Introduction/Aims Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies (DBMD) are X-linked neuromuscular disorders characterized by progressive muscle weakness, leading to decreased mobility and multisystem complications. We estimate productivity costs attributable to time spent by a parent caring for a male child under the age of 18 y with DBMD, with particular focus on female caregivers of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) who have already lost ambulation. Methods Primary caregivers of males with DBMD in the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance and Research Tracking Network (MD STARnet) were surveyed during 2011–2012 on family quality of life measures, including labor market outcomes. Of 211 respondents, 96 female caregivers of boys with DBMD were matched on state, year of survey, respondent's age, child's age, and number of minor children with controls constructed from Current Population Survey extracts. Regression analysis was used to estimate labor market outcomes and productivity costs. Results Caregivers of boys with DBMD worked 296 h less per year on average than caregivers of unaffected children, translating to a $8816 earnings loss in 2020 U.S. dollars. Caregivers of boys with DMD with ≥4 y of ambulation loss had a predicted loss in annualized earnings of $23,995, whereas caregivers of boys with DBMD of the same ages who remained ambulatory had no loss of earnings. Discussion Female caregivers of non-ambulatory boys with DMD face additional household budget constraints through income loss. Failure to include informal care costs in economic studies could understate the societal cost-effectiveness of strategies for managing DMD that might prolong ambulation.

Mot bakgrund av att det ur både ett samhälls- och individperspektiv är viktigt att anställda utvecklas i samma takt som arbetsmarknaden syftar denna studie till att få en ökad förståelse för hur olika verksamheter arbetar med arbetsplatslärande och med att motivera personalen till ett arbetsplatslärande. Den kvalitativa studien som genomförs behandlar kommunala och privata verksamheters arbete med att motivera sin personal till formellt och informellt arbetsplatslärande. För att studera detta har material från sju semistrukturerade intervjuer hämtats. Dessa intervjuer genomfördes med personalvetare som arbetar inom olika områden i både kommunala och privata verksamheter. Det insamlade materialet från intervjuerna analyserades med en tematisk analys där teman och underteman skapades. Studien tar stöd i Knud Illeris teoretiska perspektiv på vad som krävs för att ett arbetsplatslärande ska kunna ske. Det analyseras om verksamheterna upplever att ett arbetsplatslärande äger rum enligt de krav som Illeris teoretiska perspektiv ställer upp. Med stöd i intervjumaterial och det teoretiska perspektivet har en ökad förståelse för hur kommunala och privata verksamheter arbetar med arbetsplatslärande nåtts. Resultatet i denna studie visar att båda verksamheterna lägger störst fokus och prioritering på det informella lärandet och att det formella lärandet ofta hamnar i skymundan. Verksamheterna arbetar inte strategiskt med att motivera anställda utan motivation har visat sig vara en mer individuell faktor som varje individ har en stor påverkan på. Förutsättningar av ett stöttande ledarskap, meningsfullhet i arbetet och en verksamhetskultur respektive gemenskap av lärande har dock visat sig bidra till en ökad motivation. / Given that it from both a societal and individual perspective is important that the employees develop at the same pace as the labor market, this study aims at gaining an increased understanding of how different organizations work with workplace learning and to motivate staff to a workplace learning. The qualitative study that is carried out deals with the work of municipal and private organizations in motivating their staff to formal and informal workplace learning. To examine the purpose of this study data was collected through seven semi-structured interviews with people working with human resources. The data collected from the interviews was analyzed using thematic analysis where themes and sub-themes were created. This study is based on Knud Illeri´s theoretical perspective about what is necessary for a workplace learning to take place. It is analyzed whether the people working with human resources experience that the requirements for achieving workplace learning according to Illeri´s theoretical perspective exist at their workplace. With both data from the interviews and Illeri´s theoretical perspective this study gains an increased understanding of how municipal and private organizations work with motivation and workplace learning. The result of this study shows that both types of organization prioritize informal learning and less formal learning. Neither of the organizations strategically works with motivation towards workplace learning. The results have shown that motivation is mostly based on individual factors which means that the individual has the greatest influence. Prerequisites of a supportive leadership, meaningfulness in work and a business culture and community of learning, however, have shown to contribute to increased motivation.

The goal of this dissertation was to explore how self-directed learners assess their learning in informal contexts. Self-directed learners experience high intrinsic motivation and learner control, so studying these learners? experiences provides valuable insights into learning. I pose four questions: 1) How do self-directed learners in informal contexts satisfy their need for a) autonomy, b) relatedness, c) competence, and d) prioritize the satisfaction of these needs? 2) How do self-directed learners in informal contexts self-regulate their learning? 3) What affordances are perceived by informal learners during self-directed learning? 4) What relationships exist between the satisfaction of learners? basic needs, self-regulation, and perceived affordances during self-directed, informal learning? I employ multiple methodologies, including interviews (N = 19) and an open-ended survey (N = 154), and based on this evidence, theorize a Lanes of Learning model to explain how learners regulate learning, assess competence, involve others, and use tools to meet their needs. Participants? needs also influenced which learning tools they integrated and, from those, what they perceived as possible, including accessibility, personalizability, and adaptability. Evidence shows learners in 1) Lane A prefer efficiency, collect confirming cues, involve others to meet a goal, and use tools that provide a set of correct steps; 2) Lane B prefer structure, collect confirming cues and add affirming cues, involve others for functional purposes, and used tool that resemble the real thing; 3) Lane C prefer depth and chase information as it becomes relevant, collect affirming cues, involve others for emotional reasons, and use tools that provides more information to chase; and, 4) Lane D prefer innovation, collect affirming cues and add confirming cues, involve others to build a network, and use tools that are inspirational, not educational. I argue people are motivated to learn when that learning is on their terms, and this motivation manifests in the strategies and processes taken by individuals during learning.

Doctor Legum - LLD / Traditional justice systems (TJS), which apply African customary law (ACL), play a significant role in the regulation of various cultural, social, and economic spheres of individual lives in society. It is estimated that 90% of African countries use TJS in dispute resolution. Succession matters form one of the areas in which TJS are applied. In Kenya, it is estimated that the majority of succession matters are addressed through TJS given that only 36% of cases are taken to the formal justice system (FJS) for determination. This indicates the presence of legal pluralism where formal law co-exists with African customary law. However, the application of customary succession laws and their enforcement by the FJS encounter impediments which curtail the integration of ACL within the FJS. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the interface between African customary laws of succession in the TJS and the FJS. In order to achieve this objective the study applies the Historical School of Jurisprudence as its theoretical framework and applies document analysis as the research methodology. The major findings of the study indicated that though progressive recognition, application and enforcement of ACL in Kenya has been realised, there are several impediments to the integration and enforcement of customary succession decisions within the FJS. These include non-complimentary legal provisions, lack of in-depth knowledge on ACL by the FJS, and more importantly, lack of a policy guideline on the integration of ACL within the FJS. Based on these findings, this study finds it necessary to develop a guideline that will enhance the integration and enforcement of customary succession decisions by the FJS.

Micro-regions have gained an increasing awareness of their potential in global politics, an illogical development that have yet to be explained. In this study, we hypothesize that there is a trend where regions attempt to lobby EU-policy, and explore the role of regions, and their channels to Brussels: how they look today, and how they have changed over time. In this exploration, we conducted a comparative case study where the Swedish regions’ channels to Brussels were compared over time by a theoretical framework built on new regionalism ideas. To collect data, we interviewed representation office officials, and supported this data with a content analysis. We then compared our results to a similar study from 2007.We found that the representation offices today lobby as a daily activity, and that monitoring is often emphasized to be pro-active in policy influencing. Money is still experienced as the prime logic for regional representation in Brussels, but possibilities for financial gain may incentive regional interest to contribute to the EU policy framework. The representation offices favor the European Commission as a channel, but this depends on where in the process the office enters, while informal networks are given an increased value for several reasons.

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Work on urban renewal internationally focuses on a vast range of topics, including gentrification, increased criminalization of poverty, rent-seeking behaviour, and neoliberal urbanism. These arguments tend to centre the interests and actions of certain actors, prioritize certain forces (such as economic ones), and thus tend to predict a particular set of outcomes. In adopting a southern urbanist epistemology, and Jennifer Robinson’s reimagined comparativism through a reconceptualized 'case’, this research shows how predominant assumptions regarding the drivers and outcomes (both social and physical) of urban renewal do not necessarily apply in the case of Braamfontein, an instance of urban renewal in Johannesburg, a post-apartheid city in the south. The findings examined here include policy narratives and empirical referents to culture-led strategies of urban renewal and ways in which they speak less to market-orientated objectives, and more to socio-political ones; how the findings in Braamfontein speak to literature on gentrification, studentification, and youthification, showing that urban renewal and gentrification are not the same processes, and that studentification does not necessarily lead to youthification or gentrification; how attempts to suppress informal trade have led to the proliferation of iterant strategies on the part of hawkers, and have in turn led to enhanced relationships between informal traders and the formal economy; and, finally, how the presence of communities self-identifying as foreign or gay are shown to be driven by forces other than those that the literature typically predicts.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Library and Information Science at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012. / The purpose of this study was to investigate the diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the informal sector in Kenya. The study specifically focused on micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in two provinces in Kenya, namely Nairobi Province and Central Province. Information for the study was gathered through a literature review, a field survey, and personal observation. Questionnaires were used to solicit information from micro and small enterprise participants drawn from the two provinces. A combination of purposive and probability random sampling was used to generate the sample frames of MSE clusters and respondents respectively. The sample of respondents was drawn from the central business district in the city of Nairobi, two markets (Gikomba market and Kenyatta market) and a horticultural products’ depot next to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi Province. Two urban centers and two market centers were selected from Central Province, namely Kiambu and Thika towns and Kabati and Makutano market centers in Muranga District. Questionnaires were administered to a sample of 390 MSE participants comprising of owner/managers and selected employees. The overall results revealed that the majority of MSEs are small and are started with little preparation and scarce capital. Only 5.6% of the enterprises had more than five employees, while less than one percent had over ten employees. The majority of the MSEs (over 90%) therefore fell in the micro-enterprises category. The use of ICTs by the micro enterprises’ participants, with the exception of the mobile phone and mobile money services, was found to be quite low. The use of the mobile phone and mobile phone services was over 90%. . Access to formal business information sources was also poor, and the majority of the MSE participants relied mainly on their knowledge and experiences, customer reactions, telephone contacts, and friends and relatives. Information was rarely sourced from government agencies and other formal sources like the internet and mass media. MSEs face many challenges in the use of ICTs because of the nature and small scale of their businesses, which do not allow them to focus on much else beyond survival. The MSEs lacked institutional capacity and support in the form of affordable telecommunications facilities and ICTs as formal sources of information. The mobile phone has been embraced by MSE workers, as an affordable and quick way to communicate and perform business transactions. The mobile phone technology has been quickly adopted and is heavily relied on in MSE operations. The study recommends accelerated government involvement in order to address the various challenges of providing the necessary infrastructure, developing and implementing effective policies, improving the distribution of economic resources, improving business premises and infrastructure that can reach the MSEs, improving skills and training to enable the use of ICTs, raising awareness, facilitating access to credit and finance, as well as improving information structures for formal information sources and dissemination. The study recommends more research to gain a deeper understanding of the context and information needs of small business enterprises in order to be able to offer a strategic framework for appropriate intervention in providing information for MSEs. Further research is also recommended in the area of mobile telephony, given its rapid adoption and use in a short span of ten years, to bring out its full potential and benefits. / University of Zululand

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of a degree of Masters of Arts in Community Work in the Department of Social Work, at the University of Zululand, 2010. / South Africa has one of the most progressive legislative and policy frameworks for water and sanitation services in the world, which includes a constitutional right to water and a national free basic water policy. However, when it comes to the local government level (municipalities) who arestipulated with the duty to provide water and sanitation services not only in informal settlements, the reality is quite different.In many municipalities, water and sanitation services programs are still run according to long established routine and customs which have never been examined for their effectiveness or appropriateness to current conditions of the areas (informal settlements) where services are driven to. Nevertheless, the intention of this study was to evaluate municipality programs in addressing water and sanitation services in informal settlements. To produce data for thestudy, the questionnaires, interviews schedule and document review or analysiswas utilised.A sample of 10respondents was drawn from three Umhlathuze municipalities, namely: Richards Bay, Empangeni and Esikhawini municipalities. The findings from the study indicated that Umhlathuze municipality programs in addressing water and sanitation services in informal settlements is a failure, the municipality have a sour working relationship with the community, the criteria used to choose the strategy to the provision of the services does notencourage community participation, and finally, the municipalities are still using a bit of the past supply driven approach and the new approach; demand responsive approach simultaneously. The set objectives for the study were achieved, andmost importantly, it is recommended that fullcommunity participation at different levels and stages of water supply and sanitation service planning and implementation should be encouraged.

Depuis le modèle de référence développé par Allingham et Sandmo (1972), les problèmes liés à la fraude fiscale et particulièrement au lien entre les raisons de conformité fiscale et le montant du revenu déclaré ont été souvent étudiées. La décision du contribuable dépend essentiellement du montant de son revenu réel, du taux d'imposition fiscale, de la probabilité de contrôle, du montant des amendes infligées en cas de détection. Mais d'autres paramètres plus psychologiques qu'économiques sont aussi tenus en compte à savoir le climat social auquel le contribuable évolue, l'utilisation de leurs cotisations par le gouvernement, les normes sociales, ou tout simplement la conscience du devoir fiscal pour le financement des biens publics et du civisme fiscal. Ces faits ne sont essentiellement pas tenus en compte dans un pays en développement comme Madagascar. La fraude fiscale est liée à l'incapacité de l'administration fiscale à assurer pleinement le système de contrôle par manque de moyens et des phénomènes comme la corruption, la présence accrue du secteur informel, l'influence des décideurs politiques. Les études empiriques ont montré que la Taxe sur la Valeur Ajoutée (TVA) reste l'impôt le plus fraudé par les contribuables et que les pertes annuelles pour cause de fraude fiscale sont exorbitantes, avec un montant total avoisinant les 203 millions d'€ de 2007 à 2009 dans les centres enquêtés. / Since the reference model was developed by Allingham and Sandmo (1972), the problems linked ta tax evasion and particularly ta the relationship between the reasons for tax compliance, and the amount of declared income have often been studied. The taxpayer's decision depends primarily on the amount of his real income, on the tax rate, on the probability of control and on the amount of the fines in the case of identified fraud. However, other parameters more psychological than economical arc also taken into account ta identify the social climate in which the taxpayer evolves, the use of their tax contributions by the government, the social norms, or simply the awareness of the duty taxes in order ta support public projects and fiscal public­spiritedness. These facts have not yet been taken into consideration in developing countries like Madagascar. Tax evasion is linked to the incapacity of tax authorities to ensure full control of the system due to a lack of means as well as phenomena such as com1ption, the increasing presence of the informal sector and the influence of the political decision makers. Empirical studies have shown that Value-Added Tax remains the most defraudcd tax by taxpayers and that the annual lasses due to tax evasion are exorbitant, totaling around € 203 million from 2007 to 2009 in the centers participating in the survey.