Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / Although the practice of day labouring can be traced back for centuries, it has become a steadily growing global phenomenon and has significant implications for the populations and economies of both developed and developing countries. In South Africa, the day labour market serves as a catchment area for the fallout from a formal economy which is unable to provide employment to all South Africans. The day labourers are often excluded from the benefits of modern societies, such as access to social services, opportunities for employment, and adequate incomes. This study took the form of a qualitative case study and made use of an ethnographic research design. The qualitative data was collected through the conducting of semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and by making use of photovoice, while the quantitative data was generated through the administration of a questionnaire. The triangulation of several sets of data ensured the trustworthiness of the findings. The research population for the study comprised the day labourers who gathered at a particular hiring site in Cape Town. The qualitative data was analysed by means of thematic analysis, while the quantitative data was analysed by means of the SPSS software package to generate descriptive statistics, which were represented graphically in the findings in the form of pie charts and bar graphs. Although there were inherent limitations in the data which was obtained, it nevertheless provided valuable insights into the plight of day labourers in South Africa.

"September 2003" / Bibliography: leaves 230-257. / ix, 257 leaves ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Social Inquiry, 2003

When the general public discusses Affirmative Action, they are more likely to make an assumption that the person is not qualified without seeking their actual qualifications. Some may hesitate to provide any reasonable explanation for their opposition because the policy is a controversial topic. The goal of this journal was to search for the possibilities that may actually inspire their opposition and relate it to the stigma theory, which might explain some of these reasoning. By focusing on black recipients in the workforce research on the policy and reactions to Affirmative Action, some researchers appeared to study according to what they think Affirmative Action is supposed to accomplish. There are not enough scholars, with a specialization in human resource, to provide objective facts about the actual intent of the policy. It appears that some managers are not knowledgeable on how to manage the program legal. When certain individuals, who are supposed to have expertise on this policy, are not knowledgeable, then the public cannot be expected to be knowledgeable about the policy. The purpose is to look at Affirmative Action from an objective point of view to differentiate the actual purpose of the policy from the stereotypical purpose of the policy. Recommendations are provided to determine how Affirmative Action can prove to the critics that it is necessary when the program is operated properly.

Modern capitalism is not singular. There are varieties of capitalism in the contemporary world. This thesis aims to apply the Varieties of Capitalism approach developed by Hall and Soskice (2001) to the case of the Czech Republic and ascertain whether the Czech market economy is approaching a liberal or a coordinated ideal type defined by these authors. At the same time, such findings might provide an answer to whether the Varieties of Capitalism approach designed for advanced industrialized economies is fully applicable for analysis of a post-socialist country that underwent a complicated process of economic and institutional transformation.

This thesis reports on an evaluation of competence-based vocational education practice in Scotland, with particular reference to Scottish Vocational Qualifications. The research was undertaken between 1996-1999 and included a national survey of higher level SVQ students in Scotland, an analysis of national database on N/SVQs and case study research with providers and students. It was found that participation in the 'new vocationalism' was highly gender patterned, had little impact on education and training targets and was skewed in favour of particular awards and occupational groups. The criterion-based assessment methodology proved more time-consuming for the students than the staff, with the emphasis on producing paper-based portfolios of evidence. A particular concern emerging from the research was the superficial nature of learning taking place on competence-based vocational education programmes and the role of the Local Enterprise Companies. These findings are discussed in the context of the growth in 'outcome-based' approaches to education adopted by policy makers in Scotland. It is argued that the narrow instrumentalist employer-led standards used to underpin education practice are ill-suited to developing a highly skilled professional workforce for the next century.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Bern.

Thesis (doctoral)--Friedrich-Alexander-Universität zu Erlangen.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Erlangen.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Bern, 1936. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 94-95).

Thèse-Université de Toulouse.