The current political dispensation in South Africa has, as was the case in the past, undoubtedly had a major influence on the language patterns of the country. The 1996 Constitution now provides official recognition of the main indigenous languages. Despite this entrenchment, there is evidence that English is seen as the vehicle to the future. This study focuses on the factors that may influence the learning and teaching of Afrikaans as a second additional language in black schools in the Potchefstroom district. In order to achieve this task, a triangulation approach was used. A literature study was done to provide prior information to understanding the current language situation. Interviews were conducted with the respondents as well as the teachers of Afrikaans and the classes were observed and recorded. Questionnaires followed which were completed by the learners as well as their teachers. The objectives of the empirical study were to determine which factors might influence the teaching and learning of Afrikaans as an additional language for both the learners and the teachers, as well as to determine what the implications of such findings for the teaching and learning of Afrikaans as an additional language are. The findings of this study confirm the influence of several factors (socio-political, socio cultural and individual) on Afrikaans. The results indicated that there is a positive attitude towards Afrikaans and that the learners are eager to learn Afrikaans. What is clear, is that it is imperative to take note of these factors to guide the learners towards self regulated study, especially Afrikaans as an additional language. The results also revealed that the education of the teachers need to be addressed to prevent irrevocable damage to Afrikaans and to the relationships between the diverse cultures in our country. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

United States' policy makers have been challenged creating understandable nutrition labels and effective healthy food campaigns for consumers of mixed heritage. Previous studies explored the sociocultural factors that influence Hispanics' abilities to navigate consumer food education programs, but little was known about how Mexican culture impacts those programs. The purpose of this study was to better understand those factors. Research questions focused on the experiences of residents of a west Texas town regarding their food decision-making process about food choices and their understanding of food education information. The purpose of this phenomenological research was to explore how Mexican culture effected navigation through these programs. I used the theory of dietary acculturation, environmental theory, and advocacy coalition framework as the lenses to view this phenomenon. Data were generated from 9 interviews with primary decision makers concerning food choices for their households. Interview data were open coded to obtain themes suggested by study participants. Results indicated that participants considered healthy food and used varying approaches when selecting healthy food. Family time was an important factor in food choice. Healthy foods messages came from personal physicians, local marketing, and government agencies. The quality and cost of American products were often a consideration. Participants indicated that access to current health information and Mexican food products are integral to making future healthy food choices. The implications for positive social change may include raising awareness among state and federal policy makers of the factors influencing healthy food choices in effective nutrition labeling and healthy food education programs.

Traditional technologies are revelations of knowledge, skill, and wisdom of ancestors that have been used to facilitate and enhance the performance of socio-economic activities, overcome environmental challenges, and magnify symbolic presentations of cultural and spiritual engagements. Traditional technologies are still practiced in many communities despite the strides made in the advancement of modern technologies. The socio-economic significance of traditional technologies in the context of Ethiopia is even more profound. There are hardly social, economic, and spiritual activities that are not, directly or indirectly, influenced by the application of traditional technologies. The irony is, however, they are not appreciated and conserved in spite that they have been proving a sustained significance across generations while, to the contrary, modern technologies are even staggering to outlive the stage of product introduction. Although still proving to be useful, traditional technologies have been marginalized as if they are symbols of backwardness belonging to the past as irrelevant to the modern day settings. It was, therefore, the urge to look into this dilemma that became the basis for the initiation to conduct a research on the captioned topic. The study has endeavored to address how traditional technologies, specifically that of Ethiopia, are able to sustain contrary to extant theoretical predictions of technologies, and investigate why they have been deterred from getting the conservation and transformation they deserve in spite of the socio-economic significant role they have continued to play as capitulated in the statement of the problem. In addressing the statement of the problem, the paradigm of the world outlook within which the research was situated is found to be related to the Critical Theory paradigm. As a result, a qualitative research methodology based on a case study design was framed and a longitudinal field study on the sampled cases was conducted. The data generated from the study were ix filtered, coded, organized, categorized, and ultimately analyzed and interpreted using apparent analytic models until saturated and triangulated findings were established. Accordingly, the core constructs that has been defining the fate of traditional technologies were induced and their impact in deterring or promoting the conservation and transformation of traditional technologies were synthesized. Based on the outcomes of data analysis and interpretation, appropriate methods of reshaping the societal attitude and orientation in terms of conserving and transforming traditional practices are proposed as induced recommendations ultimately requiring a timely intervention. / Business Management / D. Litt. et Phil. (Business Leadership)