Using data from the National Survey for Families and Households, ordinary least squares regression is performed to assess to what degree the quality and quantity of sibling relationships affect men and women. Well-being is measured by a twelve item scale, Cronbach 's Alpha = .928. Sibling relationships are measured in two facets: quality and quantity. A positive evaluation of sibling quality correlates with higher levels of well-being for men, but not women. A negative evaluation of sibling quality correlates with lower levels of well-being for both men and women. Men and women do differ in the strength of this effect. No significant relationship is found between the number of times an individual sees his or her siblings and an individual's well-being. However, the number of times siblings talk to each other does have a significant effect on well-being for both men and women. / Department of Sociology

The aim of this study is to better understand age differences in well-being using Ryan, Huta, and Deci’s (2008) theory. According to this theory, four constructs are responsible for living a full and deeply satisfying life (i.e., eudaimonia) and experiencing pleasure and an absence of psychological pain (i.e., subjective well-being): (1) pursuing intrinsic goals and values, (2) behaving in autonomous ways, (3) living mindfully, and (4) behaving to satisfy the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness. Results indicate that aging was positively associated with the pursuit of intrinsic goals and values, autonomous behaviour, mindfulness, and mental health. Although age had a positive effect on the basic psychological need for autonomy, it had no effect on relatedness, and a negative effect on competence. The mixed influence of age on basic psychological needs may explain why older adults experienced greater levels of hedonic well-being but lower levels of eudaimonic well-being.

The Saskatchewan River Delta (SRD) is the largest freshwater inland delta in North America, covering over 950 000 hectares in central Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The wetlands in the SRD provide valuable ecosystem services and support considerable biodiversity. The Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) has expressed concerns regarding the loss of wildlife in the SRD, among other ecological concerns, due to anthropogenic development. Using an ethnoecological approach, the indigenous knowledge of the OCN was documented through an analysis of wetland-based practices. A variety of methods were employed in the research including participant observation, interviews, document review and verification workshops. Interviews held with community Elders also focused on the connections between a life on the land, well-being and cultural identity. The research revealed the need for a more holistic approach to management of the sensitive wetland ecosystems located with OCN traditional territory that reflects the changing values of the community.

M.A. / All children especially adolescents need to feel socially and emotionally supported in every part of their lives for them to have psychosocial well being. This well being includes many different aspects such as physical, material, psychological, and social aspects. Researchers agree that adolescent stage has many challenges of growing up; they need supportive ways of coping and developing. As they grow, high school learners need friendships with same age peers and to be members of formal cultural institutions including educational, play, social and/ or religious groups. The school as an environment where children spend most part of their time needs to have formal and informal support systems that may serve as a tool in ensuring that learner’ copes with the emotional challenges experienced in this stage for optimal social and learning experience. The purpose of this study was to answer research questions on what contributes to the perceptions of adequate social support in a school environment. Which social support systems contribute most to the perceptions of adequate social support? What role does the teacher play in providing social support at school? Would the services of school social worker contribute in anyway to how learners perceive school environment? The concept of social support was described as a key concept of measurement by means of literature study. A questionnaire was designed and utilized to collect data on perceptions regarding social support in the school environment. Data was then analysed to determine whether formal support systems would promote the development of social networks in the community. It became clear from the research findings that high school learners have emotional challenges that needs the attention of a professional person which are non existent in Vosloorus high schools. It was also discovered that learners are unable share their problems in school as the environment is not conducive for them to do so. It also became evident that learners tend to depend on social networks for support in the absence of busy parents. Although the learners felt physically supported, they are lacking emotional and mental wellbeing. The main recommendation of the study is that social support for learners should be supported and mainstreamed in the curriculum to reach majority of learners with emotional, physical, psychological and social needs.

Educational Psychologists (EPs) spend much of their time working with school staff to solve problems. Staff often report perceptions of high levels of stress, overwork and lack of time to plan and implement changes indicating frequent experience of poor mental well-being. There has been a recent increase in awareness of promoting the well-being of children and young people, however, little attention appears to have been focused as yet upon the school staff who will promote and support this agenda.Research in schools has tended to focus on teachers rather than including all staff. There is a preponderance of research clarifying contributors to teachers’ stress and, to a lesser extent describing interventions in schools. However, little research has focused on school staff understanding and value of well-being and about perceptions of interventions carried out in schools. This study aimed to obtain a greater understanding of the perceptions of school staff about well-being, the value they placed upon it and the experience and perceived impact of taking part in a study aiming to promote staff well-being. An 8 week intervention was carried out in a primary school with weekly sessions of a project which was known as ‘Chill and Chat’. Data was gathered via questionnaires completed before and after the project and 3 focus groups held before, during and after the project. Data was analysed using thematic analysis.It was found that well-being was seen as important, however, colleagues with poor mental well-being were ‘pathologised’. ‘Learning’ to cope and maintain positive well-being was perceived as a responsibility of the staff member. Staff perceived the informality of provision to support their well-being as important and valued the time to develop better relationships with colleagues rather than ‘working relationships’ and also feeling valued and cared for. Staff reported perceptions of greater efficacy in the classroom, increased job satisfaction and feeling calmer in the classroom. The most significant limitation of the study was the continuation of provision to support staff mental well-being which requires commitment and understanding from school senior management teams and local authority members regarding the impact that increased well being can have on teaching and learning and a shift of thought towards focusing on positive well-being promotion rather than managing poor well-being.There are implications for EP practice and research in helping school staff reflect on their well-being and actions that they can take as a team to promote well-being in school. EPs can also be instrumental in disseminating research findings highlighting the impact of staff mental well being on teaching and learning.

Conducting a musical rehearsal is an inherently relational activity, requiring a mixture of musical and personal skills. Research and writing on the role of intentional reflection for educators, and subsequently conductors, has demonstrated the important role of reflection as a catalyst for growth. While many models of reflection including video reflection, journaling, and reflective dialogue have helped conductors and music educators gain self-awareness and experience growth, these models do not provide resources to deeply reflect upon the specific role of personality within the rehearsal setting. The Enneagram of Personality, in the form of the Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator (RHETI) was used in this study as a tool for reflecting on personality within the choral rehearsal. Three conductors completed the RHETI online, engaged in reflective conversation about individual personality traits, then watched videos of two recent choral rehearsals, verbally reflecting on the role of specific personality traits within the rehearsals. This document presents these three reflective journeys as case studies, ultimately exploring the usefulness of a tool like the Enneagram as an aid to personal and musical growth for conductors. Chapter One presents an overview of the literature on reflective practice, especially as it applies to education (broadly) and music education (specifically). Chapter Two introduces the Enneagram of Personality, summarizing its structure and core descriptions, as well as psychometric reliability and validity studies of the RHETI. Chapter Three describes the procedures used in the cases and the process developed for analyzing and interpreting the data. Chapters Four, Five, and Six contain the three cases, detailing each conductor’s interaction with the Enneagram within the prescribed reflective practice. Chapter Seven offers a cross-case analysis of the three cases and examines their implications for further research and future use of the Enneagram in musical practice.

Yes / We put forward differences in the form of national identity across natives as a key mechanism explaining the sharp public divide on immigration issues. We show that inflows of migrants into local areas can be harmful for the self-reported well-being of natives, but this is only true for natives who self-identify with an ethnic form of national identity. On the other hand, we provide some evidence to suggest that immigration may be utility enhancing for natives with a civic form of national identity. We also show how differences in national identity significantly predicts voting preferences in the UK referendum on EU membership where concern with immigration issues was a salient factor. Drawing on identity economics, our proposed explanation is that for natives with an ethnic form of national identity, any positive economic benefits associated with immigration may not be enough to outweigh losses in identity based utility. / This work was supported by the Nuffield Foundation.

Households in rural Ecuador face several challenges. One of them is the severe deprivation that reaches alarming percentages in the countryside. Unequal distribution and limited assets constrain households from improving their economic conditions. These factors induce households to overexploit natural resources. Poor households engage in a variety of livelihood strategies. Livelihood strategies are characterized by the allocation of assets (natural, physical, financial, public, social and human), income-earning activities (on farm, off farm), and outcomes (food, income, security). Together these determine the well-being attained by an individual or households. We used data collected by INIAP as part of the SANREM-CRSP project to identify livelihood strategies, their determinants, and well-being implications of adopting a particular livelihood. These data were from a comprehensive survey of 286 households collected during September and November, 2006. Livelihood strategies for the Chimbo watershed were identified using qualitative and quantitative methods. The methods provide similar results and identified four main livelihoods: households engaged in diversified activities, agricultural markets, non-farm activities, and agricultural wage work. Most households are engaged in agricultural markets followed by households in diversified activities. Households engaged in agricultural markets own higher amounts of natural and physical resources, while households engaged in non-farm activities have, on average, more human capital. Households participating in agricultural wage work are mainly from the down-stream watershed and posses less natural, physical and human assets. Factors influencing the selection of livelihood strategies were examined using a multinomial logit model. Variables such as access to irrigation, amount of farm surface and value of physical assets were statistically significant determinants of livelihood selection. Households with higher endowments of natural and physical assets are more likely to engage in agricultural markets and less likely to participate in non-farm activities. Secondary education tends to decrease participation in the agricultural sector while increasing engagement in non-farm activities. Several geographic variables like watershed location, altitude, and distance to rivers and cities are statistically significant determinants of livelihood strategies. The well-being associated with each livelihood strategy was estimated using least squares corrected for selection bias. Since participation in each livelihood is endogenously selected it was necessary to correct for selection. We use the Dubin- McFadden (1984) correction, based on the multinomial logit model. In our models of well-being few variables were statistically significant; this may be due to data limitations. Credit is statistically significant and has a positive effect on wellbeing. A similar positive effect is shown by education but the variable is not statistically significant. An odd result was found in the coefficient of irrigation access. This coefficient appears to decrease household well-being for those engaged in agricultural markets. This result is hard to explain, as we would expect that irrigation would be positively associated with well-being. The lack of access to water in irrigation systems in the region (noted by many respondents) might explain this negative effect. Most households that access irrigation do not have enough water, and access to irrigation does not provide the advantages that it might otherwise. The selection models were used to estimate the amount of well-being that households currently engaged in other livelihoods might receive if they selected a different livelihood. For example, what level of wellbeing would be attained by households currently engaged in agricultural markets if they instead engaged in non-farm activities. Results indicate that most households might achieve higher well-being if they engaged in non-farm activities. However households that want to engage in this sector require special skills or assets that are not easy to obtain; thus there are constraining barriers to diversification in the watershed. Several policy changes were simulated to determine their impacts on livelihood choice and household well-being. First a policy change that provides wider education to households in the region was assumed, with more education livelihood strategy selection moves towards the non-farm sector and away from agricultural wage work. These changes generate positive effects on household well-being. The second policy change was creating wider access to irrigation. This change moves livelihood strategies towards agricultural production and away from diversification and non-farm activities, and it had the effect of decreasing household well-being. This was unexpected but it is explained by the negative coefficient of irrigation access in the well-being model. These two policy changes were made to variables that are not statistically significant determinants in the well-being models but were highly significant determinants of livelihood strategies. The third and final policy was wider access to formal credit. Although credit is not a variable that affects the selection of livelihood strategies, it has an important effect on well-being. This policy change generates the highest increment in average well-being. However even though credit is available, if it is not used for productive purposes, it might represent an unnecessary cost for the households instead of being beneficial. / Master of Science / LTRA-3 (Watershed-based NRM for Small-scale Agriculture)

Divorce brings unprecedented changes. The prevalence of divorce today constitutes a need to thoroughly study the well-being of divorced peoples. This study used a multidimensional definition of well-being to study divorced peoples and other marital statuses. Physical, social, psychological, and socioeconomic well-being were used. This study hypothesized that the married and remarried have higher well-being than the never married who in turn have higher well-being than the divorced or separated. It was also hypothesized that some are pre-disposed to divorce. ANCOVA analysis was used to test these hypotheses in a sample of approximately 9,863 respondents from the NSFH study. Support was found for the hypothesis that the never married have higher well-being than the divorced or separated. This was true in all four aspect analyses. No support was found for the hypothesis that some are pre-disposed to divorce. Further, support was found for married and remarried having higher well-being than the divorced or separated and never married, but only in regards to psychological and socioeconomic well-being. Partial support was found for physical well-being. The divorced or separated had the lowest or close to lowest adjusted well-being mean of all marital statuses except in the social well-being analysis. Marital status and especially divorce does affect well-being.

“The family is the building block of society. It is a nursery, a school, a hospital, a leisure centre, a place of refuge and rest. It encompasses the whole of society. It fashions our beliefs; it is the preparation for the rest of our life,” Margaret Thatcher (1988). We are all well aware of the important role of family in people’s lives, we know it can affect you, empower you, or break you. Many studies and research has sought to define the role and influence of family in every which way, but truthfully, we can never know enough and we will never know everything. As human beings, we constantly strive for more – more knowledge, more understanding, and more insight. But the family, in essence, is a mystery; a far too complex and unique system that cannot be broken down into simple numbers or words. It is this that inspired me to do this study – although we can never know everything, we can always know more. This study therefore aimed to investigate the psychosocial well-being of a group of families and from the findings obtained, develop a conceptual framework and a model for psychosocial well-being of families from diverse cultures in a South African context. The research method consisted of two stages namely, stage one: a multi-method approach using quantitative and qualitative research for theory generation, and stage two: formulation of a conceptual framework and visual model. The first phase consisted of a quantitative research design with a sample size of 772 participants. The aim of the first phase was to determine the prevalence of psychosocial well-being in families and to identify families who report high, moderate and low levels of psychosocial well-being, using validated psychological instruments. The second aim of the quantitative phase was to propose a measurement model to assess family psychosocial well-being in a South African context. The second phase consisted of a qualitative, explorative research design used to understand and describe aspects that contribute to the psychosocial well-being of families from diverse cultures in a South African context, by analysing the storied (narrative) experiences (N = 23), drawings (N = 14) and family interviews (N = 36) of identified families who reported psychosocial well-being or less thereof, in the first phase of the study (Creswell, 2003). These findings were then utilized to develop a conceptual framework followed and a model for the psychosocial well-being of families in a South African context. The findings from the first, quantitative phase show a rather small group of participants who report high levels of family psychosocial well-being, while the majority falls within the low and moderate ranges, and approximately 64% of the participants are not experiencing optimal psychosocial well-being. The results support a two-factor model of family psychosocial well-being consisting of family functioning and family feelings. Family functioning included family relational patterns, family functioning style and family hardiness while the second factor, family feelings, included family satisfaction and attachment. The findings from the qualitative phase suggest that communication, mutual support, togetherness as a family and spirituality are the most prominent contributing factors, whilst financial difficulties and interpersonal conflicts or arguments are the most prominent hindering factors with regard to family psychosocial well-being in this group of participants. These findings were utilized to develop a conceptual framework and a model for the psychosocial well-being of families from diverse cultures in a South African context that can be used in future research and in the development of programmes to enhance the psychosocial well-being of South African families. / PhD, Psychology, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012