The rise of populism in africa: the role of nativism in maintaining political power in South Africa and Zimbabwe
- Authors: Chindoga , Melody
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Nativism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/15760 , vital:40521
- Description: ZANU-PF and ANC have been in power in their respective countries since the advent of democracy. However, the popularity of both the ANC and ZANU-PF has shifted from urban areas to rural areas, where their support bases are now concentrated (Clapham, 2012). Rural areas have benefitted the least from access to public resources and resource distribution yet despite this, they have provided the much needed support to both the ANC and ZANU-PF respectively. The politics of nativism has been used by the Zuma-led faction in the ANC and ZANUPF in maintaining political power in their respective domains in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Nativism has been identified as a form of populism that is used as a political strategy to gain and maintain political power. It arises from opposition to the mind-set of colonialism in the form of a ‘reverse discourse’ that seeks to undermine colonial ideas through the mobilisation of African culture and is reliant on cultivating opposition to a defined enemy. Therefore, the study seeks to investigate how the politics of nativism have been used by the Zuma-led faction in the ANC and by ZANUPF respectively to maintain power, by focusing particularly on their rural support bases. This study aligns itself with the broadly critical African perspective that is constituted by post-colonial theory and the accompanying oppositional canon of literature that is directly linked to the struggles against colonialism and oppression in former colonies, whilst also contesting contemporary representations of post-colonial societies emanating from those sources within which power resides. The study took the form of qualitative research, within which an interpretive approach was utilised to explore and to analyse the responses by inhabitants of two rural areas in South Africa and Zimbabwe to the nativist strategies and discourse constructed by the Zuma-led faction of the ANC and ZANU-PF respectively, contributing to the ongoing electoral support for these parties in rural areas. The research findings revealed that to maintain their popularity in rural areas, the nativist discourse of the Zuma-led faction of the ANC and ZANU-PF has exploited historical factors related to oppression and inhumane treatment by Whites. The research also established that nativist discourse was utilised in rural areas of South ii Africa and Zimbabwe with varying success. It resonated with the experiences of the older generation of White domination, whereas most of the younger generation could not relate to its heavy reliance on anti-White sentiment. Those under the age of 35, typically considered as the youth, did not identify with much of the discourse and were sceptical of its racist foundation, preferring instead change in political leadership in order for change to occur
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
“Examining mentors’ practices in facilitating career development and providing psychosocial support to trainee teachers during teaching practice: A case study of one teachers’ college in Zimbabwe”
- Authors: Madzore, Rosemary
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Mentoring in education Mentoring
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD (Education)
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/16621 , vital:40737
- Description: This study examined mentors’ practices in facilitating career development and providing psychosocial support to trainee teachers during teaching practice in one teachers’ college in Zimbabwe. The study employed the interpretive paradigm and used the qualitative approach and case study research design. Purposive sampling was used to select 27 participants who were perceived to be rich informants. These participants included 6 mentors, 15 trainee teachers, 5 college lecturers, 2 lecturers from the teaching practice office, 3 senior lecturers in charge and 1 university lecturer who is a link person between the college and the Department of Teacher Education. Data were obtained through face to face interviews, focus groups and document analysis. The study revealed that mentors performed both career development and psychosocial support roles during teaching practice, although the psychosocial roles were not very prominent. The interviewed mentors and trainee teachers also indicated that, although mentors knew how they should perform their duties, they encountered various challenges which hindered the effectiveness of the mentorship programme. The participants from the three schools revealed that mentors employed both good and bad strategies to provide career development and psychosocial support to trainee teachers during teaching practice. There was also evidence that colleges and schools use different mentoring mechanisms in facilitating career development and providing psychosocial support to trainee teachers during teaching practice.The data also revealed that there were challenges encountered in the use of these mentoring mechanisms. The participants also acknowledged that, despite these challenges, there were good practices and benefits of mentorship. However, there were gaps noted in the mentors’ practices in facilitating career development and providing psychosocial support. It emerged that there was lack of qualified school mentors resulting in inadequate provision of career development and psychosocial support. It was also established that financial constraints affected the effectiveness of mentorship. The study found that there were loopholes in mentor selection. Financial constraints also hindered capacity building programmes for mentors. The study established strategies that can be used to improve mentorship. Teachers’ colleges and schools should be adequately resourced to ensure effective mentorship during teaching practice. This could be done through adequate material resources, workshops, updates of schools and college activities supervision, review of mentorship iii programmes, incentives, orientation and induction for mentors. The study also recommended that the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education Science and Technology Development (MoHTESTD), the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE), colleges and schools consider a mentorship policy that fuses global and national trends. Resources should also be mobilised by all the stakeholders involved who include the MoHTEST, MoPSE, teacher training colleges and secondary schools, for effective mentorship.The study recommended considering alternative mentorship models with regard to the provision of career development and psychosocial support to trainee teachers from secondary teacher-training colleges in Zimbabwe.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2019
A framework for cloud computing adoption in small and medium-sized enterprises : a case of the Accra - Tema metropolis in Ghana
- Authors: Adane, Martin
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Cloud computing -- Ghana Small business -- Ghana
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/13803 , vital:39713
- Description: Cloud computing adoption and usage is important to achieving business competition. This is done by making it a competitive tool for firms. The adoption of cloud computing enables firms to achieve greater business competency, improve performance, and allows them to maintain their competitive advantage. Since its emergence, there has been a surge in the adoption of cloud computing with research into its adoption primarily concentrated on bigger firms. However, a major characteristic of cloud computing is the anticipated possibilities it holds for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). SMEs typically operate differently from larger firms and are not limited by resource constraints. For SMEs, the reduction in the financial burden normally associated with the adoption of new technologies is a significant benefit of cloud computing due to their financial constraints. In Ghana, SMEs mostly use obsolete technologies and have a slow response towards new technologies. Thus, they are unable to harness the numerous opportunities technology presents to them to stay competitive. Cloud computing is still regarded as a new technology in the business world, therefore research that focuses on its adoption by SMEs to help them stay competitive is minimal. Available research on cloud computing in Ghana does not provide clear guidelines for ensuring a successful adoption process and the continued use of cloud computing services. This study seeks to investigate how a framework can assist SMEs in their use of cloud computing in the Accra-Tema metropolis of Ghana. A knowledge of the factors associated with adoption decisions and those that significantly influence the decision are required to ensure a successful adoption process. The empirical data was gathered using a questionnaire and face-to-face interviews developed from literature and administered to users and potential users of cloud computing. The questionnaire and interviews primarily investigate key adoption factors and the findings are reported in this research study. The findings reveal interesting insights into understanding issues that affect the overall decision to adopt and use cloud computing services by SMEs. The findings show that the adoption of cloud computing can improve information management practices within SMEs. The findings also reveal that several factors need to be considered in the overall decision to adopt and use cloud computing to ensure a successful adoption process. An initial cloud computing adoption model was proposed based on the empirical findings. Key adoption factors of the initial adoption model include adoption benefits and drivers, concerns and barriers, adoption interventions, and information management in the cloud. computing adoption framework. The proposed adoption framework aims to assist SMEs to adopt and use cloud computing services and make them relevant in the global market.
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- Date Issued: 2015
An investigation into the perceptions of female academics on their career development: a comparative study of South African and Zimbabwean universities
- Authors: Chitsamatanga, Bellita Banda
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Career development -- Education (Higher) -- Africa , College teachers -- Africa , Universities and colleges -- Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
- Identifier: vital:16223 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1019735 , Career development -- Education (Higher) -- Africa , College teachers -- Africa , Universities and colleges -- Africa
- Description: This study investigated the perceptions of female academics on their career development in South African and Zimbabwean universities. The study attempted to unravel the story of the female academics which must be heard but is seldom accorded the space within the academia. The interpretive paradigm was utilised in this study because it focuses on individual perceptions and experiences. In addition a qualititative approach was employed for the collection of data since it allowed for triangulation of data collection techniques so as to gain in-depth and rich information on the career trajectory of female academics in South African and Zimbabwean universities. Therefore, semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews and document analysis were employed. The participants were purposively selected for the sample of this study and comprised of 5 senior female academics from each university and 5 junior female academics also representing each university respectively. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse data and this was carried out in line with the research questions, aims and objectives of the study. Through the participants' answers from both universities under study, a transcript was formulated, coded and categorised in view of the career development of female academics in South African and Zimbabwean universities. It was discovered from the data that the female academics still encounter a number of challenges with regard to their career mobility both in and out of academia inter alia, (1) gender stereotyping and male domination (2) knowledge retention (3) lack of mentorship and organisational support especially through funding and professional staff development programmes (4) lack of female solidarity (5) under-representation of female academics (6) teaching workloads and research publications and (7) lack of family support, were illuminated by the participants as common fixtures that hinder their career development in academia. Moreover, there were variances in both universities under study especially with relations to funding, gender policies in place and male domination. Consequently, the above mentioned factors were more pronounced in Zimbabwean universities than in South African universities. As a result, emphasis was that both South African and Zimbabwean universities have to draw a line between theory and practice especially on the professional staff development programmes that are offered to the academics. A crucial observation was made by the researcher on how most of the participants from both universities under study had negotiated their roles as mothers, wifes, academic and sisters in a bid to realise career growth, such that striking a balance between work and family posed a continuous hindrance their career development. As a result, hard work, commitment, confidence, self-assertiveness and sacrifice cut across both universities as strategies used if the battle of career development of female academics had to be won. In sum, this study attempted to illuminate the perceptions and experiences of female academics and what it means to be a female academicin the 21st century universityn and why there is a need to create, cultivate and have a conducive and supportive working environment. Moreover, promotion of knowledge expansion and sharing, gender equity and equality needs to be employed by both universities under research. Additionally, the professtional staff development programmes offered need to be conducted by qualified and experienced personnel in a bid to avoid repetition of workshops and training programs. Furthermore, formalisation of mentoring and role modelling should also be employed by South African and Zimbabwean universities. Lastly, the study recommended that there is a need for universities source out resources for its academics if there are to produce well rounded scholars who will be able to experience career development.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2015
Exploring the relationship between an "English-only" language-in-education policy and bilingual practices in secondary schools in Zanzibar
- Authors: Maalim, Haroun Ayoub
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Language and education -- Zanzibar , Native language and education -- Zanzibar , Code switching (Linguistics) -- Zanzibar , Language policy -- Zanzibar
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:3650 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017891
- Description: This thesis reports on the relationship between an English-only language-ineducation policy and bilingual practices in secondary schools in Zanzibar. The focus is on language use in the classroom against the backdrop of a top-down and English-only language-in-education policy. The main purpose has been to gain an in-depth understanding of the relationship between the stipulations of the policy which was imposed from above and the judicious bilingual practices which are a commonly accepted as the norm in secondary schools in Zanzibar. The study employed a mixed method approach (QUAL+quant) and embraced elements of ethnography. The data for this study was gathered from two secondary schools which were purposively selected on the basis of parameters that were set in this study. Among other things, these include the secondary schools which have both ‘Ordinary level’ and ‘Advance level’, and the schools which teach the same subject using Kiswahili as the language of learning and teaching at one level, and English as the language of learning and teaching at another level. Data were obtained from multiple sources. On the one hand, through ethnography, classroom observations, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with teachers and students, and interviews with key actors were conducted. On the other hand, students’ test scripts, and students’ test and examination results (scores) were analysed. Both purposive and random sampling were used to get the participants. Drawing from Ruiz’s (1984) seminal tripartite orientations of language planning (language as right, language as problem, and language as resource) thematic analysis, content analysis, and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) were used to analyse data. The findings reveal that the use of bilingual (English and Kiswahili) in English medium subjects is a resource rather than a deficit since an overwhelming majority of students and some teachers cannot function positively in the topdown English-only language-in-education policy. Most significantly, teachers use Kiswahili in English medium subjects as a strategy for teaching terminologies, abstract concepts, and unfamiliar topics, as well as for clarification of ideas and for comprehension check. The study further indicates that the examinations and tests of English medium subjects do not assess what is exactly intended to be assessed (subject matter), but instead they assess English language. In addition, empirical evidence shows that language is a factor for students’ achievements in that students performed considerably better when the subjects were assessed in Kiswahili compared to the same subjects assessed in English. The findings further reveal that Kiswahili is suitable to be used as a sole language of learning and teaching in secondary schools of Zanzibar. Based on these findings, the study recommends that the use of Kiswahili in English medium subjects should be officially recognised and students should be given options of the language of assessment as an urgent step. Furthermore, given the urgency of the need for improving students’ performance, it is now high time to introduce Kiswahili medium of instruction secondary schools in Zanzibar which should co-exist with English medium of instruction secondary schools.
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- Date Issued: 2015
For the people : an appraisal comparison of imagined communities in letters to two South African newspapers
- Authors: Smith, Jade
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Daily Sun (Johannesburg, South Africa) , Times (Johannesburg, South Africa) , Mass media and social integration -- South Africa , Language and languages -- Usage , Mass media and language -- South Africa , Mass media and culture -- South Africa , Belonging (Social psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2385 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1016264
- Description: This thesis reports on the bonds that unify imagined communities (Anderson 1983) that are created in 40 letters prominently displayed on the opinions pages of the Daily Sun, a popular tabloid, and The Times, a daily offshoot of the mainstream national Sunday Times. An APPRAISAL analysis of these letters reveals how the imagined communities attempt to align their audiences around distinctive couplings of interpersonal and ideational meaning. Such couplings represent the bonds around which community identities are co-constructed through affiliation and are evidence of the shared feelings that unite the communities of readership. Inferences drawn from this APPRAISAL information allow for a comparison of the natures of the two communities in terms of how they view their agency and group cohesion. Central to the analysis and interpretation of the data is the letters’ evaluative prosody, traced in order to determine the polarity of readers’ stances over four weeks. Asymmetrical prosodies are construed as pointing to the validity of ‘linguistic ventriloquism’, a term whose definition is refined and used as a diagnostic for whether the newspapers use their readers’ letters to promote their own stances on controversial matters. Principal findings show that both communities affiliate around the value of education, and dissatisfaction with the country’s political leaders, however The Times’ readers are more individualistic than the Daily Sun’s community members, who are concerned with the wellbeing of the group. The analysis highlights limitations to the application of the APPRAISAL framework, the value of subjectivity in the analytical process, and adds a new dimension to South African media studies, as it provides linguistic insights into the construction of imagined communities of newspaper readership.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Formulation and evaluation of captopril loaded polymethacrylate and hydroxypropyl methycellulose microcapsules
- Authors: Khamanga, Sandile Maswazi Malungelo
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: Hypertension -- Treatment , Hypertension -- Chemotherapy , Angiotensin converting enzyme -- Inhibitors , Hypotensive agents -- Development , Pharmacokinetics
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:3860 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013443
- Description: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are some of the most commonly prescribed medications for hypertension. They are cited in many papers as the treatment most often recommended by guidelines and favoured over other antihypertensive drugs as first-line agents especially when other high-risk conditions are present, such as diabetic nephropathy. The development of captopril (CPT) was amongst the earliest successes of the revolutionary concept of structure-based drug design. Due to its relatively poor pharmacokinetic profile or short half-life of about 1 hour, the formulation of sustained-release microcapsule dosage form is useful to improve patient compliance and to achieve predictable and optimized therapeutic plasma concentrations. Currently, CPT is mainly administered in tablet form. One of the difficulties of CPT formulation has been reported to be its instability in aqueous solutions. CPT is characterized by a lack of a strong chromophore and, therefore, not able to absorb at the more useful UV–Vis region of the spectrum. For this reason, an accurate, simple, reproducible, and sensitive HPLC-ECD method was developed and validated for the determination of CPT in dosage forms. The method was successfully applied for the determination of CPT in commercial and developed formulations. Possible drug-excipient and excipient-excipient interactions were investigated prior to formulating CPT microcapsules because successful formulation of a stable and effective solid dosage form depends on careful selection of excipients. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used for the identification and purity testing of CPT and excipients. The studies revealed no thermal changes during stress testing of binary and whole mixtures which indicate absence of solid state interactions. There were no shifts, appearance and disappearance in the endothermic or exothermic peaks and on the change of other associated enthalpy values on thermal curves obtained with DSC method. Characteristic peaks for common functional groups in the FT-IR were present in all the mixtures indicating the absence of incompatibility. The techniques used in this study can be said to have been efficient in the characterization and evaluation of the drug and excipients. The technique of microencapsulation by oil-in-oil was used to prepare CPT microcapsules. The effects of polymer molecular weight, homogenizing speed on the particle size, flow properties, morphology, surface properties and release characteristics of the prepared CPT microcapsules were examined. In order to decrease the complexity of the analysis and reduce cost response surface methodology using best polynomial equations was successfully used to quantify the effect of the formulation variables and develop an optimized formulation thereby minimizing the number of experimental trials. There was a burst effect during the first stage of dissolution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results indicated that the initial burst effect observed in drug release could be attributed to dissolution of CPT crystals present at the surface or embedded in the superficial layer of the matrix. During the preparation of microcapsules, the drug might have been trapped near the surface of the microcapsules and or might have diffused quickly through the porous surface. The release kinetics of CPT from most formulations followed Fickian diffusion mechanism. SEM photographs showed that diffusion took place through pores at the surface of the microcapsules. The Kopcha model diffusion and erosion terms showed predominance of diffusion relative to swelling or erosion throughout the entire test period. Drug release mechanism was also confirmed by Makoid-Banakar and Korsmeyer-Peppas models exponents which further support diffusion release mechanism in most formulations. The models postulate that the total of drug release is a summation of a couple of mechanisms; burst release, relaxation induced controlled-release and diffusional release. Inspection of the 2D contour and 3D response surfaces allowed the determination of the geometrical nature of the surfaces and further providing results about the interaction of the different variables used in central composite design (CCD). The wide variation indicated that the factor combinations resulted in different drug release rates. Lagrange, canonical and mathematical modelling were used to determine the nature of the stationery point of the models. This represented the optimal variables or stationery points where there is interaction in the experimental space. It is difficult to understand the shape of a fitted response by mere inspection of the algebraic polynomial when there are many independent variables in the model. Canonical and Lagrange analyses facilitated the interpretation of the surface plots after a mathematical transformation of the original variables into new variables. In conclusion, these results suggest the potential application of Eudragit® / Methocel® microcapsules as suitable sustained-release drug delivery system for CPT.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
A knowledge-oriented, context-sensitive architectural framework for service deployment in marginalized rural communities
- Authors: Thinyane, Mamello P
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Information technology Expert systems (Computer science) Software architecture User interfaces (Computer systems) Ethnoscience Social networks Rural development Technical assistance -- Developing countries Information networks -- Developing countries
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4599 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004843
- Description: The notion of a global knowledge society is somewhat of a misnomer due to the fact that large portions of the global community are not participants in this global knowledge society which is driven, shaped by and socio-technically biased towards a small fraction of the global population. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is culture-sensitive and this is a dynamic that is largely ignored in the majority of ICT for Development (ICT4D) interventions, leading to the technological determinism flaw and ultimately a failure of the undertaken projects. The deployment of ICT solutions, in particular in the context of ICT4D, must be informed by the cultural and socio-technical profile of the deployment environments and solutions themselves must be developed with a focus towards context-sensitivity and ethnocentricity. In this thesis, we investigate the viability of a software architectural framework for the development of ICT solutions that are context-sensitive and ethnocentric1, and so aligned with the cultural and social dynamics within the environment of deployment. The conceptual framework, named PIASK, defines five tiers (presentation, interaction, access, social networking, and knowledge base) which allow for: behavioural completeness of the layer components; a modular and functionally decoupled architecture; and the flexibility to situate and contextualize the developed applications along the dimensions of the User Interface (UI), interaction modalities, usage metaphors, underlying Indigenous Knowledge (IK), and access protocols. We have developed a proof-of-concept service platform, called KnowNet, based on the PIASK architecture. KnowNet is built around the knowledge base layer, which consists of domain ontologies that encapsulate the knowledge in the platform, with an intrinsic flexibility to access secondary knowledge repositories. The domain ontologies constructed (as examples) are for the provisioning of eServices to support societal activities (e.g. commerce, health, agriculture, medicine) within a rural and marginalized area of Dwesa, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The social networking layer allows for situating the platform within the local social systems. Heterogeneity of user profiles and multiplicity of end-user devices are handled through the access and the presentation components, and the service logic is implemented by the interaction components. This services platform validates the PIASK architecture for end-to-end provisioning of multi-modal, heterogeneous, ontology-based services. The development of KnowNet was informed on one hand by the latest trends within service architectures, semantic web technologies and social applications, and on the other hand by the context consideration based on the profile (IK systems dynamics, infrastructure, usability requirements) of the Dwesa community. The realization of the service platform is based on the JADE Multi-Agent System (MAS), and this shows the applicability and adequacy of MAS’s for service deployment in a rural context, at the same time providing key advantages such as platform fault-tolerance, robustness and flexibility. While the context of conceptualization of PIASK and the implementation of KnowNet is that of rurality and of ICT4D, the applicability of the architecture extends to other similarly heterogeneous and context-sensitive domains. KnowNet has been validated for functional and technical adequacy, and we have also undertaken an initial prevalidation for social context sensitivity. We observe that the five tier PIASK architecture provides an adequate framework for developing context-sensitive and ethnocentric software: by functionally separating and making explicit the social networking and access tier components, while still maintaining the traditional separation of presentation, business logic and data components.
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- Date Issued: 2009
Versions of confinement: Melville's bodies and the psychology of conquest
- Authors: Goddard, Kevin Graham
- Date: 2003
- Subjects: Melville, Herman, 1819-1891 -- Criticism and interpretation Human body in literature
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:2216 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002259
- Description: This thesis explores aspects of Melville’s presentation of both the whale and the human bodies in Moby-Dick and human bodies in other important novels. It argues that Melville uses his presentation of bodies to explore some of the versions of confinement those bodies experience, and by doing so, analyses the psychology which subtends that confinement. Throughout Melville’s works bodies are confined, both within literal spatial limits and by the psychology which creates and/or accepts these spatial limits. The thesis argues that perhaps the most important version of bodily confinement Melville addresses is the impulse to conquer bodies, both that of the other and one’s own. It adopts a largely psychoanalytic approach to interpreting bodies and their impulse to conquer, so that the body is seen to figure both in its actions and its external appearance the operations of the inner psyche. The figure of the body is equally prevalent in Melville’s exploration of nationalist conquest, where, as with Manifest Destiny and antebellum expansionism, the psychological and physical lack experienced by characters can be read as motivating factors in the ideology of conquest. A final important strand of the thesis is its argument in favour of a gradual shift in Melville’s interpretation of the value and possibility of genuine communion between human beings and between humans and the whale. One may read Typee as an attempt by Melville to explore the possibility of a this-worldly utopia in which human beings can return to a version of primitive interconnectedness. This exploration may be seen to be extended in Moby-Dick, particularly in Ishmael’s attempts to find communion with others and in some moments of encounter with the whales. The thesis uses phenomenology as a theory to interpret what Melville is trying to suggest in these moments of encounter. However, it argues, finally, that such encounter, or ‘intersubjectivity’ is eventually jettisoned, especially in the works after Moby-Dick. By the end of Melville’s life and work, any hope of an intersubjective utopia he may have harboured as a younger man have been removed in favour of a refusal actually to assert any final ‘truth’ about social, political or even religious experience. Billy Budd, his last body, is hanged, and his final word is silence.
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- Date Issued: 2003
How can cooperative learning be developed to enhance the teaching of biology at secondary school level?
- Authors: Pillay, Paramasivan
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: Biology -- Study and teaching (Secondary) Group work in education Group work in education -- Evaluation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1557 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003439
- Description: This research was undertaken by a group of practising teachers as a collaborative effort to develop a cooperative approach to the teaching of Biology at Secondary School level. The research focussed on Grade 10 learners at three different schools over a period of one full academic school-year. During this time, four complete cycles within an action research framework were completed and reflected upon. Learners were then surveyed by means of a questionnaire and follow-up interviews. The reflective sessions, together with the responses from the questionnaire and interviews, provided a wealth of information with regard to the development of a cooperative approach to teaching. The cooperative classroom is vastly different from the traditional one. Here, new roles are assumed by both teacher and learner. Learners are largely expected to take charge of their learning experience in the classroom. The teacher, while still responsible for facilitating this learning experience, delegates authority to the learners. It was the experience of the group that the relationship between teacher and learner, as well as between learner and learner, vastly improved in the cooperative class where the participants were more relaxed. Over time, learners became more accountable in terms of their work and learning. Learners’ self-esteem and self-confidence grew, and the majority of learners indicated that their understanding of the work improved. Furthermore, the cooperative structure encouraged and developed self-discipline in the learners. In the early stages of this research, the group did find certain behaviour to be inhibiting: excessive noise, laziness, too much tomfoolery, and absenteeism. These problems were easily addressed within the action research framework, and were nearly non-existent by the end of the research. The group also found that: (i) cooperative lessons required more time than traditional lessons, often at the expense (justifiably) of the syllabus, and that: (ii) cooperative lessons played a major role in reactivating learner interest towards the learning process both in and outside the classroom.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2001
Geographically distributed requirements elicitation
- Authors: Vat, Nicholas
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: Management information systems -- Management , Information resources management , System design , System analysis
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:1136 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002764 , Management information systems -- Management , Information resources management , System design , System analysis
- Description: The technology revolution has transformed the way in which many organisations do their business. The resultant information systems have increased the decision making powers of executives, leading to increased effectiveness and ultimately to improved product delivery. The process of information systems development is, however, complex. Furthermore, it has a poor track record in terms of on-time and within-budget delivery, but more significantly in terms of low user acceptance frequently attributable to poor user requirements specification. Consequently, much attention has been given to the process of requirements elicitation, with both researchers and businessmen seeking new, innovative and effective methods. These methods usually involve large numbers of participants who are drawn from within the client and developer organisations. This is a financially costly characteristic of the requirements elicitation process. Besides information systems, the technology revolution has also brought sophisticated communication technologies into the marketplace. These communication technologies allow people to communicate with one another in a variety of different time and space scenarios. An important spin-off of this is the ability for people located in significantly different geographical locations to work collaboratively on a project. It is claimed that this approach to work has significant cost and productivity advantages. This study draws the requirements elicitation process into the realm of collaborative work. Important project management, communication, and collaborative working principles are examined in detail, and a model is developed which represents these issues as they pertain to the requirements elicitation process. An empirical study (conducted in South Africa) is performed in order to examine the principles of the model and the relationships between its constituent elements. A model of geographically distributed requirements elicitation (GDRE) is developed on the basis of the findings of this investigation. The model of GDRE is presented as a 3-phased approach to requirements elicitation, namely planning, implementation, and termination. Significantly, the model suggests the use of interviews, structured workshops, and prototyping as the chief requirements elicitation methods to be adopted in appropriate conditions. Although a detailed study of communications technology was not performed, this thesis suggests that each individual GDRE implementation requires a different mix of communication technologies to support its implementation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
Studies of the biology and ecology of the high shore South African limpet, Helcion pectunculus (Mollusca : patellogastropoda)
- Authors: Gray, David Richard
- Date: 1997
- Subjects: Mollusks -- South Africa Limpets -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:5776 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005464
- Description: Investigations were carried out into aspects of the bio!ogy and ecology of Helcion pectunculus along the coait of South Africa. These included studies of the distribution, density and biomass of the limpet at six sites along the east coast plus one site on the west coast; the growth of H pectunculus on both west and east coasts; a comparison of the reproductive biology of the east and west coast populations; the foraging activity and feeding behaviour of H pectunculus and the driving forces behind the rhythmic behaviour of this limpet; the importance of the crevice environment in the biology and ecology of H pectunculus. Helcion pectunculus has a restricted zonation, with the majority of animals residing in crevices in the upper Balanoid zone during diurnallowtides, although individuals were occasionally found in the lower Balanoid zone on shores with a gently sloping aspect. This limpet occurs in higher densities (50-lO0 individuals/m2) on shores which have large numbers of crevices and boulders i.e. quartzitic sandstone shores. On most shores, the ratio of males to females differed significantly from a 1: 1 ratio with the highest ratio being obtained on the west .. coast (3 males: 1 female). At all sites, the populations of H pectunculus exhibited strong sexual dimorphism. Males and females were always found to differ in size, with individuals of < 20 mm shell length generally being male whilst limpets with a shell length of> 22 mm were generally female. Helcion pectunculus grows allometrically, increasing in height faster than length, which is expected of a high shore gastropod mollusc attempting to reduce evaporative water loss. Growth rates were similar on both east and west coasts regardless of the differing oceanographic conditions. The theoretical values of Lmax were also similar being 30.86 mm and 30.71 mm respectively. Micro-growth bands are laid down within its' shell which have the same periodicity as the tidal cycle and these enabled age estimates to be made. Younger individuals were male whilst older animals were female, suggesting that H pectunculus is a protandrous hermaphrodite. Histological examination proved, unequivocally, that this limpet undergoes a protandric sex change, changing from male to female when they are about 2 years old. Both east and west coast popUlations had a marked reproductive cycle, exhibiting two spawning periods a year, one in April and another in November. The possibility that the reproductive pattern exhibited is now phylogeneticallyconstrained is discussed. It is suggested that H pectunculus has evolved a reproductive cycle which will allow its planktonic larvae to utilise the valuable phytoplankton bloom food source whilst using onshore winds to ensure that larvae are not transported out to sea and lost. The number of foraging excursions carried out by individuals of H pectunculus was found to have a significant effect on Gonad Index and hence potential reproductive output. The activity pattern of H pectunculus varied depending upon micro-habitat; animals inhabiting both east and west facing rock surfaces are active during nocturnal low tides whilst animals on west facing rock surfaces are also active during daytime low tides whilst in the shade. Limpets travel further during foraging excursions in winter (X = 85.53 cm) than in either spring (x = 55.7 cm) or summer (X = 48.8 cm) and also during spring low tides (x = 89.8 cm) compared with neaps (x = 40.9 cm). This limpet exhibits rigid homing to a fixed scar within a-crevice and feeding excursions were found to cons.is.t. of three distinct phases, a rapid outward phase, a slower foraging phase and a rapid homeward phase. Foraging was always highly directional, with a mean vector which took limpets onto an area of the rockface with the highest microalgal biomass and also the smoothest rock surface. Helcion pectunculus exhibits a free-running endogenous rhythm of locomotor activity with both circadian and circatidal components and it is suggested that this rhythm plays a role in allowing the limpet to avoid unfavourable environmental conditions. The exogenous entrainment factor of this endogenous rhythm was the time of exposure to air in the field. There was found to be an organized distribution of limpets within crevices with smaller, younger limpets being towards the back of the crevice and larger, older limpets towards the crevice mouth. It is hypothesized that juvenile limpets of this species actively select and settle at the backs of crevices responding to chemical cues of adult conspecifics. The crevice refuge supplies the limpets with a stable and buffered environment with higher relative humidities (X = 72.3%) and lower rock surface temperatures (X = 19.7°C) than adjacent exposed rock surfaces (X = 64.5%; x = 22.9°C). Limpet body temperatures were significantly lower in crevic~refuges compared to limpets on exposed rock surfaces. Body temperatures never exceeded the rock surface temperatures. It is suggested that this is the result of morphological adaptations such as shell ornamentation and allometric growth. Light levels above 1000 J.1E.m-2.s-1 inhibited foraging activity in H. pectunculuswhilst limpets subjected to 30-50% shade foraged even during daytime lowtides. This limpet is one of the least tenacious (2.75 ± 0.13 kg.cm-2 ) of all South African limpets and the possibility that wave activity governs both the activity patterns and homing behaviour of this limpet is discussed. Limpets deprived of a crevice refuge experienced extremely high mortalities, with 45% of the limpets being lost during the first high tide period. A hypothetical model of the hierarchy of exogenous factors controlling limpet foraging activity is introduced and discussed in relation to the results of this study. Finally, it is suggested that in addition to the "migratory" and "non-migratory" groups of limpets present on southern African shores a third group of limpets seem to be present which may be classed as "specialized non-migratory" species. These are species that do not migrate, garden or aggressively fight off like conspecifics. They have overcome the competition for space and food on intertidal rocky shores by adapting to a particular habitat which is exclusive to them alone. From the combined results of these studies, it can be stated that H. pectunculus has adapted physiologically, morphologically and behaviourally to successfully survive the extreme conditions in the upper Balanoid zone.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1997
Reactions of iron- and zinc-fuelled pyrotechnic systems
- Authors: Tribelhorn, Michael John
- Date: 1995
- Subjects: Detonators Peroxides Chemistry, Analytic
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:4341 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005003
- Description: A major industrial use of pyrotechnic compositions is as delay fuses in electric detonators. Suitable delay times may be achieved through (i) choice of chemical components (ii) adjustment of composition of the system chosen and, finally, (iii) adjustment of the length of fuse used. This study forms part of a survey of binary fuel/oxidant combinations in an attempt to provide some fundamental information on the first step above: (i) choice of chemical components. The complete survey has included studies of a single fuel in combination with one of a variety of oxidants, and studies of the oxidation of one of several different fuels separately by barium peroxide and strontium peroxide. This study is part of this second approach and the fuels chosen were iron and zinc powders, mainly for chemical reasons (including the potential for use of thermomagnetometry on the iron systems), but also for possible environmental advantages. The mixed oxide products of pyrotechnic combustion could also have some scientific and/or commercial value. The techniques used included thermal analyses of mixtures and their individual components, and measurements of temperature-time profiles during combustion. Thermodynamic and kinetic information was obtained under a variety of conditions and scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction and microprobe analyses provided additional information. Possible mechanisms of reactions are discussed in detail. The practical conclusions were that any potential use which the Fe/peroxide systems may have as delay compositions, with burning-rates of from 3-30 mm s⁻¹, is offset by the susceptibility of the oxidants to reaction with water and CO₂ in the atmosphere. The Zn/BaO₂ and Zn/SrO₂ systems did not burn under compaction, and combustion of uncompacted powders was erratic. Zinc liquid (and probably zinc vapour) take part in the reaction and the gaseous nature of the combustion makes zinc-fuelled pyrotechnic systems unsuitable for delay applications. All the techniques used showed the heterogeneity of the solid residues of combustion. If these residues were to be of any value, they would need further conventional treatment involving grinding of the residue, possible adjustment of compositions, and calcining to produce uniform materials.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1995