Writing the aerial dancing body a preliminary choreological investigation of the aesthetics and kinetics of the aerial dancing body
- Authors: Acker, Shaun Albert
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Dance -- 19th century Dance -- 20th century Dance -- 21st century Aerialists Movement, Aesthetics of Feminine beauty (Aesthetics) Movement notation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2129 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002361
- Description: This mini-thesis investigates some of the nineteenth century socio-cultural ideals that have structured a connection between virtuosic aerial skill and bodily aesthetics. It views the emergence of a style of aerial kineticism that is structured from the gender ideologies of the period. It investigates the continual recurrence of this nineteenth century style amongst contemporary aerial dance works and outlines the possible frictions between this Victorian style of kineticism and contemporary aerial explorations. From this observation, a possible catalyst may be observed with which to relocate and inspire a study of aerial kinetics sans the nineteenth century aesthetic component. This kinesiological catalyst may be viewed in conjunction with the theories of ground-based kinetic theorist, Rudolph Laban’s choreutic study of the body in space. Thus, it may be possible to suggest and introduce a possible practical dance scholarship for aerial dance. This mini-thesis includes an introductory choreological investigation that draws on and integrates the disciplines of kinesiology; choreutic theory; existing aerial kinetic technique; musicology; and the physical sciences.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
- Authors: Acker, Shaun Albert
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Dance -- 19th century Dance -- 20th century Dance -- 21st century Aerialists Movement, Aesthetics of Feminine beauty (Aesthetics) Movement notation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2129 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002361
- Description: This mini-thesis investigates some of the nineteenth century socio-cultural ideals that have structured a connection between virtuosic aerial skill and bodily aesthetics. It views the emergence of a style of aerial kineticism that is structured from the gender ideologies of the period. It investigates the continual recurrence of this nineteenth century style amongst contemporary aerial dance works and outlines the possible frictions between this Victorian style of kineticism and contemporary aerial explorations. From this observation, a possible catalyst may be observed with which to relocate and inspire a study of aerial kinetics sans the nineteenth century aesthetic component. This kinesiological catalyst may be viewed in conjunction with the theories of ground-based kinetic theorist, Rudolph Laban’s choreutic study of the body in space. Thus, it may be possible to suggest and introduce a possible practical dance scholarship for aerial dance. This mini-thesis includes an introductory choreological investigation that draws on and integrates the disciplines of kinesiology; choreutic theory; existing aerial kinetic technique; musicology; and the physical sciences.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
Writing official letters
- International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU)
- Authors: International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU)
- Subjects: ICFTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/162021 , vital:40748
- Description: To most of us, speech comes more readily than writing, and when information has to be passed on, the obvious way of doing it is by word of mouth. The telephone has greatly widened the opportunity of conducting business in this way. But a trade unionist is well advised not to rely on this method alone. In the affairs of the heart, it may be good advice never to put anything in writing. The reverse is often true in business. What is written, especially if carbon copies are kept, survives as a record. The record remains as a reminder of what has happened, and a check in the event of a dispute. It is only too easy during transactions which may take some months, to forget exactly what had happened at any one time. Written records will provide exact information, not only about what happened but — what is often as important — when it happened. When it is remembered that the actions of shop stewards and branch officers may be vital evidence in a Court of Law, as for example in the pursuit of claims for damages on behalf of union members, exact records are extremely important. For this reason, a duplicate copy of letters provides branch officials with lasting evidence of their own communications. All branch letters, therefore, should be written in duplicate. If letters are typed or written in an interleaved correspondence book, it is easy to make carbon copies. But even if letters are hand written on loose sheets, ordinary carbon paper will make clear copies providing a fountain pen with a fairly hard nib or a bail-point pen is used.
- Full Text:
- Authors: International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU)
- Subjects: ICFTU
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/162021 , vital:40748
- Description: To most of us, speech comes more readily than writing, and when information has to be passed on, the obvious way of doing it is by word of mouth. The telephone has greatly widened the opportunity of conducting business in this way. But a trade unionist is well advised not to rely on this method alone. In the affairs of the heart, it may be good advice never to put anything in writing. The reverse is often true in business. What is written, especially if carbon copies are kept, survives as a record. The record remains as a reminder of what has happened, and a check in the event of a dispute. It is only too easy during transactions which may take some months, to forget exactly what had happened at any one time. Written records will provide exact information, not only about what happened but — what is often as important — when it happened. When it is remembered that the actions of shop stewards and branch officers may be vital evidence in a Court of Law, as for example in the pursuit of claims for damages on behalf of union members, exact records are extremely important. For this reason, a duplicate copy of letters provides branch officials with lasting evidence of their own communications. All branch letters, therefore, should be written in duplicate. If letters are typed or written in an interleaved correspondence book, it is easy to make carbon copies. But even if letters are hand written on loose sheets, ordinary carbon paper will make clear copies providing a fountain pen with a fairly hard nib or a bail-point pen is used.
- Full Text:
Writing left: Ruth First and radical South African journalism in the 1950's
- Authors: Pinnock, Don
- Date: 1992
- Subjects: First, Ruth, 1925-1982 Journalism -- Political aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2822 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003032
- Description: In a prison cell in Johannesburg in 1953 after months of solitary confinement Ruth First, one of South Africa's finest investigative joumalists, attempted to commit suicide. In a sense, information for this thesis has been gathered around the question of why First felt her life had reached a point where she wished it extinguished. The answer involves who she was, what she believed in and her perception at that moment in time of the magnitude of the defeat of all she had worked for. But this question has broader implications - it has been asked because its answer throws light not only on the particular joumalist, but on the radical press and on the political movements which gave it both life and readers. This study is divided into six sections: Origins and influences looks, firstly, at early Jewish migrations and Ruth's life up to the end of her schooling in Johannesburg, then at her university years and the influence on her life of the Communist Party of South Africa. A vigorously provocative life traces debates which led to the formation of the South African Congress of Democrats and the Congress Alliance. It looks, also, at the political influence of the white Left and the radical social fratemity. Trumpeters of freedom locates the origins of the radical press tradition in South Africa, then looks at the development of the two publications to which Ruth devoted most of her time: The Guardian/New Age and Fighting Talk. Writing left focuses on First's writing in connection with three campaigns: the farm labour and the potato boycott, womens' passes and the bus boycotts. These chapters are not a history of these campaigns, but an analysis of the influence on them of First's joumalism. Word wars is about the Treason Trial of 1956. The contention here is that the trial, in which First was one of the 'chief co-conspirators ', not only put the Congress Alliance in the dock, but was about the definition of three words: communism, violence and treason. In many ways it was a trial of the language of the Left, the tools of First's trade. Shifting focus looks at the period after Sharpeville and the 1960 State of Emergency. It considers the shift in First's writing necessitated by greater political oppression, a banning order and her exploration of the writing of books. Chapter 12 considers the massive setback to the Congress Alliance of the Rivonia Trial and the tactical errors which led the Congress leadership to the conclusion that armed struggle would succeed at that point in time. The final chapter is about First's detention, and her perceived personal defeat which resulted in her attempted suicide. The Postscript looks at First's successful attempts to come to terms with both a political and personal defeat. The work effectively ends, however, with her departure from South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1992
- Authors: Pinnock, Don
- Date: 1992
- Subjects: First, Ruth, 1925-1982 Journalism -- Political aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2822 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003032
- Description: In a prison cell in Johannesburg in 1953 after months of solitary confinement Ruth First, one of South Africa's finest investigative joumalists, attempted to commit suicide. In a sense, information for this thesis has been gathered around the question of why First felt her life had reached a point where she wished it extinguished. The answer involves who she was, what she believed in and her perception at that moment in time of the magnitude of the defeat of all she had worked for. But this question has broader implications - it has been asked because its answer throws light not only on the particular joumalist, but on the radical press and on the political movements which gave it both life and readers. This study is divided into six sections: Origins and influences looks, firstly, at early Jewish migrations and Ruth's life up to the end of her schooling in Johannesburg, then at her university years and the influence on her life of the Communist Party of South Africa. A vigorously provocative life traces debates which led to the formation of the South African Congress of Democrats and the Congress Alliance. It looks, also, at the political influence of the white Left and the radical social fratemity. Trumpeters of freedom locates the origins of the radical press tradition in South Africa, then looks at the development of the two publications to which Ruth devoted most of her time: The Guardian/New Age and Fighting Talk. Writing left focuses on First's writing in connection with three campaigns: the farm labour and the potato boycott, womens' passes and the bus boycotts. These chapters are not a history of these campaigns, but an analysis of the influence on them of First's joumalism. Word wars is about the Treason Trial of 1956. The contention here is that the trial, in which First was one of the 'chief co-conspirators ', not only put the Congress Alliance in the dock, but was about the definition of three words: communism, violence and treason. In many ways it was a trial of the language of the Left, the tools of First's trade. Shifting focus looks at the period after Sharpeville and the 1960 State of Emergency. It considers the shift in First's writing necessitated by greater political oppression, a banning order and her exploration of the writing of books. Chapter 12 considers the massive setback to the Congress Alliance of the Rivonia Trial and the tactical errors which led the Congress leadership to the conclusion that armed struggle would succeed at that point in time. The final chapter is about First's detention, and her perceived personal defeat which resulted in her attempted suicide. The Postscript looks at First's successful attempts to come to terms with both a political and personal defeat. The work effectively ends, however, with her departure from South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1992
Writing groups as transformative spaces
- Wilmot, Kirstin, McKenna, Sioux
- Authors: Wilmot, Kirstin , McKenna, Sioux
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/${Handle} , vital:44576 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2018.1450361"
- Description: Curriculum transformation is a central concern for higher education in response to rapidly expanding technologies, globalisation and the widening diversity of the student and staff body. This is particularly true for South Africa, which is still grappling with inequalities and pressure for social redress in its universities. Early responses to supporting students took the form of add-on, ‘deficit-model’ approaches which understood poor student retention and success rates as emerging from students’ lack of neutral literacy ‘skills’. Recent initiatives have begun to adopt more socio-cultural understandings of literacy that seek to challenge traditional power structures and cultivate horizontal peer-orientated spaces for learning with a focus on practice rather than on product. Writing groups, as spaces for academic writing development, embrace this orientation and are argued to provide a transformative framework that foregrounds proactive student learning and experience, while still accommodating disciplinary learning through peer engagement. Drawing on the successful implementation of such forms of support at a research-intensive university, this paper argues that writing groups can play a critical role in both personal (student) transformation and broader curriculum transformation. Data include anonymous questionnaires and surveys with participants and coordinators of the writing groups. An inductive, constant comparative analysis indicated that students feel empowered in this space to develop not only their writing practices but also their transforming identities as scholars. Writing groups were found to provide ‘safe spaces’ where academic practices can be made explicit and where they can be challenged. The paper therefore argues that writing groups can play a small but key role in broader transformation efforts.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
- Authors: Wilmot, Kirstin , McKenna, Sioux
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/${Handle} , vital:44576 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2018.1450361"
- Description: Curriculum transformation is a central concern for higher education in response to rapidly expanding technologies, globalisation and the widening diversity of the student and staff body. This is particularly true for South Africa, which is still grappling with inequalities and pressure for social redress in its universities. Early responses to supporting students took the form of add-on, ‘deficit-model’ approaches which understood poor student retention and success rates as emerging from students’ lack of neutral literacy ‘skills’. Recent initiatives have begun to adopt more socio-cultural understandings of literacy that seek to challenge traditional power structures and cultivate horizontal peer-orientated spaces for learning with a focus on practice rather than on product. Writing groups, as spaces for academic writing development, embrace this orientation and are argued to provide a transformative framework that foregrounds proactive student learning and experience, while still accommodating disciplinary learning through peer engagement. Drawing on the successful implementation of such forms of support at a research-intensive university, this paper argues that writing groups can play a critical role in both personal (student) transformation and broader curriculum transformation. Data include anonymous questionnaires and surveys with participants and coordinators of the writing groups. An inductive, constant comparative analysis indicated that students feel empowered in this space to develop not only their writing practices but also their transforming identities as scholars. Writing groups were found to provide ‘safe spaces’ where academic practices can be made explicit and where they can be challenged. The paper therefore argues that writing groups can play a small but key role in broader transformation efforts.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018
Writing and signing to develop written genres : a study of Nigerian hearing-loss students' writing
- Milaham, Rahila Samuel, Lundgren, Berit
- Authors: Milaham, Rahila Samuel , Lundgren, Berit
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Hearing impaired children -- Nigeria -- Writing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/47314 , vital:39842
- Description: The competence in writing of students with hearing loss has continued to generate concern among educational administrators, school authorities, teachers and parents (Oyetunde, 2009). Acquisition of written and signed language is vital for effective functioning of students with hearing loss in school. Writing and signing helps students to interact socially, culturally and intellectually with one another and within their social environment. Therefore, this study explores the writing of specific genres by students with hearing loss using signing and the Language Experience Approach, LEA, among Junior Secondary School (JSS 3) in a Nigerian school for the deaf. The study is a qualitative research study which was underpinned by an interpretive paradigm and was theoretically framed by Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory, semiotic theory (Pierce, 1991) and socio-semiotic theory (Thibault, 2004: Kress, 1988 & Van Leeuwen, 2005). The ideological literacy perspective (Street 1984) and literacy as a social practice have provided a lens to analyse and explore the findings Class observations, students’ signed and written text samples as well as communication with teachers were used as the methods for data collection. The intervention study, which went on for 9 weeks, involved teaching and learning of three genres, namely retelling, narrative and descriptive writing. Twenty six students and two teachers were involved in the study. For the purpose of the analysis, six out of the 26 students’ written, and signed texts were purposively selected and analysed. The students’ signed and written texts were analysed according to the structure and special features of the genres. In the retelling genre, two concepts, breadth and depth vocabulary knowledge as special features, were used for the analysis of the texts. While in the narrative, students’ signed texts and written texts were analysed to know how the students use characters, settings and events in their texts. In the descriptive genre, students’ sign and written texts were analysed to see whether they gave concise descriptions, specifically using adjectives, of the object they identified in their signed text. The findings indicate that the students could retell the contextualized event with signs, using a vocabulary mostly from a breadth perspective. They also used the structure of retelling in a chronological order. In signing the narrative genre, the students were engaged in giving examples of the genre from which they derived the components of the story form such as character and events. Some could include aspects of character vi and events in their text, while others missed one structure or the other. In general, their narrative signed texts were better developed and showed a basic understanding of the storyline. In the descriptive genre, the students could describe some objects in their classroom and school environment. These descriptions were limited to adjectives like colours, as only colours were used in the teacher’s example. In general, their descriptive signed texts were short and seemed to follow a list structure. The students’ signing in descriptive genre showed an initial awareness of the genre. In this study, the teachers scaffolded and modelled the different genres with examples, stories and prompt pictures to a varying extent. The narrative writing had more scaffolding and modelling compared with the other genres. It also generated longer texts and an awareness of the structure. The teachers also supported the students with deeper exploration of examples in the narrative genre than in the retelling and descriptive genre. Data shows teacher’s interactions with the students while signing narratives indicates an understanding on how to develop a text in story form using narrative structures. LEA turned out to be a fruitful start in the retelling genre but was not as central in the teaching practice and meaningful in students’ writing.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Milaham, Rahila Samuel , Lundgren, Berit
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Hearing impaired children -- Nigeria -- Writing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/47314 , vital:39842
- Description: The competence in writing of students with hearing loss has continued to generate concern among educational administrators, school authorities, teachers and parents (Oyetunde, 2009). Acquisition of written and signed language is vital for effective functioning of students with hearing loss in school. Writing and signing helps students to interact socially, culturally and intellectually with one another and within their social environment. Therefore, this study explores the writing of specific genres by students with hearing loss using signing and the Language Experience Approach, LEA, among Junior Secondary School (JSS 3) in a Nigerian school for the deaf. The study is a qualitative research study which was underpinned by an interpretive paradigm and was theoretically framed by Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory, semiotic theory (Pierce, 1991) and socio-semiotic theory (Thibault, 2004: Kress, 1988 & Van Leeuwen, 2005). The ideological literacy perspective (Street 1984) and literacy as a social practice have provided a lens to analyse and explore the findings Class observations, students’ signed and written text samples as well as communication with teachers were used as the methods for data collection. The intervention study, which went on for 9 weeks, involved teaching and learning of three genres, namely retelling, narrative and descriptive writing. Twenty six students and two teachers were involved in the study. For the purpose of the analysis, six out of the 26 students’ written, and signed texts were purposively selected and analysed. The students’ signed and written texts were analysed according to the structure and special features of the genres. In the retelling genre, two concepts, breadth and depth vocabulary knowledge as special features, were used for the analysis of the texts. While in the narrative, students’ signed texts and written texts were analysed to know how the students use characters, settings and events in their texts. In the descriptive genre, students’ sign and written texts were analysed to see whether they gave concise descriptions, specifically using adjectives, of the object they identified in their signed text. The findings indicate that the students could retell the contextualized event with signs, using a vocabulary mostly from a breadth perspective. They also used the structure of retelling in a chronological order. In signing the narrative genre, the students were engaged in giving examples of the genre from which they derived the components of the story form such as character and events. Some could include aspects of character vi and events in their text, while others missed one structure or the other. In general, their narrative signed texts were better developed and showed a basic understanding of the storyline. In the descriptive genre, the students could describe some objects in their classroom and school environment. These descriptions were limited to adjectives like colours, as only colours were used in the teacher’s example. In general, their descriptive signed texts were short and seemed to follow a list structure. The students’ signing in descriptive genre showed an initial awareness of the genre. In this study, the teachers scaffolded and modelled the different genres with examples, stories and prompt pictures to a varying extent. The narrative writing had more scaffolding and modelling compared with the other genres. It also generated longer texts and an awareness of the structure. The teachers also supported the students with deeper exploration of examples in the narrative genre than in the retelling and descriptive genre. Data shows teacher’s interactions with the students while signing narratives indicates an understanding on how to develop a text in story form using narrative structures. LEA turned out to be a fruitful start in the retelling genre but was not as central in the teaching practice and meaningful in students’ writing.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Woza Albert! (Student Editions)
- Authors: Krueger, Anton
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/229598 , vital:49691 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10137548.2018.1560975"
- Description: Publishing Woza Albert! back in 1983 was a smart move by Methuen Publishing, since it went on to become South Africa’s most canonical dramatic text. As Temple Hauptfleisch points out in his introduction to this new edition, the play has become one of the most anthologized and produced of all South African plays, a regular prescribed work…particularly so in the new curricula introduced since 1994…a major work in the South African literary canon, one of the most studied and produced of the plays from the turbulent 1980s.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Krueger, Anton
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/229598 , vital:49691 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10137548.2018.1560975"
- Description: Publishing Woza Albert! back in 1983 was a smart move by Methuen Publishing, since it went on to become South Africa’s most canonical dramatic text. As Temple Hauptfleisch points out in his introduction to this new edition, the play has become one of the most anthologized and produced of all South African plays, a regular prescribed work…particularly so in the new curricula introduced since 1994…a major work in the South African literary canon, one of the most studied and produced of the plays from the turbulent 1980s.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
Wounding and healing as paradox: towards the visual articulation of synthesis
- Authors: De Lange, Bev
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Psychology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech (Fine Art)
- Identifier: vital:8531 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1655 , Psychology
- Description: The very notion of wounding can be argued to imply a process of healing. Indeed some wounds are at the outset designed to be instruments of healing. As ten years of my professional life were spent assisting in the surgical creation of such „wounds‟ in an operating theatre it is from this memory timeframe that I initiated the process of developing visual equivalents that become reflective of both wounding and healing. The operation theatre was also an environment from which I developed increased awareness of mind or psyche as an entity conceptually comprising both conscious and unconscious components. Within this context, it can be argued that the patient‟s state of mind moves between consciousness and forms of unconsciousness induced through anaesthesia. Through research into the writings of the psychoanalyst Carl Jung, I began to develop a greater understanding of the concepts surrounding the conscious and unconscious mind in relation to the development of consciousness as well as to the integration of opposites. It is from this understanding of a dynamic process within the mind itself that I have attempted to develop visual signifiers of paradox in order to give expression to symbols that are reflective of these processes and in so doing indicate the psychological journey towards synthesis and individuation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
- Authors: De Lange, Bev
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Psychology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech (Fine Art)
- Identifier: vital:8531 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1655 , Psychology
- Description: The very notion of wounding can be argued to imply a process of healing. Indeed some wounds are at the outset designed to be instruments of healing. As ten years of my professional life were spent assisting in the surgical creation of such „wounds‟ in an operating theatre it is from this memory timeframe that I initiated the process of developing visual equivalents that become reflective of both wounding and healing. The operation theatre was also an environment from which I developed increased awareness of mind or psyche as an entity conceptually comprising both conscious and unconscious components. Within this context, it can be argued that the patient‟s state of mind moves between consciousness and forms of unconsciousness induced through anaesthesia. Through research into the writings of the psychoanalyst Carl Jung, I began to develop a greater understanding of the concepts surrounding the conscious and unconscious mind in relation to the development of consciousness as well as to the integration of opposites. It is from this understanding of a dynamic process within the mind itself that I have attempted to develop visual signifiers of paradox in order to give expression to symbols that are reflective of these processes and in so doing indicate the psychological journey towards synthesis and individuation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
Would an asset-based community development approach counteract a community deficit mindset in Leliefontein?
- Authors: Hopkins, Grant Camden
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Community development , Rural development , Sustainable development
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8691 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1009316 , Community development , Rural development , Sustainable development
- Description: This research report aims to explore the potential of an Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach in Leliefontein. Through the ABCD process, an inventory of the individual capacities of a sample group will be undertaken, as well as an inventory of the significant local associations, organisations and institutions, as well as their capacities. The objective will be to use the asset-mapping process to challenge negative community self-perceptions, enabling them to build new, positive images that empower and release latent potential. The information gathered will also be made available to the individuals, organisations, associations and institutions within the community, along with some ideas on how mutually beneficial partnerships can be developed. The key objective will be to assist the community of Leliefontein, to no longer regard themselves from a deficit mindset, but positively, as a community with tremendous resources, assets and relationships that can be harnessed for 4 community economic development. Asset-mapping can then be used by local organisations to build new relationships within the community, as well as relationships that harness resources outside of the immediate community.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Hopkins, Grant Camden
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Community development , Rural development , Sustainable development
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8691 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1009316 , Community development , Rural development , Sustainable development
- Description: This research report aims to explore the potential of an Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach in Leliefontein. Through the ABCD process, an inventory of the individual capacities of a sample group will be undertaken, as well as an inventory of the significant local associations, organisations and institutions, as well as their capacities. The objective will be to use the asset-mapping process to challenge negative community self-perceptions, enabling them to build new, positive images that empower and release latent potential. The information gathered will also be made available to the individuals, organisations, associations and institutions within the community, along with some ideas on how mutually beneficial partnerships can be developed. The key objective will be to assist the community of Leliefontein, to no longer regard themselves from a deficit mindset, but positively, as a community with tremendous resources, assets and relationships that can be harnessed for 4 community economic development. Asset-mapping can then be used by local organisations to build new relationships within the community, as well as relationships that harness resources outside of the immediate community.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Worship in African Context: TPT 121
- Authors: Sulo, M O , Chetty, Irvin G
- Date: 2010-01
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:18126 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1011019
- Description: Worship in African Context: TPT 121, supplementary examination January/February 2010.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2010-01
- Authors: Sulo, M O , Chetty, Irvin G
- Date: 2010-01
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:18126 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1011019
- Description: Worship in African Context: TPT 121, supplementary examination January/February 2010.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2010-01
Worship in African Context: TPT 121
- Authors: Putu, N M , Chetty, Irvin G
- Date: 2012-01
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:18147 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1011065
- Description: Worship in African Context: TPT 121, supplementary examinations January 2012.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2012-01
- Authors: Putu, N M , Chetty, Irvin G
- Date: 2012-01
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:18147 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1011065
- Description: Worship in African Context: TPT 121, supplementary examinations January 2012.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2012-01
Worship In African Context: TPT 121
- Authors: Sulo, M O , Chetty, I G
- Date: 2009-11
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:18182 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1011160
- Description: Worship In African Context: TPT 121, degree examination November 2009.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2009-11
- Authors: Sulo, M O , Chetty, I G
- Date: 2009-11
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:18182 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1011160
- Description: Worship In African Context: TPT 121, degree examination November 2009.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2009-11
Worship in African Context: TNT 121
- Afari-Twumasi, L, Chetty, Irvin G
- Authors: Afari-Twumasi, L , Chetty, Irvin G
- Date: 2010-10
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:18177 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1011125
- Description: Worship in African Context: TNT 121, degree examination November 2010.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2010-10
- Authors: Afari-Twumasi, L , Chetty, Irvin G
- Date: 2010-10
- Language: English
- Type: Examination paper
- Identifier: vital:18177 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1011125
- Description: Worship in African Context: TNT 121, degree examination November 2010.
- Full Text: false
- Date Issued: 2010-10
World views, joking and liberated women - some reflections on the application of kinship theory : inaugural lecture delivered at Rhodes University
- Authors: Whisson, Michael G
- Date: 1979
- Subjects: Joking relationships , Matrilineal kinship , Women's rights
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:679 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020748 , ISBN 0949980943
- Description: Inaugural lecture delivered at Rhodes University , Rhodes University Libraries (Digitisation)
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1979
- Authors: Whisson, Michael G
- Date: 1979
- Subjects: Joking relationships , Matrilineal kinship , Women's rights
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:679 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1020748 , ISBN 0949980943
- Description: Inaugural lecture delivered at Rhodes University , Rhodes University Libraries (Digitisation)
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1979
World views, joking and liberated women - some reflections on the application of kinship theory
- Authors: Whisson, Michael G
- Date: 1979
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:6110 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008104
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1979
- Authors: Whisson, Michael G
- Date: 1979
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:6110 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008104
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1979
World view theory and the conceptualisation of space in mathematics education:
- Authors: Schäfer, Marc
- Date: 2004
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141052 , vital:37940 , DOI: 10.4102/pythagoras.v0i59.127
- Description: The cornerstone of current education trends that recognise prior knowledge as fundamental to the learning process, is the notion that beliefs and experiences that learners bring to the classroom influence their learning experiences in the classroom (Cobern, Gibson and Underwood, 1999).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
- Authors: Schäfer, Marc
- Date: 2004
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141052 , vital:37940 , DOI: 10.4102/pythagoras.v0i59.127
- Description: The cornerstone of current education trends that recognise prior knowledge as fundamental to the learning process, is the notion that beliefs and experiences that learners bring to the classroom influence their learning experiences in the classroom (Cobern, Gibson and Underwood, 1999).
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2004
Workshop theatre in post-apartheid South Africa : a case study
- Authors: Copteros, Athina
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: Theater -- South Africa , Theater -- Political aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2156 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007477
- Description: This is a qualitative study exploring the use of workshop theatre in post-apartheid South Africa, with the objective of making a contribution to the knowledge-base regarding its use in current times. Workshop theatre is changing in response to a new socio-political reality and emerging trends in theatre practice. The case study, of developing a play on Oystercatchers with a Grahamstown group of artists, revealed the difficulties and challenges of using workshop theatre in this dynamic context. Data collection included a focus group, observation, reflective discussion and in-depth interviews that were analysed in relation to available literature on workshop theatre in apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa. It is proposed that workshop theatre has continued relevance in post -apartheid South Africa. The process of creating workshop theatre with diverse artists has great potential to transform relationships, address issues of personal identity and to provide an underlying purpose to a workshop theatre -making context.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
- Authors: Copteros, Athina
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: Theater -- South Africa , Theater -- Political aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2156 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007477
- Description: This is a qualitative study exploring the use of workshop theatre in post-apartheid South Africa, with the objective of making a contribution to the knowledge-base regarding its use in current times. Workshop theatre is changing in response to a new socio-political reality and emerging trends in theatre practice. The case study, of developing a play on Oystercatchers with a Grahamstown group of artists, revealed the difficulties and challenges of using workshop theatre in this dynamic context. Data collection included a focus group, observation, reflective discussion and in-depth interviews that were analysed in relation to available literature on workshop theatre in apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa. It is proposed that workshop theatre has continued relevance in post -apartheid South Africa. The process of creating workshop theatre with diverse artists has great potential to transform relationships, address issues of personal identity and to provide an underlying purpose to a workshop theatre -making context.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
Workshop package on discussion document on economic policy
- ANC Department of Economic Policy
- Authors: ANC Department of Economic Policy
- Date: 1990?
- Subjects: South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1989-1994 , Social planning -- South Africa , South Africa -- Economic policy
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66065 , vital:28896
- Description: This package was prepared by the ANC Department of Economic Policy to assist branches to discuss the discussion document on economic policy. It serves as a guide to discussion and is not a replacement for the document. The package contains ideas for inputs, illustrations and guide questions for discussions. The illustrations can be made into WALL CHARTS or TRANSPARENCIES and used with an overhead projector. We suggest that a group of people (the political education committee) come together to plan a workshop for branch members. Read both the package and the discussion document before planning. The ANC is in the process of setting up ANC Economic Associations in each region. If you need help, contact members of the Association through the regional office.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1990?
- Authors: ANC Department of Economic Policy
- Date: 1990?
- Subjects: South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1989-1994 , Social planning -- South Africa , South Africa -- Economic policy
- Language: English
- Type: text , book
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/66065 , vital:28896
- Description: This package was prepared by the ANC Department of Economic Policy to assist branches to discuss the discussion document on economic policy. It serves as a guide to discussion and is not a replacement for the document. The package contains ideas for inputs, illustrations and guide questions for discussions. The illustrations can be made into WALL CHARTS or TRANSPARENCIES and used with an overhead projector. We suggest that a group of people (the political education committee) come together to plan a workshop for branch members. Read both the package and the discussion document before planning. The ANC is in the process of setting up ANC Economic Associations in each region. If you need help, contact members of the Association through the regional office.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1990?
Workplace violence among professional nurses in a private healthcare facility
- Authors: Schlebusch-Marie, Linda
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Violence in the workplace -- Nursing -- South Africa Nurses -- Violence against -- South Africa , Health facilities -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCur
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/12801 , vital:27122
- Description: Workplace violence is an international problem and has negative consequences for individuals, organizations and communities. For individuals, the effect includes symptoms of fear, stress, irritability, feelings of isolation, insecurity, and low selfesteem. Healthcare organizations incur increased cost due to litigation due to poor quality of care, high staff turnovers and absenteeism, and their brands are negatively affected. Community members, who are the recipients of care, are placed in danger and are indirectly the victims of such workplace violence, which in turn affects their trust in private healthcare organizations or professions to provide the quality health care that they expect and deserve. Workplace violence takes many forms such as incivility, horizontal violence and bullying to name but a few. The perpetrators of such violence are doctors, nurses, patients and relatives. Workplace violence takes place in South Africa however, paucity in research was found by the researcher. The aim of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of professional nurses regarding workplace violence in a private healthcare facility in order to develop guidelines to address workplace violence in such a facility. A qualitative, explorative, contextual and descriptive study was conducted, using the Critical Social Theory as the paradigm. Data were gathered from professional nurses that have experienced workplace violence utilizing narratives. Fourteen narrative interviews were done until data was saturated. The data was transcribed verbatim and Tesch’s method of thematic synthesis was used to analyse the data. The three themes that emerged from the data were: Professional nurses acknowledge the existence of workplace violence where they work, Participants described the effect of workplace violence on themselves, others and the work environment, and Participants discussed their views regarding management of violence in the workplace. A thick description of the data with a literature control was provided. Thereafter inferences were made regarding the main themes of the guidelines and these focussed on: Preventing and addressing workplace violence by Nursing Service Managers; Preventing and addressing workplace violence by Nurse Unit Managers and Empowering professional nurses to address workplace violence. To ensure rigour and trustworthiness of the study, the researcher used Lincoln and Guba’s criteria namely: credibility, dependability, conformability and transferability. To protect the right and dignity of the participants and to safeguard the integrity of the study the researcher complied with the following ethical principles: beneficence, non- maleficence, autonomy, justice, veracity, privacy, and confidentiality. The limitations of this study were that data was collected from only one category of nurses and only one private healthcare facility was used. Recommendations from this study include implementation of the guidelines to establish their effectiveness. The findings of this study can be used to empower professional nurses to deal with workplace violence and to prevent the short and long term effects of workplace violence on the individual, the organization and the community. Nursing education institutions can also incorporate workplace violence into their curriculum to increase the awareness of students regarding this phenomenon.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
- Authors: Schlebusch-Marie, Linda
- Date: 2016
- Subjects: Violence in the workplace -- Nursing -- South Africa Nurses -- Violence against -- South Africa , Health facilities -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCur
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/12801 , vital:27122
- Description: Workplace violence is an international problem and has negative consequences for individuals, organizations and communities. For individuals, the effect includes symptoms of fear, stress, irritability, feelings of isolation, insecurity, and low selfesteem. Healthcare organizations incur increased cost due to litigation due to poor quality of care, high staff turnovers and absenteeism, and their brands are negatively affected. Community members, who are the recipients of care, are placed in danger and are indirectly the victims of such workplace violence, which in turn affects their trust in private healthcare organizations or professions to provide the quality health care that they expect and deserve. Workplace violence takes many forms such as incivility, horizontal violence and bullying to name but a few. The perpetrators of such violence are doctors, nurses, patients and relatives. Workplace violence takes place in South Africa however, paucity in research was found by the researcher. The aim of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of professional nurses regarding workplace violence in a private healthcare facility in order to develop guidelines to address workplace violence in such a facility. A qualitative, explorative, contextual and descriptive study was conducted, using the Critical Social Theory as the paradigm. Data were gathered from professional nurses that have experienced workplace violence utilizing narratives. Fourteen narrative interviews were done until data was saturated. The data was transcribed verbatim and Tesch’s method of thematic synthesis was used to analyse the data. The three themes that emerged from the data were: Professional nurses acknowledge the existence of workplace violence where they work, Participants described the effect of workplace violence on themselves, others and the work environment, and Participants discussed their views regarding management of violence in the workplace. A thick description of the data with a literature control was provided. Thereafter inferences were made regarding the main themes of the guidelines and these focussed on: Preventing and addressing workplace violence by Nursing Service Managers; Preventing and addressing workplace violence by Nurse Unit Managers and Empowering professional nurses to address workplace violence. To ensure rigour and trustworthiness of the study, the researcher used Lincoln and Guba’s criteria namely: credibility, dependability, conformability and transferability. To protect the right and dignity of the participants and to safeguard the integrity of the study the researcher complied with the following ethical principles: beneficence, non- maleficence, autonomy, justice, veracity, privacy, and confidentiality. The limitations of this study were that data was collected from only one category of nurses and only one private healthcare facility was used. Recommendations from this study include implementation of the guidelines to establish their effectiveness. The findings of this study can be used to empower professional nurses to deal with workplace violence and to prevent the short and long term effects of workplace violence on the individual, the organization and the community. Nursing education institutions can also incorporate workplace violence into their curriculum to increase the awareness of students regarding this phenomenon.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2016
Workplace Reorganisation Course
- DITSELA
- Authors: DITSELA
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: Development Institute for Training,Support and Education for Labour (DITSELA)
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/175688 , vital:42606
- Description: This booklet is about the way in which work is being restructured in the workplaces of South Africa. It is the first in a series of booklets dealing with various restructuring issues faced by workers. There are major changes being made in the workplace that impact on the lives of workers. For workers, restructuring brings changes to the way that their workplace is organised and this will impact on their working lives. These changes could hold threats or opportunities for workers. This first book will explain what is meant by restructuring and look at why many companies in South Africa are considering restructuring. It will also look at some trade union strategies around restructuring and some suggestions for negotiating restructuring.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
- Authors: DITSELA
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: Development Institute for Training,Support and Education for Labour (DITSELA)
- Language: English
- Type: text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/175688 , vital:42606
- Description: This booklet is about the way in which work is being restructured in the workplaces of South Africa. It is the first in a series of booklets dealing with various restructuring issues faced by workers. There are major changes being made in the workplace that impact on the lives of workers. For workers, restructuring brings changes to the way that their workplace is organised and this will impact on their working lives. These changes could hold threats or opportunities for workers. This first book will explain what is meant by restructuring and look at why many companies in South Africa are considering restructuring. It will also look at some trade union strategies around restructuring and some suggestions for negotiating restructuring.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
Workplace health promotion: a case of Rhodes University support staff
- Chigumete, Tinatsei Gabriella
- Authors: Chigumete, Tinatsei Gabriella
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Rhodes University -- Employees -- Health and hygiene , Employee health promotion -- South Africa -- Makhanda
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPharm
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/44509 , vital:25414
- Description: Background: Non-communicable diseases are rapidly advancing as leading causes of morbidity and mortality across social classes, exerting pressure on existing financial, organizational, and human resources. Health promotion is a common practice in the prevention of noncommunicable diseases, but workplace health promotion has not yet been well established in many workplaces. Identification of past workplace initiatives and exploring their facilitating and limiting factors is thus important to take into consideration when planning future initiatives. Well-informed and guided workplace health promotion initiatives are essential to improve the general health of staff, and these also need to take the broader cultural, socioeconomic, and environmental factors influencing non-communicable diseases in the target population into account. This two-phase study was conducted at Rhodes University. A needs assessment was conducted to identify current policies and practices of workplace health promotion and to identify any shortcomings of the initiatives that have previously been attempted to raise awareness of non-communicable diseases at Rhodes University. The second phase of this project aimed to address concerns raised in the first phase through a health promotion initiative for support staff that focuses on the prevention of noncommunicable diseases through heart healthy diets and physical activity. Method: The first phase of the current study involved working with the support staff and key stakeholders. Using the participatory action research approach and the PRECEDE-PROCEED model to guide the research, 11 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and 10 focus group discussions were conducted with support staff members to identify factors affecting workplace health promotion. Participant opinions on how to improve these initiatives were sought. The participants were asked to identify areas on which the intended intervention should focus, as well as to identify their preferred means of communicating health messages. During this phase, a group of support staff members who volunteered their involvement in the design and delivery of the educational intervention was also identified. They chose to go by the name, the Health Awareness Group.In an interim phase of the study, three health information leaflets informed by the results from the above activities were designed. These leaflets underwent a series of qualitative evaluations by other health professionals, a culture and African languages expert, and the Health Awareness Group, to assess content validity, context specificity, and cultural appropriateness for the target group. A series of quantitative tests for readability, suitability, and actionability was also conducted. The health information leaflets were then used as written materials in the educational intervention of the project. Members of the Health Awareness Group were also trained as peer educators through a series of workshops. This enabled them to promote and raise awareness of heart healthy diets and physical activity to others in the workplace. Workshops were participatory in nature and were guided by the Social Cognitive Theory. They were also equipped with the completed health information leaflets to distribute to their peers and to use as reference sources of information when needed. Results: Participants in the semi-structured interviews reported that some health promotion initiatives have previously been attempted and advertised to support staff, but the turnout was poor and most staff did not seem to understand the health benefits of these initiatives. The support staff, in turn, stated that most health talks were conducted in English, contained medical jargon, and that they would have preferred these initiatives either to be simplified or presented in their home language, and to display cultural sensitivity. Support staff have also reported that advertisements were too cliche to elicit their interest. They also suggested incentivising initiatives for better participation. Another key suggestion was to facilitate these initiatives in the university departments they work or other convenient venues, rather than at central venues. It was also suggested that these initiatives be part of the work calendar, as they are often 'impromptu' and, as a result, staff members did not have enough notice to take time off work. Several staff members requested 're-runs of these initiatives because one-time show cases are often inadequate'. Colourful visual representations on posters or leaflets, short plays or films were also proposed as modes of delivering health information. During the design of the material to be used for this project's intended intervention, the health information leaflets were deemed readable, suitable, actionable, context-specific, and culturally appropriate. Workshops conducted during Phase 2 of the study proved to be valuable in training peer educators. Members of the Health Awareness Group also deemed the workshops useful, and reported their readiness to be agents of change in the workplace. Conclusions: Based on the input of key stakeholders and support staff, health promotion policies and protocols for non-communicable diseases have not yet been developed. Health promotion initiatives, especially for support staff, that address non-communicable diseases have previously been attempted at the university but were not well-received. Factors affecting workplace health promotion were identified. Knowledge of these factors was useful in designing and tailoring the written educational materials and the educational intervention to the needs of the support staff and to redress the deficiencies of previous initiatives. The health leaflets were deemed appropriate for use by the target population. They addressed pertinent information needs. The health information leaflets and workshops were useful in equipping the Health Awareness Group with knowledge on heart healthy diets and promotion of physical activity. Continued the involvement of representatives from the Human Resources and Wellness offices will assist in ensuring the sustainability of this workplace health initiative.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Chigumete, Tinatsei Gabriella
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Rhodes University -- Employees -- Health and hygiene , Employee health promotion -- South Africa -- Makhanda
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MPharm
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/44509 , vital:25414
- Description: Background: Non-communicable diseases are rapidly advancing as leading causes of morbidity and mortality across social classes, exerting pressure on existing financial, organizational, and human resources. Health promotion is a common practice in the prevention of noncommunicable diseases, but workplace health promotion has not yet been well established in many workplaces. Identification of past workplace initiatives and exploring their facilitating and limiting factors is thus important to take into consideration when planning future initiatives. Well-informed and guided workplace health promotion initiatives are essential to improve the general health of staff, and these also need to take the broader cultural, socioeconomic, and environmental factors influencing non-communicable diseases in the target population into account. This two-phase study was conducted at Rhodes University. A needs assessment was conducted to identify current policies and practices of workplace health promotion and to identify any shortcomings of the initiatives that have previously been attempted to raise awareness of non-communicable diseases at Rhodes University. The second phase of this project aimed to address concerns raised in the first phase through a health promotion initiative for support staff that focuses on the prevention of noncommunicable diseases through heart healthy diets and physical activity. Method: The first phase of the current study involved working with the support staff and key stakeholders. Using the participatory action research approach and the PRECEDE-PROCEED model to guide the research, 11 semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and 10 focus group discussions were conducted with support staff members to identify factors affecting workplace health promotion. Participant opinions on how to improve these initiatives were sought. The participants were asked to identify areas on which the intended intervention should focus, as well as to identify their preferred means of communicating health messages. During this phase, a group of support staff members who volunteered their involvement in the design and delivery of the educational intervention was also identified. They chose to go by the name, the Health Awareness Group.In an interim phase of the study, three health information leaflets informed by the results from the above activities were designed. These leaflets underwent a series of qualitative evaluations by other health professionals, a culture and African languages expert, and the Health Awareness Group, to assess content validity, context specificity, and cultural appropriateness for the target group. A series of quantitative tests for readability, suitability, and actionability was also conducted. The health information leaflets were then used as written materials in the educational intervention of the project. Members of the Health Awareness Group were also trained as peer educators through a series of workshops. This enabled them to promote and raise awareness of heart healthy diets and physical activity to others in the workplace. Workshops were participatory in nature and were guided by the Social Cognitive Theory. They were also equipped with the completed health information leaflets to distribute to their peers and to use as reference sources of information when needed. Results: Participants in the semi-structured interviews reported that some health promotion initiatives have previously been attempted and advertised to support staff, but the turnout was poor and most staff did not seem to understand the health benefits of these initiatives. The support staff, in turn, stated that most health talks were conducted in English, contained medical jargon, and that they would have preferred these initiatives either to be simplified or presented in their home language, and to display cultural sensitivity. Support staff have also reported that advertisements were too cliche to elicit their interest. They also suggested incentivising initiatives for better participation. Another key suggestion was to facilitate these initiatives in the university departments they work or other convenient venues, rather than at central venues. It was also suggested that these initiatives be part of the work calendar, as they are often 'impromptu' and, as a result, staff members did not have enough notice to take time off work. Several staff members requested 're-runs of these initiatives because one-time show cases are often inadequate'. Colourful visual representations on posters or leaflets, short plays or films were also proposed as modes of delivering health information. During the design of the material to be used for this project's intended intervention, the health information leaflets were deemed readable, suitable, actionable, context-specific, and culturally appropriate. Workshops conducted during Phase 2 of the study proved to be valuable in training peer educators. Members of the Health Awareness Group also deemed the workshops useful, and reported their readiness to be agents of change in the workplace. Conclusions: Based on the input of key stakeholders and support staff, health promotion policies and protocols for non-communicable diseases have not yet been developed. Health promotion initiatives, especially for support staff, that address non-communicable diseases have previously been attempted at the university but were not well-received. Factors affecting workplace health promotion were identified. Knowledge of these factors was useful in designing and tailoring the written educational materials and the educational intervention to the needs of the support staff and to redress the deficiencies of previous initiatives. The health leaflets were deemed appropriate for use by the target population. They addressed pertinent information needs. The health information leaflets and workshops were useful in equipping the Health Awareness Group with knowledge on heart healthy diets and promotion of physical activity. Continued the involvement of representatives from the Human Resources and Wellness offices will assist in ensuring the sustainability of this workplace health initiative.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017