A socio-economic study of East London, Cape Province, with special reference to the non-European peoples
- Authors: Bettison, D G
- Date: 1951
- Subjects: East London (South Africa) -- Social conditions , East London (South Africa) -- Economic conditions , Rural-urban migration -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3387 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013496
- Description: From Forward: The development of gold mines in the Orange Free State is likely to be to modern East London what Kaffir Wars were to old East London. "The Fighting Port", as it is commonly called, is the nearest harbour to these mines and is linked by good rail, road and air facilities. A wide variety of industry is already established. Development is likely to be rapid. At present the City contains over 80,000 persons, and with the addition of peri-urban suburbs has doubled its population in just over fifteen years. In the past is has claimed to be the healthiest holiday resort in the Union. This year a City-wide campaign has been organised to fight tuberculosis, as the City's statistics indicate that it has one of the highest rates of anywhere in the world. Within twelve years two government sided commissions of enquiry have sat in the City and reported on the administration and living conditions of the city's African populaton. Extremely strong adjectives have been used to describe, and drastic recommendations made to improve the socio-economic and general conditions of the African people. Under the holiday atmosphere of the City lies a very serious, complex, and potentially dangerous human problem.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1951
An investigation of the role of conflict in the stratificationary process of the African in the copper mining industry of Northern Rhodesia between the years, 1943-1961
- Authors: Coetzee, J A G
- Date: 1964
- Subjects: Social conflict -- Zambia , Conflict management -- Zambia , Copper industry and trade -- Zambia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3382 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013332
- Description: The aim of this study is to investigate the role of CONFLICT in the stratificationary process of the African in the Copper Mining Industry of Northern Rhodesia between the years 1943 - 1961. The hypothesis and assumptions which it is desired to prove can be classified as falling into four categories: 1. that which accepts human beings as individuals acting in group structures, each group having its appropriate goals and ends forming discernable patterned action systems; 2. that these groups can be reconstructed to show variable patterns of action which might be either accommodative or initially contradictory as conflicts emerge within the system; 3. that items 1 and 2 above can be objectivised by empirical materials and that they change in time, and, in so doing, are modified in structure-functional relations; 4. that conflict is the process which animates the patterns and prescribes new goals and ends within the patterned activity systems. An indefinite number of causality factors are possible in explaining social change, but we confine ourselves to the concept CONFLICT, with special reference to the Copperbelt of Northern Rhodesia. The economic factors operating, together with the political and social factors, producing a typical stratification of the African in the industry, sofar as this reveals changing patterns of progressive and aggressive goal thrusts and redefinition of the social positions of the contesting participants, are dealt with in the appropriate sections of this investigation. The model has been developed in relation to the study of the total social system with special emphasis on their overtly political and economical aspects. Part 1, in its entirety, deals with the theory of conflict. It also contains our own development of the theme. The empirical data are contained in parts 2, 3, with a section on envisaged future social developments. The conclusion, to this investigation, forms the last part , with an exhaustive testing of the TEN-POINT HYPOTHESIS given at the end of Part 1.
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- Date Issued: 1964
Absenteeism in the footwear industry in South Africa
- Authors: Townsend, A C
- Date: 1967
- Subjects: Absenteeism (Labor) -- South Africa , Footwear industry -- South Africa , Employees -- South Africa , South Africa -- Industries
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3384 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013408
- Description: From Introduction: During the past three decades or more, the study of absenteeism in industry has been carried on in many different ways, by numerous investigators and in a wide range of industries. The purpose of such studies has varied; sometimes they have been stimulated by purely academic interest and have sought to investigate the relationship between absenteeism and various other measurable factors in the work situation such as age, race, sex, length of service and wage rates. Most studies, however, have been prompted by the urgent necessity to determine whether an absence problem existed within a specific factory, community or industry and to discover some effective means of dealing with it. Most studies have been empirical and pragmatic as has befitted their intentions. Inevitably, those who have conducted studies of the latter type have asked two questions (a) how do the absence rates emerging from this investigation compare with those from other studies and (b) are they 'normal' or 'abnormal'? In other words, does the data which has been gathered indicate the existence of an absence problem? The main purpose of this monograph is to demonstrate that the Gross Absence Rate is not an effective basis for the discovery of answers to either of these questions. It will seek, in other words, to demonstrate the truth of the following fundamental postulate: THE GROSS ABSENCE RATE IS NOT, IN ITSELF, A SUFFICIENT BASIS FOR THE COMPARISON OF THE ABSENCE BEHAVIOUR OF ONE GROUP OF WORKERS WITH THAT OF ANOTHER OR WITH A PRE-ESTABLISHED NORM, NOR IS IT AN ADEQUATE INDICATOR OF THE PRESENCE OR OTHERWISE OF AN ABSENCE PROBLEM AMONG ANY GIVEN GROUP OF WORKERS. Although this study will include some account of investigations into the relationship between absence rates and various socio-economic factors, it will do so primarily in order to seek support for the above postulate.
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- Date Issued: 1967
Community leadership in Grahamstown
- Authors: Van der Merwe, Hendrik W
- Date: 1967
- Subjects: Sociology, Urban -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Community leadership -- South Africa -- Grahamstown , Community development, Urban -- South Africa -- Grahamstown
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3390 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1014564
- Description: In this study an analysis was made of the leadership structure of the community of Grahamstown. It was hypothesized that the leadership structure is pluralistic i.e. that leaders are divided along themselves on different issues. An historical and documentary analysis of various aspects of community life revealed that leaders were not united on almost all issues. An analysis of the voluntary associations in which the top leaders took an active part revealed great discrepancy in terms of orientation toward the community, society, and social exclusiveness. A schedule was administered to 90 leaders who were identified by the Cooperating- Informant Technique. Data. were collected about their background characteristics, attitudes toward certain local issues and their general ideological orientations. It was found that stands taken on local issues can best be interpreted in terms of ideological orientation. We conclude that local community leadership is pluralistic. In view of the relationship between local issues and the larger society, several selected problems merit further investigation.
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- Date Issued: 1967
A systematic study of the dynamics of human communication : with special reference to systems emergent from the Action Frame of Reference
- Authors: Kapelus, Saville
- Date: 1968
- Subjects: Communication , Content analysis (Communication)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3369 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012624 , Communication , Content analysis (Communication)
- Description: "Communication" has been described as one of the busiest crossroads in the study of human behaviour. Workers in many disciplines have stressed the importance of knowledge about communication to their own work as well as contributing to the general pool of literature on the various aspects of the subject. Intro., p. 1
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- Date Issued: 1968
The origins, development and demise of the South African Indian Council 1964-1983 : a sociological interpretation
- Authors: Desai, Ashwin
- Date: 1987
- Subjects: South African Indian Council -- History
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3349 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007082 , South African Indian Council -- History
- Description: It was the actions of the Congress Alliance that dominated the political activity of the dominated classes in the 1950s. Mobilising across class and colour lines, the actions of the Congress Alliance had witnessed a growing unity between the leading political organisations of the Indian, African and Coloured dominated classes. However just as quickly as it appeared, the Congress Alliance disappeared from the poitical scene, crushed by the state's repressive apparatus. The state, in order to ensure that the extra-parliamentary opposition characteristic of the 1950s did not once again re-emerge, sought to divide the dominated classes more systematically along ethnic and racial lines by creating mechanisms for the implementation of the policy of separate development. It is within this context that the Promotion of Bantu-Self-Government Act of 1959 was passed and the Coloured Persons' Representative Council (CRC) and the ' South African Indian Council (SAIC) were established. Whilst the history of Indian political organisations in the pre-1960 period has been extensively researched, no in-depth study of the SAIC has been made. Probably the main reason for this area being under-researched, has been the inability of researchers to gain access to information on the SAlC, especially of the period covering the early years of the organisation’ s existence. This study aims to fill this vacuum by utilizing in the main previously unused minutes of the SAlC from 1964 to 1977 together with numerous documents and memoranda presented to the South African government by SAlC delegations in the aforementioned period.
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- Date Issued: 1987
Illness as intersubjectivity: a sociological perspective
- Authors: Pitfield, Doreen Jennie
- Date: 1992
- Subjects: Humanism , Medical care -- Sociological aspects , Intersubjectivity , Medical ethics -- Sociological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3329 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003117 , Humanism , Medical care -- Sociological aspects , Intersubjectivity , Medical ethics -- Sociological aspects
- Description: This thesis explores the historical roots of scientific medicine in an effort to highlight the lack of humanist intersubjectivity within the contemporary medical model. The study notes that contemporary medicine is overtly scientific and that its scientific framework is upheld and furthered by a medical model which draws legitimation from the irrefutability of what is referred to variously within this work, as its scientific "regime". It is shown that in terms of the humanist tradition people, not science, constitute the epicentre of meaningful experiential participation in the defining of human social reality. This, it is argued, implies a radically different ontology from other sociological perspectives on medicine. The thesis suggests that the contemporary medical model loses sight of the patient's ability to cognitively participate in the defining of illness, diagnosis and treatment in terms of his/her experience thereof , and argues that contemporary medicine, by advancing the idea that it alone has the correct and only answer to such problems, has led to a situation which promotes an overmedicalisation of society . The study gives an indication of the way in which this overmedicalisation has led to areas of human life becoming conceived of only in relation to medical expertise. In this respect it is noted that medicine has so successfully infiltrated the human consciousness (involving areas as diverse as childbirth, genetic engineering, transplant surgery and death), that decisions on health are invariably taken from a foundation of scientific legitimation which seems to exclude the patient as subject. It is argued that this way of making decisions reinforces the requirement for a scientific medical model which as it negates the human element insidiously amplifies its power over human life; thereby devaluing the very people it seeks to serve. The thesis suggests that in terms of a humanist reading of the Oath of Hippocrates, medical decisions can only be taken within a framework of experiential involvement which includes both medical expertise and lay understanding. It is indicated that when this happens, social reality functions in terms of a symbolic participation which fosters a commitment to equalise the conditions of human existence, and promotes a dialogical negotiatory process which is both intersubjectively and ongoingly produced.
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- Date Issued: 1992
Rural underdevelopment in the former Ciskei with specific reference to Glenmore Village
- Authors: Malila, Brett
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Poverty -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Social conditions , Glenmore (South Africa) -- Economic conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3288 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003076 , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Poverty -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Social conditions , Glenmore (South Africa) -- Economic conditions
- Description: This thesis examines development changes that took place in Glenmore after 1994. To examine such change one needs to have a concise historical understanding of the situation in Glenmore before democracy. The aim of the work is to critique development at a local, rural level, pinpointing the major changes, if any, that came with the incorporation of the former homeland of Ciskei (and thus Glenmore village) with South Africa. These people were forcibly resettled in 1979 for political and economic reasons. Their situation then was one of dire poverty; it is argued here that even with democracy, their history of underdevelopment has continued. The reason for this continued underdevelopment is the structure of the former reserves. The overall political context has changed in South Africa but the most important aspect with regard to the development of the homelands: land, has not. At the central level, the government has churned out a wide variety of development policies, which due to the prevailing political and economic context of the times are fraught with inconsistencies. The example used here to show some of these inconsistencies is the 1997 White Paper on Land Reform. This confusion at the central level with regard to the perceived future of South Africa has managed to adversely affect the rural areas and their development. There very well might be policies in abundance to improve the life-world of the rural poor, but there are inconsistencies between this policy and actual practice. With regard to Glenmore the confusion in the present government’s central development policy is arguably the main reason for the underdevelopment of the village. The inconsistencies in policy such as the 1997 White Paper on Land Reform, have meant that the structure of the reserves has not changed. Vital issues such as land tenure and ownership have not been dealt with. The study thus shows that unless the structure of the homeland system which is predominantly based on issues of land, is changed, genuine social and economic development will not take place in areas like Glenmore.
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- Date Issued: 2000
A history of land tenure in the Herschel district, Transkei
- Authors: Viedge, Bronwen Elizabeth
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: Land tenure -- South Africa -- Transkei Land tenure -- Herschel -- South Africa -- Transkei Land tenure -- History -- Herschel -- South Africa -- Transkei
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3338 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003808
- Description: A historical review of land tenure systems implemented in the Herschel district, Eastern Cape, South Africa and an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of each system in conjunction with international experience of land tenure provide guidelines as to what elements could be incorporated in the formulation of a new integrated land tenure system. These guidelines together with the information obtained from a questionnaire survey amongst the Herschel population provide the government of South Africa with a broad outline of an integrated land tenure system that could serve to link the former homelands to the land tenure system that currently operates in the rest of the country thereby removing one of the obstacles to rural development and land redistribution.
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- Date Issued: 2001
Rural resettlement scheme evaluation: a case study of the Mfengu in Tsitsikamma
- Authors: Fakudze, Churchill M
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: Land settlement , Land settlement -- South Africa -- Tsitsikamma , Land settlement -- Developing countries , Land settlement -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3309 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003097 , Land settlement , Land settlement -- South Africa -- Tsitsikamma , Land settlement -- Developing countries , Land settlement -- South Africa
- Description: In 1997 South Africa came out with a policy aimed at addressing the legacy of apartheid in respect of an unequal division of land in the country. About 3.5 million people were moved from rural and urban areas between 1960 and 1980 and deposited in the reserves or areas designed for the exclusive occupation of black people. The new land policy attempts to deal with the resultant problems. The policy advocates a three-pronged approach to land reform encompassing (i) land restitution, (ii) land redistribution and (iii) land tenure reform. A number of projects have been carried out under these three aspects. This study aims to investigate and evaluate the results of a completed land restitution case. The Mfengu of Tsitsikamma was chosen as a case study because the people have moved back and are now living on their land. The Mfengu were dispossessed of their land in 1977 by the apartheid government and their land was returned in 1994. Although this case was processed outside of the land restitution legislation (Restitution of Land Rights Act, 22 of 1994), all restitution cases where people return to their original land have to deal with the problems of resettlement. From its involvement in various involuntary resettlement projects, the World Bank concluded that the new communities of resettlers should be designed as a viable settlement system equipped with infrastructure and services and integrated in the regional socio-economic context. The host communities receiving the resettlers should be assisted to overcome possible adverse social and environmental effects from the increased population density. These concerns are valid for the South African situation, and the question is, whether this resettlement encapsulates the above. The goals of the research are twofold. To evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the resettlement project and its sustainability. In particular focussing on the constraints to the implementation of the land policy. Research questions include the following: How was the project carried out? Is the resettlement integrated into the socio-economic and development planning of the area? How viable and sustainable is the new settlement? What are the major problems and challenges facing this area and how can they be overcome?
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2001
The decline of agriculture in rural Transkei: ʺthe case of Mission Location in Butterworthʺ
- Authors: Ngcaba, Siyanda Vincent
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Agriculture -- South Africa -- Transkei , Land use -- South Africa -- Transkei , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Transkei
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3296 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003084 , Agriculture -- South Africa -- Transkei , Land use -- South Africa -- Transkei , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Transkei
- Description: The following dissertation sets out to investigate the decline of agriculture in Mission location at Butterworth, Transkei, using the Rehabilitation Scheme as a benchmark. The scheme was introduced in 1945 to combat soil erosion and improve agriculture in the African reserve areas, as the South African government claimed. The dissertation argues that this claim by the government served to mask the real intentions behind the scheme namely, to regiment the migrant labour system by depriving as many Africans as possible of productive land so that they were unable to fully subsist by means of agriculture. This is further shown by analysing the impact of the Rehabilitation scheme in Mission location in which a substantial number of people lost arable land as a result of the implementation of the scheme in 1945. These people were consequently denied the wherewithal to subsist by agriculture. Moreover, the efforts of the government resulted to a modernisation of agriculture by making it more cash-based- for example through the introduction of fencing, the need for tractors as a result of a decline in stock numbers (in part as a result of stock culling). Most people could hardly afford this type of agriculture and were consequently forced off the land. The dissertation concludes that indeed the decline of agriculture in Mission location can be linked to the changing agricultural and land-holding practices brought about by the government- especially the introduction of the Rehabilitation scheme.
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- Date Issued: 2003
Abortion: social implications for nurses conducting termination of pregnancies in East London
- Authors: Naicker, Sumithrie Sasha
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Abortion -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Abortion -- Moral and ethical aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Nurses -- Job stress -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Liberty of conscience -- South Africa -- Nurses , Emergency contraceptives -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3396 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1018254
- Description: Abortion is a highly controversial subject that has again come into the spotlight in South Africa due to the legalisation of abortion on demand in 1996. The results of various studies conducted since the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act 92 of 1996 was implemented, have indicated that abortion providers have met with a great deal of negativism and ostracism. This study focused on the implications of abortion work on nurses' social relationships with family, friends, colleagues and their communities. Recent literature was reviewed on the subject. The researcher however, found little information on this specific aspect of abortion. The study was conducted with abortion nurses from two government designated hospitals in the East London area responsible for abortion services. Thus, results cannot be generalised. This is a qualitative study that aimed at obtaining firsthand information regarding the personal experiences of abortion nurses. A non-probability sampling technique was used viz. criterion sampling. The Interview Guide Approach was used whereby in-depth, semi-structured interviewed were conducted with the guidance of a set of questions in the form of an Interview Schedule. The ten respondents were asked to share their recommendations as to possible measures that could address the challenges mentioned during their interviews. The researcher came to the conclusion that nurses' social relationships and lives are definitely impacted by abortion work. This impact is largely negative as the majority of respondents experience labelling, stigmatization and ostracism from family, friends, and their colleagues. Abortion nurses also experience a lack of social support, ambivalent feelings with regard to abortion, and a range of negative emotions ranging from stress and depression to frustration and anger. A number of repeat abortions are being done and there seems to be a general lack of contraception. The need exists for nurses to go to Value Clarification Workshops and also to get support in terms of compulsory, continuous, counselling. Separate wards should be set up for abortions whilst sex education should be included in school curriculums at both primary and secondary schools. Family planning and facts about the abortion process should also be included in these sex education programmes. Overall. the need exists for family planning initiatives to promote contraception and deter women from using abortion as a means of contraception. As this study reveals, conducting abortions has come at a great cost for the majority of nurses who lack social support and bear the brunt of anti-abortion sentiment expressed by significant others in their lives. The latter being the people who would normally be the one's they would turn to for help, counsel, support and assistance
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- Date Issued: 2004
Effects of an agribusiness collapse on contract growers and their communities : a case study of Makeni Cooperative Society, Lusaka, Zambia
- Authors: Mfune, Elizabeth
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- Zambia , Agricultural industries -- Zambia , Farmers -- Zambia -- Economic conditions , Cooperative societies -- Zambia , Contracts, Agricultural -- Zambia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3357 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007627 , Agriculture -- Economic aspects -- Zambia , Agricultural industries -- Zambia , Farmers -- Zambia -- Economic conditions , Cooperative societies -- Zambia , Contracts, Agricultural -- Zambia
- Description: This study assesses the effects of an agribusiness collapse, on the contracted growers and their surrounding communities in Lusaka Province, Zambia. In 2004, Agriflora Limited, a Trans-Zambezi Industries Limited (TZI) agribusiness in Lusaka Zambia was sold off. Agriflora Limited was one ofthe largest fresh vegetable exporters in Africa. It had contracted almost 500 small-scale farmers with 1-4 hectares of land within 50 km radius of Lusaka to grow vegetables for export. Makeni Cooperative Society was one of the targeted groups of growers. It grew baby corn, mangetout peas, and sugar snap and fine beans for export. The case study relied on both primary and secondary data. I undertook two months of ethnographic fieldwork utilising observations, in-depth interviews and informal discussions with some community members in Makeni. I also reviewed the literature on contract farming schemes (documenting both the negative and positive effects for growers) in developing countries. The case study showed that the impact of the collapse of Agriflora on the growers has been severe indeed; there has been a significant reduction in production with only a few farmers producing for export. Those that are producing are limited to one crop, baby corn. The effect on the local labour market (farm workers) has been quite drastic with a drop in employment. A new agribusiness company, York Farm, was sourced by the government for the contract growers of Makeni. York Farm has signed a procurement contract under which only sale and purchase conditions are specified. This means that, services such as extension services are no longer provided. It was also found that despite the price for baby corn at York Farm being better than what Agriflora used to offer the farmers, farmers are not producing peas which have a higher turnover than baby corn because York farm does not buy peas from the farmers. However, the farmers are hopeful that they will soon start producing peas after they pass the Eurep gap requirements. Furthermore, the farmers are still interested in contract farming as they are convinced that it can lead to higher farm incomes. While the neoliberal critique of the pre- Structural Adjustment agricultural policies was based on the need to improve rural farming income and productivity, my study shows that the contract farmers are not the "traditional" peasant farmers but retired civil servants or former public sector employees who lost their jobs during the contraction of the sector. In conclusion, my field work revealed that the collapse of Agriflora has had negative effects on the growers of MCS in terms a significant decrease in crop production, decline in farmer income, lack of technical assistance such as extension services, transportation problems (to take produce to the new market-York Farm) and reduced contraction in employment opportunities for farm workers.
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- Date Issued: 2006
Is land tenure a significant variable for promoting agricultural productivity in rural villages?: the case study of Nonkcampa Village in the Buffalo City Municipality, Province of the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Gqokoma, Daniel Atwell
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Buffalo City (South Africa) , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land reform -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land use -- Government policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3313 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003101 , Buffalo City (South Africa) , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Municipal government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land reform -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land use -- Government policy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: The research explored the causal relationship between the communal land tenure and the stagnant agricultural productivity in rural villages. It is assumed that there is covariance between the communal land tenure and the stagnant agricultural productivity. The communal land tenure deprived the villagers of the land ownership rights to mortgage their landholdings to secure agricultural credit from financial institutions, or to advance them as own contributions to obtain Government-provided grants under the ILRAD. Under such circumstances, the villagers could not raise the level of agricultural productivity. The Permit to Occupy (PTO) certificates, issued to the landholders, provided for usufruct rights only i.e. right to occupy and use an allotment. The related research was conducted at Nonkcampa village. The metatheory, “Positivism” and the quantitative paradigm were applied to collate and analyse the data. The research findings confirmed the correlation between the land tenure and the agricultural productivity, as the respondents claimed not to have had any access to agricultural inputs. Hence, the agricultural productivity on the arable land had stagnated.
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- Date Issued: 2006
Women living with HIV/AIDS: a phenomenological intergenerational interpretation of their experiences
- Authors: Chisaka, Janet Kaemba Chishimba
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: AIDS (Disease) in women -- South Africa -- Case studies HIV positive women -- South Africa -- Case studies Poor women -- South Africa -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3307 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003095
- Description: This study deals with the impact of HIV/AIDS on women living in chronic poverty. The question arises: Do we focus on their HIV/AIDS stories only or do we include their other lived experiences? This phenomenological study, on two sets of three generations of women infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and living in poverty, is an attempt at understanding the way the women experience their lifeworlds, not only their HIV/AIDS stories. One set includes a grandmother, her daughter who is living with full-blown AIDS, and her granddaughter, while the other includes a grandmother, her daughter and her granddaughter infected with HIV. The initial focus of the study was on the women’s HIV/AIDS narratives. However as the study progressed, especially during the interviews, it became apparent that the women’s generational poverty or chronic poverty was of greater concern to them than the HIV/AIDS that they were experiencing. Of the six participants, only one woman centred her life story on HIV/AIDS. This finding echoes other studies on HIV/AIDS among poor women: that chronic poverty is more threatening to the women than the risk or reality of AIDS. As a phenomenological researcher my aim was to focus on the participants’ own interpretations of the studied phenomenon. However, this was inadequate in accounting for the role that social structures play in shaping and informing the women’s subjective consciousness and experience. For this reason, I used feminist ideas to understand and interpret the women’s patriarchal experiences.
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- Date Issued: 2007
The intermediary function of NGOs in HIV/AIDS responses : a case study of the Lady Frere district of the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Mayekiso, Andile
- Date: 2008 , 2013-07-11
- Subjects: HIV infections -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Non-governmental organizations -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Community organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape HIV infections -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape AIDS (Disease) -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3354 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007584
- Description: The HIV/AIDS epidemic has serious effects on society. It has been described as the biggest threat to the development of South Africa, with severe economic, social and human impact. In the Lady Frere District in the Eastern Cape Province, like in many other areas that are greatly affected by the epidemic in this country, young people are considered by the local Department of Health to be a particularly vulnerable group due to various predisposing biological, social, cultural, and economical factors. Despite the efforts that have been made to educate and encourage prevention, especially by the local Masibambane Non-governmental Organisation (MNGO) to inform these communities about the dangers of the epidemic, people's behaviour have been slow to change and the disease continues to spread. This research is conducted against the escalating HIV / AIDS pandemic in the Lady Frere District. The fundamental aim of this project is to examine the intermediary function of the MNGO in HIV/AIDS responses. The study seeks to evaluate the way in which this local NGO operates on the ground in contributing to a community's response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. In other words, the thesis tries to indicate how this local NGO, in dealing with the HIV/AIDS issue, interfaces with the community and related stakeholders. It examines how young people in the Lady Frere District perceive HIV/AIDS. A literature review demonstrates that the specific aims and objectives of this project represent a fairly new area of research in South Africa. I propose in the thesis that a simple act of joining and being regularly involved in a community organisation such as the MNGO will have significant impact on individuals' health and well-being. The thesis is crying for a need to restore the notion of "ubuntu" (meaning humanity) which is fundamentally based on social capital to assist these communities to rebuild trust which is essential in people living with HIV/AIDS. Based on my assessment it seems that intermediary NGOs, like the traditional NGOs and the private sector, will have little impact in terms of changing the conditions of the poor and the marginalised people. This is because in practice, like the conventional NGOs, intermediary NGOs serve the interests of donors and national governments or those who give them financial support to continue existing.
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- Date Issued: 2008
Exploring the consequences of perceptions of the divine, and the church, in the making of self-identity: a case study of congregants from Roman Catholic and Charismatic communities in East London, South Africa
- Authors: Sundberg, Dianne
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Giddens, Anthony Catholic Church -- South Africa -- East London -- Case studies Catholic Church -- Doctrines Glory of God -- Case studies Church -- South Africa -- East London -- Case studies Feminist theology -- South Africa Self -- Case studies Identity (Psychology) -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3298 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003086
- Description: This thesis explores the impact and consequences of the teachings of the church, perceptions of The Divine [God] and of Mary, in the making of personal identity. In spite of secularisation and the prediction that the church would collapse in the face of modern science, recent evidence suggests that - in its various forms - religion, and belief in a higher power remain important and potentially powerful aspects in society. A foundation stone of the Christian faith is the doctrine of Imago Dei: humanity created in the image of The Divine. Although not male, The Divine is repeatedly spoken of - and addressed - in anthropomorphic masculine terms, but perceived in gender-specific stereotypical terms. Alongside The Divine - in the Roman Catholic Church - is Mary, the mother of Jesus. She is spoken of in feminine terms, but is also perceived in gender-specific stereotypical terms. Although not officially considered to be divine, Mary fulfils important needs in the life of the believer and it is in this context that her influence is evaluated. The role of the church as a community - and social institution - is also explored, based on Giddens’ theories of identity development. Belonging to a church community can provide a context for relationship, continuity, and trust. However, this potentially positive environment can have negative implications on self-identity in that restrictions on self-expression and personal choice can be as limiting as the sense of belonging is liberating. The patriarchal nature of the church is deemed to be of immense relevance. In order to establish the role of the church, The Divine, and Mary in the making of self-identity, in-depth interviews were conducted with twelve research participants belonging to Charismatic and Roman Catholic congregations, and Giddens’ criteria for self-identity development was used as the standard for evaluating participants’ personal sense of self-identity. Explored from the perspective of feminist theology, the findings of this qualitative research project suggest that it is more than gender language regarding The Divine that affects the agent’s perception of The Divine, and that the role of the church in identity formation is not uniform in its influence. It also concludes that perceptions of Mary can be influential in the development of selfidentity.
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- Date Issued: 2009
The role of the ward committees as an interface between local government and community: a case study of Makana Municipality
- Authors: Stuurman, Sonwabo Happyboy
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Makana Municipality Local government -- South Africa -- Case studies Local government -- South Africa -- Citizen participation Community development -- South Africa -- Case studies Political participation -- South Africa -- Case studies Democracy -- South Africa South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994- South Africa -- Politics and government -- 21st century
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3292 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003080
- Description: The Ward Committee System was introduced in South Africa in 2001 as a tool to bring government closer to the people and to enhance participatory democracy. The Makana Municipality adopted the system in 2002. Previous research on local government indicates that these structures have not been effective due to the lack of resources to sustain them. This study was interested in furthering such research, using the Makana Municipality as a case study during which unstructured, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with Ward Councillors, Ward Committee Members and Grade 12 learners. The aim of the research was to investigate whether the ward committees did indeed promote the notion of participatory democracy and to what extent grass roots development has been enhanced by this structure of local government. The findings from both the respondents and the observations indicate that, in addition to the lack of resources, the underutilization of the Ward Committee System is a result of the effect of opposing political affiliations within the ward committee system, affiliations that undermine the goal of collaborative decision-making. Whereas the ward committee system is a positive idea, the findings suggest that the government is not supporting these structures by failing to equip the ward committee members with necessary capacities and skills. Therefore, if municipalities are committed to bridging the gap between local government and the community, and are keen to enhance participatory democracy, then capacity building of the ward committees and respect for their role during the decision-making process need to be taken seriously. At present, ward committee members are not influential and active in the decision-making process. In addition, the youth as prospective future ward committee members seemed disillusioned with the notion of participatory democracy, and instead have adopted the mentality that nepotism and corruption, as displayed by those in power, is the only way of governance. This research suggests that the ward committee system, intended to bring government closer to the people, may in fact not only alienate government from the people, but also the people from each other.
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- Date Issued: 2009
Contemporary left politics in South Africa: the case of the tri-partite alliance in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Hesjedal, Siv Helen
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Politics, Practical -- South Africa Social classes -- South Africa -- History Political parties -- South Africa African National Congress South African Communist Party Cosatu Eastern Cape (South Africa) -- Politics and government Politics, Practical -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3295 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003083
- Description: This thesis aims to make sense of Left politics in South Africa within the Tri-partite Alliance between the ANC, SACP and COSATU. The thesis focuses on developments in the Eastern Cape, between 2000 and 2008. The thesis describes the prevalent forms of Left politics in the Eastern Cape and the tendencies in the Alliance that organise this Left. The thesis also examines the historical, social and political conditions and that shape the form and content of Left politics in the province. Based on a survey of literature on what is considered the core manifestations of Left politics globally in the 20th Century Left politics is defined as the elements of the political spectrum that are concerned with the progressive resolution of involuntary disadvantage and with a goal of abolishing class society and capitalism. Although the Alliance as a whole should be seen to be on the Left on an international political spectrum, this thesis argues that the Left/Right dichotomy is useful for understanding the politics of the Alliance, as long as the second part of this definition is taken into consideration. The Alliance Left is understood as those leaders and activists within the Alliance that have the SACP and Cosatu as their operating base. It will be argued that this Left is, in its practice, largely concerned with what insiders refer to as politics of „influence‟, rather than with politics of „structural transformation‟. It is the ANC that is the leader of the Alliance and the party in government and thus it is on the terrain of ANC strategy, policy and positions that contestation in the Alliance plays itself out. Thus, for the Left, there is strength in the idea of the Alliance. However, there are significant theoretical and political weaknesses in the Left that undermine the possibility of making good use of various corporatist platforms to pursue the agenda of the Left in the Eastern Cape. There is also increased contestation within the Alliance Left itself about the continued usefulness of this strategy.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Rural livelihoods and food security in the aftermath of the fast track land reform in Zimbabwe
- Authors: Jowah, Eddah Vimbai
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Land reform -- Zimbabwe Food security -- Zimbabwe Sustainable development -- Zimbabwe Right of property -- Zimbabwe Zimbabwe -- Economic conditions Rural development -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3302 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003090
- Description: Land reforms are back on the development agenda. Different types of land reforms have been adopted globally in recent years, but by far the most controversial and most radical has been the fast track land reform pursued by the Government of Zimbabwe from 2000. There is general scholarly agreement that the fast track process has been accompanied by various socio-economic and political challenges, including an increase in levels of food insecurity. This thesis examines fast track reform in specific relation to the livelihoods of smallholder households and household food security amongst land beneficiaries. It argues that the problem of food insecurity in Zimbabwe is a complex social, political and economic issue, which cannot be simplistically reduced to the failures of fast track. Understanding household food insecurity post-2000 needs to go beyond the notion that the nation‟s food security hinges on overall levels of production alone. In particular, livelihoods and food security need to be conceptualised at community and household levels. Therefore, while addressing the broad macro-level analysis and discourse around the process of fast track, the study also adopts a micro-level analysis to look at the varied impact of fast track on the actual beneficiaries. The research focuses on small-scale beneficiaries in the Goromonzi District of Zimbabwe and, through the use of the sustainable livelihoods framework, looks at how their local contexts have been influenced by the wider socio-economic and political processes, and how beneficiaries have sought ways of coping with the challenges they face.
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- Date Issued: 2010