Thesis and Research Data Repository Leeds Beckett University
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Partnerships between NGOs and Community Groups: Implications for Central Uganda's Rural Development
No full textThis study investigated the viability and relevance of partnerships between NGOs and Community (smallholder farmer) groups as a conduit for rural development in Uganda. The study attempted to establish factors that facilitate rural institutions’ contributions and effectiveness of partnerships (including the system theory perspective) to rural development for the case of Uganda.
The study used primary data collected using questionnaires, focus group discussions, interview guides, key informants, and literature review from a sample of 87 respondents from 40 organizations working in partnerships between 19 NGOs and 21 SFGs from the Central Region of Uganda. The data was analysed by employing the probit regression technique.
The empirical results reveal that improving health, education, agriculture and industry efforts of rural institutions promotes rural development. It also posits that innovative effective rural-based partnerships enhance rural development. The study further found that if one system within partnerships fails to interact well, it adversely affects the other systems, which negatively reinforces the outcome. Although some of the findings are inconsistent with the theoretical literature, and generally expected to promote effectiveness, I fount out that local underlying control factors are determinants of whether a factor will cause or not cause improvementsin health, education, agriculture and industry as well as effectiveness of partnerships.
It is recommended that rural institutions increase investment in facilitating improvement in health, education, agriculture, and industry, and limit those with negative influence. The study suggests analysis, evaluation and understanding of the underlying unique rural environments, and their varying effects on partnership contributions to rural development, and to partnership effectiveness. From the systems perspective, interactions of partnership system components should effectively reinforce, complement, and/or strengthen each other or otherwise. In instances where such factors dilute and/or undermine each other, the negative influence on rural development is bound to be registered
The Future of United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom Higher Education: A University Social Responsibility Model for International Partnerships
No full textHigher education has undergone a period of rapid change, particularly in terms of the significant growth and proliferation of transnational collaborations and partnerships, and the increasing interdependence between countries in all areas including economic, political, social, cultural, and knowledge. Alliances and student mobility have existed between the UK and the UAE for over 10 years where branch campuses have played a major role. This study addresses a gap in knowledge which will be filled by embedding University Social Responsibility (USR) within the existing university operation dimensions which will benefit transnational university partnerships. A multiple case study approach has been employed utilising social responsibility and stakeholder theory in the context of joint partnerships between UK and UAE universities. The findings of this study demonstrate the need to integrate and embed social responsibility elements when universities engage in transnational education strategies. An instrumentalist low context strategic position creates equivalent implementations that minimise risk, maximise control for the home institution but limit cultural integration and freedom. A socially orientated educational approach was identified characterised by structures and processes that enabled a high level of contextualisation, collaboration and community engagement. The adoption of USR practices optimised the sustainability and competitiveness of transnational partnerships. This framework represents a key contribution to knowledge in terms of transitional USR Framework for Branch Campus Partnerships that can be employed by all stakeholders wishing to implement a successful transnational partnership that generates social capital. This guides the development of USR practices that generate social capital and enable the collaborative stimulation of intellectual capabilities to promote social development and growth. A key output is a network perspective for stakeholder engagement that defines diverse social interactions, structures and processes that connect different actors across university dimensions. Bridging between internal and external stakeholders to generate dynamic and meaningful value-exchanges that can contribute to IBC competitiveness and social value
Is Surveillance Really That Bad
No full textAccording to Jeremy Bentham "Surveillance is a new mode of obtaining power over mind in a quantity hotherto without example" (Mattelart 2010:7). By looking at the surveillance of celebrities, this critical reflection will look at to what extent surveillance is desired and if so, why celebrities want to be watched. Additionally, the critical reflection examines the concepts of the panopticon, synopticon, celebrity surveillance and the development of new technologies to examine how power is inverted within the synopticon in comparison to the panopticon.</p
Organisational Wisdom – What is the Contribution of the Organisation Development (OD) Practitioner?
No full textThe focus of this research is an exploration of a gap between the theory and practice of organisational wisdom and the potential contribution of the organisation development (OD) practitioner to bridging this gap. Wisdom is an ancient concept. However, only recently has organisational wisdom been adopted as an explicit concept for organisation theorising - prompted in response to factors including the global financial crisis, organisational scandals and increasing interest in collective and individual wellbeing.
The literature review demonstrates the richness and complexity of conceptions of wisdom through the ages and across disciplines. Whilst Aristotle’s notion of phronesis (practical wisdom) is an important influence for recent organisational writers, their focus has been more on the theory rather than the practice of organisational wisdom. Amongst major themes explored in the writings are organisational purpose and ethics, wise, relational leadership and movement from knowledge management to wisdom inquiry – often coalescing around how organisations best serve the common good. However, there has been little research into what practitioners in organisations think of organisational wisdom or how the concept and theorising is being applied. More specifically the role of the OD practitioner as a potential agent for the development of organisational wisdom is neglected.
A practitioner orientation and an interpretivist research philosophy have informed and shaped an action research methodology for this study, using developmental action inquiry with a group of highly experienced OD practitioners. Exploring their perspectives on the practice and development of organisational wisdom has produced an integrated framework for characterising organisational wisdom with six characteristics relevant across multiple characters – individual (including leader), group, organisation and society. As a framework in use it offers a possible bridge between theory and</p
Risk Society and Reflexive Modernisation: Can Our Generation Have Total Fulfilment?
No full textWe face risk on a daily basis, from the mundane “I’ll cross on the red man because there’s no cars coming that I can see” to the life‐changing “Should I take on £27,000 plus in university loans so I better myself?”. We can never truly calculate outcomes of risks, but what we can do is make informed decisions, using reason and logic. Perhaps the thought process is not quite as conscious in the moments we are making decisions, but it is there, a ‘background phenomenon’ (Giddens, 1991: 181). We, the generation I am part of, have been skilled to balance risks, to assess the good and the bad, the pros and the cons of all of our decisions. It is the price we have paid for being brought up in a risk society, the niggle in the back of our minds, the consequences of our actions.</p
Big Brother Is Watching You
No full textGeorge Orwell’s novel ‘1984’ was published in 1949; it has been translated into over 65 languages and has been noted as one of the most definitive novels of the twentieth century (McCrum, 2009). The book describes a totalitarian dystopian society set in 1984, where terror and surveillance is prominent. The futuristic setting of the novel is one where citizens are in fear of technology, as it is controlled by the government to monitor man’s every move. This critical reflection highlights similarities between society today and the city of Oceania and finds that several aspects from this book relate to current social theories, such as Lyon’s ‘surveillance society’ and self‐surveillance.</p
It's the End of the World As We Know It
No full textPresented in the style of an imaginary conversation between grandfather and grandchild, this critical reflection, will create a pragmatic view of the near future. This conversation will focus on examining how the increase in consumerism can lead to an environment which can no longer cope with the pressures of society’s demands as well as the role human nature has in creating its own manmade risks, which, evidently, may cause the destruction of the universe.</p
Trivia Shore, the Only Way Is Sedation, Made in Consumerville
No full textThis critical reflection will critique the contemporary consumer culture by illustrating the ways the masses are sedated by trivial issues presented in reality television in order to create “false needs” (Marcuse, 2002) solved by further consumption.</p
How Closely Does the Film 'the Dark Knight' Mirror Surveillance in Modern Society?
No full textA study by The British Security Industry Authority (BSIA) revealed that there was an estimated 4.7 million security cameras in the United Kingdom, increasing the fear and alarm that we are living in a ‘surveillance society’. Surveillance through the streets and in public however, is merely the tip of the iceberg when we analyse surveillance in our daily lives. By drawing parallels with the film, The Dark Knight, this critical reflection argues there will always be controversial methods used to gain access to information in order to prevent potential terrorist plots and attacks. However, it can be argued that this fear may have been exploited to rationalise illegal and unethical practises in accessing information by higher authorities.</p
Editorial
No full textWe find ourselves in our third edition of Critical reflections from the module Contemporary Society and Social Futures! The pieces collected in this volume emerged from a third year sociology undergraduate module called ‘Contemporary Society and Social Futures’, which introduces students to a broad range of contemporary thought about the social world. Students were asked to write a ‘critical reflection’, reflecting on the core concepts and theories discussed on the module. In this third edition we – the students and the module tutors – are publishing pieces from students who have produced some very engaging and critical work for this module’s assessment at Leeds Beckett University.</p