The aesthetics of hegemony: a speculative design proposal exploring the convergence of surveillance capitalism and brain-computer interface technologies in the future
- Authors: Davies, James Tibbott
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54417 , vital:46517
- Description: This study examines the power dynamics of surveillance capitalism, and its role in shaping cultural hegemony. The research was expressed using graphic design to illustrate a (potential) future where Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) and surveillance capitalism converge. The critique focused on Google and Facebook’s hegemony in the data-surveillance marketplace and what role this has in shaping global discourse. Both companies are funding the development of BCIs, with the aim of using brain signals as a means of interacting with the digital world, which would give the two biggest advertising companies in the world access to new sources of data. A speculative design framework was utilized to visually question the societal implications of this emerging technology and the funding behind its development. A theoretical investigation of the concepts underpinning critical theory and critical design was conducted to help clarify and critically inform this methodological approach, promoting the use of practice-based design as a critically reflective investigative tool. The resulting artefacts designed using this process were showcased in the form of a website and video that act as a visual embodiment the research, demonstrating the efficacy of this approach and the value of using communication design as a mechanism to question the status quo. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Visual and Performing Arts, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Davies, James Tibbott
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54417 , vital:46517
- Description: This study examines the power dynamics of surveillance capitalism, and its role in shaping cultural hegemony. The research was expressed using graphic design to illustrate a (potential) future where Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) and surveillance capitalism converge. The critique focused on Google and Facebook’s hegemony in the data-surveillance marketplace and what role this has in shaping global discourse. Both companies are funding the development of BCIs, with the aim of using brain signals as a means of interacting with the digital world, which would give the two biggest advertising companies in the world access to new sources of data. A speculative design framework was utilized to visually question the societal implications of this emerging technology and the funding behind its development. A theoretical investigation of the concepts underpinning critical theory and critical design was conducted to help clarify and critically inform this methodological approach, promoting the use of practice-based design as a critically reflective investigative tool. The resulting artefacts designed using this process were showcased in the form of a website and video that act as a visual embodiment the research, demonstrating the efficacy of this approach and the value of using communication design as a mechanism to question the status quo. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Visual and Performing Arts, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The benefits of community music on individuals in Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Rossouw, Carolyn
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54552 , vital:46703
- Description: Countless research studies have outlined the benefits of Community Music engagement. Community Music is a global phenomenon that offers benefits to and across both international and national music projects. There are many forms of Community Music, including choral groups, instrumentalists, bands, and other ensembles. A variety of reasons or perspectives exist as to why participants engage in Community Music activities, such as the benefits that they gain when engaging in a project and/or the experiences of learning music in a social context. Characteristics of Community Music entail voluntary participation for individuals from all walks of life (e.g., those of high or low socio-economic standing, different races, and/or different levels of mental and/or emotional well-being). This study investigated three Community Music projects that take place at three different churches in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The Community Music projects described in this study were different to those that are usually described in academic studies in so far as they are not aimed at social reform, social intervention, creative possibilities, or self-expression. Instead, this study focussed on investigating Community Music in Port Elizabeth based purely on creative possibilities and self-expression in order to better understand the benefits it can have on the individuals and community taking part therein. The Community Music projects described in this study involve both adult and youth participants and all fall under ‘church music’. Specifically, the projects consist of an adult church choir, a youth worship band, and an instrumental ensemble. In this qualitative study, a multiple case study approach was adopted, and data were gathered through observations, unstructured interviews, and both audio-visual and written materials. Themes emerged from the study that have been categorised as follows: social benefits, well-being benefits, spiritual benefits, musical skills development benefits, and leadership benefits. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Visual and Performing Arts, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Rossouw, Carolyn
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Port Elizabeth (South Africa) , Eastern Cape (South Africa) , South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54552 , vital:46703
- Description: Countless research studies have outlined the benefits of Community Music engagement. Community Music is a global phenomenon that offers benefits to and across both international and national music projects. There are many forms of Community Music, including choral groups, instrumentalists, bands, and other ensembles. A variety of reasons or perspectives exist as to why participants engage in Community Music activities, such as the benefits that they gain when engaging in a project and/or the experiences of learning music in a social context. Characteristics of Community Music entail voluntary participation for individuals from all walks of life (e.g., those of high or low socio-economic standing, different races, and/or different levels of mental and/or emotional well-being). This study investigated three Community Music projects that take place at three different churches in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The Community Music projects described in this study were different to those that are usually described in academic studies in so far as they are not aimed at social reform, social intervention, creative possibilities, or self-expression. Instead, this study focussed on investigating Community Music in Port Elizabeth based purely on creative possibilities and self-expression in order to better understand the benefits it can have on the individuals and community taking part therein. The Community Music projects described in this study involve both adult and youth participants and all fall under ‘church music’. Specifically, the projects consist of an adult church choir, a youth worship band, and an instrumental ensemble. In this qualitative study, a multiple case study approach was adopted, and data were gathered through observations, unstructured interviews, and both audio-visual and written materials. Themes emerged from the study that have been categorised as follows: social benefits, well-being benefits, spiritual benefits, musical skills development benefits, and leadership benefits. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Visual and Performing Arts, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The challenges and survival strategies for SMME’s in Nelson Mandela Metro during Covid19
- Authors: Faltein, Nelisa
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Business enterprises, Black -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53733 , vital:45721
- Description: Throughout history entrepreneurship has played an integral part in society. It improves standard of living, develops new markets, and puts ideas into effect while fostering economic growth and job creation. Over the recent years, the countries around the world have experienced unprecedented economic meltdowns. Economic events and prospects in industrialised countries like Europe, Asia, and America have a direct and immediate impact on developing countries, particularly Africa. Positive economic growth of Africa's key trading partners has a direct impact on the continent's economy. Africa's key trading partners' negative economic growth has unfavourable effects for the continent's economy. This was recently further exposed and exacerbated by the novel Corona virus pandemic. The worldwide economic crises have resulted in global financial melt downs, volatile exchange rates, fluctuating steel prices, soaring labour costs, and more importantly competitiveness in markets. In South Africa this has contributed to very high rates of youth unemployment, stagnant economic growth, volatile socio-economic environment, and high failure of small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) amongst other factors. South African SMMEs have been identified as key role players and drivers for job creation; the industry already absorbs most of the employed population. They are a potential mechanism for creation of new and sustainable employment opportunities. Furthermore, they contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country yet experience a high failure rate. A successful enterprise has a massive social impact and economic contribution in a country. It is therefore indisputable that the field of entrepreneurship has received immense academic interest. The current Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous socio-economic environment necessitates strategies that are aimed at the growth, innovativeness, adaptability, and agility of entrepreneurs and SMMEs. This will enable them to reach their full potential and effectively deliver on job creation and economic growth. The purpose of this research treatise is to develop a development framework for SMMEs and entrepreneurs in the Nelson Mandela Metro. This was achieved by applying academic insights and an extensive literature review on personality traits of entrepreneurs, the internal and external environment, and their contribution to the success of entrepreneurial ventures, which has led to the development of research propositions. The study is quantitative research on 45 SMMEs from the Nelson Mandela Metro. It contributes positively to the academic field of entrepreneurship, SMMEs and to the existing academic body of knowledge with a positive contribution on entrepreneurial traits, business development, strategy formulation and strategy implementation. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Faltein, Nelisa
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Business enterprises, Black -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- -- Economic aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53733 , vital:45721
- Description: Throughout history entrepreneurship has played an integral part in society. It improves standard of living, develops new markets, and puts ideas into effect while fostering economic growth and job creation. Over the recent years, the countries around the world have experienced unprecedented economic meltdowns. Economic events and prospects in industrialised countries like Europe, Asia, and America have a direct and immediate impact on developing countries, particularly Africa. Positive economic growth of Africa's key trading partners has a direct impact on the continent's economy. Africa's key trading partners' negative economic growth has unfavourable effects for the continent's economy. This was recently further exposed and exacerbated by the novel Corona virus pandemic. The worldwide economic crises have resulted in global financial melt downs, volatile exchange rates, fluctuating steel prices, soaring labour costs, and more importantly competitiveness in markets. In South Africa this has contributed to very high rates of youth unemployment, stagnant economic growth, volatile socio-economic environment, and high failure of small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) amongst other factors. South African SMMEs have been identified as key role players and drivers for job creation; the industry already absorbs most of the employed population. They are a potential mechanism for creation of new and sustainable employment opportunities. Furthermore, they contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country yet experience a high failure rate. A successful enterprise has a massive social impact and economic contribution in a country. It is therefore indisputable that the field of entrepreneurship has received immense academic interest. The current Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous socio-economic environment necessitates strategies that are aimed at the growth, innovativeness, adaptability, and agility of entrepreneurs and SMMEs. This will enable them to reach their full potential and effectively deliver on job creation and economic growth. The purpose of this research treatise is to develop a development framework for SMMEs and entrepreneurs in the Nelson Mandela Metro. This was achieved by applying academic insights and an extensive literature review on personality traits of entrepreneurs, the internal and external environment, and their contribution to the success of entrepreneurial ventures, which has led to the development of research propositions. The study is quantitative research on 45 SMMEs from the Nelson Mandela Metro. It contributes positively to the academic field of entrepreneurship, SMMEs and to the existing academic body of knowledge with a positive contribution on entrepreneurial traits, business development, strategy formulation and strategy implementation. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The contribution of urban agriculture to food sovereignty and household food security in Lingelihle
- Authors: Buso, Lelethu
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Food security -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Food sovereignty -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Urban agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53834 , vital:46005
- Description: Most urban households in South Africa are food insecure even though poor households spend 60–80% of their income on food. Most of these households are low-income households who depend on social grants and whose main source of food are markets. This research assessed the contribution of urban agriculture to food sovereignty and household food security in Lingelihle Township, Cradock, in the Chris Hani district, South Africa. The research data were collected both from households that practise farming in Lingelihle Township and those that do not. The study used Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) methods such as observation, transect walks, resource mapping, food consumption diaries, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews to collect data. The research findings revealed that urban agriculture has the potential to contribute to achieving food sovereignty and household food security. The comparison between households that farm and households that do not farm proved that households that farm are more food secure and have more disposable income than households that do not farm. The study offers recommendations on how urban agriculture can be supported to contribute to household food security and food sovereignty. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Buso, Lelethu
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Food security -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Food sovereignty -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Urban agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53834 , vital:46005
- Description: Most urban households in South Africa are food insecure even though poor households spend 60–80% of their income on food. Most of these households are low-income households who depend on social grants and whose main source of food are markets. This research assessed the contribution of urban agriculture to food sovereignty and household food security in Lingelihle Township, Cradock, in the Chris Hani district, South Africa. The research data were collected both from households that practise farming in Lingelihle Township and those that do not. The study used Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) methods such as observation, transect walks, resource mapping, food consumption diaries, focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews to collect data. The research findings revealed that urban agriculture has the potential to contribute to achieving food sovereignty and household food security. The comparison between households that farm and households that do not farm proved that households that farm are more food secure and have more disposable income than households that do not farm. The study offers recommendations on how urban agriculture can be supported to contribute to household food security and food sovereignty. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The design of a community sports centre in Alexandra township, Johannesburg
- Authors: Makhele, Busang
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Sports facilities --South Africa – Alexandra -- Designs and plans , Recreation centers -- South Africa –Johannesburg
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58666 , vital:59978
- Description: The post-apartheid city is an unfinished product. It is simultaneously being made and unmade. South African urban environments reinforce and reflect urban segregation and inequality. They are characterised by the remanence of the apartheid city defined by sprawl, placelessness and monotony. Nowhere else has this reality been truer and more visible than in township settlements. Townships settlements are the polar opposite of suburbia. They are typically situated on the outskirts of urban environments with unpleasant living conditions characterised by the lack of public facilities and spaces, adequate resources and under-utilised left-over space. The poor urban conditions in township settlements is where this treatise has decided to position itself. The treatise will use both primary and secondary data resources collected from site visits, observations made, analytical maps and diagrams. The secondary data, includes books, precedent studies, articles and academic journals. The findings indicate that in order for the design intervention to be appropriate and successful, it is important that principles which improve urban qualities and a sense of place and belonging are engaged with and understood, in order to cater to the needs of the community. In conclusion, the intention of this treatise is to design a Community Sports Centre in Alexandra Township, Johannesburg as a means of improving the urban quality by restructuring and reframing public and community space in the township. , Thesis (MArch) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Makhele, Busang
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Sports facilities --South Africa – Alexandra -- Designs and plans , Recreation centers -- South Africa –Johannesburg
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58666 , vital:59978
- Description: The post-apartheid city is an unfinished product. It is simultaneously being made and unmade. South African urban environments reinforce and reflect urban segregation and inequality. They are characterised by the remanence of the apartheid city defined by sprawl, placelessness and monotony. Nowhere else has this reality been truer and more visible than in township settlements. Townships settlements are the polar opposite of suburbia. They are typically situated on the outskirts of urban environments with unpleasant living conditions characterised by the lack of public facilities and spaces, adequate resources and under-utilised left-over space. The poor urban conditions in township settlements is where this treatise has decided to position itself. The treatise will use both primary and secondary data resources collected from site visits, observations made, analytical maps and diagrams. The secondary data, includes books, precedent studies, articles and academic journals. The findings indicate that in order for the design intervention to be appropriate and successful, it is important that principles which improve urban qualities and a sense of place and belonging are engaged with and understood, in order to cater to the needs of the community. In conclusion, the intention of this treatise is to design a Community Sports Centre in Alexandra Township, Johannesburg as a means of improving the urban quality by restructuring and reframing public and community space in the township. , Thesis (MArch) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The design of a football Academy in Gelvandale, Gqeberha: Sports as a tool for social intergration
- Authors: Sauls,Eldridge
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Sports facilities --South Africa-- Port Elizabeth -- Designs and plans , City planning--South Africa --Port Elizabeth -- Gelvandale
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58628 , vital:59969
- Description: In South African townships, youth from disadvantaged groups, lack suf ficient social and sporting facilities to spend their time. This situation exists in the Gelvandale township of Gqeberha. This treatise unfolds through the author’s interest in Gelvandale out of concern for how poorly the sense of urban space is, within the township context. The treatise will explore the nature of Gelvandale from a macro scale towards a precinct scale regarding connectivity, location, spatial organi sation, activities, the built fabric, and socio-economic conditions. Through exploration, it was identified that Gelvandale functions as an enclaved system within the context of Gqeberha. The issues affecting Gelvandale were identified as the dispersal of activities, urban sprawl, fragmentation, and lack of urban legibility. It was identified that dispersed activities are one of the major contribu tors to the poor urban environment. This treatise investigates the significance of a football academy in Gel vandale, and how it could have an influence on society and the built form. Addressing this issue will be an effective way to improve the ur ban environment, to provide an urban and architectural response in an attempt to reduce the dispersal activities in Gelvandale. Through the exploration of the nature of dispersed activities in Gelvandale, it was observed that most activities are dispersed throughout Gelvandale, indicating that there are areas with a higher cluster of certain activities. In response, a pro posed strategy had been conceptualised to propose the consolidation of activities that are connected through pedestrian movement paths. Gelvandale had been identified as having a high intensity of sporting facilities and is therefore been proposed as a concentrated facility for recreational and sporting activities. An appropriate site was then selected for the proposed devel opment. The resultant outcome of the program was a Football Academy. The conclusion was based on the conceptual urban strategy and the needs of the community. It was established that the facility should function as a major structural element in Gelvandale, leading to the investigation of positive urban spaces through the in terrogation of precedents. The cues from the interrogation were used to assist in structuring the nature of the proposed facility responding to the public realm and its urban and architectural issues. , Thesis (MArch) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Sauls,Eldridge
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Sports facilities --South Africa-- Port Elizabeth -- Designs and plans , City planning--South Africa --Port Elizabeth -- Gelvandale
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58628 , vital:59969
- Description: In South African townships, youth from disadvantaged groups, lack suf ficient social and sporting facilities to spend their time. This situation exists in the Gelvandale township of Gqeberha. This treatise unfolds through the author’s interest in Gelvandale out of concern for how poorly the sense of urban space is, within the township context. The treatise will explore the nature of Gelvandale from a macro scale towards a precinct scale regarding connectivity, location, spatial organi sation, activities, the built fabric, and socio-economic conditions. Through exploration, it was identified that Gelvandale functions as an enclaved system within the context of Gqeberha. The issues affecting Gelvandale were identified as the dispersal of activities, urban sprawl, fragmentation, and lack of urban legibility. It was identified that dispersed activities are one of the major contribu tors to the poor urban environment. This treatise investigates the significance of a football academy in Gel vandale, and how it could have an influence on society and the built form. Addressing this issue will be an effective way to improve the ur ban environment, to provide an urban and architectural response in an attempt to reduce the dispersal activities in Gelvandale. Through the exploration of the nature of dispersed activities in Gelvandale, it was observed that most activities are dispersed throughout Gelvandale, indicating that there are areas with a higher cluster of certain activities. In response, a pro posed strategy had been conceptualised to propose the consolidation of activities that are connected through pedestrian movement paths. Gelvandale had been identified as having a high intensity of sporting facilities and is therefore been proposed as a concentrated facility for recreational and sporting activities. An appropriate site was then selected for the proposed devel opment. The resultant outcome of the program was a Football Academy. The conclusion was based on the conceptual urban strategy and the needs of the community. It was established that the facility should function as a major structural element in Gelvandale, leading to the investigation of positive urban spaces through the in terrogation of precedents. The cues from the interrogation were used to assist in structuring the nature of the proposed facility responding to the public realm and its urban and architectural issues. , Thesis (MArch) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The design of a forensic psychiatric facility in George, Western Cape
- Authors: Swanpoel, Keila
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Mental health facilities -- South Africa -- Designs and plans , Mental health facilities-- South Africa--Designs and plans
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58585 , vital:59934
- Description: This study proposes a 21st-century asylum for the criminally insane where the aim of the study is to investigate the interface between mental health and the criminal justice system sectors and how architectural design can have an influence on the psychological reaction of patients in the built environment. The problem faced with criminally insane people is that they do not al - ways have the ideal environment to go to when they seek help. Criminally insane patients used to be housed in asylums with inhumane living con - ditions. Basic research is done to achieve a theoretical solution for the problem being faced and applied research is conducted to solve the problem on a practical level by developing techniques to initiate a project on a technical and practical level. Through the design, a safe sanctuary and an ideal environment for the mentally placeless in society for long-term stay, should be achieved. These patients who cannot live a normal daily life on their own without help and treatment, while there is a need for a form of incarceration on a humane level, where they can feel part of society and that their built environment can make a difference. , Thesis (MArch)-- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Swanpoel, Keila
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Mental health facilities -- South Africa -- Designs and plans , Mental health facilities-- South Africa--Designs and plans
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58585 , vital:59934
- Description: This study proposes a 21st-century asylum for the criminally insane where the aim of the study is to investigate the interface between mental health and the criminal justice system sectors and how architectural design can have an influence on the psychological reaction of patients in the built environment. The problem faced with criminally insane people is that they do not al - ways have the ideal environment to go to when they seek help. Criminally insane patients used to be housed in asylums with inhumane living con - ditions. Basic research is done to achieve a theoretical solution for the problem being faced and applied research is conducted to solve the problem on a practical level by developing techniques to initiate a project on a technical and practical level. Through the design, a safe sanctuary and an ideal environment for the mentally placeless in society for long-term stay, should be achieved. These patients who cannot live a normal daily life on their own without help and treatment, while there is a need for a form of incarceration on a humane level, where they can feel part of society and that their built environment can make a difference. , Thesis (MArch)-- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The design of a furniture Factory in Airport Valley, Gqeberha
- Authors: Hetherington, Ian Craig
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Stores, Retail – South Africa – Walmer--Designs and plans , Furniture --Reproduction , Interior architecture – Walmer – Designs and plans
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58738 , vital:60080
- Description: We are slowly destroying our planet. By now, it is understood that humanity cannot continue with a system of production that continuously converts our finite supply of usable materials into unusable waste. In South Africa, the majority of our waste disappears into landfills but a certain percentage of this waste finds new life. e in the informal and economically repressed communities that have been driven to using this waste out of economic necessity. This treatise aims to explore the potential to provide a dignified built environment through a regenerative architecture that employs tectonic thinking to build with waste in an informal communityThe proposed building for this treatise is a furniture factory, based in Airport Valley, Gqeberha, that is both built from and builds with waste. A series of investigations will be conducted around the theoretical discourse of waste and tectonics in architecture, the nature of productive buildings, the coontext within which the factory will be placed, and the specific processes the factory will engage in. Culminating in the final design of a building that ccan play a socially, economically, and environmentally positive role in one of the many communities that have been left behind by the liberation movement.. , Thesis (MArch) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Hetherington, Ian Craig
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Stores, Retail – South Africa – Walmer--Designs and plans , Furniture --Reproduction , Interior architecture – Walmer – Designs and plans
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58738 , vital:60080
- Description: We are slowly destroying our planet. By now, it is understood that humanity cannot continue with a system of production that continuously converts our finite supply of usable materials into unusable waste. In South Africa, the majority of our waste disappears into landfills but a certain percentage of this waste finds new life. e in the informal and economically repressed communities that have been driven to using this waste out of economic necessity. This treatise aims to explore the potential to provide a dignified built environment through a regenerative architecture that employs tectonic thinking to build with waste in an informal communityThe proposed building for this treatise is a furniture factory, based in Airport Valley, Gqeberha, that is both built from and builds with waste. A series of investigations will be conducted around the theoretical discourse of waste and tectonics in architecture, the nature of productive buildings, the coontext within which the factory will be placed, and the specific processes the factory will engage in. Culminating in the final design of a building that ccan play a socially, economically, and environmentally positive role in one of the many communities that have been left behind by the liberation movement.. , Thesis (MArch) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The design of a new live-work residential model for low-income communities in Walmer, Gqeberha
- Authors: Megan, Hobbs
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Low-income housing --South Africa –Walmer—Designs and plans , Housing development – South Africa-- Walmer
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58716 , vital:60025
- Description: Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the South African economy and educational have changed to accommodate the national lockdown regulations. This has resulted in many South Africans to lose their jobs and work and education has moved to virtual platforms. It is recognized that the low-income households and communities would be the most disadvantages in these changes as they have limited additional space available to use as home offices and study spaces and their access to technology and internet is also limited This treatise deals with the design of a New Live-Work Residential Model as an answer to the challenges and changes in the working and academic environment as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. This project is focused on the low-income communities Walmer, Gqeberha. The aim is to develop a new Live-Work-Study Environment that is focused on providing for – and the improvement of – low-income areas. A system of residential buildings would be created that would encourage and support a Live-Work-Study Environment specifically in low-income environments in a way that it would increase their living standards in the most economical way possible and can be used as a prototype in other similar low-income environments. , Thesis (MArch) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Megan, Hobbs
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Low-income housing --South Africa –Walmer—Designs and plans , Housing development – South Africa-- Walmer
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58716 , vital:60025
- Description: Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the South African economy and educational have changed to accommodate the national lockdown regulations. This has resulted in many South Africans to lose their jobs and work and education has moved to virtual platforms. It is recognized that the low-income households and communities would be the most disadvantages in these changes as they have limited additional space available to use as home offices and study spaces and their access to technology and internet is also limited This treatise deals with the design of a New Live-Work Residential Model as an answer to the challenges and changes in the working and academic environment as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. This project is focused on the low-income communities Walmer, Gqeberha. The aim is to develop a new Live-Work-Study Environment that is focused on providing for – and the improvement of – low-income areas. A system of residential buildings would be created that would encourage and support a Live-Work-Study Environment specifically in low-income environments in a way that it would increase their living standards in the most economical way possible and can be used as a prototype in other similar low-income environments. , Thesis (MArch) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The design of a performance space for the Zip Zap Circus in the Johannesburg City Centre
- Authors: Fouche’, Daniel
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Theaters -- Designs and plans , City planning -- South Africa --Johannesburg
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58794 , vital:60122
- Description: Historically, news of a travelling circus coming to town created an atmosphere of anticipation andexcitement amongst all ages within a community. Normally the daily lives of the towns people were a monotonous routine, making the novelty and flamboyancy of the circus’s arrival an occasion to remember; the biggest day of the year showcased the greatest show on earth. Carnival processions would parade around the main streets and animate the whole town in order to gather people and subsequently lead the way to the big top tent. This spectacle brought entertainment to communities who would not normally be exposed, or have access, to environments made up of this wonder and excitement. In turn, to run away and join the circus was an attractive thought to the youth living in these mundane circumstances. Having been given a glimpse into what a theatrical life portrayed; especially self-expression and a strong community essence, the circus instilled something enchanting within the youth from otherwise difficult, diverse and indifferent backgrounds. Similarly, the UK collective Archigram, responded to the grey modernist environment with an architecture that appealed to the people through hyper-sensual events. The group imagined worlds that were both physically, or digitally, mobile; providing a moment in time in which a small village could experience events reminiscent of a city metropolis. Consequently, this treatise unpacks the popular works and research of Archigram to understand the relevance of an eccentric postmodern approach to modern-day placemaking within the Johannesburg city centre. A daily life of struggle and survival became common within the city centre as it started to see its decline in the early 80s. What was once the home of jazz, art, politics and insurgent popular aspirations now represents inner-city decay, dereliction and urban sprawl. The removal of major investments from what was the central business district has left city dwellers and their environment as victims of crime, violence and abandonment. The design of a performance space therefore aims to bring upliftment and celebration to the city through the circus ideal. The outcome is a world-class act that promotes social cohesion, creates opportunities, unlocks potential and transfers skills to the South African youth. Through proving a unique moment in time, people are given the opportunity to escape their reality and momentarily believe in a little bit of magic. , Thesis (MArch) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Fouche’, Daniel
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Theaters -- Designs and plans , City planning -- South Africa --Johannesburg
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58794 , vital:60122
- Description: Historically, news of a travelling circus coming to town created an atmosphere of anticipation andexcitement amongst all ages within a community. Normally the daily lives of the towns people were a monotonous routine, making the novelty and flamboyancy of the circus’s arrival an occasion to remember; the biggest day of the year showcased the greatest show on earth. Carnival processions would parade around the main streets and animate the whole town in order to gather people and subsequently lead the way to the big top tent. This spectacle brought entertainment to communities who would not normally be exposed, or have access, to environments made up of this wonder and excitement. In turn, to run away and join the circus was an attractive thought to the youth living in these mundane circumstances. Having been given a glimpse into what a theatrical life portrayed; especially self-expression and a strong community essence, the circus instilled something enchanting within the youth from otherwise difficult, diverse and indifferent backgrounds. Similarly, the UK collective Archigram, responded to the grey modernist environment with an architecture that appealed to the people through hyper-sensual events. The group imagined worlds that were both physically, or digitally, mobile; providing a moment in time in which a small village could experience events reminiscent of a city metropolis. Consequently, this treatise unpacks the popular works and research of Archigram to understand the relevance of an eccentric postmodern approach to modern-day placemaking within the Johannesburg city centre. A daily life of struggle and survival became common within the city centre as it started to see its decline in the early 80s. What was once the home of jazz, art, politics and insurgent popular aspirations now represents inner-city decay, dereliction and urban sprawl. The removal of major investments from what was the central business district has left city dwellers and their environment as victims of crime, violence and abandonment. The design of a performance space therefore aims to bring upliftment and celebration to the city through the circus ideal. The outcome is a world-class act that promotes social cohesion, creates opportunities, unlocks potential and transfers skills to the South African youth. Through proving a unique moment in time, people are given the opportunity to escape their reality and momentarily believe in a little bit of magic. , Thesis (MArch) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The design of a performing Arts Centre at Makana’s Kop, in Makhanda
- Authors: Zitumane, Siphosethu Asanda
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Centers for the performing arts -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Art centers -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Designs and plans
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/${Handle} , vital:59921
- Description: Nearly three decades into democracy, the South African landscape is still embed - ded with the ideologies and systems of apartheid. Separateness has come to de - fine its cartography, drawing clear lines between races. To bridge the racial divide and reconstruct the national identity, the South African government adopted the Rainbow Nation as its brand. This branding did little to address the systemic racism ingrained into its society and landscape. This treatise identifies the limits of the rainbow nation, through an investigation of the intersections between memory, identity, and place. It identifies the imbalance in the expression of certain narratives as barrier in the progression of South Africa’s nation building initiative. Attempting to find a resolution, it offers the design of a performing arts center on Makana’s Kop, Makhanda as a starting point. This archi - tectural endeavor aims to express the oppressed narratives and memories of the Makhandan community. Through exploring how these issues play out in Makhanda, Makana’s Kop is iden - tified as an appropriate site for the architectural manifestation of this treatise. The significance of the site, and its relationship with other monumental structures in this city make it a suitable place for the design of a building of this nature. The inves - tigation is led to examine the architectural and theoretical principles that will ad - opted to aid in making this a successful architectural resolution to the issues iden - tified; which are firstly the need for an architecture to symbolize democracy and the new South African Identity and secondly the need for a container for culture and art for the Makana’s Kop community. The treatise, and thus the the endeavor, is concluded with a presentation and analysis of the final architectural product and the design and technical strategies that were implemented. , Thesis (MArch (Professional) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology ,School of Architecture 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Zitumane, Siphosethu Asanda
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Centers for the performing arts -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Art centers -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Designs and plans
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/${Handle} , vital:59921
- Description: Nearly three decades into democracy, the South African landscape is still embed - ded with the ideologies and systems of apartheid. Separateness has come to de - fine its cartography, drawing clear lines between races. To bridge the racial divide and reconstruct the national identity, the South African government adopted the Rainbow Nation as its brand. This branding did little to address the systemic racism ingrained into its society and landscape. This treatise identifies the limits of the rainbow nation, through an investigation of the intersections between memory, identity, and place. It identifies the imbalance in the expression of certain narratives as barrier in the progression of South Africa’s nation building initiative. Attempting to find a resolution, it offers the design of a performing arts center on Makana’s Kop, Makhanda as a starting point. This archi - tectural endeavor aims to express the oppressed narratives and memories of the Makhandan community. Through exploring how these issues play out in Makhanda, Makana’s Kop is iden - tified as an appropriate site for the architectural manifestation of this treatise. The significance of the site, and its relationship with other monumental structures in this city make it a suitable place for the design of a building of this nature. The inves - tigation is led to examine the architectural and theoretical principles that will ad - opted to aid in making this a successful architectural resolution to the issues iden - tified; which are firstly the need for an architecture to symbolize democracy and the new South African Identity and secondly the need for a container for culture and art for the Makana’s Kop community. The treatise, and thus the the endeavor, is concluded with a presentation and analysis of the final architectural product and the design and technical strategies that were implemented. , Thesis (MArch (Professional) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology ,School of Architecture 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The design of a regional Archives in Swellendam, South Africa
- Authors: Steyn, Anli
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Archival materials -- Conservation and restoration -- Construction , Community centers -- South Africa -- Swellendam -- Designs and plans
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58595 , vital:59944
- Description: The treatise and proposed project deal with the creation of spaces rooted in the culture of a place, its identity, memory and meaning in the form of a contemporary regional archive and museum space for the context of Swellendam’s historical ribbon. The treatise seeks to find a strategy for a contemporary, yet regional specific, intervention in a traditional context and attempts to fulfil the creation of a place of culture, identity, meaning and memory. The methodology used for this architectural treatise is qualitative. In order to establish an appropriate building type, Swellendam's history and contextual data were analysed, at the same time, selected literature and ideas were introduced to establish the project's value set. Methods and principles are extracted and reinterpreted by the design project. Among the various works of literatures/theories reviewed in this treatise is that of Jonathan Noble, Maurice Halbwach, and Kenneth Frampton, among others. This respective literature sets the basis of the project’s value set on place and identity, memory and meaning, and tectonics and materials. The town’s rich history, morphology and nature of physical context are selected as an appropriate site. Furthermore, the treatise explores museums and archives as building types. This is done through the comparison of precedents under the light of certain issues. From this, the building type’s activities and spatial, programmatical requirements are gathered. Amid this various information collected are a set of relevant principles. Therefore, a set of principles (approach to memory, meaning and identity; heritage and conservation; extracting from the existing/vernacular/context; and approach to light) is explored and precedents are used to represent and learn from principles. This design project goes through a series of iterations to fulfil the specific architectural concerns and to create architecture specific for the context (relation to place, culture, history and site). The final design attempts to be a sensitive intervention, neutral in form, that resembles a heterogenous culture and hybridity. It aims to represent the culture of its place while being a public museum and archive facility. , Thesis (MArch) (Professional) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Steyn, Anli
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Archival materials -- Conservation and restoration -- Construction , Community centers -- South Africa -- Swellendam -- Designs and plans
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58595 , vital:59944
- Description: The treatise and proposed project deal with the creation of spaces rooted in the culture of a place, its identity, memory and meaning in the form of a contemporary regional archive and museum space for the context of Swellendam’s historical ribbon. The treatise seeks to find a strategy for a contemporary, yet regional specific, intervention in a traditional context and attempts to fulfil the creation of a place of culture, identity, meaning and memory. The methodology used for this architectural treatise is qualitative. In order to establish an appropriate building type, Swellendam's history and contextual data were analysed, at the same time, selected literature and ideas were introduced to establish the project's value set. Methods and principles are extracted and reinterpreted by the design project. Among the various works of literatures/theories reviewed in this treatise is that of Jonathan Noble, Maurice Halbwach, and Kenneth Frampton, among others. This respective literature sets the basis of the project’s value set on place and identity, memory and meaning, and tectonics and materials. The town’s rich history, morphology and nature of physical context are selected as an appropriate site. Furthermore, the treatise explores museums and archives as building types. This is done through the comparison of precedents under the light of certain issues. From this, the building type’s activities and spatial, programmatical requirements are gathered. Amid this various information collected are a set of relevant principles. Therefore, a set of principles (approach to memory, meaning and identity; heritage and conservation; extracting from the existing/vernacular/context; and approach to light) is explored and precedents are used to represent and learn from principles. This design project goes through a series of iterations to fulfil the specific architectural concerns and to create architecture specific for the context (relation to place, culture, history and site). The final design attempts to be a sensitive intervention, neutral in form, that resembles a heterogenous culture and hybridity. It aims to represent the culture of its place while being a public museum and archive facility. , Thesis (MArch) (Professional) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The design of a social incubator in Lombok, Utrecht, the Netherlands - a regeneration of 'terrain vague' space
- Authors: Holm, Alma
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Terrain vague—Netherlands – designs and plans , Landscape architecture --Netherlands
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58705 , vital:60021
- Description: ‘Terrain vague’, a collective term coined by Spanish architect Ignasi Sola-Morales, denotes the unused, forgotten spaces located in between categorised spaces and artefacts. It is an omnipresent typology found within productive structures of urban environments, yet ‘mentally exterior to them’ , in other words detached from the energies that surround them. Physically, these spaces are identified as traffic circles, parking lots, open plots, spaces underneath highways, or forgotten buildings. These spaces have a strangeness to them, the detachedness from the conventions of their surrounds gives them a sense of mobility, freedom, and liberty. This creates a perfect environment for the exploration of new ideas. Therefore, this unrealised potential makes these spaces best understood as a relationship between the absence of use, and the sense of expectancy. Mobile interconnectedness has created a transition in the way we work and live together. According to Raumlabor (2018), these new socio-cultural and economic challenges demand new types of solutions which cannot be solved by top-down monofunctional implementations (Raumlabor, 2018). According to design studio Knoll (2020) “the home has become less home, and the office type has vanished. Instead, the work space has changed into a playground where connections are made and interaction is fostered”. This socio-cultural transition creates a shift in the appropriation of space, therefore creating a demand for new types of solutions (Knoll, 2020). This treatise investigates a process of renegotiation of leftover space on Westplein in Utrecht in the Netherlands. The site is an example of ‘terrain vague’ centrally located in the city. The municipality of Utrecht has initiated a temporary intervention on Westplein run by local societies and residents of the neighbourhood Lombok. The aim of this intervention is to generate input from locals through the act of placemaking before the reconstruction of the area into a public park. Furthermore, this intervention also aims to stimulate interaction and connection between local residents as a means to negate the potential for another gentrification process. Therefore, this project is a continuation of temporary activities run by the societies Stichting Perron West, Lucrative Dumpsterdives and Pluktuin. These activities include providing flexible workspace for local residents, collaborative public art workshops, events, concerts, gardening and other activities that connect local artists with residents. This project proposes an ‘architecture a communal and continuous process’ which reflect the needs of the current users, but is capable of being adapted to the technical ability of everyone in order to fulfil the needs of the future users without the creation of waste during its transformation. The proposed typologies, namely citylab and social incubator, aim to create a platform for connection, to stimulate small scale social entrepreneurship that contributes to the creation of a better local urban environment. , Thesis (MArch) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Holm, Alma
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Terrain vague—Netherlands – designs and plans , Landscape architecture --Netherlands
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58705 , vital:60021
- Description: ‘Terrain vague’, a collective term coined by Spanish architect Ignasi Sola-Morales, denotes the unused, forgotten spaces located in between categorised spaces and artefacts. It is an omnipresent typology found within productive structures of urban environments, yet ‘mentally exterior to them’ , in other words detached from the energies that surround them. Physically, these spaces are identified as traffic circles, parking lots, open plots, spaces underneath highways, or forgotten buildings. These spaces have a strangeness to them, the detachedness from the conventions of their surrounds gives them a sense of mobility, freedom, and liberty. This creates a perfect environment for the exploration of new ideas. Therefore, this unrealised potential makes these spaces best understood as a relationship between the absence of use, and the sense of expectancy. Mobile interconnectedness has created a transition in the way we work and live together. According to Raumlabor (2018), these new socio-cultural and economic challenges demand new types of solutions which cannot be solved by top-down monofunctional implementations (Raumlabor, 2018). According to design studio Knoll (2020) “the home has become less home, and the office type has vanished. Instead, the work space has changed into a playground where connections are made and interaction is fostered”. This socio-cultural transition creates a shift in the appropriation of space, therefore creating a demand for new types of solutions (Knoll, 2020). This treatise investigates a process of renegotiation of leftover space on Westplein in Utrecht in the Netherlands. The site is an example of ‘terrain vague’ centrally located in the city. The municipality of Utrecht has initiated a temporary intervention on Westplein run by local societies and residents of the neighbourhood Lombok. The aim of this intervention is to generate input from locals through the act of placemaking before the reconstruction of the area into a public park. Furthermore, this intervention also aims to stimulate interaction and connection between local residents as a means to negate the potential for another gentrification process. Therefore, this project is a continuation of temporary activities run by the societies Stichting Perron West, Lucrative Dumpsterdives and Pluktuin. These activities include providing flexible workspace for local residents, collaborative public art workshops, events, concerts, gardening and other activities that connect local artists with residents. This project proposes an ‘architecture a communal and continuous process’ which reflect the needs of the current users, but is capable of being adapted to the technical ability of everyone in order to fulfil the needs of the future users without the creation of waste during its transformation. The proposed typologies, namely citylab and social incubator, aim to create a platform for connection, to stimulate small scale social entrepreneurship that contributes to the creation of a better local urban environment. , Thesis (MArch) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The design of a special needs school: for children affected by trauma associated with HIV and AIDS in Schauderville, Gqeberha
- Authors: Felton, Mae Sarah
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: School buildings -- Design and construction , AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Children with disabilities -- Education -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58838 , vital:60171
- Description: HIV and AIDS has been a long-standing and growing pandemic worldwide, but particularly in the context of South Africa. As a result, a pattern of trauma noticeably follows individuals, families and communities, and especially impacts on learners and their experience within the education system. Conventional school environments and buildings often become unaccommodating, harsh and overly-stimulating for learners with traumatic backgrounds and stress. Special needs schools address different disorders and conditions separately, and accommodate a variety of unique demands through teaching interventions and, more importantly, through architecture. This treatise aimed to break away from institutional and conventional architecture by applying theories on child development and architecture, the psychology of space, sensory architecture and trauma-informed design. This treatise positioned itself in empathy and wellness, with concern for the psychological experience of environments for learners, demonstrated through special needs schools, which addressed trauma associated with HIV and AIDS. Hence, this building type was explored to deinstitutionalise educational environments, to identify and address these learners’s specific needs. In realising an architectural intervention with reactive and therapeutic intent, the type of trauma and the relative experiences which triggered it needed to be understood and used to inform and shape comprehensive buildings and environments. This treatise, and the conclusions drawn from it, intended to guide and inform a principle typology and model for future projects of the same nature. As the first of its type, the special needs school location was in Gqeberha and in close proximity to Livingstone Hospital, where the HIV and AIDS cases were the highest. It was situated within the residential zone and schooling district of Schauderville, on the existing site of Adolph Schauder Primary School. The opportunities and challenges in and around this site, along with design principles based on the adopted theories informed an architectural intervention which challenged conventional schooling and design applications in favour of a more empathetic and considerate relationship between learners and architecture. , Thesis (MArch) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Felton, Mae Sarah
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: School buildings -- Design and construction , AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Children with disabilities -- Education -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58838 , vital:60171
- Description: HIV and AIDS has been a long-standing and growing pandemic worldwide, but particularly in the context of South Africa. As a result, a pattern of trauma noticeably follows individuals, families and communities, and especially impacts on learners and their experience within the education system. Conventional school environments and buildings often become unaccommodating, harsh and overly-stimulating for learners with traumatic backgrounds and stress. Special needs schools address different disorders and conditions separately, and accommodate a variety of unique demands through teaching interventions and, more importantly, through architecture. This treatise aimed to break away from institutional and conventional architecture by applying theories on child development and architecture, the psychology of space, sensory architecture and trauma-informed design. This treatise positioned itself in empathy and wellness, with concern for the psychological experience of environments for learners, demonstrated through special needs schools, which addressed trauma associated with HIV and AIDS. Hence, this building type was explored to deinstitutionalise educational environments, to identify and address these learners’s specific needs. In realising an architectural intervention with reactive and therapeutic intent, the type of trauma and the relative experiences which triggered it needed to be understood and used to inform and shape comprehensive buildings and environments. This treatise, and the conclusions drawn from it, intended to guide and inform a principle typology and model for future projects of the same nature. As the first of its type, the special needs school location was in Gqeberha and in close proximity to Livingstone Hospital, where the HIV and AIDS cases were the highest. It was situated within the residential zone and schooling district of Schauderville, on the existing site of Adolph Schauder Primary School. The opportunities and challenges in and around this site, along with design principles based on the adopted theories informed an architectural intervention which challenged conventional schooling and design applications in favour of a more empathetic and considerate relationship between learners and architecture. , Thesis (MArch) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The design of an automotive academy for Mercedes Benz in Gately, East London
- Authors: Dustan,Cameron
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Automobile factories -- South Africa -- East London -- Designs and plans , Automobiles -- Design and construction
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58860 , vital:60221
- Description: The purpose of this project is to investigate the automotive industry in East London, specifically Mercedes-Benz, in order to propose extensions of the skills development academy and exhibition spaces as an integral part of a larger campus of education. The Mercedes-Benz factory precinct in East London is one of the four largest in the world and is the biggest in Africa, creating grounds for extension. In East London, there is plenty of unemployment and many are seeking jobs in the industrial areas which are mainly automotive. Due to most of the industry being owned by Mercedes-Benz, it is crucial to engage in high levels of education and to provide opportunities for growth within the industry and expansion of skills. Students at the academy will learn different skills in the automotive manufacturing trade and will be guaranteed jobs after their studies are completed. The skills academy will form part of an educational precinct which will establish a narrative for the timeline of Mercedes-Benz. The project will hopefully provide more job opportunities and skills training for the locals of East London as well as to contribute to the economy of the automotive industry. Much like cars, industry works as a machine; there are bits and pieces that need to puzzle together in order to create a working and living machine. The automotive skills academies are exactly that for the industry, a piece of the puzzle which ensures the working of the industry as a whole, now and in the future. Without these skills academies, the automotive industry would subsequently lose its fundamental skills and knowledge base. The core concern for this treatise is the expansion of the industry by creating extensions of the Mercedes-Benz skills academy and creating a space which is educational while being a user-friendly building focused on the wellness of workers and rates of productivity to ensure maximized output and the further growth of the industry. The project is based in East London and will hold a pivotal role in the automotive industry. The treatise looks to break away from the hard industrial aspects of the industry and pull away from the static architecture of Mercedes-Benz and the surrounding buildings, to create a vibrant and experiential building with the overarching emphasis on occupational wellness and innovation in the design. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Dustan,Cameron
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Automobile factories -- South Africa -- East London -- Designs and plans , Automobiles -- Design and construction
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58860 , vital:60221
- Description: The purpose of this project is to investigate the automotive industry in East London, specifically Mercedes-Benz, in order to propose extensions of the skills development academy and exhibition spaces as an integral part of a larger campus of education. The Mercedes-Benz factory precinct in East London is one of the four largest in the world and is the biggest in Africa, creating grounds for extension. In East London, there is plenty of unemployment and many are seeking jobs in the industrial areas which are mainly automotive. Due to most of the industry being owned by Mercedes-Benz, it is crucial to engage in high levels of education and to provide opportunities for growth within the industry and expansion of skills. Students at the academy will learn different skills in the automotive manufacturing trade and will be guaranteed jobs after their studies are completed. The skills academy will form part of an educational precinct which will establish a narrative for the timeline of Mercedes-Benz. The project will hopefully provide more job opportunities and skills training for the locals of East London as well as to contribute to the economy of the automotive industry. Much like cars, industry works as a machine; there are bits and pieces that need to puzzle together in order to create a working and living machine. The automotive skills academies are exactly that for the industry, a piece of the puzzle which ensures the working of the industry as a whole, now and in the future. Without these skills academies, the automotive industry would subsequently lose its fundamental skills and knowledge base. The core concern for this treatise is the expansion of the industry by creating extensions of the Mercedes-Benz skills academy and creating a space which is educational while being a user-friendly building focused on the wellness of workers and rates of productivity to ensure maximized output and the further growth of the industry. The project is based in East London and will hold a pivotal role in the automotive industry. The treatise looks to break away from the hard industrial aspects of the industry and pull away from the static architecture of Mercedes-Benz and the surrounding buildings, to create a vibrant and experiential building with the overarching emphasis on occupational wellness and innovation in the design. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The design of an infectious disease centre of excellence for the study of infectious diseases at Livingstone Hospital, Gqeberha
- L’ange, Christopher Jonathan
- Authors: L’ange, Christopher Jonathan
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Hospital buildings –South Africa – Port Elizabeth –design and plans , Hospitals buildings –Disinfection –Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58683 , vital:59985
- Description: The COVID-19 virus showed the world how under-prepared it was to cope with a pandemic. It also raised an awareness in the world that a highly communicable disease can begin anywhere, and without proper monitoring and reporting can spread to become a global pandemic. The South African Health Department has been under significant stress and on the brink of collapse during the successive waves of the pandemic due to the lack of healthcare workers, medical doctors, infectious disease specialists and epidemiologists as well inadequate medical and clinical infrastructure. The infectious disease specialty in South Africa is also in crisis, prompting the Infectious Disease Society of South Africa to plead with the Health Department and universities to fund projects that support learning and research into infectious diseases, virology, and epidemiology. This project proposes the design of an Infectious Disease Centre of Excellence for the Study of Infectious Diseases at Livingstone Hospital, Gqeberha which focuses on the research, teaching and learning, and healing of infectious diseases in a ho listic building design incorporating biosafety research laboratories, an infectious disease ward and a centre of excellence. The methodology used was to research existing precedent studies that are focused on the research, teaching and learning, and healing of infectious diseases as well as researching a theoretical framework based on holism and systemic architec ture. This theoretical framework, coupled with a careful analysis of the relation ship of each highly specialised space with the other space components leads to the design of an Infectious Disease Centre of Excellence for the Study of Infectious Diseases which responds to the urgent need expressed above as well as providing a design which promotes the well-being of all users. The facility also enhances the Livingstone Hospital precinct. Key Words: Infectious Diseases, Laboratory, Ward, Centre of Excellence, Bio-Safe ty, Holism, Systemic. , Thesis (MArch) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: L’ange, Christopher Jonathan
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Hospital buildings –South Africa – Port Elizabeth –design and plans , Hospitals buildings –Disinfection –Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58683 , vital:59985
- Description: The COVID-19 virus showed the world how under-prepared it was to cope with a pandemic. It also raised an awareness in the world that a highly communicable disease can begin anywhere, and without proper monitoring and reporting can spread to become a global pandemic. The South African Health Department has been under significant stress and on the brink of collapse during the successive waves of the pandemic due to the lack of healthcare workers, medical doctors, infectious disease specialists and epidemiologists as well inadequate medical and clinical infrastructure. The infectious disease specialty in South Africa is also in crisis, prompting the Infectious Disease Society of South Africa to plead with the Health Department and universities to fund projects that support learning and research into infectious diseases, virology, and epidemiology. This project proposes the design of an Infectious Disease Centre of Excellence for the Study of Infectious Diseases at Livingstone Hospital, Gqeberha which focuses on the research, teaching and learning, and healing of infectious diseases in a ho listic building design incorporating biosafety research laboratories, an infectious disease ward and a centre of excellence. The methodology used was to research existing precedent studies that are focused on the research, teaching and learning, and healing of infectious diseases as well as researching a theoretical framework based on holism and systemic architec ture. This theoretical framework, coupled with a careful analysis of the relation ship of each highly specialised space with the other space components leads to the design of an Infectious Disease Centre of Excellence for the Study of Infectious Diseases which responds to the urgent need expressed above as well as providing a design which promotes the well-being of all users. The facility also enhances the Livingstone Hospital precinct. Key Words: Infectious Diseases, Laboratory, Ward, Centre of Excellence, Bio-Safe ty, Holism, Systemic. , Thesis (MArch) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The effect of technological innovation on employment: the case of manufacturing sector in South Africa
- Authors: Matjiwa, Keaobaka Onicca
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Manufacturing industries -- Technological innovations -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54058 , vital:46209
- Description: The role of technological innovation in the growth of an economy and the production of goods and services motivated this research. Technology is expected to boost production and relieve workers of the stress of doing repetitive tasks. It can also have a long-term impact on economic activity by increasing manufacturing efficiency and lowering production costs, which can be translated into lower prices for the goods and services demanded. The main objective of the study is to examine the relationship between technological innovation and employment, using a case study of the manufacturing sector in South Africa, making use of the Tobit regression model estimation technique. Annual secondary time series data spanning the period of 1970 to 2019 was employed. Earlier studies conducted in South Africa measured the relationship between employment in the manufacturing sector and technological innovation using different methodologies, including estimating procedures, model specifications and time frames. In this study the Tobit model estimation technique is utilised. The Tobit model results showed that there is a negative and significant relationship between variables used as proxies for technological innovation and employment in the manufacturing sector. That means an increase in technological innovation by 1 point will decrease employment in the manufacturing sector in South Africa by 0.52 points. Furthermore, the results reveals that there is relationship among control variables under the study. Based on the findings, the study therefore recommends that the government and policy makers formulate and adjust economic development policies that will produce the needed economic growth to secure employment in the midst of technological advancements in the manufacturing sector, through SETAs, TVETs and other Higher education institutions by interacting with the industry to develop curriculum and offer qualifications that enhance skills complementary to technological use, such as robotics, servicing of technology, software engineering, big data analytics and so forth. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Matjiwa, Keaobaka Onicca
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Manufacturing industries -- Technological innovations -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54058 , vital:46209
- Description: The role of technological innovation in the growth of an economy and the production of goods and services motivated this research. Technology is expected to boost production and relieve workers of the stress of doing repetitive tasks. It can also have a long-term impact on economic activity by increasing manufacturing efficiency and lowering production costs, which can be translated into lower prices for the goods and services demanded. The main objective of the study is to examine the relationship between technological innovation and employment, using a case study of the manufacturing sector in South Africa, making use of the Tobit regression model estimation technique. Annual secondary time series data spanning the period of 1970 to 2019 was employed. Earlier studies conducted in South Africa measured the relationship between employment in the manufacturing sector and technological innovation using different methodologies, including estimating procedures, model specifications and time frames. In this study the Tobit model estimation technique is utilised. The Tobit model results showed that there is a negative and significant relationship between variables used as proxies for technological innovation and employment in the manufacturing sector. That means an increase in technological innovation by 1 point will decrease employment in the manufacturing sector in South Africa by 0.52 points. Furthermore, the results reveals that there is relationship among control variables under the study. Based on the findings, the study therefore recommends that the government and policy makers formulate and adjust economic development policies that will produce the needed economic growth to secure employment in the midst of technological advancements in the manufacturing sector, through SETAs, TVETs and other Higher education institutions by interacting with the industry to develop curriculum and offer qualifications that enhance skills complementary to technological use, such as robotics, servicing of technology, software engineering, big data analytics and so forth. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The effectiveness of the Land Redistribution programme on women’s quality of life: A case of Buffalo City Municipality, Eastern Cape: a case of buffalo City Municipality, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Qayiso, Okuhle
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Land reform -- South Africa -- Buffalo City , Women's rights -- South Africa -- Buffalo City
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54277 , vital:46392
- Description: The land question is a highly contentious issue in post-apartheid South Africa. Land is considered as a valuable resource for sustaining the livelihoods of people yet it remains one of the most sought after and contested resource in Africa owing to her colonial past. Black South Africans were also immensely subjected to land dispossession during the colonization by the Dutch and later the British and forced land removals during the apartheid era. Although this historical context from a lens of “race" is important to note here given how it shaped the South African geography of land ownership, there is nonetheless another dimension; that of gender. The main assertion driving this study is that due to a number of contextual factors (such as women's cultural status, economic inequality and poverty), land ownership between women and men is highly unequal whereby the former owns less and is mostly marginalized from land rights. This study thus looks at the extent to which land redistribution improves the quality of life for women in Buffalo City. The land redistribution program is part of the land reform policy which is a post-apartheid design and implemented for the purpose of redressing historical land dispossession and create redistributive land equality and tenure. This study employed a qualitative approach to ‘explore’ the experiences of women who are the beneficiaries of the land redistribution program as well as the perspectives of key informants who are the officials of the Rural Development and Reform Department. The thesis used an exploratory research design which was suitable for the understanding and unpacking of women's experiences with the land redistribution program. A major finding of this study is that the women who benefited from the land redistribution program have successfully progressed from small scale subsistence farming to large scale commercial farming, significantly improving their livelihoods. Nonetheless, the lack of financial capital is a critical challenge as the land redistribution program gives access to farms that need maintenance and renewal with financial grants that are barely enough for starting up. This study therefore argues that access to land should be accompanied by access to financial resources and capacity building to empower beneficiaries to use the land and other resources effectively and efficiently. It is recommended herein that the department should give beneficiaries full ownership of the land allocated to them as opposed to the thirty- year leasehold. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Qayiso, Okuhle
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Land reform -- South Africa -- Buffalo City , Women's rights -- South Africa -- Buffalo City
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54277 , vital:46392
- Description: The land question is a highly contentious issue in post-apartheid South Africa. Land is considered as a valuable resource for sustaining the livelihoods of people yet it remains one of the most sought after and contested resource in Africa owing to her colonial past. Black South Africans were also immensely subjected to land dispossession during the colonization by the Dutch and later the British and forced land removals during the apartheid era. Although this historical context from a lens of “race" is important to note here given how it shaped the South African geography of land ownership, there is nonetheless another dimension; that of gender. The main assertion driving this study is that due to a number of contextual factors (such as women's cultural status, economic inequality and poverty), land ownership between women and men is highly unequal whereby the former owns less and is mostly marginalized from land rights. This study thus looks at the extent to which land redistribution improves the quality of life for women in Buffalo City. The land redistribution program is part of the land reform policy which is a post-apartheid design and implemented for the purpose of redressing historical land dispossession and create redistributive land equality and tenure. This study employed a qualitative approach to ‘explore’ the experiences of women who are the beneficiaries of the land redistribution program as well as the perspectives of key informants who are the officials of the Rural Development and Reform Department. The thesis used an exploratory research design which was suitable for the understanding and unpacking of women's experiences with the land redistribution program. A major finding of this study is that the women who benefited from the land redistribution program have successfully progressed from small scale subsistence farming to large scale commercial farming, significantly improving their livelihoods. Nonetheless, the lack of financial capital is a critical challenge as the land redistribution program gives access to farms that need maintenance and renewal with financial grants that are barely enough for starting up. This study therefore argues that access to land should be accompanied by access to financial resources and capacity building to empower beneficiaries to use the land and other resources effectively and efficiently. It is recommended herein that the department should give beneficiaries full ownership of the land allocated to them as opposed to the thirty- year leasehold. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The evaluation of the Joint Action Project (JAP) waste intervention in Gqeberha township
- Authors: Nqunqa, Likhona Nonopha
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54266 , vital:46387
- Description: Successful development projects are not only grounded in proper planning and implementation but also in evaluation. Numerous development projects are implemented successfully but lack evaluation. This study evaluates the Joint Action Project (JAP) waste intervention that took place in Gqeberha Township in February 2020. The intervention was designed and implemented by a group of student volunteers from Nelson Mandela University (NMU), Port Elizabeth (PE) College and Wismar University. This was a collaborative project between Development Studies, Human Settlements Development, Electrical Engineering, Communication and Design as well as Architecture students who worked together to construct a workspace for a male informal waste picker residing in Gqeberha township. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and data was collected through interviews and field observation. Although the findings of this study revealed that there were some challenges encountered by the beneficiary and the JAP team during the project implementation, the benefits of the intervention exceeded these challenges. These benefits include the improvement of the beneficiary’s livelihood and waste picking business, improvement of health and improvement of the environment surrounding the intervention site , Thesis (MADS) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Nqunqa, Likhona Nonopha
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/54266 , vital:46387
- Description: Successful development projects are not only grounded in proper planning and implementation but also in evaluation. Numerous development projects are implemented successfully but lack evaluation. This study evaluates the Joint Action Project (JAP) waste intervention that took place in Gqeberha Township in February 2020. The intervention was designed and implemented by a group of student volunteers from Nelson Mandela University (NMU), Port Elizabeth (PE) College and Wismar University. This was a collaborative project between Development Studies, Human Settlements Development, Electrical Engineering, Communication and Design as well as Architecture students who worked together to construct a workspace for a male informal waste picker residing in Gqeberha township. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and data was collected through interviews and field observation. Although the findings of this study revealed that there were some challenges encountered by the beneficiary and the JAP team during the project implementation, the benefits of the intervention exceeded these challenges. These benefits include the improvement of the beneficiary’s livelihood and waste picking business, improvement of health and improvement of the environment surrounding the intervention site , Thesis (MADS) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
The impact of COVID-19 on depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress levels in doctors and nurses at a South African health facility
- Authors: Finger-Motsepe, Kelebogile
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease) , Mental health
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/27920 , vital:70880
- Description: Introduction: The emergence of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (Covid-19) has wrought profound and enduring transformations in global health, economic dynamics, and social interactions. However, the comprehensive quantification of the psychological repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic remains elusive and is poised to compound the preexisting burden of mental health disorders within the general populace. Elevated transmission rates, rapid disease progression within vulnerable demographics, and the absence of definitive curative or preventive measures have collectively contributed to a heightened worldwide state of stress and anxiety. Extensive research has demonstrated that the apprehension and stress associated with Covid-19 are markedly pronounced among healthcare professionals, commonly referred to as front-line workers, in comparison to the general population. The Covid-19-related psychological distress is anticipated to act as a catalyst, exacerbating mental health conditions within high-risk groups. Aims and Objectives: This study endeavours to ascertain the prevalence and severity of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among medical doctors and nurses employed at a regional hospital in South Africa. Methodology: A cross-sectional investigation was conducted to evaluate the presence of anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms among medical doctors and nurses working at a Regional Hospital situated in the Free State Province of South Africa. A purposive sample of 200 participants, comprising all willing doctors and nurses employed at the study site, was enrolled in the study. Findings: The participants exhibited an average age of 42 years and an average tenure of approximately 72 months at the hospital. The majority of participants were of African descent, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:2.3. Female healthcare workers reported significantly higher instances of PTSD than their male counterparts. In the aggregate, 71.4percent of doctors reported symptoms indicative of depression, 73.2percent reported anxiety-related symptoms, and 19.6percent reported PTSD-related symptoms. Among nurses, 72percent displayed clinically significant symptoms of depression, 81percent exhibited anxiety-related symptoms, and 27.7percent manifested symptoms suggestive of PTSD. A moderately robust positive correlation was discerned between PTSD and Anxiety (p = .000; r = .466) as well as PTSD and Depression (p = .000; r = .315). Additionally, a strong positive correlation was identified between Anxiety and Depression (p = .000; r = .631). A statistically significant disparity (p = .030) in anxiety levels was observed among workers in different risk-prone areas. Nurses reported substantially higher levels of anxiety (p = .039; M = 10.63, sd = 4.03) compared to doctors (M = 9.01, sd = 3.80) and administrators (M = 10.50, sd = 4.32). Moreover, both nurses (M = 27.06, sd = 13.61) and administrators (M = 33.33, sd = 14.44) exhibited significantly higher instances of PTSD (p = .003) than doctors (M = 19.96, sd = 15.03). Conclusions: The healthcare workers under scrutiny reported elevated levels of anxiety and depression attributable to the Covid-19 pandemic, although the prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms was comparatively lower within the hospital setting. Furthermore, this study illuminates that depressive, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress symptoms were more prevalent among nurses than doctors. Additionally, healthcare professionals operating in high-risk Covid-19 environments, such as the Covid-19 ward, demonstrated heightened levels of anxiety when juxtaposed with their counterparts stationed in low-risk Covid-19 areas within the healthcare facility. , Thesis (MPH) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12
- Authors: Finger-Motsepe, Kelebogile
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease) , Mental health
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/27920 , vital:70880
- Description: Introduction: The emergence of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (Covid-19) has wrought profound and enduring transformations in global health, economic dynamics, and social interactions. However, the comprehensive quantification of the psychological repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic remains elusive and is poised to compound the preexisting burden of mental health disorders within the general populace. Elevated transmission rates, rapid disease progression within vulnerable demographics, and the absence of definitive curative or preventive measures have collectively contributed to a heightened worldwide state of stress and anxiety. Extensive research has demonstrated that the apprehension and stress associated with Covid-19 are markedly pronounced among healthcare professionals, commonly referred to as front-line workers, in comparison to the general population. The Covid-19-related psychological distress is anticipated to act as a catalyst, exacerbating mental health conditions within high-risk groups. Aims and Objectives: This study endeavours to ascertain the prevalence and severity of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among medical doctors and nurses employed at a regional hospital in South Africa. Methodology: A cross-sectional investigation was conducted to evaluate the presence of anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms among medical doctors and nurses working at a Regional Hospital situated in the Free State Province of South Africa. A purposive sample of 200 participants, comprising all willing doctors and nurses employed at the study site, was enrolled in the study. Findings: The participants exhibited an average age of 42 years and an average tenure of approximately 72 months at the hospital. The majority of participants were of African descent, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:2.3. Female healthcare workers reported significantly higher instances of PTSD than their male counterparts. In the aggregate, 71.4percent of doctors reported symptoms indicative of depression, 73.2percent reported anxiety-related symptoms, and 19.6percent reported PTSD-related symptoms. Among nurses, 72percent displayed clinically significant symptoms of depression, 81percent exhibited anxiety-related symptoms, and 27.7percent manifested symptoms suggestive of PTSD. A moderately robust positive correlation was discerned between PTSD and Anxiety (p = .000; r = .466) as well as PTSD and Depression (p = .000; r = .315). Additionally, a strong positive correlation was identified between Anxiety and Depression (p = .000; r = .631). A statistically significant disparity (p = .030) in anxiety levels was observed among workers in different risk-prone areas. Nurses reported substantially higher levels of anxiety (p = .039; M = 10.63, sd = 4.03) compared to doctors (M = 9.01, sd = 3.80) and administrators (M = 10.50, sd = 4.32). Moreover, both nurses (M = 27.06, sd = 13.61) and administrators (M = 33.33, sd = 14.44) exhibited significantly higher instances of PTSD (p = .003) than doctors (M = 19.96, sd = 15.03). Conclusions: The healthcare workers under scrutiny reported elevated levels of anxiety and depression attributable to the Covid-19 pandemic, although the prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms was comparatively lower within the hospital setting. Furthermore, this study illuminates that depressive, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress symptoms were more prevalent among nurses than doctors. Additionally, healthcare professionals operating in high-risk Covid-19 environments, such as the Covid-19 ward, demonstrated heightened levels of anxiety when juxtaposed with their counterparts stationed in low-risk Covid-19 areas within the healthcare facility. , Thesis (MPH) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-12