Research and policy-making in education have historically focused on quantitative measures of education when assessing the state of education across countries. Recently, large-scale cross-national tests of cognitive skills have emerged as one way of moving beyond mere quantitative indicators of education, and instead allow researchers to incorporate qualitative elements of education, most notably what students know and can do. Notwithstanding the above, research and development initiatives too often assess these complementary aspects separately, which can lead to biased conclusions. To resolve this issue, the research presented here follows the method developed by Spaull and Taylor (2015) and provides composite measures of educational quantity (grade completion) and quality (learning outcomes) for six Francophone African countries. These composite measures are termed access to literacy and access to numeracy for literacy and numeracy rates respectively. This work also explores quantity and quality indicators separately to ascertain whether problems of access to schooling, or problems of quality among those already enrolled, is a more pertinent development issue. Finally, this work also contributes to understanding the extent and nature of inequalities, by looking at gender and socioeconomic status groups separately when considering (1) access, (2) learning outcomes, and (3) a composite measure of access and learning. Results of this work point to an education crisis within these African countries where both non-enrolment and a lack of learning within schools are contributing to dismal educational outcomes, even at the grade 2 level but especially at the grade 5 level. For example, only 18% and 25% of the grade 5 cohort investigated have access to literacy and access to numeracy, respectively, in Togo. Furthermore, inequality within socioeconomic groups is extremely large resulting in near zero estimates of competency levels for the most economically disadvantaged in some countries. Gender discrimination is dwarfed by economic discrimination but mean estimates suggest that while educational opportunities are similar for males and females at a grade 2 level, gender discrimination may already be visible at the grade 5 level.

Theses Submitted to the Department of Sociology in fulfilment of the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Sociology in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, 2018. / Development agencies, non-government Organizations (NGOs) and government organizations around the world aim for the betterment of women in all spheres of their lives. Empowerment has been considered the main focal point towards the achievement of the wellbeing of women. The study was about cooperatives and women empowerment. It investigated the extent to which participation, empowerment, capacitation and benefits of membership contribute in enabling cooperatives to empower women. This study applied the Capability Approach (CA) in an attempt to understand the need and importance of capabilities to women in a cooperative. The quality of life of an individual is analysed in terms of the core concepts of functionings and capability, thus the CA focuses directly on the quality of life that individuals are actually able to achieve. The Capability Approach proposed that the most vital thing to deliberate when valuing well-being is what people are actually able to do. Capacitation to disadvantaged people is very important in that it ensures services and assistants directly meet their needs. Participatory planning can be regarded as an instrument for identifying the needs of all persons within a community, a way of constructing harmony, and means of empowering deprived or marginalised groups. Participatory development has created the need that there should be inclusion of everyone concerned in the decision making that enables the utilization of all ideas and experiences especially of the poor in rural communities and that they should have influence in the decision making process. The study hypothesized that the perceived level of participation; empowerment and capacitation will determine the benefit of membership in a cooperative. The survey was conducted using a Five-Level Likert scale to decipher respondents’ perceptions of level of participation, empowerment, capacitation, and perceived benefits. In the beginning of analysis, responses (N=110) were reduced using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) to determine how questionnaire items contributed to variables under consideration, variables extracted were correlated and regressed. A linear regression analysis was used to describe how a benefit of membership mediates the relationship between participation, empowerment and capacitation. iii The results showed that members’ perceived levels of empowerment mediate their Perceived Benefits of membership (PERBEME). This shows how benefits of membership in a cooperative are determined and empowerment experienced. Cooperatives have a potential of empowering women and that is achieved through democratic operation, where members equally participate in the daily business. The findings showed a correlation between independent and dependent variables. The findings further demonstrated that capacitation, empowerment and participation, influence change on the benefits of membership in a co-operative. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

In Indianola, Mississippi the past and present remain inextricably linked. Unresolved racial issues proved this point in 1986 as tension exploded within Indianola’s public education and economic sectors. Lingering segregation and socioeconomic inequalities brought outside scrutiny to Indianola’s white elites. To counter this negative image, Indianola leaders turned to Delta Blues tourism. Supported by state and federal agencies, they expanded the blues industry over the next two decades. They promised its institutions would alleviate the problems which caused the 1986 crisis: the economy, education, and racial inequality. Officials structured Indianola’s blues market around native B.B. King. They incorporated King’s rags-to-riches life into the creation of Indianola’s own success story. Using sociological analyses, anthropological studies, and an array of primary sources, this thesis reveals how the endeavor largely failed. Indianola society still struggles with its past. Racial inequalities continue, and this study urges for other ideas and reforms.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No

by Chow Tin-tai. / Bibliogrpahy : leaves 42-44 / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1984

Thesis (M. Dev) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / Literature has shown that focusing on local economic development is one of the best ways to alleviate poverty and unemployment. Municipalities have been tasked with the responsibility of coordinating local economic development initiatives to bring unemployment and poverty under control. This study highlighted the impact of local economic development on the livelihood of communities in Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality, Mopani, Limpopo Province within a qualitative paradigm. A questionnaire was used to collect data from respondents with key research findings highlighted in Chapter 4 and a summary of the findings presented in Chapter 5. The study recommends, based on its findings, the importance of local economic development initiatives in poverty and unemployment alleviation.

Thesis (MPA) --University of Limpopo, 2009 / The Mahalapye sub District Development Committee is the most significant organization in the sub district as it sets overall goals, direction and priorities with which all development initiatives within the district should conform to. The membership of the committee includes all heads of central and local government departments, government planners, heads of Parastatals, and representatives of Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Effective management of projects requires collective consciousness, effort and will and it is important that members of the sub District Development Committee work as a team to ensure that all projects are implemented within the set time frames and limited resources. The development challenges facing Mahalapye sub district are complex. These challenges are not peculiar to the sub district, but are also a challenge to other districts in Botswana. These challenges include the need to implement village infrastructure projects in a cost effective manner in that the projects are completed within the estimated budget and time schedule. The research findings are that indeed the problem of project cost and time overruns is a problem in Mahalapye sub District and that the problem is attributed to the way the projects are managed, in particular, by the sub District Development Committee. A number of recommendations have been provided to help overcome the problem