Being a part of social studies of finance, i.e. a perspective that, in its narrow sense, investigates the role of science and technology in financial markets, the thesis suggests that one can understand science in a wider sense, as an expert knowledge domain. The social studies of finance, then, can be broadened out to encompass the different ways in which expert knowledge shapes financial practices. Legal expertise is another instantiation of expert knowledge in the sense that both (science and law) are different forms of power; therefore this research aims at answering the question how finance is shaped by legal expert knowledge. The study employs the method of ‘opening the black box’ of regulation, and thus it argues that technicalities of regulation, which embody legal expertise, are crucial for the construction of financial markets. The thesis demonstrates how ‘just’ a concise amendment to Article 1062 of the Russian Civil Code has had significant ramifications for the interbank USD/RUB cash-settled forward market, and explores the controversies involved in and details of the law making process. The amendment was made in 2007 and changed the legal status of non-deliverable forwards, which had been classified by Russian courts as gambling transactions under Russian law in 1998-1999. Based on the evidence obtained from the study of the legal developments that resulted in the amendment, the thesis shows that the politics of the law-making process, as well as shaping the outcome, can in equal measure be disruptive and result in a delay in legal changes that market participants felt were much-needed. After almost a decade of painstaking negotiations, the amendment stated that cashsettled derivatives are legally enforceable under the Russian law. It rendered cash-settled forwards legally secure, hence encouraged cross-border transactions and enhanced the market’s liquidity; it is also made possible the introduction of netting as a risk management tool in the market. The contested, long-delayed amendment is thus an example of a pervasive process: the constitutive role of law (including esoteric law, little noticed outside of specialist spheres) in shaping markets.

Student Number: 9601911P - MA research report - School of Arts - Faculty of Humanities / The purpose of this study was to find out the social impact of community-based tourism on host communities, using a case study of Khama Rhino Sanctuary Trust. Community-based tourism is the new buzzword for tourism development nowadays, with its proponents promoting its potential to increase local benefits and to empower local communities in economic, social, environmental and cultural terms. This research sought to address closely the benefits and problems associated with community-based tourism in one community in Botswana. The research also attempted to find out how involved the community is in decision making processes involving the running of the Khama Rhino Sanctuary, a community-based initiative which is not only involved in tourism, but also in environmental education. The research findings indicate that there is no sense of ownership amongst the community and benefits have not been forthcoming. Although job opportunities have been created, these have not been increasing since the inception of the Sanctuary. Above all, the Sanctuary still relies heavily on foreign donors. In order to address the research questions, qualitative methods of data collection and analysis were employed.

Although typically associated with the provision of low-cost holiday accommodation, for over 30 years city-based caravan parks have provided an unrecognised source of permanent housing to the lower end of the market. Due to their often dilapidated condition and the demographic profile of their residents, caravan parks do not fit within the Australian housing ideal and are often considered enclaves of despondency. Residents are subject to harsh stereotypes and are often referred to as ??trailer trash?? ?? a tag which originated in the USA. However the reality is that caravan parks provide significant social benefits and are unique living environments for their permanent residents. This research involved an extensive discourse analysis complemented by in-depth interviews with caravan park residents and industry stakeholders, which found that the residential experience is typically based on solidarity, companionship, pride and a true sense of belonging. As urban land prices in Australia have increased exponentially and the footprints of its capital cities continue to grow, large parcels of under-developed land accommodating caravan parks have become ??land banks?? ripe for redevelopment. While it is the park owner??s prerogative to maximise profit, individuals and households are being displaced with little or no compensation, to make way for more lucrative land uses. With deficiencies in the public housing system and the failure of the housing market to provide an adequate level of low-cost accommodation, caravan park residents face an uncertain future, even homelessness. However, the understated impact of this trend is the social implications which affect some of the community??s most vulnerable members. The loss of home, community disintegration and feelings of insecurity appear to be disregarded in the planning process, and this trend seems certain to continue with a lack of responsibility and strategic vision by the government. For this reason, the continued closure of Sydney??s caravan parks should not be tolerated for the purpose of land profiteering. A comprehensive all-of-government and industry response is urgently required to address the threats to Sydney??s caravan parks and to develop mitigation strategies aimed at reducing the resultant outcomes for their vulnerable residents.

In New Zealand the development and promotion of sporting events is becoming increasingly popular, due in part to the role of sport in building the nation's identity, the economic benefits, and a growing awareness of the importance of health and fitness within the community. Given this increased popularity it is important that the impacts of these events upon the local 'host' communities be understood. Social impacts have been given more and more attention in recent years by event researchers, due to the recognition that the long term sustainability of such events can only be achieved with the approval and participation of residents. This research addresses these issues in the context of Taupo, New Zealand using the case of Ironman New Zealand.This thesis adopts a mixed method approach using interviews (n=7), participant observation, and a web-survey (n=111). The findings confirm that it is vital to investigate and understand impacts of events on host communities. The findings are also consistent with theories identified in the literature in terms of the nature of social impacts on host communities. The overall results indicate that residents are aware of both the positive and negative impacts of Ironman New Zealand. Respondents highlight positive impacts such as economic benefits, exposure of Taupo, community togetherness, and the encouragement of sports, yet they also recognize negative impacts such as inconvenience from traffic congestion, and road closures. Accordingly, the community was grouped into three distinct clusters with positive, negative and ambivalent perceptions, and were labelled 'Lovers', 'Pessimists' and 'Realists'. The findings further suggest that the use of web-surveying for community research is still in its infancy and needs further development enabling it to be used as an effective tool. Finally it is proposed that small to medium scale sporting event hosted in regional communities may contribute to a sense of community and to the creation of social capital. Further research is needed to confirm this proposition.

New information and communication technologies have excited considerable popular and expert attention over the last decades of the twentieth century. Predictions about their social effects range along a continuum from visions of heaven; where people slip the surly bonds of time and space, to glimpses of hell; where such slippage enables new manifestations of dominance and control. Along the continuum there is a basic determinist premise evident, that the technologies have developed in a marginal sphere, and will now bring a new way of life, or at least provide materials for a new way of life, whether this be for good or evil. The notion of cyberspace as a new communicative domain has in particular engaged this kind of attention. This thesis is concerned with the ways in which the rhetoric of cyberspace sheds light on deeper social preoccupations and relations. It is an attempt to move beyond discussion of particular technologies and their possible effects to examine the ways in which habitual social intercourse is reconstructed in and around cyberspace. As a feminist scholar of communication I am particularly interested in the ways in which existing gender relations are maintained in discursive constructions of women in cyberspace, and the ways in which feminist theorists may respond to the new domain. Because I seek to elude simple determinism, I have sought to contextualise the space by some focus on the known social needs, purposes and practices to which the development of cyberspace technologies has been central. Although I acknowledge the power of discourse to maintain extant social relations, I seek to elude discursive determinism by some focus on the ways in which women have creatively appropriated new technologies; on the disjunctions of discourse and practice.

Although typically associated with the provision of low-cost holiday accommodation, for over 30 years city-based caravan parks have provided an unrecognised source of permanent housing to the lower end of the market. Due to their often dilapidated condition and the demographic profile of their residents, caravan parks do not fit within the Australian housing ideal and are often considered enclaves of despondency. Residents are subject to harsh stereotypes and are often referred to as ??trailer trash?? ?? a tag which originated in the USA. However the reality is that caravan parks provide significant social benefits and are unique living environments for their permanent residents. This research involved an extensive discourse analysis complemented by in-depth interviews with caravan park residents and industry stakeholders, which found that the residential experience is typically based on solidarity, companionship, pride and a true sense of belonging. As urban land prices in Australia have increased exponentially and the footprints of its capital cities continue to grow, large parcels of under-developed land accommodating caravan parks have become ??land banks?? ripe for redevelopment. While it is the park owner??s prerogative to maximise profit, individuals and households are being displaced with little or no compensation, to make way for more lucrative land uses. With deficiencies in the public housing system and the failure of the housing market to provide an adequate level of low-cost accommodation, caravan park residents face an uncertain future, even homelessness. However, the understated impact of this trend is the social implications which affect some of the community??s most vulnerable members. The loss of home, community disintegration and feelings of insecurity appear to be disregarded in the planning process, and this trend seems certain to continue with a lack of responsibility and strategic vision by the government. For this reason, the continued closure of Sydney??s caravan parks should not be tolerated for the purpose of land profiteering. A comprehensive all-of-government and industry response is urgently required to address the threats to Sydney??s caravan parks and to develop mitigation strategies aimed at reducing the resultant outcomes for their vulnerable residents.

In New Zealand the development and promotion of sporting events is becoming increasingly popular, due in part to the role of sport in building the nation's identity, the economic benefits, and a growing awareness of the importance of health and fitness within the community. Given this increased popularity it is important that the impacts of these events upon the local 'host' communities be understood. Social impacts have been given more and more attention in recent years by event researchers, due to the recognition that the long term sustainability of such events can only be achieved with the approval and participation of residents. This research addresses these issues in the context of Taupo, New Zealand using the case of Ironman New Zealand.This thesis adopts a mixed method approach using interviews (n=7), participant observation, and a web-survey (n=111). The findings confirm that it is vital to investigate and understand impacts of events on host communities. The findings are also consistent with theories identified in the literature in terms of the nature of social impacts on host communities. The overall results indicate that residents are aware of both the positive and negative impacts of Ironman New Zealand. Respondents highlight positive impacts such as economic benefits, exposure of Taupo, community togetherness, and the encouragement of sports, yet they also recognize negative impacts such as inconvenience from traffic congestion, and road closures. Accordingly, the community was grouped into three distinct clusters with positive, negative and ambivalent perceptions, and were labelled 'Lovers', 'Pessimists' and 'Realists'. The findings further suggest that the use of web-surveying for community research is still in its infancy and needs further development enabling it to be used as an effective tool. Finally it is proposed that small to medium scale sporting event hosted in regional communities may contribute to a sense of community and to the creation of social capital. Further research is needed to confirm this proposition.

There is a strong concern about the environmental and social impacts ­­­of land use changes caused by sugarcane expansion. This research aims to assess the land use changes caused by sugarcane expansion in the State of São Paulo in the last five years, as well as predicting land use changes in the coming years. In addition, this research evaluates the social impacts of sugarcane expansion. The assessment of land use changes was made through GIS analysis. First, the changes during the last five years were evaluated. Based on this information, the land use changes for the coming years were estimated. The social impacts of sugarcane expansion were evaluated by studying the correlation between Human Development Index (HDI) and the sugarcane expansion. The results confirm that sugarcane crop expanded about 1.85 million hectares between 2003 and 2008. About 62% of this expansion replaced areas used for agricultural crop in 2003, and about 34% replaced areas used for pasture in 2003. Three scenarios were created in order to estimate sugarcane expansion in the coming years. In the first scenario, sugarcane would expand about 0.9 million hectares in three years; in the second scenario, 1.1 million hectares in four years; and in the third scenario, 1.4 million hectares in six years. In each scenario, about 70% of the expansion would take place in areas used for agricultural crops in 2003, and 40% in areas used for pasture in 2003. The sugarcane expansion caused a significant and positive impact on the income dimension of HDI for regions with a very low level of development. For regions of medium and high level of development, the HDI impact was not significant. In addition, a slightly negative impact on the longevity dimension of HDI was observed.

Engineered products can impact the day-to-day life of their users and other stakeholders. These impacts are often referred to as the product's social impacts. Products have been known to impact the people who use them, design them, manufacture them, distribute them, and the communities where they exist. Currently, there are few methods that can help an engineer identify, quantify, predict, or improve a product's social impact. Some companies and organizations have tried to identify their impacts and, for example, set goals for achieving more sustainable business practices. However, engineers, in large part, do not have methods that can help improve the sustainability and social impacts of their products. Without new methods to help engineers make better product decisions, products will continue to have unanticipated negative impacts and will likely not reach their true social impact potential. Engineers working in the field of Engineering for Global Development (EGD) are especially in need of methods that can help improve the social impacts of their products. One of the purposes of creating products in EGD is to help solve problems that lead to improved quality of life for people and communities in developing countries. The research in this dissertation presents new methods developed to help engineers understand, predict, and improve the social impact of their products. Chapter 2 introduces the Product Impact Metric, a simple metric engineers can use to quantify their products impact on improving the quality of life of impoverished individuals in developing countries. Chapter 3 introduces a method that engineers can use to create product-specific social impact metrics and models. These models are used to predict the social impacts of an expanded US-Mexico border wall on immigrants, border patrol officers, and local communities. Chapter 4 shows a method that allows engineers to create social impact models for individuals within a population. Using data available through online databanks and census reports, the author predicts the social impact of a new semi-automated cassava peeler on farmers in the Brazilian Amazon. In Chapter 5, the author presents a method for engineers to optimize a product according to its social impact on multiple stakeholders. Inspired by existing literature on multi-stakeholder decision making, eight different optimization problem formulations are presented and demonstrated in an example with the cassava peeler. Chapter 6 presents the author's experience in co-designing a semi-automated cassava with the Itacoatiara Rural Farming Cooperative. The peeler was designed and built by the author and is used as the example in Chapters 4 and 5. Finally, Chapter 7 shows the conclusions the author has in completing this research. Comments are made as to the difficulties encountered in this research (specifically data quality and validation), and the author makes suggestions of possible future work.

Understanding the social impacts of tourism is important as it enables tourism managers and developers to manage the impacts toward fostering vital community support for the industry. More so the distinction between the tangible and intangible social impacts can refine tourism management, development and marketing processes. The measurement and management of these impacts are fairly straight forward in developed countries. However in developing countries, such as South Africa, more challenges exist in identifying and managing their impacts to the benefit of a wider community. South Africa has one of the most unequal distributions of income in the world as well as a very high unemployment rate which all complicates the understanding and management of these impacts. All factors taken into account create prevailing socio-political, economic as well as cultural barriers. This translates into community members not necessarily obtaining tangible benefits from the tourism industry such as increased levels of income, job creation and infrastructure development for instance, which is the ideal situation. The social exchange theory explains that these residents might as a result deter their support for the tourism industry. However it is important to determine which types of benefits will lead to increased levels of community support and therefore the following research questions can be formulated: “What are the tangible and intangible social impacts of tourism on communities and how strong is the role they play in fostering community support for the tourism industry?” Therefore the primary goal of this thesis was to conduct a critical assessment of the social impacts of tourism on selected communities with reference to the tangible and intangible impacts. This primary goal was reached through the achievement of four objectives. The first objective was a critical analysis of literature pertaining to sociology and how communities perceive tourism from a sociological perspective. The review analysed communities’ roles in tourism, barriers that hinder them from partaking in the industry as well as recommendations that were made to overcome the barriers. The term “social impact” as well as models that explain how and why social impacts take place, were analysed. This objective provided a foundation for the rest of the study in terms of social impacts of tourism on communities. The second objective was to critically analyse the social impacts that originate as a result of tourism activity, but to interpret it from a tangible contrasted with intangible point of view. This was done in order to create a better understanding what role tangible and intangible social impacts play, as well as how strong a role it plays in influencing community perceptions. The third objective was to determine the residents’ perceptions of tangible and intangible social impacts of tourism on three tourism dependent communities in South Africa as well as to determine the variables that influence the perceptions of these impacts. This was done with the aim of creating a model for measuring the tangible and intangible social impacts of tourism which will allow for improved marketing and managing of tourism in South African communities. The distinction between the tangible and intangible social impacts of tourism in mind, a selfadministered questionnaire was distributed in three tourism-dependent communities in South Africa by means of probability sampling within stratified sampling. The communities included in the research were Clarens (n=251), Soweto (n=375) and Jeffreys Bay (n=417). The questionnaires were captured in Microsoft Excel and analysed in the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS v 20.0.0), while the software package, Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS v 21.0.0) was utilised for the Structural Equation Model (SEM). The analysis of the data was done over three phases. The first phase was exploratory research which included the use of two-way frequency tables for compiling a combined community profile as well as two Exploratory Factor Analyses to explore the ways in which tangible and intangible social impacts can be grouped. In the second phase, Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) revealed the theoretical model with four reliable tangible social impacts and two reliable intangible impacts. The tangible social impacts included: environmental improvement; environmental degradation; cost of daily living; and economic improvement while the intangible social impacts included: community upliftment and pride and community protection and education. The intangible social impact, community upliftment and pride was perceived as the most important impact, thus revealing the power of intangible social impacts for fostering community support for tourism. Significant to this study it was found that community members remained supportive of the industry, even if they are not directly involved in it. It was furthermore found that the communities are not homogenous which holds major implications for tourism planners and managers. This resulted in further analyses to compare the communities. Analyses were done in order to determine the influence of variables such as tourism perceptions, involvement in the tourism industry as well as residents’ levels of education on the perceptions of the tangible and intangible social impacts of tourism. Very few instances were found where these aspects acted as strong predictors of the perceptions of tangible and intangible social impacts of tourism. During the third and final phase, a model was developed for measuring the relationships between the tangible and intangible social impacts of tourism. This innovative model has been optimised so that it can be applied to other tourism dependents communities in South Africa. This model can thus assist tourism planners and managers to understand the tangible and intangible impacts as a result of tourism in the designated communities as well as how these communities will perceive the impacts. This model thus serves as a tool for maximising the positive social impacts created by tourism and minimising the negative, thus contributing to the sustainable development of the industry. The last objective was to draw conclusions and make recommendations with regard to the objectives of the study. The contributions of the study were also discussed as part of this objective. It was determined that this study makes multiple contributions towards social impact literature in tourism, towards the applicable methodology of determining social impacts in developing countries as well as practical contributions that will inform future planning and development in communities. This thesis firstly contributed towards the literature by distinguishing between tangible and intangible social impacts within a tourism and developmental context. These categorised social impacts can also be used in future research as it contributes to the research methodology through the development of a questionnaire that can measure the tangible and intangible social impacts of tourism within a South African context. This measuring instrument can also be used in future research. The finding which revealed that the intangible element (community upliftment and pride) was the most important to local residents has implications for tourism planning and development. It is therefore a factor that should be taken into account in future research. There are also several practical implications for tourism marketers, managers and developers. The development of the tangibleintangible impact model provides the latter with an instrument that can be used to measure and effectively manage the various social impacts of tourism. It is clear that communities cannot be seen as homogeneous, therefore individual planning should be done based on the character and composition of the applicable communities. / PhD (Tourism Management), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014