Bakgrund: Tidigare studier visar en ökad misstro till välgörenhetsorganisationer samtidigt som det ökade antalet organisationer ökar konkurrensen mellan organisationerna om bidragsgivarnas donationer. Detta ställer krav på välgörenhetsorganisationer att marknadsföra sig för att nå ut till allmänheten. Eftersom organisationerna till stor del är beroende av allmänhetens förtroende för att finansiera sin verksamhet är den ökade misstron oroväckande. Vi ställer oss därför frågan: Kan det nya intresset för marknadsföring inom branschen användas för att vinna tillbaka allmänhetens förtroende och därmed minska risken för uteblivna donationer?Syfte: Syftet med studien var att studera vilka faktorer som påverkar allmänhetens förtroende för välgörenhetsorganisationer. Detta ska sedan ligga till grund för en analys av hur marknadsföringsinsatser för välgörenhetsorganisationer kan bidra till ett ökat förtroende hos allmänheten.Metod: En kvalitativ insamlingsmetod användes där 21 respondenter deltog i fyra olika fokusgrupper. Respondenterna delades upp efter nivå av engagemang inom välgörenhet som på så sätt skulle kunna representera olika målgrupper. Empirin har sedan analyserats med hjälp av innehållsanalys.Resultat: De mest framträdande faktorerna som påverkade respondenternas förtroende var transparens, tydlighet i vad varje bidrag får för positiva konsekvenser, handlingar hos representerande för organisationen och personliga rekommendationer. Utöver detta så var det även viktigt att marknadsföringen var effektiv men inte framstod som alltför kostsam. Vidare visade sig en del skillnader mellan respondenter med högt och lågt engagemang avseende hur viktiga de olika faktorerna var för respektive målgrupp, vilket skulle kunna påverka hur organisationerna väljer att utforma sin marknadsföring.Slutsats: Välgörenhetsorganisationer kan påverka allmänhetens förtroende genom att anpassa sin marknadsföring för att visa transparens och tydlighet i vad varje bidrag ger för positiva konsekvenser. Marknadsföring i form av representanter för organisationer och word-of-mouth hade även stor påverkan, framförallt på de som är mindre engagerade inom välgörenhet. Utformning och medieval kan med fördel anpassas utefter målgrupp, beroende på mottagarens befintliga engagemang inom välgörenhet. / Background: Previous studies have shown an increase in distrust for charities. At the same time the competition has grown among the different charity organizations and has affected the amount of donations given to each individual charity. This has created an advanced requirement on marketing strategies within the industry. Due to the charities reliability on public donations it is concerning when the distrust has increased over the past years. We ask ourselves: can the interest for new marketing strategies be of service to charities, in enabling them to win the public's trust and therefore decrease the possibility for left out donations?Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the different aspects that affect the public's trust toward charity organizations. This will then be our base for analyzing how marketing strategies for charities can contribute to an increased trust.Method: A qualitative research method was used where 21 respondents participated in four focus groups. Respondents were divided into groups by level of commitment to charities and represented different target groups. The empirical data was then analyzed using a content analysis.Results: The most common factors that affected the participants trust for charities was transparency, clarity on the positive effect of the donations, the image that was reflected by organization representatives and personal recommendations. Apart from this it was important that the marketing was effective but under the circumstances of not being projected as too expensive. There was also a difference between the high and low commitment levels which could affect how the charities choose to design their marketing.Conclusion: Charities have the possibility of affecting the public's trust for charities through adjusting their marketing to show transparency of the organization and specifically showing the positive consequences of the donations made. The charities image and personal recommendations effected the delegate’s perception, especially the lower committed groups were affected by this. The marketing channels can be adjusted to fit the target groups, in relation to their commitment to charities.This paper is written in Swedish.

This research evaluates the role of flexible methods of delivering social work education in widening access to professional qualification. It examines: • The personal profiles of applicants on flexible/part-time social work programmes and compares these with those of full-time students • Whether opportunities for flexible study increase the diversity of applicants to pre-registration Masters level programmes • The kinds of flexibility that increase the diversity of applicants to pre-registration social work programmes The research method is informed by reflexivity, incorporating all aspects of knowledge and experience providing depth to interpretation of data. Data on 162 social work students registered on a postgraduate pre-registration programme was collected over four years and examined using a sequential exploratory research design. Data was collected from three main sources: HEI cohort statistics, questionnaires and individual interviews with eight selected students. Findings suggest: Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) students enter social work education through social care for career progression in the absence of alternative employment; knowledgeable and experienced practitioners study for qualifications that allow them to continue in their role; opportunity, rather than planning, facilitates access to study; and values promoted within social work education conflict with those experienced in the workplace. Limited diversity was identified within students on the flexible route associated with age, personal situation, disability and distance from the HEI. These students represented two distinct groups, polarised in terms of experience, knowledge and aspirations. Trends and patterns were identified across and within the whole student group: BME students were multiply-disadvantaged, travelling further, earning less, and facing limited opportunity; and numbers of younger, White students were increasing. Findings indicate a need to broaden notions of flexibility in programme structure and delivery. Recommendations include using a modular approach; delivery methods that facilitate local study; and establishing a “whole-career” approach to social work education.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

In this thesis, I examine contemporary manifestations of the Islamic practice of zakat and its relationship with mainstream international development. Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam; it requires all Muslims who possess above a certain level of wealth to pay roughly 2.5 percent of their disposable income to eight beneficiary groups defined in the Qur’an. Over the past several decades – and especially in the past 15 years – zakat has become an increasingly institutionalized, transnational practice managing billions of dollars of aid every year. Contemporary zakat institutions have also placed an increasingly strong emphasis on poverty alleviation that has brought their activities in closer contact with those of mainstream international development organizations. Despite the important role that zakat institutions play in social welfare and the significance of zakat practice across the Muslim world, there has been little scholarly analysis of contemporary zakat practice, particularly regarding its relationship with international development. This thesis seeks to initiate a dialogue around the relationship between contemporary zakat institutions and mainstream international development organizations, particularly the potential for coordination or conflict between them. Such a dialogue must be based on a strong understanding of zakat as a complex, dynamic, and diverse practice. To establish this foundation, I begin with an analysis of contemporary shifts in interpretations and manifestations of zakat. Following this analysis, I conduct a closer examination of the structure, activities, beneficiary groups, and discourse of contemporary zakat institutions through case studies of the West Bank and Lebanese Zakat Funds. Finally, I compare the goals, methods, and activities of zakat institutions and mainstream international development organizations like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank. This allows me to examine the potential for different forms of coordination between zakat institutions and mainstream development and discuss challenges to such coordination. I conclude with recommendations on key strategies for enhancing coordination that will be in the interest of both zakat institutions and mainstream development organizations, and ultimately enhance the effectiveness of the aid they deliver. / text

The thesis examines isolation and caritas, or charity, in The Confidence-Man as polar themes which express, respectively, withdrawal from and suspicion of the human community and integration within and appreciation for that community. Isolation is considered a negative theme; caritas, an affirmative theme.

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This study reports the findings of an instrumental qualitative case study exploring the impact of service users' stories in professional social work education. A number of mandates -legal, practice and not least from the service user movement itself – have led to a closer involvement of service users in the pre-qualifying curriculum. Current research is beginning to consider how service user perspectives may be integrated within the social work curriculum although there has been less focus on the impact of such involvement. Located within a social constructionist paradigm, this study explores one aspect of involvement- stories of personal experience as told by service users themselves-and illuminates the understanding of 'impact' from the perspectives of students and service users as well as the lesser heard voice of the social work academic. Key questions in relation to an emancipatory approach to social work education are raised. Drawing on in depth individual and group interviews, document analysis and participant-as-observer data, key pedagogical implications emerged. Presented as thematic networks, findings identified the creative potential of using stories to promote criticality, personal reflection and reflexivity within the classroom. Emotionality and its management were also identified as significant themes as were the construction of roles and the identities of professional lecturers, students and service users. The findings revealed how aspects such as childhood sexual abuse, trauma and working with those with mental health needs may be taught via narratives. In this light, it identifies the key features of transformative learning and proposes a 'constructive' pedagogic model to promote personal and professional development. The opportunities and challenges relating to the use of stories are also scrutinized. Discussion includes the need to revisit how theory is taught including the potential of service users' told experience to enhance knowledge for practice and to practise via the creation of 'live theory' in the classroom. The study concludes by identifying key messages for the social work curriculum and evaluates this case study methodology including its potential to generate theory amid wider calls for social work education research to be more firmly embedded in evidence-based and evidence-informed approaches.

In the field of Jane Austen study, some critics regard her novels as a preaching of Christianity while some others consider her works as secular novels. In regards of the author¡¦s religious background, it is essential to re-examine her novels in order to formulate the influence of religion in both her life and her works and to settle certain debates on her belief. This present thesis will center on three of Austen¡¦s novels: Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma, with exploring her surviving correspondence in mention of her opinion on Christians, to probe into her religious principles and to provide a neutral viewpoint to scrutinize the relation between literature and religion in the novels. The introductory chapter gives an overall look on Jane Austen¡¦s religious and historical background. The following three chapters aim to discuss several elements of Christianity in her novels respectively. Chapter One exemplifies the practice of Christian charity in Austen¡¦s novels as well as in her daily life. It also elaborates on certain ¡§good principles¡¨ that were well-known by the Regency congregation and that were practiced by the authoress. Chapter Two discusses how Austen reflects the biblical teaching in her novels without using direct quotes and how she presents her concern of the potential crisis with ambiguous values. The final chapter deals with the problems facing by the Regency clergy and how Austen projects her ideal clergy through a hero¡¦s mouth. Most importantly, this thesis conjectures the reasons of Austen¡¦s evasiveness on religion in hope to gain a new insight into her fictional world.

When discussing charity, it is important to recognize that charity and other forms of giving are not solely done out of altruism, but can also be done out of greed and self promotion. It is especially important to recognize when those in power or those who have fame participate in this form of giving, because their actions may be emulated by others. This self aggrandizing giving has been done historically throughout multiple cultures as a way to gain or keep prestige, and also as a way to keep the boundaries between the classes strong. This is an important idea because, as I argue, giving as a way to gain public recognition and to keep social boundaries in place is still occurring today. This form of giving is what I label Conspicuous Charity. This is giving in which the main focuses of the participation in charity are the public and social benefits (such as prestige and recognition) to the givers, whereas the assistance to those in need is but a secondary benefit. The conspicuous use of charity also can take a broader approach, which I label Conspicuous Giving. This form of giving is presently being used as a way to keep those with fame, such as media celebrities, in the limelight, those with high standing in the global hierarchy at the top, and those at the top of the racial hierarchy separated from those at the bottom. In order to flesh out the concept of Conspicuous Giving, other forms of giving are also discussed such as Christmas gifts, bribes, and feasting. These cultural events are discussed within the context of multiple cultures as ways to show that using giving in a predatory manner is not a phenomenon unique to Western or even American culture. However, I argue that when it comes to this behavior, Americans are at the forefront of this movement into postmodernity.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Brown University, 2004. / Available in film copy fromProQuestDissertation Publishing. Vita. Thesis advisor: Anthony Molho. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 234-247). Also available online.