List of Titles

“How do you feel about the abortion?”: pre-termination of pregnancy counselling in the public health sector in the Eastern Cape

- Du Toit, Ryan Rudolph

Authors: Du Toit, Ryan Rudolph
Date: 2023-10-13
Subjects: Abortion counseling South Africa Eastern Cape , Conversation analysis , Discursive psychology , Public health South Africa , Reproductive justice , Abortion Psychological aspects
Language: English
Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/437238 , vital:73355 , DOI 10.21504/10962/437239
Description: Pre-abortion counselling, as an aspect of abortion provision, has received growing research interest in various contexts. Much of the research has primarily focused on whether abortion counselling takes place, the experiences of women and/or counsellors (usually through retrospective interviews and surveys), and the content discussed during the counselling session (often policy regulated). Such research has proven vital to addressing the various reproductive issues facing women seeking an abortion worldwide. However, little research has focused on how pre-abortion counselling as an everyday institutional practice is conducted at a conversational level in the medical setting. By drawing on both conversation analysis and discursive psychology, this study explored how pre-abortion counselling was conducted in the public health sector in South Africa. The study involved recording the conversation during pre-abortion counselling and analysing it in terms of its content, in particular, the discourses drawn on by all parties involved, and its structure and delivery. The data were collected from three public hospitals in the Eastern Cape of South Africa and involved the audio recording of pre-abortion counselling sessions as part of abortion services. In total, 28 counselling sessions were recorded: 21 were individual sessions, and 7 were group counselling sessions. At two of the sites, counselling was conducted by registered midwives who worked at the hospital. At one site, an external Christian organisation volunteered trained counsellors to counsel women at the hospital free of charge. Using conversation analysis, counselling sessions were analysed in terms of the main projects. Seven key projects were identified: (1) Context setting, (2) History taking, (3) Establishing reason for abortion, (4) Presenting options, (5) Providing procedural information, (6) Obtaining verbal informed consent, and (7) Discussion of family planning. Each project is explored in terms of what discourses and subject positions featured when speakers were orienting to a specific project. This process highlighted how the conversational projects and their respective goals enable the deployment of certain problematic discourses and interactive/reflexive positionings. Discourse analysis revealed a clustering of discourses around two central themes. In the first clustering, the discourses were primarily used to discuss the (1) medically related issues underpinning the abortion procedure [medical discourse, responsibilization discourse, risk discourse, and discourse of support]. Talk using these discourses positioned women as patients needing medical intervention, responsibilised women for conceiving, playing an active role in their termination, and navigating all the psychological and physical risks “associated” with abortion. The discourse of support illustrates how support was spoken about in the interaction whereby patients were constructed as subjects who required support and nurses/counsellors as the ones who offered the support. In the second clustering, the discourses (2) focused on women and the foetus. These discourses [reproductive choice, religious, pronatalist, and foetal personhood discourses] positioned women as being responsible for making a choice regarding their pregnancy and the consequences that may result. In addition, a religious discourse coupled with a pronatalist discourse was used to construct the pregnancy and motherhood as desirable and part of “God’s plan”, whereas the foetus was spoken about as a “gift from God”. The foetal personhood discourse was used to construct the foetus as a living and functional human. This research provides evidence of how abortion counselling is problematic at various levels. At a practical level, there is a lack of standardisation in the delivery of abortion counselling (e.g., variation in key projects, where the counselling is mandated, time taken, nurse/counsellor training, content and format – group vs. individual counselling). At a discursive level, the use of certain discourses works to render the counselling directive through : (1) awfulizing abortion by providing misinformation about the abortion procedure, foetus and post-abortion psychological distress, (2) chastising and responsibilising women for conceiving, (3) constructing abortion as immoral, the ending of life and not in line with God’s plan, (4) constructing parenthood as the preferred choice, (5) delegitimising abortion as a resolution for pregnancy when compared to the other options (e.g., parenting or adoption), and finally (6) providing counselling that does not take into account the broader socio-political contexts. Recommendations for future research are put forward, and a call to move to a reparative justice framework is made by highlighting how it can be used to identify and understand reproductive injustices as they occur along four intersecting dimensions: (1) Individual material, (2) Collective material, (3) Individual symbolic, and (4) Collective symbolic. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
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Date Issued: 2023-10-13

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Distribution, ecological and economic impacts and competition of the invasive alien aquatic weeds (Pontederia crassipes Mart., Pistia stratiotes L., Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitch. and Azolla filiculoides Lam.) in Madagascar

- Lehavana, Adolphe

Authors: Lehavana, Adolphe
Date: 2021-10-29
Subjects: Pontederiaceae Madagascar , Water lettuce Madagascar , Salvinia molesta Madagascar , Azolla filiculoides Madagascar , Introduced aquatic organisms , Aquatic weeds Economic aspects , Aquatic weeds Social aspects , Aquatic weeds Geographical distribution
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191225 , vital:45072
Description: In Madagascar, as in several countries in the world, the invasion by four aquatic weeds (Pontederia crassipes Mart. (Pontederiaceae), Pistia stratiotes L. (Araceae), Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitch Salviniaceae) and Azolla filiculoides Lam. (Azollaceae) are among the drivers of environmental and socio-economic deterioration in aquatic ecosystems. Pistia stratiotes was first recorded on the island in the 19th century, and P. crassipes from the beginning of the 20th century, while S. molesta and A. filiculoides were only documented during in the 21st century. From the 1920s, botanists such as Henri Perrier de la Bathie and Raymond Decary were already aware of the dangers caused, in particular by P. crassipes in other countries, and raised the alarm, but little attention has been paid to these species. The aim of the research conducted for this thesis was to determine the distribution, socio-economic and ecological impacts of these four invasive alien aquatic weeds in Madagascar and to make recommendations for their control. First, the distributions of these four aquatic weeds were mapped. This mapping exercise compiled data from different sources including herbarium records, online data and field visits across Madagascar. The mapping study was undertaken from August 2015 to June 2020. Except for mountainous areas above 1800 m (Tsaratanana Massif, Ankaratra Massif and Andringitra Massif) where no data were available, all of Madagascar's bioclimates were invaded by at least one of the four aquatic weeds. In total, at least one species was recorded in 18 of the 22 Regions. Pontederia crassipes was recorded in 13 Regions, S. molesta in 14 Regions, P. stratiotes in 12 Regions, and A. filiculoides in 13 Regions. Herbarium records revealed the oldest record for P. stratiotes to be 1847, 1931 for P. crassipes, 1995 for S. molesta and there were no herbarium specimens for A. filiculoides prior to the start of the current study in 2015. We now know where these four weeds occur and how abundant they are. An objective of this research was to assess the impacts of the four invasive aquatic plants on the socio-economy of the island, mainly on rice production and fishing. Between 2016 and 2019, 102 households in three regions, Soanierana Ivongo, Foulpointe and Antananarivo, were randomly selected and questioned on the impact of these weeds in their aquatic ecosystems and their livelihoods such as fishing and rice growing. Surveys revealed that the four aquatic weeds significantly threatened household activities. On the east coast of Madagascar, the invasions of these four invasive species decreased fish and freshwater shrimp production by 82%. On the high plateau of Madagascar, they reduced rice yield by 30% despite requiring an additional expense of US$ 1,107/ha for control. Although farmers surveyed only used manual control to manage these weeds, they were receptive to other control methods, including integrated control using herbicides and biological control. Another objective of this research was to determine the ecological impacts of the four weeds and specifically if freshwater ecosystem functioning would return after control. To assess the ecological impact, between February 2017 to August 2019, on Lake Antsokafina, the following abiotic and biotic factors were considered: physico-chemistry of water, succession of macrophyte community and animal diversity. With the exception of turbidity, the values of the physico-chemical parameters of the water (pH, electrical conductivity, water temperature and turbidity), were similar between the infested zone and cleared zone. A study on the invasion process of aquatic weeds showed that the plant community succession of the lake changed over time in the areas that had been cleared. The submerged species Ceratophyllum demersum was the pioneer, followed by creeping species such as Echinochloa colona and Ipomoea aquatica, before the area was recolonized by aquatic weeds. Among the aquatic weeds, S. molesta was the most aggressive, covering 92% of the area one year after the start of the experiment. For animal diversity, bird, shrimp and fish community were assessed. The cleaning of the plots in the lake allowed the resumption of fishing activity providing 50 to 200g/catch for shrimp and from 0.25 to 0.5kg/catch for fish per person per day, while no catch was obtained in the areas infested by aquatic weeds were fishermen still attempting to harvest fish/shrimp from the aquatic weed infested areas. Three species of birds, Humblot’s Heron (Ardea humbloti), the white-faced whistling duck (Dendrocygna viduata) and red-billed teal (Anas erythrorhyncha) returned once the areas had been cleared. A manipulated outdoor as descriptor for laboratory experiment was conducted to determine the level and nature of competition of four aquatic weeds species against the indigenous floating fern, Salvinia hastata Desv. (Salviniaceae), using an additive series density model. It was shown that all four invasive species outcompeted S. hastata, with P. crassipes being 24 times more dominant, followed by P. stratiotes at 12 times, S. molesta at 8 times, and finally A. filiculoides at 1.2 times more dominant. This study provided direct evidence of the biodiversity impact of these four species and thus also provided an environmental argument for their control. Based on the findings of this study, a series of recommendations was formulated to manage the invasions of alien species in Madagascar with particular attention to invasive aquatic weeds. These recommendations mainly concern the establishment of management structures and legal instruments such as the creation of a lead government agency at national level and a cross-sectorial invasive species advisory committee, which should review legislation and regulations related to invasive species. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-10-29

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Exploring indiginising the university’s science curriculum through bottom-up decolonisation: Affordances and hindrances

- Mutanho, Chrispen

Authors: Mutanho, Chrispen
Date: 2021-10-29
Subjects: Decolonization South Africa , Ethnoscience South Africa , Ubuntu (Philosophy) , Pedagogical content knowledge , Culturally relevant pedagogy , Science Study and teaching South Africa , Science teachers In-service training South Africa , Transformative learning South Africa , Cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT)
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191668 , vital:45146 , 10.21504/10962/191668
Description: The integration of indigenous knowledge (IK) in the science curriculum is a spreading phenomenon driven by the need to bring about relevancy and equality in science education. In South Africa, for instance, the need to integrate IK in science education is part of the global effort to build a democratic state from the debris of apartheid. Henceforth, the integration of IK is backed up by both the National Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) and the South African Department of Basic Education’s (2011) National Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement. However, the success of this policy seems to be hindered in part by the fact that the teachers who are the implementers of the curriculum changes seem to lack the relevant pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to integrate IK in their science teaching repertoires. Such a trend is often blamed on their Eurocentric educational background. Interestingly, very little research has been done to explore ways of supporting teachers to develop the relevant conceptual tools and teaching strategies that will enable them to integrate IK in science teaching. It is against this background that an interventionist case study on how to support the Bachelor of Education Natural Sciences in-service teachers in particular to develop exemplar science lessons that integrate IK as easily accessible resources was conducted. The study is underpinned by three complementary paradigms, namely, the interpretive, the critical, and indigenous research paradigms. While the interpretive paradigm enabled me to understand and interpret descriptive data, the critical paradigm enabled me to take an emancipatory stance and challenge the micro-aggressive elements embedded in conventional research practices; within the indigenous research paradigm, Ubuntu was the relational perspective that informed the researcher-participant relationships in this study. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory was used as an overarching theoretical framework, in conjunction with the cultural historical activity theory. Additionally, the topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge provided the methodological and analytical tools. Data were gathered through questionnaires, individual face-to-face interviews, focus group interview, participatory observation, and the teachers’ reflections. This study established that if teachers are given back the agency to collaboratively resolve the contradictions that confront them in their workplaces, they can generate their own ideas on how to integrate IK in science vii teaching. The teachers in this study experienced a shift in their agency from a paralysed state of resisting the integration of IK at the beginning of the intervention to an ‘I can do it’ attitude at the end of the intervention. Thus, it could be argued that this study’s major contribution to new knowledge lies in demonstrating possible ways of supporting teachers to integrate IK as easily accessible resources in their science teaching. Additionally, the study also challenged the Eurocentric approach to ethics and offered Ubuntu as a relational perspective that can be used to complement the shortcomings of Eurocentric research paradigms. The study thus recommends that continuing professional development or professional learning communities should afford teachers the opportunity to collaboratively engage with the challenges that they face in their workplaces in order to resolve the contradictions that confront them. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-10-29

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Integrating Indigenous Ugandan social ethics into an education foundations curriculum: teacher educator’s perspectives

- Nampijja, Florence Kirabo

Authors: Nampijja, Florence Kirabo
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: Indigenous peoples – Education--Africa , Decolonization Africa-Uganda , Curriculum change
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/53552 , vital:45436
Description: The research claims that curriculum in Uganda is too westernized to the extent that indigenous Ugandan social ethics which informed pre- colonial curriculum have been totally neglected. Consequently, there are many learned but few socially educated persons in the country. Findings highlighted that teacher educators supported the integration of relevant indigenous knowledges into curriculum because indigenous knowledge is directly linked to the environment within which Ugandan students live, studies and operates after studies. They also believed that IUSEs provides a bedrock for professional conduct to flourish and thus, must be treated as an important component of the curriculum. However, though participants acknowledged the advantages of integrating IUSE into curriculum, they identified a number of obstacles to the integration of IUSEs. For instance: lack of consensus of IUSEs among the fifty-six tribes in Uganda; lack of support by the civil service deployment policy. Some confessed to the lack of adequate knowledge about IUSEs; the feeling of cognitive imperialism that is still possessed by some teacher educators and others. Among the strategies to be used for successful integration, teacher educators highlighted the need for collaborative efforts among all stakeholders, adopting the use of local languages as a medium of instruction and others. Data also revealed that the EFC currently aims at professional mentorship and giving employable skills to the students. The Such a situation manifests itself in the degeneration of ethical values by many Ugandans. This study examined teacher educators’ perspectives on integrating IUSEs in an Education Foundations curriculum (EFC). I used the decolonization theory, anti-colonial theory and indigenous knowledge discursive framework as lenses that framed the study. The findings from the study have implications for formulation of an education philosophy that is anchored in a national philosophy should be designed to guide curriculum designers in Uganda. The study further recommended that NCHE should compel all universities to integrate IUSEs into curriculum treating IUSEs as part of the minimum standards that must be satisfied before program accreditation. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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