The research was undertaken to investigate the impact of the Tshivhase Tea Estate on the space economy of Venda, the people and area ofMapate, and Duthuni, among whom the Tea Estate is established. The approach is based on principles. Principles of development theory are combined with appropriate spatial models. The development reality of Venda, together with many other development projects are analysed. Does the tea estate address the rural poverty problem? Findings are presented from a case study of Tshivhase and this proved the lack of growth and development impulses to alleviate the poverty of the rural people among whom it is located. Development is considered in terms of its possible simultaneous diffusion of economic activity and modernisation in all four dimensions of the spatial system : political, socio-cultural, economic and physical. / Department of Geography / M.A. (Geography)

My dissertation address is to describe the long distance bus (LDB) transport, its structure, service adequacy and the role it plays in linking the core to the periphery of Ethiopia. The study applied both qualitative and quantitative data analyses. The quantitative data was mainly collected by using questionnaires, from the selected passengers and operators by longitudinal survey, 384 passengers, or 10 %, from each bus took part in the survey. Of these, only 241 questionnaires (63%) were fully completed and used for this analysis. And 6 % of buses or operators (64) were selected by systematic sampling. The routes and towns were also selected by lottery method. The qualitative data was mainly collected by interview. Among these, 5 % (twenty-five) of experts from the City Transport Bureau; the heads of LDB Associations; the owners of LDB; the Federal Transport bureau; and the Mercato Bus terminal. An interview was analyzed based on their own explanations. FGDs were carried out with passengers awaiting departure in the terminal (off-journey). The secondary sources were taken from both the EFTA and Mercato bus terminal dispatch report. The analysis was made mostly by integrating method, and in some cases with separate analysis. Beside with other inferential statistical, Pearson correlation was also applied. The growth rate for level one and level two buses had risen more than 100 % per annum, whereas level three buses showed a decline of 18 % per year. The whole sector shows a 6.6 % growth rate, which is double that of the population growth (2.6 %). The rate of bus dispatch is very high, approximately 38 per day, on the Dessie and Mojo route. The average bus dispatch in all directions is about 32. In terms of service provision and area coverage, level one buses interlink about 23 major towns. Level two buses service more than 70 major towns, and level three more than 110. The highest record of both area and service coverage was occupied by first level buses servicing Dessie, Mekele, Shashemene, Hawassa, and Jimma. On average, the majority of towns are being serviced by one bus, irrespective of their levels. The area and service coverage is thus very high for level three buses, compared with levels two and one. The Dessie and Mojo lines enjoy the highest bus coverage. LDBs typically provide transport for distances of less than 400 kilometres. They contribute towards core to peripheral ties of the nation. This result is expressed by Krugman’s (1991) core-periphery theory. The service adequacy of the industry indicates that above half of the operators would have to wait approximately one hour to pick up passengers and 1 or 2 days per week to get the turn too. This reveals that Levels one, two and three operators are dormant for 1 or 2 days per week. Supply is thus greater than demand, causing the emergence of an informal LDB service. The fact that about 60 % of passengers have to wait for approximately an hour to catch a bus, after collecting tickets, indicates the demand. The buses’ downtimes in order to secure a full load on each departure are positively correlated with bus levels. The LDB provide more for mobility of goods and peoples that can be shape land use and development patterns, and it generate jobs. This enable more for economic growth. Thus, level one is more attractive than other levels. The study identifies the major challenges facing LDB transport. Integration within stakeholders, both internally and externally, is crucial to satisfy the passenger. / Geography / D. Phil. (Geography)

In this case study four non-fiction books are being accompanied on their way from the Netherlands to the public in Sweden, that is from one peripheral language into another. Where did the initiative come from? Were there any subsidies and did that matter? What kind of publishers were involved and were there also other agents involved? Who were the most important cultural mediators? How were the books framed in order to be noticed in the new country? How does all this fit in with the sociological theory of transnational cultural transfer? It turned out that these books more or less followed the expected path with a few exceptions: Two of the books were published by large-scale publishers in Sweden although they had not proved to be successful in the Netherlands. And there were no signs of regular co-operation between the involved publishers. Obviously the translated Dutch books in Sweden are such a marginal business for these publishers that they do not influence their network of foreign publishers.  Even if all four books belong to the same genre, they are very differently framed to be noticed in their new country.