The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of variations in the day care environment on linguistic and social-emotional development of pre-school children in Singapore after home background has been taken into account. This study examined differences in the environment of 16 day care centres. Characteristics of the environment were assessed by the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale, ECERS (Harms & Clifford, 1980) and the Target Child Method of Observation, TCM (Sylva, Roy & Painter, 1980). The ECERS measured the physical and programmatic features of day care centres and produced a total 'quality' score and seven subscale scores. These consisted of assessments of personal care and routines, furnishing and display, language-reasoning experiences, fine and gross motor activities, creative activities, social development and adult needs provided in day care centres. This rating scale was validated in Singapore and discriminant validity was established. Reliability was also obtained before proceeding with the assessment of the day care environments. The TCM investigated the interactive features of day care centres and consisted of typical activities and social interactions experienced by children. Inter-observer reliability was established and child behaviours were systematically observed and coded for 12,800 thirty-second intervals. Day care effects were investigated by assessing children at two time points. A pre-test,consisting of linguistic and social-emotional assessments, was conducted on 122 pre-school aged children at the beginning of the year and a post-test administered towards the end of the year. Data analysis was conducted by regressing these outcomes on the ECERS measure of the day care environment. T-test analyses were also conducted to investigate differences in typical child behaviours (as nasured by the TCM) between 'high' progress centres and 'low' progress centres. Child characteristics and home background variables were included in the analyses to control for possible confounding of the effects of the day care environment on children's outcomes. This study found that total centre 'quality' and specific subscales on the ECERS were related to some aspects of linguistic and social emotional development of children. Results also suggested that certain child activities and social interaction were associated with higher progress in language development.

This study sought to unravel and explain the transport related challenges faced by low-income residents of Southlea Park in Harare, Zimbabwe, and the resultant social exclusion that these residents were facing. The study was therefore inspired by the common struggles, hurdles and challenges faced by the Southlea Park residents in their commuting life. A single case study research design focusing on the residents of Southlea Park was adopted for the research. The study was, therefore, qualitative. Key informants from the relevant line ministries and transport parastatals, including the Zimbabwe United Passenger Company, the National Railways of Zimbabwe, the Vehicle Inspection Department, and the City of Harare (CoH) were taken as the research participants. From the private sector, key informants from commuter omnibus (kombis) operators, private bus operators and the unregistered taxicab (Mushikashika) were also taken as study participants as these were key players in the provision of transport to residents of Southlea Park. Semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation were the main data collection techniques. This study revealed that the residents of Southlea Park in Harare were being socially excluded and marginalized from economic and social participation due to the numerous transport related challenges they were facing. These challenges emanated from the misuse of land and corruption in the suburb that led to the spaces meant for business activities, schools and hospitals being taken up by houses hence forcing the residents to look for these services elsewhere. The players in the provision of public transport in the city were also significantly contributing to the transport related challenges faced by residents as they themselves were failing to cope with the levels of congestion, transport shortages, lawlessness on the part of the transport providers and the commuters themselves, and the heightened transport related corruption bedeviling the city. This study had a lot of policy implications for the players in the provision of transport to this suburb, including the need for a transport strategy and an overall integrated policy and master plan for further development of Southlea Park and other residential areas in the city’s fringes / Dissertation (MSocSci (Development Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Anthropology and Archaeology / MSocSci (Development Studies) / Unrestricted

Essentialist thinking refers to the intuition that category membership and category-specific features are caused by an internal, invisible, essence. Across three studies, we investigated essentialism from a developmental, a cognitive, and a social perspective. In the first study, using a structured interview, we investigated whether Canadian children aged 5-to-8 hold an essentialist view of national identity, and whether their view differs from that of American children. Compared to older children, younger Canadian children were more likely to believe that Canadian identity was biologically based, and that traits associated with Canadian identity were heritable. However, we found no differences between Canadian and American children in terms of essentialist thinking. In the next study, we tested whether adults obscure their essentialist thinking and whether it may be unveiled by cognitive demand. We presented participants with a switched-at-birth paradigm where some participants were under time pressure and others were not. We found that adults under time pressure were more essentialist about national identity and gender than adults not under time pressure, though we saw no effect on race. This suggests that adults obscure their essentialist thinking, but it can be unveiled during cognitive demand. Finally, we assessed whether essentialist thinking is associated with addiction stigma. We presented participants with fictional news articles about scientific studies to prime either essentialist or anti-essentialist views about addiction. Both participants’ biological and non-biological essentialism were associated with addiction stigma, with the latter being a stronger correlate. This suggests that the extent to which individuals view addiction as a fundamentally distinct category has more impact on stigma than whether adults view addiction as genetically based. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Essentialism is the human intuition that category membership is caused by an internal, invisible, source. Humans treat category members as if there is something deep inside them that makes them who they are. Across three chapters, we investigated whether people are essentialist about social categories, and the subsequent consequences. In the first study, we showed that younger children, more than older children, believed in an internal, Canadian, essence. There was no difference between Canadian and American children in how they viewed national identity. Next, we demonstrated that adults are more essentialist about social categories like national identity and gender when they are under time pressure. Finally, we showed that thinking about addiction as a biologically based and distinct category is associated with addiction stigma.

The goal of this study was to analyse and describe the content of the National Drug Master Plan 2006-2011 (NDMP2) from a social development perspective. In order to achieve this goal, a quantitative research approach was adopted to determine objectively whether indicators of social development are encapsulated in the manifest content of the NDMP2. To this end a cross-sectional survey research design guided the study. A checklist, as a data collection instrument, was developed and utilised to collect data. The validity, that is face and content validity, and reliability (r = 0.98) of the checklist, was confirmed. From the raw data, descriptive statistics, specifically frequencies and percentages, were calculated. Three different genres of policy analysis were undertaken to answer the following research question: “Is the content of the NDMP2 in accordance with a social development perspective?” The key finding of the study was that, holistically interpreted, the NDMP2 is in accordance with a social development perspective because all ten the identified dimensions of a social development theoretical framework, i.e. capital development, innovation, integrated service delivery strategy, intervention by social service professionals, levels of service delivery, mandate, partnerships, principles, a rights-based approach and target groups, are captured in the content of the policy, albeit with different prominence. In addition, it was found that the NDMP2 has specific limitations due to the exclusion of several indicators of social development. It was concluded that the content of the NDMP2 has both strengths and limitations, when interpreted from a social development perspective. Amongst the strengths of the NDMP2 are the following: a multi-sectoral approach; bridging of the micro-macro divide; and provision for vulnerable groups, with the emphasis on the youth and children. The limitations of the NDMP2 are that its strategic framework fails to give equal weight to harm reduction strategies, alongside demand and supply reduction strategies; economic capital development is totally omitted; clear indicators for the monitoring and evaluating of policy are absent; treatment, as a level of service delivery, receives the most attention at the expense of prevention, early intervention and aftercare and reintegration services; a human-rights approach towards service delivery is not adequately emphasised; and, lastly, the NDMP2 does not make provision for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people as a vulnerable group. To align future National Drug Master Plans (i.e. NDMP 2012-2016) with a social development approach, the recommendations are, amongst others, to ensure equal attention is given to demand, supply and harm reduction strategies; to include economic capital development in the service delivery framework; to illuminate clear indicators for policy evaluation purposes; to provide equal weight to all levels of service delivery; and to ensure a human-rights approach to service delivery is clearly delineated. Future research could compare the content of all the National Drug Master Plans in South Africa as valuable insights could be obtained about the development of such policies and the alignment of these plans with a social development approach. Copyright / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

In exploring current responses to crime, particularly youth involvement in gangs, this thesis examines two approaches: Crime Prevention through Social Development (CPSD) and risk-based prevention. The former is associated with the provision of socially-designed measures to address and eliminate the risk factor associated with persistent offending. The latter, however, refers to the implementation of risk management and statistical assessment to manage the risk factor associated with persistent offending. In light of these two approaches, this thesis examines a debate which purported that crime prevention practices has wholly shifted away from an emphasis on CPSD towards risk-based prevention. This thesis also examines the opposing debate which explains that CPSD and risk-based prevention have emerged into a balanced approach. Taking into account 19 youth gang prevention projects in Canada, the above debates are investigated. Drawing from the analysed project, this thesis concludes that, the crime prevention practices of the analyzed projects significantly rely on risk-based prevention. As a result, the approaches of CPSD still exist in rhetoric and in practice however, its influence on crime prevention initiatives is very limited. Hence, current approaches neither reflect a total shift away from CPSD nor a balanced approach.

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, urbanization has been present on the global scene. The phenomenon urbanization causes people to move from agricultural areas to cities which contain a higher population density. This has an influence on a municipality level in several ways. Sweden is a decentralized unitary nation and therefore the responsibility for different sorts of welfare services are provided by the municipalities. However, population decline in rural municipalities has led to some difficulties. These rural municipalities are facing challenges when trying to provide and afford their citizens with a satisfactory public service. This paper aims to examine this particular social development and reveal which factors have an impact on population growth in Swedish municipalities 2006-2016. It also studies the correlation and level of explanation of these factors by a bivariate correlation analysis and a multivariate regression analysis. The results suggest that agglomeration effects, job opportunities and commuting are the main factors that impact population growth, and which have had a significance during the chosen time period. In conclusion, this study shows that there are several variables that need to be considered regarding social development in rural municipalities in Sweden to ensure the standard of welfare services.

Despite its economic growth, South Africa continues to face social challenges such as inequality, unemployment and poverty. In response to these challenges, the South African government has instituted a number of intervention strategies which include the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). The aim of this research study was to explore the perceptions of stakeholders regarding the contributions made by the EPWP towards alleviating the above mentioned social challenges. Their perceptions about the challenges and opportunities to improve the programme were also explored. An exploratory-descriptive approach rooted within a qualitative paradigm was used in the study and the participants were selected using purposive-convenient sampling method. The sample consisted of fourteen participants of whom four were EPWP managers and ten EPWP beneficiaries. Data was collected through semi-structured interview schedules and analysed using the thematic content analysis. The findings of the study indicated that the Expanded Publics Works Programme (EPWP) is contributing to social development not only of the beneficiaries of the programme, but also of communities in which the EPWP projects are being implemented. The EPWP projects have enabled beneficiaries to earn a salary in the form of stipends, acquire and perfect skills such as plumbing, and to gain work experience. The stipend, though minimum, is helping them meet their basic needs while skills development improve their chances of getting better and more permanent jobs and to be self-employed. However, challenges such as failure to accommodate people living with disabilities and lack of skills training in some of the EPWP projects are curtailing the programme’s effectiveness.

The primary purpose of this study was to ascertain how senior government officials employed within the Department of Social Development in South Africa perceived the social development approach to social welfare. The study was confined to the national Department of Social Development and nine senior government officials were interviewed, all of them employed in different work streams but related to social development policy development. A semi-structured interview schedule comprising of open-ended questions was utilised to collect information. A deductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The main findings that emerged from the study were that senior managers employed within the national Department of Social Development had a good understanding of the social development approach to social welfare. They were familiar with the key characteristics, goals, strategies and linkages between social and economic development. Senior government officials also noted progress with the implementation of the social development approach and identified that social policies were largely aligned to this approach. In terms of challenges, senior government officials identified a range of challenges impacting on the implementation of the social development approach and this ranged from the lack of a common understanding of social development within broader government, inappropriate social service workforce, poor coordination and integration, inadequate leadership and an inadequate monitoring and evaluation system to measure social development progress. Senior government officials identified a range of suggestions to improve on the implementation of the social development approach. One of the suggestions was the development of an overarching social development strategic framework to guide the social development approach and acknowledge it as government’s chosen approach to social welfare. Many suggestions related to enhancing the capabilities of social service professionals and this included the development of a social service policy framework, enhanced engagement between higher education institutions and the Department of Social Development to ensure relevant curriculum. The findings of the study recommends a series of interventions to be implemented by the national Department of Social Development such as the development of an overarching social development strategic framework as suggested by senior government officials, an audit of policies to assess alignment with the social development approach and a review of its’ consultation processes. The findings of the study identify a need to replicate this research at provincial level to ascertain how the social development approach is understood and implemented at the point of service delivery.

The workplace, in general, has been perceived as a comparatively violence-free environment. There have been many studies conducted on workplace violence in the helping profession in health-related occupations that involve substantial contact with clients, such as pre-hospital care, emergency medicine and nursing. However, there is a paucity of research that has explored the social workers’ experiences of workplace violence in South Africa. Workplace violence inflicted on employees may come from both internal sources, such as co-workers, and clients and external sources, such as robbers or muggers. A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 15 social workers from the Limpopo Department of Social Development in the Waterberg District. The study endeavoured to explore the experiences of social workers regarding workplace by external parties. Seven overarching themes and a number of sub-themes emerged from a detailed Thematic Content analysis. The themes highlighted a wide range of psychosocial factors associated with workplace violence. The themes examined are, namely: psychosocial effects on social workers, workplace resources and environment, management of workplace violence and human supervision, and types of workplace violence. The main finding of the study highlighted a lack of organisational resources that contributed to workplace violence and led to frustrations experienced by clients and social workers. This report concludes with a brief discussion of the psychosocial impact of workplace violence and recommendations.

The mandate of the Department of Social Development (DSD) is to provide welfare services. These services are targeted at every citizen in South Africa and most importantly the vulnerable and poor people of South Africa. In order to ensure that it fulfills its mandate, the Department of Social Development (DSD) has put in place a Performance Management System which seeks to ensure that the deliverables are achieved effectively and efficiently. It is often argued that services for the poor are sometimes poor services, yet government devotes ample resources to improve these services. Thus the implementation of Performance Management System is strategically geared at improving service delivery in government departments. The Department of Social Development (DSD) is one of those departments that have implemented the Performance Management System but the results reveal that it has not achieved the expected outcomes, There is heightened job dissatisfaction, poor performance and low morale. The study sought to investigate the perceived impact of the performance management system on service delivery. The primary aim of the study was to investigate the contributions of the performance management system of the Department of Social Development (DSD) in enhancing the delivery of social services. The study employed a qualitative approach and it was exploratory in nature. The study population consisted of social workers and managers. In addition, there were key informants drawn from the Human Resource section. A total of 15 participants and 2 key informants were selected using purposive sampling. Semi-structured interview schedules were used to collect data. There were separate interview schedules for social workers as well as the managers. Face to face interviews were conducted with all the participants. The collected data was analysed using thematic content analysis. Ethical considerations were adhered to, as the researcher observed and adhered to conducting the investigation without bringing harm to participants and allowing the participants free will to choose to participate in the study. The major findings revealed that there is no common understanding of what performance management is. The study revealed that the performance management system utilised in the DSD had a negative impact on service delivery. All the participants identified the performance management system as a management tool. Various challenges that undermine the effectiveness of the performance management system were identified. These challenges include the role of supervision was identified as being suppressed as proper supervision did not take place and political interference was also identified as a challenge that undermined the effectiveness of system. The work output of social workers was affected by these various challenges.