Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

In South African secondary schools there are learners who undergo a daily struggle with social and emotional problems. The problems learners struggle with include problems like drug and alcohol abuse, suicide, domestic violence, peer pressure, anorexia, bulimia, stress, bullying, and many more. These problems often result in learners experiencing a great deal of pressure. They sometimes feel hopeless as they fail to find suitable solutions for their problems. They often feel alone and as though there is no one whom they can share their problems with and who truly understands. A Peer Helper Programme is a programme that focuses on training a selective group of learners to be peer helpers. A peer helper is someone who understands or someone of more or less the same age as the person seeking for help, has empathy, good listening and communication skills, and offers help and understanding in times of need. A literature study has been undertaken to give the precise description of the concept of peer help, to determine the task and function of a peer helper and to establish what exactly the training of a peer helper should encompass. The results obtained from this information allowed the setting of guidelines for the implementing of a peer helper programme for the effective training of peer helpers. An empirical study was executed to establish the nature and scope of the problems learners in secondary schools in the Klerksdorp school district experience and their needs concerning peer helping. From this study it was concluded that a need exists for peer helping programmes as well as guidelines for the design and implementation of a peer helper programme. Questionnaires were used and the following can be concluded from the investigation: There is an existing need for a peer helper programme as learners who experience problems will rather share this with a peer before telling an older person. A set of guidelines need to be put into place for the implementation of a peer helper programme. To conclude the recommendation is made at the end of this study that a peer helper programme needs to be implemented in every school in the various school districts and that it should stand under the management of the school principle and the assistance of the guidance teacher. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

This research is about the enhancement of the Grade 1 learner's social and emotional development through a music support programme. The aim of this research was to determine how a music support programme could enhance the social and emotional development of Grade 1 learners through a music support programme. To achieve this goal, data were gathered through a literature study and empirical study. The empirical study was performed by way of semi constructed interviews with the Grade 1 learners' teacher to assemble the empirical data. The results indicated that the Grade 1 learners manifested social and emotional difficulties and that the music support programme was effective for those learners' social and emotional development. Recommendations from the study include: • schools should consider a music support programme on a permanent basis. • The community must be introduced to the music support programme because the concept is still unknown. • To help children with social-emotional behavioural problems, schools can raise a fund that will help these learners to develop through a music support programme. • Schools and/or a music support presenter can give parental guidance and can set up a programme for parents. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

This research is about the enhancement of the Grade 1 learner's social and emotional development through a music support programme. The aim of this research was to determine how a music support programme could enhance the social and emotional development of Grade 1 learners through a music support programme. To achieve this goal, data were gathered through a literature study and empirical study. The empirical study was performed by way of semi constructed interviews with the Grade 1 learners' teacher to assemble the empirical data. The results indicated that the Grade 1 learners manifested social and emotional difficulties and that the music support programme was effective for those learners' social and emotional development. Recommendations from the study include: • schools should consider a music support programme on a permanent basis. • The community must be introduced to the music support programme because the concept is still unknown. • To help children with social-emotional behavioural problems, schools can raise a fund that will help these learners to develop through a music support programme. • Schools and/or a music support presenter can give parental guidance and can set up a programme for parents. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Syftet med denna studie har varit att undersöka hur ett urval av svenska kommuner arbetar med avhoppare från kriminella grupperingar, samt huruvida detta arbete är likvärdigt mellan kommunerna. Tidigare forskning som utförts inom detta område är främst internationell vilket tyder på att forskningsfältet är relativt outforskat i Sverige. De studier som gjorts tydliggör dock att avhoppare är en målgrupp i behov av ett omfattande stöd, då individerna går igenom en stor förändring gällande livsstilen under avhopparprocessen. Vidare visar tidigare forskning att avhoppare i stor utsträckning inte upplevt myndigheter som en betydelsefull del i att lämna kriminella grupperingar, samt att tillgången till det stöd som krävs varierar. De teoretiska perspektiv som legat till grund för denna studie är Luhmanns systemteori och Goldbergs förklaringsmodell, där begrepp som funktionell differentiering av samhället, interpenetration, strukturell koppling och självbild varit användbara. Det framgår utifrån resultatet att enbart 14 av de 26 kommuner som ingick i urvalet har ett påvisat arbete med målgruppen avhoppare, och det arbete som utförs inom dessa 14 kommuner varierar gällande typ av verksamhet, insatser och krav. Detta indikerar på att arbetet med avhoppare ännu kan bli mer likvärdigt i svenska kommuner. Resultatet i denna studie kan tillföra betydelsefull kunskap gällande arbetet med avhoppare, vilket således kan bidra till en vidareutveckling av det sociala arbetet med målgruppen.

Thesis (MBA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / This report focused on investigating the awareness and utilisation of government programme for development and support of SMMEs. The study acknowledges the fact that youth participation in entrepreneurial activities can reduce the high number of unemployment in the country and can contribute in the economy of especially rural areas. This was a qualitative study conducted in Mankweng area in Limpopo and the focus group was the youth who have post-matric qualifications. The sample consisted of fifteen graduates, of ages 25 to 35, who were not working and actively looking for employment. Male participants in the study formed 33 per cent, while the female participants were at 67 per cent. The main findings were that only a few of the participants were aware of the available government support programmes. Of those that were aware, many were unsure about how to access these programmes while others did not even think about starting their own businesses. The study recommends that these programmes ought to be accessible to the local government and should form part of the developmental programme of municipalities to ensure greater awareness and utilisation; and that youth need to be encouraged to start thinking more about starting their own businesses as an alternative to formal employment

Thesis (MBA) -- University of Limpopo, 2008 / Land reform is divided into three sub-programmes, which are redistribution programmes, restitution and tenure reform. The redistribution programme consists of Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development settlement and non-agricultural enterprises. Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development programme was established to redress the imbalances of land owners aroused from the previous government and its policies. A person who qualifies to purchase farms through the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development programme is a previously disadvantaged person, that is, an African, Coloured and Indian. If a person belongs to a previously disadvantaged group and that particular person works for the government he/she does not qualify to be funded by the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development programme. The National Department of Agriculture introduced a new programme called the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme. The primary aim of the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme is to make provision for agricultural support to targeted beneficiaries of the land reform and agrarian reform programme. This dissertation proposed an investigation of the success factors of Comprehensive agricultural Support programme on the farms allocated under the Land redistribution for Agricultural Development in the Waterberg District of the Limpopo Province. The objectives of study were: i. To determine factors influencing the success of the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme projects on farms allocated under the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development farms ii. To suggest recommendations for the improvement of the implementation of the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme. iv A case study approach was used to investigate the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme funded projects. Personal interview questions were posed to participants who were the farmers who receiving the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme grant and managers who were managing the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development farms. Open-ended questionnaires were used to collect data and four farms allocated under Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development funded by the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme and four municipal managers in the Waterberg District of the Limpopo Province were interviewed. The qualitative approach was used to process the data The chapter layouts of this research are as follows: Chapter 1: Problem Statement, Aims and Objectives of the Study, Chapter 2: Literature Survey, Chapter 3: Research Design, Chapter 4: Analysis of Data and Interpretation, and Chapter 5: Recommendations and Conclusion. The analysis of the data revealed that Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme is a success on the farms allocated under the Land redistribution for Agricultural Development in the Waterberg District of the Limpopo Province.

The subject of this thesis is entrepreneurship policy and the focus is on public support programmes directed to early stages technology-based ventures. It advocates that a broad view should be taken with regard to the type of policies for entrepreneurship that aim at supporting the facilitation of the supported ventures’ ability to link to their surrounding innovation system, in which they can secure their access to crucial external resources. Taking the departure in the perspective that early stages technology-based ventures are vulnerable, this thesis shows that publicly financed entrepreneurship supporting programmes can be motivated because small and newly started ventures have got limited resources, and because the risks, with which they are associated, generally make them unattractive in the eyes of private actors. Among the practical implications of this thesis, the following findings are emphasised: Public support, directed to the very earliest stages of venture development benefits from broadness, for the latter stages, specialisation and a higher degree of selectiveness could be an advantage. Moreover, it is important that the support provided take into account the whole process of business development, i.e. both the issues concerned with product/service and the issues connected to the market. A long-term commitment, cooperation between different actors and information about what support is available, are other aspects that are important for policymakers to consider in their design of public policies to support entrepreneurship. Finally, the importance of evaluative awareness must be emphasised from the very start. / Den här avhandlingen är en sammanläggning av 7 studier kring vilka en kappa med titeln ”Entreprenörskapspolicy: offentligt stöd för teknikbaserade företag” har skrivits. De inkluderade studierna beskrivs kortfattat i slutet av den här sammanfattningen. Syftet med avhandlingen är att analysera skälen till varför statliga interventioner kan vara berättigade, vidare att analysera målsättningar, design och resultat av offentliga program för stöd av nya teknikbaserade företag/projekt och slutligen att identifiera såväl praktiska som forskningsintressanta implikationer för utformningen av framtida stödaktiviteter. Avhandlingen baseras till största delen på olika typer av kvantitativa analyser av Stiftelsen Innovationscentrum (SIC) (studie 2-6). Förutom detta ingår en konceptuell studie där ett ramverk för att utvärdera inkubatorer, främst ur ett ”best practice” perspektiv, har tagits fram (studie 1). Slutligen har jag inkluderat en pågående uppföljningsstudie av Vinnovas program Vinn Nu (studie 7). Avhandlingen förespråkar en bred syn på begreppet entreprenörskapspolicy, där syftet med stödet är att underlätta för företag/projekt att koppla upp sig mot relevanta innovationssystem där de kan säkra sin tillgång på externa resurser. Med utgångspunkt i ett sårbarhetsperspektiv visar avhandlingen att offentligt finansierade program som stödjer entreprenörskap kan motiveras genom att de små och nystartade företagens resurser är begränsade och eftersom riskerna ofta gör att intresset från privata aktörer att gå in i dessa företag är lågt. Avhandlingens praktiska implikationer är bland annat att det stöd som riktas till de allra tidigaste utvecklingsfaserna i syfte att kvalificera idéer bör vara brett. Däremot kan ett mer selektivt urval vara fördelaktigt i något senare utvecklingsskeden och för mer specialiserade stöd. Vidare visar de inkluderade studierna på behovet av att se till hela företagets utvecklingsprocess. Det innebär bland annat att det är nödvändigt att kombinera hårt och mjukt stöd och att lika vikt läggs vid produkt- och marknadsutveckling. Offentligt stöd bör också vara långsiktigt, och samarbete mellan olika stödprogram är viktigt, inte minst med avseende på information om vilka stöd som finns och hur, var, när och av vem dessa kan sökas. Slutligen understryks vikten av att stödprogram redan från början bör ta hänsyn till utvärderingsaspekter.

Syftet med denna kvalitativa studie var att undersöka hur avhopparverksamheter arbetar med avhoppare med fokus på behandlingsarbete samt återintegrering. Vidare ville vi även undersöka vilka faktorer som ansågs vara väsentliga i beslutet att vilja lämna gängkriminalitet. Studiens teoretiska referensram baserades på tre huvudteorier: Exitprocessen, teorin om differentiella associationer samt stämplingsteorin. Studiens empiri är framtagen genom fyra separata intervjuer med socialarbetare där samtliga är verksamma inom avhopparverksamheter. Studiens resultat indikerar på att familjebildande, traumatiska händelser eller utmattning av livsstilen är betydande faktorer i beslutet att lämna gängkriminalitet. Vidare framkom det att behandlingsarbetet inte skiljer sig markant mellan de olika avhopparverksamheterna då majoriteten av behandlingen syftar till att skapa en beteendeförändring hos individerna i fråga. Detta innebär att förändra tidigare destruktiva beteenden som etablerats hos individen som en konsekvens av kriminalitet. Respondenterna anser enat att det finns stora svårigheter med återintegreringsarbetet gällande avhoppare. Svårigheterna visade sig grundas i att hitta sysselsättning, bostad och andra vägar in i samhället. / Criminal groupings are a diverse social problem that affects the society both economically and on an individual level. The aim of this qualitative study was to examine how defector support programmes work with defectors, especially focused on treatment work and reintegration. Furthermore, the aim was to explore which factors were considered significant in the decision to leave a criminal group. The study's theoretical frame was based on three main theories: exit-process, the theory of differential associations and the labeling theory. The empirical study was produced through four separate interviews with social workers, all of whom are professionals active in defector supporting programmes. The results of the study indicate that starting a family, traumatic events or exhaustion as a consequence of the lifestyle are significant factors in the decision to leave criminal groups. In addition, it emerged that the treatment work does not differ significantly between the various defector supporting programmes as the majority of the treatment aims to create a behavioral change. The respondents unanimously believe that there are major difficulties with the reintegration work regarding defectors. Difficulties were found in getting an employment, finding residence and other ways to reintegrate.

Paternal incest is the intimate sexual contact between biological, step or foster fathers and their children. These father-figures include the live-in partners of the non-offending mother. The actual incidence of paternal incest in South Africa is not known; however, the South African Police Services report the incidence of incest in the Western Cape for 2011/2012 to be the second highest in South Africa. When children reveal the incest to any person, this is called disclosure. After disclosure and with the removal of the paternal figure from the family unit, the mother or grandmother is responsible for the sole care of the child-victim and becomes the primary caregiver. However, in the South African context it is traditionally accepted that the grandmother assumes the role of primary caregiver of the child where the child’s mother and/or father are unable to fulfil their parental role adequately. Therefore in this study, “primary caregivers” refers to mothers and maternal grandmothers. In the South African context, limited studies have been done that explore the experiences of primary caregivers whose children or grandchildren were exposed to paternal incest. There is also a lack of information on how to support these primary caregivers in the abovementioned context. The aim of this study was firstly to explore the experiences of primary caregivers whose children or grandchildren were exposed to paternal incest and secondly to use these experiences to suggest guidelines that may be utilised by practitioners (such as social workers and registered counsellors) to develop support programmes for these caregivers. The research was conducted at a non-profit organisation in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, that provides psychosocial services and where cases of paternal incest are referred for intervention. A qualitative, phenomenological research design was applied in this study to obtain rich data. Six primary caregivers were chosen through purposive sampling, on the basis that their children or grandchildren were exposed to paternal incest within the last five years. Of these, four were mothers and two were maternal grandmothers who were responsible for the children. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and was analysed thematically. Two main themes emerged from the study. The first theme involved reactions to the disclosure and its aftermath, which encompassed emotional, cognitive and physiological reactions that are similar to secondary traumatisation. The second theme was coping strategies that emerged to deal with the disclosure and its aftermath, which encompassed effective coping strategies (behavioural coping strategies to actively solve problems and the presence of social support), unhealthy or negative coping strategies (behavioural coping strategies of avoidance) and threats to coping (a lack of social support). The contribution of this study lies in the suggestion of guidelines for the support of primary caregivers whose children or grandchildren were exposed to paternal incest. These guidelines include the provision of emotional support, multidisciplinary practitioner support and educational support programmes. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014