The central theme of the study is whether deliberate actions to realise aspirations can and would be likely to increase capabilities amongst the poor, and whether such attempts might reduce poverty. Capabilities are seen here as real opportunity sets which people can use to achieve what they want to be or do (Sen, 1990:43-44). In addition Amartya Sen also emphasises the important role of agency in the achievement of capabilities (Sen, 1985). The relationship between aspirations, agency and capabilities is therefore explored, with emphasis on whether people can escape a potential poverty trap by deliberate and focused use of agency. I also ask what role structural opportunities and constraints play in this process. The study has been largely inspired by the idea of Arjun Appadurai (2004) that the poor might be constrained in their efforts to escape poverty because they lack the capacity to aspire, as they might have been socialised to accept that their aspirations would not be realisable. This idea was tested in a five year action research programme in Site C, Khayelitsha, near Cape Town. The dissertation offers an analysis of the programme in which a group of women was assisted in voicing their aspirations and subsequently worked on the realisation of these aspirations with a limited amount of support and facilitation by the researcher. Although many papers have been written on the social and economic implications of Appadurai’s idea, both within and external to the human development approach, the practical implementation of the idea in a project seems to be novel. The analysis of aspirations and capabilities is contextualised in the dissertation. The history and migration of the participating women show how their lives have been shaped by colonialism, apartheid, and their own cultural practices. This is followed by a discussion of the literature which informs the research and the analysis. The capability approach is discussed with particular reference to its conceptual tools, and the differences in the approaches of Sen and Nussbaum are briefly described. I review the ways in which capabilities are generally measured, and discuss the perspectives of different authors on individualism in the approach. Adaptation and agency as seen from the perspective of the capability approach provide important conceptual material for the analysis in a later chapter. A number of studies which assessed capabilities by qualitative means are then briefly reviewed, and these again provide background information for the analysis of the Khayelitsha study. The study on the use of agency in the capability approach reveals that there are lacunae, which could possibly be addressed by amplification from other disciplines. With this in mind agency is further explored in different disciplines – economics, psychology and social theory. Particular attention is given to three classical theorists of agency, Giddens, Bourdieu and Habermas, but the work of Archer, Latour, Long and Joas is also reviewed. I then recommend that the capability approach would benefit from a hermeneutical analysis of agency, and indicate specific elements which I think can be brought forward into such an extension. The literature review also includes a section on aspirations, which takes account of the conceptual relationship between aspirations, agency and capabilities. The empirical material is introduced under the umbrella of an action research programme which spanned a five year period. As part of this programme there was a household survey to obtain benchmark data. This was followed by the presentation of a life skills course based on Participatory Action Research or PRA methods. Between late 2006 and 2010 the women implemented their decisions, and their actions were observed. The main research process during this phase was an ethno-methodological study of the participating women. During this phase a number of life histories were recorded and I also conducted a set of individual interviews which focussed on individual agency. In 2010 I assessed the women’s increase in functionings and capabilities by taking note of actions taken towards achieving their aspirations, and in 2012 I recorded seven interviews on the rural-urban dynamics in their lives. The main findings of the household survey are given in a separate chapter on research findings. The different recordings of the aspirations the women articulated, and how these changed, are also recorded in the chapter on findings. The analysis of the respondents’ increase in functionings and capabilities is done with reference to an adaptation of a diagram published by Robeyns (2005:98), which visualises the essential conceptual parts of the capability approach. I adapt the diagram for a specific social context, for aspiration formulation, for agency assessment, and for the assessment of increased capabilities. In a second analysis chapter I do a hermeneutic agency analysis of six of the participating women in the context of the capability approach, asking whether the pursuit of their aspirations had been agency-unlocking. This is followed by a concluding chapter. / Philosophiae Doctor - PhD

Decreasing the number of people that die from preventable illnesses and reducing poverty and inequality are major public goods that are being addressed from a variety of angles. One way that policy makers and scholars are trying to improve global health is by developing new health technologies that will decrease poverty and inequality. This dissertation investigates whether nanotechnologies for medical applications (nanomedicine) are used to address diseases of poverty (DoP) and the role that public partnerships (PPP) play in nanomedicine research. If scientists are developing nanotechnology based vaccines and medicines for DoP, then I can conclude that the technology is helping to decrease poverty and inequality. There are two parts to my analysis. The first part of my dissertation analyses the landscape of nanomedicine DoP research and then I test how USA medicine sales, disease burden and diseases of poverty correlate with number of nanomedicine publications and patents. I find that there is some nanomedicine research on diseases of poverty, especially for high profile DoP like malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, but overall there is less R&D on DoPs than non-DoPs. However, I cannot determine if USA medicine sales and disease burden have any relationship to research output. In the second part of my dissertation I examine the role of formal public-private partnerships (PPPs) for developing DoP medicines. Many think the formal health PPPs can overcome the various market failures associated with developing medicines for DoP. I analyze PPP websites and interview PPP managers/scientists about their research portfolios, relationship with nanotechnology, and how PPPs are addressing inequality in health R&D. I find that managers/scientists at PPPs have a variety of opinions about nanotechnology, but the general consensus is that nanotechnology will not be used in the near-term for DoP medicines. PPP managers/scientists believe that the technology is too expensive for DoP medicines and it will take too long to approve nanomedicines. Instead of using nanotechnology most PPPs are in favor of using traditional technologies.

The purpose of this study was to identify and understand the social-ecological resources which encouraged resilient Basotho youth in the rural areas of the Thabo Mofutsanyana district of the Free State province towards positive adjustment in the face of poverty and underdevelopment. Positive adjustment, or resilience, is the focus of the International Community-University Research Alliance (ICURA) and International Development Research Centre (IDRC) funded project, called Pathways to Resilience. My study forms part of this broader resilience study. Resilience, or positive adjustment to hardship, can be defined as the capacity of individuals to navigate their way to health-promoting resources that encourage positive adjustment, and the concomitant capacity of the individual’s family, community and culture to provide these health resources and experiences in culturally meaningful ways. Recently, researchers have suggested that the socio-ecological resources that encourage positive adjustment might differ across ecologies. There is little understanding in South Africa of which resources, within specific ecologies, encourage such positive adjustment. My study seeks to address this gap, with specific reference to Basotho youth in the Thabo Mofutsanyana district in the Free State. I used a qualitative phenomenological strategy of inquiry and participatory visual methods to determine the socio-ecological antecedents of the resilience of 130 resilient Basotho youth from rural areas of the Thabo Mofutsanyana district in the Free State province of South Africa. Using Bronfenbrenner‟s Ecological Systems Theory (1979), Sameroff‟s Transactional Model of Development (2009) and Unger’s Social Ecology of Resilience (2011) as framework, I explored the resources underpinning the resilience of my participants. The findings suggest that the resilient Basotho youth in this study were encouraged to adjust well to the risks of poverty and associated threats by making use of social-ecologically accessible resilience-promoting resources. In other words the resilient Basotho youth found resilience-promoting resources in their microsystems (individual, family, school, peers and nature and pets), mesosystems (social interactions), exosystems (community resources like libraries and medical facilities, and role models) and macrosystems (religious beliefs and practices, pastors, and access to information through television, radio, cell phone, and inspirational publications). The conclusion of my study lays emphasis on the interwovenness of socioecological systems in resilience processes: no one system could be sing led out. The entire ecosystem was involved, reciprocally, in providing the participants with resilience-promoting resources. My findings emphasise the importance of mothers, grandmothers, school and educational resources, religious beliefs and practices, and access to information (through the use of television, radio, computer and inspirational literature) for Basotho youth in the Thabo Mofutsanyana district, but do not suggest that these are the sole pathways to their resilience. Continued research in other parts of South Africa, with additional groups of youth, is needed to reach a comprehensive understanding of the socio-ecological antecedents of resilience among South African youth. / MEd, Learner support, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

The purpose of this study was to explore if an integrated approach can help mothers living in low SES achieve personal and academic success. The research objectives focused on two areas. One was exploring the development and impact of a community of learners who collaborate and work together to support each other in their journey to academic success. The other focus was students’ engagement in a community service credit and how this impacts the student. A qualitative research methodology was used. Five female participants participated in journaling, interviews and a focus group. The Circle of Courage® (Brendtro, Brokenleg & Van Bockern, 2002) was the theoretical framework used in this study. The key findings illustrate how the community of learners supports students with personal and academic success. The women in this study experienced challenges when it came to the community service experience, but when time, childcare and resources worked out the experience was valuable and rewarding. The findings inform our understanding of the symbiotic relationship between community development and adult education.

No description available.

There is an abundance of biomedical and social science research relating to HIV/AIDS which has focused on understanding the disease from a medical crisis. The research has attended to matters of prevention and clinical treatment. This study is a naturalistic study which explores the socio-economic and political-cultural aspects of the disease in and on the lives of nine women living in one of the world’s mega slums, Kibera in Kenya. The study is based on the assumption that the HIV/AIDS pandemic has brought about social disruption and profound changes to the micro contexts of community and family life. Cultural norms, practices and values that historically sustained the fabric of African life are slowly being stripped away as those infected with HIV and their families cope with the impact of the chronic illness. Living as HIV+ women is yet one more challenge that these women face every day. They struggle to provide self-care and a healthy life for those they are responsible for within an environment that lacks so many social determinants of health. Using a methodological convergence of narrative, feminist and Indigenous methodologies within a post-colonial paradigm, I have explored how nine HIV+ African women story/experience their daily lives and participate in community activities. Consideration of the reality of the day to day experiences of HIV+ women living in an African slum settlement may offer insights for government, policy makers, and community-based and non-government organizations to better support and promote quality of life for those living with HIV/AIDS. / Graduate

No description available.

The thesis is a study of illicit drug use and attitudes to drugs education amongst young people from different socio-economic backgrounds. The thesis reviews the existing literature and finds that there may be a link between poverty and drug use that hasn't been fully explored and that there has been a lack of attention to young people's perspectives and views on drug use. The findings are reported of an empirical research project that consisted of quantitative and qualitative research with 206 young people in five different settings: at university, in a youth club, in schools, in a pupil referral unit, and service for young offenders. The data from these different sources are analysed and a conceptual model has been developed, setting out some factors that are indicative of problematic or non-problematic drug use. The model was circulated amongst a small group of professionals in relevant fields for comment. The thesis concludes that young people in university settings reported using illicit drugs recreationally and apparently without problems, while the 'vulnerable' young people reported using more drugs, at an earlier age, and more frequently, and for reasons to do with boredom, depression and anxiety. The author suggests that 'vulnerable' young people are disadvantaged by their circumstances at home, including social deprivation and parental separation, and their lack of engagement with education. It is argued that health promotion models need to recognise the importance of contextual and broader structural factors influencing drug use among young people, and that health promotion efforts need to play a role in tackling inequalities and reducing deprivation, as well as making health promotion messages relevant to their target audience.

Colombia in the second half of the nineteenth century was a country with extensive poverty and vulnerability was the main characteristic of the poor. A general concern about the conditions of the poor, particularly in urban areas, was broadly manifested. Poverty was seen basically as a moral problem, and poor relief was implemented within a process of moralization. Between 1870 and 1930 poor relief underwent significant transformation: it grew appreciably, became more complex, more dynamic, more professional and more specialized; it passed gradually from being strongly localized to a departmental and national orientation. Poor relief involved the decision from the state to incorporate the 'social' in the government agenda and by 1930 started to be more grounded in political reality. An identifiably modern 'social policy' came into being, even though it contained some ambiguities and traditional values. There were two main forms of poor relief: institutional and outdoor. Institutional poor relief was predominantly carried out by the state and some private societies. Some state poor relief establishments continued to be run by religious orders. Outdoor poor relief was only implemented by private societies and institutions. For poor relief public beneficencia and private charity were equally important. In this period the state attempted to consolidate resources for beneficencia and for social assistance; it created specific poor relief taxes and established special funds. Private giving was linked to traditional Christian charity. Charity was constant, large and participants covered a broad social spectrum. Modern ideas of charity were progressively introduced, generating a professionalization of voluntary activities. Alongside poor relief there were other survival strategies promoted by the poor of which mutual aid societies were the best example. They grew considerably and they gave support to their members in an any eventualities. They were certainly important in the formation of'social capital'. Sources for this research are dispersed; most of them came from institutions, societies, establishments that carried out poor relief activities. Research about poor relief generally and inevitably has to face a lack of informal data on many aspects of the subject, though much can be gained through the study of wills.

No description available.