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Regioselectivity, chemical bonding and physical nature of the interaction between imidazole and XAHs (X= H, F, Cl, Br, CH3, and A= S, Se, Te)

- Isamura, Bienfait K, Lobb, Kevin A, Muya, Jules T

  • Authors: Isamura, Bienfait K , Lobb, Kevin A , Muya, Jules T
  • Date: 2022
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/453183 , vital:75229 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00268976.2022.2026511"
  • Description: Theambidentreactivityofsmall-sizedXAHs(X=H,F,Cl,Br,CH3,andA=S,Se,Te)moleculestowardsthe imidazole molecule (IMZ) has been investigated using wave function (MP2) and Density Func-tional Theory (B3LYP, B3LYP-D3). Molecular electrostatic potentials (MEPs) and frontier molecularorbitals of monomers are computed to rationalise the regioselectivity of IMZ towards XAHs. Thechemical bonding of each complex is described in the framework of the quantum theory of atomsin molecules (QTAIM) and natural bond orbital (NBO) paradigms. The symmetry-adapted pertur-bation theory (SAPT) is employed to assess the physical nature of the interactions. Our findingssuggest that XAHs mainly bind to IMZ through H-bonding and chalcogen-bonding interactionsof weak to moderate strength, with binding energies ranging from−3.1 to−17.6 kcal/mol at theMP2/aug-cc-pVDZ(-PP) level. Topological QTAIM descriptors reveal all H-bonds between IMZ andXAHs to be purely noncovalent contacts, while chalcogen bonds of halogenated XAHs (X=F, Cl, Br) show a partial covalent character. SAPT2 calculations indicate that both H-bonded and chalcogen-bonded complexes are mainly stabilised by electrostatic interactions. Insights drawn from this studyare expected to constitute the bedrock for further investigations about noncovalent interactionbetween middle to big-sized chalcogen-containing molecules and imidazole derivatives.
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Reproductive health systems analyses and the reparative reproductive justice approach: a case study of unsafe abortion in Lesotho

- Macleod, Catriona I, Reynolds, John H

  • Authors: Macleod, Catriona I , Reynolds, John H
  • Date: 2022
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441288 , vital:73874 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2021.1887317"
  • Description: Health systems analyses are touted as mechanisms through which health policy and planning may be implemented. An example is the WHO health systems approach that connects people (needs, rights, perspectives) with services and technologies (equitable access, quality of care, mix of interventions) and with policies and institutional capacities (laws, regulations, human/physical resources, management and financing). The approach is comprehensive and multi-faceted, which is a strength. We argue, however, that health systems analyses should be supplemented with a focus on reproductive justice. Using the WHO health systems approach as an exemplar, we show how the reparative reproductive justice approach outlined by the first author and colleagues assists with outlining comprehensive remedies to the inequities identified in the systems analysis. We argue for attention to remedies at individual and collective, material and symbolic levels. We illustrate our argument using unsafe abortion, legal abortion services and post-abortion care in Lesotho as a case study. We outline the policies, services and people components of abortion in Lesotho using the WHO systems model, followed by a reparative justice analysis of remedies.
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Social-ecological change: insights from the Southern African Program on Ecosystem Change and Society

- Biggs, Reinette, Clements, Hayley S, Cumming, Graeme S, Cundill, Georgina, de Vos, Alta, Hamann, Maike, Luvuno, Linda, Roux, Dirk J, Selomane, Odirilwe, Blanchard, Ryan, Cockburn, Jessica J, Dziba, Luthando E, Esler, Karen J, Fabricius, Christo, Henriksson, Rebecka, Kotschy, Karen, Lindborg, Regina, Masterson, Vanessa A, Nel, Jeanne L, O'Farrell, Patrick, Palmer, Carolyn G, Pereira, Laura, Pollard, Sharon, Preiser, Rika, Scholes, Robert J, Shackleton, Charlie M, Shackleton, Sheona E, Sitas, Nadia, Slingsby, Jasper A, Spierenburg, Maria, Tengö, Maria, Reyers, Belinda

The legacy of colonial and apartheid eras on the distribution, composition and representation of street trees in South Africa

- Shackleton, Charlie M, Gwedla, Nananmhla, Davoren, Elandrie

  • Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Gwedla, Nananmhla , Davoren, Elandrie
  • Date: 2022
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book chapter
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433984 , vital:73017 , ISBN 9781003054672 , https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003054672
  • Description: South Africa is a country of social, economic and racial contrasts and inequities, the roots of which can be traced back to the colonial and the post-colonial, racist apartheid periods. During these periods, urban black South Africans were restricted to living in specifically designated neighbourhoods apart from white citizens. These areas became characterised by institutionalised underdevelopment, insufficient infrastructure, limited opportunities and deep poverty. Despite the democratic transition in the mid-1990s, the imprints of the previous institutionalised segregation remain visible in many facets of the spatial geography of South African towns and cities. The legacies of colonialism and apartheid remain strongly expressed in street trees in terms of where they are found in the urban areas (i.e. very few in the former black neighbourhoods) and the provenance of prevalent species (mostly non-native species in older areas). Similarities to and reproduction of colonial approaches are evident in even contemporary initiatives such as the national social housing programme, the national Champion Trees inventory and the naming of streets after non-native species. This has translated into apathy or antagonism towards street trees in some regions by officials and the public.
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The use and value of wild harvested provisioning ecosystem services along a landscape heterogeneity gradient in rural South Africa

- Herd-Hoare, Shannon C, Shackleton, Charlie M

  • Authors: Herd-Hoare, Shannon C , Shackleton, Charlie M
  • Date: 2022
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/401341 , vital:69727 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2022.2140711"
  • Description: Provisioning ecosystem services (PES) are typically crucial to rural livelihoods, especially in developing countries. However, the links between PES and local biodiversity or landscape heterogeneity are poorly explored. Here, we examined the extent of use and value of locally harvested wild, terrestrial and marine PES (such as wild foods, traditional medicines, firewood, building materials and others) in three villages (35–40 households per village) along a gradient of decreasing landscape heterogeneity. Households at the site with the highest landscape heterogeneity used a greater array of PES (9 ± 4) compared to the intermediate (5 ± 3) and least heterogenous (0.9 ± 0.8) sites. This resulted in a significantly greater annual value of PES to local livelihoods at the most diverse site (US$2 656 ± 2 587 per household), compared to US$1 120 ± 1 313 at the intermediate site and only US$105 ± 193 at the least heterogeneous site. This study shows the importance of access to a diversity of landscapes and PES to support rural livelihoods, which is frequently overlooked in PES valuation studies and in situations of land use change where landscape heterogeneity may decline.
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Working in poverty: Informal employment of household gardeners in Eastern Cape towns, South Africa

- King, Andrew, Shackleton, Charlie M

  • Authors: King, Andrew , Shackleton, Charlie M
  • Date: 2022
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/401398 , vital:69731 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0376835X.2021.1940867"
  • Description: In South Africa there has been relatively little consideration of the informal employment offered to domestic household workers and gardeners. Here we report on the number and profile of gardeners employed by private households and the wage and satisfaction rates in 12 towns of the Eastern Cape. Over 98% of the informal gardeners were male, middle-aged and with limited formal schooling. Approximately 58% of middle and upper income households employed a gardener, at a mean daily rate of R112.20 in 2019. This equated to 13 170 gardeners earning a total wage bill of R139 million p.a. across the 12 towns, which scales up to 0.7–1 million informal gardeners nationally earning approximately R10–14 billion per year. However, daily remuneration was insufficient to cover basic needs, and slightly more than half of the gardeners would prefer a different job, indicating the survivalist nature of the sector.
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‘My friends would laugh at me’: embedding the dominant heterosexual script in the talk of primary school students

- Morison, Tracy, Macleod, Catriona I, Lynch, Ingrid

  • Authors: Morison, Tracy , Macleod, Catriona I , Lynch, Ingrid
  • Date: 2022
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441186 , vital:73864 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2021.1929856"
  • Description: The dominant ‘heterosexual script’ positions men as sexually desiring subjects who initiate sex and use active displays of power to attract women, and women as passive sexual objects who use indirect means to attract men (e.g. physical appearance). While much research has highlighted how this script is deployed in high school settings, less work has attended to primary schools. We demonstrate how the script operates in the talk of primary school students in low resource South African schools. Data were generated in group discussions conducted for a mid-term review of a school-based sexual violence prevention programme. We show how the heterosexual script is embedded in students’ accounts through the regulatory mechanisms of interpersonal and social risks: threats of being ‘dumped’, sexual coercion, violence, and humiliation. These risks are learnt from an early age and may outweigh sexuality education messaging provided later on, which has implications for such interventions. To address this we advocate for early engagement with young people using a dialogical approach that creates a relational context for resistance to inequitable sexual scripts.
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“It’s just like a waiting room”: The lived experiences of psychology students seeking professional training programme admission in South Africa

- Duiker, Adeline, Booysen, Duane D

  • Authors: Duiker, Adeline , Booysen, Duane D
  • Date: 2022
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/454068 , vital:75307 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14330237.2022.2075620"
  • Description: We aimed to explore the lived experiences of South African psychology students of professional training opportunities and career prospects. Informants were eight psychology Honours students attending a South African public university. Interpretive phenomenological analysis of the data yielded four themes recurrent in most participant’s experiences: (i) personal capacity development; (ii) feeling stuck with nothing; (iii) sense of disillusionment and uncertainty; and (iv) low career prospects. The students considered psychology studies beneficial to their personal growth although they were uncertain about their futures, accessing professional training programs, and employment in the field. The uncertainty to access professional training contributes to a sense of unemployability in the South African mental health field.
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Economic evaluation of chemical and biological control of four aquatic weeds in South Africa

- Maluleke, Mary, Fraser, Gavin C G, Hill, Martin P

  • Authors: Maluleke, Mary , Fraser, Gavin C G , Hill, Martin P
  • Date: 2021
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/453170 , vital:75228 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09583157.2021.1900783"
  • Description: Invasive alien plants (IAPs) pose a threat to biodiversity and the economy of the countries they invade. In South Africa, the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Natural Resources Management Programmes, previously The Working for Water Programme (WfW) is tasked with controlling IAPs in a way that protects the environment, as well as producing maximum return to society through poverty alleviation. Biological control is one of the management tools used to control IAPs in South Africa. Four aquatic weeds, Pista stratiotes, Salvinia molesta, Azolla filiculoides and Myriophyllum aquaticum, are under complete biological control in South Africa. However, in the absence of biological agents, the WfW programme would have used herbicides to control these weeds. This paper presents a retrospective analysis of the relative herbicide cost-saving associated with the use of biological control instead of chemical control. The study used cost benefit analysis (CBA) framework with an 8% discount rate. The estimated cost of the biological control on all four aquatic weeds was about R7.8 million, while the estimated cost of chemical control to achieve the same level of control varied between R150 million and R1 billion, depending on the method of application and number of follow up operations. Benefit to cost ratios varied between 90:1 and 631:1, again depending on method of application and number of follow up sprays. The results remained robust under a 5% and 10% sensitivity test and show that biological control is the most cost-effective management option for aquatic weeds in South Africa.
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Futures analysis

- Hichert, Tanya, Biggs, Reinette, de Vos, Alta

  • Authors: Hichert, Tanya , Biggs, Reinette , de Vos, Alta
  • Date: 2021
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book chapter
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433871 , vital:73006 , ISBN 9781000401516 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/49560
  • Description: Futures analysis methods can help people to think constructively and systematically about the future and advance our understanding of change and uncertainty in complex social-ecological systems (SES). This is important because there is not one single predictable future but multiple ones, depending on the complex, unpredictable interplays and interactions of actors, institutions, ecological processes and other elements of the system and its dynamics. Actively developing ideas, images and/or stories about different futures can enable us to make different choices and take different actions in the present in relation to, for example, risk mitigation, adaptation, resource allocation and strategy development, which can help build more sustainable and just futures.
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Interviews and surveys

- Shackleton, Sheona E, Bezerra, Joana C, Cockburn, Jessica J, Reed, Maureen G, Abu, Razak

  • Authors: Shackleton, Sheona E , Bezerra, Joana C , Cockburn, Jessica J , Reed, Maureen G , Abu, Razak
  • Date: 2021
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book chapter
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433914 , vital:73009 , ISBN 9781000401516 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/49560
  • Description: This chapter is closely related to the following approaches and methods in this handbook: systems scoping (Chapter 5), participatory data collection (Chapter 8), facilitated dialogues (Chapter 9), futures analysis (Chapter 10), qualitative content analysis (Chapter 19), comparative case study analysis (Chapter 20), institutional analysis (Chapter 22), network analysis (Chapter 23), spatial mapping and analysis (Chapter 24), historical assessment (Chapter 25), and livelihood and vulnerability analysis (Chapter 32).
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Knowledge of formal and informal regulations affecting wild plant foraging practices in urban spaces in South Africa

- Garekae, Hesekia, Shackleton, Charlie M

  • Authors: Garekae, Hesekia , Shackleton, Charlie M
  • Date: 2021
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/403221 , vital:69935 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2021.102659"
  • Description: Although foraging wild plants is commonly perceived to be synonymous with rural areas, it is now increasingly recognized in urban areas. Notwithstanding, the regulations conditioning access to and rights to foraging in urban green spaces have seldom been examined. This study explored the formal and informal regulations governing access to and defining rights to forageable plant resources in the towns of Potchefstroom and Thabazimbi, South Africa. A random sample of 374 households was considered for the survey, complemented by in-depth interviews with 26 participants. Foraging occurred in a variety of public and private spaces, with the frequency of access differing with the type of space. The majority of the respondents were unaware of formal and informal regulations governing access to and use of urban landscapes. Recognizing foraging activities in urban landscapes is a fundamental step toward fostering active community involvement in the management and production of urban green spaces.
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Livelihood and vulnerability analysis

- Shackleton, Charlie M, Schreckenberg, Kate, Shackleton, Sheona E, Luckert, Marty

  • Authors: Shackleton, Charlie M , Schreckenberg, Kate , Shackleton, Sheona E , Luckert, Marty
  • Date: 2021
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book chapter
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433811 , vital:73002 , ISBN 9781000401516 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/49560
  • Description: Livelihood analysis and vulnerability analysis are integrative approaches and consequently draw on a variety of methods to collect and analyse primary and secondary data covered in other chapters. Core ones include systems scoping (Chapter 5), ecological field data collection (Chapter 6), interviews and surveys (Chapter 7), participatory data collection (Chapter 8), action research (Chapter 15), statistical analysis (Chapter 18), qualitative content analysis (Chapter 19), comparative case study analysis (Chapter 20), institutional analysis (Chapter 22) and spatial mapping and analysis (Chapter 24).
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Participatory data collection

- de Vos, Alta, Preiser, Rika, Masterson, Vanessa A

  • Authors: de Vos, Alta , Preiser, Rika , Masterson, Vanessa A
  • Date: 2021
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book chapter
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433842 , vital:73004 , ISBN 9781000401516 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/49560
  • Description: Participatory mapping (direct-to-digital participatory mapping, 3D-participatory mapping, participatory GIS), photovoice, transect walks, ranking exercises, focus group discussions, Venn diagrams, matrix scoring, ecograms, timelines, Q-methodology, community mapping, participatory videography, photo elicitation, seasonal calendars, participatory action research, participatory rural appraisal, participant observation, arts-based methods.
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Reshaping our musical values: decolonising teaching and curricular frameworks in the Eastern Cape

- McConnachie, Boudina E

  • Authors: McConnachie, Boudina E
  • Date: 2021
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480216 , vital:78407 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17411912.2021.1930090"
  • Description: Musical ideals set by European standards and values, entrenched through colonial oppression and promoted by the continued veneration of Western culture need to be re-evaluated. This short essay in an alternative format of a critical report records the development and implementation of an African instrumental music studies course at Rhodes University, introduced to re-value and promote African ways of making and interacting with music. As a result of in-depth research with regard to the ailing Indigenous African Music (IAM) syllabus in the South African national school music curriculum, this university-level course has been designed to generate future teachers and culture-bearers who will possess a deeper understanding of, and feeling for, Indigenous African musics and who, as a result, will be able to engage with African musics through teaching and learning. Highlighting the crisis in South African music education decolonisation, this paper will also present other proposed solutions to this problem.
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Rethinking the decolonial moment through collaborative practices at the International Library of African Music (ILAM), South Africa

- Watkins, Lee W, Madiba, Elijah M, McConnachie, Boudina E

  • Authors: Watkins, Lee W , Madiba, Elijah M , McConnachie, Boudina E
  • Date: 2021
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/480227 , vital:78409 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17411912.2021.1938628"
  • Description: Until recently the International Library of African Music (ILAM) was at the receiving end of widespread criticisms because most of its collections were acquired through the colonial privilege of its founder, Hugh Tracey. Tracey recorded music and collected musical instruments in many countries of sub-Sahara Africa without following the rigorous ethical practices which are a necessary requirement for collectors these days. Since its establishment in 1954 until the early 2000s, moreover, ILAM had largely been inaccessible to black South Africans who comprise the majority of the population. Its presence, therefore, is complicated by a racist past associated with apartheid and a colonial past characterised by the misappropriation of the colonised's resources. In view of this history, ILAM had to shape a new reality which fell in line with calls and demands for decolonised practices such that the archive became an agent for transformation on numerous fronts. This series of articles describes the efforts undertaken by ILAM so that it could develop and implement policies which would place it at the vanguard of ethical archival practices on the continent. It is argued that the decolonial could be realised only through collaboration with entities which shared our interests in participatory and transformed archival practices.
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Scenario development

- Hichert, Tanya, Biggs, Reinette, de Vos, Alta, Peterson, Garry

  • Authors: Hichert, Tanya , Biggs, Reinette , de Vos, Alta , Peterson, Garry
  • Date: 2021
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book chapter
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433857 , vital:73005 , ISBN 9781000401516 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/49560
  • Description: Scenario development connects to various other methods, but in particular to futures analysis (Chapter 10) as it is also regarded as a futures analysis method. It warrants a separate chapter in addition to the other futures analysis methods (described in Chapter 10) because of its importance and widespread use. Scenario development also connects to facilitated dialogues (Chapter 9), serious games (Chapter 12), participatory modelling and planning (Chapter 13), dynamical systems modelling (Chapter 26) and agent-based modelling (Chapter 28).
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Segmentation of Tuta Absoluta’s Damage on Tomato Plants: A Computer Vision Approach

- Loyani, Loyani K, Bradshaw, Karen L, Machuze, Dina

  • Authors: Loyani, Loyani K , Bradshaw, Karen L , Machuze, Dina
  • Date: 2021
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440313 , vital:73765 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08839514.2021.1972254"
  • Description: Tuta absoluta is a major threat to tomato production, causing losses ranging from 80% to 100% when not properly managed. Early detection of T. absoluta’s effects on tomato plants is important in controlling and preventing severe pest damage on tomatoes. In this study, we propose semantic and instance segmentation models based on U-Net and Mask RCNN, deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) to segment the effects of T. absoluta on tomato leaf images at pixel level using field data. The results show that Mask RCNN achieved a mean Average Precision of 85.67%, while the U-Net model achieved an Intersection over Union of 78.60% and Dice coefficient of 82.86%. Both models can precisely generate segmentations indicating the exact spots/areas infested by T. absoluta in tomato leaves. The model will help farmers and extension officers make informed decisions to improve tomato productivity and rescue farmers from annual losses.
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Synthesis and emerging frontiers in social-ecological systems research methods

- Schluter, Maja, Biggs, Reinette, Clements, Hayley, de Vos, Alta, Maciejewski, Kristine, Preiser, Rika

  • Authors: Schluter, Maja , Biggs, Reinette , Clements, Hayley , de Vos, Alta , Maciejewski, Kristine , Preiser, Rika
  • Date: 2021
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , book chapter
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433887 , vital:73007 , ISBN 9781000401516 , https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/49560
  • Description: Social-ecological systems (SES) research is a rapidly emerging new research domain within the broader emerging area of sustainability science. It is largely a problem-driven and action-oriented field, motivated by the immense sustainability and equity-related challenges facing society (see Chapter 1). Social-ecological systems research is based on an understanding that SES are complex adaptive systems (CAS), where social and ecological dynamics are deeply intertwined, and give rise to features and problems that cannot be understood or addressed by studying these dimensions in isolation (see Chapter 2). The field draws on and combines methods from both natural and social sciences, and combines quantitative and qualitative approaches. As such, SES research is characterised by epistemological and methodological pluralism, which is challenging for those entering the field and has complex implications for the research process, methods and ethical considerations to be taken into account in SES research (see Chapter 3). This book aims to clarify and synthesise this plurality by providing an introduction to SES research (Part 1), and the diversity of methods currently used in the field (Part 2). The aim of this final chapter (Part 3) is to provide a synthesis of the current landscape of SES methods, critically reflect on the methods with respect to their ability to address systemic features of SES and discuss some of the most common methodological challenges associated with the complex adaptive and intertwined nature of SES. Based on this synthesis, we identify methodological gaps and discuss novel methods and method combinations that may help to address these gaps and move the field forward.
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The cultural significance of plant-fiber crafts in Southern Africa: a comparative study of Eswatini, Malawi, and Zimbabwe

- Pullanikkatil, Deepa, Thondhlana, Gladman, Shackleton, Charlie M

  • Authors: Pullanikkatil, Deepa , Thondhlana, Gladman , Shackleton, Charlie M
  • Date: 2021
  • Subjects: To be catalogued
  • Language: English
  • Type: text , article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/399860 , vital:69564 , xlink:href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14728028.2021.1998797"
  • Description: Traditional handicrafts made from various plant materials are produced by most cultures around the world. Many originated through symbolic and utilitarian needs that became ritualized through time, thereby gradually attaining greater value as cultural items or symbols rather than solely functional ones. Here we report on a survey of 343 crafters across Eswatini, Malawi, and Zimbabwe in southern Africa regarding the cultural uses and significance of the items they make from wild plant fibers and sell to local communities or tourists. The plant materials used were largely dictated by tradition and local availability and were crafted into a diverse range of products including baskets, mats, brooms, storage containers, hats, fish traps, ornaments, and furniture. Many products had uses and cultural significance at major ceremonies or rituals, such as weddings, funerals, initiation, and divination. The preparation and design of the different crafts were influenced by tradition as well as market demand as indicated by tourist fashions and advice provided by government or non-government agencies to boost income generation from crafts. Although the crafting of cultural objects is increasingly commercialized and subject to the tastes and fashions of tourist markets in the region, the traditional and cultural significance of such artifacts remains widely recognized and valued.
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