This research project focused on the narrated lives of woman informal street traders. Ten women from the Warwick Junction market in Durban, South Africa, of varying ages, were interviewed. The women selected participated in two interviews, one narrative interview and a follow up in-depth open-ended interview based on their life narrative. Thematic analysis was conducted thereafter; through this process recurring themes relevant to all participants were identified and discussed. Five dominant themes resulted from the thematic analysis: ‘Economic challenges’; ‘Politics, police and permits’; ‘Work’; ‘Being a woman’ and ‘Support’. The findings of this research showed that economical challenges were a substantial issue for several of the women, many of who grew up in poverty and remain trapped in the poverty cycle. Disturbingly, several women highlighted how local authorities and corrupt police showed little regard towards trader’s opinions and several women nostalgically recollected trading conditions before 1994. Many of the women were the sole breadwinners for their families, supporting children and grandchildren and great emphasis was placed on the importance of their work as a means of economic survival and financing their children’s education, as schooling was understood to be leverage out of the poverty cycle. The supportive role of the women’s communities was a significant feature in their lives. Several overarching social networks became resources in times of crises. The need to utilize the community as a supportive network was largely due to the lack of formal support women informal street traders received from local authorities. This research raises concerns over the City’s perceptions of, and approach towards, informal street traders, specifically in the last decade. Furthermore, this study highlights the need to broaden understandings of the means of coping used by women in contexts of poverty, constant vulnerability, and exposure to frequent psychologically disturbing trauma.

There are numerous causes of delays in productivity and efficiency on construction job sites, many of which stem from inadequate understandings of leadership characteristics and jobsite relationships. The focus of this study is to determine who construction personnel naturally seek advice from on a construction site when confronted with a situation that requires it. Additionally, this study seeks to establish a classification procedure for locating individuals towards whom those in need of leadership are naturally drawn. Four construction sites have been observed with the permission of each relative construction company. First the researcher attempted to collect observations of the frequency with which advice is sought. Each time advice was required on a construction site the researcher attempted to collect observations determining from whom the advice was asked and who asked the question. This was later revised into a one-on-one interview format. After substantial data for these variables were collected, characteristics of all participants were evaluated to form a system of classification for informal leadership. The characteristics that were examined include proximity, job title, experience, education, and age. It was expected that advice would be sought more often from those with various job titles who are older, have more experience, are close in proximity, and have higher education related to construction. This often appeared to be the case, except both higher titled formal leaders and informal leader had less formal education and more hands-on experience. Once the leadership structure of each jobsite had been evaluated, a comparison of the productivity of each of the companies associated with their respective jobsite was illustrated to determine whether informal or formal leadership structures were more effective in terms of the current status of product (determined by looking at the budget and schedule). Findings suggest informal leaders may be less efficient due to the lack of authority to make quick decisions. It was also determined that leaders are more effective when they are in a formal position of authority. The process developed assists in the discovery of where leadership truly lies on construction sites, allowing one to use this information to improve productivity and efficiency by maintaining relationships and promoting where necessary. / Master of Science

This work is a study of the relationship between frame, infill, and earth. A search of structure defining space through threshold. Ultimately, it proposes a structural frame as a collection of rooms. / Master of Architecture

There are numerous causes of delays in productivity and efficiency on construction job sites, many of which stem from inadequate understandings of leadership characteristics and jobsite relationships. The focus of this study is to determine who construction personnel naturally seek advice from on a construction site when confronted with a situation that requires it. Additionally, this study seeks to establish a classification procedure for locating individuals towards whom those in need of leadership are naturally drawn. Four construction sites have been observed with the permission of each relative construction company. First the researcher attempted to collect observations of the frequency with which advice is sought. Each time advice was required on a construction site the researcher attempted to collect observations determining from whom the advice was asked and who asked the question. This was later revised into a one-on-one interview format. After substantial data for these variables were collected, characteristics of all participants were evaluated to form a system of classification for informal leadership. The characteristics that were examined include proximity, job title, experience, education, and age. It was expected that advice would be sought more often from those with various job titles who are older, have more experience, are close in proximity, and have higher education related to construction. This often appeared to be the case, except both higher titled formal leaders and informal leader had less formal education and more hands-on experience. Once the leadership structure of each jobsite had been evaluated, a comparison of the productivity of each of the companies associated with their respective jobsite was illustrated to determine whether informal or formal leadership structures were more effective in terms of the current status of product (determined by looking at the budget and schedule). Findings suggest informal leaders may be less efficient due to the lack of authority to make quick decisions. It was also determined that leaders are more effective when they are in a formal position of authority. The process developed assists in the discovery of where leadership truly lies on construction sites, allowing one to use this information to improve productivity and efficiency by maintaining relationships and promoting where necessary. / Master of Science

No description available.

Este trabalho pretende discutir alguns aspectos de um campo de estudo emergente dentro da educação estatística: a inferência informal, que vem se mostrando como alternativa para a disseminação dos conceitos fundamentais dessa matéria. De um outro lado encontram-se os métodos formais, muito difundidos e praticados nas salas. As ideias que são estabelecidas dentro desse campo visam atender às necessidades atuais que fomentam as pesquisas ligadas à educação estatística. De acordo com Zvi e Garfield (2004), os métodos tradicionais enfatizam técnicas algorítmicas e, como consequência, não promovem o entendimento nem as habilidades de relacionar os conceitos básicos, dessa maneira acabam formando alunos que, apesar calcular medidas e de aplicar os métodos estatísticos, não conseguem interpretar os resultados obtidos. Nesse sentido, uma das necessidades diante desse tipo de prática, encarada como um desafio pelo mesmo autor, é a mudança de foco para abordagens que auxiliem os alunos a compreenderem e relacionarem as ideias estatísticas básicas. Espera-se ainda que uma abordagens menos focadas em técnicas possibilitem o desenvolvimento de habilidades que tornam as pessoas capazes de interpretar os dados extraídos de situações reais e relacionar com informações adicionais para que estas sejam aptas à fazer afirmações e concluir sobre os dados estatísticas de forma coerente. / This paper discusses some aspects of an emerging field of study within the statistical education: the informal inference, which is proving to be an alternative to the dissemination of the fundamental concepts of this matter. Another side are formal, and widespread methods practiced in the rooms. The ideas that are established within this field aim to meet current needs that foster research related to statistics education. According cite BenGarfield04, traditional methods emphasize algorithmic techniques and, consequently, do not promote the understanding nor the skills to relate the basic concepts, thus eventually forming students that although calculate measurements and statistical methods applied, can not interpret the results. In this sense, one of the requirements in this kind of practice, seen as a challenge by the same author, is the shift of focus to approaches that help students understand and relate the basic statistical ideas. It is also hoped that a less focused on technical approaches enable the development of skills that make people able to interpret the data extracted from real situations and relate to information so that they are able to make statements and complete statistics on the data so consistent.

Translated title: Transnational Care Space Central Europe. Working and Living Conditions of Irregular Migrants in Domestic Care Provision

Translated title: Transnational Care Space Central Europe. Working and Living Conditions of Irregular Migrants in Domestic Care Provision

Zugl.: Siegen, Univ., Diss., 2008

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2008. Graduate Programme in Political Science. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 144-151). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR51562