Ingqumbo yomthondo kukuzika kohlanga
- Authors: Mtirara, Zodwa
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Women and literature , Feminism and literature , Gender identity in literature , Masculinity in literature , Sex role in literature , Xhosa poetry , South African poetry (English) , Sex discrimination against women
- Language: Xhosa, English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/154095 , vital:39562
- Description: Le yingqokelela yemibongo ebhentsisa ukutyeshelwa kobuntu nobuchule bamanina yinkolo yobuKrestu, kunye nenkolo yemveli okanye inkolo yesiNtu. Ikwenza oku ngokwaphula imithetho nemigaqo siseko yenkolo yobuKrestu nesiNtu sakwaXhosa malunga nokufanelekileyo ukuba owasetyhini akuthethe okanye akwenze. Ikwabhentsisa nokuhlukunyezwa kwabasetyhini, ibuza nemibuzo ngesimo esizifumana sikuso mva-nje. Ichukunyiswe bubomi bam kanye nobamanye amanina endiphila nawo ekuhlaleni. Ikubhentsisa ke oku ngokungenalusini njengoko imbongi uLesego Rampolokeng esenza. Izeka mzekweni ezibhalweni zooNtozakhe Shange, Diane Di Prima, Lidia Yuknavitch, noWame Molefhe. Iphikisa indlela ekubhalwe ngayo ngamanina ngooMema nooJolobe, isenza oko uNontsizi Mgqwetho angazange ade afikelele ukukwenza njengombhali wasetyhini.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Mtirara, Zodwa
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Women and literature , Feminism and literature , Gender identity in literature , Masculinity in literature , Sex role in literature , Xhosa poetry , South African poetry (English) , Sex discrimination against women
- Language: Xhosa, English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/154095 , vital:39562
- Description: Le yingqokelela yemibongo ebhentsisa ukutyeshelwa kobuntu nobuchule bamanina yinkolo yobuKrestu, kunye nenkolo yemveli okanye inkolo yesiNtu. Ikwenza oku ngokwaphula imithetho nemigaqo siseko yenkolo yobuKrestu nesiNtu sakwaXhosa malunga nokufanelekileyo ukuba owasetyhini akuthethe okanye akwenze. Ikwabhentsisa nokuhlukunyezwa kwabasetyhini, ibuza nemibuzo ngesimo esizifumana sikuso mva-nje. Ichukunyiswe bubomi bam kanye nobamanye amanina endiphila nawo ekuhlaleni. Ikubhentsisa ke oku ngokungenalusini njengoko imbongi uLesego Rampolokeng esenza. Izeka mzekweni ezibhalweni zooNtozakhe Shange, Diane Di Prima, Lidia Yuknavitch, noWame Molefhe. Iphikisa indlela ekubhalwe ngayo ngamanina ngooMema nooJolobe, isenza oko uNontsizi Mgqwetho angazange ade afikelele ukukwenza njengombhali wasetyhini.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Institutional culture and internationalisation: a study of Black African academics’ experiences at Rhodes University
- Authors: Wambua, Lloyd M
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Corporate culture -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Sociological aspects , Discrimination in higher education -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Rhodes University , College teachers, Black -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Social conditions , College teachers, Foreign -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Social conditions , Globalization -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Educational change -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Sex discrimination in higher education -- South Africa -- Makhanda , South Africa -- Race relations , Intersectionality (Sociology) , Pan-Africanism , Belonging (Social psychology) , Alienation (Social psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/146607 , vital:38541
- Description: This research sets out to examine institutional culture and internationalisation in higher education in contemporary South Africa, by analysing the experiences of black foreign academics at Rhodes University. Much has been written on the adaptation processes of foreign students in South African universities (Ayliff and Wang, 2006; Dzansi and Monnapula-Mapesela, 2012; Mudhovozi, 2011). There is also a host of literature on the black South African experience of adaptation and (non) belonging at historically white universities (HWU) (Akoojee and Nkomo, 2007; Cornell and Kessi, 2017; Soudien, 2008). Comparatively less is written on whether there are any unique pressures regarding institutional culture that black foreign African academics face at historically white institutions such as Rhodes University. The black experience may be misrepresented as a homogenous one by much of the literature on higher education transformation (Batsai, 2019). But there are a host of factors that could change your experience of being ‘black’, such as your class, and gender and quite recently there has been a push to further examine the effect that one’s nationality has on their experience of being ‘black’ in the academy (Batsai, 2019). Institutional culture refers to the “behaviours and values that make up the unique psychological and social environment of a certain institution” (Toma et al., 2005). Internationalisation of higher education in the context of Africa, particularly South Africa refers to “the intentional or unintentional process to integrate intercultural, international and global dimensions in higher education” (Draft Policy Framework for the Internationalisation of Higher Education in South Africa, 2017). In analysing the experiences of international African academics, this research is trying to give a voice to an often-overlooked group of individuals. This research is also meant to portray the black experience in South African higher education as an experience that is not homogenous but reliant on a host of unique identity factors such as gender, class and also their nationality.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Wambua, Lloyd M
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Corporate culture -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Universities and colleges -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Sociological aspects , Discrimination in higher education -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Rhodes University , College teachers, Black -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Social conditions , College teachers, Foreign -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Social conditions , Globalization -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Educational change -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Sex discrimination in higher education -- South Africa -- Makhanda , South Africa -- Race relations , Intersectionality (Sociology) , Pan-Africanism , Belonging (Social psychology) , Alienation (Social psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/146607 , vital:38541
- Description: This research sets out to examine institutional culture and internationalisation in higher education in contemporary South Africa, by analysing the experiences of black foreign academics at Rhodes University. Much has been written on the adaptation processes of foreign students in South African universities (Ayliff and Wang, 2006; Dzansi and Monnapula-Mapesela, 2012; Mudhovozi, 2011). There is also a host of literature on the black South African experience of adaptation and (non) belonging at historically white universities (HWU) (Akoojee and Nkomo, 2007; Cornell and Kessi, 2017; Soudien, 2008). Comparatively less is written on whether there are any unique pressures regarding institutional culture that black foreign African academics face at historically white institutions such as Rhodes University. The black experience may be misrepresented as a homogenous one by much of the literature on higher education transformation (Batsai, 2019). But there are a host of factors that could change your experience of being ‘black’, such as your class, and gender and quite recently there has been a push to further examine the effect that one’s nationality has on their experience of being ‘black’ in the academy (Batsai, 2019). Institutional culture refers to the “behaviours and values that make up the unique psychological and social environment of a certain institution” (Toma et al., 2005). Internationalisation of higher education in the context of Africa, particularly South Africa refers to “the intentional or unintentional process to integrate intercultural, international and global dimensions in higher education” (Draft Policy Framework for the Internationalisation of Higher Education in South Africa, 2017). In analysing the experiences of international African academics, this research is trying to give a voice to an often-overlooked group of individuals. This research is also meant to portray the black experience in South African higher education as an experience that is not homogenous but reliant on a host of unique identity factors such as gender, class and also their nationality.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Interaction between different sources of situational probability information to anticipate the bowler’s intention in cricket
- Authors: Lilford, David-John
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Cricket -- Bowling
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46383 , vital:39578
- Description: In elite fastball sports, such as cricket, performance occurs at the limit of human capability as the time constraints of perceiving and acting are severe. Cricket batsmen are therefore required to use the two sources of advanced information (kinematic cues and situational probability) to anticipate an upcoming delivery to negate the effects of the time constraints. The source of information that will be focused on in this study will be situational probability, with the aim being to determine the interaction between bowling sequence and field placement as sources of situational probability used by skilled cricket batsmen to predict a bowler’s intention. Four different conditions were created according to the situational probability information presented to the batsmen, namely no sources, sequence alone, field placement alone, and both sources. Fifteen skilled cricket batsmen were required to face deliveries projected by a bowling machine and make predictions as to where the next delivery outcome was going to pitch based on perceived situational probability information and attempt to make successful bat-ball contact. In order to compare the use and importance of the four conditions of situational probability information,prediction accuracy, response accuracy and the initial movement time of the batsmen were recorded and analysed. Results of the study revealed no significant difference between conditions of situational probability presented to batsmen for prediction accuracy, response accuracy, and initial movement time. However, significant differences were found between categories of congruence for prediction accuracy results. The prediction accuracy results reveal that batsmen equally value each source of situational probability information and that when sources were presented in conjunction with each other, no enhancement in anticipatory performance or interception of the cricket ball occurred.The results of the current study suggest that it is not necessarily the number of sources present, but rather the relevance of the source that is most important for a batsman to predict the outcome of a delivery. The prediction accuracy of batsmen is dependent on the nature of the information presented rather than the amount of information presented. Performers draw upon more pertinent information variables according to the relevance to the task at hand.The response accuracy results reveal that the batsmen have the required action capabilities to make successful bat-ball contact regardless of whether or not they correctly anticipate the upcoming delivery’s landing position.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Lilford, David-John
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Cricket -- Bowling
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46383 , vital:39578
- Description: In elite fastball sports, such as cricket, performance occurs at the limit of human capability as the time constraints of perceiving and acting are severe. Cricket batsmen are therefore required to use the two sources of advanced information (kinematic cues and situational probability) to anticipate an upcoming delivery to negate the effects of the time constraints. The source of information that will be focused on in this study will be situational probability, with the aim being to determine the interaction between bowling sequence and field placement as sources of situational probability used by skilled cricket batsmen to predict a bowler’s intention. Four different conditions were created according to the situational probability information presented to the batsmen, namely no sources, sequence alone, field placement alone, and both sources. Fifteen skilled cricket batsmen were required to face deliveries projected by a bowling machine and make predictions as to where the next delivery outcome was going to pitch based on perceived situational probability information and attempt to make successful bat-ball contact. In order to compare the use and importance of the four conditions of situational probability information,prediction accuracy, response accuracy and the initial movement time of the batsmen were recorded and analysed. Results of the study revealed no significant difference between conditions of situational probability presented to batsmen for prediction accuracy, response accuracy, and initial movement time. However, significant differences were found between categories of congruence for prediction accuracy results. The prediction accuracy results reveal that batsmen equally value each source of situational probability information and that when sources were presented in conjunction with each other, no enhancement in anticipatory performance or interception of the cricket ball occurred.The results of the current study suggest that it is not necessarily the number of sources present, but rather the relevance of the source that is most important for a batsman to predict the outcome of a delivery. The prediction accuracy of batsmen is dependent on the nature of the information presented rather than the amount of information presented. Performers draw upon more pertinent information variables according to the relevance to the task at hand.The response accuracy results reveal that the batsmen have the required action capabilities to make successful bat-ball contact regardless of whether or not they correctly anticipate the upcoming delivery’s landing position.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Interaction between situational probability information for cricket batsmen when anticipating a bowler’s intentions
- Authors: Du Preez, Joshua
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Cricket--Batting
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46355 , vital:39570
- Description: The ability to anticipate the bowler’s intention is vital in skilled cricket batting. Two perceptual-cognitive skills used for anticipation include use of kinematic information and the use of situational probability information. This study aims to investigate the interaction between two sources of situational probability (action preferences of bowlers and opposition field placement) used by skilled cricket batsmen to anticipate the bowler’s intention in an in-situ setting. Fifteen skilled cricket batsmen were required to predict the delivery outcome (landing position) of 72 deliveries bowled by a bowling machine before attempting to strike each delivery. These deliveries were divided into four conditions of situational probability: no sources (control trials); field placement alone; action preference alone; and both field placement and action preferences. Data were collected according to batsmen’s prediction accuracy, response accuracy, and initial movement time. In the presence of situational probability information, batsmen were able to predict delivery outcome significantly better than chance level (25%) and control trials. Results revealed significant differences between sources of situational probability in terms of batsmen’s prediction accuracy but not response accuracy or initial movement time. In cricket batting, it appears that some sources of situational probability information are more valuable than others.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Du Preez, Joshua
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Cricket--Batting
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46355 , vital:39570
- Description: The ability to anticipate the bowler’s intention is vital in skilled cricket batting. Two perceptual-cognitive skills used for anticipation include use of kinematic information and the use of situational probability information. This study aims to investigate the interaction between two sources of situational probability (action preferences of bowlers and opposition field placement) used by skilled cricket batsmen to anticipate the bowler’s intention in an in-situ setting. Fifteen skilled cricket batsmen were required to predict the delivery outcome (landing position) of 72 deliveries bowled by a bowling machine before attempting to strike each delivery. These deliveries were divided into four conditions of situational probability: no sources (control trials); field placement alone; action preference alone; and both field placement and action preferences. Data were collected according to batsmen’s prediction accuracy, response accuracy, and initial movement time. In the presence of situational probability information, batsmen were able to predict delivery outcome significantly better than chance level (25%) and control trials. Results revealed significant differences between sources of situational probability in terms of batsmen’s prediction accuracy but not response accuracy or initial movement time. In cricket batting, it appears that some sources of situational probability information are more valuable than others.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Internet use and romantic relationship satisfaction
- Authors: Grundlingh, Nicole
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Internet addiction
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46452 , vital:39574
- Description: In the twenty-first century the internet has become a pervasive part of individuals’ lives and their relationships, changing the way individuals connect, develop and maintain their romantic relationships. The way in which couples use the internet can have a significant impact on their relationship satisfaction, which is often a predictor of the length and success of their relationship. Although the internet is valued for many features, the nature of the internet creates the risk for some individuals to become addicted to the medium which is associated with psychological and relational difficulties. The present study aimed to explore the impact of problematic internet use on individuals’ satisfaction with their offline intimate relationships. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, research design was utilised, where participants from Nelson Mandela University completed an online survey (N=388). A non-probability, purposive sampling method was employed with an inclusion criteria which required participants to have daily internet access and to be in a committed romantic relationship. The study analysed four primary variables, namely, online preoccupation, adverse effects of online behaviour, social interactions and general relationship satisfaction. The results of the study were discussed through the lens of the Couple and Family Technology (CFT) framework to explain the processes that underlie the relationship between these variables and indicated that problematic internet use and relationship satisfaction is negatively related. The present study contributes to the body of literature and offers indications for future, in-depth research studies within the field of cyberpsychology.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Grundlingh, Nicole
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Internet addiction
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46452 , vital:39574
- Description: In the twenty-first century the internet has become a pervasive part of individuals’ lives and their relationships, changing the way individuals connect, develop and maintain their romantic relationships. The way in which couples use the internet can have a significant impact on their relationship satisfaction, which is often a predictor of the length and success of their relationship. Although the internet is valued for many features, the nature of the internet creates the risk for some individuals to become addicted to the medium which is associated with psychological and relational difficulties. The present study aimed to explore the impact of problematic internet use on individuals’ satisfaction with their offline intimate relationships. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, research design was utilised, where participants from Nelson Mandela University completed an online survey (N=388). A non-probability, purposive sampling method was employed with an inclusion criteria which required participants to have daily internet access and to be in a committed romantic relationship. The study analysed four primary variables, namely, online preoccupation, adverse effects of online behaviour, social interactions and general relationship satisfaction. The results of the study were discussed through the lens of the Couple and Family Technology (CFT) framework to explain the processes that underlie the relationship between these variables and indicated that problematic internet use and relationship satisfaction is negatively related. The present study contributes to the body of literature and offers indications for future, in-depth research studies within the field of cyberpsychology.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
It's my hand that wrote!
- Authors: Magade, Mncedi
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: South African fiction (English) -- 21st century
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/142551 , vital:38090
- Description: This collection of short stories experiments with the idea of the text as it constitutes the world just as much as it is constituted by the world. These short stories use the text as a way to respond to struggles faced by people whose identities do not conform to society’s standards. The stories in here navigate between fantastic and experiential writing which allows the text to speak in its own language. The writing is influenced by that of Mthuthuzeli Matshoba for the realist approach in telling the stories. Ayi Kwei Armah’s writing in Fragments for experientialism that focuses on the dead and the living and which makes specific references to the idea of home – particularly for those who always find it hard to belong. And that of Bruce Sterling’s creation of explosive imagery in science fiction that sticks in the reader’s mind as portrayed in his short story we see things differently. Angela Carter’s brilliance in writing short stories and her approach to magical realism has also been a powerful influence. In telling these stories using a hybrid/fluid approach, I hope to come to terms with being a different “being”. It is to find ways of telling myself that it is okay to be queer, that to be a misfit is no sin. To say this in a language that gives meaning to my own struggles of being. This work is a combination of three disjointed moments of the narrator’s life experiences which are exposed in three sections; It’s My Hand That Wrote, (Un)Tying The Knot and Thoughts. The aim of creating these three moments is to let the reader dive a variety of “truths” of the narrator’s life, instead of aiming to achieve a coherent single “Truth” about one’s life. It’s My Hand That Wrote explores both the unusual and inconsistency of life in a chaotic but explorative fashion.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Magade, Mncedi
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: South African fiction (English) -- 21st century
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/142551 , vital:38090
- Description: This collection of short stories experiments with the idea of the text as it constitutes the world just as much as it is constituted by the world. These short stories use the text as a way to respond to struggles faced by people whose identities do not conform to society’s standards. The stories in here navigate between fantastic and experiential writing which allows the text to speak in its own language. The writing is influenced by that of Mthuthuzeli Matshoba for the realist approach in telling the stories. Ayi Kwei Armah’s writing in Fragments for experientialism that focuses on the dead and the living and which makes specific references to the idea of home – particularly for those who always find it hard to belong. And that of Bruce Sterling’s creation of explosive imagery in science fiction that sticks in the reader’s mind as portrayed in his short story we see things differently. Angela Carter’s brilliance in writing short stories and her approach to magical realism has also been a powerful influence. In telling these stories using a hybrid/fluid approach, I hope to come to terms with being a different “being”. It is to find ways of telling myself that it is okay to be queer, that to be a misfit is no sin. To say this in a language that gives meaning to my own struggles of being. This work is a combination of three disjointed moments of the narrator’s life experiences which are exposed in three sections; It’s My Hand That Wrote, (Un)Tying The Knot and Thoughts. The aim of creating these three moments is to let the reader dive a variety of “truths” of the narrator’s life, instead of aiming to achieve a coherent single “Truth” about one’s life. It’s My Hand That Wrote explores both the unusual and inconsistency of life in a chaotic but explorative fashion.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Johannesburg as dystopia: South African science fiction as political criticism
- Authors: Kirsten, Ashton Lauren
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Science fiction, South African -- History and criticism , Johannesburg (South Africa) -- Fiction , Science fiction films -- History and criticism , Dystopias in literature , Dystopian films , Politics in literature , Politics in motion pictures , Beukes, Lauren -- Zoo City , Blomkamp, Neill, 1979- -- Chappie , Miller, Andrew K., 1974 or 1975- -- Dub steps
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147671 , vital:38659
- Description: This thesis will interrogate the spatial dynamics and configurations of one of the country’s most prominent cities: Johannesburg. Johannesburg has been, and continues to be, a central focus in the nation’s imaginary. There is a trend within South African science fiction (sf) – both literature and film – to portray Johannesburg as a dystopian, post-law, poverty-stricken space as a means of conceptualising the socioeconomic situation within the country. This study will isolate Johannesburg-based works of sf and interrogate why authors and filmmakers disproportionately return to this setting. Investigated are three contemporary works, namely, Zoo City (2010) by Lauren Beukes, Neill Blomkamp’s film, Chappie (2015), and Dub Steps (2015) by Andrew Miller. This study explores the ways in which South African works of sf serve as social and political critique in the post-apartheid era of financial disparity, the formation of new boundaries, divisions of space and privilege, and the dereliction of critical infrastructure. The primary methodology of this thesis is that of Marxist literary analysis (specifically with reference to Louis Althusser’s theoretical models), which will be conducted alongside discussions of authentic history of the country as well as political developments in order to illustrate how South African sf critically engages with, and succinctly critiques, its context. The aesthetics of African sf are inseparable from the politics of the past and the current moment and through the aesthetics of the future, South Africans can reimagine the politics of the now. This study therefore also revisits a selection of non-sf Johannesburg-set novels published post-1925 and argues that these texts can be studied as early examples of South African dystopian writing. In doing so, this study illustrates that dystopian writing about and in South Africa is not an advent of the 21st century, but an extension of a long history of critical engagement. This thesis suggests that the dystopian genre is helpful in reframing the issues of the present (and the past) so that some form of meaningful change is theorized. The underlying impulse of dystopian cultural production is ultimately hopeful: a worse context is imagined to warn society of its follies so that these shortcomings and issues can be corrected, thereby avoiding the disastrous world(s) portrayed in the fiction. In this way, this study contends that local sf should not be inextricably linked to the melancholia that thoughts of dystopia bring about. Rather, the nuanced criticism contained within these dystopian texts is testament to the country’s ever-enduring spirit of change and transformation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Kirsten, Ashton Lauren
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Science fiction, South African -- History and criticism , Johannesburg (South Africa) -- Fiction , Science fiction films -- History and criticism , Dystopias in literature , Dystopian films , Politics in literature , Politics in motion pictures , Beukes, Lauren -- Zoo City , Blomkamp, Neill, 1979- -- Chappie , Miller, Andrew K., 1974 or 1975- -- Dub steps
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147671 , vital:38659
- Description: This thesis will interrogate the spatial dynamics and configurations of one of the country’s most prominent cities: Johannesburg. Johannesburg has been, and continues to be, a central focus in the nation’s imaginary. There is a trend within South African science fiction (sf) – both literature and film – to portray Johannesburg as a dystopian, post-law, poverty-stricken space as a means of conceptualising the socioeconomic situation within the country. This study will isolate Johannesburg-based works of sf and interrogate why authors and filmmakers disproportionately return to this setting. Investigated are three contemporary works, namely, Zoo City (2010) by Lauren Beukes, Neill Blomkamp’s film, Chappie (2015), and Dub Steps (2015) by Andrew Miller. This study explores the ways in which South African works of sf serve as social and political critique in the post-apartheid era of financial disparity, the formation of new boundaries, divisions of space and privilege, and the dereliction of critical infrastructure. The primary methodology of this thesis is that of Marxist literary analysis (specifically with reference to Louis Althusser’s theoretical models), which will be conducted alongside discussions of authentic history of the country as well as political developments in order to illustrate how South African sf critically engages with, and succinctly critiques, its context. The aesthetics of African sf are inseparable from the politics of the past and the current moment and through the aesthetics of the future, South Africans can reimagine the politics of the now. This study therefore also revisits a selection of non-sf Johannesburg-set novels published post-1925 and argues that these texts can be studied as early examples of South African dystopian writing. In doing so, this study illustrates that dystopian writing about and in South Africa is not an advent of the 21st century, but an extension of a long history of critical engagement. This thesis suggests that the dystopian genre is helpful in reframing the issues of the present (and the past) so that some form of meaningful change is theorized. The underlying impulse of dystopian cultural production is ultimately hopeful: a worse context is imagined to warn society of its follies so that these shortcomings and issues can be corrected, thereby avoiding the disastrous world(s) portrayed in the fiction. In this way, this study contends that local sf should not be inextricably linked to the melancholia that thoughts of dystopia bring about. Rather, the nuanced criticism contained within these dystopian texts is testament to the country’s ever-enduring spirit of change and transformation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Khoekhoe lexical borrowing in Namaqualand Afrikaans
- Authors: Christie, Camilla Rose
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Code switching (Linguistics) , Afrikaans language -- Foreign elements -- Nama , Nama language -- Foreign elements -- Afrikaans , Afrikaans language -- Phonology , Nama language -- Phonology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/168385 , vital:41576
- Description: Although several languages in the Khoekhoe branch were historically spoken alongside Afrikaans in bilingual speech communities throughout the Western and Northern Cape, the last century has seen abrupt and catastrophic language loss, resulting in a shift from a bilingual to a monolingual paradigm. However, a number of ethnobotanical surveys conducted in the Namaqualand region of the Northern Cape over the last forty years have recorded the retention of Khoekhoe-branch plant names by monolingual Afrikaans speakers. Such surveys make no attempt to source these loanwords to their Khoekhoe-branch targets, do not make use of the standardised Namibian Khoekhoe orthography, and often resort to transcribing loaned click consonants using only ‘t’. This study undertakes a sociohistorical linguistic investigation into the etymological origins and contemporary usage of these loaned plant names in order to develop a clearer understanding of language contact and lexical borrowing in the Namaqualand region. Following the lexicographical compilation of a representative corpus of loanwords, this study conducts a series of semi-structured interviews with monolingual speakers of Namaqualand Afrikaans. Qualitative sociolinguistic analysis of these interviews reveals that, although loanwords are perceived to be of Nama origin, they are semantically opaque beyond pragmatic reference. Preliminary phonological observations identify a loss of phonemic contrastivity in loaned clicks coupled with a high incidence of variability, and suggest epenthetic stop insertion and epenthetic nasalisation as two possible strategies facilitating click loan. Synthesising these ob servations, this study speculates that the use of loanwords hosting clicks may enjoy a degree of covert prestige in Namaqualand Afrikaans, which may in turn shed light on historical sociolinguistic processes of click diffusion. It recommends that urgent and immediate attention be focused on the usage, sociolinguistic status, and regional variation of Nama within the Northern Cape, and advocates strongly for cooperation and improved communication between linguists and ethnobotanists.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Christie, Camilla Rose
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Code switching (Linguistics) , Afrikaans language -- Foreign elements -- Nama , Nama language -- Foreign elements -- Afrikaans , Afrikaans language -- Phonology , Nama language -- Phonology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/168385 , vital:41576
- Description: Although several languages in the Khoekhoe branch were historically spoken alongside Afrikaans in bilingual speech communities throughout the Western and Northern Cape, the last century has seen abrupt and catastrophic language loss, resulting in a shift from a bilingual to a monolingual paradigm. However, a number of ethnobotanical surveys conducted in the Namaqualand region of the Northern Cape over the last forty years have recorded the retention of Khoekhoe-branch plant names by monolingual Afrikaans speakers. Such surveys make no attempt to source these loanwords to their Khoekhoe-branch targets, do not make use of the standardised Namibian Khoekhoe orthography, and often resort to transcribing loaned click consonants using only ‘t’. This study undertakes a sociohistorical linguistic investigation into the etymological origins and contemporary usage of these loaned plant names in order to develop a clearer understanding of language contact and lexical borrowing in the Namaqualand region. Following the lexicographical compilation of a representative corpus of loanwords, this study conducts a series of semi-structured interviews with monolingual speakers of Namaqualand Afrikaans. Qualitative sociolinguistic analysis of these interviews reveals that, although loanwords are perceived to be of Nama origin, they are semantically opaque beyond pragmatic reference. Preliminary phonological observations identify a loss of phonemic contrastivity in loaned clicks coupled with a high incidence of variability, and suggest epenthetic stop insertion and epenthetic nasalisation as two possible strategies facilitating click loan. Synthesising these ob servations, this study speculates that the use of loanwords hosting clicks may enjoy a degree of covert prestige in Namaqualand Afrikaans, which may in turn shed light on historical sociolinguistic processes of click diffusion. It recommends that urgent and immediate attention be focused on the usage, sociolinguistic status, and regional variation of Nama within the Northern Cape, and advocates strongly for cooperation and improved communication between linguists and ethnobotanists.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Kwakhe kwanje phi na?
- Authors: Qwesha, Mziwonke
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: South African drama (Xhosa) -- 21st century , Xhosa drama -- 21st century
- Language: Xhosa
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/144476 , vital:38349
- Description: Creative work portfolio - drama in isiXhosa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Qwesha, Mziwonke
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: South African drama (Xhosa) -- 21st century , Xhosa drama -- 21st century
- Language: Xhosa
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/144476 , vital:38349
- Description: Creative work portfolio - drama in isiXhosa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Learning about volunteering: an exploration of literacy volunteers' experiences
- Authors: Yendall, Kaitlin Amy
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Literacy -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Literacy programs -- South Africa , Voluntarism -- South Africa , Volunteer workers in community development -- Training of , Service learning , Language and education -- South Africa , Language arts (Primary) , English language -- Study and teaching (Elementary) , Volunteer workers in Education -- Training of
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/138336 , vital:37623
- Description: After almost 25 years of democracy in South Africa, not everyone has access to the same quality education. The responsibility of creating a literate society however cannot rely on the national government and schools alone, but instead needs to fall on the shoulders of various stakeholders. Volunteers in particular have an important role to play in remedying the current literacy crisis experienced in South Africa. This study takes the form of a case study approach and examines the experiences of Project Read literacy volunteers. A telephonic survey and two focus group discussions were conducted in order to determine who it is that volunteers for the programme; what prompts these particular individuals to volunteer; the perceived benefits of volunteering; and how volunteers report on their volunteering experiences. Although the Project Read programme is focused on the early literacy development of learners, volunteers seemed to undergo a developmental process themselves – something they had not anticipated at the start of their volunteering journey. This study illustrates the power of meaningful relationships in breaking down artificial categories and in bringing about important change with regards to the perceptions and attitudes of individuals towards community engagement. It is hoped that the data generated through this study will assist in recruiting and retaining more literacy volunteers through feedback to the NGO. In this way more children will be assisted to enhance their literacy competencies, from which they can build and achieve.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Yendall, Kaitlin Amy
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Literacy -- Study and teaching -- South Africa , Literacy programs -- South Africa , Voluntarism -- South Africa , Volunteer workers in community development -- Training of , Service learning , Language and education -- South Africa , Language arts (Primary) , English language -- Study and teaching (Elementary) , Volunteer workers in Education -- Training of
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/138336 , vital:37623
- Description: After almost 25 years of democracy in South Africa, not everyone has access to the same quality education. The responsibility of creating a literate society however cannot rely on the national government and schools alone, but instead needs to fall on the shoulders of various stakeholders. Volunteers in particular have an important role to play in remedying the current literacy crisis experienced in South Africa. This study takes the form of a case study approach and examines the experiences of Project Read literacy volunteers. A telephonic survey and two focus group discussions were conducted in order to determine who it is that volunteers for the programme; what prompts these particular individuals to volunteer; the perceived benefits of volunteering; and how volunteers report on their volunteering experiences. Although the Project Read programme is focused on the early literacy development of learners, volunteers seemed to undergo a developmental process themselves – something they had not anticipated at the start of their volunteering journey. This study illustrates the power of meaningful relationships in breaking down artificial categories and in bringing about important change with regards to the perceptions and attitudes of individuals towards community engagement. It is hoped that the data generated through this study will assist in recruiting and retaining more literacy volunteers through feedback to the NGO. In this way more children will be assisted to enhance their literacy competencies, from which they can build and achieve.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Life after training: professional experiences of recently qualified clinical and counselling psychologists in South Africa
- Authors: Haine, Phillipa
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Clinical psychologists – South Africa , Counseling psychologists – South Africa , Psychologists -- Job stress -- South Africa , Psychologists -- Employment -- South Africa , Career development -- South Africa , Psychologists -- Training of -- South Africa , Life change events , Qualitative research
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/142421 , vital:38078
- Description: Professional psychology in South Africa has experienced numerous transformations since its tainted historical affiliation with the apartheid regime. However, despite the profession’s attempts to respond to the burgeoning mental health needs of the country, psychologists in South Africa continue to be confronted by a number of challenges within the professional field. International research suggests that early career psychologists, in particular, experience further challenges in adjusting to new professional careers. Considering the dearth of research on this topic within local literature, the aim of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived professional experiences of recently qualified clinical and counselling psychologists in South Africa, following training. An interpretive phenomenological method was employed to investigate the fundamental early career professional experiences of participants, as well as the meanings participants attributed to these experiences. Four participants were recruited using purposive sampling. Data was collected through the use of semi-structured, one-on-one, Skype interviews, and the interview data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The study revealed four super-ordinate themes, including: (i) Training as a ‘rite of passage’; (ii) Expectations for a professional future; (iii) Professional psychology: Entering the work space; and (iv) Future directions. The findings suggest that clinical and counselling psychologists’ experiences as recently qualified professionals in South Africa are both positive and negative, with the overall experience being positive. Emerging themes suggest that early career psychologists are faced by a number of personal and professional challenges on entering the work place. Furthermore, findings suggest that the early career experiences of recently qualified clinical and counselling psychologists in South Africa might not necessarily be due to personal choice, but rather due to greater systemic factors, such as limited available posts, maladministration, the devalued status of mental healthcare in comparison to other healthcare concerns in the country, an unresponsive marketplace and limited efforts by government to accommodate psychologists in different contexts
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Haine, Phillipa
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Clinical psychologists – South Africa , Counseling psychologists – South Africa , Psychologists -- Job stress -- South Africa , Psychologists -- Employment -- South Africa , Career development -- South Africa , Psychologists -- Training of -- South Africa , Life change events , Qualitative research
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/142421 , vital:38078
- Description: Professional psychology in South Africa has experienced numerous transformations since its tainted historical affiliation with the apartheid regime. However, despite the profession’s attempts to respond to the burgeoning mental health needs of the country, psychologists in South Africa continue to be confronted by a number of challenges within the professional field. International research suggests that early career psychologists, in particular, experience further challenges in adjusting to new professional careers. Considering the dearth of research on this topic within local literature, the aim of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived professional experiences of recently qualified clinical and counselling psychologists in South Africa, following training. An interpretive phenomenological method was employed to investigate the fundamental early career professional experiences of participants, as well as the meanings participants attributed to these experiences. Four participants were recruited using purposive sampling. Data was collected through the use of semi-structured, one-on-one, Skype interviews, and the interview data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The study revealed four super-ordinate themes, including: (i) Training as a ‘rite of passage’; (ii) Expectations for a professional future; (iii) Professional psychology: Entering the work space; and (iv) Future directions. The findings suggest that clinical and counselling psychologists’ experiences as recently qualified professionals in South Africa are both positive and negative, with the overall experience being positive. Emerging themes suggest that early career psychologists are faced by a number of personal and professional challenges on entering the work place. Furthermore, findings suggest that the early career experiences of recently qualified clinical and counselling psychologists in South Africa might not necessarily be due to personal choice, but rather due to greater systemic factors, such as limited available posts, maladministration, the devalued status of mental healthcare in comparison to other healthcare concerns in the country, an unresponsive marketplace and limited efforts by government to accommodate psychologists in different contexts
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Lower extremity strength training effects on balance and postural control in female elderly
- Authors: Rosenblatt, Desmarie
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Muscle strength
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46359 , vital:39595
- Description: Background: The global, exponential growth in the elderly population and increased longevity has been well documented. South Africa has the highest proportion of older population in sub-Saharan Africa. Empirical research is lacking on the efficacy of exercise interventions for the elderly to prevent fall risk and increase independent living associated with quality of life. Maintenance of muscular strength of the lower body is important to compensate for various physiological deficits due to the ageing process. Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the effects of an eight-week lower extremity strength training intervention on balance and postural control in female elderly, aged 65 years and older, living in a high socio-economic, urban, residential area in Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa. Design and Methods: A true-experimental, pre-test, post-test study design, was used with a comparative experimental and control group. A total number of 21 participants met the inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. The experimental group participated in an eight-week strength training intervention, attending exercise sessions, twice a week. Peak isometric strength of the knee flexors/extensors, adductors/abductors of the hip, and plantar / dorsi-flexors of the ankle were assessed post-intervention, using the FET2 handheld dynamometer. Balance was assessed by means the displacement of centre of pressure during the limits of stability and the ellipse area for postural sway assessment on a Kistler force plate, post-intervention. Medial/lateral displacement of centre of pressure and the mean velocity while descending a self-designed, two-step stair case, were determined after the intervention by measures obtained from a Kistler force plate. Descriptive statistics were calculated for measures of central tendency including means standard deviations. T-scores were used to standardise results obtained. Non-parametric, inferential statistics were used to determine the statistical significance of the results. The Wilcoxon matched pairs test and the Mann-Whitney U tests determined the significance of within group comparisons. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Spearman rank order correlations were used to measure the strength of associations Results: Lower extremity isometric strength in musculature around the hip, knee and ankle joints, as well as postural sway in a stationary position with eyes opened, have improved significantly after an eight-week resistance training Programme. Improvements in balance has been indicated by limits of stability in the postural sway stance with eyes closed, and dynamic balance during stair descending, were both not significant. Conclusion: The importance of physical interventions to enable the elderly in living a healthy and independent lifestyle should be promoted in all settings. Muscle strength gains and postural sway improvements could have been attributed to neural adaptation and calls for further investigation into the efficacy of strength training over longer durations. The relevance of incorporating stair negotiation as a functional activity of daily living should potentially be included in exercise Programmeprescription by biokineticists, as insufficient control of dynamic balance has been reported to increase fall risk.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Rosenblatt, Desmarie
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Muscle strength
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46359 , vital:39595
- Description: Background: The global, exponential growth in the elderly population and increased longevity has been well documented. South Africa has the highest proportion of older population in sub-Saharan Africa. Empirical research is lacking on the efficacy of exercise interventions for the elderly to prevent fall risk and increase independent living associated with quality of life. Maintenance of muscular strength of the lower body is important to compensate for various physiological deficits due to the ageing process. Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the effects of an eight-week lower extremity strength training intervention on balance and postural control in female elderly, aged 65 years and older, living in a high socio-economic, urban, residential area in Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa. Design and Methods: A true-experimental, pre-test, post-test study design, was used with a comparative experimental and control group. A total number of 21 participants met the inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. The experimental group participated in an eight-week strength training intervention, attending exercise sessions, twice a week. Peak isometric strength of the knee flexors/extensors, adductors/abductors of the hip, and plantar / dorsi-flexors of the ankle were assessed post-intervention, using the FET2 handheld dynamometer. Balance was assessed by means the displacement of centre of pressure during the limits of stability and the ellipse area for postural sway assessment on a Kistler force plate, post-intervention. Medial/lateral displacement of centre of pressure and the mean velocity while descending a self-designed, two-step stair case, were determined after the intervention by measures obtained from a Kistler force plate. Descriptive statistics were calculated for measures of central tendency including means standard deviations. T-scores were used to standardise results obtained. Non-parametric, inferential statistics were used to determine the statistical significance of the results. The Wilcoxon matched pairs test and the Mann-Whitney U tests determined the significance of within group comparisons. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Spearman rank order correlations were used to measure the strength of associations Results: Lower extremity isometric strength in musculature around the hip, knee and ankle joints, as well as postural sway in a stationary position with eyes opened, have improved significantly after an eight-week resistance training Programme. Improvements in balance has been indicated by limits of stability in the postural sway stance with eyes closed, and dynamic balance during stair descending, were both not significant. Conclusion: The importance of physical interventions to enable the elderly in living a healthy and independent lifestyle should be promoted in all settings. Muscle strength gains and postural sway improvements could have been attributed to neural adaptation and calls for further investigation into the efficacy of strength training over longer durations. The relevance of incorporating stair negotiation as a functional activity of daily living should potentially be included in exercise Programmeprescription by biokineticists, as insufficient control of dynamic balance has been reported to increase fall risk.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Making sense of a scam: MMM Mutual Fund participants in Kagiso negotiate dissenting mainstream new coverage on social media
- Authors: Boqo, Bella Makhulu
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Ponzi schemes -- South Africa , Fraud -- South Africa , Social media -- Influence -- South Africa , Mavrodi Mondial Moneybox -- In mass media
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/145771 , vital:38465
- Description: Pyramid, Ponzi and various fraudulent investment schemes are common feature in post-apartheid South Africa. The record levels of participation have generated much discussion in public discourse. Newspapers often abound with reports of participants who’ve lost large sums of money – in many instances their life savings. While on social media, thousands debate the merits and threats of new ventures as they emerge, in some instances using these platforms as the newest recruitment platforms. The sheer size and frequency of their appearance especially in post-revolutionary societies – those which experienced dramatic structural transformation following the end of the Cold War and growth of a neoliberal market economy – has drawn substantive scholarly attention. Much like media reports, however, this research often points to the morality of such practices, asking questions like what factors lead people to make the apparently irrational decision to participate in a scam? This study, however, contributes to a different body of emerging literature concerned with the larger structural contexts in which such forms of economic practice and organisation exist, and the meanings participants make of their involvement. Looking at the recently high profile of case of Mavrodi Mondial Moneybox (MMM), it employs a qualitative research methodology rooted in cultural studies to examine how participants based in the Johannesburg township of Kagiso used social media, specifically WhatsApp, to make sense of and contest the dissenting mainstream news coverage about MMM. Ultimately, it is a question of how their participation in particularly illegal pyramid or Ponzi type schemes and opposition to traditional news reports are rooted in their lived experiences, and what opportunities social media offer as alternate platforms for meaning-making, deliberation and public contestation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Boqo, Bella Makhulu
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Ponzi schemes -- South Africa , Fraud -- South Africa , Social media -- Influence -- South Africa , Mavrodi Mondial Moneybox -- In mass media
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/145771 , vital:38465
- Description: Pyramid, Ponzi and various fraudulent investment schemes are common feature in post-apartheid South Africa. The record levels of participation have generated much discussion in public discourse. Newspapers often abound with reports of participants who’ve lost large sums of money – in many instances their life savings. While on social media, thousands debate the merits and threats of new ventures as they emerge, in some instances using these platforms as the newest recruitment platforms. The sheer size and frequency of their appearance especially in post-revolutionary societies – those which experienced dramatic structural transformation following the end of the Cold War and growth of a neoliberal market economy – has drawn substantive scholarly attention. Much like media reports, however, this research often points to the morality of such practices, asking questions like what factors lead people to make the apparently irrational decision to participate in a scam? This study, however, contributes to a different body of emerging literature concerned with the larger structural contexts in which such forms of economic practice and organisation exist, and the meanings participants make of their involvement. Looking at the recently high profile of case of Mavrodi Mondial Moneybox (MMM), it employs a qualitative research methodology rooted in cultural studies to examine how participants based in the Johannesburg township of Kagiso used social media, specifically WhatsApp, to make sense of and contest the dissenting mainstream news coverage about MMM. Ultimately, it is a question of how their participation in particularly illegal pyramid or Ponzi type schemes and opposition to traditional news reports are rooted in their lived experiences, and what opportunities social media offer as alternate platforms for meaning-making, deliberation and public contestation.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Managing staff wellness of educators in Nelson Mandela Bay related to their knowledge, perceptions and practices of a healthy lifestyle
- Authors: Coetzee, Jeslyn
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Educators -- -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46335 , vital:39568
- Description: Non-communicable diseases have become a major cause of mortality, resulting in 55% of deaths in South Africa in 2015. Educators seem to be a high-risk population with high rates of obesity and hypertension. This study, a quantitative descriptive study, was completed with primary school educators in Nelson Mandela Bayas the study population, with the aim of better understanding their knowledge, perceptions and practices with regard to a healthy lifestyle in order to manage and improve their staff wellness, and investigates these areas separately as objectives. A focus was placed on salt and sugar intake in light of recent legislation and taxation on these items in South Africa. The study has three components, namely; anthropometry, a dietary intake assessment via 24-hour dietary recalls and a behavioural questionnaire. Ethics was considered by ensuring the anonymity of participants, using participant numbers and ensuring the written consent of all participants before the commencement of the study. Data collection took place over a period of three days. Educators showed high levels of obesity, with 45,7%(n=21)being categorised as obese class three. Twenty-five percent of the participants reported to have been diagnosed with hypertension. Participants fared well with questions that referred to more general knowledge of nutrition and aspects of staff wellness that was looked at showed that 47,7 % described their job performance as ‘good’, while also noting that 20,5þlt that everything was an effort most of the time. Recommendations include the benefit of an Employee Wellness Programme in order to educate and encourage teachers around different aspects of their health and wellness. Intrinsic motivation is necessary and drastic changes need to be made in order to improve the dire situation in this population of the country.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Coetzee, Jeslyn
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Educators -- -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46335 , vital:39568
- Description: Non-communicable diseases have become a major cause of mortality, resulting in 55% of deaths in South Africa in 2015. Educators seem to be a high-risk population with high rates of obesity and hypertension. This study, a quantitative descriptive study, was completed with primary school educators in Nelson Mandela Bayas the study population, with the aim of better understanding their knowledge, perceptions and practices with regard to a healthy lifestyle in order to manage and improve their staff wellness, and investigates these areas separately as objectives. A focus was placed on salt and sugar intake in light of recent legislation and taxation on these items in South Africa. The study has three components, namely; anthropometry, a dietary intake assessment via 24-hour dietary recalls and a behavioural questionnaire. Ethics was considered by ensuring the anonymity of participants, using participant numbers and ensuring the written consent of all participants before the commencement of the study. Data collection took place over a period of three days. Educators showed high levels of obesity, with 45,7%(n=21)being categorised as obese class three. Twenty-five percent of the participants reported to have been diagnosed with hypertension. Participants fared well with questions that referred to more general knowledge of nutrition and aspects of staff wellness that was looked at showed that 47,7 % described their job performance as ‘good’, while also noting that 20,5þlt that everything was an effort most of the time. Recommendations include the benefit of an Employee Wellness Programme in order to educate and encourage teachers around different aspects of their health and wellness. Intrinsic motivation is necessary and drastic changes need to be made in order to improve the dire situation in this population of the country.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Microfinances efficiencies in promoting sustainability of women owned SMMEs in Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Koti, Kundai
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Microfinance -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women owned business enterprises
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/49870 , vital:41811
- Description: Microfinance is considered to be a vital catalyst for the sustainability of small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs).The low economic growth of South Africa emerging from the 2008 Global Financia Crisis makes the contribution made by microfinance is of particular importance. However, the SMME sector of the economy is plagued by a high rate of business failure. In an effort to improve the current situation, the purpose of this study was to identify which aspects of microfinance are vital and which business practices are essential to enhance business performance and achieve sustainability. The effectiveness of microfinance, with a deeper insight into what other factors aid in enhancing the sustainability of women owned SMMEs, were investigated. The study was carried out as an explorative, multiple, case study using qualitative methods of data collection. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews with three managers of microfinance institutions (MFIs), and open-ended questionnaires with 21 female owners of SMMEs in Port Elizabeth, Nelson Mandela Bay. Nonprobability, purposive sampling was used. Data were analysed by means of thematic analysis and coding.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Koti, Kundai
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Microfinance -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women owned business enterprises
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/49870 , vital:41811
- Description: Microfinance is considered to be a vital catalyst for the sustainability of small, micro and medium enterprises (SMMEs).The low economic growth of South Africa emerging from the 2008 Global Financia Crisis makes the contribution made by microfinance is of particular importance. However, the SMME sector of the economy is plagued by a high rate of business failure. In an effort to improve the current situation, the purpose of this study was to identify which aspects of microfinance are vital and which business practices are essential to enhance business performance and achieve sustainability. The effectiveness of microfinance, with a deeper insight into what other factors aid in enhancing the sustainability of women owned SMMEs, were investigated. The study was carried out as an explorative, multiple, case study using qualitative methods of data collection. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews with three managers of microfinance institutions (MFIs), and open-ended questionnaires with 21 female owners of SMMEs in Port Elizabeth, Nelson Mandela Bay. Nonprobability, purposive sampling was used. Data were analysed by means of thematic analysis and coding.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Multilingualism, innovation, and productivity: an examination of the impact of multilingualism in the workplace, with reference to the BRICS countries
- Authors: Leyne, Breda
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Multilingualism -- BRIC countries , Bilingual communication in organizations , Second language acquisition , Language in the workplace , Diversity in the workplace , Communication in organizations , Intercultural communication , Labor productivity , Organizational behavior , Technological innovations , BRICS countries
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/148149 , vital:38714
- Description: This study examined whether the choice of language in the workplace affects personal and workplace productivity. The study has focussed on those working in countries which come under the BRICS grouping, Brazil, Russia, India and China and South Africa, as this provided a rich comparison of historical, economic and linguistic contexts. The research undertaken sought to explore the impact of prevailing language usage amongst employees of multi-national companies operating within the BRICS countries. With the assumption that these workforces will include multilingual individuals, the study set out to ascertain whether multilingualism has been recognised as a factor that might impact upon personal productivity or progress, either in a positive or negative fashion. The study set out to consider how language use may affect economic behaviour, firstly on a personal level and then to extrapolate this more widely into organisational productivity and innovation. This was set against background research into; theoretical perspectives on the acquisition of additional language, perceived benefits of bilingualism for individuals, studies of the management of language use with multinational corporations and relationships between language and economics. The conclusion reached is that multilingualism could have a beneficial impact on wider workforce productivity, and that it is not just a ‘language problem’ as it often seems to be treated. The final conclusion is that this may be something that should be more carefully considered by organisations in an increasingly global workplace. The researcher considers that multilingualism could be better employed as a workplace productivity metric, in a way that arguably it is not at present.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Leyne, Breda
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Multilingualism -- BRIC countries , Bilingual communication in organizations , Second language acquisition , Language in the workplace , Diversity in the workplace , Communication in organizations , Intercultural communication , Labor productivity , Organizational behavior , Technological innovations , BRICS countries
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/148149 , vital:38714
- Description: This study examined whether the choice of language in the workplace affects personal and workplace productivity. The study has focussed on those working in countries which come under the BRICS grouping, Brazil, Russia, India and China and South Africa, as this provided a rich comparison of historical, economic and linguistic contexts. The research undertaken sought to explore the impact of prevailing language usage amongst employees of multi-national companies operating within the BRICS countries. With the assumption that these workforces will include multilingual individuals, the study set out to ascertain whether multilingualism has been recognised as a factor that might impact upon personal productivity or progress, either in a positive or negative fashion. The study set out to consider how language use may affect economic behaviour, firstly on a personal level and then to extrapolate this more widely into organisational productivity and innovation. This was set against background research into; theoretical perspectives on the acquisition of additional language, perceived benefits of bilingualism for individuals, studies of the management of language use with multinational corporations and relationships between language and economics. The conclusion reached is that multilingualism could have a beneficial impact on wider workforce productivity, and that it is not just a ‘language problem’ as it often seems to be treated. The final conclusion is that this may be something that should be more carefully considered by organisations in an increasingly global workplace. The researcher considers that multilingualism could be better employed as a workplace productivity metric, in a way that arguably it is not at present.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
My crazy character
- Authors: Sojini, Lungile
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: South African fiction (English) -- 21st century
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/148217 , vital:38720
- Description: My thesis is a metafictional novella. I am interested in fictionalising the processes that writers use when they sit down to plan, write and publish novels. Metafiction interests me because it breaks from the traditional way of writing fiction, particularly with regards to the appearance of the author in the fictional world created. Devin Gribbons’s metafictional story (titled A Short Story), in the anthology of innovative writing, 30 Under 30, was my inspiration for developing the metafictional approach to novella length. Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground, Chief Fagunwa’s Forest of a Thousand Daemons, and Charles Bukowski’s autobiographical Ham on Rye, have for varying reasons, all influenced this writing.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Sojini, Lungile
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: South African fiction (English) -- 21st century
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/148217 , vital:38720
- Description: My thesis is a metafictional novella. I am interested in fictionalising the processes that writers use when they sit down to plan, write and publish novels. Metafiction interests me because it breaks from the traditional way of writing fiction, particularly with regards to the appearance of the author in the fictional world created. Devin Gribbons’s metafictional story (titled A Short Story), in the anthology of innovative writing, 30 Under 30, was my inspiration for developing the metafictional approach to novella length. Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Notes from Underground, Chief Fagunwa’s Forest of a Thousand Daemons, and Charles Bukowski’s autobiographical Ham on Rye, have for varying reasons, all influenced this writing.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Narratives of the commuter: experiences of commuting in the Port Elizabeth Northern Areas
- Authors: Lingham, Rochin Shelley
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Commuters -- South Africa --Port Elizbeth , Traffic Safefty -- South Africa --Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46911 , vital:39731
- Description: Transportation is a fundamental element of human existence. As urban areas continue to grow at a rapid speed public transport increasingly takes on the role of providing citizens with access to participate in activities of the city. Research has shown that individual perception of public transport is influenced by passenger response to collective mobility when on board modes of transport. This study aimed to investigate the minibus taxi commuters’ constructions and relevance of their taxi commuting experiences in the Port Elizabeth Northern Areas. Building on existing work it asks: How do commuters in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth describe and narrate their taxi commuting experiences? This thesis is interested in the experience of public transport as told by those who make use of the industry. The study focuses on both commuters and drivers and the way they characterize the social experience of commuting in taxis. These individuals provide first-hand experience and insight of the industry. The purpose of this study is to foreground the voices of those who have first-hand experience of dependency on the public transport industry.It is these voices that must be heard and considered in policy formation. The study found simultaneous vulnerabilities exist between taxi drivers and taxi commuters resulting in both groups being held captive by the taxi industry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Lingham, Rochin Shelley
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Commuters -- South Africa --Port Elizbeth , Traffic Safefty -- South Africa --Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46911 , vital:39731
- Description: Transportation is a fundamental element of human existence. As urban areas continue to grow at a rapid speed public transport increasingly takes on the role of providing citizens with access to participate in activities of the city. Research has shown that individual perception of public transport is influenced by passenger response to collective mobility when on board modes of transport. This study aimed to investigate the minibus taxi commuters’ constructions and relevance of their taxi commuting experiences in the Port Elizabeth Northern Areas. Building on existing work it asks: How do commuters in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth describe and narrate their taxi commuting experiences? This thesis is interested in the experience of public transport as told by those who make use of the industry. The study focuses on both commuters and drivers and the way they characterize the social experience of commuting in taxis. These individuals provide first-hand experience and insight of the industry. The purpose of this study is to foreground the voices of those who have first-hand experience of dependency on the public transport industry.It is these voices that must be heard and considered in policy formation. The study found simultaneous vulnerabilities exist between taxi drivers and taxi commuters resulting in both groups being held captive by the taxi industry.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
National Wool Growers Association programme for communal farmers in Amahlathi local Municipality
- Authors: Yeki, Precious Nomantande
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Farmers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Wool industry – South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/50676 , vital:42331
- Description: By 2030, the majority of the world's population will live in urban areas and the farming populations we see today will be less. For the foreseeable future, meeting the needs of the future means confronting the problems that small farmers face in their daily struggle. The South African experience in relation to the agricultural sector is still principally dualistic, comprising of the large-scale commercial farming dominated by white farmers as well as small-scale sectors dominated by black farmers and this is distinctive in the local context of writings on agricultural and rural development. As a result, the government has adopted various approaches to promote Transformation in the sector, with mixed results. The well-known are the agricultural development programmes and black farmer empowerment programmes which also include land reform. This paper reviews one of the agricultural development programmes which seek to empower small holder farmers. The study assesses the impact of the National Wool Growers Association (NWGA) Wool Programme on the communal farmers productivity and agricultural income in Amahlathi Local Municipality. The NWGA has been the custodian for transformation and it has been a good vehicle to represent all wool producers in South Africa. The research discovered that the programme has a positive influence on productivity and agricultural income, yet there is a room for improvement both for the NWGA and the government. It was highlighted that the programme offers extension services, infrastructure for shearing shed, wool and carcass competition, shearing training to both shearers and wool farmers. The study also found that women and youth need to be included, in the programme.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Yeki, Precious Nomantande
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Farmers -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Wool industry – South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/50676 , vital:42331
- Description: By 2030, the majority of the world's population will live in urban areas and the farming populations we see today will be less. For the foreseeable future, meeting the needs of the future means confronting the problems that small farmers face in their daily struggle. The South African experience in relation to the agricultural sector is still principally dualistic, comprising of the large-scale commercial farming dominated by white farmers as well as small-scale sectors dominated by black farmers and this is distinctive in the local context of writings on agricultural and rural development. As a result, the government has adopted various approaches to promote Transformation in the sector, with mixed results. The well-known are the agricultural development programmes and black farmer empowerment programmes which also include land reform. This paper reviews one of the agricultural development programmes which seek to empower small holder farmers. The study assesses the impact of the National Wool Growers Association (NWGA) Wool Programme on the communal farmers productivity and agricultural income in Amahlathi Local Municipality. The NWGA has been the custodian for transformation and it has been a good vehicle to represent all wool producers in South Africa. The research discovered that the programme has a positive influence on productivity and agricultural income, yet there is a room for improvement both for the NWGA and the government. It was highlighted that the programme offers extension services, infrastructure for shearing shed, wool and carcass competition, shearing training to both shearers and wool farmers. The study also found that women and youth need to be included, in the programme.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Nine stories
- Authors: Dukas, Graham
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: South African fiction (English) -- 21st century
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147124 , vital:38595
- Description: Creative work portfolio.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Dukas, Graham
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: South African fiction (English) -- 21st century
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147124 , vital:38595
- Description: Creative work portfolio.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020