The Place of Narrative is an exploration of the implications, opportunities and processes posed by participatory design methods in Landscape Architecture. The thesis has been structured within a narrative inquiry framework that is situated within the larger field of qualitative research. The work aspires to assess if the combination of community engagement and narrative inquiry methods can contribute to a richer understanding of place and inspire more contextually appropriate design responses. In landscape architecture, a deep understanding of the places that we design requires knowledge of local culture and the experiences and connections that people cultivate towards their environment over time. Being in place as designer, visitor and inhabitant helps to establish a level of trust. These stories of the residents—past and present, of designer, and of the landscape itself interweave and manifest in site-specific solutions. The ambition of this research is to capture the complexity of this process and to provide a primer for landscape architecture students interested in the integration of narrative theory, place, people and practice in community participatory design.

The primary aim of this study was to explore the manner in which contextual factors influence the implementation of HIV&AIDS programmes in schools, by investigating the lived-experiences of teachers who were responsible for the implementation of such programmes. The findings of this study mainly add to the vast body of knowledge on the implementation of the school’s curriculum. In addition to this, the study highlights the manner in which educational policy can become a workable instrument by setting parameters for the development of an HIV&AIDS school policy, and for effective implementation of an HIV&AIDS programmes in schools. Furthermore, this study will contribute to addressing the barriers that negatively influence HIV&AIDS programme delivery in schools. Another outcome of this study could be the possible improvement of the training of teachers and curriculum developers. The conceptual framework of the study dealt with the following: a description of the HIV&AIDS pandemic (as a background), the impact of the pandemic in the South African context, expectations and responsibilities of schools and teachers with regard to the implementation of HIV&AIDS programmes, and theories that underpin behaviour change, and form the basis of HIV&AIDS prevention programmes. The important role of the school as a societal agent, and its important role in the prevention of HIV&AIDS infection, emerged clearly in this study. The study was conducted according to a qualitative research approach, guided by the interpretivist and constructivist epistemologies. An instrumental case study design was utilised, during which semi-structured interviews, as the main data collection strategy, were conducted with purposively selected participants from three schools (cases). The individual semi-structured interviews were supplemented with observations, a reflective journal and visual data collection and documentation strategies. Four prominent themes emerged subsequent to an inductive data analysis that was done, namely: teachers’ perceptions and experiences of the HIV&AIDS programme, managerial factors in the school, societal and community influences, and HIV&AIDS as a topic in the school subject Life Orientation. These identified and structured themes broadly categorised the empirical findings that were related to the primary and secondary questions of this study. Although the implementation of HIV&AIDS programmes in schools was made compulsory, the study indicated that schools were not adhering to this requirement, due to factors such as a lack of sound management practices in schools, insufficient training of teachers and school managers, uninvolved stakeholders, and the lived-experiences of teachers with regard to the HIV&AIDS programme. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations were made with regard to the role that the Department of Education, school management, teachers and the community can fulfil, in order to improve the implementation of HIV&AIDS programmes in schools. This study also provides a suggested framework for developing and implementing an HIV&AIDS policy for schools, in an effort to prevent HIV&AIDS infection. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted

An adolescent’s subjective experiences of mindfulness were explored in a single case study of a 17-year-old female. Data were created by means of “mindfulness sessions”, unstructured interviews, creative expression, journals and field notes. The data were analysed and interpreted using a combination of typological and interpretive analysis strategies. Findings are presented within a conceptual framework of mindfulness derived by the author from the literature review. The conceptual framework includes the following five “dimensions” of mindfulness: ‘present-centered attention and awareness’, ‘attitude and heart qualities’, ‘self-regulation’, ‘universalism of mindfulness’, and ‘mindlessness’. The adolescent’s subjective experiences of each dimension of mindfulness are presented in terms of the primary and secondary themes that emerged from the data. Emerging themes include being task-oriented, experiencing greater external than internal awareness, and enhanced sensory experiences, in terms of present-centered attention and awareness in mindfulness. In terms of the ‘attitude and heart qualities’ dimension of mindfulness, the participant experienced the themes of perfectionism and “letting go”, and an increased intention to practice mindfulness. The study found that the participant experienced self-regulation of attention in mindfulness as interest-driven, needing silence, requiring effort, and improved with awareness. The participant experienced a greater awareness of mindlessness, as well as the themes of mindfulness being applicable to everyday life, and an initial conflict as to the place of mindfulness in the contexts of science and religion. Overall findings suggest firstly that the participant subjectively experienced mindfulness as being predominantly task-oriented. Secondly, it appears that the participant experienced personal growth and development in terms of her understanding and practice of mindfulness. These findings could make a potential contribution towards qualitative research on mindfulness, and research on how mindfulness could possibly apply to an adolescent. Studies have shown mindfulness to be a potentially promising intervention and quality to be cultivated in the development of well-being. This study is thus significant in the context of positive psychology and a move towards more holistic health and well-being. Copyright / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

This study focused on the success stories of students after academic probation in order to explore, understand and describe their personal perceptions, perspectives and the meanings they ascribed to academic probation. I also hoped to gain insight into the success factors that enabled the students success after academic probation. Through these insights I hoped to add to our understanding of supporting students on academic probation. The conceptual framework for my study was based on the strength-based approach and Bean and Eaton’s psychological model of college student retention. I also explored literature on the experiences of students who encountered academic failure as part of framing and understanding of the students’ experiences. For the purposes of the aforementioned objectives I followed a qualitative research approach, anchored in an interpretivist paradigm. I collected data through a focus group interview with three participants. The participants were purposively selected on the basis that they themselves were placed on academic probation. With the permission of the participants the interview was tape-recorded, the recording was supported by a research field journal. Three core themes in the data were identified namely Psychological Processes, Institutional Support Structures and Personal Support Systems. These core themes were integrated with literature and further linked to sub-themes and related themes. The results of my study found that students were enabled by four psychological processes namely attitudes and behaviours, coping behaviours, an internal locus of control and high self-efficacy beliefs to succeed. Institutional structures, including the policy on academic probation, played a crucial role in supporting the students to succeed, and it was because of personal support structures such as family and friends that students had the courage to return to their studies and make a good effort at succeeding. As a conclusion, this study suggested that it is possible for students to rise above academic probation and persist towards academic achievement and to have positive experiences which enable them to complete their studies. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / lk2014 / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

This study investigates how youth in Uganda experience televised HIV and AIDS educational programmes. Television is the medium that can be used to address the resurgence of HIV and AIDS in Uganda. The factors responsible for the resurgence include prevention fatigue and the saturation of HIV and AIDS messages in the media. The audio-visual component of television makes it possible to convey HIV and AIDS messages innovatively through education-entertainment. Despite its potential, television has not played a leading role in conveying HIV-related knowledge, skills, and attitudes to urban youths. The study required looking at the televised HIV and AIDS educational programmes from the perspective of young people. In line with the interpretivist and social constructivist framework, the primary source of information about the programmes is the experiences of young people who are the target audience. A qualitative research approach was used in the study and an instrumental case design in particular was employed in data collection. Data were collected through focus group discussions, personal interviews, document analyses and participant observations. Findings have revealed that young people can learn about HIV and AIDS from both educational programmes and television soaps. While they undergo sexual socialisation through television soaps, they have the capacity to distinguish between fiction, fantasy and reality. However, they dislike the didactic and authoritarian approaches that are used in the educational programmes. An important finding is that communication gaps characterise televised HIV and AIDS educational programmes. Some of the prevention messages and the values propagated by television HIV and AIDS education are detached from the experiences and world views of the youths. This could be attributed to insufficient knowledge on the part of HIV and AIDS educators regarding the way in which youth experience televised HIV and AIDS programmes. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Early Childhood Education / unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the use of television for providing guidance to expectant fathers by determining whether or not the medium of television can be implemented to offer parent guidance to expectant fathers during the transition into fatherhood. Focus was therefore placed on gaining an understanding of the specific type of information required by expectant fathers, in conjunction with their perceptions of the most suitable form of media to provide such guidance. The study was conducted in terms of an INTERPRETIVIST-positivist paradigm and followed a mixed methods approach. A combination of a survey design and case study research design was employed. Both quantitative and qualitative data collection strategies were implemented during the two phases. Firstly, a telephone survey (questionnaire) was conducted with 65 participants. Secondly, four individual (face-to-face) interviews were conducted with expectant fathers, to obtain in-depth information. In addition, data was collected by means of field notes and a reflective journal. Based on the findings of the study, it is concluded that expectant fathers have a clear need for information to help prepare them for their role as a father and require more knowledge regarding the topic of fatherhood and pregnancy. According to the findings expectant fathers also wish to receive guidance in order for them to develop certain basic childcare skills needed to fulfil their role and regard television to be the most suitable medium for providing them with the guidance they require. Fathers feel that television may assist them by providing the information they require, thereby directly addressing their needs. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

<p>My dissertation is an exploratory study examining the power dynamics that Black women lawmakers navigate in Georgia General Assembly. My project focuses on re-conceptualizing power in legislative studies by centering on the lived experiences of Black women lawmakers. I build on previous work to develop my theory of intersectional resistance. I defined intersectional resistance as individuals with intersectionally marginalizing identities pushing back on behaviors, events, and norms that attempt to marginalize them or their constituents to advance their agenda in the state legislature.</p>

This qualitative exploratory case study covers Lebanon’s conflicted history that has left itspeople with unfulfilling history education. The purpose was to explore potential stakeholdersand possible factors to motivate participation in Lebanon’s process towards a formal historyeducation. Previous research has shown a need to combine stakeholders with a top-downapproach to resolve conflicts over history education in post-conflict societies such asLebanon. The study was conducted through a sample of digital articles that representedpeople from Lebanon. The sample was analysed with a Qualitative content analysis. Thefindings showed that sceptical individuals have the potential to act by both enabling andchallenging historical narratives in the social space they have access to. Stakeholders such asteachers and historians are today already organised to move history forward within education.Potential factors that could motivate Lebanese to participate in the process were found to becognitive- and financial rewards that today are left out. These findings showed an optimisticoutlook on the long struggle over history education in Lebanon and could work as arecommendation for further research.

This thesis attempts to illustrate how texts engage in a struggle to define social reality. The academic and political debate on the drone provides a case study illustrating pro-drone, anti-drone and drone-deconstructivist text´s attempt to define social reality around the drone. Through this exploration the thesis contests the positivist notion that reality is fixed and can be discovered. The thesis utilizes IR poststructuralism as a theoretical guideline and engages with a range of poststructuralist concepts and sub-theories identified in previous research. Methodologically, the thesis conducts a qualitative content analysis on three journal articles, two speeches and two chapters of a report. Moreover, the thesis conducts a discourse analysis to contextualize findings and provide in-depth analysis of examples. The thesis presents and analyzes findings in accordance with the categories identified in coding, highlights an example through discourse analysis and links findings to the research question concerned with texts struggle to define social reality. The thesis concludes by arguing that the drone-debate is a “battlespace” for defining social reality, thus contesting the positivist notion that social reality is fixed.

A dissertação visa expor a tese de Ronald Dworkin que veio a ser conhecida como interpretativismo, segundo a qual o direito é uma prática interpretativa. O objetivo principal é entender a contribuição metodológica que essa tese representa para o entendimento teórico do direito e qual seu argumento contra teorias do direito meramente descritivas. Para localizar a contribuição de Dworkin, são apresentadas, em primeiro lugar, as inovações metodológicas que surgem na obra seminal de Herbert Hart, O Conceito de Direito. A ideia chave que passa a ser discutida a partir dessa obra é a de ponto de vista interno. É considerada uma tese segundo a qual o próprio Hart teria plantado as sementes do interpretativismo. A teoria de Dworkin é então apresentada como uma teoria que, inicialmente, preocupa-se em entender a controvérsia no direito. Para isso, ela se vale de do argumento dos desacordos teóricos e do argumento relacionado do ferrão semântico. Esses argumentos revelam uma característica política da prática jurídica que o positivismo analítico desconsiderou, ao tentar entender essa prática apenas por meio da abordagem da filosofia da linguagem. Ao interpretativismo é contraposto então o desafio proposto por uma teoria positivista contemporânea, a qual, ainda que não discorde do caráter normativo da prática, pretende defender o descritivismo na teoria. Por fim, como resposta a esse desafio, é apresentada a formulação mais recente do interpretativismo, a partir das obras de Dworkin Justiça de Toga e Justice for Hedgehogs. Nessas obras, estão formulados de maneira definitiva dois argumentos que são a chave para o entendimento da teoria interpretativa de Dworkin: o argumento sobre caráter controverso da prática jurídica e a indisponibilidade de explicações criteriais, e o argumento sobre a impossibilidade de realização de teorias arquimedianas (externas). A conclusão do trabalho é apresentada em forma de uma agenda de pesquisas para a teoria do direito e também para a sociologia jurídica, agenda esta que decorre da adoção da teoria interpretativista como a maneira mais adequada de enxergar a prática jurídica. / The dissertation aims to expose the Ronald Dworkins thesis that has come to be known as interpretivism, according to which the law is an \"interpretive practice\". The main objective is to understand the methodological contribution that this thesis represents to the theoretical understanding of the law, and the argument it offers against merely descriptive theories of law. To locate the contribution of Dworkin\'s theory, the dissertation presents, first, the methodological innovations that arise in the seminal work of Herbert Hart, The Concept of Law. The key idea that starts being discussed is that of the internal point of view. It is considered an argument that Hart himself would have \"planted the seeds\" of Dworkins interpretivism. Dworkin\'s theory is then presented as a theory that is initially concerned to understand the controversy in the practice of law. For that, it relies on the argument of theoretical disagreements and on the argument regarding the \"semantic sting\". These arguments reveal the political character of legal practice that was disregarded by analytical positivism due to its commitment to understand this practice only through the approach of the philosophy of language. Interpretivism is then contrasted to the challenge posed by a contemporary positivist theory, which agrees that the legal practice has normative character, but intends to defend descriptivism in theory. Finally, in response to this challenge, it is presented the latest formulation of interpretivism, bearing on recent Dworkin\'s books, Justice in Robes and Justice for Hedgehogs. In these works, two arguments that are key to the understanding of Dworkin\'s interpretive theory receive its final formulation: the argument about the controversial character of legal practice and the unavailability of criterial explanations, and the argument about the impossibility of \"Archimedean\" (external) theories. Following the adoption of interpretive theory as the most appropriate way of looking at legal practice, the study concludes in the form of a research agenda for the theory of law and to legal sociology.