Attractiveness is a phenomenon that is highly prioritised in society and has a variety of implications on the health, mental health, occupational, judicial and economic spheres. The media is known to have an impact on how certain norms, expectations and beliefs in society are formed, including, but not limited to, the creation of beauty ideals. Despite this importance, little research has been done on how men have come to perceive the attractiveness of women as a consequence of daily exposure to the media and photoshopped images of women. This study therefore attempts to address this gap in research by studying the impact that media and the use of photoshopping might have on males' perception of female attractiveness. A mixed-method approach was followed. Accordingly, both qualitative and quantitative data was collected during this study. The quantitative data entailed a comparison of heart rate, breathing rate, heart rate variability and viewing time for 24 participants between non-photoshopped and photoshopped images. The qualitative section comprised eye tracking data and a questionnaire for 25 male participants on the topic of media, photoshopping, features of attractiveness and what impact these three constructs might have on each other. The results indicate that on a physiological level there are limited and sporadic changes in how men view, and respond to, photoshopped images of women. Despite this finding, most participants report that on a psychological level media and photoshopping has an impact on their perceptions of beauty and their experience of interpersonal attraction. / Mini Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Psychology / MA / Unrestricted

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / South Africa is currently experiencing the global phenomenon of water shortage. Current water requirements for domestic use, industries and agriculture far exceed local supplies in many parts of the country. It is for this reason that the South African government has to formulate a variety of policies that govern and regulate the use of water.

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This article describes the work of Project ImpactCS, which was initiated to define the core content and pedagogical objectives for integrating social impact and ethics into the computer science (CS) curriculum. Over a three year period the project will address three major problems that hamper the implementation of across-the-board curriculum change: the lack of a well-specified definition of what the core content and learning objectives should include, the lack of a strategy for adapting and adopting existing materials that address the core topics into the existing CS curriculum, and the lack of awareness and expertise on the part of most CS faculties regarding the need and methodology for presenting such material in their courses. This report provides the conceptual framework and describes the learning objectives, called knowledge units, for defining a new content area in the computer science curriculum. It also discusses strategies and innovative pedagogical techniques for implementing the knowledge units into the curriculum.

This study first investigates the extent of congruence between service providers' perceptions of customer satisfaction with various aspects of optometric services and customer-reported satisfaction with these services, and then examines whether a high degree of congruence results in better business performance. A survey of optometricians and customers of optometric services in Germany serves as the study setting. Results are presented and their implications are discussed. Avenues for futures research are offered. This study first investigates the extent of congruence between service providers' perceptions of customer satisfaction with various aspects of optometric services and customer-reported satisfaction with these services, and then examines whether a high degree of congruence results in better business performance. A survey of optometricians and customers of optometric services in Germany serves as the study setting. Results are presented and their implications are discussed. Avenues for tuture research are offered.

The growth in the global tourism market place presents many countries with great opportunities to capitalize on their natural competitive advantages. However, achieving the economic potential of global tourism remains elusive for many countries despite their natural advantages. In this context, Portugal is a case in point. The Portuguese tourism industry is facing some serious challenges that are limiting its potential. This study utilizes the shift-share technique in order to offer Portuguese policy-makers systematic and practical insights into the characteristics of the Portuguese tourism industry in the context of the challenges and opportunities of the global tourism market place. Understanding the dynamics and characteristics of the Portuguese tourism industry in a comparative context is a crucial first step toward formulating a strategy aimed at improving Portuguese competitive standing in the growing tourism market.

A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Curriculum and Instructional Studies, Faculty of Education, 2018. / Writing remains central to effective learning. It is through writing that learners are able to access knowledge, express their ideas and thoughts in different subjects across the curriculum. Through writing, learners are also expected to display the acquired knowledge in their assessments and examinations. Competency in writing is therefore crucial for learners, especially in the last three years of schooling, prior to them entering the demanding writing contexts of higher education. Despite this, writing continues to be a challenge for the majority of learners in South Africa, especially those learners writing in their second language in which they are not competent and confident. Thus, this calls for the special attention to how writing is taught and learnt, specifically at the FET levels. This study, therefore, investigated the nature and pedagogical implication of English First Additional Language Learners (EFAL) writing among Further Education and Training (FET) phase learners in the Pinetown District. Guided by the Socio-cultural Learning Theory, I observed the writing lessons, analysed the types of writing produced by learners and explored the quality of writing among FET learners to understand the extent to which the writing practices and pedagogy meet the expectations of the curriculum. Five FET schools in the Pinetown District were purposively selected to participate in this study. Underpinned by the qualitative framework, the study employed the interpretative paradigm to understand the human experiences of writing within the natural classroom contexts. To gain insights into the writing activities and classroom pedagogy, five writing lessons were observed and recorded using a video camera. To understand the types of writing and the quality of learners’ writing, learners’ written tasks were collected and analysed. Findings from the analysis of the sample of written tasks collected from the five schools indicated that learners produced different types of writing: narrative essays, formal letters, friendly letters, formal letters, obituaries, diary entries, directions, interviews, invitation cards and covering letters. The study also found that this is in line with the curriculum which suggests that learners should be exposed to different types of texts to develop their cognitive and creative writing skills. The study found ii that the learners’ writing contained recurring incorrect spelling, misuse of capitalisation, violation of punctuation rules and incorrect use of tenses. Even though the analysis of the learners’ written tasks revealed that such incorrect use of writing mechanics does not necessarily affect comprehension or meaning of the learners’ texts, they, however, affect the overall judgement of the learners’ writing. Data from classroom observations, lesson analyses and analysis of the curriculum show that, at most, the writing approaches used by the teachers were in line with the writing approach suggested by the curriculum. Findings from the analyses of the writing lessons indicate that teachers mostly used the question and answer method to teach writing in the five schools. This method entails the teachers controlling the interactions in the classrooms through nomination-response cycle. The findings from the analyses of lessons suggest that teachers creatively employed code-switching for pedagogical and pastoral purposes. The study found code-switching to enhance learners’ understanding and thus fulfils an academic purpose, especially in situations where switching to isiZulu explained concepts better. The study concludes that the effectiveness of any curriculum and pedagogy depends on the teachers’ knowledge and understanding of writing and approaches to writing. For the effective development of the learners’ writing, teachers must, firstly, understand their curriculum and implement it in their classrooms. Secondly, the researcher believes that successful teaching and learning of writing also depends on the effective instruction methods that embrace the socio-cultural learning perspectives. Lastly, the researcher found code-switching to be inevitable in second language writing classrooms where the teachers and learners are competent in more than one language. The study recommends collaborative writing activities in the learners’ Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and the recognition of learners’ home language for the learning of second language writing skills.