Using a spatial resilience lens to understand alignments and misalignments in South Africa’s marine governance system
- Authors: Hardisty, Shannon
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Marine parks and reserves -- South Africa , Marine parks and reserves -- South Africa -- Management , Marine parks and reserves -- Government policy -- South Africa , Table Mountain National Park (South Africa) , Spatial ecology -- South Africa , Coastal zone management -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/164649 , vital:41152
- Description: In marine protected areas (MPAs), the radically open nature of marine ecosystems, the seemingly contradictory short-term goals of fisheries management (resource use) and conservation efforts (biodiversity protection), the variety of stakeholders, and the inherently political nature of space ha ve contributed to a disconnect between policy and practice. Many groups operate in an MPA at various spatial and socio-political scales, from national government bodies to local community groups, as such an MPA can be viewed as a complex, multi-scale and multi-level social-ecological system (SES). A greater understanding of the multi-scale processes driving the spatial resilience of SES can help address scale mismatches between continuous ecological change and the long-term governance of a seascape. South Africa has a long history of spaces and natural resources being politicised and faces high levels of unemployment and political frustration. Marine governance has been characterised as being siloed, lacking transparency regarding government processes and even between departments, and not properly addressing the needs of local communities; resulting in scale and level mismatches throughout the multi-scale processes (from national policies to local regulations)therefore, it is pertinent to understand the interactions between various national policies, their implementation, and their impacts. Using a spatial resilience lens, I set out to understand scale alignment in South Africa’s marine governance systems as it relates to MPAs. A spatial resilience lens emphasises analysis of both spatial and temporal scales, thus highlighting the multi-scale variables and interactions that occur within a system. I first sought to understand the policy and management across national and regional scales by conducting a series of semi-structured interviews with experts which were analysed using thematic analysis. I then approached the question of alignment from a local to national scale by using the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area as a case study, here I carried out a series of workshops and interviews with line fishers, women’s groups, and eco-tourism operators from three different communities. Experts identified six themes when describing the structure of gove rnance in South African MPAs; they consisted of: government departments and marine legislation, management level factors, communication and information sharing, local level factors, biophysical factors, and scale. Communication and information sharing was the most mentioned referenced theme (40.26 %). The relationships between the communities and other actors (i.e. how communities are impacted, or impact on, the Department of Environmental Affairs , the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries, and Park Authorities) contributed 67.27 % to the total number of mentions, 91 % of which were from the following themes: communication and information sharing, local level factors, biophysical factors, and scale. My results indicate that weak, top-down relationships dominate the governance system in South Africa. During the Cape Town workshops I applied the spatial resilience lens in three ways. Firstly, the participants collaborated on a mapping exercise discussing the existing zone types within the MPA, as well as developing their own. There was an 87.87 % overlap of community designed zones on the existing MPA zones, however the types of zones designed by the community were different. Secondly, I carried out a document analysis and used information from the workshops to analyse the status and rights designation of important species for different user groups. The results show that the various stakeholder groups, while all active in the marine environment, interact with the ecosystem at different scales and with differing species. The differing interactions between groups result in challenges such as representation and complicated power dynamics between user groups. Finally, I asked participants to discuss factors that affect their ability to gain a livelihood from the sea. The external elements and their effects differed between the user groups, identifying important socio-political interactions. Whilst the external elements were all geographically distinct and localised, the spatial resilience lens allowed for a cross-scale, and to a certain extent cross-sector, understanding of these elements thus producing a more holistic understanding. My thesis shows that user groups operate on different spatial scales within the marine environment as a result of social, economic, and political influences leading to several scale-based challenges. The identified scale-based challenges have contributed to misalignments in marine governance in South Africa. My study shows that scale mismatches have important implications for understanding how marine policy influences user groups and identified pathways that affected policy implementation , and identifies future research application of a spatial resilience lens within social-ecological systems, for example it’s potential use in understanding the gendered nature of MPAs
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Using HIV/AIDS interventionist research in a university context to improve women’s sexual and reproductive health awareness
- Authors: Kidia, Nitasha
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: HIV infections -- Prevention -- South Africa , AIDS (Disease) -- Prevention -- South Africa , AIDS (Disease) -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Health education (Higher) -- South Africa , Sex instruction -- South Africa , College students -- Sexual behavior -- South Africa , Sex instruction for women -- South Africa , Women college students -- Psychology -- South Africa , Women -- Health and hygiene -- South Africa , Women -- Diseases -- Prevention -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/165743 , vital:41277
- Description: Background: Young women in South Africa are a vulnerable group, with HIV prevalence almost twice that of men, limited preventive behaviour, and many challenges in negotiating sex. However, there is a paucity of in-depth research to understand how these challenges play out and what can be done to promote positive sexual and reproductive health in this population. Methods: To understand the effects of the Auntie Stella Activity card intervention (developed and used in Zimbabwe), this study used a mixed methods participatory action research design. Five focus group discussions among female Rhodes University students between the ages of 18- 23 were conducted with the activity cards as a basis for engagement. Additionally, pre-and postintervention sexual and reproductive health awareness levels were also measured by a customized questionnaire. Based on participants’ responses to the cards and post-exposure reflections on their learning, possible impacts on behaviour change were explored. Thematic analysis of transcripts was used to draw out major themes in the qualitative data. Results and conclusions: Themes that emerged were: 1) women’s self-esteem; 2) lack of knowledge; 3) peer pressure and male dominance; and 4) alcohol and substance use. Results of the pre- and post- intervention questionnaire found a positive change in knowledge and behaviour amongst the participants. However, the intervention in its current format focused too much on teenage rather than adult scenarios. To make it more useful for this population, further modifications that account for the target age group are needed. Overall, the challenges in sexual and reproductive health faced by university-aged women in South Africa are deeply concerning, but this study’s findings show that an intervention like the ASAC has the potential to be used widely in Southern Africa, if appropriately tailored.
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Visualising the Psyche: Perspectives on mental health in the medium of comics
- Authors: Solomon, Tayla Shan
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Spiegelman, Art -- Maus , Kelly, Joe, 1971- -- I kill giants , Niimura, J M Ken -- I kill giants , Brosh, Allie -- Hyperbole and a half , Comic books, strips, etc. -- Psychological aspects , Comic books, stripa, etc. -- Therapeutic use
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MFA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/148413 , vital:38737
- Description: The field of Psychology is constantly shifting in its understanding of mental health. Scholars have been critiquing Psychology’s narrow perspective of what constitutes ‘normal’. Many dealing with mental health issues fear that they will be misunderstood and are confronted with systems and institutions that they find unempathetic. This mini-thesis conceptualises creative empathy as a solution to these problems. It is based on the idea that every experience is unique and therefore cannot be wholly understood without engaging in an imaginative process. The appropriateness of the comics medium as a tool for promoting this strategy is explored with a focus on the use of visual imagery to tell stories of distressing experiences. It looks at Tayla Shan Solomon’s The Adventures of Apparently-Anyone-Can-Do-It-If-TheyJust-Try Bug! (2019), Art Spiegelman’s Maus (I & II) (1986), Joe Kelly and JM Ken Niimura’s I Kill Giants (2011), and Allie Brosh’s Hyperbole and a Half: unfortunate situations, flawed coping mechanisms, mayhem, and other things that happened (2013). This mini-thesis analyses various techniques employed by comics artists to create compelling stories of idiosyncratic experiences, including the use of symbolic imagery and framing.
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Water footprint and economic water productivity of citrus production: a comparison across three river valleys in the Eastern Cape Milands
- Authors: Danckwerts, Lindsay
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Water in agriculture -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Water consumption -- South Africa -- Economic aspects , Water supply, Agricultural -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Citrus fruit industry -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141064 , vital:37941
- Description: South Africa is a semi-arid, water scarce country. The nation has suffered a spate of severe droughts in several regions in recent years, which have significantly impacted the country’s economy. Global warming, population growth, and rising demand for water intensive products are only expected to intensify water supply problems in the future. The agricultural industry is the largest consumer of water in South Africa, accounting for the majority of total surface water withdrawals. As such, the agricultural sector is faced with complex and difficult management decisions in the face of a potential water supply crisis. The water footprint (WF) and economic water productivity (EWP) of citrus production across three river catchments located in the Eastern Cape Midlands (situated in the vicinity of the settlements of Adelaide, Cookhouse and Fort Beaufort respectively) were calculated and compared. In the long-term average (LTA), blue WF weighted across all three regions accounted for the greatest proportion of total WF (53%), followed in turn by green and grey WF (30% and 17% respectively). LTA blue and grey WF was lowest in the Adelaide region, while green WF was smallest in the Fort Beaufort region. Blue, green and grey WF were found to be greatest in the Cookhouse region. LTA EWP was greatest in the Fort Beaufort region and smallest in the Adelaide region. Of all variety groups assessed, lemons were found to have the lowest LTA crop water use and blue, green and grey WF when considering citrus production averaged across all three study regions. Satsumas has the second smallest LTA blue, green and grey WF, followed by navels, mid-season mandarins, and finally, late mandarins. Lemons had the greatest LTA EWP of all varieties, followed in turn by satsumas, late mandarins, mid-season mandarins and navels. Blue crop water use was consistently lowest in the designated wet year and highest in the dry year. However, this same trend was not necessarily true for WF findings. WF and EWP are useful indicators of water use which can be used to help guide complex water management decisions. However, these indicators are single-factor productivity measures applied in a multi-factor environment. It is therefore important that factors outside of water use are considered when making water management decisions. Moreover, it is important to examine the impact that the various components making up WF and EWP have on the resultant figures, rather than merely considering the superficial results themselves. Factors such as CWU, orchard maturity, crop choice, potential yield, climate, irrigation system, economic return, water allocation and water availability should all be taken into account.
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Whatever you say
- Authors: Campbell, Laura
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: South African fiction (English) -- 21st century
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/140993 , vital:37935
- Description: This document consists of two (2) parts : Part A: Thesis (Creative Work) ; Part B: Portfolio
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‘Regulated Flexibility’ and labour market regulation: a case Study of Twizza Soft Drinks in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Authors: Flatau, Scott
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Labor market -- South Africa , Labor laws and legislation -- South Africa , Industrial relations -- South Africa -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141288 , vital:37959
- Description: Following the negotiated settlement, which led to the ANC assuming power in South Africa in1994, debates concerning the nature of the South African labour market ensued between policy makers and economists alike. Central to understanding the South African labour market was the policy objective of regulated flexibility that has guided the formation of labour legislation in the post-1994 period, including the Labour Relations Act of 1995, the Basic Conditions of Employment Act of 1997, the Employment Equity Act of 1998 and the Skills Development Act of 1998. Regulated flexibility attempts to accommodate the interests of the employer for flexibility and the interests of the employee in regulation or security. These four Acts and the relevant provisions contained within them are the central focus of this research paper, in particular how they affect the case study firm Twizza Soft Drinks. An interpretivist approach was utilised as the preferred research methodology with in-depth, semi-structured interviews being the primary source of data collection. This research paper attempts to situate more clearly the impact of South Africa’s macro-economic policies since 1994 on labour market policy and undertakes an exploration of internal dynamics of firms in response to exogenous factors, such as government regulation. The key finding suggest that some Acts (BCEA, LRA) do not impose a significant burden on the firm and some provisions can lead to beneficial outcomes such as business modernisation and the adoption of formal Human Resource Practices. Conversely, some provisions contained in the EEA increase the administrative burden and therefore increase the indirect cost on the firm.
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‘This sea of darkness, craziness and opportunity’: students experiences of depression and social identities at a South African university
- Authors: Craig, Ashleigh
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Depression, Mental -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Depression in adolescence -- South Africa -- Makhanda , College students -- Mental health -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Group identity -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Phenomenological psychology , Education, Higher -- Social aspects -- South Africa , Rhodes University
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/118632 , vital:34655
- Description: This study explores how the interaction between depression and social identities is experienced by South African university students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight students at Rhodes University who have had depressive experiences and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The following five superordinate themes emerged out of the data: 1) the self looking in, 2) the self looking out, 3) the misunderstood self, 4) the student self and 5) the loss of self. Findings showed that students’ depression is significantly influenced by their social identities, which are experienced as multi-faceted and ever-changing within the university context. The related therapeutic implications are also discussed.
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“A thousand mad things before breakfast”: the interplay of reason and imagination in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter Series
- Authors: Dingle, Teresa Anne
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Potter, Harry (Fictitious character) , Rowling, J. K. -- Characters -- Harry Potter , Rowling, J. K. -- Criticism and interpretation , Fantasy fiction, English -- History and criticism , Magic in literature , Wizards in literature , Rationalism in literature , Imagination in literature , Prejudices in literature
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/118065 , vital:34592
- Description: Realism and imagination serve roles in J.K. Rowling’s world creation in the Harry Potter series and thus will be traced through this thesis. Both rational and imaginative thinking are modes of thought and play roles in characters’ responses to issues. Further, reason and imagination are used in Harry Potter as modes of resistance against the prejudice which shapes much of the society of the magical world and so will be examined. In the Harry Potter series, Rowling combines fantasy traditions with realism and in so doing ensures her wizarding world mirrors the world of the reader. Rowling enacts a re-creation of the real world of the reader through a recombination of realistic and fantasy elements. This thesis will call on fantasy theorists Rosemary Jackson and Dimitra Fimi as well as the fantasy and science fiction writer Ursula Le Guin to examine how Rowling conforms to and expands on the fantasy tradition in which she writes in her creation of the magical world. It is made evident through Rowling’s treatment of Harry’s friends Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood that combining reason and imagination is more beneficial than choosing one over the other. The girls’ ways of thinking, seeing and interacting with those around them are complex and he learns from their combined wisdom how to navigate challenges and trials. Criticism focusing primarily on the secondary character of Luna is relatively scarce, despite her impact on Harry’s views regarding death and the afterlife. This thesis offers a new perspective on the importance to Rowling’s narrative of this open-minded, idiosyncratic figure. Rational and imaginative ways of thinking are necessary modes to use in the resistance to prejudice in wizarding society since this pervasive privileging of wizards over other magical beings espoused by the magical government inspires Lord Voldemort to kill or subjugate those whose magical heritage falls short of pure-blooded wizarding ancestry. In analysing the ostensibly conflicting rational and imaginative modes of thought, I examine Rowling’s unconscious use of shadow theory through her treatment of Harry’s dreams and visions – a direct connection between Harry and Lord Voldemort. Harry confronts his antagonist – and addresses the prejudices pervading wizarding society – through making rational decisions that require imaginative action.
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“I just want to live”: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of separation abuse in South African heterosexual relationships
- Authors: Johnson, Samantha-Sue
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Phenomenological psychology , Family violence -- South Africa -- Case studies , Women -- Violence against -- South Africa -- Case studies , Intimate partner violence -- South Africa -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/164626 , vital:41149
- Description: A key strategy for ending IPV, would be to make it possible for potential victims to safely leave their abusers. However, the abuse may persist, often with devastating consequences. The current literature on separation a buse primarily makes use of quantitative research to explain the phenomenon as is visible in the large amounts of quantitative research that was cit ed throughout this research project. Therefore, the aim of this research was to qualitatively explore the lived experiences of South African women who had experienced separation a buse . The Power and Control Wheel, located within Feminis t Theory, was used as the theoretical framework as it offers an illustrative understanding of the types of abuse that exists within a relationship and was adjusted to suit post - separation a buse . The research was conducted in Makhanda (formerly known as Grah amstown ) , Eastern Cape with the assistance of the local Families South Africa (FAMSA) office. Four participants were interviewed using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach. IPA was chosen as it involves a detailed exploration of how p articipants make sense of their personal and social worlds as well as determining the meanings that participants relate to their personal experiences and events in their lives. Data was collected through semi - structured interviews which were conducted by t he researcher with the assistance of a translator for the participants who preferred to speak Isi - Xhosa. Each participant initially participated in a screening interview conducted by a FAMSA staff member before being interviewed to minimize harm that could be caused through speaking about their experience before they were ready. The interviews were analysed through the use of IPA techniques where themes were extracted from the data. Five superordinate themes emerged from the analysis, namely “types of abuse experienced post-separation”, “children and abusive relationships”, “drinking and substance SEPARATION ABUSE IN SOUTH AFRICA ii abuse”, “protection order” and “hope for the future”. The findings revealed the ways in which the abusers continued their abuse during the separation period, the participant’s experiences of separation abuse as well as the experiences they believed their children had throughout the process. Two of the participant’s also revealed they feared for their lives, which resulted in them applying for protection orders. Despite the years of abuse suffered at the hands of their ex -partners, all four participants remained hopeful that they could become independent enough to provide for their children and themselves. While there have been South African studies which look at stalking victimization, the IPV female mortality rate and power and powerlessness experienced by women leaving abusive relationships, there is currently no published study in South Africa that explicitly focuses on separation abuse in heterosexual relationships in South Africa. Therefore, it was be neficial to conduct this research as the need exists to conduct research that not only focuses on the homicide rates of females at the hands of their partners but also the types of separation abuse that exists.
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“Savage” hair and mothers’ hearts: a corpus-based critical discourse analysis of intersectional identities in two South African school setworks
- Authors: Hubbard, Beatrice Elizabeth Anne
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Women in literature , Women, Black in literature , Critical discourse analysis , Magona, Sindiwe -- Mother to mother , Bulbring, Edyth -- The Mark
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/141770 , vital:38003
- Description: This thesis reports on the discursive construal of intersectional physical identities, with particular reference to ‘black’ female characters, in two novels: Sindiwe Magona’s Mother to Mother, and Edyth Bulbring’s The Mark. These novels are prescribed for Grade 10 English Home Language learners in all South African public schools. Gendered identity construction in texts has been widely discussed in critical linguistics, with some research showing that the ways in which bodies are construed reveal the hegemonic and stereotypical gendering of men and women. However, these arguments have not adequately addressed the intersectional nature of identity construction. This thesis employs Corpus-based Critical Discourse Analysis to investigate the complex physical identities of, especially, ‘black’ female characters in these two novels. The inclusion of Corpus Linguistics is essential for uncovering hidden patterns of language choice, while the analytical techniques and theoretical notions from Critical Discourse Analysis provide the explanatory power that underpins the qualitative analysis. The uses to which nine key body parts are put reveal discourse prosodies showing different intersectional realisations for intimacy, power, violence, emotion, and racial marking. These discourse prosodies are most starkly realised in the two body parts, one from each novel, that are statistically most clearly linked to ‘black’ female characters. HAIR in The Mark is used variously as a racial marker, a target for racism, and a symbol for racial pride. HEART in Mother to Mother is used almost exclusively to symbolise the emotional pain of a mother’s love, and how empathy for another mother’s pain can bridge racial divides. Principal findings reveal that both novels provide very necessary lessons in cross-racial empathy, pride in ‘blackness,’ and interracial relationships. However, it is of concern that these novels also exhibit an over-valorisation of motherhood, largely stereotypical depictions of gender roles, and ableist language. In sum, both novels promote some of the transformative principles of the national curriculum, and are shown to have a bearing on nation building.
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“When the rainbow is enuf”: black postgraduate women’s experiences and perceptions of higher education and institutional culture – a case study of Rhodes University
- Authors: Gamedze, Ayanda
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Rhodes University , College students, Black -- South Afrca , Women college students, Black -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147215 , vital:38605
- Description: This thesis sets out to investigate the perceptions which Black postgraduate students hold of the present-day toward Historically White Universities (hereafter referred to as HWUs) in South Africa as unique sites from which to investigate institutional culture and the legacy of educational marginalisation. Black women are of particular focus because of the interlocking nature of social inequalities that uniquely influence their comparable experience in the academy. Rhodes University, a top-ranked traditional university provides the institutional site for this investigation into HWUs. This thesis seeks to further explore the suggestion that desegregation of South Africa's institutions of higher learning have meant access, but not always acceptance. The paper explores what Black women students perceive to be Rhodes University's institutional culture and its impact on their lived realities. Subsequently, these women have learned who they are, and what place they occupy in South Africa today, through navigating a space not necessarily accommodating to Blackness and difference. There exists a plethora of literature on the issues which Black women scholars systematically encounter daily in the academy, in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. Nonetheless, there needs to be a further inquiry on the question of belonging of Black womanhood in HWU post the student-led movements of the past few years that have renewed the challenge to South Africa's colonial past, its neoliberal present, and its scourge of gender-based violence. This paper captures an ongoing conversation around the role of Black women in addressing transformation in HWU. As a Black woman in an HWU, I found myself wondering whether there are certain experiences students like me have in common – realities with nuances we call to identify with to some extent. I collected data from six Black women with whom I conducted interviews, and used it to compile this report and its analysis. I believe that the social significance of this study speaks to the importance of hearing the stories of subaltern groups that are positioned in spaces of privilege, yet continue to be defined by the disadvantage of their gender, race, and various other factors.
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“Why me, Lord?”: some social factors associated with the receipt of a donor heart in South Africa
- Authors: Hartle, Raymond
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Heart -- Transplantation -- Social aspects , Heart -- Transplantation -- Recipients -- Psychology , Heart -- Transplantation -- South Africa , Chronic diseases -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSocSci
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/146265 , vital:38510
- Description: Since the first human-to-human heart transplant in the world was performed by Prof Chris Barnard in Cape Town in 1967, heart transplantation has become the gold standard to treat people suffering from end stage heart failure. This thesis explores heart recipients’ perceptions and experiences of their chronic heart illness before and after transplantation. It examines the medical experience in terms of the clinical diagnosis, the standard of communication about the illness and the proposed treatment, and the post-transplant regime. It also reflects how recipients make sense of heart disease and learn to live with a transplanted heart. The thesis also shows the extent to which the recipients’ culture and individual identity impact such complex medical issues as end stage heart failure and transplantation. Qualitative research was undertaken in private sector heart transplant programmes in South Africa. The study is underpinned by Mishel’s (1990) uncertainty theory as well as by social constructionism.
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A case study of role conflict experienced by change champions during organisational change
- Authors: Nakani-Mapoma, Xoliswa Faith
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Organization change , Organization change -- Management , Role conflict , Organizational behavior -- Case studies , Corporate culture -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96848 , vital:31337
- Description: A change champion has been defined as a person from any level of the organisation who is skilled at initiating, facilitating and implementing change, and who can effectively champion organisational changes. From a review of the literature, it was anticipated that change champions may experience role conflict, due to the multiple roles that they needed to fulfil simultaneously. Informed by organisational role theory, this research investigated the change management programme of a specific public entity as a case study, and analysed the nature of the role conflict that change champions experienced during a specific organisational change. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four change champions, the change coordinator and the Executive Director Corporate Services. The organisational documents that relate to change management were also consulted with a view to providing background information and an overview of the change management programme. A deductive thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the data. A coding framework was developed prior to the collection of data, and was used for the identification of theoretical codes and themes in the data. The following codes were developed and explored as types of role conflict: role ambiguity, person role conflict, role strain, role overload and role incompatibility. In terms of the findings, this study confirmed that change champions did experience role conflict during organisational change, mainly due to various expectations that come from different role senders. In the light of these findings, it was recommended that senior managers could reduce the incidents of role conflict by training change champions, introducing an orientation programme for new change champions, consider their personal values when appointing them, and allocating sufficient time for change champions to fulfil this additional role. This study has contributed to the body of knowledge by drawing on role theory and applying it to change management, in order to provide insight on the role of change champions during the organisational change, and in particular the role conflict that they experienced.
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A case-series evaluation of the impact and processes of a service-learning programme on and for caregivers and their children with neurodevelopmental disabilities
- Authors: Cooke, Nicole
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Developmentally disabled children -- Care , Caregivers -- Training of , Service learning -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96691 , vital:31309
- Description: This thesis presents a series of three case studies from data collected as part of a research project exploring the process and impact of a service-learning programme with caregivers and their children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Following a descriptive case series design, both quantitative and qualitative data are presented to create a comprehensive and rich understanding of each case. In particular, the data tracks change processes in the subjective well-being of the caregiver, the quality of the caregiver-child relationship and the functional development of the child over a twenty-one-week period of receiving public health services and an eight-week period of adding the service-learning programme. The paper also presents qualitative data on the caregivers’ perceptions of and experiences of the public services and the servicelearning programme that the caregivers and their children received. The findings provide important insight into the caregivers’ perceptions of giving and receiving care, with the caregivers’ experiencing significant levels of distress and prominent barriers to accessing healthcare that were seemingly eased with the addition of the service-learning programme. The findings also point to a notable disparity between the quantitative findings and the qualitative interviews with questions being raised about the research being viewed as an intervention in itself.
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A comparative study of CERBER, MAKTUB and LOCKY Ransomware using a Hybridised-Malware analysis
- Authors: Schmitt, Veronica
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Microsoft Windows (Computer file) , Data protection , Computer crimes -- Prevention , Computer security , Computer networks -- Security measures , Computers -- Access control , Malware (Computer software)
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/92313 , vital:30702
- Description: There has been a significant increase in the prevalence of Ransomware attacks in the preceding four years to date. This indicates that the battle has not yet been won defending against this class of malware. This research proposes that by identifying the similarities within the operational framework of Ransomware strains, a better overall understanding of their operation and function can be achieved. This, in turn, will aid in a quicker response to future attacks. With the average Ransomware attack taking two hours to be identified, it shows that there is not yet a clear understanding as to why these attacks are so successful. Research into Ransomware is limited by what is currently known on the topic. Due to the limitations of the research the decision was taken to only examined three samples of Ransomware from different families. This was decided due to the complexities and comprehensive nature of the research. The in depth nature of the research and the time constraints associated with it did not allow for proof of concept of this framework to be tested on more than three families, but the exploratory work was promising and should be further explored in future research. The aim of the research is to follow the Hybrid-Malware analysis framework which consists of both static and the dynamic analysis phases, in addition to the digital forensic examination of the infected system. This allows for signature-based findings, along with behavioural and forensic findings all in one. This information allows for a better understanding of how this malware is designed and how it infects and remains persistent on a system. The operating system which has been chosen is the Microsoft Window 7 operating system which is still utilised by a significant proportion of Windows users especially in the corporate environment. The experiment process was designed to enable the researcher the ability to collect information regarding the Ransomware and every aspect of its behaviour and communication on a target system. The results can be compared across the three strains to identify the commonalities. The initial hypothesis was that Ransomware variants are all much like an instant cake box consists of specific building blocks which remain the same with the flavouring of the cake mix being the unique feature.
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A content analysis of psychology Masters theses from South African universities
- Authors: Robson, Brian
- Date: 2019
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/113924 , vital:33845
- Description: Expected release date-April 2022
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A corporate social responsibility (CSR) analysis of the transformation of the mobile telephone industry of South Africa
- Authors: Nyamande, Godfrey
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Social responsibility of business -- South Africa , Cell phone systems -- Moral and ethical aspects -- South Africa , Mobile communication systems -- Moral and ethicsl aspects -- South Africa , Telecommunication -- Moral and ethicsl aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/93887 , vital:30967
- Description: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) requires companies to fulfil certain responsibilities in society that are outside of the core operational activities of the company. The socio-economic dynamics of the region or country that the company operates from, as well as the pressures those stakeholders tend to apply, have a bearing on the direction that the CSR development takes. Mirvis and Googins (2006) described the CSR developmental path followed by international companies. Before that Carroll (1991) had suggested a developmental pyramid that suggested that philanthropy represented the highest level of CSR development. This pyramid was later revised by Visser (2005) in order to suit the African environment. In South Africa CSR development is mainly driven by legislation through the BEE Act of 2003. This has resulted in the birth of industry charters that guide the development of CSR in different industries. To fulfil the requirements of the charter and score vital B-BBEE points, companies have to engage with both internal and external stakeholders, holistically. One such industry is the telecommunications industry, which formed the basis for this research, with special emphasis on the mobile telecommunications industry. The research set out to explore how the industry charter and company practices compared with the existing literature on CSR. The aim of this research was therefore to analyse the existing CSR practices in the mobile telecommunication industry in South Africa, where the B-BBEE Act plays a pivotal role in influencing practice. Using publically available documents, this research conducted an analysis of the B-BBEE components in the telecommunications charter as the catalyst to development of CSR in the South African mobile telecommunications industry, with the three dominant companies, - MTN, Vodacom and Cell C – being utilised as case studies. Key research findings were that transformation is still low in terms of equitable gender and racial representation at the top management level. The industry charter attempts to address these and other social challenges and economic problems. However, it does not address ecological issues that may emanate from the industry operations. Therefore, a CSR assessment framework that addresses all stakeholders for sustainable economic development is proposed.
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A correlational analysis investigating relationships between gender role ideology and attitudes towards gender-based violence
- Authors: Krutani, Siposetu
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Women -- Violence against -- South Africa , Sex role -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa , Male domination (Social structure) -- South Africa , Rhodes University -- Students -- Attitudes , Rape in universities and colleges -- South Africa , Social movements -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Women college students -- Violence against -- South Africa , Male college students -- South Africa -- Attitudes , Women college students -- Psychology -- South Africa , Male college students -- Psychology -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96658 , vital:31305
- Description: This study forms part of a larger project investigating attitudes towards intimate partner violence, dating violence and other forms of gender-based violence with the Rhodes University context. The primary purpose was to establish a baseline descriptive understanding of participants‟ attitudes towards and perceptions of gender-based violence. With the aim to generate results that would somehow inform the larger project, the current study sought to investigate whether a relationship exists between gender-role ideology and attitudes towards gender-based violence amongst a university population which was inclusive of registered students and employees of the university (n = 308). Four samples were categorised: student sample, academic staff sample, administrative support staff sample and operational support staff sample. A once-off, cross sectional survey design was used to obtain the data. The results of the study revealed that the participants in the study uphold largely non-traditional gender-role ideologies, are generally intolerant of dating violence and are rejecting of rape myths. As predicted in the literature, the study revealed that demographics such as gender, religion, age, level of education, number of years spent in the institution, race, and student accommodation have an impact on the relationship between adherence to traditional gender-role ideology and tolerance towards dating violence, as well as on the relationship between adherence to traditional gender-role ideology and rape myth acceptance and the relationship between rape myth acceptance and tolerance towards dating violence. The study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on gender-based violence in institutions of higher learning and could help improve sexual violence prevention programmes in such contexts.
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A critical analysis of A2 Fast Track Lowveld sugar cane farms in Zimbabwe in global value chains: interrogating the lives of farmers and farm labourers
- Authors: Chingono, Kudakwashe Rejoice
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: International trade , Sugar trade -- Zimbabwe , Sugar growing -- Zimbabwe -- Social aspects , Agriculture -- Zimbabwe -- Social aspects
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSocSci
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/93933 , vital:30972
- Description: The sugar cane industry has for many years been a lucrative business with a booming global market. In Zimbabwe, the sugar cane industry is no exception, as it has been regarded as one of the most efficient in the region and even in the world. The sugar cane farms and mills in Zimbabwe are located in Triangle and Chiredzi, in the south-eastern part of the country and they are under the ownership of Tongaat Hullet and the Zimbabwean A2 farmers. The focus of this is on the A2 fast track farms in Hippo Valley, which are now owned by black farmers but as out-growers for Tongaat Hullet. The crucial question addressed in the thesis is whether the A2 sugar cane farmers and their workers, located at the production end of the sugar cane global value chain, are benefitting from their involvement in this value chain. A number of scholars argue that global value chains lead to economic and social upgrading at the production end of the chain, based on thoughts contained in modernisation and trickledown theory. There is an assumption, then, that integration into the global economy leads to economic upgrading which translates into social upgrading. In drawing upon critical global value theorists, bolstered by the Marxist perspective, considers the importance of a more critical view of global value chains in relation to the sugar cane industry in Zimbabwe, with the particular focus on A2 farms. Thus, the main objective of the thesis is to consider the lives and livelihoods of A2 sugar cane farmers and sugar cane workers through a case study, in the context of global value chains and arguments around economic and social upgrading. This is pursued through a case study of six A2 farms, which involved interviewing farmers, supervisors, and both permanent and temporary workers. The thesis concludes that there is no significant evidence of social upgrading amongst the labour force, and that the A2 farmers are in constant tension with Tongaat Hullet in seeking to engage in economic upgrading of their status as commercial farmers.
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A critical analysis of development NGO programmes in rural areas: a case study of East Cape Agricultural Research Project in South Africa
- Authors: Sanyangore, Agnes
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: East Cape Agricultural Research Project , Non-governmental organization -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Agricultural development projects -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land reform -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/96187 , vital:31248
- Description: For a number of decades now, development non-governmental organisations (DNGOs) have been central to the world-wide development system which involves funding from international donors. Overall, DNGOs rely quite fundamentally on their donors for organisational sustainability, such that upward accountability to donors is inevitable. At the same time, as development agents, DNGOs are often celebrated for the deep participatory methodologies used when engaging with the beneficiaries of their programmes, leading to significant downward accountability – as least potentially. Often, for DNGOs, an awkward tension between upward and downward accountability exists. This thesis considers this tension by examining a DNGO in South Africa, namely, the East Cape Agricultural Research Project (ECARP), which focuses on questions around land redistribution. ECARP works with farm labourers and dwellers on commercial farms and small-scale farmers on redistributed farms. In the context of a broader understanding of ECARP’s mission, capacities and programmes, the thesis looks specifically at ECARP’s food security and sovereignty programme amongst small-scale farmers on redistributed farms. By drawing upon Interface theory, the thesis discusses in detail the diverse manner in which ECARP uses participatory methodologies in this particular programme. The thesis concludes that there is a reasonable degree of downward accountability in this programme, but that this does not distract from the fact that ECARP remains within the tension-riddled space marked by dual demands for accountability.
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