An evaluation of the spiritual experience of South African expatriates living in or migrating to other African countries, as a process of practical theology, established that expatriates do not isolate themselves from their churches in South Africa (SA). SA churches only make provision for traditional missionary outreaches and do not make provision for the SA expatriates, black or white, living in these African metropolitan areas. The subjects studied included SA expatriates, the relationships between SA churches, local African churches and expatriates, the act of migration, repatriation and its challenges together with the spiritual and social impact on individuals, marriages and families. A topical view implicates a direct relationship between fieldworkers, missionaries and chaplains deployment into African countries from SA. Furthermore, from research it is implied that the church in SA remains the spiritual home and resource centre of the migrant. The practical theological call for a realignment of mission praxis is vital and is linked to Christ’s parable of the ninety nine sheep, whilst one is lost (Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 15:4-7). This analogy produces the direct requirement of the Church to reconstruct missions to encompass combined support for their congregants in SA, the ninety nine, and those expatriates living in other African countries, the one. The missions to Africa should no longer be missions that only seek to convert African tribes to Christianity, but rather to serve Africans and others immigrating to countries on the continent. Church resources for SA expatriates would be made available when a visionary change occurs at the planning stages of strategies for African missions. Proposed mission strategies should include cell church, care group and discipleship models geared for missions and the African expatriate terrain. A realistic strategy that harmonises resources within the church to serve those abroad shall ensure positive impact on the spirituality, family and marriage of the expatriate. Finally two challenges are laid before the SA church, one, to continue with missions in Africa according to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ, Matthew 28:19-20, with the second, to combine the expatriate discipleship models into its mission strategies. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology)

Social work / M.A. (Social Work)

Violence is common-place in South African schools and managing learner aggression is central to learners’ academic performance and holistic development. There is empirical evidence that suggests that the school curriculum is an essential vehicle for driving the process of creating social and emotional competent individuals, capable of social cohesion and tolerance. This evaluation research aims to evaluate whether the CAPS Life Orientation curriculum is adequately addressing social and emotional competence in learners in order to reduce violence in schools. A comprehensive literature review was conducted which revealed that Social and Emotional Learning programs are highly effective in addressing issues of violence and social problems in schools along with producing a positive school climate with high learner academic achievements. Data collected from the Life Orientation Curriculum documents, Grades R-12, and the elite electronic interview, revealed that the Life Orientation curriculum covers most of the essential elements necessary to make an impact on the development of learners’ social and emotional skills, but may lack the necessary knowledgeable teachers to facilitate such an important study area. Furthermore, not enough time and resources are allocated to Social and Emotional learning. Based on these results, recommendations are made through a ‘framework to advance social and emotional learning in schools model’ for the CAPS Life Orientation curriculum Grades R-12. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Public Management, Department of Public Management & Economics, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / In order to eradicate the legacy of the apartheid past, the South African democratic government adopted a development approach to local government. This necessitated a commitment on the part of local government, through the Integrated Development Plan (IDP), to facilitating community participation by finding ways to meet economic, social and material needs, as well as improving quality of life. The IDP can only be well received and implemented if there is an effective public participation process to ensure that the needs and aspirations of the people are met. This research focused primarily on evaluating community participation in the IDP process through the use of the case study of Umzumbe Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province. Furthermore, the research answers the following questions: to what extent do communities participate in the IDP process?; what were the challenges facing communities with regard to participation in the IDP process?; and what was the role of ward councillors and ward committees in promoting community participation in the IDP process? In order to answer these questions, an empirical study was conducted using quantitative research methodology. The case study approach was used in this study in order to obtain detailed views of respondents and issues relating to the objectives of the study. Using the quantitative research methodology, the study employed a questionnaire to collect information linked to community participation. Three hundred and ninety respondents from ten wards in the local municipality were randomly sampled. In addition, ten ward councillors were requested to participate in the study in order to explore the factors influencing community participation in the study area. The questionnaires were developed and approved by the Durban University of Technology’s ethics committee before the commencement of the study. Data was then collected. The results of the study, conclusions and recommendations are provided in a way that will enable the reader to draw his or her own conclusions on the value of this study. The study was worth undertaking since the challenges of community participation for local economic development and the IDP enhance service delivery. The results of the study should expand the knowledge base of rural community participation in the IDP process in Umzumbe Municipality. The findings of this study should benefit the municipality by highlighting the challenges of community involvement in the IDP process. The envisaged outcome of this study is the development of a theoretical framework for rural community participation in the IDP process in local government. Findings from the study point to the profusion of poor or non-participation of the community in the IDP process. The study shows sour relationship between ward councillors, ward committee members and community members. Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendations have been made: upgrade levels of education/capacity development for ward councillors, ward committee members and community members; poverty alleviation and economic development to create employment; encourage youth and adults to engage in public forums; encourage the involvement of all stakeholders in the identification of development initiatives; co-ordination and information sharing sessions; and systems of monitoring and evaluation should be put in place to monitor community participation in the IDP process, with guidelines for the implementation of community participation initiatives. / M

An evaluation of the spiritual experience of South African expatriates living in or migrating to other African countries, as a process of practical theology, established that expatriates do not isolate themselves from their churches in South Africa (SA). SA churches only make provision for traditional missionary outreaches and do not make provision for the SA expatriates, black or white, living in these African metropolitan areas. The subjects studied included SA expatriates, the relationships between SA churches, local African churches and expatriates, the act of migration, repatriation and its challenges together with the spiritual and social impact on individuals, marriages and families. A topical view implicates a direct relationship between fieldworkers, missionaries and chaplains deployment into African countries from SA. Furthermore, from research it is implied that the church in SA remains the spiritual home and resource centre of the migrant. The practical theological call for a realignment of mission praxis is vital and is linked to Christ’s parable of the ninety nine sheep, whilst one is lost (Matthew 18:12-14; Luke 15:4-7). This analogy produces the direct requirement of the Church to reconstruct missions to encompass combined support for their congregants in SA, the ninety nine, and those expatriates living in other African countries, the one. The missions to Africa should no longer be missions that only seek to convert African tribes to Christianity, but rather to serve Africans and others immigrating to countries on the continent. Church resources for SA expatriates would be made available when a visionary change occurs at the planning stages of strategies for African missions. Proposed mission strategies should include cell church, care group and discipleship models geared for missions and the African expatriate terrain. A realistic strategy that harmonises resources within the church to serve those abroad shall ensure positive impact on the spirituality, family and marriage of the expatriate. Finally two challenges are laid before the SA church, one, to continue with missions in Africa according to the Great Commission of Jesus Christ, Matthew 28:19-20, with the second, to combine the expatriate discipleship models into its mission strategies. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology)

Plinia edulis (Myrtaceae), espécie arbórea popularmente conhecida como cambucá, é nativa da Mata Atlântica brasileira. Apesar do emprego na medicina tradicional em diversas moléstias, incluindo distúrbios gástricos, não existem estudos relacionando as atividades biológicas e os constituintes químicos da espécie. Esta tese relata a avaliação da gastroproteção, da atividade antioxidante, da citotoxicidade e da mutagenicidade do extrato etanol/água de folhas de P. edulis e das frações. Com o objetivo de correlacionar os metabólitos secundários com a eficácia da droga vegetal na medicina tradicional, o extrato foi submetido à partição e posterior fracionamento cromatográfico. O extrato apresentou atividade gastroprotetora significativa em modelo de indução de úlceras por etanol acidificado em ratos em doses de 100, 200 e 400 mg/kg via oral, sendo mais ativo que o fármaco de referência lansoprazol. Entre as frações, a hexânica (100 mg/kg p.o.) foi a mais eficaz, mas apresentou menor atividade do que o extrato bruto. A gastroproteção do ácido ursólico também foi avaliada, mas embora outros triterpenos sejam conhecidos como gastroprotetores, o ácido ursólico (50 mg/kg p.o.) reduziu a área lesionada, mas não apresentou atividade significativa no modelo empregado. O extrato não evidenciou mutagenicidade na concentração de 20 mg/placa no Ensaio de Ames e apresentou atividade antioxidante pronunciada, com CE50 de 5,75 µg/mL no ensaio com DPPH e valor de ORAC de 3.948 µmol de Trolox/g de extrato. O extrato e as frações foram avaliados quanto à citotoxicidade em linhagens de células tumorais humanas de UACC62 (melanoma), MCF-7 (mama), NCI 460 (pulmão), OVCAR03 (ovário), PC-03 (próstata), HT-29 (cólon), 786-0 (rins), NCI-ADR (mama com fenótipo de resistência a múltiplos fármacos) e linhagem de células normais de ovário de hamster chinês (CHO) in vitro. O extrato e as frações apresentaram citotoxicidade seletiva dose-dependente em células cancerígenas e atividade proliferativa em células normais. A partir das frações de hexano e acetato de etila foram identificados β-amirina, lupeol, β-sitosterol, ácido oleanólico, ácido ursólico, ácido maslínico, ácido corosólico, galato de etila, ácido gálico, quercitrina, miricitrina e quercetina por meio de análises espectrométricas. Estes resultados dão suporte à utilização popular desta espécie e estão provavelmente associados à presença dos flavonóides e triterpenos identificados no extrato. / Plinia edulis (Myrtaceae), an arboreous species popularly known as cambucá, is native in Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest. Despite its traditional uses in many diseases, which include gastric disorders, no reports are available on the relationship between the biological activities of its extract and its chemical constituents. This thesis reports the evaluations of the the aqueous ethanol extract of leaves of P. edulis and its fractions on gastroprotective effect, antioxidant capacity, cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of. In order to correlate the secondary metabolites and the efficacy of the crude drug in traditional medicine, the extract was submitted to solvent partition followed by chromatographic fractionation. The extract exhibited significant gastroprotective effect on HCl/ethanol-induced ulcers in rats at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg p.o., even more active than the reference drug lansoprazole. Among the fractions, the hexane fraction (100 mg/kg p.o.) was the most effective, but showed lower activity than the crude extract. In addition, the gastroprotective effect of ursolic acid was evaluated. Although others triterpenes are well known as gastroprotective agents, ursolic acid (50 mg/kg p.o.) reduced the lesion area, but did not show significant activity on this model. The extract did not show mutagenicity at the concentration of 20 mg/plate in the Ames test and exhibited high antioxidant activity, with EC50 of 5.75 µg/mL on the DPPH assay and ORAC value of 3948 µmol Trolox/g of extract. The extract and its fractions were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against human tumour cell lines as UACC62 (melanoma), MCF-7 (breast), NCI 460 (lung, non-small cells), OVCAR03 (ovarian), PC-03 (prostate), HT-29 (colon), 786-0 (renal), NCI-ADR (breast expressing phenotype multiple drugs resistance) and CHO (Chinese Hamster Ovary) normal cell line in vitro. The extract and its fractions showed selectively dose-dependent cytotoxicity against cancer cells and proliferative activity in normal cells. The hexane and ethyl acetate fractions yielded β-amyrin, lupeol, β-sitosterol, oleanolic acid, ursolic acid, maslinic acid, corosolic acid, ethyl gallate, gallic acid, quercitrin, myricitrin and quercetin, which were identified based on spectrometric analyses. These results provide scientific support to the traditional use of this species, which are probably associated with the flavonoids and triterpenoids identified in the extract.

Abstract Coping at work and job retention have been on the list of priorities of European countries for some decades. Vocational rehabilitation is a key measure for preventing work disability, but its possibilities have remained unused in many respects. Moreover, rehabilitation tasks are defined differently depending on the perspective taken. The purpose of this thesis is to determine the possibilities that arise from defining work-related rehabilitation tasks in a way that combines different perspectives and interests. The research questions are: 1) What were the impacts on working career and psychosocial factors of an intervention for long-term unemployed people with disabilities? 2) What kind of processes and mechanisms promoted the working careers and other outcomes of the employed people during the interventions? 3) What forms of collaboration took place between the rehabilitees and different stakeholders, and to what extent did the rehabilitees have opportunities to choose and act during the process? The empirical data for the study were collected from two vocational rehabilitation research projects. The research design was a multiple case study from multiple perspectives combined with mixed methods. The materials were collected through surveys, individual and group interviews, documents, and register follow-up. We found the contextual mechanism through which the outcomes of the work-related rehabilitation emerged. The process was promoted or hindered by actions taken by all stakeholders. The promoting or hindering mechanisms were born through the actions taken by the supervisor in particular, the occupational health service and rehabilitation service provider, and the individual’s life situation factors. Similar factors promoted and hindered the re-employment and staying or returning to work outcomes. Enhancing the rehabilitees’ own agency is also important, regardless of how weak it is at the beginning. I also present a new way of assigning rehabilitation tasks, which structures the complexity of the field of work-related rehabilitation and helps manage it. Work-related rehabilitation is a combination of societal and individual actions. The results of this study will help all actors involved in rehabilitation to improve the outcomes of work-related rehabilitation by developing opportunities for the rehabilitees’ own agency and collaboration / Tiivistelmä Työurien jatkaminen on keskeinen eurooppalaisten yhteiskuntien selviämisen haaste. Kuntoutus on riittämättömästi hyödynnetty resurssi työurien pidentämiseksi. Lisäksi kuntoutuksen tehtävät määrittyvät eri näkökulmista eri tavalla. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on tarkastella, miten työikäisten kuntoutuksen tehtävää voitaisiin määritellä eri toimijoiden intressejä ja päämääriä yhdistäen. Tutkimuskysymyksiä oli kolme: 1) Mitkä olivat monimuotoisen ammatillisen kuntoutuksen vaikutukset pitkäaikaistyöttömien työuraan ja muihin psykososiaalisiin tekijöihin? 2) Millaiset prosessit ja mekanismit edistivät työuria työllisten monimuotoisen ammatillisen kuntoutuksen interventiossa? 3) Minkälaisia yhteistyömuotoja työhön kytkeytyvässä kuntoutuksessa kuntoutujan ja eri toimijoiden välillä toteutui, ja missä määrin kuntoutujat pystyivät vaikuttamaan omiin valinta- ja toimintamahdollisuuksiinsa prosessin aikana? Aineisto koostui kahden ammatillisen kuntoutuksen kehittämishankkeen arviointitutkimusaineistoista. Tutkimusasetelma oli monitapaustutkimus, joka oli toteutettu moninäkökulmaisena mixed method –tutkimuksena. Aineistot oli koottu kyselyiden, yksilö- ja ryhmähaastatteluiden, dokumenttien ja rekisteriseurannan avulla. Aineistojen analyysejä oli tehty aineistokokonaisuuksittain analysoiden kvantitatiiviset ja kvalitatiiviset aineistot erikseen sekä yhdistämällä aineistoja tapaustutkimuksen keinoin. Tutkimuksessa löytyi mekanismi, jonka kautta kuntoutuksen tulokset syntyivät tai jäivät syntymättä. Edistävät ja estävät mekanismit liittyivät erityisesti esimiehen, työterveyshuollon ja kuntoutuksen palvelutuottajan toimintaan ja kuntoutujan elämäntilanteeseen. Samanlaiset tekijät edistivät ja estivät työttömillä ja työllisillä kuntoutumista. Lisäksi työhön kytkeytyvässä kuntoutuksessa kuntoutujan oman toimijuuden tukeminen on tärkeää, vaikka se alkuvaiheessa olisi vähäinen. Tutkimuksessa kuvataan työikäisten kuntoutuksen tehtävät uuden mallin avulla. Tämä jäsentää ammatillisen kuntoutuksen kentän kompleksisuutta ja auttaa hallitsemaan sitä. Työhön kytkeytyvä kuntoutus muodostuu yhteiskuntaan ja yksilöön kohdistuvista toimista, joilla mahdollistetaan työelämään paluu ja osallistuminen. Tulosten avulla kuntoutuksen toteuttajat, tutkijat ja viranomaiset voivat parantaa kuntoutuksen työuravaikutuksia kehittämällä kuntoutujan osallistumismahdollisuuksia ja yhteistoimintaa.

The aim of the thesis is to explore the current state of using text books of civics and social sciences based on research at selected primary and secondary schools and to assess positive and negative aspects of these textbooks. The diploma thesis is divided into two parts - theoretical and practical. The theoretical part will define textbook concept and describes its basic functions, requirements, structural components and evaluation. Furthermore, it focuses on the description of the text books of Civics and Social Sciences with former and current guidance of the Ministry of Education, which is commonly used in schools from 1989 to the present. The practical part will include research survey (questionnaire) realised on ten selected primary and secondary schools in Pelhřimov and Pacov. The research will be supplemented by interviews with teachers.

Social work / M.A. (Social Work)

Violence is common-place in South African schools and managing learner aggression is central to learners’ academic performance and holistic development. There is empirical evidence that suggests that the school curriculum is an essential vehicle for driving the process of creating social and emotional competent individuals, capable of social cohesion and tolerance. This evaluation research aims to evaluate whether the CAPS Life Orientation curriculum is adequately addressing social and emotional competence in learners in order to reduce violence in schools. A comprehensive literature review was conducted which revealed that Social and Emotional Learning programs are highly effective in addressing issues of violence and social problems in schools along with producing a positive school climate with high learner academic achievements. Data collected from the Life Orientation Curriculum documents, Grades R-12, and the elite electronic interview, revealed that the Life Orientation curriculum covers most of the essential elements necessary to make an impact on the development of learners’ social and emotional skills, but may lack the necessary knowledgeable teachers to facilitate such an important study area. Furthermore, not enough time and resources are allocated to Social and Emotional learning. Based on these results, recommendations are made through a ‘framework to advance social and emotional learning in schools model’ for the CAPS Life Orientation curriculum Grades R-12. / Curriculum and Instructional Studies / M. Ed. (Curriculum Studies)