Thesis (M.Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2018. / Violence against women has been one of the critical concerns in South Africa. To stop violence against women we need to understand how the specific society views and perceives such violence. Then we can introduce effective and efficient strategy to tackle the problem. Literature reviews pointed out the nature of violence against women, the causes and the effects and also the communities’ perceptions on violence against women and the policies or strategies to reduce violence against violence. The study aimed at exploring local community perception on violence against women in Dan village. Qualitative study were conducted using individual interviews and focus group discussions with traditional leaders/ indunas, community policing forums, ward committees, civic organisations and community members of Dan village. A purposing sampling was used to obtain 11community leaders and 34 community representatives from the area. Qualitative content analysis technique was used to analyse the qualitative data collected. The findings revealed the increasing level of violence against women in the study area. The local leaders and authorities response to violence against women seems inadequate in the area. Violence in the area takes the form of physical, sexual, emotional and economical abuses on women. Violence against women committed by people who are very close to victims, including their husbands and family members. The study reveals that major causes of violence were jealousy and alcohol and drug abuse. It is recommended that rural women empowerment should be prioritised to equip them with education and skills, improved social and health facilities, access to micro-credits and job opportunities. It is further recommended that collaboration and networks among local actors needs to be strengthen to address alcohol and drug abuses, criminal gangsters and to create more awareness campaigns on violence against women.

The TEBA recruitment centre in Pafuri has come under discussion and debate with the developments of the GLTP. The site has played a signficant role in the social and economic history of this dynamic permeable borderzone. Through documenting the experienced memory and meaning of the site on either side of the border, developments of the site as a heritage site in a Transboundary protected area have been considered. Ethnographic interviews were used to document these meanings. TEBA is a reminder of a prosperous past amidst the current desperate poverty and unemployment and with little faith in the government, the Kruger and Limpopo Parks, TEBA is looked to for the provision of employment. This lack of faith in the parks and their insensitivity towards the historical significance reflects the lack of real transformation in conservation philosophy that the Transfrontier Initiative claims to have achieved. In order for the site to be holistically and ethically represented, greater and more real incorporation of stakeholders is necessary.

No / This is an analytical report for the Community Liaison Unit (CLU), 'Community Perceptions of Forced Marriage'. This report provides the context, explores the problems and the perceptions of the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities of forced marriages. Therefore, this report represents a comprehensive and rigorous synthesis of existing research evidence combined with primary data collected specifically for the report.

Environmental education has been a prominent approach to achieve sustainable development and counteract the megatrend of environmental degradation. In Costa Rica, environmental education has been adopted as an essential tool for protecting and improving the natural environment. The people of Costa Rica have emphasized an awareness of environmental issues and an ability to actively engage in environmental education and sustainable development programs. International development organizations have invested in development programs to establish or improve sustainable development. In order to understand whether international development organizations are achieving their stated mission and goals for implementing development programs, donors and funding agencies usually require that the sponsored programs be evaluated. Unfortunately, there is a growing concern that the current practice of development evaluation limits the reporting of impacts to be fundamentally inconsistent which has created incentives for evaluations to include positive bias instead of serving the purpose to improve organizational decision-making. This research study proposed to evaluate the reaction of a community in Limon, Costa Rica to development programs using an operational framework of evaluation and logic models found in the review of literature. The researcher adopted a naturalistic case study approach intended to retain the natural context of the community setting and provide a holistic understanding of community perceptions. Qualitative methods based in rapid rural appraisal were used to collect data from a purposeful sample and a stratified purposeful sample within the population. Data analysis was conducted at both the research site during data collection and after all data was collected. The researcher incorporated the constant comparative method to determine consistencies, anomalies, patterns, and emerging themes during data analysis. Three overarching themes emerged as a result of the study: (a) community development with subcategories describing community improvement, collaboration with the international development organization, integration of individuals and groups within the community, and the sustainability of projects, (b) education with subcategories expanding on ideas and motivation, learning, and inspiration for the children, and (c) culture with subcategories that discussed community culture, the organizational culture of the international development organization, and relationships.

The evolutionary process of higher education in the United States has impacted how universities are perceived by their stakeholders. "Truth" emerges not as one objective view, but as a composite picture of how people perceive the university and each other. These constructed realities are critical to an institution's well being in that how an institution is viewed can impact its level of success. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the image of East Tennessee State University as perceived by select members of the internal academy and the external communities and to examine the extent of congruency between and within the two constituencies. Data were collected through focus groups and individual interviews. Transcripts were converted to text files and coded into categories. Inductive analysis revealed themes and patterns in the data. The academy and community participants perceived that the university projects a strong, positive image regarding: (a) aesthetics, (b) affordability and accessibility, (c) opportunities for non-traditional students, (d) a highly visible medical school, (e) unique programs specific to the region, and (f) strong community partnerships. In addition, the administrative academy participants and the four communities highlighted the tradition of "Pride Week" and the strong leadership of the university. However, the lack of adequate funding and resources negatively impact the image of the institution. An incongruency is perceived by participants in one community served by the university in the areas of (a) regionalism, (b) academic excellence, (c) fiscal resources, and (d) outreach. Incongruency exists between the internal and external stakeholders concerning where they place their emphasis in developing an institutional image. The academy focuses on process; external constituencies focus more on outcomes and products. As a result of this study, recommendations were made regarding: (a) enhancing the positive aspects of commuter students' college experience, (b) focusing resources on unique programming, (c) developing appropriate marketing strategies, (d) examining customer service, and (e) continuing university/community collaboration. Exploring the image of the university from a gestalt perspective is important and significant, particularly at regional universities where campuses and communities have formed partnerships to conduct community-based research and collaboratively address problems of regional importance.

Recognizing the role of diversity in fostering social cohesion and economic resilience, the European Union has emphasized inclusive policies. However, urban segregation complicates this objective, significantly impacting various areas of society, including education. Previous studies have highlighted the complex social dynamics influencing equal access to education and school segregation, which are closely linked to urban segregation. In the Swedish context, national reforms in the 1990s exacerbated school segregation, deepening socio-economic and ethnic divides. This thesis explores the effectiveness of Linköping Municipality's strategies to counteract urban segregation through education, focusing on community perceptions of these measures. The strategies include reinforcement efforts, such as increased funding and staff training, and dispersal initiatives, like school closures and relocation of school sections, aimed at improving educational outcomes in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas. Using qualitative methods, including document analysis and semi-structured interviews, the study assesses the perceived effectiveness of these measures. Findings reveal that while reinforcement strategies are generally approved, practical challenges and gaps between policy intentions and outcomes persist. Dispersal strategies show uncertain effectiveness, and other initiatives require better approach in increasing the inclusivity. The study highlights the necessity of synergizing top-down and bottom-up approaches to enhance policy responsiveness and community engagement. Future research should focus on the long-term impacts of dispersal strategies, school culture, communication practices, and parental decision-making processes, particularly among immigrant and low-income families.

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / The present study is about community perception on child support grant (CSG) in Lepelle Nkumpi, in the Limpopo Province. The main aim of the study was to investigate the use of CSG by the beneficiaries and the community perceptions thereof on CSG abuse in South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). The objectives were to investigate the use of CSG by the beneficiaries, to identify the weakness in SASSA policy on the granting of CSG, to analyse the community perception about the abuse of CSG and to provide workable solutions to the existing problems of child grant. Structured interviews, questionnaires and literature were used to collect data. The study concluded that SASSA employees and community members believe that beneficiaries are abusing child support grant while beneficiaries believes that child support grant is used properly.

Understanding local perceptions of disease causation could help public health officials improve strategies to prevent bloody diarrhoea. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Dhaka, Bangladesh to elicit community beliefs about the causes of and prevention strategies for bloody diarrhoea. Between March and June 2003, we interviewed 541 randomly selected respondents. Overall, 507 (93%) respondents perceived that a vaccine could prevent bloody diarrhoea. If a vaccine provided lifetime protection, 445 (83%) respondents stated that they would opt to get the vaccine and would pay a median of $0·05 (range U.S.$0·01-0·15) for it, equivalent to <1% of their median weekly income. There was almost universal perception that an effective vaccine to prevent bloody diarrhoea was highly beneficial and acceptable. While respondents valued a vaccine for prevention of bloody diarrhoea, they were only willing to pay minimally for it. Therefore, achieving a high rate of Shigella vaccine coverage may require subsidy of vaccine purchase.

Diepsloot, a township in Johannesburg, South Africa, was used as a case study to explore the perceptions of people in informal settlements towards their role in limiting pollution in their environment. The method followed was qualitative, and primary data were collected through the use of key informants (Ward Councillor and Environmental Health Officer), and three focus groups. Diepsloot is a marginalised residential area located in the Northern perimeter of the City of Johannesburg. The settlement is spatially fragmented, reflects a high residential density and is plagued with high levels of unemployment and poverty. Compounded by poor municipal service delivery, these challenges lead to a range of environmental problems such as overflowing solid waste on the streets, water pollution, and high levels of indoor air pollution. The study found that there were varying levels of commitment to limiting pollution by people in the informal settlement. This (commitment to limiting pollution) was largely dependent on community action through the formation of street committees. In streets where there was community cohesion, street committees were stronger and environmental conditions were better. In contrast, environmental problems were worse where street committees were weak or not operating. Regarding the role of government, the major constraints leading to unresponsive interventions were the limited scale of municipal operation and their poor communication with residents. Suggested corrective measures include recycling, education on pollution and the need for institutional strengthening. Further research aimed at identifying a set of appropriate partnerships and institutions needed for responsive interventions in informal settlements is required.

In this study semi-structured, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with sixteen female street children aged 15 to 18, who were engaged in commercial sex work. These children were conveniently selected to explore the social dislocation of and social support for female street children engaged in commercial sex work. In addition, two focus group discussions consisting of nine female street children each, as well as seven key informant individual interviews, were conducted. This study found that female children engaged in commercial sex work experienced a high degree of social dislocation and that the children who participated in this study tended to create their own communities and isolated themselves from the broader community in which they lived. This study further found that different support programmes had been introduced to alleviate the problems experienced by these children and that a number of organisations delivered support services to address their needs. / Sociology / M. A. (Sociology)