Submitted to the faculty of Arts in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology in the Department of Sociology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 1982. / The study is concerned with the role of rural women in society. It focuses on a typically agricultural, grass-root community where the forces of traditional Zulu culture are still at work in family and clan relationships. This traditional way of life is retained and enforced through the most powerful institutions of religion and politics. Thus the authority structure and religious philosophy permeate interpersonal relationships giving them a character which is distinctively rural. Architecture, mode of dress, dietary habits and household settlement attest to the rurality of the community. This is an exploratory case study of a small section of a larger commu= nity, and which section represents the overall ~eneral character of the community. Although typically rural in terms of value and normative system, nevertheless it is already being steadily exposed to elements of an industrial society e.g. a money economy, agricultural technology, formal schooling and outmigration of male workers. We therefore see in this microcosm two forces at work - traditional as well as modern. The research population is representative of a traditional community in transition. The study focuses on role-behaviour of rural women and its implications for development. The research group is already partially exposed to the effects of rural development. To what extent their present role affords them meaningful participation and benefit from their community's changing status will be revealed with greater clarity as their particular role-behaviour,within their given environment, is analysed. With respect to rationale for choosing this particular group, we can argue that they are the most suitable respondents on whom to do research which focuses on rural behavioural patterns, on the one hand, and social change and development on the other. The population is neither totally isolated in its rural social system nor influenced by forces of modernisation to the extent that the basic cultural ~radition is effaced.

黎燕芬. / "2009年8月". / "2009 nian 8 yue". / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 107-129). / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / Li Yanfen. / 緒論 --- p.1 / Chapter 第一章 --- 新會潮連的傳統農村生活 --- p.9 / 明中葉潮連地方社會 --- p.10 / 蘆鞭盧氏 --- p.16 / 小結 --- p.22 / Chapter 第二章 --- 中國新思潮 --- p.23 / 婦女的參政空間 --- p.23 / 婦女的法律地位 --- p.32 / 婚姻和納妾 --- p.35 / Chapter (一) --- 結婚 --- p.35 / Chapter (二) --- 離婚 --- p.40 / Chapter (三) --- 納妾 --- p.42 / 婦女就業 --- p.44 / Chapter 第三章 --- 參政空間：農村的婦女主任 --- p.48 / Chapter 第四章 --- 從戶口登記而來的財產問題 --- p.61 / Chapter 第五章 --- 虛假的宗族氣氛 --- p.70 / Chapter 結論 --- p.86 / Chapter 附錄一 --- 民國潮連地圖 --- p.89 / Chapter 附錄二 --- 洪聖廟碑文 --- p.90 / 劉敏，《重修南海神廟碑記》1784年。 --- p.90 / 作者不詳，《捐題洪聖殿嘗營名碑》1816年。 --- p.91 / 李豐，《重修昭明殿碑記》1818年。 --- p.95 / 區天民，《聖像洪聖古廟記》1861年。 --- p.99 / 作者不詳，《洪聖廟頭門碑記》1874年。 --- p.102 / 區德霖，《重修南海洪聖廣利王廟碑》1905年。 --- p.103 / Chapter 附表1.1 --- 〈潮連ˇёإ民在明朝時獲取的功名表〉 --- p.105 / Chapter 附表1.2 --- 〈新會蘆鞭盧氏族譜線圖〉 --- p.106 / 參考書目 --- p.107

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2008 / The aim of the study was to asses the socio-economic impact of casualisation of female farm workers and to determine whether they understand their rights as provided in labour policies. The study was conducted in the Letsitele area in the Greater Tzaneen municipality, Mopani District, Limpopo Province of South Africa. A sample of eighty female farm workers was drawn from the population. The self-constructed questionnaire elicited biographic information, the socio-economic impact of casualisation and knowledge of female farm workers about labour policies was from the respondents The findings of the study showed that casualisation of female farm workers have a large impact on their lives. The low wages that they earn are usually insufficient to meet their basic financial needs such as schooling their children, buying food, and building proper houses. It was also established that they are not properly informed about labour policies.

Institute for Gender and Youth Studies / PHDGS / Historically, the cardiovascular disease (CVD) has internationally been viewed as a man’s disease. This is witnessed by the high number of males who have fallen victim to this scourge. However, with rapid changes in today’s societies, the disease has increasingly become a public health concern among women also. This study aimed to explore rural women’s perspectives of CVD in Gwanda South Rural District. The study was guided by a feminist perspective where theories of gender such as social construction feminism, intersectionality and standpoint theory, were employed as a theoretical framework. In this process, the research endeavoured to unearth some contradictions inherent in the manner in which women view CVD. The population of the study comprised of females aged 21-60 years residing in Gwanda South Rural District of Zimbabwe. An exploratory case study design was adopted and this guided the qualitative data collection and analysis. Purposeful sampling technique was used to select 16 participants for semi-structured interviews and six participants for focus group discussions. Data were analysed using thematic analysis which is an essential tool for qualitative data analysis. Data were presented and discussed as themes and subthemes. The concepts of credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability were used to describe and ensure various aspects of trustworthiness. Ethical considerations like informed consent, confidentiality and anonymity and no harm to participants were ensured. The following seven themes were derived from the study; women’s knowledge of CVD, causes of CVD, prevention of CVD, perceived effects of CVD, difference in experiences of CVD, assistance of women with CVD and management of CVD. Findings revealed that women had limited knowledge of most CVDs but were familiar with hypertension and stroke. Various symptoms of CVD were identified. It was concluded that rural women do not have adequate knowledge of CVDs. A lot should be done by the government and other stakeholders to ameliorate cardiovascular health in rural women. / NRF

Thesis (MPA (Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Unemployment and poverty have an adverse effect on society and proactive and sustainable measures are needed to deal with it. Women and rural women in particular, form the most affected group when it comes to unemployment and poverty. Illiteracy and underdevelopment are the major barriers to the advancement of unemployed rural women. Women in rural settings in most cases rely on local economic development (LED) initiatives for day-to-day survival. Local government has a constitutional mandate to promote social and economic development in order to improve the quality life for the citizens of South Africa. This mandate has been followed by a number of policy documents and guidelines for LED to enable local authorities to perform this task efficiently. The concept of LED is a micro approach in that it deals directly with local issues of economic development through partnerships between communities, business, workers, development agencies and governmental agencies to promote local economy. There is a pressing need for local government to be proactive in dealing with issues of rural development and in supporting LED initiatives of rural women. The literature review covers the theoretical framework of LED through examining both international and domestic practices. The review deals with the history of LED, the LED concept, development theories, evaluation of the practices of LED, as well as participatory development, pro-poor LED, and tourism as a response to LED. It further assesses the contextual framework of LED with particular attention to South African policy and practice. The state of LED in South Africa is discussed, together with the way forward for LED. The study provides an investigation into the background of the Mandeni Municipality by looking at the demographic factors and geographical location of the area. The state of LED in Mandeni Municipality is highlighted, together with LED strategy for the Municipality, and major future development associated with LED. The study clearly portrays that there is a gap between the LED initiatives of the unemployed rural women and the Municipality. The strategic location of the Municipality facilitates future economic prospects for the area and new development proposals associated with LED. It is clear from the LED Unit structure in Mandeni Municipality that there is a lack of capacity to deal with the LED challenges and local economic initiatives. From the literature review it is clear that women are critical role players in LED because of their ability to initiate community-based economic development projects and to perform multi-task activities. It is evident that strong partnerships with various LED stakeholders working directly with low-income communities can play a meaningful role in alleviating poverty, and in the creation of employment. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Werkloosheid en armoede het vandag .n nadelige invloed op die gemeenskap en proaktiewe en volhoubare maatreels is nodig om dit hok te slaan. Wat werkloosheid en armoede betref, val vroue onder die groepe wat die meeste geraak word, veral plattelandse vroue. Ongeletterdheid en onderontwikkeling is die vernaamste hindernisse vir die vooruitgang van werklose plattelandse vroue. Vroue in .n plattelandse milieu steun sterk op plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkelingsinisiatiewe vir hulle dag tot dag oorlewing. Plaaslike regering het .n konstitusionele mandaat om maatskaplike en ekonomiese ontwikkeling te bevorder ten einde die lewenskwaliteit van burgers van Suid-Afrika te verbeter. .n Enorme behoefte bestaan dat die plaaslike regering proaktief moet optree wanneer aangeleenthede rakende plattelandse ontwikkeling en ondersteuning van plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkelings-inisiatiewe vir plattelandse vroue aangespreek word. Op beleidsvlak het Suid-Afrika sterk klem geplaas op plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkeling as maatreel om sosio-ekonomiese toestande vir plattelandse gemeenskappe te verbeter. Plattelandse vroue staar egter reuse uitdagings rondom onderontwikkeling in die gesig. Die groot probleem vir hierdie navorsing is dat die Mandeni munisipaliteit se plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkelingsprogramme, wat vroue as voorheen gemarginaliseerde en kwesbare groepe teiken, onsigbaar is. Plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkelingsinisiatiewe geskied in isolasie van die munisipaliteit en daar blyk maar .n powere vennootskap tussen die munisipaliteit en plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkelingsinisiatiewe wat deur vroue gevoer word, te wees. Die Plaaslike Ekonomiese Ontwikkelingseenheid (LED-eenheid), wat oor .n mandaat beskik vir die implementering van plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkelingsprogramme, het .n niksseggende rol in die bevordering van plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkelingsprogramme vir plaaslike werklose vroue gespeel. Daarbenewens is daar baie vroue onder die bevolking van die Mandeni-munisipaliteit en die meerderheid van hulle is werkloos. Die vernaamste doelwitte van hierdie studie was om probleme te identifiseer wat die LED-eenheid gehad het met die implementering van LED-programme vir die werklose vrou en om sy vlak van deelname, in belang van die werklose plattelandse vroue, te assesseer. Die fokusgroep-metode is tydens navorsing ingespan met die insameling van data oor die twee verskillende vroueorganisasies wat plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkelingsprojekte geinisieer het. Voorts is die onderhoud-metode tydens die studie toegepas vir die insameling van data rondom die drie munisipale amptenare en die Speaker van die munisipaliteit. Die vernaamste bevindinge van die navorsing toon duidelik dat daar .n gaping bestaan tussen LED-inisiatiewe deur die plattelandse werklose vroue en die Mandeni-munisipaliteit. Die bevindinge van die studie dui daarop dat die LED-eenheidstruktuur van die Mandeni-munisipaliteit oor onvoldoende fondse beskik en gebrek toon aan die nodige vermoe om die plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkelingsuitdagings en plaaslike ekonomiese inisiatiewe van die werklose plattelandse vroue te hanteer. Dit is duidelik dat vroue kritiese rolspelers in plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkeling is weens hulle vermoe om gemeenskapsgebaseerde ekonomiese ontwikkelingsprojekte te inisieer en hulle kennis om veelvuldige taakbedrywighede van stapel te laat loop. Ten slotte beveel die studie aan dat die LED-eenheid geherstruktureer word om die LED-agterstande binne die Mandeni-munisipaliteit aan te spreek, dat daar behoorlike koordinering van LED-programme moet wees, en dat die plaaslike ekonomiese ontwikkelingsinisiatiewe vir vroue sterk deur die Mandeni-munisipaliteit gesteun moet word.