Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

<p>The number of female officers employed in the Armed Forces is low. Of the total proportion officers, female stand for 4.8 %. The Armed Forces are currently working actively to level out the distribution. This paper is intended to create a better understanding of the slow increase in female officers in the Swedish Armed Forces. The study is qualitative and the results from the data collection have been based partly on a text analysis, partly on a theme-based group interview in which three themes have been discussed. The results are then analyzed through theories with the related areas: Organizations, genderand leadership. The study shows that there are no formal regulations that prevent women in the Armed Forces. However, it is possible to identify a number of factors that may affect efforts to achieve genderbalance in the organization negatively. The experience of gender equality is not permeated throughout the organization suggests a lack of commitment of managers at different levels. Furthermore is the conscription system, which only affected men, a major contributing factor, where a broad basis for recruitment of female officers has been lost. Finally may be mentioned that the fact that the Armed Forces currently is engaged in a variety of organizational changes can lead to a marginalization of the gender mainstreaming in favour of the other changes.</p>

<p>The impact of trade policies on the pursuit of gender equality is often ignored. Recognising the link between trade and gender, this dissertation aims to enhance the capacity of policy-makers to mainstream gender in trade policy and to help identify ways for using trade to respond to women&rsquo / s needs in South Africa. In order to meet this objective, it analyses the impacts that trade liberalisation has had on the economy and on gender in general and in South Africa in particular. In addition, it evaluates the impacts on men and women in order to see if trade has contributed to reducing, accentuating or perpetuating gender inequality in South Africa. Findings have confirmed that Trade liberalisation has had both positive and negative impacts on women and men. But, they have also demonstrated that trade liberalisation has affected women and men differently having negative influences on the pursuit of gender equality. The research has, however, concluded that the impact of trade liberalisation on the pursuit of gender equality is influenced by other key factors. As strategy to mainstream gender in trade policies, the research suggests that policy-makers should analyse the implications for women and men of any trade policy before adopting such policy. This analysis would help him/her to see the possible imbalances of the new policy and implement policies and programmes to eradicate them. Also, it will help him/her to identify possible ways for using trade to empower women. The research is based on the idea that the elimination of the existing inequalities will put women at the same stage with men and will, therefore, contribute to women&rsquo / s empowerment in South Africa.</p>

The number of female officers employed in the Armed Forces is low. Of the total proportion officers, female stand for 4.8 %. The Armed Forces are currently working actively to level out the distribution. This paper is intended to create a better understanding of the slow increase in female officers in the Swedish Armed Forces. The study is qualitative and the results from the data collection have been based partly on a text analysis, partly on a theme-based group interview in which three themes have been discussed. The results are then analyzed through theories with the related areas: Organizations, genderand leadership. The study shows that there are no formal regulations that prevent women in the Armed Forces. However, it is possible to identify a number of factors that may affect efforts to achieve genderbalance in the organization negatively. The experience of gender equality is not permeated throughout the organization suggests a lack of commitment of managers at different levels. Furthermore is the conscription system, which only affected men, a major contributing factor, where a broad basis for recruitment of female officers has been lost. Finally may be mentioned that the fact that the Armed Forces currently is engaged in a variety of organizational changes can lead to a marginalization of the gender mainstreaming in favour of the other changes.

The purpose of this research study was to examine the impact of the consulting teacher model on referral and verification rates to special education. A population of schools which implemented the model (N = 17) was compared with a randomly selected comparison group of schools which did not (N = 30). All schools were from the Portland, Oregon, Public School District. The research was designed to cover a three school year period of time (1987 to 1990). Three different types of data were collected: the number of children who were discussed at regular education pre-referral meetings, the number of children who were referred for special education assessment and the number of children who verified as eligible for special education services. Three primary research questions addressed (a) the impact of the consulting teacher model on the number of children in the process, (b) the longitudinal impact of the model on referral rate accuracy and (c) referral rate accuracy differences between the consulting teacher and comparison group schools. Results from the first question indicated a difference in the numbers of children discussed at the initial regular education pre-referral step; 17 more children were discussed in the consulting teacher schools. Differences were also found between the 1987-88 school year and every other year; seven more children were in the process in the first year of the study than in the later years. Results from the second question found that length of time on the model does have a significant effect on referral rate accuracy in the consulting teacher schools. Two differences were found in this question: an increase in referral rate accuracy between years three and four and a decrease in referral rate accuracy between years four and five. Results from the third question indicated no differences between the type of school and school year. Referral rate accuracy remained the same in both the consulting teacher and comparison group schools throughout all three years of this study. / Graduation date: 1992

Uppsatsen syftar till att få en bild av hur jämställdhetsarbete implementeras i en offentlig förvaltning, från politiskt beslut i nämnd och ut i verksamheten. Undersökningen är utförd i en medelstor kommun och den valda förvaltningen är Barn- och Ungdomsförvaltningen. Denna förvaltning valdes för att vi anser att det är med barnens hjälp vi kan ändra rådande normer kring jämställdhet. Genom att utföra kvalitativa intervjuer i ett led från nämnd ner till verksamheten på förskolan, har vi fått en bild av vilka aktörer och vilket synsätt som krävs för att jämställdhet ska vara en prioriterad fråga hela vägen från nämnd till verksamheten i förskolan. Våra frågeställningar har varit: Arbetar organisationen aktivt med jämställdhet och i så fall hur? Vilka styrdokument och policys reglerar jämställdhetsarbetet? Vem har vilket ansvar i organisationens jämställdhetsarbete? Vilka resurser finns att tillgå och hur används dem? och sist men inte minst Är jämställdhet en prioriterad fråga? Resultatet visar att kommunen har svårt att implementera ett aktivt jämställdhetsarbete då det finns en avsaknad av en bred dialog, kunskap och att jämställdhetsbegreppet blandas ihop med jämlikhet. Viljan att implementera alla barns lika möjligheter är stark men kunskap om jämställdhetsområdet och tid att använda sig av befintliga resurser saknas. / This paper aims to gain a picture of how gender equality is implemented in a public administration, from political decision of the board to the practical work in preschool. The survey is conducted in a medium-sized municipality and the selected management is Children- and Youth Administration. This administration was chosen because we believe that it is with help of our children we can change the prevailing norms of equality. By conducting qualitative interviews with people of different hierarchical levels in the organisation, we gained a picture of which operators and which approach is required for gender equality to be a priority all over the organisation. Our questions have been: Does the organization actively work with gender equality and, if so, how? What are the governing documents and policies regulating gender equality? Who has the responsibility in the organization's work with gender equality? What resources are available and how do they use them? and last but not least Is gender equality a priority? The result shows that the municipality have difficulties to implement an active gender equality work. There is an absence of a important dialogue and the gender equality concept is confused with idea of equality. The desire to implement all childrens equal opportunities is strong but knowledge about gender equality and the time to use existing resources are lacking.

Environmental degradation and climate change are complex cross-cutting issues. They both call for a high level of policy coordination by all actors. This thesis examines the experienceof two Swedish popular movements integrating sustainable development as a cross cutting theme in their development cooperation: an approach known as mainstreaming. I seek to show how sustainability is understood and further how it is realized in the application of the work plans. The two case studies are the International Department of the Church of Sweden and Olof Palme International Centre. I have accounted for practical experiences via using informants as the main data source. Mainstreaming theory has been applied as tools foranalysation. Sustainability has been used in relation to sustainability of results andenvironmental aspects of the work plan. There is an increased demand to report on results and the longevity of the results in addition to address environment in all works undertaken in development cooperation organisations. The significance in studying the current interpretations and above all the challenges in application is to enable consideration in futur eamendments to strategies, policies and efforts made to mainstream sustainability. The findings conclude that there are similarities between the two cases in the identification of sustainability as pertaining to results and in the need for sustainability to focus on relationships to partners. Mainstreaming of environmental concerns is stated as a good and wanted aim. However, the actual negative environmental impact caused by the work plan is seen as low and sometimesenvironmental mainstreaming is even understood as a risk to partnerships. Environmental impact is only identified and addressed when seen as relevant and not as a concept to mainstream, this based on the relative low impact. This is in accordance with Sida guidelines but not with the stated policy wants.

After the first democratic elections in 1994 the South African government was faced with the enormous challenge of blending a sophisticated First World education system for the minority with an underdeveloped Third World education system for the majority. The government committed itself to the principles of an inclusive education approach in order to provide equal quality education for all learners. The focus of the inclusive education will be to provide education for all learners (not only for the disabled) who for one or more reasons were discriminated against under the previous education policy. The aim of this study was to investigate the educators’ perceptions and experiences of inclusive education in schools where it is being implemented in Pietermaritzburg. The study also looked at the nature of concerns and attitudes held by these educators. Both a literature and empirical study were executed. The quantitative and qualitative approaches were used and data were collected by semi-structures questionnaires administered to thirty educators from schools where inclusive education is being implemented. Quantitative data was analysed using the descriptive statistics. A thematic analysis technique was used to analyse qualitative data. The results were presented against the central themes that emerged and include: inclusive education is challenging by its very nature; negative attitude towards inclusive education and learners with barriers to learning; negative perception towards adapting the curriculum to learners with barriers to learning; availability / lack of resources and support needed in inclusive classrooms; areas of needs in working with learners with barriers to learning; and many learners’ needs are not being met, while educators’ workload and stress have increased. A general sense of negativity was found with regard to the educators’ perceptions and attitudes towards inclusive education. They indicated that they were not well prepared for inclusive education. Recommendations were made to facilitate improving the preparedness or readiness of the educators, for inclusive education in inclusive schools in the Pietermaritzburg area. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

The overall aim of this study is to contribute to knowledge about the implementation of equality policies in public sector organisations. This is achieved through the development of a theoretical framework of feminist implementation studies. It involves the study of influential factors that impact upon the implementation process, with the aim of contributing to an understanding of the outcome of implementation processes within the equality policy field. The methodology used is based on qualitative case study research combined with a meta-analysis that allows for comparisons across cases. Four initiatives in the implementation of gender mainstreaming strategy were studied in different contexts, namely, two local municipalities and one government agency in Sweden. The main questions asked are: How was gender mainstreaming implemented? What were the main factors influencing the implementation process and why? What was the impact of change actors working to implement gender mainstreaming? The case studies were conducted using an interactive research approach where the different dilemmas encountered by the gender mainstreaming practitioners are used as a starting point for developing a joint learning process. The thesis comprises an introduction and five published papers. The main findings of the study include how the implementation process developed over time and the impact of the micropractices of the “gender mainstreamers” involved. The study provides insights into the factors influencing the implementation process, and how these factors change over time. Different types and levels of conflict, together and interlinked with different ambiguities, affect the practical work where dilemmas inherent in the concepts of “gender”, “equality” and “change” become central. Overall, the study shows how the specific preconditions for implementation of gender mainstreaming make the local arenas of implementation crucial for understanding the outcomes. / Syftet med avhandlingen är att bidra till kunskapen om implementeringen av jämlikhetsstrategier i offentliga organisationer. Detta görs genom utvecklingen av ett teoretiskt ramverk för implementeringsstudier med ett feministiskt perspektiv. För att bidra till en ökad förståelse av de resultat som nås inom jämlikhetspolitiken studeras faktorer som påverkar implementeringsprocessen. Studien är baserad på kvalitativa fallstudier och en meta-analys som möjliggör jämförelser mellan fallstudierna. Fyra olika fall av implementering av jämställdhetsintegreringsstrategin har studerats utifrån olika kontexter; i två svenska kommuner och en statlig myndighet. Avhandlingens huvudsakliga frågeställningar är: Hur implementerades jämställdhetsintegreringsstrategin? Vilka var de huvudsakliga faktorer som påverkade implementeringsprocessen och varför? Hur påverkades processen av de förändringsaktörer som arbetade med att implementera strategin? Fallstudierna har genomförts med en interaktiv forskningsansats i vilken olika dilemman i det praktiska arbetet har använts som utgångspunkt för en gemensam lärandeprocess med de som arbetat med implementeringen av strategin. Avhandlingen är en sammanläggningsavhandling och består av en introduktion och fem publicerade paper. Avhandlingens huvudsakliga resultat inkluderar hur implementeringsprocessen utvecklades över tid och den påverkan som "jämställdhetsintegrerarnas" mikropraktik haft på implementeringen. Avhandlingen visar vilka faktorer som påverkar  implementeringsprocessen samt att dessa varierar över tid. Olika slags konflikter påverkar tillsammans och sammanvävt med jämställdhetsstrategiers mångtydighet det praktiska arbetet i vilket dilemman rörande betydelsen av "kön", "jämlikhet/jämställdhet" och "förändring" blir centrala. Sammantaget visar avhandlingen hur de specifika förutsättningarna för implementering av  jämställdhetsintegreringsstrategin gör det lokala implementeringsarbetet avgörande för att förstå resultaten. / <p>The articles in this Ph.D. thesis are published in full text with kind permisson from Studentlitteratur (article I, II and V), TGV (article II) and VINNOVA (article IV).</p>

<p>The impact of trade policies on the pursuit of gender equality is often ignored. Recognising the link between trade and gender, this dissertation aims to enhance the capacity of policy-makers to mainstream gender in trade policy and to help identify ways for using trade to respond to women&rsquo / s needs in South Africa. In order to meet this objective, it analyses the impacts that trade liberalisation has had on the economy and on gender in general and in South Africa in particular. In addition, it evaluates the impacts on men and women in order to see if trade has contributed to reducing, accentuating or perpetuating gender inequality in South Africa. Findings have confirmed that Trade liberalisation has had both positive and negative impacts on women and men. But, they have also demonstrated that trade liberalisation has affected women and men differently having negative influences on the pursuit of gender equality. The research has, however, concluded that the impact of trade liberalisation on the pursuit of gender equality is influenced by other key factors. As strategy to mainstream gender in trade policies, the research suggests that policy-makers should analyse the implications for women and men of any trade policy before adopting such policy. This analysis would help him/her to see the possible imbalances of the new policy and implement policies and programmes to eradicate them. Also, it will help him/her to identify possible ways for using trade to empower women. The research is based on the idea that the elimination of the existing inequalities will put women at the same stage with men and will, therefore, contribute to women&rsquo / s empowerment in South Africa.</p>