https://thesis.eur.nl/col/4314/ List of Publications en https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6702/ Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:01 GMT <div>Cousins, Lara Jean</div> HIV/AIDS among youth is a serious problem in South Africa. Cross-gender relations and associated constructs surrounding masculinity/femininity and sexuality are increasingly recognized as at the heart of the issue. Growing attention has thus been given to developing initiatives geared towards children and very young adolescents (VYAs), aimed at addressing attitudes and behaviours surrounding gender and sexuality. This paper explored the representations of “positive” cross-gender relations, as well as associated constructs, in the Soul Buddyz edutainment initiative primarily geared towards 8-12 year-olds, and intended to provide “positive” role models for girls and boys. Pertinent Soul Buddyz material was explored through methods of narrative and frame analysis, from a position informed by social constructionism and theoretical tenets of Michel Foucault. Findings were then situated within a broader framework, with reference made to the formative research undertaken for the development of Soul Buddyz, as well as other relevant studies concerning children and youth. The overarching aim of this paper was to raise questions in reference to HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives dealing with cross-gender relations and associated constructs, critical reflection upon these issues being considered as crucial within the context of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and for potentially strengthening prevention initiatives. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6699/ Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:01 GMT <div>Kweri, Gerald Kinuthia</div> In this era of ICT, digital technology and globalization youths are getting increasing hooked up in new media both as producers and consumers. One could hypothesise that Youths’ increased interest in media technology has diverted their attention to personal computers, television and cell-phones, often at the expense of academic time management. This exacerbated with ownership of i-Pods, TVs, mobile phones and personal computers their time is heavily occupied with updating social networks and cyber-participation. Since new media provide exciting and interesting ways youths can use their skills and competencies, they are spending more time in the new media and school is losing priority. This thesis has been interrogated in the context of Dutch HAVO pupils in Calvijn and Comenius colleges in Rotterdam. The pupils are in the era where the level of Technology in the Netherlands has risen dramatically in the last five years and its possible for young people even as early as primary school to own new media commodities. The affinity ICT is creating for young people to annotate, create animations and share with friends all over the globe has enrolled the youths HAVO youths to this Net generation. The youths prefer to invest their time in the media and school to them seem out of sync with their modes of learning and communication. This coupled with the increasing gap between them and teachers and parents explain why it’s difficult for them to identify with school anymore and their academic performance has continued to deteriorate. ICT shows a shifting interest of the youths which education systems need to address as a deliberate curriculum aim or adopt computer-mediated learning activities otherwise academic performance is declining due to the youths’ shifting interest. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6696/ Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:01 GMT <div>Correia Rodrigues, Ana Luís</div> https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6703/ Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:01 GMT <div>Galimaka, Lucie</div> Uganda is among the first Sub Saharan African countries that implemented Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme in 1997 with the main goal of providing basic education to all children of school going age. Prior to UPE, primary education was faced with the problem of high dropout and on that basis; it was the expectation of many educational stakeholders that with free education, the problem of school dropout would come to an end. Despite that, many have been disappointed as the rate of school dropout persists to date. Though in principle, factors such as socio-economical, political and policy lead to school dropout, this study seeks to find out how the policy gaps contribute to school dropout. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6706/ Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:01 GMT <div>Kakehashi, Taro</div> This research explores the discourses of street children and developing countries in Japanese media representation. Through a thorough theoretical and technical analysis of an annual Japanese documentary TV program titled Sekai ga Moshi Hyaku Nin no Mura Dattara (If the World Were a Village of 100 People) featuring the lives of 3 streetchildren from 3 developing countries, I dissected the relationships of power and different existing discourses. The research shows that the TV programme represents street children as both agents and victims. Then, it discusses how the categories of Japan as ‘We’ and of developing countries as ‘They’ are constructed and maintained. These binary categories are derived and justified through recent Japanese discourses in development studies: the concepts of un-socialized and individualistic children and the idea of violent and powerless adults and institutions. The research also connects the notions of representation and power, uneven power relations between Japan and developing countries, and charity politics to reveal problems of Japanese media with respect to discourses in development studies. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6704/ Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:01 GMT <div>Siagian, Nurman</div> In this paper I analyse how the culturally driven intervention strategies in the community of Balim Valley, Papua, focusing on the early childhood stage. I view child-rearing practices through Development Niche concept and it should seek from the cultural approach based on in where the children grow and develop. This theoretical framework leads to the hypothesis that understanding the local and cultural child-rearing practices can help examine and provide a clear understanding of government’s and NGO’s early childhood intervention strategies in Balim Valley. I predict that there is variety of valuable culture in the community that give benefit to the early childhood development process throughout child-rearing practices. I explore PAUD program organized by the Indonesian government, and Pena Emas/Honai Anak organized by WVI in Wamena. Both of the programs have similar fundamental perspective which is ECCD concept but in reality, there are some challenges that cause some difficulties in the program’s implementation. The lack of notion of community participation has emerged as well as the lack of awareness of the substance of ECCD perspective. Regarding to the challenges, recommendation are provided based on the interplay among external and internal actors of the intervention strategies. Some recommendations are for instance, assessment as the first stage to understand the socio-cultural settings of the community context, taking into account the notion of standardization and decentralization, and facilitating local organizers in terms of the degree of ownership. This analysis produces a better understanding of the specific role of the state, NGO and community to intervene in the child development in order to invest for a better future for the new generation in Balim Valley. The recommendation implies that there is an urgent need for a dialog among the actors in order to develop the framework of early childhood’s intervention strategies in Balim Valley. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6705/ Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:01 GMT <div>Kassaye, Rediet Abiy</div> HIV/AIDS has caused a significant damage in the socio economic patterns of societies throughout the world with no consideration of race, ethnicity, sex, age and other attributes. Because of this researchers in the past have given a strong emphasis to study the nature and consequence of the disease and ways of treating it and addressing the social challenges that are caused by the epidemic. As part of these efforts studies in the near past have examined and attempted to deal with the effects of HIV/AIDS on children and young people. As a result of high death rates that are caused by HIV/AIDS the number of orphans has increased and lead to the creation of households headed by children and young persons. Despite the growing interest on issues that concerns young people the majority of focus in this area of heading a household has been limited to child headed households. But this paper uniquely addresses the issue of teenage heads of households that are found between the ages of 15-19 in Ethiopia, who took over the responsibility of heading a household because of the death of their parents to AIDS. This group of category come to my mind as a subject of study due to an observations that strikes a thought in my mind during the service at an organization called Hiwot HIV/AIDS Prevention Care and Support Organization for three years which compelled me to do something on it as not much has been done regarding this category of population even in the face of an increase in number and the intensity of the problem. This neglect in the area of research has contributed for the resulting neglect in policies and strategies that are aiming at addressing the problem. Through the life history of four teen household heads it will see deeply into the household life style and the challenges it has gone through from the incidence of HIV/AIDS to the parents to their death and and their current way of life. It also sees in to a changing care giving and household administering roles that are emerging as a result of the formation of these new types of households and its gender and generational aspect and deals with the challenges they face in keeping the family together and the coping mechanisms they adapted as young carers who are assigned with this responsibility at an 10 early age. On top of the above mentioned it will explore the support system that the community and the extended family offers for these teens and their household and the challenges faced as a result of a rupturing societal tie that is mainly aggravated by AIDS. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6697/ Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:01 GMT <div>Baek, Eugene</div> https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6701/ Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:01 GMT <div>Ohara, Kanako</div> The growing number of today’s youth worldwide, and proliferation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been the subject of development discourses in recent years. Much of the debate has revolved on how the diffusion of technologies would best serve the development of a society. Recognizing youths’ inclination to engage in the use of new technological devices such as internet or mobile phones, it has pushed development agencies to bring ICTs to deprived areas of the world in an effort to incorporate young people into its development agendas. In some cases however, development strategies by donor agencies do not coincide with young people’s expectations, especially in rural settings where bulk of the donor funding is funnelled. Failing to capture young people’s own perspective in the specific context may cause serious mismatch with conceptualization of youth and ICT put forward by the international agencies. Based on case study of an NGO in rural Bangladesh, this research tries to bring in the voices of young people. The lives of youth in a rural setting still governed by traditional norms and values, with regard to ICTs as well as other spheres of everyday lives then, have uncovered certain changes that youths seem to be going through in remote areas of Bangladesh today. It is an entry point to rethink youth development, and lived experiences of young people in rural Bangladesh. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6500/ Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:01 GMT <div>Dykshoorn, Andrea</div> This study situates Sudanese refugee teenagers within the context of multiculturalism, integration, and education debates in Canada. Through an ecological approach that takes into account pre-migration and post-migration factors at the levels of the home, school, and wider society, this research seeks to identify key barriers that prevent the full participation of Sudanese refugee students in B.C. schools. While the mainstreaming of multicultural education presents a powerful mandate for addressing societal inequalities, the experiences of Sudanese refugee youth reveal problematic trends in its implementation. In identifying the discrepancy between multicultural education in as a discourse and as practical reality, this research suggests ways in which education can become a truly transformative process for all students. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6525/ Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:01 GMT <div>Chipumbu, Manako</div> A child being on the streets is basically an “event”, one with a beginning and for most, with an end as they grow into adults (Kilbride p et al, 2000: 8). The period spent on the streets by children depends on the duty bearers interventions implemented within the country and how the street children pandemic has been addressed in policy by the State, Non Governmental Organisation (NGOs) and their families among others. The aim of this study has been basically to explore the impediments in the street children interventions by considering the errors and omissions in policy and interventions that have a causative effect on the street children pandemic. As an upshot, this study is using desk research (secondary research) coupled with structuration and a combination of right based and 4A scheme approaches in its collection of data and analysis of findings in order to provide a wide range of information and stumble on government scope and limitations within street children interventions. The main findings of this study using the analytical approaches indicate that governments tend to ignore the core and fundamental issues to the underdevelopment of street children interventions. Adult perceptions of street children and the lack of harmonisation of laws have exacerbated poverty, contributing to the increase of street children in the country. Conclusively, this study undeniably offers learning experiences as to why there has not been a reduction of street children population despite the vast sensitisations by the government. It is based on the findings that recommendations will be drawn by calling for a concerted and urgent action by refocusing from street children specific interventions to all vulnerable children in Zambia. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6522/ Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:01 GMT <div>Safiuddind Saranani, Muhamad</div> Students drop out among the schools are a serious problem in Kendar’s municipality, Sulawesi Tenggara. The paper attempts to show that there are many ways done by the central and local governments in the prevention of school dropouts, among of them is to prepare the good program that’s oriented to education, namely BOS Program. The paper continues to explain the function of BOS program. This program is provided for schools at the primary and junior high school levels and is intended to reduce the burden on the community, especially the poor, of the cost of education. The paper began to take into account of several important factors in order to retain the poor student in the school. This paper tries to connect the poor student and parents’ satisfaction against the use of BOS funds in junior high school level and this paper ends on the level of policy implementation that can be used as support in the success of these program. This study found, that there are many misuse of authority in operating BOS funds, even at the local government or the school level. This paper analyzes that helping the poor children by providing BOS funds is not successful if there is not serious responsibility from many stakeholder, especially for school principle at the school level. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6527/ Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:01 GMT <div>Jeyarayan Amirthanathan, Amala</div> Marginalization of the urban poor who live in the slums of the heart of the cities is an undeniable reality of urbanization. Young people are likely to be most affected. Marginalization is seen here as that which denies citizenship rights of the urban poor youth, affecting their life, well being and development. In Indian context the research reveals that besides the deprivations due to poverty, caste discrimination, adult and male dominations have further aggravated the marginalization of the urban poor youth. The impact of marginalization is observed in the education, employment, socialization and recreation, participation in the civil society, political participation, marriage and family life. Comparatively the young women are more affected by marginalization than young men. Youth agency, motivated by a need for self respect is recognized in the different strategies of responses of the urban poor youth against the forces of marginalization. It is observed that the urban poor youth are resilient in responding to marginalization, of which some are direct and open and others indirect and informal. While the roles played by the NGO and other political and civil society organizations, as facilitators to enable the urban poor youth in achieving citizenship rights are recognized, the role of the state seem to be absent. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6528/ Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:01 GMT <div>Soliman Abboud, Rita Nicolas</div> Based on a case study at one of the Netherlands secondary schools in Rotterdam, the research aims at exploring the issue of poor educational achievement amongst second generation youth of ethnic minorities in the Netherlands; it is focusing on youth of the age 14 – 18 of Turkish and Moroccan descent. It attempts to identify the different perceptions regarding the factors that might be contributing to the problem of underperformance among ethnic minority youth through bringing in the different voices and views, and overview the understanding of both the students and teachers on why these young people are finding difficulties in their educational path and are underrepresented in the higher tracks of education. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6508/ Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:01 GMT <div>Newell, Melanie</div> Dancehall culture has caused controversy in Jamaica, being blamed for the country’s increased violence and believed to encourage vulgar behaviour and misogynistic attitudes among youth. This paper seeks to understand dancehall aside from moral judgment, in order that ghetto youth be understood in their own right. Conceptualizing culture as a fluid, rather than fixed phenomena, the methodological approach used privileges neither local nor outside knowledge, but rather synthesizes discourses of understanding in order to access the world of dancehall youth. Through dynamic creativity, this alternative space is maintained; allowing youth to express their agency by embodying vibrant, sexualized identities subversive to those denied them by the national political and economic system. Dancehall’s dialogue of survival is translated into raw, in-your-face lyrics written and performed by DJs. This paper argues that the realities and messages expressed by youth in these songs are being misjudged, misunderstood and stereotyped by outsiders; that the government’s act of banning songs is an act of injustice towards ghetto youth. Additionally, popular songs accused of containing misogynistic and violent content are analyzed using an approach that recognizes the political and economic context in which the songs were produced. Messages of social change are found including women’s empowerment and a bright future for Jamaica’s youth. This paper concludes by reiterating the need to move away from imported frameworks, towards inclusive frameworks that give justice to the world within dancehall, instead of silencing or moralistic judgment. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6520/ Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:01 GMT <div>Abdel-Rahman Taha, Lubna</div> The purpose of this study is to look into the experience of second generation Muslim youth in the Netherlands to see to what extent they regard themselves as full Dutch citizens, and whether being Muslim acts as barrier to social integration and citizenship. The Study used the “Life Story Interview” method on five second generation Muslim youth to answer the research questions. The findings of the study revealed that the interviewees, who were mostly university students, considered themselves as socially integrated and did not regard their religion to have been an obstacle to social mobility, which they believed is a direct result of educational attainment. Nonetheless, it appears that they did not see themselves to have achieved full Dutch citizenship because they are not recognized as such by some segments of the native Dutch society. These findings lend support to the assertions by the Swiss Muslim theologian, Professor Tariq Ramadan that it is no longer useful to focus on the factor of social integration when dealing with the problems of second generation Muslim youth in Europe, rather, it is more appropriate to focus on creating a sense of citizenship through being a contributing member of society. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6524/ Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:01 GMT <div>Ali, Saima</div> Drug abuse among young people is a rising concern worldwide. Youth in Pakistan is no exception. This study has tried to bring out the linkages between the class and implementation of human rights issues towards the young drug abusers in Pakistan. The research has tried to draw linkages between the patterns of drug abuse among youth of different social classes, Government’s and Non Government Organizations’ response, and society’s response towards the issue of drug abuse as well as drug abusers themselves. The analysis of the data shows the Government’s failure of respecting, protecting and fulfilling human rights of the young people of the country especially the rights to health, education, discrimination, and safe and protected environment. Secondly, NGOs were not able to provide the long term facilities to the clients because of the lack of funding and the treatments provided catered only to the male youth. Lastly, clash between the classes was evident in the interviews conducted with the individuals to understand the society’s response. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6516/ Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:01 GMT <div>McNamara Kielty, John</div> International experts and organisations have struggled to come to a consensus on how to implement Western psychologically based rehabilitation programs for former child soldiers in non-Western settings. Scholarship recognises the inherent claim and value of indigenous healing practices in the rehabilitation of former child soldiers. Nevertheless, Western interventions continue to predominate. The contrasting approaches represent conflicting choices in how to design and implement rehabilitation programs. This dynamic is a reality on the ground in the district of Gulu, northern Uganda where the conflict between the government and Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army has abated in recent years. Former child soldiers in northern Uganda have been abducted and, for many, experienced extreme traumatic events. Those worst affected require support to be successfully rehabilitated and to function on par with those in the community. Local Acholi culture has been severely affected by the conflict which in turn has profoundly weakened the ability of Acholi traditional healing practices to support psychosocial rehabilitation. Local and international NGOs implement Western psychologically based rehabilitation programs as well as alternative approaches such as creative activities and sport. Based on two months fieldwork in Gulu, interviews with formerly abducted children who have and are going through the process of psychosocial rehabilitation, provide a participant’s perspective on how different program approaches are received locally. Coupled with interviews from relevant development actors, this research provides useful insight for rehabilitation program designers and implementers to understand the effects of conflict on traditional healing practices, the role of individual skill development throughout the rehabilitation process and the consequences of Western dominated rehabilitation programming. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6531/ Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:01 GMT <div>Simon, Tabu</div> For the past two decades northern Uganda was engulfed in a web of violent armed conflict between LRA and the government of Uganda in which many people especially the young faced a multitude of problems. The region is now in post conflict and recovery period, therefore the participation in peacebuilding by young people as key actors in post conflict north is crucial. This paper analyses the ways in which young people participate in peacebuilding and explains Acholi cultural perspective on peacebuilding. To achieve this I held focus group discussions with different categories of young people that included FAP’s, primary school pupils and those who were not abducted; the views of some Acholi elders was sought in understanding cultural perspectives on peacebuilding. Young people actively participate in various peacebuilding activities, either through their own agency or through the existing structures set by other peace actors such as the government, international and local NGO’s and cultural institutions. However, young people face challenges in participation in peacebuilding due to, generational rift as a result of the changing Acholi culture due to emergence of youth culture, inadequate support from development actors and the challenge of return and resettlement into their original homesteads. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/6530/ Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:01 GMT <div>Otuo-Acheampong, Love</div> Teenage pregnancy is an occurrence which can be found in almost all societies worldwide as teenagers by their nature are adventurous. Thus when they are confronted with their sexuality and become sexually active without being firstly prepared for the consequences that these may bring, often resulting in adverse consequences. While research has shown that the incidence of teenage pregnancy is higher in developing as opposed to developed countries, there exist some pockets of the developed world where the incidence of such pregnancy may be considered significant and therefore has an adverse effect on the youth. Of particular interest are migrant communities from developing countries who reside in developed countries. Many are caught between the two environments and cultures and are often unable to cope with the pressures that their sexual awakening brings, resulting in some cases in pregnancies. This is the situation that Ghanaian teenagers in Amsterdam find themselves. As the community’s size does not qualify it for the recognition required for them to be granted a “minority” status, they end up being lumped up with the other migrant communities whose numbers are greater, such as the Antilleans, Surinamese and Moroccans and included in interventions designed to meet the needs of these communities without any recognition being given to the distinction between such groups. Furthermore no cognizance is given to their views on issues that concern them, including the perspectives that the youth have on teenage pregnancy. This paper explored the situation of the Ghanaian teenagers in Amsterdam with regards to the incidence of teenage pregnancy and seeks to ascertain and analyze their views and perspectives on the subject with the view to providing recommendations on how best the welfare and situation of these youth may be enhanced.