Thesis (D. Phil.) (Social Work))--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 254-260). Mode of access: World Wide Web.

One challenge in the Western world is the risk of functional impairmentand chronic disease accompanying older age. In Norway it is expected thatmost chronically ill older persons will continue to live at home and receivehelp from home nursing care. The inner strength of the oldest old, as seenin relation to the help that is given, and whether the help has contributed tostrengthen the will to live has been explored only to a limited extent.Meaning in life and daily routines can be related to the will to live,understood as enjoying life and having the courage to live. The aim of thisstudy is to develop knowledge in regard to chronically ill oldest olderpersons and the possibilities and limitations in their will to live when theyreceive help from home nursing care.This study uses the quantitative method (n=120, Article 1 and Article 2) todescribe the characteristics of inner strength using the questionnairesResilience Scale, Sense of Coherence Scale, Purpose in Life Test, and Self-Transcendence Scale. Inner strength was seen in relation to mental andphysical health using the questionnaire SF-36. The qualitative method wasused to illuminate how the oldest older persons experienced living at homewith chronic illness (n=13, Article 3) and receiving help from home nursingcare (n=11, Article 4). The participants in this study were 80 years old orolder, living at home with chronic illnesses, and receiving help from homenursing care. All participants were determined to have the mental capacityto take part in this study.The analysis showed in Article 1 that the oldest old had an inner strengthexpressed as ”sense of coherence” and ”purpose in life.” Their innerstrength was accompanied by the ability for self-transcendence. Mentalhealth was predicted by self-transcendence (p < 0.001) for the total sampleand for women. Physical health was predicted by self-transcendence (p <0.01) for the total sample. Low resilience contributed to vulnerability for theparticipants. They were vulnerable in terms of limited perseverance, selfreliance,and existential aloneness (Article 2). On the contrary, theyexperienced equanimity and meaning. Meaning in daily life (Article 3)sometimes meant feelings of insufficiency and dependency. In contrast,they also experienced joy in life, gratitude for living at home, and aneagerness to participate in activities that made them feel alive. Theyexperienced both good and bad days, which depended on their illness butwas also based on how their needs for help and support were met. InviiArticle 4, receiving help indicated different experiences. Being ill anddependent on help led to days with illness, treatment, and receiving care. Italso indicated they were in need of professional help. Receiving help couldmean being at the mercy of helpers, which could imply unworthy help, asthey had no influence on the help they got from incompetent nurses whofocused only on tasks, with limited flexibility in their work, using theirhomes as a working place. This situation of receiving help from busynurses caused the old person to feel inferior as a human being. Other timesit meant receiving help from nurses who took care with respect to the oldperson and confirmed him or her as a human being. The older personswanted to be seen, met, and supported to strengthen their courage to meetthe challenges of being old and ill.According to the ethics of caring, human beings are vulnerable andmutually dependent on each other. This influences the possibilities andlimitations of ”the other” in experiencing a will to live. ”Receiving theother” can contribute to the will to live, influenced by the help received inan asymmetric dependency in which the nurses are caught in the tensionbetween suffering and the will to live for the oldest older person in need ofhelp. In this tension, the will to live is dependent on help that is given in arelationship characterized by caring and responsibility for the other.

The inner city has been the site of many efforts to respond to economic decline and social stresses. Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) represent a new form of governance that plays an important role in the revitalization of inner-city districts. This work considers how the Strathcona Business Improvement Association (BIA), a BID located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada can contribute to the sustainable social and economic development in the Downtown Eastside district. The Strathcona BIA is distinguished from most other North American BIDs as its territory includes a large number of industrial properties. Low-income residents and industry in Strathcona currently face the prospect of being displaced by the construction of market housing. A review of literature that considers the processes affecting the inner city is combined with a review of best practices of BIDs to inform recommendations for the Strathcona BIA. A vision for Strathcona that meets the Vancouver Agreement's key objective of 'revitalization without displacement' involves three main components: 1) a public realm that is truly open to everybody; 2) a hub for cultural performance and production where artists can make, display, and sell their work; and 3) a green, specialized industrial cluster that employs local residents and innovates in a competitive marketplace. There are a multitude of activities that the Strathcona BIA may undertake to assist in the sustainable revitalization of the neighbourhood. A good starting point for the BIA involves a partnership with the stakeholders in the community to participate a municipal urban planning process to institutionalize a vision of the community in an Official Development Plan (ODP). The ODP can then serve as an important tool that guides interventions and activities pursued by the multitude of stakeholders in the community, including the BIA.

Šio darbo tikslas ištirti 14 – 17 metų paauglių baimes provokuojančius veiksnius, mokyklos baimės apraiškas, įveikos būdus, baimės įtvirtinimo formas ir vidinę darną. Šiam tikslui įgyvendinti buvo iškelti uždavinai: 1. Palyginti 14 -17 metų paauglių mokyklos baimes provokuojančius veiksnius, mokyklos baimės apraiškas, įveikos būdus ir baimės įvertinimo formos pagal amžių. 2. Palyginti 14 - 17 metų paauglių mokyklos baimes provokuojančius veiksnius, mokyklos baimės apraiškas, įveikos būdus ir baimės įvertinimo formos pagal lytį. 3. Išanalizuoti 14 - 17 metų paauglių vidinės darnos ypatumus. 4. Nustatyti 14 - 17 metų paauglių mokyklos baimes provokuojančių veiksnių, mokyklos baimės apraiškų, įveikos būdų, baimės įvertinimo formų ir vidinės darnos sąsajas. Šiame magistriniame darbe buvo siekiama patikrinti hipotezes 1. 14 metų paaugliai, būdami ankstyvosios paauglystės pirmojoje pusėje, labiau patiria mokyklos baimes provokuojančius veiksnius, labiau jaučia mokyklos baimės apraiškas nei 17 metų paaugliai. 2. 14 - 17 metų merginos labiau patiria mokyklos baimes provokuojančius veiksnius, labiau jaučia mokyklos baimės apraiškas nei 14 - 17 metų vaikinai. 3. 14 - 17 metų paauglių mokyklos baimės įveikos būdai susiję su vidine darna. Darbe buvo taikomos dvi metodikos: Mokyklos baimei tirti buvo naudojama D. H. Rost ir F.J Schermer klausimyno 14 – 17 metų vaikų, emocinėms problemoms tirti ilgoji versija. Vidinei darnai tirti buvo naudojamas Antanovsky , gyvenimo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Thesis object: the interface between fear of school and inner harmony of adolescents, aged from 14 to 17. Aim of the thesis: to explore provocative factors of fear of school, appearance of the fear, ways to overcome the fear, fixation on the fear and inner harmony of adolescents, aged from 14 to 17. Goals of the thesis: 1. To compare the provocative factors of fear of school of adolescents aged from 14 to 17, according to their age. 2. To compare the provocative factors of fear of school of adolescents aged from 14 to 17, according to their sex. 3. To analyse the peculiarities of inner harmony of adolescents aged from 14 to 17. 4. To find out the interface between provocative factors of fear of school, ways to overcome the fear, ways to estimate the fear and inner harmony. Hypotheses of the thesis: the following hypotheses were checked in the thesis: 1. 14 years old adolescents more often suffer the provocative factors and appearance of fear of school than 17 year old adolescents. 2. Girls aged from 14 to 17 more often suffer the provocative factors and appearance of fear of school than boys of the same age. 3. There is the interface between the ways of overcoming the fear of school and inner harmony of adolescents, aged from 14 to 17. Thesis methods: there were used two methods in the thesis: the questionnaire of D.H.Rost and F.J.Shermer , the longest version was used to examine the fear of school; the shortest version of Antonovsky questionnaire of life orientation was... [to full text]

This dissertation describes a research study that investigated cooperative inquiry as a strategy for professional learning of inner-city school principals in a large urban centre in Western Canada. The study attempted to identify the central issues of concern and means of redress for school leaders in high-poverty communities, many of which focused on educational leadership, school management, the context of their schools within impoverished communities, and the challenges of personal well-being. The findings suggest that cooperative inquiry was an effective strategy in that the approach was participatory, democratic, empowering, life-enhancing, and fostered community-building among participants. The findings also suggest that the approach was effective in that it was grounded in the action research cycle of planning, action, observation, and reflection. The study further examined the use of dialogue as a means of constructing knowledge regarding these issues, and identified the ways in which such knowledge impacts upon the professional practice of these principals. Findings suggest that participants gained knowledge from each other, offered knowledge from others, constructed knowledge together as a group, and developed deeper understandings of their own perspectives. Findings also suggest that meaning is lost when dialogic interactions are transcribed into print. Thus, dialogue is a form of communication in and of itself, one that cannot simply be transformed into the written word without losing part of that dialogic essence. Further, this study posits that dialogue has unique power to be both a process for meaning making, as well as an ontological means of clarifying one’s own sense of reality.

This thesis describes the evolution of an environmental learning program for Indigenous, urban youth called Bridging the Gap. A critical pedagogy of place provides a theoretical framework to engage in a practitioner-reflection, exploring the decisions made while revising the original program to make it both culturally and ecologically relevant. Using an action research methodology, the practitioner-researcher resolves to continue to seek resolution to relevant aspects of marginalization in attempt to facilitate reinhabitation for Bridging the Gap learners while emphasizing the program’s place-specific social, economic, and ecological situatedness.

The research project focused on studying the effectiveness of placemaking initiatives to promote social, physical and economic improvements. The case of study is the Central Park neighbourhood in Winnipeg, Manitoba, named after its major public space. The research indicated placemaking initiatives were capable of contributing to increasing safety, promoting community development and enhancing opportunities for social interaction. However, the capacity of placemaking to achieve positive improvements is directly determined by the involved stakeholders. The Central Park initiatives were successful due to the emphasis on engaging the residents and neighbourhood organizations. The residents were given the opportunity to meaningfully share their experience and aspirations with external stakeholders. The collaborative approach to placemaking contributed to the development of a sense of ownership. The residents saw their input reflected in the amenities and programming offered in Central Park. The planning profession can benefit from using placemaking practices to engage in comprehensive planning.

2011 IEEE International Conference on Fuzzy Systems (FUZZ-IEEE 2011), June 27-30, 2011, Grand Hyatt Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan

The focal point in this study is the pastoral counselling and care of the heavy-hearted or depressed teenager who struggles with fear. The basic-theoretical perspective (chapter 2) emphasises the importance of counselling of the teenager from a Biblical viewpoint to be a testimony of the greatness of God. The fear that the teenager suffers from, is also described as the enemy who poses a threat to the inner being of the person. Therefore this type of threat can often lead to the total destruction of the inner being of a teenager. An intimate relationship with God enables a person to seek refuge in God from any problem he or she might experience. This relationship with God will guarantee the person of His full protection. It is of the utmost importance for an adolescent to seek wisdom and follow their parental guidelines. It is also important for young people to make the correct choices to enjoy the protection and guidance of God. They must also continually ponder over and treasure the guidance of their parents. The meta-theoretical perspective (chapters 3 and 4) focusses on the contribution and applicability of neighbouring sciences such as psychology, sociology and criminology. It was proven among other aspects that emotional hurt in different areas, was the reason for serious damage to the inner being of teenagers. In many cases the result was amongst others an identity crisis as well as a low self-esteem. At the end of this section temporary guidelines are suggested to aid the counselling of the depressed teenager who suffers from excessive fear. The section on empirical research (chapter 4) as a sub-section of the meta-theoretical research, introduced four case-studies regarding teenagers who had traumatic experiences and as a result suffered from multiple negative emotions. In all four cases it became evident that these emotions were eventually the result of a life without any joy or meaning. A very important factor regarding their negative self-image or self-perception seemed to be the absence of role-models. The further result repeatedly seemed to be a distorted relationship with God and fellow-men. In the section on practical-theoretical perspectives (chapter 5) an attempt is made to formulate an adapted practice theory through a hermeneutical interaction between basis-theoretical guidelines and meta-theoretical perspectives that can be applied to the guidance of the emotionally wounded teenager who is wrestling with fear. Included hereby is then a proposed model with some practical guidelines. / Thesis (MA (Pastoral Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The focal point in this study is the pastoral counselling and care of the heavy-hearted or depressed teenager who struggles with fear. The basic-theoretical perspective (chapter 2) emphasises the importance of counselling of the teenager from a Biblical viewpoint to be a testimony of the greatness of God. The fear that the teenager suffers from, is also described as the enemy who poses a threat to the inner being of the person. Therefore this type of threat can often lead to the total destruction of the inner being of a teenager. An intimate relationship with God enables a person to seek refuge in God from any problem he or she might experience. This relationship with God will guarantee the person of His full protection. It is of the utmost importance for an adolescent to seek wisdom and follow their parental guidelines. It is also important for young people to make the correct choices to enjoy the protection and guidance of God. They must also continually ponder over and treasure the guidance of their parents. The meta-theoretical perspective (chapters 3 and 4) focusses on the contribution and applicability of neighbouring sciences such as psychology, sociology and criminology. It was proven among other aspects that emotional hurt in different areas, was the reason for serious damage to the inner being of teenagers. In many cases the result was amongst others an identity crisis as well as a low self-esteem. At the end of this section temporary guidelines are suggested to aid the counselling of the depressed teenager who suffers from excessive fear. The section on empirical research (chapter 4) as a sub-section of the meta-theoretical research, introduced four case-studies regarding teenagers who had traumatic experiences and as a result suffered from multiple negative emotions. In all four cases it became evident that these emotions were eventually the result of a life without any joy or meaning. A very important factor regarding their negative self-image or self-perception seemed to be the absence of role-models. The further result repeatedly seemed to be a distorted relationship with God and fellow-men. In the section on practical-theoretical perspectives (chapter 5) an attempt is made to formulate an adapted practice theory through a hermeneutical interaction between basis-theoretical guidelines and meta-theoretical perspectives that can be applied to the guidance of the emotionally wounded teenager who is wrestling with fear. Included hereby is then a proposed model with some practical guidelines. / Thesis (MA (Pastoral Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.