#KeepItReal: discursive constructions of authenticity in South African consumer culture
- Authors: Plüg, Simóne Nikki
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Consumer behavior Consumers' preferences -- South Africa Brand choice -- South Africa Marketing -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/64973 , vital:28641
- Description: Writers as diverse as Oscar Wilde (1915), Matthew Arnold (1960), Erich Fromm (1997) and a proliferation of contemporary self-help gurus, variously assert that it is preferable for people to focus on “being”, or to value “who you are”, instead of emphasising “having” or the material possessions you have acquired. These discourses assert that individuals content with “being” are happier and more fulfilled than those involved in the constant (and alienating) motion of acquiring material goods as representations of themselves (de Botton, 2004; Fromm, 1997; James, 2007). This thesis provides an in-depth critical exploration of one of these ideal “ways of being”: authenticity. It does not seek to discover what authenticity is in an empirical sense, nor to define what it should be in a normative sense, but to map the cultural work done by changing and often contradictory discourses of personal authenticity. More specifically, this study uses a qualitative research design, social constructionist theoretical framework, and discourse analytic method to critically discuss the discursive constructions of subject authenticity in South African brand culture. The sample consisted of (1.) ten marketing campaigns of several large, mainstream brands, which were popular in South Africa from 2015 to 2017, and (2.) fifteen smaller South African “craft” brands popular in the “artisanal” context. The analysis is presented in two distinct, but interrelated, sections (namely, Selling Stories and Crafting Authenticity), where the relevant discourses of authenticity for each data set are explored in depth. Through this analysis the thesis provides a critical discussion of the ways in which these discourses of authenticity work to produce and maintain, (or challenge and subvert), subject positions, ideologies, and power relations that structure contemporary South African society.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Plüg, Simóne Nikki
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Consumer behavior Consumers' preferences -- South Africa Brand choice -- South Africa Marketing -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/64973 , vital:28641
- Description: Writers as diverse as Oscar Wilde (1915), Matthew Arnold (1960), Erich Fromm (1997) and a proliferation of contemporary self-help gurus, variously assert that it is preferable for people to focus on “being”, or to value “who you are”, instead of emphasising “having” or the material possessions you have acquired. These discourses assert that individuals content with “being” are happier and more fulfilled than those involved in the constant (and alienating) motion of acquiring material goods as representations of themselves (de Botton, 2004; Fromm, 1997; James, 2007). This thesis provides an in-depth critical exploration of one of these ideal “ways of being”: authenticity. It does not seek to discover what authenticity is in an empirical sense, nor to define what it should be in a normative sense, but to map the cultural work done by changing and often contradictory discourses of personal authenticity. More specifically, this study uses a qualitative research design, social constructionist theoretical framework, and discourse analytic method to critically discuss the discursive constructions of subject authenticity in South African brand culture. The sample consisted of (1.) ten marketing campaigns of several large, mainstream brands, which were popular in South Africa from 2015 to 2017, and (2.) fifteen smaller South African “craft” brands popular in the “artisanal” context. The analysis is presented in two distinct, but interrelated, sections (namely, Selling Stories and Crafting Authenticity), where the relevant discourses of authenticity for each data set are explored in depth. Through this analysis the thesis provides a critical discussion of the ways in which these discourses of authenticity work to produce and maintain, (or challenge and subvert), subject positions, ideologies, and power relations that structure contemporary South African society.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
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- Authors: Mugedya, Samuel
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Juvenile delinquency
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSW
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/17685 , vital:41136
- Description: This study explored the phenomenon of juvenile delinquency in grandparent headed families in Hill Crest, Alice township, Eastern Cape. The study endeavoured to achieve the following specific objectives: (I) to determine the factors associated with juvenile delinquency in grandparent headed family environments; (ii) to ascertain the experiences encountered by grandparent headed families due to juvenile delinquency. (iii) to establish the support system provided by the relevant stakeholders (probation officers, police, school officials and grandparents) to address juvenile delinquency in grandparent headed families. The study was premised on theoretical lenses of the social bond theory, social learning theory and general strain theory. Methodologically, the study used the qualitative approach guided by the exploratory-descriptive research design and phenomenology was adopted as the specific research design. The data was collected through in-depth one-on-one interviews, focus group discussions and key informant method. Also, the study used non-probability method sample selection, specifically purposive sampling technique was used. Using this technique, nineteen (19) participants were selected comprised of five (5) grandchildren, eighty (8) grandparents, two (2) probation officers, two (2) police officers, one (1) community committee member and one (1) school official. Data were analysed through thematic analysis. The study revealed the following findings: the grandparent household have unique factors that are contributing to juvenile delinquency these include old age, overprotection, backgrounds of grandchildren to mention but just a few; delinquency by grandchildren has spill over effects that are adversely affecting the lives of grandparents for instance health deterioration, victimisation and loss of property; ii grandparents have their own means of addressing juvenile delinquency such as corporal punishment, emotional attachment and religion; the department of social development has programmes in place to assist grandparents, however, they are facing some challenges in effectively execute them; relevant stakeholders such as police and schools shown reluctance in addressing juvenile delinquency in grandparent headed families. Based on the evidence gathered, this study made the following recommendations: development of programmes to assist grandparent headed households on parenting; mentoring programmes for vulnerable children; the appointment and active involvement of youth workers; social development need to need to regard probation as a specialised area and policies should be developed protecting old aged persons from taking full custody of children. The study concluded that grandparent headed households are contributing to juvenile delinquency and old age was determined to be the central key factor giving birth to this quagmire.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
- Authors: Mugedya, Samuel
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Juvenile delinquency
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSW
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/17685 , vital:41136
- Description: This study explored the phenomenon of juvenile delinquency in grandparent headed families in Hill Crest, Alice township, Eastern Cape. The study endeavoured to achieve the following specific objectives: (I) to determine the factors associated with juvenile delinquency in grandparent headed family environments; (ii) to ascertain the experiences encountered by grandparent headed families due to juvenile delinquency. (iii) to establish the support system provided by the relevant stakeholders (probation officers, police, school officials and grandparents) to address juvenile delinquency in grandparent headed families. The study was premised on theoretical lenses of the social bond theory, social learning theory and general strain theory. Methodologically, the study used the qualitative approach guided by the exploratory-descriptive research design and phenomenology was adopted as the specific research design. The data was collected through in-depth one-on-one interviews, focus group discussions and key informant method. Also, the study used non-probability method sample selection, specifically purposive sampling technique was used. Using this technique, nineteen (19) participants were selected comprised of five (5) grandchildren, eighty (8) grandparents, two (2) probation officers, two (2) police officers, one (1) community committee member and one (1) school official. Data were analysed through thematic analysis. The study revealed the following findings: the grandparent household have unique factors that are contributing to juvenile delinquency these include old age, overprotection, backgrounds of grandchildren to mention but just a few; delinquency by grandchildren has spill over effects that are adversely affecting the lives of grandparents for instance health deterioration, victimisation and loss of property; ii grandparents have their own means of addressing juvenile delinquency such as corporal punishment, emotional attachment and religion; the department of social development has programmes in place to assist grandparents, however, they are facing some challenges in effectively execute them; relevant stakeholders such as police and schools shown reluctance in addressing juvenile delinquency in grandparent headed families. Based on the evidence gathered, this study made the following recommendations: development of programmes to assist grandparent headed households on parenting; mentoring programmes for vulnerable children; the appointment and active involvement of youth workers; social development need to need to regard probation as a specialised area and policies should be developed protecting old aged persons from taking full custody of children. The study concluded that grandparent headed households are contributing to juvenile delinquency and old age was determined to be the central key factor giving birth to this quagmire.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
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