This study is based upon ethnographic research conducted in County Donegal, the most northerly county in the Republic of Ireland, between January 1997 and January 1998. It is focused upon three "development communities" in the county: development professionals, voluntary activists working for area based community groups, and elected members of Donegal County Council. The primary aim of the study is to examine the social basis for the fragmentary nature of development activity in Donegal, in view of the new European Union-sponsored local development initiatives which have been implemented in Ireland during the past decade. It is argued that the way in which each of the three groups experience, talk about, understand and reify development elements which together provide the framework for their respective development discourses- can be interpreted most profitably in light of social factors. An extended case-study approach is used throughout, in order to provide a detailed exploration of the contrasting social environments in which the development process occurs in the county. In chapter one, a theoretical framework is established which takes as its cue the ideas of a number of development anthropologists working in non-European contexts, and, in drawing from this literature, the concept of II discourses of development" is introduced as an overall paradigm in which the empirical data are interpreted. Chapter two introduces Donegal as a place, concentrating on some of the historical events which have given rise to contemporary patterns of social organisation. Chapter three outlines the history of EU-sponsored development activity in Ireland, highlighting the distinctive nature of the EU's "bottom-up" model and providing the background for the principal empirical chapters which follow. In chapters four to seven, the contrasting social environments within which each "development community" operates are examined in detail. Particular attention is paid to the role of discourse in providing criteria for inclusion/ exclusion, and in disrupting the processes of communication within the development sector of the county as a whole. The study also has a number of secondary aims. Most notably, it seeks to extend the theoretical scope of Irish anthropology and the anthropology of the European Union by exploring the changing relationship between the locale and wider structures and influences in terms of the application of the EU's model of development in Donegal. Additionally, the final chapter includes a tentative assessment of the relevance of the data for policy prescription, in light of the recent government initiative to reform the local government system and the future of local development in Ireland.

This thesis explores women and theatre for development in Swaziland. It focuses on how theatre for development is used as a tool in the development of women. Firstly, I examine the key concepts used throughout the thesis and I pay special attention to Theatre for Development. In the second chapter, I give an account of the country's history and pay special attention to the social status of women. In chapter 3, I examine the various forms of performance found in Swaziland and how they impact on the development of Swazi women. In the fourth chapter, I consider the evolution of literary practice in Swaziland and discuss two play-texts in English by H.I.E Dhlomo, a key literary figure and pioneer playwright of modem black drama in South Africa. I explore A Witch in My Heart by Hilda Kuper, a white anthropologist who lived in Swaziland in the mid twentieth century, and lastly. The Paper Bride by Zodwa Motsa, a contemporary Swazi writer. Next, in chapter 5, 1 investigate the first phase of Theatre for Development in Swaziland where non-governmental organizations, the Swazi Government and independent individuals worked together using Theatre for Development in Swazi communities. I consider first the workshops initiated by the youth. In chapter 6, I give an account of workshops involving whole communities and the kudliwa inhloko ebandla, a workshop that involved men only. In all these workshops 1 examine how they impacted on the development of women. I then conclude with a discussion of the findings of the study and their implications for the development of women.

Through an exploration of both the sculptural and socially-engaged art practices undertaken in creating my Master of Fine Art exhibition, 53 Stitches, I unpack some of the possibilities pertaining to the practice of sustainability, ecology and social engagement in contemporary art. This thesis explores the history and concepts of sustainable development and what the implications are of the far-reaching global consideration of sustainability for contemporary art production. Looking at the writings of Felix Guattari’s (2000 [1989]) and Suzi Gablik’s (1992) on the effects of the economic model of capitalism on our environmental, social and mental ecologies, I discuss the necessary paradigm shift of the artists’ identity from the ‘individual self’ towards the ‘relational self’, affirming our interdependence upon our social and natural environments. With reference to the writings of Maja and Reuben Fowkes (2008), I explore the principles of sustainability in contemporary art and discuss the notion of ‘sustainability of form’ through insight into dematerialisation, recycling and the prospect of artists now becoming knowledge producers/facilitators. This is supportive of my personal exploration and experimentation with recyclable materials as a creative medium, used as a means of knowledge and skills facilitation in socially-engaged arts practice and the process of art-making as research. I refer to the sculptural and ‘painterly’ constructions of Sofi Zezmer and Mbongeni Buthelezi, respectively, as a means to elucidate a practical contextualisation of my practical work, particularly with regard to the use of plastic as a constructive medium. Looking at the works of Linda Weintraub (2006), Marnie Badham (2010) and Miwon Kwon (2002), I expand on the theoretical discourse pertaining to sociallyengaged art practices, and elucidate the reconfiguration of the role of the artist towards now becoming a cultural service administrator, organiser and knowledge facilitator. With reference to Arjen Wals and Johnson et al., I further discuss the role of education in sustainability and explore the necessary reconciliation between university institutions and the social and environmental context in which they are located, in the form of place-based capacity building and service learning. I explore within this thesis the concepts and processbased research of my own sculptures

Community development is a crucial tool for the achievement of public health objectives, and the support of older people in the community is a key objective of public health This study examines the evolution of thinking on that subject. The history of community development, from its beginnings to the present, is studied in detail, particularly the development of divergent approaches to the method between the U.K. and the U.S.A. The development of community-based policies toward the revitalisation of communities in the U.K is examined There is a focus on Wales, and how the Welsh Government has strived for consistency in delivering its public health agenda in line with the World Health Organization's policies for health and well-being. In Wales, the economic and social realities of recession have retarded government's efforts to achieve this. Wales has produced innovative and progressive policies in the social regeneration field, especially for older people. The economic crisis will impact on future generations of older people with increasing severity unless an alternative source of support, outside the State, can be found. This study is the search for a viable solution for this problem - can the community be a sustainable resource for the support for older people? The salient issues arising from community development values, modelling, and practice in the U.K. and the U.S.A. have been combined with systems theory. This has produced a new model for the strategic planning of community development at the social planning level and for the co-ordination of local community resources. The work of Jack Rothman, Saul Alinsky, and the Tavistock Institute has been the baseline for this study, but the Welsh experience has been incorporated to ground this approach in context. The Welsh Government's Strategy for Older People has provided a model for policy formation and also for a vehicle for direct intervention for social change using community development models.

The possible role and involvement of the Church in social development has reemerged as an important focus of contemporary academic and religious development discourse in South Africa. There are strong voices arguing for churches and other Faith-Based Organisations to be regarded as strategic in contributing to addressing the challenge of poverty as agents of social development. Yet, as church congregations multiply throughout South Africa, they appear to be less responsive to the challenge of poverty facing South African communities, contrary to the rich history of churches in the past. The need for churches to be involved in sustainable community-driven development initiatives to fight poverty in their local communities cannot be denied nor be met with just rhetoric and scholarly dissertations by theologians and academics. The vicious cycle of poverty in our communities must be eradicated as it represents a social injustice in terms of South Africa‘s Constitution and speaks to deep structural inequalities inherent in our society. Whilst researchers have made several proposals for churches to move from social welfare and relief, there appears to be little research with a clear practical strategy which congregations can implement to enhance their social service delivery role from social relief to sustainable community development. This has left a considerable gap which the current research sought to address. This study thus responds to the call by previous research for churches to implement strategies other than mere relief. Hence, this study contributes to the religious development discourse in South Africa, by developing a strategy to enhance Church-based social service delivery initiatives from social relief efforts which are not sustainable, to community development efforts which are sustainable and which will be consistent with the current social development policy context and contextually relevant to the socio-economic challenges of poverty and its consequences in South Africa. The study was conducted in two phases. During phase one, the main purpose was to gain a deeper understanding of the historical and current involvement of the Church in providing social services which address poverty in communities, to enhance understanding of the factors which influence the provision of social services by churches, as well as to understand participants views of how church-based social service delivery can be improved in order to fight poverty. For phase two, the goal was to develop a strategy to enhance church-based social service delivery from being social relief to being community development oriented. The following objectives guided the research process: To review selected and applicable literature to gain a deeper understanding of the historical and current involvement of the Church in the delivery of social services in order to fight poverty; To explore and describe the perceptions of church leaders and congregation members of the historical and current involvement of the Church in the delivery of social services in order to fight poverty; To explore and describe the factors which influence Church-based social service delivery in fighting poverty; To explore the views of church leaders and congregation members on how church-based social service delivery can be improved in their churches to inform the development of a strategy to enhance church-based social service delivery in fighting poverty. This study employed a qualitative research approach grounded in the interpretivist social science paradigm. The qualitative research approach necessitated an exploratory, descriptive and contextual method of inquiry. A descriptive case study method was also used, with the Methodist Church of Southern Africa selected as the main case of focus. The target population in this research comprised of Christian churches with a historical involvement in social service delivery in pre-apartheid South Africa. Purposeful sampling of 5 churches was undertaken, namely; Roman Catholic Church (RCC), Anglican Church (AC), Dutch Reformed Church (DRC), KwaSizabantu Mission (KSB) and Methodist Church of Southern Africa (MCSA). Data collection was conducted in two phases. Phase one comprised a literature review; Phase two comprised gathering empirical evidence by conducting face to face semi-structured interviews with clergy and from conducting one focus group interview with congregants. The information obtained from participants was transcribed, coded and analysed using content analysis and by a computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS), namely ATLAS.ti. Findings revealed a marked difference between the historical and current churchbased social service delivery suggestive of decline, accompanied by the lack of empowerment opportunities for current church leaders and congregation members in community development facilitation. Further evidence suggest the lack of cooperation between church leaders and congregation members; as well as the lack of sustainability of interventions owing to an absence of resources and the lack of capacity to create sustainable economic opportunities. Findings also revealed that church congregations are rich with people with various assets - skills, strengths, capabilities, passions, gifts, talents in various fields, which they can share with one another as congregations and communities. The discussion of findings reflected that historically, Church-based social service provision involved holistic intervention mechanisms, empowerment, collaborations and sustainability of interventions suggestive of second generation strategies of community development, while currently, Church-based social service provision involves mostly social relief and social welfare efforts suggestive of first generation strategies. The findings suggest a holistic strategy for ―reawakening the co-operativeness‖ of congregations to facilitate sustainable Church-based social service delivery towards fighting poverty in local communities. The strategy which was then developed and described with its sub-strategies, namely: Establishment of collaborative relationships Creation of empowerment opportunities Facilitation of holistic interventions The goal of the strategy is to guide church leaders and congregation members in facilitating sustainable Church-based social service programmes to fight poverty.

Thesis (MTech (Town and Regional Planning))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, 2006 / The research focuses on urbanising communities in the peri-urban areas of the Tamale Metropolitan Area (TAMA) of Ghana and the inability of the urban authorities to provide adequate basic infrastructure services. Using a mix of qualitative and quantitative research approaches, the author observed that the development planning paradigms practiced over the years placed urban planning and service delivery in a centralised paradigm which cannot respond adequately to the increasing pressures of urbanisation, nor offer opportunities for the involvement of communities due to this top-down planning approache. The research in fact identified that the communities, through their own initiatives have planned and executed service projects to improve their lives in some respects where the TAMA has failed. The communities have achieved this due to their spirit of social solidarity, self-help and communalism built around their traditional chiefs, which incorporates some of the principles of Local Agenda 21. The TAMA sees this development as an opportunity to henceforth forge collaboration and partnerships with the traditional authorities for improved service delivery in the urbanising communities. This represents innovative urban planning and management approaches, which in the context of low-income urban communities, includes participatory planning and service delivery. These innovative approaches have been initiated in the Habitat Agenda emanating from the UN Conference on Human Settlements in 1996. The study advocates the concept of sustainable development and Agenda 21, as a working model which presents a participatory and integrative process for local authorities and communities to work towards urban improvements. The Local Agenda 21 planning approach, it is argued, will integrate and strengthen the already existing local community initiatives and provide a basis for partnerships and improved service delivery. The case - studies examined are the Tamale Metropolitan Area and the peri-urban settlements Jusonayili and Gumah.

This study investigated the influence of decentralisation on community development in the Gasabo district of Rwanda. It was based on the assumption that the participation of citizens in decision-making, planning based on local needs and priorities and the implementation of development programmes associated with the decentralisation policy can improve service delivery and result in community development. It is vital that the decentralization policy be well understood so that appropriate strategies may be adopted and implemented with the aim of maximising advantages associated with it. This study provides, in addition to a literature review, a brief historical background of the evolution and transformation of governance in Rwanda. The country‟s system of governance as well as the challenges it has encountered along the way through different régimes are briefly addressed. Also, the legal and regulatory framework of the decentralization policy and strategies adopted and mechanisms of resource transfer are explained. The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods. Primary and secondary data were used in analysing the influence of decentralisation on community development in the Gasabo district of Rwanda. Primary data was collected through survey questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions, while secondary data were gathered through a literature survey of relevant textbooks, peer-reviewed journals, reports and legislation. The research findings indicated that in the Gasabo district, decentralisation has contributed significantly towards improving governance aspects such as accountability, and citizen participation in development programmes, which are prerequisite factors of development. Concerning the planning process, the research found that the district development plan (DDP) was crafted through drawing its priorities from the national development plans embedded in the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategies (EDPRS) and Rwanda‟s Vision 2020. However, despite the existence of the Joint Action Development Forum (JADF), created to join the development plans of development partners to the DDP, testimonies from development partners revealed that their relationship with the district is characterised by the lack of frank collaboration, leading to their not being fully associated in the planning process. This research also found that the decentralisation policy has contributed only to a limited extent to the improvement of service delivery in Gasabo district. It was observed that effective service delivery is still hampered by the lack of skilled employees, especially in the areas of education, health and engineering, a budget insufficient for the effective implementation of development projects in such a way as to satisfy the expectations of beneficiaries. In view of the aforementioned findings, the study recommends that the central government intervene in training district tax officers regarding mechanisms and strategies of maximising tax collection to draw sufficient funds to carry out development plans. Through building their capacity, the imbalance between the responsibilities and means allocated for carrying out their achievement can be progressively reduced. Furthermore, to prevent development from taking place in a random manner, district authorities should receive technical support from the central government through linking the local planning process to national poverty reduction efforts. The annual performance contract system needs to be strengthened and monitored to evaluate the implementation of district development plans so as to prevent any kind of poor leadership performance, with the aim of optimising available resources.

Despite the increased popularity of development aid flows from rich nations to poorer ones in the form of Official Development Assistance (ODA), rampant poverty still prevails in the recipient nations. This perhaps explains the lingering debate on the effectiveness of ODA in curbing poverty. Based on Cameroon, this study aims to ascertain if ODA can be relied upon as a tool to fight poverty. The researcher seeks to determine if ODA disbursed to Cameroon has resulted in poverty alleviation among the impoverished from 1980 to 2014, be it directly or indirectly. To this effect, the first research question looks at what the possible causes of poverty in Cameroon are. The second research question dwells on the pattern of ODA to Cameroon over the study period from 1980 to 2014. The final research question seeks to determine the Cameroonian poverty levels over the same period. The definition of poverty in terms of the Human Development Index (HDI) and its three poverty determinants as utilized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is adopted as a theoretical base for this research. These determinants of poverty are life expectancy at birth, mean years of schooling, and Gross National Income (GNI) per capita. While the literature review is utilised to outline the on-going debate on the effects of ODA on economic growth and poverty alleviation, it equally provides possible causes of poverty in Cameroon. These include the prevalence of factors such as poor governance, the swindling of public funds without fear, the normalisation of bribes in return for public services, the lack of decentralized administrative and civil services, and the disproportionate distribution of state earnings. Meanwhile, secondary published data sourced from reputable multilateral bodies is used to determine the trend of ODA to Cameroon over the period from 1980 to 2014. This is then correlated with poverty figures over the same period as expressed by the three human development factors or poverty determinants. The research adopts a quantitative approach as correlations and regressions of obtained secondary data are made used of. The results of the correlations reveal that ODA may not be relied upon as a tool for alleviating poverty in Cameroon due to the statistically insignificant relationships it seems to display with all three poverty determinants. The regression results show on the one hand that ODA has insignificant relationships with life expectancy at birth and mean years of schooling, while on the other hand, ODA and GNI per capita display an inverse relationship that is judged to be statistically significant. High ODA figures can therefore be associated with lower GNI per capita values in Cameroon, based on this study. This means that ODA can be assumed to negatively affect the real income of Cameroonians. A reduction in real income might equally lead to a reduced potential to afford basic necessities like healthcare, schooling and housing. As these essentials are not provided for free in Cameroon, this reduced real income may further be held responsible for an overall deterioration of the quality of life. Based on the above findings, the researcher recommends that aid recipient governments put in place supportive systems and strong institutions that are void of corruption and unnecessary bureaucracy so as to better benefit from foreign aid inflows. African countries like Cameroon also need to develop their internal resources and use them to finance and promote their own growth instead of rely on donor funding with diminishing returns. Likewise, the government needs to improve its level of human development through diverting more funds towards developing and facilitating the poor’s access to the country’s education, healthcare, road network and basic amenities like water and sanitation. Finally, inflows in the form of loans rather than grants can better be utilized to promote positive economic growth. While loans are mostly diverted to productive activities, grants may promote dependency, rent-seeking behaviour and bureaucracy. This study is one of the few that relies on country-level data. Most existing studies on foreign aid and its related effects on poverty alleviation were conducted using cross-country data.

Significant investment is being made by companies into philanthropic projects in the name of corporate social responsibility (CSR), yet many question whether these efforts are making an impact on the developmental needs of beneficiaries of such donations. As social disparity increases and countries are less able to meet development objectives, there is a growing call and need for companies to support the development goals of the state. It is proposed that using transformational methods of engagement, such as joint ventures with communities, is likely to provide better developmental outcomes, yet very few companies are currently engaging in this manner. The research asks what the current practices in community engagement for CSR are, and identifies the barriers and enablers for transformational community engagement to drive developmental outcomes. Nineteen interviews with CSR practitioners, community beneficiaries and external experts across three business sectors, which are identified as having a community impact, were conducted. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather qualitative data which was then analysed using content and frequency analysis. The results show that companies are using a range of transactional, transitional and transformational engagement practices, with the majority still being conducted in the philanthropic transactional manner. Institutional pressures of regulations are shown as being the strongest motivator for companies to buy-into and prioritise transformational engagement practices. The manner in which a company engages is also shown to be directly linked to their motivation for engaging. The biggest barriers to engaging communities are related to community members’ educational levels, community expectation and the internal capacity of the company to engage. The most prominent enablers of engagement relate to the building of relationships and require companies to have dedicated CSR practitioners that are able to become intimately involved in the community. This involvement results in the development of projects that both parties have a vested interest in, which is critical for long term sustainability. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / lmgibs2014 / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / MBA / Unrestricted

M.A. / Many national, provincial and local governmental programmes initiated to promote greater economic growth as well as alleviating poverty and unemployment includes, among others, Urban Renewal Projects. The Alexandra Urban Renewal Project (AURP) which is the focus of this study typically concentrates on the elimination of inadequate housing (informal dwellings, backyard shacks, hostels and formal housing in poor conditions) located in critical, life threatening or badly situated locations. It further contributes to the reconstruction and upgrading of the Alexandra Township through building affordable housing, delivering health services, restructuring welfare services, improving safety and security, providing arts, sports and recreational facilities, and preserving heritage precincts. It is evident that the need to address urban renewal has been firmly placed at the centre of the Gauteng Provincial Housing Department. The Urban Renewal Strategy that is implemented in the Gauteng Housing Department is a locally driven process by which the public, business and local government work collectively together to create better conditions for urban renewal in order to sustain livelihood and to improve future housing and economic prospects. The central problem this research addresses is to establish if the Gauteng Housing Department’s Alexandra Urban Renewal Project constitutes a form of participatory decision-making, especially through the participation of the citizens of Alexandra. This study explored the phenomenon of citizen participation in a developmental local governmental context as understood globally and investigated the perspectives in urban renewal context. The research is furthermore applied, as it seeks to improve the application and existing practice around the participation of the Alexandra citizens in this project. The research proposes the extension of the use citizen participation in the Alexandra Urban Renewal Project beyond that of merely participatory tool, into the realm of the decision-making process. The objectives of this dissertation were to provide an overview of the history of Urban Renewal Projects in general as well as the specific Urban Renewal Projects that took place in Alexandra Township from 1980 to 2008. It discusses specific issues pertaining to the participation of the citizens of Alexandra Township. These included groups such as the business community, civic associations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and the youth and women – all were stakeholders in the proceedings, planning and implementation of the AURP. Furthermore, it explores the role of community representatives, structures or forums and their role and the influence in the Urban Renewal Project – particularly in the decision–making process. The study also provided a strong case for the tangible success of the Gauteng Housing Department in embracing a totally new approach in urban renewal by incorporating the citizens of Alexandra.