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This doctoral thesis focuses on the evaluation of the World Bank (WB) performance in delivering development aid to the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). For this purpose, an extensive research was performed to analyze a set of 790 Implementation Completion and Results reports for key economic and financial indicators. Results of this research provide various insights for the appraisal and the results stage of project delivery of the LDCs in different continents. In the final part of the economic and financial analysis the minimum Social Return on Investment (SROI) of the LDCs including all project costs was calculated. This SROI ratio outcome of 1 and 1.06 in the weighted and 1.3 and 1.72 in the unweighted case indicate that projects delivered by the WB have a positive effect on the poor countries. In the second part of this research project the data set of the ICR reports was qualitatively researched for negative ratings according to 3 core assessment categories for the overall project performance: Sustainability, bank performance and borrower performance. As a result the most critical categories respectively risks were outlined. In conclusion, the research analyses and findings support the general demand to provide even more development assistance to poor countries.:Table of Tables and Figures List of Equations List of Abbreviations 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction to the Topic 1.2 Assessing Poverty Problems and Achieving Economic Growth 1.3 Millennium Development Goals 1.4 Development Aid 2 Research Approach 2.1 Objective 2.2 Structure 2.3 Least Developed Countries 2.4 World Bank 2.5 Data Access and Relevance 2.5.1 Data Basis 2.5.2 Implementation Completion and Results Reports 2.5.3 Project Types 2.6 Term “Performance” 2.7 Study and Research Questions 2.8 Challenges of this Doctoral Thesis 2.9 Contribution of this Thesis 3 Economic and Financial Analysis 3.1 SROI Concept 3.1.1 SROI Definition 3.1.2 SROI Process and Impact Map 3.1.3 Cost-Benefit-Analysis 3.1.4 SROI Calculation 3.2 SROI of World Bank Projects 3.2.1 Purpose of the Cost-Benefit-Analysis 3.2.2 Indicators of the SROI Calculation 3.2.2.1 Net Present Value 3.2.2.2 Capital and Recurring Costs 3.2.2.3 Project Dates and Duration 3.2.2.4 NPV-horizon 3.2.2.5 Discount Rate 3.2.3 Types of NPV-Cost-Ratios 3.2.3.1 Pro-Rata-Capital-Costs Ratio 3.2.3.2 Total-Capital-Costs Ratio 3.2.3.3 Pro-Rata-Capital plus Recurring-Costs Ratio 3.2.3.4 Total-Capital plus Recurring-Costs Ratio 3.2.4 Calculation of the proper SROI Ratio 3.2.5 Portfolio Analysis 3.2.6 Sensitivity Analysis 3.3 Additional Economic and Financial Indicators 3.3.1 Economic Rate of Return 3.3.2 Benefit-Cost-Ratio 3.3.3 Net Benefit 3.3.4 Financial Net Present Value 3.3.5 Financial Rate of Return 4 Results of the Economic and Financial Analysis 4.1 Analysis Approach and Setup 4.2 NPV Outcomes at the Appraisal Stage 4.2.1 Appraisal NPVs of the LDCs 4.2.2 Appraisal NPV Continent Comparison 4.3 NPV Outcomes of the Result Stage 4.3.1 Result NPVs of the LDCs 4.3.2 Result NPV Continent Comparison 4.4 Appraisal vs. Result NPVs 4.4.1 Results of the LDCs 4.4.2 Continent Comparison 4.5 Economic Rate of Return Result Values 4.5.1 Results of the LDCs 4.5.2 Continent Comparison 4.6 Additional Economic and Financial Indicator Result Values 4.6.1 Benefit-Cost-Ratio and Net Benefit 4.6.2 Financial Net Present Value and Financial Rate of Return 4.7 Overall Project Performance 4.7.1 Definition 4.7.2 Overall Project Performance Ratings 4.7.3 Outcome Calculation for Non-Financial Indicator Projects 4.7.4 Verification of Outcomes and Conclusion 4.8 NPV-Cost-Ratios and SROI Calculation 4.8.1 NPV-Cost-Ratios of the ICR Reports 4.8.1.1 Overall Results 4.8.1.2 Continent Comparison 4.8.2 Standardized NPV-Cost-Ratios 4.8.2.1 Overall Results 4.8.2.2 Continent Comparison 4.8.3 Calculating the Minimum SROI Ratio 4.8.3.1 Overall Results of the Capital SROI Ratio 4.8.3.2 Continental Comparison of the Capital SROI Ratio 4.8.3.3 Overall Results of the Minimum SROI Ratio 4.8.3.4 Continental Comparison of the Minimum SROI Ratio 4.8.4 Making Meaning of the Results 4.9 Summary and Conclusion 5 Qualitative Data Analysis 5.1 Content Analysis 5.2 Sustainability 5.2.1 Sustainability Rating Definition 5.2.2 Sustainability Rating Categories 5.3 Bank Performance 5.3.1 Bank Performance Definition 5.3.2 Bank Performance Categories 5.4 Borrower Performance 5.4.1 Borrower Performance Definition 5.4.2 Borrower Performance Categories 6 Results of the Qualitative Data Analysis 6.1 Sustainability 6.1.1 Quantitative Assessment of Sustainability Ratings 6.1.2 Outcome of the Content Analysis 6.1.2.1 Types of Reasons 6.1.2.2 Overall Results 6.1.2.3 Results in Haiti 6.1.2.4 Continent Comparison 6.1.3 Excursus: Positive NPV Projects 6.1.4 Summary and Conclusion 6.2 Bank Performance 6.2.1 Quantitative Assessment of Bank Performance Ratings 6.2.2 Outcome of the Content Analysis 6.2.2.1 Types of Reasons 6.2.2.2 Overall Results 6.2.2.3 Results in Haiti 6.2.2.4 Continent Comparison 6.2.3 Summary and Conclusion 6.3 Borrower Performance 6.3.1 Quantitative Assessment of Borrower Performance Ratings 6.3.2 Outcome of the Content Analysis 6.3.2.1 Types of Reasons 6.3.2.2 Overall Results 6.3.2.3 Results in Haiti 6.3.2.4 Continent Comparison 6.3.3 Summary and Conclusion 7 Overall Summary and Conclusion 8 Critical Acclaim and Recommendations 9 Outlook and Future Research List of Appendices Appendix References

With the advent of the new National Health Act, health care in South Africa is at a critical point as this will be the first time in history that a National Health Insurance is being implemented in this country. Globally National Health Insurance has been around for more than a hundred years, however some countries with long established national health schemes are currently grappling with funding issues surrounding their health systems. South Africa should take note of these issues as it embarks on this journey. The objective of this study was to perform a literature review on how South Africa’s National Health Insurance can be funded taking cognisance of the history of the country and experiences of other countries. It is imperative for each country to achieve optimal health care funding to ensure the success and long-term sustainability of National Health Insurance. The analysis of the problems experienced by other countries revealed that balancing the three main funding options namely, allocated from the national revenue fund, user charges and or donations or grants from international organisations, is critical as the funds needed in a system to achieve coverage at an affordable cost is dependent on the current state of health care in a country. Considering South Africa’s history and current inequality in society and health care it is clear that the majority of funding for the National Health Insurance should be supplied by the national revenue fund. The required funds can either be raised by increasing existing taxes or introducing a new tax specifically aimed at financing the National Health Insurance. The use of user charges is important however, although not purely for a revenue collection point, but from a cost control point of view as well. Some studies have revealed that the lack of user charges results in a misuse of the system. / Financial Accounting / M. Phil. (Accounting Science)

This research focuses on assessing the extent to which the Principles of Aid Effectiveness were followed and translated into action by taking the General Education Quality Improvement Programme (GEQIP) in Ethiopia as an example. Outcomes of the secondary reviews conducted on the selected government institutions and development partners documents demonstrate that these Principles are taken as overarching strategies to guide the undertakings on GEQIP. The study attests that a number of factors influence the realization of aid effectiveness in Ethiopia. These include, at the recipient level, existence of strong national development plans while demanding improvement on absorptive capacity. At the level of development partners, compliance with pledges made on the provision of resources and better coordination is needed. A common country framework to guide the aid effectiveness process including mutual accountably is important. The study most importantly identifies that beyond sector specific reviews, emphasis should also be given to assess the contribution of the Principles of Aid Effectiveness for efficient delivery of support to the GEQIP. / Development Studies / M.A. (Development Studies)

Obesity and obesity-related diseases – such as type 2 diabetes – have become the most crucial indicators of population health in the 21st century. Formerly understood as ‘diseases of affluence’, obesity is now prevalent in the Global South posing serious risk to socioeconomic development. This is particularly true for rapidly developing countries where nutrition transitions are most apparent. There are many factors which impact on risk of obesity (e.g. gender, culture, environment, socioeconomic status, biological determinants). The problem is further aggravated within small island developing states where food security is exacerbated by factors associated with globalization and development. The thesis examines the surge of obesity and type 2 diabetes within Caribbean populations, using Barbados as a case study. A holistic approach was applied using an ecological health model. Moving away from the lifestyle model, the theoretical framework underpinning included sub-theories (e.g. social constructivism, feminism, post-colonial theory, concepts of memory and trauma).

L’Éducation Pour Tous mobilise la communauté internationale et les gouvernements depuis 1990. Cet engagement global renouvelé en 2000 sous l’auspice de l’UNESCO puis des Nations-Unies, porte notamment sur un objectif de base : l’universalisation de la scolarisation primaire complète pour tous les enfants d’âge scolaire à l’horizon de 2015. Plusieurs études sur la réalisation de cet objectif montrent que les pays en développement sont les plus à risque et que les progrès accomplis dans la plupart de ces pays, pourraient être plus importants si la pratique du redoublement faisait davantage l’objet de régulation et de contrôle. Cela contribuerait à améliorer la réussite scolaire et accroître la rétention des élèves au sein des systèmes éducatifs. La pratique du redoublement est en effet une tradition dans plusieurs systèmes éducatifs. Elle est particulièrement prépondérante dans certains groupes de pays ou régions, notamment en Afrique francophone au sud du Sahara. Dans ces pays, le PASEC - Programme d’Analyse des Systèmes Éducatifs de la CONFEMEN (Conférence des Ministres de l’Éducation Nationale des pays ayant le français en partage) - œuvre à améliorer l’accès à une éducation de qualité pour tous, par exemple, en informant les politiques sur la situation nationale du redoublement. Cette recherche sur le redoublement, la réussite scolaire et l’objectif de la Scolarisation Primaire Universelle (SPU) privilégie la dimension pédagogique, l’analyse empirique et étudie le cas du Sénégal. Elle présente et discute les indicateurs internationaux de suivi de l’objectif de la SPU, fait le point de l’état des connaissances sur le redoublement et la réussite scolaire et montre le défi que représente la réalisation de l’objectif de la SPU notamment dans les pays francophones d’Afrique sub-Saharienne. Exploitant les données existantes de l’enquête longitudinale de suivi de cohorte du PASEC au Sénégal entre 1995 et 2000, cette recherche examine le parcours scolaire des élèves en vue de la réalisation de l’objectif de la SPU. L’examen effectué combine des approches d’analyse transversale et longitudinale du redoublement et des apprentissages par rapport aux caractéristiques personnelles, familiales et scolaires de l’élève. Les résultats d’analyse montrent des variabilités, notamment par rapport aux caractéristiques personnelles de l’élève et à celles de sa classe et de son milieu de scolarisation. L’analyse longitudinale du redoublement s’est appuyée sur le diagramme de flux scolaire et a permis de produire un ensemble d’indicateurs d’efficacité interne du système éducatif du Sénégal. Pour la cohorte étudiée, du fait de l’importance des redoublements et des abandons scolaires, il faut en moyenne 9,4 années de scolarité pour que l’élève progresse du deuxième au sixième (dernier) grade du primaire. Seulement 39% de l’effectif de la cohorte survivent au dernier grade ce qui suggère que si cette tendance se maintenait, le Sénégal serait à risque de ne pas réaliser l’objectif de la SPU. Une évaluation de la situation courante à partir de données plus récentes serait requise. Le diagramme de flux scolaire constitue un outil de planification de l’éducation et représente de ce fait un important levier aux mains des autorités politiques pour agir sur les paramètres du système éducatif (paramètres liés à la qualité de l’éducation, à l’efficacité interne, etc.) afin de répondre à des objectifs spécifiques ou d’étapes pouvant conduire, par exemple, à la réalisation de l’objectif de la SPU. / The Education for All is mobilizing the international community and national governments since 1990. This global commitment which was renewed in 2000 under the auspices of UNESCO and the United-Nations has set a basic goal: the universalization of a complete primary education for all school-age children by 2015. Several studies on the achievement of this goal show that developing countries are most at risk and that progress in many of these countries could have been higher if the practice of grade repetition was better regulated and controlled. This measure would contribute to the improvement of academic achievement and increase retention within the education systems. Indeed, grade repetition practice is a tradition in several education systems. It is particularly overwhelming in some groups of countries or regions, especially in Francophone sub-Saharan Africa. In these countries, the PASEC – «Programme d’Analyse des Systèmes Educatifs de la CONFEMEN (Conférence des Ministres de l’Éducation National des pays ayant le français en partage)» - works to improve access to quality education for all, by for example, informing policies on the national situation of grade repetition. This research on grade repetition, school success and the Universal Primary Education (UPE) goal favors the pedagogical dimension, the empirical analysis and studies the case of Senegal. It presents and discusses the international indicators for UPE goal monitoring, takes stock of current knowledge on grade repetition and academic achievement and shows the challenge that represents the realisation of UPE goal especially in Francophone sub-Saharan Africa countries. By using the existing 1995-2000 PASEC longitudinal survey data in Senegal, this research examines pupils’ school careers toward the realisation of UPE goal. Transversal and longitudinal analyses of grade repetition and learning achievement based on the pupil’s personal, family and school characteristics have been used. Results from these analyses show variabilities related especially to individual, classroom and school location factors. The longitudinal analysis of grade repetition is based on the school flowchart which allows the calculation of a set of indicators about the internal efficiency of Senegal education system. For the cohort studied, due to the high grades repetition and dropout rates, pupils are required, on average, 9.4 years of schooling to progress from the second to the sixth (final) grade of primary. Only 39% of the initial cohort survives to the last grade, which suggests that if this trend remains unchanged, Senegal would be at risk of not achieving the UPE goal. An assessment of the current situation based on more recent data would be required. The school flowchart is an educational planning tool. Thus, it represents an important lever for political authorities to act on education system parameters (parameters related to education quality, internal efficiency, etc.) in order to effectively attain specific objectives or milestones resulting, for example, to the achievement of the UPE goal.

In the year 1896 Hungary celebrated the 1000th anniversary of the Magyar settlement in the Carpathian Basin. The preparations started in the early 80's of 19th century. Originally they planned to celebrate in 1895, since it was decided that the conquest had happened in 895. But there was not enough time to prepare, so they postponed the festivities. Even though there was widespread development in industry and culture at the end of 19th century, the situation in Hungary was very complicated. The main problem was the relationship of Hungarians within the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, changes in that society, and the situation of national minorities and the working-class. During the celebrations of the millennial anniversary, these discussed topics were overlooked while everybody was occupied with the festivities. Hungarians tried to present their glorious past, their country's successful economy, industry, and culture to prove that Hungary was the foremost nation in the Carpathian Basin. The Hungarian parliament passed a law to celebrate the millennium that ordered, for example, the building of monuments around Hungary and the founding of The Museum of Fine Arts and 400 elementary schools. Throughout the country there were opening ceremonies, festivities, meetings, processions, parades, and unveilings...

Introdução:A mortalidade materna é um dos melhores indicadores do desenvolvimento socioeconômico de um país. O Brasil implementou políticas públicas para redução da mortalidade materna até 2015. A região do Grande ABC Paulista no Brasil apresenta grande heterogeneidade socioeconômica entre seus municípios, podendo refletir a desigualdade social do país, porém apresentando dimensões que permitem maior controle de dados da mortalidade. Objetivo: Avaliar a tendência da mortalidade materna na região do Grande ABC Paulista no período de 1997 a 2011. Metodologia: Estudo ecológico de série temporal, cujos dados foram obtidas no banco de dados do Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde do Brasil (DATASUS) do Ministério da Saúde do Brasil (MS). Os dados foram transformados em Índices da Mortalidade Materna Direta (IMMD), estratificados por municípios, índices de desenvolvimento humano (IDH), causas de óbito materno segundo Classificação internacional de doenças (CID-10), local e período de ocorrência do óbito, dados sóciodemográficos e submetidos a comparações (teste U de Mann-whitney, teste de Kruskal-Wallis e teste de Dunn) e associações pela regressão linear, com significância de 5%. Resultados: Os IMMD predominaram em mulheres solteiras, entre 20-34 anos de idade, brancas, escolaridade entre 4-7 anos, intra-hospitalar, no puerpério imediato, por hemorragias/tromboses/embolias e eclâmpsias. Não houve diferença nos IMMD em relação ao grupo IDH. Rio Grande da Serra atingiu IMMD alto (OMS) na maioria das covariáveis analisadas. Apenas São Caetano do Sul apresentou IMMD baixo (OMS), alto IMMI (p=0,03), queda nos IMMD no período de 1997 a 2011 (beta= -0,67/ano, p=0,03) e tendência neste milênio (2000 a 2011, beta=-0,55/ano, p=0,07) com estimativa de queda de 65,1% até 2015. A soma dos óbitos não investigados, não se aplica e de fichas sem investigação para qualquer variável analisada ultrapassa 50%. Conclusão: Os índices da Mortalidade Materna Direta na região do Grande ABC Paulista apresentaram níveis altos e queda discreta no tempo. Apenas o município de São Caetano do Sul apresentou queda expressiva de IMMD nos 15 anos de estudo e tendência a queda neste milênio com estimativa de atingir 65,1% até 2015. Descritores: Mortalidade materna; Políticas públicas; Mulheres; Saúde da mulher/estatística & dados numéricos; Complicações na gravidez/mortalidade; Mortalidade; Sistema Único de Saúde; Estudos epidemiológicos; Saúde da mulher/estatística & dados numéricos; Período pós-parto; Objetivos de desenvolvimento do milênio; Brasil/epidemiologia / Introduction: Maternal mortality is one of the best indicators of socioeconomic development of a country. Brazil has implemented public policies to reduce maternal mortality by 2015. The Grande ABC Paulista region in Brazil shows great socioeconomic heterogeneity among its municipalities, which can reflect the country social inequality, however presenting dimensions that allow greater control of mortality data. Objective: To evaluate the trend of maternal mortality in the Grande ABC Paulista region in the period of 1997-2011. Methodology: Ecological time series, where data was obtained from the database of the Information Technology Department of the Public Health Care System (DATASUS) of the Health Ministry of Brazil (MS). The data was transformed into direct maternal mortality indices (DMMI), stratified by municipalities, Human Development Indices (HDI), causes of maternal death according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), period and local of maternal death, socio-demographic parameters. Data were submitted to comparison tests (Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by Dunn\'s multiple comparisons test) and association tests (linear regression) when applied and a significance of 5%. Results: The DMMI predominated in single women, aged 20-34 years old, white, 4 to 7 school age, in-hospital, postpartum, by bleeding / thrombosis / embolism and eclampsia. There was no difference in DMMI when comparing by HDI group. The Municipality of Rio Grande da Serra reached high DMMI values in the most of the analyzed covariates. São Caetano do Sul presented the lowest DMMI values and was the only municipality which presented decrement in the DMMI during the 15 years of the studied period (beta = - 0.67/year, p=0.03) and a trend in this millennium (2000-2011, beta- 0.55/year, p=0.07) with an estimated fall of 65.61% by 2015. The sum of not investigated, not applied and files without investigation for any analyzed variable exceeded 50%. Conclusion: The DMMI in the Grande ABC Paulista showed high levels and downward trend in time. São Caetano do Sul was the sole municipality where the DMMR dropped in 15 years of study and presented a tendency to decrease in this millennium with an estimated fall of 65.1% by 2015

Introdução:A mortalidade materna é um dos melhores indicadores do desenvolvimento socioeconômico de um país. O Brasil implementou políticas públicas para redução da mortalidade materna até 2015. A região do Grande ABC Paulista no Brasil apresenta grande heterogeneidade socioeconômica entre seus municípios, podendo refletir a desigualdade social do país, porém apresentando dimensões que permitem maior controle de dados da mortalidade. Objetivo: Avaliar a tendência da mortalidade materna na região do Grande ABC Paulista no período de 1997 a 2011. Metodologia: Estudo ecológico de série temporal, cujos dados foram obtidas no banco de dados do Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde do Brasil (DATASUS) do Ministério da Saúde do Brasil (MS). Os dados foram transformados em Índices da Mortalidade Materna Direta (IMMD), estratificados por municípios, índices de desenvolvimento humano (IDH), causas de óbito materno segundo Classificação internacional de doenças (CID-10), local e período de ocorrência do óbito, dados sóciodemográficos e submetidos a comparações (teste U de Mann-whitney, teste de Kruskal-Wallis e teste de Dunn) e associações pela regressão linear, com significância de 5%. Resultados: Os IMMD predominaram em mulheres solteiras, entre 20-34 anos de idade, brancas, escolaridade entre 4-7 anos, intra-hospitalar, no puerpério imediato, por hemorragias/tromboses/embolias e eclâmpsias. Não houve diferença nos IMMD em relação ao grupo IDH. Rio Grande da Serra atingiu IMMD alto (OMS) na maioria das covariáveis analisadas. Apenas São Caetano do Sul apresentou IMMD baixo (OMS), alto IMMI (p=0,03), queda nos IMMD no período de 1997 a 2011 (beta= -0,67/ano, p=0,03) e tendência neste milênio (2000 a 2011, beta=-0,55/ano, p=0,07) com estimativa de queda de 65,1% até 2015. A soma dos óbitos não investigados, não se aplica e de fichas sem investigação para qualquer variável analisada ultrapassa 50%. Conclusão: Os índices da Mortalidade Materna Direta na região do Grande ABC Paulista apresentaram níveis altos e queda discreta no tempo. Apenas o município de São Caetano do Sul apresentou queda expressiva de IMMD nos 15 anos de estudo e tendência a queda neste milênio com estimativa de atingir 65,1% até 2015. Descritores: Mortalidade materna; Políticas públicas; Mulheres; Saúde da mulher/estatística & dados numéricos; Complicações na gravidez/mortalidade; Mortalidade; Sistema Único de Saúde; Estudos epidemiológicos; Saúde da mulher/estatística & dados numéricos; Período pós-parto; Objetivos de desenvolvimento do milênio; Brasil/epidemiologia / Introduction: Maternal mortality is one of the best indicators of socioeconomic development of a country. Brazil has implemented public policies to reduce maternal mortality by 2015. The Grande ABC Paulista region in Brazil shows great socioeconomic heterogeneity among its municipalities, which can reflect the country social inequality, however presenting dimensions that allow greater control of mortality data. Objective: To evaluate the trend of maternal mortality in the Grande ABC Paulista region in the period of 1997-2011. Methodology: Ecological time series, where data was obtained from the database of the Information Technology Department of the Public Health Care System (DATASUS) of the Health Ministry of Brazil (MS). The data was transformed into direct maternal mortality indices (DMMI), stratified by municipalities, Human Development Indices (HDI), causes of maternal death according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), period and local of maternal death, socio-demographic parameters. Data were submitted to comparison tests (Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by Dunn\'s multiple comparisons test) and association tests (linear regression) when applied and a significance of 5%. Results: The DMMI predominated in single women, aged 20-34 years old, white, 4 to 7 school age, in-hospital, postpartum, by bleeding / thrombosis / embolism and eclampsia. There was no difference in DMMI when comparing by HDI group. The Municipality of Rio Grande da Serra reached high DMMI values in the most of the analyzed covariates. São Caetano do Sul presented the lowest DMMI values and was the only municipality which presented decrement in the DMMI during the 15 years of the studied period (beta = - 0.67/year, p=0.03) and a trend in this millennium (2000-2011, beta- 0.55/year, p=0.07) with an estimated fall of 65.61% by 2015. The sum of not investigated, not applied and files without investigation for any analyzed variable exceeded 50%. Conclusion: The DMMI in the Grande ABC Paulista showed high levels and downward trend in time. São Caetano do Sul was the sole municipality where the DMMR dropped in 15 years of study and presented a tendency to decrease in this millennium with an estimated fall of 65.1% by 2015

Contemporary Italian philosopher, Gianni Vattimo (1991), has described ‘the end of history’ as a motif of our times. While neo-liberal conservatives such as Francis Fukuyama (1992) celebrated triumphantly, and perhaps rather prematurely after the fall of the Berlin Wall, ‘the end of history’ in the ‘inevitable’ global acceptance of the ideologies of free market capitalism and liberal democracy, methodological postmodernists (including Barthes, Derrida, Baudrillard, Lyotard, and Foucault), mobilised ‘the end of history’ throughout the later half of the twentieth century as a symbol of a crisis of confidence in the discourse of modernity, and its realist epistemologies. This loss of faith in the adequacy of representation has been seen by many positivist and empiricist historians as a threat to the discipline of history, with its desire to recover and reconstruct ����the truth���� of the past. It is argued by defenders of ‘traditional’ history (from Appleby, Hunt, & Jacob, 1994; R. J. Evans, 1997; Marwick, 2001; and Windschuttle, 1996; to Zagorin, 1999), and some postmodernists (most notably, Jenkins, 1999), that if we accept postmodern social theory, historical research and writing will become untenable. This study re-examines the nature of the alleged ‘threat’ to history posed by postmodernism, and explores the implications of postmodern social theory for History as curriculum. Situated within a broadly-conceived critical-reconceptualist trend in curriculum inquiry, and deploying a form of historically and philosophically oriented ‘deconstructive hermeneutics’, the study explores past attempts to mount, and future possibilities for, a curricular response to the problem of historical representation. The analysis begins with an investigation of ‘end of history’ discourse in contemporary theory. It then proceeds through a critical exploration of the social meliorist changes to, and cultural politics surrounding, the History curriculum in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, from the Bicentennial to the Millennium (1988-2000), a period that marked curriculum as a site of contestation in a series of highly public ‘history wars’ over representations of the nation’s past (Macintyre & Clark, 2003). It concludes with a discussion of the missed opportunities for ‘critical practice’ within the NSW History curriculum. Synthesising insights into the ‘nature of history’ derived from contemporary academic debate, it is argued that what has remained uncontested in the struggle for ‘critical histories’ during the period under study, are the representational practices of history itself. The study closes with an assessment of the (im)possibility of History curriculum after ‘the end of history’. I argue that if History curriculum is to be a critical/transformative enterprise, then it must attend to the problem of historical representation. / PhD Doctorate