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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
181

How funding affects service delivery among non-profit organizations in Johannesburg

Sibanda, Joyce 11 September 2009 (has links)
ABSTRACT The primary purpose of the study was to explore how funding affected service delivery among Nonprofit Organizations (NPOs) in Johannesburg, given the important role these organizations play in contributing to social development in South Africa. The study was undertaken among 15 NPO organizations based in Johannesburg and located in various service fields. A semi-structured interview schedule comprising open-ended and close-ended questions was utilized to collect information. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze closed-ended questions whilst thematic content analysis was used to analyze open-ended items. The main finding that emerged from the study was that NPOs that were surveyed suffered from a diversity of challenges emanating from insufficient and at times delayed funding, particularly by state departments such as the Department of Social Development. The problems faced by these NPOs were found to be predominantly human resources related. These organizations were unable to attract skilled professional staff because their funds did not permit them to offer market-related packages. In addition, these NPOs suffered from high labour turnover because employees tended to leave these organizations in pursuit of greener pastures in government departments and the private sector. The sector also experienced inadequately funded programmes and an inability to expand their services to the wider populations due to inadequate funding. The NPOs that were surveyed had not engaged in entrepreneurial activities on a scale sufficiently extensive to wean them off donor funding or over-reliance on such funding. Self-sustainability was found to be still in the embryonic stage. Moreover, the relationship between the sector and the state was found to be characterized by a lack of faith and confidence on the part of the NPOs surveyed, suggesting a ‘troubled’ partnership between the two. The findings of the study suggest the need for the research project to be replicated on a wider sample in different provinces. Since the study focused on formally registered NPOs in terms of the Nonprofit Organizations Act of 1997, future research needs to investigate the funding challenges faced by smaller mainly informal/ unregistered community-based organizations that form an integral part of the nonprofit sector in South Africa and offer an array of services to their communities. Furthermore, the findings of this study could potentially be used as a basis for policy formulation and analysis by policy makers as they appear to have implications for re-assessing funding policies in respect of NPOs.
182

Reflecting on the sustainability of South African non-governmental organisations : perceptions and attitudes on their management, operations and monitoring.

Phofi, Caroline 17 August 2010 (has links)
No abstract present on CD
183

An investigation into the Gauteng Department of Health and Social Development's monitoring and evaluation system

Dube, Phillip Clement 06 August 2013 (has links)
Thesis (M.M. (Public Policy))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Public and Development Management, 2013. / The Auditor General identified some gaps in the quality of performance information that was reported by the Gauteng Department of Health and Social Development (GDHSD) to the public. The information was inaccurate and unreliable (Gauteng Department of Health and Social Development, 2009; 2010; 2011). The National Government passed the Policy Framework on Government-Wide Monitoring and Evaluation System in 2007. Some of the objectives of which were to improve the quality of performance information and service delivery in government. This development required government departments to develop and implement strong and effective M&E systems. The GDHSD formally implemented its M&E system in 2007; one of the objectives of which was to generate good quality performance information. The GDHSD’s M&E system has failed to achieve this objective. The study investigated some aspects of the GDHSD’s M&E system with regard to its poor quality performance information. The study found that some of the problems in the GDHSD’s M&E system, which the study highlighted, were the lack of adequate and appropriate capacity and skills for monitoring and evaluation; the absence of proper structures, processes and systems for monitoring and evaluation; the absence of quality assurance mechanisms for performance data; the selective application of data management rules and regulations; and a low morale amongst some staff members of the GDHSD. One of the notable findings was that there is manipulation of some performance information for political reasons. The study made some recommendations on how to strengthen the GDHSD’s M&E system based on the identified gaps. Some recommendations are that the GDHSD needs to capacitate its M&E directorate; develop proper monitoring, evaluation, reporting and data management processes and systems; address the problem of manipulation of performance information for political reasons; and promote a culture of good work ethics within the staff members of the GDHSD. The implementation of these recommendations may assist to strengthen the GDHSD’s M&E system, thus also helping it to improve the quality of its performance information and service delivery.
184

An analysis of community participation, in income generating projects at the Tembisa/Kempton Park Development Center.

Chikadzi, Victor 10 September 2009 (has links)
In South Africa, citizen participation is regarded as an integral part of all social, economic and political activity. There is always an attempt to either involve citizens/communities in different programmes or at least to pretend to have involved people. Community participation is a constitutional prerogative that the broader masses should meaningfully participate in issues affecting their lives. Thus overgrowing concern by development practitioners to utilize participatory methods has become notable in recent years and participation has become an established orthodoxy within the development discourse in South Africa. The practice of participation has become embodied in what is popularly known to be people-centered development in which it is favored that community needs take precedence over those of other stakeholders when designing and implementing development projects. This study explores community participation in income generating projects at the Tembisa / Kempton Park Development Center. Using a case study as a qualitative inquiry method, the researcher sought to establish the evidence of community participation and the extent to which participants in income generating projects were involved as the main role players. The research sample constituted of 15 participants; ten were beneficiaries of income generating projects, three were staff members at the Tembisa / Kempton Park Development Center and two participants where drawn from the main funders of the Tembisa / Kempton Park Development Center. The different categories of the participants drawn into the sample enabled the researcher to holistically capture how the development process unfolded. The findings of the research indicated that the development model used at Tembisa / Kempton Park Development Center is largely participatory. The model allowed community members to have more say and control in the initiation, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the projects. However this model has challenges that are institutional, social and structural of nature and barriers which hinder effective and meaningful community participation. Government intervention was recommended to address some of the challenges to community participation on a macro level.
185

Perceptions about the effectiveness of programme monitoring and evaluation rendered to Development Centres by the Department of Social Development in the Gauteng North Region.

Henna, Thembinkosi Elliot 21 July 2014 (has links)
Eradicating poverty is one of the biggest challenges in South Africa. A Development Centre Model was developed by the Department of Social Development as a strategy to empower citizens of South Africa to become independent and self-reliant in an attempt to alleviate poverty. The Department fulfils the role of programme monitoring and evaluation of different programmes offered by the Development Centres. A Social Development Approach was used as a guide to the theoretical framework of the study. The primary aim of the study was to explore the perceptions about the effectiveness of monitoring and evaluation of incomegenerating projects rendered to the development centres by the Department of Social Development in the Gauteng North Region. A qualitative research strategy was followed and a multiple case study design was applied. Purposive sampling was used to initially select six beneficiaries, six centre managers, two service providers and two departmental officials involved in the development centres that are government-funded. However, the total number of the participants in the end came to thirteen; five beneficiaries; five centre managers; two evaluators and one departmental official. Data was collected via face-to-face interviews with participants and the interviews were tape recorded. To analyse data, thematic content analysis was applied. Some of the findings and the recommendations are, firstly, that the study contributes to the understanding of the effectiveness of programme monitoring and evaluation; secondly, that programme monitoring and evaluation is in fact effective; and thirdly, that beneficiaries should participate in monitoring and evaluation of their projects. Fourthly, the majority of the beneficiaries and the centre managers felt that the process has no impact on the actual programme or projects. These participants felt that there is no follow-up to solve problems that have been identified during this process of monitoring and evaluation. The participants recommended that the department do more visits thereby making sure that problems identified during monitoring and evaluation are immediately resolved through constant visits to the development centres.
186

Empreendedorismo social e promoção do desenvolvimento local / Social entrepreneurship and local development promotion

Bose, Monica 01 February 2013 (has links)
O fenômeno do empreendedorismo social tem adquirido visibilidade e relevância no âmbito da produção acadêmica e, principalmente, das práticas organizacionais contemporâneas, por se constituir em mais uma alternativa de combate à pobreza e à exclusão social, e de promoção do desenvolvimento sustentável. Esta tese buscou identificar, em três casos situados na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo, se e como tais empreendimentos sociais têm provocado mudanças significativas no desenvolvimento social dos territórios nos quais atuam. Apoiando-se na concepção e nos vetores de desigualdade propostos por Amartya Sen (2000) para o desenvolvimento social, a pesquisa empírica procurou identificar os resultados obtidos por empreendimentos sociais em três iniciativas na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo. O estudo empregou uma abordagem metodológica qualitativa em um enfoque contextualista (PETTIGREW, 1989; FISCHER, 2002), o qual busca caracterizar o âmbito no qual se inserem alguns dos projetos realizados pelos empreendimentos analisados. Tais iniciativas foram estudadas como campos nos quais distintos agentes interagem e exercem influência, mobilizando os diferentes tipos de capitais que detêm, conforme proposta de Bourdieu (2007). Os dados coletados foram submetidos a análise conforme proposta metodológica de Roche (2002), partindo da identificação de mudanças percebidas pela população-alvo dos projetos. Empregou-se o estudo de caso múltiplo como método de pesquisa, conforme tipologia proposta por Yin (2010). Os dados foram coletados em documentos, observações e entrevistas, e foram categorizados por meio da técnica de análise de conteúdo, conforme proposta de Bardin (1977). Os resultados obtidos na pesquisa apontaram a existência de indícios de melhoria na qualidade de vida pessoal e familiar dos atores que participaram das iniciativas realizadas pelos empreendimentos sociais. As mudanças que atingem a localidade ou o território como um todo, configurando um incremento dos padrões de desenvolvimento, não são observadas em todos os casos e geralmente se concentram em uma ou outra dimensão do desenvolvimento social, como melhorias na esfera da riqueza material ou do bem-estar social. Os resultados alcançados pelos empreendimentos sociais pesquisados pouco contribuíram, até o momento da pesquisa, para fortalecer o capital social e político das comunidades envolvidas, bem como para alavancar o desenvolvimento econômico-social do território no qual estão inseridas. Devem ser considerados, entretanto, os impactos causados pelo pouco tempo de existência das iniciativas estudadas e pelo caráter inovador característico destas ações, sobre os resultados observados. / The phenomenon of social entrepreneurship has gained visibility and relevance in the scope of academic production, and especially of contemporary organizational practices, as it presents another alternative for fighting poverty and social exclusion, and promoting sustainable development. Through the observation of three cases in the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Area, this thesis has sought to identify if and how such social enterprises have caused significant changes in the social development of the territories in which they operate. Relying on the design and vectors of inequality proposed by Amartya Sen (2000) for social development, the empirical survey has sought to identify the results obtained by social enterprises in three initiatives in the metropolitan area of São Paulo. The study has adopted a qualitative methodology in a contextualist approach (PETTIGREW, 1989; FISCHER, 2002), which seeks to characterize the circumstance in which some of the projects undertaken by the enterprises analyzed are inserted. Such initiatives were studied as fields in which manifold agents interact and influence by mobilizing the different types of capital each of them hold, as proposed by Bourdieu (2007). The collected data were analyzed as Roche\'s methodological proposition (2002), based on the identification of changes perceived by the target population of the projects. The multiple-case study was used as a research method, as typology proposed by Yin (2010). Data were collected from documents, interviews and observations, and were categorized according to the technique of content analysis, as proposed by Bardin (1977). The results of the research have indicated signs of improvement in the quality of personal and family life of the actors who participated in the initiatives undertaken by the social enterprises. Changes that affect the location or territory as a whole, setting an increment in the development patterns, are not seen in all cases and are usually concentrated in one or the other dimension of social development, such as improvements in the sphere of material riches or social wellbeing. The results achieved by the social enterprises surveyed have contributed little, until the time of the survey, in strengthening social and political capital in the communities involved, as well as in leveraging the economic and social development of the territory in which they operate. However, one must also consider the impacts caused by the short lifetime of the initiatives studied and by the innovative character, typical of such actions, on the results attained.
187

Alianças intersetoriais: um estudo no município de Cubatão/SP / Intersectional alliances: a study in the municipal district of Cubatão/SP

Matos, Maria Cristina Pereira 23 April 2007 (has links)
Este estudo, na configuração de uma tese de doutoramento, se dedica à temática das alianças intersetoriais, ou seja, a projetos de ação conjunta entre organizações com fins lucrativos, organizações sem fins lucrativos e o poder público, expresso pelas prefeituras locais. Conceitualmente, abordam-se alianças, considerando-as mais efetivas e eficazes, porque mais perenes do que as parcerias, cujo caráter, segundo a ótica desta tese, é pontual e momentâneo. A abordagem dessa temática demanda que a fundamentação teórica, a partir de uma linha de pesquisa voltada para o empreendedorismo e a responsabilidade social, resgate tópicos que se deslocam do processo de globalização presente na sociedade contemporânea, passando pela questão social, pela ação do Estado, pela necessidade de um desenvolvimento sustentável, finalizando com reflexões a respeito do Terceiro Setor. Na perspectiva de uma abordagem empírica que pudesse evidenciar na realidade concreta as discussões teóricas encetadas, está apresentada a pesquisa cujo locus foi o município de Cubatão. A experiência vivida por este município transita de um comprometimento com a qualidade de vida humana e ambiental para projetos sociais significativos, ainda que possa ser palco de outros embates sócio-ambientais frente às características de um importante pólo industrial. Usando de um instrumento já validado em pesquisa realizada pelo Ceats ? Centro de Empreendedorismo Social e Administração do Terceiro Setor ? e coordenada pela Profª Drª Rosa Maria Fischer, o estudo procurou evidenciar o comprometimento e a conjunção de ideais que possam estar presentes nas alianças entre essas três instâncias sociais: o mercado, as organizações da sociedade civil e o poder público. Para tanto, foram trabalhadas as seguintes categorias: alinhamento das expectativas, estratégias de ação, indicadores de comprometimento, indicadores de comunicação, divisão e estabelecimento de papéis, origem e destinação dos recursos, agregação de valor e, finalizando essas categorias, os sistemas de avaliação. Por conseguinte, este estudo, embasado nos fundamentos teóricos assinalados e nos dados empíricos coletados junto às instâncias sociais apontadas em suas práticas de alianças intersetoriais, apresenta resultados que evidenciam a pertinência dessas práticas, bem como permite conhecer uma visão crítica dos diferentes atores sociais envolvidos quando, mediante coleta de depoimentos, traz à luz o pensamento daqueles que se mostraram efetivamente vinculados a essa modalidade de alianças. E, finalmente, este estudo busca evidenciar que ações socialmente responsáveis não se restringem a práticas assistencialistas, ainda que não as desabone. Ações socialmente responsáveis são aquelas que conduzem a sociedade humana a uma transformação tal que possa ser descrita como um processo de humanização do humano que é histórico e que, por ser histórico, depende da ação de homens e de mulheres socialmente responsáveis. / This study, in the configuration of a thesis of doctorate, dedicates itself to the thematic of the intersectional alliances, it is, to projects of group actions among organizations with profit aims, without profit aims and public power express by local prefectures. Conceptually, talk about alliances, considering them more effective and efficacious, because more continual than the partnerships, whose character, according to the optic of this thesis, is punctual and momentary. The boarding of this thematic contests that the justification of the theory, from a line of research about enterprising and social responsibility, rescue topics that dislocate from the process of the globalization present in the contemporary society, passing by the social action, by the action of the Government, by the necessity of a sustainable development, finishing with reflections about the third sector. In the perspective of an empirical boarding which could evidence in the concrete reality the broached theory discussions, is presented the research whose locus was the municipal district of Cubatão. The experience lived by this district transit from a compromise with the quality of the human and environmental life to important social projects, with the possibility of being the stage of other socio-environmental impacts front to the characteristics of an important industrial pole. Using a tool already validated in research made by CEATS-? Centro de Empreendedorismo Social e Administração do Terceiro Setor ? and coordinated by the Profª Drª Rosa Maria Fischer, the study tried to evidence the compromise and conjunction of ideals which can be present in the alliances among these three social stays: the market, the organizations of the civil state and the public power. However, such categories were worked on: lining of the expectations, strategies of action, indicators of compromising, indicator of communication, division and establishment of paper, origin and destination of the resources, aggregation of value and, ending these categories, the systems of evaluation. In consequence, this study based on the signed theory justification and on the empirical information collected with the social signed stays in its practices in intersectional alliances, presents results which evidence the pertinence of these practices, as well as it permits the knowledge of a critical vision of the different involved social actors when, from collection of testimonials, brings the thoughts of those who presented themselves effectively linked to this modality of alliances. And finally, this study has the aim of evidencing that responsible social actions do not restrict themselves to attendance practices, not discrediting them. Responsible social actions are those which conduct the human society to a transformation which can be described as a process of humanization of the human which is historic and that, by being historic, it depends on the action of socially responsible men and women
188

Distribuição espacial e espaço-temporal da mortalidade por tuberculose e sua relação com marcadores de desenvolvimento social em Natal/RN / Spatial and spatio-temporal distribution of mortality due to tuberculosis and its relationship with markers of social development in Natal / RN

Queiroz, Ana Angélica Rêgo de 07 July 2017 (has links)
Introdução: A tuberculose (TB) continua sendo um grave problema de saúde global, sendo classificada como a principal causa de morte por doenças infecciosas em todo o mundo. Objetivou-se analisar a distribuição e risco espacial e espaço-temporal da mortalidade por TB e sua relação com marcadores de desenvolvimento social em Natal/RN. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo ecológico. Os setores censitários e as Unidades de Desenvolvimento Humano (UDHs) foram utilizados como unidades de análise. A população do estudo foi composta de casos de óbito por TB como causa básica, registrados no Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade no período de 2008 a 2014. Realizou-se análise univariada das variáveis socioeconômicas com cálculo de frequências absolutas e relativas. Para a construção dos marcadores de desenvolvimento social considerou-se a técnica de análise de componentes principais, utilizando-se da base de informações de variáveis das UDHs. A geocodificação dos endereços foi processada no TerraView versão 4.2.2. Posteriormente, seguiu-se com a análise da estimativa de Kernel. Para detecção de aglomerados espaciais e espaço-temporais foi aplicada a técnica de varredura espacial. Taxas brutas e bayesianas empíricas globais de mortalidade foram calculadas. A existência de autocorrelação espacial da mortalidade por TB foi verificada pelos índices de Moran Global e Local. Para analisar a relação entre mortalidade por TB e os marcadores de desenvolvimento social realizaram-se análises de regressão linear múltipla. Os resíduos da regressão linear foram investigados quanto à existência de autocorrelação espacial por meio do Teste Global de Moran. Para escolha do modelo final foi considerado o critério de informação de Akaike (AIC). Para as análises foram considerados os softwares Statistica versão 12.0, ArcGIS versão 10.2, SaTScan(TM) versão 9.2 e OpenGeoDa versão 1.0.1. Em todos os testes estatísticos foi fixado o nível de significância em 5% (p< 0,05). Resultados: Identificaram-se 154 óbitos por TB, desse total, 91,5% dos endereços foram geocodificados. A estatística de Kernel mostrou áreas quentes para a mortalidade por TB. A técnica de análise de varredura espacial identificou três aglomerados estatisticamente significativos, sendo dois de alto risco (RR=5,77 IC95% = 5,19 - 6,34; RR= 3,82 IC95% = 3,38 - 4,24) e um de baixo risco (RR = 0,34 IC95% = 0,08 - 0,76). Já a análise de varredura espaço-temporal apresentou apenas um aglomerado de alto risco (RR= 5,97; IC95% =5,26 - 6,66) no ano de 2008. As maiores taxas bayesianas foram identificadas no distrito de saúde leste. Foi identificada autocorrelação espacial dessas taxas (I = 0,324, p = 0,002). Para a construção dos marcadores de desenvolvimento social, duas componentes principais apresentaram 85,3% de variância total. O primeiro marcador foi denominado de áreas de menor desenvolvimento social (DS-) e o segundo, de áreas de maior desenvolvimento social (DS+). Na modelagem estatística, observou-se uma associação negativa entre a mortalidade por TB e áreas de maior desenvolvimento social (R2 = 0,207; p=0,03). Sendo o modelo final escolhido o Spatial Lag. Conclusão: A identificação de áreas vulneráveis à ocorrência do óbito por tuberculose e sua relação com o desenvolvimento social permitem o direcionamento das ações intersetoriais de controle da doença às populações conhecidamente mais afetadas / Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) continues a serious global health problem and has been classified as the leading cause of death from infectious diseases worldwide. The objective of this study was to analyze spatial and spatial-temporal risk for TB mortality, the spatial distribution of this event and its relationship with index of social development in Natal / RN. Methods: This is an ecological study. The census tracts and the Human Development Units (HDUs) were used as units of analysis. The study\'s population was composed by cases of death due to TB as a basic cause, registered in the Mortality Information System from 2008 to 2014. A univariate analysis of the socioeconomic variables was performed estimating absolute and relative frequency. For the construction social development index we have used the technique Principal Components considering the variables obtained from HDUs. The geocoding of Address was performed through TerraView version 4.2.2. In addition, we applied the Kernel estimation analysis. Scan Statistic was used to detection of spatial and spatial-temporal clusterd. The authors calculated TB mortality rate, it was smoothed by Empirical Bayes Method. Autocorrelation of TB mortality was analyzed by Moran Global and Local Indexes. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to analyze the relation of social development index with TB mortality. The residues of linear regression model were investigated to identify the existence of spatial autocorrelation through the Moran Global Test. The final model was defined considering the Akaike information criterion (AIC). Statistica version 12.0, ArcGIS version 10.2, SaTScan (TM) version 9.2 and OpenGeoDa version 1.0.1 were used in the analysis. It was defined level of significance at 5% as statistically significant (p <0.05) for all statistical tests. Results: We identified 154 deaths per TB, of this total, 91.5% of the addresses were geocoded. Hot spots for TB mortality has been showed by Kernel statistics . Three statistically significant clusters were observed when applied Sat Scan, two of which were higher risk (RR=5.77 CI 95% = 5.19 - 6.34; RR= 3.82 CI 95% = 3.38 - 4.24) and one with lower risk (RR = 0.34 CI95% = 0.08 - 0.76). The spatial-temporal scan statistic analysis revealed only one cluster with high risk (RR = 5.97, CI95%= 5.26 - 6.66) in the year 2008. The highest Bayesian rates were identified in the Eastern health district. Spatial autocorrelation of these rates was identified (I = 0.324, p = 0.002). For the construction of social development index, two first Principal Components (PC) accumulated 85.3% from total variance. The first PC was named areas with lower social development (SD-) and the second one was designed area with higher social development (SD +). In statistical modeling, a negative association was observed with areas of higher social development with TB mortality (R2 = 0.207, p = 0.03). The final model has been chosen by Spatial Lag. Conclusion: The study evidenced areas vulnerable to tuberculosis mortality and its relationship with social development, which allows addressing of intersectoral actions to TB elimination especially in the populations in risks
189

The Effect of Adolescent Girls' Drug use on Academic and Social Development

Briggs-Vaughn, Jackie 01 January 2016 (has links)
Substance abuse, once primarily visible in the U.S. adolescent male population, is an increasing concern for the adolescent girls' population. Mental health challenges, behavioral problems, and academic failure are issues adolescent girls may encounter when they engage in substance abuse. The incidence and impact of drug use on female students' academic and social development at a large suburban school district was unknown. Vygotsky's social development theory and Bandura's social learning theory provided the framework for this cross-sectional survey study that addressed the relationships between adolescent girls' drug use and their academic performance and social development. Descriptive statistics and analysis of variance were used to examine data from the Dane County Youth Assessment Survey. The sample included the study district's adolescent girls' population consisting of 9,061 students. Results indicated significant relationships between girls' adolescent drug use and social development and academic performance. Increased drug use was related to lower social development and lower academic achievement. Results were used to develop an adolescent girls' drug prevention program that addressed the effects drugs have on adolescent girls' academic and social development. Implications for positive social change include providing a prevention program to the local district that may help inform adolescent girls so they can make healthier decisions in social settings.
190

Spiritual, Moral and Social Development as the Outcomes of a Program for Youth.

Carthew, Michael J., carthewmj@ldschurch.org January 2008 (has links)
This study investigates the development of, and relationships between, religiosity, spirituality, moral thinking and social attitudes among religious adolescents participating in an early morning weekday religious education program in Australia. Students participating in the Early Morning Seminary program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints form the population of interest for this study. These students demonstrate high levels of religious practice, making them an important group to research when seeking greater understanding of the outcomes of religious and spiritual developmental arising from such programs and when investigating how religiosity relates to moral and attitudinal aspects in the lives of religious youth. The research is survey based and entails the administering of four waves over a two-year period, enabling longitudinal observations to be examined. A sample of convenience is used consisting of Seminary students from South Australia and Victoria. Various survey instruments are used to measure characteristics such as family background, educational background, student religious activity, Seminary program involvement, relationships with God, moral decision making and social attitudes. Data analysis includes the use of Rasch scaling procedures, path analysis and Hierarchical Linear Modelling software in order to investigate multilevel effects on change in key dimensions over time. The fact that specific research regarding highly religious youth in Australia is not common and that research regarding Latter-day Saint youth in Australia is almost non-existent makes this study an important and seminal contribution in the Australian religious research field. This study provides several other important contributions to the field as it explores developmental outcomes of a specific religious education program across a range of religious and psychosocial dimensions. The oft-reported strong influence of the family on the religiosity of teenagers is reflected in the findings of this study. There is also evidence to indicate that private religious activity is especially important for the level of spirituality among students. The findings indicate that spirituality, rather than public or private religious practice, influences moral reasoning. Furthermore, private religious practice tends to have more positive influence than spirituality on social attitudes. Participation in the Seminary program appears to influence religiosity and spirituality significantly and independently of other variables included in the study, although the influence of participation is mediated by the feelings of students concerning the program. Generally, students show a decline in both participation levels and feelings towards the Seminary program over time. However, there is evidence of increased positive attitude toward a religious lifestyle, religious belief and awareness of God’s influence in life. Religious practice appears to influence change in several practical, attitudinal and spiritual dimensions positively. The findings indicate that the developmental role of Seminary participation is largely through the influence of the class environment. From this study it appears that religious participation in both public and private forms can have a major influence on key dimensions of spirituality and that religious and spiritual characteristics can have some influence on moral decision making and the forming of social attitudes. Participation in a religious education program, such as the Latter-day Saint Seminary program, can influence these dimensions especially if there is a positive attitude towards the program on the part of students and the class the environment is appropriate. In recent decades, the role of religion in psychological and social reality has seen greater attention and acceptance in academic circles. Accordingly, the body of academic research regarding religion and associated fields has increased and diversified opening the way for further exploration of the role of religion in the broader context of human life as is found in this study.

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