Thesis (MPH)--University of Limpopo, 2010. / Background Virginity testing is a practice that has stimulated lots of discussions amongst people from various perspectives. Controversies around this practice have necessitated further research in order to bring the voice of girls into the virginity testing debate. Aim and objective The aim of the study was to explore perceptions and experiences of girls on the practice of virginity testing. Methodology Triangulation of qualitative data collective method was used. The researcher informally engaged in key informants’ interviews with stakeholders who participate in the practice attended virginity testing celebration to observe the proceedings and processes conducted during the practice. Focus group discussions were conducted. Data was analyzed using NVIVO. Results Elders, in particular mothers, encouraged participation of girls in virginity testing. Girls observed and sighted benefits, ranging from viz: HIV/STI prevention, societal recognition and acceptance, purity before marriage and delay of sexual debut. Non participation was attributed to the in availability of virginity testing practices the areas. Concerns of doggy behaviors by testers, uneducated testers of testers, compromised health standards were discussed. Conclusions These findings reveal that there are areas of misunderstanding on how the practice is viewed and represented in the media. Arguments against virginity testing seem to be based on the perspective of on Westernized, feminist and individualistic notions of humanity disregarding the social construction of traditional cultural practices. Socialization and moral standards of people from a particularly Western orientation dominate the debate against virginity testing with no basis that is supported by research.

No description available.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: James M. Jones, Dept. of Black American Studies. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1981. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 49-52). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

No description available.

The purposes of this research are to investigate the situation and attitude of participation of the students in the volunteer services courses at National Sun Yat-sen University¡]NSYSU¡^, and to explore the influences of the students¡¦ personal factors on this issue. Besides, this research discusses the relation between the situation and attitude of participation in the service-learning courses. The population is students who enrolled in the volunteer services course in the second semester of 93 academic year at NSYSU. The research uses ¡§convenience sampling¡¨. A questionnaire designed by the researcher is distributed to 417 out of 538 freshmen who took part in volunteer services courses. After deducting invalid samples, the count of valid samples are 410. The statistic methods used in this research include mean, percent, standard deviation, t test, ANOVA, and kai square. According to the data collected, the important findings of this research are as follows. First, the descending order of the types of service-learning which the students on NSYSU participated is ¡§the service to beautify the school¡¨, ¡§community service outside of school¡¨, ¡§professional service¡¨, ¡¨the service to clean the surrounding of the school¡¨, and ¡§administrative service¡¨. Thus, the types of service-learning are centralized in the service within school, and the mostly is the labor. The descending order of the time-arrangement is ¡§regulation time¡¨, ¡§time arranged by myself¡¨, ¡§not sure, and must wait the notice¡¨, and ¡§the other¡¨ (had not serviced yet). In the aspect of reflection, the descending order of the types of reflection is ¡§reflection by myself¡¨, ¡§service note¡¨, ¡§group discussion¡¨, and ¡§reading the books about service¡¨. The ones who took part in community service outside of school are more likely to reflect during the process of the service. Second, the descending order of the score in attitude of participation is affection, action-tendency, whole, and cognition attitude. Third, genders, schools, and experiences in volunteer services course have significant differences in the types and the time-arrangement of service-learning. Fourth, ¡§the time-arrangement of service-learning¡¨ significantly relates to the cognition and affection attitude of participation in service-learning. And the reflection significantly relates to whole attitude and the sub-attitude of participation in service-learning (cognition, affection, and action-tendency).

This research analyzes and demonstrates the local position determination problem on Earth using a novel instrument, the Compass Star Tracker. Special focus is given to the theoretical development of the mathematics of local position determination, the design and fabrication of a proof-of-concept instrument, an error source analysis, and the experimental tests used to validate the position determination concepts. Star sensors are typically used as attitude determination instruments on spacecraft orbiting Earth. In this capacity, the star sensor determines the orientation of the spacecraft using digital images of the stars. This research utilizes the basic functionality of the star sensor in a new way; the orientation information from the star image is used to determine a user's latitude and longitude coordinates on Earth. This concept is valuable because it allows users to determine their position autonomously. The fundamental concepts that enable local position determination were originally published in Drs. Samaan, Mortari, and Junkins (AAS 04-007). This research improves upon that work by eliminating the zenith-orientation constraint and providing several crucial theoretical corrections. In addition to the position determination mathematics, this research provides analysis of the theoretical and practical error sources associated with the position determination problem. This research also details the design, fabrication, and experimental test program of a proof-of-concept Compass Star Tracker. Together, the theoretical development, error analysis, instrument design, and test program serve as validation of the the position determination concept. This work is intended as the first of many steps toward eventual deployment of autonomous position determination sensors on the Moon and Mars.

Thèse de doctorat : Psychologie : Nancy 2 : 2002. / Bibliographie. Index.

Issued also as Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University. / "References cited": p. 68.

Thesis--Uppsala. / Tr. by Edric Hille. "Literature quoted": p. [226]-231.