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This is an exploratory study with a purpose to gain an understanding of the middle class that is not situated in the cities in South Africa, whether this middle is served adequately in their areas. A population of middle class consumer who reside in the rural and small towns of South Africa and those who visit these areas was interviewed in in-depth face to face interviews. Expert interviews with retailers that they normally purchase from were also conducted. The study shows evidence of the middle class in the rural and small towns that goes out of their towns to source aspirational goods that are not available in their small towns. This class is aware of current styles and brands as they are exposed to media and they are influenced by those who live in the cities and also get exposure through their travels. It was also found that there is a number of the black middle class that currently resides in the cities however through their family ties in the rural and small town areas, they go back seasonally to be with their families and hence they expect to find the goods that they are accustomed to when they get there. The retailers had concerns with the size of the market in the rural and small towns, being small, however, this market does increase seasonally and models to serve a seasonal market are suggested. The research concludes that there is a middle class in the rural and small town areas of South Africa, this market grows seasonally and ways to service this market can be sought. Copyright / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Water is an essential part of human life. According to the sustainable development goal (SDG), monitoring water quality is a fundamental goal of the international community. Therefore, there has been research on how the quality of water can be monitored and improved.  Data related to water quality can provide service opportunities such as to inform if the water is suitable for drinking by monitoring the quality of water resources. However, there has been limited research exploring opportunities and challenges of digital water quality monitoring services to fulfill requirements in rural areas, such as clean and safe water for drinking. Some challenges can be due to the geographical location of the area or avoiding certain regions for implementing a service due to political agenda or infrastructure, especially in less developed countries or areas. The lack of exploration of opportunities points to the need to further investigate service opportunities like to inform if the water is suitable for drinking in rural areas. It is crucial to monitor water quality and offer services because bad water quality can lead to health issues or poor yield in agriculture, some of the few consequences. Therefore, in my paper, using the Design Science Research (DSR) approach, I have explored various opportunities and challenges of digital water quality monitoring services in Indian rural areas. The result demonstrates opportunities related to the exploration of digital water quality monitoring services in rural areas and the challenges that need to be overcome in order to realize the opportunities. This overview can inform researchers, designers, and stakeholders to understand new service opportunities and challenges of digital water quality monitoring services in rural areas.

Anhand von Praxisbeispielen aus Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz wird dargestellt, wie sich ehrenamtlich initiierte Tourismusprojekte bei steigender Nachfrage in wirtschaftlich arbeitende Unternehmen überführen lassen. Neben einer ausführlichen Beschreibung der möglichen Rechts- und Organisationsformen enthält die Studie eine Liste von Indikatoren, die die Notwendigkeit einer Umstrukturierung anzeigen, einen Praxisleitfaden für die erforderlichen Schritte und eine Zusammenstellung der Erfolgsfaktoren.

Die Ländliche Neuordnung ist ein wichtiges Instrument der Integrierten Ländlichen Entwicklung. Die Broschüre vermittelt anhand praktischer Beispiele einen Überblick über die vielfältigen Aufgaben und Möglichkeiten der Ländlichen Neuordnung. Sie ist in sechs Themenbereiche gegliedert: Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Natur- und Umweltschutz, Hochwasserschutz, Infrastrukturmaßnahmen, Bodenordnung und Bodenmanagement sowie Minderung von Bergbaufolgen. Beschrieben werden Verfahren in Sachsen, bei denen es gelungen ist, die Interessen der Grundstückseigentümer, der Landwirte, der Gemeinden und der Behörden zu berücksichtigen, Nutzungskonflikte zu entflechten und Eigentumsstrukturen den neuen Erfordernissen anzupassen.

Land reorganisation proceedings for re-regulation of the ownership-rights structure in rural areas are summarized under the term “reorganisation of land holdings” in Saxony. These have their legal basis in the Land Consolidation Act (FlurbG) or in section 8 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act (LwAnpG). Furthermore, land regulation can be conducted under the Building Code (BauGB). The goal is to develop capable, versatility structured agriculture and forestry, and to secure and improve rural areas as an attractive location for working, living, and recreation. Land management and land regulation serve “land development” and are thus in the area of tension of many different user interests.

As a response to meet climate targets, transit-oriented development is seen as a tool in Swedish regional development to decrease car dependency. By national infrastructural investments in new train stations, small municipalities are expected to continue the transit-oriented development by plan dense areas with housing in connection to the new train stations. Previous research has shown that sustainable development plans are hard to implement, and that there is a lack of research about the processual dimension of implementing transit-oriented development plans, especially in rural areas. The aim of the thesis is to scrutinise the conditions in which these plans are supposed to be put into place at a municipal level, and in what way municipal interest affect to the implementation. The research question is asking how sustainable development is enacted in practice from the example of transit-oriented developmentin rural areas close to bigger cities. The chosen case studies are two neighbouring municipalities in Västra Götaland region that got new train stations in 2012, according to the planning norm of TOD and due to being located in a designated transport corridor. The empirical data consist of five comprehensive plans and interviews with six municipal politicians. By using a theoretical framework of governmentality studies the rationalities and underlying assumptions that makes the certain enactment of the plans intelligible are analysed. The result show that there are different logics behind the implementation of transit-oriented development plans at the regional and at the municipal level. The rationalities to implement the municipal plans conflict with the stated aim of the plans. When striving for a bigger tax base, the municipalities build housing that attract middle class families, which are the opposite of the dense development close to the train stations that are the goal of the regional plans. Because of interurban competition for a certain population, a sustainable development though transitoriented development can be hard to implement.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Development Studies in the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies at the University of Zululand, 2018 / This study analyses the effects of institutional gaps on food security in rural households in the uThungulu District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study found that inadequate access to and low production of food was common in poor households. When compared to other African countries, the South African Government is seen to have established sound policies aimed at eradicating food insecurity in historically disadvantaged communities, inter alia, by reprioritising public spending. However, these policies have not been well implemented, resulting in an increase in the number of food-insecure people in the country, irrespective of food availability. In this study, participants comprised community members aged 20 years and above (n=147), nine key informants and focus groups (n=11). Questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions were used to obtain data related to the institutional gaps that contributed to food insecurity. Both content and statistical analysis was used to realise the study objectives. The results of the study showed that participants had to contend with numerous challenges in sustaining their community development projects towards achieving food security and received only limited support from various institutions. In general, communities with a poor socio-economic profile are vulnerable to food insecurity because their low status denies them access to credit provision, skills and information. In the uThungulu District, agriculture was widely practised as a strategy to eradicate food insecurity: crop farming particularly, in the form of community and home gardens, was undertaken, but very few participants engaged in livestock farming. The study revealed that the issue of land access and ownership compromised rural production. Rural business people had inadequate knowledge of how to participate and compete in the market. The study’s results also showed that local municipalities’ services were often politically aligned and politicians as heads of institutions made poor, top-down decisions that did not meet the needs of poor people. Local municipalities were mostly dependent on governmental funding which was limited. Furthermore, governmental institutions themselves were faced with challenges, including inadequate staff, capacity and skills to serve communities satisfactorily. The study concluded that while South Africa as a nation was food secure, households – particularly in rural areas – were not yet free from food insecurity. Food in/security is a multi-sectoral issue that needs to be tackled by all institutions and sectors and should not be aligned with the agricultural sector only. It is recommended that the government should improve food security policies, determine methods of financing rural entrepreneurs and small-scale farmers and expand the institutions committed to rural food security programmes. It also needs to provide training in entrepreneurial skills and assist and empower poor people to adopt modern farming practices which include intensifying livestock production. Policies and strategies to alleviate food insecurity need to be analysed and improved as a matter of urgency. Further research should investigate and monitor the implementation of food security interventions in rural areas. / National Institute For the Humanities and Social Sciences Scholarship

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(地球環境学) / 甲第19874号 / 地環博第148号 / 新制||地環||30(附属図書館) / 32910 / 京都大学大学院地球環境学舎地球環境学専攻 / (主査)教授 星野 敏, 准教授 西前 出, 准教授 中村 公人 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Global Environmental Studies / Kyoto University / DFAM

In this educational study, Caucasian and minority learners’ grade point averages and overall academic success were examined at learning institutions. Several minorities experienced problems with completing college courses at universities and community colleges. Individuals from various racial backgrounds had school enrollment issues compared to Caucasian students without these same issues. This analysis revealed factors that contributed to these learners’ decreased academic attainment. For this study, racial groups were the focus along with their need to improve their impoverished conditions. Minority students needed more educational services such as peer tutoring and academic counseling. These services offered learners the opportunity to expand their educational knowledge and support system (Cohen & Brawer, 2003; Engstrom & Tinto, 2008; Lotkowski, Robbins, & Noeth, 2004). Also, rural and non-rural community colleges and universities were emphasized in this research analysis. In rural areas, minorities had a difficult way of life compared to non-rural regions. For example, Hispanics in a rural community in Ellis, Iowa experienced lower wages. Within Ellis, Iowa, Hispanics had limited employment growth and college degrees (Carr & Kefalas, 2009). Also, this research focused on Caucasian and minority learners’ who attended a junior college. Mississippi’s community colleges were assessed for students’ academic performances. In this examination, the one-way analysis of variance was selected to analyze the minority and Caucasian groups’ statistical data. In addition, the Welch, Post Hoc, and Tukey HSD tests were used to examine the racial groups in this educational study. For this study, only data from Mississippi State University was used for academic purposes. These learners were from 15 different Mississippi community colleges and the students transferred to Mississippi State University. In this study, the minorities and Caucasians transferred to Mississippi State University in the fall semester of 2011. Learners’ first semester cumulative grade point averages were analyzed. Comparing Caucasians with African Americans and Caucasians with Hispanics showed significant differences between their statistical scores. This study ended with suggestions to further evaluate minorities’ grade point averages and social economic status. Recommendations included: college incentives for low income students and single parents. These students needed to attend educational programs such as learning workshops.