Drafts by De Wet Schutte
Abstract
All empirical research involves some form of data collection. One of the approaches comm... more Abstract
All empirical research involves some form of data collection. One of the approaches commonly used the human sciences, is survey research. This article focuses on the various forms of interviews and using the questionnaire technique as a data collection instrument often associated with surveys. It puts the different interview types on a continuum, ranging from structured to unstructured interviews into perspective against two underlying types of data, namely qualitative and quantitative data. The article sensitises the prospective researcher for some pitfalls when using the interview as a data collection technique and includes some hints for this protective researcher when using the interview data collection technique in practice. It also attempts to bring order into the vocabulary when using the concepts: procedure and technique.
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INTRODUCTION The primary purpose of using socioeconomic status (SES) as a social manifestation in... more INTRODUCTION The primary purpose of using socioeconomic status (SES) as a social manifestation in research is to use it as an independent variable in testing possible hypotheses related to the respondents' socioeconomic status. This application of SES suggests a possible relationship between the SES of an individual and certain thinking and/or behavioural patterns under investigation. If one looks closer into the three traditional SES indicators, namely Income level, education level and occupation level, it becomes clear that all three does not necessarily have the same " amount " of influence on an individual's cognitive processes. It could be accepted that education level would have an important influence on an individual's thinking processes. Likewise it can be accepted that occupation level would have an important influence on an individual's thinking and interpretation of the surrounding world. Referring to the latter, there are ample examples of people with a relative low education level that worked them up through the ranks to a senior position in a company through sheer hard work and intellectual capacity. On the other hand, income does not always show the same relationship with and individual's cognitive processes as education and occupation levels, other than to have a potential influence on the individ-ual's social environment within which he/she functions on a daily basis. Surely there is some relationship between an individual's income level and social level within which he/she functions, but it can safely be accepted that only income could be a perilous indicator as a variable to determine/predict an individual's attitude and/or behaviour simply because a low educated manual worker could earn a relative high income by working overtime. Surely examples of the inverse also exist.
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The search for success stories of sustainable community development practices humbles any communi... more The search for success stories of sustainable community development practices humbles any community development specialist, as there are only a few successful community development projects recorded to date and the level of success seems to be equally limited. This article revisit the development philosophy from its formal political inception as the Reconstruction and Development (RDP) programme, through the current Integrated Development Programme and suggests that the reintegration of the original RDP philosophy into the IDP process as an Integrated Reconstruction and Development Programme (IRDP) is needed. It postulates that the principles embedded in the basic needs theory and Priority and Community Index techniques gives decision mak-ers/management the necessary tools and quality information to take the IDP to a next level.
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Papers by De Wet Schutte
Background: In developing countries, it often occurs that little attention is given to air pollut... more Background: In developing countries, it often occurs that little attention is given to air pollution emissions due to a lack of proper town planning, household combustion processes, energy production and the continuous growth in the transport sector (Norman et al., 2007:783). There is an increase in urban air pollution in most of the major cities of developing countries which is amplified by population growth and industrialization (World Resource Institute, 1998, 1999:1). Air pollution studies are not complete, and may fail if the quality of life and the perceptions of the studied community are not taken into consideration. This paper investigates the air quality perceptions of a high income residency surrounded by industrial activities and Mossel Bay was rated as to have potentially poor air quality by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in Bayview, Mossel Bay. The perceptions of the respondents were collected by a structured questionnaire. Components of perceptions that were tested included general opinion regarding air quality, visual perceptions of air quality, type of pollutants such as smoke and dust, perceptions regarding the source of air pollution, perceptions regarding the municipal health institution controlling air quality in Bayview, etc. These perceptions were investigated by age, gender, socioeconomic status etc. Conclusion: The findings of the study indicated that various factors, such as visual impacts, type of pollutants, role of the municipal health institution governing air quality, influence the air perceptions of the Bayview residents.
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ABSTRACT
Do you seems to be lack of practical guidelines in the literature that could help the pr... more ABSTRACT
Do you seems to be lack of practical guidelines in the literature that could help the prospective researcher to apply the basic scientific principles found in all the text books in research methodology. It is this lack was found through countless consultation sessions call scrutiny of the available literature, as well as the discussions with experienced researchers who are usually quite conversant with the theoretical aspects of subjects. This article introduces the researcher to the different phases in the research process and the dendrogram technique that is specifically designed to take the researcher through the conceptualisation phase in such a way that it paves the way to progress through the different phases in the research cycle with ease. The biggest value of this technique is that It provides the researcher with all the relevant variables there are to be investigated to support or reject a specific hypothesis.
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This paper showcases flood risk perceptions of Philippi, an informal settlement in Cape Town. The... more This paper showcases flood risk perceptions of Philippi, an informal settlement in Cape Town. The central tenet is that expert decision-making based on an understanding of community perceptions is critical for translating risk management into effective risk practices in marginalised communities. Questionnaire surveys with AGA and multiple choice questions were issued in a convenient sample. Data was computer analysed using the chi square test. Word associations were scored, weighted by independent judges, then content analysed and categorised into domains. The Results showed that the community considered flooding to be a serious problem, but socioeconomic issues outweighed the threat of flooding.
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Background: In developing countries, it often occurs that little attention is given to air pollut... more Background: In developing countries, it often occurs that little attention is given to air pollution emissions due to a lack of proper town planning, household combustion processes, energy production and the continuous growth in the transport sector (Norman et al., 2007:783). There is an increase in urban air pollution in most of the major cities of developing countries which is amplified by population growth and industrialization (World Resource Institute, 1998, 1999:1). Air pollution studies are not complete, and may fail if the quality of life and the perceptions of the studied community are not taken into consideration. This paper investigates the air quality perceptions of a high income residency surrounded by industrial activities and Mossel Bay was rated as to have potentially poor air quality by the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in Bayview, Mossel Bay. The perceptions of the respondents were collected by a structured questionnaire. Components of perceptions that were tested included general opinion regarding air quality, visual perceptions of air quality, type of pollutants such as smoke and dust, perceptions regarding the source of air pollution, perceptions regarding the municipal health institution controlling air quality in Bayview, etc. These perceptions were investigated by age, gender, socioeconomic status etc. Conclusion: The findings of the study indicated that various factors, such as visual impacts, type of pollutants, role of the municipal health institution governing air quality, influence the air perceptions of the Bayview residents.
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The article starts with a revisit of the concepts of community, development, and community partic... more The article starts with a revisit of the concepts of community, development, and community participation to lay the foundation for a further discussion on the difference between social engineering and social development. The author argues that social engineering bears the roots of an alien community development approach, only to be rejected in time. The reader is systematically taken through the concept of "community bonding" as a prerequisite for community participation and sustainability in development projects. It is argued that sustainable development initiatives have a long lasting effect due their self-perpetuating nature, as it is implicit to the concept that the initiatives come from the community itself and that the community takes ownership thereof. The article concludes by introducing the concept of indigenous community development and argues that indigenous community development encapsulates all the foregoing necessities for successful community development projects. "If it is not indigenous community development, it is not real community development".
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Conference Presentations by De Wet Schutte
In this paper the issue of unintended consequences is addressed from the tradition of a scientifi... more In this paper the issue of unintended consequences is addressed from the tradition of a scientific research perspective within the postmodern paradigm and Gleick's (1988) chaos theory point of departure, and take the view that based upon scientific logic, there cannot be such a thing as an unintended consequence. The paper suggests that Weber's assumption about unintended consequences should be revisited and argues from a social research perspective that the concepts of unintended or unanticipated consequences both simply refer to an unobserved phenomenon by the researcher. This argument is based upon the notion that a predetermined spectrum of reactions is always bound to happen as the result of any action , irrespective whether the scientist intended it to happen through the manipulation of variables or not. Thus, from this perspective an appeared consequence can be interpreted as an intended consequence and a consequence that is not explained, but appears in any case, should rather be called an unobserved consequence, as the scientist did not know that this consequence was to appear – hence its unintended status. The following underlying question drives this paper: Is the acceptance of unintended consequences used as the rational for a genuine lack of scientific knowledge and understanding, or is it just used as an excuse for poor scientific conduct?
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When I agreed to participate in this workshop, I had a different topic in mind. Then the organ-is... more When I agreed to participate in this workshop, I had a different topic in mind. Then the organ-isers told me that they were looking for some original researched input and that I only had 20 minutes available. I realised that this would be the perfect opportunity to challenge the audience and myself by putting the thoughts that have developed over various years of research into and exposure to community development and housing issues on paper. Hence, my topic today is a sociological perspective on addressing the housing problem of the very poor and tackles the issue whether or not housing problems and the great emphasis on supplying housing is a real or relative problem. Why is it that housing issues are so high up on the agenda of politicians in South Africa, but not when we consult the people when measuring their needs? In doing community needs analyses with the Priority Index (P-Index) technique in more than 56 communities over the past 13 years, housing seldom showed the highest priority in the needs of the respective communities (which included squatter communities). In fact, it became a pattern that housing and (direct) housing related issues seldom featured as the highest priority when the ordinary person in the street was used as a respondent in the data collection process – which included squatter communities. This gave rise to the question whose need is the housing need really? Is it a real need of the people or a relative need agreed upon by selective interest groups or politicians to further their own goals? In my approach I want to make it clear that I am arguing from a community development perspective and will address the principle of using housing as the main tool or vehicle in the development of communities and not the housing policy as such. I will firstly give (i) a few principal theoretical points of departure that underlie my arguments, followed by (ii) a brief overview of some of the research that I have done in the field of community needs analysis, which in turn will be followed by (iii) some concerns and comments from a sociological perspective on the housing consciousness of the public, officials and politicians. Reading through the Annual Report of the Department of Housing, one cannot but be impressed by the innovative and holistic view of how the department sees its role, which includes that of being instrumental to economic, social and political transformation. Section two of the Housing Act compels all three spheres of government to not only give priority to the needs of the poor in respect of housing development, but also to ensure that housing development – • provides as wide a choice of housing and tenure options as is reasonably possible; • is economically, fiscally, socially and financially affordable and sustainable. • is based on integrated development planning; and • is administered in a transparent, accountable and equitable manner, and upholds the practice of good governance " (Housing Act No. 107 of 1997: Section 2(1)(a))
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Drafts by De Wet Schutte
All empirical research involves some form of data collection. One of the approaches commonly used the human sciences, is survey research. This article focuses on the various forms of interviews and using the questionnaire technique as a data collection instrument often associated with surveys. It puts the different interview types on a continuum, ranging from structured to unstructured interviews into perspective against two underlying types of data, namely qualitative and quantitative data. The article sensitises the prospective researcher for some pitfalls when using the interview as a data collection technique and includes some hints for this protective researcher when using the interview data collection technique in practice. It also attempts to bring order into the vocabulary when using the concepts: procedure and technique.
Papers by De Wet Schutte
Do you seems to be lack of practical guidelines in the literature that could help the prospective researcher to apply the basic scientific principles found in all the text books in research methodology. It is this lack was found through countless consultation sessions call scrutiny of the available literature, as well as the discussions with experienced researchers who are usually quite conversant with the theoretical aspects of subjects. This article introduces the researcher to the different phases in the research process and the dendrogram technique that is specifically designed to take the researcher through the conceptualisation phase in such a way that it paves the way to progress through the different phases in the research cycle with ease. The biggest value of this technique is that It provides the researcher with all the relevant variables there are to be investigated to support or reject a specific hypothesis.
Conference Presentations by De Wet Schutte
All empirical research involves some form of data collection. One of the approaches commonly used the human sciences, is survey research. This article focuses on the various forms of interviews and using the questionnaire technique as a data collection instrument often associated with surveys. It puts the different interview types on a continuum, ranging from structured to unstructured interviews into perspective against two underlying types of data, namely qualitative and quantitative data. The article sensitises the prospective researcher for some pitfalls when using the interview as a data collection technique and includes some hints for this protective researcher when using the interview data collection technique in practice. It also attempts to bring order into the vocabulary when using the concepts: procedure and technique.
Do you seems to be lack of practical guidelines in the literature that could help the prospective researcher to apply the basic scientific principles found in all the text books in research methodology. It is this lack was found through countless consultation sessions call scrutiny of the available literature, as well as the discussions with experienced researchers who are usually quite conversant with the theoretical aspects of subjects. This article introduces the researcher to the different phases in the research process and the dendrogram technique that is specifically designed to take the researcher through the conceptualisation phase in such a way that it paves the way to progress through the different phases in the research cycle with ease. The biggest value of this technique is that It provides the researcher with all the relevant variables there are to be investigated to support or reject a specific hypothesis.