Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientÃfico e TecnolÃgico / âA mancha visÃvel e o nervo sentidoâ - representaÃÃo social da hansenÃase para agentes comunitÃrios de saÃde objetiva compreender as representaÃÃes sociais sobre a hansenÃase/lepra na prÃtica discursiva das/dos Agentes ComunitÃrios de SaÃde (ACS), identificando crenÃas, valores e tabus que possam estar imbricados no trabalho. Por ser a hansenÃase uma doenÃa mÃtica e estigmatizada, envolta de saberes e prÃticas construÃdas historicamente, acreditamos que as prÃticas da/do ACS tÃm representaÃÃes que, sÃo incorporadas ao seu trabalho. Contextualizamos a evoluÃÃo sÃcio-histÃrica do adoecimento, bem como a elaboraÃÃo ideolÃgica presente no imaginÃrio coletivo dos ACS. Com suporte nos conceitos de ideologia, discurso e poder, verificamos como as representaÃÃes sociais que os sujeitos da pesquisa tÃm acerca da hansenÃase afetam a sua vida. Duas questÃes nortearam este estudo: que representaÃÃes sociais as/os ACS tÃm sobre a hansenÃase/ lepra? E como estas representaÃÃes se imbricam em seu trabalho? Participaram 91 ACS que atuam na EstratÃgia SaÃde da FamÃlia dos MunicÃpios de SÃo Josà de Ribamar (MA), Paragominas (PA), AraguaÃna (TO) e Floriano (PI). A metodologia consistiu na anÃlise temÃtica. Utilizamos a tÃcnica do grupo focal. Do material produzido em campo, estabelecemos o corpus empÃrico, de onde emergiram as categorias/temas (conceitos-imagens). Em cada tema foram divisadas as subcategorias, que se denominou Unidade Representacional (UR). Os conceitos-imagens emergidos foram: 1) lepra X hansenÃase - significados e sentidos; 2) Estigma - a marca do preconceito e da discriminaÃÃo nas prÃticas discursivas; 3) MicropolÃtica na produÃÃo de cuidado a pessoa com hansenÃase; 4) Envolvimento das famÃlias no processo de cuidado; 5) Vivendo/convivendo com a hansenÃase. A pesquisa revelou, dentre outras representaÃÃes, que as/os ACS acreditam na existÃncia de alimentos âreimososâ. Evidenciou-se, tambÃm, culpabilizaÃÃo, do uso de Ãlcool como determinante para o prolongamento da terapia. Constatamos que a lepra e a hansenÃase nÃo se configuram como sinÃnimos, mas sim como duas entidades distintas. Ao termo lepra, cabe o sentido de medo, vergonha e exclusÃo, enquanto hansenÃase adquire o sentido de doenÃa curÃvel. Evidenciamos nos discursos preconceito e prÃticas discriminatÃrias vivenciadas pelas pessoas com hansenÃase, configurando-se em legitimaÃÃo do estigma.

Orientador: Aparecida Neri de Souza / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-04T07:15:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Silva_JoaoPetrucioMedeirosda_M.pdf: 4775835 bytes, checksum: 3a605d9fb0a5254c0fa86790b584e490 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005 / Resumo: A política neoliberal e o processo de racionalização, decorrentes da política de reforma do Estado implementada a partir da década de 90, produziram fortes impactos na organização e nas relações de trabalho no setor público, sobretudo, na categoria dos servidores públicos municipais, em particular, os ajudantes de serviços gerais da Prefeitura Municipal de Campinas que prestam serviços nas Administrações Regionais e Subprefeituras. O processo de privatização, desregulamentação e flexibilização do trabalho largamente empregado pelo Estado, repercutem nos municípios de forma a reproduzir em ampla escala a lógica do processo de racionalização. A substituição dos trabalhadores efetivos por trabalhadores de contrato temporário de trabalho, o sucateamento da estrutura pública em detrimento da contratação de empresas fornecedoras de serviços, máquinas e equipamentos terceirizados, para além de precarizar as relações de trabalho, acentua de forma drástica o processo de desmonte do Estado no mais claro sinal de sedimentação da política de racionalização. Nesse sentido, este estudo pretende contribuir para o debate em torno das transformações vivenciadas no mundo do trabalho, cujos impactos e reflexões decorrentes dessa política, apontam para a categoria dos trabalhadores desse setor público, em particular os trabalhadores das Administrações Regionais e Subprefeituras como uma categoria ameaçada / Abstract: The neoliberal politic and the racionalization process, became the politic of the new form the State implemented from the 90 decade, produced strong impacts in the organization and in the works relations in the public section, over all, in the part of the municipal public employers, the assistant in the general services in a Campinas city hall who work at Regionals Administration and subcity Hall. The process of privatization, desregulamentation and work flexibilization applied by State reflect in a cities the form that reproduce the scale in a racionalization of the logic the process. A change of the fixes workers by temporary workers, a deteriorization the structure public in a damage the contract of the service supplier company, machine and contract equipments besiders precarization the work relationship to emphatically and reflection from this political the drastic form the state dismount process in a signal the sedimentation of the rationalization politic. In the this direction, that this research intend to contribute with of debate around the transformation lived in the of the world workers such a on impacts originator in that public section, to mark the works category over all form Regional Administration and sub cities Hall how about the menaced category / Mestrado / Educação, Sociedade, Politica e Cultura / Mestre em Educação

The purpose of the study was to investigate children's participation in child welfare investigations. Six interviews were conducted with social workers who are active in child welfare investigations, to understand social workers experiences of children's involvement in investigations. The results show that children are not always involved or as involved as they should, for different reasons. The child's age, the child's ability to communicate, the child's attitude to cooperation, the guardian's attitude to cooperation, social workers prerequisites in terms of skills, tools and workload. Furthermore, the results show that children's best and social issues need to weigh heavier in child welfare investigations, as today there is a lot of focus on parents and guardians. This study aims to contribute knowledge of children's participation in child welfare research.

This research is aimed at studying and describing the psychosocial effects of infertility on couples. Infertility is a reasonably new field of specialization in Medical Social Work, with a limited amount of research findings and literature available. A definite need for research therefore exists in this field. The stages and procedures of research used in this study are firstly described, as well as the problems experienced with the study and definitions of terms used. Subsequently, infertility is described in detail to provide the necessary knowledge of and insight into the problem and also to understand what infertile couples have to endure during the whole treatment period. This includes the initial interview, the medical investigations, the causes of infertility, the treatment procedures av.ailable and the psycho-social effects of infertility. The roles, tasks, skills and knowledge of the medical social worker in a multi-professional health setting are described next, followed by a guideline for medical social workers as regards the infertile couple at an Infertility Clinic. This guideline describes the roles and tasks of the medical social worker regarding each step of the entire infertility treatment plan. Hereafter the research findings and graphical representations of this exploratory and descriptive study of the psycho-social effects of infertility on couples, are presented and discussed. The hypothesis for this study: "Infertility has various psychosocial effects on a couple" is accordingly supported. Finally the general summary, conclusions and recommendations arising from this study are provided. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 1989. / gm2014 / Social Work and Criminology / Unrestricted

[pt] O objetivo dessa pesquisa é investigar e descrever como a dinâmica de transmissão de conhecimento tem sido vivenciada especificamente pelos trabalhadores maduros, em duas empresas públicas. O trabalhador maduro costuma assumir um papel relevante dentro das organizações, já que seus anos de trabalho e experiência lhe renderam a aquisição de um tipo de conhecimento que envolve não somente aspectos técnicos e explícitos, mas também um componente tácito, que não é tão facilmente codificado e transmitido. Considerando ainda, que estes indivíduos se encontram perto da aposentadoria, sua capacidade de transmitir conhecimento acaba por refletir e determinar a capacidade da própria organização em reter e preservar sua memória organizacional. Para tanto, realizou-se dois estudos de caso com base em entrevistas semiestruturadas. Descobriu-se que ao longo da história das empresas em análise houve algumas iniciativas descontínuas orientadas para a estruturação do processo de transferência de conhecimento. Além disso, a análise do conteúdo das entrevistas realizadas revelou quatro categorias: a) conversão de conhecimento: processos, entraves e condições facilitadoras, b) relação entre a cultura e a aprendizagem organizacional, c) as percepções do olhar maduro sobre relações, papéis, postura do aprendiz e processo de aprendizado do aprendiz e d) oportunidades geradas pelo conhecimento adquirido. A principal dificuldade apontada pelos entrevistados diz respeito à falta de estruturação relacionada aos processos de gestão do conhecimento. Em consequência, predomina a passagem de conhecimento informal de modo que cada trabalhador maduro desenvolve sua própria metodologia de ensino. / [en] The aim of this research is to investigate and describe the knowledge transmission dynamic as experienced by senior workers in two public companies. Senior workers usually take up an important role in companies because the years of experience gained at work resulted in the acquisition of knowledge not only related to technical and explicit aspects, but also to a tacit dimension not easily codified and passed on. Taking also into consideration that these workers are close to retirement, their ability to pass on knowledge reflects and determines the capability of the company itself to keep and protect its organizational memory. In order to carry out this research, two case studies based on semi-structured interviews led to the conclusion that throughout the concerned companies’ histories there were discontinued initiatives related to the knowledge transmission process. In addition, the analysis of the interviews’ contents showed the existence of four categories: a) conversion of knowledge: processes, obstacles and enabling conditions, b) relationship between culture and organizational learning, c) perception of seniors towards relations, roles, apprentice’s attitude and learning process, and d) opportunities created by the knowledge acquired. The major difficulty pointed out by the interviewees is connected to the lack of structuring as far as the knowledge management processes are concerned. Therefore, the informal knowledge transmission prevails and, as consequence, each senior worker develops his own teaching methodology.

Magister Public Health - MPH / The aim of this research was to describe the role of Community Health Workers, in the Mitanin Programme, in addressing social determinants of health in Chhattisgarh State of India, with the view to identify the pathways for strengthening and making recommendations on this aspect of the CHW’s work for existing or future CHW programmes. A comparative case study design using qualitative research methods was adopted for the study, with the sample comprising of two case studies of action on social determinants by CHWs. The definition of a case was ‘successful action by a CHW (Mitanin) or team of CHWs (Mitanins) on nutrition or violence against women in the village or cluster of villages for which the CHW/s are responsible’. The sampling of the cases followed the ‘replication logic’, that is, examination of similar cases to draw general lessons. Data collection was undertaken through In-depth Individual Interviews and Group Interviews with CHWs, community members and programme staff that participated with the CHWs in, and also benefitted from, their action on social determinants. Respondents were identified through a process of snowball sampling. Seventeen in-depth interviews and ten group interviews (total 27) were conducted as part of the study. A broad conceptual framework of the factors facilitating and constraining the action on social determinants by the CHWs, along with the pathways for action on social determinants by the CHWs, along with the pathways for action on social determinants by CHWs and their role, was developed at the start of the research. The analysis was done using this conceptual framework, which was refined during analysis, resulting in an explanatory framework. The analysis was two-fold. Firstly, both cases were analysed and written up separately and then they were analysed together in order to draw cross case conclusions. Thematic analysis was undertaken. Ethical Clearance was obtained from the UWC Senate Research Committee and permission was obtained from the State Health Resource Center, the body coordinating the Mitanin Programme in Chhattisgarh. A Participant Information Sheet and Informed consent forms for both the individual and the group interviews were prepared and administered. The form for the group interview included a confidentiality-binding clause. The study showed that the Mitanins in Durgkondal and Manendragarh (the Blocks under study) had effectively and successfully addressed the issues of nutrition and xvii violence against women as social determinants, in a manner visualized in the initial programme documents. Despite threats to the autonomy of the programme, pressures to formalise the Mitanin’s role, and backlash from vested interests, such action remained sustained, nearly ten years since the start of the programme.

The study investigated the concept of the psychological contract and its influence on engineers’ worker engagement. The underlying rationale for this study was to address the shortage of engineers and specialised artisans (that is, the shortage of skilled people in two of the professions where such a shortage poses a threat to the economic growth of South Africa) by determining the worker engagement of engineers. The study also attempted to identify the true drivers of engagement for engineers which can then be used as a baseline for further development of business specific strategies. The sample was engineering personnel in the South African project engineering sector, and a combination of two existing questionnaires, the Psychological Contract Inventory (PCI) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), was used to gather the data. It was concluded that generally engineers are loyal to the task at hand and not necessarily to the organisation that employs them. They are engaged in their work, but also indicate that they constantly seek to improve their education and experience to make future employment at other companies probable. A somewhat contradictory finding is that they claim to be satisfied with the employment offered to them, as well as the benefits they receive. To ensure the retention of skilled employees, the study proposes that employers of engineers diversify from time to time, or introduce some variation. Even internal shuffling can be used to continually challenge the engineers. It is further recommended that companies should ensure that there are clear career paths for engineering employees, combining secure employment with stable and realistic benefits. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

The study seeks to explore the experiences of care workers participating in laughter therapy. Community care workers play a vital role in the support of the HIV/AIDS infected and affected members of the community. However, the nature of this type of work contributes to high levels of emotional distress such as depression, anxiety and stress. The purpose of the study is 1) to explore the effects of working with orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) on the care workers and their experiences of participating in laughter therapy; and 2) the effects of laughter therapy on care workers’ levels of depression and stress. Given that laughter has been found to have several positive effects, many variations of this intervention have been developed. For the purpose of this study, a specific type of laughter therapy was used, namely that of Aerobic Laughter Therapy (ALT). The study was part of a project run by InHappiness Institution and was conducted at Nanga Vhutshilo in Soweto. The care workers at the centre provide care services for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Purposive sampling was utilised to recruit seven care workers from the centre who participated in a laughter intervention. The study was phenomenological in nature and utilized both qualitative and quantitative methodology. Quantitative data was collected through two questionnaires administered before and after the laughter therapy intervention: The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test was used to compare pre- and post- results of the scale scores for each participant. Results showed a significant difference between the pre- and post-intervention assessment scores for both Anxiety and Depression (-2.226 (p<0.05) and -1.876 (p<0.05) respectively). In addition, the Wilcoxon signed rank test showed that the post-intervention total scores for PSS were significantly lower than the pre-intervention assessment total scores (-1.863). The significantly lower post-intervention assessment scores show that the laughter therapy intervention produced a positive change with regards to anxiety, depression and stress in the participants. Qualitative data was collected through pre and post –intervention face- to- face semi-structured interviews and were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The three themes that emerged from data analysis of the pre-intervention interviews were: motivation to become a care worker, work stresses and coping mechanisms. The five themes that emerged from the post-intervention interviews were: Initial reactions and expectations, effects on interpersonal relationships, improved effective coping ability, collective participation and laughter as a change agent. The study revealed that care workers experience high levels of stress, and anxiety. These emotions manifested in emotional distress in the form of frustrations, exhaustion and feelings of being overwhelmed. Emotional distress was found to be related to care workers’ personal involvement with their clients and high levels of emotional investment in them. Furthermore the study revealed the cyclic link that identification not only contributed to employment in such contexts, but it served to increase levels of personal involvement. Such personal involvement subsequently caused care workers to experience high levels of emotional distress when unable to meet the needs of the community in this respect. Findings from this study support laughter, with specific reference to Aerobic Laughter Therapy (ALT), as a positive therapeutic intervention that can possibly improve behaviour with regards to coping with difficult situations and providing a buffer against the negative effects of stress. However, the sample used in this study was not sufficient to conclusively make a generalised finding. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Psychology / unrestricted

The purpose of this dissertation is to challenge the predominant theories of the firm in economics by demonstrating that the firm can only be properly understood if the importance of cooperation based on trust and loyalty, and the ability of the firm to achieve that cooperation by influencing the social foundations of behaviour, is appreciated. Chapter 1 demonstrates that neglecting this ‘social nature’ of the firm renders the predominant theories incomplete and incompatible, with contract-based theories clinging to a rigid model of behaviour and competence-based theories failing to develop the social foundations of knowledge. The second chapter constructs a theory of the firm that rectifies these shortcomings by maintaining that the firm fulfils its purpose of developing and applying productive knowledge by achieving cooperation, which, along with the dual function of achieving coordination, involves a combination of organisational structures and organisational culture. In Chapter 3, this theory reveals that, contrary to deterministic views on organisation and economic development, a range of organisational forms are possible for any given technology or culture, and that organisation in fact shapes technology and culture. In Chapter 4, the dissertation shows that, contrary to the predominant theories of the firm, cooperative firms may have an inherent advantage in achieving cooperation based on trust and loyalty, and in maintaining that cooperation while also achieving the coordination required for advanced technologies. Although this ability may be suppressed by the prevailing institutional environment, the case of Mondragón, discussed in Chapter 5, demonstrates that it can be activated by innovations such as cooperative groups and ‘second-tier coops’. Although Mondragón’s success has been attributed to the uniquely cooperative traits of Basque culture (as opposed to its structural innovations), Chapter 6 demonstrates through primary and secondary research that Mondragón has in fact been used as model across the globe.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate individual hotel employee perceptions of their service orientation and the support they receive from co-workers and their employer to discover the impact of these perceptions on the employee's feelings of their job satisfaction, commitment to their organization, their intention to leave their organization and intention to leave their industry. A comparative analysis of results from the United States and Russia reveals differences in these relations in the two countries. Analysis using Partial Least Squares Path Modeling for developing a measurement model and model estimation using a combined data set, US data set and a Russian data set. This research study included 141 American hotel employees and 107 Russian hotel employees. Service orientation, co-worker support and employee support were positively related to increased job satisfaction in the United States and Russia. In both countries, service orientation was negatively related to an employee's intention to leave the hospitality industry and co-worker support was positively related to organizational commitment. Country differences occurred where items were only significant in one country. In Russia, organizational support and co-worker support were negatively related to intention to leave their employer. In the United States, organizational support had a positive relation to organizational commitment. Surprisingly, co-worker support had a positive relation to intention to leave the industry in the United States. This may indicate that excessive co-worker support might undermine the need to achieve of highly service oriented hotel employees, resulting in a flight from the service industry to a more challenging industry.