The thesis deals with cohousing; a concept of living based on common spaces and shared facilities. In the first phase, the aim is to provide a summary of the development of cohousing and other similar forms of housing in the world and also in Czechia. The second phase focuses on a concrete by cohousing inspired residential project located in the inner city of Prague. In the work it appears under the name Klidná. The second phase aims to find out what led the communication partners to choose Klidná as a new place of residence, how important role did the specific aspects based on cohousing played in the decision-making process and finally how are the ideas of this concept being fulfilled in everyday life of the inhabitants. The research is of a qualitative nature and the main method of data collection is realization of deep semi-structured interviews, which are subsequently evaluated on the basis of theoretical thematic analysis. Based on the study, none of the communication partners chose Klidná because of the concept of cohousing. They perceived the existence of common areas, small scale of the project or its spatial layout rather as a pleasant bonus. Fulfilling ideas of the concept in everyday life of the informants corresponds with the nature of the project and the context in which it was...

The goals of museum collaboration are several, as are its intended beneficiaries. Assuming the success of the practice, local communities can gain the opportunity for self-representation and self-determination, museums can contribute to the creation and dissemination of new kinds of knowledge, and visitors can take home better understandings of cultural difference. While these are the ideals of collaboration, they frequently go unrealized, in large part because, as research indicates, the visiting public fails to recognize the active involvement of communities at museums. This raises the question as to whether, in the absence of this audience awareness, museum collaboration can fully contribute to the realization of the tolerant society that it purports to support. The purpose of this research is to examine the role of museum visitors in achieving the goals of museum collaboration, as well as to consider why this public has difficulty recognizing community involvement at museums and how this may be remedied. “A Partnership of Peoples” is an extensive renewal project underway at the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia (UBC), designed to facilitate collaborative research at the museum. It also serves as a case study for my consideration of the relationship between museums and the visiting public as a part of the collaborative process. By speaking with both MOA staff and visitors, I gained insight into the intended goals of the renewal project with respect to the museum’s relationship with communities and the general public, as well as visitor understandings of collaboration. With this fieldwork, in addition to a literature review, I found that the significance of collaboration rests in the personal interactions that occur between individuals. As the majority of visitors do not benefit from these interactions during their time at the museum, they are at a disadvantage when it comes to recognizing the engagement of others in the creation of displays or the facilitation of research. The task for museums, then, is to make contemporary peoples visible and audible, connecting objects to communities and increasing opportunities for visitors to experience these personal meanings. / Arts, Faculty of / Anthropology, Department of / Graduate

Because of their outstanding universal significance, World Heritage sites are worthy of special protection by the international and local communities. They obtain this status after being listed under the UNESCO 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. In previously colonised regions such as Africa, the conservation and management of World Heritage is based on international laws and modern management systems introduced after conquest. However, the process protects mostly the universal values on which the inscription of the site was based. This often marginalises local values and local management systems which are important to local communities. It also alienates local communities from their heritage which they have protected for many years. This research explores the relationship between modern and traditional management systems in the Okavango Delta Natural World Heritage site. It will focus on understanding the local values of the site, the current management system and traditional practices of the local communities. The expected outcome is to develop a syncretic management system influenced by the traditional and the modern. It is hoped that such a system will not privilege one type of value over others.

The project explores the contribution of digital platforms to Social Sharing, a term used for the nonreciprocal, social aspect of Sharing, in the context of a local neighbourhood. Sharing is considered a way to create more sustainable ways of living and empower community engagement in cities.  The project used participatory design processes to create a conceptual prototype of a Sharing Platform. The platform proposes a digital whiteboard as a communication tool among residents and a board of Sharing actions modules to trigger residents' imagination on what can be shared. The outcomes of the process also entailed connections among stakeholders and the potential of new sharing initiatives. The project provides insights into methods for designing feasible solutions for the future using playfulness. It discusses how trust and access are established through digital platforms. Finally, it argues for the role of the latter as facilitators for social exchange in place.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Geography)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Nature reserves generate substantial local income through tourism, provide opportunities for recreation and employment and aid in the protection of wildlife, biodiversity, and natural resources. In South Africa, the protection and management of nature reserves are generally done through a protectionist approach whose rigid enforcement of laws excludes access and involvement of local communities, who are a crucial stakeholder for successful wildlife management and conservation. How then do the local communities perceive nature reserves, and how does this affect nature conservation? To answer this question, this study examines the effects of communities’ knowledge and perception of nature conservation in Turfloop Nature Reserve (TNR), in Limpopo Province of South Africa. Mixed method of qualitative and quantitative techniques was used in the study to collect the data from 196 respondents in 9 local communities living within a radius of 4km from TNR. Key informant’s in-depth interviews were conducted with TNR management and community leaders. Several demographic, socio-economic and spatial variables of the local people that included education level, distance, and period of residence in the area (amongst others) were found to significantly influence knowledge and perceptions of the local people towards the TNR conservation activities. Study findings suggest that although local people appreciate the nature reserve and its role in conserving nature and wildlife, there is evidence of dislike and unfavorable perceptions towards some management activities of TNR. The unfavorable perceptions that some community members had were attributed to the absence of participation of the local people in the management of the nature reserve, access to and use of resources from the nature reserve and lack of tangible benefits from the reserve. Positive perceptions were attributed to the benefits received from TNR, such as support for educational programmes, sustainable harvest, and recreation opportunities. Therefore, this study recommends that local people should be involved in the management activities and decision making within TNR and benefits should be increased so that local people may support conservation. / National Research Fund (NRF)

This study investigates the corporate social responsibility (CSR) exercised by the multinational oil companies (MNOCs) operating in the Niger Delta, and its impact on sustainable development (SD) in this important region of Nigeria. Particular focus is given to sustainable improvement in well-being and enhancement of socio-economic development for the local communities. To investigate these, archival from newspapers, magazines documents on CSR in Niger Delta from NGOs, documents from oil company’s websites and interview data from forty participants from the local communities, stakeholders and senior managers from the MNOCs were obtained. The MNOCs’ CSR and SD policies and practices were also inspected from the company’s website and photographs of the local environment around the MNOCs extraction suites and plant were also collected. These data were then analysed using: photo voice, document analysis, constructivist grounded theory, website-based content analysis, and covert participant observation. The study identified discrepancies between the MNOCs declared online CSR and SD policies and practices and those in operation in the Niger Delta region. Our findings also show that local communities are marginalised. To address this, it is argued that Ruggie’s frameworks, Sen’s capability approach for a full life, and Bowen’s list of social goals should be used as guiding principles by the MNOCs in the Niger Delta region. The study offers theoretical, empirical and methodological contributions to the studies of business ethics, international management and international business by offering new insights into CSR and SD. / Nigerian Government; Education Trust Fund (ETF) / On title page: Vol I of II. Only this file was provided.

This thesis utilises district court records from the three judicial districts of Hammerdal, Offerdal, and Undersåker to shed light on Saamis’ presence in north-western Jämtland during the seventeenth century. The research question posed is how encounters with the local communities shaped the Saamis’ situation during a period of emerging colonial mores and contributes to the discussion on how encounters with others impacted the situation for the Saami in early modern Sweden. The theoretical framework adopts the concepts of borderlands, concurrences, and settler colonialism to understand the manifold of encounters that shaped the situation for the Saami, acknowledging the possibility that the encounters could be contradictory while also understanding them as shaped within a context of power asymmetries. Contrary to the northern lappmarks, this thesis shows that the Saamis in north-western Jämtland were deprived of representation at the local courts, affecting their influence in local self-governance and administration of justice. Moreover, by not only focusing on Saamis’ encounters with the representatives of the Crown and the Church but also with the non-Saamis who resided in the local communities, this thesis concludes that the Saamis’ situation was shaped by concurring and conflicting encounters, encompassing not only coercion and confrontation but also cooperation and coexistence.

The issues surrounding the distribution and management of ecosystem resources in local communities in the face of climate change have never been more relevant. This qualitative study seeks to explore the understanding and implications surrounding environmental justice in local communities in the framework of environmental courses provided by organization “A” in northern Tanzania. The environmental justice indicator framework served as a conceptual framework to analyze the stakeholders' understanding and the local communities' experience surrounding different dimensions of environmental justice. Focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews were carried out with a total of 25 participants for data collection and analysis. A thematic analysis methodology provided several findings related to the contrast in substantive, distributive and procedural justices in relation to the environmental courses provided by the organization “A” and the local authorities. The study highlights the dynamics of access, power and control and the implications of intersectionality in relation to the distribution of ecosystem resources in the targeted rural communities. Concludingly, the research study highlights the need for more advocacy, coordination and efforts from the stakeholders, local authorities and local communities in achieving environmental justice for everyone.

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No / Is there an alternative to the undemocratic and unaccountable power of capitalist philanthropy? If people in sub-Saharan Africa at grass roots level are to regain control of their futures, they must bet everything on democracy. But the challenge this presents should not be underestimated. We need social relations through which solutions can be determined with individuals and community groups to serve their needs and over which they exert a high degree of direct responsibility. In the spirit of Ubuntu or ‘oneness’, local communities understand what is required to meet their diverse needs, whether they are revenue-generating options or changing behaviours and conditions that inhibit social transformation. Who owns and controls philanthropy, and how other forms of influence become attached to it, are questions that lie at the heart of any transformational agenda. A local ecosystem model starts from a very different set of principles – it reduces the domination and influence of capitalist philanthropy in global development and instead empowers local communities to drive forward change.