Social sustainability and sustainable communities are strongly linked to the concepts of social cohesion and social capital. Social capital arises through social networks, active citizenship, community volunteerism and taking part in social networks, which may be family, friends or associations. Through a high level of social capital, social cohesion can be fostered in communities. This is the aim of current urban policies, as cities nowadays struggle with high degrees of social segregation, fragmentation and polarisation. In an urban context these problems become visible through deprived neighborhoods, which are physically and socially isolated from the urban core. This phenomenon often goes hand in hand with ethnic segregation. These problems also emerge in Scandinavian cities, like the city of Malmö in southern Sweden. This paper will thus show what kind of policies are undertaken by the municipality to face social exclusion and to support active citizenship in the neighborhoods. This will be demonstrated with the aid of the case of the neighborhoods of Holma and Kroksbäck in the southern fringe of Malmö. In these neighborhoods, dominated by immigrants from the Middle East, former Yugoslavia and Albania, the level of trust is low and social capital is eroded. Ethnic associations thereby play an important role as the voice of local residents in collaboration with the municipality. Some examples of successfully facilitated actions by citizens’ participation in urban development by local residents- and barriers which occur will be analyzed.

The activity of Vilnius non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) working with children at risk while strengthening social cohesion is analysed in the research work. The problems of children at risk are multiplying and public institutions need help of NGO’s. General characteristics of NGO’s are reviewed and systematised in the theoretical part of the work. The legal regulation and topics of activity in strengthening social cohesion are presented in this part as well. Besides the analysis of social exclusion and its factors, the situation of children at risk in Lithuania is described and the politics of Lithuanian government in regard to children at risk is discussed.

The purpose of this research was to explore the subject of integrating philosophy of education and the goals of education in education practice at the high schools in Kenya. It is stated that the impact of education practice is hinged in the statement of philosophy of education and the goals of education which has been neglected by researchers and scholars in Kenya. An intensive literature review which was undertaken revealed that philosophy of education and the goals of education are flouted in education practice. The sources of literature review were books, journals, policy documents, dissertations, theses, newspapers, and websites. In this qualitative research, phenomenology was selected as suitable theoretical framework to situate education practice as a human activity which is shaped by philosophy of education and the goals of education. A qualitative design was used, and purposive sampling was identified to select the schools and the respondents. The respondents in this research included the school principals, teachers, education officers, board of governors, and the parents-teachers’ representatives. The main qualitative research methods involved literature review and interviews. In this study, ideograms were utilized in the process of analysing the responses acquired from the respondents. According to the respondents, the statement of philosophy of education is foreign in the high schools, but the goals of education are printed in the syllabi, and this explains why the study focused on the goals as the familiar items. The views obtained from the respondents emphasized on what is envisioned to occur at the high schools, and this explains that the students are estranged from philosophy of education. It was concluded that high school pedagogy is exposed to conflicts in relation to integrating philosophy of education and the goals of education. In this case, the study recommended the following insights to improve the process of integrating philosophy of education, the goals of education, and education practice in Kenya: The necessity of revising the content and material resources of high school syllabi to comprise the attributes of philosophy of education in pedagogical activities.  Another suggestion emphasized on restructuring evaluation strategies to integrate the attributes of social cohesion, human progress and economic development.  The final recommendation is that the teaching and learning activities are necessary to intensify knowledge transfer which articulates the attributes of philosophy of education and the goals of education. / Teacher Education / D. Ed. (Philosophy of Education))

社區意識與管理制度是促成公寓大廈管理維護集體行動的兩種途徑，前者可提升鄰里情誼與環境認同，後者可促使居住品質維持一定水準，兩者對於管理維護表現也都有所影響。透過管理維護主、客觀表現之衡量，社區意識與管理制度對於住宅管理維護有何影響？結合主、客觀二者來看，真正好的管理維護其意涵為何？較佳的管理維護表現組合（主觀滿意度高、客觀績效表現亦好）會受到哪些因素影響？乃本文所關注之焦點。 實證結果發現，社區意識與委外管理程度對於管理維護的主、客觀表現皆有正面的影響，而委外程度的重要性又稍大於社區意識，顯示在促成公寓大廈管理維護的集體行動時，制度途徑（管理制度）的效果比社會途徑（社區意識）來得好一些。此隱含著公寓大廈管理維護不但需要社區內部凝聚共識，也需要建立適宜的管理制度，此可透過專業管理公司或廠商人員給予協助，促使公寓大廈管理維護能確保一定品質。 此外，真正好的管理維護應該是「住家環境非常安全、舒適，住戶也感到很滿意」，透過實證分析可知，社區戶數愈多、屋齡愈新、決議事項執行效率愈好、社區意識凝聚情形愈佳、委外程度愈高，管理維護表現出現「較佳組合」的機率會比「較差組合」來得大。

La recherche s'est occupée des liens de solidarité qui se créent à partir d’actions bénévoles spontanées au sein d’une communauté territoriale. L’ensemble de ces liens a été traité telle une ressource sociale conceptualisable par la notion de « capital social solidaire » et ce dernier a été considéré comme un bien public pouvant favoriser le bien-être social d’une société locale. De cette ressource, nous avons tenté d'en comprendre : 1) ses spécificités ; 2) son processus de micro-fondation ; 3) ses implications théoriques pour une théorie de la société. Le premier but a été atteint en dressant la carte des actions bénévoles mises en place dans deux provinces du nord-est de l’Italie (Trente et Trévise). La carte a montré un cadre hétérogène et diffus d’actions mises en place par les principales catégories d’acteurs de la société locale. Pour analyser le processus de création, les raisons des promoteurs ont été identifiées grâce à une série d’entretiens biographiques Les résultats des entretiens montrent une pluralité de motivations qui soutiennent ces actions et les limites de la théorie du choix rationnel à les expliquer. En ce qui concerne le troisième but, la réflexion a essayé d’éclaircir la nature de bien public du capital social et son utilité pour les débats sur la société civile et sur la cohésion sociale. Cette recherche a mis en évidence, d’une part, la contribution du capital social solidaire dans la valorisation du lien social et, de l’autre, l’utilité de la notion dans les analyses du courant associationniste de la société civile et dans les modèles individualistes de type communautaire de la cohésion sociale. / The research work presented in this doctoral thesis analysed the solidaristic bonds generated by spontaneous voluntary actions within a territorial community. Such bonds form a distinctive social resource conceptualized as “solidaristic social capital”, meant as a public good that benefits the social well-being of a local society. Three main aspects of this resource were investigated: 1) its specificities; 2) the process of its micro-foundation; 3) its theoretical implications for a theory of society. As for the first aspect, a survey of voluntary actions was conducted in two provinces in North-Eastern Italy (Trento and Treviso). Data showed a variety of types of actions producing solidaristic bonds, carried out by a heterogeneous set of social groups. In order to explain the generative process of social capital, a series of biographical interviews were conducted, which shed light on the life stories of promoters of voluntary actions, as well as on the limitations of the rational choice theory in accounting for the complexity of their motivations. Finally, the main theoretical implications of the notion of social capital were discussed, focusing on its nature as a public good and on its contribution to a theory of civil society and social cohesion. On the one hand, the solidaristic social capital emerged as a source that helps strengthen social bonds. On the other, this notion might play a crucial role in the theoretical elaborations based on the associationalistic approach to civil society and on individualistic models of community type of social cohesion.

The aim of the thesis is to find the answer, whether it is plausible to monitor social cohesion of the municipality and how to measure this cohesion, which is one of the essential pillars of sustainable development. In order to find out, analysis of approaches and measurements of the sustainable development social pillar in international and Czech environment was carried out. Social pillar was identified and described also at the local level. Within the framework of the sustainable development social pillar at the municipal level three main thematic blocks are proposed: • Social environment quality of the municipality • Social-demographic population structure of the municipality • Contentment and participation in the public affairs These themes should be monitored by the set of indicators proposed in this thesis. It aimed to cover all dimensions of social cohesion which are significant and well-founded in the context of the territorial planning process. These indicators can be followed in the direct relationship with the population size and regional importance of the observed territorial unit at the local level and they are not separated from the concept of indicators monitoring at other – territorially higher – levels. Outcomes, analysis and interpretation of attained values could become the basis for the “territorial sustainable development analysis” (part of territorial planning instruments according to contemporary legal regulations), representing social pillar. All phenomenon and processes must be evaluated in the context with other sustainable development pillars and afterwards they should become another suitable instrument for measurement of the fulfilling the territorial planning aims.

O objetivo deste trabalho é propor um instrumento de medição de desempenho em Comunidades Virtuais de Aprendizagem (CVA). Para isso foram utilizadas as variáveis da teoria do capital social. Todo o trabalho está direcionado à construção de uma matriz composta pelas variáveis: (a) capital social estrutural, sob o enfoque econômico, aqui relacionado aos fatores de infra-estrutura tecnológica e utilização de ambientes virtuais, bem como às políticas de incentivo ao uso de recursos de Tecnologia da Informação; (b) capital social cognitivo, gerado por meio da criação da cultura virtual e (c) coesão social sob o enfoque ações coletivas, analisadas a partir da interação e colaboração entre seus participantes no tocante à promoção de tais ações. A pesquisa parte do pressuposto de que a geração de conhecimento em ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem está relacionada à alfabetização digital e à conseqüente utilização dos ambientes virtuais pelos participantes da comunidade em estudo. A metodologia está fundamentada na análise etnográfica do ambiente estudado, nas técnicas de coleta por meio de questionário, bem como na análise da construção de um discurso do sujeito coletivo. Uma visão estruturada dessas questões relativas ao desempenho de uma CVA está representada na Matriz do Capital Social resultante. Esta visão converge para os requisitos almejados nas análises de desempenho, ou seja para o estabelecimento de metas de gestão e a avaliação de seus resultados. / This paper has the objective of proposing a measuring tool for performances in Virtual Learning Communities (VLC). For this purpose, variables of the theory of social capital have been used. The whole work heads for the building of a matrix with the following variables: a) structural social capital under economic focus, here related to factors such as technological infra-structure and the use of virtual environments, as well as policies to encourage the use of resources of Information Technology (IT); b) cognitive social capital, generated through the creation of virtual culture, and c) social cohesion under the focus of social actions, analyzed from the point of view of the interaction and cooperation of their participants in respect to the promotion of such actions. The research starts from the presupposition that knowledge generation in virtual learning environments is related to digital literacy, and the use of virtual environments by the participants of the studied community is a consequence. The methodology is based on the ethnographic analysis of the environment under study, on the techniques of collecting data through questionnaires, as well as on the analysis of the construction of a discourse of a collective subject. A structured view of these questions related to the performance of a VLC is represented in the resulting Social Capital Matrix. This view converges to the requisites desired in the different performance analyses or, in other words, to the establishment of management goals and the assessment of their results.

This diploma thesis deals with the evaluation of the benefit of cohesion policy to reduce energy consumption and preserve an attractive environment in the Czech Republic. The aim is to determine the spatial distribution and allocation of approved financial resources from fields of support related to energy savings. The primary focus is on the Operational Programme Environment - priority axis Sustainable Use of Energy and the Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovation --priority axis Energy Efficient, which are subjects of the analysis. In conclusion is summarized current information about the form of future cohesion policy after 2013.

AKM DIEGIMO GALIMYBĖS MAŽINANT SOCIALINĘ ATSKIRTĮ LIETUVOJE SANTRAUKA Lietuvos viešoji politika, skirta socialinei atskirčiai mažinti, yra neefektyvi. Žemą Lietuvos socialinės politikos efektyvumą įtakoja nedideli finansiniai ištekliai, kuriuos LR Vyriausybė skiria socialinės politikos įgyvendinimui. Taip pat šios politikos neefektyvumą patvirtina savivaldybių socialinės veiklos statistinių rodiklių analizė. Remiantis šia analize patvirtinama, kad egzistuoja ryškūs skirtumai tarp savivaldybių, jų vykdoma socialinė politika yra deharmonizuota, vykdoma nekryptingai. Socialinės politikos efektyvumą mažina ir tai, kad Lietuvoje reglamentuota socialinių paslaugų vykdymo tvarka įtakoja regioninių skirtumų atsiradimą ir gilėjimą. Remiantis kitų ES šalių patirtimi, socialinės politikos efektyvumą gali pagerinti AKM diegimas. Siekiant mažinti socialinės politikos ydingus požymius, Lietuvoje taikoma AKM principai: geros patirties sklaida, decentralizacija, visų suinteresuotųjų įtraukimas į socialinės politikos procesus ir kt. Remiantis šiuo metodu galima apibendrintai ir tiksliai apžvelgti, efektyviai įvertinti, planuoti ir įgyvendinti valdžios institucijų ir kitų socialinės politikos dalyvių vykdomą socialinę politiką, skatinti valdžios institucijų ir bendruomenės narių bendradarbiavimą sprendžiant socialinės atskirties mažinimo klausimus ir kt. Šie AKM principai taikomi projektuose „Socialinis žemėlapis“ bei „Lietuva be atskirties ir skurdo“ (LabAS). / THE POSSIBILITIES OF OMC IN DECREASING SOCIAL EXCLUSION: THE CASE OF LITHUANIA SUMMARY Lithuanian public policy, intended to decrease social exclusion, is not effective. The effectiveness of social policy is low because Lithuanian Government intends not enough financial reservoir for implementation of social exclusion. Analyses of municipality social work indicators prove that Lithuanian social policy is not effective. This analysis confirms, that exist pronounced differences between municipalities and social policy is disharmonized and implemented in unfocussed way. Effectiveness of social policy is low because the order of pursuing social policy, regulated in Lithuania, influences increase of regional differences. On the strength of EU nation experience, implementation of OMC can improve effectiveness of social policy. On purpose to decrease flawy features of social policy, Lithuania implements principles of OMC, for instance, good practice, decentralization and cooperation of all interested parties in processes of social policy etc. On the strength of OMC, it is possible to rightly review, effectively rate, plan and implement social policy, promote collaboration between governance and community. Following principles of OMC are using in projects “Social map” and “Lithuania without exclusion and poverty” (LabAS).

Cette thèse sera l’occasion de revisiter le débat sur la cohésion sociale des immigrés en s’appuyant sur les réseaux sociotechniques numériques. La société actuelle est caractérisée par de profondes mutations du fait que les TIC (Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication) sont omniprésentes et envahissent presque tous les champs de la vie sociale. Cependant, ces mutations accélèrent et libèrent un formidable potentiel créatif de développement pour une partie de la population, excluant néanmoins les populations immigrées qui ne maîtrisent pas la langue du pays d’accueil et qui sont très éloignées de la culture TIC. Cette situation d’exclusion rend plus difficile leur intégration sociale.Ainsi se dégage notre hypothèse : les situations de pratique et d’appropriation des TIC dans les réseaux numériques réels de l’éducation populaire peuvent être un levier pour la réduction de la fracture numérique et par conséquent représenter des facteurs impactant l’intégration sociale des immigrés, très éloignés de ces technologies nouvelles. Si oui dans quelles conditions cela est-il possible ? Nous traitons cette question à partir de la relation pentagonale (appropriation des TIC, intégration sociale, dispositif sociotechnique, médiation sociale et pédagogie numérique). L’enjeu est d’étudier un cas concret. Effectivement, à partir d’un cadre empirique et spatial qu’est le quartier Belleville, nous avons montré comment les populations immigrées analphabètes ont pu acquérir un minimum de savoir-faire des TIC. Des tests inédits pour ce type de public ont permis d’évaluer les compétences : traitement de texte, maniement de l’ordinateur et navigation sur le Web.Ce travail s’inscrit dans la double nécessité d’examiner les aspects sociocognitifs de l’apprentissage des adultes très éloignés des systèmes de l’information et de la communication et de proposer de nouvelles approches pour la conception des dispositifs techniques de type espace public numérique ainsi que des usages TIC. / This thesis will allow us to take a new look at the debate on furthering the social integration of immigrants thanks to a socio-technical use of the web. Present-day society is being profoundly altered by the Technologies of Information (TIC) that are omnipresent and increasingly invasive in almost every aspect of the social field.These accelerating mutations are nonetheless liberating a powerful potential of creativity and development for a portion of the population hitherto excluded from mainline society, by the handicap of language in the case of an immigrant population, and by the lack of access to the new technology (TIC). The double exclusion facing these immigrant populations accounts for a large part of their problems with integration. Against this general background, our thesis develops the following hypothesis: mastering the new technologies of information and communication (the TIC) can become a formidable instrument for overcoming handicaps of background, language, education when appropriated within educational facilities outside the official school systems. Overcoming the digital divide can provide a shortcut to full participation in the culture and usages of the society at large. How can this be achieved? Under what conditions? We shall treat these questions via a five-pronged approach: appropriation of TIC, social integration, socio-technical devices, social mediation and digital pedagogy. Our conclusions will be based on the study of a concrete case in a specific environment.We have demonstrated how the people of Belleville, who are largely illiterate, have nonetheless been able to acquire minimal skills in the use of TIC. Tests specifically elaborated by us for this type of public allowed us to evaluate their competency in areas such as word-processing, handling the computer, and surfing on the web. Our study is conditioned by the need, both to examine the social and cognitive aspects of adult apprenticeship where the population concerned is far-removed from normal access to TIC, and to propose new approaches adapted to EPN technical devices as well as to the types of TIC usage this population might need.