Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Central Florida, 2008. / Adviser: Eugene A. Paoline III. Includes bibliographical references (p. 224-249).

This thesis research explores the influence of the community-based rehabilitation approach on development programming in Gulu, Uganda. This CBR approach, originally designed to address the multidimensional needs of persons with disabilities living in rural, low-income regions, has been endorsed by many development actors, including the Government of Uganda and the United Nations. It also holds the potential to address the complex intersection of disability, poverty and conflict that resulted from two decades of violent conflict in Northern Uganda. An environmental scan and interviews with development professionals from the local government and non-government organizations was conducted to identify the ways in which this international policy idea has influenced development programming, and the obstacles to implementing community-based rehabilitation in Gulu. This research contributes to the literature on policy transfer, and illustrates how local development actors often lack the capacity to fully implement and sustain international “best practices.” While community-based rehabilitation may be a way to address the nexus of disability, poverty and conflict in places like Gulu, too few resources have been committed to fully implementing it and supporting persons with disabilities.

M.A. (Social Work) / This study analyses the aims and objectives in probation service programmes and those formulated for probation services within more comprehensive social welfare programmes. Probation services refer to all the social work services aimed at preventing crime and promoting the social welfare and functioning of the offender, his dependants and the victims of crime. A programme refers to a group of interdependent activities that focuses on achieving objectives or a set of objectives. An aim refers to, a statement that describes the long-term goal of a programme. refers to an operational describes in specific, what goals or results the a certain period of time. An objective, on the other hand, statement in a programme which observable and measurable terms programme plans to achieve within Measured against these definitions, the problem statement was formulated that the aims and objectives of probation service programmes would not meet the required standards. The point of departure was that programme formulators give inadequate attention to the components of aims and objectives. Furthermore, the general types of formulated aims and objectives were determined, as well as the preferred levels of objectives. The research included a study of the literature and archival sources and the completion of questionnaires in order to undertake an empirical investigation in which aims and objectives were evaluated and a model was drawn up for them. It is stressed that the history of probation services in the Republic of South Africa; the policy as it is laid down in the various Acts, particularly; and the formulated probation service programmes

Small-scale fisheries (SSF) are poorly documented, yet 90% of the 120 million employed in capture fisheries work in the SSF sector and >1 billion people globally rely on fish as an important source of protein. There is a lack of data on the status of the majority of fisheries in Madagascar owing to the difficulty in surveying the vast coastline and large number of small-scale fishers. In Madagascar, marine turtles and elasmobranchs are important culturally and as sources of income and food for many small-scale fishers. However, very little data exist on the status of these two animal groups. The five chapters of this thesis intend to increase our understanding of the status of marine turtles and elasmobranchs in Madagascar. This is achieved through the assessment of the fisheries, legislation and in the case of turtles, the nesting population. I also document community-based methods for monitoring fisheries and marine turtle nesting, that are easily replicable for gathering data across remote regions. Results show that the turtle fishery in Madagascar appears to have remained at the same level since the 1970s, despite being illegal since the 1990s, with landings estimated to be approximately 10,000 to 16,000 turtles.year-1. To further contextualise the take of turtles in Madagascar, by carrying out a global review, I estimate that the worldwide legal take in turtle fisheries to be over 42,000 turtles.year-1. Contrary to reports from fishers, actual numbers of elasmobranchs (the majority of which are sharks) taken by the traditional (non-motorised) fishery has not declined. Results support previous reports that fishing effort has increased, as well changes in fishing gears, to account for declining catch per unit effort (CPUE) to maintain shark landing numbers. Furthermore, the size of some shark species has significantly declined, even across this study. Community-based turtle nesting monitoring and protection in western Madagascar revealed a small, yet potentially significant, nesting population. Across the 17 current nesting sites recorded, the majority of nesting populations in Madagascar have <50 nests.year-1. A further >40 historic nesting sites were recorded. Community-led monitoring methods not only helped to fill a data gap, but were also found to reduce loss of nests through human disturbance. Misinterpretations, poor enforcement and gaps in current legislation mean that both marine turtles and elasmobranchs are effectively unprotected from overexploitation. This thesis provides recommendations for improved legislation and management of both groups of species and demonstrates that participatory monitoring methods can not only reduce data deficiency, but enhance locally-led management and protection, and increase Madagascar's capacity for improved management and conservation.

This thesis addresses the health economic evaluation of community-based interventions against cardiovascular disease (CVD), with special emphasis on the Västerbotten Intervention Project (VIP), run since 1985. The framework is a simple evaluation model consisting of two parts; the selection and measurement of empirical consequences caused by the project under evaluation (e.g. changes in mortality, well-being, use of resources) and a set of values (e.g. efficiency, equity) aimed at assessing the goodness of these consequences. The project’s effects on CVD were predicted by means of risk factors measured in Norsjö between 1985-1990, applied to an epidemiological model based on a logistic risk equation derived from the Framingham population. Cost per life-years saved ranged from £14 900 to net savings, depending on the assumptions. The favourable cost-effectiveness in this kind of intervention has earlier been predicted from theoretical models, but this is the first study based on real experiences from contemporary community-based interventions against CVD. Furthermore, all social classes have benefited from the intervention. Also potential adverse effects in the form of excess mortality due to low cholesterol levels were investigated, and they were negligible in comparison with the health gains. The value of an intervention from a citizen’s perspective was investigated through an interview study (n≈100) in accordance with the contingent valuation method. Great expectations concerning mortality effects on the community level and future savings in health care were good predictors for assigning the intervention a high value. On the contrary, personal benefits in the form of a decreasing risk for CVD had no positive association with the value of the intervention. Hence, the consequences that the cost-effectiveness analysis accounts for - mortality and savings - coincide with the most valuable consequences from the citizen's perspective. In a democracy, the set of values used to determine the success or failure of a programme like a prevention project must agree with values held by the majority of the citizens. Therefore, the attitudes to ethical values among Swedish politicians (n≈450) responsible for health care have been mapped. The support for the health maximization principle was weak, and a trade-off between efficiency and equity was preferred. About 70% of the respondents were prepared to sacrifice health gains to achieve increased equity. / digitalisering@umu

The purpose of the thesis is two-fold: to document the results of a language survey of Northern Métis languages which examines the language practices and attitudes of those Northern Métis people who participated, and to reflect upon the research process by examining the assumptions I bring to the research and my role and the role of other Masters level researchers in language revitalization projects. The research presented here has been conducted within the Community-based language revitalization (CBLR) research model (Czaykowska-Higgins 2009), a model which can be a powerful way to frame linguistic research and which is increasingly called upon when undertaking language revitalization projects. This thesis addresses the application of CBLR practices to a language revitalization project undertaken in collaboration with the North Slave Métis Alliance in the Northwest Territories, Canada. Along with positioning myself in the research, I provide an in-depth description of the historical, political, and social landscape in which the research takes place. My epistemologies and the CBLR model are informed by feminist and Native American methodologies, as well as participatory, participatory-action and action frameworks. Through this lens, I reflect on the academic context of language revitalization and offer my own model of collaborative language research which builds upon work done by Leonard & Haynes (2010). Applying this model, I present the results of the North Slave Métis Language Survey, conducted in 2013 in collaboration with the North Slave Métis Alliance. This thesis contributes to the body of work on Métis languages, and is the first to thoroughly examine and document the language practices of Métis people of the NWT. It also contributes to the growing body of work on CBLR research. / Graduate

D.Litt. et.Phil.

M.Comm. (Tourism and Hospitality Management) / Community-based tourism is increasingly being developed and promoted as a means of reducing poverty in developing countries whereby the needs of local communities are met through the offering of a tourism product. The Swaziland Tourism Authority (STA) with the support of the European Union Fund has made significant contributions to the development of community-based tourism in Swaziland enabling rural communities to successfully develop tourist attractions. However, whilst many community-based tourism ventures have been established in developing countries, their operations have not been monitored properly. The same scenario exists in Swaziland where, at the operational level, when the projects are completely left in the hands of the communities, these projects seem to lack the drive and stagnate. It is apparent that most of these community-based tourism ventures are faced with a number of challenges at operational level. This study, therefore, investigated these operational challenges facing community-based tourism in Swaziland. The study used the mixed methods research design whereby qualitative data was collected through in-depth interviews, focus group interviews and participant observation. Quantitative data was collected from visitors to community-based tourism ventures through questionnaires. From the findings of the study, it was clear that operational challenges ranged from poor management to lack of operational resources and impatient communities among others. The report concludes by stating recommendations to possible solutions to these operational challenges.

Masters of Science / Background: Globally the number of people with disabilities (PWDs) is escalating especially in developing countries. Different approaches and strategies have been used to care for PWDs but could not meet their expectations. Community Based Rehabilitation(CBR) is recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the strategy to address their needs using both the medical and social model. CBR was established and implemented in two areas of Rwanda ten years ago with overall objectives that aim to facilitate accessibility to CBR service and full participation of PWDs in the community.However, the number of PWDs accessing rehabilitation services in Rwanda is still limited.Since the CBR programme started in Rwanda, there has been a lack of information on whether the CBR services provided by these two programmes are meeting the needs of PWDs and whether they facilitated the service providers to deliver the services more easily as intended. The aim of this study was to determine the experiences of PWDs and service providers of the Inkurunziza and Gahini CBR programmes in Rwanda.A qualitative method of data collection used in the study included focus group discussions with the selected PWDs. In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposively selected sample of service providers. This study was carried out at two day centers one from the Inkurunziza CBR programme and the other from Gahini CBR programme. The results revealed that the CBR programmes have increased the number of PWDs accessing CBR services. Services provided at these centres addressed some of the needs of PWDs, which included provision of assistive devices, and rehabilitation services, which were accessible. Most of the participants claimed that the programme is not doing anything to help them with activities that can assist to generate income and facilitate accessibility to schools or vocational training. The study findings indicated that services delivered in both CBR programmes only addressed some of the needs of the PWDs accessing the two CBR programmes. The service providers reported that they found it difficult to reach certain areas to provide CBR services to PWD due to geographical constraints. It is recommended that the CBR services provided by the two programmes need to focus more on education, training and employment of PWDs.

The descriptive purpose of this study was to explore and describe the manner in which a South African informal settlement community is coping with HIV&AIDS, by relying on existing assets and local resources. The intervention-related purpose was to explore how an activist intervention research approach might facilitate change and empower an informal settlement community in relation to community members’ ways of coping with HIV&AIDS. Theoretically the study conceptualised asset-based coping, thus adding to available literature on the asset-based approach and coping. The practical value lies in documenting an example of one community’s coping with HIV&AIDS, which may inform other communities during future capacity building initiatives. Furthermore, the study provides methodological knowledge concerning the potential value of employing activist intervention research within the context of coping with HIV&AIDS. The conceptual framework of the study constituted the HIV&AIDS pandemic, coping theory and the asset-based approach. I followed a qualitative research approach guided by an interpretivist epistemology. I employed an instrumental case study design, applying PRA (Participatory Reflection and Action) principles. I purposefully selected the case (a South African informal settlement community and primary school through which I entered the community), as well as the participants (educators, community members and other stakeholders of the community). Data collection consisted of an intervention (focus groups combined with workshops that relied on PRA informed techniques), interviews, observation, a field journal and visual data collection techniques. Four prominent themes emerged subsequent to inductive data analysis. The community experienced certain challenges and stressors within the context of HIV&AIDS. Besides general challenges like poverty, unemployment and at-risk sexual behaviour, community members displayed vulnerability with regard to HIV&AIDS and identified challenges when supporting other people living with HIV&AIDS. Various assets and potential assets were identified in and around the community, upon which the community might rely in coping with the challenges associated with HIV&AIDS. Thirdly, the community displayed certain trends in coping with HIV&AIDS, relying on community-based coping to deal with being infected with HIV or living with AIDS, coping with other community members living with HIV&AIDS, or caring for children orphaned due to HIV&AIDS. Finally, participants’ active involvement in the intervention research resulted in unchanged-, as well as changed coping strategies. Based on the findings, I conceptualised the construct asset-based coping, defining it as the ability to deal with challenges, by identifying and mobilising existing assets, as well as external resources available. I proposed asset-based coping as one possibility of coping with HIV&AIDS. In terms of research methodology, I combined research and intervention in an innovative manner, by developing and employing an activist intervention research approach. Active participation and their role as research partners enabled educators to experience increased levels of self-worth, take agency and be empowered in the context of community-based coping with HIV&AIDS. / Thesis (PhD (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted