published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

D.Litt. et Phil. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Land-use history has been recognized as an important factor in shaping biological communities in clear-cuts. Many solitary bees and flower beetles (Cerambycidae: Lepturinae) are commonly found in clear-cuts, which serve as early successional habitats. I analyzed the effect of land-use history on the abundance and species richness, as well as the preference for land-use history in specific species, of solitary bees and flower beetles in coniferous clear-cuts in southern Sweden. Additionally, the effect of site-specific environmental factors was examined. Insects were caught with blue, white and yellow pan-traps in 48 clear-cuts, of which half were meadow and half were forest in the 1870s. With few exceptions, the species found did not show preference for any land-use history. Furthermore, land-use history had no significant effect on the abundance or species richness of solitary bees or flower beetles. This may be due to pan-traps being less attractive in flower-rich locations, a bias in the sampling method. However, species richness and abundance of solitary bees was higher in young clear-cuts (2-4 years old), probably best explained by more exposed soil and higher frequencies of flowering plants in newer clear-cuts. Abundance of flower beetles was higher in old clear-cuts (6-8 years old). This may be due to larger amounts of more strongly decomposed wood in older clear-cuts, which is used in the flower beetles´ larval development. I conclude that solitary bees are likely to benefit if clear-cuts, particularly with meadow history, are kept more open by introducing disturbance regimes, as suggested by previous studies.

A thesis submitted to University of the Witwatersrand in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Johannesburg, 2017 / Decolonisation and Africanisation of spaces emerging from administrative and settler colonialism have been suggested as forms of challenging colonial legacies that are still largely present in the Global South and particularly within the African continent. Mainly, this has also been the case in recent South African discourses that have called for the decolonisation and ‘transformation’ of key areas in the country to build a decolonised African country of the future. This thesis, therefore, deals with the subject of the community radio broadcasting sector that is operating during South Africa’s ‘postcolonial’ era, and the steps undertaken by this sector in Africanising itself. Starting from the conviction that the media has a historical role in shaping and communicating cultures as well as identities of the colonised and ‘formerly’ colonised, the thesis posits that the community radio sector is one of the vital arenas that can be used to understand the continuities and discontinuities of colonial cultures in media institutions. Thus, to comprehend and establish the state of Africanisation within the community radio sector of the country, the study investigated and analysed the case of Vukani Community Radio (VCR); a community radio station that is easily one of the oldest community orientated broadcasters in South Africa. Furthermore, to challenge the idea of colonised and neo-colonised media spaces, this thesis was grounded on an understanding of the complexities of Africanisation as a decolonising project in a media institution that is operating in the post-settler-colonial administration of this country. Adopting a case study approach, this study attempted to understand the urgency of a broadcast media platform in asserting the cultures and identities of ‘previously’ colonised Africans on the medium's airwaves. To make sense of the conceptual challenges surrounding the study, the thesis has drawn on decolonial discourses, including the theory of Afrocentricity, the coloniality of power, coloniality of knowledge, the coloniality of being and the decolonial turn. The adoption of these theories by the study, therefore, also demonstrates a conscious delinking of this study from the traditional theories of media and cultural studies that have habitually underpinned the South African canon. Moreover, this study has adopted the use of critical decolonised methodologies approach in the pursuit of answers about the extent of Africanisation of the media institution. The decolonised approach of the adopted method lay in revealing the colonial excesses that have underpinned research methodologies as well as an ‘auto-critique’ of these excesses in the context of this study. The data analysed to arrive at the findings of this study included several macro and micro policy documents, a content analysis of three (3) categories of community radio programmes [Talk Radio, African Cultural Lifestyle & News Programming] that totalled 270 hours of community radio content. The study also relied on several semi structured interviews with various internal and external stakeholders that make up the station's key constituencies. In the analysis of evidence that would uncover the extent of the Africanisation of the community radio station, the findings of the thesis revealed several yet overlapping thematic areas that suggest pathways towards the Africanisation of the media institution. These, among others, included the use of this media institution as an African public sphere, its embracing of the philosophy of Ubuntu, its role in the decolonisation of African memory and its approaches towards ethnicity and Africanity within the broadcasting area. These themes emanating from the analysed data of the study also illustrate how this media institution is operating as a pocket of resistance against colonial, neo-colonial and imperialistic media cultures. In addition to these thematic areas, the findings of this study also demonstrate that when only media policy documents are adopted, this can lead to ambiguities in the pursuit of Africanisation as decolonisation. The study however also demonstrates that the urgency of the community radio station in catering for the surrounding constituency can potentially demonstrate an eventual Africanisation of the airwaves. Finally, this study concludes that the Africanisation of the airwaves is demonstrable at Vukani Community Radio (VCR) but its permanent enforcement is dependent on the vigilance of the stations constituencies and how they define and enforce the role of their media institution. / XL2018

Orientador: Miguel Petrere Júnior / Resumo: Com o objetivo de descrever os principais padrões de organização das comunidades de peixes realizamos amostragens trimestrais em diferentes ambientes da bacia do rio Iguatemi. Os dados de abundância e ocorrência das espécies foram submetidos a métodos uni e multivariados procurando verificar a existência de um padrão longitudinal e sazonal para essas comunidades. Encontramos 72 espécies de peixes em toda a bacia, constatamos que existe variação longitudinal estatisticamente significativa na composição de espécies para os rios Jogui e Iguatemi, mas não existe variação sazonal. A diversidade de espécies não variou longitudinalmente no rio Iguatemi, mas sim no rio Jogui. As espécies apresentam um padrão determinístico de associação, com clara diferenciação ente espécies de riachos de cabeceira e de rios de maior volume. Existem diferenças significativas na composição de espécies entre os ambientes estudados. Contudo estas diferenças não foram relacionadas às características selecionadas dos ambientes estudados. / Abstract: This paper aims to describe the main patterns of fish communities organization. Tree-monthly samples were realized in different environments of Iguatemi River basin. The abundance and occurrence of species were submitted to uni and multivariate statistical methods in order to verify the existence of a longitudinal and seasonal pattern in fish communities. Seventy two fish species were collected in all basin. We observed longitudinal differences in species composition for Jogui and Iguatemi Rivers. However we did not detect any seasonal variation. The species diversity did not show statistically significant longitudinal variation in Iguatemi River, contrary to Jogui River. Fish species presented a deterministic association pattern in both rivers, with a clear differentiation between headwaters and downstream. Albeit we detected a significant difference in species composition in the whole basin it is not correlated to selected environmental characteristics. / Doutor

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 1971. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 111-114). / by Cheryl Marlene Miller. / M.C.P.

City governments across the United States are struggling to keep housing and services affordable for lower-income households as neighborhood conditions improve in previously disinvested areas. Despite considerable fiscal and political constraints, numerous cities are tackling this challenge through policy tools that protect the stock of low-cost housing and support lower-income residents’ ability to remain in place when reinvestment raises the threat of displacement. Drawing on a framework informed by theories of equity planning, the Just City, and redistributive policy action, this study examines how cities are mitigating displacement in neighborhoods at risk of gentrification and analyzes the conditions that motivate, facilitate, and shape their policy responses. Data were collected through an original survey of housing, planning, and community development officials, a systematic review of policy documents, and semi-structured interviews with city officials and community advocates. Through sequential quantitative and qualitative analyses, I show that although city governments possess and are using diverse tools to create more equitable outcomes in neighborhoods at risk of gentrification, their tendency to delay action until market appreciation is advanced, dependence on market-based tools amid fiscal constraint, and need to balance neighborhood-based and city-wide goals weaken their capacity to tackle displacement. This study concludes that proactive approaches that address reinvestment and long-term affordability concurrently would minimize the tensions associated with the timing, form, and scale of intervention. Cities’ demonstrated responsiveness to community organizing suggests one key channel through which such a policy shift could be activated.

This study is based on interviews conducted with twenty-two musician-activists in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States in 2009 to explore perspectives about the role of music in community engagement with the aim of considering how music might be used in the field of conflict resolution. The study followed the qualitative approach of constructivist grounded theory as designed by Charmaz (2000, 2002). Two themes, "Music for Self," and "Music for Society" emerged from interviews and comprise the internal and external meanings of music to the research informants. The results of the study indicate that the relationships people have with music make it a potentially powerful tool in conflict situations within the realms of both conflict resolution and conflict transformation. More extensive research exploring these benefits is recommended.

The purpose of this study is to present a descriptive analysis of the active participants in a voluntary association concerned with community development. This analysis will focus upon description and discussion of the socio-demographic characteristics of the active members of the organization. Some of the attitudinal factors which operated to motivate and sustain participation in the organization will also be examined. Before proceeding with discussion of the theoretical background for the study, the community and its history relative to development of the organization will be described.

No description available.