SummaryThis study investigates the contributions of Österängens Konsthall to social cohesion withinthe Jönköping community, focusing on fostering a sense of belonging and encouragingparticipation. The research applies Jenson’s (1998) framework on social cohesion,emphasizing the dimensions of participation and sense of belonging. It investigates thecentral research question – In what ways do Österängens Konsthall's initiatives seek tocontribute to social cohesion within the Jönköping community, in terms of fostering a senseof belonging and participation?A qualitative approach involves in-depth semi-structured interviews with therepresentatives of Österängens Konsthall and provides insights into the initiatives andstrategies used by the institution.The findings highlight that Österängens Konsthall seeks to play an important role inenhancing community involvement, participation and fostering a sense of belonging throughdifferent initiatives, including public art projects, exhibitions, workshops, and communitygarden activities. These initiatives are thoughtfully tailored, considering the local contextand the needs of diverse communities while promoting environmental awareness andcommunity pride.However, the study also identified challenges, including resource constraints, highresidential mobility within the area, and the absence of formal strategic documents andevaluation mechanisms. The research emphasizes the importance of understandingcommunity perspectives and recommends future studies focus on learning insights fromÖsterängens Konsthall beneficiaries.Overall, research provides valuable insights into understanding the role of culturalinstitutions and possible ways they can be empowered to enhance the social cohesion process.

Socioeconomic study is a procedure that ensures that the likely positive and negative impact of a new project on the socioeconomic life of a community is taken into account. It has become a crucial part of sustainable development process. The understanding of socioeconomic study procedures is an increasing necessity for all those involved in the process. Similarly, proper knowledge of the function of socioeconomic study during the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process is of paramount importance for the mitigation of the likely effects of the new development. Furthermore, as the world is gradually growing into a global village, it has become increasingly imperative that organizations integrate the people in their operations' areas in the overall objective of their businesses. Community engagement (CE) is a partnership process that can be used to assess and manage the problem affecting the well-being of a community because of a new development. This research work used the SWOT matrix technique to develop a management framework that companies can use to manage their weaknesses and threats because of inadequate community engagement strategy. To achieve this, the work evaluated the extent to which socioeconomic study is integrated into the EIA processes. It also assessed the extent to which oil companies are using community engagement as a development strategy. The findings of this dissertation revealed that oil explorations in the Niger Delta area have affected the well-being of the people both positively and negatively. Unfortunately, their negative impact outweighed their positive impact. Although they carry out socioeconomic studies, they have been neglecting the recommendations reported in the socioeconomic study document by experts. The level of community engagements therefore has also been very poor. SWOT matrix technique was used to develop the management framework for each company based on the perceived strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the companies as revealed in this research. This should serve as a guide for the companies in their CE strategies. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Development and Management Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Socioeconomic study is a procedure that ensures that the likely positive and negative impact of a new project on the socioeconomic life of a community is taken into account. It has become a crucial part of sustainable development process. The understanding of socioeconomic study procedures is an increasing necessity for all those involved in the process. Similarly, proper knowledge of the function of socioeconomic study during the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process is of paramount importance for the mitigation of the likely effects of the new development. Furthermore, as the world is gradually growing into a global village, it has become increasingly imperative that organizations integrate the people in their operations' areas in the overall objective of their businesses. Community engagement (CE) is a partnership process that can be used to assess and manage the problem affecting the well-being of a community because of a new development. This research work used the SWOT matrix technique to develop a management framework that companies can use to manage their weaknesses and threats because of inadequate community engagement strategy. To achieve this, the work evaluated the extent to which socioeconomic study is integrated into the EIA processes. It also assessed the extent to which oil companies are using community engagement as a development strategy. The findings of this dissertation revealed that oil explorations in the Niger Delta area have affected the well-being of the people both positively and negatively. Unfortunately, their negative impact outweighed their positive impact. Although they carry out socioeconomic studies, they have been neglecting the recommendations reported in the socioeconomic study document by experts. The level of community engagements therefore has also been very poor. SWOT matrix technique was used to develop the management framework for each company based on the perceived strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the companies as revealed in this research. This should serve as a guide for the companies in their CE strategies. / Thesis (M.Ing. (Development and Management Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

By the early 20th century, in 1920, Black farmers owned 14% of US farmland. Today, in the 21st century, Black farmers own less than 2% of US farmland. The demise of Black farmers and Black farmland in US Agriculture is a direct result of social, political, and racial weaponization against their foodways, culture, and livelihoods. The history concerning the plight of Black farmers goes beyond USDA's historical discrimination but enters a position where racism is embedded and perpetuated within the structure of US agriculture. In effect, Black small-scale farmers have reaped the downfall of this system, enduring racial biases and a complex relationship to the land for future generations. This dissertation examines and investigates the contemporary challenges associated with Mississippi’s small-scale Black farmers and their strategies that resist these challenges to create a self-sufficient agricultural system. Employing a qualitative approach using 31 semi-structured interviews and 4 focus groups discussions, in total of 87 persons, this research studies barriers and resilience strategies by amplifying the voices of small-scale Black farmers across Mississippi. This work draws from previous scholarship in institutional racism, colorblind racism, Black agrarianism, community based organizations, food sovereignty, and Black geographies. Findings indicate that racism still undermines Black farmers in agriculture. Still, they resist and combat these barriers by becoming powerful agents that bring catalyst change in the form of community togetherness and self-sufficiency.

This dissertation examines the practices and social constructions of volunteering in Southern Africa. Grounded in structural and cultural theory, I focus on volunteering as the product, rather than the raw material, of political processes. My approach stresses the volunteers’ perspectives, yet centers on critiques of dominance. In doing so, I destabilize the view of volunteering as inherently pro-social behavior, or as intrinsically characteristic of deepening democratic systems. Combining evidence from Afrobarometer surveys and twelve months of ethnographic fieldwork in South Africa and Zambia I show how meanings and practices, not just resources and capital, shape the socially constructed nature of volunteering given specific historic, economic and political conjunctures. The findings reveal that contemporary practices of volunteering in Southern Africa are a consequence of poverty, paternalistic exchange relationships, and state-civil society partnerships undergirded by foreign development aid. The dissertation is structured around four empirical points. The first concerns who volunteers. I identify characteristics of Africans who are most likely to actively belong to voluntary groups, and pinpoint the role of foreign development aid and poverty in shaping the volunteer landscape. The second highlights the positive connection between civic culture and active voluntary group membership in Africa, but I argue that this association does not inherently translate into greater democratic gains for a country. The third emphasizes “why” people volunteer. I document the exchange nature of volunteering, revealing its practical function for maintaining social cohesion and augmenting social capital, while simultaneously entrenching social hierarchies and paternalistic inequalities. The fourth point offers a theory linking three orientations to volunteering with activities in three different types of civil society. These view can be “allegiant,” “opportunistic,” or “challenging” and steer people toward volunteer activities that match their inclinations to enhance, confront, or preserve given social systems. Throughout this dissertation I illustrate how volunteerism aids residents of complex, diverse societies to define new social relations, craft compatible identities, and make meaning of social change. I present an effort in doing a sociology of volunteerism from Africa, rather simply in Africa, which increases the generalizability of existing theories of volunteerism to post-colonial, developing country contexts.

Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation is an interpretive analysis of the meanings and understanding of the construct 'service' in its relation to scholarly engagement with external non-academic communities at curricular level. The study links to other studies relating to community engagement in higher education or focusing on internal service to the university community, but it is unique in its theorising of service with and in external non-academic communities. The specific aim of the study was to develop a theoretical framework to view, understand, analyse and evaluate scholarly-related service activities which represent the community component of experiential learning pedagogies. The primary data for the study were generated through unstructured interviews with the four actor groups participating in such activities, namely module coordinators, students, community organisation representatives and community members. Their responses were interpreted, analysed and triangulated through grounded theory methodology. A substantive theory consisting of four interrelated processes, through which these activities take place, was developed culminating in a theoretical framework that integrates the four processes into one coherent process of cyclical interchange of social commodities. In this process there is a reciprocation of scholarly service and community service where the latter represents the service of the community to the university culminating in the interchange of tangible and intangible products that represent the commodities. The co-creation of useful contextual knowledge represents the ultimate outcome of this process through an interchange of tacit, codified and implicit knowledge of professionals and laymen in society. The theoretical framework provides a better understanding of the difference between the relationships with external communities and the actual service actions that take place during scholarly service activities. Within such understanding the framework suggests rethinking of how service activities are planned and integrated in community engagement at curricular level. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif is 'n interpretatiewe ontleding van die betekenisse en begripsverband van die konstruk "diens" op 'n kurrikulêre vlak binne die vakkundige interaksie met eksterne nieakademiese gemeenskappe. Die studie hou verband met ander studies oor gemeenskapsinteraksie binne die hoër onderwys asook dié wat fokus op interne diens aan die universiteitsgemeenskap. Die studie is egter uniek ten opsigte van die teoretisering van diens binne en in samewerking met eksterne nie-akademiese gemeenskappe. Die spesifieke doel van die studie was om 'n teoretiese raamwerk te ontwikkel waardeur wetenskapsverwante diensaktiwiteite wat die gemeenskapskomponent van ervaringsleerpedagogië verteenwoordig beskou, verstaan, geanaliseer en geëvalueer kan word. Die primêre data vir die studie is versamel deur middel van ongestruktureerde onderhoude met die vier groepe wat 'n rol speel in kurrikulumverwante gemeenskapsdiensaktiwiteite, naamlik module koördineerders, studente, verteenwoordigers van gemeenskapsorganisasies en lede uit die gemeenskap. Hulle antwoorde is met behulp van die metodologie van gefundeerde teorie geïnterpreteer, ontleed en deur kruistoetsing geverifieer. 'n Selfstandige teorie, bestaande uit vier verwante prosesse waardeur hierdie aktiwiteite plaasvind, is ontwikkel wat uiteindelik beslag gekry het in 'n teoretiese raamwerk wat op sy beurt die vier prosesse in een koherente proses van sikliese verwisseling van sosiale kommoditeite integreer. In hierdie proses is daar ’n duidelike verwantskap tussen vakkundige diens en gemeenskapsdiens waar laasgenoemde die diens van die gemeenskap aan die universiteit verteenwoordig. Hierdie verwisselende verwantskap lei tot die uitruiling van tasbare en nie-tasbare produkte wat die sosiale kommoditeite verteenwoordig. Die medeskepping van bruikbare kontekstuele kennis verteenwoordig die uiteindelike uitkoms van die proses waarin basiese kennis, die geskrewe kennis en die inherente aangeleerde kennis van kundiges en ongeskoolde persone in wisselwerking tree. Die voorgestelde teoretiese raamwerk verskaf beter insig in die verskil tussen die verhouding met eksterne gemeenskappe en die werklike diensaksies wat plaasvind gedurende vak-gebaseerde diensaktiwiteite. Binne sodanige verstaan stel die raamwerk voor dat die manier wat sulke aktiwiteite beplan word, herbedink behoort te word.

The process of communicating notions of sustainable development in rural grassroots communities in the oil-rich region of southern Nigeria, West Africa, is complex and remains an on-going challenge. The material consequences of ineffective communication between community leaders and their constituencies are evident in the Nigerian communities examined in this dissertation, where poverty is pervasive and where a large majority of the population can neither read nor write in English. Popular performances, specifically theatre, are an essential medium of communication and information dissemination on community development projects in these communities. Theatre for Development (TFD), as these form of popular performances are called, was first introduced to the country in 1975. Its methodology is an adaptation of the techniques of Theatre of the Oppressed created by theatre scholar Augusto Boal. The method is aimed specifically at effecting dialogue, encouraging critical thinking, and motivating the desire for community development and social change. A number of challenges, however, limit the effectiveness of this method in achieving these goals. They include funding constraints, which restrict the amount of time TFD participants spend working in any community and limit follow-up visits to sustain integral dialogues begun during a post-performance discussion. In essence, funding restrictions limit the possibility of achieving sustainable community development. To address this key challenge of time constraints and to facilitate sustained development dialogue between community stakeholders, this dissertation examines the use of indigenous performance practices staged by local performers in rural grassroots communities. By creating and staging a TFD performance using structural elements of oriki, an indigenous performance practice in the region, I address a core research question: How do structures and contents of indigenous performance practices create forums for sustained dialogue and collective consciousness awakening? The answer to this question lays the foundation for sustainable development projects in Nigeria and offers a practical way to improve the effectiveness of TFD as a medium of information dissemination, a tool to facilitate sustained dialogue, and a community development approach in rural grassroots communities in the country. / text

Connecting Urban Residents to Their Watershed with Green Stormwater Infrastructure: A case study of Thornton Creek in Seattle, Washington.

In the face of dire threats posed by anthropogenic climate change, a growing international Movement for Fossil Fuel Divestment has emerged to challenge the political and economic power of the fossil fuel industry. Building off a history of college and university divestment campaigns, students are spearheading the movement to rid their institutions’ endowments of investments in the top 200 companies with the largest reserves of coal, oil, and natural gas. Highlighting perspectives from within the movement and drawing from literature in social movement theory and Climate Justice, I explore three crucial components of the student Fossil Fuel Divestment Movement: Climate Justice, perceptions of risk, and potential political impacts. I argue that Fossil Fuel Divestment is a powerful component of the broader Climate Movement because it is mobilizing and radicalizing a new generation of activists to fight the climate crisis, challenging the dominant paradigm of individualized climate action, and is significantly influencing the public discourse on climate change. In seeking to further illuminate the power of this movement, I explore the possibilities and limitations of divestment as a tactic for Climate Justice and offer recommendations for moving forward.

M.Tech. / This study is based on the premise that awareness of active citizenship among South African citizens should be encouraged and can be developed through specific educational and skills interventions embedded in Visual Art learning programmes. South Africa‟s developing democracy requires active citizens with the capacity to disseminate values of equality, dignity, liberty and social justice, amongst other constitutional rights. Our country‟s history in the struggle for liberation encompasses a legacy of resistance, and screen-printed protest posters played an important role in communicating dissent towards the apartheid state (Seidmann 2009, Peffer 2009). My research examines the role of screen-printing as a particular graphic medium which is an organising tool to create awareness and communication. The project uses co-operative enquiry as a participatory action research method to facilitate the application of hand-made fine art screen-printed artworks and posters that support skills development, an understanding of self-identity and a sharing of skills that contribute to active citizenship. I present three visual art screen-printing projects that I facilitated from 2010 to 2011 at Artist Proof Studio (APS), an art centre in Johannesburg, whose mission is to inculcate aspects of active citizenship among the participating learners. I contend that the combination of all three screen-print projects presented to the group of students, leads to skills-development, awareness of personal identity and participation in community engagement projects which may enhance their ability to participate as active citizens and which in turn supports the mission statement of the education unit at APS. Such an intervention serves as a learning model that can further contribute to social, educational and economic redress among the participants at APS.