This thesis is based on a case study of the degraded Boksburg Lake social-ecological system and an environmental education initiative that aimed to support its transformation. This initiative aimed to involve local people in reclaiming the lake’s social and ecological value, through a process of collectively reimagining possibilities, shaping identities, gaining knowledge and developing local human agency. The focus was on social learning processes in schools and churches to explore opportunities for co-engaged reflexivity that might produce transformation. Schools and Christian churches, two institutions that reflect modern, western socialecological worldviews also have the potential to bring about change. Critical Realism was chosen as my philosophical framework as it provided the tools to explore deeper mechanisms beyond empirical reality, both influencing the degrading trajectory as well as providing possibilities for transformation. It also legitimised case study research as a means to understand more generalised processes characterising modern social-ecological systems. The choice of Critical Realism informed the scope of my primary research question: What generative mechanisms constrain and enable the development of social-ecological resilience for well-being, in the modern social-ecological system of Boksburg Lake? The following three goals were formulated to address this primary question. Goal 1: Based on a multitheoretical perspective of social-ecological literature, develop conceptual tools that have explanatory power to probe generative mechanisms operating in the Boksburg Lake social-ecological system. Goal 2: Identify generative mechanisms driving the current degradation of the Boksburg Lake social-ecological system. Goal 3: Identify learning mechanisms that support transformation for greater social-ecological resilience of the Boksburg Lake social-ecological system. By addressing the primary question and research goals I aimed to gain insights into modern global socialecological systems, the mechanisms that drive high social-ecological risk and the requirements for and possibilities of global systemic change. Drawing on a broad reading of social-ecological literature from different vantage points, tools with explanatory power were developed to probe for generative mechanisms in the Boksburg Lake social-ecological system (goal 1). The human capacity for symbolic representation is identified as an emergent property of coevolving human-ecological systems. These symbolic representations become expressed in culture and worldviews, and influence patterns of identifying, types of knowledge and forms of agency. The nature of these will determine the degree that cultural systems are embedded within ecological reality and the extent of cultural-ecological coupling. A cultural system closely coupled with ecological realities is likely to value ecological systems and manage them for their health, while less coupled cultural-ecological systems are likely to lead to the opposite. Because of their integrated nature, the extent of ecological health and value will affect the decline or sustainability of cultural-ecological systems. There are numerous examples of the learning that can take place when cultural-ecological systems are facing decline. This learning can enhance or reduce biophyllic instincts that become encoded in patterns of identifying, types of knowledge and forms of agency. This in turn affects the strength of cultural-ecological coupling and the extent that human societies co-evolve with ecological systems. / Normalising ideologies is a concept coined in the thesis to refer to symbolic representations of reality that have become integral to a social fabric and determine meaning, while maintaining the domination of the powerful. These ideologies determine patterns of identifying, knowledge and agency and are recognised as having a fundamental influence on the resilience of social-ecological systems. Four normalising ideologies are identified that promote apparent human progress at the expense of ecological integrity and social equality and thus alienation with each other and the ecological world. These are human-ecological dualism, anthropocentrism, nature is mechanised and nature is to be controlled. There are also a number of ideologies promoting connectedness with the ecological world that, if they became normalised, would support greater social-ecological resilience for well-being. Generative mechanisms driving the current degradation of the Boksburg Lake socialecological system were identified (goal 2). Drawing on critical methodology, the main method adopted was document analysis of the Boksburg Advertiser archives, Boksburg’s local newspaper. Four generative mechanisms are recognised as most influential. Two of these have been named hegemonic symbolic systems. The primary symbolic system consists of the four normalising ideologies, mentioned above, that promote human progress at the expense of ecological health. The secondary, more explicit symbolic system, built on this, consists of the following normative ideologies: economic growth is imperative, unrestrained development is promoted, competition is the necessary means and consumerism is the good life. These two symbolic systems have had causal influence on the systematic erosion of ecological processes and biological diversity that has occurred in Boksburg, with the consequent undermining of social-ecological resilience for well-being. The third mechanism that constrains resilience is the power dynamics that have shaped Boksburg’s economic history and social-ecological system. This has resulted in a society built on inequality and injustice with all its associated social and environmental ills, expressed as externalities. The fourth mechanism resides in Boksburg’s political and municipal dynamics. These structures are not designed to tackle complex social-ecological problems and they hold considerable agential power, yet seem dysfunctional at present. Learning mechanisms that support transformation for greater social-ecological resilience of the Boksburg Lake social-ecological system were identified (goal 3). By adopting the role of a reflexive practitioner, supported by action research, case study and interpretivist methodologies, data on the empirical manifestations of the environmental educational initiative were collected. Methods included semistructured interviews, focus groups, document analysis and participant observation. Findings indicate that schools and churches are important institutions that can positively influence patterns of identifying, knowledge about and agency for Boksburg Lake and can thus play a role in transforming hegemonic normalising ideologies. Important learning mechanisms identified included: Learning reflexively together within communities of practice that provide opportunities for active rather than passive learning; involving the youth as they are a group of people with notable enthusiasm, vision, energy and motivation; learning through information acquisition, investigation, action and deliberation; learning about abstract concepts and theoretical knowledge but embedding this in local realities; and learning that provides reference markers for how things can be different.

M.A. / Nonprofit organisations are facing a crisis of survival. The changing face of funding through the implementation of financial reform measures on government funding, new expectations from donors, decline in regular private donations and new forms of competition have all contributed to the financial constraints facing the Organisation under study. In addition, the emphasis on transforming services to embrace the developmental, strengths based approach, as well as the growing demand for services from the users themselves have called for the Organisation to reposition itself if it wants to not only survive but to succeed as well. This study focused on the Boksburg Child Welfare Society and was based on a need to develop an intervention tool that will enable the Organisation to address these changes in a creative and innovative manner. Thomas (in Grinne1,1981:591) calls for a new methodology, one where new energies can be directed to the changing tasks and methods of Social Work. Within a changing environment, a strategy in nonprofit marketing is the tool that will provide organisations with the impetus to not only work creatively but to think differently…

M.Sc. (Environmental Management) / South African urban areas have seen a significant number of wetlands lost or degraded in the name of development. Thus, most urban wetlands are seldom pristine, many are canalised, dredged, drained or filled. This is partly because wetlands are located in strategic locations (from an economic point of view) in the landscape, and so, are often considered as prime development land. This is unfortunate as urban wetlands perform a diverse range of valuable functions, what is more, the loss of urban wetlands impact negatively on the surrounding urban population. A typical example is that of the Libradene Wetland, found in Boksburg, Gauteng, which was partially destroyed by an attempt to construct a petrol station on it. This study explores how and why the fate of this particular wetland was sealed, with particular reference to the legislation pertaining to wetlands. The study concluded that although wetlands are protected by legislation, the enforcement of the legislation was slow. The wheels of administrative justice turn slowly, a flaw in the system the developer tried to fully exploit. In addition, unethical practises by the developer and perhaps professionals in the paid services of the developer, resulted in non-compliance with EIA regulations, the National Environmental Management Act (107 of 1998), Environmental Conservation Act (73 of 1989) and the Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (43 of 1983). Although the development ceased, to date, no one has been brought to book and the wetland has not been rehabilitated at all. As a result of this study, a number of recommendations are made (i) consolidate the fragmented administration of environmental legislation concerning wetlands in South Africa under one government department, (ii) improve the relationships between the respective authorities at all government levels (iii) strengthen the public participation process and (iv) to strength the national wetlands database.

This dissertation describes the participatory development process which was facilitated among the parents of children attending Themeli Nursery and Pre-school in the community of Ramaphosa, an informal settlement near Reiger Park, Boksburg (Gauteng-South Africa). The focus of this study was empowerment of men and women alike. In the course of the process, the researcher discovered how the men and women in question were empowered by the participatory development process which enabled them to start a Stokvel, the aim of which was to help augment the members' financial resources so as to sustain payment of their children's day care fees and to also enhance corporately the spirit of ubuntu among themselves as local community members. / SOCIAL WORK / Thesis (M.A. (SS--Mental Health)

This dissertation describes the participatory development process which was facilitated among the parents of children attending Themeli Nursery and Pre-school in the community of Ramaphosa, an informal settlement near Reiger Park, Boksburg (Gauteng-South Africa). The focus of this study was empowerment of men and women alike. In the course of the process, the researcher discovered how the men and women in question were empowered by the participatory development process which enabled them to start a Stokvel, the aim of which was to help augment the members' financial resources so as to sustain payment of their children's day care fees and to also enhance corporately the spirit of ubuntu among themselves as local community members. / SOCIAL WORK / Thesis (M.A. (SS--Mental Health)

M.Ed. / Human rights in education in South Africa in general and in Reiger Park in particular has become an area of contention. This is reflected by the lack of understanding of human rights by teachers, parents and pupils alike. The teachers, parents, as well as pupils have different interpretations of what human rights mean to them and often create feelings of complacency and sometimes indolent behaviour of some teachers, parents as well as pupils. The teachers. parents and pupils need to be made aware of the importance of human rights as a means to achieve a democratic society rather than working against it.(see 4.8.2) This study wishes to address the above-mentioned issues by seeking answers to the following questions: Do people know about human rights ? What are their attitudes towards human rights? What are their attitudes towards discipline along human rights principles? -Is there a necessity to include human rights education in the school curriculum ? How human rights education ought to be introduced in the school ? The aim of the research is to look at overseas countries to see if there are patterns or trends in human rights education and whether these global problems are are experienced in a local context. To find out whether people know about human rights, their attitudes towards human rights as well as their attitudes towards discipline along the principles of human rights. The research also aims to find out how human rights would be incorporated in the school curriculum.

This research aimed to investigate how life coaching influenced five female high school learners (aged 16 and 17 years old) at an independent school in Gauteng province. The learners attended four life-coaching sessions with an experienced and accredited life coach over a period of eight weeks. Data was collected from a literature review of previous research on life coaching and coaching in general, interviews with the learners both before and after the life coaching experience and from journal entries kept by the learners during the process. All learners learnt through the process and experienced positive changes in their lives. This included improved balance in their lives; improved time management, reduced stress and more positive mind-sets. They were able to set goals and achieve some success during the process. They expressed increased confidence in themselves and their abilities to overcome challenges in their lives and recommended life coaching for other learners. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Educational Management)