Thesis (doctoral)--Ruprecht-Karl-Universität zu Heidelberg.

This thesis aims to describe health inequalities among older people in Britain in the 1980s and 1990s and to assess whether various personal circumstances and experiences contribute towards this variation. Three sources of data are used: the Longitudinal Study; the first Whitehall cohort of male civil servants; and baseline quality of life information from the MRC Trial of the Assessment and Management of Older People in the Community (MRC Study). Housing tenure, car availability, and employment grade are the main socioeconomic measures used, but also social class and income. Findings: People disadvantaged in mid-life socioeconomic circumstances continue to experience increased risks of mortality, insitutionalisation, poor self-reported health and functioning 20-30 years later. Smoking and cardio-respiratory factors in middle age partially accounted for the differentials found in the Whitehall Study. The MRC Study revealed worse prospects for five dimensions of health-related quality of life among people in rented homes compared to owner-occupied ones, even among those who were deemed independent. Symptoms of ill health, and health behaviours accounted for over 40% of the housing tenure differentials in quality of life among these independent people. Being in a deprived or densely-populated area was not as strong a discriminator of quality of life as personal housing-tenure. Finally, people whose socioeconomic circumstances become worse in late middle age have greater risks of poor health outcomes than those who stay advantaged. The findings on benefits of improvements in socioeconomic circumstances are more mixed and complicated by ill health leading to apparent upward socioeconomic mobility. Conclusions: The three studies provide evidence of both long-term implications of socioeconomic position in mid-life and continuing relevance of socioeconomic position in old age. Although personal factors and health symptoms contribute to health inequalities in old age they are also seen as a possible product of socioeconomic position.

On charges of murder or assault, it often appears that the accused's aggression was immediately preceded by provocative behaviour e.g. taunts or insults by the victim which induced anger or rage in the accused and which gave rise to his aggression. The present study aims to address the question whether, in South African law, a defence is available to an accused in such cases. Since the issue of provocation in South African law usually arises in homicide cases, this study will be restricted to such cases. It will be shown that, during the past couple of decades, the South African law relating to provocation has undergone significant development. In 1925, the Appellate Division declared s 141 of the Native Territories Penal Code to be an accurate reflection of the South African law relating to provocation. In terms of this section, provocation could operate as a partial defence on a charge of murder: where an accused successfully raised the defence he would be convicted of culpable homicide. Recently, however, it has become clear that provocation may operate as a complete defence, resulting in an accused leaving the court as a free person. It will be argued that the above development reflects a general shift in our law, starting in the 1950's, from a policy-based to a principle-based approach to criminal liability.

In rendering child care protection services to adolescents in the Marshite area as a social worker in the Department of Social Development, the researcher recognised that an increased number of adolescents are sexually abused also by persons known to them. The sexual abuses are not reported because adolescents and caregivers lacked adequate knowledge of what is sexual abuse and services provided by social workers available for them. This became evident from the intervention programme statistics which indicated that adolescents and caregivers were not aware of other sexually abusive behaviours than penetration. The aim of the research was to identify circumstances that contribute to adolescents’ vulnerability towards sexual abuse in a rural area in order to enable social workers to empower adolescents and caregivers on how to prevent sexual abuse. Also to develop and evaluate programmes and services rendered to sexually abused adolescents and their families. Purposive voluntary sampling was used to select adolescents participating in empowerment programmes of social workers in the Marshite area. The research reveals that children in the Marshite area lack sufficient knowledge on child sexual abuse. The circumstances within which the adolescents live in the Marshite area make the adolescents victims of sexual abuse. Looking at the services that social workers render to the sexually abused adolescents and their caregivers in te Marshite area, there is a need for skilled and knowledgeable forensic social workers who can develop empowerment programmes and render relevant services to sexually abused adolescents and their families in the Marshite community. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

In rendering child care protection services to adolescents in the Marshite area as a social worker in the Department of Social Development, the researcher recognised that an increased number of adolescents are sexually abused also by persons known to them. The sexual abuses are not reported because adolescents and caregivers lacked adequate knowledge of what is sexual abuse and services provided by social workers available for them. This became evident from the intervention programme statistics which indicated that adolescents and caregivers were not aware of other sexually abusive behaviours than penetration. The aim of the research was to identify circumstances that contribute to adolescents’ vulnerability towards sexual abuse in a rural area in order to enable social workers to empower adolescents and caregivers on how to prevent sexual abuse. Also to develop and evaluate programmes and services rendered to sexually abused adolescents and their families. Purposive voluntary sampling was used to select adolescents participating in empowerment programmes of social workers in the Marshite area. The research reveals that children in the Marshite area lack sufficient knowledge on child sexual abuse. The circumstances within which the adolescents live in the Marshite area make the adolescents victims of sexual abuse. Looking at the services that social workers render to the sexually abused adolescents and their caregivers in te Marshite area, there is a need for skilled and knowledgeable forensic social workers who can develop empowerment programmes and render relevant services to sexually abused adolescents and their families in the Marshite community. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Various research sources indicate that effective sensory functioning is critical to the optimal development of a child. However, the influence of problems that are associated with poor socio-economic circumstances, as well as the differences between the genders and groups from different socio-economic backgrounds with regard to sensory functioning and motor development, is not clear. The aim of this study was to determine the possible significant relationship between problems that are associated with poor socio-economic circumstances and the sensory development of five to six year old children from these backgrounds. The study also attempted to compare the sensory development of five to six year old children from poor socio-economic backgrounds on the one side and those from good socio-economic backgrounds on the other. Further aims of this study were to analyse the possible differences between motor and sensory development of five to six year old boys and girls in poor socio-economic circumstances, as well as to determine the possible significant relationship between the general motor and sensory development of five to six year old children in poor socioeconomic circumstances. Fifty families were selected from three hundred families in the Thusano project by making use of a stratified random sampling procedure. All the five to six year old children belonging to these fifty families were selected for the purposes of this study as the QNST test can only be used for analysis on children from the age of five years. The total group that were selected from this poor socio-economic background consisted of twelve girls and eight boys (N= 20). A control group was made up of children from better socio-economic backgrounds and consisted of five girls and six boys between the ages of five and six years (N=11). The children were all evaluated according to the "Peabody Developmental Motor Scales - 2" (PDMS-2) to determine their motor development. The "Sensory Input Systems Screening Test" and the "Quick Neurological Screening Test II" (QNST) were used to evaluate their sensory development. The children with poor socio-economic circumstances were also evaluated by means of a questionnaire to determine aspects related to the birth process, medical history and education of the mother. With regard to aim 1, it is apparent from the results, which were obtained by using 'Statistica', that there are significant differences in the sensory development of children from poor socio-economic circumstances and good socio-economic circumstances when the QNST test was taken into account. The six tests showing the significant differences in the two groups are the two tests for tactile input ('palm shape' and 'hand-cheek'), the tests for auditory input ('sound'), the tests for pro-prioceptive input ('arm-leg extension') and the two tests for vestibular input ('finger-nose' and 'one leg stand'). However, no significant difference was found between the two groups with regard to the Pyfer test. When focussing on aim 2, the results indicated significant relationships between certain problems that are associated with poor socio-economic circumstances and the sensory development of children. With regard to aim 3, it is apparent from the results of t-testing (p≤ 0.05) that the motor skills of girls are better when compared to boys. Significant differences were found in favour of the girls with regard to the gross-motor percentile, the gross-motor grading, the total quotient and the total motor percentile where the girls did better than the boys. With regard to the sensory development, a t-test showed that the girls performed significantly poorer than the boys in the test for visual tracking, while the boys performed significantly poorer than the girls in the tests for spatial orientation ('finger-nose') and bilateral integration ('repetitive hand movements'). With regard to aim 4, correlation analysis indicated that there was a relationship between sensory, general and fine motor development in the group as a whole, while a discriminant analysis showed that visual perception contributed most to the overall motor developmental levels of the group. No relationship was, however, found between the gross-motor and sensory development of the group. These results substantiate that the motor en sensory development of children living in poor socio-economic conditions are hampered by their environment, and that they should receive additional attention to try to prevent deficiencies in this regard. / Thesis (M.A. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Various research sources indicate that effective sensory functioning is critical to the optimal development of a child. However, the influence of problems that are associated with poor socio-economic circumstances, as well as the differences between the genders and groups from different socio-economic backgrounds with regard to sensory functioning and motor development, is not clear. The aim of this study was to determine the possible significant relationship between problems that are associated with poor socio-economic circumstances and the sensory development of five to six year old children from these backgrounds. The study also attempted to compare the sensory development of five to six year old children from poor socio-economic backgrounds on the one side and those from good socio-economic backgrounds on the other. Further aims of this study were to analyse the possible differences between motor and sensory development of five to six year old boys and girls in poor socio-economic circumstances, as well as to determine the possible significant relationship between the general motor and sensory development of five to six year old children in poor socioeconomic circumstances. Fifty families were selected from three hundred families in the Thusano project by making use of a stratified random sampling procedure. All the five to six year old children belonging to these fifty families were selected for the purposes of this study as the QNST test can only be used for analysis on children from the age of five years. The total group that were selected from this poor socio-economic background consisted of twelve girls and eight boys (N= 20). A control group was made up of children from better socio-economic backgrounds and consisted of five girls and six boys between the ages of five and six years (N=11). The children were all evaluated according to the "Peabody Developmental Motor Scales - 2" (PDMS-2) to determine their motor development. The "Sensory Input Systems Screening Test" and the "Quick Neurological Screening Test II" (QNST) were used to evaluate their sensory development. The children with poor socio-economic circumstances were also evaluated by means of a questionnaire to determine aspects related to the birth process, medical history and education of the mother. With regard to aim 1, it is apparent from the results, which were obtained by using 'Statistica', that there are significant differences in the sensory development of children from poor socio-economic circumstances and good socio-economic circumstances when the QNST test was taken into account. The six tests showing the significant differences in the two groups are the two tests for tactile input ('palm shape' and 'hand-cheek'), the tests for auditory input ('sound'), the tests for pro-prioceptive input ('arm-leg extension') and the two tests for vestibular input ('finger-nose' and 'one leg stand'). However, no significant difference was found between the two groups with regard to the Pyfer test. When focussing on aim 2, the results indicated significant relationships between certain problems that are associated with poor socio-economic circumstances and the sensory development of children. With regard to aim 3, it is apparent from the results of t-testing (p≤ 0.05) that the motor skills of girls are better when compared to boys. Significant differences were found in favour of the girls with regard to the gross-motor percentile, the gross-motor grading, the total quotient and the total motor percentile where the girls did better than the boys. With regard to the sensory development, a t-test showed that the girls performed significantly poorer than the boys in the test for visual tracking, while the boys performed significantly poorer than the girls in the tests for spatial orientation ('finger-nose') and bilateral integration ('repetitive hand movements'). With regard to aim 4, correlation analysis indicated that there was a relationship between sensory, general and fine motor development in the group as a whole, while a discriminant analysis showed that visual perception contributed most to the overall motor developmental levels of the group. No relationship was, however, found between the gross-motor and sensory development of the group. These results substantiate that the motor en sensory development of children living in poor socio-economic conditions are hampered by their environment, and that they should receive additional attention to try to prevent deficiencies in this regard. / Thesis (M.A. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

<p> The purpose of this thesis is to challenge the scholarly consensus regarding the historical circumstances which led to the writing of 1 Chronicles by a close examination of the nature and function of the Chronicler's treatment of David. There has to be a reason for the stress which is placed on David by the Chronicler, especially at a time when there was no monarchy ruling in Judah. Much of the study which has been carried out on Chronicles has concentrated to a large extent on linguistic evidence. Linguistic evidence alone, however, is insufficient for drawing any solid conclusions. Thus, the attempt is being maae here to seel-: some answers on thematic evidence. This involves a close study of the Chronicler's treatment of David and the suggestion that David is to be equated with the post-exilic governor of Judah, Zerubbabel. The concentration on the Chronicler's interpretation of the figure of ravid is being used to demonstrate the possibility of reaaing 1 Chronicles as the historical expression of the :novement inspired by the prophecies of Haggai and Proto Zechariah.</p> <p> During the course of the thesis, attention is drawn to the difficulties surrounding the dating of 1 Chronicles as a result of the work of many red.actors, which is evident throughout the book. It becomes more difficult to assign the entire work, in its present form, to 8ny one period in the post-exilic era. However, despite this difficulty, a comparison of the major themes in 1 Chronicles and those in Haggai and Proto Zechariah shows that it is at least possible to date the original form of 1 Chronicles somewhere in the period of 520-515 BCE.</p> / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

This thesis is a biocultural analysis of the 1918 influenza pandemic among soldiers in the Polish army and the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) training in Canada. Using an ethnographic epidemiological method and a variety of archival sources, I explore the 1918 influenza pandemic and focus on the first two pandemic waves which occurred between 1 January and 31 December 1918. This research examines the impact of influenza at the Polish army camp at Niagara-on-the-Lake, on soldiers treated in military hospitals across Ontario, and among recruits on troopships bound for Europe. The primary questions behind this thesis are: in what ways did the war effort intersect with pandemic influenza to affect soldiers in the Polish army camp at Niagara-on-the-Lake, across Ontario, and on troopships bound for Europe? What patterns of morbidity and mortality characterize the first two waves of the pandemic in Ontario’s military hospitals? Were all soldiers equally vulnerable to infection and death from influenza? These questions are addressed in this ‘sandwich thesis’ in three papers which are either published or have been submitted for publication. Pandemic influenza and the war effort in Canada were intimately linked. At the Polish army camp, crowding was prevalent in all aspects of the soldiers’ lives and facilitated the spread of airborne infectious diseases, including influenza. Soldiers continued to be sent to Canada from infected cities in the U.S. throughout the fall wave of the pandemic. Similar events played out on troopships bound for Europe in the summer of 1918 where epidemics of influenza occurred on board, in spite of regulations established in the summer of 1918 to prevent troopships from transporting soldiers sick with influenza. These findings support Humphries’s (2005, 2012) assertion that the war effort took precedence over the health of individual soldiers and the surrounding community. On the other hand, military authorities put the Polish army camp under quarantine in the fall of 1918 and great efforts were made to ensure that sick soldiers were cared for during the epidemic. This close examination of the epidemic in a particular location suggests that military management of the influenza pandemic was complicated and was mediated by a variety of local factors. Previous experience with the influenza virus, and the overarching social perceptions of the disease, also tempered the way in which military authorities managed the pandemic. I compare the way in which military doctors treated CEF soldiers hospitalized with influenza to those hospitalized with venereal disease. I argue that whereas influenza was understood to be a ‘normal’ or ‘everyday’ infection that rarely killed young people in the prime of life (being most deadly to the very young and old), other infectious diseases, such as venereal diseases, were treated with lengthy stays in hospital in spite of the need for soldiers overseas. This highlights the way the social perception of disease affected the ways in which the military handled sick soldiers. This research also confirms the presence of the first wave of influenza among soldiers of the CEF in the spring and summer of 1918. The Admission and Discharge (A&D) records for military hospitals confirm that the first wave of pandemic influenza circulated among soldiers training in Ontario’s military camps between March and May of 1918. The second wave occurred between September and December that year. Mortality during the second wave was more severe, with a case fatality rate of 4.7% among hospitalized soldiers, more than double the rate of 2.3% from March to May. However, not all soldiers were equally vulnerable to the 1918 influenza pandemic. Morbidity and mortality were concentrated in the military district headquarters, and during the second wave, new recruits were more vulnerable to both infection and death than seasoned soldiers. I hypothesize that this is the result of cross-protection between successive waves of the pandemic, whereby seasoned soldiers were less vulnerable during the fall wave by virtue of exposure to the first wave of the pandemic in the military. Since new recruits were most likely conscripts, this is another way in which the war effort in Canada was linked to soldier morbidity and mortality. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

<p>Jean-Paul Sartre's central purpose in writing the Critique of Dialectical Reason was to render intelligible Karl Marx's principle that circumstances make people just as much as people make circumstances. With the intent of complementing Marx's work, Sartre sought to theoretically connect the marxist outline of social process with its constituting parts--individuals. He sought to do this without ascribing to circumstances a superorganic existence, and in terms of the general structure of individual action per se. In place of a super organic being he attributed unintended consequences to all individual action (as well as intended consequences). The actual influence of circumstances upon people he explained by the fact that. products bear some trace of the intentions of those who made them. The product becomes a sign, and people construct about them a world of signs.</p> <p>Within this world of signs people tend to become separated as mediations between constructed things. It is in this sense, that is, in explaining how social relations tend to occur indirectly through the products of praxis, that Sartre sought to justify a rejection of organicism by developing his interpretation of Marx's theory of fetishism.</p> / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)