Representatives of the City of Highland Village expressed concern over the risk of wildfires for their community. Anthropology provides many tools for and examples of disaster assessment of preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. These tools combined with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can provide a holistic, cultural ecological look at how such a disaster may take place in the city. The project's methods included a detailed survey of preparedness steps which was analyzed using SPSS and also imported into ArcGIS for spatial analysis, and semi-formal, in-depth interviews with residents of the community regarding preparedness, response, and recovery. Residents fell into a middle category of preparedness, with the majority of participants considering or implementing a few recommended preparedness steps. Interview participants expressed respect for and trust of the city and first-responders, as well as a willingness to volunteer their help during response and recovery stages. Finally the American Community Survey showed that resident socioeconomic vulnerability was considerably low, and no action needed to be taken to advocate for at-risk individuals. Overall, the City of Highland Village showed a high resiliency to disaster. A wildfire likely will not have a major impact on the community as a whole, though the city may reduce the impact even further by informing the public of their risk, clearing natural areas of dead brush, sharing preparedness and evacuation information via social media and newsletters, and planning relief stations for those who may have been impacted.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates the reasons for failure of community development programmes in rural South Africa. It traces the origin of community development from the end of the Second World War up to the present and states that South Africa has realised that community development is an important tool to bring about a more equitable distribution of wealth. It takes a look at the implementation strategies of development at a broad level, the influence of international aid agencies and traces some of the reasons for the high failure rate of projects. There is a growing trend towards non-governmental organisations becoming more and more involved in the development field. They have evolved from being small grass roots organisations to large structures that provide a service to the community that neither the government nor the private sector can. They plan, raise funds, facilitate, coordinate and implement development projects and they have proved to be highly successful. The focus of study is the need for, effect of and implementation of community development activities in rural South Africa. It also states that development has shifted its focus from purely economic considerations to a more people-centred approach where the fundamental concern is people and their needs. This is a more humane way of looking at development and the underlying thought in most development activity in South Africa today is based on humaneness. It is, however, found that many development initiatives are unsuccessful in achieving its aims completely. It analyses theories on community development and finds that contemporary theories have analysed the reasons for the high failure rate of community development activities and that most theories have recommended implementation strategies by placing people and their needs as priorities. This paper argues that though the people centred approach is most appropriate, certain crucial factors have been missing from these theories. The cause for concern is that there is lack of planning for sustainability and planning for transfer of ownership of projects in such a way that the people involved in the project have a stake in its success. As a result there is lack of motivation on the part of project implementers to carry out projects successfully which is leading to more and more failures of development projects. A thorough study and analysis of certain community development projects initiated at Welverdiend Village in South Africa has been carried out in this study. A background study of the Village is carried out and it is found that the 'liJ.lage is similar in structure to other similar villages. The analysis of projects draws one to the conclusion that there are three crucial factors that improve chances of success of projects. The paper concludes that the key to the success of community development projects are the plans put in place for sustainability, transferring ownership of projects to a group of people or to an individual and ensuring that project participants have a stake in its success or stands to loose something if it fails. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die redes vir mislukking van gemeenskapsontwikkelingsprogramme in landelike Suid Afrika. Die oorsprong van gemeenskapsontwikkeling word bespreek vanaf die einde van die Tweede Wereld Oorlog tot en met die hede, en beweer dat Suid Afrika tot die besef gekom het dat gemeenskapsontwikkeling 'n belangrike meganisme is om 'n meer billike verdeling van welstand te bewerkstellig. Die strategiese uitvoering van ontwikkeling, die invloed van internasionale hulp agentskappe en sommige redes vir die hoë voorval van mislukking van projekte word ondersoek. Daar is 'n groeiende tendens van nie-regeringsorganisasies wat betrokke raak by ontwikkelingsinisiatiewe. Hierdie organisasies (NGOs) het oor 'n kort tydperk ontwikkel vanaf klein, 'grassroots' organisasies tot groot instansies wat massiewe hoeveelhede geld bestuur en bestaan uit duisende lede. Hulle verskaf 'n diens aan die gemeenskap wat nie ge-ewenaar kan word deur die regering of die privaatsektor nie. Hulle doen beplanning, versamel fondse, fasiliteer, ko-ordineer en implementeer ontwikkelingsprojekte. As sulks het NGOs hulself alreeds suksesvol bewys. Die fokus van hierdie studie is die behoefte vir, effek van, en implementasie van gemeenskapsontwikkelingsaktiwiteite in landelike Suid Afrika. Dit beweer ook dat die fokus van ontwikkeling van suiwer ekonomiese oorwegings tot 'n meer mensgesentreerde benadering verskuif het, waar mense en hul behoeftes as fundamenteel beskou word. Dit is 'n meer mensliewende manier om ontwikkeling te beskou en die fundamentele gedagte in meeste van die ontwikkelingsaktiwiteite in Suid Afrika is op hierdie beginsel gebaseer. Daar is tog gevind dat vele ontwikkelingsinisiatiewe onsuksesvol is in die volkome behaling van hul doelwitte. Die tesis ontleed teorieë van gemeenskapsontwikkeling en vind dat hedendaagse teorieë die redes vir die hoë graad van mislukking van gemeenskapsontwikkelingsaktiwiteite aanbeveel het dat mense en hulle behoeftes strategiese prioriteit geniet met die implementering van hierdie aktiwiteite. Hierdie tesis betoog dat alhoewel die mensgsentreerde benadering die mees toepaslike benadering is, daar sekere beslissende faktore afwesig is in hierdie teorieë. Die rede vir kommer is dat daar 'n gebrek aan beplanning wat betref die lewensvatbaarheid en beplanning vir die oorhandiging van eiendomsreg van projekte in so 'n mate dat die mense wat in die projek betrokke is, 'n eie belang in die sukses daarvan het. As gevolg hiervan, is daar 'n gebrek aan motivering aan die kant van die implementeerders van die projek om projekte suksesvol uit te voer, wat tot al hoe meer mislukkings van ontwikkelingsprokekte lei. 'n Deeglike studie en ontleding van sekere gemeenskapsontwikkelingsprojekte wat in Welverdiend Dorp in Suid Afrika ingewy is, is in hierdie studie uitgevoer. 'n Agtergrondstudie van die dorp is uitgevoer en dit is gevind dat die dorp eenders is in struktuur as ander soortgelyke dorpe. Die ontleding van projekte lei 'n mens tot die gevolgtrekking dat daar drie kritieke faktore bestaan wat die kanse van sukses van projekte verbeter. Die sleutel tot die sukses van gemeenskapsontwikkelingsprojekte is in die planne wat lewensvatbaarheid verseker, en wel tot so 'n mate dat wanneer eiendomgsreg van projekte aan 'n groep mense of individue oorgeplaas word, daardie deelnemers aan die projek self ook 'n belang het in die sukses daarvan.

The Anthropological Papers of the University of Arizona is a peer-reviewed monograph series sponsored by the School of Anthropology. Established in 1959, the series publishes archaeological and ethnographic papers that use contemporary method and theory to investigate problems of anthropological importance in the southwestern United States, Mexico, and related areas.

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Doctor Educationis / Formal microfinance institutions have been an important tool in the fight against poverty in developing countries, but their reach for rural people and urban slum poor are limited. Following this, Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) are established as an alternative, informal mechanism for saving and borrowing that do not require external capital or ongoing financial or administrative support from a founding organization or government bodies. Thus, this study aimed to assess the effects of women participation in VSLA on poverty reduction with a case study in Hawassa city, Ethiopia. Using a mixed qualitative and quantitative research methodology, the study tried to focus on examining the effects of VSLAs contribution to economic and social wellbeing of households, and decision makings, and women participation in community activities. The study used 254 samples (127 VSLA participants, and 127 non-participants) and collected data using questionnaire and focus group discussion. The study used propensity score matching (PSM) to estimate the impact of women participation in VSLA on average monthly household income, and the result indicated the average effect of women participation in VSLA on average monthly household income of participant women is positive and significant at 5% significant level, ranging from 169.63 Birr/month (nearest neighbor matching) to 141.55 Birr/month (Kernel matching), on average. Besides, comparison between participants and non-participants using hypothesis testing shows that women participation in VSLA has a significant positive association with improvements in household diet, health, children’s education, and women’s involvement in household decisions. However, although hypothesized, no significant association is found in relation to women participation in community activities. Findings from the focus group discussions are also consistent with the results from the PSM and hypothesis testing. Following the findings, the study recommends government and nongovernmental organizations to provide regular, timely and need based capacity building trainings for VSLA participants; Link VSLA participants with formal microfinance institutions; conduct regular monitoring and follow ups by either the city or sub-cities Women Children Affairs Department/offices or concerned government body; different concerned stakeholders in the city including government, nongovernmental organizations, microfinance institutions and others need to work in coordinated manner to solve the recurrent challenges of VSLA participants in Hawassa city; and finally government and/or nongovernmental organizations need to take best practices and lessons from existing VSLAs and expand the VSLA initiative to address more impoverished women in the city.

This thesis is an ethnographic study of an area in Manchester known as the 'Gay Village'. It explores the history and changes in the meaning of this term for the people who live and work in the Village, as well as for those who visit it for leisure. The Village was originally created by gay activists who emphasised being gay as the basis for having a separate gay community. However, since being incorporated into Manchester City Council's culture-led regeneration strategy the area now attracts large numbers of heterosexual male and female users. For many heterosexual Village users being gay attaches as much to 'things' that they feel able to engage with in the making of themselves, as much as what it attaches to persons through the way they define their sexuality. Within the Village previous assumptions about the authenticity of the categories 'gay' and 'straight' have been subjected to much debate. The aim of the thesis is therefore to subject current understandings of contemporary gay and straight sexuality to critical analysis and to explore how ideas about sexual identity may be changing in Britain in the first decade of the 21St century.

Wolf Village is a Fremont farming village located at the southern end of Utah Valley where Brigham Young University has conducted six field schools there and recovered 135 awl and awl fragments. The Wolf Village awls, like the awls from many Fremont sites, represent a large range of morphological variability. Because of the ubiquity and diversity of Fremont bone awls, many different approaches have been taken to organize and understand them; focusing more on morphological characteristics than interpretation. In order to better understand the life use of bone awls, experiments were conducted to replicate the manufacture and use of these tools and to create a comparative collection for diagnostic characteristics. Based on the results of analysis and comparison, the craftspeople at Wolf Village used a variety of methods to make tools for use in basket-making, leatherwork, and other activities.

Thesis (M.Ed)--University of Limpopo,2009. / This report describes the research carried out at both the Mashashane Breeder Farms and Hatchery Project established at Newlands village (Mashashane), of Polokwane Municipality of the Capricorn region of Limpopo Province in South Africa. This research is about the sustainability of projects in Limpopo Province of South Africa. For this purpose, the Mashashane Breeder Farms and Hatchery Project is the case of this study. The study aimed at evaluating the sustainability of the Mashashane Breeder Farms and Hatchery Project, so as to make authorities aware of the difficulties experienced in sustaining projects, and to highlight those factors that make projects succeed. The following research questions were formulated for this study: • What are the critical factors that determine sustainability of projects? • What can be the role of adult education in this project? The intention of this study was to investigate why most projects collapse; and what kept the Mashashane Breeder Farms and Hatchery Project to exist for such a long time. In Chapter 2 of this study, I formulated assumptions about the sustainability of projects. I suggested certain factors to be considered for the purpose of sustaining a project. My assumptions were needs analysis; organising people; communication; competition; management; deliverables; lack of skills; ability to plan; project ownership and participation; the role of the government; and time table (schedule). In Chapter 3, the methodology is outlined. This study followed the qualitative approach. Instruments used for the collection of data are also explained. I discussed the main learning area, outlined the difficulties in carrying out the research activities and concluded the chapter by the model of data matrix. In Chapter 4 of this study, findings from Mashashane Breeder Farms and Hatchery Project are outlined, based on documents, interviews and observations of activities of the project. I formulated variables informed by Chapter 2 of this study. I report on the setting of the Mashashane Breeder Farms and Hatchery Project. In Chapter 5, I have outlined conclusions based on the study. The suggested points about a good project are tabled. Inclusive of the challenges faced by the Mashashane Breeder Farms and Hatchery project are, namely: mortality; infertility; no income period; and education and training of employees. In Chapter 6, I have given recommendations for this study. Some of the recommendations specifically for this project are, namely: more projects should be established to address unemployment and poverty; feedback should be given to employees; communication should be reciprocal, prior work experience be recognised; adult education should be introduced for employees to upgrade their skills and develop some; workshops should be arranged to improve lives of employees; and increasing production and competition is to be encouraged at all levels (internally and externally).

In addition to successful economic reforms, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) is also in the process of implementing reforms in the areas of civil society, decentralisation and grassroots democracy, within what is generally considered a strong state environment. Relevant research argues that uninhibited democracy, decentralisation and civil society are important elements in achieving what has been popularly termed community 'participation' by development practitioners. This process was particularly assisted by the release of the grassroots democracy decree of 1998 and its subsequent update in 2003 that set out the details of what Vietnam required from the village and commune levels as part of the reform process. Interestingly, it is also these two levels that form the dividing line between government and community in Vietnam. Although there have been several studies investigating the strengths and weaknesses of the implementation of the grassroots democracy decree and other related policies, village-based planning and development programs, which are a development approach piloted by several non-government organisations (NGOs) and donors to address these issues, have not been comprehensively evaluated. These programs, which are generally long-term, area-based, holistic and integrated, have frequently been observed to deliver many of the relevant elements within the larger notions of democracy, decentralisation, civil society and participation. The research explores the effectiveness of village-based planning and development approaches within the Vietnamese context using both quality and quantity criteria to assess elements of program effectiveness, focussing primarily on community level perspectives. Four projects of a selected international non-government organisation (INGO), were used as a detailed case study utilising a combination of qualitative focus groups and interviews, complimented by two quantitative household interviews. These community opinions were triangulated against the opinion of other key stakeholders including government, bilateral and multilateral aid donors, as well as Vietnamese and International NGOs involved in such approaches. The research highlights that with careful attention, village-based planning and development approaches do have the ability to more effectively allow the community to be put back into the 'centre of development' in Vietnam, rather than being passive recipients or marginalised by the development process. A set of seven key elements that contribute to more effective village-based planning and development approaches in Vietnam has been outlined in this thesis. It is hoped that these key elements might be further utilised by donor, NGO and government agencies to support the appropriate replication and up-scaling of the approaches to enable development needs and poverty to be more effectively reduced in Vietnam However, the approaches are not without their challenges, in particular in terms of achieving integrated planning from village to national level, being flexible enough for the variety of ethnic minority and geographical areas, effectively involving a broad and appropriate range of individuals and organised civil society groups and, perhaps most importantly, taking the approaches beyond the current few pilot programs to a national scale that forms a more integral part of the government's overall poverty reduction strategy.

Òyötùnjí: The Making of Africans in America examines the impact of self-identification with African culture and the impact it has on African identity within social and Black Nationalist movements. More so than the Civil Rights movement, the Black Nationalist movement has influenced the ways in which African Americans self identified as a group and as individuals. Comprised primarily of African nationalists, Òyötùnjí Village was considered the vanguard in re- introducing the African ideology into Santeria, and giving birth to what is now considered the Ifa/Yoruba tradition. As the intentional community of Òyötùnjí grew, the Ifa tradition spread as well because of its porous population. To explore the relationship between identity and social movements, this paper examines the motivation behind the formation of Òyötùnjí Village and the formation of an independent community.