The topic of this master thesis are educational and psychological aspects of experiential learning. This is analysed on the example of high school orientation courses. The teoretical part of this thesis deals - on the background of academic literature - with experiential learning, experential learning, social groups and group atmosphere in school classes. The empirical part analyses the development of group atmosphere and the development of group relationships at four classes which all lunderwent different types of orientation courses. The thesis finds that the orientation courses are advantages for the quality of relations between students and their future development.

NÁZEV: Žákovské přezdívky jako součást školské jazykové komunikace AUTOR: School children's nicknames as a part of the school language communication KATEDRA: Katedra českého jazyka ŠKOLITEL: doc. PhDr. Martina Šmejkalová, Ph.D. ABSTRACT The research project deals with children's nicknames from the linguistic and linguodidactic point of view. Nicknames are verbal means of realization of the communication act of addressing and a manifestation of a specific communicative strategies in the classroom. A research of such kind has not yet been carried out in the Czech Republic. We used a questionnaire as a research method. The main research was carried out in two phases and its main purpose was 1.) description and characteristics of 562 nicknames of 8th grade primary school pupils and of the same age group pupils attending "gymnaziums" (eight-year grammar schools) focusing on the motivation of the origin of the nicknames; and 2.) detailed characteristics of 45 selected nicknames focusing on the functioning (perception and experience) in school language communication, from the perspective of the productor (a group where the nickname originated and where it is used), the recipient (a bearer of the nickname) and independent evaluators. Material analysis also allows partial conclusions about the quality of pupils'...

The study aimed to develop an in-depth understanding of the challenges faced by social workers rendering Occupational Social Work (OSW) services, particularly in establishing and maintaining workplace support groups for employees living with HIV and AIDS. The study used a qualitative research approach, aided by exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design. Data was collected from eight participants with semi-structured interviews and was analyzed by applying eight steps for data analysis as proposed by Tesch, cited in Creswell (2003:191). Data verification was done by applying Guba’s model (in Krefting, 1991). The themes, which emerged from the interviews, were: the recruitment of members in workplace support groups and the challenges faced by social workers rendering OSW services. The findings indicate that, critical as their roles may be, social workers experience numerous challenges when providing workplace HIV and AIDS support groups. These include HIV and AIDS disclosure, management, organisational and logistical challenges / Social Work

Thesis (MSocialWork)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: An exploratory study was conducted to determine the nature and extent of the emotions and emotional experiences of alcoholics and chemically dependent adults. The study was also conducted to explore the theoretical field of music therapy and determine how music can be utilized to social group work with alcoholics and chemically dependent adults. The exploratory study was also conducted to determine how many knowledge social workers have about music therapy, and to what extent they believe it can practically be used in social group work with alcoholics and chemically dependent adults. The researchers' interest in group work and the importance of the use of creative aids during group work is the motivation for this study. The aim of the study is thus to establish guidelines for the use of music in social group work in order to provide effective intervention for alcoholics and chemically dependent adults. The most general personality traits, emotions, defence mechanisms, communication and motivational problems of alcoholics and chemically dependent adults, have been enclosed in the literature study. The corresponding principles, goals and intervention processes of group work and music therapy was also highlighted. Focus was especially placed on the corresponding functions of group work and music namely the handling of defence mechanisms, the exploration and expression of emotions, the improvement of communication, the development of a positive self-esteem, socialisation and the facilitation of personal motivation. The value of group work and music in the addressing of alcoholics' and chemically dependent adults' problems and needs, has been investigated because of the specific corresponding functions of group work and music. The umversum IS social workers at institutions that make use of group work interventions in their treatment programmes for alcoholics and chemically dependent adults. A combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods was used, namely structured interviews as well as structured questionnaires. The results of this study generally confirmed the findings of the literature study. The recommendations can be divided into three areas namely recommendations concerning policy, programmes and training of social workers, recommendations concerning the corresponding functions of group work and music, and recommendations concerning future research. The importance of further research in the testing of the value of music in group work for specific client groups was especially recommended. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Verkennende studie is in hierdie ondersoek geïmplimenteer ten einde die aard en omvang van volwasse dwelmafhanklikes se emosies en emosionele belewenisse te beskryf, 'n teoretiese verkenning van musiekterapie te doen en dit in verband te bring met maatskaplike groepwerk, en te bepaal in watter mate musiek tydens groepwerk met volwasse dwelmafhanklikes toegepas kan word. Die verkennende studie is ook geïmplimenteer om te bepaal in watter mate maatskaplike werkers kennis oor bogenoemde vorm van intervensie het en in watter mate hulle van mening is dat die benutting van musiek in groepwerkprogramme vir dwelmafhanklikes in inrigtings uitvoerbaar is. Die motivering vir hierdie studie het na vore gekom weens die navorser se belangstelling in kreatiwiteit in die uitvoer van maatskaplike groepwerk. Die doel van hierdie studie is dus om riglyne daar te stel vir die benutting van musiek in maatskaplike groepwerk ten einde effektiewe intervensie aan dwelmafhanklikes in inrigtingsverband te lewer. Die literatuurstudie het die algemene persoonlikheidstrekke, emosies, verdedigingsmeganismes, kommunikatiewe en motiveringsprobleme van dwelmafhanklikes ingesluit. Die gemeenskaplike beginsels, doelstellings en intervensieproses van groepwerk en musiekterapie is ook in die literatuurstudie uitgelig. Daar is veral gefokus op die gemeenskaplike funksies van groepwerk en musiek naamlik die hantering van verdedigingsmeganismes, die eksplorering en uitdrukking van emosies, die bevordering van kommunikasie, die ontwikkeling van 'n positiewe selfbeeld, sosialisering en die fasilitering van persoonlike motivering. Weens die spesifieke gemeenskaplike funksies van groepwerk en musiek, is daar besluit om die waarde van groepwerk en musiek in die aanspreek van dwelmafhanklikes se probleme, te ondersoek. Die universum is maatskaplike werkers by inrigtings wat intervensie aan dwelmafhanklikes deur middel van groepwerk, bied. Die ondersoek is deur 'n kombinasie van gestruktureerde onderhoude sowel as gestruktureerde vraelyste, gerig. Kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe inligting is dus ingesamel. Die resultate van hierdie ondersoek het tot 'n groot mate die bevindinge van die literatuurstudie bevestig naamlik dat dwelmafhanklikes met sekere persoonlikheidseienskappe, emosies, verdedigingsmeganismes en kommunikatiewe probleme presenteer; dat groepwerk 'n gewenste metode om bogenoemde behoeftes en probleme aan te spreek en te hanteer, is; en dat die benutting van musiek in groepsituasies waardevol in die fasilitering van die uitdrukking van emosies, die afbreek van verdedigingsmeganismes en die fasilitering van onder andere ontspanning, kan wees. Die aanbevelings het op drie areas gefokus naamlik algemene aanbevelings rakende inrigtingsbeleid, programme en skoling van maatskaplike werkers, aanbevelings ten opsigte van die gemeenskaplike funksies van groepwerk en musiek, en aanbevelings ten opsigte van verdere navorsing. Daar word aanbeveel dat die benuttingswaarde van musiek in groepwerk met 'n spesifieke kliëntegroep, getoets moet word.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

United States federal law regulating leaves of absence for maternity-related purposes pales in comparison to other nations' policies, an observation only recently receiving attention from political scientists. Providing an understanding of how maternity leave is handled by individual organizations in the United States only, a quantitative study is conducted that examines local variation in policy formulation. Employee leave due to maternity is primarily a women's issue and its treatment will vary depending on the socio-political context that the policy dictating the leave is found in. Three main determinants of a policy's level of comprehensiveness are identified as being the political representation of women on local legislative bodies, the bureaucratic representation of women in their place of employment, and the level of women's movement activity in the community. Moreover, the gendered context of the organization is considered by comparing two historically distinct institutions on the gender continuum, public education and law enforcement. After analysis involving a national comparison of public school district and police department maternity leave policies, it was found that the presence of the women's movement in a community significantly impacts the dependent variable, policy comprehensiveness. The effects of political and bureaucratic representation, however, seem to differ between police departments and school districts. In consideration of the most comprehensive policies found, it seems police departments are highly influenced by larger proportions of women officers whereas women teachers might be at a disadvantage precisely because of their over-representation in school districts. Seemingly counterintuitive, this finding suggests that gendered institutions are predicated on more than just women's presence. Evidence that maternity leave policy in individual U.S. institutions is a product of the gendered culture of the organization was found by observing the differential impact of political and social variables on police departments and school districts.