The aim of this study was to find out whether six weeks of reciprocal teaching in grade 2 and 3 would improve pupils text comprehension. Students’ text comprehension was assessed with a standardized test and by analysing students’ use of meta-cognitive strategies in a conversation about a text. The assessments were carried out pre- and post-intervention. Sixteen pupils were identified with weak text comprehension in a standardized assessment of text comprehension in grade 2 and 3 respectively with a total of 78 students participating in the assessment. The students with weak text comprehension were divided in an intervention group (eight pupils) and a control group (eight pupils). The control group participated in regular class-room instruction during the intervention.    The intervention was carried out in small groups and focused on meta-cognitive strategies (e.g. predicting story-content, ask questions to the text, identifying and learning new words and summarizing story-content) and lasted for six weeks, three lessons a week and about 35 minutes/lesson. The students in the intervention group improved their results in the standardized test in text comprehension compared to the control group. The pupils in the intervention group used meta-cognitive strategies to a larger extent after the intervention compared to before the intervention. They also increased their talking space in a conversation about a text compared to the control group. Interaction with each other didn´t increase noticeably after six weeks of intervention in neither group. No statistical analysis were conducted.

It is arguably an important matter to track and eliminate poor quality. One way of doing this within software development is by applying the technical debt metaphor and using it as a basis when estimating the quality level. There was interest expressed in investigating whether this metaphor could be extended to the development of non-software products and use it as a starting point for developing features in a PLM (product lifecycle management) system able to track and help monitor technical debt throughout the lifecycle of a product. Thus, a case study based on a literature review and interviews analysed qualitatively were conducted. The result consists of the knowledge that similar notions as found in the technical debt research could successfully be applied to other development processes and phenomena as well, a framework consisting of types of technical debt and a “sketch” for how to measure it, and that in a technical debt-tracking feature it could be beneficial with functionality for implementing models for debt quantification, for allowing the organisation to set up rules, and for crawling through the product taxonomy in the PLM system, detecting deviances from aforementioned rules.

This study aimed to assess how we are applying the Quality Cost Management in the industries of the central region of Rio Grande do Sul, check whether the company has quality management and costs with their production sectors, to identify whether the company makes the measurement of cost of quality; propose alternatives to reduce and minimize costs, evaluate 1the importance of investing in quality to the competitiveness and survival of the organization. This study aimed to assess how we are applying the Quality Cost Management in the The methodology has grounding in literature, in the case study and survey research data from participating companies through questionnaires. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and frequency distribution simple. With the results collected it was possible to verify that a good part of the industries surveyed have satisfactory results and have several quality certification, among other points, but there are still some things to be improved. Other firms need several adjustments, which will be presented later. Also we will present some suggestions that will serve as tools to assist in the systematization that can be deployed in enterprises, which they deem appropriate. / Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar de que forma está sendo aplicada a Gestão de Custos da Qualidade nas indústrias da região central do Rio Grande do Sul, verificar se a empresa possui Gestão de Custos da Qualidade junto a seus setores de produção; identificar se a empresa faz a mensuração do custo da qualidade; propor alternativas na redução e minimização dos custos; avaliar a importância de investir em qualidade para a competitividade e sobrevivência da organização. A metodologia utilizada tem embasamento na pesquisa bibliográfica, no estudo de caso e na pesquisa de levantamento de dados junto às empresas participantes, por meio de questionários. A análise dos dados foi efetuada através de estatística descritiva e distribuição de freqüência simples. Com os resultados levantados, foi possível averiguar que uma boa parte das indústrias pesquisadas possuem resultados satisfatórios e várias possuem certificação em qualidade, entre outros pontos positivos, mas ainda existem alguns pontos serem melhorados. Outra parte das empresas precisa de várias adequações, as quais serão apresentadas posteriormente. Também serão apresentadas algumas sugestões que servirão de ferramentas para auxiliar na sistematização que poderá ser implantada nas empresas, as quais acharem convenientes.

Since China's shift to market socialism, many marginalized by this process work as informal street vendors where they reappropriate public space in order to survive―a practice at odds with urban authorities' modernizing agenda. In relation to these competing logics concerning public space's use value versus its exchange value, this dissertation examines the practices, experiences, and agency of informal street vendors working in Sanjingwuwei, an ordinary, yet rapidly gentrifying, neighborhood of Nanchang, capital and largest city of southeastern China's Jiangxi Province. After describing the growth of an informal economy in modern China and providing a history of street vending, I describe the everyday practices of vendors and their reappropriation of public space in Nanchang and the Sanjingwuwei neighborhood. I then provide the socio-demographic details of Sanjingwuwei’s vendors and use their voices to demonstrate how city image protection, a burgeoning informal sector, and the globalization of urban space bring challenges to their already precarious work in the streets. The dissertation concludes by linking the practices and agency of Nanchang’s vendors into a theoretical discussion concerning the agency of informal street workers. Despite daily attempts by the local state to remove them, this study shows how Nanchang's street vendors, continue to actively engaging in alternative forms of urban space-making through reappropriating of public space. Therefore, this dissertation shows how vendors challenge the city as a system by downscaling, slowing down, decommodifying, and ultimately, deglobalizing urban space to neighborhood-level through their reappropriation of public space.

Dagens hårda konkurrens för tillverkande företag ställer höga krav på effektivisering, lönsamhet samt att ständigt utveckla sina processer. Att arbeta med förbättringar är en väsentlig del för företagens överlevnad. För att lyckas med förbättringsarbeten krävs en förståelse för vilken process som ej är fullkomlig. Detta kan uppnås genom att identifiera och analysera de slöserier som finns inom företaget, för att sedan eliminera dem. I detta arbete lägger vi grunden för kommande förbättringsarbeten genom att identifiera de platser och orsaker till spill, och sedan beräkna dess kostnad. En fallstudie som ska analysera en delprocess som ej skapar värde för kunden utförs för att ytterligare belysa potentiella förbättringsområden. Genom intervjuer, observationer och analys av befintlig data har en ny modell för registrering av kassationer och omarbete skapats och en intern prislista för produkter i arbete har uppdaterats. En fallstudie har utförts där två partier kött från olika leverantörer har bearbetats till slutkund. Syftet med fallstudien var att undersöka om skillnad i leverantörskvalitet kunde speglas i slutpriset av produkten. Parametrar som tid i lager, nedlagda resurser och förlorad vikt iakttogs. Inför framtida förbättringsarbeten kan modellen i kombination med prislistan användas som grund för beslut. Fallstudie påvisar de konsekvenser som kan uppstå vid ett funktionsorienterat arbetssätt. / The harsh competition the producing organizations face these days, sets high expectations concerning effectivity, profitability and process development. To improve the organization is an essential part for survival. In order to successfully improve your organization you should first identify what process that’s in dire need. This can be achieved by identifying, analyzing and eliminating the wastes inside the company. This report sets the foundation for future improvements by identifying the locations, reasons and economic consequences of waste. A case study whose purpose was to analyze an activity which didn’t add value for the customer was performed to reveal additional areas of improvement. Through interviews, observations and studies of documented data, a new model for the registration system was created. These methods were also used to create an updated version of their internal price list. A case study were performed where two batches of meat, from different suppliers, were followed through processing. The purpose were to examine whether there is a link between supplier quality and increment of cost. Parameter such as time spent in stock, resource consumption and loss of weight where observed. The model combined with the price list can be used as a basis for future decisions regarding improvements. The case study demonstrates the consequences associated with a functional oriented business approach.

In a world where almost half of the population lives in poverty, the alleviation of poverty is a serious developmental challenge for many states. Microfinance has grown in popularity as a means for achieving poverty reduction all over the world. Due to the success of microfinance institutions, such as the Grameen Bank, in achieving self-sufficiency and improving the lives of its clients, the expectations for similar institutions are high. MFIs attempt to find a balance between business and development goals. It is not necessarily a contradiction to be a business seeking profit as well as being an institution committed to development. However, the values coupled with these two objectives are sometimes conflicting. Thus it is important to see how equilibrium can be achieved and to note what sacrifices must be made in order to reach a balance. This thesis will focus on examining and assessing the challenges faced by South African MFIs in balancing development goals while at the same time having to be self-sufficient. The Small Enterprise Foundation will be used as a case study to consider the particular experiences of a South African MFI. The evaluation of the unique challenges that the South African landscape presents will provide a context in which to understand microfinance operations and a clearer understanding of the particular problems and challenges faced by the South African micro-finance industry in balancing the achievement of development goals against the imperative to be self sustainable in providing services to the poor. Through that understanding the common conception of what makes a “successful” MFI will also be challenged.

M.Comm. / The central question addressed by this study is how a Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) for South Africa can be use to measure the impact of fiscal policy on the well being of South Africa's society and therefore assist fiscal policy makers in the making of Fiscal Policy in South Africa. As a starting point, this study will define the concept of poverty and look at income distribution as a measure of welfare. The questions to be raised in this section are: What is the importance of income distribution? How does South Africa compare in an international perspective and how does the different sources of data in South Africa compare with one another? How can inequality be measured? What does a profile of South Africa's poor looks like and what is the burden of poverty that they have to deal with? The second section of this study describes South Africa's Fiscal Policy in order to understand its impact on societies well being. More specifically, it examines: The failures of recent fiscal policy and its lessons for the future; and The government's GEAR (Growth, Employment and Redistribution) policy. Section three investigates possible fiscal policy interventions for attacking poverty. The following questions are addressed: Which programmes can the government implement in order to address poverty? What is the priorities for action? The fourth and final section of the study looks at the Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) as a method for measuring the impact of fiscal policy on the well being of a society. It is discussed from various perspectives in order to arrive at a thorough understanding of its scope and nature, including: o What is a Social Accounting Matrix and does it exists in South Africa? o How can a Social Accounting Matrix assist fiscal policy makers?

M.A. / The purpose of this study is to compare the 1932 and 1989 Carnegie reports which dealt respectively with the issues of white and black poverty in South Africa. In 1932 the Carnegie report on white poverty was published which dealt with the causes, dimensions and possible solutions of poverty among the white (Afiikaner) community. In 1989 a similar report was published, the emphasis however being placed on the causes, dimensions and possible solutions of black poverty. The purpose of this study is to compare these two reports in their handling of the different poverty issues with specific emphasis on the role of politics in the causes and possible solutions of poverty. Research produced interesting points of agreement and disagreement. It was found that the magnitude of black poverty far exceeds that of white poverty 50% of the black population lives in poverty while only 17.5% of whites lived in poverty during the 1930's. The two Carnegie reports used the same indicators of poverty: the shortage of housing, education, health and unemployment. The historical causes of both black and white poverty can be traced to the same roots, for example the Anglo-Boer War and the Great Depression of the 1930's. However, the main causes of white poverty according to the Carnegie report were the inability of the population to adapt to changing economic conditions, farming problems, inadequate education and isolating circumstances. These are mainly socio-economic issues. In contrast, black poverty is largely caused by political factors, i.e. the policy of apartheid that discriminated against blacks in every sphere of life. White poverty was solved by a combination of three factors. The first was a process of ethnic mobilisation launched by Afrikaner leaders and designed to address "psychological" poverty. The second was economic growth as a result of the government's industrial policy and favourable external economic conditions. The third and most important was a deliberate policy of the government aimed at combating poverty. This included generous portions of the budget allocated to poor whites, comprehensive job creation programmes, legislation designed to favour white workers as opposed to black workers and the provision of housing, health services and education to the poor whites. According to the 1989 Carnegie report, black poverty is "a profoundly political issue". Therefore it cannot be solved until a fundamental redistribution of political power has taken place. This study evaluated the complex anti-poverty strategy proposed by the Carnegie report which covers a wide range of topics (for example education, health, rural development and housing) over the short and the long term, Although the Carnegie reports did not directly contribute to the solution of white or black poverty, it did however, lead to a greater public awareness of the poverty problem Both the (future) government and the private sector are to contribute to the solution of black poverty. In the study attention was also paid to issues not addressed by the Carnegie report, such as the redistribution of land, the role of the small business sector and population growth. It is concluded that the solution of black poverty hinges on addressing their "psychological" poverty, collective action to stimulate economic growth and effective government intervention in the economy.

M.A. (Development Studies) / Namibia is a land of great disparities with regard to income distribution and access to resources, which results in the experience of poverty by selected groups of her people. A superficial glance at poverty indicators in Namibia, such as Gross Domestic Product per capita, would not illustrate the depth of the problem that skewed income distribution and access to resources, as indicated by the Gini Coefficient and Human Development Index respectively, would highlight, for the different regions and communities within Namibia. This study aimed to investigate the extent of urban poverty in Keetmanshoop, as very little research had been undertaken in the southern parts of Namibia. Keetmanshoop faces an additional challenge in proactively planning for development alternatives, in view of the nearing completion of the Trans-Kalahari Highway, which will provide an alternative transport route between Gauteng (in South Africa) and Angola, and Zambia, via Namibia. It was anticipated that this would greatly reduce the amount of road traffic through Keetmanshoop and subsequently reduce the economic activity of the town. At the heart of this study were three broad aims, namely to establish a basis of information on the socio-economic conditions experienced by the residents of Keetmanshoop. Secondly, to determine the residents' attitudes towards, and perceptions of development opportunities and needs in the research area. Finally, it was aimed to identify the value of sustainable development as an appropriate development approach and thereby establish a theoretical framework for the contextualization of the development alternatives recommended for Keetmanshoop. In order to establish this base of information four research methods were utilised, namely informal in-depth-interviews with 18 community leaders, formally structured survey schedules with 500 respondents, follow-up personal interviews with 30 residents and a community essay competition...

D.Litt. et Phil. (Sociology) / This study explores local state constructions of citizenship for the residents of informal settlements in urban South Africa during the first decade of local democracy, with a focus on the last electoral term of this period. While many studies in the social sciences have reported on citizenship experiences and self-help strategies of various categories of residents of post-apartheid South Africa, few have directed their gaze at the state, or studied up by investigating powerful respondents or sites and processes of power. Given that the state has its most direct dealings with the grassroots at local government level, and that compared to ordinary people it holds a disproportionate amount of power over citizenship, the character and strategies of the local state in South Africa are critical for a comprehensive understanding of post-apartheid urban citizenship. The study focuses on the policy area of housing as a key response to informal settlement. A constrained developmental local state has emerged in the post-apartheid period in South Africa, exhibiting both Weberian and non-Weberian qualities in its political-administrative interface. While very little evidence of a skills shortage or limited capacity has surfaced in the policy area of housing in the metropolitan municipalities of Johannesburg and Tshwane, respondents in both sites reported that the available funds from the central state were vastly insufficient for addressing the identified housing need. This severely limited local state capacity to respond to the priorities identified by community consultation and systematic needs assessment and resulted in a perceived imperative to limit responsibility and supplement funds. Consequently, the two local authorities have managed their level of responsibility by changing definitions of informal settlement. In an attempt to lower dependence on the local state, they have also moved some responsibility for responding to informal settlement and housing need away from the local state. Although the lack of funds was deplored in both cities, their specific strategies have differed in important ways. In the City of Johannesburg, the local state recognised that housing shortages and informal settlement could not be adequately addressed if categories of nonqualifiers such as foreigners were excluded from city programmes. Elected councillors therefore argued for a relaxation of the criteria in the national Housing Code. To access more funds, the local state has relied heavily on the private sector, but this is likely to push the poor out of the urban centre and to isolate them from economic opportunities, which reinforces the apartheid spatial distribution. In order to reach a larger proportion of the population in need of assistance, the City of Tshwane preferred to focus its efforts on the provision of serviced sites rather than on housing. This strategy was implemented in addition to severe repression in the form of eviction and destruction of informal settlements as well as a policy of zero tolerance of new informal settlement, for which two related rationalisations were offered by respondents: the high portion of non-qualifiers who live in informal settlements and, in particular, the presence of foreigners, for whom they would not accept responsibility. While the City of Johannesburg’s outsourcing of low-income housing serves to extend the disproportionate influence of the private sector over elements of urban citizenship, the City of Tshwane’s exclusion of non-qualifiers and its forced removal of informal settlements represent a unilateral approach to constructing citizenship. In both cases, the result is a degree of continuity with the early colonial administrations and the apartheid government. Both methods have also inflated the achievements of the cities. The overall result has been the construction of a narrow, shallow and punitive urban citizenship for residents of informal settlements in South Africa since the advent of local democracy in 2000.