Introducing VET Africa 4.0
- Lotz-Sisitka, Heila, McGrath, Simon
- Authors: Lotz-Sisitka, Heila , McGrath, Simon
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434930 , vital:73117 , ISBN 978-1529224634 , https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/transitioning-vocational-education-and-training-in-africa
- Description: This book is about vocational education and training (VET). It is concerned with how the current policy and practice orthodoxy is not working despite the efforts of educators and learners. It is driven by a realization that the futures for which VET is intended to prepare people are ever more precarious at the individual, societal and planetary levels. And it is motivated by a sense that while better futures are possible, VET is poorly positioned to respond to the new skilling needs these will require.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Lotz-Sisitka, Heila , McGrath, Simon
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/434930 , vital:73117 , ISBN 978-1529224634 , https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/transitioning-vocational-education-and-training-in-africa
- Description: This book is about vocational education and training (VET). It is concerned with how the current policy and practice orthodoxy is not working despite the efforts of educators and learners. It is driven by a realization that the futures for which VET is intended to prepare people are ever more precarious at the individual, societal and planetary levels. And it is motivated by a sense that while better futures are possible, VET is poorly positioned to respond to the new skilling needs these will require.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Supporting Education for Sustainable Development through an Online Global Forum for Teacher Educators
- Schudel, Ingrid J, Down, Lorna, McKeown, Rosalyn, Baumann, Stefan, Petersen, Andrew, Urenje, Shepherd
- Authors: Schudel, Ingrid J , Down, Lorna , McKeown, Rosalyn , Baumann, Stefan , Petersen, Andrew , Urenje, Shepherd
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435283 , vital:73144 , ISBN 9781538153840 , https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538153833/At-School-in-the-World-Developing-Globally-Engaged-Teachers
- Description: The Online Global Forum on Education for Sustainable De-velopment (ESD) for Teacher Educators was launched in 2019 by colleagues from three continents who formed a group called ESD Innovate (hereinafter also referred to as Forum founders). ESD Innovate is made up of three African representatives, two European, and two from North America and the Caribbean. The group was formed during the Inter-national Network of Teacher Education Institutions (INTEI) conference in 2016. In discussions at this conference, we (the authors of this chapter and those who formed ESD In-novate) heard the need for ongoing professional develop-ment in ESD for teacher educators. Professional develop-ment programs regarding ESD are available for in-service teachers in some regions of the world, but few are available for teacher educators, especially initiatives designed for sus-tained engagement. Thus, the Forum aims to meet the need for continuing professional development of teacher educa-tors with an ESD focus. Additionally, the Forum was de-signed to bring teacher educators together from all over the world to facilitate collaboration between and among teacher educators and their student teachers in an intellectual dia-logue on the response of teacher education to the Sustaina-ble Development Goals (United Nations, 2015). At the same time, we aimed to share local and global experiences on the realization of relevance and education quality through ESD.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
- Authors: Schudel, Ingrid J , Down, Lorna , McKeown, Rosalyn , Baumann, Stefan , Petersen, Andrew , Urenje, Shepherd
- Date: 2023
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435283 , vital:73144 , ISBN 9781538153840 , https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538153833/At-School-in-the-World-Developing-Globally-Engaged-Teachers
- Description: The Online Global Forum on Education for Sustainable De-velopment (ESD) for Teacher Educators was launched in 2019 by colleagues from three continents who formed a group called ESD Innovate (hereinafter also referred to as Forum founders). ESD Innovate is made up of three African representatives, two European, and two from North America and the Caribbean. The group was formed during the Inter-national Network of Teacher Education Institutions (INTEI) conference in 2016. In discussions at this conference, we (the authors of this chapter and those who formed ESD In-novate) heard the need for ongoing professional develop-ment in ESD for teacher educators. Professional develop-ment programs regarding ESD are available for in-service teachers in some regions of the world, but few are available for teacher educators, especially initiatives designed for sus-tained engagement. Thus, the Forum aims to meet the need for continuing professional development of teacher educa-tors with an ESD focus. Additionally, the Forum was de-signed to bring teacher educators together from all over the world to facilitate collaboration between and among teacher educators and their student teachers in an intellectual dia-logue on the response of teacher education to the Sustaina-ble Development Goals (United Nations, 2015). At the same time, we aimed to share local and global experiences on the realization of relevance and education quality through ESD.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023
Learning from the Grassroots: The Case for The Consideration of Community-Based Agrarian and Food Security Reforms in South Africa
- Hosu,Y S, Ndhleve, S, Kabiti, H M, Yusuf, S F G
- Authors: Hosu,Y S , Ndhleve, S , Kabiti, H M , Yusuf, S F G
- Date: 2021-19
- Subjects: Land reform , Farms, Small
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/7452 , vital:53978 , https://doi.org/10.18697/ajfand.104.19770
- Description: Studies of projected agro-climatic variability on the productivity of smallholding farming livelihoods have been evaluated by indirect methods using simulation models on country or regional basis but few have been done at the community level. This study explores direct observation of the impact of soil and climate factors on crop and livestock livelihood systems in the three major agro-ecological zones of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It also analyzed their influence on small farmers’ choices of agrarian livelihood activities and the lessons learned for the suitability of agro-ecologically integrated agriculture as part of agrarian and food security reforms needed among small farming households in rural communities of South Africa. The impact of soil and rainfall on the crop and livestock livelihood choices of smallholders in the three major agro-ecological zones were explored. A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 223 smallholding farming households during the harvesting period of rain-fed farming season. Data on household livelihood activities were processed in monetary terms and subjected to gross margin and cost/benefit analysis. Geographic information system (GIS) mapping and statistical analysis were used to determine the association of smallholder maize revenue with agro-climatic variation. The results indicated that crop-based activities performed better in the Grassland zone, while livestock activities performed better in the Savanna zone. Small farms in the Karoo can only productively engage in livestock production. The results also showed that farming activities that combined more vegetable crops yielded greater profits than other field crops. Furthermore, the results indicate that the mixed cropping method remains one of the strategies for breaking-even and risk-bearing effort used by the smallholder farmers considering its cost-sharing benefits. Geographical information system (GIS) mapping further indicates that smallholders’ farming activity was not only affected by soilclimatic factors but by their management skills as well. We recommend agroecologically adapted policies and incentives for agriculture-based livelihood activities and intensified mixing of cropping systems among the smallholder farming households in the study area.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-19
- Authors: Hosu,Y S , Ndhleve, S , Kabiti, H M , Yusuf, S F G
- Date: 2021-19
- Subjects: Land reform , Farms, Small
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/7452 , vital:53978 , https://doi.org/10.18697/ajfand.104.19770
- Description: Studies of projected agro-climatic variability on the productivity of smallholding farming livelihoods have been evaluated by indirect methods using simulation models on country or regional basis but few have been done at the community level. This study explores direct observation of the impact of soil and climate factors on crop and livestock livelihood systems in the three major agro-ecological zones of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It also analyzed their influence on small farmers’ choices of agrarian livelihood activities and the lessons learned for the suitability of agro-ecologically integrated agriculture as part of agrarian and food security reforms needed among small farming households in rural communities of South Africa. The impact of soil and rainfall on the crop and livestock livelihood choices of smallholders in the three major agro-ecological zones were explored. A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 223 smallholding farming households during the harvesting period of rain-fed farming season. Data on household livelihood activities were processed in monetary terms and subjected to gross margin and cost/benefit analysis. Geographic information system (GIS) mapping and statistical analysis were used to determine the association of smallholder maize revenue with agro-climatic variation. The results indicated that crop-based activities performed better in the Grassland zone, while livestock activities performed better in the Savanna zone. Small farms in the Karoo can only productively engage in livestock production. The results also showed that farming activities that combined more vegetable crops yielded greater profits than other field crops. Furthermore, the results indicate that the mixed cropping method remains one of the strategies for breaking-even and risk-bearing effort used by the smallholder farmers considering its cost-sharing benefits. Geographical information system (GIS) mapping further indicates that smallholders’ farming activity was not only affected by soilclimatic factors but by their management skills as well. We recommend agroecologically adapted policies and incentives for agriculture-based livelihood activities and intensified mixing of cropping systems among the smallholder farming households in the study area.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-19
Advancing Assessment Thinking in Education for Sustainable Development with a Focus on Significant Learning Processes
- Shumba, Overson, Mandikonza, Caleb, Lotz-Sisitka, Heila
- Authors: Shumba, Overson , Mandikonza, Caleb , Lotz-Sisitka, Heila
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435209 , vital:73138 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: This position paper is developed in the context of the Fundisa [Teaching] for Change teacher education programme (www.fundisaforchange.co.za), as well as the Sustainability Starts with Teachers programmes for teacher education (www. sustainabilityteachers.org/course). Fundisa for Change is a South African programme while Sustainability Starts with Teachers is a Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) programme for teacher educators. Both these programmes seek to enhance transformative environments and sustainability education processes in teacher education. They have a strategic focus on situated and transformative learning approaches for learners to learn to ‘know the world’ and practice ‘being in the world’. The real world provides the context for learning and assessment for learning, but not enough is known about assessment of such learning.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
- Authors: Shumba, Overson , Mandikonza, Caleb , Lotz-Sisitka, Heila
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/435209 , vital:73138 , ISBN 9781928502241 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/64082
- Description: This position paper is developed in the context of the Fundisa [Teaching] for Change teacher education programme (www.fundisaforchange.co.za), as well as the Sustainability Starts with Teachers programmes for teacher education (www. sustainabilityteachers.org/course). Fundisa for Change is a South African programme while Sustainability Starts with Teachers is a Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) programme for teacher educators. Both these programmes seek to enhance transformative environments and sustainability education processes in teacher education. They have a strategic focus on situated and transformative learning approaches for learners to learn to ‘know the world’ and practice ‘being in the world’. The real world provides the context for learning and assessment for learning, but not enough is known about assessment of such learning.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Tapping the role of microbial biosurfactants in pesticide remediation: an eco-friendly approach for environmental sustainability
- Raj, Aman, Kumar, Ashwani, Dames, Joanna F
- Authors: Raj, Aman , Kumar, Ashwani , Dames, Joanna F
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440430 , vital:73782 , https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.791723
- Description: Pesticides are used indiscriminately all over the world to protect crops from pests and pathogens. If they are used in excess, they contaminate the soil and water bodies and negatively affect human health and the environment. However, bioremediation is the most viable option to deal with these pollutants, but it has certain limitations. Therefore, harnessing the role of microbial biosurfactants in pesticide remediation is a promising approach. Biosurfactants are the amphiphilic compounds that can help to increase the bioavailability of pesticides, and speeds up the bioremediation process. Biosurfactants lower the surface area and interfacial tension of immiscible fluids and boost the solubility and sorption of hydrophobic pesticide contaminants. They have the property of biodegradability, low toxicity, high selectivity, and broad action spectrum under extreme pH, temperature, and salinity conditions, as well as a low critical micelle concentration (CMC). All these factors can augment the process of pesticide remediation. Application of metagenomic and in-silico tools would help by rapidly characterizing pesticide degrading microorganisms at a taxonomic and functional level. A comprehensive review of the literature shows that the role of biosurfactants in the biological remediation of pesticides has received limited attention. Therefore, this article is intended to provide a detailed overview of the role of various biosurfactants in improving pesticide remediation as well as different methods used for the detection of microbial biosurfactants. Additionally, this article covers the role of advanced metagenomics tools in characterizing the biosurfactant producing pesticide degrading microbes from different environments.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
- Authors: Raj, Aman , Kumar, Ashwani , Dames, Joanna F
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440430 , vital:73782 , https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2021.791723
- Description: Pesticides are used indiscriminately all over the world to protect crops from pests and pathogens. If they are used in excess, they contaminate the soil and water bodies and negatively affect human health and the environment. However, bioremediation is the most viable option to deal with these pollutants, but it has certain limitations. Therefore, harnessing the role of microbial biosurfactants in pesticide remediation is a promising approach. Biosurfactants are the amphiphilic compounds that can help to increase the bioavailability of pesticides, and speeds up the bioremediation process. Biosurfactants lower the surface area and interfacial tension of immiscible fluids and boost the solubility and sorption of hydrophobic pesticide contaminants. They have the property of biodegradability, low toxicity, high selectivity, and broad action spectrum under extreme pH, temperature, and salinity conditions, as well as a low critical micelle concentration (CMC). All these factors can augment the process of pesticide remediation. Application of metagenomic and in-silico tools would help by rapidly characterizing pesticide degrading microorganisms at a taxonomic and functional level. A comprehensive review of the literature shows that the role of biosurfactants in the biological remediation of pesticides has received limited attention. Therefore, this article is intended to provide a detailed overview of the role of various biosurfactants in improving pesticide remediation as well as different methods used for the detection of microbial biosurfactants. Additionally, this article covers the role of advanced metagenomics tools in characterizing the biosurfactant producing pesticide degrading microbes from different environments.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021
Futurama: Learning design and technology research methods
- Romero-Hall, Enilda, Correia, Anna P, Branch, Robert M R, Cevik, Yaesemin D, Chen, Bodong, Liu, Juhong C, Tang, Hengtao, Vasconcelos, Lucas, Pallitt, Nicola, Thankachan, Briju
- Authors: Romero-Hall, Enilda , Correia, Anna P , Branch, Robert M R , Cevik, Yaesemin D , Chen, Bodong , Liu, Juhong C , Tang, Hengtao , Vasconcelos, Lucas , Pallitt, Nicola , Thankachan, Briju
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/445923 , vital:74442 , ISBN 9780429260919 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429260919-14/futurama-enilda-romero-hall-ana-paula-correia-robert-maribe-rob-branch-yasemin-demiraslan-cevik-camille-dickson-deane-bodong-chen-juhong-christie-liu-hengtao-tang-lucas-vasconcelos-nicola-pallitt-briju-thankachan
- Description: This chapter serves as an examination and projection of developments in learning design and technology research methods in the next decade and beyond, as provided by scholars and practitioners in the field. These members of the community were asked to focus on the probable nature of learning design research methods in the near future to outline their perspectives on where learning design and technology research is going or ought to be going. “Predictions about the future of the field, in terms of research methods, are optimistic that as scholars our work will push forward with disruptive methods of research that go beyond learning and also address key cultural, socioeconomic, and political issues that are part of education.”
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Romero-Hall, Enilda , Correia, Anna P , Branch, Robert M R , Cevik, Yaesemin D , Chen, Bodong , Liu, Juhong C , Tang, Hengtao , Vasconcelos, Lucas , Pallitt, Nicola , Thankachan, Briju
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/445923 , vital:74442 , ISBN 9780429260919 , https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429260919-14/futurama-enilda-romero-hall-ana-paula-correia-robert-maribe-rob-branch-yasemin-demiraslan-cevik-camille-dickson-deane-bodong-chen-juhong-christie-liu-hengtao-tang-lucas-vasconcelos-nicola-pallitt-briju-thankachan
- Description: This chapter serves as an examination and projection of developments in learning design and technology research methods in the next decade and beyond, as provided by scholars and practitioners in the field. These members of the community were asked to focus on the probable nature of learning design research methods in the near future to outline their perspectives on where learning design and technology research is going or ought to be going. “Predictions about the future of the field, in terms of research methods, are optimistic that as scholars our work will push forward with disruptive methods of research that go beyond learning and also address key cultural, socioeconomic, and political issues that are part of education.”
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
The role of ambient temperature and body mass on body temperature, standard metabolic rate and evaporative water loss in southern African anurans of different habitat specialisation
- Mokhatla, Mohlamatsane, Measey, John, Smit, Ben
- Authors: Mokhatla, Mohlamatsane , Measey, John , Smit, Ben
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440571 , vital:73794 , 10.7717/peerj.7885
- Description: Temperature and water availability are two of the most important variables affecting all aspects of an anuran’s key physiological processes such as body temperature (T b), evaporative water loss (EWL) and standard metabolic rate (SMR). Since anurans display pronounced sexual dimorphism, evidence suggests that these processes are further influenced by other factors such as vapour pressure deficit (VPD), sex and body mass (M b). However, a limited number of studies have tested the generality of these results across a wide range of ecologically relevant ambient temperatures (T a), while taking habitat use into account. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of T a on T b, whole-animal EWL and whole-animal SMR in three wild caught African anuran species with different ecological specialisations: the principally aquatic African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis), stream-breeding common river frog (Amietia delalandii), and the largely terrestrial raucous toad (Sclerophrys capensis).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Mokhatla, Mohlamatsane , Measey, John , Smit, Ben
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440571 , vital:73794 , 10.7717/peerj.7885
- Description: Temperature and water availability are two of the most important variables affecting all aspects of an anuran’s key physiological processes such as body temperature (T b), evaporative water loss (EWL) and standard metabolic rate (SMR). Since anurans display pronounced sexual dimorphism, evidence suggests that these processes are further influenced by other factors such as vapour pressure deficit (VPD), sex and body mass (M b). However, a limited number of studies have tested the generality of these results across a wide range of ecologically relevant ambient temperatures (T a), while taking habitat use into account. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of T a on T b, whole-animal EWL and whole-animal SMR in three wild caught African anuran species with different ecological specialisations: the principally aquatic African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis), stream-breeding common river frog (Amietia delalandii), and the largely terrestrial raucous toad (Sclerophrys capensis).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
Uses, knowledge, and management of the threatened pepper-bark tree (Warburgia salutaris) in southern Mozambique
- Senkoro, Annae M, Shackleton, Charlie M, Voeks, Robert A, Ribeiro, Ana I
- Authors: Senkoro, Annae M , Shackleton, Charlie M , Voeks, Robert A , Ribeiro, Ana I
- Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177430 , vital:42821 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-019-09468-x
- Description: Uses, Knowledge, and Management of the Threatened Pepper-Bark Tree (Warburgia salutaris) in Southern Mozambique.Warburgia salutaris, the pepper-bark tree, is one of the most highly valued medicinal plant species in southern Africa. Due to its popularity in folk medicine, it is overexploited in many regions and is deemed threatened throughout its range. We identified cultural and social drivers of use, compared knowledge distribution, determined management practices, and explored local ecological knowledge related to the species in the Lebombo Mountains, Tembe River, and Futi Corridor areas in southern Mozambique. Stratified random, semistructured interviews were conducted (182), complemented by 17 focus group discussions in the three study areas. W. salutaris was used medicinally to treat 12 health concerns, with the bark being the most commonly used part.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Senkoro, Annae M , Shackleton, Charlie M , Voeks, Robert A , Ribeiro, Ana I
- Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177430 , vital:42821 , https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-019-09468-x
- Description: Uses, Knowledge, and Management of the Threatened Pepper-Bark Tree (Warburgia salutaris) in Southern Mozambique.Warburgia salutaris, the pepper-bark tree, is one of the most highly valued medicinal plant species in southern Africa. Due to its popularity in folk medicine, it is overexploited in many regions and is deemed threatened throughout its range. We identified cultural and social drivers of use, compared knowledge distribution, determined management practices, and explored local ecological knowledge related to the species in the Lebombo Mountains, Tembe River, and Futi Corridor areas in southern Mozambique. Stratified random, semistructured interviews were conducted (182), complemented by 17 focus group discussions in the three study areas. W. salutaris was used medicinally to treat 12 health concerns, with the bark being the most commonly used part.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
Largest reported groups for the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) found in Algoa Bay, South Africa: trends and potential drivers
- Bouveroux, Thibaut N, Caputo, Michelle, Froneman, P William, Plön, Stephanie
- Authors: Bouveroux, Thibaut N , Caputo, Michelle , Froneman, P William , Plön, Stephanie
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67913 , vital:29168 , https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12471
- Description: Publisher version , This study investigates how group size of Indo‐Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) changes temporally, spatially, and/or with predominant behavior at two discreet sites along the Eastern Cape coastline of South Africa: Algoa Bay and the Wild Coast. The mean group size of bottlenose dolphins was large with an average of 52 animals. Significantly larger groups were observed in Algoa Bay ( = 60, range = 1–600) than off the Wild Coast ( = 32.9, range = 1–250). In Algoa Bay, the mean group size increased significantly over the study period, from an average 18 animals in 2008 to 76 animals in 2016. Additionally, the largest average and maximum group sizes ever reported both in South Africa and worldwide, were recorded in Algoa Bay (maximum group size = 600). Neither season nor behavior had a significant effect on mean group size at both sites. Similarly environmental variables such as the depth and substrate type also had no influence on group size. It remains unclear which ecological drivers, such as predation risk and food availability, are leading to the large groups observed in this area, and further research on abundance and distribution of both predators and prey is necessary.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Bouveroux, Thibaut N , Caputo, Michelle , Froneman, P William , Plön, Stephanie
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67913 , vital:29168 , https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12471
- Description: Publisher version , This study investigates how group size of Indo‐Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) changes temporally, spatially, and/or with predominant behavior at two discreet sites along the Eastern Cape coastline of South Africa: Algoa Bay and the Wild Coast. The mean group size of bottlenose dolphins was large with an average of 52 animals. Significantly larger groups were observed in Algoa Bay ( = 60, range = 1–600) than off the Wild Coast ( = 32.9, range = 1–250). In Algoa Bay, the mean group size increased significantly over the study period, from an average 18 animals in 2008 to 76 animals in 2016. Additionally, the largest average and maximum group sizes ever reported both in South Africa and worldwide, were recorded in Algoa Bay (maximum group size = 600). Neither season nor behavior had a significant effect on mean group size at both sites. Similarly environmental variables such as the depth and substrate type also had no influence on group size. It remains unclear which ecological drivers, such as predation risk and food availability, are leading to the large groups observed in this area, and further research on abundance and distribution of both predators and prey is necessary.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2018
Ties that bind: the ambiguous role played by social capital in black working class first-generation South African students’ negotiation of university life
- Vincent, Louise, Hlatshwayo, M
- Authors: Vincent, Louise , Hlatshwayo, M
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141722 , vital:37999 , DOI: 10.20853/32-3-2538
- Description: In this article we examine the ambiguous role that social capital plays in first generation Black working class South African students’ negotiation of entry into an elite higher education institutional environment. First generation student experiences have a particular relevance in South Africa where student enrolment increased by 193 000 between 1993 and 2004, with many of the new entrants first-generation students. South African research on first-generation working class Black students has focused on the low proportion of these students who reach university at all and among those who do enter university, the significant number who perform poorly or drop out before completing their degrees. The role played by social capital (social networks, close friends, associations, clubs and other affiliations) in these students’ experiences of negotiating their entry into university has been little explored.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Vincent, Louise , Hlatshwayo, M
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141722 , vital:37999 , DOI: 10.20853/32-3-2538
- Description: In this article we examine the ambiguous role that social capital plays in first generation Black working class South African students’ negotiation of entry into an elite higher education institutional environment. First generation student experiences have a particular relevance in South Africa where student enrolment increased by 193 000 between 1993 and 2004, with many of the new entrants first-generation students. South African research on first-generation working class Black students has focused on the low proportion of these students who reach university at all and among those who do enter university, the significant number who perform poorly or drop out before completing their degrees. The role played by social capital (social networks, close friends, associations, clubs and other affiliations) in these students’ experiences of negotiating their entry into university has been little explored.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Towards place-based research to support social–ecological stewardship
- Cundill, Georgina, Cockburn, Jessica J, Shackleton, Sheona E
- Authors: Cundill, Georgina , Cockburn, Jessica J , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/125053 , vital:35724 , https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051434
- Description: Concerns about ecological degradation and social inequalities have prompted increasing calls for stewardship in the social–ecological systems and sustainability science literature. However, how can the ideals of stewardship be realised in practice? The links between the theory and practice of stewardship are under-developed, and research to support place-based stewardship practice is limited. We therefore bring together complementary perspectives to guide research on place-based stewardship practice in the context of multifunctional landscapes. We unpack and synthesise literature on stewardship, landscapes, and collaboration for natural resource management, and highlight the ways in which the pathways approach can deepen research on collaboration and stewardship practice. We propose landscapes as a suitable level of analysis and action for stewardship. Since all landscapes are multifunctional, we argue that collaboration among multiple stakeholders is a necessary focus of such research. Our analysis reveals that existing theory on collaboration could be deepened by further research into the agency of individual human actors, the complex social–relational dynamics among actors, and the situatedness of actors within the social–ecological context. These factors mediate collaborative processes, and a better understanding of them is needed to support place-based stewardship practice. To this end, the pathways approach offers a waymark to advance research on collaboration, particularly in the complex, contested social–ecological systems that tend to characterize multifunctional landscapes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Cundill, Georgina , Cockburn, Jessica J , Shackleton, Sheona E
- Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/125053 , vital:35724 , https://doi.org/10.3390/su10051434
- Description: Concerns about ecological degradation and social inequalities have prompted increasing calls for stewardship in the social–ecological systems and sustainability science literature. However, how can the ideals of stewardship be realised in practice? The links between the theory and practice of stewardship are under-developed, and research to support place-based stewardship practice is limited. We therefore bring together complementary perspectives to guide research on place-based stewardship practice in the context of multifunctional landscapes. We unpack and synthesise literature on stewardship, landscapes, and collaboration for natural resource management, and highlight the ways in which the pathways approach can deepen research on collaboration and stewardship practice. We propose landscapes as a suitable level of analysis and action for stewardship. Since all landscapes are multifunctional, we argue that collaboration among multiple stakeholders is a necessary focus of such research. Our analysis reveals that existing theory on collaboration could be deepened by further research into the agency of individual human actors, the complex social–relational dynamics among actors, and the situatedness of actors within the social–ecological context. These factors mediate collaborative processes, and a better understanding of them is needed to support place-based stewardship practice. To this end, the pathways approach offers a waymark to advance research on collaboration, particularly in the complex, contested social–ecological systems that tend to characterize multifunctional landscapes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Deep wounds... left... in hearts and minds: South African public history
- Authors: Wells, Julia C
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/69742 , vital:29574 , http://dx.doi.org/10.5130/phrj.v24i0.5781
- Description: Public history practise in South Africa holds out much promise of further things to come. It can close the gulf between history and heritage. This chapter argues that the role of the public historian should not be conflated with the dynamics of the heritage sector, but suggests how trained academics can indeed put their skills to work in a society that is passionately interested in understanding itself and how its pasts created the present. The student movement sharply raised the image of universities in crisis, requiring a whole new, relevant curriculum and rethinking the ways that universities relate to their publics. Public historians can work towards creating invented spaces for co-production of knowledge, moving beyond the traditional oral history interview. The divide between academia and communities is huge and needs to be constantly tackled, providing access to the secluded information of the professional world. I suggest that due to their privileged place in society, many historians have been unable or unwilling to engage with the recovery agenda – the massive need for affirmation of African identity, capacity and culture. A handful of dedicated public historians do not fit this mould and have been exemplary in rolling up their sleeves and boldly engaging with the messy complications of dealing with non-academic communities to produce new forms of historical knowledge, based on inclusiveness.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Wells, Julia C
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/69742 , vital:29574 , http://dx.doi.org/10.5130/phrj.v24i0.5781
- Description: Public history practise in South Africa holds out much promise of further things to come. It can close the gulf between history and heritage. This chapter argues that the role of the public historian should not be conflated with the dynamics of the heritage sector, but suggests how trained academics can indeed put their skills to work in a society that is passionately interested in understanding itself and how its pasts created the present. The student movement sharply raised the image of universities in crisis, requiring a whole new, relevant curriculum and rethinking the ways that universities relate to their publics. Public historians can work towards creating invented spaces for co-production of knowledge, moving beyond the traditional oral history interview. The divide between academia and communities is huge and needs to be constantly tackled, providing access to the secluded information of the professional world. I suggest that due to their privileged place in society, many historians have been unable or unwilling to engage with the recovery agenda – the massive need for affirmation of African identity, capacity and culture. A handful of dedicated public historians do not fit this mould and have been exemplary in rolling up their sleeves and boldly engaging with the messy complications of dealing with non-academic communities to produce new forms of historical knowledge, based on inclusiveness.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Intellectualisation of isiXhosa literature: the case of Jeff Opland
- Authors: Kaschula, Russell H
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67030 , vital:29022 , https://doi.org/10.17159/2309-9070/tvl.v.54i2.413
- Description: publisher version , The origins of the intellectualisation of written isiXhosa literature are often attributed to the missionaries John Ross and John Bennie. They set up a printing press in the Tyhume Valley which later became known as Lovedale Press. They introduced written isiXhosa in 1823 and for this they are acknowledged as the first to write and publish in isiXhosa. This article attempts to trace this intellectualisation process of isiXhosa literature, concentrating on a critique and assessment of the life-long work of Professor Jeff Opland, who has contributed enormously to the present understanding of both oral and written isiXhosa literature. It is argued in this article that his corpus of books and academic articles require some contextualisation within the broader debate of the continued intellectualisation of isiXhosa language and literature. Reference is also made to the Opland isiXhosa literature archive and its contribution to the further intellectualisation of isiXhosa literature. It is suggested in this article that Opland is one of the greatest contributors to academic debates concerning isiXhosa literature and history. Izibongo or oral poems written by, and about Jeff Opland are analysed to further enhance the context of his contribution.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Kaschula, Russell H
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/67030 , vital:29022 , https://doi.org/10.17159/2309-9070/tvl.v.54i2.413
- Description: publisher version , The origins of the intellectualisation of written isiXhosa literature are often attributed to the missionaries John Ross and John Bennie. They set up a printing press in the Tyhume Valley which later became known as Lovedale Press. They introduced written isiXhosa in 1823 and for this they are acknowledged as the first to write and publish in isiXhosa. This article attempts to trace this intellectualisation process of isiXhosa literature, concentrating on a critique and assessment of the life-long work of Professor Jeff Opland, who has contributed enormously to the present understanding of both oral and written isiXhosa literature. It is argued in this article that his corpus of books and academic articles require some contextualisation within the broader debate of the continued intellectualisation of isiXhosa language and literature. Reference is also made to the Opland isiXhosa literature archive and its contribution to the further intellectualisation of isiXhosa literature. It is suggested in this article that Opland is one of the greatest contributors to academic debates concerning isiXhosa literature and history. Izibongo or oral poems written by, and about Jeff Opland are analysed to further enhance the context of his contribution.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
PRIMO: an interactive homology modeling pipeline
- Hatherley, Rowan, Brown, David K, Glenister, Michael, Tastan Bishop, Özlem
- Authors: Hatherley, Rowan , Brown, David K , Glenister, Michael , Tastan Bishop, Özlem
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/148282 , vital:38726 , doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166698
- Description: The development of automated servers to predict the three-dimensional structure of proteins has seen much progress over the years. These servers make calculations simpler, but largely exclude users from the process. In this study, we present the PRotein Interactive MOdeling (PRIMO) pipeline for homology modeling of protein monomers. The pipeline eases the multi-step modeling process, and reduces the workload required by the user, while still allowing engagement from the user during every step. Default parameters are given for each step, which can either be modified or supplemented with additional external input. PRIMO has been designed for users of varying levels of experience with homology modeling. The pipeline incorporates a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to alter parameters used during modeling.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Hatherley, Rowan , Brown, David K , Glenister, Michael , Tastan Bishop, Özlem
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/148282 , vital:38726 , doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166698
- Description: The development of automated servers to predict the three-dimensional structure of proteins has seen much progress over the years. These servers make calculations simpler, but largely exclude users from the process. In this study, we present the PRotein Interactive MOdeling (PRIMO) pipeline for homology modeling of protein monomers. The pipeline eases the multi-step modeling process, and reduces the workload required by the user, while still allowing engagement from the user during every step. Default parameters are given for each step, which can either be modified or supplemented with additional external input. PRIMO has been designed for users of varying levels of experience with homology modeling. The pipeline incorporates a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to alter parameters used during modeling.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The Creolization of Political Theory and the dialectic of emancipatory thought: a plea for synthesis
- Authors: Neocosmos, M
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66076 , vital:28897 , https://doi.org/10.5195/jffp.2017.821
- Description: publisher version , The paper discusses Jane-Anna Gordon's important idea of the Creolization of Poitical Theory with reference to the work of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Frantz Fanon. It makes an argument for synthesizing this initiative with dialectical thought in order to transcend the analytical vision which gave birth to the creolizing of theory. This synthesis is proposed in order to make sense of the real of any politics of universal emancipation and to incorporate the theoretical inventions of popular actions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The Creolization of Political Theory and the dialectic of emancipatory thought: a plea for synthesis
- Authors: Neocosmos, M
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66076 , vital:28897 , https://doi.org/10.5195/jffp.2017.821
- Description: publisher version , The paper discusses Jane-Anna Gordon's important idea of the Creolization of Poitical Theory with reference to the work of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Frantz Fanon. It makes an argument for synthesizing this initiative with dialectical thought in order to transcend the analytical vision which gave birth to the creolizing of theory. This synthesis is proposed in order to make sense of the real of any politics of universal emancipation and to incorporate the theoretical inventions of popular actions.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The thin edge of the wedge: ukuthwala, alienation and consent
- Mwambene, Lea, Kruuse, Helen
- Authors: Mwambene, Lea , Kruuse, Helen
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/129165 , vital:36226 , https://doi.org/10.1080/02587203.2017.1303902
- Description: Ukuthwala, a mock abduction of a girl for the purpose of a customary marriage, has been subject to debate at both local and national level. This debate culminated into a South African Law Reform Commission Report on the practice of ukuthwala. However, the case of Jezile v S brings theory into reality, putting in stark relief the issues that surround this custom in a constitutional democracy. The Jezile case highlights the disjuncture between communities’ lived realities and the constitutional imperatives of the right to practice one’s culture, as well as the rights to equality and dignity, specifically for women and the girl child in the context of ukuthwala. Based on field research conducted in September 2015 and April 2016 in Engcobo (where the ukuthwala was alleged to take place in Jezile), this article sets out the community’s views in the aftermath of the case. Highlighting the alienation of the community from the law, and the complexities in understanding consent, the article posits that much more needs to be done from the ‘bottom up’ to ensure gender equality and protection of the girl child from harm.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Mwambene, Lea , Kruuse, Helen
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/129165 , vital:36226 , https://doi.org/10.1080/02587203.2017.1303902
- Description: Ukuthwala, a mock abduction of a girl for the purpose of a customary marriage, has been subject to debate at both local and national level. This debate culminated into a South African Law Reform Commission Report on the practice of ukuthwala. However, the case of Jezile v S brings theory into reality, putting in stark relief the issues that surround this custom in a constitutional democracy. The Jezile case highlights the disjuncture between communities’ lived realities and the constitutional imperatives of the right to practice one’s culture, as well as the rights to equality and dignity, specifically for women and the girl child in the context of ukuthwala. Based on field research conducted in September 2015 and April 2016 in Engcobo (where the ukuthwala was alleged to take place in Jezile), this article sets out the community’s views in the aftermath of the case. Highlighting the alienation of the community from the law, and the complexities in understanding consent, the article posits that much more needs to be done from the ‘bottom up’ to ensure gender equality and protection of the girl child from harm.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Changing practices, changing values?: a Bernsteinian analysis of knowledge production and knowledge exchange in two UK universities
- Little, Brenda, Abbas, Andrea, Singh, Mala
- Authors: Little, Brenda , Abbas, Andrea , Singh, Mala
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66934 , vital:29002 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7369-0_8
- Description: publisher version , Bernstein’s concept of classification and framing links notions of knowledge, democracy and social justice, providing a perspective from which to address critical questions of what knowledge is produced, who has access to it, and how knowledge is distributed. Bernstein’s conceptual framework is used to inform an analysis of national policies steering knowledge production and knowledge transfer in the UK, and the changing practices and values associated with knowledge production and knowledge transfer in two UK institutional case study universities. The analysis reveals how reputational and financial consequences of the formal assessment of research quality interacts with the institutional and disciplinary contexts of research units to differently shape what knowledge is valued and produced, and with whom it is shared. Five discursive areas, each involving a complex set of classifications (power) and framings (control) are identified, namely: the national research assessment framework; the economic value of research; discourses of social and academic values; academic freedoms; and mixed-discipline research and the interdisciplinary nature of real world problems. Though competing and sometimes contradictory values seem to underlie academics’ knowledge work, it seems that the strong framing for knowledge production and knowledge exchange provided by national policies steers staff efforts towards economised codes of knowledge. The conclusion suggests that such a strong steer does not value social transformation in all its diverse non-economistic dimensions and limits universities’ potential to transform societies to further social justice.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Little, Brenda , Abbas, Andrea , Singh, Mala
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66934 , vital:29002 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-7369-0_8
- Description: publisher version , Bernstein’s concept of classification and framing links notions of knowledge, democracy and social justice, providing a perspective from which to address critical questions of what knowledge is produced, who has access to it, and how knowledge is distributed. Bernstein’s conceptual framework is used to inform an analysis of national policies steering knowledge production and knowledge transfer in the UK, and the changing practices and values associated with knowledge production and knowledge transfer in two UK institutional case study universities. The analysis reveals how reputational and financial consequences of the formal assessment of research quality interacts with the institutional and disciplinary contexts of research units to differently shape what knowledge is valued and produced, and with whom it is shared. Five discursive areas, each involving a complex set of classifications (power) and framings (control) are identified, namely: the national research assessment framework; the economic value of research; discourses of social and academic values; academic freedoms; and mixed-discipline research and the interdisciplinary nature of real world problems. Though competing and sometimes contradictory values seem to underlie academics’ knowledge work, it seems that the strong framing for knowledge production and knowledge exchange provided by national policies steers staff efforts towards economised codes of knowledge. The conclusion suggests that such a strong steer does not value social transformation in all its diverse non-economistic dimensions and limits universities’ potential to transform societies to further social justice.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2016
Post-apartheid nostalgia and the sadomasochistic pleasures of archival art:
- Authors: Nsele, Zamansele
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/145598 , vital:38450 , DOI : 10.4314/eia.v43i3.6
- Description: The burgeoning genre of archival art practice in post-apartheid South Africa has catalysed the evocation of nostalgia in abundance. The archive has been at the centre of numerous exhibitions in contemporary art. This paper explores the meaning of an emerging nostalgic turn in post-apartheid South Africa. The discussion considers the pleasure afforded by the sentimentality underpinning nostalgia and attends to the manner in which nostalgia coheres with the creative and aesthetic techniques of archival art. Scopophilia and the covert function of the sadomasochistic gaze are outlined. It is suggested that such acts of retrieval and repetition generally override ethical considerations in part because they unfold from the realm of the unconscious. The paper draws on psychoanalysis by way of Frantz Fanon.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Nsele, Zamansele
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/145598 , vital:38450 , DOI : 10.4314/eia.v43i3.6
- Description: The burgeoning genre of archival art practice in post-apartheid South Africa has catalysed the evocation of nostalgia in abundance. The archive has been at the centre of numerous exhibitions in contemporary art. This paper explores the meaning of an emerging nostalgic turn in post-apartheid South Africa. The discussion considers the pleasure afforded by the sentimentality underpinning nostalgia and attends to the manner in which nostalgia coheres with the creative and aesthetic techniques of archival art. Scopophilia and the covert function of the sadomasochistic gaze are outlined. It is suggested that such acts of retrieval and repetition generally override ethical considerations in part because they unfold from the realm of the unconscious. The paper draws on psychoanalysis by way of Frantz Fanon.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Responding to poverty in the light of the post-development debate: Some insights from the NGO Enda Graf Sahel
- Authors: Matthews, Sally
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/142487 , vital:38084 , https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ad/article/view/135799
- Description: How can we take on board the many valuable insights of post-development theory without seeming to advocate indifference and inaction in the face of the misery that many people in the world experience daily? In this paper, I provide a partial response to this question. I begin by looking at some of the alternative strategies offered in post-development literature and set out to show that while there are several problems with these alternatives, to read post-development theory as advocating indifference or inaction is to read it uncharitably. Secondly, I draw on the experiences of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Enda Graf Sahel in Dakar, Senegal to suggest some ways in which the insights of post-development theory, or some versions of post-development theory, can be taken into consideration without leading to inaction or indifference in the face of the suffering of those who occupy a less advantaged position in contemporary relations of power and privilege.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Matthews, Sally
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/142487 , vital:38084 , https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ad/article/view/135799
- Description: How can we take on board the many valuable insights of post-development theory without seeming to advocate indifference and inaction in the face of the misery that many people in the world experience daily? In this paper, I provide a partial response to this question. I begin by looking at some of the alternative strategies offered in post-development literature and set out to show that while there are several problems with these alternatives, to read post-development theory as advocating indifference or inaction is to read it uncharitably. Secondly, I draw on the experiences of the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Enda Graf Sahel in Dakar, Senegal to suggest some ways in which the insights of post-development theory, or some versions of post-development theory, can be taken into consideration without leading to inaction or indifference in the face of the suffering of those who occupy a less advantaged position in contemporary relations of power and privilege.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Ways of belonging: meanings of “Nature” among Xhosa-speaking township residents in South Africa
- Cocks, Michelle L, Alexander, Jamie K, Mogano, Lydia, Vetter, Susan M
- Authors: Cocks, Michelle L , Alexander, Jamie K , Mogano, Lydia , Vetter, Susan M
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66021 , vital:28877 , https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-36.4.820
- Description: publisher version , The concept of biocultural diversity, originally used to describe indigenous people and their ways of using and managing natural resources, has more recently been applied within the urban context to understand the variability of interactions between humans and nature. Significant progress has been made internationally in acknowledging the need to preserve and maintain green spaces in urban environments. Current efforts to address the need for greening urban areas in South Africa primarily focus on the establishment and maintenance of botanical gardens and parks as well as various green belts within the urban landscape. South Africa's urban areas are overwhelmingly shaped by the historical segregation of space and stark disparities in wealth. The distribution, quality, and extent of urban green spaces reflect this. Many township dwellers do not have access to these amenities and their interactions with nature are thus usually constrained to access to municipal commonages. This article explores how areas of natural vegetation in municipal commonages on the outskirts of urban centers in South Africa continue to offer places of cultural, spiritual, and restorative importance to Xhosa-speaking township dwellers. A case study from Grahamstown, an urban center in the Eastern Cape with a population of around 80,000, illustrates how ability to access and move through such places contributes to people's well-being, identity formation, and shared heritage. A case is made for adopting a biocultural diversity approach to spatial planning and urban development within the South African context.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Cocks, Michelle L , Alexander, Jamie K , Mogano, Lydia , Vetter, Susan M
- Date: 2016
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66021 , vital:28877 , https://doi.org/10.2993/0278-0771-36.4.820
- Description: publisher version , The concept of biocultural diversity, originally used to describe indigenous people and their ways of using and managing natural resources, has more recently been applied within the urban context to understand the variability of interactions between humans and nature. Significant progress has been made internationally in acknowledging the need to preserve and maintain green spaces in urban environments. Current efforts to address the need for greening urban areas in South Africa primarily focus on the establishment and maintenance of botanical gardens and parks as well as various green belts within the urban landscape. South Africa's urban areas are overwhelmingly shaped by the historical segregation of space and stark disparities in wealth. The distribution, quality, and extent of urban green spaces reflect this. Many township dwellers do not have access to these amenities and their interactions with nature are thus usually constrained to access to municipal commonages. This article explores how areas of natural vegetation in municipal commonages on the outskirts of urban centers in South Africa continue to offer places of cultural, spiritual, and restorative importance to Xhosa-speaking township dwellers. A case study from Grahamstown, an urban center in the Eastern Cape with a population of around 80,000, illustrates how ability to access and move through such places contributes to people's well-being, identity formation, and shared heritage. A case is made for adopting a biocultural diversity approach to spatial planning and urban development within the South African context.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2016