The research attempts to find the relationship between self-concept, academic achievement and peer counselling among students of the University of North West in South Africa. The study covered the following: Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Diplomas. The following questions are the focus of the research: Do you accept criticism objectively?; Do you reward yourself when YSU study?; and Are you comfortable working in a group?. Data for the research were collected by means of questionnaires. Facts, opinions and information were obtained from 100 respondents. An analysis of data revealed some interesting results. Though self-concept, academic achievement and peer counselling were in a way related, it is crucial for all stakeholders to make coherent efforts to assist students to improve drastically in their academic performance. / Thesis (M. Ed.) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2003

Building on previous feminist literary criticism of Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South (1854-55), this essay analyses the portrayal of wives and mothers in the novel from an intersectional feminist perspective. It examines how the narrative shows that gender and economic status or class intersect to create varied representations of Victorian women's marginalisation. The analysis argues that the novel, on the one hand, depicts wives and mothers as united by their status at "the other" in patriarchal Victorian society. On the other hand, the novel juxtaposes economically privileged and poor wives and mothers to show that they are not equally isolated, powerless, or willing to comply with Victorian gender roles. The result is a complex and empathetic portrayal of wives and mothers' privilege and poverty under patriarchy, which challenges the Victorian ideal of wives and mothers as "angels in the house".

For many in the West, North Korea is a secretive, reclusive, and enigmatic country, a rogue state that threatens the world with its nuclear program and ballistic missiles. Confronted with its numerous provocations involving nuclear tests and missile launches, however, the international community still has not formulated a coherent response. So how do we understand the crisis on the Korean peninsula that has persisted well beyond the end of the Cold War? Christoph Bluth presents an in-depth analytical account of North Korea's development from a Soviet satellite to a failed state in the post-Cold War period. He also explains South Korea's transition from a military dictatorship to a modern democracy with a thriving economy. Based on interviews with key policymakers and experts located in South Korea, Bluth's study throws light on Korean hopes for unification and the future of the U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance. U.S. policy toward North Korea has been politically controversial, with some supporting engagement and negotiations, and others calling for isolating the regime on the basis that it cannot be trusted. Neither approach will work, according to Bluth, who explains that North Korea's foreign and security policy is the result of both the internal and external threats to the survival of a regime that can no longer sustain itself. A suitable text for undergraduates as well as postgraduates, this book will be of interest to anyone with an interest in Korea, international security, and, in particular, nuclear nonproliferation.

In this study, I have focused on the process for an eventual reunification of North and South Korea. In this process, Korean political, economic, cultural and religious issues are necessarily present. My study focuses on cultural and religious factors. I adopt the German reunification as a case study. The German reunification process provides Koreans with lessons about the negative changes in the status of German women since the German reunification caused extreme instances of the loss of status and economic opportunity for women. German reunification shows that the unequal situation and systems in society were not only due to political positions. Strong religious factors deeply influenced the German mentality. A similar religion-factor is at work in North Korean society which is influenced by Confucianism and in South Korean society which is influenced by Confucianism and conservative Christianity. I argue that religion is one of the major factors in the political culture of Korea, and religion can either assist a fair and equal process for both women and men or it can in a biased way maintain a male-oriented form of reunification. Consequently, the cultural and religious factors in this process of reunification must include an equalization of women and men. This can only take place if Korean women are major participants in the entire reunification process. There is a serious need for a reunification theology which incorporate gender into Korean theology, thus providing a 'feminist reunification theology.' A 'feminist reunification theology' presents basic theological principles that will help build an egalitarian community. There are three important ways to include women's concern for true reunification: 1) The creation of an egalitarian community in work, family and society; 2) The restoration of humanity by healing love and forgiveness through the power of Cross; and 3) The need for religion to be reformed in which a women can be a co-leader in family, church and nation.

. The thesis utilizes Althusser's notion of ideology as a system of imaginary as class and morality. Althusser's axioms are to serve as bases for the theoreti analysis of the aforementioned novels. Gaskell's concern for the polarising classes with -

This study examines rock art sites containing scratched petroglyphs in the Bennett Hills, Idaho. Despite their research potential, scratched petroglyphs have received little attention in rock art research or literature. This study contributes valuable data to scratched rock art research and the corpus of rock art research in general. Two samples of ten scratched petroglyph sites were examined and recorded for a total of twenty petroglyph sites. Using formal and contextual research methods, multiple attributes of scratched petroglyphs are identified and analyzed. The formal qualities of scratched petroglyphs are examined to define the extent and to characterize the motif assemblage. Formal qualities were also studied to test hypotheses concerning the relationship between scratched and pecked petroglyph styles and associations between scratched petroglyphs and other archaeological phenomena. The contexts of scratched petroglyphs are studied on site and landscape scales to identify correlations with other archaeological phenomena and environments. The formal analyses revealed that there are more scratched petroglyphs in the Bennett Hills than records and literature currently indicate. Few site records document the presence of scratched petroglyphs, although as a result of this analysis it appears to be ubiquitous in the Bennett Hills. It is possible that scratched petroglyphs are under recorded in other locales as well, and that further investigations may identify a greater frequency of scratched petroglyphs throughout the Great Basin. Proper identification of scratched petroglyphs may alter how these properties are evaluated and in turn how they are managed. The Bennett Hills encompass a limited and unique assemblage of scratched petroglyph motifs that are dissimilar to petroglyphs manufactured using other techniques. This is significant in that it helps support the idea that scratched petroglyphs are distinct. Rather than just an alternative method to pecking, scratched petroglyphs serve a unique function that is different from and independent of pecked petroglyphs. Contextual analyses indicated that scratched petroglyphs are located in patterned and significant associations with artifacts, features, environments, and landscapes. The contextual analysis suggested that scratched rock art was produced in a public context in close proximity to subsistence related activities, perhaps in association with resource gathering events. There are various hypotheses that deal with the interaction between scratched and pecked petroglyph styles. Scratched petroglyphs occur both independent of and in association with other pecked petroglyph styles, although scratched petroglyphs do not commonly occur with any one pecked motif. When scratched and pecked petroglyph styles overlap scratched petroglyphs are always later than and superimposed over earlier pecked petroglyphs. Data was collected to test three hypotheses concerning the intention of association between scratched and pecked petroglyphs. It does not appear that scratched petroglyphs serve to obliterate earlier pecked petroglyphs or function as a sketch that would be pecked later. There is evidence that some scratched petroglyphs enhance earlier pecked petroglyphs however, this hypothesis cannot sufficiently describe the range of patterns and associations found in the Bennett Hills scratched petroglyph assemblage. Hypotheses suggesting associations between scratched rock art and other archaeological phenomena were also examined. The association between scratched petroglyphs and scratched stones is deserving of further research. It may also be too soon to dismiss the association between scratched petroglyphs and quartz. The examination of scratched petroglyphs in the Bennett Hills provides a unique insight into the minds of the makers of these petroglyphs, contributing valuable data our knowledge of the prehistoric peoples of the Bennett Hills and surrounding areas.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s novels have been praised for their depiction of contemporary society and for giving the voiceless working-class a voice. Her two novels Mary Barton (1848) and North and South (1854) are referred to as industrial novels, giving a contemporary depiction of nineteenth century England. However, Gaskell did receive contemporary criticism for being biased in her first novel, Mary Barton, by not givingthe upper class an adequate and honest depiction. This essay argues that North and South gives a more impartial impression by including a greater complexity with the use of more perspectives and contrasts, and that ultimately this is a response to the critique of Mary Barton. By analysing the mixed genres, the different perspectives of settingand select characters in North and South, and comparing it to Mary Barton, this essay aims to highlight the extensive inherent complexity of North and South. Comparisons between the novels North and South and Mary Barton have been done in earlier journal articles and essays, but never with the focus on the difference in relation to earlier criticism. Therefore this essay could contribute to future research in the sense of suggesting a possible reason for Gaskell’s choice or development in her complex depiction of society.

This study aimed to determine the applicability of western migration models to the movement patterns of foreign migrant traders at the Hartebeespoort Dam. After reflecting on theoretical dimensions of migration and the informal sector, an overview was provided of the historical development of migration patterns to and within South Africa. The complex nature of migration phenomena ensures the application of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. A snowball sampling technique was used to select 30 respondents for the purpose of the questionnaire survey. Information obtained from this survey was supplemented by five in-depth interviews. Descriptive statistical techniques were used to analyse the information obtained from the survey. The study concluded that western migration models do not offer adequate explanation for the migration patterns observed among foreign migrant traders at the Hartebeespoort Dam. The study also established the merit of the combined use of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in migration studies. / Geography / M.A. (Geography)

Coronary artery disease (CAD), Hypertension (Ht) and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) are all global health problems. This is particularly evident amongst South Asian population groups. The conventional risk factors do not fully explain the higher prevalence of these diseases among South Asians. The endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (eNOS) gene is responsible for the production of Nitric Oxide (NO), which may contribute to the physiology of all three disease states. Endothelial dysfunction (which is characterised by a reduction in basal NO) has been shown to be present in, or prior to all three diseases. Numerous variations exist within the eNOS gene, of these variations three have been shown to have a possible functional effect. The first is the Glu298Asp polymorphism within the exon region of the gene, resulting in an amino acid substitution of Glutamate (Glu) to Aspartate (Asp). The second, known as the T-786C polymorphism, is a thymine to cytosine mutation at position -786 in the promoter region. Finally a VNTR polymorphism in Intron 4 causes either a 4 27bp repeat or a 5 27bp repeat. It is hypothesised that these variations could have an effect on the ability of eNOS to produce NO and thus may increase the risk or contribute to the development of the diseases. Previous studies on these variants have shown conflicting results and further studies are warranted to understand and confirm the role of eNOS gene polymorphisms in cardio-metabolic diseases. There is very limited research into the distributions of these genetic variants and their interaction in diseases processes in North Indian populations. Objectives: 1. To analyse through a case control study three different polymorphisms of the eNOS gene for possible association with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), Hypertension (Ht) and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in North Indian population groups. 2. To statistically evaluate descriptive statistics including; age, gender, smoking, dietary behaviours and lipid parameters for possible influence on disease and potential interaction with genetic polymorphisms. 3. To evaluate linkage disequilibrium between the three eNOS variants and carryout haplotype analysis to work out haplotype risk in different diseases. 4. To analyse through a case control study the deletion variant of the Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene for possible association with Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), Hypertension (Ht) and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in North Indian population groups. 5. To determine a possible interactive effect of the eNOS polymorphisms with the ACE polymorphism. Subjects and Methods: The Glu298Asp and Intron 4 variants were genotyped using a PCR-RFLP technique, the T-786C variant was genotyped using a real time-PCR technique. The ACE deletion variant was also genotyped using a standard PCR technique. The genotyping was undertaken in a total of 457 CAD patients and 220 matched controls from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in North India, 319 T2DM patients and 307 matched controls from Punjab, North India and 210 Ht and 162 matched controls, also from Punjab, North India. Results: CAD: The Glu298Asp was significantly associated with CAD among smokers (TT+GT vs. GG OR=2.84 (CI: 1.61-5.0), p<0.001). The Intron 4 variant was also significantly associated with CAD in a smoking dependent manner (4aa+4ab vs. 4bb OR=0.56 (CI: 0.33-0.96). The T-786C variant showed no overall influence on CAD risk. There was also evidence for both synergistic and haplotypic effects of the eNOS gene on CAD status (haplotype G-C-4b OR=4.76 (CI: 1.43-15.78), p<0.001). The ACE genetic variant was confirmed to be a strong independent risk factor for CAD under a dominant model (OR=2.18 (CI: 1.46-3.25), p<0.001). There was no evidence for an interactive effect between the ACE deletion and any of the three eNOS variants incorporated in the current study. Ht: The Glu298Asp variant was not shown to increase Ht risk, with a reduced risk association found under a recessive model (OR=0.316 (CI:0.089-1.116)), p=0.061). The T-786C variant s role in disease remained unclear with the findings showing a non significant increased risk. The Intron 4 variant was also shown to increase Ht risk, in a non significant manner. Sufficiently powered studies would be required to clarify these possible associations. The combined analysis, using logistic regression and haplotype analysis revealed no significant associations, but there was a possible protective effect of the T-C-4b haplotype (OR=0.46 (CI: 0.21-1.01), p=0.054). The ACE gene variant was confirmed to be a strong independent risk factor for Ht under a recessive model (OR=1.81 (CI: 1.20-2.74), p=0.01). Again there was no evidence for an interactive effect between the ACE deletion and any of the three eNOS variants in hypertension. T2DM: The Glu298Asp variant was found to be associated with T2DM under a dominant model, the protective effect remained significant following adjustment for conventional risk factors and other gene variants (OR=0.407 (CI: 0.231-0.717), p=0.002). The T-786C variant showed no overall influence on T2DM risk. The Intron 4 variant also found no overall influence. Haplotype analysis found the T-T-4b was found to be significantly protective for T2DM (OR=0.41 (CI: 0.26-0.65), p=0.0002). Finally the ACE gene variant was confirmed to be a risk factor for T2DM under a dominant model (OR=2.62 (CI: 1.51-4.54), p=0.001). Overall Conclusions: To conclude, this study successfully identified the frequency of three eNOS gene variants and the ACE deletion variant in three complex diseases within north Indian populations. There is a clear role of the eNOS gene in all three diseases and consequently the genetic variants have susceptible/protective associations. The association with disease was found to be present at an individual level, in association with risk factors and at a haplotypic level. These findings warrant further studies to confirm and untangle the genetics of complex diseases and genetic risk profiles calculations which will contribute to the field of medical genomics/personalised medicare and interventions among North Indian populations.

Les sols forestiers contiennent des stocks de C importants et la gestion de tels espaces naturels est donc cruciale dans le contexte du changement climatique. Ce travail s’attache à comprendre quels leviers (facteurs environnementaux, pratiques sylvicoles) contrôlent le fonctionnement microbien des sols de peuplements représentatifs de Provence calcaire en considérant différentes échelles spatiales. La hiérarchisation des facteurs modulant le fonctionnement des sols forestiers a mis en évidence une structuration des communautés fonctionnelles microbiennes à l’échelle régionale par les conditions bioclimatiques (bioclimats sub-humide vs. humide), et une modulation des activités enzymatiques à l’échelle locale par la MO définie par le peuplement (Quercus ilex et Pinus halepensis vs. Q. pubescens et P. sylvestris en composition pure ou mixte). Les effets de la mixité forestière (décrite via les surfaces terrières et les densités des troncs) sur le fonctionnement du sol a été évaluée dans les deux contextes bioclimatiques: la complémentarité des essences en peuplements mixtes sous bioclimat humide favorise le recyclage de la MO et induit une diminution des stocks de C et N, cet effet non-additif des essences n’est pas observé sous bioclimat sub-humide. L’addition de différents types de rémanents (feuilles/aiguilles vs. bois) a été testée en mésocosmes : les équilibres entre les populations fongiques et bactériennes sont conditionnés par le ratio C/N, lui-même dépendant du type de rémanents apporté. Ainsi, ces résultats indiquent que les pratiques sylvicoles pourraient orienter les dynamiques des flux de C dans les sols forestiers. / Since forest soils can store large carbon amounts, the management of such ecosystem is of major importance considering the forecasted climate change. This work aims at understanding which drivers (environmental factors and sylvicultural practices) control soil microbial functioning in forest stands of Provence (South of France) considering different spatial scales. The hierarchization of drivers showed that microbial functional diversity is driven at the regional scale by bioclimatic conditions (sub-humid vs. humid bioclimate) and enzyme activities at the local scale by the organic matter print defined by stand composition (Quercus ilex and Pinus halepensis vs. Q. pubescens and P. sylvestris in pure or mixed stand). Mixed forest composition and structure (described through basal area and density of trunks of pines and oaks) influenced soil functioning differently depending on the bioclimate: the complementarity of species in mixed stands in humid bioclimate favoured organic matter recycling and induced a decrease in C and N stocks, while an additive effect of tree species was found in sub-humid bioclimate. Amendments with different types of logging residues (leaves / needles vs. wood) were tested in mesocosms: the balance between fungal and bacterial populations was conditioned by the C to N ratio, C and N amounts varying with the type of residue. Thus, these results indicate that forest management - through the choice of adapted practices - has the potential to drive microbial functioning in forest soils.