Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

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Thesis (Ph. D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 202-215). Also available in electronic version. Access restricted to campus users.

This thesis is a work of theory; it is also historical. It attempts to provide a critique of the categories through which the phenomena of agricultural development and land reform are habitually grasped. It is divided into three parts. In the first part three main theoretical orientations to the study of capitalist agrarian development are discussed, both abstractly and with reference to their accounts of Latin American rural society in the 1960's. It is argued that all three are unable to explain adequately the process of social and agrarian change. This inability is traced to the fact that all three reduce social totalities to two or more distinct sub-entities or sub-totalities. The author calls this general position the social problematic of dualism. Its inability. to account for social change is, he argues, traceable to the fact that the existence of the sub-entities into which social totalities are divided, is posited as theoretically prior to the relations which connect them. These points are pursued in the second and third parts of the thesis. In the second part an alternative to dualism' with particular reference to its variants of the separation of a realm of industry from a realm of agriculture, and of the separation of a realm of the economic from a realm of the social, is provided through a detailed theorisation of capitalist social relations. It is argued that the existence of distinct realms of agriculture, industry, economy and society is a real effect of the essential relations of capitalist society, and that these divisions must be transcended through an elucidation of the character of such relations. This is done by distinguishing three forms of capitalist development which are produced by these essential relations. Further examples of a dualist analysis in contemporary theorisations of petty commodity production, the world economy and the articulation of modes of production are discussed. In the third part the author returns to an examination of the Latin American context through a discussion of the case of Chile. The theoretical insights developed in the earlier parts are systematically applied to various aspects of Chilean history from the conquest of Latin America to the 1960's, and to the processes of land reform which covered the decade 1962-1973. It is suggested that the agrarian social transformations which this country experienced are only explicable in terms of a position which systematically transcends all dualist assumptions.

This research contributes to the debate about the impacts of ICTs on the business of local government. It conceptualises the city as a site of local governance where ICTs have an impact on the social, political and economic complexities. Indeed, the starting point of this research is the widely held view that technology holds promise to alleviate both economic and democratic challenges faced by local government today. The conceptual framework combines Manuel Castells' Network Society with theories of democracy, governance and citizenship, as well as the so-called 'new economy'. Furthermore, the role and purpose of e-government is explored from the citizen/user perspective. Technology implementation in local government is contrasted combining the 'top-down' perspective of policy-makers with 'bottom-up' experiences of frontline officers and citizens. The research design is a case study of the City of Manchester with European benchmarking perspectives. The research found that whilst technology offers promise in theory, its implementation in a real context rarely fulfils that potential from an economic efficiency or democratic engagement perspective. It is concluded that ICTs are often used to trigger a desired behaviour related to the local government modernisation policy agenda. However, a lack of clarity and shared understanding between managers, users and citizens about the purpose of that technology lead to patchy implementation and poor take-up. Furthermore, the justification for new technology is often based on managerial and narrow values steeped in assumptions about rationality, economic efficiency or competitiveness. These managerial priorities are often camouflaged with a broader discourse of empowerment or inclusion, or sold as 'must haves' for which there is no alternative. Overall, in Manchester it is found that ICTs tend to increase the distance between the local government service provider and the user (citizen) as access channels are made 'corporate'. Moreover, the fragmented and atomised nature of communites is highlighted through the use of modern ICTs when the primary motives are to do with the interests of the private consumer-citizen. However, the benchmarking case study discovered that there can be alternatives and that citizens are more likely to adopt online access channels if they have higher levels of trust towards local government. The research concludes that local government should take their democratic governance role equally seriously as its economic governance role in designing and implementing technology. Incorporating broader democratic values into ICT policy and programmes is likely to broaden the appeal among the citizens, as well as steer the unknown 'spin-offs' and consequences of new technology in the direction of collective, public interest rather than individual, private interest. Democratic governance and socially inclusive policy-making serve as an insurance policy against the risks (e.g. in the field of privacy, economic viability, accountability) in the future electronically networked city.

Domestic violence is one of the most important issues about the public affairs. The incidents of domestic violence not only cause damage to the individual¡¦s mind, but depress the country¡¦s competition ability. The negative side effects also were hard to evaluate. Even the main spirit of the prevention of the domestic violence reveals as ¡§protection the right of victims and prevention of the behavior of domestic violence¡¨. This slogan gives its positive age meaning and attached with infinite wish of public. By the inspection and reflection of the increasing cases with days, it would corrode the individuals and the public eventually, then cause the malignant effects on the Social development of basic stock and flow conditions. Though the government endeavors to issue many protection and prevention system, the results were still not satisfied by the reason of the southern social conditions and the uneven levels population structure. The outcome is the breaks and leakages of policy connection. Based on the variety between the professional fields and the pertinent departments, the author try to integrate and observe the complex phenomena with various aspects. There are the reason-results relationships of multiple elements to each other. This study describes the PAM and SDM theoretical structure frame and conclude positively with the V.C.S methodology.,As a methodology the conclusions of the output, with an extension of a more positive point of view. The study explore with qualitative interview as major method. Then conclude the integrated results from the practical interviews with the networks practitioners. The prevention and protection of domestics violence is an extremely huge reconstruction engineer to the social. The achievement of value of justice is the critical catalyst to ignite the progress of the order of works. Pluralistic society in the face of the complex of environmental factors¡ACut from the PAM to do analysis of the problem can be drawn from a more complete picture. Sexual cognitive and sex equity are crucial value and the prevention and protection of domestic violence is also the most vital public value of the government. The immature of practitioners¡¦ concepts is the tremendous challenge. It also has the influence on the establishment of professional knowledge. IV The prevention and protection of domestics violence is an system problem among the social structure. The key is the basement of social condition during the development of Kaohsiung City's social conditions. Though the system of the professional prevention and protection is complete, the subjective cognitive of the party is most restricted with the traditional concepts. It contributes negative driving force. The construction of the order is to achieve the justice of the case. The inter-government prevention and protection system is absolutely important to the prevention of violence. But its pertinent policies, resources and strategies involved is deficient. The networks have no strength like the action of law and the inspection order across the vertical and horizontal. The authority should plan the integrated executing of the policies, the distribution of resources, personals, inspection managements, the evaluation and communication. The media inspection only focuses on the blockbuster report. The justice of disadvantaged majority of the society is damaged and need the support of the construct from the inspection system participated by the democracy society in the civic participation.

The implementation of public policies continues to be a serious challenge for the South African public service. Giving the overarching demands for quality public service delivery from the citizens, there is a serious need for the public sector to accelerate implementation of public policies which aimed at promoting the development of society. The primary objective of the research for this study is to critically analyse the policy implementation issues in the provincial government, the special reference is on the social assistance grant policies in the North West provincial government. Subservient to the primary objectives of the research is to highlight and emphasise the pivotal roles of the theory and practices of policy formulation, policy analysis and policy implementation to promote understanding on the factors which contribute towards the effective and efficient formulation and implementation of policies that are aimed at improving the lives of the people in general and those with special needs in particular. The complexities of policy development can be identified as one of the reasons for the delay and complete failure of policy implementation. Failure of policy can also largely be attributed to issues of poor implementation of policies. In addition, it has proven that sometimes policies are set out to achieve too ambitious targets which ultimately fall short of their desired outcome. Absence of policy analysis skills and practice in the provincial governments are also major impediments to the implementation of policies. The poor policy implementation in the North West provincial government is influenced by lack of reliable data and adequate information upon which to make decisions which is a consequence of an inadequate management information system. Moreover, poor policy implementation in the provincial government is as a result of and ascribed to a lack of financial resources, inadequate trained staff, poorly framed policies, target group opposition and underdeveloped bureaucracies which are unable to formulate and plan systematically. The other recurring criticism of poor policy implementation in the North West province is that policy implementation is the orientation towards centralisation. This means that most of the policies and plans are developed in the national government with little consultation with the final implementers. Policies often fail to capture the subtleties of initiatives at grassroots level. The distance of policy makers from practice not only causes problems for the managers of the policy but also creates a lack of harmony among the different elements of the same policy and among machinery of governments which are used to alleviate poverty such as Social Assistance Agency. The imposed national policies and directives to the provincial government without regards to their specific circumstances and without assessing the human and financial resource capacity of the provincial government led to waist of money and a complete failure of the implementation of policy in the province. So to ensure that policy is successfully implemented, there is a need for a guide to the implementation in the form of a public policy implementation variables and policy implementation model in the provincial governments in general and the North West province in particular. Proper policy implementation which include sufficient resources like finance and human resource and effective policy translation, management of policy implementation processes which include accountability and control and human capital development will all ensure a great deal of improvement and success in the policy implementation. Copyright / Dissertation (MAdmin)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA) / unrestricted

Sveriges Riksdag beslöt våren 2012 att även ensamstående kvinnor ska få tillgång till assisterad befruktning i Sverige. Hittills, och än så länge, har ensamstående kvinnor rest utomlands för att fertilitetsbehandlas. Syftet med denna studie har varit att undersöka hur solomammor (kvinnor som valt att skaffa barn som ensamstående) resonerat och resonerar kring sitt val, samt hur de ser på faderskapsprocessen och den kommande lagändringen. Deltagare söktes via en förenings Internetsajt, där medlemmarna alla är frivilligt ensamstående mammor. Fem solomammor berättade om sina resonemang i semistrukturerade intervjuer. Sedan kategoriserades, kodades och tematiserades materialet, och analyserades med hjälp av symbolisk interaktionism, värderingsförändringar och samhällsutveckling. Resultaten visar bland annat att respondenterna verkligen tänkt igenom sitt beslut att bilda familj som ensamstående förälder. De ser främst ser lagändringen som symboliskt viktig, då deras familjeform i och med denna erkänns av samhället. Respondenterna tror att donatorbrist och åldersgränser i Sverige kommer att medföra att ensamstående kvinnor även fortsättningsvis reser utomlands för assisterad befruktning. De negativa åsikter som kommit fram rör sjukvårdskontakter i Sverige och hur en del ensamstående mammor blivit bemötta av socialtjänsthandläggare. Faderskapsprocessen skulle kunna bli mer rättssäker om tydliga, nationella regler utfärdades även för faderskapsutredningar som rör donatorbarn. / The Swedish Riksdag decided in the spring of 2012 that single women also should have access to assisted reproduction in Sweden. Up until now, and so far, single women have travelled abroad for fertility treatment. The purpose of this study has been to explore how solo mothers (women who have chosen to obtain children as a single parent) reasoned and reason about this choice, and how they view the paternity process and the upcoming legislative changes. Participants were sought through an Internet site for an association where all members are single mothers by choice. Five solo mothers talked about their reasoning in semi-structured interviews. The material was then categorized, coded and thematized, and analyzed by using symbolic interactionism, changes in values and the development of society. The results show that the respondents really thought through their decision to found a family as a single parent. They see the legislative changes mainly as symbolically important, as their form of the family will be recognized by society. They believe that the lack of donors and the age limitations in Sweden will result in that single women continues to travel abroad for assisted reproduction technology. The negative opinions that have emerged during interviews are related to health care contacts in Sweden and how some single mothers have been treated by social service caseworkers. The paternity process could become more legally secure if clear, national regulations were issued also for the paternity process regarding donor children.

ŠNAJDAROVÁ, Dagmar. Comparison of the region Střední Morava and the Swedish region Västra Götaland in area of information society development and regional innovation strategies. Prague, 2013-08-09. 89 p., 4 p. attachment. Diploma thesis (Mgr.). Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Arts, Institute of Information Studies and Librarianship. Abstract The main purpose of the master thesis is to highlight a development state of information society and innovation in Střední Morava region, to compare the Czech region to the Swedish Västra Götaland region, and to find factors influencing the regions development. A developed information society and a well functioning innovation environment are indicators of population wealth-fare in a region. Strategic documents, statistical data and projects are taken into account. The documents, the data and the projects are closely connected with development of information society and innovation environment in the chosen regions. Activities like regional innovation strategies and strategies for development of information society enforced on regional level allow better usage of local potential and specific region conditions. The efficiency of the strategic behaviour is based on collaboration of all regional parties, in effective human and financial resource allocation, and in...

There is no doubt that civil society organizations play an important role in the regional development. One of the inner factors of the regional development potential and the tool to ensuring the quality and sustainability of the implemented measures is the cooperation and partnership between the civil and public sector entities. The cooperation and parthership should be strenghtened by the inner organization of civil sector into the ubrella organizations and by the provision of their services. In this diploma thesis is realized the quantitative research which is focused on the fact what is the role of regional umbrella organization in the setting of cooperation and partnership with the regional government.