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This study investigates the driving forces of political participation in the Netherlands from a perspective of political equality. Following an article by Jan Teorell (2006) a procedural approach of political equality is examined by studying whether resources or incentives make up the primary driving forces of political participation. An equality hypothesis is derived from normative democratic theory perspectives of participation. The hypothesis is divided in two parts. 1a. and 1b. state that resources should have no direct impact on political participation and incentives should have a direct impact on political participation. Hypotheses 2.a. and 2.b. state that resources do not have an impact on incentives known to impact political participation and that incentives have an impact on resources known to impact political participation. The Dutch panel data LISS (Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences) is used and cross-lagged effect models test the hypotheses. The panel data approach improves on previous research in that it ensures the correct temporal order of cause and effect. This helps us better understand the causal relationships at hand compared to previous cross-sectional approaches in the literature. This also enables us to disentangle the effects of all different factors on each other. The results show that while incentives do have some effect on political participation, resources remain significant when controlling for incentives. Furthermore, the results show that resources and incentives are tangled and have several reciprocal relationships with each other as well as political participation itself. In light of these findings, it is concluded that opportunities for political participation are not equal in the Netherlands, despite it being a least-likely case for political inequality. Additionally, the relationships between resources, incentives and political participation in relation to political equality are more complex than normally assumed in the literature.

Abstract  Background: Growing global concerns about sustainability highlight the importance of environmental sustainability, particularly environmentally conscious behaviors. There has been a growing focus on pro-environmental behavior (PEB) as a way for individuals to minimize their environmental impact. Global environmental challenges underscore the pressing need for proactive environmental action, particularly the growing emphasis on the importance of motivating individuals' daily actions and choices, as they directly contribute to environmental conservation and pro-environmental behavior. In the context of Sweden, the country is widely recognized for its commitment to environmental sustainability. Moreover, considering the increasing number of international university students in Sweden, it contributes to the academic environment and allows for the exploration of environmental behaviors within a diverse population. Given this, understanding, and promoting pro-environmental behaviors among this demographic in Sweden is essential, and it also helps contribute to the societal commitment to environmental conservation.  Purpose: This thesis aims to investigate the determinants that influence pro-environmental behavior among international university students in Sweden, employing social cognitive theory and the reciprocal determinism model. Focusing on personal (internal) factors like environmental knowledge and attitudes as well as environmental (external) factors like subjective norms and place attachment, this thesis also explored the interaction between pro-environmental behavior and its associated factors. By understanding these factors’ roles, this thesis aims to contribute to the development of effective strategies for promoting pro-environmental behavior among this population. Method: This thesis adopts a quantitative approach to examine the interplay of variables via an online survey. Data were collected from 203 individuals in Sweden, focusing on investigating the relationships between different factors and pro-environmental behavior based on eight formulated hypotheses. Respondents were selected using judgmental sampling, and data analysis was conducted using techniques such as Pearson’s correlation and multiple regression analysis in SPSS.  Conclusion: The results of this thesis reveal a significant association between different factors and pro-environmental behavior among international university students in Sweden. Specifically, environmental attitude and place attachment were found to positively influence pro-environmental behavior. Moreover, subjective norms were shown to have a positive impact on both environmental knowledge and attitude. However, neither the relationship between place attachment and environmental knowledge nor the relationship between environmental knowledge and subjective norms had any significant impact on pro-environmental behavior.

Globally the domestic worker sector is characterised by a sense of “voicelessness”—an esoteric silence fuelled by a dire need to survive. South Africa is heralded as a global ambassador for the rights of these women. Significant sectoral reforms in recent years regulate the transactional element of this employment relationship through stipulated minimum wages and employment standards. The relational element of this engagement, however, remains underexplored. A decade of global scholarship detailing the hardships that characterise this sector has helped to uncover the plight of domestic workers. The study provided the participants with an opportunity to express their experiences and feelings, and the documented findings will hopefully stimulate more scholarly debate on this issue. It is hoped that the study will engender more sensitivity towards the needs of this vulnerable group of workers and promote positive employment relations within the South African labour market. The study describes the lived realities of domestic workers within the South African labour legislative context through five separate but interrelated journal articles. Article 1 provides a detailed “plan of action” that documents the initial considerations and rationale for the study. Guided by existing scholarly discourse, the research questions are highlighted and the proposed research design is presented. Issues related to trustworthiness are debated. This article constitutes the research proposal that was submitted during the initial phase of this research journey. Article 2 presents a transparent account of the methodological considerations that guided the co-construction of meaning within the South African domestic worker sector. Situated within the interpretivist paradigm, with phenomenology as theoretical underpinning, purposive respondent-driven self-sampling resulted in the recruitment of 20 female participants. All of them can be described as domestic workers in terms of Sectoral Determination 7. The pilot study indicated the value of using metaphors while exploring tentative topics. An interview guide facilitated the exploration of key concepts during our engagement. Rich, dense descriptive verbatim accounts of participants’ lived realities confirmed data saturation. In-depth interviews were transcribed and analysed through an inductive process of data reduction. Emanating themes confirmed that the South African domestic workers sector is far from being voiceless if we are only willing to listen. Making these voices heard constitutes a progressive step in future efforts to empower this neglected sector of the labour market. In article 3 a life-cycle approach is used to explore participants’ lived experiences of their work-life cycle. Each individual progresses through these various phases which are contextualised as a transitional process as a result of their unique circumstances and personal trajectory. Findings confirmed the existence of an institutionalised culture of engagement within the sector perpetuated from one generation to the next. Attempts to exit the sector are unsuccessful due in part to their limited formal education and skills repertoire. The article concludes with the notion that domestic workers are trapped within a never-ending cycle of sectoral engagement, and the possibility of exiting the sector remains “but a dream” for many. Article 4 focusses on the reciprocal interpersonal relatedness that often develops due to the prolonged engagement within the individualised sectoral employment context. Characterised by caring and connectedness, this mutually dignified treatment not only signals but also enhances human flourishing. Participants’ accounts of relational reciprocity are indicative of the enactment of cardinal Ubuntu principles within the employment context. The need for actions that surpass the “letter of the law” in order to enhance flourishing within the South African domestic worker sector is advocated. Article 5 explores the role that legislative awareness fulfils in the everyday lives of domestic workers. Findings indicated that empowerment was an unknown construct for all participants. The participants had little or no confidence in engaging their employers on employment issues; this was due in part to their limited legislative awareness. Domestic workers should thus take ownership of their own empowerment efforts. This will sanction their right to assert their expectations of employment standards with confidence and make use of the judicial system to bring about compliant action. The article concluded with the notion that legislative awareness can result in empowered actions though informed employee voices. / PhD (Labour Relations Management), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

Globally the domestic worker sector is characterised by a sense of “voicelessness”—an esoteric silence fuelled by a dire need to survive. South Africa is heralded as a global ambassador for the rights of these women. Significant sectoral reforms in recent years regulate the transactional element of this employment relationship through stipulated minimum wages and employment standards. The relational element of this engagement, however, remains underexplored. A decade of global scholarship detailing the hardships that characterise this sector has helped to uncover the plight of domestic workers. The study provided the participants with an opportunity to express their experiences and feelings, and the documented findings will hopefully stimulate more scholarly debate on this issue. It is hoped that the study will engender more sensitivity towards the needs of this vulnerable group of workers and promote positive employment relations within the South African labour market. The study describes the lived realities of domestic workers within the South African labour legislative context through five separate but interrelated journal articles. Article 1 provides a detailed “plan of action” that documents the initial considerations and rationale for the study. Guided by existing scholarly discourse, the research questions are highlighted and the proposed research design is presented. Issues related to trustworthiness are debated. This article constitutes the research proposal that was submitted during the initial phase of this research journey. Article 2 presents a transparent account of the methodological considerations that guided the co-construction of meaning within the South African domestic worker sector. Situated within the interpretivist paradigm, with phenomenology as theoretical underpinning, purposive respondent-driven self-sampling resulted in the recruitment of 20 female participants. All of them can be described as domestic workers in terms of Sectoral Determination 7. The pilot study indicated the value of using metaphors while exploring tentative topics. An interview guide facilitated the exploration of key concepts during our engagement. Rich, dense descriptive verbatim accounts of participants’ lived realities confirmed data saturation. In-depth interviews were transcribed and analysed through an inductive process of data reduction. Emanating themes confirmed that the South African domestic workers sector is far from being voiceless if we are only willing to listen. Making these voices heard constitutes a progressive step in future efforts to empower this neglected sector of the labour market. In article 3 a life-cycle approach is used to explore participants’ lived experiences of their work-life cycle. Each individual progresses through these various phases which are contextualised as a transitional process as a result of their unique circumstances and personal trajectory. Findings confirmed the existence of an institutionalised culture of engagement within the sector perpetuated from one generation to the next. Attempts to exit the sector are unsuccessful due in part to their limited formal education and skills repertoire. The article concludes with the notion that domestic workers are trapped within a never-ending cycle of sectoral engagement, and the possibility of exiting the sector remains “but a dream” for many. Article 4 focusses on the reciprocal interpersonal relatedness that often develops due to the prolonged engagement within the individualised sectoral employment context. Characterised by caring and connectedness, this mutually dignified treatment not only signals but also enhances human flourishing. Participants’ accounts of relational reciprocity are indicative of the enactment of cardinal Ubuntu principles within the employment context. The need for actions that surpass the “letter of the law” in order to enhance flourishing within the South African domestic worker sector is advocated. Article 5 explores the role that legislative awareness fulfils in the everyday lives of domestic workers. Findings indicated that empowerment was an unknown construct for all participants. The participants had little or no confidence in engaging their employers on employment issues; this was due in part to their limited legislative awareness. Domestic workers should thus take ownership of their own empowerment efforts. This will sanction their right to assert their expectations of employment standards with confidence and make use of the judicial system to bring about compliant action. The article concluded with the notion that legislative awareness can result in empowered actions though informed employee voices. / PhD (Labour Relations Management), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

This thesis is a critical evaluation of the content, form and technique of traditional and modern praise poetry in Northern Sotho. Chapter 1 presents the aim of the study and the method of research and defines the concepts of poetry and praise poetry. Praise poetry is viewed from a traditional and modern perspective. Chapter 2 deals with the content and technique of praise poetry. Content consists of oral praise poetry lauding the heroic deeds of men in battles and casual encounters. Modern praise poetry comments on current events. Devices for rapid composition of the praises are discussed. Techniques differ between poets and according to time, place and occasion. Chapter 3 covers the traditional praises of chiefs, warriors, initiates, animals, birds, divining bones and totem praises, examining them from the perspective of content and form. The praises extol human achievements, peculiar animal characteristics and the interpretation of "mawa" of divining bones. Chapter 4 deals with the development and transition from traditional to modern form as well as the reciprocal influence. The content and form of modern praises of chiefs, academics, community leaders, animals, birds, divining bones, man-made objects and some natural phenomena are discussed. Many modern poets have also written praises of fictional characters. Chapter 5 compares oral and written praise poetry by concentrating on the similarities and differences between traditional and modern praise poetry. This study shows that there are differences in of theme, rhyme, beginning and ending, sentence length and significant emphasis on man-made objects such as cars and locomotives as exceptional modes of transport for commuters. Chapter 6 concludes the study and proves that praise poetry is a living or dynamic entity which will continue to exist. Praise poetry highlights persons, interpersonal relationships, attitudes and values derived from an African conceptions of the universe. / African Languages / D.Litt. et Phil (African Languages)

This dissertation examines the assessment and mitigation of airborne noise from power generation equipment. The first half of the dissertation investigates the diagnosis and treatment of combustion oscillations in boilers. Sound is produced by the flame and is reflected downstream from the combustion chamber. The reflected sound waves perturb the mixture flow or equivalence ratio increasing the heat release pulsations and the accompanying sound produced by the flame. A feedback loop model for determining the likelihood of and diagnosing combustion oscillations was reviewed, enhanced, and then validated. The current work applies the feedback loop stability model to two boilers, which exhibited combustion oscillations. Additionally, a feedback loop model was developed for equivalence ratio fluctuations and validated. For the first boiler, the combustion oscillation problem is primarily related to the geometry of the burner and the intake system. For the second boiler, the model indicated that the combustion oscillations were due to equivalence ratio fluctuations. Principles for both measuring and simulating the acoustic impedance are summarized. An approach for including the effect of structural-acoustic coupling was developed. Additionally, a method for determining the impedance above the plane wave cut-off frequency, using the acoustic FEM, of the boiler was proposed. The second half of the dissertation examines the modeling of bar silencers. Bar silencers are used to mitigate the airborne noise from large power generation equipment (especially gas turbines). Due to the large dimensions of the full cross section, a small representative cell is isolated from the entire array for analysis purposes. To predict the acoustical performance of the isolated cell for different geometric configurations, a numerical method based on the direct mixed-body boundary element method (BEM) was used. An analytical solution for a simplified circular geometry was also derived to serve as a comparison tool for the BEM. Additionally, a parametric study focusing on the effects of flow resistivity, perforate porosity, length of bars, and cross-sectional area ratio was performed. A new approach was proposed to evaluate the transmission loss based on a reciprocal work identity. Moreover, extension of the transmission loss computation above the plane wave cut-off frequency was demonstrated.

本研究的目的在探討「交互教學法」對台灣國中生英文閱讀能力與後設認知之效益，並研究國中生對此教學的回應。參與本研究的學生為82名苗栗縣某公立高中的兩班九十五學年度九年級學生，實驗組施以12週交互教學法，控制組則為傳統老師講授方式，在教學活動前後，實驗組和控制組所有學生皆施以閱讀理解測驗（採自全民英檢初級閱讀測驗）及後設認知問卷，實驗組多加施以交互教學法回饋問卷。 本研究結果摘要如下： 1. 實驗組與控制組在閱讀理解測驗表現有顯著差異，亦即，交互教學法有效地增進學生閱讀理解表現。 2. 後設認知方面，實驗組在「閱讀信心」、「閱讀困難」和「閱讀能力強的人應具備的能力」三項後設認知能力表現顯著提高，在「有效閱讀策略」與「補救策略」二項之後設認知表現亦有明顯進步。 3. 交互教學法有助於增強學生對閱讀策略的觀念和用法，大部分受試者認為「摘要」與「預測」是最實用的閱讀策略。 4. 回饋問卷顯示，大部分實驗組學生對交互教學法持正面支持態度，並表示願意將所學之閱讀策略運用在未來的英語閱讀中。 根據上述結果，本研究建議國中英語教師可運用「交互教學法」增進學生英 語閱讀能力與後設認知能力，並提升學生學習英語的興趣。同時為了讓「交互教學法」發揮最大效用，教師應考慮學生在語言學習上之個別差異，以避免學生心理上的排斥與學習上的反效果。 / This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of reciprocal teaching in promoting EFL junior high school students’ reading comprehension and metacognitive awareness. In addition, students’ responses to reciprocal teaching were probed. Participants of this study included 82 ninth-graders from two intact classes in one public senior high school in Miaoli in the fall semester of 2006. The experimental group was engaged in reciprocal teaching and the control group was instructed in the traditional teacher-centered method. The reading comprehension test of GEPT at elementary level was used as the pretest and posttest to measure the participants’ reading ability before and after the instruction. Additionally, two questionnaires were adopted: one for investigating the effects of reciprocal teaching on students’ metacognitive awareness and the other for measuring the experimental group’s attitudes towards reciprocal teaching. After twelve weeks of experiment, the main results of this study can now be summarized as follows: 1. The participants’ reading comprehension ability improved significantly after the implementation of reciprocal teaching. 2. The participants’ metacognitive awareness was significantly higher especially in the categories of students’ reading confidence, students’ perceptions of reading difficulties, and students’ perceptions of a good reader. Students’ perceptions of repair strategies and effective strategies, though no significantly different , the participants did make progress in recognition of top-down and bottom-up strategies. 3. Reciprocal teaching helped the participants build up knowledge and use the instructed strategies. The strategies viewed by the participants as the most practical ones were “summarizing” and “predicting”. 4. According to the findings from the response questionnaire, the participants’ attitudes toward and responses to reciprocal teaching may be described as being supportive and positive. In addition, most of the participants expressed their willingness to employ the instructed strategies in their future English reading. The results suggest that reciprocal teaching can be a viable approach to help improve junior high school students’ reading comprehension ability and metacognitive awareness of English reading. Besides, students’ interest in learning can be stirred up. Yet, it should be noted that when conducting reciprocal teaching, teachers need to be taken into account students’ personal difference in language learning to avoid potential rejection.

This thesis reports on the development of low-temperature processes for transition metal carbide and MAX-phase thin film growth. Magnetron sputtering and evaporation, far from thermodynamical equilibrium, have been utilised to engineer the properties of the films by physical and chemical control. Deposition of W, W2C and β-WC1-x films with controlled microstructure, from nanocrystalline to epitaxial, is shown in the W-C system down to 100 oC. W films with upto 20 at% C exhibited an extreme solid-solution hardening effect, with a nanoindentation hardness maximum of 35 GPa. Furthermore, the design of epitaxial ternary carbide films is demonstrated in the Ti1-xVxCy system in the form of controlled unit-cell parameters, strain-free films with a perfect match to the substrate, and ternary epitaxial gradient films. Moreover, phase stabilisation and pseudomorphic growth can be tuned in (Nb,Mo)C and (Ti,W)C films. The results obtained can be used for example to optimise electrical contacts in SiC high-power semiconductor devices. A large part of this thesis focuses on the deposition of MAX-phases. These compounds constitute a family of thermally stable nanolaminates with composition Mn+1AXn, n=1, 2 or 3, where M is an early transition metal, A is generally a group 13-14 element, and X is C or N. They show a combination of typical ceramic and metallic properties and are also machinable by virtue of the unique deformation behaviour observed only in laminates. So far, the MAX-phases have almost exclusively been prepared by high-temperature sintering and studied in bulk form. However, this thesis establishes a patented seed layer approach for successful MAX-phase thin film depositions down to 750 oC. For the first time, single-phase and epitaxial films of Ti3SiC2, Ti3AlC2 and Ti2AlC have been grown. The method has also been used to synthesise a new MAX-phase, Ti4SiC3. In addition, two previously unreported intergrown MAX-type structures are presented, Ti5Si2C3 and Ti7Si2C5. Combined theoretical and experimental results show the possibility to deposit films with very low bulk resistivity and designed mechanical properties. Furthermore, the demonstration of MAX-phase and carbide multilayer films paves the way for macrostructure engineering, for example, in coatings for low-friction or wear applications.

This study highlights and raise the question regarding how Swedish language teachers teach reading comprehension. The study presents the results of four interviews conducted with four different Swedish language teachers from the grades 7-9. Starting in previous research and current theories about reading, interaction and teaching, the subject focus on the problem from a teacher’s perspective. The study is based on a qualitative research with focus on qualitative and semi structure interviews as a choice of method. The purpose of this study is to highlight how Swedish language teachers perceive their own reading comprehension teaching and how they teach their pupils in reading comprehension. The result does not represent how teachers in general teaches pupils in reading comprehension. It shows the experience, the perception and the view of four Swedish language teachers on reading comprehension. Abilities such as analyze, read between the lines and interpret different text types are components which all of the asked teachers are highlighting as important factors to make pupils develop good reading comprehension. The four Swedish language teachers in this study also mean that the decoding ability is a big deal in this context. The Swedish language teachers reading comprehension teaching in educational environments are exemplified by discussions and dialogues in the classroom through social interaction, different kinds of aloud reading, strategies of reading between the lines, teaching of different kinds of reading strategies through model learning. / Den här studien behandlar och tar i första hand upp frågan om svensklärares läsförståelseundervisning. Studien redovisar resultatet från de intervjuer som genomfördes med fyra olika svensklärare som är verksamma på högstadiet. Med utgångspunkt i tidigare forskning, samt aktuella teorier om läsning, interaktion och lärande, behandlas problemområdet utifrån ett lärarperspektiv. Undersökningen utgår från en kvalitativ forskningsinriktning med kvalitativa och semistrukturerade intervjuer som metodval. Syftet med denna studie är att belysa hur svensklärare, mot grundskolans senare år, uppfattar sin läsförståelseundervisning, samt hur de undervisar elever i läsförståelse.   Resultatet är inte representativt för hur lärare undervisar elever i läsförståelse, utan redovisar istället fyra svensklärares erfarenhet, uppfattning och syn på läsförståelseundervisning. Förmågor som att analysera, läsa mellan raderna och tolka olika texttyper är komponenter som samtliga lärare framhäver som viktiga faktorer för att elever ska utveckla god läsförståelse. Svensklärarna i studien menar också att ordavkodningsförmågan spelar en stor roll i det här sammanhanget. Svensklärarnas läsundervisning i pedagogiska miljöer exemplifieras bland annat av diskussioner och samtal i klassrummet genom social interaktion, olika former av högläsning, strategier för att läsa mellan raderna, undervisning av olika typer av läsförståelsestrategier genom att modellera.