Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Shopping as practice'

Syftet med denna studie är att studera och analysera hur konsumenter hanterar shopping av vegetariska livsmedel i praktiken. För att svara på detta används en kvalitativ metod i form av12 individuella intervjuer. Studien har använt sig av ett urval på nio kvinnor och tre män i åldrarna 19-25, alla konsumenter av vegetariska livsmedel. Resultatet visar på att konsumentens kompetens, motivation och material påverkar och styr hur aktiviteten utförs. Vilken kompetens en person besitter påverkar attityden mot vegetariska substitut vilket i sin tur påverkar val av produkter. Det materiella landskapet spelar också en viktig roll när det kommer till vilka möjligheter en konsument har. Utbudet ökar ständigt vilket bidrar tillmöjlighet av flexiblare matmetoder samtidigt som samhället öppnas upp för en merväxtbaserad kost. Sociala medier har även kommit att bli ett viktigt hjälpmedel i det vegetariska samhället och bidrar med både information av produkter, recept men även kunskap om hur maten ska tillagas på rätt sätt. Avslutningsvis visar studien på att motiv spelaren allt större roll vid shopping än vad man tidigare pratat om.
The aim of this study is to study and analyze how consumers handle vegetarian shopping in practice. To answer this, a qualitative method in the form of 12 individual interviews is used. The study used a sample of nine women and three men age 19-25, all consumers of vegetarian foods. The results show that the consumer's competence, motivation and materials affect and control how the activity is carried out. What competence a person has affects the attitude towards vegetarian foods, which in turn affects the choice of products. The material landscape also plays an important role when it comes to what opportunities a consumer has. The growing range of plant-based food products contributes to the possibility of more flexible food methods, while society opens up for a more plant-based diet. Social media has also become an important tool in the vegetarian society and contributes with both information of products, recipes but also knowledge of how food should be prepared in the right way. The study also shows that motivation plays an increasingly important role in shopping than previously discussed.

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to investigate the underlying causes for the millennials’ engagement into reusing clothes who are characterised by both, a high consumption of second-hand clothing and a certain environmental awareness. Considered as both, a sustainable consumption practice as well as a current trend, it shall be focused in what way these aspects influence the millennials’ consumption of second-hand clothing. Design/Methodological Approach - For answering the research questions, a qualitative approach was followed including 10 semi-structured face-to-face interviews with millennials who shop second-hand clothing in Swedish charity thrift shops. Findings - The findings reveal various motivations of millennials for shopping second-hand clothing and its connection to being a current trend. It is somewhat influencing millennials that shopping second-hand clothing is a sustainable consumption practice. However, it is rather motivated to be part of the trend. In some cases it displays a justification for a higher consumption of clothing. However, environmental concerns do not appear as the primary motive. The findings lead to the assumption that shopping second-hand clothing fulfils the same needs as fashionable clothes do for the millennials. Originality/ Value - Little research has been conducted to understand the millennials’ underlying causes for engaging into second-hand shopping. Recently, they have been discovered as a cohort with a high affinity to reusing clothes. This study examined millennials’ various motivations, taking a closer look on environmental concerns as shopping second-hand clothing is considered as a sustainable consumption practice. Furthermore, it is investigated which role second-hand shopping has in the overall clothing consumption of millennials. Though the findings are not generalizable, they can serve as a basis for future quantitative research within this contemporary and relevant field in the world of textiles and clothing.

In this post-boom era, the so-called dead mall is a growing phenomenon. A quintessentially American icon, the shopping mall arose in a time of prosperity, and was a central component of the pre-fab utopia of suburban life. The shopping mall was conceived to create a new and improved town center. As indoor private properties, developers attempted to engineer the conditions to instill a state of euphoria in shoppers, which would fuel the need to spend in order to heighten that satisfaction. But ultimately, just as the gratification was temporary, so too is the mall.

Food production has been shown to have considerable negative impacts on the environment. A means to reduce this is to choose organic products when shopping for food. Through the case of the EcoPanel, a web application prototype that visualises the organic proportion of the household’s food shopping, the thesis explores the intersection between design, reflection and sustainable food shopping practices. In order to contextualise the role of the EcoPanel, the text discusses the concept of food shopping practice, both from the perspective of social practice theory (SPT), and the more focused food choice perspective. The studies show that it is fundamental to understand the complexity of choosing food, and the habitual aspect of practice, in order to understand the role of reflection in food shopping practice, and consequently the role of a tool for reflective decision-making, like the EcoPanel. We have used a research through design approach to develop the EcoPanel prototype. In an iterative process we probed how the EcoPanel could be designed to be as relevant and accessible for the users as possible. Essential in the process were the iterative user feedback sessions. The way in which the users answered the questions from the sessions formed the guiding principles for the development of the design. A central question in the thesis is to explore in what ways the users’ access to their individual sustainable grocery data provided by the EcoPanel affects their food shopping practices. The studies include monitoring sixty-five users of the EcoPanel over five months, a survey regarding aspects of lifestyle and attitudes to food, and interviews with ten of the users. The long-term study shows an increased organic purchase level (17%) for the EcoPanel users in comparison to the reference group. We also see that when the users receive feedback on their organic food purchases through the EcoPanel, they can make more reflective decisions. This is shown to be highly relevant and creates meaning for the users in several different ways. From this result, in combination with the result of the long-term study, we can conclude that the EcoPanel contributes with support for more sustainable food practices. The last question in the thesis is to understand how SPT can be useful for design practice. SPT shows a view that goes beyond the traditional interaction perspective, and points to the importance of approaching complex issues, such as sustainability challenges, with an awareness that also includes social and cultural aspects of the context. As well as this view being pertinent when approaching sustainability issues, it also provides value to designers in their emerging roles of dealing with more socially embedded concerns, such as social innovation and design for public policies.

QC 20160311

This dissertation investigates department stores as complex spatial and cultural buildings, in which values and ideas are expressed, negotiated, and produced. Situated in a cultural context commonly referred to as a society of consumption, where identity and social structures are worked out through consumption rather than production, the query turns to a specific act of consumption: that of shopping. More precisely, it investigates the role of space and spatial distribution in shopping. How space is distributed, arranged, or ordered allows for different possibilities in constructing categories from which the shoppers are to make a selection, and for how these categories can be related to one another, which informs the shoppers what belongs together, what is to be held apart, what is important, what is private, what is public, and what is of higher or lower status. It further supports, prevents, and promotes different routes and choices, giving different patterns of presence, publicity, privacy, purpose, etc. that not only affects the atmosphere of the spaces, but makes suggestions of what is found in them. These questions are investigated through a series of conceptual laboratories, each addressing the problem from different standpoints and focusing on different parts of the question: from how categories are constructed and given character, to how they form systems of values, how shoppers are trained in aesthetics of fashion, how relative degrees of presences are made use of, and how they appear influenced by spatial distribution. In this, the work shifts between qualitative and quantitative methods, each completing and evolving the other. It shows that to a remarkable degree, much of the emergent values and ideas can be understood through the filter of spatial configurations, and especially when treated as two systems: one of exposure and one of availability. As similar operations also affect patterns of movement and being, which enables them to also be related to publicity, privacy, and other social characters, the department stores can be understood as not only commercial spaces but as sites of negotiation of public culture. As such, both the analytic model and the more specific findings have important implications for architectural theory in general.
QC 20100803

The Corona pandemic and its need for social distancing and feelings of fear have affected consumers worldwide and their shopping practices when it comes to food and groceries. Previous research has shown that in normal conditions it is difficult to change shopping practices and consumers routines, but that major changes in the outside world led to new or changing practices. Changed food shopping practices are a consequence of the Corona pandemic and there is a gap in previous studies when it comes to crises in the form of pandemics as they are highly unusual. The purpose of this study is to understand how consumers have changed their food shopping as a result of the pandemic from a practice theoretical perspective. We want to give an insight into where, when and how the consumer buys groceries, but also try to understand what it is that drives the consumer to a certain form of food shopping in crises in the form of a pandemic. To study this, we have used a practice theoretical perspective and conceptualized food shopping as a social practice. The analysis was based on a qualitative method in the form of a combination of focus groups and individual interviews. The study involved 23 participants divided into four focus interviews, five individual interviews and one interview with two ICA suppliers/consultants. By applying a practice-theoretical perspective to food shopping practices, the study was able to provide an insight into how consumers have changed their food shopping as a result of the pandemic and what drives the consumers to do so. The study shows that food shopping practices have changed during the pandemic and that societal crises to this extent can change strongly implemented and routinized patterns. We found that hoarding was a consequence and can be motivated by fear and “the herd effect”. At the same time, it is a concept with negative and shameful associations. We also found an increase in e-commerce. This was justified by the fact that the consumer’s main motive for shopping online was due to the risk of infecting or becoming infected themselves. Another change in food shopping practices that we observed was shopping with protection. Lastly, we found a new form of shopping called collective shopping, which is a practice that occurs temporarily and may involve a transition back to the normal state. The results of the study aim to contribute to knowledge for marketers and other practitioners to prepare society for disruptions due to other pandemics in the future.
Coronapandemin och dess följder har lett till ett behov av social distansering och känslor av rädsla har påverkat konsumenter världen över och deras shoppingpraktiker när det kommer till dagligvaror. Tidigare forskning har visat att det i normala tillstånd är svårt att förändra shoppingpraktiker och konsumenters rutiner men att större förändringar i omvärlden kan bidra till nya eller förändrade praktiker. Förändrade matshoppingpraktiker är en följd av Coronapandemin och det finns ett gap i tidigare studier när det kommer till kriser i form av pandemier då de är högst ovanliga. Syftet med denna studie är att förstå hur konsumenter har förändrat sin matshopping till följd av pandemin utifrån ett praktiksteoretiskt perspektiv. Vi vill ge en inblick i var, när och hur konsumenten handlar dagligvaror, men också försöka förstå vad det är som är driver konsumenten till en viss form av matshopping i kriser i form av en pandemi. För att studera detta har vi använt oss av ett praktikteoretiskt perspektiv och konceptualiserat matshopping som en social praktik. Analysen baserades på en kvalitativ metod i form av en kombination av fokusgrupper och enskilda intervjuer. I studien deltog 23 deltagare uppdelade i fyra fokusintervjuer, fem enskilda intervjuer och en intervju med två ICA-leverantörer/konsulter. Genom att applicera ett praktikteoretiskt perspektiv på matshoppingpraktiker kunde studien ge en insikt i hur konsumenter har förändrat sin matshopping till följd av pandemin och vad som driver konsumenten till det. Studien visar att matshoppingpraktiker har förändrats under pandemins gång och att samhällskriser i denna omfattning kan förändra starkt implementerade och rutiniserade mönster. Vi fann att hamstring var en följd av pandemin och kan motiveras med bland annat rädsla och “the herd effect”. Samtidigt är det ett begrepp med negativa kopplingar och som tycks vara skambelagt. Vi fann även en ökning av e-handel. Detta motiverades med att konsumentens viktigaste motiv till att handla just online var att minska kontakt med andra människor på grund av risken för att smitta, eller själva bli smittade. Ytterligare en förändring i matshoppingpraktiker som vi uppmärksammade var att handla med skydd. Slutligen fann vi en ny form av shopping kallad för kollektiv shopping, vilket är en praktik som sker tillfälligt och kan därmed innebära en övergång tillbaka till det normala tillståndet. Studiens resultat ämnar bidra med kunskap för marknadsförare och andra utövare för att förbereda samhället inför störningar till följd av andra pandemier i framtiden.

With the COVID-19 pandemic taking over the world faster than anyone had anticipated and creating a ‘new normal’, consumers had to adapt and get used to these changes. The pandemic caused lockdowns in several parts of the world, where businesses, schools, and stores had to shut their doors, although essential stores such as grocery stores remained open. Not only did this happen, but consumers' social life was also impacted as they were asked to stay at home and limit their contact with other people. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a shift in the practices of consumers, with food and safety being one of the most essential needs, consumers converted to stockpiling on food and hygienic products which led to a lower on shelf availability in grocery stores. Even though many countries around the world imposed a lockdown, Sweden never imposed any lockdown during the COVID-19 period, making it an interesting country to research. Although Sweden did implement some measures which for all public areas meant a limited amount of people allowed in the store, whereas other measures were more focused on recommendations such as keeping distance, avoiding large crowds, and working and studying from home as much as possible. Ultimately, the COVID-19 pandemic did impact university students in Sweden, as student life completely stopped on campus and classes were partly given through Zoom. The city of Jönköping is a city where many students live, and over 19.000 students are registered at the university of Jönköping. These students are in a crucial stage of their life where new experiences and changes are happening. This initiated the purpose of the study to research whether the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the grocery shopping practices of students pre and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the city of Jönköping. To perform the research a qualitative study has been conducted. An interview was formulated after reviewing the literature to gather information from university students in Jönköping, where the aim was to analyze their grocery shopping practices before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 15 university students were interviewed, in the age range of 23-26, who all study and live in the city of Jönköping during the pandemic. To study the practices of the students, the framework of Arsel and Bean (2013) has been applied. The objects and doings of the students pre and during COVID-19 have been researched and analyzed, and from the collected data, categories of meanings have been identified to analyze the meanings of the objects that were used and the doings that were performed by the informants. Changes in practices were identified in which the students mainly kept the same grocery shopping routine with adaptations to protect themselves against the virus. The grocery stores are visited less frequently, and items are avoided out of fear of getting infected. The main practices identified is that the students started to wash their hands, keep distance, and started to use hand sanitizer as protective measures. This thesis provides a guide for governmental institutions on how consumers react to regulations during a pandemic. Also, this may help grocery stores to know how consumers adapt their grocery shopping practices amidst a pandemic.

The primary aim of this study is to present and investigate the hypotheses that the activity of post-industrial mass consumerism is an act of human drama that takes place within the specially created and constructed environment of the contemporary out of town or regional shopping mall. This is an artificially controlled and manipulative environment that is also a setting of fantasy. It is one that owes the nature of its internal spaces to 'rampant consumerism' and the nature of its internal appearance and architectural forms to the utilization and application of a pastiche and layering of post-modern historical references. The second aim was to develop a body of visual work through a systematic enquiry of practice based research which would together with a written commentary present both the outcomes of this research and the new knowledge generated through it. Alongside these aims, this study itself has also been a vehicle for developing and examining research processes. The initial investigation is achieved through a contextual review that forms the background against which visual research is undertaken. The visual research is carried out in two ways. Initially separate fantasies, ie: visual images made in the Meadowhall Shopping Centre and visual images made from G. B. Piranesi's Carceri d' Invenzione, are brought in to association. Subsequently they are then digitally transformed to produce new hybrid visual fantasies. This whole process has also led me to consider my personal transformation from artisan to artist and commentator and to review the impact that change has had on this study. The theses is brought to a close with an analysis of what the investigations and the processes of research have revealed, achieved, and made available to other practitioners through this study. Key concluding points are: The investigations, processes of research and visual explorations have provided a potential reference for other practitioners and a model for further practice-based research. The process of Reflective Practice is mutable and can be modified to suit different creative circumstances and artistic intentions. Reflective Practice produces defensible results which can be interrogated by peers. The study has laid the ground for my further creative work and the process of reflective practice will continue to inform my activity.

To significantly reduce the volumes of food currently wasted in industrialized countries, tackling food waste on the household level is paramount. While awareness campaigns and economic incentives are important measures, it is crucial to look beyond individual decision making and scrutinize how contextual factors frame consumer lifestyles in ways that intensify the issue of food going to waste. This paper addresses the role of material contexts-in particular, infrastructures and Technologies- in the shaping of food shopping and storing practices and thus consumer food waste. It presents an in-depth, qualitative study with 24 Austrian households, conducted from November 2016 to February 2017. Data were collected through food waste diaries, semi-structured interviews and a total of 16 focus group discussions. In line with other studies, we find that food waste is a largely unintended outcome of entangled daily routines revolving around food, such as meal planning, grocery shopping and food storing. The characteristics of food retail infrastructures-in terms of accessibility, density and type-shape these routines and thus potentially influence excess food purchases. Food storing practices as well depend on the characteristics of domestic infrastructures and co-evolve with technologies used for storing food. Unraveling the interconnectivity between material contexts and household food practices can inform policy, product design and food retail development and thus has implications for reducing consumer food waste.

Master thesis deals with analysis of sales practices of Independent Beauty Consultants in a selected company. The aim of the thesis is to evaluate the sales practices of Independent Beauty Consultants at Mary Kay company and to propose optimization recommendations. The thesis is divided into free parts: theoretical, methodological and practical. The theoretical part is based on literature and describes the qualities of a professional salesperson and an effective process of personal selling. The methodological part defines the target group and explains the application of the chosen methods such as: personal interview, questionnaire survey and mystery shopping. The practical part focuses on Independent Beauty Consultants and analyzes their sales practices. Optimization recommendations are proposed on the basis of the findings of research.

Désormais partie intégrante de notre quotidien, le numérique figure au cœur d’un nombre croissant d'activités. Les pratiques de magasinage n’échappent pas à la règle. Si les recherches en marketing qui explorent ce phénomène sont nombreuses, notre examen de la littérature met en évidence deux écueils récurrents : d’un côté, une tendance à morceler le numérique en mettant l’emphase sur une technologie spécifique et, de l’autre, une mise en retrait de la façon dont les individus se saisissent de ces ressources et les intègrent à leurs habitudes d’achat. Dans ce contexte, nous nous appuyons sur la sociologie des usages et, plus particulièrement, sur le concept de numérimorphose, pour donner du corps à l’usage des ressources digitales et apprécier les transformations engendrées par leur intégration plus ou moins durable aux pratiques de magasinage. Compte tenu de la diversité des pratiques d’achat, nous prenons le parti de nous focaliser sur une entrée empirique relativement peu abordée en marketing : les courses. Afin de nous positionner au plus près des individus lorsqu’ils assurent l’approvisionnement de leur foyer et rendre compte de leurs comportements effectifs, nous optons pour une méthodologie qualitative. Notre analyse aboutit à la mise en évidence d’un cadre analytique pour apprécier la numérimorphose des courses qui se décline sur trois axes : (1) le cadre communautaire qui aborde les courses en tant que pratique collective ; (2) le cadre spatiotemporel qui aborde les courses en tant que pratique située ; (3) le cadre marchand qui aborde les courses à partir de la relation entre l’offre et la demande
Deeply embedded in our daily lives, digital technology appears as an essential component of our era. In our mind, this phenomenon is largely addressed by marketing research but remains affected by several limits. On the one hand, we notice that most researches focus on a specific technology. This results in a partial approach of practice’s digital shift. On the other hand, we argue that researches approaching digital shift in a larger scope fail to give social thickness to the use of technology. With this in mind, we adhere to the principles of « sociologie des usages » theoretical framework to enlighten the integration of digital devices into shopping practices. In order to face theoretical challenges related to the practice’s digital shift we introduce the concept of digimorphosis in marketing research. Given the diversity of shopping practices, we propose an application of the concept to grocery shopping. In order to position ourselves as close as shoppers, we opt for a qualitative methodological positioning. Here as well, the challenges related to the digital shift require reconsidering the techniques traditionally used to collect data, bring new ones and combines them to enrich our understanding of shopper’s behavior in a connected world. Our analysis leads to the identification of a three axes analytical framework designed to appreciate the digimorphosis of shopping practices: (1) the community axe which address shopping as a collective practice; (2) the spatio-temporal axe which address shopping as a situated practice; (3) the mercantile axe which address shopping as a practice based on value creation

Background Several researchers have studied atmospheric factors like crowding, col-ours, music and olfactory cues and tested their effect on shopping behav-iour. In the particular case of the influence of music in consumers‟ be-haviour, several notable observations have been made. Yet, the majority of the studies have focused on the phenomena of the music and the influences of its different factors towards consumers‟ be-haviour but little research has focused on managerial awareness of such effects on its consumers. Thus, there are still a lot of doubts about man-ager‟s practices and perception regarding the use and effects of atmos-pheric music. In line with the approaches mentioned above, this thesis intends to fill this gap in the literature through the attainment of two objectives: the first one is to study what exactly clothing retailers are doing in terms of atmospheric music and the second objective is to examine their implicit theories about the impact of the music on consumers‟ shopping behav-iour. Purpose The purpose of this thesis is to study managerial practices and percep-tions of how music affects customers‟ shopping behaviour in clothing retailers in Sweden. Method This study employs a qualitative method. The Data was obtained through semi-structured face to face interviews with managers and staff of clothing retailers in Jönköping. These interviews were conducted in clothing stores located in the two main commercial areas of the city where the majority of the stores were located. Conclusions Our research found that in the big retailers the atmospheric music is used in a more systematically way than in the small ones. This level of sys-tematization is directly related to the level of centralization in decision-making and to the size of the store. On the other hand, with regards to our second objective we found thatnot only managers but also the salespersons working in the clothing stores have a high degree of knowledge about how music affects their customer´s shopping behavior. Some of their implicit theories coincided with what previous researchers have found while others didn´t.

Diversas condições durante as etapas de produção dos alimentos podem levar à introdução de micro-organismos patogênicos nas refeições. Esse fato pode ser relevante nos serviços de alimentação localizados em shopping centers pela limitada área física, número de equipamentos insuficientes e volume de refeições servidas. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar esse tipo de estabelecimento quanto ao cumprimento de boas práticas e verificar a presença de matéria orgânica e contaminação bacteriana residual em refrigeradores que haviam sido submetidos à limpeza de rotina. Vinte estabelecimentos localizados em um shopping center de Porto Alegre foram incluídos no estudo. Em cada estabelecimento foi aplicada a Lista de Verificação em Boas Práticas para Serviços de Alimentação prevista na Portaria nº 78 de 28 de Janeiro de 2009 (CEVS) e foram colhidas três amostras com intervalo mensal da parede interna do refrigerador no dia subsequente à limpeza de rotina. As amostras foram avaliadas pelo sistema Clean Trace (3M), quanto à presença de Listeria sp., Coliformes Totais e Escherichia coli. Os dados resultantes da aplicação da Lista de Verificação apontaram que 55% dos estabelecimentos não atingiram a pontuação mínima (>75%) para serem considerados satisfatórios. Em 95% (57/60) das amostras colhidas nos refrigeradores, demonstrou-se a presença de matéria orgânica residual. Já as análises microbiológicas apontaram ausência de Listeria sp., presença de de Coliformes Totais e E. coli em 8,3% e 1,6% das amostras, respectivamente. Não houve associação entre a classificação do estabelecimento (satisfatório/insatisfatório) e a presença de matéria orgânica residual ou Coliformes Totais nos refrigeradores. Estes resultados demonstram a necessidade de constante revisão e monitoramento dos processos de higienização de equipamentos em serviços de alimentação.
Several conditions during all stages of food production can lead to the introduction of pathogenic micro-organisms in food. This fact may be relevant in the food service located in shopping malls by limited physical area, insufficient number of equipment and volume of meals served. The aim of this study was to evaluate this type of establishment for compliance with good practices and verify the presence of organic matter and residual bacterial contamination in refrigerators that had been submitted to routine cleaning. Twenty establishments located in a shopping center from Porto Alegre were included in the study. In each establishment a Checklist for Good Practice for Food Services, provided by Resoltuion No. 78 published on January 28th 2009 (CEVS), was aplied, and three samples were collected at monthly intervals from the inner wall of the refrigerator on the day following the routine cleaning. The samples were evaluated by the Clean Trace system (3M) for the presence of Listeria sp., Total Coliforms and Escherichia coli. The data resulting from application of the Checklist showed that 55% of establishments didn’t attained the minimum score (> 75%) to be classified satisfactory. From de samples taken on the refrigerator’s inner wall, 95% (57/60) demonstrated the presence of residual organic. Nevertheless, microbiological analyzes showed absence of Listeria sp., and isolation of Total Coliforms and E. coli in 8.3% and 1.6% of the samples, respectively. There was no association between the classification of the establishment (satisfactory / unsatisfactory) and the presence of residual organic matter or total coliform in the refrigerator. The results demonstrate the need for constant review and monitoring and improvement of sanitizing procedures of equipment in food service.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology Consumer Science: Food and Nutrition in the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2013
Consumer debt has escalated in South Africa ever since the country sank into a recession in early 2009. One of the many consequences of this economic downturn has been a major increase in energy, transport and food prices. Food-buying strategies can be used by consumers to help to reduce the amount of money, which is spent on food, and increase funds that are available for other household expenses. The main objective of this study was to determine the use of four pre-selected food-buying practices by consumers who reside in different socio-economic status (SES) areas in the City of Cape Town. Residents of lower SES areas have been found to have purchasing patterns that are different to those who live in higher SES areas. The subsidiary objectives were to further establish whether there is a difference in the use of food-buying practices by consumers who reside in different SES areas, and to ascertain whether shopper and demographical characteristics have an influence on the use of food-buying practices among consumers in general as well as among consumers within the same SES area. A consumer intercept survey was conducted after being granted ethics approval. Three groups of respondents that represent a low, middle and high SES area were systematically sampled. A total of 1 200 consumers (95% response rate) who are older than 18 years anonymously and voluntarily participated in the study, which was conducted at pre-selected stores in the suburban areas of Delft (low SES area), Maitland (middle SES area) and Meadowridge (high SES area) in the City of Cape Town. These areas and stores were selected to represent the SES of households or consumers, respectively, based on the demographic and employment profile that was provided for each by Statistics South Africa‟s 2001‟s census profiles. The data was collected by using a pilot tested structured, self-administered questionnaire consisting of mainly multiple-choice questions, which gathered information from the respondents regarding their shopper and demographic characteristics, as well as their frequency of use of the four food-buying practices (represented by six structured questions each) as: (i) use of a shopping list; (ii) use of advertisements to plan shopping; (iii) comparison of prices amongst different brands; and (iv) avoidance of impulse buying. These food-buying practices were selected based on available consumer education literature, which focused on the use of these food-buying practices and a pilot study that was conducted in 2011, which indicated that these four practices were most frequently used by the consumers who were surveyed. Within each SES area most of the Cronbach‟s alpha coefficients that were obtained were >0.9 among the six questions, which represented each food-buying practice, and reflected strong internal consistencies among the questions. The Generalised Linear Model analysis of variance utilising the Wald statistic, which is based on the chi- square distribution and Bonferroni pair-wise comparisons, were used to determine significant differences between respondents‟ use of the food-buying practices and their SES area group, as well as their shopper and demographic characteristics. A significant level of p<0.001, as well as p<0.05 was used. Most (60 to 80%) of the respondents in each SES area are female. Within the total sample, low and middle SES areas a majority (62 to 73%) of the respondents were between 26 to 55 years of age, whereas in the high SES area a majority (63.5%) of the respondents were 46 years and older. In general, more than half (52 to 56%) of the respondents were married and most (38 to 55%) were employed full-time and had household sizes, which mainly (18 to 23%) consist of two to four members. Regarding highest level of education attained, most of the respondents in the total sample either had a Grade 8 to 11 (37.6%) or a Grade 12 (24.7%), whereas most (54%) respondents in the high SES had either acquired a post-matric diploma or certificate, degree or post-graduate degree. Most (67 to 89 %) of the respondents within the total sample, middle and low SES area associated themselves with the Coloured population group, whereas most (56.7%) of the respondents in the high SES area associated themselves with the White population group. Concerning household monthly income, two thirds (65%) of the respondents within the high SES area had an income of R12 801 upward; most (77.5%) of the respondents within the middle SES area had an income of R801 to R12 800 per month; and more than half (57%) of the respondents in the low SES area received an income of R800 to R3 200 per month. In general, most respondents indicated that they shopped for food once a week (33 to 48%); took less than half an hour to shop for food (40 to 52%); and usually shopped alone for food (68.9%). Cash was the most prevalent means of payment among respondents within the total sample (66.7%), middle (70.5%) and low (93%) SES areas, while most (43.2%) respondents in the high SES area paid by means of a debit card. Among the respondents who reside in the different SES suburban areas, differences in the use of food-buying practices were revealed. Respondents within the high (p<0.001) and middle (p<0.05) SES areas displayed a higher propensity to use a shopping list, yet a lower propensity to use advertisements compared to respondents within the low SES area. Respondents within the low and particularly middle SES area displayed a higher propensity to compare prices (p<0.05) compared to respondents within the high SES area. No differences (p>0.05) for the avoidance of impulse buying as a food-buying practice were found among respondents within a low, middle and high SES area. A largely low propensity to avoid impulse buying was found. Regarding shopper characteristics, the respondent payment method influenced the use of a shopping list (p<0.05), use of advertisements (p<0.05 and p<0.001 between the payment methods) and propensity to avoid impulse buying (p<0.05) as food-buying practices within the low SES area. Among respondents, in general, the payment method influenced the avoidance of impulse buying (p<0.05) as a food-buying practice. The length of time that it took to shop influenced the use of a shopping list (p<0.05) as a food-buying practice within the low SES area and the propensity to compare prices of different brands (p<0.05) as a food-buying practice within the middle SES area. Shopping frequency influenced the use of advertisements (p<0.05) as a food buying practice within the low SES area and co-shopping influenced the propensity to avoid impulse buying (p<0.05 and p<0.001 between the various co-shoppers) as a food-buying practice within the low SES area, as well as the propensity to use advertisements (p<0.05) as a food-buying practice within the high SES area. Gender influenced the use of a shopping list (p<0.05) as a food-buying practice within the high SES area and the use of advertisements (p<0.05), as well as the propensity to avoid impulse buying (p<0.001) as food-buying practices within the middle SES area. Gender also affected the propensity to compare the prices of different brands (p<0.05) as a food-buying practice within the low SES area and among respondents, in general, the propensity to avoid impulse buying (p<0.05), as well as the use of advertisements (p<0.001) as food-buying practices. Employment status affected the use of a shopping list (p<0.05) as a food-buying practice within the high SES area. Population group affected the propensity to use advertisements as a food-buying practice within the low SES area (p<0.05 and p<0.001 between the population groups) and among the respondents, in general, (p<0.05). Household monthly income affected the propensity to compare the prices of different brands (p<0.05) as a food-buying practice within the high SES area. Among the respondents, in general, household monthly income affected the propensity to compare the prices of different brands (p<0.05 and p<0.001 between the income groups) and the use of advertisements (p<0.05) as food-buying practices. The study confirmed that there are differences in the use of food-buying practices among consumers who reside in different SES areas, and further identified specific shopper and demographic characteristics that have an effect on consumers‟ (in general, as well as within the same SES area) use of food-buying practices. Since food-buying practices can be used by consumers to manage their household income expenditure on food, consumer awareness of these practices, in particular the avoidance of impulse buying should be promoted through educational efforts ideally by food retail companies. These companies have the resources and capability to communicate with consumers regularly (while shopping in-store), and can inform their customers about food-buying practices that would help them to save money and/or make additional funds available for other essential household expenses.

La Aplicación de Buenas Prácticas en la Gestión de Adquisiciones dentro de la Empresa MJ Ingeniería y Construcción, evidencio ciertas características que retrasan el desempeño de los procesos constructivos; debido a malas coordinaciones en el área de compras, es decir los recursos no están disponibles en el tiempo necesario deteniendo los flujos de trabajo. Es por ello que la empresa MJ Ingeniería y Construcción, requirió aplicar 3 enfoques de dirección de proyectos basados en; el PMBOK® busca aplicar procesos principales como el de planificar (Análisis de decisión de hacer o ejecutar, procesos administrativos de adquisiciones de bienes o servicios, solicitudes de propuestas, roles de involucrados, criterios de evaluación a los proveedores); en efectuar (sistema de contratación y gestión de los contratos a los proveedores) y en controlar las adquisiciones (sistema de control de cambios, revisión de desempeño de las adquisiciones, auditorías a los proveedores, indicadores de gestión, solicitudes de cambio). Lean Supply Chain contribuye con establecer que los procesos sean más esbeltos, con el afán de reducir los procesos con desperdicios en cada proyecto de MJ Ingeniería y Construcción, por el cual se aplicó buenas prácticas de gestión (procesos para gestionar y seleccionar proveedores, reuniones agiles, indicadores para el proceso de compras, lecciones aprendidas y oportunidades de mejora). La Norma ISO 20400:2017 Compras Sostenibles proporciono la orientación para la integración de la sostenibilidad en las adquisiciones de la empresa (políticas y estrategias, guía de implementación, identificación de los involucrados de compras, gestión de contratos sostenibles, evaluación de conductas sostenibles a los proveedores, desempeño de proveedores y registro y comunicación de lecciones aprendidas). Este estudio demostró que con la implementación de la gestión de adquisición de la presente investigación, aumento el desempeño en los procesos de la empresa del área de compras, optimizando costos de las adquisiciones dentro de los proyectos de MJ Ingeniería y Construcción.
The Application of Good Practices in Procurement Management within the MJ Ingeniería y Construcción Company, I show certain characteristics that delay the performance of construction processes; due to poor coordination in the purchasing area, resources are not available in the time required to stop workflows. That is why the company MJ Ingeniería y Construcción, required to apply 3 approaches of project management based on; PMBOK® seeks to apply main processes such as planning (Decision analysis to make or execute, administrative processes for procurement of goods or services, requests for proposals, roles of stakeholders, evaluation criteria to suppliers); in performing (system of contract procurement and management of contracts to suppliers) and in controlling acquisitions (change control system, review of procurement performance, audits to suppliers, management indicators, change requests). Lean Supply Chain helps establish that processes are leaner, with the desire to reduce waste processes in each MJ Ingeniería y Construcción project, where-based management best practices (processes for managing and selecting suppliers, agile meetings, indicators for the procurement process, lessons learned and opportunities for improvement). ISO 20400:2017 Sustainable Procurement provided guidance for the integration of sustainability into the company's procurement (policies and strategies, implementation guide, identification of procurement stakeholders, management of sustainable contracts, evaluation of sustainable supplier behaviors, supplier performance and recording and communication of lessons learned). This study showed that with the implementation of the acquisition management of this research, it increased the performance in the processes of the purchasing company, optimizing procurement costs within the MJ Ingeniería y Construcción projects.
Trabajo de investigación

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The practices that may characterize a potential greenerism and politicization of consumption arise from the perception of the impact of standards and levels of consumption in the global environment. From the 1990s, certain practices of consumption started being socially and environmentally responsible. This research had as general objective to reflect on greenering processes and the politicization of consumption and everyday life in the contemporary Brazilian society, emphasizing the multifaceted field of food. The shopping practices of organic food, especially from those individuals who are not organized collectively in social movements configure the object of the research. The main reason for its development was the gap in Brazilian social science in relation to studies on the consumers perspectives while social actors and the different uses they perform on their practices of consumption, especially the political use. The main questions included issues such as: Are the shopping practices of organic food perceived and experienced by consumers as a form of political action? In what ways do consumers deal with the discourses and responsibility charging for the environmental crisis? When seeking to answer them through an ethnography of the shopping practices of organic food in the city of Nova Friburgo/RJ and conducting in depth interviews with consumers, this research has identified an increased political autonomy of the individual against the public and private spheres, which occurs in the field of consumption. The shop of organic food is perceived and used as a repertoire of "romantic-individualistic" political action in the public sphere. These practices prove themselves capable of feeding bridges to citizenship, enabling the emergence of new collective engagement periods in a context of social reflexivity and global risk society.
As pr?ticas que podem caracterizar uma poss?vel ambientaliza??o e politiza??o do consumo surgem com a percep??o do impacto dos padr?es e n?veis de consumo no meio ambiente global. Com isso, a partir da d?cada de 1990, determinadas pr?ticas de consumo passaram a ser reconhecidas como sendo social e ambientalmente respons?veis. A pesquisa teve como objetivo geral refletir sobre os processos de ambientaliza??o e politiza??o do consumo e da vida cotidiana no ?mbito da sociedade brasileira contempor?nea, enfatizando o multifacetado campo da alimenta??o. Desta forma, as pr?ticas de compra de alimentos org?nicos, especialmente daqueles indiv?duos que n?o est?o organizados coletivamente em movimentos sociais configuraram o objeto de pesquisa. A principal justificativa para seu desenvolvimento era a lacuna existente nas ci?ncias sociais brasileiras no que se refere aos estudos sobre as perspectivas dos consumidores enquanto atores sociais e os diferentes usos que fazem de suas pr?ticas de consumo, em especial seu uso pol?tico. Os problemas centrais inclu?am quest?es como: as pr?ticas de compra de alimentos org?nicos s?o percebidas e experimentadas pelos consumidores como uma forma de a??o pol?tica? De que maneiras os consumidores lidam com os discursos e cobran?as de responsabilidades pela crise ambiental? Ao procurar respond?-las, atrav?s de uma etnografia das pr?ticas de compra de alimentos org?nicos na cidade de Nova Friburgo/RJ e da realiza??o de entrevistas em profundidade com consumidores, a pesquisa identificou um aumento da autonomia pol?tica individual no encontro das esferas p?blica e privada que se d? no campo do consumo. A compra de alimentos org?nicos ? percebida e utilizada como um repert?rio de a??o pol?tica rom?nticoindividualista na esfera p?blica. Estas pr?ticas se mostram capazes de alimentar pontes com a cidadania, abrindo possibilidades para a emerg?ncia de novos per?odos de engajamento coletivo em um contexto de reflexividade social e sociedade de risco global.

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La production de la différenciation socio-spatiale est analysée, en tenant compte de leurs dimensions objectives et subjectives, à partir de la comparaison entre deux villes de taille moyenne avec de différents niveaux de complexités, Catanduva et São José do Rio Preto. Le quotidien, tandis qu’une unité de l'espace et de temps est notre dimension de l’analyse, en ayant les pratiques spatiales des sujets sociaux étudiés, alors que le plan analytique, qui nous a permis d'identifier la façon dont le processus de fragmentation socio-spatiale s’exprime dans la production de l'espace urbain, surtout à partir des espaces vécus, donnant du sens et de la signification à des pratiques, qui entourent des relations contradictoires entre l'intérieur et à l'extérieur, avant et après, le changement et la permanence, l'espace et le temps. Sur la base de la réalisation de 22 entretiens et des observations sur le terrain, la recherche a révélé que, dans le discours d'une recherche de sécurité, les personnes interrogées, des habitants des espaces résidentiels fermés de classe moyenne et de l'élite, valorisent et produisent des stratégies de distinction socio-spaciale, auxquelles l'espace est dimension stratégique qui ne se limite pas au cadre d’habiter. Telle recherche modifie les façons de comme ces sujets sociaux connaissent l’urbain et ce qui lui est inhérente, étant la ville de plus en plus vécue et représentée dans les fragments. Cette tendance à la séparation, présente dans les deux villes étudiées, étend également aux pratiques de consommation, ce qui démontre de manière plus significative à São José do Rio Preto, une ville où il y a une plus grande présence de espaces fermés, d’ habitation et de consommation, largement valorisés par les segments de la classe moyenne et de l’élite. À Catanduva, il reste encore des pratiques de consommation «traditionnelles», dans le centre-ville traditionnel. Cependant, quand nous opérons à partir du processus de mise à l'échelle commune, en tenant compte les pratiques des consommations des interviewés de Catanduva qui fréquentent certains centres commerciaux de Sao Jose do Rio Preto, on vérifie que la production de la différenciation socio-spatiale est efficace, mais il exige une transposition de l'échelle intra-urbaine à être considérée dans le contexte des villes non métropolitaines. Nous concluons qu'il ne traite pas de mesurer dans quelle ville le processus se produit avec plus ou moins d'intensité, mais d'identifier les logiques qui guident les processus d'urbanisation dans la période contemporaine.
A produção da diferenciação socioespacial é analisada levando em conta suas dimensões objetivas e subjetivas, a partir da comparação entre duas cidades médias com diferentes níveis de complexidades, Catanduva e São José do Rio Preto-SP. O cotidiano, enquanto unidade de espaço e tempo, é nossa dimensão de análise, tendo as práticas espaciais dos sujeitos sociais pesquisados, enquanto plano analítico, o que nos permitiu identificar como o processo de fragmentação socioespacial se expressa na produção do espaço urbano, sobretudo a partir dos espaços vividos, conferindo sentidos e significados às práticas, que envolvem relações contraditórias entre dentro e fora, antes e depois, mudança e permanência, espaço e tempo. Com base na realização de 22 entrevistas e em observações de campo, a pesquisa revelou que, sob o discurso da busca por segurança, os sujeitos pesquisados, moradores de espaços residenciais fechados de classe média e elite, valorizam e produzem estratégias de distinção socioespacial, nas quais o espaço é dimensão estratégica que não se limita ao âmbito do morar. Tal busca modifica as maneiras como esses sujeitos sociais vivenciam o urbano e aquilo que lhe é inerente, sendo a cidade cada vez mais vivida e representada em fragmentos. Essa tendência à separação, presente nas duas cidades pesquisadas, estende-se também para as práticas de consumo, evidenciando-se de maneira mais significativa em São José do Rio Preto, cidade na qual há maior presença de espaços fechados de moradia e consumo, amplamente valorizados. Em Catanduva, ainda há permanências das práticas tradicionais de consumo, no centro principal da cidade. Porém, quando operamos a partir do processo de articulação escalar, levando em conta as práticas de consumo dos entrevistados de Catanduva que frequentam certos shopping centers de São José do Rio Preto, verifica-se que a produção da diferenciação socioespacial se efetiva, mas exige uma transposição da escala intraurbana para ser apreendido no contexto de cidades não metropolitanas, sobretudo cidades médias nos limiares. Concluímos, assim, que não se trata de medir em que cidade a diferenciação ocorre com maior ou menor intensidade, mas de identificar as lógicas que guiam os processos de urbanização no período contemporâneo.
The production of socio-spatial differentiation is analyzed in this paper considering its objective and subjective dimensions, through the comparison of two midsize cities with different complexity levels, Catanduva and São José do Rio Preto. The daily life, understood as a space-time unity, is our analysis dimension, and the spatial practices of the researched subjects are our analytical plan, which allowed us to identify how the social and spatial fragmentation process is expressed in the production of the urban space. This occurs mainly in relation to the lived spaces, which attributes meaning and significance to the practices that involve contradictory relations between the inside and the outside, the before and the after, the transformation and the continuity, space and time. We conduct our research through 22 interviews and field observations, which revealed that the researched subjects – middle class and elite residents of gate communities -, under the speech of search for security, value and produce strategies of social and spatial distinction, in which the space is a strategic dimension that is not restricted to the scope of inhabiting. This quest modifies the ways these social subjects experience the urbane, with all the things that are connected to it, and in this manner the city is progressively lived and represented in fragments. This tendency to separation, observed in the two researched cities, also reaches the purchasing practices, despite being more significant in São José do Rio Preto, because there are more gated spaces of residence and purchase in this city. In Catanduva, there still are traditional practices of purchasing in the center of the city. However, when we operate in the scale articulation process, considering the purchasing practices of the interviewed subjects that live in Catanduva but attend the shopping centers of São José do Rio Preto, we observe the existence of the differentiation process as well. The difference is that this process requires a transposition of the intra-urban scale in order to be apprehended in the context of non-metropolitan cities, mainly in the case of threshold midsize cities. Our conclusion is that we should not consider the size of the city in order to analyze the process, but to identify the logics that drive the urbanization processes in the contemporary period.

The aim of the study was to explore what methods the personnel in five residential care homes in Götaland, Sweden, implement to integrate unaccompanied minors. The study investigated how and what methods are constructed as well as how the social interaction between the unaccompanied minors and the personnel at the homes bring about the learning of the methods. Five face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed through the perspective of social construction and social learning theory. The result revealed that the methods are not clearly identified by the personnel. The personals are still learning how to work with unaccompanied minors from their experiences. This indicates that the practice is at its infant stage. The study found a wide variety of methods, which were based on the child and where some methods intend to build good relationship, to integrate the children into society and to facilitate the development of strategies and methods. The study also addresses the issue of how the methods and strategies can be affected by the dynamic migratory flow and the question of evidence based practice within this field.

碩士
中原大學
應用數學研究所
107
With the popularity of the Internet and smart phones, people''s living habits have changed, not only the contact methods have changed, but also the way of shopping is different. This essay explains how to use modern technology to develop a system that meets the habits of modern people''s lives, so that online shopping offers can be more effectively disseminated. We set up a back-end system to process the preferential information, using the communication software as the main publicity platform, in addition to the preferential information delivery, also made a preferential information inquiry function.

碩士
輔仁大學
應用統計學研究所
90
Analyses and practices of database is a popular research area for different industries. The main purpose of this study is to find out useful hidden information which was unknown originally from massy data. It can help information management, and can provide reference for useful decision. Moreover, practice of prediction model is paid attention to by researchers. Therefore, this study will exercise database prediction model by applying an enterprise collected customer database. There are numerous predictive ways practiced in industries, logistic regression neural network are the most popular. And it is taken good comment. Hence, according to the way of setting research model, try to make a complete procedure to support researchers’ practices and references. Two ways of modeling in this study are logistic regression and neural network, and it goes from sample, explore, modify, modeling, to assess. Model by these two ways from a whole dataset, and then try to find out the most optimal model by using data partition. Moreover, to solve the problem of black box in neural network, variables selection of logistic regression will be integrated to input layer of neural network, and replace to Therefore, this study achieves similar prediction capability of dataset in two practical ways. Moreover, from the result of better prediction capability of data partition, it can provide more information to data exercisers. Consequently, it will be a research direction for researchers who exercise these two models in the future.

abstract: Despite the literature suggesting that fruits and vegetables (F&V) can have a protective outcome against overweight, obesity and chronic diseases, consumption is still inadequate. In order to address under consumption of F&V among children, schools have become a platform for a variety of food programs. The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP), a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiative, aims to increase exposure and consumption of F&V in low-income school children by providing F&V snacks. Participation in FFVP has been associated with higher preference and consumption of F&V and research also suggests that the program has the potential to decrease rates of overweight and obesity. The benefits of this program have been found to extend outside of the school setting, with higher requests for F&V at home and at the grocery store. This study aims to explore how children’s participation in the FFVP influences home food environments and shopping practices through qualitative analysis focus group data. Four focus groups were held with parents (n=25) from three FFVP participating schools. The data was analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach to find themes within the discussions. The findings were grouped into three categories: General Perceptions of FFVP, Impact of FFVP on the Home Food Environment, and Impact of FFVP on Shopping Practices. For General Perceptions of FFVP, themes were: Children learn about and enjoy F&V, awareness of farm to school programs, and children make healthier choices. Impact of FFVP on the Home Food Environment included the themes: Choosing heathier foods and snacks, parent F&V behaviors, children request F&V at home, and children talk about or bring F&V home. Finally, Impact of FFVP on Shopping Practices included the themes: children’s involvement in shopping, children request to buy F&V, children request non-produce items, and parents decline or limit unhealthy requests. This qualitative study provides valuable insights about how FFVP participation influences child and family behaviors towards F&V at home and in the grocery store. School food programs, such as the FFVP, have a positive influence on F&V related behaviors among children and should be continued and expanded.
Dissertation/Thesis
Masters Thesis Obesity Prevention and Management 2018

碩士
長庚大學
醫療機電工程研究所
94
Due to the clinical problems faced by aging and people with mobility disabilities, they are physiologically and functionally impairment, such as osteoarthritis, spinal cord injury, and cauda equina syndrome. They are facing the problems difficulty to transfer, stand for a long time and get objects at high position. In addition, their visual and cognitive abilities will degenerate with age, therefore they are easily to get lost. Besides, it’s inconvenient for the aging and people with mobility disabilities to go shopping due to the shortness of barrier-free design at the extensive shopping environment. The purpose of this research is to develop an interactive RFID assisted barrier-free shopping scooter with sit-to-stand and sit-to-recline functions for the aging and people with mobility disabilities. Finally, clinical experiments were performed to verify the functionality and applicability of the barrier-free shopping scooter. This research included three parts, the first part is “Design and Development of Shopping Scooter with Sit-to-stand and Sit-to-recline Functions ”；the second part is “Development of RFID Assisted Shopping System”；the third part is “The Integration of Software and Hardware , Functions Test and Practical Assessment”. In the first part of this study, The scope of work included: (1) The patents and literatures survey, (2) Human engineering analysis and discussion of engineering method, (3)Design of power module, (4) Design of transfer module, (5) Design of sit-to-recline module, (6) Design of seat lifting module, (7) Design of sit-to-stand module, (8) Design of shopping basket module, (9) Design of knee block module, (10) Design of back and lumbar support module, (11) Design of pelvic belt module, (12) Design of anti-tilt module. The second part uses the radio frequency identification technology and Labview 7.0 to develop the assisted RFID shopping system. The scope of work included: (1) Design and assessment of the man-machine control interface, (2) Pressure relief alarm module, (3) Shopping guidance module, (4) Real-time goods reading module, (5) Goods information module, (6) Real-time on call service system. In the third part of this study is the integration of software and hardware, functions test and practical assessment. The scope of work included: (1) Functions test, (2) Specifications test, (3) Experiment of the buttocks pressure changes after sit-to-recline., (4) Experiment of the bilateral lower extremities loading changes after sit-to-stand., (5) Clinical and practical assessment. Interactive RFID assisted barrier-free shopping scooter has finished 10 functions test and 14 specifications test. In clinical experiments, we found that: (1) the buttocks pressure could decrease about 1.21mmHg (42.76%) and peak buttocks pressure could decrease about 39.40 (19.87%) after sit-to-recline ; (2) The loading of right and left lower extremities could increase about 110.63N (687%) and 124.57 (1367%) after sit-to-stand. Both of them indicate statistically significant differences (P<0.05). Besides, the interactive RFID assisted barrier-free shopping scooter has also finished the clinical and practical test. This study demonstrated that the interactive RFID assisted barrier-free shopping scooter for aging and people with mobility disabilities could help their functional activities in the extensive shopping environment.

This work entails a study of some of the schemes that are employed by country residents when companies and trusts are used as vehicles for investing in offshore tax-haven and low tax jurisdictions so as to avoid taxes. The study also entails a critical analysis of the effectiveness of the some of the laws in South Africa that curb such offshore tax avoidance schemes. Similar laws in the United Kingdom and in the United States are analysed in order to come up with some recommendations that could be considered for possible reform of the relevant South African laws where they are found wanting. Since offshore tax avoidance is an international issue, the effectiveness of the recommendations of some international organisations in preventing the depletion of countries' tax bases are also analysed.
JURISPRUDENCE
LLD