People with experience living on low income have an important role in multi-sectoral poverty reduction work: they have a right to participate in initiatives that may influence their well being and can contribute valuable skills, knowledge and resources. Yet they are often absent. This research explores the context-specific factors that support and constrain the participation of people living on low income in poverty reduction initiatives through interviews with 19 people actively involved in such efforts. The findings describe the nuances and tensions related to experiences with nine factors: type of participation, compensation, labelling “poor” participants, opening spaces which support diverse perspectives, expectations of representation, rationale for participation, degree of influence, ratio of “poor” participants and relationships. Findings suggest that poverty reduction initiative would benefit from offering diverse participatory opportunities, being flexible in the supports they provide to match the specific needs of individuals and dedicating revenue to participation costs.

This case study examines the National College Advising Corps advisers’ perceptions of their preparedness to assist and encourage underrepresented and low-income students to matriculate to a postsecondary education. The methods utilized in this study were qualitative in nature. Four semistructured questions were asked of the 10 participants who were members of the National College Advising Corps (NCAC). Purposive sampling was utilized based on gender, ethnicity, and first-generation status and was reflective of the NCAC chapter’s demographics. The interviews were transcribed with codes and themes assigned to the participants’ responses. Peer debriefing was utilized in validating the participants’ responses, which provided insight on what preparation was effective and insight on ways to improve the preparation of advisers. The participants were actively involved in coaching and mentoring students. They spent the majority of their time assisting students in the functional tasks of completing admissions, financial aid, and scholarships applications. The preparation that they received prior to assisting students in their respective high schools was sufficient for the participants to accomplish their assigned duties. Learning while performing the functions of the adviser position was critical because the initial preparation could not cover all situations that the participants could encounter. Preparation for tasks outside the functional area was noted as being deficient at varying degrees. Once advisers started working in their assigned schools, they generally had issues with managing their time in light of the numerous tasks to be completed each day, asking other school staff members for assistance in preparing students for college, ensuring that they maintained a balance between work life and personal life, and navigating the relationships between the advisor and school staff. Knowing how to handle these issues was classified into the theme of professional development and was critical to the advisers’ success. Having the right balance of functional preparation versus professional preparation can improve the participants’ success in assisting and encouraging underrepresented and low-income students to matriculate to a postsecondary education.

Bangladesh is known for two things: poverty and floods. It is a delta country burdened with draining large amounts of water from surrounding countries and a heavy monsoon season that have caused numerous severe floods with large scale destruction throughout the country. Rapid urbanization and migration have put an immense pressure on the urban centres. Dhaka, the capital city and the largest urban centre of the country, is struggling to provide adequate housing and basic services for the urban poor who are forced to find accommodation in the flood-prone slums and squatter settlements of the city. The alarming rate of population growth further aggravates the problem of environmental degradation which in turn causes more severe floods. As one of the most vulnerable countries for climate change, Bangladesh must work towards providing flood-resilient, safe and affordable housing for all its citizens. My response was the LIFT (Low Income Flood-proof Technology) House: an affordable, flood-resilient housing solution for the low income families of Dhaka. The LIFT house consists of two amphibious structures that are capable of adapting to rising water levels. The amphibious structures float up on buoyant foundations during floods, and return to ground level when water recedes. It is a sustainable, environmentally friendly house that provides all basic services to its residents without connection to the city service systems, through the use of indigenous materials and local skills. This thesis documents the research, design, and construction of the LIFT house with funding provided by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The LIFT house was completed on January 2010 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and has become a symbol for the city’s desire to provide sustainable, low-cost accommodations that are protected from floods.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 346-360). / Microfiche. / xvii, 360 leaves, bound ill., maps 29 cm

<p>In this report, housing development and perticipation of communities are examined. Although houses have been build in certain areas of Khayelitsha , there is a slow delivery and there is a lack of public involvement in housing programme to decide about the future of the community. In order for any development to be sustainable it must be driven by affected people with a sense of ownership being engendered to them. This holistic approach for housing development is in line up with the current government policy on the matter.</p>

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2007. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 496-500).

Thesis (L.L.M. (Law)) - Rhodes University, 2008

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Nevada, Reno, 2008. / "December, 2008." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-140). Online version available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.(Augmentative and Alternative Communication))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.