Analysis of models of development in Ethiopia on ADLI policy after Ethio-Eritrean war of 1998-2000
- Authors: Masomelele, Mviko
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Economic development -- Developing countries , Postwar reconstruction -- Ethiopia , Agriculture -- Ethiopia , Eritrean-Ethiopian War, 1998- -- Ethiopia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9109 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1014623
- Description: In this research, the researcher is analysing the models of development in Ethiopia on ADLI policy after the Ethio-Eritrean War of 1998-2000. As a post- conflict country it is always important to know how a country reconstructs its economy after the war. The researcher will give a brief background of Ethiopia with her different regime changes. Ethiopia is a landlocked country and is found in the Horn of Africa. Her boarders are Eritrea on the north and north east, and Djibouti and Somalia on the East, Kenya on the south, on the west and south west by Sudan. (BCC) Ethiopia has been under three remarkably different political regimes; the feudal imperial era under Emperor Haile Selassie; the socialist military dictatorship of Colonel Mangistu’s Derg; and the marketoriented Western aligned democracy of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.(Devereux et al,2005:121 ) Each regime had applied different policies on agriculture which employs 80 percent of the population. Feudal policies where the land was in the hands of the landlords failed during Selassie’s regime and this was proved by the famine of 1974. He was overthrown by Derg in a coup in 1974. Derg introduced a “radical agrarian transformation based on land redistribution. His policies on agriculture were based on the Marxist egalitarian ideology and by conviction that feudal relations in agriculture had exposed millions of highland Ethiopians to intolerable levels of poverty and vulnerability.” (Devereux et al, 2005:121-122). According to Derg’s agricultural policy land was confiscated from the landlords and was redistributed to the rural farmers and it was trying to break inequalities over land control and it aimed at achieving agricultural productivity and rural incomes. Derg’s regime was overthrown by Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) in 1991. EPRDF further continued with land redistribution in the wake of 1990s and it gave farmlands to demobilised soldiers and tried to correct the inequalities that emerged with time as farming families were growing. (Devereux et al, 2005:122) In all these regimes, land was owned by the state. Ethiopian economy is based on agriculture which contributes 47 percent to GNP and more than 80 percent of exports, and employs 85 percent of the population. Ethiopia’s agriculture is plagued by periodic droughts, soil degradation emanating from poor agricultural practices and overgrazing, deforestation, high population density, underdeveloped water resources and poor transport infrastructure which makes extremely difficult and expensive to get goods to the market. (BCC, 07) The EPRDF came up with the new agricultural policy in the beginning of 1991 and it was known as Agriculture Development Led Industrialisation (ADLI). ADLI is the policy that emphasised on modernising smallholder agriculture and intensifying yield productivity through the supply of appropriate technology, certified seeds, fertilizers, rural credit facilities and technical assistance. (Getachew, 2003:9) This policy introduced some reforms in agriculture as it introduced a nationwide agricultural extension program, the propagation of laws that liberalised the purchasing and distribution of inputs and to increase and to make credit facilities available to rural farmers. In 1995 Minister of Agriculture (MoA) introduced a vehicle to drive the policy, which was called the Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty (PADETES). The PADETES started with 32047 farmers on board. The aim was to educate farmers in new farming methods which will increase productivity and make farmers self sufficient. Agriculture Sample Survey 2009/10 states that ‘country’s experience showed that farmers’ attitude and tendency to adapt and accept new innovations, modern agricultural techniques and technologies, such as use of fertilizers, irrigation, improved seeds and pesticides that help to improve their living standards through attaining enhanced productivity, do have positive impact on the development on the agricultural sector as a whole.’(Central Statistical Agency, 2010: i) Teshome (2006:1) shows complexity of Ethiopian agriculture when he says that it largest contributor to the GDP, exports and foreign earnings and it employs almost 85 percent of the population. On the contrary, despite its socio-economic importance its performance continues to be low due to many natural and manmade factors which will be discussed in this research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Masomelele, Mviko
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Economic development -- Developing countries , Postwar reconstruction -- Ethiopia , Agriculture -- Ethiopia , Eritrean-Ethiopian War, 1998- -- Ethiopia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9109 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1014623
- Description: In this research, the researcher is analysing the models of development in Ethiopia on ADLI policy after the Ethio-Eritrean War of 1998-2000. As a post- conflict country it is always important to know how a country reconstructs its economy after the war. The researcher will give a brief background of Ethiopia with her different regime changes. Ethiopia is a landlocked country and is found in the Horn of Africa. Her boarders are Eritrea on the north and north east, and Djibouti and Somalia on the East, Kenya on the south, on the west and south west by Sudan. (BCC) Ethiopia has been under three remarkably different political regimes; the feudal imperial era under Emperor Haile Selassie; the socialist military dictatorship of Colonel Mangistu’s Derg; and the marketoriented Western aligned democracy of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.(Devereux et al,2005:121 ) Each regime had applied different policies on agriculture which employs 80 percent of the population. Feudal policies where the land was in the hands of the landlords failed during Selassie’s regime and this was proved by the famine of 1974. He was overthrown by Derg in a coup in 1974. Derg introduced a “radical agrarian transformation based on land redistribution. His policies on agriculture were based on the Marxist egalitarian ideology and by conviction that feudal relations in agriculture had exposed millions of highland Ethiopians to intolerable levels of poverty and vulnerability.” (Devereux et al, 2005:121-122). According to Derg’s agricultural policy land was confiscated from the landlords and was redistributed to the rural farmers and it was trying to break inequalities over land control and it aimed at achieving agricultural productivity and rural incomes. Derg’s regime was overthrown by Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) in 1991. EPRDF further continued with land redistribution in the wake of 1990s and it gave farmlands to demobilised soldiers and tried to correct the inequalities that emerged with time as farming families were growing. (Devereux et al, 2005:122) In all these regimes, land was owned by the state. Ethiopian economy is based on agriculture which contributes 47 percent to GNP and more than 80 percent of exports, and employs 85 percent of the population. Ethiopia’s agriculture is plagued by periodic droughts, soil degradation emanating from poor agricultural practices and overgrazing, deforestation, high population density, underdeveloped water resources and poor transport infrastructure which makes extremely difficult and expensive to get goods to the market. (BCC, 07) The EPRDF came up with the new agricultural policy in the beginning of 1991 and it was known as Agriculture Development Led Industrialisation (ADLI). ADLI is the policy that emphasised on modernising smallholder agriculture and intensifying yield productivity through the supply of appropriate technology, certified seeds, fertilizers, rural credit facilities and technical assistance. (Getachew, 2003:9) This policy introduced some reforms in agriculture as it introduced a nationwide agricultural extension program, the propagation of laws that liberalised the purchasing and distribution of inputs and to increase and to make credit facilities available to rural farmers. In 1995 Minister of Agriculture (MoA) introduced a vehicle to drive the policy, which was called the Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty (PADETES). The PADETES started with 32047 farmers on board. The aim was to educate farmers in new farming methods which will increase productivity and make farmers self sufficient. Agriculture Sample Survey 2009/10 states that ‘country’s experience showed that farmers’ attitude and tendency to adapt and accept new innovations, modern agricultural techniques and technologies, such as use of fertilizers, irrigation, improved seeds and pesticides that help to improve their living standards through attaining enhanced productivity, do have positive impact on the development on the agricultural sector as a whole.’(Central Statistical Agency, 2010: i) Teshome (2006:1) shows complexity of Ethiopian agriculture when he says that it largest contributor to the GDP, exports and foreign earnings and it employs almost 85 percent of the population. On the contrary, despite its socio-economic importance its performance continues to be low due to many natural and manmade factors which will be discussed in this research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
The sustainability of rural co-operatives within the Eastern Cape with reference to Mbhashe Local Municipality
- Authors: Ndawule, Luvuyo
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Cooperative societies -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9126 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018555
- Description: Mbhashe Local Municipality is part of eight local municipalities that make up Amathole District Municipality. The study is conducted in Mbhashe local Municipality where two co-operatives have been sampled. The purpose of the study was to investigate the challenges faced by co-operatives in achieving its intended purpose (i.e. alleviating poverty, creating employment and generating income). It is the intention of the researcher to investigate the socio-economic role played by co-operatives in this afore mentioned local municipality. For the research to be able to examine and analyse the performance and challenges faced by co-operatives around Mbhashe certain key aspects were extensively taken into consideration. These aspects are co-operative leadership, management structures, external support from different stakeholders, like different government departments, communities where co-operatives are located, and the role of NGO’s. It was the intention of the researcher to analyse the type of support given by each of the above mentioned stakeholders. It was through the study that the research was able to deduce whether the support given by these various stakeholders was enough or not in ensuring viability and sustainability of co-operatives. In conducting the research a qualitative approach was used whereby various instruments were used to collect data. It was through the variety of instruments used that the researcher managed to capture the challenges faced by co-operatives. Apart from the challenges which were the main focus of the researcher, the findings also reveal that co-operatives play a vital role in socio-economic development. This is more evident in rural areas such as those at Mbhashe Local Municipality. There is undisputed evidence shown by co-operatives that community members do benefit from the produce created by co-operatives. If co-operatives can receive the type of support they deserve, poverty in rural areas can be put to absolute minimum.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Ndawule, Luvuyo
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Cooperative societies -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9126 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018555
- Description: Mbhashe Local Municipality is part of eight local municipalities that make up Amathole District Municipality. The study is conducted in Mbhashe local Municipality where two co-operatives have been sampled. The purpose of the study was to investigate the challenges faced by co-operatives in achieving its intended purpose (i.e. alleviating poverty, creating employment and generating income). It is the intention of the researcher to investigate the socio-economic role played by co-operatives in this afore mentioned local municipality. For the research to be able to examine and analyse the performance and challenges faced by co-operatives around Mbhashe certain key aspects were extensively taken into consideration. These aspects are co-operative leadership, management structures, external support from different stakeholders, like different government departments, communities where co-operatives are located, and the role of NGO’s. It was the intention of the researcher to analyse the type of support given by each of the above mentioned stakeholders. It was through the study that the research was able to deduce whether the support given by these various stakeholders was enough or not in ensuring viability and sustainability of co-operatives. In conducting the research a qualitative approach was used whereby various instruments were used to collect data. It was through the variety of instruments used that the researcher managed to capture the challenges faced by co-operatives. Apart from the challenges which were the main focus of the researcher, the findings also reveal that co-operatives play a vital role in socio-economic development. This is more evident in rural areas such as those at Mbhashe Local Municipality. There is undisputed evidence shown by co-operatives that community members do benefit from the produce created by co-operatives. If co-operatives can receive the type of support they deserve, poverty in rural areas can be put to absolute minimum.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Fast track land reform programme and women in Goromonzi district, Zimbabwe
- Authors: Chakona, Loveness
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Land reform -- Research -- Zimbabwe Land settlement -- Government policy -- Zimbabwe Land reform beneficiaries -- Zimbabwe Sex discrimination against women -- Zimbabwe Women's rights -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3317 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003105
- Description: From the year 2000, land became the key signifier for tackling the unfinished business of the decolonisation process in Zimbabwe, notably by rectifying the racially-based land injustices of the past through land redistribution. This took the form of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP). However, the racialised character and focus of the FTLRP tended to mask or at least downplay important gender dimensions to land in Zimbabwe. Colonial and post-colonial Zimbabwe (up to 2000) had instigated, propagated and reproduced land ownership, control and access along a distinctively patriarchal basis which left women either totally excluded or incorporated in an oppressive manner. This patriarchal structuring of the land question was rooted in institutions, practices and discourses. Although a burgeoning number of studies have been undertaken on the FTLRP, few have had a distinctively gender focus in seeking to identify, examine and assess the effect of the programme on patriarchal relations and the socio-economic livelihoods of rural women. This thesis makes a contribution to filling this lacuna by offering an empirically-rich study of land redistribution in one particular district in Zimbabwe, namely, Goromonzi District. This entails a focus on women on A1 resettlement farms in the district (and specifically women who came from nearby customary areas) and on women who continue to live in customary areas in the district. My thesis concludes that the FTLRP is seriously flawed in terms of addressing and tackling the patriarchal structures that underpin the Zimbabwean land question.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Chakona, Loveness
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Land reform -- Research -- Zimbabwe Land settlement -- Government policy -- Zimbabwe Land reform beneficiaries -- Zimbabwe Sex discrimination against women -- Zimbabwe Women's rights -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3317 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003105
- Description: From the year 2000, land became the key signifier for tackling the unfinished business of the decolonisation process in Zimbabwe, notably by rectifying the racially-based land injustices of the past through land redistribution. This took the form of the Fast Track Land Reform Programme (FTLRP). However, the racialised character and focus of the FTLRP tended to mask or at least downplay important gender dimensions to land in Zimbabwe. Colonial and post-colonial Zimbabwe (up to 2000) had instigated, propagated and reproduced land ownership, control and access along a distinctively patriarchal basis which left women either totally excluded or incorporated in an oppressive manner. This patriarchal structuring of the land question was rooted in institutions, practices and discourses. Although a burgeoning number of studies have been undertaken on the FTLRP, few have had a distinctively gender focus in seeking to identify, examine and assess the effect of the programme on patriarchal relations and the socio-economic livelihoods of rural women. This thesis makes a contribution to filling this lacuna by offering an empirically-rich study of land redistribution in one particular district in Zimbabwe, namely, Goromonzi District. This entails a focus on women on A1 resettlement farms in the district (and specifically women who came from nearby customary areas) and on women who continue to live in customary areas in the district. My thesis concludes that the FTLRP is seriously flawed in terms of addressing and tackling the patriarchal structures that underpin the Zimbabwean land question.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Teacher practices in the grade 10 first additional language classroom: a relevance study
- Authors: Naadirah, Abader
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Action research in education , Reflective teaching
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9438 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011093 , Action research in education , Reflective teaching
- Description: Teachers are key figures in the English First Additional Language learning process, their influence is fundamental to their learners‟ progress, or lack thereof. I am of the opinion that literacy in itself is not sufficient, as success lies in the learners‟ application of appropriate learning techniques. The purpose of my study was to reflect on and improve my own teaching practice, improve my learners‟ participation and enhance their academic outcomes in the poetry classroom. My study required that I reflect on my classroom practice to facilitate the improvement thereof. Successful learning within the classroom therefore involves interaction and collaboration between the learner, the materials, the teacher and the context. Scaffolding is a technique I used to actualize my learners‟ potential. I chose action research, because I wanted to research an educational problem (as experienced by my learners and myself), critically reflect on my classroom practice, evaluate my teaching methods, and consider practical solutions. Action research allowed me to record the events and happenings in my location, my reflection, beliefs and teaching philosophies, my ideas and my insights about my practice. In my journal I reflected on the events that took place during my poetry lessons. Both positive and negative comments were noted and I tried to closely monitor my learners during the lessons. After marking my classroom assessments, I immediately shared my thoughts regarding the assessment outcomes. My reflections gave me a better understanding of my teaching practice. I used photovoice as a data collecting strategy which is the intermingling of images and words. The actions taken through photovoice, taking photographs and telling stories as they relate to the photographs, were empowering. My study enabled me to understand the many challenges of teaching poetry. I learnt that if I teach well, poetry can add important aspects to my learners‟ language skills, including understanding metaphors, connotations and symbolic meanings. The teaching of poetry should promote a pleasurable understanding of language. This means that the language of the poem is as important as the content of the poem.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Naadirah, Abader
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Action research in education , Reflective teaching
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9438 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011093 , Action research in education , Reflective teaching
- Description: Teachers are key figures in the English First Additional Language learning process, their influence is fundamental to their learners‟ progress, or lack thereof. I am of the opinion that literacy in itself is not sufficient, as success lies in the learners‟ application of appropriate learning techniques. The purpose of my study was to reflect on and improve my own teaching practice, improve my learners‟ participation and enhance their academic outcomes in the poetry classroom. My study required that I reflect on my classroom practice to facilitate the improvement thereof. Successful learning within the classroom therefore involves interaction and collaboration between the learner, the materials, the teacher and the context. Scaffolding is a technique I used to actualize my learners‟ potential. I chose action research, because I wanted to research an educational problem (as experienced by my learners and myself), critically reflect on my classroom practice, evaluate my teaching methods, and consider practical solutions. Action research allowed me to record the events and happenings in my location, my reflection, beliefs and teaching philosophies, my ideas and my insights about my practice. In my journal I reflected on the events that took place during my poetry lessons. Both positive and negative comments were noted and I tried to closely monitor my learners during the lessons. After marking my classroom assessments, I immediately shared my thoughts regarding the assessment outcomes. My reflections gave me a better understanding of my teaching practice. I used photovoice as a data collecting strategy which is the intermingling of images and words. The actions taken through photovoice, taking photographs and telling stories as they relate to the photographs, were empowering. My study enabled me to understand the many challenges of teaching poetry. I learnt that if I teach well, poetry can add important aspects to my learners‟ language skills, including understanding metaphors, connotations and symbolic meanings. The teaching of poetry should promote a pleasurable understanding of language. This means that the language of the poem is as important as the content of the poem.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Implementing the integragrated development plan for effective service delivery : the case of Mnquma Municipality
- Siyaya, Nompendulo Vuyolwethu
- Authors: Siyaya, Nompendulo Vuyolwethu
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Public Administration -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8309 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020030
- Description: This study is about implementing the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) for effective service delivery: The case of Mnquma municipality. The need for improved standards of living and access to better infrastructure which are seen as crucial issues in addressing poverty have necessitated the introduction of the Integrated Development Planning. The IDP looks at the economic and social development. It aims to coordinate the work of the local government in a coherent plan to improve the quality of life of all the people living in an area. Many municipalities in South Africa are faced with the challenge of service delivery and Mnquma is one of those municipalities. There are still backlogs in service delivery in Mnquma. This study was triggered by the high level of poverty, high unemployment rate and the non service delivery in Mnquma municipality. It sought to understand whether the IDP is serving its purposes in the Mnquma Municipality. Questionnaires were used as a method of collecting data. The respondents were asked to give their opinions on the impact of IDP in Mnquma, the IDP implementation for effective service delivery, and highlight the challenges that they think hinder the IDP from realizing its intended goals. The results of this study show that there is lack of communication between the municipality and the community. The study uncovered that the communities do not understand the purpose and existence of the IDP document. IDP is a tool to fast track service delivery. The study argues that without its proper implementation, service cannot be rendered effectively and efficiently.The research findings also point out the need for sensitizing the community about the need to participate in the affairs of their development so that the IDP can be a true reflection of their needs. The mantra of this research is effective service delivery through the implementation of the IDP.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Siyaya, Nompendulo Vuyolwethu
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Public Administration -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local government -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8309 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020030
- Description: This study is about implementing the Integrated Development Plan (IDP) for effective service delivery: The case of Mnquma municipality. The need for improved standards of living and access to better infrastructure which are seen as crucial issues in addressing poverty have necessitated the introduction of the Integrated Development Planning. The IDP looks at the economic and social development. It aims to coordinate the work of the local government in a coherent plan to improve the quality of life of all the people living in an area. Many municipalities in South Africa are faced with the challenge of service delivery and Mnquma is one of those municipalities. There are still backlogs in service delivery in Mnquma. This study was triggered by the high level of poverty, high unemployment rate and the non service delivery in Mnquma municipality. It sought to understand whether the IDP is serving its purposes in the Mnquma Municipality. Questionnaires were used as a method of collecting data. The respondents were asked to give their opinions on the impact of IDP in Mnquma, the IDP implementation for effective service delivery, and highlight the challenges that they think hinder the IDP from realizing its intended goals. The results of this study show that there is lack of communication between the municipality and the community. The study uncovered that the communities do not understand the purpose and existence of the IDP document. IDP is a tool to fast track service delivery. The study argues that without its proper implementation, service cannot be rendered effectively and efficiently.The research findings also point out the need for sensitizing the community about the need to participate in the affairs of their development so that the IDP can be a true reflection of their needs. The mantra of this research is effective service delivery through the implementation of the IDP.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Public participation in local government municipalities in South Africa between 2006 and 2011 : lessons from Hibiscus Coast Municipality
- Authors: Memela, Siyabonga Ezra
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Local government -- South Africa -- Citizen participation , Economic development -- South Africa -- Citizen participation , Municipal government -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8284 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018176
- Description: There is an on-going debate in South Africa whether municipalities are an effective vehicle for deepening participatory democracy or not. Due to serious backlogs on services, the role of municipalities has largely been reduced to service delivery, to the detriment and total neglect of fundamental functions of local government. These are (Act 200, 1996):(a) To provide democratic and accountable government for local communities;(b) To ensure the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner;(c) To promote social and economic development;(d) To promote a safe and healthy environment; and (e) To encourage the involvement of communities and community organisations in the matters of local government. On the other hand Haveri, Stenvall & Majoinen (2011) argue that if the municipalities are a government sphere closest to the people, they are therefore best placed to, and should, lead and support the deepening of participatory democracy, what they call self-government. As the debate rages on, there are indications that most of thechallenges that face the municipalities are related to the distance that has been developing between municipal institutions and the citizens.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Memela, Siyabonga Ezra
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Local government -- South Africa -- Citizen participation , Economic development -- South Africa -- Citizen participation , Municipal government -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8284 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018176
- Description: There is an on-going debate in South Africa whether municipalities are an effective vehicle for deepening participatory democracy or not. Due to serious backlogs on services, the role of municipalities has largely been reduced to service delivery, to the detriment and total neglect of fundamental functions of local government. These are (Act 200, 1996):(a) To provide democratic and accountable government for local communities;(b) To ensure the provision of services to communities in a sustainable manner;(c) To promote social and economic development;(d) To promote a safe and healthy environment; and (e) To encourage the involvement of communities and community organisations in the matters of local government. On the other hand Haveri, Stenvall & Majoinen (2011) argue that if the municipalities are a government sphere closest to the people, they are therefore best placed to, and should, lead and support the deepening of participatory democracy, what they call self-government. As the debate rages on, there are indications that most of thechallenges that face the municipalities are related to the distance that has been developing between municipal institutions and the citizens.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Sustainability, viability and stability : the case of income generating projects in the Nelson Mandela Bay
- Dikana, Zukisile Christopher
- Authors: Dikana, Zukisile Christopher
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Public investments -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Community development -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9157 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1019860
- Description: This study explores issues of sustainability, viability and stability in the projects funded by the Department of Social Development, situated in the Nelson Mandela Bay. The researcher makes use of a combination of qualitative and quantitative research designs to gather data. The sample consisted of about three members from each of the four projects selected, as well as two officials of the Department of Social Development in the Nelson Mandela Bay. The respondents participated in structured and semi-structured interviews exploring their demographic information, information about the project and how it is managed, views and opinions about differences between a business venture and a project, their understanding of what constitutes a sustainable, viable and stable income-generating project as well as their opinions about what would contribute to ensuring sustainability, viability and stability in these projects. The results of the study reveal that it is important to structure and run the income generating projects using business principles which include vigorous marketing and proper costing. There is also a need to train the participants in business management so that they can run the ventures successfully. It has also become apparent that a clear leader or manager is lacking and thus decision making process is too long, meaning a meeting must take place involving all project members before a decision that affects the operations can be made. Almost all key factors contributing to a sustainable and viable income generating project, as defined by Mango (2004) and Madi (2007) were also found to be lacking in these projects.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Dikana, Zukisile Christopher
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Public investments -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Economic development projects -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth , Community development -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9157 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1019860
- Description: This study explores issues of sustainability, viability and stability in the projects funded by the Department of Social Development, situated in the Nelson Mandela Bay. The researcher makes use of a combination of qualitative and quantitative research designs to gather data. The sample consisted of about three members from each of the four projects selected, as well as two officials of the Department of Social Development in the Nelson Mandela Bay. The respondents participated in structured and semi-structured interviews exploring their demographic information, information about the project and how it is managed, views and opinions about differences between a business venture and a project, their understanding of what constitutes a sustainable, viable and stable income-generating project as well as their opinions about what would contribute to ensuring sustainability, viability and stability in these projects. The results of the study reveal that it is important to structure and run the income generating projects using business principles which include vigorous marketing and proper costing. There is also a need to train the participants in business management so that they can run the ventures successfully. It has also become apparent that a clear leader or manager is lacking and thus decision making process is too long, meaning a meeting must take place involving all project members before a decision that affects the operations can be made. Almost all key factors contributing to a sustainable and viable income generating project, as defined by Mango (2004) and Madi (2007) were also found to be lacking in these projects.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Cultural interpretations of traumatic events and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms of IsiXhosa-speaking adults
- Authors: De Villiers, Derika
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Post-traumatic stress disorder , Emotions and cognition , Psychic trauma
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9878 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008379 , Post-traumatic stress disorder , Emotions and cognition , Psychic trauma
- Description: South Africa as a country is known for its high crime rate which produces an ongoing traumatising environment for its multicultural nation. Posttraumatic stress disorder in the general South African population is thought to be more prevalent than most international norms which make this topic both relevant and important. Cultural diversity is seen to play a role in the experience of PTSD which means that it has become important to gain an understanding of the potential effect of the individual’s cultural background on the processing of a traumatic experience and the symptoms related to the experience. The proposed research focused on appraisals of the traumatic event and symptoms (in schematic and cultural terms). An interpretive (with current cognitive conceptions of the disorder as guiding theory) phenomenological approach was used. The sample consisted of eight isiXhosa-speaking adults that qualified for a diagnosis of PTSD with no prior psychiatric diagnosis. Data was gathered using a semi-structured interview and analysed using the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Results indicated that participants understood their PTSD symptoms in a functional manner but struggled to make sense of their traumatic event. Not understanding their traumatic event was the variable that maintained their PTSD diagnosis. Most of the interpretations made by these participants were fairly universal and there were very few links to content that can directly be attributed to a traditional African worldview. Practitioners may not need to completely reinvent the wheel as far as treatment strategies for PTSD for isiXhosa-speaking individuals in an urban setting go.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: De Villiers, Derika
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Post-traumatic stress disorder , Emotions and cognition , Psychic trauma
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9878 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008379 , Post-traumatic stress disorder , Emotions and cognition , Psychic trauma
- Description: South Africa as a country is known for its high crime rate which produces an ongoing traumatising environment for its multicultural nation. Posttraumatic stress disorder in the general South African population is thought to be more prevalent than most international norms which make this topic both relevant and important. Cultural diversity is seen to play a role in the experience of PTSD which means that it has become important to gain an understanding of the potential effect of the individual’s cultural background on the processing of a traumatic experience and the symptoms related to the experience. The proposed research focused on appraisals of the traumatic event and symptoms (in schematic and cultural terms). An interpretive (with current cognitive conceptions of the disorder as guiding theory) phenomenological approach was used. The sample consisted of eight isiXhosa-speaking adults that qualified for a diagnosis of PTSD with no prior psychiatric diagnosis. Data was gathered using a semi-structured interview and analysed using the Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Results indicated that participants understood their PTSD symptoms in a functional manner but struggled to make sense of their traumatic event. Not understanding their traumatic event was the variable that maintained their PTSD diagnosis. Most of the interpretations made by these participants were fairly universal and there were very few links to content that can directly be attributed to a traditional African worldview. Practitioners may not need to completely reinvent the wheel as far as treatment strategies for PTSD for isiXhosa-speaking individuals in an urban setting go.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Emancipatory spaces in the post-colony : South Africa and the case for AbM and UPM
- Authors: Tselapedi, Thapelo
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Local government -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Postcolonialism -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Apartheid -- South Africa Civil society -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Social movements -- South Africa -- Grahamstown South Africa -- Economic conditions -- 1991- South Africa -- Economic policy South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994-
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2839 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004451
- Description: This thesis is about the relationship between local government, grassroots organisations and the organisation of power resulting from the interaction of the two. Exploring this relationship this thesis investigates whether the actions of grassroots movements can bring local government in line with their developmental role as accorded to them by the Constitution. The assumption embedded in this question is that the current balance of power at the local level exists outside of the service of the historically disadvantaged. Following on from that, the thesis explores, through different modes of analysis, theoretical and historical, the policy and constitutional framework for local government, and then it unravels the context set by the political economy of South Africa. The aim is to make a significant attempt at understanding the possible implications of the interventions grassroots movements make in the public space. The thesis does this also by looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the strategies of the UDF to makes an assessment of the possible endurance of post-apartheid grassroots movements. Since civil society ‘suffers’ from nationalist politics, with its own corporatist institutions, the thesis searches deep within or arguably 'outside of civil society', subjecting AbM and UPM to academic critique, to see how movements embedded among the poor and carrying the political instrument of anger and marginalisation, can dislodge the power of capital. More importantly, the thesis situates the post-apartheid moment within postcolonial politics; navigating through the legacy of Colonialism of a Special Type (CSP), the thesis explores the limits and opportunities at the disposal of grassroots movements. From a different perspective, the thesis is an examination of the organisation and movement of power and the spaces within which power and ideas are contested. Drawing on the political and economic engagements, dubbed the Dar Es Salaam debates, in the 1970’s and 1980’s spurred on by Issa Shivji, the late Prof Dani Wadada Nabudere and Mahmood Mandani, the conclusions of this thesis develops these engagements, essentially making a case for the continued centrality of the post-apartheid state. However, the thesis also asserts the indubitable role that both grassroots movements and civil society need to play, not necessarily in the democratisation of the state, though that goes without saying, but in taking the post-colonial state on its own terms. Consequently, the thesis puts forward the idea that issue-based mobilisation does exactly this, and in the manner that acknowledges the state’s centrality and makes paramount the self-organisation (popular assemblies) of ordinary people in public affairs. The thesis categorically concludes that the centrality of the post-apartheid state and its progressive outlook (constitutional values) is contingent on organs of popular assemblies which need to take the state on its (progressive) terms.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Tselapedi, Thapelo
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Local government -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Postcolonialism -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Apartheid -- South Africa Civil society -- South Africa -- Grahamstown Social movements -- South Africa -- Grahamstown South Africa -- Economic conditions -- 1991- South Africa -- Economic policy South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994-
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2839 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004451
- Description: This thesis is about the relationship between local government, grassroots organisations and the organisation of power resulting from the interaction of the two. Exploring this relationship this thesis investigates whether the actions of grassroots movements can bring local government in line with their developmental role as accorded to them by the Constitution. The assumption embedded in this question is that the current balance of power at the local level exists outside of the service of the historically disadvantaged. Following on from that, the thesis explores, through different modes of analysis, theoretical and historical, the policy and constitutional framework for local government, and then it unravels the context set by the political economy of South Africa. The aim is to make a significant attempt at understanding the possible implications of the interventions grassroots movements make in the public space. The thesis does this also by looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the strategies of the UDF to makes an assessment of the possible endurance of post-apartheid grassroots movements. Since civil society ‘suffers’ from nationalist politics, with its own corporatist institutions, the thesis searches deep within or arguably 'outside of civil society', subjecting AbM and UPM to academic critique, to see how movements embedded among the poor and carrying the political instrument of anger and marginalisation, can dislodge the power of capital. More importantly, the thesis situates the post-apartheid moment within postcolonial politics; navigating through the legacy of Colonialism of a Special Type (CSP), the thesis explores the limits and opportunities at the disposal of grassroots movements. From a different perspective, the thesis is an examination of the organisation and movement of power and the spaces within which power and ideas are contested. Drawing on the political and economic engagements, dubbed the Dar Es Salaam debates, in the 1970’s and 1980’s spurred on by Issa Shivji, the late Prof Dani Wadada Nabudere and Mahmood Mandani, the conclusions of this thesis develops these engagements, essentially making a case for the continued centrality of the post-apartheid state. However, the thesis also asserts the indubitable role that both grassroots movements and civil society need to play, not necessarily in the democratisation of the state, though that goes without saying, but in taking the post-colonial state on its own terms. Consequently, the thesis puts forward the idea that issue-based mobilisation does exactly this, and in the manner that acknowledges the state’s centrality and makes paramount the self-organisation (popular assemblies) of ordinary people in public affairs. The thesis categorically concludes that the centrality of the post-apartheid state and its progressive outlook (constitutional values) is contingent on organs of popular assemblies which need to take the state on its (progressive) terms.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
A self-reflexive investigation into effective translation strategies with reference to Jeanne Goosen's Louoond
- Authors: Minnaar, Rae-Ann
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Translating and interpreting -- South Africa , Afrikaans fiction -- Translating -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8364 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008401 , Translating and interpreting -- South Africa , Afrikaans fiction -- Translating -- South Africa
- Description: This dissertation is a self-reflexive study into effective translation strategies. The study focuses primarily on the translation strategies by Vinay and Darbelnet (1995), namely direct and oblique strategies of translation. The strategies are used in the translation of Jeanne Goosen‘s novel Louoond (1987). The novel was chosen on account of the writer‘s unique writing style and the challenges it poses for the prospective translator. One of the key objectives of this study was to comprehensively illustrate Vinay and Darbelnet‘s strategies of translation when translating the novel. The theoretical framework of this study is an analysis of Vinay and Darbelnet‘s translation strategies. The study also aims to give insight into what is meant by translation, translation theory, literary theory and literary translation. The translation of the novel is the final product, but in order to illustrate each procedure of Vinay and Darbelnet (1995) examples were taken from this final product. The chapters that follow illustrate the strategies of Vinay and Darbelnet (1995) as used in the translation of an Afrikaans text (SL) into English (TL). Conclusions can then be drawn as to whether full equivalence was obtained and whether the translation is deemed successful.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Minnaar, Rae-Ann
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Translating and interpreting -- South Africa , Afrikaans fiction -- Translating -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8364 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008401 , Translating and interpreting -- South Africa , Afrikaans fiction -- Translating -- South Africa
- Description: This dissertation is a self-reflexive study into effective translation strategies. The study focuses primarily on the translation strategies by Vinay and Darbelnet (1995), namely direct and oblique strategies of translation. The strategies are used in the translation of Jeanne Goosen‘s novel Louoond (1987). The novel was chosen on account of the writer‘s unique writing style and the challenges it poses for the prospective translator. One of the key objectives of this study was to comprehensively illustrate Vinay and Darbelnet‘s strategies of translation when translating the novel. The theoretical framework of this study is an analysis of Vinay and Darbelnet‘s translation strategies. The study also aims to give insight into what is meant by translation, translation theory, literary theory and literary translation. The translation of the novel is the final product, but in order to illustrate each procedure of Vinay and Darbelnet (1995) examples were taken from this final product. The chapters that follow illustrate the strategies of Vinay and Darbelnet (1995) as used in the translation of an Afrikaans text (SL) into English (TL). Conclusions can then be drawn as to whether full equivalence was obtained and whether the translation is deemed successful.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
An assessment of rural women's co-operatives in the Tsojana Village as regards meeting the objectives of sustainable livelihood and socio-economic development
- Authors: Ntsaluba, Joyce Thembela
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Women in cooperative societies -- South Africa -- Queenstown , Women in development -- South Africa -- Queenstown
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9141 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018758
- Description: This thesis is based on an in-depth assessment of the three rural women co-operatives in the Tsojana village, within the Intsika Yethu Local Municipality, which is the largest and most rural municipality within the Chris Hani District Municipality. 95 percent of households in this municipality live in rural areas or villages (Integrated Development Plan (IDP), 2010-2011). Rural areas are characterised by high levels of poverty, deprivation, poor infrastructure, and poor linkages to markets. Rural women are the ones experiencing poverty at first hand due to the fact that they are less mobile; when food crisis hits, men tend to leave to look for work or income in towns/cities, while women stay behind to look after their families (Moyo-Mhlanga, 2001). In 1975, the World Bank addressed the question of how women can become effective in economic development, hence the establishment of Women in Development Projects to encourage them to be more involved in income-generating activities like rural projects, co-operatives (co-ops) and self-help groups. A co-operative is an autonomous association of people who join voluntarily to meet their socio-economic and cultural needs through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise (International Labour Organization (ILO), 2002). The United Nations (UN) recognized the contribution cooperatives can make to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through productive employment, eradicating poverty, enhancing social integration and promoting the advancement of women. This research study was motivated by the fact that- there are various women development projects/co-operatives in Tsojana Administrative Area (A/A) which aim to improve the lives of the rural people for the better, but most of these co-ops are not sustainable and financially viable. Rural women have realized that in order to sustain development they have to integrate themselves into village development structures, as in various co-operatives, informal rural entrepreneurs and agricultural and non-farm income-generating activities. The study proposes to investigate the reasons for the failure of these co-ops to create sustainable rural livelihoods. The study further attempts to explore development strategies that will assist to transform and advance the co-ops towards sustainable development for all. It also aims to explore strategies that will alleviate poverty, create jobs, and address all factors of underdevelopment and deprivation. The overall methodological approach in this study is qualitative in nature, as it is based on the understanding of the situation from the participant‟s point of view, or perspective. It seeks to describe, investigate and explore aspects of development projects, and to also understand the aspects of socio-economic life of rural women. It combines three traditions of enquiry, i.e. case study, phenomenology, and ethnography. A non-probability type of sampling, in particular purposive sampling, was used for the study because the researcher‟s samples are based on her judgement. Interpretive research paradigm was used to allow the researcher to study meaningful social action, not just the external or observable behaviour of people, and various research tools were used to collect data. These co-operatives have been identified as struggling for survival, and lacking training, and material and financial resources. The co-operatives require support for expansion and modernizing their operations.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Ntsaluba, Joyce Thembela
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Women in cooperative societies -- South Africa -- Queenstown , Women in development -- South Africa -- Queenstown
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9141 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018758
- Description: This thesis is based on an in-depth assessment of the three rural women co-operatives in the Tsojana village, within the Intsika Yethu Local Municipality, which is the largest and most rural municipality within the Chris Hani District Municipality. 95 percent of households in this municipality live in rural areas or villages (Integrated Development Plan (IDP), 2010-2011). Rural areas are characterised by high levels of poverty, deprivation, poor infrastructure, and poor linkages to markets. Rural women are the ones experiencing poverty at first hand due to the fact that they are less mobile; when food crisis hits, men tend to leave to look for work or income in towns/cities, while women stay behind to look after their families (Moyo-Mhlanga, 2001). In 1975, the World Bank addressed the question of how women can become effective in economic development, hence the establishment of Women in Development Projects to encourage them to be more involved in income-generating activities like rural projects, co-operatives (co-ops) and self-help groups. A co-operative is an autonomous association of people who join voluntarily to meet their socio-economic and cultural needs through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise (International Labour Organization (ILO), 2002). The United Nations (UN) recognized the contribution cooperatives can make to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through productive employment, eradicating poverty, enhancing social integration and promoting the advancement of women. This research study was motivated by the fact that- there are various women development projects/co-operatives in Tsojana Administrative Area (A/A) which aim to improve the lives of the rural people for the better, but most of these co-ops are not sustainable and financially viable. Rural women have realized that in order to sustain development they have to integrate themselves into village development structures, as in various co-operatives, informal rural entrepreneurs and agricultural and non-farm income-generating activities. The study proposes to investigate the reasons for the failure of these co-ops to create sustainable rural livelihoods. The study further attempts to explore development strategies that will assist to transform and advance the co-ops towards sustainable development for all. It also aims to explore strategies that will alleviate poverty, create jobs, and address all factors of underdevelopment and deprivation. The overall methodological approach in this study is qualitative in nature, as it is based on the understanding of the situation from the participant‟s point of view, or perspective. It seeks to describe, investigate and explore aspects of development projects, and to also understand the aspects of socio-economic life of rural women. It combines three traditions of enquiry, i.e. case study, phenomenology, and ethnography. A non-probability type of sampling, in particular purposive sampling, was used for the study because the researcher‟s samples are based on her judgement. Interpretive research paradigm was used to allow the researcher to study meaningful social action, not just the external or observable behaviour of people, and various research tools were used to collect data. These co-operatives have been identified as struggling for survival, and lacking training, and material and financial resources. The co-operatives require support for expansion and modernizing their operations.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Plantar pressure and impulse profiles of students from a South African university
- Authors: Kramer, Mark
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Human mechanics , Foot -- Movements , Joints -- ange of motion , eng
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:10095 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1010606 , Human mechanics , Foot -- Movements , Joints -- ange of motion
- Description: Most activities of daily living and numerous modes of physical activity incorporate some form of ambulation, of which the foot and ankle constitute the first link in the kinetic chain. A change in foot or ankle structure may therefore have subsequent effects on the superincumbent joints of the human body such as the knee, hip and lower back. Plantar pressure and impulse measurements can therefore provide greater insight into the mechanics of the foot under load-bearing conditions with regards to the areas and regions of the foot that exhibit the largest pressure values and impulse figures. Hence, it is of importance to establish normative data so as to obtain a frame of reference to identify those individuals that fall outside these norms and may exhibit a larger probability of injury. Aim and Objectives: The primary aim was to identify and compare the plantar pressure distribution patterns and impulse values of students of a South African university of different gender and race groups. To realise this aim two specific objectives were set. The first was to determine whether height, weight, body mass index (BMI), gender, race, and the level of physical activity were related to the pressure and impulse values obtained, and the second was to generate reference tables from the normative data gathered. Method: The RS Footscan system was used to measure the pressure and impulse values of the foot. The characteristics that were analysed were height, weight, body mass index and the level of physical activity of the participant and their respective association with plantar pressure and impulse values obtained. This information was then used to establish normative data. A quasi-experimental study design utilising convenience sampling was implemented as the intention was to investigate as single instance in as natural a manner as possible. Convenience sampling was used with predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 180 participants were utilised in this study and were subdivided as follows: Gender: Males (n = 90); Females (n = 90); Race: African black (n = 60); white (n = 60) and coloured (n = 60). Each race group therefore comprised of 30 males and 30 females respectively. The anthropometric profile of participants was as follows: Age (S.D.) = 22.21 (S.D. ± 2.93) years; Height (S.D.) = 169.69 (S.D. ± 8.91) cm; Weight (S.D.) = 66.97 (S.D. ± 12.01) kg; BMI (S.D.) = 23.16 (S.D. ± 3.15) kg/m2. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire prior to testing that would identify all exclusion criteria consisting of: the presence of foot pain or deformity, acute lower extremity trauma, lower extremity surgery, exhibited problems of performance including eye, ear or cognitive impairment, diabetes mellitus or other neurological neuropathy, or the use of walking aids. Anthropometric measurements were then taken for those participants that qualified for the study. Participants were required to perform approximately five warm-up trials to familiarise themselves with the testing equipment before testing commenced. A total of ten successful trails were subsequently recorded for each participant, with three footprints being recorded per trial on the pressure platform, thereby comprising 30 footprints (15 left foot and 15 right foot) per participant that were analysed regarding pressure and impulse values. The two-step gait initiation protocol was implemented which was proven to be a valid and reliable means of assessing gait. Participants were instructed to walk at a comfortable walking speed between 1.19 – 1.60 m/s to ensure conformity between all participants as between-trial gait velocities were proven to be significantly variable. The foot was subdivided into ten anatomical areas focusing on the great toe, lesser toes, metatarsal 1, metatarsal 2, metatarsal 3, metatarsal 4, metatarsal 5, midfoot, medial heel and lateral heel. These ten areas were then grouped into one of three regions, namely the forefoot region (great toe, lesser toes, and all five metatarsal head areas), midfoot region (midfoot area), and rearfoot/heel region (medial and lateral heel areas). Once all relevant data was gathered, corrected and analysed it was used to establish normative data tables pertaining to the various gender and race groups. Results: Of the ten individual pressure and impulse areas, the second and third metatarsal heads demonstrated the highest mean peak pressure and impulse values. Once grouped into one of the three regions, the heel region was ascribed with the largest impulse and pressure values. It was established that statistically and practically significant racial pressure differences were apparent in the left and right forefoot and midfoot regions, with black and coloured individuals yielding the highest values, whereas white participants yielded the lowest. The same was true with regards to impulse figures in that both statistical and practical significant levels were established in the forefoot and midfoot regions. Black and coloured participants exhibited larger impulse values than the white participants. The level of physical activity was found to be associated with both pressure and impulse values over the various regions of the foot. Black individuals that were largely inactive as well as moderately active coloured participants yielded the highest pressure and impulse values, which were found to be statistically and practically significant over the forefoot regions. Conversely, white participants of all physical activity levels as well as coloured participants of both low and high physical activity levels exhibited the lowest pressure values over the forefoot region, which were also found to be statistically and practically significant. The anthropometric variables of height, weight and BMI were found to relate statistically to pressure and impulse values under the various regions of the foot, but none were found to be of any practical significance (r < .30). Conclusion: It was clearly established that both gender and race specific differences existed regarding plantar pressure and impulse values of the normal foot. Plantar pressure and impulse values were also associated with the level of physical activity of the individual, thereby indicating that the level of physical activity could be a contributing factor to altered pressure and impulse values. Anthropometric variables such as height, weight and BMI could not solely account for the variances observed in pressure and impulse. Further research is required to determine whether pressure or impulse values above or below those obtained predispose an individual to injury and to contrast between various activity or sporting codes and the effect of these on plantar pressure and impulse figures. Finally, from the collected data one was able to establish reference tables for the specific gender and race groups for both plantar pressure and impulse values. This enables one to classify individuals based on the pressure and impulse values generated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Kramer, Mark
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Human mechanics , Foot -- Movements , Joints -- ange of motion , eng
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:10095 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1010606 , Human mechanics , Foot -- Movements , Joints -- ange of motion
- Description: Most activities of daily living and numerous modes of physical activity incorporate some form of ambulation, of which the foot and ankle constitute the first link in the kinetic chain. A change in foot or ankle structure may therefore have subsequent effects on the superincumbent joints of the human body such as the knee, hip and lower back. Plantar pressure and impulse measurements can therefore provide greater insight into the mechanics of the foot under load-bearing conditions with regards to the areas and regions of the foot that exhibit the largest pressure values and impulse figures. Hence, it is of importance to establish normative data so as to obtain a frame of reference to identify those individuals that fall outside these norms and may exhibit a larger probability of injury. Aim and Objectives: The primary aim was to identify and compare the plantar pressure distribution patterns and impulse values of students of a South African university of different gender and race groups. To realise this aim two specific objectives were set. The first was to determine whether height, weight, body mass index (BMI), gender, race, and the level of physical activity were related to the pressure and impulse values obtained, and the second was to generate reference tables from the normative data gathered. Method: The RS Footscan system was used to measure the pressure and impulse values of the foot. The characteristics that were analysed were height, weight, body mass index and the level of physical activity of the participant and their respective association with plantar pressure and impulse values obtained. This information was then used to establish normative data. A quasi-experimental study design utilising convenience sampling was implemented as the intention was to investigate as single instance in as natural a manner as possible. Convenience sampling was used with predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 180 participants were utilised in this study and were subdivided as follows: Gender: Males (n = 90); Females (n = 90); Race: African black (n = 60); white (n = 60) and coloured (n = 60). Each race group therefore comprised of 30 males and 30 females respectively. The anthropometric profile of participants was as follows: Age (S.D.) = 22.21 (S.D. ± 2.93) years; Height (S.D.) = 169.69 (S.D. ± 8.91) cm; Weight (S.D.) = 66.97 (S.D. ± 12.01) kg; BMI (S.D.) = 23.16 (S.D. ± 3.15) kg/m2. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire prior to testing that would identify all exclusion criteria consisting of: the presence of foot pain or deformity, acute lower extremity trauma, lower extremity surgery, exhibited problems of performance including eye, ear or cognitive impairment, diabetes mellitus or other neurological neuropathy, or the use of walking aids. Anthropometric measurements were then taken for those participants that qualified for the study. Participants were required to perform approximately five warm-up trials to familiarise themselves with the testing equipment before testing commenced. A total of ten successful trails were subsequently recorded for each participant, with three footprints being recorded per trial on the pressure platform, thereby comprising 30 footprints (15 left foot and 15 right foot) per participant that were analysed regarding pressure and impulse values. The two-step gait initiation protocol was implemented which was proven to be a valid and reliable means of assessing gait. Participants were instructed to walk at a comfortable walking speed between 1.19 – 1.60 m/s to ensure conformity between all participants as between-trial gait velocities were proven to be significantly variable. The foot was subdivided into ten anatomical areas focusing on the great toe, lesser toes, metatarsal 1, metatarsal 2, metatarsal 3, metatarsal 4, metatarsal 5, midfoot, medial heel and lateral heel. These ten areas were then grouped into one of three regions, namely the forefoot region (great toe, lesser toes, and all five metatarsal head areas), midfoot region (midfoot area), and rearfoot/heel region (medial and lateral heel areas). Once all relevant data was gathered, corrected and analysed it was used to establish normative data tables pertaining to the various gender and race groups. Results: Of the ten individual pressure and impulse areas, the second and third metatarsal heads demonstrated the highest mean peak pressure and impulse values. Once grouped into one of the three regions, the heel region was ascribed with the largest impulse and pressure values. It was established that statistically and practically significant racial pressure differences were apparent in the left and right forefoot and midfoot regions, with black and coloured individuals yielding the highest values, whereas white participants yielded the lowest. The same was true with regards to impulse figures in that both statistical and practical significant levels were established in the forefoot and midfoot regions. Black and coloured participants exhibited larger impulse values than the white participants. The level of physical activity was found to be associated with both pressure and impulse values over the various regions of the foot. Black individuals that were largely inactive as well as moderately active coloured participants yielded the highest pressure and impulse values, which were found to be statistically and practically significant over the forefoot regions. Conversely, white participants of all physical activity levels as well as coloured participants of both low and high physical activity levels exhibited the lowest pressure values over the forefoot region, which were also found to be statistically and practically significant. The anthropometric variables of height, weight and BMI were found to relate statistically to pressure and impulse values under the various regions of the foot, but none were found to be of any practical significance (r < .30). Conclusion: It was clearly established that both gender and race specific differences existed regarding plantar pressure and impulse values of the normal foot. Plantar pressure and impulse values were also associated with the level of physical activity of the individual, thereby indicating that the level of physical activity could be a contributing factor to altered pressure and impulse values. Anthropometric variables such as height, weight and BMI could not solely account for the variances observed in pressure and impulse. Further research is required to determine whether pressure or impulse values above or below those obtained predispose an individual to injury and to contrast between various activity or sporting codes and the effect of these on plantar pressure and impulse figures. Finally, from the collected data one was able to establish reference tables for the specific gender and race groups for both plantar pressure and impulse values. This enables one to classify individuals based on the pressure and impulse values generated.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill: a psychobiographical study
- Authors: Moolman, Bilué Anton
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Churchill, Winston -- 1874-1965 , Psychology -- Biographical methods
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9903 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1009434 , Churchill, Winston -- 1874-1965 , Psychology -- Biographical methods
- Description: Psychobiography is a qualitative approach to exploring and understanding the life story of an individual through the lens of psychological theory. The application of theory is typically conducted on the finished lives of well-known or enigmatic people. This study explores and describes the psychological development across the lifespan of Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, by applying the Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler. Winston Churchill voted the greatest Briton of the twentieth century, was an author, painter, adventure, soldier, politician and Prime Minister that led the United Kingdom during World War Two. Extensive data has been examined in this work to ensure an accurate description of Winston Churchill‘s life. Alexander‘s model of identifying salient themes was used to analyse the data within a conceptual framework derived from the theory. Churchill‘s difficult childhood motivated him to succeed, his passion for the nation of Britain and his dislike of the Nazi regime meant that Churchill was always abreast with current affairs, anticipating every possible scenario of attack. When the time came to fight the Nazi‘s Churchill was ready to die for his country. The research findings highlight Churchill‘s ability to rise above his childhood stigmas and surpass all expectations and so cementing his name into the history of a country he loved and a democratic world he hoped for. Alfred Adler‘s Individual Psychology proposes that an individual‘s potential weaknesses can be used as a means to strive and achieve greatness within their sphere of influence.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Moolman, Bilué Anton
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Churchill, Winston -- 1874-1965 , Psychology -- Biographical methods
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9903 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1009434 , Churchill, Winston -- 1874-1965 , Psychology -- Biographical methods
- Description: Psychobiography is a qualitative approach to exploring and understanding the life story of an individual through the lens of psychological theory. The application of theory is typically conducted on the finished lives of well-known or enigmatic people. This study explores and describes the psychological development across the lifespan of Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, by applying the Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler. Winston Churchill voted the greatest Briton of the twentieth century, was an author, painter, adventure, soldier, politician and Prime Minister that led the United Kingdom during World War Two. Extensive data has been examined in this work to ensure an accurate description of Winston Churchill‘s life. Alexander‘s model of identifying salient themes was used to analyse the data within a conceptual framework derived from the theory. Churchill‘s difficult childhood motivated him to succeed, his passion for the nation of Britain and his dislike of the Nazi regime meant that Churchill was always abreast with current affairs, anticipating every possible scenario of attack. When the time came to fight the Nazi‘s Churchill was ready to die for his country. The research findings highlight Churchill‘s ability to rise above his childhood stigmas and surpass all expectations and so cementing his name into the history of a country he loved and a democratic world he hoped for. Alfred Adler‘s Individual Psychology proposes that an individual‘s potential weaknesses can be used as a means to strive and achieve greatness within their sphere of influence.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
To what extent can microfinance sustain the livelihoods of the women of Mdantsane (Ward N.U. 9)
- Authors: Cuntu, Somila
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Microfinance -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women in economic development --South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Social conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9110 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1014636
- Description: I have observed that in Mdantsane there is a clear gap between men and women, as people are tradition-bound, and men are often the breadwinners in their households, which leave some women sidelined and only left with household chores. Therefore this research aims to investigate these inequalities, and if microfinance can contribute positively towards the development of these women, so that they can develop and sustain their lifestyles. Chapter two of this research, containing available literature on this particular study which is sustainable livelihoods and microfinance for poor women, and covers both local as well as international studies. Here microfinance and sustainable livelihoods will be conceptualised accordingly so as to shed light on the subject. The third chapter covers the methodology used in the current study which clearly outlines the methodological framework, the research instruments, participants as well as the research design and procedure. The fourth chapter provides the findings and of the the current study, this will outline the main themes that surface and are prevalent among the participants. Chapter five will consist of the discussion of the results. Lastly chapter six will provide the conclusion as well as well as recommendations relevant to the results of this study.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Cuntu, Somila
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Microfinance -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women in economic development --South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Social conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9110 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1014636
- Description: I have observed that in Mdantsane there is a clear gap between men and women, as people are tradition-bound, and men are often the breadwinners in their households, which leave some women sidelined and only left with household chores. Therefore this research aims to investigate these inequalities, and if microfinance can contribute positively towards the development of these women, so that they can develop and sustain their lifestyles. Chapter two of this research, containing available literature on this particular study which is sustainable livelihoods and microfinance for poor women, and covers both local as well as international studies. Here microfinance and sustainable livelihoods will be conceptualised accordingly so as to shed light on the subject. The third chapter covers the methodology used in the current study which clearly outlines the methodological framework, the research instruments, participants as well as the research design and procedure. The fourth chapter provides the findings and of the the current study, this will outline the main themes that surface and are prevalent among the participants. Chapter five will consist of the discussion of the results. Lastly chapter six will provide the conclusion as well as well as recommendations relevant to the results of this study.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Investigating the feminist significance of Lars von Trier's representation of women in his Golden Heart Trilogy (1996/1998/2000) and Antichrist (2009)
- Authors: Evans, Melissa Albie
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Motion picture producers and directors , Feminism , Anti-feminism , Second-wave feminism , Trier, Lars von, 1956-
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8409 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011634 , Motion picture producers and directors , Feminism , Anti-feminism , Second-wave feminism , Trier, Lars von, 1956-
- Description: Despite critics‟ negative appraisal of Lars Von Trier's Antichrist (2009) for its ostensible misogyny, a deep thematic resonance exists between its representation of women as historical victims of patriarchal discourse, and the positive representations of women as Christ-like figures found in his Golden Heart Trilogy (1996/1998/2000). Arguably, it is important to recognize this, because these films together comprise an exercise in cinematic resistance to the narratives of the „backlash‟ against women's rights, thematized by Susan Faludi in her Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women; resistance which is undermined when these films are considered disparate or incongruous.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Evans, Melissa Albie
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Motion picture producers and directors , Feminism , Anti-feminism , Second-wave feminism , Trier, Lars von, 1956-
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8409 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011634 , Motion picture producers and directors , Feminism , Anti-feminism , Second-wave feminism , Trier, Lars von, 1956-
- Description: Despite critics‟ negative appraisal of Lars Von Trier's Antichrist (2009) for its ostensible misogyny, a deep thematic resonance exists between its representation of women as historical victims of patriarchal discourse, and the positive representations of women as Christ-like figures found in his Golden Heart Trilogy (1996/1998/2000). Arguably, it is important to recognize this, because these films together comprise an exercise in cinematic resistance to the narratives of the „backlash‟ against women's rights, thematized by Susan Faludi in her Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women; resistance which is undermined when these films are considered disparate or incongruous.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
The impact of pension fund investments on economic development in South Africa
- Authors: Olaifa, Ayodeji
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Pension trusts -- Investments , Retirement income -- South Africa -- Planning , Pension trusts -- South Africa -- Management , Retirees -- Finance, Personal
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9120 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015971
- Description: Pension fund investments have been under the spotlight lately, particularly on the back of the recent global financial and economic crisis that resulted in a significant reduction in pension fund assets across economies. Increased poverty levels and high financial indebtedness abound, as workers grapple with retrenchments, reduction in retirement benefits and reduced wages. This is causing a re-assessment of investment strategies of pension funds across the globe, and increasing support for the argument that, the traditional equity/government bond asset allocation is out - fashioned in a world of lower returns and wider choices. Pension funds by virtue of their size, can impact the society directly and/or indirectly through investments in companies that incorporate environmental, social and governance issues in their corporate behaviours, or in dedicated socially responsible investment funds or other forms of alternative investments. This study sought to provide a link between the investment patterns of pension funds and national economic development. An in-depth literature review was undertaken, and investments impacts were assessed by looking at published reports of select funds and corporations. Pension funds are an integral part of a nation‟s economy. This research work established the various dimensions in which pension fund investments can impact the socio economic development of a country, especially in developing countries, where there exists a huge infrastructural and economic gap among different sectors of the economy. Pension funds are workers capital, and therefore should be invested in a manner that will benefit workers, and these benefits cannot be restricted to mere financial benefits, it should be able to generate social, financial and environmental benefits, and in a sustainable way.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Olaifa, Ayodeji
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Pension trusts -- Investments , Retirement income -- South Africa -- Planning , Pension trusts -- South Africa -- Management , Retirees -- Finance, Personal
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9120 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015971
- Description: Pension fund investments have been under the spotlight lately, particularly on the back of the recent global financial and economic crisis that resulted in a significant reduction in pension fund assets across economies. Increased poverty levels and high financial indebtedness abound, as workers grapple with retrenchments, reduction in retirement benefits and reduced wages. This is causing a re-assessment of investment strategies of pension funds across the globe, and increasing support for the argument that, the traditional equity/government bond asset allocation is out - fashioned in a world of lower returns and wider choices. Pension funds by virtue of their size, can impact the society directly and/or indirectly through investments in companies that incorporate environmental, social and governance issues in their corporate behaviours, or in dedicated socially responsible investment funds or other forms of alternative investments. This study sought to provide a link between the investment patterns of pension funds and national economic development. An in-depth literature review was undertaken, and investments impacts were assessed by looking at published reports of select funds and corporations. Pension funds are an integral part of a nation‟s economy. This research work established the various dimensions in which pension fund investments can impact the socio economic development of a country, especially in developing countries, where there exists a huge infrastructural and economic gap among different sectors of the economy. Pension funds are workers capital, and therefore should be invested in a manner that will benefit workers, and these benefits cannot be restricted to mere financial benefits, it should be able to generate social, financial and environmental benefits, and in a sustainable way.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Moving through the city : Cape Town's legacy of slavery and the performance of creolised carnival
- Authors: Nsele, Zamansele
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Carnival -- South Africa -- Cape Town , Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) -- Economic conditions , Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) -- Social conditions , Cape Town -- Economic conditions , Cape Town -- Social conditions , Slavery -- South Africa -- Cape Town , Stereotypes (Social psychology -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2489 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012977
- Description: After South Africa entered into democracy in 1994, a mediation period of change was set in motion. It was an invitation for South Africans to imagine and envision themselves anew (Gqola 2010). Slave memory; a neglected past, that was previously silenced came to the fore and is currently in the process of being renegotiated in post-apartheid South Africa. In the light of this, I believe that the study of the Cape Minstrel Carnival which has its social roots in slavery lends itself for an insightful interpretation within an art historical framework. While institutionally the memory of slavery was officially marginalized: comparatively, on the streets of Cape Town, the community preserved it in elusive ways embodied in the procession of Carnival through the city. This thesis explores the imagery of creolisation, through an analysis of the Cape Minstrel Carnival. Zimitri Erasmus (Erasmus 200:14) defines creolisation as cultural production that happens under the specific conditions of slavery. Before I decode some of the motifs embedded in the imagery of creolisation, in chapter one I provide an in depth analysis; of the contextual conditions of which the practice of carnival originated. My analysis is informed extensively by post-colonial theories on race, identity, and creolisation. The route of the procession of carnival reveals an alternative and clandestine history of the city of Cape Town which I believe deserves focus. In chapter two I discuss its site specificity in relation to key urban sites, such as the District Six Museum, the Slave Lodge Museum and the Bo-Kaap Museum. This thesis explores the use of performance as a corporeal tool to demarcate the city. In the process of this analysis, a repertoire of movement becomes salient in the construction of creolised identities. In chapter three I discuss the motif of the “coon” as the most salient image of creolisation in the parade; I trace its iconographic roots to the performance of blackface minstrelsy that originated from the slave plantations of the United States of America. By unpacking the racist iconography bound up in the initial construction of the “coon”, it becomes clear that its derogative meaning was subverted when it was appropriated as a symbol of celebration into the New Year’s parades. As a result of its complicated history, some residents deride the parade as perpetuating racial stereotypes, by portraying “coloured” people as buffoons. Class snobbery has played a big part in the criticism. Therefore the procession of “the coons” or euphemistically the minstrels represents a cultural cringe for some and a festive celebration for others and both these sentiments coexist simultaneously. The Cape Town Minstrel Carnival can be interpreted on multiple shifting levels because it takes on an ambivalent and ambiguous position as far as meaning is concerned.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Nsele, Zamansele
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Carnival -- South Africa -- Cape Town , Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) -- Economic conditions , Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) -- Social conditions , Cape Town -- Economic conditions , Cape Town -- Social conditions , Slavery -- South Africa -- Cape Town , Stereotypes (Social psychology -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2489 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012977
- Description: After South Africa entered into democracy in 1994, a mediation period of change was set in motion. It was an invitation for South Africans to imagine and envision themselves anew (Gqola 2010). Slave memory; a neglected past, that was previously silenced came to the fore and is currently in the process of being renegotiated in post-apartheid South Africa. In the light of this, I believe that the study of the Cape Minstrel Carnival which has its social roots in slavery lends itself for an insightful interpretation within an art historical framework. While institutionally the memory of slavery was officially marginalized: comparatively, on the streets of Cape Town, the community preserved it in elusive ways embodied in the procession of Carnival through the city. This thesis explores the imagery of creolisation, through an analysis of the Cape Minstrel Carnival. Zimitri Erasmus (Erasmus 200:14) defines creolisation as cultural production that happens under the specific conditions of slavery. Before I decode some of the motifs embedded in the imagery of creolisation, in chapter one I provide an in depth analysis; of the contextual conditions of which the practice of carnival originated. My analysis is informed extensively by post-colonial theories on race, identity, and creolisation. The route of the procession of carnival reveals an alternative and clandestine history of the city of Cape Town which I believe deserves focus. In chapter two I discuss its site specificity in relation to key urban sites, such as the District Six Museum, the Slave Lodge Museum and the Bo-Kaap Museum. This thesis explores the use of performance as a corporeal tool to demarcate the city. In the process of this analysis, a repertoire of movement becomes salient in the construction of creolised identities. In chapter three I discuss the motif of the “coon” as the most salient image of creolisation in the parade; I trace its iconographic roots to the performance of blackface minstrelsy that originated from the slave plantations of the United States of America. By unpacking the racist iconography bound up in the initial construction of the “coon”, it becomes clear that its derogative meaning was subverted when it was appropriated as a symbol of celebration into the New Year’s parades. As a result of its complicated history, some residents deride the parade as perpetuating racial stereotypes, by portraying “coloured” people as buffoons. Class snobbery has played a big part in the criticism. Therefore the procession of “the coons” or euphemistically the minstrels represents a cultural cringe for some and a festive celebration for others and both these sentiments coexist simultaneously. The Cape Town Minstrel Carnival can be interpreted on multiple shifting levels because it takes on an ambivalent and ambiguous position as far as meaning is concerned.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
An investigation into integrating social sites as a teaching and learning practice to create dialogue spaces in the language classroom
- Authors: Olamijulo, Christianah
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Online social networks , Blended learning
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8429 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020149
- Description: This study intends to explore how social media or social networking sites (SNSs) such as Facebook can facilitate communication channels or create dialogue spaces in a language class. Social media is a form of participatory media, which broadly refers to the “collection of communication channels or mediums (primarily online and mobile) through which social networks originate and are sustained” (Flew 2008:109). Although the term social media is often used as a collective term for SNSs or as the core trademark of Web 2.0, Flew (2008:17) also distinguishes social media by calling it a “communications infrastructure” that allows for “participation, interactivity, collaborative learning and social networking”. Flew (2008) identifies various online sites including the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia and the online user-generated video site YouTube as well as various personalised web space sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Friendster and Bebo as participatory media. The study’s data collection was situated at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) and investigated how social media can be used to facilitate dialogue between a tutor and BKI1120 Communication in English B students in a Higher Education (HE) context using qualitative methodology. This study compared the use of existing and more traditional or conventional classroom communication practices with those of SNSs as a communication channel, while focusing on social media application as a communication tool to create dialogue spaces that support teaching and learning practices. The research also attempted to identify alternative applications of social media for teaching and learning practices to inform researchers in the fields of HE and media. In the first data-collection phase, BKI1120 Communication in English B Public Management students were selected as the sample for the study. Seventeen students participated in the BKI1120 Facebook page created for the purpose of this study. In the second data-collection phase, a taped focus-group interview was conducted with eight BKI1120 Communication in English B students. The interview transcript was then analysed qualitatively for themes. The research findings showed that social media or SNSs such as Facebook can facilitate communication channels or create dialogue spaces in a language class, if it is managed effectively.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Olamijulo, Christianah
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Online social networks , Blended learning
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8429 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020149
- Description: This study intends to explore how social media or social networking sites (SNSs) such as Facebook can facilitate communication channels or create dialogue spaces in a language class. Social media is a form of participatory media, which broadly refers to the “collection of communication channels or mediums (primarily online and mobile) through which social networks originate and are sustained” (Flew 2008:109). Although the term social media is often used as a collective term for SNSs or as the core trademark of Web 2.0, Flew (2008:17) also distinguishes social media by calling it a “communications infrastructure” that allows for “participation, interactivity, collaborative learning and social networking”. Flew (2008) identifies various online sites including the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia and the online user-generated video site YouTube as well as various personalised web space sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Friendster and Bebo as participatory media. The study’s data collection was situated at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) and investigated how social media can be used to facilitate dialogue between a tutor and BKI1120 Communication in English B students in a Higher Education (HE) context using qualitative methodology. This study compared the use of existing and more traditional or conventional classroom communication practices with those of SNSs as a communication channel, while focusing on social media application as a communication tool to create dialogue spaces that support teaching and learning practices. The research also attempted to identify alternative applications of social media for teaching and learning practices to inform researchers in the fields of HE and media. In the first data-collection phase, BKI1120 Communication in English B Public Management students were selected as the sample for the study. Seventeen students participated in the BKI1120 Facebook page created for the purpose of this study. In the second data-collection phase, a taped focus-group interview was conducted with eight BKI1120 Communication in English B students. The interview transcript was then analysed qualitatively for themes. The research findings showed that social media or SNSs such as Facebook can facilitate communication channels or create dialogue spaces in a language class, if it is managed effectively.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
An investigation of media representation of the complexities confronting the concept of the 'Rainbow Nation' as a South African social reality: an analysis of the works of Trevor Noah
- Authors: Magwaza, Isheunesu
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Noah, Trevor , Mass media -- South Africa , Stand-up comedy -- South Africa , South Africa -- Humor
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8421 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015711
- Description: This study is an investigation into the representation of complexities confronting the concept of the Rainbow Nation as a South African social reality. The study is based on the works of Trevor Noah, one of post-Apartheid South Africa‘s eminent stand-up comedians whose two media works, The Day Walker and Crazy Normal, tackle issues pertaining to the socio-political and economic realities that are prevailing in South Africa. The mass media products continue to receive wide acclaim from both, media circles and audiences from racially diversified societies. They are delivered in a mimetic stereotypical manner that cuts across the length and breadth of the South African society. Trevor Noah‘s comedy uses humour to provide the South African society with an opportunity ―[for brutal honesty] to explore, affirm, deny, and ultimately to change its structure and its values‖ (Turner, 1977:33). Representations made in his comedy, more than providing people with a tonic for laughter, also create for the society momentary instances of thought which transcend the theatre stage in which the humour is delivered. Courtesy of these representations, his comedy infiltrates the people‘s sub-consciousness and engages them on those issues pertaining to race-relations and multicultural tolerance which are more often than not trivialised but are influential in shaping the status quo.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Magwaza, Isheunesu
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Noah, Trevor , Mass media -- South Africa , Stand-up comedy -- South Africa , South Africa -- Humor
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8421 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015711
- Description: This study is an investigation into the representation of complexities confronting the concept of the Rainbow Nation as a South African social reality. The study is based on the works of Trevor Noah, one of post-Apartheid South Africa‘s eminent stand-up comedians whose two media works, The Day Walker and Crazy Normal, tackle issues pertaining to the socio-political and economic realities that are prevailing in South Africa. The mass media products continue to receive wide acclaim from both, media circles and audiences from racially diversified societies. They are delivered in a mimetic stereotypical manner that cuts across the length and breadth of the South African society. Trevor Noah‘s comedy uses humour to provide the South African society with an opportunity ―[for brutal honesty] to explore, affirm, deny, and ultimately to change its structure and its values‖ (Turner, 1977:33). Representations made in his comedy, more than providing people with a tonic for laughter, also create for the society momentary instances of thought which transcend the theatre stage in which the humour is delivered. Courtesy of these representations, his comedy infiltrates the people‘s sub-consciousness and engages them on those issues pertaining to race-relations and multicultural tolerance which are more often than not trivialised but are influential in shaping the status quo.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
Constraints and opportunities in the informal economy
- Authors: Phala, Terrance Madiseng
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Informal sector (Economics)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9156 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1019809
- Description: In spite of the fact that informal traders in the informal economy are viewed as having the greatest prospects for creating jobs and absorbing the unemployed in developing countries, informal traders in Limpopo Province in general, and the city of Polokwane in particular, face various constraints that negatively affect them on a daily basis. The aim of the study has been to explore the constraints and opportunities of informal traders, using the city of Polokwane as a case study. The study has attempted to identify and describe constraints that affect informal traders in the Polokwane city, as well as factors that can enhance their development and growth. The study is exploratory, descriptive and qualitative in nature. Semi-structured faceto-face interviews were conducted to gather data. Findings of the study suggest that the government should improve the effectiveness of its support mechanisms by initiating targeted support programmes specifically tailored for informal traders at the survivalist level.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Phala, Terrance Madiseng
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Informal sector (Economics)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9156 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1019809
- Description: In spite of the fact that informal traders in the informal economy are viewed as having the greatest prospects for creating jobs and absorbing the unemployed in developing countries, informal traders in Limpopo Province in general, and the city of Polokwane in particular, face various constraints that negatively affect them on a daily basis. The aim of the study has been to explore the constraints and opportunities of informal traders, using the city of Polokwane as a case study. The study has attempted to identify and describe constraints that affect informal traders in the Polokwane city, as well as factors that can enhance their development and growth. The study is exploratory, descriptive and qualitative in nature. Semi-structured faceto-face interviews were conducted to gather data. Findings of the study suggest that the government should improve the effectiveness of its support mechanisms by initiating targeted support programmes specifically tailored for informal traders at the survivalist level.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012