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

Alkohol är ett vanligt berusningsmedel i Sverige. Tidigare forskning har visat att familj och vänner påverkar ungdomars alkoholkonsumtion. Studiens syfte var att undersöka ungdomars upplevelse av vad som påverkade deras alkoholkonsumtion samt om skillnader fanns mellan landsbygd och stad. Den teoretiska utgångspunkten i undersökningen var Bronfenbrenners ekologiska modell. Metoden som användes var berättelser där ungdomar skrev om en situation där de druckit alkohol eller avstått samt öppna enkätfrågor. Deltagarna kom från två gymnasieskolor och var i åldrarna 15-20 år. Totalt 96 personer medverkade varav 68 tjejer. Resultatet visade att fest, vänner, eget beslut och resor var de faktorer som påverkade mest. På landsbygden påverkades ungdomarna mer av familj och släkt. I staden upplevde många det som jobbigt att vara ensam om att vara nykter. De vanligaste orsakerna att avstå från alkohol var dåliga erfarenheter, inget behov och roligt utan. Överlag hade ungdomar på landsbygden en mer avslappnad syn till alkoholkonsumtionen.

Thesis (M.M. (ICT Policy and Regulation))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Public and Development, 2013. / This research study investigates challenges affecting the supply and demand side factors of the broadband ecosystem that hinder the market development of broadband in rural areas in South Africa and how policy and regulation has affected the evolution of the broadband ecosystem in rural areas. Although the elements of the broadband ecosystem are strong and well placed in urban areas, not all elements of the broadband ecosystem in rural areas are in place and equally strong. The relative strengths and weaknesses of the different elements of the broadband ecosystem in rural areas are unknown and demand and supply side factors are not understood. Hence the broadband policy may not be based on a full understanding of the complex ecosystem. The study points to a classic case of market failure that exists in rural areas in relation to the broadband market development. The study identifies that a governance framework, investment management framework, universal access funding model, sufficient frequency spectrum resources, policies and regulation that specifically address the development of the broadband market in rural areas are lacking. Although the barriers and gaps identified in this study are known to the industry this research study goes further to corroborate from an academic research perspective the existence of these barriers that are affecting the broadband market development of rural areas.

No description available.

The main goal of this thesis is to identify and characterize elements of development in Rokycany district. To achieve this goal, the district is divided into 4 areas. In addition to the urban area there are defined 3 rural areas: suburban rural area, intermediate rural area and peripheral rural area. For finding out the status and development of these areas the analysis of various socioeconomic indicators is used here. Moreover the classification of municipalities according to level of development is presented here. Conclusions indicate that rural areas of the district Rokycany exhibit varying degrees of acceleration and development. While the suburban rural area is characterized by frenetic housing construction, high levels of business activity and the proportion of university graduates approaching the level of big cities; the peripheral rural area captures significantly unfavorable age structure of the population, a high proportion of people employed in agriculture, seasonal fluctuations in the level of unemployment, lower level of population education and poor access to services and technical infrastructure. Yet neither of the rural areas of the district was between years 2009 and 2014 in population loss. For the economic and social stability of the territory the new factories built by foreign capital have the significant importance. These factories are mostly located along the regional development axis: D5 highway. They have a positive impact on employment, but their strong focus on producing components for automobiles and lower demands on workers' qualifications bring the threat of vulnerability of the districts economy.

O objetivo geral do estudo foi compreender as significações dos gestores educacionais sobre o atendimento às crianças do campo na educação infantil. Buscou-se ainda compreender: como municípios da mesorregião de Ribeirão Preto (SP) ofertam a educação infantil às crianças de 0 a 5 anos moradoras em área rural; como gestores educacionais organizam e significam o atendimento às crianças do campo na educação infantil. O estudo teve uma abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa. Os dados quantitativos foram levantados por meio de questionários respondidos por 18 secretarias de educação de municípios da mesorregião de Ribeirão Preto. As informações qualitativas foram levantadas por meio de observação em 4 pré-escolas localizadas no campo e de entrevistas com gestores de um município da mesorregião de Ribeirão Preto, escolhido como foco da pesquisa. Participaram 6 gestores: 1 secretária de educação, 1 coordenadora municipal de educação infantil, 2 diretoras escolares e 2 coordenadoras pedagógicas das pré-escolas no campo. O material empírico foi categorizado e analisado de acordo com a perspectiva teórico metodológica da Rede de Significações. Os resultados advindos dos questionários indicam que: a quase totalidade dos municípios oferta educação infantil para as crianças em área rural; a oferta é prioritária para crianças de 4 e 5 anos de idade, ou seja, na pré-escola; quando ofertado, o atendimento das crianças de 0 a 3 anos do campo ocorre somente em creche localizada em área urbana; a oferta de pré-escola ocorre preferencialmente em área urbana; os municípios alegam possuir proposta pedagógica, mas não a fundamentam em legislações relativas à educação do campo; existe investimento em formação continuada, mas poucos municípios oferecem formação específica; parte das escolas de educação infantil localizadas no campo não possuem autonomia administrativa; investimento em transporte escolar da criança para a área urbana em detrimento de investimento em atendimento na própria área rural; os municípios disponibilizam transporte público, mas ainda alguns não possuem a figura de um monitor para acompanhar as crianças no trajeto entre escola e a casa. A pesquisa qualitativa revela que o município investigado realiza atendimento prioritário da criança do campo de 4 a 5 anos, em pré-escola localizada em área rural. As gestoras apresentam significações que transitam entre a preocupação em manter aspectos gerais da educação infantil para todas as crianças e a busca por adaptações de aspectos específicos da educação infantil para as crianças de área rural. As participantes tomam a valorização da cultura do campo como norteadora das práticas específicas nas pré-escolas no campo. Apontam para a necessidade de reestruturação na gestão escolar no município, que vincula as pré-escolas no campo à escolas de educação infantil localizadas na cidade. A indicação política para cargo de diretor escolar é significada como negativa pelas diretoras escolares e necessária para a secretaria de educação. O envolvimento do prefeito é destaque na educação infantil para as crianças em área rural e reflete nas possibilidades de gestão. / This study mainly aimed at understanding the meanings from educational managers on the support for children from rural areas in preschool education. The study as well intended to comprehend: how townships from the mesoregion of Ribeirão Preto offer preschool education to 0 to 5 year-old children who live in rural areas; how educational managers organize and signify the support for children from rural areas in preschool education. The study was carried out having a qualitative and quantitative approach. Quantitative data were obtained through questionnaires filled out by 18 educational secretaries within the mesoregion of Ribeirão Pretos townships. Qualitative data were obtained through observation of 4 preschools in rural area and through interviews with managers from one township within the mesoregion of Ribeirão Preto, chosen as the research focus. The participants were 6 managers: 1 preschool secretary, 1 city preschool coordinator, 2 school principals and 2 city preschool coordinator in rural area. Empirical material was categorized and analyzed according to the methodological-theoretical perspective of the Network of Meaning. Results from the questionnaires indicate that: almost all townships offer preschool to children from rural areas; offer is mainly for 4 to 5 year-old children; when offered the services for 0 to 3 year-old children from rural areas only occur in kindergartens set in urban places; preschool offer is preferably in urban area; townships allege to have a pedagogical proposal, however it has not been based on legislations concerning education in rural areas; there is investment for continuing education, however only a few townships offer specific degree; some preschools in rural areas have no managerial autonomy; investment in transportation for children to commute from urban to rural areas in detriment of investment to support the rural area itself; townships offer public transportation, however some still do not have someone to monitor the children from school home and from home to school. The qualitative research reveals the investigated township performs prioritize support for 4 to 5 year-old children from rural areas, in preschools located in rural areas. Managers presented meanings that go from worry in keeping general aspects of preschool for all children until the pursuit to adapt specific aspects of preschool for children in rural areas. Participants believe the valorization of rural area culture is the clue for preschools in rural areas to have specific practices. Managers claim for the restructuring of municipal school management, which links preschools in rural areas to preschools in urban areas. School directors mean the position of school principal being indicated politically as negative, although necessary for the Education Secretariat. The involvement of the mayor is a main point in preschool for children in rural areas, and reflects management possibilities.

O objetivo geral do estudo foi compreender as significações dos gestores educacionais sobre o atendimento às crianças do campo na educação infantil. Buscou-se ainda compreender: como municípios da mesorregião de Ribeirão Preto (SP) ofertam a educação infantil às crianças de 0 a 5 anos moradoras em área rural; como gestores educacionais organizam e significam o atendimento às crianças do campo na educação infantil. O estudo teve uma abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa. Os dados quantitativos foram levantados por meio de questionários respondidos por 18 secretarias de educação de municípios da mesorregião de Ribeirão Preto. As informações qualitativas foram levantadas por meio de observação em 4 pré-escolas localizadas no campo e de entrevistas com gestores de um município da mesorregião de Ribeirão Preto, escolhido como foco da pesquisa. Participaram 6 gestores: 1 secretária de educação, 1 coordenadora municipal de educação infantil, 2 diretoras escolares e 2 coordenadoras pedagógicas das pré-escolas no campo. O material empírico foi categorizado e analisado de acordo com a perspectiva teórico metodológica da Rede de Significações. Os resultados advindos dos questionários indicam que: a quase totalidade dos municípios oferta educação infantil para as crianças em área rural; a oferta é prioritária para crianças de 4 e 5 anos de idade, ou seja, na pré-escola; quando ofertado, o atendimento das crianças de 0 a 3 anos do campo ocorre somente em creche localizada em área urbana; a oferta de pré-escola ocorre preferencialmente em área urbana; os municípios alegam possuir proposta pedagógica, mas não a fundamentam em legislações relativas à educação do campo; existe investimento em formação continuada, mas poucos municípios oferecem formação específica; parte das escolas de educação infantil localizadas no campo não possuem autonomia administrativa; investimento em transporte escolar da criança para a área urbana em detrimento de investimento em atendimento na própria área rural; os municípios disponibilizam transporte público, mas ainda alguns não possuem a figura de um monitor para acompanhar as crianças no trajeto entre escola e a casa. A pesquisa qualitativa revela que o município investigado realiza atendimento prioritário da criança do campo de 4 a 5 anos, em pré-escola localizada em área rural. As gestoras apresentam significações que transitam entre a preocupação em manter aspectos gerais da educação infantil para todas as crianças e a busca por adaptações de aspectos específicos da educação infantil para as crianças de área rural. As participantes tomam a valorização da cultura do campo como norteadora das práticas específicas nas pré-escolas no campo. Apontam para a necessidade de reestruturação na gestão escolar no município, que vincula as pré-escolas no campo à escolas de educação infantil localizadas na cidade. A indicação política para cargo de diretor escolar é significada como negativa pelas diretoras escolares e necessária para a secretaria de educação. O envolvimento do prefeito é destaque na educação infantil para as crianças em área rural e reflete nas possibilidades de gestão. / This study mainly aimed at understanding the meanings from educational managers on the support for children from rural areas in preschool education. The study as well intended to comprehend: how townships from the mesoregion of Ribeirão Preto offer preschool education to 0 to 5 year-old children who live in rural areas; how educational managers organize and signify the support for children from rural areas in preschool education. The study was carried out having a qualitative and quantitative approach. Quantitative data were obtained through questionnaires filled out by 18 educational secretaries within the mesoregion of Ribeirão Pretos townships. Qualitative data were obtained through observation of 4 preschools in rural area and through interviews with managers from one township within the mesoregion of Ribeirão Preto, chosen as the research focus. The participants were 6 managers: 1 preschool secretary, 1 city preschool coordinator, 2 school principals and 2 city preschool coordinator in rural area. Empirical material was categorized and analyzed according to the methodological-theoretical perspective of the Network of Meaning. Results from the questionnaires indicate that: almost all townships offer preschool to children from rural areas; offer is mainly for 4 to 5 year-old children; when offered the services for 0 to 3 year-old children from rural areas only occur in kindergartens set in urban places; preschool offer is preferably in urban area; townships allege to have a pedagogical proposal, however it has not been based on legislations concerning education in rural areas; there is investment for continuing education, however only a few townships offer specific degree; some preschools in rural areas have no managerial autonomy; investment in transportation for children to commute from urban to rural areas in detriment of investment to support the rural area itself; townships offer public transportation, however some still do not have someone to monitor the children from school home and from home to school. The qualitative research reveals the investigated township performs prioritize support for 4 to 5 year-old children from rural areas, in preschools located in rural areas. Managers presented meanings that go from worry in keeping general aspects of preschool for all children until the pursuit to adapt specific aspects of preschool for children in rural areas. Participants believe the valorization of rural area culture is the clue for preschools in rural areas to have specific practices. Managers claim for the restructuring of municipal school management, which links preschools in rural areas to preschools in urban areas. School directors mean the position of school principal being indicated politically as negative, although necessary for the Education Secretariat. The involvement of the mayor is a main point in preschool for children in rural areas, and reflects management possibilities.

The emerging techniques of mobile GIS applications, its abilities and its implied limitations ofinternet connections is the main subject in this study. Many of the operations that mobile devicesuse are dependent on mobile internet connectivity. Therefore the potential for it in well connectedareas is great but how would they function in less connected areas? Mobile GIS, which is todaymostly used in devices as smart phones and tablets, has internet connectivity for uploading anddownloading files and other data. Mobile GIS is also dependent on location-based services thatenable the device to get information or take action from the current location of the device. Thisresearch examines the potential usage of mobile GIS in conjunction with the bandwidth of wirelesstechnologies. It is important to study this issue to see if mobile applications can perform upload anddownload tasks within reasonable time in poor mobile coverage. To test the possibilities of mobileGIS in rural areas a test environment is set up in a mobile GIS application for septic tanks. Thetesting is performed by uploading and downloading data with real GIS actions from pre-selectedlocations that have low mobile coverage. The study is comparing the measurements with a scale ofacceptable time for download and upload. The result for registering (uploading) a new point inmobile GIS with three small images is that it requires at least 330 Kbit/s connection to transfer thedata within acceptable time. The results for uploading data without images and downloading giveseven better results and are not as dependent on a good connection for transferring within acceptabletime. The conclusion is that mobile gis applications are able to run within acceptable time measuresin rural areas. The results and other sources were used to make general guidelines for mobile GISapplications for use in rural areas.

Social control theory focuses on why some people do not commit deviant behaviours, such as illicit drug use. It proposes that bonding to conventional society constrains deviant conduct. In the book Causes of Delinquency, Hirschi distinguished four elements of social bonds: attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. This study draws upon data from the 2012 Canadian Alcohol and Drug Monitor Survey to examine the effect of social control theory, specifically the element of attachment, on controlling cannabis use. This study also uses the element of attachment to interpret gender and rural/non-rural area differences in cannabis use. Two hypotheses are offered: (1) females are less likely to use cannabis than males because females have greater attachment to others; (2) rural residents are less likely to use cannabis than non-rural residents because rural residents have greater attachment to others. The research methods in the study are cross-tabulation analysis and binary logistic regression. The statistical analysis results support both hypotheses: females have a significantly lower rate of cannabis use than males and rural residents have a significantly lower rate of cannabis use than non-rural residents. Having greater attachment to others may be associated with a decreased rate of cannabis use. Policy and further research recommendations are made.