The devil in disguise a comparative study of Thomas Mann's "Doktor Faustus" (1947) and Klaus Mann's "Mephisto" (1936), focussing on the role of art as an allegory of the rise and fall of Nazi Germany
- Authors: French, Rebecca S C
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Mann, Thomas, 1875-1955 Doktor Faustus Mann, Klaus, 1906-1949 Mephisto Arts, German -- 20th Century Art, Germany -- 20th Century National socialism in art National socialism in literature
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3582 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002157
- Description: This thesis compares the novels Doktor Faustus: das Leben des deutschen Tonsetzers Adrian Leverkühn, erzählt von einem Freunde (Thomas Mann) and Mephisto: Roman einer Karriere (Klaus Mann), insofar as they are portrayals of the situation in Germany during the Third Reich. Essentially a comparative study, I explore similarities and differences – thematic and conceptual – by situating both novels in their socio-historical moment (Chapter 1), exploring their conceptions of German national identity (Chapter 2), tracing intertextual connections to other works (Chapter 3), and, finally, examining their understanding of and reliance on art as insofar as it provides the allegorical framework for their respective portrayals of Nazi Germany (Chapter 4).
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The difficulty of living well: effort and failure in the good life
- Authors: Moore, Jesse Alexander
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Conduct of life Ethics Happiness Values Failure (Psychology) Success Struggle
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2715 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002845
- Description: We all want to live good lives, but due to the difficulty involved, few of us ever succeed. We usually either fail in our attempts to live well or remain with our safer, and less worthwhile, options. In spite of this, there has been little, if any, investigation of the role that difficulty plays in our attempts to live well, and thus in our conceptions of the good life. Within the field of the good life, philosophers tend to acknowledge the fact that good lives are difficult to live, and leave it at that. Since we must all face the difficulty of living well, the lack of analysis of the implications of difficulty seems a glaring oversight. In order to redress this, I explore the role that difficulty plays in two requirements for living well, namely achievement and reflection. Firstly, I examine the relationship between effort and achievement. I argue that difficulty just is the requirement of effort, and that it is required in order for our achievements to be meaningful and for us to value them. Secondly, I look at the relationship between failure and reflection. I argue that reflection on our failures can lead us to knowledge that helps us to live well and that we would not usually come to if we did not fail. Finally, I look at the roles of effort and failure in some accounts of the good life and I draw on psychological research and theory to provide support for my conclusions about the positive effects of effort. I conclude by examining the implications of reducing difficulty for the future of humankind.
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The distinction between tax evasion, tax avoidance and tax planning
- Authors: Tarrant, Greg
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: South African Revenue Service , Tax evasion -- South Africa , Tax planning -- South Africa , Income tax -- South Africa , Income tax -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:897 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004549
- Description: Tax avoidance has been the subject of intense scrutiny lately by both the South African Revenue Service ("the SARS") and the media. This attention stems largely from the recent withdrawal of section 103(1) together with the introduction of section 80A to 80L of the South African Income Tax Act. However, this attention is not limited to South Africa. Revenue authorities worldwide have focused on the task of challenging tax avoidance. The approach of the SARS to tackling tax avoidance has been multi-faceted. In the Discussion Paper on Tax Avoidance and Section 103 (1) of the South African Income Tax Act they begin with a review of the distinction between tax evasion, tax avoidance and tax planning. Following a call for comment the SARS issued an Interim Response followed by the Revised Proposals which culminated in the withdrawal of the longstanding general anti-avoidance rules housed in section 103(1) and the introduction of new and more comprehensive anti-avoidance rules. In addition, the SARS has adopted an ongoing media campaign stressing the importance of paying tax in a country with a large development agenda like that of South Africa, the need for taxpayers to adopt a responsible attitude to the management of tax and the inclusion of responsible tax management as the greatest measure of a taxpayer's corporate and social investment. In tandem with this message the SARS have sought to vilify those taxpayers who engage in tax avoidance. The message is clear: tax avoidance carries reputational risks; those who engage in tax avoidance are unpatriotic or immoral and their actions simply result in an unfair shifting of the tax burden. The SARS is not alone in the above approach. Around the world tax authorities have been echoing the same message. The message appears to be working. Accounting firms speak of a "creeping conservatism" that has pervaded company boardrooms. What is not clear, however, is whether taxpayers, in becoming more conservative, are simply more fully aware of tax risks and are making informed decisions or whether they are simply responding to external events, such as the worldwide focus by revenue authorities and the media on tax avoidance. Whatever the reason, it is now critical, particularly in the case of corporate taxpayers, that their policies for tax and its attendant risks need to be as sophisticated, coherent and transparent as its policies in all other areas involving multiple stakeholders, such as suppliers, customers, staff and investors. How does a company begin to set its tax philosophy and strategic direction or to determine its appetite for risk? A starting point, it is submitted would be a review of the distinction between tax evasion, avoidance and planning with a heightened sensitivity to the unfamiliar ethical, moral and social risks. The goal of this thesis was to clearly define the distinction between tax evasion, tax avoidance and tax planning from a legal interpretive, ethical and historical perspective in order to develop a rudimentary framework for the responsible management of strategic tax decisions, in the light of the new South African general anti-avoidance legislation. The research methodology entails a qualitative research orientation consisting of a critical conceptual analysis of tax evasion and tax avoidance, with a view to establishing a basic framework to be used by taxpayers to make informed decisions on tax matters. The analysis of the distinction in this work culminated in a diagrammatic representation of the distinction between tax evasion, tax avoidance and tax planning emphasising the different types of tax avoidance from least aggressive to the most abusive and from the least objectionable to most objectionable. It is anticipated that a visual representation of the distinction, however flawed, would result in a far more pragmatic tool to taxpayers than a lengthy document. From a glance taxpayers can determine the following: That tax avoidance is legal; that different forms of tax avoidance exist, some forms being more aggressive than others; that aggressive forms of tax avoidance carry reputational risks; and that in certain circumstances aggressive tax avoidance schemes may border on tax evasion. This, it is envisaged, may prompt taxpayers to ask the right questions when faced with an external or in-house tax avoidance arrangement rather than simply blindly accepting or rejecting the arrangement.
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The effect of restricted environments on selected postural, physiological and perceptual responses
- Authors: Wolfe, Amy
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Human engineering , Posture , Human mechanics , Work environment , Human beings -- Effect of environment on , Musculoskeletal system -- Wounds and injuries , Industrial safety , Work -- Physiological aspects , Stress (Physiology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5115 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005193 , Human engineering , Posture , Human mechanics , Work environment , Human beings -- Effect of environment on , Musculoskeletal system -- Wounds and injuries , Industrial safety , Work -- Physiological aspects , Stress (Physiology)
- Description: Manual lifting tasks are the predominant means of transporting materials in industry with many of these tasks being performed in confined spaces. Research has tended to focus on the biomechanical implications of working in small spaces with a decided lack of information about the physiological and perceptual responses in these environments. This holistic study therefore investigated the manner in which the human operator responded to conditions where the ceiling height was lowered and reach demands increased. Thirty-two young physically active male subjects (age: 21.55yr; stature: 1810mm) were recruited to complete a 2-way repeated measures experiment during which four lifting protocols where different combinations of ceiling height (‘normal’ or reduced to 1460mm in height) and reach demands (400mm or 800mm) were tested. A crude postural analysis was conducted while physiological responses were detailed and continuously monitored. Perceptual responses were also assessed. The tasks with a ‘normal’ ceiling height (mean compression forces: 2615N; mean shearing forces: 388N) and the greatest reach distance (mean compression forces: 3655N; mean shearing forces: 386N) placed individuals under the highest strain. Mean heart rate (HR) responses were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in the URN condition when compared to the RF condition. Furthermore, HR responses were statistically significantly affected by the height of the ceiling and the reach depth. Statistically significant differences (p< 0.05) in mean tidal volume (VT) occurred in the least (URN) and most (RF) restrictive conditions. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in mean VE were evident between URN and URF, between URN and RF and between RN and RF. Ceiling height and reach demands had a statistically significant effect on all respiratory responses. There was a statistically significant difference in mean oxygen consumption (VO2) between the URN and all other conditions, and between the most restricted task (RF) and all other conditions. Both the effect of ceiling height and reach demands had a statistically statistically significant impact on VO2. Respiratory quotient (RQ) was significantly higher when loads were moved over 800mm compared to 400mm yet ceiling height did not have a statistically significant effect on RQ. Mean energy expenditure was significantly higher in the RF condition compared to the two least restrictive conditions (URN and RN). Statistically significant differences in EE were also evident between URN and RN, and between URN and URF. EE was significantly affected by reductions in ceiling height and increases in reach demands. Perceptually, the RF task (mean ‘Central’ RPE of 11) was perceived to place significantly greater cardiorespiratory demands on the operator compared to the URN (CRPE: 10) and RN (CRPE: 10) conditions. Statistically significant differences in perceived musculoskeletal strain only occurred between URN and RF. The effect of reach was perceived to have a statistically significant effect on both cardiovascular and musculoskeletal demands whereas ceiling height only had a statistically significant effect on musculoskeletal demands. The greatest discomfort was experienced in the lower back with the most intense discomfort occurring in the RN condition.
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The feasibility of stock enhancement as a management tool for dusky kob (Argyrosomus japonicus) in South Africa
- Authors: Palmer, Ryan Michael
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Argyrosomus -- South Africa , Argyrosomus -- Genetics , Fishery management -- South Africa , Fish stocking -- South Africa , Fisheries -- South Africa , Marine ecology -- South Africa , Fish culture -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5281 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005125 , Argyrosomus -- South Africa , Argyrosomus -- Genetics , Fishery management -- South Africa , Fish stocking -- South Africa , Fisheries -- South Africa , Marine ecology -- South Africa , Fish culture -- South Africa
- Description: The dusky kob, Argyrosomus japonicus, is a popular South African “line fish” whose stocks have dwindled to dangerously low levels of between 1% and 4.5% of pristine spawner biomass per recruit. A. japonicus stocks are currently managed by means of minimum size restrictions and daily bag limits, and as a result of the inability of these measures to facilitate the recovery of the species over a realistic time frame, the need for an alternative management plan has become apparent. Given the status of the stock and management regime, stock enhancement appears to be an appropriate option to be investigated. This study evaluates the feasibility of stock enhancement as a possible management tool to assist with the recovery of this important South African linefish species. By evaluating the genetic and ecological implications related to stock enhancement, identifying a suitable tagging method for post-release monitoring, and evaluating the economic feasibility of such a programme, any fatal flaws would become immediately apparent. This coupled with the required framework for the development of a management plan for stock enhancement of A. japonicus provides direction further research and actions required in order to utilise stock enhancement as a management tool. Due to the nature of stock enhancement, there are several ecological and genetic issues that arise from such a programme. These issues were reviewed and the issues that were relevant to stock enhancement of A. japonicus identified. Ecological concerns that arose included those of competition, disease and seed quality, while genetic issues were concerned mainly in the possible loss of genetic variability and consequent reduction in fitness of the stock. Fortunately the technology exists to evaluate the effects and likelihood of these problems occurring as well as to minimise the likelihood of them occurring. By taking a scientific approach to stock enhancement, hatchery management, and release strategies can be manipulated in such a way as to minimise any negative effects that may be caused. Both ecological and genetic effects of stocking indicate a need for post-release monitoring of stock enhancement programmes. Stock enhancement requires a post-release monitoring programme, which in turn relies on an ability to distinguish between hatchery reared and wild fish. A study was conducted to evaluate the suitability of coded wire tags (CWT), visual implant fluorescent elastomers (VIFE), and oxytetracycline (OTC) as a means of distinguishing between hatchery reared and wild A. japonicus, for the purpose of a post-release monitoring programme. OTC appeared to be the most suitable as it produced 100% retention over a five month period compared to 62% and 61% for VIFE and CWT respectively. OTC is therefore suggested as a tagging method for the purpose of post-release monitoring of the stock enhancement of A. japonicus. To evaluate a possible funding option for stock enhancement of A. japonicus in South Africa, a willingness-to-pay survey, based on a “user pays” approach using recreational fishing permits as a vehicle for payment, included 102 recreational anglers in the Plettenberg Bay area. The survey showed that generally anglers were willing to pay more than the current amount for the recreational fishing permit. This promising result, coupled with the fact that there are approximately 450 000 recreational anglers leads to the belief that there is potential for a substantial increase in the funds generated for the Marine Living Resources Fund through recreational anglers. Stock enhancement should not be ruled out on the basis of economic feasibility yet as there is potential for it to be sustained by the users of the resource. An A. japonicus juvenile production costing model was created taking into account setup and running costs of a hatchery for A. japonicus, based on known parameters from existing facilities, and adjusting them to meet the requirements of a stock enhancement facility. Estimates varied according to the number and size of fish for release (values which can only be decided upon after further research), with setup estimated to be between R 10 000 000 and R 30 000 000 and annual running costs between R 2 400 000 and R 6 700 000 annually. These figures were dependant on the size and number of fish being produced, with production ranging between 100 000 and 5 000 000 fish of between 50 mm and 150 mm, and a broodstock of 150 individuals. Given the need for alternative management of A. japonicus in South Africa and the lack of evidence to suggest that it is an unfeasible option, this project has found no reason why further investigation into the use of stock enhancement for the management of A. japonicus should not proceed further provided the fishery is shown to be recruit limited. The technology and ability to overcome possible ecological and genetic problems exists, a suitable means of tagging for post-release monitoring exists, as does a realistic funding option. There is a substantial amount of research that must be done prior to stocking, for which a base framework is provided.
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The impact of HIV/AIDS on rural children's reliance on natural resources within the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: McGarry, Dylan Kenneth
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Natural resources -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , AIDS (Disease) in children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , HIV infections -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Children of AIDS patients -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Wild foods -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Food supply -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Children -- Social conditions -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4759 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007149 , Natural resources -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , AIDS (Disease) in children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , HIV infections -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Children of AIDS patients -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural children -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Wild foods -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Food supply -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Children -- Social conditions -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: The role of natural resources in the lives of rural children impacted by HIV/AIDS remains unexplored. This study highlights wild food use by rural children vulnerable to the impacts of HIV/AIDS as an important and regular activity that supplements their domestic diets. This work found that with an increase in vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, children rely more on wild foods. Through an 18 month project in the Eastern Cape, using a broad quantitative and qualitative school and non-school survey, individual interviews, food diaries, participant observation, interactive photography, and other participatory techniques, a total of 850 children's coping strategies and livelihoods were examined. The quality of children’s domestic diets was, on average, 60% lower than the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) guidelines. However, 62% of the children interviewed were supplementing their diets with wild foods, 30% having over half their diet supplemented with wild foods. Dietary diversity showed a 13% increase when wild food supplementation occurred. While traditionally rural children rely on reciprocal networks during times of crisis, we found that these networks were eroding from the pressures of HIV/AIDS. Begging, for some children, was replaced by wild food collection and a significantly larger proportion of children more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS relied on wild foods more than did less vulnerable children. Considering the heightened nutritional and energy needs of children, combined with the impact of HIV/AIDS on household food access, wild foods represent the last freely attainable food sources available to them. Hunting and collection of wild food is a group activity, which was found to have valuable psychosocial benefits. Commercialisation of wild foods was observed among 38% of the children, with significantly more vulnerable children selling wild foods. The use of wild foods by rural children also had positive influences on the preservation of indigenous ecological knowledge.
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The impact of the broadcast legislative reforms on the newsroom staff's perceptions of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC)'s editorial operations and news content
- Authors: Hamasaka, Clayson
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation Public broadcasting -- Zambia Mass media -- Management -- Zambia Broadcasting -- Law and legislation -- Zambia Broadcasting -- Political aspects -- Zambia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3432 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002886
- Description: The 1980s and 1990s saw major changes in the political landscape of the media in many countries that were either reverting or emerging from repressive nondemocratic regimes. Among the notable changes in media industry was the opening up of the national airwaves, which had been a state monopoly, to private sector and community participation. The democratic dispensation also put state broadcasters in the spot-light regarding their editorial content which was previously ‘institutionalised’ as belonging to the ruling regimes. This study set out to investigate the extent to which broadcasting reform legislation meant to address the unfair coverage of contending voices on Zambia’s public broadcaster has had an impact in reversing the situation in the newsroom. Using qualitative methods of investigation, the study established that while the ZNBC staff understand aspects of their role in their newsroom in relation to the principles of public service broadcasting and in line with the enacted legislation, they perceive that, in practice, they have to ensure that the news content still remains a reserve of a few voices in favour of the ruling regime. This was evidenced by testimonies from the news staff’s complaints of continued editorial interference in their work by government leaders and government appointed gatekeepers, as well as selfcensorship. The study recommends, among other things, the full implementation of the recently enacted laws on the operations of ZNBC in order to achieve some minimum levels of being a public broadcaster. It further recommends a serious re-orientation of the ZNBC newsroom and management staff to the current legislative requirements so as to shift their mindset away from their traditionally-held views of thinking that news at that station is only for the ruling regime.
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The influence of organisational culture on organisational commitment at a selected local municipality
- Authors: Van Stuyvesant Meijen, Jolise
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Local government -- South Africa , Corporate culture -- South Africa , Organizational change -- South Africa , Municipal services -- South Africa , Employee loyalty
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:1172 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002788
- Description: Since 2000, local municipalities have been through a process of transformation which amalgamated a number of smaller local municipalities into larger municipalities. The amalgamation of a number of municipalities brings together an array of people, and therefore a myriad of organisational cultures are combined. The organisational culture of an organisation has an effect on the organisational commitment of its employees. A fit between the organisational culture and the employees will increase the organisational commitment of those employees and contribute towards improved service delivery. A survey conducted in South Africa indicated that the local municipalities have been delivering poor standards of service to the community; therefore there is a need to increase the service delivery within local municipalities. The importance of looking at the organisational commitment of a local municipality is because if there is commitment within the organisation, then employees will identify with their organisation and its goals, and will deliver the service more effectively and efficiently. Therefore, increasing the service delivery of local municipalities can be achieved through diagnosing the organisational commitment and organisational culture of employees within the selected municipality. The primary objective of this research was therefore to diagnose the relationship between organisational culture and the organisational commitment of employees at the selected municipality. In order to achieve this objective, a survey was conducted to canvas the opinions of respondents (N = 148) from the selected local municipality regarding their perceptions of the existing organisational culture, their preferences regarding the organisational culture within the selected municipality, and finally the organisational commitment. The main findings of this research conducted at a selected municipality can be summarised as follows: The dominant existing organisational culture is the power culture, while the dominant preferred organisational culture is the support culture; There is an organisational culture gap between the existing and preferred organisational cultures at the selected municipality; The dominant organisational commitment within the selected municipality is normative commitment; The findings pertaining to the relationship between organisational culture and organisational commitment of employees within the selected municipality can be stated as follows: The existing organisational cultures have significant effects on the organisational commitment of employees; The preferred organisational cultures do not have significant effects on the organisational commitment of employees; and The organisational culture gap does not have a significant effect on the organisational commitment of employees; The findings pertaining to the relationship between the biographical variables and the existing and preferred organisational culture, organisational commitment and the organisational culture gap can be stated as follows: There is no significant relationship between biographical variables and the existing organisational culture; There are significant relationships between the biographical variables, namely the departments in which respondents work, and the education level of respondents, and the preferred organisational culture; There are significant relationships between the biographical variables and organisational commitment; and The average organisational culture gap scores of the organisational culture scales for the biographical variables are significantly different. It can be concluded that organisational culture has a significant effect on the organisational commitment of employees within the selected municipality and therefore can affect the service delivery of the selected municipality.
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The informal sector : micro-enterprise activities and livelihoods in Makana Municipality, South Africa
- Authors: Mtero, Farai
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Makana Municipality , Local government -- South Africa , Informal sector (Economics) -- South Africa , Microfinance -- South Africa , Economics -- Sociological aspects , Financial institutions -- Social aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:3359 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007706 , Makana Municipality , Local government -- South Africa , Informal sector (Economics) -- South Africa , Microfinance -- South Africa , Economics -- Sociological aspects , Financial institutions -- Social aspects -- South Africa
- Description: This study examines the nature and characteristics of the informal sector within the Makana municipal area in South Africa. The focus is on the socio-economic characteristics of the informal sector operatives; operational characteristics of the microenterprises that we studied, such as longevity, employment generation, growth potential, and linkages of the informal sector with the formal sector of the economy. Extensive studies on the informal sector have been conducted in many parts of the world relative to South Africa. The key finding in most of these researches is that the informal sector is highly heterogeneous. These studies provide us with the parameters for analysing the nature and characteristics of the informal sector in the Makana Municipality. The results of the thesis show that the majority of people in Makana Municipality join the informal sector as a result of such push factors as unemployment, retrenchment and the need to survive. While there is evidence of lucrative activities amongst the surveyed enterprises, most of the informal sector micro-enterprises are concentrated in the lower segment of the sector where earnings are very low. Results from this study reveal that employment generation (beyond owner-operator) is very limited. The co-existence of a small number of remunerative activities alongside a large proportion of relatively unproductive activities is not only a sign of restricted economic potential but, most importantly, it points to the heterogeneous nature of the informal sector. Precisely, the informal sector encompasses activities which are different in terms of asset holdings, earnings, etc. From the study, it is also evident that the informal sector micro-enterprises play a crucial role in distributing goods produced in the formal sector. Evidence indicates that these micro-enterprises are Iinked to the formal sector. The idea of a 'second economy' devoid of linkages with the 'first economy' is of limited heuristic value. Thus, the 'second economy' is an extension of the first.
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The intermediary function of NGOs in HIV/AIDS responses : a case study of the Lady Frere district of the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Mayekiso, Andile
- Date: 2008 , 2013-07-11
- Subjects: HIV infections -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape AIDS (Disease) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Non-governmental organizations -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Community organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape HIV infections -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape AIDS (Disease) -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3354 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007584
- Description: The HIV/AIDS epidemic has serious effects on society. It has been described as the biggest threat to the development of South Africa, with severe economic, social and human impact. In the Lady Frere District in the Eastern Cape Province, like in many other areas that are greatly affected by the epidemic in this country, young people are considered by the local Department of Health to be a particularly vulnerable group due to various predisposing biological, social, cultural, and economical factors. Despite the efforts that have been made to educate and encourage prevention, especially by the local Masibambane Non-governmental Organisation (MNGO) to inform these communities about the dangers of the epidemic, people's behaviour have been slow to change and the disease continues to spread. This research is conducted against the escalating HIV / AIDS pandemic in the Lady Frere District. The fundamental aim of this project is to examine the intermediary function of the MNGO in HIV/AIDS responses. The study seeks to evaluate the way in which this local NGO operates on the ground in contributing to a community's response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. In other words, the thesis tries to indicate how this local NGO, in dealing with the HIV/AIDS issue, interfaces with the community and related stakeholders. It examines how young people in the Lady Frere District perceive HIV/AIDS. A literature review demonstrates that the specific aims and objectives of this project represent a fairly new area of research in South Africa. I propose in the thesis that a simple act of joining and being regularly involved in a community organisation such as the MNGO will have significant impact on individuals' health and well-being. The thesis is crying for a need to restore the notion of "ubuntu" (meaning humanity) which is fundamentally based on social capital to assist these communities to rebuild trust which is essential in people living with HIV/AIDS. Based on my assessment it seems that intermediary NGOs, like the traditional NGOs and the private sector, will have little impact in terms of changing the conditions of the poor and the marginalised people. This is because in practice, like the conventional NGOs, intermediary NGOs serve the interests of donors and national governments or those who give them financial support to continue existing.
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The male novelist and the 'woman question' George Meredith's presentation of his Heroines in The Egoist (1879) and Diana of the Crossways (1885)
- Authors: Bell, Alan Nigel
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Meredith, George, 1828-1909 -- Criticism and interpretation Meredith, George, 1828-1909. Egoist Meredith, George, 1828-1909. Diana of the Crossways English fiction -- 19th century -- History and criticism English fiction -- Male authors -- History and criticism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2203 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002245
- Description: Focusing on four early works, then three from his middle period and three from the 1890s, this dissertation explores Meredith’s role as a novelist in the unfolding of a social and literary paradox, namely, that with the death of George Eliot in 1880, the dominant writers of fiction were male, and this remained the case until the advent of Virginia Woolf, while at the same time the woman’s movement for emancipation in all spheres of life—domestic, commercial, professional and political—was gathering in strength and conviction. None of the late nineteenth-century male novelists—James, Hardy, Moore and Gissing, as well as Meredith—was ideologically committed to the feminist cause; in fact the very term ‘feminist’ did not begin to become current in England until the mid-1890s. But they were all interested in one aspect or another of the ‘Woman Question’, even if James was ambivalent about female emancipation, and Gissing, on the whole, was somewhat hostile. Of all these novelists, it was Meredith whose work, especially in its last two decades, most copiously reveals a profound sympathy for women and their struggles to realize their desires and ambitions, both inside and outside the home, in a patriarchal world. The dissertation therefore concentrates on his presentation of his heroines in their relationships with the men who, in one way or another, dominate them, and with whom they must negotiate, within the social and sexual conventions of the time, a modus vivendi—a procedure that will entail, especially in the later work, some transgression of those conventions. Chapter 1 sketches more than two centuries of development in female consciousness of severe social disadvantage, from literary observations in the mid-seventeenth century to the intensifying of political representations in the writings of Mary Wollstonecraft, and the rise of the woman’s movement in the course of the Victorian century. The chapter includes an account of the impact on Meredith of John Stuart Mill’s The Subjection of Women (1869), and an examination of some of his female friendships by way of illuminating the experiential component of his insights into the ‘Woman Question’ as reflected in his fiction and letters. His unhappy first marriage is reserved for consideration in Chapter 2, as background to the discussion of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel (1859). This early novel, Meredith’s first in the realist mode, is widely accepted as being of high quality, and is given extended treatment, together with briefer accounts of three other early works, The Shaving of Shagpat (1855), Evan Harrington (1861), and Rhoda Fleming (1865), and one from Meredith’s middle period, Beauchamp’s Career (1876). Two more novels of this period, The Egoist (1879) and Diana of the Crossways (1885), are generally considered to be among his best works, and their heroines are given chapters to themselves (3 and 4). Chapter 5 provides further contextualization for the changing socio-political circumstances of the 1880s and 1890s, with particular reference to that heightening of feminist consciousness represented by the short-lived ‘New Woman’ phenomenon, to which Diana of the Crossways had been considered by some to be a contribution. Brief discussion of some other ‘New Woman’ novels of the 80s and 90s follows, giving literary context to the heroines of Meredith’s three late candidates in the genre, One of Our Conquerors (1891), Lord Ormont and His Aminta (1894), and The Amazing Marriage (1895). The dissertation concludes with a glance at Meredith’s influence on a few early twentieth-century novelists.
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The originating impulses of Ankoku Butoh: towards an understanding of the trans-cultural embodiment of Tatsumi Hijikata's dance of darkness
- Authors: Truter, Orlando Vincent
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Hijikata, Tatsumi, 1928-1986 , Butō , Modern dance -- Japan , Dancers -- Japan , Choreographers
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2153 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004454
- Description: From Introduction: Ankoku Butoh is a performing art devised in Japan in the wake of the Second World War by the dancer and choreographer Tatsumi Hijikata (born Akita, 1928; died Tokyo, 1986). A highly aesthetic and subversive performing art, Butoh often evokes "images of decay, of fear and desperation, images of eroticism, ecstasy and stillness." Typically performed with a white layer of paint covering the entire body of the dancer, Butoh is visually characterized by continual transformations between postures, distorted physical and facial expressions, and an emphasis on condensed and visually slow movements. Some of the general characteristics of Butoh performance include "a particular openness to working with the subtle energy in the body; the malleability of time; the power of the grotesque."
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The political significance of popular illegalities in post-apartheid South Africa
- Authors: McMichael, Christopher Bryden
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Illegality -- South Africa -- Case studies Legal services -- South Africa Post-apartheid era -- South Africa South Africa -- Politics and government -- 1994-
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2804 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003014
- Description: This thesis discusses the significance of popular illegalities in contemporary South African service delivery. Illegal access to and non-payment of services have been indentified by the government as a major criminal problem which undermines effective service delivery. By contrast, this thesis argues that popular illegalities are positive phenomenon which provides otherwise unobtainable benefits for the poor and also exposes the ability of communities to self-manage their own service provision. The thesis begins by surveying a variety of literature on this issue using both contemporary and historical literature. I then discuss the scope of popular illegalities in South Africa and the methods government has used to curtail them, with a particular emphasis on how this has been influenced by the adoption of neo-liberal cost recovery initiatives. Using case studies of three communities where illegal access is prevalent, I discuss both the motivations behind and significance of illegal water and electricity connections. In conclusion, I argue that popular illegalities are a significant phenomenon in so far as they suggest new methods of delivering services. The prevalence of these illegalities is also important as it highlights many of the failings of official delivery. The thesis concludes on a hopeful note in arguing that illegalities may be inherently progressive in both benefiting the marginal and leading to the creation of radically autonomous spaces which can be viewed as laboratories of radical social change.
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The potential roles of interactions between STAT3, Hsp90, and Hop in the maintenance of self-renewal in mouse embryonic stem cells
- Authors: Setati, Mokgadi Michael
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Embryonic stem cells , Leukemia inhibitory factor , Cellular signal transduction , Heat shock proteins , Molecular chaperones
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:3981 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004040 , Embryonic stem cells , Leukemia inhibitory factor , Cellular signal transduction , Heat shock proteins , Molecular chaperones
- Description: Self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells is dependent upon the presence of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). LIF induces tyrosine phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) which is thought to promote self-renewal by inducing key target genes. The molecular chaperone heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is involved in signal transduction pathways and regulates STAT3 activity in different cell types. However, the role of Hsp90 in regulating STAT3 activity in mES cells has not previously been investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate if Hsp90 interacts with STAT3 in mES cells and to determine if this interaction is important for the maintenance of self-renewal. It was found that when mES cells were cultured for 24.0 hours in the absence of LIF, the expression levels of total STAT3, tyrosine-phosphorylated STAT3 (pYSTAT3), and the pluripotency marker, Nanog, were down regulated. However, the expression level of Hsp90 was found to be slightly up-regulated over the same period. Significantly, it was found that the amount of STAT3 in differentiating mES cells available for binding to Hsp90 was decreased upon down-regulation of STAT3 by LIF withdrawal. Therefore, STAT3-Hsp90 interactions in mES cells were dependent on the presence of LIF, which suggested that the reduction in STAT3-Hsp90 interaction may have resulted from the low levels of STAT3. Despite a dramatic reduction in the expression levels of pYSTAT3 upon 24.0 hours of culture of mES cells in the presence of the STAT3 tyrosine phosphorylation inhibitor, cucurbitanin I, there was no obvious reduction in the levels of total STAT3, Oct-3/4 or Nanog. These results suggested that the levels of unphosphorylated STAT3 rather than pYSTAT3, maybe more important in the maintenance of mES cells self-renewal.
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The potential use of e-learning to support teaching, learning and assessment in Information Systems at Walter Sisulu University
- Authors: Sabalele, Tabisa
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Walter Sisulu University for Technology & Science Information technology -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa Educational technology -- South Africa Education, Higher -- Computer-assisted instruction Universities and colleges -- Computer networking Computer-assisted instruction -- South Africa Internet in higher education Educational tests and measurements
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1899 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006209
- Description: This research is an investigation of the potential means to make the Information Systems (IS) course more accessible to Walter Sisulu University (WSU) students. As some IS students at this institution are unable to attend classes on a regular basis, this study aims to establish if and how the WSU Accounting Department (which offers the IS course) could use e-Iearning to support the teaching, learning and assessment of IS. This qualitative study was approached from an interpretive perspective. The study has undergone one cycle of an action research approach. The methods used in the study include surveys, an expert review and focus group interviews. The data was elicited from participants using questionnaires and an interview schedule. A staff questionnaire was used to elicit information from IS staff from four contact universities in South Africa to determine their experience of using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for e-learning in an IS course. A student questionnaire was used to determine the WSU IS students' reasons for absenteeism, their learning needs, and their current computer access and skills. Data from both of these surveys informed the development of the WSU IS pilot website. An expert review questionnaire ascertained the subject expert's opinions about the newly developed WSU IS pilot website. The website was found to be of good quality with respect to the four aspects that Harvey and Green (J 993 cited in Lomas 2002) use to define quality. Some modifications were made to the WSU IS pilot website as a result of the expert's comments. After the website was used by the IS students, two focus group interviews were conducted to determine the students' perceptions of the value of the website. The data was analyzed, interpreted and linked to the literature surveyed. The main findings indicate that the WSU IS pilot website could be part of a more globalised higher education offering than the paper-based IS course offered before. However, the staff and the student surveys revealed that ICT has opened the gap in equity at the higher education institutions, highlighting that access to a university does not mean equal access to lectures and computers. The WSU IS pilot website endeavoured to capitalise on students' physical access to computers by supporting epistemological access to the curriculum, by encouraging them to exercise control over their learning. This study has ideally enabled the Accounting Department to deliver its services to students and this in turn will hopefully help WSU retain its part-time students and improve the student pass rates.
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The role of experience in the development of bar managers' social competencies
- Authors: Dhaya, Jateen
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Hospitality Industry -- Management , Bars (Drinking establishments) -- Management , Social skills , Executive ability , Interpersonal communication , Experience
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:1177 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002794 , Hospitality Industry -- Management , Bars (Drinking establishments) -- Management , Social skills , Executive ability , Interpersonal communication , Experience
- Description: This research study analysed the role that experience played in the development of bar managers’ social competencies. Given the social nature of the bar environment, social competencies were perceived to be essential managerial competencies that enable bar managers to manage employees and consumers to ensure that employee and consumer satisfaction is maintained. The literature reviewed discussed the importance of managerial competencies and the composition of social competencies. Experience was conceptualized to develop an understanding of the informal learning method through which competency development occurs. Data was captured through face-to-face interviews, which were based on the Critical Incident Technique (CIT). The data was analysed using the open coding procedures of grounded theory. This research study proposed a process to explain how experience contributed to the development of social competencies. The proposed process, which is called the Social Competency Cache Development Process (SCCD Process), ultimately indicated that experience contributed to bar managers’ social competencies through a reflection process, the residues of experience, and through the familiarity of situations and results. This research study found that experience contributed to the development of bar managers’ social competencies within a process that established an awareness of unfamiliar social competencies or reinforced the effects of familiar effective social competencies. Experience was also found to promote the transition between novel situations and familiar situations, which in turn enabled bar managers to effectively assess social situations and select effective responses to social situations. Consequently, experience improved the probability of bar managers implementing effective social competencies to ensure employee and consumer satisfaction. In essence, experience shaped bar managers’ accumulation of social competencies by promoting the addition of new social competencies or the reinforcement of existing social competencies.
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The role of values in educational leadership: an interpretive study
- Authors: Drake, Melanie Lee
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Educational leadership -- South Africa Leadership -- South Africa Values -- Study and teaching -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1756 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003640
- Description: This study set out to investigate the role of values in educational leadership. The renewed interest in values in both educational and corporate environments in South Africa places new pressures on members in leadership positions especially in school life. Schools are described as the ‘nurseries’ of values. The understanding of the abstract nature of values, as well as instrumentalising and implementing values in vision statements and organisational life, poses challenges to present and future school leaders. This study, based in the interpretive paradigm, is an in-depth investigation into the role of values at a former model C primary school in the Eastern Cape. Through the use of observations, document analysis, focus groups and interviews as data collection tools, this research highlights the importance of values in school leadership and how this impacts the life of the school leader. This case-study research combines theoretical and contextual frameworks to question the nature of values in leadership and uses the real-life experiences of these school leaders to resonate with current understandings of values in leadership and organisational culture. The importance of understanding these complexities in the lives and experiences of these school leaders cannot be underestimated. My findings highlight the tensions between leading successful schools (task/person efficiency) and remaining congruent with the need for leadership for social justice in post-apartheid educational institutions. The uniqueness of the school environment (‘families’ and ‘communities’) is also featured and resonates with previous literature. Through the lens of emerging leadership trends, we discover these school leaders’ understandings of values in their daily lives: they do what they are and this is reflected in this school’s unique organisational culture, which could be said to ‘transcend’ present leaders’ influence. Finally I propose that further research is necessary in order to broaden our understanding of the unique role of values in educational leadership in South Africa.
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The status and prognosis of the smoothhound shark (mustelus mustelus) fishery in the Southeastern and Southwestern Cape coasts, South Africa
- Authors: Da Silva, Charlene
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Osteichthyes -- South Africa Mustelus -- South Africa Sharks -- South Africa Fishery management -- South Africa Fisheries -- South Africa Chondrichthyes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5200 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003287
- Description: Global trends in commercially valuable teleost fisheries point to substantial deterioration in population size, offering limited potential for increased harvests. Consequently a shift in focus towards alternative fisheries has increased fishing effort towards targeting chondrichthyans as a possible solution to meet global demands. The life-history traits of chondrichthyans make them poor candidates for resolving economic and nutritional security as these make them particularly vulnerable to anthromorphic influences. Current fisheries management approaches based on centralized government intervention have proved inadequate. This failure of current management approaches is often linked with poor co-operation by industry with government when collecting fishery-dependent data. As management decisions are based on quantitative estimates from fishery assessment modes data collected are often of poor quality. Co-management with its implied power-sharing arrangement between government and fishing communities has been proposed as a more realistic alternative. The motivation within industry to collect high quality data can only be created with a feeling of ownership. The decline in linefish species in South Africa has led to increased exploitation of demersal sharks such as Mustelus mustelus. Their status as one of the target and by-catch species of South Africa's shark fisheries necessitated resource assessment. Age, growth, maturity and mortality calculations for M mustelus were made from data collected from 1983-2006. The maximum observed age for M mustelus was 25 years. Estimated von Bertalanffy growth parameters from observed length-at-age for combined sexes, females and males were L∞ = 1946.16 mm TL, K = 0.08 year⁻' , to = -3.63 year⁻'; L∞ = 2202.21mm, K = 0.05 year⁻', to = 4.67 years; and L∞ = 1713.19 mm TL, K = 0.08 year⁻' and to = -4.36 years, respectively. Instantaneous total mortality (Z) was estimated at 0.16 y⁻', whilst natural mortality (M) for M mustelus was estimated at 0.05 y⁻'. The age and length at 50% maturity was determined for combined sexes, females and males at 1216 mm TL corresponding to an age of 9.93 years, 1234 mm (TL) and 10.75 years, and 1106 mm TL and 9.1 years respectively. The smoothhound shark resource off the south-eastern and south-western Cape coast was assessed by three dynamic pool models; yield per recruit, spawner biomass per recruit and an extended yield and spawner biomass per recruit. Due to the longevity of elasmobranches the per-recruit model was extended over a 20 year time-frame to simulate resource responses to management options. Fo.1 was estimated as 0.034 year⁻' and F MAX was estimated as 0.045 year⁻'. FsB50 was estimated as 0.031. The extended per-recruit model tested the outcome of different management scenarios, Size and effort control showed the least probability of pristine biomass falling below 20% of current levels in 20 years (where selectivity was set at 3 years). The replacement yield model showed that the average catches over the past decade are 2.5 times higher than the replacement yield is on the South Coast and 1.30 on the West Coast. A more realistic level optimising yield would be at 0.05 with a selection pattern at 3 years, where the probability of the biomass falling to below 20% of pristine pre-exploited levels in twenty years becomes negligible. A comparison of the models showed that current catches need to be halved for exploitation of smoothhound sharks to be sustainable. The results of this study indicate a need for a management intervention for M mustelus in South Africa with regards to potential overexploitation and collection of quality data for further assessments. A demersal identification key was developed as part of this study, which should aid monitoring officials in accurately identifying shark logs for collecting data. This study showed how adopting a management plan with the inclusion of comanagement concepts would improve the quality of data collected and increase monitoring of fishing activities. The inclusion of co-management is possible due to the unique bottle neck created by few demersal shark processing facilities actively exporting shark. A fishery management plan was compiled proposing several management options including size and effort controls.
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The tax implications of non-resident sportspersons performing and earning an income in South Africa
- Authors: Wessels, Jacques
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: South African Revenue Service , Sports -- Taxation -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Taxation -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Income tax -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Income tax -- Foreign income , Income tax -- South Africa -- Foreign income , Withholding tax -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:893 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003719 , South African Revenue Service , Sports -- Taxation -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Taxation -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Income tax -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Income tax -- Foreign income , Income tax -- South Africa -- Foreign income , Withholding tax -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Description: As the number of non-resident sports persons competing in South Africa increases so does the need to tax them more effectively. It was for this reason that the South African legislature decided to insert Part IlIA into the Income Tax Act which regulates the taxation of non-resident sports persons in South Africa. The new tax on foreign sports persons, which came into effect during August 2006, is a withholding tax placing the onus upon the organizer of the event to withhold the tax portion of the payment to the non-resident sportsperson and pay it over to the revenue services. The rate of taxation has been set at 15 percent on all amounts received by or accruing to a foreign sportsperson. The question which the research addressed is whether this new tax will prove to be an effective tax, both from the point of view of its equity and the administration of the tax. In order to determine the impact of the new tax, it was compared to similar taxes implemented in the United Kingdom and Australia and also to other withholding taxes levied in South Africa. The new tax was also measured against a theoretical model for effectiveness, compared to the pre-August 2006 situation and to the taxation of resident sportsmen and women, using hypothetical examples. The major shortcomings of the new withholding tax are the uncertainty with regard to the intention of the legislature on matters such as the taxation of capital income versus revenue income, the question whether payments to support staff are included in the ambit of the new tax, the taxation of the award of assets in lieu of cash payments and the definition of a resident. A further area of concern is that the rate of taxation of 15 percent appears to be too low and creates horizontal inequity between the taxation of resident and non-resident sports persons. The new tax on non-resident sports persons may have its shortcomings but, depending upon the administrative and support structures put in place to deal with it, will be an effective tax. The rate at which the tax is levied could result in a less tax being collected than before but, with the reduced administrative cost of tax collection, the effective/statutory ratio of the tax could well be much higher than it was. This is a new tax in South Africa and certain initial problems are inevitable and will undoubtedly be solved as the administrators gain experience and as the case law governing this tax develops. , KMBT_363
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The underreporting of sexual violence against women in the Camdeboo
- Authors: Luyt, Derek
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Women -- Violence against -- South Africa -- Camdeboo, Plains of Abused women -- South Africa -- Camdeboo, Plains of Sexual abuse victims -- South Africa -- Camdeboo, Plains of Camdeboo, Plains of (South Africa)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2796 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003006
- Description: This thesis examines the underreporting of sexual violence against women in the Camdeboo. It is based on a survey of 971 women living in the Camdeboo aged fifteen and older. The thesis considers, with reference to relevant secondary literature, methodological issues pertinent to conducting survey research into violence against women. While many survey researchers into violence against women argue that behaviourally specific questions lead to higher rates of disclosure, the survey on which this thesis is based employed complex and open-ended questions to allow respondents to record their own definitions of physical and sexual abuse. 31,2 percent of the women surveyed disclosed having experienced sexual abuse, but 76,7 percent did not report this abuse to the police. The thesis explores the patterns of sexual abuse of women in the Camdeboo and the factors influencing the underreporting of such abuse. While it was possible to establish correlations between certain socio-demographic variables and the underreporting of sexual abuse, such correlations should be treated with caution. The survey found that women were far more likely to report (and disclose) sexual assaults by strangers than by people known to them, particularly intimate partners. Sexual abuse in intimate relations was found to be strongly associated with physical abuse, and women who had experienced sexual and physical abuse within intimate relationships were more likely to report their physical abuse to the police than their sexual abuse. However, the majority of women, particularly poor and economically dependent women, believed that reporting their intimate partner abuse to the police would not end it, and might even place them at greater risk. The evidence suggests that these perceptions are accurate. Under current circumstances, reporting sexual abuse to the police may not be the best help-seeking strategy available to many sexually abused women, and alternative sources of help may be more appropriate. Consideration should be given to directing more resources into such alternatives.
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