Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 519-535). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Situated in the postcolonial modernizing discourse of development, many empowerment narratives tend to pre-identify, pre-construct and categorize community development workers/ mobilizers as empowered bodies, catalysts, and change agents. These bodies are expected to and are assumed will facilitate a transformation in oppressed peoples’ self image and belief’s about their rights and capabilities. Although feminist academics/activists have been critical of imperialist, neo-liberal and politico-religious co-optations of understandings of empowerment, limited attention seems to have been paid to the material effects of empowerment narratives on the lives of these community development workers. Nor does there appear to be sufficient analysis into how local community development workers/mobilizers who find themselves in precarious positions of employment, engage with these narratives. Provided with guidelines based on project objectives and lists of targets, many development workers/mobilizers in Pakistan tend to live with expectations of how best to ‘translate/transform’ empowerment from the abstract into the concrete while restricted in their space to critically reflect on theoretical notions that drive their practice. This thesis provides insight into the economy of empowerment narratives and the potential they have to mediate ‘encounters’ shaping ‘subject’ and ‘other’ by critically exploring how bodies of community development workers are put to work and are made to work. Drawing on feminists poststructuralist and postcolonial theory my work explores how these community workers/mobilizers located in the urban metropolis of Karachi, embedded in a web of multiple intersecting structures of oppression and power relations ‘encounter’, theorize, strategize and act upon understanding of empowerment and community development through an arts informed cooperative inquiry. Through the use of prose, creative writing, short stories, photo narratives, artwork and interactive discussions my participants and I begin to complicate these narratives. As a result empowerment narratives begin to appear as colliding discourses, multi-layered complex constructs, which may form unpredictable, messy and contradictory assemblages; as opposed to linear, universal, inevitable and easily understood outcomes and processes. I conclude that the insistence to complicate and situate such messy understandings in specific contexts is important for women’s movements if empowerment is to retain its strategic meaning and value in feminist theorizing.

Situated in the postcolonial modernizing discourse of development, many empowerment narratives tend to pre-identify, pre-construct and categorize community development workers/ mobilizers as empowered bodies, catalysts, and change agents. These bodies are expected to and are assumed will facilitate a transformation in oppressed peoples’ self image and belief’s about their rights and capabilities. Although feminist academics/activists have been critical of imperialist, neo-liberal and politico-religious co-optations of understandings of empowerment, limited attention seems to have been paid to the material effects of empowerment narratives on the lives of these community development workers. Nor does there appear to be sufficient analysis into how local community development workers/mobilizers who find themselves in precarious positions of employment, engage with these narratives. Provided with guidelines based on project objectives and lists of targets, many development workers/mobilizers in Pakistan tend to live with expectations of how best to ‘translate/transform’ empowerment from the abstract into the concrete while restricted in their space to critically reflect on theoretical notions that drive their practice. This thesis provides insight into the economy of empowerment narratives and the potential they have to mediate ‘encounters’ shaping ‘subject’ and ‘other’ by critically exploring how bodies of community development workers are put to work and are made to work. Drawing on feminists poststructuralist and postcolonial theory my work explores how these community workers/mobilizers located in the urban metropolis of Karachi, embedded in a web of multiple intersecting structures of oppression and power relations ‘encounter’, theorize, strategize and act upon understanding of empowerment and community development through an arts informed cooperative inquiry. Through the use of prose, creative writing, short stories, photo narratives, artwork and interactive discussions my participants and I begin to complicate these narratives. As a result empowerment narratives begin to appear as colliding discourses, multi-layered complex constructs, which may form unpredictable, messy and contradictory assemblages; as opposed to linear, universal, inevitable and easily understood outcomes and processes. I conclude that the insistence to complicate and situate such messy understandings in specific contexts is important for women’s movements if empowerment is to retain its strategic meaning and value in feminist theorizing.

This study has assessed the role of public participation in effective and efficient local governance at two local municipalities of Elias Motswaledi and Steve Tshwete in South Africa. Public participation is a pillar of development and therefore important to assess the successes and failures thereof. Government invest huge resources to deliver public service to their citizens and it is through public participation that the beneficiaries of these services can be guaranteed public service’ quality and responsiveness. Interviews with key informants in local government and focus groups provided a better understanding of the situation in the two case study areas. Elias Motswaledi has provided a classical challenge of public participation with the reluctance of the community to participate in the development processes and also with projects that do not benefit the majority of the residents; whereas at Steve Tshwete the community is actively engaged in major decision making processes and have also assisted the council in delivering relevant projects and programmes that are responsive to the community needs. The study found that the government has to relook: 1. the relationship between ward committees and community development workers as this was found to be the major contributing factor to poor levels of public participation. 2. There is an urgent need for building capacity for both local communities and ward communities to enable them to effectively participate in developmental processes that affect them. The study also showed how poor public participation initiatives have negatively affected service delivery and development initiatives at local levels in South Africa. This comparative case study maybe useful in shedding some insight in addressing public participation in local government to overcome the relatively weak or low municipal capacity across South Africa.

This research examines the function of culture and power in Development praxis, as defined by Post-Development theory, the Participation approach to Development, and Development workers in Cambodia and the Philippines. Practitioner perspectives have been gathered by means of informal interviews conducted in Cambodia and the Philippines. The primary inquiry of this thesis is whether Development is culturally destructive, whether the current paradigm can deliver effective results, and what effect power relations have on these outcomes. The research approaches Development as a contact zone, in which Southern Development workers function as border crossers, moving between the cultures of funders and local communities as they work to implement Development projects and programs. This affords practitioners privileged insight into the cultural negotiations of this contact, making their input critical to this inquiry. Their input is placed in the context of Post-Development theorists� assertion that Development is a culturally destructive discourse, and the proposal by other theorists that a participatory approach to Development adequately addresses Post-Development�s key concerns. Participation addresses issues of power and context in Development practice from a different perspective from the Post-Development theorists, and outlines a series of strategies designed to overcome well-recognised limitations of Development practice. Practitioner responses are grouped into three discussions, addressing their overall perspective on Development and Participation, their attitudes to cultural change and Development�s role within that, and their experience of power in Development funding relationships. Their responses were overwhelmingly supportive of participatory approaches to Development, and advocated a stronger role for the grassroots organisations that are pivotal to the Post-Development approach. Different attitudes to cultural change were expressed by practitioners in the two countries, however they consistently named Development as a source of positive cultural change, naming this as a key aim of their work. Finally, practitioners were critical of their relationships with funding organisations, which they felt were unduly controlled by the funders. This research concludes that participatory Development fosters cultural liberty by reinforcing collaborative cultural traits and strengthening communities to make choices about culture. While Post-Development provides important critiques of Development, its proposed alternative of turning to the grassroots is not supported by practitioners, who seek ongoing relationships with Northern organisations and individuals. In particular, practitioners desire a model of funding relationship that reflects their own practice, by conforming to the paradigm of people that underpins the participatory approach to Development. This thesis contributes to Development debates by presenting Southern perspectives that contrast with Post-Development, and by proposing a framework that can underpin further development of funding partnerships. Furthermore, it demonstrates that practitioners believe that Development is a reinforcing factor at a time when cultures are exposed to increasingly diverse cultural influences.

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since its inception the Community Development Worker Programme (CDWP) seeks to promote cooperative governance within the context of the Intergovernmental Relations Framework. In pursuit of a holistic approach to development Community Development Workers (CDWs) strive for effectiveness in their role as change agents. This case study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of CDWs as change agents in pursuit of a holistic approach to development in the Western Cape. This was a qualitative study using participatory action research as a CDW in the West Coast; semi-structured interviews with Dedicated Officials from municipalities in the Cape Winelands Region, City of Cape Town and West Coast Region; focus groups with community members and stakeholders from Kayamandi in the Cape Winelands Region, Eerste River in the City of Cape Town and various towns in the West Coast Region; focus group and semi-structured interviews with Supervisors from the City of Cape Town, West Coast Region and Cape Winelands Region. Questionnaires were completed by Regional Coordinators from the West Coast Region, City of Cape Town, Overberg Region and Central Karoo Region; and questionnaires were completed by CDWs from the City of Cape Town, Cape Winelands Region, West Coast Region, Central Karoo Region and Overberg Region in the Western Cape. The findings of the research reveal that the CDWP has made tremendous progress since its inception. Regional Coordinators, supervisors and CDWs have a very good grasp of what is expected of them as change agents. The responses from the community also revealed much appreciation and support for the work done by CDWs in their role as change agents. The effectiveness of CDWs in their role of change agents in pursuit of a holistic approach to development is rated to be between 6-8 on a scale of 1-10; with ten being the highest. There is room for improvement however as the findings indicate that there are several cases where CDWs experience isolation and frustration and are challenged in their pursuit of holistic development as they are hampered by a lack of adequate resources; a lack of access to budgets; a lack of support, cooperation and political interference from ward councillors and politicians; a lack of understanding, appreciation, cooperation and support from local government and a sense of belonging at local municipal level in many instances amongst others. Although the research reveals that the province is effective in its pursuit of a holistic approach to sustainable community development on the part of CDWs as change agents, the researcher wishes to argue that improved collaboration needs to take place amongst the various levels of governments, government departments, development agencies and the beneficiaries of development themselves to further maximise the efforts and effectiveness of CDWs in their role as change agents. The building blocks of development and the Batho Pele Principles must also be more consistently applied and attentively addressed and diligently implemented by all the stakeholders in the development process in order to improve service delivery and enhance more effective community development to the benefit of the community at grassroots whilst meeting local, national and provincial development targets. The challenge to each of us as change agents is therefore to do our all towards reconstruction, community development and equal opportunities for all. We all have to be accountable and answer the question as to what we are doing concerning community development, namely education; poverty relief; service delivery; etc. in our own communities. We need to acknowledge where we have come from, where we are now and where we are going. Much progress has already been made despite a lack of funding, facilities and resources. More sacrifices must still be made however to ensure a better life for all. The issue is around respect, irrespective of who you are dealing with. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Van sy ontstaan af probeer die Gemeenskapsontwikkelingswerkerprogram (GOWP) koöperatiewe bestuur in die konteks van die Tussenregeringsverhoudingsraamwerk bevorder. Gemeenskapsontwikkelingswerkers (GOW’s) streef na effektiwiteit in hul rol as veranderingsagente om ’n holistiese benadering tot ontwikkeling te volg. Hierdie gevallestudie is uitgevoer om die effektiwiteit van GOW’s as veranderingsagente wat ’n holistiese benadering tot ontwikkeling in die Wes-Kaap nastreef te bepaal. Dit was ’n kwalitatiewe studie met gebruik van deelnemende aksienavorsing as ’n GOW in die Weskus; halfgestruktureerde onderhoude met toegewyde amptenare van munisipaliteite in die Kaapse Wynlandstreek, Stad Kaapstad en Weskusstreek; fokusgroepe met gemeenskapslede en belanghebbendes uit Kayamandi in die Kaapse Wynlandstreek, Eersterivier in die Stad Kaapstad en verskeie dorpe in die Weskusstreek; fokusgroep- en halfgestruktureerde onderhoude met toesighouers uit die Stad Kaapstad, Weskusstreek en Kaapse Wynlandstreek. Vraelyste is deur streekskoördineerders van die Weskusstreek, Stad Kaapstad, die Overbergstreek en Sentraal Karoostreek ingevul; en vraelyste is deur die GOW’s van die Stad Kaapstad, Kaapse Wynlandstreek, Weskusstreek, Sentraal Karoostreek en Overbergstreek in die Wes-Kaap ingevul. Die bevindings van die navorsing toon dat die GOWP sedert sy ontstaan geweldige vordering gemaak het. Streekskoördineerders, toesighouers en GOW’s het ’n baie goeie begrip van wat as veranderingsagente van hulle verwag word. Die reaksies van die gemeenskap het ook groot waardering en ondersteuning getoon vir die werk wat deur die GOW’s in hulle rol as veranderingsagente gedoen word. Die effektiwiteit van GOW’s in hul rol as veranderingsagente wat ’n holistiese benadering tot ontwikkeling nastreef word beskou as 6-8 op ’n skaal van 1 tot 10, met tien as die hoogste punt. Daar is egter ruimte vir verbetering aangesien die bevindings aandui dat daar verskeie gevalle is waar GOW’s isolasie en frustrasie ondervind en uitgedaag word in hulle nastrewing van holistiese ontwikkeling weens onder andere ’n gebrek aan toereikende hulpbronne; ’n gebrek aan toegang tot begrotings; ’n gebrek aan ondersteuning en samewerking en die politieke inmenging van wyksraadslede en politici; ’n gebrek aan begrip, waardering, samewerking en ondersteuning van die plaaslike regering en ’n gevoel van tuis hoort op plaaslike munisipale vlak in baie gevalle. Hoewel die navorsing toon dat die provinsie effektief is in sy nastrewing van ’n holistiese benadering tot volhoubare gemeenskapsontwikkeling aan die kant van GOW’s as veranderingsagente, wil die navorser aanvoer dat beter samewerking op die verskillende vlakke van regering, regeringsdepartemente, ontwikkelingsliggame en die begunstigdes van ontwikkeling moet plaasvind om die pogings en effektiwiteit van GOW’s in hul rol as veranderingsagente verder te versterk. Die boustene van ontwikkeling en die Batho Pelebeginsels moet deur al die belanghebbendes in die ontwikkelingsproses meer konsekwent toegepas, noulettend gehanteer en toegewyd geïmplementeer word om dienslewering te verbeter en meer effektiewe gemeenskapsontwikkeling in belang van die gemeenskap op grondvlak te bewerkstellig terwyl dit aan plaaslike, nasionale en provinsiale ontwikkelingsteikens voldoen. Die uitdaging aan elkeen van ons as veranderingsagente is dus om alles moontlik te doen in belang van rekonstruksie, gemeenskapsontwikkeling en gelyke geleenthede vir almal. Ons moet almal aanspreeklik wees en die vraag beantwoord oor wat ons doen omtrent gemeenskapsontwikkeling, naamlik onderwys, armoedeverligting, dienslewering, ens. in ons eie gemeenskappe. Ons moet erken waar ons vandaan kom, waar ons nou is en waar ons heengaan. Baie vordering is reeds gemaak ten spyte van ’n gebrek aan befondsing, fasiliteite en hulpbronne. Meer opofferings moet egter nog gemaak word om n beter lewe vir almal te verseker. Dit gaan oor respek, ongeag met wie jy handel.

Thesis (PhD (Curriculum Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Although Botswana is considered by some indices as an economically successful country, poverty is experienced by 30% of the population. This is considered a very high poverty rate especially when it is compared to other countries on a similar level of economic development. Several policies have been put in place by the Botswana government to relieve the consequences of poverty. One of these policies, the destitute policy, targeted those individuals who are disabled and/or unable to engage in sustainable economic activities, causing such individuals to have insufficient assets and income sources. It was found by the Botswana government that the implementation of the destitute policy aggravates dependency of the destitute on government support. As a result, development workers were expected to lead registered destitute to independence through the implementation of a destitute rehabilitation programme. However, literature suggested that approaches that are used by development workers to enable individuals to engage in sustainable economic activities are often detrimental to the very empowerment purposes that such workers set out to achieve. The objective of this research was therefore to develop a conceptual framework for capacity enhancement of development workers in Botswana. This objective was addressed through applying action research in order to gain in-depth understanding of the perspectives, practices and experiences of the key role players involved in destitute rehabilitation. This was done in one urban district, one semi-urban district and one rural district council in Botswana. This research took place in four phases, all of which were informed by the action research approach. The first phase comprised four cycles of action research. Each cycle encouraged reflection and observation on destitute rehabilitation practices and planning towards improved practices, followed by implementation. It became evident to the researcher that only singleloop learning was practiced by the development workers. Therefore, instead of gaining deeper insight into aspects that influence destitute rehabilitation, the same problems related to destitute rehabilitation practices were repeated by development workers. Reflection on this process created understanding by the researcher on why the expected results were not achieved. Based on this reflection, a literature review was carried out in iv Phase II to develop the final theoretical and methodological frameworks for this research. Phase III consisted of focus group discussions to understand the perspectives, practices and experiences of the different role players in destitute rehabilitation. The data produced in Phase III enabled understanding of how development workers’ capacity was influenced by the system within which they are operating. The results of this research showed that development workers saw themselves in the same state of powerlessness as the destitute and as not being able to influence the system within which they are operating. Phase IV comprised the application of the coding principles of grounded theory to make sense of data related to Phases I and III, followed by the application of critical systems heuristics to make further sense of the data. Based on the understanding that emerged through the application of CSH, a conceptual framework was developed for the capacity enhancement of development workers in Botswana. It became evident in this research that the challenge for the government of Botswana is to not only reduce the number of registered destitute, but to redesign the system within which destitute rehabilitation takes place, by using the conceptual framework developed in this research. The purpose of the conceptual framework is to enable policy-makers and development workers to scrutinise the whole system within which destitute rehabilitation is implemented by engaging the key role players in dialogue on adjustments that need to be made to the system to enhance development workers’ capacity in destitute rehabilitation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Alhoewel Botswana, gemeet aan sekere maatstawe, as ’n ekonomies suksesvolle land beskou word, leef 30% van die bevolking tans in armoede. Dit kan as ’n buitensporig hoë graad van armoede beskou word, veral as dit vergelyk word met lande met ’n soortgelyke vlak van ekonomiese ontwikkeling. Verskeie beleide is deur die Botswana-regering in werking gestel om die gevolge van armoede te bekamp. Een van die beleide, die sogenaamde beleid vir behoeftige persone, is spesifiek gerig op individue met ’n tekort aan bates of inkomstebronne veroorsaak deur gestremdheid en/of ’n onvermoë om aan volhoubare ekonomiese aktiwiteite deel te neem. Die Botswana-regering het egter bevind dat die implementering van hierdie beleid behoeftiges se afhanklikheid van regeringshulp vererger. As gevolg hiervan word daar van ontwikkelingswerkers verwag om geregistreerde behoeftiges na onafhanklikheid te lei deur die implementering van ’n program vir die rehabilitasie van behoeftiges. Die bevindings uit beskikbare literatuur dui egter daarop dat die metodes wat deur ontwikkelingswerkers gebruik word om behoeftiges in staat te stel om aan volhoubare ekonomiese aktiwiteite deel te neem dikwels ’n negatiewe uitwerking ten opsigte van die beoogde bemagtigingsoogmerke het. Die doel van hierdie navorsing was dus die ontwikkeling van ’n konsepraamwerk vir kapasiteitbou vir ontwikkelingswerkers in Botswana. Die mikpunt is benader deur aksienavorsing toe te pas om ’n grondige begrip te verkry van die perspektiewe, praktyke en ondervindings van al die rolspelers betrokke by die rehabilitasie van behoeftiges. Die navorsing het volgens die aksienavorsingsbenadering in vier fases in een stedelike, een newe-stedelike en een landelike distriksraad in Botswana plaasgevind. Die eerste fase het vier siklusse van aksienavorsing behels. Elke siklus het reflektering en observasie met betrekking tot ontwikkelingswerkers se bestaande rehabilitasiepraktyke aangemoedig. Dit is gevolg deur beplanning vir verbeterde praktyke en implementering van die beplande aksie. Dit het vir die navorser duidelik geword dat slegs enkellus-leer deur ontwikkelingswerkers toegepas is. In stede daarvan om ’n dieper insig in die aspekte wat die rehabilitasie van behoeftiges beïnvloed te verkry, is dieselfde problematiese praktyke met die rehabilitasie van behoeftiges telkens deur die ontwikkelingswerkers herhaal. Nabetragting oor die proses het die navorser die redes laat verstaan hoekom die verwagte resultate nie behaal is nie. Gebaseer op hierdie nabetragting is ’n literatuurstudie tydens Fase II uitgevoer om die finale teoretiese raamwerk en metodologie raamwerk vir die navorsing te ontwikkel. Fase III het fokusgroep-besprekings ingesluit om die perspektiewe, praktyke en ondervindings van die verskillende rolspelers tydens die rehabilitasie van behoeftiges beter te verstaan. Die gegewens verkry gedurende Fase III het die navorser insig gegee in die wyse waarop ontwikkelingswerkers se kapasiteit beïnvloed word deur die stelsel waarbinne hulle werk. Die resultate van hierdie navorsing het getoon dat ontwikkelingswerkers hulself beskou as in dieselfde toestand van magteloosheid as die behoeftiges, en dat dit vir hulle onmoontlik is om die stelsel waarbinne hulle werksaam is te beïnvloed. Fase IV het begin met die toepassing van koderingsbeginsels van gegronde teorie ter opklaring van gegewens verkry tydens Fases I en III, gevolg deur die toepassing van kritieke stelsel-heuristiek, ’n stelsel-denke-benadering, om die gegewens van Fase I en III te integreer. Die insig wat verkry is deur die toepassing van kritieke stelsel heuristiek het bygedra tot die ontwikkeling van die konsepraamwerk vir die kapasiteitsbou van ontwikkelingswerkers in Botswana. Dit het uit hierdie navorsing geblyk dat die uitdaging vir die Botswana-regering nie net is om die aantal geregistreerde behoeftiges te verminder nie, maar om ook die huidige stelsel waaronder die rehabilitasie van behoeftiges plaasvind, te herontwikkel deur die konsepraamwerk wat in hierdie navorsing ontwerp is, te implementeer. Die doel van die konsepraamwerk is om beleidmakers en ontwikkelingswerkers in staat te stel om die rehabilitasiestelsel van behoeftiges te bestudeer deur al die rolspelers in dialoog te betrek sodat veranderinge aan die stelsel gemaak kan word vir kapasiteitsbou van die ontwikkelingswerkers.