DR Congo has experienced more than two decades of conflict and profound political upheaval, sparking humanitarian crises which have seen large-scale relief efforts to alleviate them. Aid workers and UN staff working there have been caught up in the violence, sometimes with deadly results and major disruption to aid operations. Nonetheless there has been a tendency to assume that most security incidents involving aid workers are a result either of pure criminality, or because the victims happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Is that really the case however, or are humanitarian workers perceived as political actors, and thus vulnerable to politically motivated violence? This dissertation conducts an empirical data study of attacks against humanitarian actors, UN workers and peacekeepers between 2006-2018, mapping them against political developments. Following previous work by Hoelscher, Mikllian & Nygard, this research tests what impact the nature of the conflict or the change of peacekeeping mandate has on both aid-worker and UN personnel security, as well as exploring the different risks faced by national and international staff working for international NGOs. It also, using an interpretivist lens first proposed by Labonte & Edgerton, explores the role of the Congolese state in aid-worker security, testing whether relations between the host government and aid providers can impact individual aid-worker security on the ground. The results indicate that both conflict intensity and elections cycles could impact on rates of attacks against aid-workers, as well as clearly demonstrating that national staff are far more exposed to risk of attack, and that fatalities of UN staff since the peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO) in DRC received its more aggressive mandate in 2013 have risen sharply. The research also raises questions about the potential threat posed by the Congolese state to aid-worker security, given the nature of statehood in DRC, its motives and perceptions of aid operations, and the state’s role as both the main belligerent and security provider in zones where humanitarian workers chiefly operate.

The purpose of this research study was to enhance understanding of successful conflict management by community college Presidents through highlighting and describing conflict experiences with the faculty union or the board of trustees in a community college context. The following questions guided the research: (a) How do community college Presidents describe the experience of conflict management in the community college context? (b) How does conflict management competence manifest itself in conflict situations? and (c) How do community college Presidents develop the competencies to manage conflict? The research design included an interpretive social science philosophical approach and phenomenological method. Seven community college Presidents representing a variety of geographical areas participated in two different semi–structured interviews. Three pervasive themes describing the experience of successful conflict management emerged from the data in response to research question one. These themes were (a) diversity, (b) inevitability, and (c) perplexing. In response to research question number two, three pervasive themes emerged from the data which were (a) avoid personalizing the conflict, (b) stay focused on college mission and students, and (c) inform and engage the board of trustees. Enhance content knowledge was the one pervasive theme that emerged for research question number three. Findings from this study highlight key themes to assist current and aspiring Presidents that seek to gain understanding of successful conflict management in the community college context. / Graduation date: 2012

<p>The focus of the study is the teacher in the under-resourced schools in the townships of the Western Cape. The purpose is to discover how teachers learn to cope under adverse working conditions.</p>

<p>The focus of the study is the teacher in the under-resourced schools in the townships of the Western Cape. The purpose is to discover how teachers learn to cope under adverse working conditions.</p>

A dissertação visa expor a tese de Ronald Dworkin que veio a ser conhecida como interpretativismo, segundo a qual o direito é uma prática interpretativa. O objetivo principal é entender a contribuição metodológica que essa tese representa para o entendimento teórico do direito e qual seu argumento contra teorias do direito meramente descritivas. Para localizar a contribuição de Dworkin, são apresentadas, em primeiro lugar, as inovações metodológicas que surgem na obra seminal de Herbert Hart, O Conceito de Direito. A ideia chave que passa a ser discutida a partir dessa obra é a de ponto de vista interno. É considerada uma tese segundo a qual o próprio Hart teria plantado as sementes do interpretativismo. A teoria de Dworkin é então apresentada como uma teoria que, inicialmente, preocupa-se em entender a controvérsia no direito. Para isso, ela se vale de do argumento dos desacordos teóricos e do argumento relacionado do ferrão semântico. Esses argumentos revelam uma característica política da prática jurídica que o positivismo analítico desconsiderou, ao tentar entender essa prática apenas por meio da abordagem da filosofia da linguagem. Ao interpretativismo é contraposto então o desafio proposto por uma teoria positivista contemporânea, a qual, ainda que não discorde do caráter normativo da prática, pretende defender o descritivismo na teoria. Por fim, como resposta a esse desafio, é apresentada a formulação mais recente do interpretativismo, a partir das obras de Dworkin Justiça de Toga e Justice for Hedgehogs. Nessas obras, estão formulados de maneira definitiva dois argumentos que são a chave para o entendimento da teoria interpretativa de Dworkin: o argumento sobre caráter controverso da prática jurídica e a indisponibilidade de explicações criteriais, e o argumento sobre a impossibilidade de realização de teorias arquimedianas (externas). A conclusão do trabalho é apresentada em forma de uma agenda de pesquisas para a teoria do direito e também para a sociologia jurídica, agenda esta que decorre da adoção da teoria interpretativista como a maneira mais adequada de enxergar a prática jurídica. / The dissertation aims to expose the Ronald Dworkins thesis that has come to be known as interpretivism, according to which the law is an \"interpretive practice\". The main objective is to understand the methodological contribution that this thesis represents to the theoretical understanding of the law, and the argument it offers against merely descriptive theories of law. To locate the contribution of Dworkin\'s theory, the dissertation presents, first, the methodological innovations that arise in the seminal work of Herbert Hart, The Concept of Law. The key idea that starts being discussed is that of the internal point of view. It is considered an argument that Hart himself would have \"planted the seeds\" of Dworkins interpretivism. Dworkin\'s theory is then presented as a theory that is initially concerned to understand the controversy in the practice of law. For that, it relies on the argument of theoretical disagreements and on the argument regarding the \"semantic sting\". These arguments reveal the political character of legal practice that was disregarded by analytical positivism due to its commitment to understand this practice only through the approach of the philosophy of language. Interpretivism is then contrasted to the challenge posed by a contemporary positivist theory, which agrees that the legal practice has normative character, but intends to defend descriptivism in theory. Finally, in response to this challenge, it is presented the latest formulation of interpretivism, bearing on recent Dworkin\'s books, Justice in Robes and Justice for Hedgehogs. In these works, two arguments that are key to the understanding of Dworkin\'s interpretive theory receive its final formulation: the argument about the controversial character of legal practice and the unavailability of criterial explanations, and the argument about the impossibility of \"Archimedean\" (external) theories. Following the adoption of interpretive theory as the most appropriate way of looking at legal practice, the study concludes in the form of a research agenda for the theory of law and to legal sociology.

Magister Educationis - MEd / The focus of the study is the teacher in the under-resourced schools in the townships of the Western Cape. The purpose is to discover how teachers learn to cope under adverse working conditions. In a systematic way, we try to uncover what workplace stress is, how it is defined and manifests itself. It also deals with the specific reasons why teachers in South Africa, and especially in poorer schools on the Cape Flats, suffer such heavy stress. A convenient way to examine issues of stress was to approach it from different angles or levels: the classroom level, the staff/relationship level, the organizational level and the Departmental (Governmental) level. At these levels the causes, manifestations and solutions to workplace stress were researched. A qualitative study was done to ascertain first hand from the experiences of affected teachers themselves, how they learnt to cope, how this learning came about and what the specific methods or strategies are which they employ to deal effectively with stress. The study concludes with a general summary of the most salient coping strategies that seem to work for most teachers. Recommendations to address stress at the four levels mentioned are finally made. / South Africa

In this study the emotional responses of mothers to their children with learning difficulties were identified and explored. A narrative research design was used to capture a chapter in the life stories of eleven mothers whose children were attending a school specialising in ‘remedial’ education, relating their experiences and emotional responses regarding their child’s learning difficulties. Data was collected by means of individual interviews, letters from the mothers, field notes in the form of journal entries written by the researcher, as well as individual feedback and collaboration sessions with the mothers. Data was analysed by means of several phases of theme analysis, after which, through a final analysis, 18 emotional response themes were identified. Three emotional response themes were identified as exception themes. The 18 emotional response themes, along with the three exception themes, were then clustered around joyful, sad, fearful and angry emotional response categories. After feedback and collaboration sessions, the themes were then further interpreted through a final level of analysis to weave a narrative of mothers’ emotional responses to their child with learning difficulties. This study found that mothers experience complex emotions in response to their child with learning difficulties. The strongest emotional response themes that emerged, which were reported by all the mothers were frustration, happiness and love. The more positive emotional responses were mentioned in relation to their child being accepted at the school specialising in ‘remedial’ education, as well as to an increased understanding of their child’s learning difficulties. Mothers mentioned that they experienced frustration and a lack of support as regards being helped to understand their child’s learning difficulties better. It was thus found that an understanding of their child’s learning difficulties appeared to be related to a decrease in negative emotional responses and an increase in more positive emotional responses. All the mothers in the study indicated an emotional response of love towards their child with learning difficulties. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe grade 6 learners’ experiences of experiential learning in the context of the TekkiKids Programme. The TekkiKids Programme followed a constructivist approach to learning and emphasis was placed on a learnercentred approach. Documents that were written by a consultant, who was involved with the TekkiKids Program, were selected as data sources. These documents included: A feedback report to the facilitators regarding the sessions; general field notes of the consultant pertaining to observations made during lessons; notes of individual unstructured interviews; a questionnaire that explored learners’ experiences of TekkiKids; and notes of a focus group discussion. A qualitative, documentary research design was implemented, and the documents were analysed according to guidelines pertaining to a process of inductive analysis. This study found that learners experienced experiential learning as a method of instruction to be but only partially supportive and encouraging. They furthermore experienced a need for more structure pertaining to problem-solving. Multicultural differences and group conflict had a negative influence on their learning experiences. Learners experienced cognitive load distribution as positive . English as the language of instruction was experienced as a barrier to learners from other language groups Copyright / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

At the beginning of the Continuation War in 1941, Finnish and German troops commenced a gradual escalation which resulted in swift successive victories against the Soviets. Yet, Finland´s Field Marshal Mannerheim unexpectedly turned his back on military rationality at Leningrad and Murmansk despite his knowledge of how vitally strategic the locations were to the Soviet war effort. Leningrad was encircled by German and Finnish forces and a successful siege was achievable, yet Mannerheim abruptly discontinued the offensive and chose to assume a stale war lasting until 1944. Likewise, Mannerheim withheld his troops from cutting off Murmansk Railway. These events beckon important inquiries regarding Mannerheim´s decision to de-escalate during successful offensives in a total war and presents a conundrum that few have to date examined holistically. As such, this thesis offers an alternative perspective to the current rational explanations of Finnish warfare in the Continuation War. This thesis discusses specific social processes of Finnish society that rationalist explanations overlook and applies the theory of constructivism to identify that normative factors can complement the prevailing rationalist explanations. This thesis further identifies how the social concepts of identity, shared culture and knowledge, and the norms of the Finnish people, and its leadership, contributed to Mannerheim’s decision to disregard military rationality and de-escalate. Lastly, this thesis determines that norms and ideas matter in war studies and future research should incorporate an interpretivist approach which contemplates social constructions and norms as alternative explanations in complex, multi-casual social phenomena like war.

The popularity of Taylor Swift has been growing rapidly on social media after the release of her ‘Midnights’ album on 21 October 2022. The lead single of the album, ‘Anti- Hero’ and the ‘Anti-Hero Challenge’ initiated by the singer inspired 17 thousand fans (Swifties) to share their own anti-heroic stories inspired by the song. The aim of the study is to examine the contribution of the Swifties online fan community to the ‘Anti-Hero Challenge’ on YouTube Shorts. The research interests revolve around Swifties’ prosumption practices in a dialogical relationship with the original music media material, the fan community, the platform, and the artist. The goal of the analysis is to demonstrate how Swifties use YouTube Shorts for both personal and communal expression by means of prosumption. Prosumption refers to the synchronous production and consumption of media content in the field of Media and Communication Studies (Zajc 2015:29). The thesis illustrates how online performances, interactions, and discussions nurtured by prosumption practices shape and maintain the Swifties fan community on YouTube Shorts. The study applies the Uses and Gratifications Theory and Netnography to scrutinize how Swifties reuse Taylor Swift’s song ‘Anti-Hero’ to make their own media products, and give each other feedback. The findings indicate that online fan prosumption and discussion practices not only foster entertaining, humorous, creative, and challenging self-expression but also provide pathways for communal exchange.  Swifties fan community members play a dual role in not only being active audiences and critics of ‘Anti-Hero’ but also of fellow fan prosumers. Swiftie prosumers and commenters of the ‘Anti-Hero Challenge’ videos also draw attention to controversial societal problems and call for change. The findings indicate the beginning of an era where the boundaries between music production and consumption dissolve. The thesis calls for further scientific inquiry into music fan communities’ prosumption practices online and offline.