Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-64). Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1974. / Typescript. Vita. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 247-252).

Thesis (M.A. (Anthropology))--Rhodes University, 2005.

This thesis develops an alternative critique of social urban regeneration practice by using a political-governance approach to examine the impact of regeneration governance upon barriers and opportunities for social sustainability. The research responds to a call from scholars to refocus sustainability research on the institutional, political and governance space that fosters or marginalises its presence and form. This ethnographic case study involved a year-long cycle of participant observation within the extensive Hastings regeneration governance infrastructure, and interviews with key stakeholders in that regeneration community. An analysis using NVivo was undertaken of thirty-one interviews, fifty regeneration governance meetings and the documents from each meeting. From that data emerged a strong argument for the centrality of the specificity of place in the construction or obstruction of social sustainability. Of particular importance is the impact of the socio-political context and the institutional and cultural legacy of New Labour partnership-led regeneration. The alternative critique identified in the Hastings example, in part emerges from the agency of a large-scale, political, and active Voluntary Community Sector (VCS) that is integral to, and embedded into the local governance infrastructure. The alternative model of activism employed by the VCS core utilises governance norms and practices to navigate the complex regeneration policy and governance landscape to contribute to, and disturb dominant agendas. In this regeneration landscape a distinctive local socio-political context, an alternative model of activism, and a valued good governance partnership culture enable what other commentators have termed 'actually existing' social sustainability (AESS). The research findings advance an understanding of principal critiques of the New Labour regeneration project, including the notions of 'post-political regeneration tactics' and democratic deficit, through a critical analysis of their presence in terms of their obstruction of AESS. The alternative critique that emerges from this research explores a possible shift in the locus and production of power, and the redistribution of roles in UK regeneration practice that enables a stronger VCS position.

Like other developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa is faced with the following social welfare issues: teenage pregnancies, high HIV rates, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and a high number of abortions. South Africa is dealing with the repercussions of risky sexual behaviour of female youth on a daily basis and these include: youth with STDs, teenage pregnancies, HIV infection, cervical cancer, abortion, and youth selling their bodies for money. All of these can lead to serious health risks. There are psychological and behavioural factors associated with the risk of STDs like Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) (Gebregiorgis, 2000:15). Gebregiorgis reported that understanding sexual risk behaviours is one of the most important issues in preventing the spread of HIV and AIDS. Doing so will result in the design and implementation of health education programmes with the view of preventing these infections, or at least minimising their occurrence (Damtie, 2013:1). Very limited research has been done on this topic in South Africa and Africa. A need for a similar study was recommended in Ethiopia, where it was stated that no published empirical studies were available on factors relating to sexual risk behaviours in rural districts such as the Enemay District, East Gojjam Zone of Ethiopia (Anemaw, 2009:5). Hence, this study will explore and describe factors that may influence female youths to engage in unsafe sexual behaviours. The focus of the study was on the risky sexual behaviour of female youth in rural and urban areas. The goal of the study was to explore and describe the nature and consequences of risky sexual behaviour of female youth in rural and urban areas. The research question of this study was: do female youth in urban and rural areas have insight regarding the nature and consequences of their risky sexual behaviour? A qualitative approach was followed with a case study research design, as the researcher wanted to compare cases in urban and rural areas. The population was school-going females aged between 18 and 20 years in Gauteng province. There were two targeted groups of population. The first one was in Kameeldrift Village, Hammanskraal in Tshwane Municipality, Gauteng province, classified as a rural area. The second population was in Tembisa, Ekurhuleni Municipality, Gauteng province, classified as an urban area. In this study non-probability, purposive sampling was used to generate a sample. The criteria for sampling participants were as follows: ? Female youth between the ages of 18 and 20 years old. ? Female youth who are sexually active, as they request contraceptives at the clinic. ? Female youth who are from Ivory Park in Tembisa and Kameeldrift Village in Hammanskraal, both in Gauteng. Twelve participants, namely six female youth from a rural area and six from an urban area, who were at the above-mentioned clinics to access family planning within the above-mentioned age groups were chosen for the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants individually. Interviews were voice recorded with the permission of the participants and were transcribed by the researcher. The data was analysed by the researcher and themes and sub-themes were generated. The research findings were presented by providing a profile of the research participants and presenting a thematic analysis of the themes and sub-themes, including literature and verbatim quotes from the transcriptions to support the findings. The themes included the following: Theme 1 Knowledge of female youth regarding reproductive health; Theme 2 Knowledge of preventative measures and prevention of pregnancy; Theme 3 Sexual risk behaviour and exploration of multiple sexual partners or concurrent partners; Theme 4 Consequences of risky sexual behaviour; and Theme 5 Attitudes experienced as a result of consequences of risky sexual behaviour. The conclusions of this study reflect that that a limited understanding of reproductive health is a contributing factor to the sexual risk behaviour displayed by female youths in both rural and urban areas. It was further concluded that fear of dealing with the consequences of risky sexual behaviour does not prevent female youth from early sexual debut. Another conclusion is that early sexual debut is the biggest factor to risky sexual behaviour, as the majority of participants started engaging in sexual activities very early in life while they were not mature enough to negotiate safer sex practices. Recommendations of this study can be used by professionals working with female youth in the health field in order to understand the dynamics involved, such as the biological, psychological, and social influences that result in the sexual behaviour of female youth. These will address the complex issues related to environmental influences that shape risky sexual behaviour of female youth. / Mini Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Social Work and Criminology / MSW / Unrestricted

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF file (viewed July 2, 2009). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 117-124).

Abstract Proof of concept for a continuous environmental sampling methodology that employs common terrestrial arthropods as environmental samplers was tested by analyzing pitfall, malaise and black light captures over a six month period over a replicated urban-suburban-rural gradient in Central Virginia. All arthropods captured at the nine sites were identified and assigned to aquatic, vegetation, or soil groups based on their association with these microhabitats. To offset variability in arthropod life history patterns and species abundance within habitat types, arthropod categories based on presence/absence data over the six month period were constructed to provide for sampling reliability within each microhabitat type. Arthropod categories ranged from single abundant species and families to synthetic groupings based on microhabitat associations (e.g., “soil beetles”), all of which could be easily identified. Mean weekly captures of individuals in each resulting category were compared within and among the nine sites using GLM or ranks analyses. Overall and weekly mean capture rates in the aquatic (two categories), soil (seven categories) and vegetation (11 categories) microhabitats were similar within each habitat type. With the exception of the two aquatic category members (midges and caddisflies), overall, monthly and weekly mean capture rates of all arthropod categories were highest in suburban and lowest in urban habitats. Results demonstrate reliability of the arthropod categories constructed and provide ground truthing for a continuously deployable and user-friendly arthropod-based system for monitoring environmental agents.

Since local governments in Taiwan were given the power of self governance in 1950, the administrative divisions haven¡¦t been readjusted. After 60-year development, the population distribution and urban modes have totally changed. Without readjustment of the administrative divisions, human resource could not be reasonably deployed, resources wasted, regional development gaps widened and the entire country development was severely influenced. Under the impact of globalization and in response to new development in all aspects, such as politics, economics, society and territory, the governmental system and function have to be re-defined and administrative divisions and organization structure have to be readjusted to build an idealized and high-effective government. In recent years, local self-governing groups around the world also moved on to merging to cope with local fiscal predicament and promote the empowerment of local governing groups to enhance their administrative ability. The academic also comprehend the urgent importance of the merging of urban and rural townships and thus propose different resolution projects and strategies and directions of merging and adjustment. The author managed to sort different literature into supporting theories of merging and foreign cases about the merging of local self-governing groups. Based on the above theories and cases and through data envelopment analysis (DEA), the author simulated different merging programs of urban and rural townships, compared the efficiency before merging and that after merging, and proposed concrete suggestion towards the inefficient self-governing groups. The result showed that the program of merging urban and rural townships could increase the efficiency in every aspect. The conclusion can serve as reference to the future implement of the program of merging urban and rural townships.

Physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and other chronic diseases of life. In countries undergoing economic transition from underdeveloped to being developed, there is an increasing rate of physical inactivity. Accurate assessment of physical activity behaviours is important for determining the presence of physical inactivity, for setting goals for physical therapy interventions to increase physical activity and to utilize physical activity as an outcome measure for physical therapy interventions. There are different techniques used to measure physical activity, namely questionnaires, motion sensors (pedometers and accelerometers) and doubly labelled water. The most used method in large epidemiological research is questionnaires because of their affordability and feasibility. Limitations of physical activity questionnaires include the exclusion of house-hold activities, intensity of work done, bicycling, duration and frequency of leisure time activities. Motion sensors have been mostly used in developed and westernized countries. In the North West Province (NWP) of South Africa the only method that has been used to determine physical activity among the Tswana speaking people was the Transition of Health during urbanization physical activity questionnaire (THUSA-PAQ). The application of other methods such as the motion sensors has never been done. Objectives: The study comprised two major objectives: The first objective was to determine the physical activity levels of the rural and urban Tswana speaking people of the NWP using the THUS A questionnaire and pedometers. The second objective was to determine whether there is a relationship in physical activity determined by the THUSA-PAQ, promotional pedometer and an accelerometer determined activity. Methods The participants recruited for this study form part of the larger prospective urban and rural epidemiology (PURE) longitudinal study running over 12 years which started in 2005. A subsample of 200 was randomly selected of which hundred and eighty signed the informed consent (90 urban and 90 rural) to participate in the study. The participants completed the THUSA-PAQ with the assistance help of the fieldworkers in their native language and wore pedometers for seven consecutive days. The number of steps taken per day distance travelled and energy expenditure were recorded in a logbook. Another thirty eight participants from a co-hort in the same geographical area were issued with accelerometers to wear simultaneously with pedometers for a period of twenty four hours and also completed the THUSA-PAQ. Results The rural male and female participants reported higher average physical activity index (PAT) with the THUSA questionnaire (9.49 ± 3.67 and 8.10 ± 1.26) than urban male and female participants (8.13 ± 2.47 and 7.51 ± 1.65) respectively. The same trend was observed with the objectively determined physical activity with the pedometers. A partial correlation adjusted for age and gender showed no statistical significance between the subjectively determined physical activity index (PAT) and the objectively determined activity (average steps per day). Results from the co-hort participants indicated that both male and female participants spent a larger percentage of their time on sedentary activities (66.45 ± 15.84% and 70.13 ± 8.39%) respectively. Most of the participants, 64.7% females and 52.1% males, recorded fewer than 5000 steps per day with a pedometer and reported high PAI (9.61 ± 1.83 males and 7.79 ± 1.26 females) with the THUSA-PAQ. On this population partial correlation analyses that was adjusted for age and body mass index (BMT) showed a statistical significant relationship between (p<0.05) time spent on vigorous activities and commute index between male and female participants. There was no statistical significant relationship between the PAI (THUSA-PAQ), activity energy expenditure (AEE) determined with an accelerometer and the number of steps per day determined with a pedometer. Conclusion The major conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that the participants did not meet the recommended physical activity levels (30 min moderate physical activity or 10 000 pedometer determined steps per day). The participants reported high subjective physical activity index (PAI) with the THXJSA-PAQ which did not correlate with the low objectively determined number of steps per day using the pedometer and AEE. Possible reasons for this include the influence of perception toward physical activity, social desrrabiUty, seasonal changes, reactivity and time of the year. Motion sensors gave a better indication of habitual physical activity among the Tswana speaking people of the NWP and should be considered for further research. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and other chronic diseases of life. In countries undergoing economic transition from underdeveloped to being developed, there is an increasing rate of physical inactivity. Accurate assessment of physical activity behaviours is important for determining the presence of physical inactivity, for setting goals for physical therapy interventions to increase physical activity and to utilize physical activity as an outcome measure for physical therapy interventions. There are different techniques used to measure physical activity, namely questionnaires, motion sensors (pedometers and accelerometers) and doubly labelled water. The most used method in large epidemiological research is questionnaires because of their affordability and feasibility. Limitations of physical activity questionnaires include the exclusion of house-hold activities, intensity of work done, bicycling, duration and frequency of leisure time activities. Motion sensors have been mostly used in developed and westernized countries. In the North West Province (NWP) of South Africa the only method that has been used to determine physical activity among the Tswana speaking people was the Transition of Health during urbanization physical activity questionnaire (THUSA-PAQ). The application of other methods such as the motion sensors has never been done. Objectives: The study comprised two major objectives: The first objective was to determine the physical activity levels of the rural and urban Tswana speaking people of the NWP using the THUS A questionnaire and pedometers. The second objective was to determine whether there is a relationship in physical activity determined by the THUSA-PAQ, promotional pedometer and an accelerometer determined activity. Methods The participants recruited for this study form part of the larger prospective urban and rural epidemiology (PURE) longitudinal study running over 12 years which started in 2005. A subsample of 200 was randomly selected of which hundred and eighty signed the informed consent (90 urban and 90 rural) to participate in the study. The participants completed the THUSA-PAQ with the assistance help of the fieldworkers in their native language and wore pedometers for seven consecutive days. The number of steps taken per day distance travelled and energy expenditure were recorded in a logbook. Another thirty eight participants from a co-hort in the same geographical area were issued with accelerometers to wear simultaneously with pedometers for a period of twenty four hours and also completed the THUSA-PAQ. Results The rural male and female participants reported higher average physical activity index (PAT) with the THUSA questionnaire (9.49 ± 3.67 and 8.10 ± 1.26) than urban male and female participants (8.13 ± 2.47 and 7.51 ± 1.65) respectively. The same trend was observed with the objectively determined physical activity with the pedometers. A partial correlation adjusted for age and gender showed no statistical significance between the subjectively determined physical activity index (PAT) and the objectively determined activity (average steps per day). Results from the co-hort participants indicated that both male and female participants spent a larger percentage of their time on sedentary activities (66.45 ± 15.84% and 70.13 ± 8.39%) respectively. Most of the participants, 64.7% females and 52.1% males, recorded fewer than 5000 steps per day with a pedometer and reported high PAI (9.61 ± 1.83 males and 7.79 ± 1.26 females) with the THUSA-PAQ. On this population partial correlation analyses that was adjusted for age and body mass index (BMT) showed a statistical significant relationship between (p<0.05) time spent on vigorous activities and commute index between male and female participants. There was no statistical significant relationship between the PAI (THUSA-PAQ), activity energy expenditure (AEE) determined with an accelerometer and the number of steps per day determined with a pedometer. Conclusion The major conclusion that can be drawn from this study is that the participants did not meet the recommended physical activity levels (30 min moderate physical activity or 10 000 pedometer determined steps per day). The participants reported high subjective physical activity index (PAI) with the THXJSA-PAQ which did not correlate with the low objectively determined number of steps per day using the pedometer and AEE. Possible reasons for this include the influence of perception toward physical activity, social desrrabiUty, seasonal changes, reactivity and time of the year. Motion sensors gave a better indication of habitual physical activity among the Tswana speaking people of the NWP and should be considered for further research. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.