This thesis attempts to explore the understanding of borders of ancient Israel and their extent based on biblical account. The starting point is exploring the very term "border" and its meaning in the Old Testament. This thesis operates with both geographic and cultural or ethnic boundary based on archeological finds and material culture. In comparing biblical and non-biblical material it attempts to discover how closely do various texts describing Israel's boundary reflect possible historical reality. In the cases where the boundary delineated by the text seems to be rather symbolic this thesis considers various possible reasons for such a delineation of ancient Israel and attempts to find likely influences of political or religious agenda, historical situation or myth on respective delineations.

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF A DEGREE OF MASTER IN EDUCATION Wits School of Education, Curriculum Studies University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa 2015 / This study presents an exploration of the pedagogic modalities displayed by SiSwati and English teachers during teaching and learning in two Swaziland government schools. The study further seeks to explore the links between the pedagogic choices teachers make in the classroom and the socio-cultural context of Swaziland. The idea of pedagogic modalities being classified as either learner-centred or teacher-centred is used as a starting point for the study but the dichotomy set up between these two modes is challenged. The study uses a phenomenological qualitative methodology. It uses semi-structured interviews and lesson observations of two teachers who teach both SiSwati and English in two different government high schools located in the Lubombo region of Swaziland. A major finding of the study was that both teachers’ understandings of learner-centred pedagogy only partially engaged with descriptions of learner-centred pedagogy as outlined in the literature reviewed for this research. This finding highlights the possibility that teachers are not empowered to confidently describe their own practice in teacher-centred terms. It was also found that the teachers’ perceptions of knowledge, their view of their own role and the learners’ role in the classroom influenced the pedagogic approaches selected by each teacher during teaching and learning. Additionally, some pedagogic moves could be linked to the socio-cultural context of Swaziland. The study also revealed that learner- and teacher-centred modalities are not mutually exclusive. It was found that despite being predominantly teacher-centred in their practice, teachers were able to draw on techniques classified in both modes. This means teachers displayed variety in their practice, exhibiting what Brodie, Lelliot and Davis (2002) describe as “hybrid practice” (p. 545), as they used a range of approaches that fit with local views about knowledge, learner participation and the teachers’ role in the classroom. Finally the study calls for further empirical research that documents teachers’ practices in order to generate a theory which would describe pedagogy from the perspective of teachers and their context. This would place sub-Saharan African teachers at the centre of the debate, rather than keeping them on the periphery, silenced as their practice is spoken over and interpreted by the dominant and hegemonic culture of those who would promote LCE in developing country contexts. Key words: pedagogy, pedagogic modality, learner-centred, teacher-centred, pedagogic choices, binary, socio-cultural context, Swaziland.

The new Graduate Entry Medical Programme at the University of the Witwatersrand widens access to study and aims to change the learning process. Content is integrated horizontally and vertically and the learning is organized around facilitated, problembased learning (PBL) tutorials. This study investigated the approaches students have adopted to learning in the curriculum. Questionnaire data, PBL tutorial observation and focus group discussions revealed that uptake and adaptation were not the same for different groups of students. Those who were most mature in age showed the greatest tendency towards self-directed learning behaviour, while many students were unable to make appropriate use of the available time and resources. Although most students believed that they were able to integrate disciplinary information, they valued the psychosocial content areas less than the biomedical sciences. The attitudes, skill and identity of the facilitators were important for engaging students in the PBL process. These findings suggest that the social context of the learning may impact on the ability to access knowledge and develop a professional identity.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / HIV/AIDS has made a huge impact on human development and sexual reproductive habits in this century in the world and especially in sub-Saharan Africa. It has only recently been acknowledged that HIV/AIDS has an equal if not greater effect on or threat to people with disabilities. Survivors of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) with resultant disability are incorrectly believed to be sexually inactive, unlikely to use drugs or alcohol and at less risk of violence or rape than their non-disabled peers. This group can thus be described as economically, educationally and socially disadvantaged, which in itself, suggest that they are a high-risk group for HIV infection. The overall aim of this study is to examine the factors that could contribute to the risk and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS among individuals with spinal cord injuries in South Africa. The specific objectives of the study are to assess the behavioral and protective factors that could contribute to risk and vulnerability to HIV infection among individuals and spinal cord injuries; and to explore the socio-cultural issues that might increase individuals with spinal cord injuries’ vulnerability to HIV/AIDS. The design of this study was a mixed methods design, particularly the sequential explanatory strategy was used will used in this study. The study was conducted in four (4) conveniently selected provinces (highest prevalence of SCI). The Quad-Para Association of South Africa’s (QASA) provincial databases was used to invite individuals with SCI to participate in the study. Data for quantitative part of the study was collected by means of self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaire consisted of various sections requesting for information on: Demographics; HIV-Knowledge (HIV- KQ-18); Sexual behaviours; Sexual communication and negotiation skills; Self-efficacy to refuse sex. Separate binary logistics analysis was done to assess which of the selected factors are associated with risky sexual behaviour. The forced entry method approach was used to determine which of these factors have the greatest productive power to predict sexual risk behaviour. No “a priori” sample size was developed for the qualitative part, but participants were recruited until saturation has been reached of all the categories. Consenting participants were visited by the researcher for data collection in the environment indicated by the participant. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). The study was conducted according to ethical practices pertaining to the study of human subjects as specified by the UWC and Faculty of Community and Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee of the UWC.

A continuing debate within Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) research is how to elucidate, improve, and optimize the relationship between social context and technology use. Social context is conventionally understood as immediate use context while an understanding informed by social science suggests a wider scope, involving actors and structures. The focus of this thesis is the use of a communication environment using audio and video, established to span and connect three geographically distant call-centre workplaces in the Stockholm archipelago, Sweden. The research was carried out as intermittent fieldwork, spanning unevenly over a period of three years. The fieldwork was carried out at two sites: the premises of the Swedish Police Contact Centre in the archipelago and within the research project Community at a Distance. Methods included participant observation, interviews, and the analysis of documents, everyday talk, and images. This thesis offers a broad analysis of the socio-cultural context of technology use investigating the question how a sense of togetherness is promoted and negotiated at the Swedish Police Contact Centre and around and across the communication environment. The technology served as a means of overcoming the distance between the sites and making everyday encounters between the dispersed staff members possible. The sense of togetherness—fellowship and belonging, caring for each other, fostering a sense of solidarity, and achieving consensus in everyday practices—had an impact on the uses (and non-uses) of the technology. The use of the communication environment reflects the values and arrangements of the workplace and reproduces its conventions. The discussion is explorative, outlining an analytical approach to the socio-cultural context of technology use informed by interpretive social science, and provides a partial analysis of the organizational culture of the Contact Centre and its technology use. The argument is that analysis should aim at exploring the relationship between individual actors and social structures. Rewriting context allows us to understand the socio-cultural embeddedness of technology. While the analytic framework is not comprehensive for the purpose of detailed design implications in HCI research, it does provide a reconsidered terminology that links individual practices to socio-cultural context. / QC 20100629

Existing research on inclusive education deals primarily with the effectiveness of inclusion programs and the theoretical frameworks behind their limitation. However, no extensive research has been conducted that explores the role of the socio-cultural context and the development level in determining the best way in which the educational needs of children with special needs can be met. Recognizing that the effectiveness of different special education services may depend on the socio-cultural context as well as the development level, this literature review seeks to identify the ideal method of treating children with disabilities in developed and developing countries. By assessing the global theoretical approaches behind special education, the tenets of inclusive education, the role of the socio-cultural context and the significance of development on the success of inclusive education, this paper concludes that the needs of special education children in developing countries are best met through positive community attitudes and the development of vocational skills. In comparison, children with disabilities in the United States are served most effectively through positive community attitudes and inclusive school cultures.

The construction of buildings to replicate specific places within the mythic landscape was a long-standing and widespread tradition in ancient Mesoamerica. This study moves beyond the identification of motifs that marked buildings as mythic, as it examines the messages communicated by these structures and evaluates the meaning and impact of mythic architecture within its historic and cultural contexts. An essential aspect of this study is the investigation of ritual dramas which reenacted episodes from creation narratives. By physically re-creating mythic locations and by re-actualizing mythic events, Mesoamerican communities manifested cosmogonic space and time so that the mythic was made present. Moreover, each building was constructed during a specific moment in time and at a particular location, and therefore it reflected and responded to particular historical realities. Because of this, Mesoamerican mythic architecture had a dual significance: both mythic and historic. Mythic architecture was an active force within the community: it communicated views concerning the origins of the world and the foundations of rulership and culture. It also made these concepts tangible within the historical world. Its very presence confirmed the reality of the mythic realm, thereby reinforcing and validating the culture’s core constructs. Because these structures manifested the mythical landscape, they were particularly potent locations for the reenactment of mythological events. These mythic dramas took place in real time which placed the structure within a specific historical context. When it was the ruler who took on the identity of the creation deities during mythic performances, the blending of myth and history was most significant. In addition, mythic dramas were the means by which the populace could be directly integrated into the mythological narrative. By examining evidence of mythic architecture and mythic drama from different Mesoamerican cultures—with a particular focus upon Classic period Copán and the Postclassic Aztec Templo Mayor—this dissertation demonstrates how they reflected their specific cultural contexts and how different communities interacted with these structures in distinct ways. This study also provides new insight into the significance of these structures at specific places and times and suggests how mythic architecture reflected changing historical circumstances. / text

The aim of this study is to investigate discipline in German and Swedishclassrooms and describe its cultural contexts. In countries with compulsory educa-tion, it must be assumed that not all students voluntarily attend classes. The man-datory presence of students combined with the ban on corporal punishment inschools means that classroom interaction has to be organized according to certainmanners and rules (Luhmann, 2002a:108a). These rules are understood here as dis-cipline meaning the organization and control of individuals and their actions overspace and time (Foucault, 1987/1975). This study assumes similarities in the funda-mental disciplinary mechanisms, although different contexts (here Germany andSweden) will create different concrete manifestations of the phenomenon. Since theobservation of cultural contexts is not as self-evident and direct as the observationof classroom interactions of teachers and students, the theoretical considerationshere include a detailed discussion of methodology for observing culture. Startingwith Alfred Schütz’ concept of ideal types and Niklas Luhmann’s theory on massmedia, it is argued that culture can be observed through the products of mass me-dia. The empirical data for this study consists of field studies in the form of obser -vations in German and Swedish classrooms as well as the examination of Germanand Swedish films and television series about teachers and students. The classroomobservations were used to create ideal typical descriptions of different implementa-tions of disciplinary procedure. Based on the analysis of teacher figures in variousGerman and Swedish films and television series, several “good” and “bad” teachertypes were initially identified. Combining the two results allowed conclusions tobe made about correlations between disciplinary order and whether a teacher isconsidered “good” or “bad”. This review of the various types of order is the basisfor the description of cultural contexts. The results of classroom observations andfilm studies and their discussion in relation to prior Swedish research, gives thepicture of a cultural context in which various forms of classroom order are avail-able, in which they are critically discussed and also can exist in parallel to each oth-er. On the other hand, the German context seems to allow only one form ofclassroom order, both in actual school operations as well as in the mass media rep -resentation and scientific reflection.

The rapid rate of urbanisation, which is characteristic of the current South African context, could have important consequences for the psychological and physiological health of individuals (Malan et al., 2008; Vorster et al., 2000). Communities in transition face challenges that influence every component of human functioning (Choabi & Wissing, 2000; Malan et al., 2008; Van Rooyen et al., 2002; Vorster et al., 2000). Self-efficacy and collective efficacy are among constructs that have been shown to contribute to psychological well-being, and can serve as buffers that could make this process of adaption easier for communities in the process of urbanisation (Bandura, 1997; Karademas, 2006; Sui, Lu, & Spector, 2007). Previously, a variety of studies have focused on self-efficacy and collective efficacy in other Western and Eastern contexts. There is however little information on the impact that these constructs have within an African context, and• especially on the well-being of individuals finding themselves in these communities in transition. As it has been demonstrated that contextual and cultural factors may influence the manifestation of psychological well-being (Cohen, Inagami, & Finch, 2008; Temane & Wissing, 2008; Wissing, & Temane, 2008; Wissing, Wissing, Du Toit, & Temane, 2006), more context-specific research is called for. Increased knowledge of self-efficacy and collective efficacy and how it manifests the African context could help with the promotion of the psychological well-being of groups in transition. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the differential influence of self-and collective efficacy on the psychological well-being of :individuals within a community in transition. Participants were selected from a traditionally more collectivistic South-African cultural context. The research sample consisted of 1050 Setswana-speaking participants from both urban and rural areas. They completed measures including Community Collective Efficacy Scale (abridged) (CCES) (Carroll, Rosson, & Zhou, 2005), the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1993), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985) and the Affectometer 2 (short version) (AFM) (Kammann & Flett, 1983). The SWLS and AFM were used to measure the psychological well-being on cognitive judgemental and affective levels respectively. Descriptive statistics shed some light on the levels of self efficacy, collective efficacy and psychological well-being within this community. Correlation analysis was done to test the relationship between self-efficacy, collective efficacy and psychological well-being, and regression analysis was conducted to show the degree to which self-efficacy and collective efficacy successfully predict the levels of psychological wellbeing in rural and urban contexts. Available literature (e.g., Klassen, 2004) suggests that collective values and shared beliefs would be more important to individuals within rural areas because of assumed traditional collectivistic orientation, and that individuals from urban areas will take on more individualistic values as urbanisation takes place. To test this assumption, it was hypothesized that collective efficacy would be a better predictor of psychological well-being than self-efficacy in the rural context, and that self-efficacy will be a better predictor of psychological well-being than collective efficacy in the urban context. The results indicated that although the group as a whole experience slightly lower psychological well-being than that reported in previous studies, it seemed that psychological well-being might actually increase as urbanisation takes place. Satisfaction with life (SWL) seemed to be more strongly associated with urbanisation than affective well-being. The rural group's considerably lower SWL could possibly be explained by the perception of these individuals that people living in an urban environment have a better quality of life. While the level of self-efficacy reported for the group as a whole was found to be comparable, albeit lower than results from previous studies, there were no relevant studies with which to compare our participant group's level of collective efficacy. Individuals living in an urban setting reported higher levels of self-efficacy and collective efficacy compared to the rural group This might indicate that individuals who move from a rural to an urban setting do not necessarily adopt individualistic values at the cost of their collectivistic cultural orientation, and in fact have more confidence in their individual and conjoint capabilities to achieve their goals. It was found that a significant relationship seemed to exist between self-efficacy, collective efficacy and the measures of psychological well-being, which suggests a dynamic interplay between these two constructs. Results showed that these individuals' beliefs in their individual ability, self-actualization and personal identity are important for their maintained well-being, and is strongly linked to their shared beliefs in the group's conjoint capabilities. Results from the regression analysis showed that, in contradiction to the above hypothesis, self-efficacy had a significant influence on the prediction of psychological well-being for the group as a whole as well as in the rural context. Interestingly, collective efficacy had a significant influence on the variance in psychological well-being in the urban area. The effect of efficacy .beliefs on affective well-being seemed to stay the same irrespective of the context, while collective efficacy gained importance in the prediction of SWL in the urban context. This indicates that individuals from the urban context might attach even more value to their collective orientation when they move from the traditional collectivistic setting to a more individualised setting where collectivism is not a given anymore and they have to consciously work towards it. In conclusion it can be said that efficacy beliefs remain important factors in the prediction of psychological well-being for individuals irrespective of the process of urbanisation or in which context they find themselves. The practical implication is that raising either self-efficacy or collective efficacy will lead to increased psychological well-being and possibly better adjustment during the urbanisation process. Although these results provided some answers, a number of questions were raised about widely held assumptions regarding the cultural orientation of individuals and the effect of urbanisation on cultural value systems. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

The rapid rate of urbanisation, which is characteristic of the current South African context, could have important consequences for the psychological and physiological health of individuals (Malan et al., 2008; Vorster et al., 2000). Communities in transition face challenges that influence every component of human functioning (Choabi & Wissing, 2000; Malan et al., 2008; Van Rooyen et al., 2002; Vorster et al., 2000). Self-efficacy and collective efficacy are among constructs that have been shown to contribute to psychological well-being, and can serve as buffers that could make this process of adaption easier for communities in the process of urbanisation (Bandura, 1997; Karademas, 2006; Sui, Lu, & Spector, 2007). Previously, a variety of studies have focused on self-efficacy and collective efficacy in other Western and Eastern contexts. There is however little information on the impact that these constructs have within an African context, and• especially on the well-being of individuals finding themselves in these communities in transition. As it has been demonstrated that contextual and cultural factors may influence the manifestation of psychological well-being (Cohen, Inagami, & Finch, 2008; Temane & Wissing, 2008; Wissing, & Temane, 2008; Wissing, Wissing, Du Toit, & Temane, 2006), more context-specific research is called for. Increased knowledge of self-efficacy and collective efficacy and how it manifests the African context could help with the promotion of the psychological well-being of groups in transition. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the differential influence of self-and collective efficacy on the psychological well-being of :individuals within a community in transition. Participants were selected from a traditionally more collectivistic South-African cultural context. The research sample consisted of 1050 Setswana-speaking participants from both urban and rural areas. They completed measures including Community Collective Efficacy Scale (abridged) (CCES) (Carroll, Rosson, & Zhou, 2005), the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1993), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985) and the Affectometer 2 (short version) (AFM) (Kammann & Flett, 1983). The SWLS and AFM were used to measure the psychological well-being on cognitive judgemental and affective levels respectively. Descriptive statistics shed some light on the levels of self efficacy, collective efficacy and psychological well-being within this community. Correlation analysis was done to test the relationship between self-efficacy, collective efficacy and psychological well-being, and regression analysis was conducted to show the degree to which self-efficacy and collective efficacy successfully predict the levels of psychological wellbeing in rural and urban contexts. Available literature (e.g., Klassen, 2004) suggests that collective values and shared beliefs would be more important to individuals within rural areas because of assumed traditional collectivistic orientation, and that individuals from urban areas will take on more individualistic values as urbanisation takes place. To test this assumption, it was hypothesized that collective efficacy would be a better predictor of psychological well-being than self-efficacy in the rural context, and that self-efficacy will be a better predictor of psychological well-being than collective efficacy in the urban context. The results indicated that although the group as a whole experience slightly lower psychological well-being than that reported in previous studies, it seemed that psychological well-being might actually increase as urbanisation takes place. Satisfaction with life (SWL) seemed to be more strongly associated with urbanisation than affective well-being. The rural group's considerably lower SWL could possibly be explained by the perception of these individuals that people living in an urban environment have a better quality of life. While the level of self-efficacy reported for the group as a whole was found to be comparable, albeit lower than results from previous studies, there were no relevant studies with which to compare our participant group's level of collective efficacy. Individuals living in an urban setting reported higher levels of self-efficacy and collective efficacy compared to the rural group This might indicate that individuals who move from a rural to an urban setting do not necessarily adopt individualistic values at the cost of their collectivistic cultural orientation, and in fact have more confidence in their individual and conjoint capabilities to achieve their goals. It was found that a significant relationship seemed to exist between self-efficacy, collective efficacy and the measures of psychological well-being, which suggests a dynamic interplay between these two constructs. Results showed that these individuals' beliefs in their individual ability, self-actualization and personal identity are important for their maintained well-being, and is strongly linked to their shared beliefs in the group's conjoint capabilities. Results from the regression analysis showed that, in contradiction to the above hypothesis, self-efficacy had a significant influence on the prediction of psychological well-being for the group as a whole as well as in the rural context. Interestingly, collective efficacy had a significant influence on the variance in psychological well-being in the urban area. The effect of efficacy .beliefs on affective well-being seemed to stay the same irrespective of the context, while collective efficacy gained importance in the prediction of SWL in the urban context. This indicates that individuals from the urban context might attach even more value to their collective orientation when they move from the traditional collectivistic setting to a more individualised setting where collectivism is not a given anymore and they have to consciously work towards it. In conclusion it can be said that efficacy beliefs remain important factors in the prediction of psychological well-being for individuals irrespective of the process of urbanisation or in which context they find themselves. The practical implication is that raising either self-efficacy or collective efficacy will lead to increased psychological well-being and possibly better adjustment during the urbanisation process. Although these results provided some answers, a number of questions were raised about widely held assumptions regarding the cultural orientation of individuals and the effect of urbanisation on cultural value systems. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.