A new light on the pre-colonial history of South-East Africa, where the 'Other' is the European and the 'Silence' has a voice, based on evidence from shipwreck survivor narratives 1552-1782
- Authors: Vernon, Gillian Noël
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Shipwrecks -- South Africa -- History Shipwrecks -- Mozambique -- Personal narratives
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (History)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/7930 , vital:30924
- Description: The aim of this dissertation is to extract information from shipwreck survivor narratives, which will add to the known body of knowledge of the pre-colonial history of Southern Africa during the years 1552 to 1782. The discourse analysis focuses on the voice of the African peoples where the Europeans are the 'Strangers', the 'Other', reversing the view that the people of non-European cultures were termed as the 'Other'. Indigenous inhabitants of south-east Africa, south of Kosi Bay, first encountered Europeans in 1552 when a Portuguese ship was wrecked at present-day Port Edward. Subsequently, eight more Portuguese ships were wrecked between Plettenberg Bay and Kosi Bay between the years 1554 to 1647. Two Dutch ships landed on the shore, one south of the Bay of Natal in 1686, and the other being wrecked near the mouth of the Keiskamma River in 1713. There were also two English ships, with one striking the rocks on Bird Island in Algoa Bay in 1755 and the other, the more famous Grosvenor of 1782, coming aground at Lambazi Bay, north of the Mzimvubu River. The survivor groups were large, varying in size from 72 to 500, and most included a large complements of slaves. The survivors of the Portuguese ships made their way to present-day Mozambique where the Portuguese had trading outposts. The survivors of the Dutch ships, as well as those of the Grosvenor tried, with limited success, to make their way to Cape Town. The survivors from two of the Portuguese wrecks and the English group on Bird Island, constructed small ships and managed to sail away.
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- Date Issued: 2009
A narrative exploration of the experiences of children from child-headed households into early adulthood : a case study of Nkonkobe District, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Sumbulu, Manowa Abie
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Children's rights--South Africa--Eastern Cape Child caregivers--South Africa--Eastern Cape Children--Legal status, laws, etc.--South Africa--Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , Social Work
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/11850 , vital:39112
- Description: The past three decades have seen dramatic changes within the childcare system. There has been a bourgeoning death rate of child-bearing parents resulting in an unprecedentedly high number of parentless children (orphans) leading to the formation of child-headed households (CHHs). This formation came about as a result of the paucity of informal care for such children as well as the incapacity of the formal child care system. Most of these children are disadvantages with the prospect of facing a bleak future. However, some of them survive and presumably make it in life despite the odds. It is resilience and strengths they have in coping with their life’s’ situations that the research addresses. An exploratory-descriptive and qualitative design was applied in this research as well as Guba's (1981) approach to ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research. A systematic probability sampling procedure was applied in selecting participants. A semi-structured interview schedule with open-ended questions was applied to both the pilot study and to the study proper. The latter was conducted in the form of fourteen in-depth interviews and a focus group of eight discussants. The protocols were explicated in terms of a full delineation of the themes while the data were analysed by utilizing the thematic approach based on the grounded theory. Three developmental stages were identified: their base before becoming a child-headed household; the transition stage when they were in the child-headed household and the central narrative of how they progressed and coped since leaving the CHH. The third stage was the time for reflecting on what they had gone through and offered advice on coping capacity to children who might find themselves in child-headed households. Each of these stages has been marked by its highs and lows as they navigate through life and developing coping strategies. Some of these coping mechanisms were stage-specific while others persisted through all the stages.
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- Date Issued: 2015
An investigation into English second language competence and performance of Shona and Ndebele first lanuage learners
- Authors: Nhongo, Raphael
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Applied linguistics -- South Africa Language and languages -- Study and teaching|-- South Africa Multilingual education -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/12216 , vital:39198
- Description: The thrust of the study was to investigate the common ESL practices towards proficiency amongst O‟ level learners who are L1 speakers of either Shona or Ndebele and who are from either a rural or an urban setting. The aim of the study was to scrutinize how a learner‟s first language and the rural and urban environment influence ESL proficiency. The aim was to establish how rural and urban settings condition ESL proficiency and how ESL proficiency differs between these two settings. The other aim of the study was to establish the strategies that are used by teachers and learners in ESL teaching and learning and also to evaluate the effectiveness of such strategies. The study was qualitative in nature although a limited quantitative design was employed in the presentation of frequency tables. The study used a case study design. The information that was used in this study was gathered through the use of proficiency tests that were administered to forty O‟ level learners and through content analysis of learners‟ essays which were extracted from their essay exercise books. Sixteen O‟ level English language teachers, six English language examiners, one subject manager of English language and two curriculum developers were interviewed. The secondary data also played an important role in the study. The results of the study showed that teachers and learners use a number of strategies in the teaching and learning of ESL of which some of the strategies that they use have previously not been documented by other L2 researchers. It was also realized that learners in rural areas are at a disadvantage as compared to those in rural schools and such challenges include lack of exposure, inadequate reading materials, faulty instruction, unavailability of libraries and some other social issues. The major conclusion that was made in this study was that ESL learning and teaching strategies are of crucial importance to competence and performance in ESL proficiency.
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- Date Issued: 2015
A critical analysis of the role of strategic communication in strategic planning : a case study of South African universities
- Authors: Hadji, Mutambuli James
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Communication in management Business communication Strategic planning
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8209 , vital:31978
- Description: The debate on how the communication function can contribute at a strategic level to organisational success is an on-going one because communicators still need to prove their relevance at the top management level. In general, the contribution of communication as a management function in corporate strategy is not known. It is either considered an afterthought or as an element within other functional departments. In this regard, the purpose of this study was to analyse critically the role of communication in strategic planning at the selected South African universities. To achieve this main objective, institutional theory was applied, as it seeks to affirm the role of communication in decision-making with the intention to be legitimised. In-depth interviews were conducted with senior communicators and strategy planners at six universities on how they approach strategic planning in their respective universities. Significant from the findings was the fact that the South African universities follow the same process for strategic planning. Regarding the role of strategic communication, the findings confirmed literature in the sense that communication practice at functional level has been institutionalised but not at the top management level. It was this study’s finding that university reputation and positioning did not prominently feature in the strategic planning processes. Furthermore, this study found that communicators should play a leading in environmental scanning to identify society, industry and commerce with a view to fine-tune the university’s qualification mix. That is, communicators should provide intelligence on changes in the environment which serve as the basis of the development of university strategies. In other words, they should provide vital information to top management to enable them to take informed strategic decisions. Lastly, it was this study’s finding that communicators should conduct evaluation research to assist top management in comparing the set strategic objectives with actual performance. In addition, the communicators should assist top management in determining corrective actions if need be. In view of these findings, this study developed guidelines that will empower communicators to make a more meaningful contribution in the strategic planning process. Given the paucity of research evidence of strategic communication in a university context, the study provides a better understanding of the theory and practice thereof.
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- Date Issued: 2016
Access to information by high school learners in selected schools in the Fort Beaufort Education District, Eastern Cape Province
- Authors: Oyediran- Tidings,Stella Olubukunmi
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Information resources Information technology -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Information services Information literacy -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , Degree
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5304 , vital:29186
- Description: The level of access to educational information is pertinent to the attainment of quality education by learners. Librarians play a key role in facilitating access to such information. Access to educational information equips the possessor with the power of knowledge to assert their rights under any right regime, and a right to education cannot be fully exercised without corresponding access to educational information. Set in the Fort Beaufort Education District of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, this study evaluates the level of access to educational information as an enabler of quality education. Research revealed that despite the acclaimed educational improvement in South Africa, the quality of education in many black constituencies and provinces remains low. Therefore, the objectives of this study include inter alia an investigation of the educational information needs of high school learners in the Fort Beaufort Education District, the educational information available and accessible to them, how the learners access information, the services and technologies accessible to the learners, challenges confronting their access and means of improving learners’ access to educational information in the district and by extension in South Africa.
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- Date Issued: 2017
An analysis of teachers' experiences in using English as medium of instruction among grade 4 learners in Maluti district
- Authors: Rabelemane, Tsielo Aron
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching Language and languages -- Study and teaching
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8221 , vital:32058
- Description: The issue of medium of instruction has been a growing concern for most researchers, especially in contexts where English is used as medium of instruction at the expense of the learner’s mother tongue. In a South African context, the problem is being aggravated by the fact that English becomes a language of learning and teaching in Grade 4 whereas the learners’ medium of instruction in the lower grades has been their mother tongue and therefore did not have a firm grasp of the English language. Subsequently, there is a general outcry in South Africa that the shift from mother tongue to English as language of learning and teaching happens too early. The objectives in this thesis were to examine the experiences faced by Grade 4 teachers in using English as language of learning and teaching; to determine how these experiences impinge on learning and teaching in Grade 4 and to determine whether the teachers’ perceptions of English as the language of learning and teaching impinges on the success of the Grade 4 learners. The theoretical framework of this study is based on bilingualism and multilingualism theories. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used in the study. The study followed a survey design and both purposive and convenience sampling techniques were used. A sample of 100 teachers from 30 selected schools was chosen. The researcher collected data using individual interviews, questionnaires and observation. The qualitative data was analysed thematically whereas SPSS was used for the quantitative data. The findings of the study revealed that learners lacked confidence in expressing themselves in English in front of their peers and as a result the majority of learners did not participate in class when teachers were teaching in English. The results further showed that learners were passive due to poor understanding of the English language which sometimes resulted in communication breakdown between the teacher and the learner. The researcher recommended that the Government should provide the teachers with workshops that will unpack the strategies of teaching Grade 4 learners in using English as a medium of instruction.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Av evaluation of the contribution of shelters in offering psychological empowerment to survivors of abuse : a study of selected shelters in Pretoria
- Authors: Nyamutinga, Dudzai
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Women's shelters -- South Africa Abused women -- Services for -- South Africa Victims of family violence
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9209 , vital:34305
- Description: This research explored the contribution made by shelters in the psychosocial empowerment of survivors of abuse in the contemporary South Africa. Abuse of women is increasing at an alarming rate and government is not able to handle the task single-handedly. The study utilized convergent mixed methods approach (Creswell, 2014) with qualitative and quantitative approaches used in tandem; but with the qualitative approach being more dominant, while quantitative approach was less dominant. For research designs, the qualitative approach used a case study design; while the quantitative method utilized a mini survey design. On the unit of analysis, 52 participants participated in the qualitative sample, with the following sample distribution: 30 participants (15 from each shelter) participated using in-depth interviews, 10 participants (5 from each shelter) constituted a focus group discussion with 12 participants (6 from each shelter) interviewed as key informants. The quantitative approach had a sample of 100 samples women who were victims of abuse complete a mini survey based on questionnaire interviews. The study identified many factors that prompted women to go and reside in shelters from physical abuse and sexual abuse usually perpetrated by women’s spouses taking the larger share. Other important drivers included economic and emotional abuse. This resonates with some of the tenets of the critical feminist theory that an offender’s victimization of another person is an expression of domination and control (Brownmiller and Russell, 1975 in Wilcox 2010). Furthermore, the United Nations recognizes that violence against women is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women, contributing from male domination and discrimination over women. The study also established various psychosocial services provided to survivors of abuse. Such services were important in order to strengthen survivors’ coping capacities, raise their confidence and reinforce their decision-making processes pertaining to their lives. Some of these psychosocial services provided include provision of accommodation, nutritional meals, therapeutic counselling, basic counselling sessions, group work sessions, access to skills development programmes, assistance in maneuvering the judicial system, job placements, parenting skills, access to education and provision of preschool for their children and information and referrals. This study also managed to unearth and identify the various institutional and operational challenges that beset the running of the two selected shelters in Pretoria. Acutely, shelters suffer funding challenges, with funding either being inadequate or having to take so long before it is availed and, therefore, almost affecting the day to day operations of the shelters. These shelters were also challenged by donor regulations, inadequate infrastructure and a continuous increase of survivors and children in their care. Furthermore, the study identified the shelters’ effectiveness to raise survivors’ hope for the future; boost their confidence; improve their social functioning; provide emotional and practical support; offer them the requisite accommodation and meals; and also provided them with different kinds of skills that made them financially independent. The research recommended that a decentralization of shelters to rural areas across all provinces and the nation at large would go a long way in ensuring that all survivors will get the assistance they need. As the rural-urban migration takes its toll, the abuse of women also continues to increase. Funding is the key to the success of every project, and, therefore, the provision of enough and consistent funding and a sustainable plan to the shelters will ensure the smoothness of the provision of services and reduce staff burnout, reduce high staff turnover, and increase the stability of trained personnel. The study also recommends the government to consider subsidizing the salaries for the staff working in shelters so that their salaries would be on par with their colleagues in other organizations. Government should also facilitate the institution of shelters for survivors of abuse as some men feel that the issue of abuse focuses on females and therefore men shy away from accessing the services of the shelters.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Development communication for water conservation in rural and peri-urban communities : a study of three district municipalities in Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Onyenankeya, Kevin Uwaecheghi
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Communication in rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Water conservation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8397 , vital:32562
- Description: South Africa continues to ramp up public campaigns to rein in escalating water demand amid dwindling and erratic supply. One of the objectives of the campaign is to reduce water demand in urban areas to 15 precent by 2030 through water conservation and water demand management strategies. While the water conservation drive continue to gain traction among commercial and urban water users, it does not appear to resonate with rural and peri-urban residents. Using the pragmatic convergent parallel mixed methods approach consisting of the quantitative and qualitative methods such as survey, focus groups, and indepth-interviews and observation, this study explored the water conservation attitudes, behaviour and intentions of rural and peri-urban respondents in four Eastern Cape communities in South Africa, and to determine if any factors influence their attitudes and behaviour. The study also attempted to determine whether a dialogic approach to communication about water conservation is likely to lead to positive change in attitude and behaviour. The questionnaires were distributed personally by researcher and trained assistants but respondents were left to complete the questionnaires at their convenience and in their own pace but within a negotiated period of five working days. The collected data were analysed using both parametric and non-parametric methods. The nonparametric methods used include thematic analysis. Transcripts of focus group and individual interviews were coded using Nvivo, while quantitative data was analysed in SPSS and presented in simple frequency and cross tabulation. Regression analysis was used to establish the influence of attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control on water conservation intention. Results revealed respondents consider water conservation important and are favourably disposed to conserving water. Although peri-urban and rural residents considered water important and would want to make effort to conserve water in the future, not all considered water conservation an overarching social priority and, as a result, are generally passive or indifferent to water conservation. The indifference appears to be underpinned by residents’ beliefs about water. Further analysis showed that peri-urban residents have stronger positive attitude towards water conservation and greater intent and commitment towards water conservation than their rural counterpart. Attitude, subjective norm and behavioural control emerged as significant factors influencing water conservation intentions of respondents. The findings suggest that water curtailment behaviours were the prevalent water conservation activities rural and peri-urban residents engaged in, while water efficiency behaviours was very poor among the population. Factors such as cost, need, knowledge and locus of control had significant influence on residents’ water conservation behaviour and intentions, especially in purchasing or installing water efficient appliances. The study found no significant relationship between sociodemographic such as age, level of education and home tenure on resident’s water conservation behaviour or intentions. The findings indicate that many rural and peri-urban communities do not have adequate information on water conservation, what to do, how to do it and why it should be done and this affects their water conservation behaviour. It was also found that engaging residents through participatory dialogue is effective in raising awareness and stimulating interest in water saving activities. The study concludes that rural and peri-urban residents are yet to develop a social ethic of water conservation. The study highlights the need for concerted education and awareness campaign around water issues so as to build community knowledge and support for water conservation. But to encourage residents to make adjustment in deep-rooted “beliefs, habits, or practices” and change to a sustainable water use behaviour in the face of scarce water supplies and increasing demand, requires not just communication to inform and persuade, but also development communication to foster mutual understanding and collective action.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Evaluating the contributions of selected drug rehabilitation centres in Gauteng : towards ameliorating the drug problem in South Africa
- Authors: Makuyana, Abigail
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Rehabilitation centers -- South Africa -- Gauteng Substance abuse -- Rehabilitation Addicts -- Rehabilitation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8876 , vital:33703
- Description: This study aimed at evaluating the contributions of two (2) selected rehabilitation centres to the goal of ameliorating the substance abuse problem in Gauteng. The study utilized a methodological triangulation approach for data collection, but with greater emphasis on qualitative methods. The study collected its qualitative data from four focus groups conducted with 32 participants and six key informants who were subjected to in-depth interviews. The quantitative aspect of the study made use of a mini-survey in which one hundred (100) questionnaires were distributed amongst the primary caregivers of recovering drug and substance abusers. The major findings of the study pointed out that rehabilitation centres were unequivocally contributing to the goal of ameliorating substance abuse in Gauteng and, by extension, South Africa. Among some of the outstanding contributions of the rehabilitation centres was the provision of a non-judgmental and supportive therapeutic environment for clients to recover. It was also observed that rehabilitation centres were acting as character reformatories for substance abusers, and, thus, aiding their easy reintegration back into their families, societies and work places. The study also found out that the selected rehabilitation centres were providing ample admission periods and competent counselling services for their clients to navigate their way to recovery. The study unearthed new trends in the substance abuse landscape of Gauteng. Firstly, it was established that more educated people were falling into substance abuse usage. Secondly, the drugs which were rendering users more amenable to rehabilitation were noted to be highly potent. The high potency was noted to be responsible for extreme difficulties in withdrawal and rehabilitation. This was, therefore, noted to accentuate the imperativeness of the role and contributions of rehabilitation centres in helping drug users to achieve recovery in an environment that was supportive, nurturing and safe. It is, therefore, on the basis of these fundamental findings that this study concluded that the contributions of rehabilitation centres were not only important in the fight against drug and substance abuse, but were also a necessary precondition in this endeavour. Conversely, it was established that the contributions of the rehabilitation centres were being thwarted by exorbitant and extortionate treatment fees charged by the rehabilitation centres. More so, rehabilitation centres faced the dire challenge of poor visibility due to the poor marketing of services, as well as their location in affluent or remote areas which are mainly accessible only through private transport. This means that some people, especially the rural and the urban poor, were not equitably benefiting from the services of the rehabilitation centres. The study observed that women, girls and children in general were largely excluded from benefiting from the services of the rehabilitation centres. The research closed off by recommending to rehabilitation centres that they ought to address administrative gaps such as embracing and practising social, linguistic, dietary and gender sensitivity in their programmes to ensure that they remain relevant to their clients while also reflecting the diversity in South Africa. Recommendations were also made to the government to intervene and moderate the pricing of substance abuse treatment services, by making them reflect the country’s socioeconomic inequalities.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Faith-based organisations and social reintegration of recovering drug-addicts in South-Western Nigeria : a sociological evaluation
- Authors: Faloore, Omiyinka Olutola
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Drug addiction -- Treatment -- Religious aspects Recovering addicts -- Nigeria Religious institutions -- Nigeria
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5741 , vital:29373
- Description: Against the backdrop of debates and contestations in the literature on the efficacy of interventions of Faith-based organisations (FBOs) with regard to vulnerable people, this study subjects the social reintegration programmes of three selected FBOs working with recovering drug-addicts in South-western Nigeria to a sociological scrutiny so as to understand the social character, effectiveness and local appropriateness of their programmes. Specifically, the study examined the key attributes of the social reintegration programmes offered by the selected FBOs as well as the level and extent of compliance of such programmes with the prescriptions and idealisations as enunciated in relevant global and national policies and institutional frameworks. The theoretical underpinning of this study was derived from assumptions of structural-functionalism of Durkheim and Expectancy disconfirmation theory. Adopting an exploratory approach, the study utilised a blend of survey, key informant interviews, in-depth interviews, observation and document review to gather data. Survey data were collected from a random sample of 156 inmates of the social reintegration facilities of three (3) FBOs in Oyo, Ogun and Lagos states in South-West Nigeria. Qualitative data were sourced through 15 in-depth interviews, 9 key informant interviews and scientific information generated from observation and document review. The quantitative data gathered were analysed using descriptive statistics, while the qualitative data were processed with the use of content analysis. Findings from the study indicate that the selected FBOs have only recorded little success in terms of addressing the social needs of the inmates. For one thing, FBOs’ detoxification programme for recovering drug-addicts tilted more towards human rights violation than serve as an exercise that aided recovery. One key finding was that there was a huge disconnect between global prescriptions on social reintegration services and what the selected FBOs offered to the inmates. The study concluded from its findings that any social reintegration programmes aimed at protecting recovering drug-addicts from further social exclusion and facilitate their social inclusion in South-West Nigeria must extend beyond mere spiritual provisioning to upholding their rights to human dignity and providing opportunities and tools that address their crucial social needs in terms of housing, education, vocation and employment.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Gang and gang related incidents in selected correctional centres in the Eastern Cape : a behaviour analysis
- Authors: Fitz, Lincoln Gustav
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Prison gangs -- South Africa Corrections -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Prisons -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9297 , vital:34319
- Description: Institutional gangs, also known as the numbers gangs, have become a serious threat to the effective administration of correctional facilities in South Africa. Prior the 1980s, these gangs were active only in correctional centres, but due to modern trends in criminal activity and the gangs’ extensive drug operations, they have become active within communities too. The numbers gangs have a national network that controls activities in all correctional centres across South Africa; this network operates effectively and independently of geographical areas. The numbers gangs contribute a large proportion of all disciplinary offences (e.g., assault, smuggling, escape, sodomy, etc.) that take place in South African correctional centres. The purpose of this study was to explore the social and cultural dynamics of selected correctional centres, in order to understand the extent to which institutional gangs control and manipulate the correctional environment. The study also focussed on the individual-level characteristics of inmates as a contributing factor for deviant behaviour. The social processes that manifest in institutional misconduct and violence in correctional centres have been explained in the literature according to three theoretical perspectives; namely, the importation, deprivation and situational contextual perspectives. To develop a better understanding of the phenomenon of gang activities in correctional centres, this study is grounded in the Social Structure and Social Learning theory to explore the individual, social and cultural dynamics of the centre, making reference to these three perspectives. A mixed research design, comprising both qualitative and quantitative aspects, characterised the methodology used in this study. The data informing the study consisted of primary data (observations, interviews and questionnaires) and secondary data (source documents), with 151 inmates and several centre officials in three Eastern Cape correctional centres participating. This study was substantial for several reasons. It confirmed the findings of prior studies with respect to personal and social characteristics that inmates import into correctional centres, and, in addition, it expanded the existing literature with respect to how and why inmates import their deviant behaviour into correctional centres. It further brought a new element to the field of criminology, in identifying the demographic characteristics of inmates that contribute towards institutional gang membership and violence in correctional centres. The study also expanded upon prior findings regarding risk factors associated with institutional gang membership by developing a prediction model to predict possible gang membership prior to and after incarceration. Finally, this is the first known empirical study to examine the social and cultural contexts of gang membership in correctional centres in South Africa.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Learners' experiences of school violence in Sarah Baartman District Municipality, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Hendricks, Eleanor Alvira
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: School violence -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Violence in children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/7841 , vital:30769
- Description: School-based violence amongst students in South Africa is a growing concern. Such violence is a great concern to all stakeholders involved in the school system. The more violence escalates; the more students are less likely to concentrate on their academic activities which then reduces their chances of success. There are weekly report broadcasts on the media on the death of students across the globe due school-based violence. School-based violence needs to be curbed and schools should be a safe environment where learning and teaching takes place not a battlefield where students live in fear of being the next victim. The aim of this study was to examine students’ experiences of school violence in Sarah Baartman District Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. A qualitative approach and an exploratory research design were used in conducting this study as these approached allowed participants to share first hand experiences regarding the issue under investigation. A purposive sample was employed to select participants for the study. This technique allowed the researcher to select participants who displayed most of the characteristics of the larger population and who had sufficient knowledge on the issue under investigation. Forty participants were selected for the study as follows: 25 learners; 5 social Workers; 5 educators; and 5 members of the Representative Council of Learners from schools mostly affected by school-based violence. Data was obtained through semi-structured interviews; focus group discussions with students, social workers and educators; and observations. Data was analysed thematically and supported by the relevant literature. The findings revealed that there are high levels of school-based violence in Sarah Baartman District Municipality, however, the whole-school approach as a measure of combatting school violence, has proved to work in some parts of the Eastern Cape, the Western Cape and Kwazulu Natal provinces. Also, retributive forms of punishment show more positive results against corrective /corporal punishment. It is, therefore, recommended that the state should employ school and place social workers in schools in order to assist in addressing social issues within the school system. Stamping out inequalities among students will ultimately decrease school violence.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Psychosocial effects of court verdicts on children as rape victims : a case study of Queenstown area, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Lupuwana, Vuyokazi Phumza Pearl
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Rape victims -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Rape victims -- Services for -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Victims of crimes -- Legal status, laws, etc
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/9821 , vital:35015
- Description: The motivation for this study originated from the problem of children who are being neglected after they have given evidence in the court of law. The researcher also noticed that when children were giving evidence, some were still showing signs of trauma and were crying throughout the proceedings. The researcher became aware that most of the children were never referred to social service professionals for counselling and after care services. The goal of the research was to explore the psycho-social effects of court verdicts on children as rape victims. The aim of the study was to determine the effects, challenges, emotional development and consequences, experience and reactions of rape and sexually assaulted child victims after the court verdict has been adjudicated. This was a case study of the Queenstown Area, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The purpose was to identify gaps as there are minimal services rendered to rape victims after the court verdict has been adjudicated in the South African context so as to formulate strategies that can be framed in order to work effectively with the victims and their immediate families. In order to reach the research goal, the following objectives were presented: To examine the after-effects of rape to children as victims of rape. To investigate the challenges the victims of rape are facing in their communities. To investigate the impact of giving evidence in the court of law by children who are victims of rape. To examine the after-effects of court verdicts on children who are victims of rape. To establish the kind of support provided to children by social networks after they have given evidence in the court of law. To investigate the kind of support provided by social service as well as legal professionals to children as victims of rape. In order to meet the objectives of the study, interviews were conducted to 30 victims of rape (both boys and girls) and data were analyzed according to the qualitative data – analysis procedures. The researcher also conducted literature review on core concepts (such as victims, rape and the legal perspectives of rape) pertaining to the topic under study in order to refer the findings of the study to literature. The researcher utilized the grounded theory research design. The research domain where the interviews took place was at the Queenstown Area under the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development magistrate jurisdiction (McBride, Lesseyton, Mlungisi Township, Komani Township, Molteno, Sterkstroom Dordrecht and Indwe). In this study, 30 Xhosa speaking children of different ages, gender, educational standards, socio-economic backgrounds as well as those who suffered different types of rape, as defined by the Sexual Related Matters Act 32 of 2007; they were all interviewed through use of a semi-structured interview schedule. The respondents were selected with the help of the Department of Justice and Constitutional development as well as South African Police Services (SAPS) based on their suitability to provide information rich data. The interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. The data were analyzed according to the grounded theory analysis procedures. The following conclusions regarding the study were made: There is lack of implementation of Children’s Rights by professionals working with victims of rape. Children were never informed about the sentences imposed to the offenders. Focus group (professionals) participants acknowledged the fact that there is no compensation given to victims in a South African court of Law. Registering the offender is not benefitting the victim as the offender is sometimes appealing the judgement and sentencing. There are no adequate services rendered by social services professionals to rape victims, especially children. In most cases, they were never referred to any professionals for services following the rape incident. There are no aftercare services for children after giving evidence in the court of law. Children as victims of rape as well as their immediate families must be continuously referred to specialist to get therapeutic services. There is lack of forensic professionals working with children as victims of rape in Eastern Cape. Children as victims of rape are secondary victimized by relatives of the perpetrators after the sentence has been adjudicated. When there is no support provided by family members, victims are more likely to drop out of school. Members of the community lack information on the concept rape, and knowledge that everybody in South Africa can be raped.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Pursuing socio-economic rights in post-apartheid South Africa : a case study of the Buffalo City metropolitan municipality, Eastern Cape province
- Authors: Makapela, Sicelo Leonard
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Civil rights -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Human rights -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Social justice -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/12881 , vital:39387
- Description: The overall aim of this research was to investigate the extent to which a wide range of socio-economic rights such as housing, education, healthcare, water, sanitation, electricity, food security, social security and the right to work are enjoyed in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province. South Africa has nine provinces and the Eastern Cape is considered as one of the poorest with high levels of the triad of poverty, inequality and unemployment. The study used a rights-based approach (RBA) which examines the quality of human life from a rights perspective. Survey questionnaires were distributed to a sample of 500 respondents who were selected through a cluster random sample and six in-depth interviews were further conducted with government officials who were selected through purposive sampling. The study was guided by four main objectives and the first sought to explore citizens’ perceptions of the intersection between service delivery protests and socio-economic rights. The findings revealed that the majority of the survey respondents had no sense of the intersection between service delivery and socio-economic rights. Many did not know anything about the South African Constitution and could not relate to its content. Most critically, the majority did not know the socio-economic rights enshrined in the Constitution. The majority was more comfortable with the phrase service delivery over socio-economic rights and this was so because the former was the most commonly used by the politicians, the media and community leaders. In short, the majority of respondents had a poor understanding of the Constitution and socio-economic rights. On the contrary, the in-depth interview participants showed an excellent knowledge of the Constitution and its socio-economic rights content and saw a strong intersection between service delivery protests and socio-economic rights. Both the questionnaire respondents and the in-depth interview participants regarded employment as the most import demand that the government should address urgently. The second objective sought to describe the extent to which the government has fulfilled various rights. Caution was needed in interpreting this objective. While the majority of the questionnaire respondents had rated the government’s efforts negatively in many socio-economic rights, however, further probing revealed that the government had done well. The questionnaire respondents continued to rate the government negatively even in instances where they indicated that the government had done well. Thus, the findings revealed mixed results that the government had done pretty well in some, not so well in others and very bad in some cases. The in-depth interview participants, on the contrary, were all positive about the government’s fulfilment of various socio-economic rights and rated it favourably. The findings, therefore, dismiss the views shared by the majority of the questionnaire respondents that the government had fulfilled various socio-economic rights to a smaller extent and equally challenge the idea that the government was highly successful in all its efforts to fulfil various socio-economic rights. The evidence shows that the government was successful in some and not so in others. Third, the study revealed a number of factors affecting the enjoyment of socio-economic rights in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality including lack of democracy, lack of human rights knowledge, poor performance by Ward Councillors etc. Finally, the study identified a number of challenges which inhibited the enjoyment of socio-economic rights and these included corruption, crime, lack of participation by the poor in decision-making, alienation of the masses, but the most single serious threat identified by both the questionnaire respondents and in-depth interview participants was the rampant corruption. Most disturbingly, the respondents did not know what to do, how or where to go to claim their rights. This was revealed by the majority who pointed out that they have never approached the government, Constitutional Court or any court and don’t talk to their Ward Councillors about socio-economic rights. Moreover, they have never used the rights language during service delivery protests. All these point to the significant lack of knowledge about rights despite being familiar with the phrase (amalungel’ethu), a Xhosa expression for our rights. Thus, the questionnaire respondents were simply passive citizens and were not doing enough to pursue their socio-economic rights. Since corruption has been indicated as a major challenge affecting the enjoyment socio-economic rights, it is therefore recommended that alternative institutions should play a critical role not only in exposing corruption but the state should prosecute those found guilty of corruption especially on issues that affect the enjoyment of socio-economic rights. It is also recommended that there should be a dialogue between community representatives and the citizens to talk about socio-economic rights during community meetings. The study further, recommends that human rights education should be incorporated in school curricula, especially in secondary and tertiary institutions. Finally, it is recommended that the development of a comprehensive tool for monitoring and evaluating socio-economic rights should be put in place. At present, no such tool exists.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Richard Charles Nicholas Branson : a psychobiographical study
- Authors: Preston, Amanda Lorraine
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Branson, Richard Charles Nicholas, -- 1950- Businessmen -- Great Britain -- Biography Success in business
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5543 , vital:29318
- Description: Unique individuals are fascinating as we all want to be successful. There is thus a need to understand, unpack and share the psychological development and traits that allow some people to become sui generis, and to learn from them. Psychobiographical research is a qualitative approach that can be utilised to uncover the story of such an individual life, resulting in greater understanding of the psychological concepts underpinning the person. This form of study is invaluable, and involves applying psychological theory to lives completed or unfinished, enabling the development and testing of developmental theories. Richard Branson (1950-present), an entrepreneur, adventurer, philanthropist and family man is the single psychological subject chosen in this study. Branson was selected based on interest value, his uniqueness and the lack of a specifically academic and psychologically focused case study on his life. The primary aim was to explore and describe Branson’s personality development across his life, to date. This was achieved by applying both Maslow’s (1954, 1970) theory of optimal development and Adler’s (1929, 1956) Individual Psychology theory to provide a comprehensive idiographic interpretation of the development of Branson. To achieve this, the case study utilised the systematic and consistent collection, analysis and interpretation of life history materials, highlighting three areas of development, namely Childhood, Adolescence and Adulthood. The theoretical frameworks were used to discern, transform and reconstruct his life into a coherent and illuminating narrative of his psychological movement through life. Alexander’s (1988; 1990) model of identifying salient themes was used to analyse data for analytical generalisation (Yin, 2009). The conceptual framework derived from the theoretical perspective was constructed to organize, integrate data, and guide the presentation and discussion of findings of the study in an integrative and comprehensive manner. The findings suggest both Maslow’s and Adler’s theories considered the biopsychosocial context in Branson’s personality development and, at least to some extent, supported concepts indicative of progression toward optimality through having met the needs of the ego actualisation of his self, toward transcending selfishness and attaining altruism and social interest. The study of Branson’s personality development has provided a positive demonstration of the value of Maslow’s (1970a) and Adler’s (1929, 1956) theories to understand the process of development. It has further highlighted the unique trajectory of an individual’s life, contextualized, as well as the possibility of being agents in our own lives and despite challenges, able to become our own idiosyncratic best. The study also highlights the need, at a macro level, for governments to assist those unable to satisfy basic needs such as food, shelter and safety, to set an imperative, to aid those who struggle if a country and its people are to be uplifted. In terms of Adlerian theory, the study highlights the importance of family and early experiences in supporting the earliest years of children to assist them to develop an identity that is healthy and socially useful. Finally, recommendations were made for future research utilising a psychobiographical research design to uncover, illuminate and reconstruct the lives of outstanding and interesting individuals.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The 'failure-success' dichotomy in migration discourse and practice : revisiting reverse migration deterrents for South Africa based Zimbabwean skilled migrants
- Authors: Nzima, Divane
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Return migration -- Zimbabwe Return migration -- South Africa Zimbabwe -- Emigration and immigration -- Economic aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5434 , vital:29243
- Description: The study was conceptualised against the background that leading migration theories explain return migration based on failure and success alone. The neo-classical economics theory of migration perceives return migration as a by-product of a failed migration experience while the new economics of labour migration perceives return as occurring after successful achievement of migration objectives. This study questions these theoretical positions through an exploration of the factors that deter South Africa-based Zimbabwean skilled migrants from returning home permanently notwithstanding a successful or failed migration experience. Furtive economic factors in Zimbabwe and South Africa that dissuade skilled migrants from returning home permanently are explored. Social factors in Zimbabwe and in South Africa that influence return migration decision making are also examined. Furthermore, the study analysed whether and how Zimbabwean skilled migrants are forced into a permanent settlement in South Africa as a result of what this study calls the ‘diaspora trap’. This ‘diaspora trap’ framework argues that Zimbabwean skilled migrants in South Africa do not return following their experiences of failure and success in South Africa. Central to the absence of return is the social construction of migrants as successful in Zimbabwe. Skilled migrants are deterred from returning due to their failure to meet family and communal expectations of success. In addition, return migration is deferred as a means to hide poverty in South Africa. Moreover, new diaspora family ties weaken attachments with Zimbabwe and contribute to deferred return migration. Skilled migrants are thus entrapped in South Africa by their failure to live up to the success social construct and the inability to mitigate adversities in the host country.
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- Date Issued: 2017
The role of African theology and spirituality in bereavement among Xhosa children
- Authors: Diniso Patrick Mncedisi
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Bereavement in children -- Religious aspects Black theology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/17839 , vital:41374
- Description: The background to this study highlights the fact that Xhosa children are not being taken care of during bereavement. There is no theological guidance applied to them, to say the least. There are devotions that are usually conducted by lay preachers (Preachers that are not trained as Pastors/Therapists) who do their utmost best to support bereaved families, and this is done out of love. The challenge, however, is that the language mostly used by these preachers does not seem to accommodate children, as there are expressions that do not make any sense to children such as: tutwini, imela igobele esandleni. These are good and relevant concepts as they underpin the reality of death and the need for comfort during bereavement. However, these need to be communicated in a language that can be understood by children. Due to this identified problem, the researcher deemed it necessary to undertake this study. This study comprises five (5) chapters. In chapter one (1), the researcher focused on the research background and introduction. Chapter two (2) dealt with the literature review of this study. The chapter comprises three sections: generic literature review section, theory base section and primary literature review section. In chapter three (3), the focus is on research methodology and its components. Concepts such as sampling procedures, research instrument and research design are dealt with. In chapter four (4), the researcher dealt with concepts such as data analysis, interpretation and presentation of findings. Chapter five dealt with the research recommendations as per the role of the church (Free Church in Southern Africa [FSA]). The researcher is convinced that this work has done justice in addressing the identified gap in care giving for bereaved Xhosa children. The need for theological guidance for bereaved Xhosa children has been highlighted; findings and practical recommendations have also been presented to meet such a need. These confirmed the need for theological guidance for bereaved Xhosa children. The next section contains the appendix list, namely: appendix one (1), two (2) and three (3).
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- Date Issued: 2017
Third sector intervention and sustainable development : an evaluation of selected non-governmental organization supported projects in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Moyo, Thokozani Patience
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Non-governmental organizations -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/5774 , vital:29389
- Description: This study evaluates the impact of Third Sector- supported rural development projects in three rural communities of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It focusses on how interventions driven by this sector – denoted by, among others, local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) - impact the lives and livelihoods of the rural poor. This is against the background of an established discourse that views NGOs as effective agents in the alleviation of poverty. The thesis contends that praise for the Third Sector is driven mostly by advocacy than based on systematic scientific evidence of the real impact of NGO-sponsored rural development interventions. Rural agricultural development projects supported by two Eastern Cape-based NGOs (the one a local NGO, and the other international) were selected for the study. A mini survey was conducted in the communities where the projects are located. Survey data were complemented by qualitative data obtained through focus groups, semi-structured and in-depth interviews as well as key informant interviews. The study found that whereas the projects had been established by the state later went moribund, they were resuscitated by the NGOs through a largely ‘bottom-up’ model of rural development intermediation. In other words, the interventions were resuscitated through a relatively robust prior engagement with project beneficiaries. As a result, while originally lacking a meaningful sense of local empowerment, ownership, and commitment, the projects had become revived and now played an important role in the livelihoods of some community members – even though social grants remained the primary and main source of income for those community members. Even so, the narratives of community members revealed what may be termed a ‘transformation paradox’ in the way the projects were implemented. The NGOs seemed to have replaced one kind of lop-sidedness in rural development (the exclusion of women) with another (the exclusion of men), by focussing on community projects that were ‘culturally’ deemed as ’women jobs’. In this way, the interventions appeared like a systematic attempt to do away with the ‘feminisation of rural poverty’ and entrench the ‘feminisation of rural development interventions’. The study concludes from these and other findings, that the key to understanding the significance and impact of Third Sector-supported development interventions in the rural arena – especially in the Eastern Cape context – is to go beyond the proliferation of NGOs and NGO-supported projects – and the broad sweep of advocacy that underpins it – and pay equally robust attention to systematically studying how these projects resonate at the grassroots, especially from a beneficiary perspective.
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- Date Issued: 2017
0 Representation of South African "tribal" culture in soap operas : a content and audience analysis of the series Generations : The Legacy
- Authors: Onyenankeya, Oluwayemisi Mary
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Television criticism Mass media and culture Mass media--Social aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , Communication
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/15430 , vital:40407
- Description: Commercial media entertainment offerings in South Africa especially mainstream soap operas, are progressively infusing dominant social values and ideas which are alien to South African tribal societies. In most of the commodified television drama series, people who hold tight to traditional beliefs and values are often characterised as traditionalists, while those who have imbibed the western defined dicta and ideology of modernity are seen as progressives. This study therefore, sought to ascertain how South African tribal language, traditional institutions, values, social norms and ancestral beliefs are portrayed through the television drama, Generations: The Legacy and what the viewers think about those constructions and the implication for cultural identity. The mixed methods approach was employed involving the administration of questionnaire to 350 participants selected through random sampling and a content analysis of 20 episodes of Generations: The Legacy. The findings suggest that Generations: The Legacy tends to portray South African tribal culture negatively (p-value > 0.05). More than half of the respondents (52percent) strongly believe such negative portrayals may erode the cultural identity of black South Africans, 68.6% were of the opinion that Generations: The Legacy gives preference to western culture as against South African tribal culture. The findings further showed that the African values and traditions represented in Generations: The Legacy do not significantly reflect the South African tribal tradition and values (p-value > 0.05). In the few occasions that African traditional values are represented Generations: The Legacy, they tend to be portrayed as old fashioned (p-value > 0.05), and inferior and backward (p-value > 0.05). In addition, the findings indicate that Generations: The Legacy is a vehicle for promoting dominant culture. Nearly, 59percent of the respondents stated that watching Generations: The Legacy affect the way they view South African tribal culture, while 59.1percent indicated that watching Generations: The Legacy has somehow affected their perception of their own cultural identity. In all, participants rated the representation of South African tribal culture as poor. The study concludes that while South African tribal culture is increasingly finding expression on mainstream soap opera, tribal South African values and beliefs are often depicted as old-fashioned, and inimical to modernisation, and individual’s freedom.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Cross-Border Migration, Social Cohesion and African Continental Integration: Perspectives of African Immigrants and South African Nationals in Gauteng, South Africa
- Authors: Maseng, Jonathan Oshupeng
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Migration -- Africa Emigration and immigration Social integration
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD(Sociology)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/8855 , vital:33673
- Description: Using the Sunnyside suburb of South Africa’s capital city of Pretoria as a case study, this study sought to gather, analyse and engage the perspectives, narratives and idealisations of African migrants and South African nationals in Gauteng province on cross-border migration, social cohesion and African continental integration. The goal was to interrogate the dominant discourse and assumption in migration scholarship that contact between nationals and immigrants is inherently conflict-inducing. The study adopted a qualitative methodology, with in-depth interviews, “street ethnography”, expert interviews and document analysis as the main sources of primary data. Overall, 85 in-depth interviews were conducted with immigrants and nationals of different occupational, gender and class backgrounds. The study found, among other things, that while many respondents expressed negative sentiments with regard to how cross-border migration affected their experience of social cohesion and idealisations about African continental integration, the relations between African immigrants and South African nationals in the study area were overwhelmingly congenial. This was even when there was no policy-oriented action by government to promote these positive relations. Respondents attributed this congeniality to, among other things, the fact that most small immigrant businesses depended on a predominantly South African clientele, while South African nationals in the study area saw such businesses as filling a crucial gap in their immediate socio-economic environments. Importantly, service provider-client relations served as “enhancers” of social cohesion in the study area. On the other hand, the relative dominance of immigrants in the small business sector in the study area served as a “threat” to social cohesion. From these findings, the study concluded that, contact between immigrants and nationals was not necessarily inherently conflict-inducing, and that social cohesion also rested on the logic of mutual dependence.
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- Date Issued: 2018