No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Introdução: O envelhecimento humano constitui uma realidade no mundo atual. O Baixo Alentejo é uma das regiões de Portugal com maiores taxas de envelhecimento da população e grande dispersão geográfica, potencialmente associadas a maior solidão. A solidão é uma conhecida fonte de sofrimento, associada à redução da qualidade de vida e ao aumento da morbilidade e mortalidade, com impacto na utilização dos serviços de saúde. Até ao momento, não existe nenhum estudo realizado nesta região. Objetivo: Determinar o impacto da solidão nos idosos na utilização de recursos de saúde no Baixo Alentejo. Secundariamente, caracterizar a prevalência da solidão e as características e determinantes associados. Material e métodos: Realizou-se um estudo observacional transversal pela aplicação de um questionário a pessoas com idade igual ou superior a 65 anos, autónomos e não institucionalizados, que frequentaram os cuidados de saúde primários da Unidade Local de Saúde do Baixo Alentejo no período de tempo compreendido entre 15 de março de 2024 e 15 de setembro de 2024. Foi utilizada a Escala de Solidão da Universidade da Califórnia de Los Angeles, Califórnia (UCLA-LS) para a medição da solidão. Foram também analisadas outras variáveis sociodemográficas e escalas de disfunção familiar. Resultados: Foram incluídos 318 participantes (58.8% do sexo feminino) com uma idade média de 75.5 anos, 28.9% dos quais acima dos 80 anos. Do total de avaliados, 29.6% vive só, 59,7% tem um rendimento mensal inferior ao salário mínimo nacional e 61.3% escolaridade inferior a 6 anos. No total, 52.0% dos participantes apresentavam solidão ligeira e 14.8% solidão severa. Os participantes com maior disfunção familiar apresentam mais solidão. Não foi possível determinar relação entre a idade e os níveis de solidão nem encontrar relação entre a participação em atividades de tempos livres e solidão. A presença de solidão associa-se a maior número de consultas nos Cuidados de Saúde Primários, a maior número de recursos aos serviços de urgência e a um maior consumo diário de medicamentos. Conclusão: A solidão nos idosos do Baixo Alentejo influencia significativamente a utilização dos serviços de saúde, parecendo configurar-se como um verdadeiro determinante com impacto negativo na saúde. / Background: Human ageing is a reality in today's world. The Baixo Alentejo is one of the regions in Portugal with the highest rates of population ageing and great geographical dispersion, potentially associated with greater loneliness. Loneliness is a well-known source of suffering, associated with reduced quality of life and increased morbidity and mortality, with an impact on the use of health services. To date, there has been no study carried out in this region. Objectives: To determine the impact of loneliness among the elderly on the use of health resources in Baixo Alentejo. Secondly, to characterize the prevalence of loneliness and the associated characteristics and determinants. Material and methods: A cross-sectional observational study was carried out by applying a questionnaire to people aged 65 and over, who were autonomous and not institutionalized, and who attended the primary health care services of the Unidade Local de Saúde do Baixo Alentejo (ULSBA) between March 15, 2024 and September 15, 2024. The University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS) was used to measure loneliness. Other sociodemographic variables and family dysfunction scales were also analysed. Results: The study included 318 participants (58.8% female) with an average age of 75.5 years, 28.9% of whom were over 80 years old. Of the total, 29.6% lived alone, 59.7% had a monthly income of less than the national minimum wage and 61.3% had less than 6 years of schooling. In total, 52.0% of the participants were mildly lonely and 14.8% were severely lonely. Participants with greater family dysfunction were lonelier. It was not possible to determine a relationship between age and levels of loneliness, nor was it possible to find a relationship between participation in leisure activities and loneliness. The presence of loneliness was associated with a greater number of consultations in Primary Health Care, a greater number of visits to emergency services and a greater daily consumption of medication. Conclusion: Loneliness among the elderly in Baixo Alentejo significantly influences the use of health services and seems to be a real determinant with a negative impact on health.

At most universities internationally, secondary piano instruction is compulsory for all music students regardless of their field of specialisation. Vocal art students studying at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) are also expected to complete three years of basic piano tuition. Since the researcher teaches secondary piano at the Department of Performing Arts: Vocal Art (TUT), the aim of this study was to determine the objectives of the tuition, and appropriate methods through which they can be best achieved. The research is based on an investigation of relevant literature on secondary piano instruction for music majors at universities in South Africa and abroad. Since the researcher was primarily trained to teach basic piano to very young beginners, it was thought necessary to firstly investigate the field of adult education and basic piano instruction for adults and college-age students. The results of the literature search confirmed that basic piano tuition for children differs greatly from that for older beginners. It became clear that the success of basic piano instruction for adults greatly depends on the teacher’s understanding of these fundamental differences as well as knowledge of appropriate approaches and methods with which to accommodate adults’ unique characteristics. Subsequently, the purpose of teaching piano playing skills to non-piano music majors was investigated. Results indicated that there is a broad spectrum of skills which can aid the musician in his future career. These include technique, sight-reading, accompanying, harmonisation, transposing, repertory study, vocal score-reading and reduction, instrumental score reduction, improvisation, playing by ear, playing of folk songs, developing musicianship skills, critical listening, performance skills, chord playing, ensemble playing, realisation of figured bass, modulation, memorisation, music analysis, playing two or more parts from multiple staves, playing warm-up exercises, singing a vocal part while playing other parts, and jazz piano playing. The most important piano playing skills for non-piano music majors to acquire were identified as technique, sight-reading, accompanying, repertory study and improvisation. Controversies exist about the importance of each of these skills, but most teachers agree that they should all be present in the secondary piano curriculum. The most common method used to teach these skills to instrumentalists and singers was identified as group tuition. This method of teaching is not used merely because it is more economical but also for various musical and sociological reasons. Musical advantages include the acquisition of a broad spectrum of skills such as critical faculties, listening skills, ensemble activities, self-assessment skills, improved practice habits and progress, rhythmic stability, improved intonation, memory training and notational reading. Social advantages include interaction, peer-learning, motivation, encouragement, discovery-learning, enjoyment, involvement and the development of individuality and self-esteem. At the end of each chapter, specific guidelines for teaching basic piano to vocal art students at TUT are given. The study culminates in conclusions and recommendations drawn from the results of the literature investigation Copyright / Dissertation (Music)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Music / unrestricted

This study investigated the effectiveness of the cascade model in the in-service training of ABET educators in the North West Province with special reference to its dissemination and application at the workplace. To seek an overview of longer term gain from the cascade model of training, the Kirkpatrick model of training evaluation was employed. The evaluation sought to obtain post training perception of the effectiveness of training and its longer term impact. To achieve this goal, qualitative and quantitative research approaches were employed to gather information. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data regarding the biographic information of 103 ABET educators from five Area Project Offices and to determine factors that impede or facilitate the effectiveness of the cascade model of training. Also, interviews were conducted with one ABET Provincial trainer and five APO ABET specialists. This study's significant contributions are its realization that ABET educators are not adequately involved in the planning of their in-service training programme. It further identifies nine factors that impede the effectiveness of the cascade model of training. The factors include the existence of gaps between the training of various levels, inadequate resources for training at the centre levels, negative attitudes of colleagues at the cantres, insufficient knowledge of ABET educators to conduct workshops at their centres, misinterpretation of information and ABET educators not confident to cascade what they have learned from the in-service workshops, low morale of ABET educators, pressures of work and limited time at the centres to cascade training to colleagues, ABET educator's attrition, among others. To circumvent these factors, this study recommends twelve intervention mechanisms namely: involving ABET educators in the planning of their in-service training, basing training on careful assessment of ABET educators' needs, using work-related situations in training, providing support during training, limiting time gaps between the training of various cascade levels, evaluating the impact of in-service training, among others. Finally the study suggested areas of further study on ABET educators' attrition, ABET educators' conditions of service and transfer of learning and the cost-effectiveness of the cascade model and the quality of in-service training of ABET educators. Insights from this study are beneficial to educators, educational managers, policy makers, in-service trainers, NGOs, researchers, facilitators and students. / Thesis (PhD.(Education) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2010

Kriminalvården har genom åren fått mycket kritik för hur arbetet på anstalterna bedrivs och implementerade 2006 en värdegrund för att förtydliga hur arbetet inne på anstalterna skulle utföras för att säkerställa att verksamheten bedrevs på rätt sätt. Syftet med uppsatsen var därför att undersöka hur två organisationer, KRIS Halmstad och KRIS Kalmar, upplevde Kriminalvårdens värdegrund och därmed undersöka hur de uppfattade måluppfyllelsen. Syftet var även att undersöka om implementeringen haft någon betydelse och om det fanns några skillnader mellan de två organisationerna. Dessutom var ett annat syfte att undersöka likheter mellan den svenska och den amerikanska Kriminalvården. Via två fallstudier har tre individer från varje organisation intervjuats, totalt sex intervjuer. Enligt KRIS Halmstad fanns det ingen måluppfyllelse då endast få delar av värdegrunden levdes upp till. I KRIS Kalmar uppfattades det som något bättre. Där fanns en måluppfyllelse, dock var den svag. Avsaknaden av måluppfyllelse enligt KRIS Halmstad innebar att ingen effektmätning kunde genomföras. Enligt KRIS Kalmar hade implementeringen inte någon betydelse då endast två av nio delmål förbättrades efter implementeringen. Uppsatsen är skriven på svenska. / The Swedish Correctional has troughout the years been a subject to critisism concerning the work inside the correctionals insitutions, and 2006 they implemented basic values to clarify the way to work inside the institutions to ensure that the work was beeing properly executed. Therefore the object of this essay has been to evaluate how two organizations, KRIS Halmstad and KRIS Kalmar, was experiencing the basic values and its fulfilling. The purpose has also been to examine if the implement has had a significans and if there were any differenses or similarities between the two organizations. Moreover was another object to examine the similarities between the Swedish and the American Correctional. Through two case studies three individuals from each organization has been interviewed, a total of six interviews. According to KRIS Halmstad there was no fulfilling of the basic values because merely a few parts were fulfilled. In KRIS Kalmar they were percieved as a bit better. There was a fulfilling of the basic values, though it was week. Because of the abscense of fulfilling of the basic values according to KRIS Halmstad, no measures of the output could be done. According to KRIS Kalmar the implement has not had any significance as only two out of nine parts of the basic values has been improved. The essay is written in swedish.

Published Article / This article examines how South African newspapers report on the activities of the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) regarding human rights violations in South African schools over a five-year period (1 January 2005 to 31 December 2009). The overarching research question that guided this study is: Can the media play a role in cultivating and creating a particular view of human rights violations in schools and advocate policy change through their framing of the activities of the SAHRC? McManus and Dorfman's guidelines were used to analyse the structural and content frames of 161 articles that were retrieved from the SAMedia database. These news stories provide a glimpse on the wide variety of human rights violations the SAHRC investigated during the five-year period. The interrogation of the two dominant content frames, namely school violence and infringements on learners' rights to basic education, reveals newspapers' superficial and sensationalised coverage of human rights violations. The analysis exposes the media's lack of policy advocacy.

Personality psychology became an identifiable discipline in the social sciences in the 1930s when Allport (1937) published an article on the psychological interpretation of personality. The field of personality traditionally emphasised the study of the whole person, the dynamics of human motivation and the identification and measurement of individual differences (McAdams, 1997). Since the publication of Allport’s article, personality has been extensively researched and several theories exist that attempt to organise and explain the differences in human behaviour. Personality instruments are based on personality theories and aim to assist psychologists with the prediction of human behaviour. Psychologists use personality instruments as part of a selection battery to assist organisations with the screening and selection of individuals who have the potential to be successful within a specific work environment. The Basic Traits Inventory (BTI), a personality instrument that is based on the Five-Factor model, was developed in South Africa by Taylor and De Bruin (2006). The BTI is a valid and reliable personality instrument as indicated by results from research by Taylor (2004), Taylor and De Bruin (2006) and Taylor (2008) on its utility within the multicultural and multilingual environment of South Africa. Taylor (2008) nevertheless identified some problematic items when she analysed the construct, item, and response bias of the BTI across cultures for three language groups – Afrikaans, English and indigenous African languages – and consequently indicated the need for further research in this regard. The current study therefore explores the possible bias of the items of the BTI, and uses a sample large enough to analyse each of the eleven of the official languages of South Africa separately. The study focuses on the impact of the eleven official languages of South Africa on assessment of the Big Five personality factors with the BTI. The actual sample consisted of 105 342 respondents, resulting in the sub-samples per official language group being larger than 1 000. Each of the eleven official South African language groups could therefore be analysed separately, which has not been possible in previous studies. Analysis of the responses of the total sample to the BTI items generally yielded high reliability in terms of Cronbach alpha coefficients (α) and the Person Separation Index (PSI). The results were reported as follows: Extraversion (α=.86; PSI=.85); Neuroticism (α=.89; PSI=.86); Conscientiousness (α=.93; PSI=.88); Openness to experience (α=.90; PSI=.84); Agreeableness (α=.94; PSI=.86); and Social desirability (α=.72; PSI=.70). MANOVA results indicated statistically significant differences between the mean values of each of the BTI factors for the different language groups. Rasch analysis methods were used to further analyse the differences in terms of item responses for each of the eleven official language groups in South Africa. Respondents generally interpret and endorse the items of a personality instrument according to their intrinsic personality characteristics and their interpretation of the words used in the items of the personality instrument. In order to assess the respondents’ understanding of the administration language, English, two English proficiency tests were administered together with the BTI. The combined English proficiency scores were used to differentiate between respondents who understood English very well (top 25% – high English proficiency group) and those who struggled to understand English terminology (bottom 25% – low English proficiency group). Rasch analysis techniques were used to analyse the data for the whole sample as well as for the high and low English proficiency groups. Some items showed statistically significant differences for the language groups, indicating item bias in the BTI. Contrary to expectation, a larger number of biased items were indicated for the higher English proficiency group than for the total group or for the low English proficiency group. Due to the number of biased items for the high English proficiency group, it was concluded that the differences between the eleven official language groups may be a result of the differences in the intrinsic personality characteristics of the respondents, rather than measurement errors or item bias of the BTI instrument. Further research in this regard was recommended. The current study confirms that home language and English proficiency, as indicators of the level of understanding of the language in which the personality instrument was administered, undeniably influence the individual’s response pattern. Far fewer items indicated bias than those identified in Taylor’s (2008) study, where a smaller sample was used and language groups were combined. Despite some BTI items showing bias, the conclusion was reached that this personality instrument can be used with confidence to assess personality traits in persons speaking any of the eleven official South African languages. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / D. Comm. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

This thesis is about so-­‐called consensual exploitative transactions: transactions to which all parties agree voluntarily, and which are beneficial for all parties, but which are still widely considered exploitative, and for that reason legally restricted in many countries. The thesis asks two main questions: 1. What is wrong with consensual exploitation? 2.What implications does the answer to this question have for the legal restriction of consensual transactions that are regarded exploitative in modern liberal societies? In answer to the first research question, the thesis starts by distinguishing and analysing five competing views of the wrong in consensual exploitation that exist in the present-­‐day philosophical debate on exploitation; and rejects all five answers. Next, the thesis offers an alternative answer, which is that the wrong in consensual exploitation can best be understood as a matter of greediness—a failure of the virtue of generosity. The thesis then turns to the second research question: what understanding exploitation as greediness implies for the legal restriction of exploitative transactions. It discusses and rejects the view that law ought only to be used to regulate ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ behaviour, and not to promote virtues or discourage vices, such as generosity and greediness. The thesis argues that legal restrictions on consensual exploitative transactions can be justified as a means to prevent greediness, and to promote a certain other-­‐regardingness, and illustrates this argument with two examples of laws that regulate consensual transactions which are widely regarded exploitative: minimum wage laws and payday loan laws.