The aim of this thesis is to examine the fostering of democracy in the form of pupils’ influence and participation in decision processes.  The main focus is on pupils’ formal influence in lower secondary education, forms 7-9, in particular class councils and pupil councils, although informal influence is also studied. The study is ethnographic and based on observations, informal conversations and formal interviews with pupils and school staff in three Swedish schools during one school year (2007/2008). The analysis draws on theories focusing on democracy and gender (Pateman, 1970; Young, 1990, 1997, 2000a,b, 2005), and institutional aspects of education (Bernstein, 2000). The results show that the activity among the participating pupils is low, and that the councils deal with what the pupils mostly judge as unimportant and uninteresting issues. Issues related to teaching are generally seldom dealt with in the councils. A clear majority of the pupils also state that they cannot exert influence to the extent they would like, and that they find the representative systems both coercive and excluding. Still, pupils’ formal influence shows to be important as a means for democracy fostering. In particular positive participation effects are expressed in councils/groups characterised by pupil autonomy and collective community, a result that emphasises the importance of supporting pupil-governed councils and providing collective influence forms. But, the fact that a great deal of the pupils’ criticism against pupils’ influence in practice and the organization of pupils’ influence is connected to representation,  indicates that alternative collective forms to a greater extent than the representative systems can promote interest and active participation among the pupils. The results also show that only a minor proportion of the pupils take active part in influence processes, both formally and informally, and that a predominant majority of the participating pupils are girls. In sum, the results lend support to the idea that active participation in some contexts and in some conditions yields certain positive participation effects. But the fact that a large group of pupils, a majority of them boys, do not participate, proves lacking achievement and inequality when it comes to democracy fostering in the form of pupils’ influence. In view of the results more groups of pupils need to be strengthened as regards influence and participation in decision processes.

This thesis focuses mainly on local action groups and their impact on rural development. The chief aim of this work is to compare existing working methods in rural development with the LEADER method.

This master's thesis deals with Local Action Groups (LAGs), based on the EU approach LEADER for local development, in the Czech Republic during the programming period 2014- 2020. It focuses on the ability of LAGs to acquire and pass on knowledge and to learn, as well as on their networks. Within this work, the character of acquired knowledge, means of transfer of the knowledge and forms of learning are examined. Furthermore, research focuses on LEADER networks and their internal relations as well as level of communication and trust, in order to determine the efficiency of these networks. Lastly, the institutional thickness of the environment of Czech LAGs is examined that constitutes of non-scientific institutions and technological infrastructure. Cooperation with these two types of institutions leads to creation and implementation of innovations and more effective development of the territory. The theoretical grounding and criteria of this work are based on the Theory of Learning Regions. To obtain the data, a mixed research method was used. A combination of quantitative and qualitative research was carried out in the form of a questionnaire survey, semi-structured interviews and analysis of primary documents.

SUMMARY The final work of postgraduate studies, 97 pages, 25 pictures, 5 tables, 48 references, 4 appendices in Lithuanian language. Key words: local development strategy, the process of strategy arrangement, consultation of strategy arrangement, local action groups, consultation methods. The subject of investigation is consultation of local development strategy arrangement. The aim of investigation is to research the process of local development strategy consultation and prepare recommendations for consultation of local development strategy arrangement groups. The tasks: 1. To analyze the general theoretical regularities of strategy arrangement. 2. To identify peculiarities of local development strategy arrangement. 3. To establish the problems that mostly confront the organizers and consultants of strategies. 4. To prepare the model of consultation of local development strategy arrangement groups. The subject of investigation is consultation process of local development strategy. Investigation period – 2001-2006. The methods of investigation. To solve scientific problems were chosen methods of analysis of scientific literature, systemic research method; qualitative inquest methods: arrangement of local development strategy groups and their consultants’ telephonic inquest (Cati), arrangement of local development strategy groups and their consultants’ questionnaire, systematizing of primary and secondary sources of information, analysis and synthesis, comparing methods... [to full text]

No description available.