The transposition of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard (originally published in Russian in 1904) to contemporary South Africa in Suzman's The Free State (2000) is based on the corresponding social changes within the two contexts. These social changes cause a binary opposition of past and present in the two texts. Within this context memory functions as a space in which the characters recall the past to the present and engenders a dialogue between past and present. Memory is illustrated in the two plays by associations with place as an important aspect of identity formation. Memory and place are fused in the plays by means of Bakhtin's concept of the chronotope which is best observed in the plays in memories of specific places such as the respective orchards, houses and rooms such as the nursery and the ballroom in. The Cherry Orchard and the garden in The Free State. Furthermore, the influence of the past is also evident in the present when ideas of social status, class, race (in the case of The Free State) and behaviour are contrasted and when various characters express their perceptions of personal relationships and ideas about marriage. The influence of the past is also evident when the characters voice their different perceptions and expectations of the past and future. In The Cherry Orchard these cultural differences are evident in the concept of heteroglossia. However, in The Free State, these dialogues are directed by a specific politically liberal view which diminishes the heteroglossia in the text. The juxtaposing of past and present is also illustrated in The Cherry Orchard by various subversive strategies such as comedy of the absurd in order to portray the behaviour of the characters as incongruous. Another subversive strategy is the contrasting of characters and ideas in order to expose pretensions and affectations in speech and actions to parody both the old establishment and the ambitions of former peasants. These conventions are best illustrated by the concept of the carnivalesque that also features as one of Bakhtin's terms to capture incongruous ideas and situations in literature. In The Free State, comedy is unfortunately much diminished and in contrast to Chekhov's ambiguity, only directed against politically conservative characters. The prevalence of these three Bakhtinian concepts in the texts shows how identity formation is to a large extent influenced and defined by occupied space. When social change affects the distribution of land, a character's concept of identity is destabilised. Although Suzman uses this similarity in the two contexts in order to transpose Chekhov's text to contemporary South Africa, she organises the various stances in the text to advocate a specific politically liberal view. Thus, Suzman's transposition leads to an interesting comparison between the Russian and South African contexts as well as between the two texts. However, her text is limited by her political interpretation of Chekhov's text. / Thesis (M.A. (English))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Based on a gap identified in existing literature, the aim of the study was to qualitatively examine the thematic patterns and lines of development of leadership models. The research was conducted from within a postmodern, social constructivist epistemological point of view; and was more specifically guided by the narrative theoretical framework. The sample of leadership models were therefore considered as leadership narratives. These leadership narratives were subjected to a qualitative analysis aimed at identifying relevant themes and patterns of development, which were subsequently mapped into a story network analysis and visually represented in the form of a sociogram network display. The major findings of the present research included that; themes that were identified by means of a qualitative analysis, contributed to a possible description of the characteristics of leadership. Core leadership narratives could also be identified and was subjected to further research, which uncovered that the developmental patterns and lines of these core narratives resembled the movement of a pendulum. Such a pendulum seems to have predictive value for organisations, as it might contribute to the understanding of the influences of internal and external factors within these organisations. The research also contributed by exploring the possible impacts that social changes had on the developmental lines and patterns of leadership narratives. This imbedded the study firmly into its proposed sociological context. / Thesis (M.A. (Sociology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

Based on a gap identified in existing literature, the aim of the study was to qualitatively examine the thematic patterns and lines of development of leadership models. The research was conducted from within a postmodern, social constructivist epistemological point of view; and was more specifically guided by the narrative theoretical framework. The sample of leadership models were therefore considered as leadership narratives. These leadership narratives were subjected to a qualitative analysis aimed at identifying relevant themes and patterns of development, which were subsequently mapped into a story network analysis and visually represented in the form of a sociogram network display. The major findings of the present research included that; themes that were identified by means of a qualitative analysis, contributed to a possible description of the characteristics of leadership. Core leadership narratives could also be identified and was subjected to further research, which uncovered that the developmental patterns and lines of these core narratives resembled the movement of a pendulum. Such a pendulum seems to have predictive value for organisations, as it might contribute to the understanding of the influences of internal and external factors within these organisations. The research also contributed by exploring the possible impacts that social changes had on the developmental lines and patterns of leadership narratives. This imbedded the study firmly into its proposed sociological context. / Thesis (M.A. (Sociology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2009.

The transposition of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard (originally published in Russian in 1904) to contemporary South Africa in Suzman's The Free State (2000) is based on the corresponding social changes within the two contexts. These social changes cause a binary opposition of past and present in the two texts. Within this context memory functions as a space in which the characters recall the past to the present and engenders a dialogue between past and present. Memory is illustrated in the two plays by associations with place as an important aspect of identity formation. Memory and place are fused in the plays by means of Bakhtin's concept of the chronotope which is best observed in the plays in memories of specific places such as the respective orchards, houses and rooms such as the nursery and the ballroom in. The Cherry Orchard and the garden in The Free State. Furthermore, the influence of the past is also evident in the present when ideas of social status, class, race (in the case of The Free State) and behaviour are contrasted and when various characters express their perceptions of personal relationships and ideas about marriage. The influence of the past is also evident when the characters voice their different perceptions and expectations of the past and future. In The Cherry Orchard these cultural differences are evident in the concept of heteroglossia. However, in The Free State, these dialogues are directed by a specific politically liberal view which diminishes the heteroglossia in the text. The juxtaposing of past and present is also illustrated in The Cherry Orchard by various subversive strategies such as comedy of the absurd in order to portray the behaviour of the characters as incongruous. Another subversive strategy is the contrasting of characters and ideas in order to expose pretensions and affectations in speech and actions to parody both the old establishment and the ambitions of former peasants. These conventions are best illustrated by the concept of the carnivalesque that also features as one of Bakhtin's terms to capture incongruous ideas and situations in literature. In The Free State, comedy is unfortunately much diminished and in contrast to Chekhov's ambiguity, only directed against politically conservative characters. The prevalence of these three Bakhtinian concepts in the texts shows how identity formation is to a large extent influenced and defined by occupied space. When social change affects the distribution of land, a character's concept of identity is destabilised. Although Suzman uses this similarity in the two contexts in order to transpose Chekhov's text to contemporary South Africa, she organises the various stances in the text to advocate a specific politically liberal view. Thus, Suzman's transposition leads to an interesting comparison between the Russian and South African contexts as well as between the two texts. However, her text is limited by her political interpretation of Chekhov's text. / Thesis (M.A. (English))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

This research began as a quest to better understand the relationships between marginalized communities, facilitators, and not-for-profit organizations, or NGO’s, in a specific Theatre for Development (TfD) process. When a TfD project that engaged and positively impacted the lives of Egyptian young garbage pickers was discontinued by the funding NGO, the researcher, who was the group’s theatre facilitator, set out to find solutions to this disempowering process. Initially, this research was created to explore how to pass on the skills of practicing theatre to marginalized communities, as a means for them to claim the process, practicing it independently of NGOs and facilitators. This initial inquiry then evolved to encompass exploring effective methods of TfD practice, where the question then became: What are the conditions that provide empowerment and autonomy for marginalized communities in the TfD context? Using Narrative Inquiry the researcher recalls her experience working with the garbage pickers in one of the biggest slums in the world, Mokkatam City, in Cairo. The narrative is used to question the choices made by both the facilitators and NGOs which ultimately compromised an otherwise life changing experience for the young community. The researcher then employs Action Research to outline a community-based participatory project carried out with a group of immigrant and refugee youth in Victoria, Canada. The study traced the progression of the three action research stages carried out to find ways of using TfD to empower this vulnerable community. The documentation of this project was completed using Reflective Practitioner Case Study which enabled the researcher to reflect on her practice with the aim of improving her approach through critical analysis. The findings of this research do not support the researcher’s initial hypothesis that the development of theatre skills will enable the community to function independently of outside support. Instead, through the careful examination of the experiences of the young participants in the slums of Cairo, and the immigrant and refugee communities in Canada, this research points to the importance of TfD integrating the celebration of life and the development of relationships as part of its process of enriching the experience of marginalized communities. This finding, together with an examination of the notion of sustainability redefines the place of the exit strategy through the ways in which the immigrant participants of the latter phases of the study, chose to integrate the benefits of TfD practice into their lives. / Graduate

This study explored the implementation of Image Theatre as a means to developing systems thinking in a co-curricular student leadership development program at the University of Victoria. The research question asked: In what ways does the implementation of an arts-based pedagogical approach, such as Image Theatre, illustrate the potentiality for undergraduate students to better understand ‘the bigger picture’ and the interconnections of their intersecting social systems? This inquiry was conducted through an arts-based methodology and used the Social Change Model of Leadership Development (Higher Education Research Institute, 1996) as a theoretical framework for designing the student leadership program. The study was conducted during a workshop in which Image Theatre and graphic recording were used in parallel to trace connections among the characters portrayed by six undergraduate students interested in environmental sustainability. The themes that emerged included the tensions of individuals ‘caught in the middle’, or system’s integrators, and the role of activism. The study’s findings suggest students’ understanding of systems as fragmented units and identifies the potentiality for further research and intentional practice emphasizing the interconnections and relationships among systems within the curriculum. / Graduate / 0745 / 0727 / 0516 / vcortes@uvic.ca

Given the critical role of food justice organizations in providing for the 49 million Americans who live in food insecure households, one of the most important questions that can be answered today is what determines the success of such an organization. This paper analyzes case studies from Sitka, AK and Portland, OR, aiming to communicate a better understanding of which factors result in an organization’s success and which factors lead it to failure. That information is used to establish guidelines that other organizations seeking to be relevant contributors to the food justice movement can follow. Ultimately, my research discovers that in order for a food justice-oriented program to maximize its success it should educate the people it serves, have ample financial support, and fit soundly with its host community’s strengths, resources, and values.

People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) in South Africa experience a stigmatised HIV status which threatens to supplant their prior identities. This compounds the marginalization on multiple social levels experienced by those most vulnerable to infection as they cope with associations of death and disease, as well as perceptions of guilt, shame and personal responsibility built into the moral discourse with which the subject of HIV is laden. My thesis explores the grassroots activism of groups and individuals in South Africa who musically advocate for support and social acceptance of PLWHAs within a volatile post-apartheid sociopolitical environment where government intervention has been controversial, inconsistent and, in terms of advocacy, largely absent. I argue, using Thomas Turinos Peircian theory of semiotics, that my research participants draw upon the indexical characteristics of their music to assert social, religious and ethnic identities in the construction of alternative, healthy HIV-positive identities.

Minority status stress, which is the stress Black college students experience at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) as a result of their racial minority status, has been found to negatively impact their persistence in college. Two manuscripts were developed for this dissertation. The first is a critical literature review which establishes the relationship of minority status stress, persistence, and leadership values within psychological and higher educational scholarship of Black students at PWIs. The paper seeks to clarify the connection between the aforementioned variables as it relates to the Black student experience at PWIs. As minority status stress causes a threat to Black student persistence, leadership conceptualized using the values or the Cs of the Social Change Model of Leadership Development (SCM) were introduced as coping methods Black students have used to increase their persistence and minimize the negative effects of minority status stress. The second article is a quantitative study examining the relationship of minority status stress and persistence employing the Cs of the SCM as mediators in a sample of 340 Black college students. Results indicated that none of the Cs of the SCM fully mediated the relationship between minority status stress and persistence when employed as composite scores. However, when the six individual factors of minority status stress (environmental stressors, race-related stressors, racial-identity stressors, intrapersonal and interpersonal stressors, achievement-related stressors, and minority status stressors) and the 5 factors of persistence (academic and intellectual development, faculty concerns for student development and teaching, interactions with faculty, institutional and goal commitments, and peer group interactions) were employed in a series of multiple mediation analyses with the Cs of the SCM as mediators, there were several instances of full mediation by the Consciousness of Self, Citizenship, and Change values. The findings emphasized the importance of these three values in conceptualizing Black student leadership at PWIs and in understanding the role of leadership in Black student persistence in lieu of minority status stress. Suggestions for future research, implications, and recommendations for student affairs practitioners, other student services providers, faculty, and staff are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to try to understand the Swedish population regarding the perceptions of the Swedish welfare system, based on the reactions that occurred after Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt's statement about raising the retirement age. Our results demonstrate that the reactions on changes in the pension system in fact rooted in a safety factor and not the change in the pension system itself, through which the Swedish welfare system acts as a safety net for the population. Further the results shows that these safety factors create a form of egoism. With an interaction between empiricism and theory, where the starting point of the material was of an inductive approach, the material abstracted into different levels from which the result emerged. The focus of this study lies in the understanding of how human beings act according to one's need for security in major changes, which may be of importance to a comprehensive understanding of changes in social structures.