The Ministry of Education in Malawi introduced Life skills Education program with the intention to empower children with appropriate information and skills to deal with social and health problems affecting the nation including the fight against HIV infections. This study investigates factors affecting the implementation of the Life skills programme in four schools in the Zomba District, Malawi. A curriculum is not implemented within a contextual vacuum. I draw on Cornbleth‟s (1990) notions of the structural and social contexts to study the contexts of the school organisation, classroom environment and social-economic-political context in which the curriculum is implemented. Within this framework, I use Whitaker‟s(1993) identification of key role players in curriculum implementation, to consider the specific ways in which teachers, learners, principals, district officials and the community affect the implementation of this curriculum within the schools I chose to study. Findings suggest that the implementation of Life skills is constrained by a variety of social and structural contextual factors. Some of the crucial factors hampering the teaching of Life skills are the poor conditions under which teachers are working. Teachers are paid very little salaries and this affects their motivation to teaching making some of these teachers giving most attention to what they perceive as priority subjects only such as Maths and Languages at the expense of Life skills. The cascade model of training leaves the responsibility of training Life skills teachers to school principals who are not subject specialists. This adds to their already highly pressured roles in terms of managing their schools, resources and learners. The training of teachers in life skills curriculum involves two days of training. This short duration of the training is not sufficient to develop understanding of content and empower teachers to mediate sensitive topics with 3 confidence. This model of training also undermines professional responsibility of each teacher to empower themselves to become subject experts in the subjects they teach. The inaccessible language used within the Teachers‟ Guide contributes to the omission of areas of the curriculum by teachers who struggle to understand and teach certain topics. The case study shows that hunger experienced by learners affects their concentration in class and leads to frequent absences. It has been found that the Life skills curriculum is not supported by all sectors of the community. Certain teachers and their principals found a clash between rural communities‟ cultural beliefs and the Life skills programme. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS affects both the teachers of Life skills and their learners resulting in teachers feeling uncomfortable and reluctant to teach that which affect them and their learners. Some teachers believe that it is inappropriate to teach sexual matters to children of this age. This results in the teachers omitting the very issues that the Life skills curriculum has sought to address. Given these issues, the research finds significant challenges facing the implementation of the Life skills curriculum in Malawi and based on the findings, recommendations are made for improvement of the implementation of the Life skills program.

The objective of this thesis is to determine whether it is possible to improve the adequacy of support to “post start-up” small businesses in Sri Lanka by making changes to the current support regime to encourage their growth. The interest in this issue stems from (a) previous research carried out which highlights the substantially lower contribution to employment growth from the small businesses in Sri Lanka as compared to what is observed in other countries, and (b) the increasing emphasis upon stimulating the small business sector to make a significant contribution to the national economy which is apparent in recent policy proposals in the White Paper presented by the Task Force for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) development. An examination of extant literature suggests that the understanding of the factors that influence the growth of post start-up small businesses in developing countries is limited. Knowledge is also limited on the type of support that is required to adequately address such factors. To systematically investigate the existing knowledge gaps in these areas a questionnaire survey was conducted. In-depth interviews were also carried out with small business owner-managers and key employees of organisations providing small business support. A variety of statistical techniques were employed to analyse the responses to the questionnaire survey. Overall the results indicate that the factors influencing the growth of post start-up small businesses are highly individual in nature. Results of the study also indicate that the employment growth in post start-up small businesses is very limited. Drawing on the results of the research a conceptual model is proposed that suggests a holistic approach to the identification, evaluation and delivery of support to address the factors constraining the growth of post start-up small businesses.

This study assessed the intentions with regard to fertility and use of contraception by women living with HIV/AIDS. The study was a quantitative cross-sectional study on a sample of 362 HIV-positive women in the ART follow-up unit in Adama Hospital Medical College. Large numbers of HIV-positive women with no income, housewives, illiterates and women in the age group of 28-32 years declared their intention to fall pregnant. The most prevalent family planning method among the HIV-positive women before their HIV diagnosis was injectables. After wards the most popular method of contraception was the condom. The results suggest that the counselling about condom use that is offered to HIV positive women yields results, as more women adopt this method of contraception. This is important in view of prevention of HIV infections and re-infections. / Health Studies / M. A. (Public Health)

This study assessed the intentions with regard to fertility and use of contraception by women living with HIV/AIDS. The study was a quantitative cross-sectional study on a sample of 362 HIV-positive women in the ART follow-up unit in Adama Hospital Medical College. Large numbers of HIV-positive women with no income, housewives, illiterates and women in the age group of 28-32 years declared their intention to fall pregnant. The most prevalent family planning method among the HIV-positive women before their HIV diagnosis was injectables. After wards the most popular method of contraception was the condom. The results suggest that the counselling about condom use that is offered to HIV positive women yields results, as more women adopt this method of contraception. This is important in view of prevention of HIV infections and re-infections. / Health Studies / M. A. (Public Health)

Malgré la croissance de la téléphonie mobile, la diversité des services et la spécificité de cette technologie, nombreuses sont les populations urbaines et rurales en Afrique qui n’en bénéficient pas. L’investigation théorique et empirique des facteurs déterminant la pénétration de la téléphonie mobile en Afrique a fait l’objet de cette thèse. Cette recherche s’inscrit dans une démarche hypothético-déductive et est structurée en deux parties. L’objet de la première partie était de développer un modèle conceptuel de l’usage de la téléphonie mobile en Afrique en partant d’une revue de la littérature sur les modèles d’adoption et d’usage des Technologies de l’Information. Plusieurs concepts issus de la théorie unifiée de l’acceptation et de l’utilisation de la technologie (Venkatesh et alii, 2003, 2012) et des théories d’adoption des technologies de l’information en Afrique ont ainsi été examinés : la théorie d’identité (Ndiaye et alii, 2008), les théories de distribution (Touré, 2010) et les théories de l’énergie (Chéneau-Loquay, 2010). La seconde partie avait pour objectif de vérifier les relations entre les variables du modèle de recherche. Un instrument de mesure a ainsi été élaboré et testé auprès d’experts avant son administration au Mali et au Sénégal afin de cerner les antécédents de la pénétration du mobile en Afrique. Partant du postulat que le comportement individuel peut être imputé aux perceptions de l’individu sur : la performance attendue, la facilité d’utilisation, l’influence sociale, la motivation hédonique, la valeur du prix, le réflexe dû à l'habitude et les conditions de facilitation ; nous avions présumé que ces construits, ainsi que leurs interactions, influençaient positivement l’intention d’utilisation et l’utilisation de la téléphonie mobile. D’une manière générale, les résultats ont confirmé ces hypothèses. Les résultats sont discutés dans une perspective managériale et professionnelle. Ils peuvent guider les autorités de régulations et les pouvoirs publics et orienter les opérateurs de télécommunications, les équipementiers et les fournisseurs de services dans l’élaboration de leur stratégie. / Despite the growth in mobile telephony, the diversity of services and specificity of its technology, there are many urban and rural populations in Africa who do not benefit from it. The theoretical and empirical investigation of the determining factors of mobile telephony penetration in Africa is the subject of this thesis. The research uses a hypothetical-deductive reasoning and is divided into two parts. The purpose of the first part was to develop a conceptual model of mobile telephony usage in Africa beginning with a review of the literature on the models of adoption and usage of Information Technologies. Also, several concepts from the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (Venkatesh et alii, 2003, 2012) and theories of adoption of information technology in Africa were examined: the theory identity (Ndiaye et alii, 2008), theories of distribution (Touré, 2010) and theories of energy (Chéneau-Loquay, 2010). The second part was to verify the relationships between the variables of the research model. A questionnaire for data collection was developed and tested by experts prior to its administration in Mali and Senegal in order to be able to identify the background regarding mobile telephony penetration in Africa. Starting from the premise that individual behavior can be attributed to the perceptions of the individual’s : expectation of performance, the ease of use, social influence, hedonic motivation, price value, a reflex due to habit and the facilitating conditions ; we assumed that these constructs and their relationships positively influence the intended use and the use of mobile telephony. In general, the results have confirmed these hypotheses. The results are discussed from a managerial and professional perspective. They can guide regulatory authorities and governments and can orientate the telecom operators, OEMs and service providers in developing their strategy.

Background/Aim: Historical evidences indicate that maternal health care by a skilled birth attendant is one of the key strategies for maternal survival. However, the rate of maternity care utilisation and reduction of maternal death is very low in Nigeria. This study was designed to investigate factors influencing access to emergency obstetric care with a view to guiding programmatic efforts targeted at overcoming these barriers and also contribute to health reforms in Nigeria. Hence, the need to understand factors influencing access to emergency obstetric care in Nigeria using the Socio-ecological Model (SEM) and Gender and Development (GAD) to identify associated factors operating at different levels. Methods: A mixed method was employed for this study. Data collection used questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Questionnaires were distributed to 330 respondents of which 318 of them were retrieved and qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted for 6 participants. Data collection were done using a sequential approach. The study was conducted in one of the tertiary health facilities in Nigeria from January-April, 2015, amongst mothers aged 15-45 years meeting the study inclusion criteria. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used in analysing the quantitative data. Bivariate and logistic regressions were conducted for the quantitative data whilst a qualitative content analysis was done for the qualitative data. Results: The study established that education, income level, costs associated with seeking care, distance and time taken to travel were significantly associated with maternity healthcare services utilisation. Quality of service, staff attitude and women's autonomy showed consistent significant association with maternal health care utilisation. Conclusions: The study concludes that; costs of treatment, distance and time, income level, staff attitude and women's autonomy were critical in determining women utilisation of maternity care services. Recommendation: As an outcome of this research, best practice framework has been developed. The framework presents a coherent and systematic approach for achieving sustainable MH by providing a roadmap for instituting measures at the policy, health facility, community and at the individual levels, taking into account factors that are likely to promote or impede the achievement of sustainable MH.

This comparative analysis of four different German-language versions of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World (1932) shows the correlation between political and socio-cultural circumstances, as well as ideological differences, and translations of the novel. The first German translation was created by Herberth E. Herlitschka in 1932, entitled Welt – Wohin? Two further versions of it were released in 1950 and 1981. In 1978, the East German publisher Das Neue Berlin published a new translation created by Eva Walch, entitled Schöne neue Welt. My thesis focuses on the first translations by both Herlitschka and Walch, but takes into account the others as well. The methodological basis is Heidemarie Salevsky’s tripartite model. With its focus on author and work, commissioning institution and translator, it was developed as a tool to determine the factors influencing the process of literary translation. Within this framework, the translations are contextualized within the cultural and political circumstances of the Weimar and German Democratic Republics, including an historical overview of the two main publishers, Insel and Das Neue Berlin. With reference to letters between Herlitschka and his publisher Anton Kippenberg at the Insel Verlag, secured from the Goethe und Schiller Archiv (Stiftung Weimarer Klassik), titles and subtitles as paratextual elements of the Herlitschka versions are examined. An overview of Lawrence Venuti’s and Hans Vermeer’s approaches to the notions of domesticating and foreignizing provides further theoretical tools to assess the translations. Venuti rejects the technique of domesticating translation as, in his opinion, it constitutes an act of violence against the source language, which is contrast with Vermeer’s perspective, according to which the alternatives are equivalent. In Vermeer’s opinion, both the domesticating as well as the foreignizing translation do not destroy the source culture. Another fundamental theoretical principle is Otto Kade’s claim that the affiliation of a translator to a certain social system and identification with a certain ideology are evident in his or her work. The thesis includes a study of the afterwords in the East German versions, which display an intent to create distance between the society of the novel and that of the translator. These paratexts function as a tool for censorship and at the same time as a means to circumvent it. Chapters 1-4 and 16 is selected for intensive analysis. It becomes obvious that the different socio-political situations influence the outcome of the translations. One of the most striking differences between them, Herlitschka’s translocation of the original setting, is identified as a parodistic device. An analysis of the themes of gender, race and sexuality further answers what kinds of factors influenced the process of literary translation, what kinds of modifications appear and what causes them. Herlitschka’s work displays a tendency to intensify traces of misogyny and racism, and to tone down descriptions of sexuality, phenomena which could not be found in Walch’s text. The conclusion links to Margaret Atwood’s introduction to the most recent Canadian edition of Brave New World and identifies the examination of the two key German translations of the novel as an extension of her argument, pointing to the novel’s relevance for contemporary times, transcending geographical and linguistic borders to include readers in all modern societies and cultures.

This comparative analysis of four different German-language versions of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World (1932) shows the correlation between political and socio-cultural circumstances, as well as ideological differences, and translations of the novel. The first German translation was created by Herberth E. Herlitschka in 1932, entitled Welt – Wohin? Two further versions of it were released in 1950 and 1981. In 1978, the East German publisher Das Neue Berlin published a new translation created by Eva Walch, entitled Schöne neue Welt. My thesis focuses on the first translations by both Herlitschka and Walch, but takes into account the others as well. The methodological basis is Heidemarie Salevsky’s tripartite model. With its focus on author and work, commissioning institution and translator, it was developed as a tool to determine the factors influencing the process of literary translation. Within this framework, the translations are contextualized within the cultural and political circumstances of the Weimar and German Democratic Republics, including an historical overview of the two main publishers, Insel and Das Neue Berlin. With reference to letters between Herlitschka and his publisher Anton Kippenberg at the Insel Verlag, secured from the Goethe und Schiller Archiv (Stiftung Weimarer Klassik), titles and subtitles as paratextual elements of the Herlitschka versions are examined. An overview of Lawrence Venuti’s and Hans Vermeer’s approaches to the notions of domesticating and foreignizing provides further theoretical tools to assess the translations. Venuti rejects the technique of domesticating translation as, in his opinion, it constitutes an act of violence against the source language, which is contrast with Vermeer’s perspective, according to which the alternatives are equivalent. In Vermeer’s opinion, both the domesticating as well as the foreignizing translation do not destroy the source culture. Another fundamental theoretical principle is Otto Kade’s claim that the affiliation of a translator to a certain social system and identification with a certain ideology are evident in his or her work. The thesis includes a study of the afterwords in the East German versions, which display an intent to create distance between the society of the novel and that of the translator. These paratexts function as a tool for censorship and at the same time as a means to circumvent it. Chapters 1-4 and 16 is selected for intensive analysis. It becomes obvious that the different socio-political situations influence the outcome of the translations. One of the most striking differences between them, Herlitschka’s translocation of the original setting, is identified as a parodistic device. An analysis of the themes of gender, race and sexuality further answers what kinds of factors influenced the process of literary translation, what kinds of modifications appear and what causes them. Herlitschka’s work displays a tendency to intensify traces of misogyny and racism, and to tone down descriptions of sexuality, phenomena which could not be found in Walch’s text. The conclusion links to Margaret Atwood’s introduction to the most recent Canadian edition of Brave New World and identifies the examination of the two key German translations of the novel as an extension of her argument, pointing to the novel’s relevance for contemporary times, transcending geographical and linguistic borders to include readers in all modern societies and cultures.

Background: Researchers have investigated display advertising in the past several years from different perspectives but only in connection to traditional Web sites and not specifically for social networking sites. Facebook is the most prominent social networking site in terms of number of users and its main source of revenue is its online advertising business. Having display advertising in their virtual space is the reason why social networks are able to offer free service and as such the need to understand how users perceive it arises The most important way of understanding users’ perceptions about the advertis- ing messages is by studying attitudes. In order to understand the attitudes toward Facebook display advertising, it is necessary to examine the factors that affect the attitude-toward-the-ad. Ad perceptions, ad credibility, attitude toward advertisers, attitude toward advertising and mood have been identified by previous researchers as clearly influencing the attitude toward specific ads. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate user’s attitude toward display advertising on Facebook by identifying the main factors that influence the formation of attitudes. Method: In order to fulfill the purpose and uncover the main factors that influence the attitude towards display advertising on Facebook, a qualitative research has been conducted. Both a primary and a secondary data search was per- formed. The primary data was collected by carrying out semistructured interviews with students at Jönköping University which resulted in a number of 20 respondents. The secondary data was gathered through the use of the resources available at the university library, both digital and paper based. Internet Web sites have also been reviewed when needed. Conclusions: The authors found that users display an accepting, positive attitude toward display advertising on Facebook. There have been identified five main fac- tors influencing Facebook users’ attitude and these are ad credibility, ad perceptions, attitude toward the advertiser, informativeness and lack of irritation. Moreover, the informativeness factor was found to have the greatest influence in terms of the behavior Facebook users have toward display advertising.

With rapid change in social and economic surroundings in Taiwan, consumption behavior of Taiwanese changes gradually. College students maybe are the group that changes their behaviors significantly in this environment. They start to emphasize their ¡§personal style.¡¨ For most young people, purchasing is not only related to their needs, but also related to brands, design, and package. Therefore, how to combine ¡§arts¡¨ and ¡§brand¡¨ in order to attract young people¡¦s attention and satisfy their tastes is a key factor for enterprises in the future. After all, what interesting results will be generated if a product is included both ¡§art work¡¨ and ¡§a terrific brand¡¨? Will young people become the major consumers for those commodities? Are their consumer behaviors different from other groups? And what factors motive them to buy those products? These questions are discussed in this study. The purposes of this research are as follows: to understand young people¡¦s consumer behavior on commodities which are combination of art work and a brand; to understand what factors encourage young people to buy the product; and to make sure the acceptance of these communities in the market. Survey research was chosen as methodology in this research. The target population was college and graduate students in Taipei. Drop-off survey was major method for collecting data. Three hundred ninety-seven samples were sent out, 302 samples were returned, and 291 were valid. The valid response rate was 96.36%. According to the result, the acceptable degree in the market for these commodities was high. Clothing/Accessory, 3C, and sport products were the primary choices of young people. When college students purchased these commodities, they thought uniqueness and artistry were most important, and prices as well as quality were second important. Regarding to sales promotion, young people preferred discount and limit edition. Reasons for buying these commodities were to please themselves and enjoy the design. Most young people would buy these commodities because of their brands; however they also cared about the impression and style of artists.Generally speaking, young people showed positive attitudes and sound impressions for the corporation between artists and brands.