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Enhanced adaptive capacity is increasingly being pursued as an objective of agricultural development interventions due to the perceived vulnerability of smallholder farming communities to a range of shocks and stresses. This research used two case studies of agricultural development interventions in Northern Ghana to examine diverse understandings of adaptive capacity, potential indicators of enhanced adaptive capacity, and the implications of this for sustainable agricultural livelihoods. The thesis reviews relevant theoretical literature to situate the study among complex adaptive systems thinking and sustainability discourses. Associated policy documentation is reviewed to set the context in which, and identify why, development interventions seek to enhance adaptive capacity. The primary methods of data collection were interviews, focus groups, and ethnography, as well as secondary data in the form of documentation from the case studies. Multiple understandings of adaptive capacity were identified in both case studies, including ‘formal' understandings of the projects' funders and management, and ‘informal' understandings of field staff and participating farmers. The findings contribute to theory, policy and practice through explicit recognition of the diversity of understandings of adaptive capacity, which has not been appreciated or analysed previously. Indicators of enhanced adaptive capacity emerged from the findings. Findings show how features of social capital were integral to enhanced adaptive capacity and played a dominant role in beneficial outcomes, even when not the priority of the interventions. This implies a set of indicators of enhanced adaptive capacity that can inform theoretical discourse, policy and programme planning, and monitoring and evaluation in practice. Finally, this research identified the role of social capital in contributing to enhanced adaptive capacity, which supports sustainable agricultural livelihoods. These findings contribute lessons for similar ongoing and future agricultural development interventions and recommend a focus on features of social capital rather than physical and technological capital.

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This survey sought to determine the public perceptions and knowledge of counsellors on the Gold Coast and Northern New South Wales. Comprising of two studies, this paper extended on previous research conducted by Rogers and Sharpley (1983), Sharpley, Rogers and Evans (1984), and Sharpley (1986). Study I included a representative sample of 226 members of the general public, plus a sample of 105 medical practitioners. Respondents were asked to complete a 24-item questionnaire regarding their perceptions and knowledge of counsellors. Four questions were designed to investigate whether or not distinctions could be made between counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers. An additional seven questions were included for only medical practitioners to answer and sought to determine whether or not, and under what circumstances, medical practitioners would refer to a counsellor. These questions were also concerned with establishing what value medical practitioners would place on having a counsellor working as a team member of their practice.The results of Study I indicated that both the general public and medical practitioners viewed counsellors positively. Results further showed that the confusion and lack of knowledge reported by respondents from the last Australian study conducted by Sharpley (1986), was no longer evident. Study II was designed to assess the validity of the reported sources that respondents from Study I indicated that they would utilise in order to access a counsellor. Three samples were involved in Study II. The first sample comprised of 60 medical receptionists, the second sample included 25 counsellors listed in the yellow pages telephone directory, while the third sample involved 6 community centres listed in the yellow pages telephone directory. However, the results of Study II showed that counsellors were not as readily accessible from these sources as was perceived by respondents from Study I. Hence, it could be concluded that counsellors need to involve themselves with promotion and education if they are to maintain the positive regard indicated by the respondents of this study.

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