Evaluation of the effectiveness of small aperture network telescopes as IBR data sources
- Authors: Chindipha, Stones Dalitso
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Computer networks Monitoring , Computer networks Security measures , Computer bootstrapping , Time-series analysis , Regression analysis , Mathematical models
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/366264 , vital:65849 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/366264
- Description: The use of network telescopes to collect unsolicited network traffic by monitoring unallocated address space has been in existence for over two decades. Past research has shown that there is a lot of activity happening in this unallocated space that needs monitoring as it carries threat intelligence data that has proven to be very useful in the security field. Prior to the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), commercialisation of IP addresses and widespread of mobile devices, there was a large pool of IPv4 addresses and thus reserving IPv4 addresses to be used for monitoring unsolicited activities going in the unallocated space was not a problem. Now, preservation of such IPv4 addresses just for monitoring is increasingly difficult as there is not enough free addresses in the IPv4 address space to be used for just monitoring. This is the case because such monitoring is seen as a ’non-productive’ use of the IP addresses. This research addresses the problem brought forth by this IPv4 address space exhaustion in relation to Internet Background Radiation (IBR) monitoring. In order to address the research questions, this research developed four mathematical models: Absolute Mean Accuracy Percentage Score (AMAPS), Symmetric Absolute Mean Accuracy Percentage Score (SAMAPS), Standardised Mean Absolute Error (SMAE), and Standardised Mean Absolute Scaled Error (SMASE). These models are used to evaluate the research objectives and quantify the variations that exist between different samples. The sample sizes represent different lens sizes of the telescopes. The study has brought to light a time series plot that shows the expected proportion of unique source IP addresses collected over time. The study also imputed data using the smaller /24 IPv4 net-block subnets to regenerate the missing data points using bootstrapping to create confidence intervals (CI). The findings from the simulated data supports the findings computed from the models. The CI offers a boost to decision making. Through a series of experiments with monthly and quarterly datasets, the study proposed a 95% - 99% confidence level to be used. It was known that large network telescopes collect more threat intelligence data than small-sized network telescopes, however, no study, to the best of our knowledge, has ever quantified such a knowledge gap. With the findings from the study, small-sized network telescope users can now use their network telescopes with full knowledge of gap that exists in the data collected between different network telescopes. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Computer Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
- Authors: Chindipha, Stones Dalitso
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Computer networks Monitoring , Computer networks Security measures , Computer bootstrapping , Time-series analysis , Regression analysis , Mathematical models
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/366264 , vital:65849 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/366264
- Description: The use of network telescopes to collect unsolicited network traffic by monitoring unallocated address space has been in existence for over two decades. Past research has shown that there is a lot of activity happening in this unallocated space that needs monitoring as it carries threat intelligence data that has proven to be very useful in the security field. Prior to the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), commercialisation of IP addresses and widespread of mobile devices, there was a large pool of IPv4 addresses and thus reserving IPv4 addresses to be used for monitoring unsolicited activities going in the unallocated space was not a problem. Now, preservation of such IPv4 addresses just for monitoring is increasingly difficult as there is not enough free addresses in the IPv4 address space to be used for just monitoring. This is the case because such monitoring is seen as a ’non-productive’ use of the IP addresses. This research addresses the problem brought forth by this IPv4 address space exhaustion in relation to Internet Background Radiation (IBR) monitoring. In order to address the research questions, this research developed four mathematical models: Absolute Mean Accuracy Percentage Score (AMAPS), Symmetric Absolute Mean Accuracy Percentage Score (SAMAPS), Standardised Mean Absolute Error (SMAE), and Standardised Mean Absolute Scaled Error (SMASE). These models are used to evaluate the research objectives and quantify the variations that exist between different samples. The sample sizes represent different lens sizes of the telescopes. The study has brought to light a time series plot that shows the expected proportion of unique source IP addresses collected over time. The study also imputed data using the smaller /24 IPv4 net-block subnets to regenerate the missing data points using bootstrapping to create confidence intervals (CI). The findings from the simulated data supports the findings computed from the models. The CI offers a boost to decision making. Through a series of experiments with monthly and quarterly datasets, the study proposed a 95% - 99% confidence level to be used. It was known that large network telescopes collect more threat intelligence data than small-sized network telescopes, however, no study, to the best of our knowledge, has ever quantified such a knowledge gap. With the findings from the study, small-sized network telescope users can now use their network telescopes with full knowledge of gap that exists in the data collected between different network telescopes. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Computer Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
Innovation in ecological restoration techniques: Enhancing Portulacaria afra survivorship in degraded arid thicket
- Authors: Norman, Yondela Masande
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419276 , vital:71630
- Description: The Albany Thicket Biome has undergone extensive degradation over the past century, particularly from overstocking of livestock in the arid types of thicket. The degradation of the biome, coupled with little to no natural recovery, prompted the South African Government to implement the Subtropical Thicket Restoration Programme (STRP) in the early 2000s to rehabilitate degraded thicket using unrooted Portulacaria afra truncheons. The STRP also sought to create job opportunities, bring about social upliftment, promote biodiversity conservation and incentivise farmers and landowners in the region to promote carbon trading and farming of P. afra using carbon credits. However, the survivorship of P. afra planted using the STRP planting protocol has been less than ⁓30% because they are planted in degraded areas, where the truncheons are subjected to harsh biophysical conditions such as hard, capped soil, high soil temperatures, drought and herbivory. The aim of this study, therefore, was to improve the survivorship of P. afra planted in degraded thicket to at least 30%, using modified planting methods. In this study, four treatments were applied in 210 pondings (or micro-dams), each with P. afra planted in them (the first three treatments used rooted cuttings). The first treatment involved watering regimes where pondings were watered at varying frequencies. The second treatment involved planting companion species alongside P. afra while the third treatment involved planting P. afra underneath a nurse canopy. In the fourth treatment, unrooted P. afra truncheons were planted inside pondings. The mean survivorship of the P. afra cuttings was assessed 18 months after planting. The watering regime treatments, including the control, all yielded a survivorship of over 75%, with the significantly highest levels of survivorship being displayed in the weekly watering treatment (90.9 ± 6.8%) (p < 0.01). The companion plant treatment also produced a high mean survivorship of P. afra (94.9 ± 3.6%), significantly higher than that of the nurse plants (87.5 ± 6.3%) (p < 0.01). Among the unrooted truncheons it was found that untreated truncheons had the highest survivorship (76.2 ± 17.6%), with the lowest mean being found in truncheons that were both pruned and scarified (70.8 ± 20.8%), suggesting that this treatment, out of all of them, is the least successful under the prevailing environmental conditions in the study area. However, there was no significant differences among the unrooted truncheon treatments and their respective survivorship values to further substantiate this assertion (p = 0.26). Findings in this study also suggest that planting P. afra cuttings under a nurse plant was ideal for P. afra survivorship due to the nurse plant’s ability to ameliorate the microclimate under which the cuttings can establish and grow. Despite the soil under the nurse canopy having a significantly lower mean soil water potential (-160.9 ± 200.5 kPa), compared to the open areas (-73.4 ± 55.7 kPa) (p = 0.04), the pondings under the nurse canopy still had a lower mean soil temperature (31.4 ± 5.25°C) than the treatments in the open areas (38.5 ± 2.7°C), during the harsh midday sun. These favourable characteristics are reflected in the P. afra cuttings under a nurse canopy having a higher chlorophyll fluorescence (0.76 ± 0.06). compared to those planted in open areas (0.73 ± 0.13), suggesting that the P. afra cuttings in the former treatment had a higher photosynthetic efficiency compared to those in the latter, despite there being no statistically significant difference in chlorophyll fluorescence between the treatments (p = 0.14). Although these findings suggest that applying these modifications to planting P. afra, having achieved its objective of increasing survivorship to well over 50%, is likely to produce favourable results not only in overall survivorship, but also in fast-tracking arid thicket rehabilitation and restoration, further research on these rehabilitation techniques and their effectiveness is required. Furthermore, the downside to these treatments is that they are costly and time consuming, which puts the feasibility of large-scale programmes using these applications into question. Further investigation is required to determine ways in which the cost-effectiveness of these applications can be enhanced. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
- Authors: Norman, Yondela Masande
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419276 , vital:71630
- Description: The Albany Thicket Biome has undergone extensive degradation over the past century, particularly from overstocking of livestock in the arid types of thicket. The degradation of the biome, coupled with little to no natural recovery, prompted the South African Government to implement the Subtropical Thicket Restoration Programme (STRP) in the early 2000s to rehabilitate degraded thicket using unrooted Portulacaria afra truncheons. The STRP also sought to create job opportunities, bring about social upliftment, promote biodiversity conservation and incentivise farmers and landowners in the region to promote carbon trading and farming of P. afra using carbon credits. However, the survivorship of P. afra planted using the STRP planting protocol has been less than ⁓30% because they are planted in degraded areas, where the truncheons are subjected to harsh biophysical conditions such as hard, capped soil, high soil temperatures, drought and herbivory. The aim of this study, therefore, was to improve the survivorship of P. afra planted in degraded thicket to at least 30%, using modified planting methods. In this study, four treatments were applied in 210 pondings (or micro-dams), each with P. afra planted in them (the first three treatments used rooted cuttings). The first treatment involved watering regimes where pondings were watered at varying frequencies. The second treatment involved planting companion species alongside P. afra while the third treatment involved planting P. afra underneath a nurse canopy. In the fourth treatment, unrooted P. afra truncheons were planted inside pondings. The mean survivorship of the P. afra cuttings was assessed 18 months after planting. The watering regime treatments, including the control, all yielded a survivorship of over 75%, with the significantly highest levels of survivorship being displayed in the weekly watering treatment (90.9 ± 6.8%) (p < 0.01). The companion plant treatment also produced a high mean survivorship of P. afra (94.9 ± 3.6%), significantly higher than that of the nurse plants (87.5 ± 6.3%) (p < 0.01). Among the unrooted truncheons it was found that untreated truncheons had the highest survivorship (76.2 ± 17.6%), with the lowest mean being found in truncheons that were both pruned and scarified (70.8 ± 20.8%), suggesting that this treatment, out of all of them, is the least successful under the prevailing environmental conditions in the study area. However, there was no significant differences among the unrooted truncheon treatments and their respective survivorship values to further substantiate this assertion (p = 0.26). Findings in this study also suggest that planting P. afra cuttings under a nurse plant was ideal for P. afra survivorship due to the nurse plant’s ability to ameliorate the microclimate under which the cuttings can establish and grow. Despite the soil under the nurse canopy having a significantly lower mean soil water potential (-160.9 ± 200.5 kPa), compared to the open areas (-73.4 ± 55.7 kPa) (p = 0.04), the pondings under the nurse canopy still had a lower mean soil temperature (31.4 ± 5.25°C) than the treatments in the open areas (38.5 ± 2.7°C), during the harsh midday sun. These favourable characteristics are reflected in the P. afra cuttings under a nurse canopy having a higher chlorophyll fluorescence (0.76 ± 0.06). compared to those planted in open areas (0.73 ± 0.13), suggesting that the P. afra cuttings in the former treatment had a higher photosynthetic efficiency compared to those in the latter, despite there being no statistically significant difference in chlorophyll fluorescence between the treatments (p = 0.14). Although these findings suggest that applying these modifications to planting P. afra, having achieved its objective of increasing survivorship to well over 50%, is likely to produce favourable results not only in overall survivorship, but also in fast-tracking arid thicket rehabilitation and restoration, further research on these rehabilitation techniques and their effectiveness is required. Furthermore, the downside to these treatments is that they are costly and time consuming, which puts the feasibility of large-scale programmes using these applications into question. Further investigation is required to determine ways in which the cost-effectiveness of these applications can be enhanced. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
Instrument building as a tool for the revitalisation and revaluing of traditional music transmission: An investigation in Tshandama and Mbahe in Venda, South Africa
- Authors: Makhanza, Joseph
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419525 , vital:71651
- Description: This study stems from my experiences as a child who grew up playing herd boys’ musical instruments from Venda, such as the tshipotoliyo (ocarina), and tshitiringo (flute). Importantly it also builds on my time working at the International Library of African Music (ILAM,) where the aforementioned instruments, as well as the dende (musical bow) and tshizambi (Vhavenda and Vatsonga mouth bow), are displayed in transparent glass cubicles with a note, “Do not touch, they are fragile”. This phrase is painfully apt because, as a musician, I have observed a decline in the availability and performance of these musical instruments. The truth is that, other than at ILAM, these instruments are hardly in circulation, let alone being performed. This fact ignited my interest in relearning some of the musical instruments I used to play and make while herding cows in Giyani. In the context of trends such as modernisation, rural–urban migration, and globalisation, I document my experiences as a musical-instrument maker, teacher, and performer in revitalising dende, tshipotoliyo, tshitiringo, and tshizambi through classroom practice, using Rhodes music students, instrument-making workshops, performances, and community collaborations as inspiration. I propose the development of crafting skills as a medium for revitalising and sustaining these musical instruments which serve as important identity markers of the Vhavenda people. , Thesis (MMus) -- Faculty of Humanities, Music and Musicology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
- Authors: Makhanza, Joseph
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419525 , vital:71651
- Description: This study stems from my experiences as a child who grew up playing herd boys’ musical instruments from Venda, such as the tshipotoliyo (ocarina), and tshitiringo (flute). Importantly it also builds on my time working at the International Library of African Music (ILAM,) where the aforementioned instruments, as well as the dende (musical bow) and tshizambi (Vhavenda and Vatsonga mouth bow), are displayed in transparent glass cubicles with a note, “Do not touch, they are fragile”. This phrase is painfully apt because, as a musician, I have observed a decline in the availability and performance of these musical instruments. The truth is that, other than at ILAM, these instruments are hardly in circulation, let alone being performed. This fact ignited my interest in relearning some of the musical instruments I used to play and make while herding cows in Giyani. In the context of trends such as modernisation, rural–urban migration, and globalisation, I document my experiences as a musical-instrument maker, teacher, and performer in revitalising dende, tshipotoliyo, tshitiringo, and tshizambi through classroom practice, using Rhodes music students, instrument-making workshops, performances, and community collaborations as inspiration. I propose the development of crafting skills as a medium for revitalising and sustaining these musical instruments which serve as important identity markers of the Vhavenda people. , Thesis (MMus) -- Faculty of Humanities, Music and Musicology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
Internal barriers facing small business owners adopting financial management practices in Makana Municipality, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Tendayi, Elizabeth
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419484 , vital:71648
- Description: Although small businesses are important in South Africa, they have a high failure rate. About 63 percent of small businesses in South Africa fail in the first 18 months of their inception (Van Staden, 2022; Zhou, 2021; Bruwer, 2020: 148). One of the reasons for the failure of small businesses is the improper and ineffective adoption of proper financial management practices (Zada, Yukun and Zada, 2021: 1074). However, the success of small businesses is highly dependent on the adoption of proper financial management practices (Kapitsinis, 2019; Jindrichovska, 2013; Abuzayed, 2012; Kaya and Alpkan, 2012; Banos-Caballero, Garcia-Teruel and Martinez-Solano, 2010). In the Eastern Cape, most small businesses do not adopt proper financial management practices (Raj, 2012; Van Eeden, Viviers and Venter, 2003:1). Therefore, the study aimed to analyse internal barriers facing small business owners adopting proper financial management practices in Makana Municipality in the Eastern Cape. Eastern Cape. Proper financial management practices are evident where there is transparency, efficiency and accuracy in the achievement of the financial objectives of a business (Cheluget and Morogo, 2017: 215). Financial management practices include cash management practices, accounts receivables management practices, accounts payables management practices, inventory management practices, working capital management practices, investment management or capital budgeting practices, financing or capital structure practices, accounting information systems, financial reporting and analysis practices. The study adopted a qualitative research design and a case study methodology. A non-probability judgment sampling method was used to select a sample of twelve small business owners in Makanda, Makana Municipality. Makanda was a relevant study area because it has a high unemployment rate and poverty, and small businesses may be used as one of the driving forces in the reduction of poverty and unemployment in Makana Municipality (Eastern Cape Socio Economic Consultative Council, 2017: 1; Zemenu and Mohammed, 2014: 2; Alebiosu, 2005: 5). Primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was used to describe and interpret qualitative data using coding and themes. The findings of the study showed that most small business owners or managers in Makana Municipality adopted cash management practices, working capital management practices, inventory management practices, capital structure (equity capital) practices and financial reporting and analysis. However, it was also found that small business owners or managers in Makana Municipality did not adopt accounts receivables management practices, accounts payables management practices, capital structure (debt capital) practices, accounting information systems and capital budgeting (investment) management practices. These barriers included difficulty in debt collection, cost of debt collection, nature of product or industry, challenges with suppliers or creditors, Covid-19, debt avoidance, improvement of cash flow, negative attitude towards computer systems, waste of resources and difficulty use of computer systems. It is recommended that small businesses may overcome these barriers by implementing proper debt collection procedures, honouring credit payments terms with suppliers or creditors, consulting external accountants on how to balance the use of both debt and equity capital, hiring qualified personnel to acquire training and bring awareness to the use of computer systems. In addition, the government should provide financial education programmes that specifically deal with long-term investments, and small businesses are encouraged to apply for Covid-19 rescue packages or grants through role plates such as Debt Relief Finance Scheme and the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA). It was concluded that each small business adopts financial management practices differently due to the nature of the business or industry. Also, the adoption of financial management practices is dependent on the exposure of the different barriers within each business. Hence, this study confirms that the contingency theory may be used to explain that the adoption of financial management practices is dependent upon the nature of the business or industry and the different barriers that small businesses face. Theoretically, this study contributed to the existing literature by analysing the barriers faced by small business owners adopting financial management practices in the Eastern Cape. Practically, this study highlighted the internal barriers that small business owners need to overcome to the adoption of financial management practices. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Management, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
- Authors: Tendayi, Elizabeth
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419484 , vital:71648
- Description: Although small businesses are important in South Africa, they have a high failure rate. About 63 percent of small businesses in South Africa fail in the first 18 months of their inception (Van Staden, 2022; Zhou, 2021; Bruwer, 2020: 148). One of the reasons for the failure of small businesses is the improper and ineffective adoption of proper financial management practices (Zada, Yukun and Zada, 2021: 1074). However, the success of small businesses is highly dependent on the adoption of proper financial management practices (Kapitsinis, 2019; Jindrichovska, 2013; Abuzayed, 2012; Kaya and Alpkan, 2012; Banos-Caballero, Garcia-Teruel and Martinez-Solano, 2010). In the Eastern Cape, most small businesses do not adopt proper financial management practices (Raj, 2012; Van Eeden, Viviers and Venter, 2003:1). Therefore, the study aimed to analyse internal barriers facing small business owners adopting proper financial management practices in Makana Municipality in the Eastern Cape. Eastern Cape. Proper financial management practices are evident where there is transparency, efficiency and accuracy in the achievement of the financial objectives of a business (Cheluget and Morogo, 2017: 215). Financial management practices include cash management practices, accounts receivables management practices, accounts payables management practices, inventory management practices, working capital management practices, investment management or capital budgeting practices, financing or capital structure practices, accounting information systems, financial reporting and analysis practices. The study adopted a qualitative research design and a case study methodology. A non-probability judgment sampling method was used to select a sample of twelve small business owners in Makanda, Makana Municipality. Makanda was a relevant study area because it has a high unemployment rate and poverty, and small businesses may be used as one of the driving forces in the reduction of poverty and unemployment in Makana Municipality (Eastern Cape Socio Economic Consultative Council, 2017: 1; Zemenu and Mohammed, 2014: 2; Alebiosu, 2005: 5). Primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Content analysis was used to describe and interpret qualitative data using coding and themes. The findings of the study showed that most small business owners or managers in Makana Municipality adopted cash management practices, working capital management practices, inventory management practices, capital structure (equity capital) practices and financial reporting and analysis. However, it was also found that small business owners or managers in Makana Municipality did not adopt accounts receivables management practices, accounts payables management practices, capital structure (debt capital) practices, accounting information systems and capital budgeting (investment) management practices. These barriers included difficulty in debt collection, cost of debt collection, nature of product or industry, challenges with suppliers or creditors, Covid-19, debt avoidance, improvement of cash flow, negative attitude towards computer systems, waste of resources and difficulty use of computer systems. It is recommended that small businesses may overcome these barriers by implementing proper debt collection procedures, honouring credit payments terms with suppliers or creditors, consulting external accountants on how to balance the use of both debt and equity capital, hiring qualified personnel to acquire training and bring awareness to the use of computer systems. In addition, the government should provide financial education programmes that specifically deal with long-term investments, and small businesses are encouraged to apply for Covid-19 rescue packages or grants through role plates such as Debt Relief Finance Scheme and the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA). It was concluded that each small business adopts financial management practices differently due to the nature of the business or industry. Also, the adoption of financial management practices is dependent on the exposure of the different barriers within each business. Hence, this study confirms that the contingency theory may be used to explain that the adoption of financial management practices is dependent upon the nature of the business or industry and the different barriers that small businesses face. Theoretically, this study contributed to the existing literature by analysing the barriers faced by small business owners adopting financial management practices in the Eastern Cape. Practically, this study highlighted the internal barriers that small business owners need to overcome to the adoption of financial management practices. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Management, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
Investigating the use of nudging to dissuade online banking fraud
- Mutyavariri, Takudzwa Stanley
- Authors: Mutyavariri, Takudzwa Stanley
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419462 , vital:71646
- Description: Online banking is a service offered by most modern banks to provide their clients with a convenient means to access their bank accounts remotely. However, such convenience comes at a cost and has the potential to expose clients to online banking fraud. To mitigate such forms of fraud, banks make extensive use of traditional cybersecurity measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, as well as personal identification numbers (PINs) and passwords. However, despite the use of such traditional cybersecurity measures, online banking fraud still occurs. In particular, traditional cybersecurity measures have difficulties detecting the unauthorised use of a customer’s online banking credentials. For this reason, this study’s main objective was to investigate the effectiveness of nudges when used to dissuade the unauthorised use of clients’ online banking credentials. The study also had two secondary objectives: firstly, to identify where the deployment of nudges would be most effective; and secondly, to identify the rationalisations an individual may use to justify committing online banking fraud. Although previous research has sought to understand the use of nudges in various online contexts, none have done so within the context of online banking. Using a recontextualised version of the COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation – behaviour) model of behaviour change, nudges were deployed in three versions of a fictitious online banking website. Following this, 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with online banking users from the United States of America to understand how a third party may behave and rationalise their choices when they have unauthorised access to a customer’s online banking credentials. The transcripts of these interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the most dissuasive nudges focused on encouraging individuals to empathise with the account holder. Nudges that increased the perception of an online banking website’s security were also particularly dissuasive. The findings also indicated that the most effective place to deploy these nudges was after a user had logged in. Several rationalisations that enabled individuals to commit online baking fraud were found. The three most common were crime of opportunity, down on their luck, and sunk cost fallacy and curiosity. Together, the findings provide evidence to suggest that, if used effectively, nudges could prove useful as a means of dissuading online banking fraud, and even more so when combined with traditional cybersecurity measures. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Information Systems, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
- Authors: Mutyavariri, Takudzwa Stanley
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419462 , vital:71646
- Description: Online banking is a service offered by most modern banks to provide their clients with a convenient means to access their bank accounts remotely. However, such convenience comes at a cost and has the potential to expose clients to online banking fraud. To mitigate such forms of fraud, banks make extensive use of traditional cybersecurity measures such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, as well as personal identification numbers (PINs) and passwords. However, despite the use of such traditional cybersecurity measures, online banking fraud still occurs. In particular, traditional cybersecurity measures have difficulties detecting the unauthorised use of a customer’s online banking credentials. For this reason, this study’s main objective was to investigate the effectiveness of nudges when used to dissuade the unauthorised use of clients’ online banking credentials. The study also had two secondary objectives: firstly, to identify where the deployment of nudges would be most effective; and secondly, to identify the rationalisations an individual may use to justify committing online banking fraud. Although previous research has sought to understand the use of nudges in various online contexts, none have done so within the context of online banking. Using a recontextualised version of the COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation – behaviour) model of behaviour change, nudges were deployed in three versions of a fictitious online banking website. Following this, 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted with online banking users from the United States of America to understand how a third party may behave and rationalise their choices when they have unauthorised access to a customer’s online banking credentials. The transcripts of these interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the most dissuasive nudges focused on encouraging individuals to empathise with the account holder. Nudges that increased the perception of an online banking website’s security were also particularly dissuasive. The findings also indicated that the most effective place to deploy these nudges was after a user had logged in. Several rationalisations that enabled individuals to commit online baking fraud were found. The three most common were crime of opportunity, down on their luck, and sunk cost fallacy and curiosity. Together, the findings provide evidence to suggest that, if used effectively, nudges could prove useful as a means of dissuading online banking fraud, and even more so when combined with traditional cybersecurity measures. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Information Systems, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
Phytoplankton communities provide insight into ecosystem functioning of the Agulhas Current system
- Authors: Gibb, Ross-Lynne Alida
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422646 , vital:71965
- Description: Access restricted. Embargoed until 2025. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
- Authors: Gibb, Ross-Lynne Alida
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422646 , vital:71965
- Description: Access restricted. Embargoed until 2025. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
Rapid Synthesis of Thiol-Co-Capped CdTe/CdSe/ZnSe Multi-Core-Shell QDs and Their Encapsulation in Liposomes and Chitosan Nanoparticles; Comparative Bio-compatibility Studies Using Hela and Vero Cells
- Authors: Daramola, Olamide Abiodun
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422617 , vital:71962 , DOI 10.21504/10962/422617
- Description: The common method that has been used to reduce the toxicity posed to living cells by CdTe Quantum Dots (QDs) is through the synthesis of CdTe multi-core-shells nanoparticles. In this process, the surface of CdTe QDs is usually coated by less toxic ZnS or ZnSe shells. This heterostructure compound does not only reduce the toxicity of CdTe QDs but can also be used in applications such as deep tissue imaging. The heterostructures can be in numerous forms such as CdTe/CdSe/ZnSe or CdTe/CdSe/ZnS or CdTe/CdS/ZnS multi-core-shell QDs. However, the drawbacks attributed to the fabrication of these compounds is long synthesis times (6- 24 h) in achieving the highest wavelength emission maxima. Others are the use of toxic reagents and poor reproducibility of synthesized materials. An additional problem is that the ZnSe or ZnS coating is insufficient to completely protect the highly toxic Cd metal from escaping into immediate solution. This limits their use in biochemistry and with living systems. Liposomes and biopolymers such as chitosan are known to be environmentally friendly compounds that have been used in various studies as delivery systems for QDs and model drugs for drug delivery applications. They are generally non-toxic and highly bio-compatible. In this study, the rapid synthesis of thiol-co-capped CdTe/CdSe/ZnSe multi-core-shell QDs with a maximum reaction time of 35 mins, gave reliable QDs with emission maxima at 625 nm. The multi-core-shell QDs were encapsulated in two different bio-compatible environments, namely liposome and chitosan nanoparticles (CNP) at 14 different formulations (F) for liposome and 12 different formulations for CNP. Cytotoxicity and florescence imaging studies using HeLa and Vero cells, were used to investigate the improved bio-compatibility. Various characterization techniques were used to elucidate the optical properties, morphology and physico-chemical properties of the QDs and nanocomposites. Two of the best formulations, QD-liposome vesicles (LVs)-F12 and QD-CNP-F9 (with chitosan), demonstrated high loading efficiencies of 42 ± 6 % and 59 ± 5 %, respectively. While the plain CdTe QDs showed high toxicity, some of the encapsulated materials, QD-LVs-F1 and F12, depicted no-toxicity against the cells (IC50 > 0.5 mg/ml). The QDs also retained most of their fluorescence and properties and could easily be tracked in cells and visualized around the nucleus, indicating the successful internalization of the QDs in the cytosol. These results shows that encapsulation of CdTe multi-core-shell QDs in liposomes produce better bio-compatibility compared to multi-core-shell QDs and better than CNP coating. These particles therefore show good promise in cell-labelling, drug delivery studies. Their core-shell nanoparticles have also shown good behavior in enhancing the memory of a device which is based on some recent collaborated works. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
- Authors: Daramola, Olamide Abiodun
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422617 , vital:71962 , DOI 10.21504/10962/422617
- Description: The common method that has been used to reduce the toxicity posed to living cells by CdTe Quantum Dots (QDs) is through the synthesis of CdTe multi-core-shells nanoparticles. In this process, the surface of CdTe QDs is usually coated by less toxic ZnS or ZnSe shells. This heterostructure compound does not only reduce the toxicity of CdTe QDs but can also be used in applications such as deep tissue imaging. The heterostructures can be in numerous forms such as CdTe/CdSe/ZnSe or CdTe/CdSe/ZnS or CdTe/CdS/ZnS multi-core-shell QDs. However, the drawbacks attributed to the fabrication of these compounds is long synthesis times (6- 24 h) in achieving the highest wavelength emission maxima. Others are the use of toxic reagents and poor reproducibility of synthesized materials. An additional problem is that the ZnSe or ZnS coating is insufficient to completely protect the highly toxic Cd metal from escaping into immediate solution. This limits their use in biochemistry and with living systems. Liposomes and biopolymers such as chitosan are known to be environmentally friendly compounds that have been used in various studies as delivery systems for QDs and model drugs for drug delivery applications. They are generally non-toxic and highly bio-compatible. In this study, the rapid synthesis of thiol-co-capped CdTe/CdSe/ZnSe multi-core-shell QDs with a maximum reaction time of 35 mins, gave reliable QDs with emission maxima at 625 nm. The multi-core-shell QDs were encapsulated in two different bio-compatible environments, namely liposome and chitosan nanoparticles (CNP) at 14 different formulations (F) for liposome and 12 different formulations for CNP. Cytotoxicity and florescence imaging studies using HeLa and Vero cells, were used to investigate the improved bio-compatibility. Various characterization techniques were used to elucidate the optical properties, morphology and physico-chemical properties of the QDs and nanocomposites. Two of the best formulations, QD-liposome vesicles (LVs)-F12 and QD-CNP-F9 (with chitosan), demonstrated high loading efficiencies of 42 ± 6 % and 59 ± 5 %, respectively. While the plain CdTe QDs showed high toxicity, some of the encapsulated materials, QD-LVs-F1 and F12, depicted no-toxicity against the cells (IC50 > 0.5 mg/ml). The QDs also retained most of their fluorescence and properties and could easily be tracked in cells and visualized around the nucleus, indicating the successful internalization of the QDs in the cytosol. These results shows that encapsulation of CdTe multi-core-shell QDs in liposomes produce better bio-compatibility compared to multi-core-shell QDs and better than CNP coating. These particles therefore show good promise in cell-labelling, drug delivery studies. Their core-shell nanoparticles have also shown good behavior in enhancing the memory of a device which is based on some recent collaborated works. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
South African supratidal microbialites: prokaryote communities, metabolic capabilities, and biogeochemical processes
- Authors: Isemonger, Eric William
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422641 , vital:71964
- Description: Access restricted. Embargoed until 2025. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
- Authors: Isemonger, Eric William
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422641 , vital:71964
- Description: Access restricted. Embargoed until 2025. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Biochemistry and Microbiology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
The development of ionic zinc(II) phthalocyanines for sono-photodynamic combination therapy of cervical and breast cancer
- Authors: Nene, Lindokuhle Cindy
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422565 , vital:71958 , DOI 10.21504/10962/422565
- Description: This study focuses on the development of the sono-photodynamic combination therapy (SPDT) activity of phthalocyanines (Pcs) on the cervical and breast cancer cell lines in vitro. The SPDT technique utilizes ultrasound in combination with light to elicit cytotoxic effects for cancer eradication. In this work, a selection of tetra-peripherally substituted Zn(II) cationic and zwitterionic Pcs were prepared. The photophysical parameters of the Pcs were determined including their fluorescence behaviours and efficiency of the triplet excited state population. The effects of the ultrasonic parameters (frequencies (MHz) and power (W.cm-2)) on the stability of the Pcs were evaluated. Four parameters were evaluated: Par I (1 MHz: 1 W.cm-2), Par II (1 MHz: 2 W.cm-2), Par III (3 MHz: 1 W.cm-2) and Par IV (3 MHz: 2 W.cm-2). The stability of the Pcs reduced with the increase in the ultrasonic power (for Par II and Par IV). The Par I showed the least degradation compared to the other parameters and was therefore used for the SPDT treatments. The sonodynamic (SDT), photodynamic (PDT) therapy activities of the Pcs were studied and compared to their SPDT efficacies. The Pcs showed reactive oxygen species generation during the SDT, PDT and SPDT treatments. For the SDT and SPDT, singlet oxygen (1O2) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH) were detected. For PDT, only the 1O2 were detected. The cell cytotoxicity studies for the Pcs showed relatively higher therapeutic efficacies for the SDT treatments compared to the PDT treatments, where the SPDT showed higher therapeutic efficacies compared to both the SDT and PDT monotreatments on both the cell lines in vitro. Overall, the combination treatments were better compared to the monotreatments. The activities of the Pcs were compared by their differences in structures, including the type of R-group, type of quaternizing agent and type of nanoparticle conjugates. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
- Authors: Nene, Lindokuhle Cindy
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422565 , vital:71958 , DOI 10.21504/10962/422565
- Description: This study focuses on the development of the sono-photodynamic combination therapy (SPDT) activity of phthalocyanines (Pcs) on the cervical and breast cancer cell lines in vitro. The SPDT technique utilizes ultrasound in combination with light to elicit cytotoxic effects for cancer eradication. In this work, a selection of tetra-peripherally substituted Zn(II) cationic and zwitterionic Pcs were prepared. The photophysical parameters of the Pcs were determined including their fluorescence behaviours and efficiency of the triplet excited state population. The effects of the ultrasonic parameters (frequencies (MHz) and power (W.cm-2)) on the stability of the Pcs were evaluated. Four parameters were evaluated: Par I (1 MHz: 1 W.cm-2), Par II (1 MHz: 2 W.cm-2), Par III (3 MHz: 1 W.cm-2) and Par IV (3 MHz: 2 W.cm-2). The stability of the Pcs reduced with the increase in the ultrasonic power (for Par II and Par IV). The Par I showed the least degradation compared to the other parameters and was therefore used for the SPDT treatments. The sonodynamic (SDT), photodynamic (PDT) therapy activities of the Pcs were studied and compared to their SPDT efficacies. The Pcs showed reactive oxygen species generation during the SDT, PDT and SPDT treatments. For the SDT and SPDT, singlet oxygen (1O2) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH) were detected. For PDT, only the 1O2 were detected. The cell cytotoxicity studies for the Pcs showed relatively higher therapeutic efficacies for the SDT treatments compared to the PDT treatments, where the SPDT showed higher therapeutic efficacies compared to both the SDT and PDT monotreatments on both the cell lines in vitro. Overall, the combination treatments were better compared to the monotreatments. The activities of the Pcs were compared by their differences in structures, including the type of R-group, type of quaternizing agent and type of nanoparticle conjugates. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
The impact of COVID-19 on inequality in South Africa
- Authors: Nyumbaiza, Peace Falina
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419514 , vital:71650
- Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns regarding its possible adverse income distributive consequences, and its different impact according to socioeconomic subgroups (Furceri et al. 2020). This research measures the impact of COVID-19 on inequality in South Africa. To do this the study uses the National Income Dynamic Study (NIDS) wave 5 (2018) and the National Income Dynamic Study Coronavirus Rapid Mobile (NIDS-CRAM) survey waves 1 – 5 (2020 - 2021) datasets to study income inequality in South Africa prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic until mid-2021. The factor method developed by Lerman and Yitzhaki’s (1985) is used to identify the overall contribution of the different factor sources to income inequality. Labour income is identified as the largest contributing factor and so labour income inequality is decomposed by income determinants using the regression-based decomposition method proposed by Fields (2003). The analysis reveals that labour income worsened during the periods of strictest COVID lockdown, before returning to pre-pandemic levels of inequality as lockdown was eased. Education is the most important determinant of labour income inequality across all time periods, particularly for White, urban and female participants. Although education remains a driving factor of labour income inequality during the national disaster, its contribution lessens as the economy starts recovering by March 2021. Consequently, the contributions of gender, race, age and region increase during the same period. Identifying whom the inequal impact of pandemic has affected worse offers insight that emphasizes the importance social grant systems to aid bridge the inequality gap associated with COVID-19. , Thesis (MEcon) -- Faculty of Commerce, Economics and Economics History, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
- Authors: Nyumbaiza, Peace Falina
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419514 , vital:71650
- Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns regarding its possible adverse income distributive consequences, and its different impact according to socioeconomic subgroups (Furceri et al. 2020). This research measures the impact of COVID-19 on inequality in South Africa. To do this the study uses the National Income Dynamic Study (NIDS) wave 5 (2018) and the National Income Dynamic Study Coronavirus Rapid Mobile (NIDS-CRAM) survey waves 1 – 5 (2020 - 2021) datasets to study income inequality in South Africa prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic until mid-2021. The factor method developed by Lerman and Yitzhaki’s (1985) is used to identify the overall contribution of the different factor sources to income inequality. Labour income is identified as the largest contributing factor and so labour income inequality is decomposed by income determinants using the regression-based decomposition method proposed by Fields (2003). The analysis reveals that labour income worsened during the periods of strictest COVID lockdown, before returning to pre-pandemic levels of inequality as lockdown was eased. Education is the most important determinant of labour income inequality across all time periods, particularly for White, urban and female participants. Although education remains a driving factor of labour income inequality during the national disaster, its contribution lessens as the economy starts recovering by March 2021. Consequently, the contributions of gender, race, age and region increase during the same period. Identifying whom the inequal impact of pandemic has affected worse offers insight that emphasizes the importance social grant systems to aid bridge the inequality gap associated with COVID-19. , Thesis (MEcon) -- Faculty of Commerce, Economics and Economics History, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
The moderating effect of socioeconomic factors on the relationship between financial inclusion and poverty among South African vulnerable households
- Authors: Khalane, Pontso Violet
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419451 , vital:71645
- Description: Vulnerable households are often excluded from the formal financial sector, subsequently experiencing more poverty. Vulnerable households are those that face higher chances of experiencing higher levels of poverty due to their socioeconomic factors. This study aimed to determine the moderating effect of socioeconomic factors on the relationship between financial inclusion and poverty among South African vulnerable households. Poverty is the involuntary lack of monetary and other resources that can afford households with basic human needs and a decent standard of living above a chosen poverty measure. This study measured poverty using a multidimensional measure that incorporated a household’s deprivation of health, education and a decent standard of living. Financial inclusion refers to a process of incorporating vulnerable households into the formal financial sector by ensuring that they receive timely and adequate access to regulated financial products at an affordable price, regardless of their socioeconomic status. This study measured financial inclusion multidimensionally using access to four basic regulated financial products. Socioeconomic factors included gender, race, first or home language, age, the highest level and many more factors. This study was supported by theoretical framework of the vulnerable group theory of financial inclusion, financial development theory, the credit rationing theory and the public goods theory of financial inclusion. The study adopted a quantitative research design. The study used existing data from the FinMark FinScope 2016 South Africa database, which collected data on households’ demographics and their ownership of financial products. Using a closed-ended questionnaire, FinMark FinScope collected the data across South Africa through a multi-probability sampling technique. The final database used in this study after data cleaning contained a sample of 2759 households. The study used descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product-moment correlation, ANOVA and Multiple regression to investigate the factors of the study. The results of the study found a statistically significant relationship between financial inclusion and vulnerable households. The results also found a statistically significant relationship between poverty and vulnerable households. The results further showed a statistically significant negative relationship between financial inclusion and poverty. Lastly, the study found that only socioeconomic factors such as marital status, age as it relates to children and old people moderating effect on the relationship between financial inclusion and poverty among South African vulnerable households. Subsequently, it was concluded that vulnerable households experienced higher levels of poverty in South Africa, and these vulnerable households were less financially included in South Africa. Additionally, it was found that increasing vulnerable households’ access to all regulated financial products could help decrease their poverty levels. The study made several recommendations, which included inter-alia that formal financial institutions design products that specifically meet the needs of vulnerable households. This study also recommended that banks play a central role in facilitating vulnerable households’ affordability of health in South Africa (e.g., offering affordable healthcare products to vulnerable households). Theoretically, this study contributed to the body of literature using multidimensional financial inclusion and poverty, as well as determining the moderating effect of socioeconomic factors. Practically, this study provided insights to the banks on how to develop their products to meet the needs of vulnerable households, help alleviate poverty, and increase the banks’ market into previously unbanked or underbanked segments of the population of South Africa. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Accounting, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
- Authors: Khalane, Pontso Violet
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419451 , vital:71645
- Description: Vulnerable households are often excluded from the formal financial sector, subsequently experiencing more poverty. Vulnerable households are those that face higher chances of experiencing higher levels of poverty due to their socioeconomic factors. This study aimed to determine the moderating effect of socioeconomic factors on the relationship between financial inclusion and poverty among South African vulnerable households. Poverty is the involuntary lack of monetary and other resources that can afford households with basic human needs and a decent standard of living above a chosen poverty measure. This study measured poverty using a multidimensional measure that incorporated a household’s deprivation of health, education and a decent standard of living. Financial inclusion refers to a process of incorporating vulnerable households into the formal financial sector by ensuring that they receive timely and adequate access to regulated financial products at an affordable price, regardless of their socioeconomic status. This study measured financial inclusion multidimensionally using access to four basic regulated financial products. Socioeconomic factors included gender, race, first or home language, age, the highest level and many more factors. This study was supported by theoretical framework of the vulnerable group theory of financial inclusion, financial development theory, the credit rationing theory and the public goods theory of financial inclusion. The study adopted a quantitative research design. The study used existing data from the FinMark FinScope 2016 South Africa database, which collected data on households’ demographics and their ownership of financial products. Using a closed-ended questionnaire, FinMark FinScope collected the data across South Africa through a multi-probability sampling technique. The final database used in this study after data cleaning contained a sample of 2759 households. The study used descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product-moment correlation, ANOVA and Multiple regression to investigate the factors of the study. The results of the study found a statistically significant relationship between financial inclusion and vulnerable households. The results also found a statistically significant relationship between poverty and vulnerable households. The results further showed a statistically significant negative relationship between financial inclusion and poverty. Lastly, the study found that only socioeconomic factors such as marital status, age as it relates to children and old people moderating effect on the relationship between financial inclusion and poverty among South African vulnerable households. Subsequently, it was concluded that vulnerable households experienced higher levels of poverty in South Africa, and these vulnerable households were less financially included in South Africa. Additionally, it was found that increasing vulnerable households’ access to all regulated financial products could help decrease their poverty levels. The study made several recommendations, which included inter-alia that formal financial institutions design products that specifically meet the needs of vulnerable households. This study also recommended that banks play a central role in facilitating vulnerable households’ affordability of health in South Africa (e.g., offering affordable healthcare products to vulnerable households). Theoretically, this study contributed to the body of literature using multidimensional financial inclusion and poverty, as well as determining the moderating effect of socioeconomic factors. Practically, this study provided insights to the banks on how to develop their products to meet the needs of vulnerable households, help alleviate poverty, and increase the banks’ market into previously unbanked or underbanked segments of the population of South Africa. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Accounting, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
The role of optimism bias in susceptibility to phishing attacks in a financial services organisation
- Authors: Owen, Morné
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419257 , vital:71629 , DOI 10.21504/10962/419257
- Description: Researchers looking for ways to change the insecure behaviour that results in successful phishing have considered multiple possible reasons for such behaviour. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to understand the role of optimism bias (OB – defined as a cognitive bias), which characterises overly optimistic or unrealistic individuals, in order to ensure secure behaviour. Research is considered that has focused on issues such as personality traits, trust, attitude and information security awareness training (ISAT). We used a mixed methods design to investigate OB behaviour, building on a recontextualised version of the theory of planned behaviour to evaluate the influence that OB has on phishing susceptibility. To model the data, an analysis was performed on 226 survey responses (systematic random sampling method) from the employees of a financial services organisation using partial least squares (PLS) path modelling. To evaluate OB behaviour, we conducted an experiment consisting of three ISAT sessions and three simulated phishing attacks. After each phishing experiment, we conducted interviews to gain a better understanding of why people succumbed to the attacks. It was subsequently found that overly optimistic individuals are inclined to behave insecurely, while factors such as attitude and trust significantly influence the intention to behave securely. Our contribution to practice is to enhance the effectiveness of ISAT by identifying and addressing the OB weakness to deliver a more successful training outcome. Our contribution to theory enriches the Information Systems literature by evaluating the effect of a cognitive bias on phishing susceptibility and, through research, offering a contextual explanation of the resultant behaviour. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Commerce, Information Systems, 2023 , Navorsers op soek na ‘n antwoord om onveilige gedrag te verander wat lei na uitvissing het verskeie moontlike redes oorweeg vir sulke gedrag. Daarom is die doel van hierdie verhandeling om die rol van optimistiese vooroordeel (OB - gedefinieer as 'n kognitiewe vooroordeel) te verstaan, wat te optimistiese of onrealistiese individue kenmerk om veilige gedrag te verseker. Navorsing was oorweeg wat gefokus het op kwessies soos persoonlikheidseienskappe, vertroue, gesindheid en inligtingsekuriteitsbewustheidsopleiding (ISAT). Die navorser het gemengde metodes gebruik om OB-gedrag te ondersoek. Daar was voortgebou op 'n gerekontekstualiseerde weergawe van die theory of planned behaviour om die invloed wat OB op uitvissing-vatbaarheid het, te evalueer. Om die data te modelleer, is 'n analise gedoen waar 226 opname antwoorde verkry is van 'n finansiële dienste organisasie en is partial least squares (PLS) path modelling gebruik. Om OB-gedrag te evalueer, het ons 'n eksperiment uitgevoer wat bestaan uit drie ISAT-sessies en drie gesimuleerde uitvissing-aanvalle. Na elke uitvissing-eksperiment het ons onderhoude gevoer om 'n beter begrip te kry waarom mense aan die aanvalle geswig het. Te optimistiese individue is geneig om onveilig op te tree, terwyl faktore soos gesindheid en vertroue die voorneme om veilig op te tree, aansienlik beïnvloed het. Die studie se bydrae tot die praktyk is om die doeltreffendheid van ISAT te verbeter deur die OBswakheid te identifiseer en aan te spreek om 'n meer suksesvolle opleidingsuitkoms te lewer. Verder verryk die studie die Inligtingstelsels-literatuur deur die effek van 'n kognitiewe vooroordeel op uitvissing-vatbaarheid te evalueer en deur navorsing bied dit 'n kontekstuele verduideliking van die gevolglike gedrag.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
The role of optimism bias in susceptibility to phishing attacks in a financial services organisation
- Authors: Owen, Morné
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419257 , vital:71629 , DOI 10.21504/10962/419257
- Description: Researchers looking for ways to change the insecure behaviour that results in successful phishing have considered multiple possible reasons for such behaviour. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to understand the role of optimism bias (OB – defined as a cognitive bias), which characterises overly optimistic or unrealistic individuals, in order to ensure secure behaviour. Research is considered that has focused on issues such as personality traits, trust, attitude and information security awareness training (ISAT). We used a mixed methods design to investigate OB behaviour, building on a recontextualised version of the theory of planned behaviour to evaluate the influence that OB has on phishing susceptibility. To model the data, an analysis was performed on 226 survey responses (systematic random sampling method) from the employees of a financial services organisation using partial least squares (PLS) path modelling. To evaluate OB behaviour, we conducted an experiment consisting of three ISAT sessions and three simulated phishing attacks. After each phishing experiment, we conducted interviews to gain a better understanding of why people succumbed to the attacks. It was subsequently found that overly optimistic individuals are inclined to behave insecurely, while factors such as attitude and trust significantly influence the intention to behave securely. Our contribution to practice is to enhance the effectiveness of ISAT by identifying and addressing the OB weakness to deliver a more successful training outcome. Our contribution to theory enriches the Information Systems literature by evaluating the effect of a cognitive bias on phishing susceptibility and, through research, offering a contextual explanation of the resultant behaviour. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Commerce, Information Systems, 2023 , Navorsers op soek na ‘n antwoord om onveilige gedrag te verander wat lei na uitvissing het verskeie moontlike redes oorweeg vir sulke gedrag. Daarom is die doel van hierdie verhandeling om die rol van optimistiese vooroordeel (OB - gedefinieer as 'n kognitiewe vooroordeel) te verstaan, wat te optimistiese of onrealistiese individue kenmerk om veilige gedrag te verseker. Navorsing was oorweeg wat gefokus het op kwessies soos persoonlikheidseienskappe, vertroue, gesindheid en inligtingsekuriteitsbewustheidsopleiding (ISAT). Die navorser het gemengde metodes gebruik om OB-gedrag te ondersoek. Daar was voortgebou op 'n gerekontekstualiseerde weergawe van die theory of planned behaviour om die invloed wat OB op uitvissing-vatbaarheid het, te evalueer. Om die data te modelleer, is 'n analise gedoen waar 226 opname antwoorde verkry is van 'n finansiële dienste organisasie en is partial least squares (PLS) path modelling gebruik. Om OB-gedrag te evalueer, het ons 'n eksperiment uitgevoer wat bestaan uit drie ISAT-sessies en drie gesimuleerde uitvissing-aanvalle. Na elke uitvissing-eksperiment het ons onderhoude gevoer om 'n beter begrip te kry waarom mense aan die aanvalle geswig het. Te optimistiese individue is geneig om onveilig op te tree, terwyl faktore soos gesindheid en vertroue die voorneme om veilig op te tree, aansienlik beïnvloed het. Die studie se bydrae tot die praktyk is om die doeltreffendheid van ISAT te verbeter deur die OBswakheid te identifiseer en aan te spreek om 'n meer suksesvolle opleidingsuitkoms te lewer. Verder verryk die studie die Inligtingstelsels-literatuur deur die effek van 'n kognitiewe vooroordeel op uitvissing-vatbaarheid te evalueer en deur navorsing bied dit 'n kontekstuele verduideliking van die gevolglike gedrag.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
A discourse analysis of media representation of women political leaders in Uganda
- Authors: Kemirembe, Grace
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408908 , vital:70536
- Description: This study is a qualitative desktop research project. The study employed a Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis to analyse and unpack the discursive ways in which female politicians are discussed and talked about in Ugandan online media. This study was a response to the realisation that online media portrayals of female politicians in Uganda remain largely unexplored. Additionally, the study discovered that the Daily Monitor and The Observer, the two newspapers that this thesis researched, often employ gender stereotypes and sexist coverage of female politicians in Uganda using personalisation, trivialisation and demonisation frames. The study illustrates that these misogynistic frames are intended to diminish women’s importance in the political sphere. Moreover, women who do not conform to the gender stereotypes are portrayed as social deviants. This work concludes that one of the challenges faced by women politicians in Uganda, and in Africa as a whole, is how to exploit online media’s productive capacity while, at the same time, resisting its use as an instrument that undermines them. Given the limited scope of the study using only two media organisations, future studies on media representation of female politicians could expand the range to include print and visual sources to provide generalisable results. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Political and International Studies, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Kemirembe, Grace
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408908 , vital:70536
- Description: This study is a qualitative desktop research project. The study employed a Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis to analyse and unpack the discursive ways in which female politicians are discussed and talked about in Ugandan online media. This study was a response to the realisation that online media portrayals of female politicians in Uganda remain largely unexplored. Additionally, the study discovered that the Daily Monitor and The Observer, the two newspapers that this thesis researched, often employ gender stereotypes and sexist coverage of female politicians in Uganda using personalisation, trivialisation and demonisation frames. The study illustrates that these misogynistic frames are intended to diminish women’s importance in the political sphere. Moreover, women who do not conform to the gender stereotypes are portrayed as social deviants. This work concludes that one of the challenges faced by women politicians in Uganda, and in Africa as a whole, is how to exploit online media’s productive capacity while, at the same time, resisting its use as an instrument that undermines them. Given the limited scope of the study using only two media organisations, future studies on media representation of female politicians could expand the range to include print and visual sources to provide generalisable results. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Political and International Studies, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
An analysis of womxn’s understanding of South African public health awareness campaigns’ messages on HIV/AIDS using cognitive interviewing
- Authors: Simpo, Hazel
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408738 , vital:70521
- Description: Besides having the most extensive antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment programme, South Africa faces the highest epidemic rate, with womxn and children most affected. Several prevention strategies have been implemented to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, including free access to print form awareness campaigns that come through pamphlets, posters and billboards. However, most public health sector awareness and educational programmes carry uniform messages that are then carried out in heterogeneous contexts leading to the miscomprehension of the intended messages. This study aimed to explore womxn’s understanding of public health awareness content on the prevention of HIV/AIDS. The focus was on examining their interpretation of universal HIV/AIDS awareness messages in their heterogeneous contexts, which might provide obstacles to womxn’s reproductive health and well-being using a reproductive justice framework. This study employed a cognitive interviewing methodology to collect data from the participants to obtain information about how participants understand and perceive knowledge and how they arrive at specific answers or judgements. Twenty-eight (28) womxn aged between 18 and 30 years were purposively sampled for this study from four (4) local healthcare facilities in Makhanda: the Grahamstown Municipality (Anglo-African) Clinic, the Joza Clinic, the Settlers Day Hospital and the Raglan Road Clinic. Thematic network analysis (Attride-Stirling, 2001) was used to analyse the data collected from the study. One global theme emerged from the dataset: Barriers to HIV prevention, care and treatment. The barriers were identified mainly due to social constructions of hegemonic masculinity, individual versus cultural expectations, and outdated awareness content. The findings from the study suggest that almost all the challenges that womxn faced in terms of understanding and interpreting the awareness materials stemmed from structural factors in the South African context. The findings also suggest that cognitive interviewing methodology can be reconceptualised as an endeavour that cuts across a wide range of fields. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Simpo, Hazel
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408738 , vital:70521
- Description: Besides having the most extensive antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment programme, South Africa faces the highest epidemic rate, with womxn and children most affected. Several prevention strategies have been implemented to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, including free access to print form awareness campaigns that come through pamphlets, posters and billboards. However, most public health sector awareness and educational programmes carry uniform messages that are then carried out in heterogeneous contexts leading to the miscomprehension of the intended messages. This study aimed to explore womxn’s understanding of public health awareness content on the prevention of HIV/AIDS. The focus was on examining their interpretation of universal HIV/AIDS awareness messages in their heterogeneous contexts, which might provide obstacles to womxn’s reproductive health and well-being using a reproductive justice framework. This study employed a cognitive interviewing methodology to collect data from the participants to obtain information about how participants understand and perceive knowledge and how they arrive at specific answers or judgements. Twenty-eight (28) womxn aged between 18 and 30 years were purposively sampled for this study from four (4) local healthcare facilities in Makhanda: the Grahamstown Municipality (Anglo-African) Clinic, the Joza Clinic, the Settlers Day Hospital and the Raglan Road Clinic. Thematic network analysis (Attride-Stirling, 2001) was used to analyse the data collected from the study. One global theme emerged from the dataset: Barriers to HIV prevention, care and treatment. The barriers were identified mainly due to social constructions of hegemonic masculinity, individual versus cultural expectations, and outdated awareness content. The findings from the study suggest that almost all the challenges that womxn faced in terms of understanding and interpreting the awareness materials stemmed from structural factors in the South African context. The findings also suggest that cognitive interviewing methodology can be reconceptualised as an endeavour that cuts across a wide range of fields. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
Archontic Aporias: the mediums of memory
- Authors: Arbuckle, Julia Ruth
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408727 , vital:70520
- Description: Contextualising my research within the Eastern Cape as a descendant of 1820 settlers, I question the modalities of historical recollection by introducing memory as a viable mode of archival production alongside that of the archive. Through interrogating Eastern Cape archival institutes and employing an autoethnographic approach to my familial archives, I show that archival curation affects the gaps, schisms, and interpretations of archives as much as the ‘unreliability’ of memory. I rely on definitions from Jacques Derrida and literature from Achille Mbembe and Verne Harris, as well as reflexive methodologies, to engage the ways of remembering the past and methods of storytelling. With this undertaking, I expose the aporias within archival processes. This written component is part of broader research that encompasses theoretical study and a practice-based Fine Arts research project culminating in an exhibition that shares themes of memory, archive, trauma, and curatorial and personal heritage management. This research engages in case studies of artworks by Angela Deane and Maureen de Jager to contextualise and position the creative process. , Thesis (MFA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Fine Art, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Arbuckle, Julia Ruth
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408727 , vital:70520
- Description: Contextualising my research within the Eastern Cape as a descendant of 1820 settlers, I question the modalities of historical recollection by introducing memory as a viable mode of archival production alongside that of the archive. Through interrogating Eastern Cape archival institutes and employing an autoethnographic approach to my familial archives, I show that archival curation affects the gaps, schisms, and interpretations of archives as much as the ‘unreliability’ of memory. I rely on definitions from Jacques Derrida and literature from Achille Mbembe and Verne Harris, as well as reflexive methodologies, to engage the ways of remembering the past and methods of storytelling. With this undertaking, I expose the aporias within archival processes. This written component is part of broader research that encompasses theoretical study and a practice-based Fine Arts research project culminating in an exhibition that shares themes of memory, archive, trauma, and curatorial and personal heritage management. This research engages in case studies of artworks by Angela Deane and Maureen de Jager to contextualise and position the creative process. , Thesis (MFA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Fine Art, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
Babantu ababomvu entliziyweni(People who are ‘Red’ in their hearts) and the myth of ‘modernity’
- Authors: Haynes, Duncan Robert
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408897 , vital:70535
- Description: This study examines a history of urban research on ancestral belief of amaXhosa within the Greater East London region, Eastern Cape, South Africa which spanned much of the 20th century (1934–2002). Through extensive textual and literary investigation, this thesis offers new perspectives on this topic. Current theoretical explorations offer the tools to reassess the positionality of the researchers and in light of findings of these previous studies, highlighting above all, the presence of certain academic ‘blind-spots’. These ‘blind-spots’ are argued to have been caused by theoretical and methodological constraints, particularly around Western-centric definitions of the nature of 'modernity' that rely on the positivist notion of a singular unilinear path of time as a universal standard (and which thus defines 'progressiveness' and 'backwardness'). (These ‘blind spots’ were notably further strengthened by a Eurocentric interpretation of identity and a trend of Neo-Marxist scholarship between the 1970s and the 2010s1 which created a ‘taboo’ on addressing issues of culture, and especially of ancestral spirituality, as this was taken to be portraying Africans as culturally ‘static’ and backward and therefore supporting Apartheid ideologies of ‘separate development’). Through these textual investigations this thesis brings to light the, largely unrecognised, core of the issue or driving factor behind the difficulties in all of these previous studies. This is posited as the existence of a prevailing culture of ‘silence’ in Xhosa spaces (stretching from 1840–2000) regarding the sustained importance of 'Redness' (ancestral spirituality and traditional dimensions of identity due to the notion that it was 'backward'). This self-censoring is unpacked as having been an expedient response by many to the requirements for Xhosa pagans to wash off the symbolic red cosmetic clay at baptism, put on ‘decent’ Western clothing and shoes and take on Christian first names (‘shedding’ their previous names and identities) as processes deemed necessary to properly convert to Christianity (Frescura, 2015). More significantly however, it has been argued by scholars that adopting Christianity was the only way to be able to harness the power of education at a time of starvation related to the famine of the millennial Cattle Killing movement (1856–7) and the Xhosa military defeat at the end of the 100-year period of the British Xhosa Frontier Wars (1779–1879). This thesis uses perspectives offered by Queer theory to unpack the pain of this 'veiling' of aspects of identity as a necessary strategy for achieving economic 'success' amid the structural and epistemological violence of colonialism and apartheid. It is suggested that a combination of the ‘silence’ and ‘taboo’ area of the ‘blind-spot’ could completely ‘veil’ these epistemological realities from the view of many earlier researchers of urban Xhosa identity (whose cultural and linguistic backgrounds as well as etic positioning caused them to be unable to 'knock' to gain access into this normally ‘veiled’ world). This thesis combines these historical perspectives with contemporary scholarship and literary works to propose that these ‘Red’ aspects of identity and spirituality have always and still ‘continue’ to form a core, or crux, of Xhosa identity for a previously widely unrecognised and overwhelming majority of urban amaXhosa. This thesis uses the perspective offered by a Xhosa translation of the title of Mda's English language novel, 'A Heart of Redness’ (2000), to explore the importance of ancestral spirituality and clan identities to amaXhosa as a [previously invisible/veiled] ‘Redness of one's Heart’ for a high proportion of contemporary amaXhosa. In this way, this thesis agrees with scholars such as Latour (1993) and Mignolo (2007) in their 'jarring' expose regarding the epistemic violence of euro-normative notions of ‘modernity’. Here they call for a disruption of the pervasive idea of the West as being at the 'forefront' of human experience and even a challenge to the western reading of time. Finally, through exploring critique of the 'Secularisation Thesis' of the Western world, this thesis poses the implicit question contained in its title: ‘Is the western world now perhaps able to embrace a 'modernity' and integrative-cosmology that has been safe-guarded by Xhosa pagans since the 1840s?’ This study documented numerical indicators on the presence of ancestral belief and traditional dimensions of Xhosa identity from fieldwork conducted in an urban locality King William’s Town (Qonce) within the Buffalo City Municipality, Eastern Cape of South Africa from September 2018 to December 2019. In-depth quantitative and qualitative data were collected from lengthy interactions with 305 consenting Xhosa participants. These interactions comprised 129 semi-structured and 176 structured interviews, 61 of the latter formed the sample for numerical data analysis with which to give clarity on the abiding importance of ancestral spirituality for a vast majority of urban amaXhosa. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Anthropology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Haynes, Duncan Robert
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408897 , vital:70535
- Description: This study examines a history of urban research on ancestral belief of amaXhosa within the Greater East London region, Eastern Cape, South Africa which spanned much of the 20th century (1934–2002). Through extensive textual and literary investigation, this thesis offers new perspectives on this topic. Current theoretical explorations offer the tools to reassess the positionality of the researchers and in light of findings of these previous studies, highlighting above all, the presence of certain academic ‘blind-spots’. These ‘blind-spots’ are argued to have been caused by theoretical and methodological constraints, particularly around Western-centric definitions of the nature of 'modernity' that rely on the positivist notion of a singular unilinear path of time as a universal standard (and which thus defines 'progressiveness' and 'backwardness'). (These ‘blind spots’ were notably further strengthened by a Eurocentric interpretation of identity and a trend of Neo-Marxist scholarship between the 1970s and the 2010s1 which created a ‘taboo’ on addressing issues of culture, and especially of ancestral spirituality, as this was taken to be portraying Africans as culturally ‘static’ and backward and therefore supporting Apartheid ideologies of ‘separate development’). Through these textual investigations this thesis brings to light the, largely unrecognised, core of the issue or driving factor behind the difficulties in all of these previous studies. This is posited as the existence of a prevailing culture of ‘silence’ in Xhosa spaces (stretching from 1840–2000) regarding the sustained importance of 'Redness' (ancestral spirituality and traditional dimensions of identity due to the notion that it was 'backward'). This self-censoring is unpacked as having been an expedient response by many to the requirements for Xhosa pagans to wash off the symbolic red cosmetic clay at baptism, put on ‘decent’ Western clothing and shoes and take on Christian first names (‘shedding’ their previous names and identities) as processes deemed necessary to properly convert to Christianity (Frescura, 2015). More significantly however, it has been argued by scholars that adopting Christianity was the only way to be able to harness the power of education at a time of starvation related to the famine of the millennial Cattle Killing movement (1856–7) and the Xhosa military defeat at the end of the 100-year period of the British Xhosa Frontier Wars (1779–1879). This thesis uses perspectives offered by Queer theory to unpack the pain of this 'veiling' of aspects of identity as a necessary strategy for achieving economic 'success' amid the structural and epistemological violence of colonialism and apartheid. It is suggested that a combination of the ‘silence’ and ‘taboo’ area of the ‘blind-spot’ could completely ‘veil’ these epistemological realities from the view of many earlier researchers of urban Xhosa identity (whose cultural and linguistic backgrounds as well as etic positioning caused them to be unable to 'knock' to gain access into this normally ‘veiled’ world). This thesis combines these historical perspectives with contemporary scholarship and literary works to propose that these ‘Red’ aspects of identity and spirituality have always and still ‘continue’ to form a core, or crux, of Xhosa identity for a previously widely unrecognised and overwhelming majority of urban amaXhosa. This thesis uses the perspective offered by a Xhosa translation of the title of Mda's English language novel, 'A Heart of Redness’ (2000), to explore the importance of ancestral spirituality and clan identities to amaXhosa as a [previously invisible/veiled] ‘Redness of one's Heart’ for a high proportion of contemporary amaXhosa. In this way, this thesis agrees with scholars such as Latour (1993) and Mignolo (2007) in their 'jarring' expose regarding the epistemic violence of euro-normative notions of ‘modernity’. Here they call for a disruption of the pervasive idea of the West as being at the 'forefront' of human experience and even a challenge to the western reading of time. Finally, through exploring critique of the 'Secularisation Thesis' of the Western world, this thesis poses the implicit question contained in its title: ‘Is the western world now perhaps able to embrace a 'modernity' and integrative-cosmology that has been safe-guarded by Xhosa pagans since the 1840s?’ This study documented numerical indicators on the presence of ancestral belief and traditional dimensions of Xhosa identity from fieldwork conducted in an urban locality King William’s Town (Qonce) within the Buffalo City Municipality, Eastern Cape of South Africa from September 2018 to December 2019. In-depth quantitative and qualitative data were collected from lengthy interactions with 305 consenting Xhosa participants. These interactions comprised 129 semi-structured and 176 structured interviews, 61 of the latter formed the sample for numerical data analysis with which to give clarity on the abiding importance of ancestral spirituality for a vast majority of urban amaXhosa. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Anthropology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
Constructions of Ukuyalwa and marriage satisfaction: experiences of Xhosa couples in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Bikwe, Siphuxolo
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408805 , vital:70527
- Description: Marital satisfaction may be described as the extent to which one’s expectations, desires and needs are being satisfied in their marriage. Studies that concern marital satisfaction provide us with crucial insights into factors that support or compromise the longevity of long-term, committed relationships. Little work has been done in understanding the role of cultural practices in marital satisfaction particularly in Africa, and South Africa more specifically. Ukuyalwa is a Xhosa ritual that takes place during a Xhosa traditional wedding, whereby the bride is introduced to the (traditional) guiding practices of her new home by the women of the family together with her sisters-in-law. This study informs the practice of African psychology as formulated by Ratele (2017b).Critical African psychology as a framework recognizes the construction of culture alongside political, socioeconomic, and historical matrices. These are acknowledged as an important element in psychological theories, methods, and explanations. This research project aimed to identify the discourses that circulate around ukuyalwa as a Xhosa cultural practice and consider the implications for the marital satisfaction of amaXhosa couples. The study interviewed 3 Xhosa couples of varying ages who had been married for different durations to develop an understanding of their experiences of ukuyalwa and marital satisfaction. Data was analyzed using a Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA) which allowed for the identifications of the discourses that the couples used to construct ukuyalwa and marital satisfaction. The couples discursively constructed marriage as ‘divine unity’, ‘unification of families’ and ‘partnership’. Ukuyalwa was constructed as a ‘gendered process’, ideas of tradition and modernity, and a ‘foundation’ also became apparent. Satisfaction was constructed as ‘open communication’ and ‘work’. The couples’ positions shifted in their conversations, where in some instances they were 'learners’, ‘initiates’, and/or ‘passive’, and in other instances, they were ‘in charge’, ‘knowledgeable’, and ‘experts’. The discourses of culture, religion, and partnership circulated prominently in relation to marriage, ukuyalwa, and marital satisfaction. The findings of the study speak to how the couples’ constructions of marriage and cultural customs such as ukuyalwa are valuable as they often inform how couples behave in their marriage relationships and what they regard as satisfactory to them when it comes to marriage. These insights into what informs the couples’ ideas on marriage and satisfaction can be utilised in informing couples therapy interventions. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Bikwe, Siphuxolo
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408805 , vital:70527
- Description: Marital satisfaction may be described as the extent to which one’s expectations, desires and needs are being satisfied in their marriage. Studies that concern marital satisfaction provide us with crucial insights into factors that support or compromise the longevity of long-term, committed relationships. Little work has been done in understanding the role of cultural practices in marital satisfaction particularly in Africa, and South Africa more specifically. Ukuyalwa is a Xhosa ritual that takes place during a Xhosa traditional wedding, whereby the bride is introduced to the (traditional) guiding practices of her new home by the women of the family together with her sisters-in-law. This study informs the practice of African psychology as formulated by Ratele (2017b).Critical African psychology as a framework recognizes the construction of culture alongside political, socioeconomic, and historical matrices. These are acknowledged as an important element in psychological theories, methods, and explanations. This research project aimed to identify the discourses that circulate around ukuyalwa as a Xhosa cultural practice and consider the implications for the marital satisfaction of amaXhosa couples. The study interviewed 3 Xhosa couples of varying ages who had been married for different durations to develop an understanding of their experiences of ukuyalwa and marital satisfaction. Data was analyzed using a Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA) which allowed for the identifications of the discourses that the couples used to construct ukuyalwa and marital satisfaction. The couples discursively constructed marriage as ‘divine unity’, ‘unification of families’ and ‘partnership’. Ukuyalwa was constructed as a ‘gendered process’, ideas of tradition and modernity, and a ‘foundation’ also became apparent. Satisfaction was constructed as ‘open communication’ and ‘work’. The couples’ positions shifted in their conversations, where in some instances they were 'learners’, ‘initiates’, and/or ‘passive’, and in other instances, they were ‘in charge’, ‘knowledgeable’, and ‘experts’. The discourses of culture, religion, and partnership circulated prominently in relation to marriage, ukuyalwa, and marital satisfaction. The findings of the study speak to how the couples’ constructions of marriage and cultural customs such as ukuyalwa are valuable as they often inform how couples behave in their marriage relationships and what they regard as satisfactory to them when it comes to marriage. These insights into what informs the couples’ ideas on marriage and satisfaction can be utilised in informing couples therapy interventions. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
Délices et négation: une approche de l’écriture féminine à travers quelques romans Africains Francophones
- Authors: Anjugu, Taimako Ajigo
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: African fiction (French) History and criticism , Literature Women authors , Women authors, African , Reader-response criticism , Womanism in literature
- Language: French
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/409779 , vital:70629 , DOI 10.21504/10962/409779
- Description: From the onset, it is worthy to note that, nowadays, just as after the independence of most African countries, several writers from the African continent have been preoccupied with the fate of women. This is because, the African continent was since ancient times characterized by certain traditions and cultures which mainly have contributed to the plight of the women. This goes to emphasise that women in most cases are the victims of misdeeds such as early marriage, forced marriage, prejudices, violence, marginalisation, exploitation, discrimination; in short, vices that lead to devalorisation of African women in Africa. Over time, some contemporary French-speaking African writers have responded to the devaluation and valuation of women in their novels using 21st century objective view. With regard to the theme that we decided to address in this research, it is worth knowing that the preponderant task is based on the socio-critical theory, postulated by Claude Duchet. Meanwhile, recourse is also made to the comparative method by Rens, Bod et al. However, since the author’s message could be understood by the reader through the use of some expressions or terms that speak directly to the themes of the research, and that a reader’s role in reading experience cannot be overemphasised, we have been able to also lean on the Reader-response theory of Louise Michelle Rosenblatt. The three methods were used concurrently especially that the analysis of each text is based on how characters are being depicted leading us to realizing that our findings on how the African woman is devalued in the first part of the research, while in the second part of the thesis, our findings demonstrate that a lot of tributes are showered on the African woman due to her numerous outstanding qualities. In effect, our findings also reinforce a significant shift in the narrative that concerns the contemporary view on womanhood. Hence, moving from a dogmatic overconcentration on her lot to the new era woman whose lot is now redefined via the new wave feminist perspective on the negation of the African woman. This could be said to be in line with Amadiume Ifi’s contributions and pioneering work in feminist discourse towards new ways of thinking about sex and gender, the question of power, and women’s place in history and culture. , Pour commencer, il est nécessaire de se souvenir qu’à l’époque actuelle, comme juste après les indépendances de la plupart des pays africains, bon nombre des écrivains venant du continent africain décident de se préoccuper des méfaits sociaux tels que le mariage précoce et/ou forcé, les préjugés, la violence, la marginalisation, l’exploitation, la discrimination, entre autres. Tous ces vices sont issus de la négation de la femme africaine. Ceci se justifie par le fait que le continent africain était depuis l’antiquité caractérisé par certaines traditions et cultures qui ont contribué principalement aux dégâts ci-dessus soulignés subis par les femmes. En effet, nous estimons que beaucoup de femmes sont victimes de ces méfaits qui sont encore pratiqués dans certaines parties de l’Afrique. Avec le temps, certains écrivains africains francophones contemporains représentent la dévalorisation et la valorisation de la femme dans leurs romans en se servant d’une vision contemporaine, celle du XXIe siècle. En ce qui concerne le thème que nous avons décidé d'aborder dans cette recherche, il faut savoir que la tâche prépondérante repose sur la théorie sociocritique, postulée par Claude Duchet. Parallèlement, on a également recours à la méthode comparative de Bod Rens Et ses coauteurs. Cependant, puisque le message de l’auteur pourrait être compris aussi par le lecteur à travers l’usage de certaines expressions ou termes qui sont directement liés aux thèmes de la recherche, le rôle du lecteur dans l’expérience de lecture ne peut pas être surestimé, nous avons également pu nous appuyer sur la théorie de la réponse du lecteur de Louise Michelle Rosenblatt. Les trois méthodes ont été utilisées simultanément d'autant plus que l'analyse de chaque texte est basée sur la façon dont les personnages sont représentés ; ceci nous a amené à tirer nos conclusions sur la façon dont la femme africaine est dévalorisée dans la première partie de la recherche, tandis que dans la deuxième partie de la thèse, nos résultats démontrent que de nombreux hommages sont rendus à la femme africaine grâce à ses nombreuses qualités exceptionnelles. En effet, nos résultats renforcent également un changement important dans le récit qui concerne la vision contemporaine de la féminité. Par conséquent, passer d’une surconcentration dogmatique sur son sort à la femme de la nouvelle ère dont le sort est maintenant redéfini via la perspective féministe par rapport à la négation de la femme africaine telle a été la démarche. On pourrait dire que cela est au diapason avec les contributions d’Amadiume Ifi et avec son travail dans le discours féministe vers de nouvelles façons de penser le sexe et le genre, la question du pouvoir et la place de la femme dans l’histoire et la culture. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Anjugu, Taimako Ajigo
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: African fiction (French) History and criticism , Literature Women authors , Women authors, African , Reader-response criticism , Womanism in literature
- Language: French
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/409779 , vital:70629 , DOI 10.21504/10962/409779
- Description: From the onset, it is worthy to note that, nowadays, just as after the independence of most African countries, several writers from the African continent have been preoccupied with the fate of women. This is because, the African continent was since ancient times characterized by certain traditions and cultures which mainly have contributed to the plight of the women. This goes to emphasise that women in most cases are the victims of misdeeds such as early marriage, forced marriage, prejudices, violence, marginalisation, exploitation, discrimination; in short, vices that lead to devalorisation of African women in Africa. Over time, some contemporary French-speaking African writers have responded to the devaluation and valuation of women in their novels using 21st century objective view. With regard to the theme that we decided to address in this research, it is worth knowing that the preponderant task is based on the socio-critical theory, postulated by Claude Duchet. Meanwhile, recourse is also made to the comparative method by Rens, Bod et al. However, since the author’s message could be understood by the reader through the use of some expressions or terms that speak directly to the themes of the research, and that a reader’s role in reading experience cannot be overemphasised, we have been able to also lean on the Reader-response theory of Louise Michelle Rosenblatt. The three methods were used concurrently especially that the analysis of each text is based on how characters are being depicted leading us to realizing that our findings on how the African woman is devalued in the first part of the research, while in the second part of the thesis, our findings demonstrate that a lot of tributes are showered on the African woman due to her numerous outstanding qualities. In effect, our findings also reinforce a significant shift in the narrative that concerns the contemporary view on womanhood. Hence, moving from a dogmatic overconcentration on her lot to the new era woman whose lot is now redefined via the new wave feminist perspective on the negation of the African woman. This could be said to be in line with Amadiume Ifi’s contributions and pioneering work in feminist discourse towards new ways of thinking about sex and gender, the question of power, and women’s place in history and culture. , Pour commencer, il est nécessaire de se souvenir qu’à l’époque actuelle, comme juste après les indépendances de la plupart des pays africains, bon nombre des écrivains venant du continent africain décident de se préoccuper des méfaits sociaux tels que le mariage précoce et/ou forcé, les préjugés, la violence, la marginalisation, l’exploitation, la discrimination, entre autres. Tous ces vices sont issus de la négation de la femme africaine. Ceci se justifie par le fait que le continent africain était depuis l’antiquité caractérisé par certaines traditions et cultures qui ont contribué principalement aux dégâts ci-dessus soulignés subis par les femmes. En effet, nous estimons que beaucoup de femmes sont victimes de ces méfaits qui sont encore pratiqués dans certaines parties de l’Afrique. Avec le temps, certains écrivains africains francophones contemporains représentent la dévalorisation et la valorisation de la femme dans leurs romans en se servant d’une vision contemporaine, celle du XXIe siècle. En ce qui concerne le thème que nous avons décidé d'aborder dans cette recherche, il faut savoir que la tâche prépondérante repose sur la théorie sociocritique, postulée par Claude Duchet. Parallèlement, on a également recours à la méthode comparative de Bod Rens Et ses coauteurs. Cependant, puisque le message de l’auteur pourrait être compris aussi par le lecteur à travers l’usage de certaines expressions ou termes qui sont directement liés aux thèmes de la recherche, le rôle du lecteur dans l’expérience de lecture ne peut pas être surestimé, nous avons également pu nous appuyer sur la théorie de la réponse du lecteur de Louise Michelle Rosenblatt. Les trois méthodes ont été utilisées simultanément d'autant plus que l'analyse de chaque texte est basée sur la façon dont les personnages sont représentés ; ceci nous a amené à tirer nos conclusions sur la façon dont la femme africaine est dévalorisée dans la première partie de la recherche, tandis que dans la deuxième partie de la thèse, nos résultats démontrent que de nombreux hommages sont rendus à la femme africaine grâce à ses nombreuses qualités exceptionnelles. En effet, nos résultats renforcent également un changement important dans le récit qui concerne la vision contemporaine de la féminité. Par conséquent, passer d’une surconcentration dogmatique sur son sort à la femme de la nouvelle ère dont le sort est maintenant redéfini via la perspective féministe par rapport à la négation de la femme africaine telle a été la démarche. On pourrait dire que cela est au diapason avec les contributions d’Amadiume Ifi et avec son travail dans le discours féministe vers de nouvelles façons de penser le sexe et le genre, la question du pouvoir et la place de la femme dans l’histoire et la culture. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
Enforced sojourn: Zimbabwean dispensation, special and exemption permits
- Authors: Maziyanhanga, Zvikomborero
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408913 , vital:70537
- Description: This thesis investigates Zimbabwean’s immigration to South Africa. Zimbabwean’s immigration to South Africa dates back to the early 2000s. This thesis uses a combination of theories to interrogate and discuss the Zimbabwe special permits and some of the post-apartheid government’s amendments to the South African Citizenship Act and other immigration policies. Some of the theories that theoretically underpin this research project’s methodology include Marxism, Pan-Africanism, Liberalism and culture-based theories. This thesis interrogates the discursive strategies these permits draw on to frame and understand Zimbabwean immigrants in South Africa. This study has found that these permits use similar operating logic as the White South African governments used the migrant labour system to exploit Blacks from all of Southern Africa in the 20th century. For instance, the migrant labour system used during apartheid made all Blacks in South Africa “guest workers” who could be deported at the government’s whim. The apartheid government used racist pass laws to regulate the movement of Black people in South Africa, whereas the post-apartheid government uses Zimbabwean special permits to regulate the movement of Zimbabweans in South Africa. The pass laws were fundamentally racist, and their ultimate objective was to reinforce the idea of White citizenship, whereas the Zimbabwe special permits are not racist. Their colonial similarity, however, lies in how they make Zimbabwean migrants perpetual migrants in South Africa and the various ways in which they cast Zimbabweans as not deserving of South African citizenship. These special permits force Zimbabwe migrants to become “guest workers” who build the post-apartheid economy and then return home when they are no longer “useful” to the economy. This thesis concludes that the post-apartheid Zimbabwe special permits achieve analogous objectives. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Political and International Studies, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Maziyanhanga, Zvikomborero
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408913 , vital:70537
- Description: This thesis investigates Zimbabwean’s immigration to South Africa. Zimbabwean’s immigration to South Africa dates back to the early 2000s. This thesis uses a combination of theories to interrogate and discuss the Zimbabwe special permits and some of the post-apartheid government’s amendments to the South African Citizenship Act and other immigration policies. Some of the theories that theoretically underpin this research project’s methodology include Marxism, Pan-Africanism, Liberalism and culture-based theories. This thesis interrogates the discursive strategies these permits draw on to frame and understand Zimbabwean immigrants in South Africa. This study has found that these permits use similar operating logic as the White South African governments used the migrant labour system to exploit Blacks from all of Southern Africa in the 20th century. For instance, the migrant labour system used during apartheid made all Blacks in South Africa “guest workers” who could be deported at the government’s whim. The apartheid government used racist pass laws to regulate the movement of Black people in South Africa, whereas the post-apartheid government uses Zimbabwean special permits to regulate the movement of Zimbabweans in South Africa. The pass laws were fundamentally racist, and their ultimate objective was to reinforce the idea of White citizenship, whereas the Zimbabwe special permits are not racist. Their colonial similarity, however, lies in how they make Zimbabwean migrants perpetual migrants in South Africa and the various ways in which they cast Zimbabweans as not deserving of South African citizenship. These special permits force Zimbabwe migrants to become “guest workers” who build the post-apartheid economy and then return home when they are no longer “useful” to the economy. This thesis concludes that the post-apartheid Zimbabwe special permits achieve analogous objectives. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Political and International Studies, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
Experiences of men vlogging about substance use disorder recovery on YouTube
- Authors: Chele, Palesa Shené
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408829 , vital:70529
- Description: The journey of substance use recovery is an inherently dynamic and on-going process. It is advanced through secure social support systems. Furthermore, requiring the explicit practice of self-advancement and self-efficacy. However, in South Africa, despite the continued upsurge of substance abuse, there remains a substantial gap between the high demand for treatment and the limited capacity to provide state-funded treatment. In addition, various psychosocial and socio-economic factors further impede access to treatment or recovery support. Thus, within communities facing SUD treatment barriers the exploration of individual lived experiences may deepen understandings of how men experience the journey of substance use recovery. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Chele, Palesa Shené
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408829 , vital:70529
- Description: The journey of substance use recovery is an inherently dynamic and on-going process. It is advanced through secure social support systems. Furthermore, requiring the explicit practice of self-advancement and self-efficacy. However, in South Africa, despite the continued upsurge of substance abuse, there remains a substantial gap between the high demand for treatment and the limited capacity to provide state-funded treatment. In addition, various psychosocial and socio-economic factors further impede access to treatment or recovery support. Thus, within communities facing SUD treatment barriers the exploration of individual lived experiences may deepen understandings of how men experience the journey of substance use recovery. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30