This thesis seeks to understand the social impacts that festivals have on their host communities. It focuses on community festivals as one type of event which have a particularly strong connection to their host community. Community festivals are traditionally organised by and for the local community, and often celebrate a theme that has developed from within the community itself. Community festivals provide members of a community with opportunities to engage in socialisation, entertainment and the establishment of social networks, which can contribute to the enhancement of community cohesion and the building of social capital within a community. Additionally, they can provide tourism benefits such as increased visitation and promotion of a destination’s image. However, there is the potential for negative social impacts to result from the hosting of a festival, including traffic congestion, overcrowding, vandalism and increased antisocial behaviour. This thesis seeks to understand the perceived social impacts of community festivals from the perspective of the resident population. Six important questions are addressed in this thesis: 1) what are the underlying dimensions of the social impacts of community festivals?; 2) what are a host community’s expectations and perceptions of the social impacts of a festival?; 3) are there distinct subgroups within a community who differ in their feelings towards a festival?; 4) do these subgroups hold differing perceptions of the social impacts of community festivals?; 5) can the Social Impact Perception (SIP) scale be used to measure residents’ perceptions of the social impacts of community festivals?; and 6) what are the implications of this research for the planning and management of future community festivals? In order to explore these issues, this study draws on literature from the areas of tourism and sociology. It is from the tourism literature, more specifically on events, that community festivals are introduced as the focus of this thesis. The sociological literature on communities reinforces the importance of the ‘community’ in community festivals, and examines the role that festivals can play in contributing to community development, community wellbeing and the enhancement of social capital. Two community festivals were studied, one in Western Australia and the other in Victoria, Australia. Data were collected from residents in each of these two communities at one point in time following the staging of their festival. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used, including semi-structured interviews, focus groups, observational techniques, document analysis and a residents’ perceptions questionnaire. The results revealed that there are distinct subgroups within a community who choose to be involved with their festival in a range of ways and who perceive the social impacts resulting from the festival quite differently. These subgroups have been labelled the tolerators, economically connected, attendees, avoiders and volunteers. Whilst holding varied perceptions of the positive and negative nature of the impacts and levels at which they occur, residents perceive the social impacts of community festivals to occur within six impact dimensions: inconvenience, community identity and cohesion, personal frustration, entertainment and socialisation opportunities, community growth and development, and behavioural consequences. Those residents who participate in the festival, either as volunteers or attendees, tend to be those who are most positive about the festival and its impacts. This participation in the community provides opportunities for social transactions, relationship building and the development of social networks, which in turn have positive outcomes for community wellbeing and the development of social capital. This research has a number of implications for the management of future community festivals, in respect to providing a better understanding of residents’ perceptions of the social impacts a festival creates; towards better satisfying the diverse needs of distinct community subgroups; and related to how festivals can be used to contribute to community wellbeing and the enhancement of social capital. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The viability of rural Neighbourhood Houses may be under threat in South Australia as a result of national and state human service policies. Such policies have resulted in funding withdrawals, closures, the decline of many rural communities. In addition, other local inhibiting factors such as access, stigma, lack of paid staff, volunteers, facilitators and childcare affect Houses' ability to be viable organisations. This study seeks to answer the questions: are Neighbourhood Houses a viable proposition in rural SA; and, are they practicable and serving a useful purpose in contributing to community cohesiveness and wellbeing in rural communities? To examine the viability of Houses and ascertain whether they are contributing to individual and community wellbeing, their roles and functions are critically examined in the policy context and socio-economic environment. / thesis (MResearch)--University of South Australia, 2001.

An Action Research approach to supporting change management and associated governance strategies in a community services organisation. Following a report on the Civil Society in the New Millennium Project, which was based upon the responses of citizens from forty-seven Commonwealth countries, a Compact Approach involving the state, intermediary organisations and citizens was developed in 1999, as a framework to enhance civil society. A literature review indicated that there was no research in Australia, as well as internationally, that had investigated the efficacy of this formalised agreement or Compact, particularly in a practical setting. The researcher had been working in the community services sector and had an interest in supporting community services organisations to meet the impact of change, particularly in response to government policy reform agendas. The Compact Approach was identified as a model to navigate change and develop partnerships with a civil society organisation operating in environments characterised by certainty as well as uncertainty. The researcher made himself available to a case study organisation to support change and to investigate the Compact Approach by undertaking Action Research as a participant observer. This exploratory research involved two main reference groups, board and staff, in planning, acting, observing and reflecting. A large amount of data was generated and a need was identified for it to be collated and simplified for further analysis. A new methodology was developed drawing upon the traditions of case study method and story-telling to represent the research themes of: the Compact Approach; change management; and, governance. With the Compact Approach what was found was evidence of some degree of civil society enhancement, particularly at the individual organisation level. As the study was undertaken from an organisation’s perspective the other dimensions of civil society and government had been underrepresented. It was found that government policy of promoting the market meant that competition was overshadowing co2 operation in the case study organisation. For community services organisations the main partner is government and policy frameworks need to support partnerships and civil society beyond current contractual agreements. Carver’s (1997) Policy Governance framework was partially implemented to assist with infrastructure development. However there was a lack of time and a commitment from the board and senior staff. Not all governance responsibilities can be met through such a framework and community organisations need to be mindful of its limitations, particularly for those connected to civil society. There were mixed results with Action Research being used as a change management tool. The dominance of power by those in ‘control’ highlighted management styles, but they also overshadowed group processes. Action Research methodology was also complemented by Stacey’s (1996) ordinary and extraordinary management framework. It was found that when applied to the Action Research cycle of planning, acting, observing and reflecting; that the process of reflecting was particularly supported by such conceptual mapping. What was also highlighted was the need for professionals to undertake ����in the field���� Action Research but also to draw upon their professional or technical expertise, using participant-observer-consultant modes. The capacity for a small community services organisation to change can be based upon levels of infrastructure, governance skills, available resources and level of development to operate at an associative level with other stakeholders. The viability of these smaller organisations is being challenged by the ‘managerialist’ business paradigms of government policy where the fabric of civil society has not been incorporated within accountability frameworks. Here there is a challenge for new frameworks such as the Compact Approach, to lead the way as formalised agreements with government, to enhance the role of civil society in the delivery of community services in countries such as Australia. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (MSS(Sociology))-University of Pretoria, 2006. / Abstract in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (February 17, 2010) Includes bibliographical references (p. 36-37)

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1983.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1981.

This research deals with the discordance between the national state and the nation state in the formation of the Republic of Korea (ROK). Charles Tilly (1992) distinguishes between the concept of the national state and that of the nation state, even though many scholars use the nation state. According to Charles Tilly (1975;1985;1992), a national state is simply state that rules demarcated territories, has a differentiated administration, and centralized autonomous structures, while the nation state is a state that comprises one single nation, in other words, a nation is the basis of the nation state. Tilly defines the nation as one community in which people share a strong linguistic, ethnic, religious1and symbolic, historical identity. Based on this national state theory, national subject and identity of the new Korean nation are keys to understand this research. The ROK has been a very strong state in terms of despotic power, which means physical violent means of the state. The ROK has reemerged as a strong state after the Korean War. The regime based on this characteristic tries to mobilize people and their resources. People should answer the state’s call and participate in national development projects. But even the strongest regime cannot rely on its superiority or monopolized means of physical violence to mobilize people and their resources. Therefore, as in fascist states, the regime created a variety of Administered Mass Organization (AMOs). There are two big purposes in mobilizing people of the ROK: one is de-politicization; the other is enforced cooperation in the name of nationalism, which means “state-formed nationalism.” The Saemaul Undong (New Village Movement), the Hankooknochong (Federation of Korea Trade Unions), and the Hakdohokookdan (Student National Defense Corps) were the main AMOs under Park’s rule. De-politicization played a role in making Koreans participants in the AMOs by avoiding being labeled as Uhyong, meaning collaborator with the dictator. Under surf of various ideologies to encourage South Koreans’ participation in development projects or AMOs, South Koreans began to identify themselves with a new ideology as state citizens of the ROK. A new Korean nation emerged through the experiences that Koreans had participated in. This thesis investigates the process of the creation of the new Korean nation during the economic development period. The salvation of a struggle between the nation state vs the national state in Korea emerged as an economic development and the creation a new Korean nation within the boundary of demilitarized zone the ROK. National subject discourse becomes a key factor of the process of emergence of a new Korean nation. / text

Using a qualitative and interpretive approach, this research focuses on the training and support needs of crisis interventionists volunteering at an organisation for the abused. This research developed out of a need identified by the board for recommendations to be made in order to compile a new training manual as well as to explore and improve the support services offered to volunteers at the organisation. The research used a thorough examination of the current literature available dealing with crisis intervention and intimate partner violence both nationally and internationally to provide a framework and standard for all recommendations. This was then supplemented with a participatory and interpretive approach to understand the experiences of the crisis interventionists themselves currently volunteering at the organisation. The major themes that emerged from the data included an understanding of the current training process, the impact of volunteering for the desk, the impact and importance of organisational culture and the organisation and self care techniques used by the volunteers. These were then interpreted in terms of their relevance to the training and support needs of the volunteers looking specifically at the training process to ensure an ideological shift and information retention as well as explore supportive services that would be the most beneficial and accessible to the volunteer. The research was then able to provide the most appropriate recommendations for the organisation going forward. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Social capital refers to material and symbolic resources that are accessed through social relationships and used for purposive actions. Conceptualising social capital as having four archetypal forms provides planners with an analytic and heuristic tool for considering the different resources that community and government actors bring to various projects and social endeavours. These forms of social capital are called bonding social capital (based on intra-community relationships), bridging social capital (based on extra-community relationships), institutional social capital (based on relationships established by the formal and informal institutions of society) and synergistic social capital (based on relationships between state and civil society actors). This quadripartite model of social capital was found to be useful in analysing the different socially embedded resources which were applied to housing initiatives for two distinct communities of people in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. One case looked at a seniors care home established for elderly Chinese people by a community-based organisation (CBO) known as the United Chinese Community Enrichment Services Society (S.U.C.C.E.S.S.). The second case examined community housing for adults with developmental disabilities that was supported directly by family members and a CBO called Mainstream Association for Proactive Community Living (MAPCL) and indirectly by an informal group known as the Parents Support Group for Families of Mentally Handicapped Adults. In both cases, the housing initiative relied on resources that were accessed through the intra-community ties of people united by a common ethnicity or interest in supporting adults with developmental disabilities. Necessary inputs for developing and sustaining the housing initiatives were also found in extra-community ties with the wider community and internationally-based professional associations; relationships with government actors at the municipal, provincial and federal levels; and predictable societal relationships established by legislation and norms of behaviour. A four-part model of social capital additionally serves as a planning tool to identify a broader range of resources and possibilities for policy intervention and to remind planners they work with multiple publics, must adopt a critical approach to community involvement and coproduction and should encourage governments to be active in shaping the institutional environment and engaging with individuals and community groups.