Thesis (MPA.) --University of Limpopo, 2017 / Refer to document

Thesis advisor: Lauri Johnson / The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that more than half of the 22.5 million refugees worldwide are children. Among the consequences of fleeing their homes because of violence, war and persecution, families and children face a crisis level of interruption to their educational opportunities. As the United States continues to lead the world in welcoming asylum seekers, educational leaders must prepare for an increasing population of transnational students (Bajaj & Bartlett, 2017). Public schools in Massachusetts offer a unique perspective to study how leaders build supports for refugee students because of its high national rankings and the adoption of new Multiple-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for all students (Massachusetts, 2019). This heuristic case study, nested within a group study of inclusive leadership practices in a Massachusetts school district, included interviews with 16 district and school leaders, informal observations of a high school and elementary school with a large population of “newcomer” students, and document review of school websites, newspapers, archives, achievement data, memos, and policy statements. Findings indicated that school leaders use inclusive practices to support the needs of their refugee students by (I) Identifying Barriers to Learning, (II) Aligning Structures with Universal Design for Learning, and (III) Committing to Equitable Access for All. Implications of this case study highlight how leaders might balance equity and access in response to the forced migration of millions of students arriving in their districts. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2020. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

El movimiento #NiUnaMenos en contra del femicidio iniciado en el 2015, las protestas de pañuelos verdes por la sanción de la ley de interrupción voluntaria del embarazo, así como las intervenciones del colectivo LGTBIQ en Argentina han hecho uso del lenguaje inclusivo no binario como una herramienta más en la lucha por la igualdad de derechos de la mujer y de otras minorías. Estos nuevos usos del lenguaje que desafían las normas y estructuras establecidas al intentar incluir identidades históricamente marginalizadas alterando la gramática de la lengua también se manifiestan en un corpus emergente de la literatura argentina contemporánea vinculado con dichos movimientos sociales.En este estudio situamos los usos y funciones de este lenguaje inclusivo en la literatura y en el corriente debate cultural que ha despertado tal gesto literario en la Argentina y, en particular, en el interrogante que plantea tal debate acerca del potencial del lenguaje inclusivo en la literatura para articular nuevas subjetividades más amplias y transformar las sensibilidades (Andruetto, 2019; Sarlo y Kalinowski, 2019). Para examinar este interrogante, en el presente estudio analizamos el uso del lenguaje inclusivo en relación con la articulación de nuevas subjetividades tras dicha ola de movimientos, protestas e intervenciones en un corpus de la literatura argentina contemporánea compuesto por dos poemas extraídos del compilado colectivo Martes Verde (2018) y la novela Vikinga Bonsái (2019) de Ana Ojeda. A partir de un análisis de las obras selectas desde teorías feministas provenientes tanto del contexto anglosajón (Irigaray, 1985, 1992; Butler, 2002) como de los feminismos latinoamericanos (Colanzi, 2019), así como  de la definición de subjetividad en las literaturas postautónomas (Ludmer, 2009, 2012), investigamos la configuración de una nueva subjetividad inclusiva no binaria que surge a través del uso literario del lenguaje inclusivo. En la primera parte del análisis nos concentramos en el poema “La pija de Hegel” del colectivo Máquina de Lavar publicado en Martes verde, donde examinamos cómo el uso inclusivo del lenguaje en paralelo a usos deconstructivos de la tradición filosófica occidental que excluyen a la mujer, construyen una subjetividad de la diferencia (Irigaray, 1985, 1992) respecto de la resignificación de la idea del sexo débil históricamente vinculada a la mujer. En la primera segunda parte del análisis, estudiamos el poema sin título de María Insúa también incluido en Martes verde, donde examinamos cómo el uso inclusivo del lenguaje en relación con una retórica del cuerpo en este poema problematiza la construcción del género en la repetición performativa de actos (Butler, 2002) y la marca que dicha reconstrucción imprime en los cuerpos femeninos. Finalmente abordamos la novela Vikinga Bonsái donde analizamos cómo el lenguaje inclusivo en esta novela plantea un colectivo inclusivo de sororidad cuya sensación de pertenencia e identificación entrelaza el colectivo femenino y LGTBIQ junto con otras identidades marginalizadas que se representan en la novela a partir de lenguajes rurales, locales, digitales e inventados y una polifonía de voces de diversos personajes cuya reunión en comunión potencia su diferencia (Irigaray, 1985, 1992), rompe los actos repetidos que construyen la identidad femenina (Butler, 2002) pero también producen un acto de desobediencia pública rompiendo normas como la familia, y proyectando una subjetividad que traspasa los límites del sujeto individual (Colanzi, 2019). Entre los resultados más sobresalientes, encontramos que, a pesar de las singularidades de cada texto y de los géneros a los que pertenecen (novela, poesía) en los textos literarios estudiados, el lenguaje inclusivo se relaciona predominantemente con escenarios urbanos. Sin embargo, el uso literario de este lenguaje construye una subjetividad más amplia que surge a partir de su interconexión con los movimientos sociales feministas contemporáneos, lo que nos permite proponer que las obras estudiadas acompañan la lucha por la igualdad de derechos sociales. / The #NiUnaMenos movement against femicide in 2015, the green scarf protests for the sanction of the pregnancy voluntary termination law as well as the interventions of the LGTBIQ collective in Argentina have made use of non-binary inclusive language as another tool in the fight for equal rights for women and other minorities. These new language uses that challenge established norms and structures by attempting to include historically marginalized identities by altering the grammar of the language are also manifested in an emerging corpus of contemporary Argentine literature linked to these social movements. In this study we situate the uses and functions of this inclusive language in literature in the current cultural debate in Argentina that has aroused such literary gesture and in the question raised by such debate about the potential of inclusive language in literature to articulate new, broader subjectivities, thus  transforming sensibilities (Andruetto, 2019; Sarlo & Kalinowski, 2019). To examine this question, in this study we analyze the use of inclusive language in relation to the articulation of new subjectivities after the mentioned wave of movements, protests and interventions in a corpus of contemporary Argentine literature composed of two poems included in the collective poetry book Martes Verde (2018) and the novel Vikinga Bonsái (2019) by Ana Ojeda. Based on an analysis of the selected literary works drawing on feminist theories both, from the Anglo-Saxon context (Irigaray, 1985, 1992; Butler, 2002) and Latin American feminisms (Colanzi, 2019) and the definition of subjectivity in post autonomous literatures (Ludmer, 2009, 2012), we investigate the configuration of a new inclusive non-binary subjectivity that arises through the literary use of inclusive language.  In the first part of the analysis, we focus on the poem "La pija de Hegel" by the Máquina de Lavar collective included in Martes verde, where we examine how the inclusive use of language in parallel to deconstructive uses of the philosophical tradition that excludes women, configures a subjectivity of difference (Irigaray, 1985, 1992,) regarding the resignification of the idea of the weaker sex historically linked to women. In the first second part of the analysis, we study the untitled poem by María Insúa also included in Martes verde, where we examine how the inclusive use of language in this poem in relation to a body rhetoric problematizes the construction of gender and the violence that construction imprints on female bodies. Finally, we address the novel Vikinga Bonsái where we analyze how inclusive language in this novel poses an inclusive group of sisterhood whose sense of belonging and identification that interweaves women and LGTBIQ collectives with other marginalized groups represented in the novel by rural, workers, digital and invented languages and a polyphony of voices of various characters whose interaction in communion enhances their difference (Irigaray, 1985, 1992), breaks the repeated acts that build female identity (Butler, 2002) but also produces an act of public disobedience, breaking norms such as the family, and projecting a subjectivity that transcends the limits of the individual subject (Colanzi, 2019). Among the most outstanding results, we found that, despite the singularities of each text and the genres to which they belong (novels, poetry) in the literary texts studied, inclusive language is predominantly related to urban settings. However, the literary use of this language builds a broader subjectivity that arises from its interconnections with the current feminist social movements, which allows us to propose that the works studied accompany the struggle for equal social rights.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment or partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education at University of Zululand, South Africa, 2004. / The present investigation had two objectives. The first aim was to examine educators' attitudes towards the inclusion of mildly mentally retarded learners into mainstream education. The second aim was to determine the extent to which educators were influenced by factors such as gender, age, teaching experience, special education qualification and teaching phase qualification. A questionnaire was administrated to all race groups of educators teaching in mainstream primary schools, located in the Umlazi District. Fifty two and a half percent (52,5%) of the educators were found to have a positive attitude towards the inclusion of mildly mentally retarded learners in mainstream classes. Forty seven and a half percent (47.5%) displayed a negative attitude towards the inclusion of mildly mentally retarded learners in mainstream classes. Results also illustrated that the variables of gender, age and years of teaching experience have no influence on educators' attitude towards the inclusion of mildly mentally retarded learners in mainstream education. However, the results did indicate that there is a relationship between educators' qualification in special education and their attitude towards the inclusion of mildly mentally retarded learners in mainstream education. Fourteen percent (14%) had special education qualification and the majority of this group had positive attitudes towards the inclusion of mildly mentally retarded learners in mainstream education. Finally with regard to the variable of teaching phase qualification, there appeared to be insufficient evidence to make a decision as to the relationship between teaching phase qualification and educators' attitude towards the inclusion of mildly mentally retarded learners in mainstream education.

Sibling relationships are dynamic within any family context and disabilities add a different and even more complex dimension to a family context. In addition, inclusion is a relatively new concept in South Africa, especially as an inclusive society. This means that it is challenging for a family that has children with disabilities to live and function in the greater society as children with disabilities have specialised needs and expectations. However, siblings of children with disabilities have their own needs and expectations as participating individuals within a family context and within society; therefore it is of relevance to be fully aware of their personal views, perceptions, understanding and challenges they are confronted with. The primary aim of this study was to gain a rich and in-depth understanding of how the disabilities of a child could impact on a non-disabled sibling. With the above mentioned taken into account, siblings of children with disabilities are faced with an array of unique challenges that may change as the siblings develop, therefore, this study focused on siblings who are in their middle childhood phase (six to twelve years old). Qualitative research methods were applied to gain an in-depth understanding of the children‘s experiences and views. The review of the literature provided the theoretical framework against which the qualitative research was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were constructed from the comprehensive literature review. Observations and documents were also used as research instruments to collect descriptive and supportive data. Interpretations were made from the data collected. The literature review exposed and recognised variances regarding sibling experiences about living with children with disabilities. Five information rich participants were interviewed. The findings of this empirical investigation revealed that not all the siblings identified the same experiences as shared experiences of being siblings to children with disabilities. Therefore, it is recommended that the challenges these siblings are faced with should be taken into account since it has been revealed that there seems to be a need to support these siblings and their families. The whole family is a nested system interacting with each other, within the family system and with other systems beyond the family system, including the wider community and society. Thus, siblings need regular, understandable and updated information as they grow up, regarding the challenges the families are faced with, pertaining to the disabilities experienced, within this nested system. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counseling)

Des groupes agro-alimentaires se tournent vers les filières laitières artisanales pour assurer leur approvisionnement. De cette tendance émergent des business inclusifs (BI). Malgré l’engouement qu’ils suscitent auprès des acteurs du développement agricole, ils restent délicats à mettre en œuvre. Mais dans quelle mesure la coordination de ces BI relève de démarches inclusives ? Quelles sont les barrières à leur adoption et les conséquences sur leur durabilité? Un cas d’étude est analysé pour explorer ces questions, le projet DEEP (Danone Egypt Ecosystem Project). Initié en 2011 par le fond Danone Ecosystème, en partenariat avec Danone Egypte et l’ONG CARE, il promeut un business model réplicable de centres de collecte de lait (CCL) de vache auprès des petits producteurs, dans des coopératives agricoles publiques. Ce BI tente de sécuriser l’approvisionnement de la laiterie Danone et de contribuer au développement socio-économique des villages hôtes. Dans la thèse, un cadre analytique transdisciplinaire est élaboré ; la gestion de la qualité permet d’associer une approche chaîne de valeur (CV) et une approche système agroalimentaire localisée (SYAL). Des données socio-économiques sont collectées entre 2014 et 2016, individuellement et collectivement, auprès des acteurs directement ou indirectement impliqués dans ce BI. Si l’extrême diversité des activités, des objectifs et des ressources des acteurs qui « gravitent » autour du produit lait et du BI est mise en évidence, améliorer la qualité du lait semble être un but partagé. La distance et les asymétries de pouvoirs entre les partenaires limitent la promotion de stratégies répondant à la complexité et à la variabilité du contexte égyptien. Au dépend de la collaboration, des logiques d’intégration et de coercition s’installent dans la chaîne de valeur inclusive (CVI), pilotée en aval par l’entreprise avec l’ONG. Si la qualité sanitaire du lait fourni par les CCL s’améliore, la qualité compositionnelle se dégrade. L’entreprise rejette fréquemment les livraisons des CCL sans mécanisme de compensation et la CVI construite est fragile. Le BI est alors abordé en examinant l’évolution du SYAL laitier d’Halabeya. Après 6 années d’interventions, le CCL y est un acteur central des réseaux de collecte de lait. Il influence la qualité sanitaire via les institutions qui l’organisent (analyses de la qualité du lait, fixation des prix ou connaissances sur l’hygiène). La promotion d’un pôle concentrant l’offre de services agricoles pour les fournisseurs du CCL échoue. Une multitude d’entreprises familiales de proximité, organisées en réseaux spécialisés mais non coordonnés, l’assurent. Il semble que la généricité de la construction de CVI durable doive passer par la systématisation de processus de partenariat. En Egypte, une cellule de coordination villageoise pourrait être créée. Réunissant divers acteurs clef du SYAL, elle pourrait activer les ressources territoriales aux profits des habitants et du BI, en l’associant dans un comité de pilotage avec des représentants de l’état, de l’entreprise investisseuse et de l’ONG. Ce comité de pilotage s’attacherait à bâtir un business model adapté au territoire et aux besoins des partenaires, puis à piloter la CVI construite. L’utilisation de l’amélioration de la qualité du lait pourrait catalyser l’action collective. Par la sensibilisation des partenaires, l’implication de l’état, le recours à des facilitateurs et la possibilité pour les territoires de communiquer sur ces interventions, limiter les asymétries de pouvoir devient envisageable. Original par son utilisation de la gestion de la qualité comme un facteur d’inclusion, le cadre d’analyse permet d’aborder des échelles variées et plus ou moins distantes et pose les bases d’un cadre d’action favorisant la territorialisation des partenariats de BI. Ainsi, bâtir des CVI durables, c’est contribuer à l’émergence de territoires autonomes, voie prometteuse dans les pays du Sud comme du Nord. / Agri-food companies turn to traditional dairy sector to ensure their supply of milk. Inclusivebusinesses (IB) have emerged from this trend. Despite the enthusiasm raised among the playersof agricultural development, such businesses remain difficult to implement. But to what extentdoes IB coordination fall into an inclusive approach? What are the obstacles to the adoption ofsuch processes and the consequences for their sustainability? A case study is analyzed to explorethese issues, the DEEP project (Danone Egypt Ecosystem Project). Initiated in 2011 by the DanoneEcosystem fund, in partnership with Danone Egypt and the NGO CARE, it promotes a replicablebusiness model of cow milk collection centers (MCC) in public agricultural cooperatives targetingsmall producers. This IB’s aims are to secure the sourcing of Danone’s dairy and to contribute tothe socio-economic development of associated villages. In this thesis, a transdisciplinary analyticalframework is developed; the quality management has been used to link a value chain (VC)approach and a localized agri-food system (SYAL) approach. Socio-economic data were collectedbetween 2014 and 2016, individually and collectively, directly or indirectly from the playersinvolved in this IB. While the extreme diversity of the activities, objectives and resources of actorsevolving around the milk product and the IB is highlighted, improving the quality of the milk seemsto be a common goal. Both the distance and the differences in power between partners limit thepromotion of strategies responding to the complexity and variability of the Egyptian situation.Logics of integration and coercion take place within the inclusive value chain (IVC) drivendownstream by the company with the NGO, to the detriment of collaboration. If the sanitaryquality of the milk provided by the MCC is improving, its compositional quality deteriorates. Thecompany frequently rejects deliveries from MCCs, without a mechanism for compensation, whichlead to the precarity of such built IVC. The IB is therefore discussed by examining the evolution ofthe dairy SYAL from Halabeya. After 6 years of interventions, the MCC became a central playerwithin the milk collection networks. It influences milk sanitary quality through the institutions thatorganize it (milk quality analyses, pricing or hygiene knowledge). The promotion of a hubdelivering agricultural services to MCC suppliers fails. Numerous local family businesses, organizedin specialized networks lacking of coordination, ensure it. It seems that the genericity of theconstruction of sustainable IVC must go through the systematization of partnership processes. InEgypt, a coordination cell in the village could be established. Bringing together various key actorsof the SYAL, this cell could activate the territorial resources in favour of the inhabitants and the IB,by associating it in a steering committee with representatives of the state, the investing companyand the NGO. This steering committee would work on building a business model adapted to theterritory and to the needs of the partners, before piloting the IVC built. Using milk qualityimprovement could catalyze the collective action. By raising awareness of partners, involving thestate, using facilitators and giving the capacity for the territories to communicate on theseinterventions, therefore limiting the differences in power becomes possible. Through its use ofquality management as an inclusion factor, the analytical framework allows approaching distantscales, and lays the foundations for an action framework fostering the territorialization of IBpartnerships. Therefore building sustainable IVCs go hand in hand with the emergence ofautonomous territories, a promising path towards the Southern countries as well as the Northern.

Sibling relationships are dynamic within any family context and disabilities add a different and even more complex dimension to a family context. In addition, inclusion is a relatively new concept in South Africa, especially as an inclusive society. This means that it is challenging for a family that has children with disabilities to live and function in the greater society as children with disabilities have specialised needs and expectations. However, siblings of children with disabilities have their own needs and expectations as participating individuals within a family context and within society; therefore it is of relevance to be fully aware of their personal views, perceptions, understanding and challenges they are confronted with. The primary aim of this study was to gain a rich and in-depth understanding of how the disabilities of a child could impact on a non-disabled sibling. With the above mentioned taken into account, siblings of children with disabilities are faced with an array of unique challenges that may change as the siblings develop, therefore, this study focused on siblings who are in their middle childhood phase (six to twelve years old). Qualitative research methods were applied to gain an in-depth understanding of the children‘s experiences and views. The review of the literature provided the theoretical framework against which the qualitative research was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were constructed from the comprehensive literature review. Observations and documents were also used as research instruments to collect descriptive and supportive data. Interpretations were made from the data collected. The literature review exposed and recognised variances regarding sibling experiences about living with children with disabilities. Five information rich participants were interviewed. The findings of this empirical investigation revealed that not all the siblings identified the same experiences as shared experiences of being siblings to children with disabilities. Therefore, it is recommended that the challenges these siblings are faced with should be taken into account since it has been revealed that there seems to be a need to support these siblings and their families. The whole family is a nested system interacting with each other, within the family system and with other systems beyond the family system, including the wider community and society. Thus, siblings need regular, understandable and updated information as they grow up, regarding the challenges the families are faced with, pertaining to the disabilities experienced, within this nested system. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counseling)

No description available.

We estimate the effects of the landlocked dummy on inclusive improvements in living standards using the recently developed Inclusive Development Index (IDI). Utilizing cross-country regression models from recent literature, contributions of income, institutional quality, trade and relevant controls are used to examine the effects of the landlocked trap on inclusive development. Our findings indicate that institutions and geographical conditions have statistically significant effects on the IDI score, while we find no such effects from sea port access or trade. We relate these findings to recent literature and its relevance to poverty reduction in LLDCs. / Vi uppskattar effekterna av inlandstatsdummyn på inkluderande förbättringar avlevnadsstandarder genom det nyligen utvecklade inkluderande utvecklingsindexet IDI, Inclusive Development Index. Med hjälp av tvärsnittsregressionsmodeller från aktuell litteratur, använder vi oss av inkomst, institutionell kvalitet, handel och relevanta kontroller för att undersöka inlandsstatsfällans effekter på inkluderande utveckling. Våra resultat antyder att institutioner och geografiska förhållanden har statistiskt signifikanta effekter på ens IDI betyg, medan vi inte kan påvisa någon sådan effekt för varken hamnsstadsåtkomst eller handel. Vi knyter an dessa resultat till aktuell litteratur och dess relevans till fattigdomsbekämpning i kustlösa utvecklingsländer.

The study aimed to explore full-service school teachers’ sense of self-efficacy in teaching within an inclusive education system. This study formed part of a follow up qualitative phase of an international collaborative research project between South Africa, Finland, China, Slovenia, Lithuania and England. The main purpose of this comparative project was to produce a knowledge base that sheds light on the nature of the development of inclusive education in different countries from a teacher’s perspective. The data from the first quantitative phase indicated that many South African teachers experience a lack of self-efficacy in the implementation of inclusive education. Inclusive education has brought many challenges for full-service school teachers. Classrooms now have a wider range of diverse learning needs and this impacts significantly on classroom practice. This situation often creates stress and can exacerbate feelings of inefficiency. When teachers acquire abilities, skills and professional expertise they often accept the responsibilities of inclusive education and subsequently become more confident about inclusion which in turn empowers them to be more effective in teaching. Adequate professional development and sufficient support can, therefore, help teachers to feel more equipped to address and consequently experience positive self-efficacy beliefs. Teachers with improved self-efficacy will, therefore, become more motivated to implement inclusive education successfully. Consequently, in this research teachers’ sense of self-efficacy within an inclusive education environment with specific reference to South African teachers was further explored. The purpose of my research was to explore factors that influence full-service school teachers’ sense of self-efficacy, enabling or disabling them to implement inclusive education successfully. Bandura’s social cognitive theory of self-efficacy as well as Bronfenbrenner’s bio-ecological framework formed the theoretical framework of this study. To achieve this purpose, a qualitative interpretive design was decided upon by employing a multiple case study (two full service schools) as strategy of inquiry. Twenty one teachers voluntarily participated in this research, eleven from the first school and ten from the second school. Data was collected through qualitative data generation methods which included focus group and individual interviews, collages and an open questionnaire. The findings from the literature review as well as the empirical data revealed that self-efficacy as a concept was best described and understood in relating low with high teacher self-efficacy. A teacher with a high sense of self-efficacy can be viewed as a person who exhibits and portrays certain traits and skills. It was evident that sufficient knowledge about what inclusive education entails, intra- and inter-personal skills, as well as values that take the best interest of the learner into consideration, are essential for teachers to experience a high sense of self-efficacy in an inclusive education environment. The findings also indicated that certain ecosystemic factors are currently enabling and disabling teachers’ sense of self-efficacy to implement inclusive education successfully. These factors were reflected in the specific needs of teachers to be more self-effective in an inclusive education system. This included more and effective continuous professional development opportunities (CPD) for professional and personal development; increased and improved support from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) (provincial and district) as well as the school and peers; improved collaboration with parents, NGO’s and HEI’s; a more flexible curriculum; and more acknowledgement for achievements from the school, parents and the DBE. These needs were addressed in recommendations for teachers themselves, the schools and the DBE in order to develop and enhance teachers’ sense of self-efficacy, within an inclusive full-service school. / PhD (Learner Support)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015.