The digital rhetoric of addressing rape culture: “official” and “unofficial” arguments at Rhodes University
- Authors: Jones, Megaera
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Rape in universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Universities and colleges -- Administration -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Communication in higher education - South Africa -- Makhanda
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/142621 , vital:38096
- Description: South Africa is overwhelmed with high levels of sexual violence and institutions of higher education in South Africa are not exempt from this. How higher education stakeholders have responded to the call to address rape culture on campuses has been at the centre of much attention, especially publicly on online communicative spaces. Drawing on contemporary rhetorical theories, informed by a feminist poststructuralist perspective, this study sought to explore how constituents at Rhodes University were discussing how rape culture should (and should not be) addressed on campus. Using a rhetorical analysis, this study collected and analysed online public data from ‘official’ (institutionally sanctioned) and ‘unofficial’ (institutionally independent) communication platforms, following the 2016 rape culture student-led protest at Rhodes University. In analysing and interpreting the data from the ‘official’ sites, four major themes of discussion were evident. These rhetors argued that rape culture is a societal issue, requiring collective responsibility and effort in countering it, and that any approach to do so must abide by the bounds of the law. The University’s commitment, and continued investment to address rape culture on campus were repeatedly stated; as well as, the use of external ‘supportive’ messages that bolstered the reputation, efforts, and actions of the institution. On the ‘unofficial’ sites six broad patterns of discussion were evident. These ‘unofficial’ rhetors embodied the rape culture on campus, perceiving its effects as threatening to the physical body, which led to the adoption of the argument that rape culture needs to be ‘fought’ through physical action and support. Narrow law and order approaches were contested, and the need for a victim-centred approaches were prioritised. Additionally, doubt and suspicion were cast onto the institutional management/leadership, and the University (management/leadership body) were perceived as having ‘failed’ to address rape culture adequality. Considering this ‘failure’, a divisive rhetoric argued that the ‘fight’ against rape culture should continue, despite, and separate from, the institutional body. These findings revealed how the divisive positions these various stakeholders took created a volatile climate between University management/leadership, staff, and student. I argue that such division will continue to undermine any meaningful efforts to counter rape culture on the University campus; underscoring the difficulty, and ambiguity, that comes with attempting to address rape culture on higher education campuses. This necessitates how important it will be for scholars to research, and continue researching, the ways in which a rape culture, and the various approaches which attempt to counter it, are understood.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Jones, Megaera
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Rape in universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Universities and colleges -- Administration -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Communication in higher education - South Africa -- Makhanda
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/142621 , vital:38096
- Description: South Africa is overwhelmed with high levels of sexual violence and institutions of higher education in South Africa are not exempt from this. How higher education stakeholders have responded to the call to address rape culture on campuses has been at the centre of much attention, especially publicly on online communicative spaces. Drawing on contemporary rhetorical theories, informed by a feminist poststructuralist perspective, this study sought to explore how constituents at Rhodes University were discussing how rape culture should (and should not be) addressed on campus. Using a rhetorical analysis, this study collected and analysed online public data from ‘official’ (institutionally sanctioned) and ‘unofficial’ (institutionally independent) communication platforms, following the 2016 rape culture student-led protest at Rhodes University. In analysing and interpreting the data from the ‘official’ sites, four major themes of discussion were evident. These rhetors argued that rape culture is a societal issue, requiring collective responsibility and effort in countering it, and that any approach to do so must abide by the bounds of the law. The University’s commitment, and continued investment to address rape culture on campus were repeatedly stated; as well as, the use of external ‘supportive’ messages that bolstered the reputation, efforts, and actions of the institution. On the ‘unofficial’ sites six broad patterns of discussion were evident. These ‘unofficial’ rhetors embodied the rape culture on campus, perceiving its effects as threatening to the physical body, which led to the adoption of the argument that rape culture needs to be ‘fought’ through physical action and support. Narrow law and order approaches were contested, and the need for a victim-centred approaches were prioritised. Additionally, doubt and suspicion were cast onto the institutional management/leadership, and the University (management/leadership body) were perceived as having ‘failed’ to address rape culture adequality. Considering this ‘failure’, a divisive rhetoric argued that the ‘fight’ against rape culture should continue, despite, and separate from, the institutional body. These findings revealed how the divisive positions these various stakeholders took created a volatile climate between University management/leadership, staff, and student. I argue that such division will continue to undermine any meaningful efforts to counter rape culture on the University campus; underscoring the difficulty, and ambiguity, that comes with attempting to address rape culture on higher education campuses. This necessitates how important it will be for scholars to research, and continue researching, the ways in which a rape culture, and the various approaches which attempt to counter it, are understood.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Investigating mathematical proficiency testing in Namibian school high stakes mathematics examinations: an exploratory study
- Authors: Ndjendja, Elizabeth
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Education and state -- Namibia , Educational tests and measurements -- Namibia , Mathematics -- Curricula -- Namibia , Mathematics -- Study and teaching -- Namibia , Namibia. Ministry of Education -- Examinations
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/92887 , vital:30759
- Description: The Namibian government has put processes in place to continuously improve its education system in line with educational development in the world. The education reform efforts are administered and coordinated by the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture. At the centre of these reform efforts are curriculum policy documents and subject syllabuses with the intention of improving the teaching and learning process in the classrooms. These reform efforts appears to overlook the positive influence high stakes assessment has on the teaching and learning process. The study reported in this thesis was designed to investigate the feasibility of assessing separate elements of mathematical proficiency in the high stakes Mathematics assessment in Namibia. The study was designed as a developmental, exploratory research that collected and analysed both qualitative and quantitative data in order to respond to issues raised by five specific research objectives. The data collected enabled the adaptation of some assessment tools in order to distinctly assess selected mathematical proficiency categories. The results further indicated that the envisaged proficiency assessment system could be used to characterise the examination question papers and revealed insights into the conceptualisation of the current assessment system. The results further indicated the visible distinguishability of different elements of proficiency through the developed tools and the learners’ responses to the NSSCO examination. Finally, constrains and affordance which the original assessment system has in relation to the developed system were revealed and addressed. In closing, the research suggested changes and possible adaptation of assessment tools to ensure the proper assessment of mathematical proficiency aspects through high stakes assessment. Immerging issues that needed further research were also highlighted.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Ndjendja, Elizabeth
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Education and state -- Namibia , Educational tests and measurements -- Namibia , Mathematics -- Curricula -- Namibia , Mathematics -- Study and teaching -- Namibia , Namibia. Ministry of Education -- Examinations
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/92887 , vital:30759
- Description: The Namibian government has put processes in place to continuously improve its education system in line with educational development in the world. The education reform efforts are administered and coordinated by the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture. At the centre of these reform efforts are curriculum policy documents and subject syllabuses with the intention of improving the teaching and learning process in the classrooms. These reform efforts appears to overlook the positive influence high stakes assessment has on the teaching and learning process. The study reported in this thesis was designed to investigate the feasibility of assessing separate elements of mathematical proficiency in the high stakes Mathematics assessment in Namibia. The study was designed as a developmental, exploratory research that collected and analysed both qualitative and quantitative data in order to respond to issues raised by five specific research objectives. The data collected enabled the adaptation of some assessment tools in order to distinctly assess selected mathematical proficiency categories. The results further indicated that the envisaged proficiency assessment system could be used to characterise the examination question papers and revealed insights into the conceptualisation of the current assessment system. The results further indicated the visible distinguishability of different elements of proficiency through the developed tools and the learners’ responses to the NSSCO examination. Finally, constrains and affordance which the original assessment system has in relation to the developed system were revealed and addressed. In closing, the research suggested changes and possible adaptation of assessment tools to ensure the proper assessment of mathematical proficiency aspects through high stakes assessment. Immerging issues that needed further research were also highlighted.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
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