8411 research outputs found
Sort by
The Role of Occupational Therapy in Implementing Inclusive Education in a Residential Care Facility: A Case Study
Get PDFSouth Africa has been in the process of implementing inclusive education since 1996, and recent research has emphasized that strong education support services are needed to achieve inclusive education. In order to better understand the role that occupational therapy plays in implementing inclusive education, I explored how occupational therapy intersects with the implementation of inclusive education at Lungisisa Indlela Village (LIV), a residential care facility for orphaned and vulnerable children with approximately 200 children in Verulam, South Africa.
I conducted a case study by engaging in participant observation in everyday activities around the village with the children, conducting informal interviews with the special needs class teacher, the occupational therapist, and the speech therapist, and observing the full-time occupational therapist in therapy sessions and her daily work routine over the course of three weeks.
Through my inquiry, I discovered that occupational therapy plays a large role in assisting disabled students and supporting teachers in inclusive classrooms, as well as determining which children may succeed in an inclusive classroom as opposed to a special needs class. The occupational therapist at LIV embraces the social model of disability which motivates her to look for ways to adapt each child’s environment in order to make him or her successful in the classroom. Although LIV has not achieved full inclusion by the standards set by the South African government in the Education White Paper 6, it has created an inclusive community culture and attempts to provide all children with an equitable chance at receiving an education
Accord Internship: A South African Ngo’s Approach to Peacekeeping in 2015
Get PDFSince the fall of apartheid and the forty quarters of subsequent growth under Thabo Mbeki, South Africa has been recognized as an emerging global power and one of the most powerful countries in Africa. Because of its relatively newfound power and the way in which South Africa negotiated its own peace and freedom, it has taken a leading role in conflict resolution and peacemaking on the continent. The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) assists South Africa in its dedication to diplomacy and conflict management. The biggest conflict resolution non-governmental organization in Africa, ACCORD works to peacefully resolve conflicts around the continent. It provides assistance and support to African governments in peacemaking, peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and democracy building. For my ISP I will be interning in the Peacekeeping Department at ACCORD. I worked primarily on training materials for peace personnel, policy brief recommendation documents and an occasional paper. I studied specifically how a South African non-governmental organization approaches peacekeeping in 2015 on the most conflict-prone continent of the last 25 years. I focused on ACCORD’s Peacekeeping Unit’s research tasks as potentially innovative approaches to peacekeeping. My methodology will centre on analysis of my unit’s publications, but also on participant observation, and I will also conduct informal interviews with ACCORD staff and make as many non-participant observations as I can around the office.
I will detail my findings through a research case study to show ACCORD’s approach to international peacekeeping and how it relates to South Africa’s progressive constitution. I discovered that, through a research project on gender issues in African mission support elements of peace operations and through general observations of the organization, ACCORD’s primary focus in peace operations are the people. That might seem trite, but it is not as widely-shared a mentality as people tend to think
Comparative Study of Terrestrial Arthropod Diversity in Primary and Re-planted Pine Forest in a Community Forest at Andasibe, Madagascar
Get PDFThis study is a comparison of tree and terrestrial arthropod diversity along native andre-planted pine transects.Transects were laid in a primary and re-planted pine forest in Andasibe Community Forest Park. Data was collected over six days, taking measurements of trees, inspecting and collecting specimens from pitfall traps once a day. Terrestrial arthropods were identified to morphospecies and measures of diversity were calculated. To understand the health of the trees, information was collected that included trees diameter at breast height, canopy cover and soil cover. Terrestrial arthropod communities and diversity were found to be significantly different in the native and replanted pine transects, likely due to the difference in non-native trees
Human Rights at the Border: European-Union—Moroccan Relations in the Wake of the 2013 Migratory Policy
Get PDFMorocco’s border with the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla has brought the country into direct relations with the European Union (EU) on the issues of border control and migration. In response to the growing human rights violations towards migrants and refugees enumerated in the Conseil Nationale des Droits de l’Homme’s (CNDH) 2013 report, King Muhammad VI passed a migratory policy that emphasized preservation of human rights within Morocco’s borders. This study examines the effects of Morocco’s relationship with the EU on the implementation of the human-rights aspects of Morocco’s 2013 migratory policy. Using the semi-structured interview approach, I will speak with migration scholars and activists to determine the nature of Morocco’s relationship with the EU to gain an understanding of the reality migrants and refugees face, especially in Northern Morocco. Through comparison of these narratives with the official partnerships and policies implemented between Morocco and the EU, this study seeks to determine whether the ongoing human rights violations near the Moroccan-Spanish borders are the result of pressure from the EU, a failure of the 2013 migratory policy, or a mixture of both phenomena. The lack of awareness about the new policy among individuals at the border in combination with increasing pressure from the EU due to the ongoing Mediterranean crisis are both massive obstacles to the implementation of the 2013 law. Though these factors contribute to the ongoing human rights violations, this study examines the possibility of human rights existing at any border
Medina: The Alternative and Hidden Sides of Fez el Bali
Get PDFThe project Medina: the Alternative and Hidden Sides of Fez el Bali is prompted by a general question – what does the space inside the old medina quarters tell about the history, culture, and contemporary society of Morocco. The project aims to help uncover, but not to conclude, the relationship between the space and residents inside the old medina of Fez el Bali. Employing a combination of photography works, computer images by AutoCAD Architecture, and digital mapping samples by AutoCAD Map, the project is to offer a preview of a potential platform archiving both first-hand visual documents and creative artworks. It is to encourage the adaption of digitalized visual information in local effort of heritage preservation, and hence expected for helping further relevant studies and projects regarding the contemporary Moroccan society
An Expanding Financial Sector: Continuity and Change Among Dhikur Groups in Lower Mustang
Get PDFThe Thakali people of lower Mustang have a long history of economic success fostered through community systems that function due to cooperation, but are also characterized by competition. One of these traditional systems is dhikur , a system of rotating credit composed of approximately twenty members. This study examines the roles of traditional savings and credit institutions within communities in lower Mustang in the context of the emergence of private financial institutions in Jomsom over the last ten years. My research displayed the strength of these community based organizations in the face of a private financial sector where organizational requirements make access unattainable for many of Mustang’s residents. Research was conducted through semistructured interviews in Jomsom, Tukuche, Larjung and Marpha to gain a varied understanding of how financial groups have evolved across communities, in different contexts. The change and continuity that exists within traditional organizations, like dhikur , is indicative of both the adaptation and preservation of social, cultural and economic norms in Thakali culture
The Perception of Menstruation and Treatment Of Menstrual Ailments among Tibetan Women in Mcleod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh
Get PDFDespite recent incorporation of quality of life assessments into goal setting, menstrual ailments are still left out of public health initiatives in developing countries. Due to lack of studies on perceptions of menstruation and treatment options for menstrual ailments, the specific health needs of Tibetan women are not met. The present study seeks to determine how Tibetan women are influenced by societal views of menstruation and to explore access to treatment for menstrual problems in McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh. A total of thirty-seven semi-structured interviews were conducted among Tibetan doctors at Men-Tsee-Khang (Tibetan Medical and Astronomy Institute) and Tibetan women in McLeod Ganj as the primary research method. Data collected from the interviews indicates that the majority of Tibetan women have experienced menstrual problems, yet only half of the women received treatment. Western medicine was more frequently preferred over Tibetan medicine due to its rapid response. Negative perceptions and silence surrounding menstruation leave some Tibetan women hesitant to receive care for menstrual problems. Tibetan women face less social and religious restrictions relating to menstruation than Indian women do and even draw empowerment from their cultural norms, yet still carry the burden of sin according to Tibetan Buddhist ideologies
Conservation For Whom?: The Struggle for Indigenous Rights in Sagarmatha National Park
Get PDFSince its creation in 1976 Sagarmatha National Park has been the subject of a great deal of internal scrutiny by the regions indigenous Sherpa Inhabitants. Since their arrival in the Khumbu valley some four centuries ago, the Sherpa people have held a deep respect for their land and have practiced a highly organized and effective form of environmental stewardship which they refer to as Yul-Tim. At its core Yul-Tim relies on the authority of certain village members to make and enforce rules within the community: a practice that has been greatly undermined by creation of SNP. While SNP has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on the environment of the Khumbu valley, its impact on people is something that needs to come under review. Under close examination the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation has shown a clear lack of respect for indigenous peoples and their conservation methods. This is an issue that cannot continue and requires change if the park is to survive
Coming to Terms with the Limited Body: The Role of Physical Therapy in Improving Self-esteem of Stroke Survivors in Salvador-Bahia, Brazil
Get PDFObjective: The aim of this study is to explore the role of the physical therapy offered by public health sectors in Salvador in improving stroke survivors’ self-esteem. This study also intends identify components of physical therapy that contribute most to patients’ perceived recovery.
Methods: Participant observation was conducted at Clinica da Fisioterapia in Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Púlica. Interviews were conducted with 4 professionals and 7 patients, of which 3 professionals and 6 patients are affiliated to Escola Bahiana. The patients participated in this study were also asked to evaluate their self-esteem via a questionnaire adapted from Rosenberg self-esteem scale.
Results: Patients in this study were self-conscious about their physical disabilities, yet it did not affect the overall evaluation of their characteristics and qualities. The level of self-esteem indicated by patients’ responses to the questionnaires indicates that this group of patients were able to adjust to their bodily changes and integrate them into their self-perception. Based on the interviews with professionals and patients, both the instrumental and affectionate components of the physical therapy treatment are considered as important contributors for patients’ acceptance of their disabled bodies, leading to improved self-esteem.
Conclusion: Depending on the different life experiences and recovery level of the patients, instrumental and affectionate components of physical therapy treatment are effective in different ways. For patients who are responding well to the techniques and could visually perceive their physical improvement by mastering important tasks, they are more inclined to value instrumental component. On the other hand, patients who are at the initial stage of recovery or have difficulty in doing exercises tend to value the affectionate component. Nonetheless, physical therapy helps patients rebuild the connection between their body and self, and lead to an improvement of self-esteem
Sustaining Development in Brazil’s Informal Settlements: Linking Policy, Theory, and Action A Case Study of Vila Velha
Get PDFhis paper examines the relationships between informal settlements, the natural environment, and state policy through a study of Vila Velha, a neighborhood located on the periphery of the northeastern metropolis of Fortaleza, Brazil. Vila Velha poses a unique challenge in local governmental efforts to implement sustainable urban policies: its expansion into the margins of the local Ceará River, where human settlements are illegal, prevents the community from receiving government services such as potable water or waste management. While the local government has created plans to remove these inhabitants from the area, no tangible action has been taken in the approximately ten years that this community has existed. This research project uses eight formal interviews with Vila Velha’s inhabitants, NGO employees, and government officials, as well as a week of participant observation in Vila Velha, to examine Vila Velha’s past and present along with the underlying rationales of both local inhabitants and government officials. It finds that, while federal Brazilian legislation has founded itself in inclusive, sustainable urban policies, local governments must take the initiative in implementing these policies through consistent communication with all of their constituents, and cannot use environmental policy to justify a lack of attention paid to its citizens. This paper concludes that, in the case of informal settlements such as what currently exists in Vila Velha, local governments must make use of long-term policies to remove citizens from environmentally risky areas, as well as faster actions that will decrease environmental harm in the short-term. In order to experience development that is sustainable both socially and ecologically, these policy changes must be paired with systemic changes in how the local government applies urban development policy and how it interacts with its citizens