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This dissertation examines China’s market reforms over the last few decades, and their implications for (re)shaping socioeconomic inequalities in health. Specifically, I study the effect of marketization and related structural changes at community level on individual health outcomes. The first part of this dissertation revisits the market transition theory of Nee (1989), using individual health status as the outcome variable to assess Nee’s theory. Using multiple waves of a longitudinal survey from 1991 to 2006, I compare temporal changes in the role of human capital, political capital, and state policy in determining health under marketization. In partial support of the market transition theory, the empirical results show that the significance of human capital for health increases with marketization, while the return to political capital and one’s household registration status diminishes with a growing market. Additionally, I distinguish between marketization effects on community level, and different aspects of community context in shaping the SES-health link. I find that the level of urbanization and available resources within each community exert influences on self-rated health and change the relative importance of individual socioeconomic conditions in shaping health. Overall, this study provides new longitudinal evidence from China to support the notion that health is influenced by dynamic processes moderated by the structural changes as well as the social stratification system. I discuss the findings in the context of China’s market reform, fundamental causes theory, and socio-ecological perspectives, highlighting that health is determined by a nexus of life experiences and social environment that impact individuals at different levels. / 10000-01-01

Scholars have long theorized that religious contexts provide health-promoting social integration and regulation. A growing body of literature has documented associations between individual religiosity and health as well as macro–micro linkages between religious contexts, religious participation, and individual health. Using unique data on individuals and county contexts in the United States, this study offers new insight by using multilevel analysis to examine meso–micro relationships between religion and health. We assess whether and how the relationship between individual religiosity and health depends on communal religious contexts. In highly religious contexts, religious individuals are less likely to have poor health, while nonreligious individuals are markedly more likely to have poor health. In less religious contexts, religious and nonreligious individuals report similar levels of health. Consequently, the health gap between religious and nonreligious individuals is largest in religiously devout contexts, primarily due to the negative effects on nonreligious individuals’ health in religious contexts.

<p>Plant-animal interactions are affected by both abundance and distribution of interacting species and the community context in which they occur. However, the relative importance of these factors is poorly known. I examined the effects of predator host range, environmental factors, host plant populations, plant traits and fruit abortion on the intensity of pre-dispersal seed predation in 46 host populations of the perennial herb <i>Lathyrus vernus</i>. I recorded damage by beetle pre-dispersal seed predators, mainly <i>Apion opeticum </i>and <i>Bruchus atomarius</i> with different host ranges on <i>L. vernus</i> as well as on two additional host plants. Local seed predator population size was mainly influenced by plant population size, current seed production and beetle population size in the previous year, but was not strongly affected by connectivity. The monophagous seed predator was less abundant and had lower densities than the oligophagous. Both predator species had a strong ability to track fluctuations in seed production; intensity of predation increased with relative increases in seed production. Oligophagous predation on<i> L. vernus i</i>ncreased with the abundance of alternative hosts, but presence of<i> L. vernus</i> did not affect predation on alternative hosts. Abundances and trait preferences differed among three co-occurring seed predators, but were also associated with the abundance of the other species. Overall, seed predation influenced selection on flower number. I found clear indications of seed predator offence but no obvious plant defence. The pattern of fruit abortion was associated with reduced plant fitness since the seed predator had an advanced ability to locate fruits with high probability of retention. Taken together, different factors influencing abundance of the seed predator species, different preferences, and context dependent trait selection are likely to result in complex spatio-temporal variation in overall seed losses and trait selection in the common host plant.</p>

Plant-animal interactions are affected by both abundance and distribution of interacting species and the community context in which they occur. However, the relative importance of these factors is poorly known. I examined the effects of predator host range, environmental factors, host plant populations, plant traits and fruit abortion on the intensity of pre-dispersal seed predation in 46 host populations of the perennial herb Lathyrus vernus. I recorded damage by beetle pre-dispersal seed predators, mainly Apion opeticum and Bruchus atomarius with different host ranges on L. vernus as well as on two additional host plants. Local seed predator population size was mainly influenced by plant population size, current seed production and beetle population size in the previous year, but was not strongly affected by connectivity. The monophagous seed predator was less abundant and had lower densities than the oligophagous. Both predator species had a strong ability to track fluctuations in seed production; intensity of predation increased with relative increases in seed production. Oligophagous predation on L. vernus increased with the abundance of alternative hosts, but presence of L. vernus did not affect predation on alternative hosts. Abundances and trait preferences differed among three co-occurring seed predators, but were also associated with the abundance of the other species. Overall, seed predation influenced selection on flower number. I found clear indications of seed predator offence but no obvious plant defence. The pattern of fruit abortion was associated with reduced plant fitness since the seed predator had an advanced ability to locate fruits with high probability of retention. Taken together, different factors influencing abundance of the seed predator species, different preferences, and context dependent trait selection are likely to result in complex spatio-temporal variation in overall seed losses and trait selection in the common host plant.

Against the background of various socio-economic barriers in many South African school-community contexts, I compared how teachers in four schools implemented an asset-based intervention aimed at school-based psychosocial support. The working assumption was that teachers could act as protective resources in implementing the asset-based approach (following their participation in STAR1) to promote psychosocial support in their school-community contexts. The four schools were conveniently selected as information-rich cases to participate in the research study. The four cases comprised one informal settlement primary school in the Eastern Cape, two urban primary schools in Gauteng and one rural secondary school in Mpumalanga. Purposeful sampling was used to select ten participating teachers (n=40) in each school. Methodologically, the study followed a qualitative paradigm and a comparative case study design, implementing participatory rural appraisal (PRA) principles. The asset-based approach was used as theoretical framework. Multiple data gathering (focus groups, observation and intervention artefacts) and documentation procedures (verbatim transcripts, field notes, research journal and visual data) were implemented over a period of three years. Following constructivist grounded theory analysis, three main themes emerged: teachers using an asset-based approach for psychosocial support; teachers addressing barriers resourcefully; and teachers’ demonstrated asset-based competencies. The findings of the current study confirm that schools as part of unique systems are interrelated in terms of networks that mobilise assets, irrespective of the context. Teachers experience and prioritise a) socio-economic barriers (HIV/AIDS, financial constraints due to poverty and unemployment, and child abuse) and b) stressors of teaching (workload and related time constraints, attrition of group members, low levels of parent involvement, as well as context-specific factors). Teachers’ identification of barriers is determined by school contexts. Across school contexts teachers identified a) internal assets in their classrooms, the school context and in their communities together with b) community resources (physical resources, natural and environmental resources, community organisations and institutions). In psychosocial support, teachers mobilised identified assets and resources to ameliorate the impact of barriers. Teachers therefore promoted resilience by means of psychosocial support. The characteristics of school-based psychosocial support include identifying assets, prioritising barriers, mobilising assets to ameliorate the presence of barriers and establishing systemic networks and partnerships. When providing psychosocial support, teachers demonstrated asset-based competencies (positive identity formation, group effectiveness skills and management skills) signified as internal protective resources. By dynamically engaging in the challenges of their school-community contexts, teachers demonstrated self-determination (Deci&Ryan, 1985, 2002; Ryan&Deci, 2000, 2002) In the process, teachers displayed and actualised asset-based competencies, which in turn fulfilled the underlying psychological needs of competence, relatedness and autonomy. When they implemented the asset-based approach, it seemed to enhance teachers’ sense of coherence (Antonovsky, 1987) as they viewed the existence of barriers as being comprehensible, manageable and meaningful. Teachers were able to address barriers at an intrapersonal and interpersonal level as well as by deploying management skills. The three levels on which teachers addressed barriers correlate with their asset-based competencies. Their asset-based competency of positive identity formation was utilised to address barriers on an intrapersonal level; their group effectiveness skills addressed barriers on an interpersonal level and their management skills were deployed to address barriers on a level of administrating barriers efficiently. The study provides empirical evidence to broaden the current knowledge bases of the asset-based approach, resilience and school-based psychosocial support. The study contributes to the existing knowledge base of the asset-based approach by firstly highlighting social capital in school-community contexts as potential outcome of the implementation of the asset-based approach. Secondly, the study introduces asset-based competencies, as well as the dynamic relationship between these competencies and fundamental psychological needs (competence, relatedness and autonomy) as signified in self-determination theory (Deci&Ryan, 1985, 2002; Ryan&Deci, 2000, 2002). Lastly, the study conjectures the interconnectedness between the asset-based approach and a sense of coherence, in the sense that implementation of the asset-based approach could result in enhanced eustress (Simmons&Nelson, 2005) and sense of coherence (Antonovsky, 1987, 1993) when faced with and addressing barriers. Within the context of the existing knowledge base of resilience in schools and school-based psychosocial support, the findings suggest that resilience in schools could be promoted by teacher-driven psychosocial support initiatives. Firstly, the study signifies greater insight in teachers’ perspective on the potential assets and resources available in school-community contexts that could be mobilised for psychosocial support and the promotion of resilience. Secondly, the findings suggest empirical evidence that teachers (in a school context) can mobilise resources so that schools may serve as protective resources to promote resilience through school-based psychosocial support. Thirdly, the study contributes to new insight in possible barriers that teachers could encounter on a daily basis as well as the sort of psychosocial support that could be expected from similar school-based interventions. Lastly, the study provides insight into potential ways in which teachers can address barriers on an intrapersonal and interpersonal level and by deploying management skills. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

In this research project the context of a playgroup is used in the exploration of the developing meanings of preschool children living in a community village. Therapeutic goals include the co-construction of a group context where alternative behavioural social skills, and the related meanings thereof, could evolve in relationship with the therapist / researcher and peers. The research process is based on an underlying ecosystemic epistemology, social constructionistic theory and a narrative approach to therapy. A naturalistic research design includes the use of qualitative methods of play as therapeutic tools in the exploration of meanings. Research findings show the emergence of co-constructed meaning categories between all the participants of the research to be those of respect, responsibility and hope. The therapeutic significance of these three themes for this age group of children is discussed, and linked to the further construction of meanings. / PSYCHOLOGY / MA

Depuis 2007, la réglementation sur le cadre du dépistage en France évolue et se montre favorable à la création d’expérimentations de dépistage communautaire. Cette recherche propose une analyse psychosociale des expériences de dépistage dans le cadre de deux protocoles expérimentaux: ANRS Com’Test et ANRS DragTest. Les objectifs principaux des protocoles sont (1) l’étude de la faisabilité d’un dépistage rapide du VIH effectué par des acteurs communautaires non médicaux (association de lutte contre le sida Aides), auprès des hommes ayant des rapports sexuels avec des hommes, en utilisant les tests rapides d’orientation diagnostique et le counselling motivationnel (ANRS Com’Test), et (2) l’évaluation de la non infériorité de cette proposition en comparaison avec une offre classique (ANRS DragTest).L’objectif de cette étude est de comprendre les significations attribuées aux expériences vécues à partir d’une lecture ternaire (sujet-objet-contexte) et d’une articulation entre vécu et représentations sociales. La recherche s’appuie sur une méthodologie qualitative incluant d’une part une analyse longitudinale de l’expérience des acteurs associatifs, et d’autre part une analyse transversale du vécu des personnes dépistées. La triangulation des matériaux de recueil et des méthodes d’analyse apporte un double regard sur les données. En effet, les résultats montrent à la fois la mobilisation des univers de références communs, et l’implication de l’expérience vécue dans la construction et la communication de l’expérience. / Since 2007, regulation on the part of the screening in France evolves and is favourable to the creation of community screening experiments. From a psychosocial perspective, this study analyzes screening experiences in two experimental protocols’ context: ANRS Com’Test and ANRS DragTest. The main objectives of the protocols are (1) to study the feasibility of a rapid HIV testing performed by non-medical community actors (association against Aids AIDES) among men who have sex with men, using rapid testing policy diagnostic and motivational counselling (ANRS Com'Test), and (2) to evaluate the non-inferiority of the proposal in comparison with a conventional supply (ANRS DragTest).The purpose of this study is to understand the lived experience’s meaning from a ternary reading (subject-object-context) and a link between experience and social representations. Research is based on a qualitative methodology, both including a longitudinal analysis of community actors involved, and also a cross-sectional analysis of those screened’ lived experiences. Triangulation of material collection and analytical methods brings a dual perspective on the data. Analyzes are showing both the mobilization of common references universes, and the involvement of lived experience in the construction and communication of experience.

In this research project the context of a playgroup is used in the exploration of the developing meanings of preschool children living in a community village. Therapeutic goals include the co-construction of a group context where alternative behavioural social skills, and the related meanings thereof, could evolve in relationship with the therapist / researcher and peers. The research process is based on an underlying ecosystemic epistemology, social constructionistic theory and a narrative approach to therapy. A naturalistic research design includes the use of qualitative methods of play as therapeutic tools in the exploration of meanings. Research findings show the emergence of co-constructed meaning categories between all the participants of the research to be those of respect, responsibility and hope. The therapeutic significance of these three themes for this age group of children is discussed, and linked to the further construction of meanings. / PSYCHOLOGY / MA