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No description available.

No description available.

The purpose of the research reported in this thesis has been to investigate some of the consequences of schemes of 'support' for small primary schools. In particular, attention has focused on the development of identified teacher cooperation among groups of small schools. An introductory part one provides an overview of the range of issues encompassed in what is sometimes referred to as the small school 'problem'. A deficit view of small rural schools is identified in 'official discourse': an official documentary reality is outlined, summarised under headings of 'curriculum' and 'cost'. Conflicting evidence from the research literature is presented to counter the official view of deficit. An attempt is made to locate a consideration of the small school problem within the context of discussion about 'community': in particular, the processes of decision-making which may contribute towards a view of a 'healthy' community and a role for education in community development. The notion of support for small schools was thought to reside in the official pathology. The research focuses initially on the provision of Education Support Grant (ESG) funding for specific officially approved projects to support groups of small schools. The frequency with which support has been organised across groups of small schools, usually referred to as 'clusters' or 'federations', led to its identification as conventional wisdom. Non-funded Headteacher initiatives to set up similar groupings of small schools without large scale funded support reflects the extent of this thinking. The research focuses on the development of cooperation among teachers working in these various groupings of small schools. In comparing funded projects and non-funded Headteacher initiatives the dual meaning of 'managing' in the title of this thesis becomes clear.

Sexual abuse of children is a major problem in South Africa. There is an increasing number of orphans in urban but also in rural areas of children and orphans who are sexually abused. The researcher experienced in her daily work as social worker in the rural area of the Oliver Tambo district Municipality children and orphans who are sexually abused. The aim of this study is to identify the risks factors contributing to the vulnerability of orphans towards sexual abuse. Purposive sampling was conducted among social workers who have experience with orphans who were sexually abused in the Ngqeleni and Port St Johns areas of the Oliver Tambo District in the Eastern Cape. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by the researcher with the social workers as well as document analysis from the files of orphans who were sexually abused from the caseloads of these social workers. From the data received it has been confirmed that family members where orphans grew up fail often to accept and to treat them like their own children, especially when they are not sharing the same clan name with the children. Orphans do not always get full support and protection like other children in the family. This situation makes it even more difficult for them to talk freely about their challenges. Lack of knowledge also plays a role to these children as they fail to report to government departments and community leaders. Looking at the vulnerability of orphans in the Oliver Tambo District, there is a definite need for social workers to empower orphans and their caregivers with knowledge in preventing orphans from being sexually abused. There is also a need for forensic social workers to help with the assessment of orphans who are sexually abused in order to assure more successful prosecutions of alleged perpetrators. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Sexual abuse of children is a major problem in South Africa. There is an increasing number of orphans in urban but also in rural areas of children and orphans who are sexually abused. The researcher experienced in her daily work as social worker in the rural area of the Oliver Tambo district Municipality children and orphans who are sexually abused. The aim of this study is to identify the risks factors contributing to the vulnerability of orphans towards sexual abuse. Purposive sampling was conducted among social workers who have experience with orphans who were sexually abused in the Ngqeleni and Port St Johns areas of the Oliver Tambo District in the Eastern Cape. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by the researcher with the social workers as well as document analysis from the files of orphans who were sexually abused from the caseloads of these social workers. From the data received it has been confirmed that family members where orphans grew up fail often to accept and to treat them like their own children, especially when they are not sharing the same clan name with the children. Orphans do not always get full support and protection like other children in the family. This situation makes it even more difficult for them to talk freely about their challenges. Lack of knowledge also plays a role to these children as they fail to report to government departments and community leaders. Looking at the vulnerability of orphans in the Oliver Tambo District, there is a definite need for social workers to empower orphans and their caregivers with knowledge in preventing orphans from being sexually abused. There is also a need for forensic social workers to help with the assessment of orphans who are sexually abused in order to assure more successful prosecutions of alleged perpetrators. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

No description available.

The aim of this paper is to answer to a research question: “How does the entrepreneur’s motivation affect the success of the company in rural areas?” The theoretical framework conducted for this study discusses rural entrepreneurship and motivation as a success factor. Relevant material for this study is gathered by utilizing the databases of Halmstad university and Google Scholar. A case study approach is used and academic literature on the topic is reviewed. Different motivational factors of entrepreneurs in rural areas were identified based on this study. Further studies in this field is encouraged to strengthen this topic and/or provide with other aspects missing in this research due to limitations.

This thesis presents the findings of a multi-site case study, which explored the inclusion of primary school children in rural Cross River State, Nigeria. The research engaged specifically with the experiences of thirty 11-16-year-olds from diverse identities, drawn from primary 5 classrooms in three public primary schools sited in different rural locations within the state. In so doing, it adopted pupil presence, participation and achievement (PPA) as a conceptual framework of inclusion to examine whether education is genuinely for all primary age children within the research sites. The study was set within the context of the outcome of the 1990 Education for All (EFA) conference, which promoted universal access to education for all primary age children worldwide. As such, the investigation considered how far the selected primary schools were able to guarantee equal access, participation and achievement of all pupils under Nigeria's national education policy. It used the PPA framework to identify the drawbacks to pupil inclusion at school and to recommend measures for addressing the obstacles experienced by some learners. Qualitative data were generated via documentary analysis, observations and interviews in schools directly featuring children. Relevant data pooled from the three sources were organised and analysed thematically based upon an interpretivist perspective. Thus, analysis of data was informed by the social constructivist theory. Data analysis indicates that current provision enables schools to allow access for nearly all children. However, despite the good intentions of national policy, girls, children from minority tribes, Muslims of Hausa/Fulani origin, and children with learning difficulties and those with impairments were vulnerable to marginalisation and exclusion within the contexts of their schools. Looking through the lens of social constructivism, the thesis strongly links the disadvantages confronting the children to limited pupil voice. The situation limited the opportunity for pupils to share their perspectives about the ways such issues as gaps in national education policy and in-school factors, including classroom practices, religious attitudes, grade repetition and social interactions were affecting their inclusion in the context. Out-of-school factors were also found to have an influence, although the study did not investigate these directly. The thesis concludes by drawing out the implications and making recommendations for reforms in policy, practice and research in favour of pupil voice within Nigeria, to promote inclusion in schools. Consideration is also given to possible implications for other developing countries.

In focus for this thesis is a village in a sparsely populated area in the county of Västerbotten, Vil­helmina, and its encounter with a relatively large, unusual, and modern company within the service sector, MRF Assistance, that established itself in Vilhelmina. This event is interesting because it implies the encroachment of "the informati on-age" on the local labour market of Vilhelmina. Previous negative experiences made many citizens sceptical to the establishment, while others saw it as a solution. The theoretical point of departure in illuminating this encounter is Ferdinand Tönnies' classical concepts "Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft", and their role when people make decisions and evaluate and reflect upon different perceived choices in their lives. I will describe this encounter from the perspective of the youths who were employed by the company. The aim of the study is to illuminate the modernisation processes in sparsely populated areas. More spe­cifically the research questions are as follows: How do the informants perceive their lives and an­choring in Vilhelmina ("Gemeinschaft")? How do they perceive the establishment of MRF As­sistance ("Gesellschaft")? What are the experiences of the employees regarding the time they were employed by the company, was it possible to combine "Gemeinschaft" and "Ge­sellschaft"? Different methods have been used in this thesis in order to triangulate the information and re­ach valid results. Most obvious is the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. The data used in the quantitative part of the investigation have been collected from a survey administe­red to the employees of the company. The qualitative part is based on qualitative interviews with employees on different occasions. The qualitative interpretations have applied the grounded theo­ry - approach. The discoveries, which were generated with help of codes and categories, were than discussed in relation to relevant research and especially to the theoretical points of departure. Some of the tracers identified as empirically grounded and possible to integrate in a comparative analysis were the following: The norm-system of the company sometimes proved to be in conflict with the one of the village. In spite of this, it proved to be easy for the young employees to deal with the situation. The ambivalence was there but they were able to handle it. The young employ­ees showed trust and confidence in the company as a modern component of their society. Feelings of reliance on what was new were possible to combine with feelings of confidence in the habitual. They could easily live with ambivalence. Their cognitive maps were flexible and more context dependent than rigid. The young employees, in evaluating options and reflecting upon conse­quences of decisions, tend to activate the social representations of "Gemeinschaft" and "Gemein­schaft". The classic ideal-type proved still to be in use. A final remark is that taken together, the results and interpretations indicate at least hypothetically, that young people in rural areas rise to the standards that companies like MRF Assistance demand from its employees. The apprehension of potential contractors seems to be based more on myths than on reality. / digitalisering@umu