This Master’s Thesis establishes what motivates a group of Mississippi farmers to participate in sustainable agriculture instead of industrial agriculture. A database of sustainable farmers was constructed in collaboration with the Gaining Ground Sustainability Institute of Mississippi. This research project used social network analysis with 28 farmers and participant observation and semi-structured interviewing with a purposively selected sample of 14 farmers. This project also explores the sustainable agricultural practices of participants. A map of the social network of sustainable agriculturalists in Mississippi is presented and shows that some farmers are well connected, some moderately connected, and others are isolated. As well, grounded qualitative analysis of interviews identified 4 primary motivations among participants: economic, health, self-sufficiency and anti-government. Overall this project found that motivations are numerous, social networks are weak but growing, and diverse demographics are turning to a sustainable model for agriculture in Mississippi.

Based on the interest in the fields of leadership and outdoor education, this paper aims tovinvestigate how leadership is trained in an outdoor leadership programme in Sweden and to what extent the observed competences are consistent with the concept of transformational leadership. The transformational leadership style is considered to be the most popular leadership style and is therefore of particular interest for this study. The research is motivated by the belief that outdoors is a highly suitable place for the acquisition of (transformational) leadership skills, which has already been proven by several authors before. After a detailed literature review on transformational leadership as well as on outdoor leadership, a participant observation was conducted over the period of four days at Sjövik’s folkhögskola in the course ‘Friluftsliv-Hantverk-Ledarskap’, which can be translated as outdoor activities, crafts and leadership. The observation protocols were analysed using deductive thematic analysis, applying the transformational leadership competences ‘idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation and individualized consideration’ developed by Bass & Avolio as clusters for the analysis. In specific terms, the transcripts were searched for situations that could be assigned to these competences. The results reveal that leadership is particularly trained on the basis of a good relationship between leader and participants as well as the space for development for the participants and can thus be classified in previous research results regarding transformational and outdoor leadership. It was shown that the observed competences can be assigned to the transformational leadership style, but at the same time there is still a need for further research.

Då jag tidigare besökt förskoleklasser i USA har jag förvånats över hur mycket tid som ägnats åt laborativ matematik. När nationella läroplanen i matematik i USA, Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, omarbetades blev fokus inom matematik att arbeta för att stärka elevers taluppfattning. Lockad av tidigare erfarenheter från det amerikanska skolsystemet beslutade jag mig därför för göra en deltagande observation med löpande protokoll för att se hur man arbetar med taluppfattning i en förskoleklass i Texas. Under observationen fokuserade jag på att se samband mellan undervisningen, läroplaner och teorier inom matematikundervisning. Resultatet av min undersökning visar att nittio minuter varje dag ägnades åt laborativa matematikaktiviteter anpassade för att hjälpa eleverna att uppnå läroplanens mål. Därtill fanns en tydlig anknytning till teorier inom matematikundervisning.Arbetet är skrivet på engelska. Detta för att termer, dialoger etc. inte ska översättas inkorrekt och för att skolan som observationen skedde på ska kunna ta del av resultatet. / As I earlier visited Kindergarten classes in the United States, I was surprised to see how much time that was set aside for mathematical activities in a hands-on fashion. In the reform of the United States Principle and Standards for School Mathematics, number sense was an essential outcome. Hence, the purpose of my study was to investigate, using participant observation with running records as a method, how number sense is taught in a Kindergarten class in Texas. During my observation, I especially looked at the educations connection to the guidelines and mathematics education theories. The result of my investigation shows that ninety minutes every day was set aside for mathematical activities in hands-on fashion, adapted to meet the guideline requirements and goals. In addition, the teaching observed in the class was closely associated with the mathematics educational theories.

The purpose of this study is to find out if teaching the students how to use the writing process will improve the content of their work.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Recently, Participatory action research (PAR) has become a common approach to social programmes in South Africa. This tendency has created a need to evaluate this kind of programmes to determine if it really achieves what it sets out to do. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an entrepreneurial skills training programme in a rural community where a participatory action research approach was followed. A literature review was undertaken to present an in-depth look into the body of literature that surrounds the study. Programme evaluation was discussed as a research design, including types and stages of evaluation. The concept of empowerment was investigated. The review also included a study of literature on PAR, especially the definitions, context and process of PAR. The role of entrepreneurship in rural development was also investigated as well as the evaluation of entrepreneurial skills training programmes. An entrepreneurial skills training programme was implemented in the rural town of Darling on the West Coast of South Africa. The PAR approach was followed in the implementation of the study that was conducted over a period of 15 months. Participants joined the programme that included different projects, voluntarily. The participants were divided into three groups according to their period of participation in the programme. The researcher facilitated actions as well as reflection meetings with the group of participants before and after the entrepreneurial skills training course. The researcher made field notes during the implementation of the programme. The participants' empowerment status was measured with a standardized questionnaire using a pre-test-post-test design. The participants' application of the entrepreneurial skills that were taught in the course was measured during semi-structured interviews at the end of the research perico. four case studies document the extremes of the respective outcomes of the programme, namely empowerment and entrepreneurship. Statistical analysis showed statistically significant improvements in the micro, macro and total empowerment scores of the total group. Looking at the three groups separately, group one showed statistically significant improvements on the micro and interface levels and group two on the micro level. Even though group three showed small improvements on all three levels, none of them were statistically significant. Data from the field notes wer:e analyzed according to the PAR concepts of participation, action and reflection. Participation mostly had a collaborative nature; action was aimed at economical change and reflection aimed at practical problem solving. The interviews revealed that 20 of the 24 participants had micro baking businesses at the end of the research period and they succeeded in the short-term goal of applying the skills that were taught in the course. The case studies showed no correlation between the participants' application of entrepreneurial skills and the changes in their empowerment status. The findings of the study suggest that the longer participants participate in a PAR programme, the bigger the improvement in their empowerment status will be. Monitoring of the implementation revealed that the study fell short of the "ideal type" of PAR, since participation was not yet collegiate. Actions were only effective in economic change and not in social transformation. Reflection resulted in limited critical self-awareness among the participants. The PAR approach has proven to be successful in the attainment of the short-term goals of an entrepreneurial skills training programme. The long-term sustainability of the entrepreneurs' businesses will have to be followed-up by further research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die afgelope tyd is deelnemende aksie navorsing (DAN)'n algemene benadering tot sosiale intervensie programme in Suid-Afrika. Hierdie tendens het 'n behoefte laat ontstaan om hierdie tipe programme te evalueer om te bepaal of dit werklik die program doelwitte bereik. Die doel van hierdie studie was om 'n entrepreneursvaardighede opleidingsprogram in 'n landelike gemeenskap waar die DAN-benadering gevolg is, te evalueer. 'n Literatuuroorsig is onderneem om die konseptueie raamwerk wat vir die studie saamgestel is, te kan beredeneer. Programevaluering, insluitende tipes and stadia van evaluering, is bespreek as 'n navorsingsontwerp. Die konsep van bemagtiging is ook bestudeer. Die oorsig het 'n ook studie van literatuur oor DAN ingesluit, veral definisies, die konteks en die proses van DAN. Die rol van entrepreneurskap in landelike ontwikkeling is 00~ ondersoek sowel as die evaluering van opleidingsprogramme gemik op die ontwikkeling van entrepreneursvaardighede. 'n Entrepreneursvaardighede opleidingsprogram is in 'n landelike dorpie, Darling, aan die Weskus van Suid-Afrika geïmplementeer. Oor 'n periode van 15 maande is die DAN-benadering in die implementering van die program gevolg. Deelnemers het vrywillig by die program wat uit verskillende projekte bestaan het, aangesluit. Die deelnemers is na aanleiding van hul tydperk van deelname in die program in drie groepe verdeel. Die navorser het aksies sowel as refleksie byeenkomste met die groep deelnemers voor en na die entrepreneursvaardighede opleidingskursus gefasiliteer. Die navorser het veldnotas tydens die implementering van die program gemaak. Die deelnemers se bemagtigingstatus is gemeet met 'n gestandaardiseerde vraelys terwyl 'n voor-en-na-toets ontwerp gevolg is. Die deelnemers se toepassing van die entrepreneursvaardighede wat in die kursus geleer is, is tydens semigestruktureerde onderhoude aan die einde van die navorsingsperiode gemeet. Vier gevallestudies dokumenteer die uiterstes van die onderskeidelike uitkomste van die program, naamlik bemagtiging en entrepreneurskap. Statistiese analise het statisties betekenisvolle verbeteringe in die mikro, makro en totale bemagtigingsvlakke van die totale groep getoon. Afsonderlik gesien, het groep een statisties betekenisvolle verbeteringe op die mikro en tussenvlak getoon en groep twee net op die mikrovlak. Alhoewel groep drie klein verbeteringe op al drie vlakke getoon het, was geen van die verbeteringe statisties betekenisvol nie. Data van die veldnotas is volgens DAN konsepte, naamlik deelname, aksie en refleksie geanaliseer. Die deelnemers en die fasiliteerder se deelname het meestal In samewerkende aard gehad, aksie was gemik op ekonomiese verandering en refleksie was gemik op praktiese probleemoplossinq. Die onderhoude het aangetoon dat 20 van die 24 deelnemers aan die einde van die navorsingsperiode In mikro bakbesigheid gehad het en dat hulle daarin geslaag het om die korttermyn doelwit, naamlik die toepassing van die vaardighede wat in die kursus geleer is, te bereik. Die gevallestudies het geen korrelasie getoon tussen die deelnemers se toepassing van entrepreneursvaardighede en die veranderinge in hulle bemagtigingstatus nie. Die studie se bevindinge dui daarop dat hoe langer deelnemers aan In DAN-program deelneem, hoe groter sal die verbetering in hulle bemagtigingstatus wees. Die monitering van die implementering van die program het laat biyk dat die studie tekort skiet in vergelyking met die "ideaaltipe" van DAN, want die deelname was nog nie korporatief nie. Aksies was net suksesvol in ekonomiese verandering en nie in sosiale transformasie nie. Refleksie het tot beperkte kritiese "selfbewustheid" by die deelnemers gelei. Dit blyk dat die DAN-benadering suksesvol was om die korttermyn doelwitte van In entrepreneursvaardighede opleidingsprogram te bereik. Die langtermyn volhoubaarheid van die entrepreneurs se bakbesighede sal met verdere navorsing opgevolg moet word.

The globalized food system poses many systemic challenges that have significant impacts on the environment and human health. In order to tackle these challenges, especially those relating to climate change, it is assumed that consumers need to be accountable for the role they play in these issues, requiring them to alter their harmful consumption habits. In terms of the food system, this means that people need to evolve into ethical consumers and become more invested in what and how much they eat, where it comes from, etc . However, throughout the literature and in policies, there remains a focus on altering what people buy, rather than reducing waste from their overconsumption. Reducing waste and consumption would have a more beneficial impact for the environment, human health, and urban sustainability, yet it remains secondary to the narrative of buying sustainable alternatives. A waste reduction narrative would encourage sustainable behaviours that would also be more accessible to households of various socioeconomic backgrounds, and would provide more tangible results in terms of money saved, reduced greenhouse gases and waste output, and increased sustainability. However, food consumption is the result of many ingrained daily food practices influenced by a multitude of factors that prevent people from consciously considering the consequences of their actions. Food consumption and waste management as a phenomenon can therefore be interpreted using Social Practice Theory (SPT), which states that all humans act autonomously and according to social norms. This means that practices are recursive and routinized, subject to change, yet somewhat unconscious. All practices lead to consumption in some way, and changing such deeply embedded routines to become more sustainable requires a full understanding of these deeply entrenched practices. Practices can be broken down into three main components that drive how practices are formed and maintained:materials, competences, and meanings. This project uses mini-ethnographic studies to highlight SPT in order to understand the factors (contextual, materials, competences, and meanings) influencing households in Edmonton, Canada as they navigate the current sustainability narrative, and how they approach sustainable food consumption and food waste management. The results from this study lend some insight into what materials, competences, meanings, and other factors drive people already somewhat aware of sustainable food consumption issues to practice such types of behaviour. These influential elements have been found in many other recently published works, and give further insight into how broad external factors and specific internal factors can drive consumption practices. Prevention and reduction behaviours were already somewhat prevalent in this group. It is important that education programs targeting sustainable food consumption behaviours understand what drives certain food related practices, and how they can target the barriers that prevent certain groups of people from adopting more sustainable habits.

Cette thèse porte sur le travail des comptables à travers la production des évaluations actuarielles de la comptabilité à la juste valeur. L’observation directe de leur activité quotidienne au moyen d’une observation participante, permet d’en saisir les conditions erratiques peu étudiées par les recherches comptables. Les résultats obtenus permettent de proposer une première formalisation conceptuelle des conditions de la préparation des comptes dans les organisations, mêlant acteurs, outils et contextes. En donnant toute leur place aux préparateurs des comptes dans l’étude de la communication financière, nos contributions suggèrent de questionner les représentations dominant la recherche comptable. Nos résultats décrivent comment certaines des qualités communément attribuées (neutralité, fidélité, …) à la comptabilité sont d’une importance discutable et l’assimilation de la communication financière à un conflit d’agence difficile. / This thesis reports a study of accountants’ everyday work. Direct observation of their daily work through participant observation allows showing erratic terms understudied by accounting research. Contributions are drawn upon financial accounting and organizing as well. I propose a preliminary conceptual formalization of the preparation of accounts in organizations, combining actors, tools and contexts. By giving enough importance to preparers in the study of financial reporting, our contributions question dominant representations in financial accounting research. Our results describe how some of the qualities commonly attributed to financial statements (neutrality, loyalty ...) are of questionable importance and how reducing financial reporting to an agency conflict is difficult.

Det finns en föreställning om att organisationer kan styras av texter. Denna föreställning ligger till grund för hur organisationer i allmänhet styrs, och har fått särskilt stort genomslag i den offentliga sektorn. Polisorganisationen är inget undantag, utan ett bra exempel på en offentlig organisation som är tänkt att styras av texter. Polisers arbete skall styras av särskilt många texter, till exempel lagar, regleringsbrev, verksamhetsplaner och handlingsplaner. En orsak till det är att polisarbete bland annat handlar om att hantera samhällets legitimerade användning av våld. Polisarbetets vardagliga praktik handlar emellertid om att hantera fler krav än de som uttrycks i texter. Förutom i texter ställs krav på polisarbetet också av chefer, poliser och medborgare. Med utgångspunkt i det vardagliga polisarbetet diskuteras i den här avhandlingen hur poliser hanterar många - och ofta motstridiga - krav uttryckta av många kravställare. I avhandlingen argumenteras för att polisarbetet normeras - det vill säga normer som styr den dagliga praktiken formas - i det vardagliga småpratet mellan poliser. I det småpratet undersöks handlingsutrymme och sanktioner kopplade till olika krav och det bestäms hur poliser bör förhålla sig till krav och kravställare. Att polispraktiken normeras i det vardagliga småpratet mellan poliser utmanar den klassiska bilden av hierarkier - där textproducenter med hjälp av texter och chefer antas normera polisarbetet. / Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögsk.

Ragnarök Online en plats på nätet, ett online-spel, där människor från hela världen möts och samverkar. Det är i detta möte personer emellan som den virtuella miljön Ragnarök Online skapas. Målet med denna uppsats är att visa på hur människor interagerar i, och skapar denna plats på nätet. Varför spenderar folk tid i virtuella miljöer? Är det annorlunda att agera i en virtuell miljö? Dessa är några av de frågor vi kommer att möta i texten. Detta kommer vi att göra tillsammans med invånarna i Ragnarök Online, med dem kommer vi att slåss, jaga och göra hattar. Tillsammans kommer vi att utforska den virtuella miljön av Ragnarök Online. / Ragnarök Online a place on the net, an online game, where people from all over the world meet and interact. In this meeting the virtual environment of Ragnarök Online is created. Because it’s in the meeting between people this virtual place is founded. The goal of this essay is to show how people interact in, and create this place on the net. Why do people spend time in virtual environments? Is it any different to act in a virtual environment? These are some of the questions we will meet in the text. This we will do together whit the inhabitants of this place, we will fight, hunt and make hats ­­– together we will explore the virtual environment of Ragnarök Online.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI/Dissertation Abstracts International.