada vez mais, em direção à melhoria do processo de escolarização. Acredito que os resultados apresentados poderão contribuir com isto ao apontarem caminhos mais críticos e menos naturalizantes no trabalho com as queixas escolares. / Abstract: Due to school complaints, children are constantly and unnecessarily sent to specialized treatment centers. They have been wrongly diagnosed with specific disorders, which help their stigmatization. Waiting in line to be attended is part of their routine and reality, and the increasing numbers of such cases demand immediate intervention. Moved by such conditions the coordinator of an Educational Center, who keeps as her main purpose to attend these complaints, asked for the help of an Educational Psychology consultant group, of which I took part, together with another professional psychologist. We carried this consultancy work for one year and three months and it was because of it that I decided that both the Educational Center and the advisory work would be part of my doctoral study. In order to carry out my research, the following objectives have been established: 1) To evaluate the way the Educational Center worked and to analyze whether it effectively attends school demands; 2) To get to know and to evaluate the conceptions about the Educational Center held by the professionals working there, as well by the directors, coordinators and teachers; 3) To understand the changes which took place as far as the way the Educational Center functioned, as a result of the school advisory group interventions. Thirty one subjects participated in this study, among which we can mention Educational Center workers, as well as, some Public Primary School directors, coordinators and teachers of a small city located in the countryside of São Paulo State. All participants answered semi-structures interviews, which were recorded and transcribed afterwards. Besides this research instrument, field diaries were also used. Data was analyzed on qualitative basis, according to the theory supported by González Rey ( 2002; 2003; 2005). Results have shownthat the way the Educational Center was structured and the interventions it made contributed to maintain the stigmatizing process students suffered and to school exclusion, even though its main objectives were originally opposite to these factors. It was also possible to verify that the expectancy is still very high in order for the Educational Center to treat school complaints from a medical and clinical perspective. In face of these excluding processes and due to the fact that many professionals that made part of the Educational Center did not agree with them being its main goals, a movement towards a dialog among participants has been taking place, so that the roles and objectives of the Educational Center can be more appropriately established. Such a movement has been seen as positive, once it did not take place before the consulting work existed. Changes have happened and could be better understood through the changes in the conceptions, the practices and the working structure of the Educational Center. This place has started to also direct its interventions to the school context, which has allowed a bigger dialog and integration among schools. Most of he professionals involved considered the consulting work as something positive, recognized its contribution and showed interest in its future continuation. This process will be of extreme value, because it can help the Educational Center to follow its path, in an ever better and stronger way, towards the improvement of the educational process. I believe that the results shown can contribute to such improvement, as it shows more critical and less naturalizing ways as far as the work with school complaints is concerned. / Doutorado / Psicologia Educacional / Doutor em Educação

Orientador : Maria Marcia Sigrist Malavasi / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-09T13:29:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Biani_RosanaPrado_M.pdf: 2081184 bytes, checksum: f73b85e1cce9e4a11a8ec0bf5ab598d2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: Este trabalho analisa a seletividade, o fracasso escolar e a exclusão após a implantação da Progressão Continuada na rede escolar pública estadual de São Paulo. Situa-se na perspectiva do materialismo histórico dialético, sua abordagem é qualitativa e sua metodologia é o estudo de caso. Além do levantamento bibliográfico e do estudo dos documentos oficiais sobre a Progressão Continuada a fim de caracterizá-la enquanto proposta do governo estadual foi feito o acompanhamento, por um ano letivo, em escola da rede estadual de Campinas, em duas classes de 4ª série com o objetivo de observar como se concretizou a proposta na prática escolar cotidiana. Os dados foram obtidos por meio dos documentos escolares dos alunos-sujeitos da pesquisa ¿ fichas de matrícula, listas ¿piloto¿ (com nomes dos alunos, classes às quais pertenciam, listas das classes de recuperação paralela e de férias), espelhos de classe (com notas bimestrais em cada disciplina), das observações do cotidiano escolar ¿ aulas, reuniões de pais, recreios, reforço, sala das professoras e das entrevistas gravadas com os alunos e as professoras. A análise dos dados permite afirmar que: 1) da forma como se concretizou, a Progressão Continuada não rompeu com mecanismos e processos de seleção, fracasso e exclusão levando a escola a manter o seu caráter seletivo e excludente; 2) a exclusão, antes exterior à escola ¿ pelo não ingresso, repetência e evasão ¿ acontece, agora, com a criança na escola ¿ pela pouca qualidade da aprendizagem; 3) os mecanismos de exclusão estão intimamente ligados aos processos avaliativos e intensificaram, dentro da escola, a produção das desigualdades o que, numa análise, contribui com a manutenção das desigualdades sociais. No entanto, pode-se afirmar que a implementação da proposta criou condições objetivas para que as discussões sobre as finalidades da educação, a função social da escola, a organização e a cultura escolar, as práticas pedagógicas e a qualidade na educação ganhassem novas dimensões de análise o que poderá contribuir historicamente para a superação da escola seletiva e a construção da escola para todas as crianças / Abstract: This project analyses the selectivity, the school failure and the exclusion after the implementation of the continued progression in public schools in the state of São Paulo. To be situated on the perspective of historical dialectical materialism, his approach is qualitative and his methodology is the case study. Beyond the bibliographical research and of the analyses of official document about the continued progression in order the label it as a state government proposal, made the follow up for one school year, of two school groups of fourth grades in a public school in the city of Campinas intending to observe how that proposal has been stabilished in the every day school practices. The data was obtained through school documents of the students-subject of this research ¿ such documents were enrollment forms, ¿pilot¿ lists (list containing the names of the students, classes they belong to, reinforcement parallel classes and of vacation), class reports (lists containing students grades on each of subject each bimester), observation of differents moments of the school routine ¿ classes, parent meetings, break, reinforcement, teacher¿s room and finally interviews recorded with students and teachers. The data analyses permit to assert that: 1) the way the Continued Progression proposal was stabilished it didn¿t stop with the mechanisms and process of selection, failure and exclusion in a way that the school kept their selective and excludent character; 2) the exclusion, which in the past was happening outside the school ¿ for the no access, repetition and desertion ¿ now happens with the child in the school ¿ for the little quality of the apprenticeship; 3) the exclusion mechanisms are deeply connected to the evaluation process and intensified, in the school, the production of inequalyties situations which, in analyses, contributes to keeping the social differences and inequalyties. So, we can affirm that the implementation of proposal has criated objectives conditions for wich the discussions about the purpose of education, the social role of the school, the school organization and culture, the pedagogical practices and the quality in education received new dimensions of analyse which may contribute historical for superation of the selective school and the construction of the school for all childrens / Mestrado / Ensino, Avaliação e Formação de Professores / Mestre em Educação

Os debates no universo conceitual sobre exclusão parecem deixar em segundo plano o foco que ilumina as análises baseadas na injustiça social que propõe pensar a exclusão como processo complexo e multifacetado, do qual a inclusão é parte constitutiva. Diante da ineficiência das propostas no atendimento a adolescentes em conflito com a lei que não tem levado em conta tal complexidade; da visão estigmatizada da sociedade sobre eles; e do número elevado de internações por ano na FEBEM-RP, propôs-se este estudo, com o objetivo de caracterizar a vida cotidiana desses jovens, identificar as percepções, concepções e crenças sobre as experiências vividas e, investigar as propostas de mudanças que possam facilitar o processo de inclusão social de jovens que praticaram delito. Participaram deste estudo onze adolescentes, do sexo masculino, com idades entre 15 e 18 anos, internos na FEBEM-RP, e seis funcionários da instituição. A entrevista individual com roteiro semi-estruturado foi o principal instrumento de coleta de dados, sendo complementada por notas em diários de campo e transcrições de trabalhos grupais. As falas dos funcionários também foram utilizadas como dados complementares para conferir ênfase ao tema que estava sendo abordado. A análise qualitativa dos dados, com enfoque interpretativista, privilegiou os pontos de vista dos entrevistados, iluminando os momentos-chave de sua existência. As análises dos dados mostraram que as várias facetas que compõem o processo de exclusão na vida desses jovens parecem ser apontadas por eles como as dificuldades encontradas para viverem o dia-a-dia longe das infrações. A vida concreta dos adolescentes entrevistados é percebida por eles pela precariedade, não só econômica, mas também de vínculos, que são calcados na violência, na provisoriedade e na instabilidade, perpassados por aspectos psicossociais como estigmatização e culpabilização. A vivência dessa realidade parece gerar sofrimento, freqüentemente, expresso pela revolta como forma de demonstrar a inconformidade diante das condições de existência e dos tratamentos recebidos. A coexistência desses motivos, dentre outros, acrescidos da humilhação, tanto na família como na escola, e da discriminação e truculência com que referem ser tratados pela polícia parecem favorecer a inclusão no mundo do crime. Outra faceta que faz com que estejam inseridos no mundo de forma injusta e pouco digna, diz respeito à vulnerabilidade frente ao desenvolvimento e exercício da vida sexual e reprodutiva, além de se perceberem mais vulneráveis em decorrência das rígidas regras de convivência estabelecidas entre seus pares, que tornam iminente o risco de morte. Referem ser coagidos pela polícia para assumirem delitos que não praticaram, o que parece colaborar para que sejam internos repetidas vezes, perpetuando a idéia de um caminho sem volta. Referem que a FEBEM-RP é um local marcado pela diferença de tratamento que privilegia uns e banaliza o sofrimento de outros. Na vida dos jovens entrevistados, a dialética da exclusão/inclusão também se manifesta pela confirmação, negação ou construção da identidade, que no caso deles, parecem forjadas de maneira a manter as estratégias de regulação de poder, sendo reconhecidos, predominantemente, por seus delitos. Expressam o desejo de parar de infracionar e realizam propostas que incluem a profissionalização, a retomada dos estudos, a aplicação da medida de semiliberdade, dentre outros. Para isso, referem a necessidade de apoio profissional e familiar, dentro e fora da FEBEM-RP, sem os quais a inclusão poderá recair na armadilha de uma inclusão ilusória que discrimina, humilha e gera sofrimento. Para eles, a concretização das propostas pode significar o rompimento de um fatalismo cruel e contribuir para uma inclusão mais digna e justa. / The debates in the conceptual area about exclusion seem to omit the focus that elucidates the social injustice-based analysis that has in view the concept of exclusion as being a complex and multi-faceted process, of which inclusion is an essential part. Facing the inefficiency of the proposals in attending adolescents that come into conflict with the law for not taking into consideration such complexity; also facing the social stigmatized view of these same adolescents; and the increased number of new boarders that FEBEM, in Ribeirão Preto, receives each year, this study has been presented, aiming to point out these youngsters´ daily life, identify the insights, conceptions and beliefs of the lived experiences, and investigate the changeover proposals that might favour the social inclusion of these youngsters that have committed some kind of trespass. Eleven male adolescents took part in this study, ranging from 15 to 18 years old, boarders at FEBEM, in Ribeirão Preto, and six employees that work for the institution. The individual interview with a semi-framed script was the major tool to gather data, being completed with fieldwork notes and transcription of group activities. The voices of the employees were also used as supplementary data in order to give emphasis to the topic being approached. The qualitative analysis of data, with an interpretative approach, favoured the point of view of the people interviewed, enlightening the key points of their existence. The analysis of data showed that the multiple facets that form the exclusion process in these youngsters lives seem to be mentioned by them as being the difficulties they come across to live their daily lives away from infractions. The interviewed adolescents´ real life is noticed by them for its precariousness, not only the financial one, but also the precariousness of bonds that are consolidated in violence, transitory feature and inconstancy, due to psychosocial aspects like stigmatization and culpability. Living this reality seems to cause suffering, often expressed by revolt as a way of demonstrating non-conformism before existence conditions and treatment toward them. The co-existence of these reasons, among other ones, added by humiliation, both at home and at school, and discrimination and cruelty they affirm to receive from the police seem to favour their inclusion in the criminal world. Another facet that causes them to live in the world in such an unfair and unworthy way concerns the vulnerability toward the development and practice of sexual and reproductive life, besides viewing themselves as being more vulnerable due to the rigid co-existence rules fixed among their partners, creating an imminent death risk. They affirm to be constrained by the police to take the blame for trespasses they didn´t commit, which seems to contribute for the act of putting them at the institution several times, perpetuating the concept of a situation with no way back. They affirm that FEBEM-RP is a place that is noticed by the difference in treatment that benefits some people while vulgarizes the suffering of others. In the interviewed youngsters` lives, the logic of exclusion/inclusion is also revealed by the confirmation, denial or construction of their identity, that in their case, seem to be engendered in order to support the strategies of authority regulation, being distinguished, predominantly, for their trespasses. They show an urge to quit trespassing and execute proposals that include professionalizing programs, going back to school, the application of a method of semi-freedom, among others. For this reason, they affirm to need professional and familiar support, inside and outside FEBEM-RP, without which their inclusion may fall back in the trap of an illusory inclusion that discriminates, humiliates and causes suffering. For these youngsters, the materialization of these proposals may mean the disruption of a cruel fate and contribute to a more worthy and fair inclusion.

Traditionally seaside resorts have been one of the least understood of Britain’s ‘problem areas’. This thesis breaks new ground by reporting on an exploratory data analysis to probe the influence of resort decline on social exclusion in England’s seaside resorts. Drawing on a wide range of socio-economic datasets and quantitative methods of data analysis and GIS software, the study investigates the scale, nature and extent of multiple deprivation in English seaside resorts, differences in socio-economic structure between deprived and non-deprived resorts and the factors that may explain these differences, and the nature and incidence of localised problem complexes. A combination of univariate, bivariate and multivariate empirical analyses, undertaken at several geographic scales, illuminates the differential incidence of deprivation. The study findings reveal that the majority of seaside districts, small areas and resorts are experiencing similar types and high levels of multiple deprivation. Various facets of population composition (worklessness, education and skills, health, family stability, connectivity, and poverty) and place factors (employment base, economic prosperity, housing, and community safety) are significant for deprivation in seaside resorts. Four types of highly deprived resort areas emerged from the cluster analysis. Not only are the research findings of paramount importance in understanding both the pattern of socio-spatial disadvantage and the prospects for socio-economic regeneration, but they also contribute to an understanding of the outcomes of post-mature resort development, particularly in relation to the internal dynamics of resort change.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Psychology / Ronald G. Downey / The harmful workplace behavior field, although relatively new, is fragmented. Despite a few collaborative efforts (Fox & Spector, 2005; Keashly & Jagatic, 2003; etc.) there is no agreement on the correct terminology to employ. The current paper corrects this by developing a new scale that is a combination of similar, but previously distinct, variables and concepts. This new scale is comprehensive and based off of an intensive review of the literature.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / Over the last decade, there has been a marked convergence in thinking regarding the importance of social cash transfers in poverty alleviation. As such, most governments especially in the developing world have began embracing the idea of rolling out various social cash transfers programmes in a bid to address poverty, social exclusion and vulnerability. This study which is predominantly centred on the LEAP social grant programme in Ghana aims at assessing the impact of the programme in alleviating household poverty in rural Ghana, specifically in the Tolon-Kumbungu district of the Northern region. Through a combination of both qualitative and quantitative strategies, the study focuses on unravelling in how far the programme has contributed to improving the livelihoods and general welfare of beneficiary households in the case study area. Using data from structured household questionnaires, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews conducted in two rural communities (Dingoni and Woribogu), the study establishes that the LEAP social grant has a significant positive impact on food consumption, frequency of utilization of healthcare facilities and the school enrolment rate for children aged 6-13 years in beneficiary households. However, although hypothesised, no significant impact is observed in relation to the incidence of child labour in the household. Thus, in line with Rawls’ theory of justice, the researcher argues that the LEAP social grant programme is a very useful mechanism for promoting social justice in the Ghanaian society. Despite its successes, the study also uncovers that, the insufficient nature of the cash transfer, irregular payment periods, lack of access to complimentary services and lack of transparency and accountability on the part of payment officials are some key challenges confronting the programme from the perspective of beneficiaries, whilst limited staff capacity, the non availability of training opportunities for staff, inadequate logistical support and no motivation for programme staff and voluntary structures also constitute some key challenges from the institutional perspective. In all, the study recommends that government increases the cash amount and pay transfers regularly, link beneficiaries to existing complimentary services in the district, recruit more staff and provide in-service training opportunities for them, strictly monitor compliance to LEAP conditionalities and ensure transparency and accountability in the payment of transfers to beneficiaries.