Decolonizing the curriculum: a case study of the Humanities Faculty at Rhodes University
- Authors: Machiha, Nigel
- Date: 2024-10-11
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/466005 , vital:76676
- Description: This thesis explores students’ experiences in the Faculty of Humanities at Rhodes University, specifically focusing on their perspectives on decolonization. The thesis has two central aims: first, to investigate the students’ general understanding of decolonizing the curriculum and second, to examine their experiences within the Humanities Faculty and their perception of how decolonized the faculty is. Through in-depth interviews with students in the faculty, the study aimed to answer questions regarding students’ thoughts on the decolonization of university curricula and their experiences within the Faculty of Humanities at Rhodes University. The findings reveal diverse student views on decolonization, with definitions of decolonization provided by students touching on topics such as the Africanization or Indigenization of the curriculum, systemic transformation, the importance of unlearning colonial ideologies and the relationship between language and decolonization. The students’ perceptions of the level of decolonization they witness in the faculty are categorized along three lines: the views of those who believe the departments they interact with are decolonized, the views of those who think efforts are being made but more progress is needed, and those who see no evidence of decolonization. The thesis highlights that while some students believe that positive steps towards decolonization are being taken, others express scepticism and call for a more diverse representation of scholars and scholarship and a departure from traditional Eurocentric approaches. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Political and International Studies, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-10-11
Knowledge, attitudes and perceptions towards hand hygine practice amongst students at a nursing colledge, Lesotho
- Authors: Ntaote, Malehlohonolo
- Date: 2024-02
- Language: English
- Type: Masters theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/13000 , vital:76187
- Description: Hands are critical vectors for microorganisms that cause hospital acquired infections, hand hygiene, being done the right way, at the right time and being given the right priority at health care setting is an effective strategy to reduce hospital acquired infections and costs. Different strategies have been put in place to help improve hand hygiene compliance among health care workers, amongst them; continuous training is advised at all levels of care. This study aimed to describe the knowledge, attitudes and perceptions towards hand hygiene in nursing students in Maluti College Berea Lesotho Methods This study was a quantitative cross-sectional study; 114 questionnaires were distributed and 103 were filled and returned by available willing students in Maluti College, that was 90% response rate. Results Females were more than males at 88% (91). Age range of the respondents were 18-35 years, with a mean of 22 years, 57% (59) were between ages 20-24 years. The students were distributed in four different class levels, lowest was third years at 19% (19) and highest was the nurse midwives at 32% (33). 75% (77) had hand hygiene training in the past three years. 62% (64) had moderate knowledge, all had positive attitudes and 61% (63) had a positive perception towards hand hygiene. There was a significant (p value=0.012) association between knowledge and training. Conclusion and recommendations The study has demonstrated a significant association between knowledge and training, indicating the pivotal role of education in shaping practices related to hand hygiene among healthcare workers. These findings underscore the importance of integrating insights garnered from this study into the existing teaching curriculum for healthcare 3 professionals. Furthermore, the results provide valuable input for enhancing the World Health Organization's (WHO) hand hygiene multimodal strategy, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions that address knowledge and training gaps. Additionally, the study findings advocate for incorporation of evidence-based practices into initiatives such as the SAFE LIFE Clean YOUR HAND campaign, thereby reinforcing the importance of continuous education and training to promote effective hand hygiene practices and mitigate the spread of healthcare-associated infections. This calls for a concerted effort from policymakers, healthcare institutions, and educational stakeholders to implement strategies that prioritize knowledge dissemination and training programs to improve hand hygiene practices among healthcare workers worldwide. , Thesis (Masters) -- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2024
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- Date Issued: 2024-02
An investigation into stakeholder inclusivity and the board’s ability to create competitive advantage at South Africa’s “big five” retail banks
- Authors: Wolhuter, Darren Wilfred
- Date: 2022-04-06
- Subjects: Stakeholder management South Africa , Strategic planning South Africa , Banks and banking South Africa , Corporate governance South Africa , Competition , Resource-based theory
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/284548 , vital:56073
- Description: Stakeholder theory has long put forth the concept that managerial attention must be given to all stakeholders towards the realisation of value creation opportunities. Through the process of stakeholder engagement, and through the adoption of stakeholder inclusivity principles, an organisation can position itself to reap the benefits of understanding the legitimate needs and interests of all its stakeholders by seeking to satisfy all its stakeholders in turn. This study analysed the integrated reports of five retail banks, whose main base of operations were in South Africa, to assess the board’s ability to create value for its stakeholders through adopting a stakeholder inclusive approach to corporate governance as advocated for by the King Code on Corporate Governance in South Africa – King IV™. This assessment was done through an examination of a selection of outcomes relevant to the banking industry and related to each of the six capitals that form part of the value creation process as indicated for in the Integrated Reporting Framework (IIRC, 2013): 1) Financial Capital, 2) Manufactured Capital; 3) Intellectual Capital; 4) Human Capital; 5) Social and Relationship Capital, and; 6) Natural Capital. The results obtained, over a three-year period – 2018 to 2020, revealed that while the directors had a firm understanding of who their material stakeholders were, they struggled to create value that catered to all their stakeholders collectively. In addition, the directors were also unable to create sustainable value over the assessment period. As a result of this, most banks, with the exception of one, were unable to realise the value creation opportunities that could have led to a potential source of competitive advantage. The study concludes that while no observable sustainable competitive advantage was evident over the period of assessment, the concept of stakeholder inclusivity is an important corporate governance principle that drives value creation and, as such, warrants more attention from the director’s point of view. This research is intended to contribute to the growing knowledge on the importance of stakeholder inclusivity in corporate governance execution. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Commerce, Rhodes Business School, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04-06
The design of a performance space for the Zip Zap Circus in the Johannesburg City Centre
- Authors: Fouche’, Daniel
- Date: 2021-12
- Subjects: Theaters -- Designs and plans , City planning -- South Africa --Johannesburg
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58794 , vital:60122
- Description: Historically, news of a travelling circus coming to town created an atmosphere of anticipation andexcitement amongst all ages within a community. Normally the daily lives of the towns people were a monotonous routine, making the novelty and flamboyancy of the circus’s arrival an occasion to remember; the biggest day of the year showcased the greatest show on earth. Carnival processions would parade around the main streets and animate the whole town in order to gather people and subsequently lead the way to the big top tent. This spectacle brought entertainment to communities who would not normally be exposed, or have access, to environments made up of this wonder and excitement. In turn, to run away and join the circus was an attractive thought to the youth living in these mundane circumstances. Having been given a glimpse into what a theatrical life portrayed; especially self-expression and a strong community essence, the circus instilled something enchanting within the youth from otherwise difficult, diverse and indifferent backgrounds. Similarly, the UK collective Archigram, responded to the grey modernist environment with an architecture that appealed to the people through hyper-sensual events. The group imagined worlds that were both physically, or digitally, mobile; providing a moment in time in which a small village could experience events reminiscent of a city metropolis. Consequently, this treatise unpacks the popular works and research of Archigram to understand the relevance of an eccentric postmodern approach to modern-day placemaking within the Johannesburg city centre. A daily life of struggle and survival became common within the city centre as it started to see its decline in the early 80s. What was once the home of jazz, art, politics and insurgent popular aspirations now represents inner-city decay, dereliction and urban sprawl. The removal of major investments from what was the central business district has left city dwellers and their environment as victims of crime, violence and abandonment. The design of a performance space therefore aims to bring upliftment and celebration to the city through the circus ideal. The outcome is a world-class act that promotes social cohesion, creates opportunities, unlocks potential and transfers skills to the South African youth. Through proving a unique moment in time, people are given the opportunity to escape their reality and momentarily believe in a little bit of magic. , Thesis (MArch) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Technology, School of Architecture, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-12
A Systematic Visualisation Framework for Radio-Imaging Pipelines
- Authors: Andati, Lexy Acherwa Livoyi
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Radio interferometers , Radio astronomy -- Data processing , Radio astronomy -- Data processing -- Software , Jupyter
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177338 , vital:42812
- Description: Pipelines for calibration and imaging of radio interferometric data produce many intermediate images and other data products (gain tables, etc.) These often contain valuable information about the quality of the data and the calibration, and can provide the user with valuable insights, if only visualised in the right way. However, the deluge of data that we’re experiencing with modern instruments means that most of these products are never looked at, and only the final images and data products are examined. Furthermore, the variety of imaging algorithms currently available, and the range of their options, means that very different results can be produced from the same set of original data. Proper understanding of this requires a systematic comparison that can be carried out both by individual users locally, and by the community globally. We address both problems by developing a systematic visualisation framework based around Jupyter notebooks, enriched with interactive plots based on the Bokeh and Datashader visualisation libraries. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Department of Physics and Electronics, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04
In My Flesh : Fabricating the Bulimic Body
- Authors: Hodgson, Ashley
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Bulimia , Human body -- Social aspects , Human figure in art , Diseases in art , Art therapy
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Masters , MFA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177317 , vital:42809
- Description: My MFA exhibition In My Flesh, explores my own personal experience of an eating disorder: bulimia nervosa, through the medium of sculpture and installation. Situated in the Fine Art Sculpture and Painting building on Rhodes University campus, this practical submission takes the form of a multi-sensory installation depicting the fleshy interior of a bulimic body. The sculptural works that make up the installation resemble enlarged bodily forms and cavities, namely the mouth; the oesophagus, the stomach; the intestines; and the flesh. These anatomical forms are made from fabric which has been melted, manipulated, and stained using food and other synthetic dyes. The arrangement of the sculptural components (parts of the body affected by bulimia) does not mirror the human body exactly, and their intentionally disordered placement creates a feeling of dis-ease and disturbance for the participant experiencing the installation. This mini-thesis, In My Flesh: Fabricating the Bulimic Body, unpacks the visual, tactile and audio elements of this practice as research submission as they relate to my interest in bodily boundaries, corporeal traces and material extensions. I look at these themes as they translate into installation, and discuss the way in which bulimia is experienced, theorised and represented. I position my work in relation to the concept of the abject as proposed by Julia Kristeva, and visually analyse artworks by Mona Hatoum, Heidi Bucher and Ernesto Neto who make use of immersive installation strategies that resonate with my own practice. This supporting document considers the three conceptual elements informing my installation: embodiment, space, and materiality. In the first chapter of this document: Embodying the Bulimic Body, I address bulimia as less open to visual interpretations than other eating disorders because of its secretive and hidden nature. I go on to frame the illness in relation to theories around bodily boundaries and abjection and argue that bulimia epitomises abjection. In Chapter Two: Architecture of the Bulimic Body I engage with the idea of architectural structures as having anatomic features. I interrogate how the body moves through space, leaving traces of itself behind. Chapter Three: Fabricating the Bulimic Body concentrates on the main medium used in In My Flesh: fabric. In my discussion of this material, I unpack its metaphoric and symbolic qualities, as well as its personal resonance with my own lived experience. , Thesis (MFA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Fine Art, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-04