The government of Malawi established the community based childcare (CBCC) programme with the aim of addressing early childhood problems and achieve national development in the long run. The CBCC programme, as one of the approaches to early childhood development (ECD), is guided by the national early childhood development policy. It promotes some practices that somehow deviate from the traditional childcare ways that communities have always known. Experience has shown that programmes that have elements of conflict with commonly held beliefs are bound to meet with resistance in society. The study employed a mini survey, focus group discussion, observation and document review to understand how the CBCC childcare practices in Malili intersect with commonly held beliefs about childcare as well as how they reflect on the national ECD policy. The study also focused on understanding the perceptions of community members on the CBCC programme. The study revealed that while some aspects of CBCC delivery conform to commonly held beliefs about childcare in the area under study, others diverge from such beliefs. Such convergence and divergence appear to be in line with the propositions of transformalist globalisation theory- one of the perspectives adopted for the study. The study also found that care practices at CBCC are not a true reflection of the national ECD policy as community members’ perceptions, poor community participation, poverty and lack of caregiver training in ECD contribute towards poor quality of care in CBCC, contrary to what is defined in the national ECD policy. The study also found that while both CBCC caregivers and sampled community members perceived the quality of care at the centers as poor, caregivers had a more positive perception towards the CBCC than community members. The study indicated that CBCC are centres of desperation for low economic status communities. Findings from the research have revealed that cultural values and commonly held beliefs, and exposure to new knowledge through globalisation play a role in determining childcare practices as well as perceptions towards them. In this sense the study has indicated that meanings that communities attach to development interventions influence their actions and perceptions towards it.

This qualitative research, specifically a content analysis of 31 tribal colleges' mission statements and curricula, examined how the colleges' curricula aligned with the five educational concepts suggested in the colleges' mission statements. Cajete's (1994) seven foundations to indigenous thinking proved to be a major theoretical framework which provided a worldview for tribal learning. The study concluded that whereas the five educational concepts aligned between mission statements and curricula, the curricula emphasized culture, tribal community, and academic success at a greater level than mission statements indicated. Further, tribal colleges' curricula did not emphasize economic concepts as the mission statements indicated. A particular finding suggests that tribal colleges' are investing in environmental studies programs, thus increasing their intellectual capacity to protect their environmental interests while promoting indigenous thinking and community learning across all academic disciplines. Considerable implications include that an increase of American Indian environmental studies graduates may have a positive impact on environmental justice matters as well as the ability to promote new agricultural technologies. Additional implications include how mainstream universities will adapt to an increase of native students studying the sciences rather than liberal arts.

American relations with Pakistan went through various ups and downs from being allied during the Cold war to imposing sanctions in last decade of the twentieth century. After 9/11 attack on World Trade Center and Pentagon Pakistan quickly joined the United States in the War on Terror. In my thesis I analyze positions and influence of Pakistan during invasion to Afghanistan. and seven next years of the Operation Enduging Freedom during George W. Bush administration. At first I concentrate on historical experience of Pakistan and development in the area before american invasion to Afghanistan. I also surveying terrorist movements on Pakistani soil, which are important for later development and are connected to Pakistani secret service ISI. ISI tried some years after 2001 to maintain friendly relations with Taliban and other terrorist groups along Afghan - Pakistan border, but terrorists, basically anti-system movements, wanted to establish in Pakistan and Afghanistan states constituted as Islamic emirates. President Musharraf under pressure of forthcoming events and the United States understood that supporting Taliban is no longer sustainable policy and decided to act against terrorist groups home in Pakistan. This move however triggered suicide bombings and massive uprising which hit in 2006/2007...

Balikumbat and Bafanji are the names of two villages in the Northwest Region of Cameroon that have been warring against one another over Bangang, a tract of fertile land. The conflict hinges on perceived differences about who should have access to this fertile land. Both villages claim ownership. This conflict has persisted from colonial times to the present with no tangible resolution. Understanding the place of land within the political, social, and economic fabric of the lives of both villages prior to and after the arrival of the colonial administration is the centerpiece of this research endeavor. This study sheds light on why the conflict persists. The land tenure decree of 1973, which was later promulgated into Cameroon law in 1984, is the most recent attempt at resolving disputes over land. It did not resolve this conflict. A clash of cultures between the indigenous population and the European colonizers may have triggered a legacy of land conflict between these two communities. This study unravels and seeks to explain when the Balikumbat and Bafanji villages transitioned from being two loving neighbors, capable of sharing their use of and kinship to the land, to hostile enemies ready to fight and kill one another at the earliest opportunity. In this study, interviews, observations, journal intakes, field notes, as well as document reviews, are pivotal tools used in justifying the claims highlighted in the research.

No description available.

Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) are educational institutions owned by Native American tribes intended to address the failure of the education system to support Indigenous students. Significant research has been done on the value of culturally sustaining pedagogy (CSP) and on TCUs, but little has been done to examine whether and how TCUs implement CSP. This study aims to fill that gap by examining teaching at Chief Dull Knife College (CDKC), a tribal college on the Northern Cheyenne reservation. Interviews were conducted with eight white faculty members and four Cheyenne administrators at CDKC. Analysis of the interviews revealed that the instructors saw building personal connections with students as the foundation of teaching at CDKC and that they engaged in attempts at individual adaptation and structural change to support such teaching. The Cheyenne administrators found these efforts valuable, but suggested that more needed to be done to foster a connection between the white faculty members and the Cheyenne community and culture. Ultimately, this study reveals that instructors at CDKC are attempting to implement CSP, but that there are still gaps in that implementation. The interviews suggest that further structural changes are needed at CDKC to better support CSP and ensure that students are receiving the support they need to succeed.

No description available.

This research sets out to examine the main excuses, often mentioned in connection to the so-called “honour killings” in Pakistan. In this way, the aim is to discuss the idea of “honour killings” by looking at trends and patterns in this kind of homicides in Pakistan. This study also explores what legal and judicial obstacles stand in the way of putting an end to the abuse of killing women in the name of honour.The first part is mainly theoretical and analytical. In this part a set of concepts is theorized as the notion of patriarchy, public/private division and cultural globalization. These theories test the empirical data of “honour killing” in the last decade and try to find their role in the society of Pakistan. This study also analyzes the “honour killing” cases in a different way by telling stories. Second part contributes to the research regarding Islam the official religion of Pakistan. This section mainly concerns the status of women in Islam and their rights of life and free will to choose their spouses. This study also tries to remove the misconception in the minds of the West regarding Islamic teachings towards women.This study proceeds mainly under the qualitative method with the supplementary help of quantitative method. At the end, the thesis bears some finding under the abductive technique. The results show that the tested theories have a significant role in upholding the ancient practice of “honour killings” in Pakistan, and Qur’aanic and Prophetic Islam has no link with the abuse of “honour killing” in general. It is ancient tribal phenomena that have entered in some cultural norms of the society.

A community development project involving the tribal leaders, civic organisations and the aged action group had been completed in 1994 in Rathoke, a rural area in the Mpumalanga Pre ince. In the process, the reseacher observed tension built as a result of the refusal of people in authority like tribal officers, civic organisation members and individual professionals to acknowledge that aged people can take a lead in articulating their needs and alternative solutions. Assumptions prevailing among them are that: 1. Old and rural people need help. 2. Have no potential for leadership development. 3. Are dependent on existing leadership structures and 4. Their needs are not a priority. On the bases of these assumptions, the reseacher undertook to do a case study based on the analysis of community development process reports kept for the project.There have been a number of learnings which can be of benefit to people interested in the leadership concept in the field of community development. / Social work / M.A. (SS) (Mental Health)

Panapanayan 是位於台灣東南海岸的地點，至少有阿美、卑南、排灣及魯凱 等鄰近四族群的祖源傳說與該地有關，文化現象亦有許多相似之處，形成一個可 資觀察的「文化圈」區域。 該文化圈內之文化現象除了具有空間的關聯性之外，亦具有時間深度，其關 聯與互動可以延伸到史前時代，尤以文化圈內之舊香蘭遺址所發掘出土的文物， 有石刀、陶片上吐信蛇紋的應用，與現生族群間沿用之圖紋習慣似乎具有傳承關 係。文化圈內核心區域太麻里、知本部落流傳的生命儀禮中，文身（口傳及文獻 記錄）及使用琉璃珠（佩戴珠飾、陪葬）的習慣，是當地整體生命認知的價值體 系一環，與而舊香蘭遺址亦發現大量之琉璃珠，古今相疊的地緣空間中相似的文 化現象，不免引人注目。 此外，本地區(太麻里部落祖靈屋)發現的吐舌和大塊面雕刻人像，為台灣原 住民木雕圖紋表現習慣中少見的形式，卻與境外南太平洋文化的表現具有類緣的 關係，在在凸顯了本地除具有獨特的藝術表現外，又具有與分佈廣大的南島語族 間文化相連的多元關係。因此，似可以從物質文化中之藝術表現做為媒介觀察整 體社會文化變遷，與人群表達集體情感與識別作用的文化認同現象。 受國家政治現代化政策的影響，本地區百年來沐浴在現代化影響下，傳統生 活與文化產生了很大的變遷，但是在晚近族群運動與強調在地化文化資產發掘的 文化政策影響下，促進了民族風潮與部落主體意識的覺醒，太麻里、知本部落透 過重建palakuwan、恢復祭儀、傳統歌謠及工藝美感經驗的傳承等，紛紛進行文 化復振工作。各部落為尋找歷史記憶，熱絡進行祭儀交流、尋根溯源及跨部落結 盟等活動，使文化圈內人群緊密互動的現象，有促進區域生成共同體的趨勢。 太麻里、知本部落的社會環境，也在全球化和商業化、觀光化影響下變遷， 藝術表現由傳統制式的風格，漸轉化為多樣取向的個人性創作，這種轉變衝擊了 在地文化的傳承，以及部落主體性的維繫，為了凝聚族人共識，有心者於是透過 藝術媒介塑造部落文化特徵，強化為部落象徵，使藝術表現再度成為扮演彰顯族 群（部落）認同的重要功能。 本研究透過物質文化的表現，特別是所謂「藝術」（原始藝術或民族藝術） 的生成與顯現過程，觀察Panapanayan 當地多元視覺藝術要素與歷史傳統、社會 生活祭儀、象徵認同之間的關係，以瞭解藝術表現的脈絡與部落主體意識、民族 認同之間的互動關係。 / Panapanayan is located on the southeast coast of Taiwan. The ancestral origin stories of at least four ethnic groups, including the Amis, Puyuma, Paiwan and Rukai, can be traced back to this place. The many similar cultural phenomena demonstrated by these various groups suggest the formation of a culture circle. The relations between the cultural phenomena within this culture circle are not only based on space, but also on time. The relations and interactions between them can be traced back to prehistoric times. For example, snake tongue patterns seen on artifacts like stone blades and pieces of pottery uncovered at the Jiuxianglan Site are still seen in the patterns used by these ethnic groups to this day. The life-cycle rituals, tattooing (described by the oral tradition and written records) and use of ceremonial glass beads (used for both decretive purposes and buried with the deceased) found in the villages of Taimali and Zhiben, which are at the center of this culture circle, represent local values and beliefs about life and death. Many glass beads were also uncovered at the Jiuxianglan Site. The number of similar cultural phenomena occurring within this region from ancient times to present day is truly striking. In addition, the tongue-like patterns and large carvings of human figures found in this region (at the ancestral shrine in Taimali) have rarely been seen among the wood-carving patterns of Taiwan’s aboriginal people. However, these patterns are related to those found within Austronesian culture outside Taiwan. This finding further highlights the uniqueness of the artistic expressions found in this area and points to diverse ties with the widespread Austronesian peoples. As a result, the artistic expressions found within the material culture in this area can be used to trace social and cultural change. These artistic expressions can also help us to better understand collective emotions and cultural identities. With the emergence of modern national politics, the traditional life and culture of this region have been strongly influenced by the onslaught of modernization. However, the rise of the ethnic movement in Taiwan and the emphasis on cultural heritage within political policy has inspired a new awakening of tribal consciousness. By rebuilding Palakuwan and restoring traditional rituals, songs and artistic aesthetics, the people in Taimali and Zhiben have begun to engage in the process of cultural restoration. To rediscover their historical memory, various villages have worked together by exchanging rituals, tracing their roots and creating alliances. The close interactions between people living within the culture circle have led to the formation of community within this region. The social environment in Taimali and Zhiben has also been influenced by globalization, commercialization and tourism. Artistic expression has graduallyshifted from a structured traditional style to more diverse forms of individualized production. This transformation has greatly affected the transmission of local culture, as well as the maintenance of tribal subjectivity. In order to promote consensus among tribal members, concerned individuals have used the media to shape cultural characteristics and strengthen tribal symbols. As a result, artistic expression once again is playing an important role in shaping ethnic (tribal) identity. By exploring material culture, in particular the process of producing and displaying “art” (primitive art or ethnic art), this study investigates the relations between the diverse artistic elements, historical tradition, social rituals and symbolic identity in Panapanayan. The purpose of this study is to further understand the interaction between artistic expression, tribal subjective consciousness and ethnic identity.