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The need for successful grouping of children in the primary school has been personally felt by the writer of this paper many times in her own classroom. In the years that have passed, some groups have seemed to progress quite satisfactorily in total development, while others have seemed disappointingly slow. Some groups have worked in almost perfect harmony while others have been in conflict. What dynamics were at work that contributed to successful grouping? What forces had retarded desirable growth? Much has been written recently about successful grouping of children. Enlightening evidences of good grouping practices have been reported. While some actual research studies have been conducted, most of the literature sampled reported opinions or individual suggestions for practice. The plan for this paper is to summarize the literature reviewed in the light of grouping according to the needs of children. / "A Paper." / Typescript. / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science." / Advisor: W. Edwards, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references.

Researchers have long argued that ritual plays a crucial role in marking social identities and binding individuals together in a system of shared actions and beliefs. The psychological processes underlying how and why ritual promotes group bonding and influences in- and out-group biases have not yet been fully elucidated. The research presented in this thesis was designed to examine the social and cognitive developmental underpinnings of conventional/ ritualistic behavior. Because learning cultural conventions is essential for participation in group behavior and for signaling group membership and commitment, I propose that conventional/ ritualistic learning is motivated by a drive to affiliate. Experiment 1 investigated the affiliative nature of ritualistic learning by examining the effects of third-party ostracism on imitation of an instrumental versus ritual action sequence and prosocial behavior. Individuals who do not participate in shared group conventions often face the threat of ostracism from the group. Given that attempting re-inclusion is an established response to ostracism, I predicted that the threat of ostracism increases affiliative motivations and thus will increase imitative fidelity, especially in the context of conventional learning. Experiment 2 examined the effects of first-person ostracism in the context of in- and out-groups on children’s imitation of a ritualistic action sequence and pro-social behavior. I predicted that the experience of ostracism by an in-group versus an out-group has important implications for the construal of social exclusion and affiliative behavior. I hypothesized that children would be motivated to re-affiliate by imitating the model and acting pro-socially towards the group, especially when ostracized by in-group members. Based on the findings of this research and insight from anthropology, and social and developmental psychology, I will present a picture of how children acquire the conventions of their group and how these conventions influence social group cognition.

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Invasive non-native species are believed to be one of the biggest threats to biodiversity. Until now biological invasions have been mainly studied from a biological perspective and much research has been undertaken to investigate species’ ecology and potential options for management. Comparatively little attention has been devoted to questions regarding the social construction of the issue. This is despite invasion biologists increasingly acknowledging the fundamental importance of human perceptions, beliefs, attitudes and values inherent in debates about invasive non-native species. This thesis employs a mix of methods from the social sciences to investigate the social construction of biological invasions. Research conducted here is based on the theory of social representations. Thus, taking a social scientific perspective, the thesis contributes to both the development of the theory and an identification of beliefs inherent in the debate on biological invasions and their relationship to people’s attitudes towards species and their management. Those species attributes that predominantly shape the debate – but yet appear to be under-researched – are identified. Based on the findings in this thesis I argue that invasion biology would benefit from a more explicit and transparent use of its concepts and terminology. This will have implications also for the communication with policy makers, conservation managers and the general public. Recommendations for future research are discussed along with limitations of the thesis.

The purpose of this present investigation was twofold: to determine the relationship between cohesion and performance for successful and unsuccessful bowling teams and to investigate the internal consistency of items from the Group Environment Questionnaire. Subjects were 148 bowling teams (28 men's, 55 women's, 65 mixed--3-5 members each) from 14 different leagues. Results revealed that task cohesion (ATGT) in early, mid, and late season, as well as social cohesion (ATGS) in late season significantly differentiated between high/low cohesion teams. In addition, successful teams (i.e., league position) exhibited significantly higher levels of both task and composite cohesion. All cohesion scales, with the exception of ATGS in early season, revealed a moderate to high level of internal consistency.

The aim of this study was to develop a scale to measure group functioning in work groups. The scale was developed based on the Integrative Model of Group Development. There were 76 individuals who participated in the study. There were 15 groups that participated in this study. The sample was drawn from an organisation in Johannesburg. The research design was non-experimental and cross-sectional in nature. The data collected were analysed using factor analysis, Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient and discriminant analysis. The results showed that the overall scale had two subscales which showed strong reliabilities. The implications of the findings are that further research is needed to match stages of group development with the behaviour of individuals in organisations. The findings indicate that more research on group functioning in the South African work context is required.

A research report submitted to the Schools of Public Health and Social Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Masters of Arts in the Demography and Population Studies / Although life expectancy has increased in South Africa (RSA), compared with other middle-income countries, health status is poor most especially among the black majority. Coupled with this are the burdens of infectious and non-communicable diseases. RSA has also shown evidence of weak social cohesion through prevalent racial and gender discrimination, income inequalities, and violence. While previous studies on the health status of adults in RSA has only examined its association with other social determinants, the relationship of adult health status and social cohesion, unlike in developed countries, remains under researched in South Africa and other African countries. Using the collective efficacy theory by Sampson and colleagues (1997), this study adds the ‘African perspective’ to the ongoing debate about the health importance of social cohesion. It examined the relationship between social cohesion and the health status of adults in South Africa. The levels and patterns of health across social cohesion and other socio-demographic characteristics were also examined. DATA AND METHODS: Data was drawn from the 2012 South African Social Attitudes Survey, a survey implemented annually by the Human Sciences Research Council. Social cohesion was assessed by drawing from the five measurable items from the work of Sampson and colleagues (1997) which encompass trust, a sense of belonging, shared values and helpless in both cash and kind. These items were subjected to principal component factor analysis with Promax rotation. Cronbach’s alpha (α) for this scale is 0.84. Scores were divided into tertiles of low, medium and high social cohesion. A cumulative stepwise logistic regression model was fitted on a weighted sample of 22,605,550 adults in South Africa aged 18 years or older to examine the nexus between social cohesion and self-rated health status. Sub-group analysis examined if the observed relationship differed by race. The data was analysed using STATA software version 14. All model diagnostics showed that the model fits reasonably for the data. The interpretation of results was made using odds ratios (ORs), and a 95% confidence was used. RESULTS: More than half of adults (54%) in South Africa reported themselves to be in good health while only about 17% reported that they were in poor health. The percentage of adults reporting good health is higher among adults in the highest tertile of social cohesion (59%), compared to 53% among those in the lowest tertile. Controlling for other characteristics, regression analysis showed that adults in lowest tertile [OR:0.70, CI:0.516 - 0.965] and moderate tertile [OR:0.79, CI:0.589 - 1.055] of social cohesion were less likely to report moderate or good health compared to adults in the highest tertile of social cohesion, but the relationship was only statistically significant among adults in the lowest tertile of social cohesion. Sub-group analysis by race showed that among all the racial groups (excluding Indian or Asian adults), black African [OR:0.68, CI:0.472-0.989], coloured [OR:0.63, CI:0.305-1.309], and white [OR:0.67, CI:0.293 1.545] adults residing in the lowest tertile of social cohesion were less likely to be in moderate or good health compared to those in the highest tertile of social cohesion, but the relationship was only statistically significant among black Africans. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The findings from this study demonstrate that social cohesion among adults in South Africa, particularly among black Africans, is important for improvement in health. It is therefore important that the government of South Africa intensifies efforts aimed at increasing social cohesion among adults, particularly among black Africans. This could be achieved through public awareness on the health importance of social cohesion and the need for neighbours to share similar values, trust one another and be willing to help. This is especially important if significant progress is to be made in achieving the sustainable development goals to improve the health of adults in the country by 2030. / XL2018

O presente trabalho toma por objeto a operacionalização do conceito de classes por meio da definição de variáveis para classificação da população em grupos sociais. O estudo apóia-se no arcabouço teórico-metodológico da Epidemiologia Crítica que fundamenta-se numa compreensão de saúde e doença que coloca no centro da explicação dos determinantes da saúde, o trabalho - a produção capitalista e, a ele subordinado, a vida - o consumo sob o comando do processo de acumulação capitalista. Esta investigação pretende averiguar a capacidade das variáveis de trabalho e vida - reprodução social de mostrar as diferenças de reprodução social das famílias e apoiar a operacionalização do conceito de classe na contemporaneidade. Tem por objetivos específicos: a) levantar por meio de inquérito domiciliar variáveis de reprodução social de famílias que vivem em diferentes espaços sociais de uma cidade da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo; b) analisar o comportamento dessas variáveis de reprodução social quanto à sua capacidade para formar grupos com semelhantes formas de trabalhar e de viver; c) construir um índice de reprodução social capaz de mostrar as diferenças de reprodução social entre as famílias no micro espaço. Partiu-se de arcabouço proposto na literatura, para criar grupos sociais homogêneos, definindo-se um conjunto de 37 variáveis de formas de trabalhar e de viver, que foram coletadas em uma amostra de 589 famílias de Santo André. A amostra foi definida proporcionalmente de acordo com quatro grupos sociais de Santo André - grupo central, quase central, quase periférico e periférico - divididos a priori por meio de estudo anterior. Dessa forma, a totalidade das famílias divididas em grupos sociais foi entrevistada por meio de questionário com variáveis de produção e de consumo. Tais variáveis submetidas à análise estatística demonstraram que, desse conjunto, a dimensão da produção foi definida pela condição de atividade do chefe de família, qualificação da ocupação e curso preparatório para o trabalho. Já a dimensão do consumo foi definida pelas variáveis propriedade da residência, número de cômodos para dormir, acesso a serviço público de esgoto, legalidade do acesso à água e luz, pagamento de IPTU e culto como atividade de lazer. A partir dessas variáveis capazes de classificar as famílias foram então gerados quatro novos grupos e construído o Índice de Reprodução Social - IRS que se mostra um importante instrumento capaz de mostrar as diferenças de reprodução social de modo a possibilitar o mapeamento dos perfis de reprodução social no micro espaço que, em conjunto com os perfis de saúde-doença, proporciona a construção dos perfis epidemiológicos que embasem tanto o planejamento no âmbito do serviço de saúde quanto o planejamento de políticas públicas voltadas para os determinantes sociais do processo saúde-doença. / This work takes as its object of study the operationalization of the concept of classes by defining cutoff variables for classifying the population in social groups. The study is based upon theoretical and methodological of critical epidemiology is based on an understanding of health and illness by focusing the explanation of health determinants, work - the capitalist production - and subordinated to it, life - consumption under the command of the capitalist accumulation process. This research aims to assess the overall potential of work-life variables - social reproduction - to show class inequalities and support the operationalization of the concept of classes in contemporary society. Its specific objectives: a) take a household poll on the variables of social reproduction of families living in different social spaces in a city in the metropolitan region, b) analyze the behavior of these social reproduction variables on their ability to form groups with similar forms of working and living; c) construct a social reproduction index able to show the differences of social reproduction among families in micro space. It started from the framework proposed in the literature to form homogenous social groups, defining a set of 34 variables on the ways of working and living, which were collected in a sample of 589 families from Santo André. The sample was proportionally defined according to four social groups from Santo André - the central group, almost central, peripheral and almost peripheral - a priori divided by the previous study. Thus, all the families divided into social groups were interviewed using a questionnaire with variables of production and consumption. These variables were subjected to statistical analysis which showed that in this scenario, the dimension of the forms of work was defined by the activity status of the household head, occupation qualification, and preparatory courses for the job. The dimension of the forms of living was defined by the variables: residence ownership, access to public sewage service, legal access to water and light, church services as a leisure activity, payment of property taxes and number of rooms for sleeping. Then, we generated four new groups. Based on these powerful variables to characterize the groups, we were able to build the Social Reproduction Index - SRI - able to show the social reproduction differences among families in the micro-space of the area covered by a Basic Health Unit. It has to be noticed that the variables were not analyzed from their behavior in the four isolated groups, but from the relationship among them and the way this relationship is given in each group. The SRI seems to be a powerful tool for the classification of families in order to enable the mapping of social reproduction profiles in micro space that along with profiles of health and disease provides the construction of the epidemiological profiles able to bolster both the planning within the health service and the planning of public policies aimed to the social determinants of health-disease process.

O objetivo principal dessa dissertação foi analisar o processo de formação do JUMAFI (Jovens Unidos para a Mobilização da Fazenda Ipanema), grupo de jovens do assentamento rural da Fazenda Ipanema, localizada no município paulista de Iperó, motivados pela busca a alternativas de geração de renda ambiental e socialmente sustentável, sob a luz da Educação Ambiental. Deste modo, concluí ser necessário construir uma análise a partir de uma visão de complementaridade de ações, da compreensão da lógica da ação coletiva dos grupos sociais existentes na comunidade e de uma análise comportamental sobre as iniciativas e a história de formação dos grupos locais, das experiências coletivas vividas pelos agricultores, e, principalmente, através da experiência vivida pelos jovens na organização do JUMAFI. Centrei minha análise na noção de participação e organização social, analisando a formação dos grupos e os aspectos da vida cotidiana. Utilizando elementos da pesquisa social qualitativa, e outros procedimentos da pesquisa participante, realizei o acompanhamento no desenvolvimento destes grupos, a fim de apreender os elementos que favorecem ou impedem a ação coletiva em grupos de jovens, buscando perceber as fortalezas e oportunidades vistas por eles no trabalho coletivo.Esta pesquisa esteve dividida em dois momentos: Tempo 1- que se refere ao momento da observação participante e de entrevistas, em que se deu o contato com os jovens do assentamento, o início do envolvimento, a formação do grupo JUMAFI e, também, todo o planejamento das ações do grupo; e Tempo 2 - momento de acompanhamento do desenvolvimento do grupo JUMAFI, momento da ação dos jovens, da gestão das idéias, a fim de colocar em prática as atividades planejadas. No momento 1 da pesquisa, o grupo grande (JUMAFI) demonstrou grande dificuldade em lidar com o trabalho coletivo, em colocar em prática o planejamento da atividades previstas para o grupo, assim como em manter a convivência e a freqüência nos encontros entre os membros do grupo. Aspectos como confiança, afetividade, afinidade e respeito foram elementos identificados por eles como fundamentais para o êxito de um trabalho dessa natureza. No segundo momento da pesquisa, embora o grupo JUMAFI tenha optado por continuar o trabalho para a busca de alternativas de geração de renda, foi dada ênfase a um novo formato, através de grupos pequenos de afinidade e convivencialidade. Concluindo, foi possível perceber que o tamanho do grupo e os aspectos de convivencialidade têm uma forte influência nos aspectos de formação, organização e gestão do espaço coletivo, bem como a forma com que os indivíduos percebem a natureza e estabelecem seus vínculos de respeito e afeto. O trabalho com jovens e o formato pequeno de grupos favorece a participação em grupo, proporciona um senso de responsabilidade maior pelo trabalho, favorece a organização voluntária, os laços afetivos e de troca, havendo espaço para uma participação mais democrática, favorecendo a autonomia dos participantes e a formação de novas lideranças na comunidade. Os grupos se organizam para a auto-expressão, possibilitando maior troca entre os integrantes e maior franqueza nos sentimentos ligados à participação coletiva. Além disso, esse tipo de organização pode, futuramente, favorecer a ação articulada junto à comunidade, permitindo uma atuação em rede. O arranjo metodológico, utilizando elementos da pesquisa participante e da pesquisa qualitativa, favoreceu a participação dos jovens, possibilitando maior expressão dos participantes em relação à pesquisa. Tendo em vista estes resultados, refleti ainda sobre o papel da intervenção social em trabalhos de Educação Ambiental, concluindo que estas intervenções devem estar apoiadas em um referencial teórico elaborado com base nas necessidades sentidas em campo, podendo ser o caminho para a implementação de um processo educativo continuado e não apenas uma. / The main aim of this dissertation was analyzing the process of formation of the JUMAFI (Teenagers United for the Mobilization of the Ipanema Farm), group of teenagers from the rural sitting on the Ipanema Farm, located in the city of Iperó, in São Paulo state, motivated by the search for alternatives of environmentally and socially sustainable income generation, under the light of the Environmental Education. Thus, I concluded that there is a necessity of building an analysis from a starting view of complementing of actions, from the comprehension of the logics of collective actions from social groups in the community and from a behavioral analysis about the initiatives and the history of the local groups' formation, the collective experiences and, mainly, through the experience gathered by the teenagers in the organization of the JUMAFI. I centered my analysis in the notion of social> participation and organization, analyzing the groups' formation and the aspects of daily life. Using elements from the qualitative social research, and other procedures of participative research, I performed the attendance in the development of these groups, for collecting the elements that favor or prevent the collective action in groups of teenagers, seeking to realize the strength and opportunities seen by them in the collective work. This research is divided in two parts: Part 1 - referred to the participative observation moment and interviews, when there was a contact with the teenagers from the sitting, the beginning of the involvement, the formation of JUMAFI and, also, all the group’s action planning; and Part 2 - moment of attendance of the JUMAFI development, moment of the teenagers’ action, of the ideas management, for putting into practice the planned activities. On the first part, the large group (JUMAFI) showed great difficulty in dealing with the collective work, in putting into practice the planned activities for the group, likewise keeping the living together and the frequency on the meetings between the members of the group. Some aspects like confidence, affectivity, affinity and respect were the elements identified by them as fundamental for the success of a work like that. On the second part of the research, though JUMAFI group has decided to keep the search for income generation activities, there was an emphasis to a new format, through small groups of affinity and living together. Concluding, it was possible to notice that the group size and the living together aspects have a strong influence on the formation, organization and collective space management aspects, like the way the individuals notice the nature and establish their ties of respect and affection. The work with groups of teenagers and the small groups format favor the group participation, provide a stronger sense of responsibility at work, favor the voluntary organization, the affective ties and changing, making room for a more democratic participation, favoring the participants autonomy and the formation of new leaderships in the community. The groups organize themselves for the self-expression, allowing a greater changing among the participants and a higher level of frankness about the feelings connected to the collective participation. Besides, this kind of organization can favor the articulate action at the community level, allowing a network action. The methodological arrangement, using elements of the participative and qualitative research, favored the teenagers' participation, allowing a bigger commitment of the participants to the research. Having in mind these results, I reflected about the role of social intervention in Environmental Education works, concluding that these interventions must be supported by a theoretical referential, elaborated based on the field necessities, being the way for the implementation of an educational process and not only a punctual intervention in field. Finally, I conclude that the Environmental Education, based on a practical and theoretical basis, can be the area of knowledge able to contribute effectively for the process of autonomy and management for groups of teenagers in search of opportunities on the rural, social and environmental sustainable field.