Hand-outs vs hand-ups: a case study exploring the perceptions of the participants on the impact of a sewing project

A research report presented to The Department of Social Work School of Human and Community Development Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Social Development March 2015Development has become a tool with which to tackle poverty and inequality globally with a recent focus in African development on concepts such as participation, community development and sustainability. Social development advocates for the harmonisation of economic and social goals to redress distorted development, although much attention and policies in South Africa have been directed towards social assistance and social insurance for the country’s poor. While this may be helpful, concern exists about the creation of a ‘hand-out’ mentality and this study intends to explore the perceptions of participants involved in the Hope Training and Development sewing skills development project in order to understand this concern. Qualitative investigation in the form of a case study was applied to help explore this topic. Semi-structured interviews were used to interview eleven participants selected with purposive sampling methods. Data was gathered using in-depth interviews and recorded, with participant’s consent. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis, in conjunction with literature previously reviewed. It was found that although the project was perceived positively by the participants, the sewing project has not yet led to a noticeable increase in the livelihood of most of the participants. The self-esteem and skill set of the participants was greatly increased while lack of job opportunities was outlined as one of the main challenges. It is envisioned that this study may provide social development practitioners with a better understanding of how development is being experienced by participants and how skills development has the potential to equip participants with the tools needed to tackle poverty

Investigation into potential gas hydrate and gas zones off the South African coastline

Includes bibliographical references.Gas and petroleum products are important to modern life and, as peak oil is reached, the search is on for alternative fuel sources. A natural gas hydrate, also known as a clathrate, is formed when a gas molecule (such as methane) is trapped in a lattice of ice. Once considered oilfield nuisances, they are now being considered as an alternative fuel source. I asked whether any indications of hydrates, and gas, were present off the South African coastline within Block 2. Two hundred and sixty (260) pre-processed seismic lines and eighteen (18) well reports were provided by the Petroleum Agency of South Africa (PASA) for review and study. Within these, evidence of gas was abundantly clear. The presence of gas, and thus a gas source, is a good indicator that - should the other formation conditions be present – hydrates could occur in this area within the Gas Hydrate Stability Zone (GHSZ). Unfortunately, no bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs) - the clearest indicator of gas hydrates - were found. These findings do not, however, confirm the absence of gas hydrates as where there is gas, there maybe hydrates. The field of hydrate research is still new in terms of technology and practical applications, and the means to extract and produce hydrates is still expensive. However, in the drive for more sources of power to supply a growing demand, the South African government has already drafted a plan to develop infrastructure for future gas market developments. When developed, this infrastructure could potentially make use of the gas found within Block 2 and its surrounds and, as the technology to detect and extract methane hydrates becomes more mature (and associated costs to extract and produce it drop), it may prove to be a valuable additional future resource as well

Illegal Art: Considering Our Culture Of Copying

Using New zealand case studies, this article argues that modern copyright law does not simply give rights to artists and copyright holders, but aims to provide a balance between artistic and public rights – a balance between what is good for copyright holders and what is good for culture and the economy as a whole. Increased enforcement of outdated copyright law has the potential to harm the progress of the arts

Risk, Return and Degree of Owner Involvement in Privately Held Firms

Financial theory states that the variability of an asset’s return should be explained by the relative riskiness of that asset (Sharpe, 1964). This concept has been built around, and applied to, publicly-listed companies for which market information (which forms the basis of the risk and return measures) is easily visible and obtainable. Unfortunately, the fact that such information is rarely (if ever) available for small businesses, severely limits the usefulness of such a theory for privately-held enterprises. Therefore by using data from 100 small businesses and three measures of risk, this study provides empirical evidence that for small businesses, there is no significant relationship between financial returns and risk, but there is a relationship between the level of control exerted by the owners of a firm and the financial returns of that firm. This paper also provides evidence that owners with little or no control of a firm, take action to prevent agency costs. This action is in the form of disbursements to shareholders, rather than using debt as a means of reducing agency costs

A systematic review of the experiences of vulnerable people participating in research on sensitive topics

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to systematically review studies that discuss the experiences of vulnerable populations participating in research on sensitive topics. DESIGN: Systematic review performed according to PRISMA guidelines. DATA SOURCES: Thirteen databases were searched, locating 197 articles. Following removal of duplicates, screening and full text review, 31 studies remained to be critically appraised. REVIEW METHODS: As there was a mix of qualitative and quantitative articles, the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) toolkit and Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) tool were used to appraise the methodological quality of the articles. Following critical appraisal, the remaining 11 articles were synthesised narratively to identify common themes across the studies. RESULTS: Despite some reports of distress, responses from participants were overwhelmingly positive. There was a strong link between symptomatology and potential for distress; however, the majority of those who did experience some level of discomfort stated they would still participate in future research. Three major themes were extracted: It was worth it ; Even if it hurt, I would do it again and Risk or benefit: fixing the location on the continuum . CONCLUSION: Although researchers frequently experience obstacles and the phenomenon known as gatekeeping when attempting to conduct research amongst vulnerable populations, there is little evidence of harm to participants. On the contrary, there is evidence of benefit for participants and evidence that they are willing to participate if given the opportunity. Although well-meaning, the actions of gatekeepers are not only paternalistic, they could be further marginalising vulnerable populations by denying them the benefits to be gained from research designed to identify and begin addressing their needs

Indigenous identities and the politics of authenticity

The very question of Indigenous authenticity, as Jeffrey Sissons reminds us, ‘‘…has deep roots within colonial racism’’ (2005, 43). Racialisation and the practice of creating and imbuing racial categories with seemingly impermeable boundaries and indestructible meanings has, after all, underpinned a range of colonial practices from the systematic alienation of Indigenous land and resources to child abduction. Regimes of biological and cultural authenticity continue to shape state policies and practices that regulate the everyday lives of Indigenous people around the world. Indeed, in some contexts, expectations of Indigenous cultural purity or environmental naturalness exist alongside the imposition of varying degrees of blood quantum as criteria for citizenship, political recognition and access to resources and services

Benzodiazepine and pharmaceutical opioid misuse and their relationship to crime : an examination of illicit prescription drug markets in Melbourne, Hobart and Darwin : Victorian report

This report presents the findings of the major research project \u27benzodiazepine and pharmaceutical opioid misuse and their relationship to crime\u27, and is an examination of illicit prescription drug markets in Melbourne.<br /

The Southern Cross cable : a tour : art, the internet and national identity in Aotearoa-New Zealand : an exegesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Fine Arts, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

This exegesis is the written analytical component of a studio-based Doctor of Philosophy that, as a whole, investigates the influence of international hegemony and power structures on popular notions of Aotearoa-New Zealand’s national identity. Selected histories and locations of New Zealand’s primary international internet connection, the Southern Cross Cable, have been taken and applied within a body of conceptually driven artworks that function as an effective metonymic vehicle to reveal unseen processes, conveyed over a specific infrastructural system, that are influential upon New Zealand’s national identity. The creative works in this thesis comprise the suite of artworks The Southern Cross Cable: A Tour, a multi-platform art project comprising two moving image works, a sculptural work, a published tour guide and its associated web-based work. These sit alongside, and in response to, a historic mid-twentieth century New Zealand mural: Te Ika-a-Maui [sic] by the artist E. Mervyn Taylor. Together, these works encourage public awareness of the jurisdictional limits of the internet, and illustrate ways in which an individual member of the public can respond to the supposedly ‘intangible’ internet in a physical manner. By strategically subverting popular nationalist symbolism, the works raise questions about the relevance of nationalism in an era of expanding globalisation and suggest the internet is increasingly becoming a tool of digital colonialism. By distributing this knowledge in the public sphere, this study challenges and tests the assumption—often asserted and implied by those who control this infrastructure and obscure it from public awareness—that public knowledge is a threat to the cable. Instead, viewers are encouraged to explore what individual agency they do, or do not, have as New Zealand citizens in shaping this dominant influence on contemporary New Zealand culture

Does training on inhibitory tasks influence alcohol consumption and attitudes?

Response inhibition - the suppression of a prepotent or ongoing action - is an executive function central to the regulation of behaviour. Response inhibition can be assessed in the laboratory using the Go/No-go or Stop-Signal tasks which both assess the capacity to withhold an inappropriate response. In the Go/No-go task, participants are required to respond rapidly to Go stimuli but to withhold that response upon No-go stimuli. In the Stop-Signal task, participants are required to respond to Go stimuli but to withhold the response when an auditory stop signal occurs subsequent to the Go stimulus