Male perspectives on gender violence in South Africa: the case of Nkonkobe municipal area
- Authors: Danga, Talent
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Abused wives -- South Africa , Abused women -- South Africa , Family violence -- South Africa , Women -- Crimes against -- South Africa , Family violence -- South Africa -- Research , Family violence -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M SW
- Identifier: vital:11753 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/180 , Abused wives -- South Africa , Abused women -- South Africa , Family violence -- South Africa , Women -- Crimes against -- South Africa , Family violence -- South Africa -- Research , Family violence -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Description: The study explores the experiences of men who perpetrated violence against women in the domestic sphere. The study’s overarching concern is that violence has been largely seen as a women’s problem and not an issue that is central to men and yet in most cases are the perpetrators of this violence. Consequently, men have not been targeted in initiatives that curb domestic violence (Salo, 2005). It is in this frame of reference that this study saw it imperative to focus on the male perspective of gender violence. The study aims to find factors that contribute to male violence and in turn recommend practical and appropriate strategies of dealing with male violence perpetrators. The study drew its theoretical framework largely from the feminist theory, systems theory and the social learning theory in-order to gain insight into the different frameworks for making judgement about male violence against women. Feminists hold the view that, starting with people’s experiences is a powerful tool that provides the rational for their studies. The study was therefore qualitative in nature as it sought to gather men’s experiences of violent against their spouses; semi-structured interviews were utilized during data collection. A purposive sampling method was utilised to select ten men who were known to have perpetrated violence against their partners and five key informants with special knowledge on domestic violence. The research was conducted through the Department of Social Development in Alice in the Eastern Cape, which facilitated a trusting relationship between the researcher and its clients. The findings established that violence is used to maintain control and power over women. Men invoked hegemonic discourses as violence is employed as an instrument to suppress women, mostly in instances were women question their prerogatives and undermine their authority. It was evidenced that cultural practices such as ‘lobola’ (dowry) usually contribute to men’s use of violence. Most of the respondents understood violence from the physical dimension only, as violence was equated to beating and slapping. Added to that was the respondents’ inadequate understanding of domestic violence laws and legislation. The study also established that social service providers seem not to have concrete procedures and capacity to deal with perpetrators of domestic violence. In light of the problems discussed, the study recommends effective counseling and educational programs, policy improvement, capacitation of service providers and the criminal justice system and further research as strategies for dealing with male violence in the Nkonkobe District.
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- Date Issued: 2008
Molecular characterization of the Hsp70/Hsp90 organizing protein (Hop) phosphorylation, subcellular localization and interaction with Hsp90
- Authors: Daniel, Sheril
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Molecular chaperones Phosphorylation Proteins Heat shock proteins Surface plasmon resonance Cytosol
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:3996 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004056
- Description: Hop (Hsp70-Hsp90 Organizing Protein) is a co-chaperone of two major molecular chaperones, Hsp70 and Hsp90, and acts by transferring substrates from Hsp70 to Hsp90. Although under normal conditions Hop is predominantly localized within the cytosol, Hop has been detected in the nucleus under certain conditions including cell cycle arrest. A putative nuclear localization signal (NLS) has been identified within Hop, which overlaps with the TPR2A domain (previously shown to be critical for Hop-Hsp90 interactions). Hop is phosphorylated in vitro by two cell cycle kinases, namely, casein kinase II (CKII) at S189 and cdc2-kinase at T198; both residues are found upstream of the putative NLS and TPR2A domain. Mimicking phosphorylation at either phosphorylation site appeared to affect the subcellular localization of Hop. The aim of this study was to characterize Hop with respect to its phosphorylation status in vivo, as well as its subcellular localization pattern under heat stress and determine how these properties affected its interaction with Hsp90 as a co-chaperone. Dephosphorylation of proteins under normal and heat shock conditions changed the isoform composition of Hop, providing strong evidence that Hop was phosphorylated in vivo. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and glutatione-S-transferase (GST) co-precipitation studies showed that a cdc2-kinase phosphorylated mimic of Hop disrupted Hop-Hsp90 binding. A full length Hop-EGFP construct, as well as substitution mutants of the predicted NLS residues within the Hop-EGFP construct, were transfected into baby hamster kidney (BHK)-21 cells in order to establish the subcellular localization of Hop under heat stress and to test whether predicted residues were critical for nuclear localization of Hop. Under normal conditions, both Hop-EGFP and the NLS mutants were predominantly cytosolic, but when the cells were subjected to heat stress, Hop and its NLS-mutants were localized to both the cytosol and the nucleus. SPR and GST co-precipitation studies showed that substitution of the residues within the major arm of the putative NLS abrogated Hop-Hsp90 interactions. The data obtained from this study, showed for the first time, that Hop was phosphorylated in vivo and suggested that phosphorylation of Hop by cdc2-kinase could inhibit Hop-Hsp90 interactions. Moreover, these results suggested that the subcellular localization of Hop was dependent on stress levels of the cell, particularly heat stress. We propose that the nuclear localization of Hop may be primarily regulated by stress and secondarily by cell cycle arrest. The major arm of the putative NLS did not affect the localization of Hop directly, but was shown to be critical for Hop-Hsp90 binding in vitro. The results of this study suggested that binding of Hop to Hsp90 sequestered Hop within the cytosol and that Hsp90 acted as a cytosolic retention factor for Hop. Both phosphorylation of Hop, and its subcellular localization, appeared to be intimately related to its interaction with Hsp90 as a co-chaperone.
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- Date Issued: 2008
Nuclear translocation of the phosphoprotein Hop (Hsp70/Hsp90 organizing protein) occurs under heat shock, and its proposed nuclear localization signal is involved in Hsp90 binding
- Authors: Daniel, Sheril , Bradley, Graeme , Longshaw, Victoria M , Söti, Csaba , Csermely, Peter , Blatch, Gregory L
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6472 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005951 , http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamcr.2008.01.014
- Description: The Hsp70–Hsp90 complex is implicated in the folding and regulation of numerous signaling proteins, and Hop, the Hsp70–Hsp90 Organizing Protein, facilitates the association of this multichaperone machinery. Phosphatase treatment of mouse cell extracts reduced the number of Hop isoforms compared to untreated extracts, providing the first direct evidence that Hop was phosphorylated in vivo. Furthermore, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy showed that a cdc2 kinase phosphorylation mimic of Hop had reduced affinity for Hsp90 binding. Hop was predominantly cytoplasmic, but translocated to the nucleus in response to heat shock. A putative bipartite nuclear localization signal (NLS) has been identified within the Hsp90-binding domain of Hop. Although substitution of residues within the major arm of this proposed NLS abolished Hop–Hsp90 interaction as determined by SPR, this was not sufficient to prevent the nuclear accumulation of Hop under leptomycin-B treatment and heat shock conditions. These results showed for the first time that the subcellular localization of Hop was stress regulated and that the major arm of the putative NLS was not directly important for nuclear translocation but was critical for Hop–Hsp90 association in vitro. We propose a model in which the association of Hop with Hsp90 and the phosphorylated status of Hop both play a role in the mechanism of nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling of Hop.
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- Date Issued: 2008
An evaluation of the assessment criteria of the Unit Standard 115789
- Authors: Danster, Franscesca Olivia
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Education -- Standards -- South Africa , Accreditation (Education) -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8366 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1215 , Education -- Standards -- South Africa , Accreditation (Education) -- South Africa
- Description: This study investigates the assessment criteria of Unit Standard 115789: Communication Studies and Language. In general unit standards are registered, standardised statements of expected education and training outcomes including assessment criteria and other regulatory information required by training providers and assessors to train and assess learners under the Skills Development Act of 1998. However, it was found that many training providers and assessors share the view that in the case of Unit Standard 115789, among others, the assessment criteria and their descriptors are generic, vague and non-context specific to the extent that trainers and assessors have difficulty in developing appropriate and reliable assessment tools and instruments that allow them to adhere to the basic principles of assessment, namely transparency, validity, reliability, consistency, practicability, fairness, flexibility and usability. The main concern of the study is that learners will be declared communicatively competent individuals in a variety of professional and industrial environments when in fact they are not. The study traces the origins and development processes of Unit Standard 115789 in order to gain a clearer understanding of the problems experienced by training providers and assessors in the implementation of the assessment criteria. It then proposes a set of guidelines that will assist training providers and assessors to make the assessment criteria more accessible and the assessment processes more reliable, valid and consistent. Finally, it makes a number of recommendations to ensure that the problems of implementation of Unit Standard 115789 currently experienced by training providers and assessors are alleviated.
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- Date Issued: 2008
An investigation into the impact of performance management and development system on service delivery in the Eastern Cape: a case of the three Buffalo City hospitals
- Authors: Davashe, Cikizwa
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Performance -- Evaluation , Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Hospitals -- South Africa -- Administration
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Soc Sc (Dev)
- Identifier: vital:11414 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/307 , Performance -- Evaluation , Municipal services -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Community development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Hospitals -- South Africa -- Administration
- Description: In the Eastern Cape Department of Health the performance management and development system progress reviews are performed in a summative manner. This happens when a supervisor leaves out all the other progress reviews and conducts a final progress assessment and monitoring at the end of the year. It is worse when the performance agreements are not even signed during the start of a financial year, neither does a newly qualified employee sign. As a result employees are not appraised because there are no progress reviews that are entered on the Persal system. Employees miss an opportunity to be sent for training at the same time they are rewarded late or not at all. It is obvious that the managers do not understand the aims and objectives of the PMDS policy. The research was an assessment of the effectiveness of the performance management and development system in inculcating professional behaviour in the nursing staff in the three Buffalo City hospitals, namely, East London Hospital Complex, Grey and Bisho hospital. The aspects of the policy investigated were the performance reviews, the competency framework and the performance incentive scheme. This research is qualitative in nature. Data was collected using unstructured interviews and open ended questions. The population of this study involved selected Performance Management Managers, Quality Assurance Manager, Area Managers, junior nurses and clerks working in the Buffalo City Hospitals. The respondents of the study were selected using the stratified random sampling technique. Descriptive methods were used to analyse data. Confidentiality was highly maintained and consent form even distributed from the start of the research. The three Buffalo City hospitals are practising a balanced scorecard as a performance measurement tool. It is in the form of workplans that are different for different levels of employees such as the performance workplans, standard framework workplan and individual workplans. ix The study discovered that there is poor compliance in performing the performance reviews. The attention is on the appraisal aspect more than the development aspect. Also, there is a delay in taking the employees for training as a result they end up not being trained. The employees are not rewarded according to their performance. The PMDS policy states that employees that get a score of three are entitled to get a one percent and those that are rated a four or a five qualify for a performance bonus. The study found that the PMDS policy is not implemented well. It is recommended that the performance management manager and the quality assurance manager need to apply a radical strategic transformation and change management to address the challenges.
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- Date Issued: 2008
First and second born twins: a comparative study utilizing the Graffiths mental development scales - extended revised
- Authors: Davidson, Gabrielle
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Griffiths Scales of Mental Development , Twins -- Intelligence testing -- South Africa , Preschool children -- Intelligence testing -- South Africa , Mental development -- Testing , Psychological tests for children
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9921 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/669 , Griffiths Scales of Mental Development , Twins -- Intelligence testing -- South Africa , Preschool children -- Intelligence testing -- South Africa , Mental development -- Testing , Psychological tests for children
- Description: Despite the concept of twins and twinning being a highly explored area of research for many years, limited research has been conducted on the comparison of first and second born twin development. The nature of twins leads people to believe that twins will present with similar characteristics, however, this study explores the possibility that due to their ordinal position they could in fact present with differing characteristics and could differ developmentally. The early holistic development of a child influences the rest of their lives. Concerning twins, the development of individuality and self-knowledge is especially important. Theorists, such as Piaget (1950), propose that child development takes place in stages and that although the order in which children proceed through these stages is the same, the pace at which this takes place can vary. The necessity of monitoring the child’s journey through these stages highlights the value of child developmental assessment. This form of assessment needs to be holistic, needs to involve a multidisciplinary team of professionals and needs to utilize assessment measures that are valid, reliable, culture-fair and standardized. The Griffiths Mental Development Scales-Extended Revised (GMDS-ER) is one such measure. This study, focusing on twin development, aimed to contribute and provide valuable information to a larger research project that is currently under way aiming to increase the applicability of the Griffiths Mental Development Scales-Extended Revised (GMDS-ER) in the South African context. The primary aim of the study, however, was to explore and compare the performance of normal first born and second born twins, aged between 2 and 8 years 4 months old, on the GMDS-ER. The purpose of the study was to generate information on the relationship between first born twins’ general development and second born twins’ general development. An exploratory, descriptive quantitative design was used. Participants were selected through a combination of non-probability purposive, convenience and snowball sampling. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and dependent sample t-tests were employed to compare the General Quotients (GQ’s) of the first and second born twins in the sample. Results showed that no significant differences were found between the first and second born twins’ general development. Information generated from this study contributed to 1) child development research; 2) twin developmental research within a South African context; and 3) a greater group of studies on the GMDS-ER, currently underway in the United Kingdom and South Africa, aiming to contribute to the international credibility of this measure
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- Date Issued: 2008
The nature and incidence of fast bowling injuries at an elite, junior level and the associated risk factors
- Authors: Davies, Roxanne
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Cricket injuries , Cricket -- Bowling , Cricket injuries -- Prevention
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:10098 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/660 , Cricket injuries , Cricket -- Bowling , Cricket injuries -- Prevention
- Description: Fast bowlers are especially prone to injury as they perform their bowling techniques repetitively at very high intensities. The fast bowling action in the past has been described as a highly explosive activity that produces high levels of stress and strain on the body. The aim of this study was to compile an injury profile of 46 fast bowlers aged 11 to 18, and to identify the associated risk factors for injury during an academy cricket season. A descriptive correlational research design was utilised. Subjects were selected according to age and fast bowling ability. These subjects were observed for one academy cricket season (March to November). Three testing sessions occurred during this time (T1, T2 and T3). Each subject completed two questionnaires: i) bowler history (at T1) and ii) injury history (at T1, T2, and T3). These assisted in grouping the subjects according to their responses into one of three injury classifications (uninjured = S1; injured but able to play = S2; injured and unable to play = S3). Anthropometric and postural data for the entire group of fast bowlers were also collected pre-season (T1). Physical fitness screenings were also conducted during each of the three testing sessions to establish any relationship between the fitness of each fast bowler and the occurrence of injuries. Additional factors assessed during the season were bowling techniques and bowling workload. Statistical significance was indicated by p-values less than .05 (p< .05), while practical significance was indicated by either Cohen’s d-values of 0.2 or better (d>0.2) for tests based on sample means or Cramer’s V for tests based on sample frequencies, the values of which depend on the applicable degrees of freedom. All fitness scores as well as bowling workload figures for each testing session were converted to standard T-scores and these in turn were summated to derive overall fitness and workload T-scores. ‘TT’ indicated the overall average score for the entire season. Changes in performances, bowling workload and injury status were analysed using ANOVA and ANCOVA. A regression analysis was also conducted to analyse the relationship between bowling workload and weeks incapacitated. This study found that hyperextension in the knees had the highest incidence of postural deviation injury (43 percent) followed by winged scapula (39 percent). Only 15 percent of the fast bowlers remained injury-free for the duration of the season, while 35 percent of the subjects were at some stage injured to such an extent that they were unable to play. The incidence of serious injury (S3) showed a statistical and moderate practical (V=0.23, d.f. ≥2) significant increase throughout the data collection period (4 percent at T1 to 30 percent at T3). The most common injury was to the knee (41 percent) followed by those to the lower back (37 percent). These injuries occurred mostly during test periods T2 and T3. The nature of injuries were predominantly strains and "other" which accounted for 39 percent of the injuries overall (TT) and had the highest reported incidence during the period T1 to T3. Sprains followed with an overall incidence of 14 percent. Less frequently reported injuries were tears, fractures, bruises and dislocations. The degree of severity of injuries was defined in terms of the number of weeks a player reported being incapacitated as a result of injury during the academy session. During midand end-season bowlers were on average incapacitated approximately one week out of every five due to injury. The statistics for the duration of the study translate to approximately one week incapacitated out of every seven weeks of play. When comparing the S1/S2 bowlers with the S3 group, the S1/S2 bowlers performed consistently better than the S3 bowlers in all the fitness variables tested. However no significant differences (p>.05) in either flexibility or muscle strength were observed. Of the risk factors analysed, bowling workload presented a statistically significant (p<.0005) increased risk for injury. A strong significant positive relationship (p<.0005, R²=.619) was found between weeks incapacitated and bowling workload, supporting the finding that increased bowling workloads show a linear relationship with the increase in the number of weeks incapacitated from normal play. This study concluded that inadequate fitness, high bowling workload and bowling technique all have a multi-factorial role in predisposing a bowler to increased risk for injury. These variables did not act alone, but have all contributed to recurring injuries. The bowling action alone would not have been detrimental if the workloads were not in excess of the recommended guidelines. Furthermore the workload would not have been as detrimental if the bowlers were well conditioned and uninjured. Management of minor injuries and adequate recovery time, coupled with adequate and relevant fitness preparation would better prepare fast bowlers for the demands of the game.
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- Date Issued: 2008
Strategies to improve business success in selected industries
- Authors: Dayan, Oren
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Success in business , Business -- Management , Customer relations -- Management
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DCom
- Identifier: vital:9366 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/938 , Success in business , Business -- Management , Customer relations -- Management
- Description: Successful economies are dependent on successful industries.The present study explores how business success could be improved in three selected industries, namely the motorcar, high-technology and food manufacturing industries. These industries are vital to growing the economy of countries. The present study made a significant contribution towords identifying a theoretical model to improve the business success of the motorcar, high technology amd the food manufacturing industries. The study showed that various combinations of product launching stategies (distribution channel development, product image, third-party agreements, pricing, e-business, and e-saving), as well as organisational variables (TQM and market culture) are important agreements to achieve increased sales growth and CRM effectiveness.
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- Date Issued: 2008
Suicide ideation among police members in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: De Bruin, Carmelitia Elmarie
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Police -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Suicide , Suicide -- Psychological aspects , Police -- South Africa -- Job stress
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Soc Sc (C Psy)
- Identifier: vital:11852 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/146 , Police -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Suicide , Suicide -- Psychological aspects , Police -- South Africa -- Job stress
- Description: Suicide, the endpoint of the continuum that begins with suicide ideation, is known to be an important precursor of attempted suicides. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of suicide ideation of police members and to determine the differences between suicide ideation of various demographic variables, in particular, the gender, rank and race groups of police members. The convenience sample (N = 111) was drawn from police stations in the Nelson Mandela Metropole in the Eastern Cape Province. The Adult Suicide Ideation Questionnaire (ASIQ) and a Biographical Questionnaire were administered. The results indicated that 1.4 % of the sample showed significant levels of suicidal ideation scoring a high score above 31 (i.e., above the 97th percentile by ASIQ). The T-test, One-way (ANOVA) and the Pearson Chi-Square analysis showed no significant differences between suicide ideation and the demographic variables based on the police station, age, gender, race, rank, years of service, years of current position, educational qualifications, marital status, presence of medical conditions, number of alcoholic drinks consumed per week, smoking behaviour and exercise behaviour. However, participants with previous suicide attempts had significant high scores on ASIQ.
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- Date Issued: 2008
Tracing and erasure in Kathryn Smith's Psychogeographies: the washing away of wrongs
- Authors: de Jager, Maureen
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147413 , vital:38634 , https://0-hdl.handle.net.wam.seals.ac.za/10520/EJC31057
- Description: Kathryn Smith's Psychogeographies: The Washing Away of Wrongs is a series of twelve prints comprising photographs and handwritten text, wherein she records her 'pilgrimage' to the former homes of British serial killer Dennis Nilsen. As such, it utilises photographic and autographic traces to 'track' the elusive traces left by Nilsen. Given the lapse of two decades between Nilsen's arrest and Smith's visit, the traces of Nilsen's 'wrongs' seem all but erased by the banal façade of suburban living which has continued on, regardless. In taking this as a starting point, the following article considers the motif of absence that characterises Smith's work as intrinsic to traces per se.
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- Date Issued: 2008
Deriving narrow syntax through constraints on information structure : a parallel between linguistic models of displacement and database theory
- Authors: de Vos, Mark
- Date: 2008
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6142 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011594
- Description: This paper presents a research program for normalization-driven syntax. It takes the Minimalist research agenda as a starting point (Chomsky 1995. The Minimalist Program. MIT Press, Cambridge MA.) and explores the question of how the CI interface determines syntactic operations. The proposal provides specific content to the notion of bare output conditions and the nature of the CI interface. It does so by drawing on the tools provided by Relational Theory, a branch of set-theoretic mathematics, and Database Theory, a branch of computer science. It is demonstrated that core components of Narrow Syntax (phrase structure, selection and AGREE) are all definable in terms of Relational Theory. Then, it is shown that the process of relation optimization, or normalization, can derive chain formation. The article concludes with two speculations on the implementation of phases within a normalization-driven grammar and the implications of such a system for the learnability of the lexicon.
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- Date Issued: 2008
Towards a user centric model for identity and access management within the online environment
- Authors: Deas, Matthew Burns
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Computers -- Access control , Computer networks -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9780 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/775 , Computers -- Access control , Computer networks -- Security measures
- Description: Today, one is expected to remember multiple user names and passwords for different domains when one wants to access on the Internet. Identity management seeks to solve this problem through creating a digital identity that is exchangeable across organisational boundaries. Through the setup of collaboration agreements between multiple domains, users can easily switch across domains without being required to sign in again. However, use of this technology comes with risks of user identity and personal information being compromised. Criminals make use of spoofed websites and social engineering techniques to gain illegal access to user information. Due to this, the need for users to be protected from online threats has increased. Two processes are required to protect the user login information at the time of sign-on. Firstly, user’s information must be protected at the time of sign-on, and secondly, a simple method for the identification of the website is required by the user. This treatise looks at the process for identifying and verifying user information, and how the user can verify the system at sign-in. Three models for identity management are analysed, namely the Microsoft .NET Passport, Liberty Alliance Federated Identity for Single Sign-on and the Mozilla TrustBar for system authentication.
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- Date Issued: 2008
Assessing unwanted early sexual experiences: a South African university study
- Authors: Defferary, Tanya E M
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: College students -- Attitudes -- South Africa , College students -- Sexual behavior -- South Africa , Students -- South Africa -- Psychology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Soc Sc (Psych)
- Identifier: vital:11603 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/137 , College students -- Attitudes -- South Africa , College students -- Sexual behavior -- South Africa , Students -- South Africa -- Psychology
- Description: This study assessed the prevalence of unwanted early sexual experiences (UESE), of the first year psychology students at the University of Fort Hare, in East London. Of the participants, 65 (31 percent) indicated that they had been exposed to some form of non-contact (56.9percent) or contact (22.3 prercent) UESE before the age of 16 years. It was found that more male (42.5 percent) than female (25.2 percent) students reported being exposed to an UESE. The most common perpetrator reported by the majority of the participants were friends (52.4 percent). Most respondents reported that they were only exposed to the UESE once (55.6 percent). The study found that females were significantly more bothered than males both at the time of the UESE and at the time of completing the questionnaire. Both male and female participants were more bothered by the UESE at the time of the event than they were at the time of completing the questionnaire, which indicates an abatement of symptoms over time. The results indicate that flashbacks of the UESE were the most bothersome experience for both male and female participants at the time of completing the questionnaire.
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- Date Issued: 2008
The role of experience in the development of bar managers' social competencies
- Authors: Dhaya, Jateen
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Hospitality Industry -- Management , Bars (Drinking establishments) -- Management , Social skills , Executive ability , Interpersonal communication , Experience
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:1177 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002794 , Hospitality Industry -- Management , Bars (Drinking establishments) -- Management , Social skills , Executive ability , Interpersonal communication , Experience
- Description: This research study analysed the role that experience played in the development of bar managers’ social competencies. Given the social nature of the bar environment, social competencies were perceived to be essential managerial competencies that enable bar managers to manage employees and consumers to ensure that employee and consumer satisfaction is maintained. The literature reviewed discussed the importance of managerial competencies and the composition of social competencies. Experience was conceptualized to develop an understanding of the informal learning method through which competency development occurs. Data was captured through face-to-face interviews, which were based on the Critical Incident Technique (CIT). The data was analysed using the open coding procedures of grounded theory. This research study proposed a process to explain how experience contributed to the development of social competencies. The proposed process, which is called the Social Competency Cache Development Process (SCCD Process), ultimately indicated that experience contributed to bar managers’ social competencies through a reflection process, the residues of experience, and through the familiarity of situations and results. This research study found that experience contributed to the development of bar managers’ social competencies within a process that established an awareness of unfamiliar social competencies or reinforced the effects of familiar effective social competencies. Experience was also found to promote the transition between novel situations and familiar situations, which in turn enabled bar managers to effectively assess social situations and select effective responses to social situations. Consequently, experience improved the probability of bar managers implementing effective social competencies to ensure employee and consumer satisfaction. In essence, experience shaped bar managers’ accumulation of social competencies by promoting the addition of new social competencies or the reinforcement of existing social competencies.
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- Date Issued: 2008
Alternative products in the inhibition of te plant pathogen scleroyinia sclerotiorum on potato production
- Authors: Dhliwayo, Tererayi
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Potatoes -- Diseases and pests
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:10587 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/941 , Potatoes -- Diseases and pests
- Description: White mold caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum attacks a wide host range of broad-leafed plants which includes potatoes. Current control is limited to the use of chemicals, but biological control has emerged as an eco-friendly alternative. For the study, 19 bacterial strains and 18 fungal strains obtained from soil samples taken from a potato field naturally infested with the pathogen S. sclerotiorum were tested for the effects on S. sclerotiorum mycelium growth and sclerotia viability in vitro. A total of eight bacterial strains and six fungal strains proved to be effective in the inhibition of S. sclerotiorum mycelium growth on PDA plate using a dual culture technique. These antagonistic microbes were six Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pumilis, Bacillus marisflavi, Fusarium solani, Fusarium equiseti, Fusarium chlamydosporum, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus insuetus and Penicillium citrinum. There was a significant difference (p<0.05) in the interaction between S. sclerotiorum mycelium growth and the time after inoculation with a S. sclerotiorum mycelium plug for both bacterial and fungal soil isolates. An additional sclerotia viability test was carried out using four of the eight antagonistic bacteria, and six of the antagonistic fungi. The results showed that two Bacillus species, namely B. pumilis and B. marisflavi can effectively reduce sclerotia viability. The other two bacteria (both B. subtilis), recorded low percentage reduction in sclerotia viability. As for the six antagonistic fungi, the viability test proved to be less effective in determining sclerotia viability. However, the result of this study supports the use of bio-control agents, not only because they are environmentally friendly, but because they are also an effective way of controlling the plant pathogen, S. sclerotiorum.
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- Date Issued: 2008
Improving the reading abililties of grade 9 learners: a classroom-based inquiry: how do I facilitate improvement in the reading abilities of my Grade 9 learners?
- Authors: Didloft, Virginia Charmaine
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Reading disability -- South Africa , Reading -- Ability testing -- South Africa , Reading -- Remedial teaching -- South Africa -- Aids and devices
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:9553 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/942 , Reading disability -- South Africa , Reading -- Ability testing -- South Africa , Reading -- Remedial teaching -- South Africa -- Aids and devices
- Description: This thesis is a narrative account of how I have transformed my learning and teaching strategies for Grade 9 learners, generating my own living theory of teaching within a social context with the aim of enabling my learners to construct their own knowledge. My value-embedded practice is reflected in the values I attach to equality, inclusivity, social justice and basic human rights. These embodied values are also a reflection of my commitment to my Christian values which encompass my entire existence and have become the living standards by which I judge the quality of my research. My classroom-based action research methodology is a living transformational process which heralds a change for a more just practice and the inclusion and recognition of the individual. My findings about my learners’ and my own learning offer new conceptualisations about the capacity of my learners to learn in their own unique ways and according to their own potential. I am claiming that the significance of my research is grounded in my ability to demonstrate how I can unleash the untapped potential of learners failing to attain the desired outcomes. I show them how to learn confidently and successfully within a social context using prior knowledge, scaffolding and motivation as teaching and learning tools. This has potential inspiration for new forms of practice and theory in aiming to improve learners’ potential. A significant feature of my account is how my Christian values have been translated into my critical epistemological standards of judgement, and the development of a living theory of practice that enables me to account for educational influences in my learners’ and my own learning.
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- Date Issued: 2008
Towards the bioremediation of the hypertrophic Swartkops Solar Salt-works
- Authors: Difford, Mark
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Salt industry and trade -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Bioremediation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10606 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1506 , Salt industry and trade -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Bioremediation
- Description: This thesis presents the results of three studies aimed at improving brine-quality at the Swartkops solar salt-works (Swartkops Sea Salt [Pty] Ltd) on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. This is a highly eutrophic salt-works, the management of which has become increasingly difficult in recent years. The fundamental problem is how best to operate the system at maximum capacity while limiting nutrient inputs from the nutrient-rich microtidal Swartkops Estuary. In the first study, brine-quality at several sites along the axis of the Swartkops Estuary, and the extent to which it is affected by a variety of factors, is compared. Sites were sampled on micro- and macrotidal time scales, and were selected by the management of the salt-works as possible locations for a new pump-house (for extracting brine from the estuary) for their salt-work operations at Swartkops and Missionvale. The study showed that there are incremental benefits to be had from moving the site of extraction downstream from its present position to a site closer to the mouth of the estuary, where the concentration of nutrients usually is lower and where salinity usually is higher. There is little to be gained from moving the site of extraction laterally, to the mouth of the Inlet from which brine currently is extracted, so that brine is extracted directly from the estuary itself. A set of models relating the concentrations of NH+ 4 , NO{u100000}3 , and PO34{u100000} to salinity is proposed. These take into account the influences of site and season and may be used to estimate the concentration of these nutrients from a measurement of salinity. The model for PO34{u100000} shows that it would be more damaging to the salt-works’ operations to pump “low”-salinity brine during the early months of summer than during autumn. Evidence is also presented to show that Wylde Bridge has no influence on nutrient concentrations in the estuary, with tidal flushing generally passing beyond the Wylde-Bridge break-point. The exceptionally heavy flooding of the estuary that occurred in September 2002 may, however, have biased this conclusion, because of its scouring effect. The second study concentrated on monitoring the effect of (1) decreasing pond depth and (2) increasing pond salinity—two readily available management tools—on brine quality at the salt-works. Pond depth throughout the salt-works was decreased by 40 cm, and the salinity of Pond 5, a pond in the middle of the system, was increased to 175 S. Both measures were kept in place for the duration of the study (Nov. 2002–Aug. 2004). The pond-depth experiment did not have the expected result, there being no evidence of the increase in microalgal growth in the water column that was predicted based on previous research. There was, however, a significant increase in benthic chlorophyll-a, and there was a general improvement in the condition of the sedimentary system of the salt-works. There was also a substantial decrease in particulate organic matter in the water column, with clear evidence that the remaining fraction was closely associated with living forms of particulate matter rather than with detritus. The pond-salinity experiment proves that there is a flourishing, and resilient, population of brine shrimp (Artemia salina L.) at the salt-works. Restocking the salina, or stocking it with a different strain of brine shrimp, is therefore not necessary. The results of this study show that the brine shrimp population at the salt-works needs salinities of greater than about 65–70 S to survive. As a living force they almost certainly need a protective salinity that is greater than about 120–140 S, perhaps even as great as 160 S. Brine shrimp thrived in the high salinity milieu of the experimental pond for the duration of the study, but dwindled from three other ponds of the system once their salinities fell to below 90 S, eventually to disappear from them, apparently completely, once salinity fell to below 65 S. The third and final study concentrated on establishing whether the products released by decomposing barley straw could be used in a solar salt-works to control macroalgal blooms without detrimentally affecting the benthic-mat. Previous research has shown that these products are effective inhibitors of macroalgal growth and that they remain effective under saline conditions. The results presented here show that the same products, or products released under similar conditions of decomposition, adversely effect both the structure and the function of the mat. Consequently, their use in a solar salt-works cannot be recommended.
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- Date Issued: 2008
A comparison of the values of water inflows into selected South African estuaries : the Heuningnes, Kleinmond, Klein, Palmiet, Cefane, Kwelera and Haga-Haga
- Authors: Dikgang, Johane
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Estuaries -- South Africa -- Cost efffectiveness , Water-supply -- South Africa -- Economic aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:8994 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/804 , Estuaries -- South Africa -- Cost efffectiveness , Water-supply -- South Africa -- Economic aspects
- Description: “An estuary is a partially or fully enclosed body of watera) which is open to the sea permanently or periodically; b) within which the sea water can be diluted, to an extent that is measurable, with freshwater drained from inland” (National Water Act, 1998). Estuaries are ecologically important because they are habitats for birds, fish and plants and they are valuable because they provide human beings with food (fish) and recreational pleasure in the form of unique views, bird watching and opportunities for swimming and boating. It is in this context that they may be said to provide economic goods and services for current and future generations. The provision of these services is dependent on the inflow of freshwater into estuaries. The problem with estuarine freshwater demand is that estuaries are the ‘last in line’, literally and perhaps in the typical prioritisation of human wants by government. Clearly it is imperative that the value of freshwater inflows into estuaries be determined and these values incorporated into catchment management decision making. South African estuaries have in the past mainly been managed on a piecemeal basissometimes in the interest of fishermen, sometimes property development owners and sometimes other local interest groups. This situation changed with the National Water Act of 1998. One of its objectives was to address the mismanagement and inadequate research about water inflow impacts on estuaries (Allanson and Baird, 1999). The global warming phenomenon is going to negatively affect estuaries and put more pressure on the availability of freshwater inflows into estuaries, as well as the availability of drinking water. The majority of South African estuaries are temporally open/closed and experiencing reduced functioning due to reductions of freshwater inflow to them. Given the overwhelming evidence available on the significance of freshwater inflow to estuary functionality, it is clear that an important component of catchment management is the allocation of river water into estuaries. Economic guidance comes in the form of comparisons of value. There are seven estuaries for which values were generated, the Heuningnes, Kleinmond, Klein, Palmiet, Cefane, Kwelera and Haga- Haga. All of the seven estuaries fall in areas characterized by warm temperate climates and low rainfall levels. Estuary services, like many other environmental services, are not traded in the markets. For this reason, in order to estimate their value, reference must be made to proxy markets, and methods of valuation have to be employed that can use proxy market information - like the contingent valuation method (CVM), the travel cost method (TCM) and the hedonic pricing method (HPM). For the purpose of this research the CVM was preferred because it is best suited to including passive or nonuse values. The CVM estimated values are compared with other values generated using the TCM. The information required to make the CVs was gathered through surveys in at the seven selected estuaries from December 2005 to April 2006. From this information sample mean and median Willingness to Pay (WTP) values for freshwater were calculated, socio economic profiles were generated, the importance that respondents attached to various activities in the estuary was deduced, and, Tobit and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) statistics models were used to predict household WTP. The Total WTP (TWTP) for each estuary was obtained by multiplying the median WTP by the total number of households that use the estuary. The median WTP is preferred to the mean WTP because of a skewed bid distribution of WTP among the users. The value per m3 of freshwater was obtained by dividing the TWTP by the total forecast reduction in water inflows into the estuary.
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- Date Issued: 2008
Knowledge of plant resource use based on location, gender and generation
- Authors: Dovie, Delali B K , Witkowski, Ed T F , Shackleton, Charlie M
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/181202 , vital:43707 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2008.07.002"
- Description: The differences in knowledge of biological resource use between societal and demographic groups are often poorly understood; yet they are an important element of sustainability. Differences in gender and generational knowledge of locally useful woody plant species in South African savannas are examined. The results showed that young people and middle-aged females were highly knowledgeable. Over half of the total 267 woody plant species in nine use categories (i.e., medicinal, fruits–seeds, fuelwood, beverage, cultural, furniture, craft, fencing and housing poles) had multiple uses. Therefore, differences in knowledge of resource selection and use between social or demographic groups (for example based on gender and age) may appropriately inform conservation prioritisation, planning and monitoring.
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- Date Issued: 2008
The role of values in educational leadership: an interpretive study
- Authors: Drake, Melanie Lee
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Educational leadership -- South Africa Leadership -- South Africa Values -- Study and teaching -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1756 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003640
- Description: This study set out to investigate the role of values in educational leadership. The renewed interest in values in both educational and corporate environments in South Africa places new pressures on members in leadership positions especially in school life. Schools are described as the ‘nurseries’ of values. The understanding of the abstract nature of values, as well as instrumentalising and implementing values in vision statements and organisational life, poses challenges to present and future school leaders. This study, based in the interpretive paradigm, is an in-depth investigation into the role of values at a former model C primary school in the Eastern Cape. Through the use of observations, document analysis, focus groups and interviews as data collection tools, this research highlights the importance of values in school leadership and how this impacts the life of the school leader. This case-study research combines theoretical and contextual frameworks to question the nature of values in leadership and uses the real-life experiences of these school leaders to resonate with current understandings of values in leadership and organisational culture. The importance of understanding these complexities in the lives and experiences of these school leaders cannot be underestimated. My findings highlight the tensions between leading successful schools (task/person efficiency) and remaining congruent with the need for leadership for social justice in post-apartheid educational institutions. The uniqueness of the school environment (‘families’ and ‘communities’) is also featured and resonates with previous literature. Through the lens of emerging leadership trends, we discover these school leaders’ understandings of values in their daily lives: they do what they are and this is reflected in this school’s unique organisational culture, which could be said to ‘transcend’ present leaders’ influence. Finally I propose that further research is necessary in order to broaden our understanding of the unique role of values in educational leadership in South Africa.
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- Date Issued: 2008