Skipping stones
- Authors: Le Roux, Jade-Eden
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Creative writing (Higher education) South Africa , South African fiction (English) 21st century , Suicide in literature
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/234389 , vital:50191
- Description: My thesis takes the form of a novella exploring suicide and the unanswered questions it leaves. The main protagonist is a young girl who struggles to come to terms with her best friend’s suicide. The work is situated in contemporary South Africa, where inequality and depression is rife, especially among young people, and social media too often provides a smokescreen to conceal emotions. My writing is motivated by my desire to explore the human condition and the world around me, through my own subjective lens of experience. By working between fact and fiction I seek to trouble conventional narratives attached to suicide and highlight the subjectivity of truth. I am influenced by Lydia Davis's ability to write obliquely about loss, and her light-handed approach to emotionally charged topics; Susan Steinberg's dark motifs, vivid imagery, and her fragmented narrative that captures the characters’ responses to trauma and interrogates the notion of truth; Lidia Yuknavitch's cinematic imagery and immediacy of tone and compact storytelling; and Kate Zambreno's poetic prose that lends itself to clear societal commentary. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2022
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- Authors: Le Roux, Jade-Eden
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Creative writing (Higher education) South Africa , South African fiction (English) 21st century , Suicide in literature
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/234389 , vital:50191
- Description: My thesis takes the form of a novella exploring suicide and the unanswered questions it leaves. The main protagonist is a young girl who struggles to come to terms with her best friend’s suicide. The work is situated in contemporary South Africa, where inequality and depression is rife, especially among young people, and social media too often provides a smokescreen to conceal emotions. My writing is motivated by my desire to explore the human condition and the world around me, through my own subjective lens of experience. By working between fact and fiction I seek to trouble conventional narratives attached to suicide and highlight the subjectivity of truth. I am influenced by Lydia Davis's ability to write obliquely about loss, and her light-handed approach to emotionally charged topics; Susan Steinberg's dark motifs, vivid imagery, and her fragmented narrative that captures the characters’ responses to trauma and interrogates the notion of truth; Lidia Yuknavitch's cinematic imagery and immediacy of tone and compact storytelling; and Kate Zambreno's poetic prose that lends itself to clear societal commentary. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2022
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Talk in online video games: study of how the use of jargon, social interaction, and representation in Overwatch affects the ability of women to immerse themselves in these spaces
- Authors: Stander, Emily
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Internet games Social aspects , Video gamers Language , Women video gamers , Cyberbullying , Online hate speech , Online trolling , Online chat groups , Women Social conditions , Women Sociological aspects , Overwatch (Video game) , Internet games Sex differences , Sex discrimination against women
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232477 , vital:49995
- Description: This thesis investigates the impact on women of aggressive, demeaning and blaming talk in the online video game* space. The objective is to understand how players talk to each other and how this kind of talk presents issues for women trying to enter the online gaming sphere and become recognised as players. The main method was participatory observation and interviews with women who have experienced such talk. Key results which came from this research is that the process of keeping specific people out of communities through different means of talk - gatekeeping, women being viewed as objects of sexual gratification for men through bad representation in video games and media and using women as scapegoats for frustration and blame in the competitive online video game space, are the main issues which arise from the way players communicate with each other. In conclusion, the research presented that there needs to be an effective system of unlearning and relearning these behaviours in communities and a change in the way women are represented and seen in media is necessary in order to change the behavioural patterns which exist in gaming culture. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Journalism and Media Studies, 2022
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- Authors: Stander, Emily
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Internet games Social aspects , Video gamers Language , Women video gamers , Cyberbullying , Online hate speech , Online trolling , Online chat groups , Women Social conditions , Women Sociological aspects , Overwatch (Video game) , Internet games Sex differences , Sex discrimination against women
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232477 , vital:49995
- Description: This thesis investigates the impact on women of aggressive, demeaning and blaming talk in the online video game* space. The objective is to understand how players talk to each other and how this kind of talk presents issues for women trying to enter the online gaming sphere and become recognised as players. The main method was participatory observation and interviews with women who have experienced such talk. Key results which came from this research is that the process of keeping specific people out of communities through different means of talk - gatekeeping, women being viewed as objects of sexual gratification for men through bad representation in video games and media and using women as scapegoats for frustration and blame in the competitive online video game space, are the main issues which arise from the way players communicate with each other. In conclusion, the research presented that there needs to be an effective system of unlearning and relearning these behaviours in communities and a change in the way women are represented and seen in media is necessary in order to change the behavioural patterns which exist in gaming culture. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Journalism and Media Studies, 2022
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The fiction of scarcity: conceptualising scarcity in terms of global justice
- Authors: Brotherton, Michelle
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Scarcity Philosophy , Distributive justice , Political science Philosophy , Philosophy , Justification (Ethics) , Fallacies (Logic)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/294526 , vital:57229 , DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.21504/10962/294526
- Description: This thesis intends to contribute to the discourse on global justice as it pertains to resources, the distribution of resources, and the allocation of resources. The focus is on the concept of scarcity. I examine scarcity for how it is understood, interpreted, and applied in the literature on global justice. This thesis argues that scarcity lacks conceptual clarity in the discourse on global justice and argues that if scarcity is misconstrued, the consequences can be severe. Conceptual clarity is thus necessary to ensure that scarcity is properly referred to in the discourse on global justice so that scarcity is not erroneously used when justifications are sought for material deprivation and consequent human suffering. In the process, I will also examine how scarcity is used as a justification in instances of material deprivation and why this is problematic. Given the lack of conceptual clarity regarding scarcity, I argue that reliance on scarcity as justification may be erroneous. The conflation of absolute scarcity and relative scarcity may amount to a category mistake. This thesis purports to clarify scarcity conceptually in the context of global justice. In doing so, I recommend that a resource-centric approach to resource scarcity is adopted to accurately account for the scarcity status of resources. A resource-centric approach to resource scarcity based on a more nuanced understanding of scarcity avoids the potential category mistake. Such an approach ensures that material deprivation and consequent human suffering are not wrongfully attributed to scarcity. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Philosophy, 2022
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- Authors: Brotherton, Michelle
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Scarcity Philosophy , Distributive justice , Political science Philosophy , Philosophy , Justification (Ethics) , Fallacies (Logic)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/294526 , vital:57229 , DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.21504/10962/294526
- Description: This thesis intends to contribute to the discourse on global justice as it pertains to resources, the distribution of resources, and the allocation of resources. The focus is on the concept of scarcity. I examine scarcity for how it is understood, interpreted, and applied in the literature on global justice. This thesis argues that scarcity lacks conceptual clarity in the discourse on global justice and argues that if scarcity is misconstrued, the consequences can be severe. Conceptual clarity is thus necessary to ensure that scarcity is properly referred to in the discourse on global justice so that scarcity is not erroneously used when justifications are sought for material deprivation and consequent human suffering. In the process, I will also examine how scarcity is used as a justification in instances of material deprivation and why this is problematic. Given the lack of conceptual clarity regarding scarcity, I argue that reliance on scarcity as justification may be erroneous. The conflation of absolute scarcity and relative scarcity may amount to a category mistake. This thesis purports to clarify scarcity conceptually in the context of global justice. In doing so, I recommend that a resource-centric approach to resource scarcity is adopted to accurately account for the scarcity status of resources. A resource-centric approach to resource scarcity based on a more nuanced understanding of scarcity avoids the potential category mistake. Such an approach ensures that material deprivation and consequent human suffering are not wrongfully attributed to scarcity. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Philosophy, 2022
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The memory altar
- Alexander-McKenna, Hilary Jane
- Authors: Alexander-McKenna, Hilary Jane
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Creative writing (Higher education) South Africa , Diaries -- Authorship , South African fiction (English) 21st century , South African essays (English) 21st century , South African essays (English) History and criticism , South African fiction (English) History and criticism , Yuknavitch, Lidia Criticism and interpretation , American fiction Criticism and interpretation , COVID-19 (Disease) in literature
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/263533 , vital:53636
- Description: My thesis is a novella that casts a sideways glance at the real world that at times seems stranger than fiction. The novella is written as a work of realistic fiction, with a plot, characters, timelines and location placed in present time, reflecting real current events. My work is strongly influenced by writers such as Ivan Vladislavić whose Portrait with Keys uses a slice of life narrative voice that observes overlays of public and private realities; Marguerite Duras’ use of cinematic storytelling and deeply personal exposure in The Lover and Yann Andréa Steiner; Kate Zambreno’s depiction of inner chaos against the chaos of an anonymous city in Green Girl; Otessa Moshfegh who makes the minutiae of the day-to-day seem significant in My Year of Rest and Relaxation; and Samuel Beckett’s finely crafted streams of consciousness, in his works of prose and drama, revealing the intimate perspectives of insiders. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2022
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- Authors: Alexander-McKenna, Hilary Jane
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Creative writing (Higher education) South Africa , Diaries -- Authorship , South African fiction (English) 21st century , South African essays (English) 21st century , South African essays (English) History and criticism , South African fiction (English) History and criticism , Yuknavitch, Lidia Criticism and interpretation , American fiction Criticism and interpretation , COVID-19 (Disease) in literature
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/263533 , vital:53636
- Description: My thesis is a novella that casts a sideways glance at the real world that at times seems stranger than fiction. The novella is written as a work of realistic fiction, with a plot, characters, timelines and location placed in present time, reflecting real current events. My work is strongly influenced by writers such as Ivan Vladislavić whose Portrait with Keys uses a slice of life narrative voice that observes overlays of public and private realities; Marguerite Duras’ use of cinematic storytelling and deeply personal exposure in The Lover and Yann Andréa Steiner; Kate Zambreno’s depiction of inner chaos against the chaos of an anonymous city in Green Girl; Otessa Moshfegh who makes the minutiae of the day-to-day seem significant in My Year of Rest and Relaxation; and Samuel Beckett’s finely crafted streams of consciousness, in his works of prose and drama, revealing the intimate perspectives of insiders. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages and Literatures, 2022
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The mountain’s calling
- Authors: Mabeba, Motlatjo Ahsley
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Creative writing (Higher education) South Africa , Diaries -- Authorship , Short stories, South African (English) 21st century , South African fiction (English) 21st century , Homosexuality in literature , Rejection (Psychology) in literature , Spiritual healing in literature , South African essays (English) 21st century , Nigerian fiction (English) History and criticism , English fiction History and criticism , South African fiction (English) History and criticism , Angolan fiction (Portuguese) History and criticism
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232613 , vital:50007
- Description: My thesis is a collection of prose – in the form of short stories, flash fiction and fragments – which explore the silences around living as a queer black South African who has been called to spiritual healing. I draw on lived experiences, dreams, imagination, and my grandmother’s folk tales to tell the stories I would love to have read when growing up. In my narratives, queer men navigate different spaces in urban Johannesburg and rural Limpopo. I am inspired by Bettina Judd’s words: “Writing is attached to the body… it is my Black woman, queer-identified, round-bodied hand that puts pen to paper, to keyboard, and creates whatever I create.” In retelling my grandmother’s folk tales with a queer twist, I learn from contemporary fairy tale writers like Kate Bernheimer, Angela Carter and Taisia Kitaiskaia. And in writing about the trauma of rejection by family and community, I am influenced by Bessie Head’s A Question of Power. , Thesis (MACW) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages, 2022
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- Authors: Mabeba, Motlatjo Ahsley
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Creative writing (Higher education) South Africa , Diaries -- Authorship , Short stories, South African (English) 21st century , South African fiction (English) 21st century , Homosexuality in literature , Rejection (Psychology) in literature , Spiritual healing in literature , South African essays (English) 21st century , Nigerian fiction (English) History and criticism , English fiction History and criticism , South African fiction (English) History and criticism , Angolan fiction (Portuguese) History and criticism
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232613 , vital:50007
- Description: My thesis is a collection of prose – in the form of short stories, flash fiction and fragments – which explore the silences around living as a queer black South African who has been called to spiritual healing. I draw on lived experiences, dreams, imagination, and my grandmother’s folk tales to tell the stories I would love to have read when growing up. In my narratives, queer men navigate different spaces in urban Johannesburg and rural Limpopo. I am inspired by Bettina Judd’s words: “Writing is attached to the body… it is my Black woman, queer-identified, round-bodied hand that puts pen to paper, to keyboard, and creates whatever I create.” In retelling my grandmother’s folk tales with a queer twist, I learn from contemporary fairy tale writers like Kate Bernheimer, Angela Carter and Taisia Kitaiskaia. And in writing about the trauma of rejection by family and community, I am influenced by Bessie Head’s A Question of Power. , Thesis (MACW) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages, 2022
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The narratives of women in South Africa who use social media to talk about gender-based violence
- Authors: Walton, Donica Jasmin
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Women Violence against South Africa , Social media and society South Africa , Internet and activism South Africa , Discourse analysis, Narrative , Internet and women South Africa , Subject positions
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232590 , vital:50005
- Description: There has been research conducted, both globally and in South Africa, on social media activism against gender-based violence (GBV). However, most research on the topic is based on participants in other parts of the world. Not much has been published on Black, African women. More specifically, not much is known about how women in South Africa experience using social media to talk about GBV. This research project draws on critical feminism and a narrative-discursive approach to explore the narratives of women in South Africa who use social media to talk about GBV. This is done by identifying the discourses women draw on to construct narratives, the subject positions utilised within these discourses, and how “trouble” and “repair” features in the narratives and positioning of women. Twelve interviews were conducted with women who volunteered and fit the inclusion criteria. The analysis of data was presented in two parts. The first set of discourses (discourses of ‘efficacy’, ‘convenience’, and ‘education’) were focused on what the use of social media achieves irrespective of the topic being discussed. These discourses speak to the idea that social media is powerful and useful because of its reach, speed, immediacy, and ability to be used to educate and be educated. The second set of discourses (discourses of ‘community and solidarity’, ‘validation’, and ‘vulnerability’) were focused on what the use of social media does for the people participating. Women have found a community and solidarity, and their experiences and thoughts have been validated on social media. Overall, the women in this research project justified their use of social media for activism against GBV, and acknowledged the tension that exists because despite its potential, there are limitations. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Authors: Walton, Donica Jasmin
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Women Violence against South Africa , Social media and society South Africa , Internet and activism South Africa , Discourse analysis, Narrative , Internet and women South Africa , Subject positions
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232590 , vital:50005
- Description: There has been research conducted, both globally and in South Africa, on social media activism against gender-based violence (GBV). However, most research on the topic is based on participants in other parts of the world. Not much has been published on Black, African women. More specifically, not much is known about how women in South Africa experience using social media to talk about GBV. This research project draws on critical feminism and a narrative-discursive approach to explore the narratives of women in South Africa who use social media to talk about GBV. This is done by identifying the discourses women draw on to construct narratives, the subject positions utilised within these discourses, and how “trouble” and “repair” features in the narratives and positioning of women. Twelve interviews were conducted with women who volunteered and fit the inclusion criteria. The analysis of data was presented in two parts. The first set of discourses (discourses of ‘efficacy’, ‘convenience’, and ‘education’) were focused on what the use of social media achieves irrespective of the topic being discussed. These discourses speak to the idea that social media is powerful and useful because of its reach, speed, immediacy, and ability to be used to educate and be educated. The second set of discourses (discourses of ‘community and solidarity’, ‘validation’, and ‘vulnerability’) were focused on what the use of social media does for the people participating. Women have found a community and solidarity, and their experiences and thoughts have been validated on social media. Overall, the women in this research project justified their use of social media for activism against GBV, and acknowledged the tension that exists because despite its potential, there are limitations. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
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The self and the impossible pursuit of justice in J.M. Coetzee’s "Waiting for the barbarians, disgrace and foe”
- Authors: Swanepoel, Elbie
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Coetzee, J M, 1940- Criticism and interpretation , Coetzee, J M, 1940- Waiting for the barbarians , Coetzee, J M, 1940- Disgrace , Coetzee, J M, 1940- Foe , Ethics in literature , Deconstruction , Postmodernism (Literature) , Justice in literature
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232294 , vital:49979
- Description: In its engagement with J.M. Coetzee’s Waiting for the Barbarians, Disgrace and Foe, this thesis explores how the philosophies of Emmanuel Levinas and Jacques Derrida can be used as a framework for understanding the self’s relationship with the other. In contrast to postcolonial readings of these texts, this thesis does not consider the separation between the self and the other in terms of social or cultural differences but rather the radical alterity of the other that is perceived in the face-to-face encounter. This study aims to illustrate how the engagement with alterity exposes the instability of the self’s structures of knowledge that, in these instances, are grounded in the Western metaphysical tradition. The effects of the self’s encounter with the other are seen in the personal transformation of Coetzee’s protagonists whose initial flaws and problematic worldviews are revealed in the context of the injustices done to the other. Furthermore, the study examines the extent to which the self is complicit in the suffering of the other and how this ultimately complicates their pursuit of justice for them. While the focus of this thesis is primarily on the characters, it also shows how the writer’s careful treatment of otherness functions to confront and engage the reader with the alterity of the other and the ethical dilemmas inherent in attempting to conceptualise it. The study concludes that the protagonists’ engagement with others and their subsequent confrontation with themselves lead them to consider what an ethical response to the other might be. This ethical turn results in positive change, however ambiguously, in their thoughts about and behaviours toward other beings. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, English Language and Linguistics, 2022
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- Authors: Swanepoel, Elbie
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Coetzee, J M, 1940- Criticism and interpretation , Coetzee, J M, 1940- Waiting for the barbarians , Coetzee, J M, 1940- Disgrace , Coetzee, J M, 1940- Foe , Ethics in literature , Deconstruction , Postmodernism (Literature) , Justice in literature
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232294 , vital:49979
- Description: In its engagement with J.M. Coetzee’s Waiting for the Barbarians, Disgrace and Foe, this thesis explores how the philosophies of Emmanuel Levinas and Jacques Derrida can be used as a framework for understanding the self’s relationship with the other. In contrast to postcolonial readings of these texts, this thesis does not consider the separation between the self and the other in terms of social or cultural differences but rather the radical alterity of the other that is perceived in the face-to-face encounter. This study aims to illustrate how the engagement with alterity exposes the instability of the self’s structures of knowledge that, in these instances, are grounded in the Western metaphysical tradition. The effects of the self’s encounter with the other are seen in the personal transformation of Coetzee’s protagonists whose initial flaws and problematic worldviews are revealed in the context of the injustices done to the other. Furthermore, the study examines the extent to which the self is complicit in the suffering of the other and how this ultimately complicates their pursuit of justice for them. While the focus of this thesis is primarily on the characters, it also shows how the writer’s careful treatment of otherness functions to confront and engage the reader with the alterity of the other and the ethical dilemmas inherent in attempting to conceptualise it. The study concludes that the protagonists’ engagement with others and their subsequent confrontation with themselves lead them to consider what an ethical response to the other might be. This ethical turn results in positive change, however ambiguously, in their thoughts about and behaviours toward other beings. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, English Language and Linguistics, 2022
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Therapy drop-out: a descriptive case study of an imperfect sand-play therapy process with an aggressive 12 year old boy
- Authors: Fouche, Aimee Louise
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Psychotherapy Failure , Psychotherapy Outcome assessment , Psychotherapy , Aggressiveness in children , Sandplay Therapeutic use , Play therapy , Conduct disorders in children , Boys Psychology
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/292704 , vital:57008
- Description: This case study sought to document an imperfect sandplay therapy process with an aggressive 12 year old male. Premature abscondment is a recognised issue in child and adolescent therapy. Extra-therapeutic factors like social support from family and friends have been found to be determinants of child psychotherapy outcomes. There is a significant gap in case study research documenting a failed child therapy process. This research aims to address the omission by using qualitative methods to elicit a nuanced account of such a process. The results of thematic analysis found that parents played a crucial role in the failure of the process. Not only were they instrumental in stopping therapy attendance but their disengaged attitudes infiltrated into the child’s process. Implications for clinical practice were discussed and recommendations were made for more documentation of failed therapy processes. This case study hopes to form part of the ground work for future investigations. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
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- Authors: Fouche, Aimee Louise
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Psychotherapy Failure , Psychotherapy Outcome assessment , Psychotherapy , Aggressiveness in children , Sandplay Therapeutic use , Play therapy , Conduct disorders in children , Boys Psychology
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/292704 , vital:57008
- Description: This case study sought to document an imperfect sandplay therapy process with an aggressive 12 year old male. Premature abscondment is a recognised issue in child and adolescent therapy. Extra-therapeutic factors like social support from family and friends have been found to be determinants of child psychotherapy outcomes. There is a significant gap in case study research documenting a failed child therapy process. This research aims to address the omission by using qualitative methods to elicit a nuanced account of such a process. The results of thematic analysis found that parents played a crucial role in the failure of the process. Not only were they instrumental in stopping therapy attendance but their disengaged attitudes infiltrated into the child’s process. Implications for clinical practice were discussed and recommendations were made for more documentation of failed therapy processes. This case study hopes to form part of the ground work for future investigations. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
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Umzi ka Mama Family property transfer practices and the historical significance of title deeds to African female heads of household in Fingo Village: a participatory theatre approach
- Authors: Hellemann, Phemelo Cordelia
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Public history South Africa Eastern Cape , Oral history South Africa Eastern Cape , Women Housing South Africa Eastern Cape , Feminism Africa , Apartheid Law and legislation South Africa , Participatory theater South Africa Eastern Cape , Playback theater , Theater and society South Africa Eastern Cape , History Citizen participation , South Africa. Group Areas Act, 1950
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/294537 , vital:57230 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/294537
- Description: Many everyday stories and experiences of African women remain underrepresented and undocumented. For example, the omission of Fingo Village women’s names from official deeds records silenced their voices. African women faced gender and racial discrimination that denied them fundamental human rights and limited their participation in urban life. Title deed records constitute one type of public record where African women’s names were omitted for centuries by the colonial and apartheid governments. Under apartheid, African women occupied the social status of minors; hence, the government denied them urban land rights. This African feminist study enlists narratives of a sample of seven African female heads of households residing in Fingo Village who are also property owners. Fingo Village is an atypical environment where African people had a rare legal advantage of owning title deeds dating back to 1855. This study employed an interdisciplinary approach by mixing oral history methodology and applied theatre methods to record, interpret and present Fingo Village women’s narratives of family property inheritance and the significance of title deed documentation in the suburb. The multiple technique approach created opportunities for authentic dialogue between the researcher and the participants beyond the inherent limitations of public history oral interviews. The traditional oral history interview and the participatory theatre methods helped uncover unconventional practices in family property relations. Though customary transfers of family homes to custodians were prevalent, title deed registration of family property was also acknowledged as a vital practice that empowered women legally. The researcher used participatory theatre techniques inspired by playback, image and forum theatre to enhance the researcher and participants’ relationship. These methods encouraged the researcher and respondents’ shared authority as they embarked on an extended participatory research project. In this regard, through dialogical and performance-based activities, the participants and the researcher became co-creators of untold Fingo Village stories. Moreover, the theatre techniques became interpretation and analysis tools that ensured that the participants’ untold stories were well represented. The first phase of the research involved engaging with the literature about the title deeds history of Fingo Village and conducting oral history interviews that served as data. In the second phase, the interviews were analysed and packaged in a documentary format. The third phase was a playback theatre inspired session in a 10-minute performance based on themes from the participants’ filmed interviews. Additionally, the performance was a catalyst for forum theatre activities that allowed the participants to interact with the performer and suggest solutions to the dilemma posed by the performer regarding family property use. The participants were decision-makers and family property relations experts within this imagined context. In the fourth phase, the image theatre adaptation and memory work activities were essential tools. The tools aided the visuals and information from an existing Fingo Village exhibition as additional resources that prompted dialogue and discussions. The exhibition encouraged participants to share their personal experiences and memories of the Group Areas Act (GAA) era. The findings showed that the GAA era saw many families revert to communal tenure practices as a strategy to evade forced sales; as such, this gave rise to undocumented family property transfers. Additionally, the findings revealed that though customary practices are often patriarchal, there are circumstances favouring women as the preferred family property custodian. These are embedded in the social status of women who are traditional healers, firstborn daughters, and those from families with just daughters. This study contributes to the growing literature that advocates for positive representation of African women’s stories by using active research methodologies that strengthen partnerships and shared authority between the researcher and the public. This methodology could inspire other researchers to explore theatre techniques to create more profound and meaningful engagements with their participants. The links to the video materials accompanying this thesis are provided on the contents page. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, History, 2022
- Full Text:
- Authors: Hellemann, Phemelo Cordelia
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Public history South Africa Eastern Cape , Oral history South Africa Eastern Cape , Women Housing South Africa Eastern Cape , Feminism Africa , Apartheid Law and legislation South Africa , Participatory theater South Africa Eastern Cape , Playback theater , Theater and society South Africa Eastern Cape , History Citizen participation , South Africa. Group Areas Act, 1950
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/294537 , vital:57230 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/294537
- Description: Many everyday stories and experiences of African women remain underrepresented and undocumented. For example, the omission of Fingo Village women’s names from official deeds records silenced their voices. African women faced gender and racial discrimination that denied them fundamental human rights and limited their participation in urban life. Title deed records constitute one type of public record where African women’s names were omitted for centuries by the colonial and apartheid governments. Under apartheid, African women occupied the social status of minors; hence, the government denied them urban land rights. This African feminist study enlists narratives of a sample of seven African female heads of households residing in Fingo Village who are also property owners. Fingo Village is an atypical environment where African people had a rare legal advantage of owning title deeds dating back to 1855. This study employed an interdisciplinary approach by mixing oral history methodology and applied theatre methods to record, interpret and present Fingo Village women’s narratives of family property inheritance and the significance of title deed documentation in the suburb. The multiple technique approach created opportunities for authentic dialogue between the researcher and the participants beyond the inherent limitations of public history oral interviews. The traditional oral history interview and the participatory theatre methods helped uncover unconventional practices in family property relations. Though customary transfers of family homes to custodians were prevalent, title deed registration of family property was also acknowledged as a vital practice that empowered women legally. The researcher used participatory theatre techniques inspired by playback, image and forum theatre to enhance the researcher and participants’ relationship. These methods encouraged the researcher and respondents’ shared authority as they embarked on an extended participatory research project. In this regard, through dialogical and performance-based activities, the participants and the researcher became co-creators of untold Fingo Village stories. Moreover, the theatre techniques became interpretation and analysis tools that ensured that the participants’ untold stories were well represented. The first phase of the research involved engaging with the literature about the title deeds history of Fingo Village and conducting oral history interviews that served as data. In the second phase, the interviews were analysed and packaged in a documentary format. The third phase was a playback theatre inspired session in a 10-minute performance based on themes from the participants’ filmed interviews. Additionally, the performance was a catalyst for forum theatre activities that allowed the participants to interact with the performer and suggest solutions to the dilemma posed by the performer regarding family property use. The participants were decision-makers and family property relations experts within this imagined context. In the fourth phase, the image theatre adaptation and memory work activities were essential tools. The tools aided the visuals and information from an existing Fingo Village exhibition as additional resources that prompted dialogue and discussions. The exhibition encouraged participants to share their personal experiences and memories of the Group Areas Act (GAA) era. The findings showed that the GAA era saw many families revert to communal tenure practices as a strategy to evade forced sales; as such, this gave rise to undocumented family property transfers. Additionally, the findings revealed that though customary practices are often patriarchal, there are circumstances favouring women as the preferred family property custodian. These are embedded in the social status of women who are traditional healers, firstborn daughters, and those from families with just daughters. This study contributes to the growing literature that advocates for positive representation of African women’s stories by using active research methodologies that strengthen partnerships and shared authority between the researcher and the public. This methodology could inspire other researchers to explore theatre techniques to create more profound and meaningful engagements with their participants. The links to the video materials accompanying this thesis are provided on the contents page. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, History, 2022
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Understanding trance states from the perspective of South African traditional healers - in relation to psychosis
- Authors: Masia, Ntombifuthi Thato
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Trance , Psychoses , Altered states of consciousness , Healers South Africa , Healers South Africa Attitudes , Mental health services South Africa , Psychoses Alternative treatment , Psychoses Alternative treatment Moral and ethical aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Master's article , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232877 , vital:50034
- Description: Studies conducted on psychosis, sleep and trance states have indicated that the phenomenon of trance occurs quite similarly to that of psychosis. Trance states (or, altered states of consciousness) are defined as mental states in which there is an alteration in the informational or representational relationships between consciousness and the world, whereby the mechanisms of consciousness have an increased tendency to produce misrepresentations like hallucinations, delusions and memory or temporal distortions. This research study aimed to contribute to the knowledge of trance states, particularly as represented by the language and social processes of traditional healers in South Africa, and as experienced by them. This knowledge is geared towards providing insight on the experience and treatment of the similarly occurring phenomenon of psychosis in clinical settings. Through a qualitative study, this research found that strategies of exploration, building recognition and familiarity, and self-monitoring are used by traditional healers to reduce the distress caused by intrusive and disruptive symptoms of trance, as well as to maintain a stable self-identity while experiencing trance states. , Thesis (MA) -- Humanities, Psychology, 2022
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- Authors: Masia, Ntombifuthi Thato
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Trance , Psychoses , Altered states of consciousness , Healers South Africa , Healers South Africa Attitudes , Mental health services South Africa , Psychoses Alternative treatment , Psychoses Alternative treatment Moral and ethical aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Master's article , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232877 , vital:50034
- Description: Studies conducted on psychosis, sleep and trance states have indicated that the phenomenon of trance occurs quite similarly to that of psychosis. Trance states (or, altered states of consciousness) are defined as mental states in which there is an alteration in the informational or representational relationships between consciousness and the world, whereby the mechanisms of consciousness have an increased tendency to produce misrepresentations like hallucinations, delusions and memory or temporal distortions. This research study aimed to contribute to the knowledge of trance states, particularly as represented by the language and social processes of traditional healers in South Africa, and as experienced by them. This knowledge is geared towards providing insight on the experience and treatment of the similarly occurring phenomenon of psychosis in clinical settings. Through a qualitative study, this research found that strategies of exploration, building recognition and familiarity, and self-monitoring are used by traditional healers to reduce the distress caused by intrusive and disruptive symptoms of trance, as well as to maintain a stable self-identity while experiencing trance states. , Thesis (MA) -- Humanities, Psychology, 2022
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‘They do not understand us’: a psychosocial analysis of the everyday lived experiences of a CYCC care worker in semi-rural South Africa
- Authors: Pieters, Cinnamon-Paige
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Child care workers South Africa Attitudes , Narrative inquiry (Research method) , Intersubjectivity , Free association (Psychology) , Child care South Africa Psychological aspects , Burn out (Psychology) South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Article , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/294482 , vital:57225
- Description: This paper employs a psychosocial framework to analyse the everyday lived experiences of a child and youth care worker in semi-rural South Africa. The aim is to provide a new perspective of care work by drawing on narrative analysis alongside a psychoanalytic approach to qualitative research. With an emphasis on the socially constructed nature of reality, the researcher aims to elucidate the rich unconscious depths of being a care worker and the dynamics of the intersubjective reality of care work. Employing a free association narrative interview technique allows the researcher to gain understanding of the narratives that the care worker draws on in the construction of his identity as a care worker. The use of a psychosocial approach enables the researcher to pay attention to both the social context that influences the narratives that he draws on, but also the psychological ‘pay offs’ of these constructions. Most notably, the study highlights how the care worker’s identity is mediated by a defended subjectivity and argues that his failures in mentalization might stem from the way he is treated as a care worker by other professionals as a result of their mindblindness. This maintains his narrative of invisibility, and the pervasive feeling of being misunderstood as a professional in his own right. The findings are discussed in terms of their contribution to understanding some of the challenges that CYCC care workers face. , Research Article (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
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- Authors: Pieters, Cinnamon-Paige
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Child care workers South Africa Attitudes , Narrative inquiry (Research method) , Intersubjectivity , Free association (Psychology) , Child care South Africa Psychological aspects , Burn out (Psychology) South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Article , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/294482 , vital:57225
- Description: This paper employs a psychosocial framework to analyse the everyday lived experiences of a child and youth care worker in semi-rural South Africa. The aim is to provide a new perspective of care work by drawing on narrative analysis alongside a psychoanalytic approach to qualitative research. With an emphasis on the socially constructed nature of reality, the researcher aims to elucidate the rich unconscious depths of being a care worker and the dynamics of the intersubjective reality of care work. Employing a free association narrative interview technique allows the researcher to gain understanding of the narratives that the care worker draws on in the construction of his identity as a care worker. The use of a psychosocial approach enables the researcher to pay attention to both the social context that influences the narratives that he draws on, but also the psychological ‘pay offs’ of these constructions. Most notably, the study highlights how the care worker’s identity is mediated by a defended subjectivity and argues that his failures in mentalization might stem from the way he is treated as a care worker by other professionals as a result of their mindblindness. This maintains his narrative of invisibility, and the pervasive feeling of being misunderstood as a professional in his own right. The findings are discussed in terms of their contribution to understanding some of the challenges that CYCC care workers face. , Research Article (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
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