In the last decade Zimbabwe has faced serious political, social and economic challenges which have affected the ordinary citizen. Among the economic challenges is the rapid growth of the informal economy which has become the main employer for most people. This growth is attributable to the shrinking formal economy which has left many people jobless and fighting to survive. The alternative is the informal economy which is accommodating millions of Zimbabweans providing a source of income and form of livelihood. Women tend to be overrepresented in the informal economy and among them is a sub-group of women who head households. Women headed households are among the poorest people in the world. The aim of this study was to determine and explore how the informal economy impacts on social and economic development of women headed households. This aim was realised through contextualizing WHH within a social and economic development framework; determining the nature and extent of the informal economy in Zimbabwe; conducting an empirical study which explored and determined the impact made by the informal economy in the social and economic development of WHH in Chegutu urban area of Zimbabwe and research findings, conclusions and recommendations were made to support women involved in the informal economy. A qualitative approach was utilised in the study and the case study was used as the research design. Data was gathered by means of semi-structured interviews. The targeting and snowball sampling methods were used to identify respondents. Findings from the study indicated that women headed households in the informal economy benefit from the sector. They are self-employed, it is their main source of income, main form of livelihood which caters for all their household necessities, it brings in sustainable livelihood and it has enhanced their self-esteem and economic independence. The informal economy however, posits many challenges for women headed households. For instance it creates many health and economic hardships. The informal economy lacks security, organisation, recognition, social protection and legal representation. There is lack of government and institutional support and resources are inaccessible to most women headed households. The study concluded that integrated social and economic development is the key to the eradication of poverty. Opportunities for active participation in the economy combined with sound social policy are critical for the empowerment of women headed households. Based on the findings and conclusions, recommendations were made to the government, municipality and NGOs to be more supportive of women headed households. This can be done by forming partnerships that focus on skills development to enhance human capital, develop poverty eradication strategies that are informed by social development framework, creating awareness of resources through information centres, subsidising education, medical care and rentals and engaging financial institutions to offer capital and credit facilities. / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Masters of Commerce / Rwanda is characterised as a low-income country amongst the poorest on the African continent.Poverty in Rwanda has been persistent for a long period of time and it was made worse by the genocide that took place in 1994 and claimed over a million people. Although a variety of social policies, both home-grown and foreign, have been adopted since 1994 by the government of Rwanda to try and alleviate poverty, none has up to now succeeded to get rid of the povertyconflict trap, partly because they are all means tested. It should be noted here that Rwanda’s situation needs a universal approach in order to help ameliorate the current poverty level which is now at 60 percent, and the rising inequality. The researcher, when investigating a universal approach to use, suggested that a UIG could be the appropriate social policy option for Rwanda.Rwanda has set itself goals through its Vision 2020 and the EDPRS to have changed the country’s position by the year 2020 from being categorised as a low-income country into a middle-income country like South Africa. However, for this to be possible, economic growth must be robust. An annual growth rate of 7 percent needs to be maintained. It also means that the current per capita annual income of $290 needs to be increased to $900. The researcher concurs with these developmental goals but at the same time cautions policy makers that although growth is necessary, it should not crowd out redistributive justice.There seems to be a strong argument that development approaches which focus on income transfers are more prudent in attaining economic development and poverty reduction than those whose sole intention is to attain economic growth. Although policies that pursue economic growth usually lead to inequalities in the societies, governments should take it upon themselves to ensure that there are also counter measures that will reduce poverty at the same time.The researcher in this dissertation advocates for a universal income grant financed by an increase in indirect taxes supplemented by foreign aid as the best approach towards poverty alleviation in Rwanda. It must be noted that dependency on foreign aid is not sustainable in the long-term.There is a need to come up with measures of utilizing the already existing foreign aid in alleviating poverty and also to take care of future uncertainties when the foreign aid has been stopped.In order for Rwanda to break out of the poverty–conflict trap, it needs to adopt social policies that are geared towards alleviating poverty and assuring growth. A UIG was chosen as a social policy option that is capable of alleviating poverty.This research had three major aims. First of all it shows the possible impact of a universal income grant (UIG) in as far as the alleviation of poverty in Rwanda is concerned. Secondly it considers how a part of the existing foreign aid could be channelled into a UIG for all, with the funding effectively being recouped from those who do need support by an increase in the indirect taxes, e.g. in VAT. Thirdly develops a micro-simulation model which could show the impact of the combination of a UIG, partly being financed out of foreign aid and partly by the increases in indirect taxes, on poverty and income distribution in Rwanda. It is clear from the analysis that if the UIG is introduced in Rwanda it will have a multiplier effect when it develops social capital,stimulate aggregate spending, increase economic activity, bring investor confidence, promote economic growth and job creation and in the end alleviate poverty.

O objetivo do presente estudo foi compreender as relações do capital e do trabalho e o novo sindicalismo, bem como, mensurar o perfil ideológico e teórico das centrais sindicais. Para tanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa com abordagem qualitativa, cujo objetivo de caráter exploratório foi atingido pela análise bibliográfica e documental, sendo possível desenvolver o tema da presente dissertação: `A relação entre empresa e sindicato e as bases das convenções coletivas da indústria do Estado de São Paulo. Como resultados foi apontado o desenvolvimento histórico do sindicalismo no Brasil, e demonstrado o surgimento da Central Única dos Trabalhadores, da Força Sindical, e da Coordenação Nacional de Lutas, sendo elas as mais influentes centrais sindicais do país, bem como, suas diferenças culturais. Em seguida definiu-se o conceito de diálogo social inserido na negociação coletiva e seus impactos no desenvolvimento social. Pontuou-se os principais conflitos sindicais das últimas décadas até os dias atuais, foi constatado além da ocorrência de conflitos, as principais reivindicações e soluções no período de 2007 a 2011 e demonstrou-se as tendências do comportamento sindical frente ao atual cenário político e econômico. Foram analisadas, a partir do Sistema Mediador do Ministério do Trabalho, 513 convenções coletivas do trabalho. Desse número delimitou-se a base em 81 convenções coletivas todas relacionadas á indústria do Estado de São Paulo. Na dissertação ficou demonstrado a relevância histórica da ação sindical em nossa sociedade, evidenciado o sindicalismo de resultado praticado pela Força Sindical e o sindicalismo ideológico da Central Única dos Trabalhadores e CONLUTAS, bem como, seus impactos e a necessidade da aplicação do diálogo social nas relações trabalhistas e sindicais visando manter o equilíbrio e a sustentabilidade diante de um instável cenário global. / The object of the following study was to understand the relations of capital and labor and the new unionism, as well as measure the ideological and theoretical profile of the union confederations. Therefore a research was done with qualitative approach, whose objective of exploratory manner was reached by the documental and bibliographic analyses, was possible to develop the theme of this dissertation: `The relationship between the company and the union and the basis of collective agreements of the State of São Paulo industry. As results we pointed the historical development of the syndicalism in Brazil, it was demonstrated the appearance of `Central Única dos Trabalhadores, `Força Sindical and the `Coordenação Nacional de Lutas the greatest and most influent labor centers in the country, as well as its cultural differences. Afterwards we defined the concept of social dialog inserted in the group negotiation and its impacts on social development. We pointed the main labor conflicts in the past few decades until the current days, we could see beyond the conflicts occurrence, the man demands and solutions in the period of 2007 to 2011 and we demonstrate the future tendencies on labor behavior facing the current political and economic scenario. Were analyzed from the Mediation System of the Ministry of Labor, 513 collective agreements work. That number was delimited on the basis of 81 collective agreements will all related industry of São Paulo. Concluded the work demonstrating the historical relevance of union activity in our society, evidenced unionism result practiced by `Força Sindical and syndicalism ideological by `Central Única dos Trabalhadores and CONLUTAS. Concluded the dissertation by demonstrating the historical relevance of labor action in our society, its impacts and need of applying the social dialog in labor and syndicalist relations aiming to keep the balance and the sustainability in the face of an unstable global scenario.

La pédagogie Montessori est une méthode d’éducation qui a été mise au point au début du siècle dernier par Maria Montessori pour des enfants d’un quartier défavorisé de Rome en Italie. Depuis sa création, elle s’est développée à la marge de l’éducation nationale et se retrouve principalement dans des écoles privées. La pédagogie Montessori devient cependant de plus en plus populaire auprès des enseignants de l’école maternelle publique. Ce récent engouement apparaît fondé à la vue de plusieurs principes de cette méthode. En effet, elle promeut l’autonomie, l’auto-régulation, la coopération entre pairs d’âges variés et l’apprentissage à partir de matériels sensoriels et auto-correctifs. Ces caractéristiques sont plutôt en accord avec les connaissances scientifiques sur l’apprentissage et le développement de l’enfant. Cependant, à ce jour, les preuves expérimentales rigoureuses de son efficacité sont limitées. Dans cette thèse, nous avons mesuré les compétences langagières, mathématiques, exécutives et sociales d’enfants d’une école maternelle, repartis aléatoirement entre des classes appliquant la pédagogie Montessori ou une pédagogie conventionnelle. Nous avons suivi leurs progrès au cours des trois années de l’école maternelle (étude longitudinale) et avons comparé les performances des enfants en fin de Grande Section (étude transversale). Nous avons également élaboré une mesure pour évaluer objectivement la qualité d’implémentation de la pédagogie Montessori dans cette école, situé dans un quartier défavorisé. Nos résultats ne montrent pas de différences entre les groupes dans les domaines des mathématiques, des compétences exécutives et des compétences sociales. Cependant, les enfants issus des classes Montessori avaient de meilleures performances en lecture que les enfants issus des classes conventionnelles en fin de Grande Section. La pédagogie Montessori apparaît donc comme adaptée à l’apprentissage de la lecture chez le jeune enfant / The Montessori method of education was created at the beginning of the last century by Maria Montessori to help children in a disadvantaged neighborhood of Rome in Italy. Although it is nowadays most commonly found in private schools, the Montessori method has gained popularity among teachers in public preschool and kindergarten in France and around the world. This popularity may appear legitimate with regards to the principles underlying the Montessori methods, which involve autonomy, self-regulation, cooperation between children from different age groups and learning with multi-sensorial and self-correcting materials. These characteristics are broadly in line with research on learning and development in young children. However, there is limited evidence for the effectiveness of the Montessori method in the scientific literature. In this thesis, we measured the linguistic, mathematical, executive and social skills of preschoolers and kindergarteners from a public school in which children were randomly assigned to classrooms in which the Montessori method was implemented or to classrooms in which a conventional teaching was used. We followed children from the first year of preschool to kindergarten (longitudinal study) and compared the performance of children at the end of kindergarten (cross-sectional study). We also developed a scale to evaluate the quality of implementation of the Montessori method in the school, located in a disadvantaged neighborhood. Our results do not show any difference between groups in terms of mathematical, executive and social skills. However, children from Montessori classrooms had better reading performance than children from conventional classrooms at the end of kindergarten. Therefore, the Montessori method appears to be well suited for developing reading skills of young children

The adoption in 1997 of the developmental approach to social welfare by the South African government has mandated a developmental role for social work in all sectors and fields, including that of local government. This approach is in line with the developmental role of municipalities. However, despite the mandate, the developmental role of social work has not yet been defined and has therefore not been widely recognised in the context of local governmental. The goal in conducting this study was to determine the developmental role of social work in the local government of the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality as defined by the social workers themselves, and as also perceived by their co-workers. Social workers and their co-workers, who were from different professional categories, comprised the two groups of respondents in this study. Purposive sampling was used to select the two respective groups from one of the CTMM departments, the Department of Health and Social Development. The goal of the study required applied research. The study itself was guided by the qualitative approach and employed a case study design. The data was collected during focus groups and one-on-one interviews, following a semi-structured schedule. The findings indicated that there was a clear understanding of the developmental role of local government, but that there was a lack of clarity as to the social workers’ developmental role. The study concluded that the confusion about the role had been caused by the lack of both appropriate training for social workers in this respect and a proper tool with which to monitor and evaluate the role, as well as the existing iv discouraging environment, none of which were conducive to a satisfactory performance by social workers. It is recommended that the job descriptions of social workers be revised to include their developmental role in the CTMM and that this be formalised in a policy. This would not only demarcate the role of social workers, but would also oblige the CTMM to create an enabling environment in which they could carry out this role. CTMM should, in collaboration with all stakeholders, explore, develop and implement a suitable monitoring and evaluating tool for the developmental role of social workers. / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Zimbabwe has been experiencing an exponential increase in the levels of household poverty because of the contraction of the formal economy. This state of affairs has resulted in a significant proportion of Zimbabweans engaging in informal sector trade to mitigate the effects of economic decline. The goal of the study was to determine the contribution of informal sector trade to poverty reduction in Rusape, Zimbabwe. The researcher adopted a qualitative research approach and the study was applied in nature as it sought to understand how poverty can be reduced through informal sector trade. The research design was a collective case study. The researcher made use of availability sampling and interviewed participants who were willing and available on a one-on-one basis. The study contextualised how informal sector trade reduces poverty within the social development approach. The study established that informal trade was a commercial enterprise that was undertaken by both men and women of all ages to sustain their households. Engagement in informal trade accorded informal traders the opportunity to be self-sufficient and to generate incomes. The incomes obtained from informal trade enabled the participants to provide for the dietary, medical, housing and educational needs of their families. The study also revealed a number of business survival strategies employed by informal traders to ensure sustainability. Findings show that rotational credit and savings schemes (ROCSS) play an important role in sustaining informal trade operations and their contribution to a reduction in household poverty. The study concluded that engagement in informal trade reduces household poverty. Recommendations include how the State can facilitate the growth of the informal sector. Furthermore, it is recommended that the social work profession should actively engage government structures and advocate for the development of the informal sector and the widespread adoption of the social development approach which reduces poverty in a sustainable manner. / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / am2014 / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

In 1994 the new democratic South Africa called for the shift in legislation and policies. Social welfare service delivery post-1994 has to be aligned with the principles and key themes of developmental social welfare heralded by the RDP (1994), the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, as well as the Copenhagen Commitments to Social Development (1995). In the social welfare sector, the White Paper for Social Welfare of 1997 was adopted as social welfare policy for South Africa. The White Paper for Social Welfare is embedded in a developmental approach and charted a new path for social welfare in the promotion of national social development. Developmental social welfare is a pro poor strategy which strives to promote a welfare system that facilitates the development of human capacity and self-reliance within a caring and enabling socio-economic environment. The goal of this study was to determine the progress of social welfare service delivery towards a developmental social welfare approach in the Vhembe district, Limpopo. A qualitative research approach was used for this study and the research design was an instrumental case study. The sample for the study was selected purposively and included 28 social workers and four supervisors from four sub-districts in the Vhembe district. Data was collected through four focus group interviews with social workers and one-on-one interviews with the supervisors. Research findings indicate that developmental social welfare service delivery in this district has progressed in terms of protective services to families and children. However, in terms of poverty reduction and sustainable livelihoods, the social service sector still lags behind. The overall conclusion is that the progress of social welfare service delivery towards the developmental approach is slow and unsatisfactory. The recommendations of this study are captured in strategies that social workers could use to promote progress in developmental social welfare service delivery, strategies suggested for supervisors to promote progress in developmental social welfare service delivery, and lastly strategies on the creation of an enabling environment. / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Social Work and Criminology / MSW / Unrestricted

På en marknad där allt fler byggnadsprojekt miljöcertifieras i samband med ökat intresse i miljö och samhällsutveckling så blir verktygen för själva certifieringen allt viktigare, men får även ökad konkurrens. Miljöbyggnad är starkt etablerat i Sverige men saknar betydelse utomlands. BREEAM-SE som är en svensk adaption av det brittiska certifieringssystemet Building Research Establishment Enviromental Assessment Method (BREEAM)är mindre vanligt i Sverige men sprider sig på marknaden runt om i världen och är ett av de större internationella systemen med en global standard.  Syftet med denna studie är att jämföra BREEAM-SE och Miljöbyggnad för att belysa deras respektive styrkor och svagheter för att se om det finns en nytta med att ha båda systemen på den svenska marknaden eller om det är mer fördelaktigt att endast nyttja ett system. En litteraturstudie har utförts genom datainsamling av manualerna för respektive system. Därefter har en intervjustudie genomförts för att samla in information från nyckelpersoner som arbetar med respektive system i olika företag. Resultaten visade att systemen är så pass olika att de inte konkurrerar med varandra i samma projekt utan är specialiserade mot olika kundgrupper som kräver skilda typer av certifieringar.  Slutsatsen är att båda systemen behövs på den svenska marknaden för att fylla de behov som finns och som respektive system inte skulle kunna uppfylla på egen hand. Huruvida något av de andra miljöcertifieringssystemen som finns på marknaden skulle vara bättre än de som undersökts i denna studie har inte undersökts i denna studie och kvarstår att besvara. / On a market where an increasing number of building projects are being subject to environmental certification as a result of the growing interest of the environment and societal development, the tools for the certifications become more important and competition from similar systems increases. Miljöbyggnad is already firmly established in Sweden but lack any significant bearing in other countries. BREEAM-SE is a Swedish adaptation of the British certification system BREEAM and is not used to the same extent in Sweden but continue to spread on a global market and is at this point one of the largest certification systems with a core system as the global standard.  The purpose with this study is to compare BREEAM-SE and Miljöbyggnad to highlight their respective strengths and weaknesses to see if there is any use to keep both systems on the Swedish market or if it would be beneficial to use one system alone.  A literature study was done through extensive data collection from the manuals for respective system. Furthermore, an interview study was done to collect information from key persons that work with respective system in various companies.  The result showed that the systems are different enough to not compete with each other on the same projects since they are specialized towards different market segments that require different systems, to get the most out of it and be beneficial.  The conclusion is that both systems are required on the Swedish market to fulfil the needs that exist since neither system can fulfil those needs on their own, as of right now. However whether other environmental certification systems that exist could be better than the systems brought up in this study, has not been investigated in the study and remains to be answered.

Studiens intention är att bidra med föreställningar om förskolan som den kan utgå från för att förbättra sin verksamhet och undervisning. Syftet är därför att synliggöra de föreställningar som finns hos några hemmaföräldrar om förskolan som arena för barns sociala utveckling i relation till deras hemmaomsorg. Utifrån syftet har två frågeställningar formulerats och dessa är följande: Vilka möjligheter och hinder föreställer sig hemmaföräldrar med förskolan som arena för barns sociala utveckling? Hur föreställer sig hemmaföräldrar att förskolan skiljer sig från hemmaomsorg i relation till barns sociala utveckling? Studiens resultat har analyserats med hjälp av det teoretiska perspektivet normkritik. Undersökningen byggs på en kvalitativ metod med gruppintervjuer som tillvägagångssätt. Resultatet utgår från tre kategorier som beskriver de huvudsakliga faktorerna som hemmaföräldrarna menar påverkar att förskolan ska kunna fungera som en arena för social utveckling. Dessa faktorer är relationsskapande och trygga anknytningar, barngruppens påverkan på barnet och förskolans styrning i relation till barnets frihet. Slutsatsen är att hemmaföräldrarna anser att det finns flera faktorer som kan hindra den sociala utvecklingen på förskolan men det finns också en förståelse för att förskolan kan vara en bra plats för de familjer som har behov av den.

The diploma thesis is related to the dance and its importance in personal and social development of individuals with specific educational needs. This thesis is theoretical- empirical. In the theoretical part there is a leisure time described as the phenomenon of today's life and a dance as the form of spending of free time from its very own beginning to current styles and techniques. The important part here are also an overview of themes of personal and social development and an explanation of the specific educational needs term. The main goal of the research is to find out what effect a dance has on the development of individuals with specific educational needs and how important it is in their lives. The main core of the research are semi-structured interviews not only with individuals but also with dance instructors who teach those people how to dance but also teach them other skills that are important in their lives. At the same time this thesis should also serve as an education of the public as most people think that disabled people have not as much free time as healthy ones because of their medical restrictions and that they cannot learn how to dance at all.