The negotiation of meaning: an ethnography of planning in a non-governmental organization
department or school: Education, Faculty of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Cunningham-Dunlop, Catherine
issued: 2009-04-03T00:00:00
issued: 1997
related degree: Doctor of Philosophy - PhD
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: The research problem that this study addresses is two-fold. First, the persistance of poverty gives rise to a real world concern for improving the effectiveness of international development efforts. To address the link between the alleviation of poverty, adult education, and a grass-roots approach, this study focuses on planning within an organization that offers adult education programs overseas, specifically a nongovernmental organization (NGO). An understanding of the dynamics of planning in such an NGO will help in articulating more effective approaches to planning practice in international development. The second aspect of the research problem is that the relationship between the planning process and the planning context seems not to have been fully explored in the literature on adult education program planning. There is a need for a more complete set of analytical tools that captures the complexities of planning and sheds light on the relationship between the planning context and the planning process. The purpose of this dissertation is to address the main theoretical question raised by the research problem: How do nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) plan so as to maintain themselves and be effective given the pressures on them? This theoretical question was investigated through a case study method, specifically ethnography. Ethnographic fieldwork, which included seventeen months of participant observation, twenty-five interviews, and document analysis, was carried out at an NGO, refered to here by the pseudonym of "Global Faith." The conceptual framework developed in this dissertation builds on the negotiation approach to planning. The first part of the conceptual framework links two strands of research: leadership theory and negotiation theory. Through this juxtaposition, I was able to examine the process of planning in a new light - as the negotiation of meaning. The second part of the framework shows how a deeper understanding of the context of planning i…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/6769
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note: THE NEGOTIATION OF MEANING: AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF PLANNING IN A NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION by C a t h e r i n e Grace Cunningham-Dunlop B.A. (High Honours), Middlebury C o l l e g e , 1982 M.Sc, The U n i v e r s i t y of B r i t i s h Columbia, 1986 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY i n THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES Department of E d u c a t i o n a l S t u d i e s We accept t h i s t h e s i s as conforming to the r e q u i r e d standard . /> THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA October 1997 Ca t h e r i n e Grace Cunningham-Dunlop, 1997 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department The University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada DE-6 (2/88) ABSTRACT The research problem that t h i s study addresses i s two-fold. F i r s t , the p e r s i s t a n c e of poverty gives r i s e to a r e a l world concern f o r improving the e f f e c t i v e n e s s of i n t e r n a t i o n a l development e f f o r t s . To address the l i n k between the a l l e v i a t i o n of poverty, adult education, and a grass-roots approach, t h i s study focuses on planning w i t h i n an o r g a n i z a t i o n that o f f e r s a d u l t education programs overseas, s p e c i f i c a l l y a non-governmental o r g a n i z a t i o n (NGO). An understanding of the dynamics of p l a n n i n g i n such an NGO w i l l help i n a r t i c u l a t i n g more e f f e c t i v e approaches to planning p r a c t i c e i n i n t e r n a t i o n a l development. Th…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 1997-11
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0064560
language: eng
degree discipline: Education
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
scholar level: Graduate
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/6769