[pt] O estudo focaliza os processos de silenciamento, exclusão e resistência em construções identitárias sócio-culturais da goianidade junto a alunos goianos da Cidade Ocidental e de Valparaíso, cidades goianas do entorno de Brasília - DF. Os objetivos são: (1) mostrar, do ponto de vista sócio-histórico, como ocorreu a formação populacional e lingüística do estado de Goiás e do Distrito Federal, apontando para relações existentes entre a goianidade e a cultura caipira; (2) analisar, na fala-em-interação, como emerge o estigma à goianidade nas coconstruções identitárias sócio-culturais, na relação entre os alunos goianos e a entrevistadora/ professora, a qual é também goiana. A metodologia é qualitativa, no contexto de entrevista de pesquisa. Os dados de análise consistem em um corpus de gravações em áudio, obtidas através de entrevistas individuais. O arcabouço teórico insere-se no âmbito da Sociolingüística Interacional e da Análise da Conversa, junto a concepções de identidade(s) de ordem sócio-cultural e interacional, informadas pela ordem micro e macro do discurso. Os resultados apontam que, durante o processo interacional, os participantes constroem e reconstroem suas identidades. Há resistência em mudar as construções identitárias estigmatizadas, uma vez que preferem omitir e/ou silenciar essas construções, a afirmar suas origens de pertencimento à comunidade goiana. O olhar de outro(s), construído no discurso, interfere para que eles assumam posições de silenciamento, de exclusão e de resistência. Este trabalho é importante para pesquisas vindouras e para formar um pensamento reflexivo acerca das identidades que cotidianamente são estigmatizadas. / [en] The study focalizes the silence processes, exclusion and resistance in constructions that identify the social cultures of goianity close to students native of Goiás of the Cidade Ocidental and of Valparaíso, cities of that State of the spill of Brasília - DF. The goals are: (1) show, of the point of view partner-historical, as it occurred the population formation and Estate of Goiás` Linguistics and of District Federal, pointing to relations between goianity and the culture yokel; (2) analyze, in the speech, as it emerges the stigma to goainity in co-constructions of cultural and social identifications, in the relation among students native of Goiás and the interviewer (teacher), which also is native of Goiás. The methodology is qualitative, in the research interview context. The analysis data consist in a corpus of recordings in audio, obtained by means of individual interviews. The theoretical framework it inserts in the scope of sociolinguistic interacional and of the talk analysis, close to order partner-cultural and interacional identities conceptions, informed by to speech order personal computer and macro. The results point that, during the process interacional, the participants build and reconstruct her identities. There is resistance in change the constructions of identifications stigmatized, once they prefer to omit and or to silence these constructions, to affirm their belong origins to the community native of Goiás. The look of another, built in the speech, interferes so that they take over silence positions, of exclusion and of resistance. This work is important for futures researches and to form a reflexive thought concerning the identities that are daily stigmatized.

South Africa is a water-scarce country (Otieno and Ochieng, 2004; Wassung, 2010). The current sanitation system mostly used in South African urban areas depends on extensive use of water in a form of flush toilets. The housing sector in major cities is continuously growing and this is putting a strain on water services. The government has explored a range of sanitation technologies including waterborne, the Ventilated Improved (VIP) toilet and ecological sanitation (widely known as ecosan) in a form of a urine diversion dry (UDD) toilet. The latter provides a reasonable solution to the current sanitation challenge. This study explores the perceptions of the users of the UDD toilets installed in the medium density mixed housing development of Hull Street in Kimberley. Understanding the users’ socio-cultural perceptions of the UDD toilet will contribute to future policy making, as the information can be used to improve the future roll-out of the technology in order to make it more acceptable. The study was qualitative in nature and used a phenomenological research design. The sample size comprised 16 participants, 13 of whom were residents of the Hull Street housing project and three were employees of the Sol Plaatje Housing Company (SPHC). The sample was selected by a purposive sampling method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data for the study. The data was analysed by means of content analysis, which enabled the researcher to identify important themes for the study. The findings of the study revealed dissatisfaction regarding the use of the UDD toilet, which emanates from poor design of the toilet facility. The research was successful in identifying, inter alia, odour, uncomfortable sitting position on the toilet mainly by female users and high cost of operating and maintaining the sanitation system. Recommendations emphasise the importance of involving users in future UDD sanitation projects and educating the public at large about sustainability aspects of this sanitation technology (UDD). One of the key lessons drawn from the study is that challenges experienced by the users should be used to improve future UDD toilets.

ABSTRACT This research investigated Chinese international students' gambling experiences in New Zealand. It explored why some students become involved in gambling and how their gambling behaviour changes over time. Initial and follow-up interviews were conducted with nine male and three female students. Initial interviews focused on participants' gambling biographies in China and New Zealand. Cultural influences on their gambling experiences, and possible links between the development of gambling problems and their study experiences in New Zealand, were discussed. Follow-up interviews gathered further information on participants' gambling experiences, paying particular attention to their gambling activities over the six months prior to, and then after, the initial interviews. The methodology and analysis in this study were informed by a narrative approach. Findings suggest that Chinese international students rarely reported that they had problems relating to gambling in China. However, some participants in this study presented as problem gamblers in New Zealand. Study shock, acculturation stress, not feeling welcomed by the host society and achievement anxiety, all played a part in participants' problem gambling in New Zealand. These participants claimed that they usually started gambling recreationally, but then gradually shifted to self-reported problem gamblers. Problem gamblers were distinguished by prolonged gambling hours, wagering greater amounts of money, an augmented craving for winning money, and an inability to stop gambling at will in a single session. In this study, many participants who might have a gambling problem, had achieved some success in changing their gambling behaviour. Filial piety, acknowledgement of the importance of family, peer models, the experience of success, and financial hardship were some of the catalysts for stopping gambling. In addition, support from families, the community, professional services and exclusion programmes also assisted participants to address problems related to gambling. Successful re-rooting in New Zealand is significant in participants' post-change life. Positive post-change lifestyles involving aspects such as spirituality, music, study and work, supported Chinese international students to maintain change. This research demonstrates multiple levels of analysis, which adds to our knowledge about the socio-cultural meanings of gambling among Chinese international students. A number of recommendations are made for preventing and reducing the negative consequences of gambling for students.

This research examines socio-cultural change and resilience resulting from holiday tourism and visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel. The unique cultural attributes of the Pacific region differentiates it from many other generic sea, sand and sun travel destinations worldwide, providing the region with a competitive edge. This research recognises these essential socio-cultural attributes using Samoa as a case study offering various levels of tourist and VFR interactions. The thesis investigated four communities, their culture and the impacts from holiday tourists and VFR travellers. The research methodologies guiding this research offer an innovative and credible mechanism to assess the resilience of the socio-cultural fabric of a Pacific Island nation with growing holiday tourism and a thriving VFR travel sector. A social and cultural capital approach was used to understand communities and their networks in a dynamic and comprehensive way. A combination of participatory action research techniques and critical ethnographic methodologies were used to interact with respondents. Analysis of data used both quantitative and qualitative analysis methods. Results of this research have significantly furthered discussion of the socio-cultural fabric of those communities studied in Samoa and how individual socio-cultural elements are influenced by holiday tourism and VFR travel. Based on the analysis of these holiday tourist and VFR traveller impacts, the results can guide planning and policy oriented benchmarks for improved socio-culturally sustainable tourism.

The impetus for this study was my own curiosity about how seasoned entrepreneurial women were able to stay the course. As someone who has experienced the world of the employee and that of the entrepreneur, my goal was to better understand how, within their varied personal contexts, the lifelong learning experiences of seasoned entrepreneurial women were shaped by socio-cultural influences, significant individuals, gender, and learning challenges. Theories and research on lifelong and biographical learning, entrepreneurial learning, women's learning, and entrepreneurial women's learning helped to frame the study. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews and focus groups with eight women entrepreneurs between the ages of 40 and 60, with 16 to 30 years' experience in running their service-oriented enterprise were conducted. These women's stories illustrate how serendipitous their careers were, that is, they did not begin their working lives thinking they would become entrepreneurs, rather, it became the path that best supported their desires, independence and creativity. They were shaped by and sometimes resisted parents' messages about the role that education, work and marriage with children should play in women's lives. How they faced and learned from adversity and from the support of business mentors and friends were also significant. As they reflected back on their lives, they have a strong sense of mastery. Success for them did not focus on finances, rather, their autonomy, freedom, and control over the direction of their lives and the development of strong caring relationships with others, were key. Their learning was dynamic and experiential, it was both self directed and drew on others' knowledge. Women contemplating an entrepreneurial path may find this study of interest as they can learn how others, particularly family, shape their dreams, how they might meet challenges and learn from adversity, and overall, how central lifelong learning is to the development of their entrepreneurial careers. Educators and policymakers need to appreciate the serendipitous nature of entrepreneurship, how they can create entrepreneurial experiences for students, and expose the learners to not only essential skills required to run a business, but also to the stories regarding the self-development of successful entrepreneurs

We aim in this study, which is based on a special educational perspective, to examin how ninth grade students perceive their own developmental learning, i.e learning that leads forward. In the process, we want to give the students a voice and we have therefore chosen a phenomenographical approach. The study is based on eight interviews, which are analyzed by means of our own tool for analysis based on, among others Vygotsky (1980, 1999), Cole (1986) and Flavell (2002).   The survey shows that students perceive that clear aims, a good relationship with and support from the teacher helps to improve their developmental learning, motivating them and making learning meaningful. The students also recognize that the socio-cultural environment contribute to their development, but find it difficult to influence how their own learning will take place. The eight students exhibit a vague connection between their developmental learning and their individual grade.

Local and federal governments, public school boards, and higher education institutions have been promoting online courses in their commitment to accommodating public needs, widening access to materials, sharing intellectual resources, and reducing costs. However, researchers of education needs to consider the often ignored yet important issue of equity since disregarding the issue of inequity in online education may create suboptimal consequences for students. This dissertation work, therefore, investigates the issues of social justice and equity in online education. I argue that equity is situated between the tensions of various social structures in a broader cultural context and can be thought of as a fair distribution of opportunities to participate. This understanding is built upon the idea that individuals have different values, goals, and interests; nevertheless, the online learning context may not provide fair opportunities for individuals to follow their own learning trajectories. Particularly, online learning environments can reproduce inequitable learning conditions when the context requires certain individuals to assimilate mainstream beliefs and values at the expense of their own identities. Since identifications have certain social and political consequences by enabling or constraining individuals’ access to educational resources, individuals may try to be identified in line with culturally-hegemonic perspectives in order to gain or secure their access to educational resources or to legitimize their learning experiences. In this interview study, I conceptualize online courses within their broader socio-historical context and analyze how macro-level social structures, namely the concept of whiteness, can reproduce inequity in micro-level online learning practices. By questioning who has control over the conditions for the production of knowledge, values, and identification, I investigate how socially accepted bodies of thoughts, beliefs, values, and feelings that give meaning to individuals’ daily-practices may create inequitable learning conditions in day-to-day online learning practices. In specific, I analyze how those who are identified as non-White experience “double-bind” with respect to stereotypification on one hand, anonymity on the other. Building on this analysis, I illustrate how those who are identified as non-White have to constantly negotiate their legitimacy and right to be in the online environment.

The impetus for this study was my own curiosity about how seasoned entrepreneurial women were able to stay the course. As someone who has experienced the world of the employee and that of the entrepreneur, my goal was to better understand how, within their varied personal contexts, the lifelong learning experiences of seasoned entrepreneurial women were shaped by socio-cultural influences, significant individuals, gender, and learning challenges. Theories and research on lifelong and biographical learning, entrepreneurial learning, women's learning, and entrepreneurial women's learning helped to frame the study. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews and focus groups with eight women entrepreneurs between the ages of 40 and 60, with 16 to 30 years' experience in running their service-oriented enterprise were conducted. These women's stories illustrate how serendipitous their careers were, that is, they did not begin their working lives thinking they would become entrepreneurs, rather, it became the path that best supported their desires, independence and creativity. They were shaped by and sometimes resisted parents' messages about the role that education, work and marriage with children should play in women's lives. How they faced and learned from adversity and from the support of business mentors and friends were also significant. As they reflected back on their lives, they have a strong sense of mastery. Success for them did not focus on finances, rather, their autonomy, freedom, and control over the direction of their lives and the development of strong caring relationships with others, were key. Their learning was dynamic and experiential, it was both self directed and drew on others' knowledge. Women contemplating an entrepreneurial path may find this study of interest as they can learn how others, particularly family, shape their dreams, how they might meet challenges and learn from adversity, and overall, how central lifelong learning is to the development of their entrepreneurial careers. Educators and policymakers need to appreciate the serendipitous nature of entrepreneurship, how they can create entrepreneurial experiences for students, and expose the learners to not only essential skills required to run a business, but also to the stories regarding the self-development of successful entrepreneurs

Effect of socio-cultural environment to the life stile of adolescents The purpose of this survey is to reveal the relation between the socio-cultural environment of adolescents and their life stile. In the process of writing this paper the following targets were announced: 1. To analyse and summarize scientific literature which analyses the issues of life stile. 2. In the form of questionnaire survey to study the peculiarities of life stile of the adolescents, who live in town and in the country and who belong to different social classes. The survey was carried out in the town of Šiauliai and its region in 2004. 166 respondents of grades 9-10 from secondary and basic schools of Šiauliai and its region took part in the survey. The data of the survey revealed that the main factors affecting the life stile of adolescents are the place of residence and social stratification of the family. The influence of the above-mentioned factors was revealed in accordance to four components: values, relations with parents, relations with adolescents of the same age and free time. Moreover, the survey showed the contrast among the town and countryside adolescents from economically strong and weak families. The adolescents who live in town value friends (x = 3,62) and health (x = 4,13) more, whereas the adolescents who live in the country value their parents (x = 3,49). These values are also preferred by the adolescents from economically strong families. The adolescents, who live in the... [to full text]

Local and federal governments, public school boards, and higher education institutions have been promoting online courses in their commitment to accommodating public needs, widening access to materials, sharing intellectual resources, and reducing costs. However, researchers of education needs to consider the often ignored yet important issue of equity since disregarding the issue of inequity in online education may create suboptimal consequences for students. This dissertation work, therefore, investigates the issues of social justice and equity in online education. I argue that equity is situated between the tensions of various social structures in a broader cultural context and can be thought of as a fair distribution of opportunities to participate. This understanding is built upon the idea that individuals have different values, goals, and interests; nevertheless, the online learning context may not provide fair opportunities for individuals to follow their own learning trajectories. Particularly, online learning environments can reproduce inequitable learning conditions when the context requires certain individuals to assimilate mainstream beliefs and values at the expense of their own identities. Since identifications have certain social and political consequences by enabling or constraining individuals’ access to educational resources, individuals may try to be identified in line with culturally-hegemonic perspectives in order to gain or secure their access to educational resources or to legitimize their learning experiences. In this interview study, I conceptualize online courses within their broader socio-historical context and analyze how macro-level social structures, namely the concept of whiteness, can reproduce inequity in micro-level online learning practices. By questioning who has control over the conditions for the production of knowledge, values, and identification, I investigate how socially accepted bodies of thoughts, beliefs, values, and feelings that give meaning to individuals’ daily-practices may create inequitable learning conditions in day-to-day online learning practices. In specific, I analyze how those who are identified as non-White experience “double-bind” with respect to stereotypification on one hand, anonymity on the other. Building on this analysis, I illustrate how those who are identified as non-White have to constantly negotiate their legitimacy and right to be in the online environment.