Text in English / Although the participation of students at institutions of higher learning in South Africa is increasing, student dropout remains a challenge. Student dropout is influenced by a variety of factors, some of which are psychological. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of adjustment and sense of belonging on students’ intention to dropout of university. The study comprised of three distinctive objectives. The first objective of the study was to examine the relationship between sense of belonging, adjustment and students’ intention to drop out of university. Second, the study sought to test whether sense of belonging and adjustment would predict students’ intention to dropout of university. Finally, the study sought to test whether students’ socioeconomic status would moderate the relationship between sense of belonging and intention to dropout of university. The sample for the study consisted of 955 students enrolled for undergraduate programmes for the 2018 academic year. Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression and moderation analysis were used to test hypotheses stated in the study. The findings revealed a statistically significant relationship between sense of belonging, adjustment and the intention to dropout. The findings also confirmed that sense of belonging and adjustment predict the intention to dropout. However, the study could not prove the hypothesis that socioeconomic status moderates the relationship between sense of belonging and the intention to dropout. Nevertheless, the findings of this study highlighted the importance of psychological factors on undergraduate students’ academic success. Thus, universities should consider initiating programmes that will address students’ psychological challenges throughout their enrolment at university to improve student retention and rates of graduation. / Psychology / M.A.(Psychology with Specialization in Research Consultation)

The thesis maps the ways of participation of Russian-speaking mothers on the Czech civil society. By means of in-depth interviews I learn what factors are required for the integration of the migrants and what make the integration difficult. I focus on fulfillment of the need of belonging to Czech civil society in the context of all other needs. The sense of belonging is specific for women because of their gender-dependent family role - a woman takes care of children and comes more often to contact with Czech society through them. She also assumes the role of a protector of the original culture and mother tongue. I study the influence of the ethnic identity of mothers on the integration of their children into the new environment and the role of the mothers in the upbringing of a new citizen. I also study whether the migrants need services of Czech and migrant non-profit organizations for their participation on Czech civil society, or whether they use help of their countrymen. Keywords: Integration, participation, civil society, Russian-speking migrant mother, sense of belonging, identity

Research has shown that female students experience discrimination and prejudice in male-dominated higher education, which in turn could result in a lower sense of belonging. This study collected data from 53 female students in different majors and countries with the help of two surveys (one in Swedish and one in English). The aim of the study was to highlight the experience of women in male-dominated education. The survey had statements that the participants were asked to rate on a five-point Likert scale and open-ended questions where they were encouraged to write based on their own experience with discrimination and prejudice. The results were analyzed with thematic analysis and with Spearman’s rho correlations. The findings support the hypothesis that women experience discrimination and prejudice in male-dominated education. Both male classmates and male professors have acted in a discriminating way and have questioned women’s abilities. However, the female students rated the instances as “not severe”. The findings found no support for the hypothesis that female students would feel a lack of belonging. Further measures are needed in order to eliminate discriminatory behavior (e.g., hire more female professors, equality education for all professors). / Forskning har visat att kvinnliga studenter upplever diskriminering och fördomar i mansdominerad högre utbildning, vilket kan resultera i en lägre känsla av tillhörighet. Den här studien samlade in data från 53 kvinnliga studenter i olika huvudämnen och länder med hjälp av två enkäter (en på svenska och en på engelska). Syftet med studien var att belysa kvinnors upplevelser i mansdominerad utbildning. Enkäten hade påståenden som deltagarna ombads betygsätta på en femgradig Likert skala och öppna frågor där de uppmuntrades skriva baserat på deras egna upplevelser av diskriminering och fördomar. Resultaten analyserades med tematisk analys och med Spearman’s rho korrelationer. Resultaten ger stöd för hypotesen att kvinnor upplever diskriminering och fördomar i mansdominerad utbildning. Både manliga klasskamrater och manliga professorer hade agerat på ett diskriminerande sätt och ifrågasatt kvinnors förmågor. Däremot värderade de kvinnliga studenterna händelserna som ”inte allvarliga”. Resultaten fann inget stöd för hypotesen att kvinnliga studenter skulle känna brist på tillhörighet. Vidare åtgärder krävs för att eliminera diskriminerande beteende (till exempel anställa mer kvinnliga professorer, jämställdhetsutbildning för alla professorer).

The purpose of this study was to understand how a sense of belonging contributes to graduation persistence among nontraditional Hispanic college students. The collectivist culture among these adult learners often results in family and work obligations that curtail their pursuit of higher education. The voices of these students are mostly absent in the current literature and warrant the current research study. Sense of belonging and retention theory formed the conceptual framework for this phenomenological study. A purposeful sample of 16 nontraditional Hispanic students enrolled in a 2-year community college in Southwest Texas participated in interviews. Data analysis focused on themes from the participants' responses to a series of open-ended questions. Four themes emerged: financial difficulties, college schedules, flexibility in work-school schedule, and family obligations. From the perspectives of these students, their basic needs did not differ from the needs of the traditional college students enrolled in 2-year community college; however, they perceived their access to the college's resources and services seemed to be greater than that of traditional students. These findings suggest that, in order to support nontraditional Hispanic students, institutions must provide access to support services beyond the business-hour model.

Student sense of belonging in universities is tied to increased retention rates and satisfaction with university experience. However, international students may be experiencing low levels of belonging, especially with American students. From a survey that asked students about their sense of belonging to the university, with American students, and with other international students, it was found that ethnic background had an impact on the level of belonging and connection. Through interviews with four Chinese females and two Caucasian males, further information was gathered about their experiences that contributed to or inhibited their sense of belonging. Themes such as discrimination, levels of English fluency, and participation in groups on campus emerged as some factors for why some students felt a high sense of belonging when others felt a low sense of belonging. Suggestions for how to improve university services to increase sense of belonging were addressed at the end of the study.

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No description available.

Al identificar una necesidad creciente de atención al adulto mayor, corroborada por estadísticas nacionales donde se estudian sus condiciones laborales, de salud, sociales, entre otras, se halló de suma importancia la creación de un espacio nuevo dedicado exclusivamente a la población adulta mayor en Lima, y que se diseñe específicamente para ellos, ya que los centros actuales son en su mayoría remodelaciones de edificios antiguos que originalmente tenían otros usos, y que por lo tanto la arquitectura no responde directamente a las funciones requeridas. Asimismo, este nuevo edificio deberá brindar los siguientes 4 servicios esenciales: alojamiento y servicios básicos de vivienda, atención médica geriátrica, zonas para el desarrollo de funciones cognitivas y psicológicas, y por último el diseño de zonas sociales y recreacionales. El proyecto busca por lo tanto reunir en un edificio los espacios necesarios para que las personas adultas mayores reciban, además de alojamiento, una atención integral y multidisciplinaria de triple aspecto: físico, mental y social; con la finalidad de promover en ellos hábitos saludables que aumenten su calidad de vida, sentido de pertenencia, salud mental y física y su reintegración con la sociedad. / By identifying a growing need for care for the elderly, corroborated by national statistics where their working, health, social, and other conditions are studied, the creation of a new space dedicated exclusively to the elderly population in Lima can be easily seen as of utmost importance. The building must be designed specifically for them, since the actual elderly centers spotted in Lima are mainly adaptations of old houses that originally had other uses, and therefore the architecture does not respond directly to the required functions. Likewise, this new building must provide the following 4 essential services: housing and basic housing services, geriatric medical care, areas for the development of cognitive and psychological functions, and finally the design of social and recreational areas. The project therefore seeks to gather in a building the necessary spaces for the elderly to receive, in addition to accommodation, a comprehensive and multidisciplinary care of triple aspect: physical, mental and social; with the purpose of promoting in them healthy habits that increase their quality of life, sense of belonging, mental and physical health and especially their re-integration with society. / Tesis

This study investigates the correlation between Millennial workers' sense of belonging and a company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Bearing in mind the gap in academic research on the introspective impact CSR has on a company’s employees, this study aims to explore how the Millennial workers at one of the biggest banking and insurance companies operating in Bulgaria understand and relate to companies’ philanthropic endeavours. To do so, this paper has used a theoretical framework, which combines four pillars that interact with and amplify one another. Two of them are empirical and present CSR and the Millennials as a generation. The other two are theoretical with social identity theory (SIT), which explains the sense of belonging innate to the Millennials, and corporate citizenship and shareholder value theory, which represent the polar opposites of what CSR should be about. As such, the thesis probes the hypotheses that, on one hand, if a company engages in genuine CSR initiatives, this will lead to an increased sense of belonging from the Millennial employees. However, on the other hand, if the company engages in greenwashing instead, this will lead to a diminished sense of belonging in the target group.  The findings infer that the Millennial workers at the banking and insurance company have strong opinions favouring their company utilizing genuine CSR practices. In addition, the majority of them have shared that if the company started utilizing CSR as means of greenwashing, this would lead to their overall disappointment and a diminished sense of association with the employer. However, the data has also shown that there might be different reasons for why people are joining CSR initiatives. These findings were produced with the help of mixed-method research combining quantitative survey plus qualitative semi-structured individual and focus group interviews.

[pt] Este estudo teve como objetivo investigar a relação entre o sentido de vida e a pertença à família militar com os níveis de bem-estar de esposas de militares do Exército Brasileiro. A amostra selecionada para este estudo foi composta por 395 mulheres, esposas de militares do Exército Brasileiro, acima de 18 anos. Elas responderam a três escalas que mensuram: o sentido de vida, o sentido de pertença ao grupo e os níveis de bem-estar. Foram realizadas análises de regressão para investigar as relações entre o sentido de vida e o sentido de pertença ao grupo com os níveis de bem-estar. Nos resultados obtidos mediante a regressão, identificou-se que o sentido de pertença ao grupo e a presença de sentido de vida contribuem para explicar 9 por cento das emoções positivas e 15 por cento das relações positivas. Foi observado que o sentido de pertença ao grupo, a presença de sentido de vida e o trabalho foram antecedentes dos níveis de engajamento e da realização, explicando 17 por cento do engajamento e 16 por cento de realização. Além disso, as dimensões sentido de pertença de grupo e presença de sentido de vida não atuaram como antecedentes dos níveis de emoções negativas. / [en] This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the meaning of life and belonging to the military family with the levels of well-being of wives of soldiers in the Brazilian Army. The sample selected for this study was composed of 395 women, wives of soldiers in the Brazilian Army, over 18 years old. They responded to three scales that they measured: the meaning of life, the sense of belonging to the group and the levels of well-being. Regression analyzes were carried out to investigate the relationship between the meaning of life and the sense of belonging to the group with the levels of well-being. In the results obtained through the regression, it was identified that the sense of belonging to the group and the presence of a meaning of life contribute to explain 9 percent of positive emotions and 15 percent of positive relationships. It was observed that the sense of belonging to the group, the presence of a sense of life and work were antecedents of the levels of engagement and achievement, explaining 17 percent of engagement and 16 percent of achievement. In addition, the dimensions sense of belonging to a group and presence of meaning of life did not act as antecedents of the levels of negative emotions.