Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

In the United States during the last 30 years there has been a shift from extractive natural resource-based economies of the Old West to a New West defined by environmental protection. Over the past century, a growing national support for environmental protection has influenced a lengthening list of national and state parks, national monuments, national wildlife refuges, and wilderness areas in the western United States. Increasingly, urbanites seeking outdoor recreation and enhanced "quality of life" are attracted to the rural towns, or "gateway towns," bordering these protected natural areas. Boulder and Escalante, Utah, traditional ranching communities that became gateway towns to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument on September 18, 1996, are western rural towns currently experiencing such change. President Clinton created Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) by invoking the Antiquities Act and thus bypassing congressional approval and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements. As a result, the local people of Boulder and Escalante have expressed anger and hostility toward the federal government and environmentalists, which has led to community dysfunction and polarization, leaving Boulder and Escalante in disadvantageous positions as gateway towns faced with the task of planning for increased tourism and population growth. In my thesis I utilize cultural survival theory and perspectives on environmentalism, tourism and growth management to explore the various impacts of GSENM on Boulder and Escalante's local culture and to identify possible remedies or alternatives to these impacts. Methods used in collecting data include background research, participant observation, recent related survey data, and in-depth interviews with Boulder and Escalante residents. Research findings show that GSENM threatens the local culture by infringing on local territoriality, introducing outside values, beliefs and ideas, forcing rapid and unwanted change on a traditional people, and leaving locals feeling voiceless and powerless in the face of change. In sum, I found that a lack of both trust and cultural sensitivity have played roles in fostering community dysfunction and polarization. However, I believe that common ground and community solidarity can be achieved in Boulder and Escalante through the re-establishment of trust, a greater sensitivity toward the local culture, and proper leadership. / Graduation date: 2001

A growing number of nonmetropolitan communities have chosen to pursue nontraditional avenues for economic development including the promotion of the nonmetropolitan area to older adults who may choose to migrate after retirement. The purpose of this study was to help community leaders in nonmetropolitan areas make informed decisions if they choose to revitalize their town through the aid of immigration and retention of retirees, by knowing what infrastructure to plan for based on the neighborhood, housing, and support service preferences of future nonmetropolitan retirees. This prospective study compared two populations: preretirees who planned to migrate to nonmetropolitan areas during the first 10 years of retirement and preretirees who planned to age in place in nonmetropolitan areas upon retirement by (1) age integrated/ age segregated neighborhood preference; (2) housing tenure and structure preference; (3) support service preference of a hospital and/or family members; and (4) the socio-demographic variables of marital status, health status, current income level, and number of sources of retirement income. An age stratified random sample of preretirees from two states (N=1,175), Oregon and Utah, was included in the study. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and chi-square and one t-test to test nine null hypotheses. Migrant respondents differed in their preference for neighborhoods with older residents (p=.00000), preference to rent (p=.00002), and tendency to feel that family in the community was important (p=.00031). Migrants differed significantly in their marital status (p=.01292), in that more were unmarried. With regard to health status (p=.02752), more age in place reported excellent and fair/poor health as opposed to migrants' very good and good health. Nonmetropolitan community leaders interested in economic revitalization through the attraction of and retention of elderly retirees may want to consider including in their community the following: housing that tends to be more age segregated than age integrated, single family dwellings that can be rented, a hospital, and formal support services that may be needed if the informal support of family and friends is not available. / Graduation date: 1995

Thesis (MA(MW)--University of Pretoria, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: Peter Rees, Dept. of Geography. Includes bibliographical references.

<p>This thesis explored the empowerment needs of volunteer members of Women for Peace at the Nobantu Centre, Mfuleni in the Western Cape. The volunteer members, the majority of whom are women, come from a previously disadvantaged background created by the Apartheid system used in South Africa from 1948-1994. Apartheid driven education purposefully taught an inferior form of education to the black masses. This case study investigated the needs of the volunteer members, the impact that the four empowerment programmes had on the volunteer members and their future needs after being empowered.</p>

<p>The researcher has been working for CIAT, as a community development facilitator and research assistant for past five years (2001-2006). CIAT has been involved in testing tools and methods for promoting participation and tracking changes at community level under different pilot projects in Eastern and Central Africa in partnership with national research organizations of respective countries. One of CIAT&rsquo / s areas of research is developing participatory monitoring and evaluation systems that are appropriate for rural communities. The researcher has been involved in designing and setting up community-driven participatory monitoring and evaluation systems on a pilot basis with communities in Eastern and Southern Africa.</p>

In recent years, the expansion of urban area and advances in business and technology have brought about transformation in modern society, democratic reforms and impacts on globalization. At the same time,¡@they also have brought tension upon the society. The interaction and connections between people has distanced with developments in the society, and have created a lack of interest in public affairs and social agenda. In addition, due to lack of government resources,¡@needs of the multitude could not be satisfied. It is thus necessary, through organized mobilization of social forces, to recall public interests in public affairs. Since the martial law lifted in 1987, the public has regained the freedom to organize and associate. Numerous private associations have shot out , particularly non-profit organizations. Due to their ¡§not for profit ¡¨ characteristic, and focus on the welfare of the community, it is effective in motivating participation and devotion. It thus is able to demonstrate the richest vitality of the society and is one of the most important models of civilian participation on community. The objective of this study is to investigate the influences of non-profit organiza- tions building social network on community development. Tree and Trees Community Empowerment Association of Kaohsiung City was the focus of this case study. Through literature review, in-depth interview and observation, an understanding of how non-profit organizations operate through the society has been gained. It has further established how non-profit organizations tap external resources and revitalize community resources to construct a perpetual community life. It is hoped from the study that effective recommendations could be made for other community organizations seeking development. The results of the study are: 1. Social network of the leader: From the organization structure of the association, whether in decision-making, execution and financial support, the more involvement of the community, and participation of core members, the more influences on community events it will have when the network of members is considerable. 2. Autonomous operation: An important criterion of non-profit organization autonomy is financial independence. In addition to donations, the association acquires financial resources by their specialty. This allows the association to operate independently without restriction, not as found in other community development association. 3. Public participation: Community development will go nowhere without human resources. In the process of re- constructing the Kaohsiung Original Botanical Garden, though gaining substantial support from community inhabitants, there are still some who hold cold attitude. Furthermore, civilian interest in public affair is mostly limited to their benefits. There is much more human resource in the community that remains undeveloped and unutilized. This is a common problem faced by non-profit organizations in Taiwan .

A descriptive case study approach and 34 indicators was used to examine the socio-economic impacts of whale watching tourism in the Laguna San Ignacio (LSI) World Heritage Site - located within the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve in Baja California Sur, Mexico. The framework measured both the socio-economic changes, and the economic viability of the local and regional operators. This approach led to a detailed understanding of the underlying, and often complex, inter-related factors that shaped the ecotourism development in LSI between 1994 and 2002. It identified strengths and weaknesses of current ecotourism development making it a valid tool for evaluating and improving these activities in any biosphere reserve. More specifically the objectives were to examine: 1. How existing ecotourism operations and their activities in the LSI have changed since 1994; 2. Whether these changes have made ecotourism a more viable socio-economic development alternative for the local communities; and 3. Which strategies may be useful in overcoming identified barriers to further socio-economic benefits both from existing and future ecotourism activities. The results strongly suggested that the benefits from ecotourism improved significantly between 1994 and 2002. Economically this was reflected in growth of visitor numbers (50%), employment (100%) and local and regional revenue approximately 70% (or 55% in real terms adjusting for inflation). Social benefits were seen in more cooperation among previous antagonistic stakeholders; a wider distribution of ecotourism benefits; some improvement in living standards and increasing local support for the Reserve. Politically, local stakeholders became more empowered through involvement in tourism related management activities. The viability of the local and regional operators also improved significantly as they became more sophisticated in their product offerings, enhanced their facilities and gained a market share of ecotourism relative to the foreign operators. These improvements were particular true for the operators that sold package tours. However, the analyses also revealed a number of barriers with the most important ones being: • Unresolved historic land use conflicts over rights to land with ecotourism possibilities; • Lack of activities diversification possibilities outside the tourism season; • Stagnating visitor numbers; • Uneven business skills among operators; • Poor marketing and promotional efforts; • Insufficient ecotourism infrastructure; • A proposed ecotourism tax; • Low profit margin of the ecotourism operators; and • Lack of funding for further investments To alleviate these threats and barriers 13 general strategies were identified. An elaboration of these resulted in 39 concrete operational strategies on how potentially to implement them.

This study investigates the phenomenon of faith-motivated actors in blighted inner-city neighborhoods on the west side of Atlanta, Georgia. In merging community development literature with a framework of place, this research explores the role of faith in neighborhood transformation efforts. In particular, it examines the motivations and values of these actors that shape how they conceptualize their neighborhoods and in turn how these values are then inscribed into place. Fewer than 40 strategic neighbors are known to be active in Atlanta’s west side; of these 32 participated in the research through in-depth interviews, surveys, diaries and other qualitative research methods. Through this extensive qualitative investigation, this thesis explores the middle-class identity struggles experienced by participants as they reconfigure the social and material spaces of their neighborhoods as they live out their faith.