Framing the other : representations of Africa in The Japan Times/Online between January and December 2000 : a case study
- Authors: Ngoro, Blackman Rodrick
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Africa -- In mass media -- Japan , Newspapers -- Japan , Japan Times/Online , Africa -- Foreign public opinion, Japanese
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3476 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002931 , Africa -- In mass media -- Japan , Newspapers -- Japan , Japan Times/Online , Africa -- Foreign public opinion, Japanese
- Description: The aim of this study is to find out, against the news genre norms, how representations of particular regions are produced in the structure of newspaper reporting in the foreign news sub-genre. The study focuses on news reports concerning Africa, or African countries, in one Tokyo-based newspaper: The Japan Times/Online. The study is theoretically informed by Cultural Studies – a field of study concerned with the study of ideology and power in discourse – and investigates how Africa and African countries are represented as “other” than developed countries. This is a textual study that focuses on the production moment using Critical Discourse Analysis methods. Critical discourse analysis is interested in the study of ideological forms that have become naturalised over time, so that ideology has become common sense. The first part of the study analyses headlines and reveals evidence of ideological positions adopted by The Japan Times/Online in the representation of, firstly, home or Japanese actors, which is very different to the representation of African actors. The second part of the analysis examines the structures of the texts and the language used therein. The evidence from this analysis shows how Africa is represented as a Third World entity through various crises, including a health epidemic, perceptions of political instability and economic instability, an inadequate business image, as well as market and managerial skills, and wars and conflict. The study concludes with a discussion of the representation of Africa and African countries as a part of the Third World entity. This representation reflects and naturalises social inequality between developed countries and those of the Third World, of which Africa is a part. The representation of Africa as a Third World entity also naturalises the social, health, economic and political conditions said to be characteristic of African countries. It is this process of representation that reveals the power relations between Japan as a First World country and Africa as part of the Third World.
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How the South African print media cover economics news: a study of inflation news in four newspapers, 1999-2001
- Authors: Kula, Momelezi Michael
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Journalism, Commercial -- South Africa , Inflation (Finance) -- South Africa , South Africa -- Newspapers , Mass media -- Political aspects -- Africa , Democracy , Journalism -- Social aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3450 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002904 , Journalism, Commercial -- South Africa , Inflation (Finance) -- South Africa , South Africa -- Newspapers , Mass media -- Political aspects -- Africa , Democracy , Journalism -- Social aspects
- Description: There is a considerable amount of literature arguing that economics and business journalism is growing. This subfield of journalism is important as economics issues impact on everyday lives of the people. Media have an important role to inform people about the economy and give them a voice to take part in public debates. The down side though is that economics journalism is criticised for not serving the public well in this aspect. Evidence suggests that economics journalism lost its critical character and that there is closer in economics debates. Using content analysis, this study examines coverage of inflation as reported by South African print media. Three major findings emerged: 1) Evidence shows that there are a variety of cases of inflation. 2) There are also similarities among newspapers on what they view as causing inflation. 3) However, media do not draw sources from all sectors of society. The elite, who are educated people and government officials, are over-accessed while the ordinary citizens - although also affected by inflation – are marginalized. Company and government sources top source lists in the media. It is argued that sources play an important role in shaping the news content. They do so by identifying problems and prescribing potential solutions. They set parameters and define terms of reference. However, media also play a mediating role. They do so by selecting sources and structuring sources in stories. They may chose to quote or report what their sources say and even comment on it. This study concludes that in South Africa ordinary citizens have no voices in economics debates. Media used bureaucratic sources only and that is a consonant agenda on inflation coverage amongst newspapers. The heavy reliance on bureaucratic sources and the exclusion of some sectors of society in sources lists raises questions about impartiality of these sources on issues relating to their organisations and institutions. These are not viable sources that could provide information that could expose abuse of power.
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Imagery and the transformation of meaning in psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: a hermeneutic case study
- Authors: Karpelowsky, Belinda Jodi
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Post-traumatic stress disorder -- Treatment , Post-traumatic stress disorder -- Rehabilitation , Imagery (Psychology) -- Therapeutic use , Psychotherapy , Post-traumatic stress disorder -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3000 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002509 , Post-traumatic stress disorder -- Treatment , Post-traumatic stress disorder -- Rehabilitation , Imagery (Psychology) -- Therapeutic use , Psychotherapy , Post-traumatic stress disorder -- Case studies
- Description: This study discusses the assessment and treatment of a 21-year old male who had suffered multiple traumas, which had culminated in the death of his younger brother. He presented with Acute Stress Disorder. The literature review examines a diverse range of theorists and discourses, that have addressed the psychological consequences of trauma and highlights the complexity of the phenomena involved. The case study, located in the South African context, aims to sensitise the reader to the unique dilemmas facing each trauma survivor, and serves to highlight specifically those areas, which are pertinent and further more contribute significantly to the recovery process. The case narrative consists of a detailed synopsis of the therapy process, extracted from the session record notes documented at the time. Several other sources of information, including contributions from the participant, were used to verify and validate the accuracy of the data included. The narrative is written in a style that conveys the intensity of the nature of trauma work and the manner in which both patient and clinician are frequently confronted with very difficult emotional work. Finally the discussion examines the case narrative through the use of a set of carefully selected hermeneutic questions. These focused on (I) key concepts from the work of Robert Lifton who highlights the existential dimensions of the impact of trauma; (2) the role of the image in encapsulating the complex traumatic and post-traumatic experience of the survivor as well as facilitating the emotional processing of the trauma is examined; (3) the contribution to the process of therapy of aspects of the therapeutic relationship; and (4) the concept of recovery in relation to the question of what constitutes 'trauma work'. In conclusion, several meta-theoretical issues related to trauma, the strengths and weaknesses inherent to the research and relevant future areas of research are highlighted.
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In conversation with Barney: a critical discourse analysis of interaction between a child with autism and his co-participants
- Authors: Geils, Catherine
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Autism in children -- Case studies , Autistic children , Autistic children -- Rehabilitation , Discourse analysis , Children and adults , Language acquisition , Conversation , Children -- Language
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2980 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002489 , Autism in children -- Case studies , Autistic children , Autistic children -- Rehabilitation , Discourse analysis , Children and adults , Language acquisition , Conversation , Children -- Language
- Description: My study arose in the context of an intervention programme aimed at the development of a child with autism’s communication and social interaction skills. The approach I take is a social constructionist one in which language is considered to be constructive and constitutive of social and psychological reality. This orientation challenges the assumptions of a western psychiatric approach that emphasizes the impairment and deficits associated with autism. The participants of the study are a 6-year-old boy diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (Autistic Spectrum), and his mother, father, sister and a volunteer on the intervention programme. The discourse analytic method of conversation analysis is employed as a means of elucidating the collaborative mechanisms employed by both the child and his co-participants in making sense of one another. The specific aims of the study are to closely examine the communicative behaviour and interactive styles of the child and his coparticipants, their implications for communicative success (co-ordinated interaction) or breakdown (discordant interaction), and the implications for how the child is positioned within the discourse in relation to his co-participants. My constructions of the data suggested that a playful, activity-based interactive style constituted by non-verbal turns, affection and short, simple utterances enhance mutual participation and the accomplishment of co-ordinated interaction. Barney’s co-participants sometimes tend to dominate interaction and frequently employ a strategy of repetitive questioning, which functions to direct and constrain the interaction and results in the child’s withdrawal and discordant interaction. This tendency to withdraw, however, seems to function as a means by which the child is able to actively resist positioning by others, and thus constitutes himself in a position of greater power. Furthermore, his use of the pronoun ‘I’ and collaborative negotiation of the words yours and mine suggest the active co-construction and positioning of himself as a separate person in relation to his co-participants. This research informs intervention efforts and encourages the co-participants to reflect on how interaction is co-constructed between themselves and the child.
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Interactivity in online journalism: a case study of the interactive nature of Nigeria's online Guardian
- Authors: Folayan, Oluseyi Olukemi
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Guardian (Nigeria) Online journalism Electronic publishing -- Nigeria Electronic newspapers -- Nigeria Electronic news gathering -- Nigeria Nigeria -- Newspapers
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3429 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002883
- Description: Interactivity is a distinguishing feature of the online environment but online newspapers have been slow in recognising interactivity as an essential condition of effective Web communication. Existing research show online newspapers generally offer few and token interactive options. This research explored interactivity in online journalism using Nigeria's online Guardian as a case study exploring the nature, levels and utilisation of interactivity and interactive features on the site. This study found that few interactive options are offered in Nigeria's online Guardian and those interactive options on offer just produced an illusion of interactivity; it was apparent that little effort was made to give interactive options on the site the significant attention they deserve. The study highlighted the difference between the availability and use of interactive features on an online newspaper site: the mere presence of such features does not necessarily speak to the levels or nature of interactivity on the site. The difficulty in obtaining findings for the qualitative aspect of this study spoke significantly to the findings in light of the fact that these were attempts using interactive options provided by the newspaper site. They stress what relevant literature highlights: the mere presence of interactive features is not in itself interactivity . Factors contributing to the low levels of interactivity in Nigeria's online Guardian include lack of technical expertise plus human and financial resources and the persistence of a mindset that hinders the development and integration of new information communication technologies and interactivity in online journalism. Theoretically, the possibilities are vast but the likelihood of translating theory into reality appears slim. For Nigeria's online Guardian to become interactive in a participatory way, it must undergo changes and choices about values, goals and standards. There must be a shift in attitudes and approaches towards news-content production and delivery as well as the problematic commercial aspects of electronic publishing routines and the effect of such choices on management and newsroom organisation.
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Jah children the experience of Rastafari children in South Africa as members of a minority group with particular reference to communities in the former Cape Province
- Authors: Bain, Pauline
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Rastafari movement -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rastafari movement -- South Africa -- Western Cape , Rastafari movement -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Reggae music -- South Africa -- History and criticism , Rastafarian ethics -- South Africa , Rastafari movement -- Doctrines , Children of minorities -- South Africa -- Education , Socialization -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2087 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002650 , Rastafari movement -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rastafari movement -- South Africa -- Western Cape , Rastafari movement -- South Africa -- Northern Cape , Reggae music -- South Africa -- History and criticism , Rastafarian ethics -- South Africa , Rastafari movement -- Doctrines , Children of minorities -- South Africa -- Education , Socialization -- South Africa
- Description: This thesis is an ethnography of Rastafari childhood in the former Cape Province, South Africa, through the eyes of both parents and children. If children are a ‘muted group’, then what are the identity formation implications for “double-muted” groups, the children of ethnic minorities whose voices are not heard? Rasta parents’ experience of the struggle, ie. the opposition to apartheid, has shaped the Rastafari chant of ‘equal rights’ and ‘justice’ into a distinctly South African form of protest and resistance. Their childhood experiences have resulted in a desire to provide a better life for their children, using Rastafari as a vehicle. This is expressed in a continuation of the struggle that was started during apartheid, in the Rasta ideology children grow up learning. The Rasta child has become a contested body in this struggle. The South African Government, through policy, has a mandate to protect the child, and legislature exists to do so in accordance with international law. However, as child-raising differs phenomenally from culture to culture, these goals on the part of the State start infringing upon the rights and freedoms of minorities to raise their children according to their own cultural goals. This study examines the tension between Rastafari and government with regards to child raising, specifically looking at the following main points of contestation: public health, public schools and policy/legislation; in order to examine how Rasta children negotiate their identity in the face of these conflicting messages and struggles. Their identity can be influenced by three main groups, the Rasta family they grow up in; school; and multi-media. What these children choose to accept or reject in their worldview is moderated by their own agency. This study shows that this tension results in a new generation of Rastafari children, who are strongly grounded in an identity as Rastafari and take pride in this identity. It also illustrates how Rastafari are impacting on and changing government policy through resistance. Their successes in challenging the state on the grounds of multiculturalism and religious freedom, has helped in the attainment of a sense of dignity.
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Knowing what we can't believe
- Authors: Viedge, Nikolai
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Reason , Reasoning , Truth , Explanation
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2724 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002854 , Reason , Reasoning , Truth , Explanation
- Description: The aim of this thesis is to examine what affect, if any, finding an argument both unanswerable yet unbelievable has on three purported first-person doxastic constraints. The three proposed constraints are the principle of truth, the principle of adequate reason and the principle of epistemic explanation. In Chapter 1, I lay out the claim of each of these constraints; differentiate them from one another, examine under what conditions they can be said to apply and provide what I take to be the strongest arguments for each of them. In Chapter 2, I explicate what I mean by finding an argument unanswerable yet unbelievable. In Chapters 3, 4 and 5, I detail how it is that finding an argument unanswerable yet unbelievable could constitute a threat to each of these constraints. I conclude that while the principle of adequate reason is undermined in the face of this threat, both the principle of truth and the principle of epistemic explanation fail to be undermined by this challenge.
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Liberal aristocracy & the limits of democracy
- Authors: Wareham, Christopher
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Plato , Aristocracy (Political science) , Liberalism , Democracy , Constitutional law , Civil rights -- Philosophy
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2725 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002855 , Plato , Aristocracy (Political science) , Liberalism , Democracy , Constitutional law , Civil rights -- Philosophy
- Description: I define and defend a non-democratic authority with the power to annul the decisions of democratic branches of government when such decisions infringe upon citizens’ basic rights and liberties. I refer to this non-democratic authority as Liberal Aristocracy. The argument for Liberal Aristocracy has two parts: the first part demonstrates that Liberal Aristocracy will arrive at decisions that further the moral end of sustaining citizens’ rights; the second part holds that Liberal Aristocracy is a moral means to this end. First, I discuss two existing arguments for non-democratic authorities – Platonic Aristocracy and Constitutional Court Judges. I claim that Plato’s argument is unsuccessful because it relies on controversial metaethical premises that are unlikely to provide a basis for rights. Liberal justifications of the power of Constitutional Courts are argued to be incomplete because they do not designate an authority that is qualified to decide when citizens’ rights are infringed by democratic branches of government. Nor do they show that such an authority is in fact required if citizens’ rights are to be protected. In order to supplement the liberal argument for the power of Constitutional Courts I develop an account of Liberal Aristocracy, which rests on the idea that Constitutional Court Judges should possess moral expertise. I claim that (i) moral expertise qualifies Judges to decide when citizens’ rights are violated by democratic decisions. Furthermore, I argue that (ii) decisions taken democratically will sometimes encroach on citizens’ rights. Claims (i) and (ii) are shown to justify the non-democratic authority of Liberal Aristocracy. The second part of the argument for Liberal Aristocracy examines arguments to the effect that only democratic procedures can be morally legitimate, even if other decision procedures arrive at outcomes that provide greater support for citizens’ rights. Three claims are offered in support of this idea. First, democracy is claimed to be necessary to support deliberation. Second, democracy is seen as the only procedure that can uphold the value of autonomy by securing citizens’ consent. Third, it is argued that non-democratic procedures will not recognise the equal status of citizens. I hold that these three claims are false and that Liberal Aristocratic procedures can be morally legitimate.
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Mapping the Radio KC community : a case study assessing the impact of participatory research methods in assisting community radio producers to identify programming content
- Authors: Davidson, Brett Russell
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Radio broadcasting -- South Africa -- Paarl , Radio stations -- South Africa -- Paarl , Radio journalism -- South Africa -- Paarl , Radio broadcasters -- Research -- South Africa -- Paarl , Mass media -- Political aspects -- South Africa , Mass media -- Social aspects -- South Africa , Radio in community development
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3497 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003716 , Radio broadcasting -- South Africa -- Paarl , Radio stations -- South Africa -- Paarl , Radio journalism -- South Africa -- Paarl , Radio broadcasters -- Research -- South Africa -- Paarl , Mass media -- Political aspects -- South Africa , Mass media -- Social aspects -- South Africa , Radio in community development
- Description: This thesis deals with the introduction of participatory research methods to programming staff working at Radio KC, a South African community radio station based in Paarl, in the Western Cape province. The focus is on a series of workshops conducted at the station, dealing with research tools developed to enable station workers to undertake research of their community. The aim was to determine, by means ofa case study, whether the introduction of participatory research methods could improve the ability of community broadcasters to facilitate democratic participation among the communities in which they operate. More particularly, the thesis assesses whether the application of such methods has improved the ability of the programming staff that were involved in this case study to identify a wider range of stories and voices within their target community, for inclusion in programming content. The participatory research techniques that are applied at the radio station are based on ideas in 'civic mapping' developed by Harwood and McCrehan (1996) under the auspices of The Pew Center for Civic Journalism, and supplemented by insights from Friedland (2001) and Downs and Stea (1977) about the cognitive, normative and imagined dimensions of community. All of the ideas and techniques were adapted for the South African situation. The findings of the research project illustrate that for community stations, the key concepts of 'community' and 'participation' are highly complex ones and that stations need assistance to apply these concepts in their everyday practice. The account of the intervention at Radio KC shows that the process did indeed assist the individual research participants to better deal with the application of these concepts. It did not, however, make much impact on the station as a whole. Reasons for this are believed to lie in the organisational dynamics of the station, and the fact that the model as applied in this case did not provide a means for tackling the agendas, investments and power relations that define the activities of individuals at a given community radio station - what Hochheimer (1993) talks about as the entrenchment of power and personalities. In order to address these shortcomings, an attempt is made to develop a model for future application, which places the mapping process within the context of a broader strategic planning process, focussed on a station's programming schedule.
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Moral reform and the desiderata of responses to wrongdoing: the production of a "morally autonomous person freely attached to the good"
- Authors: Waller, Heath Frederick
- Date: 2004 , 2013-06-14
- Subjects: Victims of crimes -- Attitudes , Criminals -- Rehabilitation , Punishment -- Psychological aspects , Social ethics , Punishment
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2730 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003805 , Victims of crimes -- Attitudes , Criminals -- Rehabilitation , Punishment -- Psychological aspects , Social ethics , Punishment
- Description: Moral reform is a neglected response to wrongdoing that has been incorrectly portrayed as a practice involving illegitimate treatment of wrongdoers and as totally unsatisfying to those theorists advocating backward-looking practices such as retributive punishment. A clear explanation of the ethical legitimacy and practical necessity of the reformative techniques moral reform involves has been missed, and this paper details the design of moral reform proper in order to fill this gap in punishment theory. The moral reform of an offender is identified as a desideratum of responses to wrongdoing and it is explained what moral reform ought to entail. The claim that moral reform qualifies as the overriding aim of responses to wrongdoing is argued for on the grounds that this practice is capable of achieving all the established ends of responses to wrongdoing. The legitimate desiderata of our practices are identified as those usually selected as the ends of punishment practices, and moral reform must accomplish these if it is to be accepted. Moral reform is shown to realise the goals of punishments as the fortunate effects of what is done to achieve an offender's moral improvement and of what reformees do in taking responsibility for their actions. The suffering involved in moral reform receives particular emphasis since the practice will never satisfy unless it accommodates the widely-held intuition that the offender must suffer sufficiently as a consequence of his wrongdoing. Moral reform is further portrayed as the most meaningful practice for its ability to satisfy the appropriate needs and desires victims have in response to their victimization. A central claim of the thesis is that moral reform best serves the victim, since it most effectively relieves the victim's emotional responses to wrongdoing and is as adept as punishment at the expression of these same emotions. Reformers advocate a constructive response to wrongdoing that benefits all affected parties. , KMBT_363 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
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Processes that influence the experiences of children living with mothers that have HIV: two case studies
- Authors: Castelletto, Simona
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: AIDS (Disease) in women , AIDS (Disease) -- Social aspects -- South Africa , HIV infections -- Social aspects -- South Africa , Mothers and daughters -- Social aspects , Mothers and sons -- Social aspects , AIDS (Disease) in children -- Social aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3166 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007728 , AIDS (Disease) in women , AIDS (Disease) -- Social aspects -- South Africa , HIV infections -- Social aspects -- South Africa , Mothers and daughters -- Social aspects , Mothers and sons -- Social aspects , AIDS (Disease) in children -- Social aspects -- South Africa
- Description: Maternal HIV-infection is considered to be a threat to the psychosocial development of AIDS-affected children. In South Africa, AIDS-affected children may be particularly vulnerable due to the unprecedented effects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the breakdown of family and community resources in already disadvantaged communities. The aim of this study was to explore the contextualised experiences of two children living with mothers who have HIV by conducting two case studies. Mother-child dyads were recruited from local HIV/AIDS centres and informed consent was obtained. The mothers were in the minor symptomatic phase of HIV-infection and the children were uninfected and aged between 10 and 12 years. Through semi-structured interviewing, the mothers provided background and contextual information about the children. Play techniques were used in the child interviews to encourage the introduction and exploration of issues salient to the children. Play facilitated engagement around sensitive and potentially anxiety-provoking material. A key issue for the children was their concerns about the anticipated deaths of their mothers. The children held misconceptions about the transmission of HIV/ AIDS. They feared HIV/AIDS and expected that others would have negative perceptions of them. Family processes such as secrecy and avoidance around HIV/AIDS-related issues were understood to perpetuate the children's fears and false beliefs in a broader community context that stigmatised HIV/AIDS. It was argued that the mothers' shame over HIV-infection and their need to protect their relationship with their children compromised their ability to communicate openly with their children and to offer them meaningful emotional support. Limited parental involvement was identified as the key contextual process that engendered vulnerability in the children, as they were isolated within and beyond the family. Recommendations to address the processes that engendered vulnerability in the children are discussed.
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Religious nationalism and negotiation : Islamic identity and the resolution of the Israel/Palestine conflic
- Authors: De Villiers, Shirley
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Arab-Israeli conflict Palestinian Arabs -- Civil rights -- Israel Nationalism -- Middle East Religion and politics -- Middle East Jewish-Arab relations Nationalism -- Religious aspects -- Islam -- History -- 20th century
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2873 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007815
- Description: The use of violence in the Israel/Palestine conflict has been justified and legitimised by an appeal to religion. Militant Islamist organisations like Ramas have become central players in the Palestinian political landscape as a result of the popular support that they enjoy. This thesis aims to investigate the reasons for this support by analysing the Israel/Palestine conflict in terms of Ruman Needs Theory. According to this Theory, humans have essential needs that need to be fulfilled in order to ensure survival and development. Among these needs, the need for identity and recognition of identity is of vital importance. This thesis thus explores the concept of identity as a need, and investigates this need as it relates to inter-group conflict. In situating this theory in the Israel/Palestine conflict, the study exammes how organisations like Ramas have Islamised Palestinian national identity in order to garner political support. The central contention, then, is that the primary identity group of the Palestinian population is no longer nationalist, but Islamic/nationalist. In Islamising the conflict with Israel as well as Palestinian identity, Ramas has been able to justify its often indiscriminate use of violence by appealing to religion. The conflict is thus perceived to be one between two absolutes - that of Islam versus Judaism. In considering the conflict as one of identities struggling for survival in a climate of perceived threat, any attempt at resolution of the conflict needs to include a focus on needs-based issues. The problem-solving approach to negotiation allows for parties to consider issues of identity, recognition and security needs, and thus ensures that the root causes of conflicts are addressed, The contention is that this approach is vital to any conflict resolution strategy where identity needs are at stake, and it provides the grounding for the success of more traditional zero-sum bargaining methods. A recognition of Islamic identity in negotiation processes in Israel/Palestine may thus make for a more comprehensive conflict resolution strategy, and make the outcomes of negotiations more acceptable to the people of Palestine, thus undermining the acceptance of violence that exists at present.
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The effect of commercialisation, privatisation and liberalisation on universal access in South Africa
- Authors: Gardner, Sean Patrick Newell
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Telkom (Firm : South Africa) , Telecommunication , Telecommunication -- South Africa , Privatization -- South Africa , Trade regulation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3431 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002885 , Telkom (Firm : South Africa) , Telecommunication , Telecommunication -- South Africa , Privatization -- South Africa , Trade regulation -- South Africa
- Description: From the 1990s onwards, significant developments have occurred in the international telecommunications sector that have affected the South African telecommunications industry and peoples’ access to the network. Rapid developments in Information and Communication Technologies and the reorganisation of telecommunications operators through commercialisation, privatisation and the effects of market liberalisation have resulted in monopoly operators moving away from their public service mandates. Globalisation and adherence to World Trade Organisation rules are causing operators to rebalance their tariffs closer to cost. Long-distance rates are decreasing while the cost of local calls is increasing. High-end users of telecommunications services are benefiting while low-end, largely residential users are being priced off the network. The end result is a negative effect on universal access to telecommunications services. This study examines the extent to which commercialisation, privatisation and liberalization are affecting the provision of telecommunications services and the government’s goal of achieving universal access in South Africa. Qualitative research methods were utilised to establish that the state owned operator, Telkom, has transformed itself from a public service operator to one that is fully commercialised and prepared for an Initial Public Offering and competition. Telkom no longer attempts to ensure that its tariffs are affordable for all people. However, positive developments presented themselves in the form of an increasingly competent regulator, a reorganised and dedicated Universal Service Agency, and the popularity of cellular telephony. The primary discovery of this study is that the liberalisation of the South African telecommunications sector cannot be assumed to have a negative effect on the provision of service. This study finds that liberalisation will most likely benefit the country through the role out of new infrastructure, the provision of new services and ultimately the reduction of those services themselves. In order for universal access to be achieved in this country the study recommends that the resources of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa be enhanced to enable the regulator oversee the industry effectively. Secondly, the Universal Service Agency must provide clear definitions of universal access and universal service as well as manage the Universal Service Fund with greater efficiency. Lastly, the two bodies mentioned above must ensure that services are affordable for all people of this country.
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The experiences and needs of HIV/AIDS counsellors at Settlers Hospital, Grahamstown
- Authors: Nulty, Maria
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: AIDS (Disease) -- Patients -- Counseling of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape HIV-positive persons -- Counseling of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Counselors -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Counselors -- Supervision of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape Counselors -- Training of -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3032 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002541
- Description: Cognisant of the fact that counselling has become an essential aspect of dealing with HIV/AIDS in South Africa, the researcher aimed to explore the stressors experienced by HIV/AIDS counsellors. It was envisioned that the results obtained would both help to improve the counselling services provided at Settlers Hospital, and assist other organisations to do so. The research focused on how the participants dealt with the dual roles of non-directive listening and the more prescriptive advice-giving, the stressors they experienced and the support structures they had, or needed, to assist them in being more effective HIV/AIDS counsellors. The sample consisted of four HIV/AIDS counsellors working at Settlers Hospital, Grahamstown. The co-ordinator of HIV/AIDS at the hospital was interviewed for collateral information. A qualitative, multiple case study was undertaken. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data which were recorded and transcribed and then constructed into coherently organised personal narratives of each participant’s experiences. A composite description of all the results was arrived at through the use of a reading guide which reduced the data into a thematic content analysis. The analysed data served to present an understanding of the counsellors’ experiences and to enable recommendations to be made which could assist them in pursuing their work more effectively. The findings of this study indicate that HIV/AIDS counselling is an emotionally stressful occupation. Contributory factors include the twofold role of promoting prevention and serving as empathic listeners. Other stressors derive from issues of confidentiality and stigma concerning HIV/AIDS, counsellors’ identification with clients’ experiences and the demographics of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Situational stressors which arise from working as both nurses and counsellors in a public health institution were also identified. Recommendations are made to alleviate the counsellors’ stress in the form of facilitated emotional support groups, professional supervision, managerial support to improve the working environment, and ongoing in-service training.
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The Harry Potter phenomenon literary production, generic traditions, and the question of values
- Authors: Glover, Jayne Ashleigh
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Rowling, J. K. Criticism and interpretation , Potter, Harry (Fictitious character) , Children's literature -- History and criticism , Fantasy fiction, English -- History and criticism , Wizards in literature
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2201 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002243 , Rowling, J. K. Criticism and interpretation , Potter, Harry (Fictitious character) , Children's literature -- History and criticism , Fantasy fiction, English -- History and criticism , Wizards in literature
- Description: This thesis is a study of the first four books of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. It accounts for the widespread success of the novels by examining their publication and marketing histories, and their literary achievement as narratives including a sophisticated mix of generic traditions. Chapter One looks at the popularity of the novels, comparing their material production and marketing by Rowling’s English language publishers: Bloomsbury in Britain and Scholastic in the United States of America. The publisher’s influence on the public perception of each book is demonstrated by comparative study of its mode of illustration and layout. Further, the design of the books is linked to their strategic marketing and branding within the literary world. The second chapter considers Rowling’s debt to the school story. It concentrates first on the history of this relatively short-lived genre, briefly discussing its stereotypical features and values. Traditional elements of setting and characterisation are then examined to show how the Harry Potter novels present a value system which, though apparently old-fashioned, still has an ethical standpoint designed to appeal to the modern reader. Chapter Three focuses on the characterisation of Harry as a hero-figure, especially on how the influence of classical and medieval texts infuses Rowling’s portrayal of Harry as a hero in the chivalric mode. The episodes of “quest” and “test” in each book illustrate specifically how he learns the values of selflessness, loyalty, mercy and fairness. Chapter Four surveys the contribution of modern fantasy writing to the series. It shows how Rowling creates a secondary world that allows us to perceive magic as a metaphorical representation of power. This focus on the relationship between magic and power in turn has a bearing on our assessment of the author’s moral stance. The thesis concludes by suggesting that Rowling’s unusual mix of genres is justified by the values they share, and which are inscribed in her work: the generic combination forms a workable, new and exciting mode of writing that helps to account for the phenomenal popularity of the series.
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The location of meaning in the postmodernist literary text: a reading of Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves and related material
- Authors: Jeffery, Thomas Carnegie
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Danielewski, Mark Z. House of leaves , Danielewski, Mark Z. Criticism and interpretation , Horror tales , English literature -- Criticism, Textual , Literature, Modern -- History and criticism , Postmodernism (Literature)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2196 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002238
- Description: In House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski has produced a text which epitomises the traits and concerns of postmodernist literature. Through his attention to aspects such as metafiction, intertextuality and parody, Danielewski develops a narrative structure which is best understood as a literary labyrinth. It is a structure intended to reflect the social conditions of the twenty-first century and comment on the experience of people living at this time. Some of the meaning-making strategies within the book’s labyrinthine structure are thus discussed in detail in order to demonstrate the relevance and importance of House of Leaves as social commentary. House of Leaves is an exemplary postmodernist text, but it is also one that seeks to guide the reader beyond the intellectual impasse of the postmodernist paradigm toward a renewed ethical and political engagement with the world. One of the most important goals of both Danielewski’s novel and this thesis is to attempt to redefine the postmodernist perspective in such a way as to insist on the necessity of what I call a new realism. This is founded upon an awareness of the pervasiveness of the self-perpetuating ideology of capitalism, even in the perspective of postmodernism (which purports to subvert all authoritative ideologies). Playing a crucial role in perpetuating the status quo of capitalism is the growth of entertainment culture, which works to sideline crucial political issues by replacing information with infotainment. The result is an intensification of the processes of commodification. Such an intensification, it is argued, may be countered by a radical scepticism which draws upon the methods and insights of contemporary science.
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The mentally retarded offender in a forensic setting: a South African study
- Authors: Solomons, Warren Stanley
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Mentally ill offenders -- South Africa , Forensic psychology , People with mental disabilities and crime -- South Africa , People with mental disabilities -- Rehabilitation , Mental health laws -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3063 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002572 , Mentally ill offenders -- South Africa , Forensic psychology , People with mental disabilities and crime -- South Africa , People with mental disabilities -- Rehabilitation , Mental health laws -- South Africa
- Description: This study examined, within the South African context, the prevalence of mental retardation in a forensic observation setting, and the impediments of and successes to forensic rehabilitation. The results of the study indicated that a significant amount of forensic observation patients (25.16%) are ultimately diagnosed as being mentally retarded, with 39.24 percent of such offenders being found unfit to plead. Further 32.91 percent of the same sample was found to be not responsible for their actions. A link was also drawn between the mentally retarded offender and violent offenses. The advantages and disadvantages of a current rehabilitative process are discussed in light of alternate community-based forms of rehabilitation that are being implemented in other countries, for example the United States of America, with a view towards investigated their usefulness and adaptability to South African circumstances. The findings of the study have implications for mental health professionals working within forensic settings concerning the future management of mentally retarded offenders, particularly within the rehabilitative process .
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The viability of small-scale farming at the Tyhefu Irrigation Scheme, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Sishuta, Happy Babalwa
- Date: 2004
- Subjects: Farms, Small -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Irrigation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Irrigation farming -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3344 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004924 , Farms, Small -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Irrigation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Irrigation farming -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: This investigation is conducted against the background of current attempts to rehabilitate and revive the now defunct Tyhefu irrigation scheme. The poor track record of many irrigation schemes (despite huge investments) in the former homelands has prompted the government to reconsider its active and direct role in small-scale irrigation farming. This has resulted in the closure of many irrigation schemes including Tyhefu irrigation scheme. The new policy framework in South Africa, known as the irrigation management transfer, is premised on the transfer of ownership, authority and responsibility of small-scale irrigation schemes from government to the farmers. Tyhefu irrigation scheme was a state-driven, top-down initiative. This study argues that the justifications for the Tyhefu irrigation scheme were conflated, with the result that the need for political control of the Tyhefu area far outweighed the considerations regarding the financial viability and sustainability of the proposed project. Given the repressive political climate of the time in South Africa, the planners' proposals were a mechanism for the realization of the socio-political and economic agendas of the apartheid state and Ciskei government. Although technical factors critical for project success were examined, little or no attention was paid to the socio-economic aspects. For the planners, the main requirements for success entailed centralized managerial control, no participation of the beneficiaries, capital intensive and sophisticated agricultural techniques and the production of high value crops. Therefore, it can be argued that the nature of the planning and implementation of the Tyhefu irrigation scheme was ill-conceived, short-sighted and misguided. A review of the literature on irrigation development on the African continent provided useful insights for this study. The lessons from irrigation development experience in Sub-Saharan Africa indicate that the continent is littered with examples of derelict and costly failures. What stands out in many of these irrigation projects is their over-emphasis on technical issues to the complete neglect of human and other social aspects. Working partnerships between the farmers and irrigation scheme management could, thus, not be realized. Almost without exception the case studies used here indicate that the industrious type of farmer was never developed as was envisioned in the planning documents. Neither were rural livelihoods improved in a sustainable manner. The findings of this study suggest that irrigation management transfer is a complex and delicate process. In this new set of arrangements, beneficiaries face formidable challenges in terms of capacity (human and financial) if small-scale irrigation farming is to become a viable sector. No doubt, the viability and sustainability of the Tyhefu irrigation scheme demands a comprehensive package of interventions that address various issues of markets and marketing, capital investment and access to finance, technology, education and training, support and extension services. It is evident that institutional aspects and the related issue of functional literacy require much more attention than thus far. As a result, at the moment there is no possibility for independent agricultural production. , KMBT_363
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