The thesis advances a sociological model of local Church of England churches. The model is based on a study of the process of secularisation which is seen to influence the local churches towards their becoming specialist religious organisations. The variety of ways in which churches respond to this influence is an important part of understanding the differences between churches. 144 parishes from the West Midlands and from four New Towns were investigated by postal survey. Follow-up interviews with clergy and churchwardens in thirteen selected parishes provided the most important data for the development of the model. The model has two axes: the priorities held by local churches and the activities which the churches pursue. Priorities and activities are classified according to whether they are sacred or secular orientated. Four ideal types emerge from the model: the Sectarian Church, with sacred activities and priorities; the Missionising Church, with secular activities but sacred priorities; the Community Church, with secular activities and priorities; and the Civic Church, with sacred activities but secular priorities. The thirteen parishes are plotted on the model and some of the applications of the model are demonstrated. Subsidiary areas of investigation are the distinctiveness of New Town church life; the priorities of the clergy and their influence on the local church; and findings about the "well-being" of the local church which challenge the stereotype view of the Church of England in decline. The model, rooted in sociological theory and research data, is shown to be robust and valuable in understanding variations between local churches, different aspects of their life and changes taking place over time.

This paper attempts to isolate some implications for secondary and adult education emerging from an exploratory study of perceived effective interactional communication in a religious organisation. Leaders of the local parishes of the Catholic Church in Australia are in the process of moving from the traditional basic communication structure of an hierarchical model to the lateral and collaborative interaction of a more participative model of management. This descriptive study records the perceptions of a sample of parish workers in the Church throughout Australia as they describe some of the problems they experienced in communication processes and attempted to identify the reason why these problems emerged. In doing so, they also identified the more effective communication processes emerging in this new form of pastoral ministry. They listed a number of attitudes which they believed would lead to greater communication effectiveness and without which genuine constructive communication usually does not take place (Carl Rogers 1957 in Bolton, 1983 p. 259). The media and written communication are not explored, except in their relation to effective meeting procedures. Verbal and non-verbal communication amongst people interacting with one another in the interpersonal organisational setting is the focus of this work. The findings of this study point in the short term, to the need for empowering people engaged in pastoral work with the necessary skills of effective communication processes. In the long term, the paper proposes the need for continuing educational emphasis on communication skills especially in secondary schools when students move towards a more personalised form of self-assertion.

No abstract available. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Durban-Westville, 1988.

Masters of Art / Knowledge Management (KM) has developed over the years into a mainstream organisational necessity to achieve success and organisational effectiveness. The goal of this study is to assess KM and organisational learning within religious organisations especially Pentecostal Churches. This study is based on both qualitative and quantitative research design, employing a case study research method. The study population was the 120 congregational members of Christian Faith Revival Ministries of South Africa, located in Tafelsig, Mitchell’s Plain, Cape Town. Quantitative and qualitative data was collected using questionnaire and Interview. Analysis was done using SPSS and Atlas.ti.

This thesis analyses local forms of civil society practised in contemporary Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and provides a common thread on which to base a Central Asian understanding of civil society. I look to find out factors and constituents, which on the surface might be different from a classical liberal concept of civil society. The thesis applies a wider anthropological framework, which sees civil society as a broad network of social relationships, including traditional forms of associational life that can be relatively independent of the state. The study draws upon a multi-locale ethnography in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan including in-depth and focus group interviews, participant observations, case studies, and archival research. I have investigated associations whose activities are concerned with reciprocal relations within society based on community solidarity, self-help, and mutual trust. These include professional associations, trade unions, ethno-cultural associations, religious organisations, courtyard clubs, the traditional Uzbek neighbourhood institution of mahalla, and informal practices of gap and khashar. While arguing that the meaning of civil society depends on context, the study has found that traditional elements of the preserved social fabric in Central Asian societies are reflected in today's networks of individuals. The thesis has generated knowledge on how local forms of associational life define the civil sphere by shaping social organisation, solidarity and mobilisation. Through empirical understanding of the public space, formal and informal networks that bond people together, we can locate wider ethnographic differences between not only the original and Central Asian concepts of civil society but also between two local cultures of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.