Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston University / It is the purpose of this study, to determine the extent to which the elementary schools of an industrial city in Massachusetts, are utilizing the resources of the community. Although there is much material available as to those community resources that are being utilized and best suited for elementary schools, as well as suggestions and techniques for making the best use of them, little data are available as to a method or plan of determining to what extent the elementary schools are utilizing the resources of their particular community. Through research, it is hoped that a representative list of those community resources that are being utilized by individual teachers or groups of teachers throughout the country can be evolved, and a questionnaire, in the form of a check list, built. In this check list, the community resources will be classified and placed in the following categories: (1) Field trips, (2) Resource Visitors, (3) Interviews with Resource People, (4) Collections and Exhibits, (5) Contacts with Community Agencies, (6) Local Resource Surveys, and (7) Community Service Enterprises.

Background: Black South Africans were forced to live under the oppressive regime of apartheid for more than four decades. This system of government not only restricted the economic and educational opportunities for Blacks, but it also marginalized women by encouraging the preservation of a violent, patriarchal society. As a result of a long history of nationalized oppression, Black women in South Africa continue to be an economically and socially vulnerable group. Their vulnerability is translated into limited intimate relationship power, which confers a host of health and safety risks. Thus, the current study explored whether negative life events and/or HIV infection related directly to women’s intimate relationship power or was moderated by community-level variables (knowledge, helpfulness, and use of resources). Method: Participants were 104 women living with HIV and 152 non-infected women, who were recruited in and around Pretoria, South Africa. Two aspects of intimate relationship power were considered: relationship control (e.g. Partner controls what I wear) and decision making dominance (e.g. Who usually decides when you have sex?). Decision-making dominance was divided into three subscales (male dominant, female dominant and mutual). Results: For relationship control, fewer undesirable life changes were associated with more control. For decision-making dominance, several main and interaction effects were observed. Negative serostatus and women’s knowledge of community resources were directly associated with more mutual decision-making. However, more frequent family use of community resources was related to less female dominated decisions. For helpfulness of resources, a significant interaction revealed that women living with HIV/AIDS perceived their male partners as less dominant when they perceived their community resources to be more helpful. Conclusions: Power in intimate relationships may enhance the quality and length of life for Black South African women; thus, it is important to identify factors that promote or compromise power. The results of this study suggest that undesirable life changes, HIV infection, and great reliance on community resources (i.e. frequent use) are negatively associated with perceived relationship power. Alternatively, the current study identified the perceived helpfulness of community resources as one possible factor that promotes relationship power.

The problem forming the basis of this study has to do with an analysis of the degree of utilization of the community resources in the educational programs of the independent school districts of Wise County, Texas, for the purpose of determining how adequately these resources are being utilized by the schools for the enrichment of their curricula to the end that pupils may be released into their respective communities well-prepared to assume the duties and responsibilities of efficient, functioning citizens.

Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal disorder, occurring in 1 out of every 700 births in the United States (Skotko et al., 2009). After receiving the initial Down syndrome diagnosis, the majority of mothers reported feeling frightened and anxious, and very few rated the experience as positive. Parents reported feeling that their physicians focused on the negative aspects of Down syndrome and rarely provided enough resources (Skotko, 2005). The purpose of this literature review was to identify current community resources for families of children with Down syndrome and identify the most effective ways for medical professionals to support parents through the diagnosis process. A comprehensive literature review was performed using research articles from 2012 to 2022, exploring community resources for children with Down syndrome and coping mechanisms for parental stress in families with Down syndrome. Ten articles met the inclusion criteria. Six themes were identified; coping process and skills, resiliency, coping process for fathers, religion, community support systems and services, and support from the medical community. It was found that parents lack knowledge about available resources and need more education focusing on early interventions for their child and support services for the parents.

The research study explored the impact of community resources has on client progress in their case plans as assessed by social workers in Child Welfare Services. The study site was at the Children and Family Services Agency in Central California. The data was gathered using face-to-face interviews with social workers by using a prepared interview guide, which was later transcribed for data analysis utilizing axial, and selective coding. During the Data analysis the researchers found two major themes that have an influence in the clients’ case progression and they include the following: 1.) barriers towards case plan progression and 2.) key elements to case plan progression. The termination of the study included the preparation of the study findings and was presented to the gatekeepers of the research site.

The purpose of this study is to determine a sound program for using the community resources of Denison, Texas, to improve the elementary schools of that city.

The problem of this study is to determine a sound plan of using community resources as instructional aids in the school. The purpose of the study is threefold: first, to discover criteria of soundness relative to the use of community resources; second, to discover local resources which could be utilized; and third, to determine how the resources could be used as instructional aids according to criteria.

鄉鎮圖書館與社區充分合作，使圖書館成為社區資源中心，是目前鄉鎮圖書館經營的重要目標。但是其中仍有許多問題尚待解決，包括鄉鎮圖書館對社區資源的認識不足與經費、人力資源的缺乏等，都形成鄉鎮圖書館發展的阻礙。因此本研究期望藉由對與社區結合有良好成效之圖書館進行研究，探討其運用社區資源行銷圖書館之經驗，以作為未來鄉鎮圖書館經營之參考。 本研究旨在探討鄉鎮圖書館成功運用社區資源行銷之經驗，瞭解鄉鎮圖書館行銷成功之因素，以及行銷過程中所面臨之問題。欲探討的研究問題如下：（一）鄉鎮圖書館如何發掘可運用之社區資源並尋求合作？（二）鄉鎮圖書館可運用的社區資源類型為何？（三）結合社區資源之行銷方式為圖書館和社區所帶來之效益為何？（四）鄉鎮圖書館在行銷過程中遭遇之困難？（五）鄉鎮圖書館如何因應行銷過程中所遭遇的困境？ 本研究採用個案研究法與訪談法，選擇以臺北縣深坑鄉、萬里鄉、新店市及宜蘭縣南澳鄉、宜蘭市及壯圍鄉立圖書館為研究對象。運用個案研究法蒐集各館之營運資料，瞭解各館營運之概況及行銷活動運作之情形。另外利用訪談法，訪談對象包含鄉鎮圖書館工作人員及社區人士，藉此瞭解鄉鎮圖書館工作者與社區成員對於鄉鎮圖書館運用社區資源之看法，探究其運用社區資源之經驗。 綜合各項資料歸納出結論，在社區資源的發掘方面，鄉鎮圖書館應掌握三項重點：（一）深入瞭解社區環境，充分運用社區之特色；（二）主動出擊經營公共關係，加強與社區的互動；（三）圖書館與社區的合作必須建立在互利的基礎之上。社區資源的型態會因各地區的發展而有所差異，各鄉鎮圖書館也會因應各自的經營策略而對社區資源有不同的運用方式，而圖書館可以運用的社區資源可分為（一）文化資源；（二）機構資源；（三）人力資源；（四）自然資源。 運用社區資源為圖書館行銷所帶來的效益包括（一）閱讀人口成長；（二）建立圖書館之經營特色；（三）提昇圖書館的能見度，增加民眾對圖書館的認同感。為社區帶來的效益則包括（一）提昇社區藝文風氣；（二）提供民眾成長、學習的機會；（三）提昇社區能見度，帶動社區發展。 鄉鎮圖書館在運用社區資源行銷的過程中面臨的困境包括（一）資源缺乏；（二）圖書館與社區認知上的歧異；（三）政治干預專業；（四）圖書館活動創新性與行動力不足。面對行銷的困境，鄉鎮圖書館的因應方式為（一）圖書館應該扮演資源整合者的角色；（二）適應社區文化，加強與社區的互動；（三）提昇地方首長對圖書館的關注。 最後本研究針對鄉鎮圖書館運用社區資源之方式及營運之困境提出以下建議：（一）改革鄉鎮圖書館體制，讓圖書館經營回歸專業；（二）有關單位應持續關注鄉鎮圖書館的發展，提供適當協助；（三）鄉鎮圖書館應確立自身的使命，扮演好應有的角色；（四）建立資料庫，整合社區資源；（五）強化人員培訓，切合實際需求。 / Rural libraries had become community resource centers after cooperated with communities. This is an important goal to the present rural library. However, there are still many issues to be resolved, including the lack of awareness of community resources and funding, human resources lacked. These problem formed obstacles to the development of rural libraries. This research focus on the marketing experience from those rural libraries which integrating community resources well, and expected to provide good examples to the future rural library’s management. The purpose of this study is to understand the successful marketing experience of rural libraries. The themes are as follows: (1) How rural library explore the community resources and to seek cooperation? (2) What types of community resources utilization? (3) What kinds of the benefits brought by integrating community resources to the rural library marketing? (4) What kind of difficulties will appear in the process of marketing? (5) How rural library respond to these problems? This study used case studies and interview as the research methodology. The interview objects are choosen from the rural libraries in Taipei and Ilan County, including Shenkeng, Wanli, sindian, Nanao, Ilan and Jhuangwei. The interviewer contains the rural library staff and the community members. For the community resources exploring, the rural library should have three priorities: (1) understanding the community resources fully, (2) managing public relations actively, (3) the cooperation among library and the community must be mutual beneficial. The type of community resources that rural libraries use can be divided into four categories:(1) culture Resources, (2) institutional resources, (3) human resources; (4) natural resources. The benefit which brings for the library including (1) the reading population growth; (2) establishes the characteristics of library; (3) increases the populace’s sympathy to the library. The benefit brings for the community includes (1) promotion the reading atmosphere; (2) provides the opportunity for populace to grow and study (3) impetus to community develops. The problems that the rural Library may faced in the process of marketing including (1) lack of resources, (2) the different perception between library and community, (3) political interference in professional, (4) lack of innovation and action. In order to solve these problems, rural libraries should (1) play important role to integrate community resource, (2) enhance interaction with the community, (3) promote government officer’s attention to the library. Finally, the suggestions for future development about the integrating community resources to the rural library marketing are as follow: (1), the reform of rural library system, let the library management follow the professional practice. (2) government should pay attention to the development of rural libraries continuously, and provide appropriate assistance, (3) rural libraries should establish its own mission, play important role in community development, (4) construct and integrate the community resources database, (5) strengthen the training of personnel to meet the real demand.

本研究的研究目的有六，首先，探討國民小學與社區資源共享的理論基礎；其二，研究臺北市國民小學與社區資源共享的情形；其三，瞭解臺北市國民小學與社區資源共享的相關作法；其四，分析學校行政人員、教師和社區人士對臺北市國民小學與社區資源共享的看法；其五，探析臺北市國民小學與社區資源共享的困難所在；其六，綜合研究發現，提出對臺北市國民小學與社區資源共享的建議。為達此研究目的，本研究進行相關文獻探討，並針對臺北市公立國民小學所屬社區進行訪談和問卷調查。 在資料分析上，訪談的資料以描述性方式記錄，問卷和調查表主要以次數百分比、卡方考驗和Cochran Q 考驗進行分析。經研究結果與分析發現： （一）系統理論、實用主義以及教育社會學為國民小學與社區資源共享之理論基礎。 （二）臺北市國民小學與社區資源共享之情形：1.國小使用社區資源方面，最常使用的「人的資源」為家長，「事的資源」為節慶活動，「物的資源」為自然環境；2.社區使用國小資源方面，最常使用的「人的資源」為學校行政人員、「事的資源」為運動會、「物的資源」為操場；3.就目前而言，學校與社區資源共享情形普遍，頻率頗高。 （三）臺北市國民小學與社區資源共享之相關作法：1.相關作法包括社區家庭教育、田園教學、建構校園與學區安全、校園開放和學校日等；2.多數學校人員和社區人士對資源共享相關政策持肯定意見多；3.多數學校人員贊成校園開放，而校園髒亂、資源受損、安全考量和經費問題是校園開放最大的問題；4.學校推行校園開放政策時，以不影響學校運作為原則。 （四）學校人員和社區人士對國民小學與社區資源共享之看法：1.不同的教育界服務年資對「國小與社區資源共享的情形感到滿意」的看法有顯著差異；2.多數填答者一致認為國小的校務經營與社區的發展具有非常密切的關係、國小與社區資源共享非常重要、可以發展學校和社區獨特的特色、增加彼此的認同與和諧、促進學校社區化與社區學校化、可以拓展學生的多元學習經驗、促進社區人士終身學習等等；3.資源共享的缺點在學校安全問題、學校環境和設備維護問題、增加學校人力和財力負擔、家長干擾學校運作。 （五）臺北市國民小學與社區資源共享之困難和可行方法：1.學校方面的困難包括「學校經費有限」、「資源共享會對學校運作造成干擾」、「資源共享導致學校資源受損」；2.教師方面的困難包括「教師工作繁重，沒有時間配合」、「教師對所在社區的資源不瞭解」、「教師本身無意願」；3.學生方面的困難包括「學生安全的顧慮」、「班級人數過多，導致動員困難」、「學生參與意願低」；4.社區方面的困難包括「社區無法提供有系統的資源」、「家長仍有智育掛帥的觀念」、「社區缺乏參與管道和方法」；5.可行方法為建立雙方資源資料庫、成立專責聯繫單位、有關機關應倡導資源共享的理念和作法、制訂相關法令規定，另外，舉辦活動則是促進學校和社區資源共享和交流互動最好的方式。 研究者根據文獻探討和本研究的發現，提出以下建議： （一）對上級主管教育機關的建議：1.訂定更明確的相關法令規定；2.宣導資源共享的理念和作法；3.編列預算，給予經費補助。 （二）對學校的建議：1.建立校內共識，以提升配合意願，並訂定詳細的資源共享規定；2.建立學校資源資料庫；3.成立專責聯繫單位、運用現有組織、或在各處室成立委員會負責聯繫推行；4.善用家長資源與社區保持聯繫。 （三）對社區的建議：1.成立專責聯繫單位或運用現有組織負責推行；2.建立社區資源資料庫；3.運用各種管道與學校保持聯繫；4.提升社區居民的公德心。 （四）對未來研究的建議：1.在研究對象方面，可以擴大研究對象的範圍至臺北縣市、或全國的國民小學，此外，也可研究國民中學或其他層級的學校與社區資源共享的情形。2.在研究內容方面可針對資源共享對學校效能的影響，或對學生學習效果的影響等，進行更進一步的探討。

Government, donors and NGOs in southern Niassa have been, after the 1992 peace agreement, extensively involved in agricultural development programmes to improve smallholders' food security. A study of the area and literature review revealed that many factors limited the benefits of agricultural market development programmes. Yet, opportunities in southern Niassa suggested that appropriately designed programmes could improve the standard of living of smallholders if these programmes were designed on a solid understanding of factors and strategies influencing agricultural market participation by smallholders. The main research hypothesis of this study was that: smallholders would participate in agricultural markets when their wealth status was high, when they had enough available household labour and when cash crops were profitable." Four main hypotheses were investigated: (i) factors and strategies identified through smallholder perceptions would provide local and time specific information on the constraints and solutions to smallholder market participation; (ii) wealth status and wealth-ranking factors were positively related to market participation where agriculture was the main economic activity as in southern Niassa; (iii) labour aspects such as crop labour requirements (CLR) could be negatively related, while available household labour (AHL) and the ratio AHL/CLR could be positively related to smallholders cultivation of cash crops and subsequent participation in agricultural markets; and (iv) aspects of profitability and indicators could be used to predict smallholder cash crop preferences. Data for this study were collected in Cuamba district of Mozambique from nine focus group discussions (FGDs) with community leaders, 287 household-head questionnaires and staff interviews during September 2002. Nine villages were randomly selected. The leaders' FGDs provided the criteria utilised to rank households according to wealth status and much of the qualitative information of this study. The wealth-ranking tool was used to identify and analyse the socio-economic factors that influenced smallholder market participation. A follow-up interview of managers of promoting institutions also provided greater insight on some aspects raised by smallholders. The study employed (i) descriptive statistics such as means and frequencies; (ii) correlation analysis and standard scores (iii) qualitative analysis was also used for some wealth-ranking, perceived labour demand and aspects of profitability influencing cash crop cultivation, preference and market participation based on information from FGD, farmers and staff; and (iv) simple mathematical expressions for analysis and interpretation of the research findings. This study relied on perceptions, knowledge and experience of smallholders, leaders and leaders of promoting institutions. Smallholder-suggested factors and strategies were in line with the limitations of socio-economic characteristics such as low effective household labour, particularly for females. These strategies included an improvement in outputs and inputs markets, agricultural services and credit at a subsidised prices or low interest rates. Other strategies for improving smallholders' participation in agricultural markets included promotion of profitable cash crops, household food security, provision of extension support services and information about cultivation and agricultural markets. However, smallholders did not identify some factors that have been acknowledged to influence agricultural market participation: ecological and natural resources, policies, institutional infrastructures and physical infrastructures. Smallholders also did not mention socio-economic factors (except household labour) as influencing their decisions to participate in agricultural markets in spite of the fact that researchers assume these factors in almost every study on smallholder market participation. The findings of this research confirmed that a wealth-ranking tool could be used to identify the socio-economic factors affecting smallholders' participation in agricultural markets. The identified wealth-ranking factors such as labour, livestock number, implements and bicycles significantly correlated with wealth status and subsequently to smallholder agricultural market participation. Conversely, household socio-economic characteristics not indicated as wealth-ranking factors such as age and gender related poorly to market participation. The wealth-ranking tool could also be used to identify strategies for improving smallholder participation in agricultural markets, and to evaluate an agricultural market development programme. The study found that, other factors being held constant, CLRs were negatively related to market participation. Weeding was the most labour intensive operation followed by harvesting, soil preparation, transportation, land clearing and seedling preparation. It also found that AHL and the ratio AHL/CLR were positive and significantly related to market participation. The ratio AHL/CLR together with household consumption requirements and yield were used to estimate the total area a household could cultivate, both for food crops for consumption and for cash crops; the proportion of farmers likely to participate in the market; and those unable to cultivate enough for consumption. The research also confirmed that profitability-related aspects correlated to cash crop preferences. Yield was the most important factor that influenced smallholders' preference for cash crops. It was also found that indicators incorporating more aspects of profitability correlated strongly with cash crop preferences. The correlation increased as more aspects were incorporated. A crop, such as tobacco, with a profit of more than twice the profit for food cash crops was preferred more than food cash crops. The indicators and underlying aspects of profitability were used to interpret the current and projected cash crop preference. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.