Towards a better understanding of small-scale fishing decisions and their consequences in Northern Mozambique
- Authors: Heckendorn, Katrina Ann
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431797 , vital:72805 , DOI 10.21504/10962/431797
- Description: This study investigates the relationship between the interacting social and ecological systems within the Pemba Bay fishery, in Northern Mozambique, as mediated by fishing decisions. All ecosystems in the world are affected by human behaviours in some way. In many cases, human effects on ecosystems are detrimental to many other species and can cause shifts in the entire system. In fisheries, the connections between human behaviours and ecosystems are obvious, as fishers extract wild populations of marine species. Human behavioural plasticity and sometimes rapid cultural evolution allow human behaviours to change and adapt faster than many other species can respond which often allows fishers to overexploit marine ecosystems. Many fisheries in the world are fully, or over exploited. Managing these fisheries often focuses on changing those highly adaptable human behaviours. Fishers’ motivations for making different fishing decisions as well as attitudes towards the fishery can be used to understand human interactions with ecosystems when the dependence between the two is direct, as well as allowing managers to tailor interventions that account for fishers’ motivations and attitudes. Most fisheries’ management projects assume that behaviours are motivated by profit maximization. This study investigates this assumption by comparing the compatibility of interview responses and fishing behaviours with rational actor theory, which assumes profit maximization is the only goal. Responses are also compared with prospect theory, which emphasizes reliability of outcomes; descriptive norms, which focuses on social interactions; habitual behaviour, which assumes most decision are automatic based on habit; and theory of planned behaviour, which allows attitudes to be shaped by economic or non-economic motivations, as well as peer opinion and incorporates perceived behavioural control in making decisions. These behavioural theories span a variety of potential fisher motivations which could affect fishing decisions. The study then investigates the state of the social and ecological systems which have resulted, at least in part, from those fishing decisions, and makes recommendations on possible interventions to improve the system based on better understanding of fishers’ attitudes and motivations. The study tests the hypothesis that fishers are motivated primarily by profit maximization and, therefore, rational actor theory is most compatible with fishers’ stated motivations for fishing, or alternatively, that one of the other behavioural theories better explains fisher responses. This section used categorized interview responses based on their agreement, or not, with assumed responses if a particular behavioural theory were compatible. The results indicate that four of the five theories are most compatible with responses for at least one fisher, but that the theory of planned behaviour is the most consistent with the data overall, not rational actor theory. Specifically, fishers seem concerned with behavioural control as well as some non-catch related characteristics of the fishery, such as collective action and sustainability. The second hypothesis is that prospect theory is more compatible with current fishing behaviours than rational actor theory. Prospect theory states that people prefer more reliable outcomes, even if slightly less profitable, than outcomes which are more profitable on average, but also more variable. This section used catch data, and changes in relative use of different fishing methods to address this hypothesis. This hypothesis is confirmed for some aspects of fishery data, but not all. Fishers prefer methods which are more reliable and these methods are increasing in relative use. However, neither catch value nor reliability increases fishers’ opinions of their fishing method, but fisher characteristics which increase options do. This again indicates that behavioural control is important in determining fishers’ attitudes towards fishing. The third question addresses the social system within the fishery. It investigates whether fishing in Pemba Bay is a chosen profession or a livelihood of desperation from the poorest individuals. The study hypothesizes that fishers are as well-off as their non-fishing neighbours, and fishers who use more reliable or profitable methods are better off than those using less reliable/profitable methods and, as such, are more committed to fishing as a way of life. This section used fisher interview responses and household surveys to compare subjective and material wellbeing of fishers and non-fishers around Pemba Bay. The first part of the hypothesis is partly supported. Fishers using most methods have material standards of living comparable to non-fishers. However, they report lower subjective well-beings. Most measures of wellbeing are not affected by the reliability or profitability of the fishing method used, which does not support the second part of the hypothesis. Additionally, fishers using more profitable or reliable methods do not indicate more commitment to fishing as a way of life. The fourth and final section investigates the marine ecosystem. Based on conversations with fishers and local researchers, it is assumed that the Pemba fishery is overexploited. As such, the study hypothesizes that marine biomass, individual size of marine species, and functional diversity are lower in Pemba Bay than in other sites around Northern Mozambique, Vamizi Island, Situ Island, and Nuarro, due to high fishing pressure, and that direct removal of species by fishing has a dominant effect. This final section used baited remote underwater videos (BRUVs) to compare species composition and indices of abundance from the different locations. Again, there is support for part of this hypothesis. Marine species biomass and sizes are lower in Pemba Bay than other sites in Northern Mozambique; however, functional diversity is not different. In these data, changes in biomass and size are not correlated with amount of catch, so direct removal by fishing may not be the dominant source of change in the Pemba fishery. Together, these data indicate that the Pemba fishery may be unsustainable based on social and ecological indications. The importance of behavioural control in understanding fishing decisions indicates that any interventions to mitigate problems in the fishery will need to work with fishers to increase empowerment and allow experimentation to find locally relevant solutions to problems. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, 2023
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- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
Characterization of Trypanosoma brucei Sti1 and its interactions with Trypanosoma brucei Hsp83 and human Hsp90
- Authors: Jamabo, Miebaka
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422629 , vital:71963 , DOI 10.21504/10962/422629
- Description: Neglected tropical diseases continue to pose global concern due to their impact on health and socio-economic status of developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa. African trypanosomiasis is one of the neglected tropical diseases caused by the kinetoplastid flagellate parasite Trypanosoma brucei (T. brucei). The disease is fatal if untreated and the toolbox to combat the disease has been plagued with many difficulties such as drug resistance, toxic chemotherapeutics, and cumbersome drug delivery processes. In recent years, the disease has received attention from organizations such as the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) in partnership with WHO as well as academia and industry to provide alternatives to the existing drugs as part of a targeted approach to eliminate human African trypanosomiasis by 2030. The life cycle of the T. brucei parasite requires that it transitions between a cold-blooded vector (the tsetse fly) and a human host. To survive this extreme environmental change and maintain its infectious cycle, the parasite has evolved an arsenal of tools which include a strong immune evasion technique and a robust molecular chaperone system. Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is one of the most abundant eukaryotic molecular chaperones that has been extensively studied in many organisms. It is indispensable for maintaining proteostasis in some organisms and its inhibition is currently being explored as a drug target for cancer and other parasitic diseases. In T. brucei, cytosolic Hsp90 is specifically referred to as Hsp83 due to variations in the sizes amongst different orthologues. Hsp90 is present in high levels in all stages of the T. brucei cell cycle both constitutively and on exposure to stress. To function in the cell, Hsp90 is dependent on co-chaperones, one of which can be found in most organisms, namely, the stress-inducible protein 1 (Sti1). The Hsp90-Sti1 interaction was shown to be crucial for growth in the intracellular kinetoplastid parasite, Leishmania donovani. However, this partnership has not been explored in the extracellular parasite T. brucei. To analyse the interaction of Hsp90 with Sti1 in T. brucei, this study combined in silico, in vitro and in vivo tools. In silico analyses of the Hsp90 complement in T. brucei revealed the presence of twelve putative Hsp90 genes, ten of which code for the cytosolic protein and are arranged in tandem in a head to tail fashion on the same chromosome. One gene each was found for the mitochondrial and ER paralogues of Hsp90, similar to all other species analysed. Eight putative co-chaperones specific to T. brucei were also discovered: six tetratricopeptide repeat domain (TPR) containing co-chaperones and two non-TPR containing co-chaperones. Structural and evolutionary analysis also confirmed that the domains were conserved across the species analysed. T. brucei Sti1 (TbSti1), T. brucei cytosolic Hsp90 (TbHsp83) and human cytosolic Hsp90 (hHsp90) were heterologously overproduced in E. coli and purified using nickel affinity chromatography. With specific antibodies, the expression and localization of the proteins were confirmed. TbSti1 showed strong affinity to the Hsp90s in the nanomolar range, with higher affinity for hHsp90 compared to TbHsp83. TbHsp83 and hHsp90 showed typical chaperone properties by suppressing the aggregation of thermolabile substrate MDH at equimolar concentrations and both chaperones had potent ATP hydrolysis activity. TbSti1, on the other hand, showed no MDH suppression activity and did not affect the ATP hydrolysis activity of TbHsp83 or hHsp90. Ex-vivo experiments using HeLa CRISPR Hop knockout (KO) human cell lines transfected with pcDNA3.1(+)HA-TbSti1 revealed TbSti1 also localized to the cytoplasm. The transfected cells showed a distinct fibroblast-like morphology which was different from the circular morphology seen in the Hop KO untransfected and wild type untransfected cells. Finally, co-immunoprecipitation studies revealed that TbSti1 co-immunoprecipitated with hHsp90. These results show the first characterization of the TbHsp83-TbSti1 partnership in T. brucei. The strong association between both proteins suggests a functional role for this partnership in T. brucei and could provide an updated context for understanding Trypanosome brucei biology. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Biotechnology and Innovation Centre, 2023
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- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
Innovation in ecological restoration techniques: Enhancing Portulacaria afra survivorship in degraded arid thicket
- Authors: Norman, Yondela Masande
- Date: 2023-03-31
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/419276 , vital:71630
- Description: The Albany Thicket Biome has undergone extensive degradation over the past century, particularly from overstocking of livestock in the arid types of thicket. The degradation of the biome, coupled with little to no natural recovery, prompted the South African Government to implement the Subtropical Thicket Restoration Programme (STRP) in the early 2000s to rehabilitate degraded thicket using unrooted Portulacaria afra truncheons. The STRP also sought to create job opportunities, bring about social upliftment, promote biodiversity conservation and incentivise farmers and landowners in the region to promote carbon trading and farming of P. afra using carbon credits. However, the survivorship of P. afra planted using the STRP planting protocol has been less than ⁓30% because they are planted in degraded areas, where the truncheons are subjected to harsh biophysical conditions such as hard, capped soil, high soil temperatures, drought and herbivory. The aim of this study, therefore, was to improve the survivorship of P. afra planted in degraded thicket to at least 30%, using modified planting methods. In this study, four treatments were applied in 210 pondings (or micro-dams), each with P. afra planted in them (the first three treatments used rooted cuttings). The first treatment involved watering regimes where pondings were watered at varying frequencies. The second treatment involved planting companion species alongside P. afra while the third treatment involved planting P. afra underneath a nurse canopy. In the fourth treatment, unrooted P. afra truncheons were planted inside pondings. The mean survivorship of the P. afra cuttings was assessed 18 months after planting. The watering regime treatments, including the control, all yielded a survivorship of over 75%, with the significantly highest levels of survivorship being displayed in the weekly watering treatment (90.9 ± 6.8%) (p < 0.01). The companion plant treatment also produced a high mean survivorship of P. afra (94.9 ± 3.6%), significantly higher than that of the nurse plants (87.5 ± 6.3%) (p < 0.01). Among the unrooted truncheons it was found that untreated truncheons had the highest survivorship (76.2 ± 17.6%), with the lowest mean being found in truncheons that were both pruned and scarified (70.8 ± 20.8%), suggesting that this treatment, out of all of them, is the least successful under the prevailing environmental conditions in the study area. However, there was no significant differences among the unrooted truncheon treatments and their respective survivorship values to further substantiate this assertion (p = 0.26). Findings in this study also suggest that planting P. afra cuttings under a nurse plant was ideal for P. afra survivorship due to the nurse plant’s ability to ameliorate the microclimate under which the cuttings can establish and grow. Despite the soil under the nurse canopy having a significantly lower mean soil water potential (-160.9 ± 200.5 kPa), compared to the open areas (-73.4 ± 55.7 kPa) (p = 0.04), the pondings under the nurse canopy still had a lower mean soil temperature (31.4 ± 5.25°C) than the treatments in the open areas (38.5 ± 2.7°C), during the harsh midday sun. These favourable characteristics are reflected in the P. afra cuttings under a nurse canopy having a higher chlorophyll fluorescence (0.76 ± 0.06). compared to those planted in open areas (0.73 ± 0.13), suggesting that the P. afra cuttings in the former treatment had a higher photosynthetic efficiency compared to those in the latter, despite there being no statistically significant difference in chlorophyll fluorescence between the treatments (p = 0.14). Although these findings suggest that applying these modifications to planting P. afra, having achieved its objective of increasing survivorship to well over 50%, is likely to produce favourable results not only in overall survivorship, but also in fast-tracking arid thicket rehabilitation and restoration, further research on these rehabilitation techniques and their effectiveness is required. Furthermore, the downside to these treatments is that they are costly and time consuming, which puts the feasibility of large-scale programmes using these applications into question. Further investigation is required to determine ways in which the cost-effectiveness of these applications can be enhanced. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2023
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- Date Issued: 2023-03-31
Functional biogeography: evaluating community assemblage patterns and ecosystem functioning in intertidal systems using trait-based approaches
- Authors: Gusha, Molline Natanah C
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Biogeography , Marine algae , Benthic ecology , Invertebrates , Functional redundancy , Ocean temperature , Biology Classification
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/365792 , vital:65790 , DOI https://doi.org/10.21504/10962/365792
- Description: Analyses of taxonomic diversity patterns within coastal systems has been critical in the development of the theory of biogeography. Increasing evidence, however, shows that the variety of functions that species perform in ecosystems (rather than their taxonomic identity) is a better predictor of the influence of the environment on the species. This information has been useful in predictive ecology leading to the development of trait-based approaches (TBA). Until the late 1970s, however, limited effort (particularly in marine systems) was channeled towards patterns in functional species traits and how they may be affected by changes in environmental gradients. Here, I mapped the functional biogeography of the South African coastline based on a suite of species' reproduction and development traits. Because species composition is one of the key tools used by zoogeographers to map species distribution patterns, I expected lower variability in trait composition within main biogeographic regions than in intervening transition zones based on the habitat templet theory and following the biomass ratio and limiting similarity hypotheses. In brief, the habitat templet theory proposes that “the habitat provides a templet upon which evolution forges species characteristics”, while the biomass ratio hypothesis assumes that the most abundant species traits determine ecosystem functioning. The limiting similarity hypothesis also sometimes referred to as the niche complementarity hypothesis, however, predicts that species can coexist if their niches complement one another. In light of the habitat being an evolutionary templet, abiotic and biotic habitat patterns were measured as nearshore SST and chlorophyll-a gradients, respectively. I expected the SST gradient to act as the stronger key filter of trait diversification because temperature is often considered the most influential environmental factor affecting species survival with seasonality of SST affecting the timing of spawning and along with food availability, possibly influencing fecundity. Functional trait data were thus compiled for macroinvertebrate species collected from fifty-two rocky shore sites from three main bioregions (east, south, and west) and two transition zones (south-west and south-east). Biological trait analysis and functional diversity indices were used to evaluate how traits related to species development and reproduction respond to temperature and chlorophyll -a (used as a proxy for food availability) gradients along the coastline. GLMM and hierarchical cluster analyses showed distinct patterns/shifts in SST and chlorophyll-a gradients across bioregions, with two main breaks in SST separating the east and south-east overlap (SEO) bioregions from the south, south-west overlap (SWO) and west bioregions. In contrast, chlorophyll-a exhibited three major breaks with the east, SEO–south–SWO, and west clustering independently of each other. The RLQ analysis (a type of co-inertia analysis) which simultaneously ordinates 3-matrix datasets [i.e., (environment × site[R]), (species × site[L]) and (species × traits [Q])] showed that the higher SST gradient on the east and SEO promoted higher abundance and biomass of simultaneous hermaphrodites while higher chlorophyll-a gradients on the SWO and west coasts strongly promoted reproductive maturity at larger-sizes. The combined fourth-corner analyses showed that the modalities within the development trait domain responding to chlorophyll-a gradients primarily included filter feeders, sessile and swimming species and also species living on the infratidal zone. In addition, the reproduction trait domain showed higher sensitivity and association to differences in chlorophyll-a and SST gradients than development traits. Overall, SST and chlorophyll-a gradients influenced the distribution of the most dominant traits as indicated by shifts in community-weighted mean trait values across bioregions. This suggests the importance of habitat filtering on coastal species reproduction. A separate study evaluating the influence of large-scale biogeographic effects vs the micro-scale biogenic habitat structure offered by coralline seaweeds across 24 sites revealed some notable effects of both factors on the diversity and abundance of macroalgal epifauna. There was a notable biogeographic influence on epifauna, with the SEO recording the highest epifaunal species richness and abundance, followed by the south coast, then the SWO and lastly the west coast. In addition, the total biomass gradient of the corallines followed a similar trend. The epifauna however, showed no host-specificity, illustrating that epifauna may not be species–centric as commonly assumed, and the higher diversity of epifaunal diversity may well be simply because those corallines are the available habitat within the sampled part of the coastline. Lastly, macroinvertebrate trait distribution on the South African coastline confirms that the habitat, particularly the biotic filter (in this case chl-a) provides a templet upon which evolution forges species traits. However, since temperature is a proxy for nutrient availability (cold upwelling brings nutrients), then temperature drives chlorophyll-a. Subsequently this means the abiotic component indirectly drives trait distribution by influencing the biotic environment (chl-a). For epifauna species, also, the coralline diversity and composition can also be regarded as a biotic filter influencing the epifaunal abundances and composition across different bioregions. Moreover, since temperature is regarded as a conservative trait in seaweeds, temperature tolerance defines the biogeographical boundaries of seaweeds, therefore temperature may be indirectly affecting epifauna abundances through coralline species diversity and biomass. In summary, considering the deterministic processes governing ecosystem functioning and community assemblage, the mass ratio and limiting similarity hypotheses showed complementary effects. Different bioregions provided variable support for these two hypotheses, but overall, the mass ratio hypothesis (weighted by species biomass) received stronger support and may be more meaningful to the interpretation of ecosystem functioning and persistence within rocky shore systems. Lastly, although, the SWO showed some of the characteristics of a subtraction zone based on the relatively low abundance, diversity, and biomass measures. Nonetheless, there was evidence of high functional redundancy across all other four bioregions. This suggests that in the context of development and reproduction traits, the rocky shore ecosystem along the SA coastline may be functionally stable at this stage. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Informal sector taxation: a lesson for South Africa
- Authors: Ledwaba, Sophy
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Informal sector (Economics) Taxation South Africa , Turnover tax South Africa , Informal sector (Economics) Taxation Tanzania , Informal sector (Economics) Taxation Ghana , Informal sector (Economics) Taxation Zimbabwe , Small business Taxation Law and legislation South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/357571 , vital:64756
- Description: Most informal sector businesses in developing countries participate indirectly in the tax system through paying Value-Added Tax, as well as import and export duties, without being registered as taxpayers. This effectively results in the collection of lower tax revenue than the informal businesses would be liable for if they were registered as taxpayers. Additionally, the nonregistration of informal sector businesses in the tax system perpetuates a culture of non-tax compliance. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa have responded to this challenge by imposing direct taxes on revenue generated in the informal sector. This thesis discussed the informal sector taxation regimes adopted in Tanzania, Ghana and Zimbabwe, with the aim of identifying direct taxes that could be imposed in South Africa on the revenues generated in the informal sector. The goal of the research was to determine the nature of direct taxes that could be imposed in South Africa on the revenues generated in the informal sector, taking lessons from the sub- Saharan countries of Tanzania, Ghana and Zimbabwe. The research was based in the interpretivist paradigm. The data for the research consisted of documentary data dealing with the legislation and experiences of informal sector taxation in South Africa and the countries forming part of this research. The data were analysed using qualitative non-empirical research methods. South Africa has a presumptive tax model in the form of the Turnover Tax system, and it was recommended that this direct tax could be adapted to integrate the informal sector businesses into the tax base. The study made several recommendations to integrate informal sector businesses into the tax base. These recommendations include the implementation of the tax stamp system to tax informal businesses other than minibus taxi businesses, and an income tax sticker specifically designed for the informal minibus taxi industry. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Accounting, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Simplified menu-driven data analysis tool with macro-like automation
- Authors: Kazembe, Luntha
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Data analysis , Macro instructions (Electronic computers) , Quantitative research Software , Python (Computer program language) , Scripting languages (Computer science)
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/362905 , vital:65373
- Description: This study seeks to improve the data analysis process for individuals and small businesses with limited resources by developing a simplified data analysis software tool that allows users to carry out data analysis effectively and efficiently. Design considerations were identified to address limitations common in such environments, these included making the tool easy-to-use, requiring only a basic understanding of the data analysis process, designing the tool in manner that minimises computing resource requirements and user interaction and implementing it using Python which is open-source, effective and efficient in processing data. We develop a prototype simplified data analysis tool as a proof-of-concept. The tool has two components, namely, core elements which provide functionality for the data anal- ysis process including data collection, transformations, analysis and visualizations, and automation and performance enhancements to improve the data analysis process. The automation enhancements consist of the record and playback macro feature while the performance enhancements include multiprocessing and multi-threading abilities. The data analysis software was developed to analyse various alpha-numeric data formats by using a variety of statistical and mathematical techniques. The record and playback macro feature enhances the data analysis process by saving users time and computing resources when analysing large volumes of data or carrying out repetitive data analysis tasks. The feature has two components namely, the record component that is used to record data analysis steps and the playback component used to execute recorded steps. The simplified data analysis tool has parallelization designed and implemented which allows users to carry out two or more analysis tasks at a time, this improves productivity as users can do other tasks while the tool is processing data using recorded steps in the background. The tool was created and subsequently tested using common analysis scenarios applied to network data, log data and stock data. Results show that decision-making requirements such as accurate information, can be satisfied using this analysis tool. Based on the functionality implemented, similar analysis functionality to that provided by Microsoft Excel is available, but in a simplified manner. Moreover, a more sophisticated macro functionality is provided for the execution of repetitive tasks using the recording feature. Overall, the study found that the simplified data analysis tool is functional, usable, scalable, efficient and can carry out multiple analysis tasks simultaneously. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Computer Science, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Teachers’ narratives of their experience of teaching Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) -affected children in mainstream schooling
- Authors: Makasi-Simukonda, Mihlali
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders South Africa Buffalo City , Inclusive education South Africa Buffalo City , Teachers of children with disabilities South Africa Buffalo City , Children of prenatal alcohol abuse South Africa Buffalo City Social conditions , Social constructionism
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/406183 , vital:70246
- Description: This study considers the experiences of teachers working with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)-affected children in mainstream schooling. FASD refers to a range of conditions in children resulting from maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Prevalence rates in South Africa are said to be among the highest in the world. There is a paucity of research on FASD-affected children in the Eastern Cape. This study was thus conducted in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM). Teachers told stories of their experiences of teaching undiagnosed FASD-affected children in mainstream schooling. The stories reveal the quality of life for children in classrooms and socio-contextual influences of their experiences at school, as well as the responsibilisation of teachers in these settings. This qualitative research is situated within a social constructionism paradigm. The social model of disability was utilised as a theoretical framework for this study to represent the systemic barriers against which FASD-affected learner support in the mainstream school can be conceptualised. A sample of five (5) Black female teachers were interviewed. Data gathering was done by conducting telephonic interviews using the single question inducing narrative, known as SQUIN. A thematic analysis of the data was conducted for the purpose of identifying themes within the data collected. Four superordinate themes emerged from the data, viz. narratives of FASD-affected learners, narratives of parental involvement, narratives of the role of teachers and narratives of stakeholder support. This study reveals a significant level of responsibilisation of teachers. Teachers appear to play a bigger role than just being teachers and they positioned themselves as playing a parental role in relation to FASD-affected learners. FASD-affected learners were positioned as “the problem” in the mainstream classroom whereas the environment is a disabling factor to FASD-affected learners. There is a need for a holistic approach in working with FASD-affected learners from all relevant stakeholders. Key recommendations are made for effective inclusion of FASD-affected learners in mainstream schooling. Future research recommendations include repeating this study in a different geographical area, a focus on senior phase learners and/or a more diverse sample. The findings assist in the development of policies of inclusive education in mainstream schooling and supportive strategies to enhance the developmental trajectory of FASD-affected children. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
The development of a novel plant-based biomaterial scaffold for tissue engineering applications
- Authors: Mamphey, Maame Nicole
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/365223 , vital:65718
- Description: Thesis embargoed. Possible release date set for early 2025. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Biotechnology Innovation Centre, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
A Smaller Circle
- Authors: Bhikha, Nasira
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Creative writing (Higher education) South Africa , South African fiction (English) 21st century , Short stories, South African (English) 21st century , Diaries -- Authorship , Autobiography , Short stories, English History and criticism , American fiction History and criticism , Mexican fiction History and criticism
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232427 , vital:49991
- Description: My thesis is a collection of prose forms weaving my identity as a South African woman of colour, my observations of life through personal, cultural and sociological lenses, where traditions are constantly challenged and evolving. The collection focuses on the untold and unresolved, using fiction as a tool of pushback and psychological reflection. I am motivated by writers who use what I would term reflective expressionism to evoke empathy by tapping into innate, universal emotions. In particular Tiff Holland’s vivid telling of family in the novella Betty Superman where she navigates complex relationships, and bell hooks’ memoirs Bone Black: Memories of Girlhood written as poetic vignettes in fluctuating points of view to draw attention to the intricacies of social structures. Joanna Walsh’s Vertigo has strongly influenced my approach to writing through her compelling imagery and use of motif in fragmented prose that delves into the psyche of her characters. I am also inspired by Lidia Yuknavitch’s visceral use of language, identifying with her invitation: “You deserve to sit at the table. The radiance falls on all of us.” , Thesis (MACW) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
An ethnographic exploration of black lesbians rape survivors’ access to support services in Cape Town South Africa
- Authors: Wilson, Kaythrine Esther Jacqueline
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232646 , vital:50010
- Description: Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Sociology, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
Be more than a bystander, break the silence on violence: a discursive analysis of student responses to anti-rape poster campaigns
- Authors: Skae, Shannon Lalla Rookh
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Women Violence against South Africa , Women college students Violence against South Africa , Women college students Abuse of South Africa , College students Attitudes , Sex crimes Prevention , Anti-rape movement South Africa , Bystander effect South Africa , Rape culture South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232866 , vital:50033
- Description: University students are a population vulnerable to sex and gender-based violence (SGBV). The use of alcohol is prominent in university life and is argued to contribute significantly to SGBV in South Africa and worldwide. Interventions to reduce SGBV at South African universities are thus a relevant social concern. One increasingly popular approach to addressing SGBV on university campuses is the bystander intervention. The bystander intervention goes to the cause of SGBV by targeting peer acceptance as the primary foundation supporting rape; arguing that witnesses to SGBV can be empowered to interrupt potential SGBV situations. The aim of this thesis was to investigate student responses to anti-rape intervention campaigns of various kinds. Different theories were examined, and this research then proceeded from a social constructionist theoretical perspective, which was relevant as it is about what individuals say, the societies formed, the rules made, the language used to pass on knowledge and the interactions experienced with others and how they all form the reality people inhabit. The study focused on the individual constructions and talk about the posters and the discursive positions he or she took up in relation to them, which is what social constructionism is interested in, as it is concerned with the language and talk people use and how these are molded by society. Forty five student volunteer participants were shown two examples of anti-rape poster campaigns (one using the bystander approach and the other not), and were asked to respond to a structured open-ended questionnaire. Responses to the questionnaire were subjected to Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA). The analysis revealed the ways in which the constructions of sexual violence, perpetrators and victims in the poster campaigns shaped and limited participant responses and talk about SGBV in different ways, according to which of the two posters were being responded to. Key findings of this study showed that the bystander intervention poster produced more positive change in response to dominant discursive constructions in relation to the SGBV poster than did the non-bystander intervention poster. This means the establishment of the potential for success of the bystander intervention in helping to prevent SGBV in a South African context. , Thesis (MA) -- Humanities, Psychology, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
Composition portfolio
- Authors: Lemmer, Elizabeth Kate
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Composition (Music) , Music South Africa , COVID-19 (Disease) and the arts , Emotions in music , Violin music Scores , String quartets Scores , Chamber music Scores
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text , sheet music
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232624 , vital:50008
- Description: In this portfolio I reflect on issues Covid-19 has brought to our communities and the possibilities of creating a brighter future. My music reflects the struggle that most people have faced in the last two years, the emotions and the conspiracies surrounding the experience, and the effect of solitude. In a time such as this it is almost inevitable that the music being composed is connected to the struggle in society at large. For ma composition is a journal of the heart. The pandemic has created a situation where most are out of touch with each other, have lost all previous routine and structure, where relationships are broken due to lack of personal contact, and almost everyone has unwillingly (or unwittingly) been thrust into self-reflection. Every day sees a new struggle to squeeze in all those pre-pandemic ideals so that some normalcy can be obtained, but this is not a time to be looking back. It’s a time to understand what we are going through, build new joy and excitement for this different life and learn to live the best we can with the opportunities we are given. There has not been a more important time to foster some form of connection with friends and family, and to be as strong and supportive as possible. The portfolio begins with a solo violin piece, Unwelcome Solitude, which exemplifies the loneliness and sadness during the various lockdowns over the last two years, with hints of the past and the difficulties in trying to resurrect pre-Covid-19 times. There are some unusual expressive markings to add to the descriptive effect within the piece. This is followed by The Pandemic, two serialism works: Panic and Pain scored for a string quartet. Both of these pieces apply a flexible use of serialism to emphasize out the emotional aspects of the music, and quite simply; the panic and the pain caused by Covid-19 and the country’s response to the pandemic as a whole. Finally there is a three movement chamber piece titled A Storm Series which quite literally represents the series of events that occur from the upcoming to the closure of a typical Highveld storm. Further than this, these pieces represent the series of events that occurred in South Africa from the first rumour of the Covid-19 virus starting to circle around the world, through the various lockdowns and progression of events in our country and abroad. The final movement of this series, Re-awakening, ends on a positive note representing the rainbow at the end of the storm, and the positive outlook for South Africa to keep persevering through the pandemic. , Thesis (MMus) -- Faculty of Humanities, Music and Musicology, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
Design, synthesis, characterization and evaluation of Chitosan-based hydrogel for controlled drug delivery system
- Authors: Safari, Justin Bazibuhe
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Chitosan , Drug delivery systems , Drugs Controlled release , Tenofovir , Colloids , Hepatitis B Chemotherapy , Hydrogel
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232182 , vital:49969
- Description: Hepatitis B infection is a deadly infectious disease caused by the hepatitis B virus and is responsible for many deaths every year worldwide. Despite medication and vaccines against hepatitis B infection, it still presents high morbidity and mortality among populations. This is partly due to factors such as a long medication period of the existing treatments, resulting in poor patient compliance and leading to treatment failure. In addition, this situation can be responsible for the observed emerging drug resistance. Hence, novel drugs and drug delivery systems are needed to tackle this matter. Many strategies have been used to develop long-acting drug delivery systems treatment for several infectious diseases. Hydrogel drug delivery systems have shown interesting results as controlled drug delivery systems for several drugs. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop chitosan grafted poly (acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) hydrogel and apply it as a pH-sensitive controlled delivery system of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). TDF is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor used as first-line treatment of hepatitis B chronic infection and in the treatment of other viral infections. The free-radical polymerization method was utilized to modify chitosan by grafting acrylamide and acrylic acid and using N, N’-methylene bisacrylamide as the crosslinking agent to prepare the hydrogel, followed by an optimization of parameters that could affect the swelling capacity. The prepared chitosan-g-poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) hydrogel was characterized using Fourier Transmission Infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and was evaluated for cytotoxicity using a HeLa cell assay. TDF was used as a drug model, it was loaded by the swelling equilibrium method, following by the investigation of the release profile of TDF-loaded hydrogel at pH 1.2 and 7.4. A successful synthesis of chitosan grafted poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) hydrogel was confirmed by Fourier Transmission Infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction Spectroscopy (XRD), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Optimization results showed that the ratio of monomers impacted the swelling ratio of the hydrogel and both the concentration of the crosslinking agent, and the reaction initiator also affected the swelling ratio. The synthesized hydrogels were sensitive to pH and ionic strength. Hydrogel swelling was lower in acidic solutions and higher in neutral and basic solutions and decreased with the increasing ionic strength. Furthermore, SEM results revealed that hydrogel have a rough and fibrous surface structure with numerous pores. Cytotoxicity studies demonstrated that the hydrogel was non-cytotoxic at 50 μg/ml against HeLa cells which suggested a good biocompatibility of the material. TDF was loaded and released from the hydrogels and showed an encapsulation efficiency and drug loading percentage ranging from 81-96% and 8-10%, respectively. TDF release profile was found to be low in buffer solution of pH 1.2 (in the range of 5-10%) and much higher (38-53%) at pH 7.4 within 96 hours. TDF maintained its chemical integrity after release and the hydrogels can therefore be proposed as a new controlled-release drug delivery system for hepatitis B treatment. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
Household food waste generation, disposal and minimisation in two South African towns
- Authors: Mtakati, Sinako
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Food waste South Africa Cradock , Food waste South Africa Middelburg (Eastern Cape) , Sanitary landfills Environmental aspects South Africa , Greenhouse gases Environmental aspects South Africa , Income distribution South Africa , Socio-economic status South Africa , Waste minimization South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232159 , vital:49967
- Description: Food waste is becoming an important issue considering greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. However, data on the quantities of food disposed remains limited, especially for developing, countries including South Africa. Global food waste estimates suggest that households in developed countries waste more food than those in developing countries. Further, research shows that lack of food waste management impacts negatively on the global efforts to combat food waste generation. I therefore set out to present primary data relating to household food waste generation and minimisation within a South African context. The case study covers two towns in the Eastern Cape province, namely Cradock and Middelburg, with a combined population of 55 352 people. Household food waste assessment and quantification was undertaken using two methods, 1) questionnaires to explore quantities of different types of food wasted by households, and 2) kitchen scales to measure the amounts of food discarded by households. Participating households in each suburb were selected randomly. Differences in shopping and household food waste behaviour in households from different income suburbs is vital to understand as it sets an effective approach to food waste interventions that might have a positive impact in minimising food waste generation. In this thesis, differences in shopping and household food waste behaviour across households in the affluent, middle and low-income suburbs is uncovered. A questionnaire was conducted and households in the affluent suburbs purchased food more frequently and had the highest percentage of respondents that used shopping list when buying food than those in the middle and low-income suburbs. The thesis also indicates that households in the low-income suburbs were more attracted to food special offers and had a higher proportion of respondents who could not distinguish between “Use by” and “Best before” dates than those in the affluent and middle- income suburbs. The reasons to food waste generation overlap between the towns. However, between the suburbs, the respondents from households in the affluent suburbs pointed that they were mainly generating and disposing food waste because they did not think it is an issue. Excessive cooking and food expiring before being consumed were found to be the most common reasons for food waste generation and disposal among households in the low and middle-income suburbs. The times which households are likely to generate more food waste were investigated. Nonetheless, only a few households indicated that there were times that they generated and disposed more food in the bins. The most cited times in the affluent suburbs were during Christmas (54%) and in summer (41%). Festive season (65%) and traditional ceremonies (37%) were the most cited times in the middle-income suburbs, while festive season (46%) and the summer season (36%) were the most cites among households in the low- income suburbs. The dimensions of shopping and household food waste behaviour is reflected in the types and quantities of food waste generated. The results reveal that vegetables were the most wasted food type in Cradock (26%) and in Middelburg (30%), while tinned food and dairy were the least discarded food types in both study towns with no significant differences in proportions of households discarding all six food types. One of the key results is that the average self-reported and weighed food waste generated per capita per annum for the two towns was 23.40±47.20 and 202.60±128.30 kg/capita/year, respectively as compared to the estimated 6-11 kg per annum in sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia. Between the towns, Cradock generated more food waste (5.05±2.68 kg) than those in Middleburg (3.84±2.59 kg) in the previous 48 hours. It was also evident that each household and each person in Cradock generated more food waste at breakfast and the least at lunch, while in Middelburg the highest average amount of food waste generated was observed at supper and the least at lunch. The results indicate that household size and employment status were negatively correlated to food waste generation, while wealth status and gender were positively correlated to food waste generation. Majority of households (74% in Cradock and 73% in Middelburg) had no household food waste minimisation strategies implemented. The most cited strategies in place were cooking less frequently, cooking small portions and chopping and freezing vegetables as an anti-food waste strategy. Worth noting is that the small proportion of households with strategies in place are faced with a challenge of some household members showing unwillingness to effectively implement the strategies. The results also reveal that children wasted more food than adults, particularly girls. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Environmental Science, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
I want him to hold me, but I’m afraid to ask: the objective correlative and the souvenir as representational narrative devices of queer male intimacy
- Authors: Ferreira, Evaan Jason
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Sexual minorities in art , Sexual minority culture , Intimacy (Psychology) , Sexual minorities in motion pictures , Intimacy (Psychology) in motion pictures , Homosexuality and motion pictures , Motion pictures Study and teaching , New media art , Nostalgia , Souvenirs (Keepsakes) , Gay men , Queer male intimacy , Objective correlative
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232556 , vital:50002
- Description: This thesis centres itself around an investigation into the representations of the relationship between intimacies and ideas of romance, love, desire, and vulnerability in male relationships. The premise for this body of work was sparked by my own observations on the conflation of sex and intimacy in representations of queer male love—particularly (but not exclusively) in mainstream film and media. Whilst intimacy and sex are not unrelated, the over-emphasis on the physical when trying to represent the connection between two men led me to consider other ways in which a relationship or special connection could be gestured towards — through other kinds of signifiers that last longer than physical contact and point to the importance of a particular connection. In the introduction, I consider my own experiences as a closeted queer teen when contemplating representations of queer relationships in mainstream media. I explore several studies by gender and film theorists who consider reasons and modes in which the representations of queer intimacies on-screen are distorted to favour a presumed heterosexual audience. In the first chapter, I discuss two potential means by which to relay a more complex emotional state via the use of narrative signifiers. I examine T.S. Eliot's (1919) theory on the objective correlative in narratives as a means to explore the emotional state of a character through metaphors which open up the reading rather than illustrating it through dialogue or direct speech. I then explore Susan Stewart's (1992) ideas on souvenirs of personal experience. In Chapter Two, I conduct a close reading of three mainstream films, which employ such signifiers in the attempt to share more complex representations of queer male intimacies through well-developed storylines and characters. The films Brokeback Mountain (2006), Moonlight (2016), and Call Me by Your Name (2017) have been selected based on their use of the objective correlative and souvenirs as plot devices (rather than exclusively physical intimacy) to demonstrate the emotional resonance between characters. The third and final chapter explores my own use of objective correlatives and souvenirs as symbolic, narrative devices in my practical body of work: an online garden of remembrance. My practical work focuses largely on the process of creation of these intimacy objects (the objective correlative or the souvenir) through an investigation into my own poetry, which details my experiences of intimacies with other men, specifically where vulnerability and secrecy played a large role. , Thesis (MFA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Fine Arts, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
Ownership and occupation contestations in South Africa: the case of state housing in Buffalo City Municipality, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Msindo, Esteri Makotore
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Public housing South Africa Buffalo City , Squatters South Africa Buffalo City , Occupancy (Law) South Africa , Acquisition of property South Africa Buffalo City , Right of property South Africa Buffalo City , Sociology, Urban South Africa Buffalo City , Marginality, Social South Africa Buffalo City , Human rights South Africa , Acquisition of property Moral and ethical aspects South Africa Buffalo City , Urban poor South Africa Buffalo City Social conditions
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232790 , vital:50025 , DOI 10.21504/10962/232790
- Description: This thesis examines contestations around access to state-provided housing or simply state housing in South Africa, using a case study of two sites in Buffalo City Municipality, and with a particular focus on occupation without ownership through informal and illegal means. While the South African state, based on an official human rights discourse and regime, seeks to provide state housing to the urban poor, massive housing backlogs continue to exist within urban spaces. As a result, the urban poor turn to self-provisioning through the construction of informal settlements or backyard shacks, waiting at times indefinitely to be allocated a state house via the official housing waiting lists. To overcome this problem, some amongst the urban poor opt to circumvent the process by invading and illegally occupying state houses, leading to occupation without ownership. In doing so, they draw upon their own moral rights-claims to justify their actions. The thesis examines the multiple causes for occupation and ownership contestations in the two research sites as well as the different forms that these contestations take. The study is framed theoretically in terms of a sociology of human rights, identifying and analysing how moral claims to rights amongst ordinary people often come into conflict with a legal-institutional conception of rights adopted by the state. The study also draws on a diverse array of theorists whose work speaks to the manner in which ordinary citizens develop their own ways of acting contrary to state officialdom. Using interpretive sociology, the study considers the views and practices of those illegally occupying houses without ownership and those who feel victimised by these informal actions. It considers these intra-community dynamics in light of the machinations of local state powerholders at municipal level. As with interpretive sociology, then, the thesis privileges social realms of meanings, interpretations, experiences and practices of human agents. Informal state housing occupations in the Buffalo City Municipality are caused by a number of factors related to state incapacity, weak policies and poor planning, corruption, resource constraints and so on. The study vividly demonstrates the tensions arising and existing between the South African state’s legal human rights regime and locally-constructed moral-rights regimes amongst the urban poor. This tension is seen in the interrelated phenomena of ‘occupation without ownership’ and ‘ownership without occupation’, as the poor draw upon and use ordinary logics of rights for recourse. The thesis shows how diverse rights regimes lead to intra-community conflict, in particular along generational and racial lines. , Thesis (PhD) -- Humanities, Sociology, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
Recruitment disruptors: an exploratory study on the perception of artificial intelligence amongst selected Eastern Cape Province recruiters
- Authors: Sobekwa, Sinazo
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232238 , vital:49974
- Description: Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
Representations of adult women who have experienced 'absent' fathers: a thematic analysis of True Love magazine
- Authors: Moola, Lubayna Codelia
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Absentee fathers South Africa , Fathers and daughters South Africa , Fathers and daughters in literature South Africa , Mass media and families South Africa , Mass media and women South Africa , Families Psychological aspects , Self-actualization (Psychology) in women South Africa , True Love magazine , Thematic analysis
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232568 , vital:50003
- Description: This study explored how adult women who have experienced father 'absence' are represented in True Love magazine, a popular South African women's magazine targeting black women readers. The study examined nineteen articles published between 2016 and 2021 in True Love, featuring black women’s stories and clinical psychologists, which mentioned ‘absent’ fathers. Through the lenses of psychoanalytic, traditional African cultural, and feminist theoretical frameworks and their key concepts, the articles were examined in relation to how the effects on the adult women of complicated relationships with their fathers while they were growing up, were represented. The selected articles were analysed using Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis, and representational themes were identified guided by theoretical frameworks and familiarity with the scholarly literature on father ‘absence’ in South Africa. A wide range of childhood and young adult experiences of father-daughter relationships, and household circumstances, appeared alongside the strong maternal networks which supported these girls and women. Representations and themes of clinical psychologists involved Freudian psychoanalytic frameworks to describe the damaging psychological implications of ‘absent’ fathers, particularly affecting adult women’s capacities to form trusting intimate relationships with men. The adult women’s stories – largely successful businesswomen and/or celebrities in the arts, as represented by True Love feature writers and editors – presented themes of what the women had learnt from their mothers, and how they had overcome difficulties and obstacles. These themes included representations of resilience, and of being ‘survivors’, informed by empowerments from a feminist theoretical framework. These themes also represented the women as working psychotherapeutically to manage their past experiences and psychological distress, to transform their retriggering in adult heterosexual relationships, and to pursue healing and self-actualisation. These representations and themes are argued to have inspirational and motivating implications for girls and women in contemporary South Africa. They generate alternate stories about the longer-term effects and outcomes of father ‘absence’, rather than the prominent 'victim' stories in media and scholarly literature of young women doomed to suffer poor relationships and depression forever. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
The application of a simple decision support system to address water quality contestations in the Vaal Barrage catchment, South Africa
- Authors: Chili, Asanda Sandra
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Vaal Barrage (South Africa : Reservoir) , Decision support systems South Africa Vaal Barrage (Reservoir) , Water Pollution Law and legislation South Africa , Water quality South Africa Vaal Barrage (Reservoir) , Water use Law and legislation South Africa Vaal Barrage (Reservoir) , Urban watersheds South Africa Vaal Barrage (Reservoir) , Watershed management South Africa Vaal Barrage (Reservoir) , Water use licences (WUL)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232204 , vital:49971
- Description: Deteriorating environmental water quality is one of the complex challenges in South Africa that threaten freshwater ecosystem health and functionality. An emerging concern is the contestation of water quality regulatory instruments such as standards in water use licences (WUL), and the resource quality objectives. In the Vaal Barrage catchment where this study was undertaken these contestations were evident, suggesting the need for both technical and social solutions to water quality changes in socio-ecological systems. The Vaal Barrage catchment within the lower section of the Upper Vaal is a highly developed, urbanised, and complex catchment supporting and contributing to the social-economic development of Gauteng Province and the entire country, as the Upper Vaal contribute 20% to the Gross Domestic Product of South Africa. This study explores the motivations for stakeholders’ contestations of water quality regulatory instruments in order to contribute to ways in which water resource users and regulators can collaboratively address water quality challenges in the Vaal Barrage catchment. The study also explores water quality scenarios and their ecological and management implications. Document analysis, participant observations and a semi-structured questionnaire were deployed to explore stakeholders’ motivations, values, and perceptions of the water quality regulatory instruments. The results were triangulated to gain better insights into research participants responses. To explore water quality management scenarios, the study applied a water quality systems assessment model Decision Support System (DSS). The DSS was recently developed as part of a bigger project within the Vaal Barrage catchment. Regarding stakeholders’ motivation for contesting water quality regulatory instruments in the catchment, the results revealed a perceived lack of scientific credibility and defensibility in the processes used for deriving standards in WUL, a lack of transparent linkage between the WUL and resource quality objectives, and the increased need for stakeholder engagement in the resource quality objective formulation process. Furthermore, the study revealed punitive measures, education and awareness, self-regulation as mechanisms to encourage compliance. The applied DSS results showed that high nutrient loads, sulphate and total dissolved solids sourced from upstream catchments contribute to water quality deterioration in the Vaal Barrage catchment. The results also showed that the Vaal Barrage catchment could not host additional licence emitters because of TDS, phosphate and nitrate levels, which pose a serious risk to the ecology of the Vaal Barrage catchment, indicating that system had exceeded its assimilative capacity for critical water quality variables. Lastly, the results evidenced the need for collaborative action by the waste emitters within the Vaal Barrage catchment, particularly collaboration between upstream and downstream waste emitters. The study has far-reaching implications for water quality management in South Africa. These include i) the need for transparent and open processes and methods for deriving standards in water use licence, ii) the need for a water quality DSS that recognises catchment hydrological complexity in deriving standards in WUL, and for linking WUL and Resource Quality Objectives (RQOs), iii) collaboration between resources users, and between the resources users and the regulators to bring pollution to acceptable levels and iv) both social and technical solutions are necessary for managing water quality challenge, particularly in a highly developed catchment such as the Vaal Barrage system. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Institute for Water Research, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
The mechanisms conditioning doctoral supervision development in public universities across South Africa
- Authors: Motshoane, Puleng Lorraine
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Doctoral students South Africa , Graduate students Supervision of South Africa , Agent (Philosophy) , Public universities and colleges South Africa , Supervisors Training of South Africa , Supervision South Africa , Mentoring in education South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232305 , vital:49980 , DOI 10.21504/10962/232305
- Description: This study offers a social realist account of how South African public institutions develop emerging supervisors. The study addresses the need for supervision development across South African public higher education universities. The purpose of the study was to answer the question “What mechanisms condition the development and support of emerging doctoral supervisors across South African public universities?” To examine this question, analytical dualism was used to separate the roles of the ‘people’ (agents) from the ‘parts’ (structure and culture) to examine their interplay. The study was qualitative, and the data was generated through documents, an online survey, and semi-structured interviews. One hundred and eighty-six participants responded to the survey and fifty-four people were interviewed. The participants came from twenty of the twenty-six public higher education universities and represent a large range of disciplines. The study findings revealed that emerging supervisors were often simply ‘thrown into the deep-end’ as they had to work out how to supervise by learning from their students and using the experience gained while they were being supervised. This was experienced as highly problematic by the participants who shared this understanding. Secondly, the findings suggest that where there were developmental events in place, some were not well received. For example where those providing the training were not regarded as credible because they lacked the supervision experience or because the interventions were seen to be too ad hoc and generic. There were calls for more discipline-specific interventions and collaborative spaces where emerging supervisors could engage with experienced supervisors rather than being instructed in a generic best-practice of ‘how to supervise’. The findings indicated that the lines between co-supervision and mentoring were often blurred, and both were used as another form of supervision development. Such relationships provided a useful means for emerging supervisors to come to understand the complex pedagogy of postgraduate supervision but were at times constrained by power imbalances. It was evident across the data that supervision is a special form of teaching and needs to be conceptualised at least in part as a pedagogy. Moreover, the issue of institutional differentiation needs to be considered for the sector to achieve its intended goals of increasing doctoral output and to be able to participate fully in the knowledge economy. , Phuputso ena e fana ka tlaleho ea 'nete ea kahisano ea kamoo litsi tsa Afrika Boroa li ntlafatsang batsamaisi ba ntseng ba hlaha. Phuputso ena e sebetsana le tlhokeho ya ntshetsopele ya bolebedi ho tswa ho diyunibesithing tsa thuto e phahameng tsa setjhaba tsa Aforika Borwa. Sepheo sa phuputso e ne e le ho araba potso e mabapi le "Ke mekhoa efe e behang nts'etsopele le tšehetso ea baokameli ba ntseng ba tsoela pele ho pholletsa le liunivesithi tsa sechaba tsa Afrika Boroa?" E le ho hlahloba potso ena, ho ile ha sebelisoa li-analytical dualism ho arola likarolo tsa "batho" (baemeli) ho "likarolo" (sebopeho le setso) ho hlahloba likamano tsa bona. Thuto e ne e le ea boleng, 'me lintlha li ile tsa hlahisoa ka litokomane, phuputso ea inthaneteng, le lipuisano tse hlophisitsoeng hantle. Barupeluoa ba lekholo le mashome a robeli a metso e tšeletseng ba ile ba arabela phuputsong eo, 'me batho ba 54 ba botsoa. Barupeluoa ba ne ba tsoa liunivesithing tse mashome a mabeli ho tse mashome a mabeli a metso e tšeletseng tsa thuto e phahameng ea sechaba 'me ba emetse mefuta e mengata ea lithuto. Liphuputso tsa phuputso li senotse hore baokameli ba ntseng ba hlaha hangata ba ne ba ‘lahleloa botebong ba pelo kaha ba ne ba lokela ho etsa qeto ea ho laola ka ho ithuta ho liithuti tsa bona le ho sebelisa phihlelo eo ba e fumaneng ha ba ntse ba behiloe leihlo. Phihlelo ena e bile bothata haholo ho barupeluoa ba arolelanang boiphihlelo bona. Taba ea bobeli, liphuputso li fana ka maikutlo a hore ha liketsahalo tsa nts'etsopele li ntse li le teng, tse ling ha lia ka tsa amoheloa hantle, mohlala, hobane ba fanang ka koetliso ba ne ba sa nkoe e le ba ka tšeptjoang hobane ba ne ba se na boiphihlelo ba bolebeli kapa hobane ho ne ho bonahala hore ho na le mehato ea nakoana. . Ho bile le meipiletso ea hore ho be le litšebetso tse khethehileng tsa khalemelo le libaka tse kopanetsoeng moo baokameli ba neng ba ka buisana le baokameli ba nang le phihlelo ho e-na le ho rutoa ka mokhoa o tloaelehileng oa 'ho laola'. Liphuputso li bonts'itse hore litsela tse pakeng tsa ts'ebelisano-'moho le boeletsi hangata li ne li sa hlaka. Ho feta moo, ka bobeli li ne li sebelisoa e le mofuta o mong oa ntlafatso ea tlhokomelo. Likamano tse joalo li ne li fana ka mokhoa oa bohlokoa bakeng sa baokameli ba ba qalang ho utloisisa thuto e rarahaneng ea bolebeli ba morao-rao empa ka linako tse ling ba ne ba sitisoa ke ho se leka-lekane ha matla. Ho ile ha totobala ho pholletsa le data hore tsamaiso ke mokhoa o ikhethileng oa ho ruta 'me o hloka ho nahanoa bonyane e le mokhoa oa ho ruta. Ho feta moo, taba ea karohano ea litsi e lokela ho shejoa hore lekala le fihlele lipheo tsa lona tse reriloeng tsa ho eketsa tlhahiso ea bongaka le ho kenya letsoho ka botlalo moruong oa tsebo. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04