No Abstract Provided. / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

No description available.

This thesis is an analytic study of a neighborhood. Using Hilton Village in Newport News, Virginia as an example, the graphic analysis encompasses all levels of the neighborhood fabric and considers several possible interventions thereto. The study includes a brief discussion of the traditions and development of town and community planning, as well as of the social backdrop of the period in which the specific community was developed. / Master of Architecture

A cluster of buildings does not a campus make. Places of learning have long sought-out cohesive spaces that foster a sense of community and encourage an immersive life of academia. The suburban campus model, with a centric configuration, has been a successful model that has withstood the test of time. Urban campuses knitted into the urban fabric have also had success in fostering the same sense of community, but more so as part of the larger city, and using the urban context as a lab for teaching. But what makes the campuses we love successful? And how can we apply those principles to set up younger campuses for future success? This thesis tackles these questions, and attempts to understand what differentiates a mere collection of buildings from a true campus. Applied to the Washington Alexandria Architecture Center, these borrowed ideas can start to inform the design of a new campus that bridges the gap between traditional suburban campuses and organic urban campuses. Rather than providing a series of definitive answers, the thesis establishes a series of principles on how to create a cohesive design that doesn't compromise the true nature of an urban campus. The proposed design is but one of many possible solutions. As humans, we seem to have a desire to classify the world into categories. Oftentimes, however, the most beautiful things come from the tension of the unclassified. They come from the gray areas between typologies. The process of this thesis became inherently contradictory at times. It was developed in a way in which the particular conditions of the existing buildings on the site, and their character in the urban setting, were allowed to contaminate the clarity of the suburban campus typology, and as such, become in many ways an oxymoron. / Master of Architecture

This study was conducted to identify how daily use rituals affect function, values, and symbolic meanings residents attach to the town center of Biñan Laguna, Philippines. If values and meanings affect the transformations of the built environment, how are social and cultural values related to the temporal and spatial use of the town center? Furthermore, what are the symbolic meanings that the residents attach to the town center? This exploratory study attempts to investigate the morphological changes of the physical and social aspects of the town center's built form. The physical aspect focuses on the function or use and morphological changes of the town center. The social aspect focuses on the symbolic value and associational meaning of the town center to town residents. Other studies on plazas and town centers have only concentrated on site observations, personal interviews, surveys, and urban morphological studies respectively. While these methods show significant results, the focus becomes isolated either only on the users or the built environment or users and the built environment in a confined synchonic analysis. This exploratory study will bridge the gap between the users and the built environment by employing the diachronic analysis using the following methods: personal interviews, site observations, behavioral mapping, and urban morphological analysis. The first three methods deal with the present, and the last method deals with the past, all of which would provide a basis of understanding for future decisions on the built environment. The results show that a hierarchy of religious, economic, and political values is related to daily use rituals of the town center. Likewise, the spatial use of the town center shows its relevance to these rituals. While the results of values show that religion is on top of the hierarchy, the results of symbolic associations reveal that the town center is synonymous to the public market, hence, placing economic activity on top of the hierarchy. This research can provide a model for further investigation and stimulate more comprehensive studies of users' values, meanings, and use of other plazas and town centers since data on Philippine plazas and town centers are so limited. This study could also serve as a model for inventory and collection of data resources for similar towns in the Philippines on which information is extremely deficient. Designers and urban planners can utilize this research project as a source of information and understanding for future design and planning initiatives that focus on social morphology of town centers undergoing suburbanization. / Master of Landscape Architecture

Towns contain spaces defined by human interaction with their surroundings. In any town, certain places seem inviting while others seem cold and unfriendly. This is the result of subtle design decisions that directly effect the character of a place. This investigation focuses on the interaction of architecture in our daily lives and how it affects us in ways that we often overlook. The life of a town is in its relationship between the architecture and the people which inhabit that architecture. / Master of Architecture

Before the 1990's, African migrants did not perceive South Africa as an ideal migration destination. This changed after the end of the apartheid era. The new political climate in the country and the new migration movements linked to increased globalisation changed the situation significantly. South Africa became an attractive migration destination, particularly also for professional African migrants. In this dissertation a select group of black professional/skilled migrants from non-SADC countries, who are resident in Cape Town, are studied. It is shown that such transients defy any migration typology within the South African context. Their position in the world of economic migrants is not automatically one of cosmopolitanism, privilege and glamour. Their decision to migrate is also not necessarily voluntary. The explication and analysis of the context and circumstances of the migrants are conducted with specific reference to: - professional mobility vis a vis identity, culture and community - human mobility and globalisation - the demographics and legalities of immigration to South Africa - origin, identity and the construct of `home' - the `host' nation and perceptions, stereotypes and xenophobia - personal networks and adaptation - the notion of space becoming place. What is thus demonstrated and interrogated is that `belonging' in this world is a process of change and fluctuation. `Crossing borders' will mean different things to different people - especially also for skilled/professional migrants. Issues such as class, gender, race, citizenship, ethnicity and sexuality, play a role in how `belonging' is defined and how people assign meaning to movements across borders. / Anthropology and Archaeology / (MA (Anthropology))

Balancing the work and family domains is an ongoing concern for men and women in dual-earner relationships. However, most of the research studies that have explored work-family balance, have been conducted within the North American context using highly educated middle-class couples. Furthermore, no known South African studies have explored work-family balance experiences and strategies based on the couple as a unit. The aim of this study is therefore to understand how middle-class South African dual-earner couples experience and pursue work-family balance. A sample comprising ten multi-racial, middle-class, heterosexual dual-earner couples with children, who work in different employment sectors, and reside in Cape Town, South Africa, were selected purposefully through the use of convenience and snow-ball sampling techniques. The interpretive approach located within the qualitative paradigm was employed to understand the subjective experiences of couples through the method of semi-structured conjoint interviews. All conjoint interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed for later analysis. Patterns and themes within the data were identified using thematic analysis and later organised through the use of thematic networks. Two organising themes were uncovered for the global theme "subjective experiences of work-family balance amongst dual-earner couples", namely that work-family balance is a unique experience, and that work-family balance is a dynamic process. Furthermore, the data analysis revealed ten organising themes for the global theme "strategies dual-earner couples use to pursue a work-family balance", namely that striving towards an egalitarian marital relationship helps to promote couples' experience of work-family balance; proactively structuring opportunities for time with family contributes to a balanced work and family life; accessing familial and paid support promotes feelings of being successful in balancing work and family roles; shared planning and organisation facilitates a better balance of work and family roles; living within means relieves couples of unnecessary financial stress; creating opportunities for "alone time" supports couples' work-family balance; work validation and satisfaction encourages greater experiences ofwork-family balance; having the ability to control one's schedule ensures greater freedom to transition between work and family domains; setting boundaries around work and family domains helps couples maintain their balance; and relying on faith to cope with work and family stressors leads to a more balanced life. Each organising theme contained several basic themes which were discussed in relation to previous literature and/or research studies. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Thesis (MCur)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Controversy was observed regarding the opinions of nursing managers on the role of patient care workers (PCWs) in private hospitals. These opinions ranged from praise for their contribution towards patient care to serious concerns about the impact of their role on patient safety. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the role of PCWs in private hospitals in the Cape Metropole, South Africa. A qualitative approach with a descriptive design was applied to explore the role of PCWs as perceived by unit managers, nurses and patient care workers. Purposive sampling was used to select participants from medical and surgical wards from three different private hospitals, one each from the three major private hospital groups in South Africa (n=15). Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee of the Stellenbosch University, as well as from the private hospital organisations. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed and analysed. Six themes emerged from the data. These included PCW activities, care organisation, position in the patient care team, training, reasons for employment and concerns about the PCW role. The findings indicated strong similarities with the health care asistant role as described in the literature study. The activities of PCWs are focused on direct patient care and they spend much time with patients. They are close observers of the patient’s condition and report to nurses. PCWs seem to be well integrated into the patient care team and are mostly seen as nurses. Yet, there are concerns about their evolving role despite their limited training programmes and the lack of direct supervision. The researcher recommends that the work of PCWs should be regulated, but that the nursing profession should critically evaluate the need for another nursing category in addition to that of the enrolled nurse auxiliary. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Teenstrydigheid is waargeneem met betrekking tot die opinies van verpleegbestuurders oor die rol van pasiёntsorgwerkers (PSWs) in privaat hospitale. Hierdie opinies het variëer van waardering vir hul bydrae tot pasiёntsorg tot ernstige besorgdheid oor die impak van hulle rol op pasiënt veiligheid. Die doel van hierdie studie was dus om die rol van PSWs in privaat hospitale in die Kaapse Metropool in Suid Afrika te ondersoek. ‘n Kwalitatiewe benadering met ‘n beskrywende ontwerp is gevolg om die rol van PSWs, soos waargeneem deur eenheidsbestuurders, verpleegsters en PSWs self, te ondersoek. Doelgerigte steekproeftrekking is gebruik om deelnemers van mediese en chirurgiese sale uit drie verskillende privaat hospitale, een uit elk van die drie grootste privaat hospitaal organisasies in Suid Afrika, te kies (n=15). Toestemming om die studie te doen is verkry van die Etiek Komitee vir Gesondheidsorgnavorsing van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch sowel as van die privaat hospitaal organisasies. Vyftien semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevoer, woordeliks getik en ge-analiseer. Ses temas het uit die data na vore gekom. Dit sluit die aktiwiteite van PSWs, die organisering van sorg, plek in die pasiёntsorg span, opleiding, redes vir indiensneming en besorgdheid oor die rol van PSWs. Die bevindinge toon ‘n sterk ooreenkoms met die rol van die gesondheidsorg assistent soos beskryf in die literatuur. PSWs fokus op direkte pasiёntsorg en spandeer baie tyd met pasiёnte. Weens hulle nabyheid aan die pasiёnt, kan hulle die pasiёnt se toestand waarneem en bevindings rapporteer aan verpleegsters. PSWs is oёnskynlik goed geїntegreer in die pasiёntsorgspan en word meesal as verpleegsters beskou. Tog is daar besorgdheid oor die uitbreiding van hulle rol ten spyte van beperkte opleidingsprogramme en ‘n gebrek aan toesighouding. Die navorser stel voor dat die werk van PSWs gereguleer behoort te word, maar ook dat die verpleegprofessie die nodigheid van ‘n addisionele kategorie tot die assistent verpleegster, krities moet evalueer.

<p>This research report investigated the impact of the decrease in numbers of learners at a working class high school in Cape Town. The decrease is a consequence of the early school leaving and learner migration.</p>