The problem of this investigation was to compare the perceptions of college environments held by college-bound high school seniors, their teachers, and their parents, from a specified geographical area with the perceptions of students actually experiencing the environments represented by these campuses.

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / Complex factors contribute to child malnutrition. These include various factors for example stress, trauma, cognitive abilities and education, poverty, environmental and cultural practices. Caregivers’ situations and perceptions regarding these factors are of utmost importance in child malnutrition. Lesotho has a high incidence of malnourished children irrespective of various interventions to address the problem. The research question that the researcher wanted to answer is: What are caregivers’ perceptions on factors contributing to their children’s malnutrition? This was the question as caregivers’ environments and perceptions influence child malnutrition and they are the ones that accompany the children to the hospital where this research was done. The research goal was to get an understanding of caregivers’ perceptions on factors contributing to malnutrition. In order to reach the goal. the objectives were: To explore the factors contributing to malnutrition; to describe the factors contributing to malnutrition and to give recommendations to social workers and the multi-disciplinary team in order to address the factors contributing to malnutrition as preventative measures.

The complexity of the business environment requires organisations to employ leaders with strong managerial skills. The leaders need to face all challenges in the business unit to ensure efficient productivity and business efficiency. The research problem is instability in management due to many changes in leadership positions, which then emphasises the need for business to assess leadership effectiveness. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the leadership effectiveness of the senior management of the business unit.

Magister Scientiae (Physiotherapy) - MSc(Physio) / The increasing spread of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), especially in the lowand middle-income countries calls for a more holistic and cost-effective measure to reduce its impact on society. One of the methods advocated for achieving this is health promotion. The Zambian government has called for a shift from curative to preventive management of diseases, including NCDs. Therefore, health professionals are being called upon to redirect their health care management approaches towards preventative care, incorporating health promotion. The study aimed at examining the knowledge, attitudes, practices and perceptions of physiotherapy practitioners and general medical practitioners in Zambia regarding their role in health promotion for NCDs in the hospitals of the Southern Province, Zambia. A sequential explanatory mixed method approach was employed. The quantitative results revealed 98% knowledge of general medical practitioners compared to the 90.6% of the physiotherapists. For attitude, physiotherapists possessed a more positive attitude with 86% while general medical practitioners possessed 80%. Lastly, the study revealed that physiotherapists practise health promotion more than the general medical practitioners, with a 96.2% and 67.7% respectively. The logistic regression showed no significance between the knowledge and attitude scores of the two groups of health practitioners. However, the practice scores revealed that physiotherapists are four times more like to incorporate health promotion compared to the general medical doctors. Both types of health practitioners were of the view that health promotion is the way forward towards the fight against NCDs. However, a number of challenges were echoed that prevent the implementation of a holistic approach management in their practice. Most of the challenges prevalent in these hospitals are policy-based, hence the need for policy makers to intervene for the fight against NCDs.

Magister Artium - MA / Not all disabilities are the same and the way that society may respond to people with disabilities depends on their “disability” and how their body deviates from the appearance norms of society. People with disabilities constitute a significant portion of the South African population. A body of research and physical evidence shows that people with disabilities may face certain obstacles or limitations in fulfilling a normal life. Obstacles include perceptions of disabilities, negative stigma and attitudes, barriers to an environment which is accessible for people with disabilities, and constructions of ableism. In a way, these obstacles influence the way people with disabilities construct their identity. Beyond this, the voices of people with disabilities are not always heard and their personal experiences are not always given political recognition. This research aimed to explore how a group of students living with a physical or visual disability constructed their identities in their environment or society. A feminist qualitative method was conducted. The study focused on the experiences and perceptions of nineteen to twenty-seven year old female and male students with disabilities. Out of the six participants, two were coloured, three were black and one participant is classified as coloured, but identifies as biracial. A semi-structured interview was used for data collection and a Qualitative Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the data. Social constructionism and intersectionality were useful theoretical approaches adopted in exploring the lived experiences of students with disabilities. The results of this study revealed that students with disabilities find living with a disability as not being a barrier to living a fulfilling life. Students with disabilities construct their identities in a way that frees them from ideologies which shape the experience of disability in a negative way. However, the study revealed that negative barriers to identity construction still exist. These barriers come in the form of negative perceptions and stigma of disability, ableism and the medical model. The study further revealed that when the lived experiences of students with disabilities are understood through the lens of gender, race and class, these social divisions overlap and are cumulative on the effects of student’s experiences. The one major barrier in identity construction that the study revealed is the negative social perceptions of disability. The way in which students feel that they belong in their society is representative of how they respond to negative social constructions of disability.

Faculty of Arts Gradute School for the Humanities and Social Sciences 0312764r nini59@yahoo.com / In Zimbabwe, interethnic relations led to animosities and divisions, between and among ethnic groups. Zimbabwe’s main ethnic groups fought interethnic wars in pre-colonial, colonial and post colonial Zimbabwe. Interethnic differences Between Shona and Ndebele people caused the massacres of Ndebele people from 1980 to 1987. This study aimed at determining the impact of social interactions on ethnic identity perceptions or prejudices Shona and Ndebele people of Zimbabwe have of each other within Johannesburg. To do so, I first understood respondents’ perceptions before leaving Zimbabwe and perceptions after social interactions in Johannesburg. The nature and extent of social interactions were surveyed. Sixteen participants from each group were interviewed. Collection of data was made through in depth face to face interviews. Literature was reviewed to construct a theoretical framework for the inquiry. The main finding in this work is that social interactions have helped in weakening negative ethnic identity perceptions Shona and Ndebele people have of each other. A larger number of respondents expressed views which showed support of weakening negative ethnic identity perceptions through social interactions such as intermarriages, street vending associations, church interactions and business sharing. The impact of that on the existing literature is that the findings support the argument that under certain conditions contact leads to the weakening of prejudices, perceptions or attitudes. But there are other minor findings that show that perceptions of few respondents have not changed. Basing on minor findings, I discovered that Shona and Ndebele people might have forgiven each other but that does not necessarily mean that the Shona and Ndebele people like each other as much.

A longitudinal field study was conducted to provide interpretation and understanding as to how perceptions of a group of participants changed with repeated use of a Group Support System (GSS). This is a more in-depth and participant-orientated focus than some past research. Past GSS research has been dominated by single occasion usage with settings often involving student subjects. Longitudinal research is necessary because changes take place over time and groups, teams, and meetings are ongoing. Research in field settings is necessary to acknowledge the complexity of real world GSS activity and improve the relevance of findings to GSS practice and research.An original and significant aspect of the research was that the inquiry process was conducted in an interpretivist paradigm where emphasis was placed on participants' constructions of the GSS experience. An inductive approach was adopted where findings were grounded in, and generated from, qualitative data. The criteria for assessment of the relevance and rigour of the research were credibility, transferability, confirmability and dependability (Guba & Lincoln, 1989). The primary research data came from in-depth interviews with participants.The field setting concerned a group of seven participants from a local government organization, meeting face-to-face, and undertaking a strategic planning task. The process of the strategic planning task involved five GSS sessions held at the GSS Facility at Curtin University in Perth. Active process and technical facilitation was provided by an experienced two person facilitation team, who were external to the client organisation.There were two major findings. The first was a process finding of familiarisation that occurred over the first two GSS sessions. Participants were initially confronted with a foreign environment including unfamiliar people, roles, task, process, and ++ / technology. As participants experienced the GSS session, their feelings changed from fear and nervousness, to comfort and confidence. Associated with the improvement in comfort, there was improved participation, manifest as broader and greater participation at the second GSS session. The recommendation for GSS practice is to prepare participants in advance for the unfamiliar environment so as to realise the benefits of GSS more rapidly. Based on the identified changes in perceptions and behaviour, the recommendation for GSS research is to study contexts beyond single occasion usage.The second finding was a process finding of emerging confusion. Despite familiarisation with the environment, participants, when confronted with a radical change in process, as well as a difficult task about which they had preconceptions, became confused about the task, the goal, and the process. The behaviour of a participant, identified as playing the role of the farrago (Stohl & Schell, 1991), led to further confusion. Consequences included a perceived lack of achievement, and negative feelings. The recommendation for GSS practice is for facilitators to clarify the goals, the task and the process for participants. Further research is needed to ascertain what form that clarification might take. A suggestion is that it can be facilitated by maintaining familiar processes, and preparing participants in advance for difficult tasks. There are two recommendations for further GSS research. The first is to study in a field setting in order to uncover complex phenomena that are relevant to GSS practice. The second is to employ research methodologies and designs that permit discovery of emerging theory which is grounded in data.In addition to the two major findings, tentative but powerful, was the identification of ways in which the GSS ideal of even participation could be compromised. Firstly, ++ / an uneven distribution of verbal participation in an established group seems likely to persist in the GSS environment. Furthermore, the GSS facilitator may struggle against the existing group norms to alter the distribution of participation. Secondly, in groups where participants differ in their level of computer skills, computer experienced participants may be able to dominate written participation compared to computer novices. Computer novices may also suffer from computer anxiety further compromising their ability to participate. Thus equal access to GSS resources may not be sufficient to ensure even participation. The tentative nature of this finding is a signal for further research.

This research investigated employees' perceptions as 'recipients' of change. It did so by seeking to understand and represent their views regarding what influences effective change processes. The significance of this research was the focus on employee perceptions and not those of management. It was research conducted at a grass-roots level seeking to provide a voice for those least often heard or asked. The research was conducted using participants from two case study organisations in the local government sector of Western Australia employing approximately 200 staff each. Both organisations were metropolitan and had been experiencing change within their organisations for some time. Within this research it is recognised that the phenomenon of organisational change is by no means new. Since the early 1970s literature has emerged proposing that our world and the world of work, both internally and externally, are about to change. Management books and the history of management and organisational life have been filled for years with issues relating to change. These include changing management practices, new techniques for achieving change and dealing with threats of what nonchange may bring. As the research was seeking to interpret respondents' meaning relating to the phenomenon of organisational change, it was not concerned with quantification, but with understanding the phenomenon from the viewpoint of those experiencing the change. This research was based on the belief that human behaviour, unlike that of physical objects, cannot be understood without reference to the meanings and purposes attached by the human actors to their activities. The ontological assumption of a socially constructed reality underpinned this study. The realities experienced were those as interpreted by employees. The epistemological assumption was that of interpretivism. / The realities experienced by respondents were subjective and, accordingly, the research's findings were literally created as the investigation proceeded. The methodological assumption was of a qualitative framework for understanding how change impacts on employees. Both the researcher and the employees under investigation therefore interacted in the process of meaning construction and clarification. The constructivist paradigm was therefore adopted as it emphasises a qualitative methodological approach. It was supported by theories of symbolic interactionism and phenomenology, which focus on the interpretation of the meaning of the employees' experiences within the phenomenon of organisational change. Grounded theory principles were used within the constructivist paradigm to provide a framework for ensuring that data analysis remained interpretative and that all emergent categories earned their place through the practices of constant comparison, not the preconceptions of the researcher. To further enhance this method, a triangulated approach to data sources and data collection methods for analysis included documentation, change manager interviews, and the primary sources of focus group interviews and individual in-depth interviews with employees. The findings are represented in a model identifying strategic efficiencies, organisational unity, skills and capabilities, humanistic application and relationship maintenance as the major factors as perceived by employees as influencing effective change. It presents both the what and the how of change as perceived by employees; i.e. what needs to be done and how. / The model presented within this research is recognised as a tentative model dependent on further investigation and study. It provides a useful perception of what employees believe would create effective organisational change, and it demands close and careful consideration by strategists and practitioners. The model is unique in its structure and representative in regard to its information source.

<p>This study ultimately aimed to explore children&rsquo / s and adolescents&rsquo / perceptions of exposure to community violence. More specifically, the study investigated the meanings that adolescents assign to personal safety and security and the extent to which these assignations explain child and adolescent well-being. At a methodological level, the study followed a qualitative methodological framework and collected data from 14 adolescents between the ages of 14 and 15. Two focus groups were used to collect the data which consisted of seven participants each. Participants were purposively selected from a high school located in a low income community in Cape Town. Thematic analysis was used to analyse and interpret the findings and the study was framed using Bronfenbrenner&rsquo / s ecological framework and the theoretical perspectives of Bulhan&rsquo / s theory of violence, social identity theory, psychological theories, social learning theory, and social disorganization theory. Key findings indicated that the participants were exposed to violence, both through witnessing and being subjected to it within their school, home, and community. Some children perceived a lack of safety within the environments with which they interacted. Data further indicated that exposure to violence created feelings of insecurity, such as fear and anxiety. Similarly, exposure to violence was perceived to have various detrimental effects on the well-being of a child and adolescent. These effects included injury, poor academic performance, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, fear, hopelessness, and many others. In addition to this, and based on these results, this study is significant because it taps into the realities faced by many children so that an awareness can be created and a safe space provided for these children to be children.</p>

Background: Cancer incidence is increasing among Aboriginal peoples in Canada. The semi-isolated conditions of Northern Saskatchewan provide challenges for both health care workers and patients receiving cancer care. Since limited information exists on the way cancer is perceived and experienced, the purpose of this study was to explore the views of cancer, health and illness among the Woodland Cree in Northern Saskatchewan. </p><p>Methodology: Woodland Cree participants from the Lac La Ronge Band included 6 Elders, 8 cancer survivors, and 12 family members from five northern communities. Being a member of the band and fluent in the traditional language, the principal investigator used a narrative inquiry approach. Perceptions of cancer, health and illness were elicited through 18 personal interviews and two group interviews. Composite story creation and thematic analysis were the two methods used to analyze the data. </p> <p>Findings: Four broad themes were generated from the data. The concepts of health and illness among the Woodland Cree show that there is a complex intertwining of Western and traditional belief systems. Knowledge systems of the Woodland Cree represent the ways of knowing and being, including the seminal role Elders have within the communities as teachers and knowledge keepers. Cancer as experienced by the Woodland Cree reflects the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual aspects of having cancer or having a family member with cancer, including the challenges of receiving timely diagnoses and cancer care in isolated northern communities. Straddling both worlds was a theme that meandered throughout the data. The Woodland Cree have the capacity to pick the best from both the Western and traditional worlds, by accessing their inherent survival mechanisms. </p> <p>Discussion: Reluctance to talk about cancer seemed to be a deterrent from participating in the study. Family members need specific support mechanisms apart from the cancer patient and this may not be readily available. Challenges and opportunities for more culturally sensitive ways of providing cancer prevention and care are discussed. Further research is needed to investigate if the findings are reflected among other First Nations.