A vulnerabilidade social abarca uma diversidade de fenômenos que não se limita apenas à insuficiência de renda, mas perpassa questões de ciclos de vida, gênero, etnia, orientação sexual e outros e está intimamente associada ao processo de desenvolvimento de uma sociedade. Em especial os jovens têm sido um segmento da população que tem se apresentado como emergente no cenário da vulnerabilidade social e têm sido considerados, por diversas vezes, frágeis para enfrentar adversidades cotidianas. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar a percepção de jovens participantes e não participantes do Projovem Adolescente do Centro de Referência de Assistência Social Paulina Bonalume Andreatta no município de Pato Branco - PR, sobre vulnerabilidade social relacionada ao próprio ciclo de vida, família, trabalho, educação e política pública. Metodologicamente, foi uma pesquisa de cunho social e exploratório. Realizou-se uma pesquisa de cunho quantitativo e qualitativo com análise de conteúdo. Inicialmente, foi realizada a análise de agrupamento de dados sobre o perfil socioeconômico de famílias com a presença de jovens entre 15 e 29 anos, residentes no município de Pato Branco – PR, que estão inseridas no Cadastro Único para Programas Sociais – CadÚnico, com o objetivo de caracterizar o cenário da pesquisa. Depois, utilizou-se a entrevista semiestruturada para compreender a percepção de jovens participantes e não participantes do Projovem adolescente sobre aspectos de vulnerabilidade social relacionada ao seu próprio ciclo de vida. As famílias analisadas apresentaram características de escassos recursos físicos e humanos, o que sugere a exposição de seus membros, sejam eles, crianças, jovens, adultos ou idosos, a situações de vulnerabilidade social. A percepção dos jovens indica que a condição social e econômica de suas famílias, o local onde residem, as relações familiares e locais, a insuficiência de atividades para lazer e os casos de gravidez na adolescência apresentam fatores que fragilizam e dificultam as suas vidas quanto a conseguir um trabalho, ter um rendimento adequado na escola e ter uma boa convivência familiar e comunitária. / Social vulnerability encompasses a diversity of phenomena that is not limited to income insufficiency but pervades issues of life cycles, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and others and is closely associated with the development process of a society. In particular, young people have been a segment of the population that has emerged as an emerging social vulnerability scenario and have been considered, on several occasions, fragile to face daily adversities. This research had the objective of analyzing the perception of young participants and nonparticipants of the Projovem Adolescent of the Paulina Bonalume Andreatta Social Assistance Reference Center in the city of Pato Branco - PR, about social vulnerability related to the life cycle, family, work, education and public policy. Methodologically, it was a research of social and exploratory nature. Quantitative and qualitative research was carried out with content analysis. Initially, the analysis of data grouping on the socioeconomic profile of families with the presence of 15 to 29 year olds living in the municipality of Pato Branco - PR, which is part of the Cadastro Único para Programas Sociales - CadÚnico, was carried out. objective of characterizing the research scenario. Then, the semi-structured interview was used to understand the perception of young participants and nonparticipants of the Projovem adolescent on aspects of social vulnerability related to their own life cycle. The analyzed families presented characteristics of scarce physical and human resources, which suggests the exposure of their members, be they children, young people, adults or elderly, to situations of social vulnerability. Young people's perception indicates that the social and economic condition of their families, their place of residence, family and local relations, lack of leisure activities and teenage pregnancy present factors that weaken and hinder their lives in terms of get a job, have an adequate income in school and have a good family and community coexistence.

Standard economic models often emphasize inputs, outputs and an examination of the structures in order to conduct an economic performance evaluation. This study applies the Institutional and Development Framework (IAD) in the broader context of New Institutional Economics (NIE) in order to examine the transaction costs of delivering Community and Home Based Care and Support (CHBC) to HIV/AIDS sufferers. For purposes of unveiling the empirical reality guiding decision making processes in the CHBC service delivery, comparative qualitative research techniques of normative variable and concept formation have been adopted to draw out the relative institutional influences from the HIV/AIDS national response partnerships. The study identifies the conflict between the predominantly standardized and more rigid formal management techniques adopted by key members of the national response and the informal cultural techniques familiar to the rural communities, and a lack of motivational incentives in the CHBC structures as the key factors against CHBC capacities to draw external funding for service delivery. CHBCs are also weakened by incoherent governance structures at the district level for facilitation of funding and information flow exacerbating the community vulnerability. Rationalization of the institutional arrangements and a clarification of roles from district to community levels, a shift of focus to facilitation of informal techniques and an integration of performance enhancing incentives are the critical policy insights envisaged to spur CHBCs to work better.

Current collective church services, where families in totality are coming together although the focus only falls on adults, do not address today’s post modern families. For this reason two tragic routes were began to be followed within the church: <ul> <ol><li>Parents with small children began to give up trying to pressure their children to attend services because they themselves realized that it was not working for them, and started to go to church without their children, while parents with teenagers allowed their teens to attend services of other churches where they felt that their needs were met. Parents who still tried to pressure their children into going to services with them, started to experience the tension surrounding that within their families as well as in themselves.</li> <li>Congregations started creating generative services where the different generations were served separately from each other, within the premise of specialized ministry on the level of each unique generation.</li> </ol></ul> The result of this was disastrous for families as well as the church in general. On the one hand family members were spiritually alienated from each other and covenant families were tore to pieces; on the other hand covenant families were alienated from their own Christian tradition and church foundation, while the role of parents as spiritual mentors of their children were minimilised. Because of this, more and more families began to plead for the addressing of their needs to be ministered to as a whole within the church service and to worship together, while covenant parents began to demand to be once again empowered as primary spiritual mentors of their children. Consequently the urgent need within the church had arisen for the implementation of family ministry, and especially family services, where families in totality can effectively be ministered to so that the needs of each family member will be met. Principles for such inter generative services, as well as sermons to post modern families within that context, is necessary to make such a cross generational ministry successful. Precisely this is the focus of this study. / Dissertation (MA (Research in Practical Theology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Practical Theology / MA / unrestricted

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This program evaluated the effectiveness of the program interventions implemented during the 2002-2003 school year in the Riverside County Office of Education's Cal-SAFE pregnant and parenting minor program. Two researchers divided the twelve school sites, gathered data and formulated information to assess the effectiveness of the program on continuance or completion of high school after teen pregnancy.

Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of PhD in Community Psychology in the Department of Psychology, University of Zululand, 2007. / This study evaluates two psychosocial support intervention programmes for vulnerable children. Psychosocial support intervention programmes are geared towards strengthening of participation, intergration and cooperation between members of the community. The present study follows upon recommendations by Killian (2003) that more research needed to be done on the effectiveness of psychosocial intervention programmes on vulnerable children. It falls within the framework of a person-centred approach towards primary prevention. This research thesis aimed to explore the community volunteers' experiences on the impact and effectiveness of the psychosocial intervention programmes on vulnerable children. Twenty four community volunteers were interviewed for this research. Qualitative measures were utilized for data collection purposes. A standardized interview schedule, comprising four open-ended questions was used to elicit in-depth responses from the research participants. To test the appropriateness of the research questions, a pilot study was conducted on eight participants who had been sensitized on this programme and also formed part of the bigger research process. Data was analyzed using qualitative measures to elicit in-depth responses from the research participants. Based on the themes that emerged from the analyzed data, the evaluation process of these two intervention programmes yielded positive results, in terms of effectiveness and impact on the lives of vulnerable children in the communities. The thematic analysis of the collected interview data showed significantly that all the research participants appreciated the skills offered and learned from participating in the programme. They reported increased confidence in dealing with various psychosocial challenges faced by vulnerable children in their communities. A common theme that emerged in the present study both in the individual and group interviews, was the community volunteer's renewed sense of community participation, belonging and empowerment. From the research participants' responses, this study has managed to meet the aims and objectives of the training programme, to make people rich in their understanding of children who face adversity and difficult circumstances in their lives. Providing community members with a sensitization programme offering psychosocial support to vulnerable children, then becomes a sustainable, empowering and ongoing process for children affected by HIV/AIDS, poverty and violence. The main findings suggest that the community intervention programme offering psychosocial support for vulnerable children is effective and has had a positive impact on the community volunteers. In terms of values of the community psychology model, this evaluation is meaningful since it shows that community volunteers benefited from participating in this programme in an empowering way, while gaining valuable skills and disseminating knowledge to vulnerable children in their communities. This thesis offers suggestions for future research on vulnerable children with more emphasis on community poverty alleviation strategies. Finally, it concludes that community oriented programmes offering psychosocial support to children affected by HIV/AIDS, poverty and violence are appropriate and ideal interventions to reduce vulnerability and increase resilience. / National Research Foundation

East Desert Unified School District (EDUSD) serves many immigrant, migrant, and first generation students. The objective of this thesis is to identify the community processes and channels used that it serves. Organizationally, the interractions between the district and its communities will be studied from a systems perspective. Intercultural communication theories and organizational communication theories provide lenses for examining the communication processes occuring between the communbity and organization within the district, the parents resource service center alone with children and Family Services are grant supported and provide outreach services to community members.

This study examines the role of Community Based-Organisations (CBOs) in the response to HIV/AIDS as a development challenge drawing examples from the Gabane Community Home-Based Care CBO in Botswana. The study adopted qualitative methods of research and used group discussions, relative unstructured interviews, direct observation and literature review as methods of data collection. The study found out that HIV/AIDS is indeed a development problem and that it can be dealt with using some existing development approaches such as the sustainable livelihoods approaches. The study further identified specific roles that CBOs play in the response to HIV/AIDS. It also revealed the potential that CBOs have in achieving development. In addition, the study identified and outlined challenges that CBOs face in responding to HIV/AIDS. Key recommendations are that CBOs must integrate poverty reduction interventions in their activities. They must also form coalitions and strengthen their capacity to sustain their activities and manage partnerships. / Development Studies

Two studies investigated the characteristics of high-risk Hispanic parents with young children who were enrolled in a primary prevention home visitation program targeting first birth families. In the first study, more and less acculturated high-risk Hispanic families were compared to high-risk non-Hispanic White families on differences in demographic characteristics, risk factors associated with poor child outcomes, and parent behaviors related to infant health. Using the General Linear Model Univariate procedure, these characteristics were then related to level of parenting skills, measured after approximately one year of service. A total of 1005 families were included in the study. There were important differences in parent psychosocial characteristics, health risks, and outcomes among Hispanic families. Hispanic mothers who were more acculturated, as measured by use of English in the home, were more likely to be at risk for substance abuse, mental illness, and family conflict. They were more likely to smoke and less likely to breastfeed. Less acculturated Hispanic mothers were less educated and more likely to be isolated. Controlling for pretest scores and education level, there were significant between group differences on parenting skills after one year of service, however the effect was small and overshadowed by the significant interaction effect between partner status and household category. Scores for single Spanish-speaking Hispanic mothers were significantly lower than scores of Spanish-speaking Hispanics in partner households. Risk factors that were positively associated with program progress included breastfeeding and mother's education level. Smoking, mental illness, and unrealistic expectations for the child were negatively associated with program progress. The second paper addressed the efficacy of an age-paced parenting newsletter as part of a home-visiting program for Spanish-speaking Hispanic parents. Family Service Workers serving these families delivered the newsletter and used it as a curriculum guide and teaching tool for families. Parents reported reading the newsletter, learning from it, and changing their behavior in response to newsletter content. Home visitors reported that it was a useful tool to reach high-risk parents with important parenting information. They found that it was particularly useful to combat inappropriate or unhealthful parenting advice from well-meaning family members and friends. / Graduation date: 2004