“The Hellenistic ruler cult and Ptolemy I’s quest for legitimacy”
- Authors: Ntuli, Sihle
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6097 , vital:21031
- Description: Alexander III died suddenly in Babylon in 323 BC. With Philip III Arrhidaeus in a mentally deficient state and Alexander IV not being of age, Alexander died without a suitable heir. The task of succeeding one of the most storied legacies in the ancient world was left to the generals of Alexander III. On his deathbed, Alexander was asked who should lead the Macedonians, of which he allegedly replied “the strongest”. Thus began the process of selecting the individual who would succeed Alexander the Great, which ended up becoming a contentious task due to Macedonian succession customs. Subsequently the ‘Successors’ quarrelled over who should succeed Alexander as the true successor. The wars of the Successors are founded on an issue of legitimacy that qualifies the notion of the strongest. Being deemed the true successor of Alexander the Great meant the opportunity to continue a period of Macedonian dominance following the reigns of Philip II and Alexander III. Alexander III is hailed as one of the most extraordinary individuals of the ancient world with his imperial campaigns being widely documented, political stability being pinpointed as one of the Macedonian strong points during the period of their dominance. The ruler cult is a point of reference for the explaining the relative political stability throughout the reign of Alexander the Great. The ruler cult can be understood as a sociopolitical construct that hybridized the notion of the ruler with that of a religious leader. The oriental influence of Alexander’s campaigns in Asia would inform the customs and practices of the divine ruler. The Macedonians’ ability to establish a presence in foreign territories made such a social construct a necessity in the task of centralizing of minds for political stability. Alexander’s rendition of the cult informed the formalized Ptolemaic ruler cult. The similarities and differences of the renditions help us to understand this political tool that Ptolemy I required in order to be deemed the true successor of Alexander the Great. The following will be an investigation into whether Ptolemy I is able to attain legitimacy, firstly as a successor to Alexander the Great, secondly as Pharaoh of Egypt.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Ntuli, Sihle
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6097 , vital:21031
- Description: Alexander III died suddenly in Babylon in 323 BC. With Philip III Arrhidaeus in a mentally deficient state and Alexander IV not being of age, Alexander died without a suitable heir. The task of succeeding one of the most storied legacies in the ancient world was left to the generals of Alexander III. On his deathbed, Alexander was asked who should lead the Macedonians, of which he allegedly replied “the strongest”. Thus began the process of selecting the individual who would succeed Alexander the Great, which ended up becoming a contentious task due to Macedonian succession customs. Subsequently the ‘Successors’ quarrelled over who should succeed Alexander as the true successor. The wars of the Successors are founded on an issue of legitimacy that qualifies the notion of the strongest. Being deemed the true successor of Alexander the Great meant the opportunity to continue a period of Macedonian dominance following the reigns of Philip II and Alexander III. Alexander III is hailed as one of the most extraordinary individuals of the ancient world with his imperial campaigns being widely documented, political stability being pinpointed as one of the Macedonian strong points during the period of their dominance. The ruler cult is a point of reference for the explaining the relative political stability throughout the reign of Alexander the Great. The ruler cult can be understood as a sociopolitical construct that hybridized the notion of the ruler with that of a religious leader. The oriental influence of Alexander’s campaigns in Asia would inform the customs and practices of the divine ruler. The Macedonians’ ability to establish a presence in foreign territories made such a social construct a necessity in the task of centralizing of minds for political stability. Alexander’s rendition of the cult informed the formalized Ptolemaic ruler cult. The similarities and differences of the renditions help us to understand this political tool that Ptolemy I required in order to be deemed the true successor of Alexander the Great. The following will be an investigation into whether Ptolemy I is able to attain legitimacy, firstly as a successor to Alexander the Great, secondly as Pharaoh of Egypt.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
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 exploration of how professional graphic design discourse impacts on innovation : a focus on the articulation of a South African design language in i-jusi
- Authors: Moys, Jeanne Louise
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Graphic arts -- South Africa , Words in art , Writing in art
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3468 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002923 , Graphic arts -- South Africa , Words in art , Writing in art
- Description: This study examines the graphic design industry’s call for ‘a South African design language’ in post-apartheid South Africa and how the non-commercial publication i-jusi is envisaged as a space for graphic designers to innovate a South African design language. The central premise of this research is that graphic design, as a form of cultural production, is discursive. In this respect, graphic design practice is constructed and constrained by professional discourse, which is in turn informed by social structures. However, discourse is also a site of contestation and graphic designers may challenge or negotiate professional discourse in their practice. Thus, as Wolff (1981) argues, the possibility for innovation within graphic design practice may exist at a particular historical moment, although this possibility is itself situated within social structures. In this study, the impact of professional graphic design discourse on the attempt to innovate a South African design language in i-jusi is explored. Utilising qualitative interviews and other texts selected from graphic design commentary (conference presentations and published articles), the motivations of the producers of i-jusi are examined with a view to assessing how their articulation of a South African design language is informed by professional graphic design discourse.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Moys, Jeanne Louise
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Graphic arts -- South Africa , Words in art , Writing in art
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3468 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002923 , Graphic arts -- South Africa , Words in art , Writing in art
- Description: This study examines the graphic design industry’s call for ‘a South African design language’ in post-apartheid South Africa and how the non-commercial publication i-jusi is envisaged as a space for graphic designers to innovate a South African design language. The central premise of this research is that graphic design, as a form of cultural production, is discursive. In this respect, graphic design practice is constructed and constrained by professional discourse, which is in turn informed by social structures. However, discourse is also a site of contestation and graphic designers may challenge or negotiate professional discourse in their practice. Thus, as Wolff (1981) argues, the possibility for innovation within graphic design practice may exist at a particular historical moment, although this possibility is itself situated within social structures. In this study, the impact of professional graphic design discourse on the attempt to innovate a South African design language in i-jusi is explored. Utilising qualitative interviews and other texts selected from graphic design commentary (conference presentations and published articles), the motivations of the producers of i-jusi are examined with a view to assessing how their articulation of a South African design language is informed by professional graphic design discourse.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
Negotiating the global : how young women in Nairobi shape their local identities in response to aspects of the mexican telenovela, Cuando seas mia
- Authors: Jiwaji, Aamera Hamzaali
- Date: 2011 , 2010-09-15
- Subjects: Cuando seas mia (Television program) , Television soap operas -- Kenya , Motion pictures and youth -- Kenya , Emigration and immigration in motion pictures -- Kenya , Ethnicity in motion pictures -- Kenya , Arts and society -- Kenya
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3532 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013364
- Description: Latin American telenovelas have been exported to more than a hundred countries across the globe. While they are popular in their country of production because their messages resonate with their audience’s everyday experiences, their popularity amongst global audiences with whom they share neither a social nor a cultural history is unexplained. Kenya has been importing and airing Latin American telenovelas since the early 1990s, and telenovelas have permeated many aspects of Kenyan daily life, when compared to other foreign globally-distributed media products that are aired on Kenyan television. As global media products, telenovelas remain open to criticisms from the media imperialism thesis. This research adopts an ethnographic approach to the study of audiences, and looks at the reception of a Mexican telenovela, Cuando Seas Mia, by a group of young Kenyan women in Nairobi. It reflects upon the media imperialism thesis from an African perspective by investigating the meanings that these women make from Cuando Seas Mia, and how these shape their changing local identities and cultures. The young women in this study, most of whom have moved to the city from the rural areas, are influenced by traditional, patriarchal Kenyan society and by the modern, Western influences of an urban environment. They experience a tension between their evolving rural and urban roles and identities and are drawn to telenovelas because their exploration of rural-urban themes holds a relevance to their own lives. They negotiate their contemporary African youth identities, gender roles and heterosexual relationships in relation to representations in the telenovela, questioning and destabilising African and Western definitions. These women select aspects from their traditional, African cultures and from their modern, Western experiences (and consumption of global media) and reconstruct them into a transitional youth identity which suits their day to day lives as young women living in an urban African environment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Jiwaji, Aamera Hamzaali
- Date: 2011 , 2010-09-15
- Subjects: Cuando seas mia (Television program) , Television soap operas -- Kenya , Motion pictures and youth -- Kenya , Emigration and immigration in motion pictures -- Kenya , Ethnicity in motion pictures -- Kenya , Arts and society -- Kenya
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3532 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013364
- Description: Latin American telenovelas have been exported to more than a hundred countries across the globe. While they are popular in their country of production because their messages resonate with their audience’s everyday experiences, their popularity amongst global audiences with whom they share neither a social nor a cultural history is unexplained. Kenya has been importing and airing Latin American telenovelas since the early 1990s, and telenovelas have permeated many aspects of Kenyan daily life, when compared to other foreign globally-distributed media products that are aired on Kenyan television. As global media products, telenovelas remain open to criticisms from the media imperialism thesis. This research adopts an ethnographic approach to the study of audiences, and looks at the reception of a Mexican telenovela, Cuando Seas Mia, by a group of young Kenyan women in Nairobi. It reflects upon the media imperialism thesis from an African perspective by investigating the meanings that these women make from Cuando Seas Mia, and how these shape their changing local identities and cultures. The young women in this study, most of whom have moved to the city from the rural areas, are influenced by traditional, patriarchal Kenyan society and by the modern, Western influences of an urban environment. They experience a tension between their evolving rural and urban roles and identities and are drawn to telenovelas because their exploration of rural-urban themes holds a relevance to their own lives. They negotiate their contemporary African youth identities, gender roles and heterosexual relationships in relation to representations in the telenovela, questioning and destabilising African and Western definitions. These women select aspects from their traditional, African cultures and from their modern, Western experiences (and consumption of global media) and reconstruct them into a transitional youth identity which suits their day to day lives as young women living in an urban African environment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
An examination of the drafting-responding process used to develop students' writing in an English Language for Academic Purposes Course
- Authors: Quinn, Lynn
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Foreign speakers , Rhodes University -- Academic Development Programme , Academic writing -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa , Educational anthropology -- South Africa , Educational sociology -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2359 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002642 , English language -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Foreign speakers , Rhodes University -- Academic Development Programme , Academic writing -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa , Educational anthropology -- South Africa , Educational sociology -- South Africa
- Description: Many students when they arrive at university do not possess the “cultural capital” (Bourdieu 1977) which is favoured by the institution. The purpose of the English Language for Academic Purposes (ELAP) course and the drafting-responding process is to help students to begin to acquire the “cultural capital” required to succeed at university. The research reported on in this thesis examined the drafting-responding process as it is used to develop students’ writing in the ELAP course at Rhodes University. The process involved students submitting drafts of their essays on which they received constructive and formative feedback from their ELAP tutor. This feedback was then used to revise their essays before a final version was submitted for assessment. The research took the form of a case study with an essentially interpretive orientation. I examined the drafts (with the tutor’s comments) and final versions of seven students’ ELAP essays. Additional data was obtained by interviewing the students and the tutor. Underpinning my beliefs regarding the role of writing in learning as well as my orientation to research is an understanding of knowledge and learning as being socially constructed. All writing is embedded in and dependent on, not only the immediate social circumstances, but also the broader social and cultural context. In analysing and discussing the data in this research I used Halliday’s (1985) definition of context, in which he draws a broad distinction between the immediate context of situation and the broader context of culture The research findings showed that the drafting-responding process can help students with the process of developing the academic literacy they need in order to write essays within specific situational contexts, in this case, the context of the ELAP course. In addition, at a broader level, it can help students to begin the process of being initiated into the culture of the university as a whole.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
- Authors: Quinn, Lynn
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Foreign speakers , Rhodes University -- Academic Development Programme , Academic writing -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa , Educational anthropology -- South Africa , Educational sociology -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2359 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002642 , English language -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- Foreign speakers , Rhodes University -- Academic Development Programme , Academic writing -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa , Educational anthropology -- South Africa , Educational sociology -- South Africa
- Description: Many students when they arrive at university do not possess the “cultural capital” (Bourdieu 1977) which is favoured by the institution. The purpose of the English Language for Academic Purposes (ELAP) course and the drafting-responding process is to help students to begin to acquire the “cultural capital” required to succeed at university. The research reported on in this thesis examined the drafting-responding process as it is used to develop students’ writing in the ELAP course at Rhodes University. The process involved students submitting drafts of their essays on which they received constructive and formative feedback from their ELAP tutor. This feedback was then used to revise their essays before a final version was submitted for assessment. The research took the form of a case study with an essentially interpretive orientation. I examined the drafts (with the tutor’s comments) and final versions of seven students’ ELAP essays. Additional data was obtained by interviewing the students and the tutor. Underpinning my beliefs regarding the role of writing in learning as well as my orientation to research is an understanding of knowledge and learning as being socially constructed. All writing is embedded in and dependent on, not only the immediate social circumstances, but also the broader social and cultural context. In analysing and discussing the data in this research I used Halliday’s (1985) definition of context, in which he draws a broad distinction between the immediate context of situation and the broader context of culture The research findings showed that the drafting-responding process can help students with the process of developing the academic literacy they need in order to write essays within specific situational contexts, in this case, the context of the ELAP course. In addition, at a broader level, it can help students to begin the process of being initiated into the culture of the university as a whole.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
Investigating at the grassroots: exploring the origins, purposes journalistic practices and outcomes in two award-winning Daily Dispatch editorial projects
- Authors: Lunga, Carolyne Mande
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Investigative reporting -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Citizen journalism -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Reporters and reporting -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Journalism -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Journalism -- Political aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3452 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002906
- Description: This thesis explores the origins, purposes, journalistic practices and outcomes of two award-winning projects namely Broken Homes and Slumlords done by Daily Dispatch's Gcina Ntsaluba in 2009. The projects were described by the paper as investigative journalism but interestingly the original idea came from grassroots driven strategies and they were done by adopting alternative news gathering strategies and immersion in the ordinary people, inspired by public journalism. This thesis follows Christians et al's (2009) normative theoretical framework of press roles summarised as the monitorial, facilitative, collaborative and radical roles. It provides normative prescriptions of public and investigative journalism, development and radical journalism. It then draws on sociological theoretical critiques in order to provide an analytical overview of the complex matrix of political, economic and media contexts which influenced the origins, purposes, journalistic practices and outcomes of the two projects. Drawing on a critical realist case study design, the thesis goes on to provide a narrative account of the two projects based on the in-depth interviews exploring the editorial staffs ideas on the origins, purposes, journalistic practices and outcomes of the projects and a qualitative content/thematic analysis of the journalistic texts related to the projects. This primary data is then critically evaluated against normative theories of press performance, especially Nip's (2008) key practices and Haas's (2007) 'public philosophy' of public journalism. It is also evaluated against a normative framework of what constitutes "good investigative journalism" based on Ettema and Glasser (1998), Waisbord (2000) among others. Protess et al 1991's classic mobilisation model is used to interrogate the projects' outcomes. The thesis established that there was a close connection of the monitorial (investigative journalism), facilitative (public journalism) and radical (tabloid journalism) roles at the paper which shows that the roles are not mutually exclusive. The two projects however fell short of the collaborative role (development journalism) which can, partly, be attributed to the adversarial nature of the relationship between the state and the media. The Daily Dispatch also failed to activate a platform for deliberation and public problem solving. There might thus be more scope in adopting a 'facilitative monitorial role' which would not only expose those who violate other people's human rights, corrupt people and institutions that are not performing well. Instead it will also activate civic life and facilitate 'collaboration' between government and the publics in problem solving.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Lunga, Carolyne Mande
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Investigative reporting -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Citizen journalism -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Reporters and reporting -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Journalism -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Journalism -- Political aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3452 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002906
- Description: This thesis explores the origins, purposes, journalistic practices and outcomes of two award-winning projects namely Broken Homes and Slumlords done by Daily Dispatch's Gcina Ntsaluba in 2009. The projects were described by the paper as investigative journalism but interestingly the original idea came from grassroots driven strategies and they were done by adopting alternative news gathering strategies and immersion in the ordinary people, inspired by public journalism. This thesis follows Christians et al's (2009) normative theoretical framework of press roles summarised as the monitorial, facilitative, collaborative and radical roles. It provides normative prescriptions of public and investigative journalism, development and radical journalism. It then draws on sociological theoretical critiques in order to provide an analytical overview of the complex matrix of political, economic and media contexts which influenced the origins, purposes, journalistic practices and outcomes of the two projects. Drawing on a critical realist case study design, the thesis goes on to provide a narrative account of the two projects based on the in-depth interviews exploring the editorial staffs ideas on the origins, purposes, journalistic practices and outcomes of the projects and a qualitative content/thematic analysis of the journalistic texts related to the projects. This primary data is then critically evaluated against normative theories of press performance, especially Nip's (2008) key practices and Haas's (2007) 'public philosophy' of public journalism. It is also evaluated against a normative framework of what constitutes "good investigative journalism" based on Ettema and Glasser (1998), Waisbord (2000) among others. Protess et al 1991's classic mobilisation model is used to interrogate the projects' outcomes. The thesis established that there was a close connection of the monitorial (investigative journalism), facilitative (public journalism) and radical (tabloid journalism) roles at the paper which shows that the roles are not mutually exclusive. The two projects however fell short of the collaborative role (development journalism) which can, partly, be attributed to the adversarial nature of the relationship between the state and the media. The Daily Dispatch also failed to activate a platform for deliberation and public problem solving. There might thus be more scope in adopting a 'facilitative monitorial role' which would not only expose those who violate other people's human rights, corrupt people and institutions that are not performing well. Instead it will also activate civic life and facilitate 'collaboration' between government and the publics in problem solving.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Bosman as Verbindingsteken: Hybridities in the Writing of Herman Charles Bosman.
- Authors: Leff, Carol Willa
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Bosman, Herman Charles, 1905-1951 -- Criticism and interpretation , South African fiction (English) -- 20th century -- History and criticism , Authors, South African -- 20th century , South Africa -- Social life and customs -- 20th century , National characteristics, South African
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2314 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013163
- Description: This thesis is concerned with how hybridity is created and interpreted by Herman Charles Bosman in his fiction and non-fiction. Bosman was a gifted writer and raconteur who captured the historical, socio-political context of his time by translating Afrikaans culture for the edification and pleasure of an English readership. Hennie Aucamp summed up this linguistic and cultural translation by pointing out that Bosman was a writer who acted as a “verbindingsteken” or hyphen (65) between Afrikaans and English. His texts contain many voices, and are therefore essentially hybrid. Firstly, by drawing on aspects of postcolonial theory, the terms ‘hybridity’, ‘culture’ and ‘identity’, are discussed. Homi Bhabha’s notion of ‘hybridity’ is the conceptual lens through which Bosman’s texts are viewed, and aspects of Mikhail Bakhtin’s cultural theory also serve the same function. Thereafter, biographies of Bosman are discussed in an effort to understand his hyphenated identity. Following this, specific attention is paid to a selection of Bosman’s essays, short stories, and a novel. Scholarly opinions aid interpretation of levels of hybridity in Bosman’s work. In analysing Bosman’s texts critically, it becomes clear that he believed in a united South Africa that acknowledged and accepted all races. However, analysis also reveals that there are some inconsistencies in Bosman’s personal views, as expressed particularly in his essays. His short stories do not contain the same contradictions. Critical analysis of the novel Willemsdorp attests that cultural hybridity is not always viewed as celebratory. It can also be a painful space where identities are split, living both inside and outside their environment, and subsequently marginalized. Bosman’s texts, although published decades ago, remain relevant today in post-apartheid South Africa as much of his writing can be seen as a record of historical events. His short stories and novels capture a confluence of languages, people and cultures. His essays illustrate a deep commitment to promoting South African culture and literature. When reading Bosman one is constantly reminded that differences are not only to be acknowledged, but embraced, in what he prophetically imagined as a hybrid, post-apartheid South African society.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Leff, Carol Willa
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Bosman, Herman Charles, 1905-1951 -- Criticism and interpretation , South African fiction (English) -- 20th century -- History and criticism , Authors, South African -- 20th century , South Africa -- Social life and customs -- 20th century , National characteristics, South African
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2314 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013163
- Description: This thesis is concerned with how hybridity is created and interpreted by Herman Charles Bosman in his fiction and non-fiction. Bosman was a gifted writer and raconteur who captured the historical, socio-political context of his time by translating Afrikaans culture for the edification and pleasure of an English readership. Hennie Aucamp summed up this linguistic and cultural translation by pointing out that Bosman was a writer who acted as a “verbindingsteken” or hyphen (65) between Afrikaans and English. His texts contain many voices, and are therefore essentially hybrid. Firstly, by drawing on aspects of postcolonial theory, the terms ‘hybridity’, ‘culture’ and ‘identity’, are discussed. Homi Bhabha’s notion of ‘hybridity’ is the conceptual lens through which Bosman’s texts are viewed, and aspects of Mikhail Bakhtin’s cultural theory also serve the same function. Thereafter, biographies of Bosman are discussed in an effort to understand his hyphenated identity. Following this, specific attention is paid to a selection of Bosman’s essays, short stories, and a novel. Scholarly opinions aid interpretation of levels of hybridity in Bosman’s work. In analysing Bosman’s texts critically, it becomes clear that he believed in a united South Africa that acknowledged and accepted all races. However, analysis also reveals that there are some inconsistencies in Bosman’s personal views, as expressed particularly in his essays. His short stories do not contain the same contradictions. Critical analysis of the novel Willemsdorp attests that cultural hybridity is not always viewed as celebratory. It can also be a painful space where identities are split, living both inside and outside their environment, and subsequently marginalized. Bosman’s texts, although published decades ago, remain relevant today in post-apartheid South Africa as much of his writing can be seen as a record of historical events. His short stories and novels capture a confluence of languages, people and cultures. His essays illustrate a deep commitment to promoting South African culture and literature. When reading Bosman one is constantly reminded that differences are not only to be acknowledged, but embraced, in what he prophetically imagined as a hybrid, post-apartheid South African society.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
Making sense of Men's Health: an investigation into the meanings men and women make of Men's Health
- Authors: McCance-Price, Maris
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Men's Health (South Africa) , Men's magazines -- South Africa , Men in mass media , Women in mass media , Sex role in mass media , Men in popular culture , Women in popular culture , Mass media -- Social aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3464 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002919 , Men's Health (South Africa) , Men's magazines -- South Africa , Men in mass media , Women in mass media , Sex role in mass media , Men in popular culture , Women in popular culture , Mass media -- Social aspects
- Description: This study investigates the popular pleasures produced by readers of men's magazines, focusing primarily on the publication, Men's Health, which represents a new type of magazine catering for men. Using qualitative research methods such as textual analysis and reception analysis, the study explores the pleasures produced by both men and women from the consumption of such texts. The theoretical perspective of cultural studies informs this project, an approach that focuses on the generation and circulation of meanings in society. Focusing on the notion of the active audience and Hall's encoding/decoding model, this study examines readers' interpretations of the Men's Health text, focusing on the moment of consumption in the circuit of culture. Reception theory proposes the existence of "clustered readings" produced by interpretive communities that are socially rather than individually constructed. As a critical ethnography, the study interrogates these meanings with particular reference to questions of gender relations and power in society. Access to different discourses is structured by the social position of readers within relations of power and this study takes gender as a structuring principle. Therefore, this study also explores the particular discursive practices through which masculine and feminine imagery is produced by the Men's Health text and by its readers. The research findings support the more limited notion of the active audience espoused by theorists such as Hall (1980) offering further evidence to suggest that readers produce readings other than those preferred by the text and that therein lies the pleasure of the text for male and female readers. The research concludes that the popularity of Men's Health derives from the capacity of its readers to make multiple meanings of the text.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
- Authors: McCance-Price, Maris
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: Men's Health (South Africa) , Men's magazines -- South Africa , Men in mass media , Women in mass media , Sex role in mass media , Men in popular culture , Women in popular culture , Mass media -- Social aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3464 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002919 , Men's Health (South Africa) , Men's magazines -- South Africa , Men in mass media , Women in mass media , Sex role in mass media , Men in popular culture , Women in popular culture , Mass media -- Social aspects
- Description: This study investigates the popular pleasures produced by readers of men's magazines, focusing primarily on the publication, Men's Health, which represents a new type of magazine catering for men. Using qualitative research methods such as textual analysis and reception analysis, the study explores the pleasures produced by both men and women from the consumption of such texts. The theoretical perspective of cultural studies informs this project, an approach that focuses on the generation and circulation of meanings in society. Focusing on the notion of the active audience and Hall's encoding/decoding model, this study examines readers' interpretations of the Men's Health text, focusing on the moment of consumption in the circuit of culture. Reception theory proposes the existence of "clustered readings" produced by interpretive communities that are socially rather than individually constructed. As a critical ethnography, the study interrogates these meanings with particular reference to questions of gender relations and power in society. Access to different discourses is structured by the social position of readers within relations of power and this study takes gender as a structuring principle. Therefore, this study also explores the particular discursive practices through which masculine and feminine imagery is produced by the Men's Health text and by its readers. The research findings support the more limited notion of the active audience espoused by theorists such as Hall (1980) offering further evidence to suggest that readers produce readings other than those preferred by the text and that therein lies the pleasure of the text for male and female readers. The research concludes that the popularity of Men's Health derives from the capacity of its readers to make multiple meanings of the text.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
The development of native policy in the Transkei and in Glen Gray between 1870 and 1900
- Authors: Griffiths, M S
- Date: 1939
- Subjects: Transkei (South Africa) -- History , Black people -- South Africa -- Legal status, Laws, etc. -- South Africa -- History
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2607 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012098 , Transkei (South Africa) -- History , Black people -- South Africa -- Legal status, Laws, etc. -- South Africa -- History
- Description: The Transkeian Territories extend over a stretch of 17000 square miles between the north eastern border of the Cape Colony and the southern border of Natal. In 1870 this was an exclusively Native area ; inhabited by some half million natives tribally organised under independent chiefs and grouped into racial entities according to origln; customs, and language dialects.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1939
- Authors: Griffiths, M S
- Date: 1939
- Subjects: Transkei (South Africa) -- History , Black people -- South Africa -- Legal status, Laws, etc. -- South Africa -- History
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2607 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012098 , Transkei (South Africa) -- History , Black people -- South Africa -- Legal status, Laws, etc. -- South Africa -- History
- Description: The Transkeian Territories extend over a stretch of 17000 square miles between the north eastern border of the Cape Colony and the southern border of Natal. In 1870 this was an exclusively Native area ; inhabited by some half million natives tribally organised under independent chiefs and grouped into racial entities according to origln; customs, and language dialects.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1939
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