Aspects Allocentristes de l’Humanisme dans l’Univers Romanesque de Williams Sassine
- Authors: Dami, Emmanuel Naancin
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Sassine, Williams, 1944-1997 -- Criticism and interpretation , Guinean fiction (French) -- 20th century -- History and criticism , Humanism in literature , Human beings in literature , Postcolonialism in literature , Existentialism in literature
- Language: French , English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/61957 , vital:28089
- Description: The human being, his behaviour and more importantly, his very essence have, for time immemorial, proven to be enigmatic to many a man and to researchers in particular. Consequently, the need for a thorough and more profound understanding of man has made him the epicentre of epistemic investigations across many academic disciplines. This, unfortunately, does not seem to have shaded bright lights on the grey areas bordering on his nature to his behavior. This, in turn, opens up other windows requiring further probes. For instance, proponents of the Neo-classical economic school contend that the human being is homo oeconomicus. This implies that man is intrinsically egocentric and a rational being whose decisions are based on informed choices driven by his urge for maximal utility geared towards his personal satisfaction (O’Boyle 2009; Caruso 2012). This stance invalidates man’s ability to do ‘disinterested good’ in any form. African francophone literature is replete with different and diverse images of man, his behaviour and existential conditions: sufferings and struggles. It, therefore, constitutes, inter alia, a laboratory in which researchers undertake investigative endeavours. This thesis beams its floodlights on the allocentric aspects of humanism in the novels of Williams Sassine. Thus, using the phenomenological and ‘clavieniste’ lenses as overarching operational theories, the thesis investigates Sassine’s novels with the view to shading a ray of light on the ‘humanistic man’ especially the allocentric dimensions of his nature and comportment. Emphasis is laid on the motives and motivations underlying the individual and the in-group struggle of the sassinien heroes in the emancipation of their society from the shackles of colonial and postcolonial domination, exploitation and subjugation resulting in self-determination and the subsequent disenchantment. Furthermore, the thesis examines the nature and character of human charity, generosity and sacrifices among the characters in the novels. In conclusion, the thesis establishes, through an x-ray of the nature of actions and decisions of certain characters in the novels, the examination of the conscious and subconscious intentions underlying these same actions and decisions which, on a face value, are apparently altruistic, that the sassinien heroes’ efforts and sacrifices are geared towards the common and greater good. This invariably means that man is, indeed, capable of posing disinterested acts of charity and bringing succour, devoid of any ulterior motives for personal gain, to his fellow humans. The position of the Neo-classical economists is consequently over-assuming, sweeping and tad generalizing. The sassinien characters have demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that they are humanists. Their nature, the remote and immediate causes of their fights, the goals and objectives of their struggles and their spirit of abnegation have indeed proven that “human beings have the right and the responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. [They have stood] for the building of a more humane society through an ethics based on the human and other natural values in a spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities” (AHA 2017 : 3).
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- Date Issued: 2018
The role of African languages in the South African legal system: towards a transformative agenda
- Authors: Docrat, Zakeera
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Forensic linguistics -- South Africa , Communication in law -- South Africa , Language policy -- South Africa , Linguistic rights -- South Africa , Court interpreting and translating -- South Africa , African languages -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/60809 , vital:27833
- Description: This interdisciplinary thesis, partly located in the emerging discipline of forensic linguistics, seeks to investigate the status and use of African languages in the South African legal system and how language can be used as a tool to transform the legal system. The research commences with an overview of the development of African languages in the legal system, pre and post Apartheid. The research proceeds to an overview of scholarly literature concerning the role of legislation, language policy and planning in regulating the use of African languages in the legal system, in order to give effect to South Africa’s constitutional provisions and enable linguistic transformation of the legal system. This research furthermore provides a critique of the constitutional language framework in relation to language rights of litigants in the legal system, when accessing justice through the medium of an African language. To this effect the research advances cases conducted in their entirety in an African language, illustrating that it is both possible and practicable. This research engages critically with the legislative and policy frameworks of the legal system, where issues concerning the equal recognition and use of African languages are highlighted. Language demographics in the form of statistics are provided, illustrative of the fact that the majority of South African’s speak an African language as their mother tongue. Additionally, the statistics provide that litigants in the legal system have poor proficiency in English, the language of record in courts. The research addresses the legislative and policy deficiencies of the non insertion of language requirements for legal practitioners and judicial officers that reflect the language demographics. Furthermore the need for linguistically competent legal practitioners and judicial officers is discussed in giving meaning to the constitutional language rights of litigants. A Canadian comparative jurisprudential case study is advanced, that can be emulated by the South African legal system. The Canadian model offers a precise and effective constitutional, legislative and policy framework where language rights are purposively interpreted in cases conducted in the official languages of the country. Furthermore the Canadian model provides that legal practitioners and judicial officers are linguistically competent in the official languages of the province in which they practice. This thesis highlights the issues hindering real transformation of the legal system, and concludes with recommendations which are both legally and linguistically sound.
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- Date Issued: 2018
Rhodes University Research Report 2007
- Authors: Rhodes University
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: Text
- Identifier: vital:562 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011958
- Description: [From Introduction] For the past 8 years Rhodes University has maintained a research output record (based on publications and Masters and PhD graduates) which has placed it consistently amongst the top three universities in the country on the basis of outputs per capita academic staff member. The past year was no exception. Journal publications were the highest to date (261.9 units) and Masters and PhD graduates (274 units) are amongst the highest achieved, largely due to the record number of PhD graduates (33) in the Science Faculty. In recent years this per capita output has consistently been over 60% higher than the national average. An encouraging aspect of the journal publications in 2007 is the increase in the percentage of articles in subsidy earning journals. While it is appreciated that the most appropriate journals in certain fields of research are not always those that are on the Department of Education’s approved lists, it is financially critical to the University’s research effort and the University as a whole that subsidy earning outputs are maximised. Another positive outcome of the most recent audit of Rhodes’s research outputs (2006; 2007 data will only be available at the end of 2008) is that 89% of the publications in the form of books, chapters and conference proceedings submitted to the Department of Education were approved for subsidy. This is a significantly higher percentage approval than in the past. The award of two highly prestigious NRF/DST Research Chairs to Profs Tebello Nyokong and Christopher McQuaid as part of the first round of the SA Research Chairs Initiative was another major achievement. These Chairs will significantly enhance the research profile and productivity of the University as will the recent award of the highly prestigious Centre of Excellence in Nanotechnology to be headed by Prof Nyokong. Only three such centres of excellence have been established and were officially launched by the Minister of Science and Technology in November 2007. The Centre will be host to researchers from throughout South Africa and will focus on novel technologies for cancer treatment and the development of new biosensors for disease treatment and water contamination. An encouraging statistic recently released by the National Research Foundation indicates that Rhodes has the fourth highest percentage (15.4%) of rated researchers in the country which is an excellent achievement. NRF ratings are awarded to researchers in all disciplines who are regarded as national and international leaders in their fields. Amongst these researchers, three were also recognised by the University and were awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s Research Awards (see highlights section). Postgraduate students have once again been the cornerstone of much of the research activities in all Faculties and have contributed significantly to the research outputs of the University both as co-authors on publications and through the good graduation rates of Masters and PhD candidates. This is particularly evident for example in the Science Faculty, in which Masters and Doctoral students contributed to over 90% of the Faculty and 60% of the University’s outputs. A key factor in the high profile and success of postgraduates at Rhodes is the excellent supervision they receive and all supervisors are to be congratulated for their dedicated approach to what has become an increasingly onerous academic responsibility. They and the Research Office have benefited enormously from the very able support of the Postgraduate Liaison Committee chaired for a second year by Dan Parker. The work of this committee is highly valued. Finally, this will be my last contribution to the annual Rhodes Research Reports as I will be retiring at the end of 2008. I would like to wish my successor with responsibility for Research at Rhodes, the new DVC: R&D Dr Peter Clayton, every success in the future which I am confident will see research at the University going from strength to strength. I would also like to take the opportunity to express my sincere and grateful thanks to all those who have supported me and contributed to the success of Rhodes research in my past 10 years as Dean of Research. This includes two Vice-Chancellors, members of Senior Management, Deans, Heads of Department and staff and postgraduate students in both academic departments and administrative divisions. In particular, a very big thank you to all the staff who have worked in the Research Office and have made such a significant contribution over this past decade. Special mention must be made of my first Assistant, Moira Pogrund, who was instrumental in the establishment and success of the Research Office from its inception in 1998. She gave true meaning to the word efficiency and her outstanding contribution is being continued by the excellent work of her successor, Dr Heather Davies-Coleman. John Gillam has been a tower of strength in the management and administration of postgraduate financial aid and has been an invaluable advisor and confidant to countless postgraduate students over this period.
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- Date Issued: 2007
A Piagetian programme of intervention: facilitation of conceptual change and cognitive growth
- Authors: Moore, Robert Soulsby
- Date: 1981
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3136 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006905
- Description: This research aims (within a strictly Piagetian framework) toward the development of a programme of intervention which will facilitate cognitive development, conceptual change and scientific literacy for those individuals who experience difficulty in coping with contemporary scientific and technological concepts. The research focuses specifically on the development of a diagnostic battery useful for realising a conceptual profile of the individual. This profile would indicate personal areas of functional interests that can be used creatively as a starting point for the facilitation of cognitive growth. The goal of such a programme is not the acceleration of cognitive growth, but rather the restoration of the individual to the mainstream of transactions in which the process of growth can flourish. The proposed facilitatory programme makes use of Piagetian tasks in a voluntary, individualist mode of instruction comparable to recently developed techniques of scientific education programmes. In brief, this research analyses three specific areas: 1) The development of a body of theory that can assist in the development of such a facilitatory programme, 2) The development of a diagnostic battery to provide insight into the individual's level of conceptual development, 3) The realization of certain guidelines for an instructional procedure whereby facilitation of growth can begin . The experiment takes the form of a pilot study of twenty four black and white subjects, exploring whether the battery of Piagetian tasks reveals a profile of conceptual development of the individual. Unique conceptual profiles were realized for all individuals, with evidence pointing towards the existence of a relationship between functional interests and the more advanced areas of the individual's conceptual development.
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- Date Issued: 1981