<p>The purpose of the study is to  examine women and men’s perspective on the informal and traditional way for women to organize themselves in relation to formalization. To meet the aims of the thesis qualitative studies through interviews concerning a <em>protest march</em> that took place in 2003 Dareda village were performed, and a literature study to supplement the empirical data. Thereafter the purpose was analyzed through both feminist theory and empowerment theory. A majority of both the men and the women were positive opinions towards the traditional way for women to be organized. This might go against the feminist theory and verify that only negative statements are brought up within the feminist discourse. Through this tradition women collectively claim specific rights, because they are more powerful together then individually, but also under the banner of motherhood or as women. In relation to the process of development the women are being hindered from protesting more frequently and urged to act within the formal framework. Their major obstacles with the formalization concerns to the judicial system and some of them claim that corruption will prevent justice for them as women.</p><p> </p>

The purpose of the study is to  examine women and men’s perspective on the informal and traditional way for women to organize themselves in relation to formalization. To meet the aims of the thesis qualitative studies through interviews concerning a protest march that took place in 2003 Dareda village were performed, and a literature study to supplement the empirical data. Thereafter the purpose was analyzed through both feminist theory and empowerment theory. A majority of both the men and the women were positive opinions towards the traditional way for women to be organized. This might go against the feminist theory and verify that only negative statements are brought up within the feminist discourse. Through this tradition women collectively claim specific rights, because they are more powerful together then individually, but also under the banner of motherhood or as women. In relation to the process of development the women are being hindered from protesting more frequently and urged to act within the formal framework. Their major obstacles with the formalization concerns to the judicial system and some of them claim that corruption will prevent justice for them as women.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities University of Zululand in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy: Community Psychology in the Department of Psychology, 2006. / This investigation was contextualised within the community psychological model of mental health promotion and Zimmerman's empowerment theory (1995) and psychological intervention being conceptualized as a positive component with a view to enhancing psychological well-being. This study investigated psychological intervention as a strategy for the promotion of well-being among caregivers in a children's home. The primary focus was the caregivers in children's homes in the greater Durban area and the secondary consideration was the positive cascade effect it had on the children under then-care. The research design comprised an experimental and control group. A psychological intervention was implemented and the Maslach burnout inventory (1986) was used to measure the well-being outcomes. This was complemented with qualitative techniques that included a needs assessment questionnaire, intervention, consultation, focus group, appreciative enquiry, children's behaviour profile and the principal's pre and post intervention evaluation. The improvement in caregivers' well-being was also evaluated in the positive behaviour changes of selected children assessed by the Conners rating scale (1979). The SPSS findings indicated negligible change in the pre and post test MBI scores for caregivers. There was no significant differences in the pre and post test scores on the Conners rating scale. However, the descriptive qualitative measures indicated significant levels of improved psychological well-being by caregivers which generated a positive cascading effect on selected children under their charge. These descriptive improvement trends are attributed to the comprehensive treatment or intervention. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

In this thesis, Meteorum Geopark was researched to understand the social impact and the potential of Geoparks and Geotourism to contribute to sustainable economic development in an OECD nation. Meteorum is located in Dalarna, Sweden and is situated in a region called the Siljan Ring. As the Siljan Ring is a product of a meteorite impact from over 350 million years ago, this impact crater has helped to make the area unique in both its geodiversity and its cultural heritage. Having this as a basis for the development of a Geopark, the aim is to receive official UNESCO designation in the future. The study focused on social impacts and specifically the ability for a Geopark to create community empowerment. This method of analysis was used to understand the social impacts and lay a foundation for understanding the linkages for sustainable economic development. By analyzing the social impacts through a community empowerment framework, it was found that Meteorum can contribute in more ways than just economical benefits. It can help create an identity for the region and foster a management style that is conducive to prolonged development. Meteorum Geopark was seen to have the most potential for community empowerment within the psychological and political aspects of community empowerment. It was seen that Meteorum Geopark can foster a greater level of pride and identity through the democratic foundation for which it was built upon. Thus, it was found to have potential for enhancement of community empowerment within the Siljan Ring. With community empowerment as a potential outcome of Meteorum Geopark, the information was taken one step further to evaluate if it fit into the criteria for sustainable economic development. This was done by understanding Ostrom's management of the commons. The conception was that if a basis for effective management of the commons could be achieved, this would create an outcome that could result in sustainable economic development. This assessment hinged on the criteria of trust and reciprocity as presented by Ostrom. The geopark was found to exhibit aspects of trust and reciprocity which are essential to management of the commons. However, it was inconclusive as to the overall level that it could contribute and fulfill the criteria.

This study explores how international and South African community psychology has studied HIV in the past twenty years, emphasising the methodological and theoretical aspects of research being produced. Concurrently, this study situates itself within an empowerment theory framework and has sought to comment upon marginalised groups and their presence in published community psychology-based HIV research. The research made use of data generated from a content analysis of selected journal articles from the South African Journal of Psychology, the American Journal of Community Psychology, the Journal of Community Psychology, and the Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology over the period 1990-2009. The results reflect a dearth of community psychology research concerning HIV and a reliance on positivistic methodologies across contexts, as well as a predominant focus on epistemologies relating to risk and prevention. It was found that whilst interest in marginalised groups within community psychology based HIV research has increased particularly in the last decade, the voices of some of the most vulnerable groups remain relatively silent. It is understood that a move away from more traditional health psychology methods and understandings of HIV, to a more critical conceptualisation is imperative for the field of community psychology with regards to this prominent social problem.

Work environments for health care providers in acute care hospitals have become increasingly demanding due to the impact of economic constraints, the rapid advancement of treatment modalities, and value systems changes among clients, as well as among heath care providers. In Japan, health care industries also face severe economic constraints. Because Japan has socialized medicine, the government controls reimbursements. Due to the dramatic growth in health care expenditures, the Japanese government has imposed regulations that reward shorter lengths of hospital stays with higher reimbursement. As a result, only patients whose conditions are critical and require complicated nursing care are now hospitalized. Consequently, the acuity levels of patients have increased every year. Under such conditions, administrators are charged with keeping the organization financially solvent so that they can remain in business, while continuing to improve the quality of their services. Although systems research in health care settings has received considerable attention in North American countries, there has been little research in this area in Japan, where systematic leadership training for nurse managers is also still in a developmental stage. Research on organizational effectiveness has shown positive correlations between managers' leadership styles and employees' psychological well-being or self-efficacy.The purposes of this study were: 1) to test Laschinger's Work Empowerment Theory with incorporation of leadership behaviors in acute care hospitals in Japan, and 2) to investigate how leadership behaviors might mitigate burnout and empower staff nurses working in acute care hospitals in Japan. It was expected that employees who perceived a high level of Structural Empowerment would demonstrate high Psychological Empowerment and low burnout level. If employees perceived high leadership behaviors in their immediate supervisors, their Psychological Empowerment was expected to be higher and their burnout level was expected to be lower.The following four instruments were used: 1) Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II (CWEQ-II); 2) Psychological Empowerment Scale; 3) Nurse Manager's Action Scale; and 4) Maslach Burnout Inventory. The questionnaire was distributed to 1,377 staff nurses working on 50 inpatient care units in two acute care hospitals in Japan. Participant response rates for all units were equal or greater than 50%. Psychometric evaluation of the instruments was performed. Construct validity and reliability were established for all instruments at the individual level. At the group level, construct validity and reliability for two instruments (Structural Empowerment and Nurse Manger's Action Scale) were confirmed, but not for two others (Psychological Empowerment and Maslach Burnout Inventory).Results suggested that the Work Empowerment Theory also fits Japanese nurses, but there was little effect of leadership behaviors on staff nurses' perceived empowerment. A group level analysis indicated that leadership behaviors did not influence Psychological Empowerment or Burnout, but influenced Structural Empowerment.

Youth exclusion in a society is a major issue in many parts of the globe, and particularly in the Arab world. It limits the succession of social movements leading to political stability and leaves a relevant part of the society alienated from political processes. For this reason, this thesis aims to introduce and highlight youth as a source for political and social development, using Lebanon as a case study through the theoretical lens of empowerment theory. The work carried out understands empowerment theory as a useful theoretical framework in Political Science, and its contribution to the case under scrutiny will rest upon three interrelated categories: individual empowerment, collective empowerment, and social and political change as a subsequent. The research focuses on the capacity development of young Lebanese people through their participation in a UNDP program. Using content analysis of a UNDP report and semi-structured interviews conducted with youth (20-28) as well as with the youth focal point in UNDP, the thesis systemically examines and evaluates the extent to which Lebanese youth are feeling empowered by the UNDP for creating social change and reducing political instability. The results and findings of the research suggest that if organizations such as the UNDP place more attention on youth, they are likely to have a greater political and social impact on social and political development.

The pressure to have students perform well on standardized tests can serve as a stressor to some teachers in their efforts to autonomously teach their students, particularly those of low socioeconomic status (SES). However, the relationship between teachers' sense of autonomy, teachers' attitudes and behaviors, SES, and student's academic success remains unclear. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between teachers' autonomy to make decisions about classroom teaching practices and specific science curricula, school-wide student achievement in science, and students' SES. Freire's empowerment theory served as the theoretical framework. The research questions investigated the extent that student SES background moderated the relationship between teacher autonomy, curricula, and school district science achievement. Data sources were student Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test science achievement scores and teacher autonomy data from 108 eighth grade science teachers in 16 school districts. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear regression analysis. Results revealed no significant relationships between eighth-grade science teachers' perceptions of their autonomy, teaching practices, their science curriculum, and district eighth-grade science achievement scores (p > .001). Although the results were not significant, this study provides insights into 8th grade science education which may benefit students, teachers, and administration. Factors such as SES and teacher perception of autonomy can be advantegeously considered in science classes to increase student achievement. Such considerations can influence positive social change by increasing the science capacity of students at all SES levels.

The aim of this study was to examine how asylum organizations work in facilitating the integration of asylum seekers into Swedish society.  In Sweden, despite its historical acceptance of migrants and asylum seekers, the country is not immune to integration challenges. The study employed a qualitative research approach to capture the perspectives and opinions of employees working in the selected organizations. A purposive sampling method was utilized, wherein two representatives were carefully chosen from each organization. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of four (4) participants. Thematic analysis was applied to analyze the data gathered from these interviews. The findings of the study indicated that asylum organizations offer various forms of support, including assistance with school placement, language acquisition, housing, education on Swedish norms and customs, and facilitating connections with authorities to Asylum seekers. However, several challenges persist, such as insufficient government support, inadequate funding, and lengthy asylum procedures. To address these issues, there is a need for increased government support, proactive measures, financial aid, expedited asylum processes. These improvements would enable the organizations to effectively engage and assist asylum seekers in their integration process.

This project study addressed the problem of frequent turnover of nurse managers at a Northeastern community hospital. The lack of retention of nurse managers has led to attenuated support for the nursing staff who continued to hold the front line in patient care. The purpose of this qualitative bounded case study was to explore nurse managers' experiences with turnover in order to identify strategies for enhancing retention. Work empowerment and servant leadership theories served as the frameworks for the study. Research questions focused on nurse managers' perceptions of empowerment and servant leadership characteristics that were important in decisions to assume and remain in a management/leadership role. Data collection included audio-recorded interviews with seven current or past full-time nurse managers, and observation of three of the participants at a leadership meeting. Interview transcripts were open coded and thematically analyzed. Observation data were categorized according to empowerment and servant leadership characteristics. Five themes were identified that related to research questions: struggling in management transition, seeking opportunity for transformation, being committed but powerless, embarking unprepared on an unplanned journey, and having the presence to lead others by serving. The findings of this study guided development of a 12-month program for new nurse managers that integrated characteristics of servant leadership to empower leaders and others. These contributions may promote positive social change by preparing new nurse managers for their role and developing their skills to become successful nurse managers.