Intellectual achievement in pursuit of true belief
- Authors: Shapiro, Lucy Deborah
- Date: 2006 , 2013-06-14
- Subjects: Delusions , Knowledge, Theory of , Epistemics , Truth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2735 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005955 , Delusions , Knowledge, Theory of , Epistemics , Truth
- Description: The practice of inquiry, in which we seek and pursue true beliefs by forming justified beliefs, is important to us. This thesis will address two questions concerning the significance of this practice. These are the question of what explains our preference for this particular belief-forming practice, and whether this value can be explained by the value of true belief alone. To answer these questions I will examme a variety of our intuitive commitments to particular values, assuming their general accuracy. I will use an inference from the goal of a practice to the value of a practice, an inference based on the assumption that when we pursue something it is valuable. I will discuss our intuitive commitments to the value of justification. I will also rely on the implications of the presence of pride and admiration in relation to the outcome of an inquiry (especially in situations where a belief is difficult to form). By using this methodology, I will argue for three sources of value that explain the unique significance of the value of inquiry. The first is the value of its unique role in our being able to form reliably true beliefs. Second, I will argue for Wayne D. Riggs' account of epistemic credit; Riggs defends the value of our being responsible for true beliefs, they are our achievements. Third, I will argue for an additional the value of delivering a skilful epistemic performance, another kind of achievement. I will show that although the value of true belief plays a role in explaining some of the values, the third value for inquiry is independent of the value of true belief. This means that there are intellectual rewards, which can be gained from this practice, that extend beyond the value of true belief. , KMBT_363 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
- Authors: Shapiro, Lucy Deborah
- Date: 2006 , 2013-06-14
- Subjects: Delusions , Knowledge, Theory of , Epistemics , Truth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2735 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005955 , Delusions , Knowledge, Theory of , Epistemics , Truth
- Description: The practice of inquiry, in which we seek and pursue true beliefs by forming justified beliefs, is important to us. This thesis will address two questions concerning the significance of this practice. These are the question of what explains our preference for this particular belief-forming practice, and whether this value can be explained by the value of true belief alone. To answer these questions I will examme a variety of our intuitive commitments to particular values, assuming their general accuracy. I will use an inference from the goal of a practice to the value of a practice, an inference based on the assumption that when we pursue something it is valuable. I will discuss our intuitive commitments to the value of justification. I will also rely on the implications of the presence of pride and admiration in relation to the outcome of an inquiry (especially in situations where a belief is difficult to form). By using this methodology, I will argue for three sources of value that explain the unique significance of the value of inquiry. The first is the value of its unique role in our being able to form reliably true beliefs. Second, I will argue for Wayne D. Riggs' account of epistemic credit; Riggs defends the value of our being responsible for true beliefs, they are our achievements. Third, I will argue for an additional the value of delivering a skilful epistemic performance, another kind of achievement. I will show that although the value of true belief plays a role in explaining some of the values, the third value for inquiry is independent of the value of true belief. This means that there are intellectual rewards, which can be gained from this practice, that extend beyond the value of true belief. , KMBT_363 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2006
Journalism sourcing and credibility: a study of Raia Mwema’s use of anonymous sources
- Authors: Mkoko, Egbert
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Raia Mwema , Newspapers -- Tanzania , Journalism -- Tanzania , Attribution of news -- Tanzania
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3529 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013219
- Description: This study analyses how readers impute credibility to the Tanzanian investigative newspaper Raia Mwema which, as a matter of routine journalistic practice, uses a high number of anonymous sources. Against the backdrop of a strong theoretical position, espoused by media studies theorists in both Western media contexts and in Africa, in which this practice is deemed to diminish the credibility of both journalists and their stories, the study’s main purpose is to examine how readers make sense of this very prevalent practice in a country that has recently opened up to media plurality. It also investigates where they locate the source of credibility for this high-selling newspaper, if not in the traditional way through its named sources of information. The study surveys the frequency of appearance of anonymous sources in this newspaper for the period of one year from January 2011 to December 2011. Then the study considered how this practice is viewed and understood by the wider journalistic community in Tanzania as well as looking into how the journalists and owners of Raia Mwema make choices about attributing their journalism. Lastly, the study engaged with particular readers to understand what sense they make of this practice in the wider landscape of Tanzanian media and the post-repressive political situation. The study makes use of theories of the sociology of news production so as to understand the context in which Raia Mwema has routinised the practice of anonymous attribution and whether the journalistic community and newspaper readers find the practice credible. The study also employs reception analysis in order to understand to what extent Raia Mwema readers negotiate and make sense of the mainly political, and often critical, media messages they get from newspaper. In this way, it introduces the importance of the reader in the production of meaning and of assessment of credibility of journalism. The interviews – ranging from journalists working at the paper, through the wider journalistic community and taking in the readership of the paper – show that theoretical considerations of journalistic credibility must take into account the political, social and media context in which journalism is produced. Pronouncements on the overuse of anonymous sources, without understanding the way readers and journalists negotiate the complexities of an actual situation, do not tell us much about credibility and how readers understand the messages they are given. From this study, it is clear that in African countries embarking on opening media systems, credibility involves more factors than have been discussed in the literature and that readers and journalists are sophisticated consumers and producers of media messages in countries that place a host of obstacles in the way of investigative journalism and open political communication.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Mkoko, Egbert
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Raia Mwema , Newspapers -- Tanzania , Journalism -- Tanzania , Attribution of news -- Tanzania
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3529 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013219
- Description: This study analyses how readers impute credibility to the Tanzanian investigative newspaper Raia Mwema which, as a matter of routine journalistic practice, uses a high number of anonymous sources. Against the backdrop of a strong theoretical position, espoused by media studies theorists in both Western media contexts and in Africa, in which this practice is deemed to diminish the credibility of both journalists and their stories, the study’s main purpose is to examine how readers make sense of this very prevalent practice in a country that has recently opened up to media plurality. It also investigates where they locate the source of credibility for this high-selling newspaper, if not in the traditional way through its named sources of information. The study surveys the frequency of appearance of anonymous sources in this newspaper for the period of one year from January 2011 to December 2011. Then the study considered how this practice is viewed and understood by the wider journalistic community in Tanzania as well as looking into how the journalists and owners of Raia Mwema make choices about attributing their journalism. Lastly, the study engaged with particular readers to understand what sense they make of this practice in the wider landscape of Tanzanian media and the post-repressive political situation. The study makes use of theories of the sociology of news production so as to understand the context in which Raia Mwema has routinised the practice of anonymous attribution and whether the journalistic community and newspaper readers find the practice credible. The study also employs reception analysis in order to understand to what extent Raia Mwema readers negotiate and make sense of the mainly political, and often critical, media messages they get from newspaper. In this way, it introduces the importance of the reader in the production of meaning and of assessment of credibility of journalism. The interviews – ranging from journalists working at the paper, through the wider journalistic community and taking in the readership of the paper – show that theoretical considerations of journalistic credibility must take into account the political, social and media context in which journalism is produced. Pronouncements on the overuse of anonymous sources, without understanding the way readers and journalists negotiate the complexities of an actual situation, do not tell us much about credibility and how readers understand the messages they are given. From this study, it is clear that in African countries embarking on opening media systems, credibility involves more factors than have been discussed in the literature and that readers and journalists are sophisticated consumers and producers of media messages in countries that place a host of obstacles in the way of investigative journalism and open political communication.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
Social change and shifting paradigms: the choice of healer among black South Africans in psychological counselling
- Authors: Johnson, Alexandra Blythe
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: Healers -- South Africa , Psychotherapy Cross-cultural studies , Xhosa (African people) -- Psychology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2998 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002507 , Healers -- South Africa , Psychotherapy Cross-cultural studies , Xhosa (African people) -- Psychology
- Description: Social change in South Africa brings to light the multiplicity of world-views operating in our society, which individuals encountering a variety of social contexts are faced with. This raises questions about the choices black South Africans face in response to influences from Western and traditional African culture. This issue was approached through examining helpseeking choices made between different health care sectors that stem from different world-views. This would indicate whether individuals are drawing on a variety of belief systems. The sources of their beliefs are put into context by looking at the communities of practice that influence their local knowledge. Help-seeking is also influenced by the identities the individual may ascribe to, which are derived from the multiple positions held by them in different social contexts. In this research the use of health-care sectors by four black women attending psychotherapy is examined. Their use of these sectors reflects a potential multiplicity of world views. Semistructured interviews were conducted, focusing on participants' prior experience of different help options, and their current perceptions of traditional African healing and psychology. The texts were analysed using a qualitative hermeneutic method, the reading guide. Data was looked at through three main themes, the individual's relationship to the health care sectors, their knowledge of different world views, and the identities they adopted which may be influential in their choice of a healer. It was found that in two participants there was some movement away from traditional beliefs, with one rejecting the traditional healers who did not help her, once she has discovered therapy, and another identifying herself completely with Western medicine. In contrast, one participant illustrated a rediscovery of traditional healing, whilst still attending psychotherapy. This suggests that shifts in knowledge are not necessarily away from traditional beliefs. It was also found that the two participants who had experienced a broader variety of social contexts and identified with multiple belief systems, tended to use a variety of Western and traditional healing sources and selected the healing option they felt was most appropriate to a particular problem. It is argued therefore that having a variety of knowledge and beliefs places individuals in a more powerful position to determine their choice of action than those with a limited range of knowledge.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
- Authors: Johnson, Alexandra Blythe
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: Healers -- South Africa , Psychotherapy Cross-cultural studies , Xhosa (African people) -- Psychology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2998 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002507 , Healers -- South Africa , Psychotherapy Cross-cultural studies , Xhosa (African people) -- Psychology
- Description: Social change in South Africa brings to light the multiplicity of world-views operating in our society, which individuals encountering a variety of social contexts are faced with. This raises questions about the choices black South Africans face in response to influences from Western and traditional African culture. This issue was approached through examining helpseeking choices made between different health care sectors that stem from different world-views. This would indicate whether individuals are drawing on a variety of belief systems. The sources of their beliefs are put into context by looking at the communities of practice that influence their local knowledge. Help-seeking is also influenced by the identities the individual may ascribe to, which are derived from the multiple positions held by them in different social contexts. In this research the use of health-care sectors by four black women attending psychotherapy is examined. Their use of these sectors reflects a potential multiplicity of world views. Semistructured interviews were conducted, focusing on participants' prior experience of different help options, and their current perceptions of traditional African healing and psychology. The texts were analysed using a qualitative hermeneutic method, the reading guide. Data was looked at through three main themes, the individual's relationship to the health care sectors, their knowledge of different world views, and the identities they adopted which may be influential in their choice of a healer. It was found that in two participants there was some movement away from traditional beliefs, with one rejecting the traditional healers who did not help her, once she has discovered therapy, and another identifying herself completely with Western medicine. In contrast, one participant illustrated a rediscovery of traditional healing, whilst still attending psychotherapy. This suggests that shifts in knowledge are not necessarily away from traditional beliefs. It was also found that the two participants who had experienced a broader variety of social contexts and identified with multiple belief systems, tended to use a variety of Western and traditional healing sources and selected the healing option they felt was most appropriate to a particular problem. It is argued therefore that having a variety of knowledge and beliefs places individuals in a more powerful position to determine their choice of action than those with a limited range of knowledge.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
Representations of women in women's magazines
- Authors: Ndzamela, Viwe
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: Women in mass media , Women's periodicals, South African
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3475 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002930 , Women in mass media , Women's periodicals, South African
- Description: Women’s magazines as a popular form of entertainment are among the media products that have been criticised for misrepresenting women. These popular magazines are often condemned for their failure to represent women in a positive light although they claim to target women as their market. The objective of this research is to assess and analyse representations of women in selected women’s magazines. Because women’s magazines are part of popular culture, which is not only concerned with the production process but also takes into consideration the needs of the readers, the research seeks to find out whether these magazines meet the expectations of its readers. The study is a combination of qualitative analysis, which looks at the frequency and the manner in which women are represented, with a qualitative interpretation of women’s roles within those representations. The issue of representations of women in women’s magazines is a very complex one as magazines, like other cultural texts are open to multiple interpretations. Consequently, multiple conclusions have been reached and the outcome of the study is therefore a series of three conclusions based on feature articles, advertisements and at a theoretical level.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
- Authors: Ndzamela, Viwe
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: Women in mass media , Women's periodicals, South African
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3475 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002930 , Women in mass media , Women's periodicals, South African
- Description: Women’s magazines as a popular form of entertainment are among the media products that have been criticised for misrepresenting women. These popular magazines are often condemned for their failure to represent women in a positive light although they claim to target women as their market. The objective of this research is to assess and analyse representations of women in selected women’s magazines. Because women’s magazines are part of popular culture, which is not only concerned with the production process but also takes into consideration the needs of the readers, the research seeks to find out whether these magazines meet the expectations of its readers. The study is a combination of qualitative analysis, which looks at the frequency and the manner in which women are represented, with a qualitative interpretation of women’s roles within those representations. The issue of representations of women in women’s magazines is a very complex one as magazines, like other cultural texts are open to multiple interpretations. Consequently, multiple conclusions have been reached and the outcome of the study is therefore a series of three conclusions based on feature articles, advertisements and at a theoretical level.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
Cognitive behavioural treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome: an in-depth case study
- Authors: Rusch, Mary L
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: Chronic fatigue syndrome , Chronic fatigue syndrome -- Psychological aspects , Chronic fatigue syndrome -- Exercise therapy , Chronic fatigue syndrome -- Treatment
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3046 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002555
- Description: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a chronic disabling condition characterised by persistent physical and mental fatigue, and a variety of somatic, psychological and neurological symptoms. The aetiology of CFS is unknown and the cause of the illness remains controversial. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is a non-pharmacological treatment approach that has been shown to be effective in treating patients with CFS. It is based on a model that hypothesises that certain maladaptive thoughts and dysfunctional beliefs may contribute to self-defeating behaviour that perpetuates symptoms and disability, and thereby impedes recovery. The main aim of this study was to critically examine the cognitive-behavioural approach of CFS outlined by Sharpe, Chalder, Palmer & Wessely (1997) by conducting three in-depth case studies. An additional aim was to present a full cognitive developmental case conceptualisation of CFS based on the theories of Leahy (1996) and Young (1994). This case study evaluated the effectiveness of a CBT treatment programme in a 48-year-old Caucasian woman diagnosed with CFS for three years. The treatment consisted of sixteen sessions of CBT and was evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively. On the basis of this study, a set of core maladaptive schema in the area of disconnection and rejection was identified. In addition, it was found that specific compensatory schemas had developed to offset the core maladaptive schemas and that this compensatory strategy played an important role in maintaining the condition. The results also showed a significant decline in fatigue coupled with a moderate decline in functional disability and depression. A one-month follow-up interview revealed evidence of a substantial consolidation of therapeutic gains in that the improvements observed at the end of the treatment were sustained. Finally, the feasibility of incorporating a cognitive-developmental and/or schema-focused model into the standard CBT treatment model is discussed and the case study method as a research toll is evaluated in light of the findings.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2001
- Authors: Rusch, Mary L
- Date: 2001
- Subjects: Chronic fatigue syndrome , Chronic fatigue syndrome -- Psychological aspects , Chronic fatigue syndrome -- Exercise therapy , Chronic fatigue syndrome -- Treatment
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3046 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002555
- Description: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a chronic disabling condition characterised by persistent physical and mental fatigue, and a variety of somatic, psychological and neurological symptoms. The aetiology of CFS is unknown and the cause of the illness remains controversial. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is a non-pharmacological treatment approach that has been shown to be effective in treating patients with CFS. It is based on a model that hypothesises that certain maladaptive thoughts and dysfunctional beliefs may contribute to self-defeating behaviour that perpetuates symptoms and disability, and thereby impedes recovery. The main aim of this study was to critically examine the cognitive-behavioural approach of CFS outlined by Sharpe, Chalder, Palmer & Wessely (1997) by conducting three in-depth case studies. An additional aim was to present a full cognitive developmental case conceptualisation of CFS based on the theories of Leahy (1996) and Young (1994). This case study evaluated the effectiveness of a CBT treatment programme in a 48-year-old Caucasian woman diagnosed with CFS for three years. The treatment consisted of sixteen sessions of CBT and was evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively. On the basis of this study, a set of core maladaptive schema in the area of disconnection and rejection was identified. In addition, it was found that specific compensatory schemas had developed to offset the core maladaptive schemas and that this compensatory strategy played an important role in maintaining the condition. The results also showed a significant decline in fatigue coupled with a moderate decline in functional disability and depression. A one-month follow-up interview revealed evidence of a substantial consolidation of therapeutic gains in that the improvements observed at the end of the treatment were sustained. Finally, the feasibility of incorporating a cognitive-developmental and/or schema-focused model into the standard CBT treatment model is discussed and the case study method as a research toll is evaluated in light of the findings.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2001
An investigation into the impact of the gender policy on journalistic practices at the Times of Zambia newspaper
- Authors: Mwale, Edna
- Date: 2013-07-24
- Subjects: The Times of Zambia (Zambia) Newspapers -- Zambia Journalism -- Zambia Mass media -- Social aspects -- Zambia Women and journalism -- Zambia Mass media and women Mass media -- Political aspects -- Zambia Zambia -- Politics and government
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3521 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008303
- Description: This study investigates the impact of the Times of Zambia gender policy on journalistic practices. The policy was formulated to address issues of representation of women both in news coverage and at an institutional level. In spite of the implementation of the editorial gender policy, no change in gendered representation is evident. As a media practitioner and a Zambian woman concerned with social justice, I set out to investigate the impact of this policy on journalistic practices. The study is informed by a Cultural Studies approach to media studies, specifically drawing on the 'circuit of culture' (du Guy et ai, 1997) and focused on two specific 'moments', namely representation and production. Data was collected using two qualitative methods, namely document analysis and semi-structured in-depth interviews. The document analysis established that this policy is informed by a liberal feminist approach to media and identified the weaknesses in its formulation. The subsequent semi-structured in-depth interviews probed the practices and perceptions of male and female journalists and editors in relation to the degree of change in gendered representation in the news. This study finds that the editorial gender policy at the Times of Zambia has not had any significant impact on the journalistic practices and it probed the reason for this lack of effectiveness. It argues that this can be partially attributed to the orientation of the policy within a liberal feminist paradigm which neglects the internal and external factors that influence the representation of women and men in news production. Further, this position ignores the societal structures and power relations which impact, albeit unintentional, on the treatment of news. Inter-organisational factors such as profit maximisation, political interference, the use of news values and news beats are identified as leading to the exclusion of representations of women in hard news. At an intra-organisational level, lack of importance attached to the policy by senior staff and their attitudes to news production in general have meant that the policy was not enacted or ensured in any meaningful way. The study also established that the patriarchal values that characterise Zambian society influence journalists ' and editors' treatment of news, thus making the implementation of the policy ineffective. , KMBT_363 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mwale, Edna
- Date: 2013-07-24
- Subjects: The Times of Zambia (Zambia) Newspapers -- Zambia Journalism -- Zambia Mass media -- Social aspects -- Zambia Women and journalism -- Zambia Mass media and women Mass media -- Political aspects -- Zambia Zambia -- Politics and government
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3521 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008303
- Description: This study investigates the impact of the Times of Zambia gender policy on journalistic practices. The policy was formulated to address issues of representation of women both in news coverage and at an institutional level. In spite of the implementation of the editorial gender policy, no change in gendered representation is evident. As a media practitioner and a Zambian woman concerned with social justice, I set out to investigate the impact of this policy on journalistic practices. The study is informed by a Cultural Studies approach to media studies, specifically drawing on the 'circuit of culture' (du Guy et ai, 1997) and focused on two specific 'moments', namely representation and production. Data was collected using two qualitative methods, namely document analysis and semi-structured in-depth interviews. The document analysis established that this policy is informed by a liberal feminist approach to media and identified the weaknesses in its formulation. The subsequent semi-structured in-depth interviews probed the practices and perceptions of male and female journalists and editors in relation to the degree of change in gendered representation in the news. This study finds that the editorial gender policy at the Times of Zambia has not had any significant impact on the journalistic practices and it probed the reason for this lack of effectiveness. It argues that this can be partially attributed to the orientation of the policy within a liberal feminist paradigm which neglects the internal and external factors that influence the representation of women and men in news production. Further, this position ignores the societal structures and power relations which impact, albeit unintentional, on the treatment of news. Inter-organisational factors such as profit maximisation, political interference, the use of news values and news beats are identified as leading to the exclusion of representations of women in hard news. At an intra-organisational level, lack of importance attached to the policy by senior staff and their attitudes to news production in general have meant that the policy was not enacted or ensured in any meaningful way. The study also established that the patriarchal values that characterise Zambian society influence journalists ' and editors' treatment of news, thus making the implementation of the policy ineffective. , KMBT_363 , Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
Disco
- Authors: Trantraal, Nathan
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: South African fiction (English) -- 21st century , South African poetry (English) -- 21st century , Afrikaans fiction -- 21st century , Afrikaans poetry -- 21st century
- Language: Afrikaans , English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/145217 , vital:38419
- Description: Creative writing portfolio.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
- Authors: Trantraal, Nathan
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: South African fiction (English) -- 21st century , South African poetry (English) -- 21st century , Afrikaans fiction -- 21st century , Afrikaans poetry -- 21st century
- Language: Afrikaans , English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/145217 , vital:38419
- Description: Creative writing portfolio.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020
Reflective accounts of childhood inter-species experiences in a Southern-African context: a phenomenological-hermeneutic exploration
- Authors: Rump, Samantha
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Child psychology -- South Africa Child development -- South Africa Human-animal relationships -- South Africa Children and animals -- South Africa Animal psychology -- South Africa Hermeneutics Phenomenology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3045 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002554
- Description: The aims of this research were to describe in rich phenomenological detail the recollected childhood experiences described by three South African adults of growing up with animals in the context of a traditionally African cultural perspective in South Africa; as well as to document the emotional, physical and social effects of inter-species relationships as described by these participants, in order to explore and situate these experiences in relation to broad international perspectives on the contribution of animals to human development. The question of how these described experiences correlate with broad international perspectives on the contribution of animals to human development comprised the hermeneutic of the study. Here it was found that the experiences of these South African individuals were generally in keeping with the trends found in the literature. Participants attributed to their childhood relationships with animals a variety of benefits. These benefits occur on a range of levels, from the physical to the cognitive, and the psychosocial. The emotional attachment of the participants to animals with whom they had interacted in childhood correlated with the nature of interspecies relationships as anticipated by the literature. Cultural differences in the conceptualisation of inter-species relationships, between western and traditionally African ideologies, appeared to influence the moral and ethical positions assumed by the participants, while the subjective nature of the described attachment between participants and animals remains qualitatively similar across cultures, when explored in relation to international research. The similarities between the experiences of the participants and international research findings lend credence to Wilson’s hypothesis that all human beings are potentially able to connect in deep and profound ways with their natural environment, and that this connection contributes to the development of social and cognitive skills, as well as constituting emotional support and stability. The research concludes with an examination of its own limitations and suggestions are made for further research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Rump, Samantha
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Child psychology -- South Africa Child development -- South Africa Human-animal relationships -- South Africa Children and animals -- South Africa Animal psychology -- South Africa Hermeneutics Phenomenology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3045 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002554
- Description: The aims of this research were to describe in rich phenomenological detail the recollected childhood experiences described by three South African adults of growing up with animals in the context of a traditionally African cultural perspective in South Africa; as well as to document the emotional, physical and social effects of inter-species relationships as described by these participants, in order to explore and situate these experiences in relation to broad international perspectives on the contribution of animals to human development. The question of how these described experiences correlate with broad international perspectives on the contribution of animals to human development comprised the hermeneutic of the study. Here it was found that the experiences of these South African individuals were generally in keeping with the trends found in the literature. Participants attributed to their childhood relationships with animals a variety of benefits. These benefits occur on a range of levels, from the physical to the cognitive, and the psychosocial. The emotional attachment of the participants to animals with whom they had interacted in childhood correlated with the nature of interspecies relationships as anticipated by the literature. Cultural differences in the conceptualisation of inter-species relationships, between western and traditionally African ideologies, appeared to influence the moral and ethical positions assumed by the participants, while the subjective nature of the described attachment between participants and animals remains qualitatively similar across cultures, when explored in relation to international research. The similarities between the experiences of the participants and international research findings lend credence to Wilson’s hypothesis that all human beings are potentially able to connect in deep and profound ways with their natural environment, and that this connection contributes to the development of social and cognitive skills, as well as constituting emotional support and stability. The research concludes with an examination of its own limitations and suggestions are made for further research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
The comprehension of figurative language in English literary texts by students for whom English is not a mother tongue
- Authors: Winberg, Christine
- Date: 1994
- Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers , English literature -- Study and teaching (Higher) , Context (Linguistics) , Metaphor , Figures of speech
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2366 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002649 , English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers , English literature -- Study and teaching (Higher) , Context (Linguistics) , Metaphor , Figures of speech
- Description: This study applies Sperber and Wilson's relevance theory to the comprehension of figurative language in poetry. Students' understanding of metaphor as a linguistic category and comprehension of metaphorical texts are analysed in terms of the principle of relevance. Patterns of comprehension in English first language (Ll) and English second language (ESL) students' analyses of metaphorical texts are discussed and through an analysis of similarities and differences in these patterns of comprehension an attempt is made to develop a pedagogy around relevance theory. Relevance theory's particular emphasis on the role played by "context" in cognition is seen to have significance for the teaching of literature in South African universities. Relevance theory's account of cognition generates a range of educational principles which could be specifically applied to the teaching of metaphor. An appraisal of the strengths and difficulties students experience in expressing their understanding of metaphor in an academic context is included. This was done to further develop relevance theory into a pedagogical approach which takes into account the academic context in which writing occurs. The investigation of the particular difficulties that English metaphor poses for ESL students entailed acquiring a working knowledge of the ways in which metaphor is taught and assessed in DET schools. The interpretations of students of different linguistic, social and educational backgrounds reveal unifying elements that could be incorporated into a pedagogy based on relevance theory. Such a pedagogy would be appropriate to the multilingual/multicultural/multiracial nature of classes in South African universities and would be a more empowering approach to the teaching of English metaphor.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1994
- Authors: Winberg, Christine
- Date: 1994
- Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers , English literature -- Study and teaching (Higher) , Context (Linguistics) , Metaphor , Figures of speech
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2366 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002649 , English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers , English literature -- Study and teaching (Higher) , Context (Linguistics) , Metaphor , Figures of speech
- Description: This study applies Sperber and Wilson's relevance theory to the comprehension of figurative language in poetry. Students' understanding of metaphor as a linguistic category and comprehension of metaphorical texts are analysed in terms of the principle of relevance. Patterns of comprehension in English first language (Ll) and English second language (ESL) students' analyses of metaphorical texts are discussed and through an analysis of similarities and differences in these patterns of comprehension an attempt is made to develop a pedagogy around relevance theory. Relevance theory's particular emphasis on the role played by "context" in cognition is seen to have significance for the teaching of literature in South African universities. Relevance theory's account of cognition generates a range of educational principles which could be specifically applied to the teaching of metaphor. An appraisal of the strengths and difficulties students experience in expressing their understanding of metaphor in an academic context is included. This was done to further develop relevance theory into a pedagogical approach which takes into account the academic context in which writing occurs. The investigation of the particular difficulties that English metaphor poses for ESL students entailed acquiring a working knowledge of the ways in which metaphor is taught and assessed in DET schools. The interpretations of students of different linguistic, social and educational backgrounds reveal unifying elements that could be incorporated into a pedagogy based on relevance theory. Such a pedagogy would be appropriate to the multilingual/multicultural/multiracial nature of classes in South African universities and would be a more empowering approach to the teaching of English metaphor.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1994
The relationship between three anxiety related clusters in projective drawings and anxiety and ego-strength scales of the Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory-2
- Authors: Brink, André
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: Projective techniques , Personality assessment , Personality tests , Anxiety , Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2942 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002451 , Projective techniques , Personality assessment , Personality tests , Anxiety , Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
- Description: Based on the shortcomings of past research, the need for understanding and investigation of the general relationship between self-report measures and human figure drawings required understanding and investigation (Riethmiller & Handler, 1997b; Waehler, 1997) while utilising a quantitative, configural scoring approach. Riethmiller and Handler (1997a; 1997b) hypothesised that subjects have one of two typical approach styles to anxiety/stress that influences their execution of the Human Figure Drawing (HFD) Test: “Avoidance” or “Coping” as measured by composite scoring index clusters. They argue that these two approach styles had to be taken into account when investigating anxiety on the HFD Test. According to Handler and Reyher (1965) those who experience more intense anxiety typically rely on an “Avoidant” approach, while those with lower anxiety typically rely on a “Coping” approach. The “Coping” response is hypothesised to suggest good ego-strength, and the “Avoidant” response poor ego-strength. Handler and Reyher (1964; 1965; 1966) also argued that there are two sources of anxiety on projective drawings: internal and external sources of anxiety. They hypothesised that the “External” anxiety cluster (measured by utilising the car drawing) and self-report measures both assess ‘external’ anxiety. Using Handler’s (1967) HFD index scoring manual, this research therefore inve stigated the level of correlation of the two MMPI-2 anxiety scale scores with (a) the hypothesised Stress Approach HFD cluster scores, as well as with (b) the “External” anxiety cluster score, while the hypothesised Stress Approach HFD cluster scores were compared with the (c) MMPI-2 ego strength scale score. The results of the investigated relationships yielded non-significant correlations overall. The differences in nature of the two measurement instruments, and the potential weaknesses of this study, as two likely explanations for these correlations, are discussed. In the consideration of the differences of the two measurement instruments, the weaknesses of SR measures and criterion-related validity are discussed while self- attributed and implicit motives are contrasted with each other. Potential extraneous variables and possible truncated range are discussed as potential weaknesses of this study.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
- Authors: Brink, André
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: Projective techniques , Personality assessment , Personality tests , Anxiety , Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2942 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002451 , Projective techniques , Personality assessment , Personality tests , Anxiety , Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
- Description: Based on the shortcomings of past research, the need for understanding and investigation of the general relationship between self-report measures and human figure drawings required understanding and investigation (Riethmiller & Handler, 1997b; Waehler, 1997) while utilising a quantitative, configural scoring approach. Riethmiller and Handler (1997a; 1997b) hypothesised that subjects have one of two typical approach styles to anxiety/stress that influences their execution of the Human Figure Drawing (HFD) Test: “Avoidance” or “Coping” as measured by composite scoring index clusters. They argue that these two approach styles had to be taken into account when investigating anxiety on the HFD Test. According to Handler and Reyher (1965) those who experience more intense anxiety typically rely on an “Avoidant” approach, while those with lower anxiety typically rely on a “Coping” approach. The “Coping” response is hypothesised to suggest good ego-strength, and the “Avoidant” response poor ego-strength. Handler and Reyher (1964; 1965; 1966) also argued that there are two sources of anxiety on projective drawings: internal and external sources of anxiety. They hypothesised that the “External” anxiety cluster (measured by utilising the car drawing) and self-report measures both assess ‘external’ anxiety. Using Handler’s (1967) HFD index scoring manual, this research therefore inve stigated the level of correlation of the two MMPI-2 anxiety scale scores with (a) the hypothesised Stress Approach HFD cluster scores, as well as with (b) the “External” anxiety cluster score, while the hypothesised Stress Approach HFD cluster scores were compared with the (c) MMPI-2 ego strength scale score. The results of the investigated relationships yielded non-significant correlations overall. The differences in nature of the two measurement instruments, and the potential weaknesses of this study, as two likely explanations for these correlations, are discussed. In the consideration of the differences of the two measurement instruments, the weaknesses of SR measures and criterion-related validity are discussed while self- attributed and implicit motives are contrasted with each other. Potential extraneous variables and possible truncated range are discussed as potential weaknesses of this study.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2002
Men's repression of their emotional life as a counterpart of their oppression of women
- Authors: Hine, Grant Burnett
- Date: 1988
- Subjects: Men -- Psychology , Masculinity , Sex role , Oppression (Psychology) , Stereotype (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3112 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004593 , Men -- Psychology , Masculinity , Sex role , Oppression (Psychology) , Stereotype (Psychology)
- Description: Masculinity and femininity are taken for granted as being a natural part of everyday existence forming acceptable images of what it means to be a man and a woman. It is revealed that in conforming to the sexual stereotype of what it means to be masculine and feminine, men's repression of their emotional life forms a counterpart of their oppression of women, for the repression of men's emotional life as a process, manifests itself through the oppression of women. The socioeconomic relations, being exploitative in nature, having been obscured and mystified by masculine and feminine forms of false consciousness, justify the prevalent social circumstances by portraying them as natural and inevitable, thus serving to hide the fact that men and women comprise of both, masculine and feminine characteristics. Disclosing the quality of the experience of men's repression of their emotional life as a counterpart of their oppression of women, through qualitative description and reflection, it is evident that individuality and human social relationships are restricted by the constraints of masculine and feminine stereotypes. It is clearly highlighted, that women help to perpetuate the repression of male emotional life and in turn their own oppression through supporting the successful work, status and power oriented 'macho' male. Through the recognition of the pressures, and a re-evaluation of the masculine role, men will no longer see cause to oppress women and through that there will no longer be a need to repress their own emotional life. There is a need for self-reflection in those individuals and groups restricted by the constraints of masculinity and femininity for the realization of new possibilities of enlightened social action and individuality.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1988
- Authors: Hine, Grant Burnett
- Date: 1988
- Subjects: Men -- Psychology , Masculinity , Sex role , Oppression (Psychology) , Stereotype (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3112 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004593 , Men -- Psychology , Masculinity , Sex role , Oppression (Psychology) , Stereotype (Psychology)
- Description: Masculinity and femininity are taken for granted as being a natural part of everyday existence forming acceptable images of what it means to be a man and a woman. It is revealed that in conforming to the sexual stereotype of what it means to be masculine and feminine, men's repression of their emotional life forms a counterpart of their oppression of women, for the repression of men's emotional life as a process, manifests itself through the oppression of women. The socioeconomic relations, being exploitative in nature, having been obscured and mystified by masculine and feminine forms of false consciousness, justify the prevalent social circumstances by portraying them as natural and inevitable, thus serving to hide the fact that men and women comprise of both, masculine and feminine characteristics. Disclosing the quality of the experience of men's repression of their emotional life as a counterpart of their oppression of women, through qualitative description and reflection, it is evident that individuality and human social relationships are restricted by the constraints of masculine and feminine stereotypes. It is clearly highlighted, that women help to perpetuate the repression of male emotional life and in turn their own oppression through supporting the successful work, status and power oriented 'macho' male. Through the recognition of the pressures, and a re-evaluation of the masculine role, men will no longer see cause to oppress women and through that there will no longer be a need to repress their own emotional life. There is a need for self-reflection in those individuals and groups restricted by the constraints of masculinity and femininity for the realization of new possibilities of enlightened social action and individuality.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1988
Southern African Development Community foreign policy behaviour: the case of trade with external actors
- Authors: Tebu, Perminus Waithaka
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: Southern African Development Community , International trade , Africa, Southern -- Foreign relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2834 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003044 , Southern African Development Community , International trade , Africa, Southern -- Foreign relations
- Description: This thesis is structured around two main and interwoven assumptions operating at two levels. On the one level the external dimension of security threat in Southern Africa is assumed to be the most critical factor for regional renewal and stability. It hinges on pertinent regional issues such as negative trade balances, economic dependence, poverty, unemployment, poor economic growth rates and so forth. The corollary of this assumption is that within the operative framework of SADC, Southern African states are assumed capable of effectively integrating their economies through trade and related arrangements with dominant external actors in the highly competitive global economy. The European Union (EU) and the United States (US) are used as the focal points for illumination. A structured interaction between SADC and the EU within a revised North-South framework of interaction is hypothesized and critically examined. On the other hand, SADC-US interactions are assessed within the context of the new US Africa policy. At another level, the assumption is also made that the post-apartheid democratic state possesses both the political will and the wherewithal to provide regiol].al Leadership. This latter assumption is put to test within the framework of South Africa's regional foreign policy. Adopting an explicit regional unit of analysis, the study utilizes international regime theory as the theoretical and conceptual point of departure. The realist conception of the international system and the underlying assumptions usually considered as obstacles to international cooperation are critically examined in the context of the post-Cold War expanded security agenda. Regime theory is used to provide insight on the motivations that lead states to cooperate in situations of mutual dilemma by institutionalizing patterns of interaction at the regional and international systemic levels. Interstate economic relations at these levels are explained as state actions that are influenced by certain norms and that such norm-governed behaviour is wholly consistent with the pursuit of national interest. Application of the theory explains why such foreign policy behaviour of states is particularly relevant in the post-Cold War era. The thesis has argued that SADC states are capable of conducting a coordinated trade foreign policy in which regional positions are elaborated and adopted. It is argued further that a regional capacity to institute trade and economic policies that reflect local circumstances (necessary for effective integration with the world economy) calls for strong regional developmental democracies in the tradition of social market economy. Regional leadership by South Africa is considered indispensable where Sbuth Africa must find a sustainable balance between its national and regional interests.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
- Authors: Tebu, Perminus Waithaka
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: Southern African Development Community , International trade , Africa, Southern -- Foreign relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2834 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003044 , Southern African Development Community , International trade , Africa, Southern -- Foreign relations
- Description: This thesis is structured around two main and interwoven assumptions operating at two levels. On the one level the external dimension of security threat in Southern Africa is assumed to be the most critical factor for regional renewal and stability. It hinges on pertinent regional issues such as negative trade balances, economic dependence, poverty, unemployment, poor economic growth rates and so forth. The corollary of this assumption is that within the operative framework of SADC, Southern African states are assumed capable of effectively integrating their economies through trade and related arrangements with dominant external actors in the highly competitive global economy. The European Union (EU) and the United States (US) are used as the focal points for illumination. A structured interaction between SADC and the EU within a revised North-South framework of interaction is hypothesized and critically examined. On the other hand, SADC-US interactions are assessed within the context of the new US Africa policy. At another level, the assumption is also made that the post-apartheid democratic state possesses both the political will and the wherewithal to provide regiol].al Leadership. This latter assumption is put to test within the framework of South Africa's regional foreign policy. Adopting an explicit regional unit of analysis, the study utilizes international regime theory as the theoretical and conceptual point of departure. The realist conception of the international system and the underlying assumptions usually considered as obstacles to international cooperation are critically examined in the context of the post-Cold War expanded security agenda. Regime theory is used to provide insight on the motivations that lead states to cooperate in situations of mutual dilemma by institutionalizing patterns of interaction at the regional and international systemic levels. Interstate economic relations at these levels are explained as state actions that are influenced by certain norms and that such norm-governed behaviour is wholly consistent with the pursuit of national interest. Application of the theory explains why such foreign policy behaviour of states is particularly relevant in the post-Cold War era. The thesis has argued that SADC states are capable of conducting a coordinated trade foreign policy in which regional positions are elaborated and adopted. It is argued further that a regional capacity to institute trade and economic policies that reflect local circumstances (necessary for effective integration with the world economy) calls for strong regional developmental democracies in the tradition of social market economy. Regional leadership by South Africa is considered indispensable where Sbuth Africa must find a sustainable balance between its national and regional interests.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2000
Die administratiewe funksionering van bewindsinstellings in die Ciskei met besondere verwysing na plaaslike bestuur
- Authors: Groenewald, David Marais
- Date: 1976
- Subjects: Public institutions -- Administration -- South Africa -- Ciskei , Public institutions -- Management -- South Africa -- Ciskei , Public institutions -- Government -- South Africa -- Ciskei
- Language: Afrikaans
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2877 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012099 , Public institutions -- Administration -- South Africa -- Ciskei , Public institutions -- Management -- South Africa -- Ciskei , Public institutions -- Government -- South Africa -- Ciskei
- Description: As gevolg van die ongekonsolideerde aard van die Bantoegebiede in die Ciskei is dit onmoontlik om diè gebied te begrens binne bepaalde relief kenmerke, soos bv. berge en riviere; of selfs binne administratiewe grense soos bv. magistraatsdistrikte. Intro., p. 1
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1976
- Authors: Groenewald, David Marais
- Date: 1976
- Subjects: Public institutions -- Administration -- South Africa -- Ciskei , Public institutions -- Management -- South Africa -- Ciskei , Public institutions -- Government -- South Africa -- Ciskei
- Language: Afrikaans
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2877 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012099 , Public institutions -- Administration -- South Africa -- Ciskei , Public institutions -- Management -- South Africa -- Ciskei , Public institutions -- Government -- South Africa -- Ciskei
- Description: As gevolg van die ongekonsolideerde aard van die Bantoegebiede in die Ciskei is dit onmoontlik om diè gebied te begrens binne bepaalde relief kenmerke, soos bv. berge en riviere; of selfs binne administratiewe grense soos bv. magistraatsdistrikte. Intro., p. 1
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1976
"Working in the grave" the development of a health and safety system on the Witwatersrand gold mines, 1900-1939
- Authors: Smith, Matthew John
- Date: 1993
- Subjects: Gold mines and mining -- South Africa -- Witwatersrand -- Safety measures -- History -- 20th century
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2557 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002410 , Gold mines and mining -- South Africa -- Witwatersrand -- Safety measures -- History -- 20th century
- Description: This thesis analyses the establishment of a health and safety system on the Witwatersrand gold mines in the period between the end of the South African War and the eve of World War Two. The period has been chosen, firstly, because the South African War had seriously disrupted production and the industry virtually had to start up again from scratch; secondly, because it was during this period that mine and state officials began to seriously investigate the reasons for the appalling mortality and morbidity rates on these mines; and, thirdly, because during this period some improvements did occur which were significant enough to enable the industry to warrant the lifting, in the latter part of the 1930s, of the ban on tropicals, enforced since 1913 as a result of their extremely high mortality rate. In the first thirty years of the twentieth century about 93 000 African miners died disease-related deaths and in the same period some 15000 African miners were killed in work-related deaths. In attempting to establish why so many African miners died, the thesis attempts to identify the diseases and accidents that caused these deaths and considers what attempts were made to bring mortality and morbidity rates down. Whilst the thesis is neither a history of gold mining in South Africa nor an economic history of South Africa in the period 1901 to 1939, it nevertheless, as detailed in the first chapter, places the health and safety system within the context of the wider political and economic forces that shaped the mining industry in this period. The need for a productive and efficient labour force, vital for the industry'S survival during a number of profitability crises in this period, forced the industry to reassess compound structures, nutrition and eventually the health of its work force. These issues of compounds, work and diet are discussed in chapters two, three and four. Appalling living and working conditions led to a high incidence of pulmonary diseases - TB, silicosis and pneumonia - which were the principal killers on the mines. Attempts to cure or prevent their occurrence are discussed in chapter five. Fear of disruptions to production ensured that the mining industry eventually also devoted considerable resources to accident prevention, a theme which is discussed in chapter six. The thesis concludes that the mining industry for much of this period was able to determine the pace of change; neither state officials nor African miners were able to significantly alter the tempo. In fact the industry was so successful that it was able to convince a number of government commissions in the 1940s that the migrant system had to stay, to ensure the wellbeing of the miner. This meant that despite considerable time, money and effort being spent on establishing a health and safety system on the gold mines, the mining industry was still of the opinion that the health of their workers was best served if they were sent home.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1993
- Authors: Smith, Matthew John
- Date: 1993
- Subjects: Gold mines and mining -- South Africa -- Witwatersrand -- Safety measures -- History -- 20th century
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2557 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002410 , Gold mines and mining -- South Africa -- Witwatersrand -- Safety measures -- History -- 20th century
- Description: This thesis analyses the establishment of a health and safety system on the Witwatersrand gold mines in the period between the end of the South African War and the eve of World War Two. The period has been chosen, firstly, because the South African War had seriously disrupted production and the industry virtually had to start up again from scratch; secondly, because it was during this period that mine and state officials began to seriously investigate the reasons for the appalling mortality and morbidity rates on these mines; and, thirdly, because during this period some improvements did occur which were significant enough to enable the industry to warrant the lifting, in the latter part of the 1930s, of the ban on tropicals, enforced since 1913 as a result of their extremely high mortality rate. In the first thirty years of the twentieth century about 93 000 African miners died disease-related deaths and in the same period some 15000 African miners were killed in work-related deaths. In attempting to establish why so many African miners died, the thesis attempts to identify the diseases and accidents that caused these deaths and considers what attempts were made to bring mortality and morbidity rates down. Whilst the thesis is neither a history of gold mining in South Africa nor an economic history of South Africa in the period 1901 to 1939, it nevertheless, as detailed in the first chapter, places the health and safety system within the context of the wider political and economic forces that shaped the mining industry in this period. The need for a productive and efficient labour force, vital for the industry'S survival during a number of profitability crises in this period, forced the industry to reassess compound structures, nutrition and eventually the health of its work force. These issues of compounds, work and diet are discussed in chapters two, three and four. Appalling living and working conditions led to a high incidence of pulmonary diseases - TB, silicosis and pneumonia - which were the principal killers on the mines. Attempts to cure or prevent their occurrence are discussed in chapter five. Fear of disruptions to production ensured that the mining industry eventually also devoted considerable resources to accident prevention, a theme which is discussed in chapter six. The thesis concludes that the mining industry for much of this period was able to determine the pace of change; neither state officials nor African miners were able to significantly alter the tempo. In fact the industry was so successful that it was able to convince a number of government commissions in the 1940s that the migrant system had to stay, to ensure the wellbeing of the miner. This meant that despite considerable time, money and effort being spent on establishing a health and safety system on the gold mines, the mining industry was still of the opinion that the health of their workers was best served if they were sent home.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1993
An exploration of the effect of market-driven journalism on The Monitor newspaper's editorial content
- Authors: Agaba, Grace Rwomushana
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Monitor (Uganda) , Journalism -- Political aspects -- Uganda , Journalism, Commercial -- Uganda , Mass media and public opinion -- Uganda , Mass media -- Political aspects -- Uganda , Freedom of the press -- Uganda , Press and politics -- Uganda , Journalism -- Social aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3416 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002869 , Monitor (Uganda) , Journalism -- Political aspects -- Uganda , Journalism, Commercial -- Uganda , Mass media and public opinion -- Uganda , Mass media -- Political aspects -- Uganda , Freedom of the press -- Uganda , Press and politics -- Uganda , Journalism -- Social aspects
- Description: The media today are under pressure from various fronts including governments, businesses as well as cultural interests. In the developed world, this pressure that led to the emergence of a new form of journalism that puts the demands of the market at the forefront. This commercial oriented journalism gives priority to articles that attract mass audiences like entertainment while it downplays information that promotes debates that is necessary for citizens to be able to have a voice on the issues that affect them. And since participation and discussion are cornerstones of a democratic process, market-driven journalism undermines democracy because it narrows down the forum for debate. As a result, active citizens are turned into passive observers in society. Although several studies about this phenomenon have been done in the western world, the same is happening in Africa because the media face similar challenges as in the West; challenges of globalisation and media conglomeration facilitated by the rapid advancing technology. This study, which is informed by political economy and market-driven journalism theories, notes that the media in Uganda are also faced with these challenges. The study is focused on Uganda’s only independent newspaper, The Monitor. The findings indicate that market-driven journalism is taking root at the expense of journalism that promotes citizenship and debate such as political reporting and opinions. For example, there has been an increase of entertainment, sports and supplement articles in The Monitor as compared to declining political reporting and opinions. More so, investigative reporting has dwindled over the years at the expense of increasing use of press releases. This is because entertainment and sports articles can attract big audiences that the newspaper needs to sell to advertisers. Advertisers are important because they provide financial support to the newspaper. However, in a country where democracy is in its formative stages, public information is necessary not only for citizens to make informed decisions but also to spur economic as well as social development.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
- Authors: Agaba, Grace Rwomushana
- Date: 2005
- Subjects: Monitor (Uganda) , Journalism -- Political aspects -- Uganda , Journalism, Commercial -- Uganda , Mass media and public opinion -- Uganda , Mass media -- Political aspects -- Uganda , Freedom of the press -- Uganda , Press and politics -- Uganda , Journalism -- Social aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3416 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002869 , Monitor (Uganda) , Journalism -- Political aspects -- Uganda , Journalism, Commercial -- Uganda , Mass media and public opinion -- Uganda , Mass media -- Political aspects -- Uganda , Freedom of the press -- Uganda , Press and politics -- Uganda , Journalism -- Social aspects
- Description: The media today are under pressure from various fronts including governments, businesses as well as cultural interests. In the developed world, this pressure that led to the emergence of a new form of journalism that puts the demands of the market at the forefront. This commercial oriented journalism gives priority to articles that attract mass audiences like entertainment while it downplays information that promotes debates that is necessary for citizens to be able to have a voice on the issues that affect them. And since participation and discussion are cornerstones of a democratic process, market-driven journalism undermines democracy because it narrows down the forum for debate. As a result, active citizens are turned into passive observers in society. Although several studies about this phenomenon have been done in the western world, the same is happening in Africa because the media face similar challenges as in the West; challenges of globalisation and media conglomeration facilitated by the rapid advancing technology. This study, which is informed by political economy and market-driven journalism theories, notes that the media in Uganda are also faced with these challenges. The study is focused on Uganda’s only independent newspaper, The Monitor. The findings indicate that market-driven journalism is taking root at the expense of journalism that promotes citizenship and debate such as political reporting and opinions. For example, there has been an increase of entertainment, sports and supplement articles in The Monitor as compared to declining political reporting and opinions. More so, investigative reporting has dwindled over the years at the expense of increasing use of press releases. This is because entertainment and sports articles can attract big audiences that the newspaper needs to sell to advertisers. Advertisers are important because they provide financial support to the newspaper. However, in a country where democracy is in its formative stages, public information is necessary not only for citizens to make informed decisions but also to spur economic as well as social development.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2005
Media reach and reception in development communication: the case of the Rural Industries Innovation Centre in Botswana
- Authors: Maleke, Jackson Mogopodi
- Date: 1998
- Subjects: Rural Industries Innovation Centre (Kanye, Botswana) , Communication in rural development , Mass media in community development
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3455 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002909 , Rural Industries Innovation Centre (Kanye, Botswana) , Communication in rural development , Mass media in community development
- Description: The study was conducted in Phitshane-Molopo in Botswana. Phitshane-Molopo is located about 115 kilometers south of the main village of Kanye in which the Rural Industries Innovation Centre operates. The study constitutes the first attempt at evaluating audience reach and reception of the RIIC media messages. In this study, a sample of 50 representatives of households (the rationale is covered in chapter 1) was taken, for which a questionnaire was administered, including conducting in-depth interviews with key informants. The study found that RIlC media are not reaching the audience in keeping with the corporate goals and assumptions on the basis of which the communication strategy was established. The audience has claimed that the print media relayed to them through the extension officer channel do not reach them. The study also found that the audience possessed adequate literacy skills and the majority of them could read materials produced in Setswana. Only a few individuals preferred media text produced in the English language. The study therefore deplores RIIC's proclivity towards producing its media texts only in the English language. This has tended to marginalise members of the audience who cannot read in English. It is thus hoped that this study would provide a learning experience for RIIC to consider producing its communication media in relation to the needs of the audience. The study also found that the impact of the RIIC radio programme is very poor, with only a low of 2% of the sample population having listened to this programme. The problem stems from the poor Radio Botswana transmission system. The audience said that for the larger part of the day, they can't get Radio Botswana on air. As a result, they have shifted their interest to the South African radio stations such as Radio Tswana and Radio Mmabatho, which are constantly on air. The study concludes that the RIIC communication strategy is failing in the study area because the paradigm in which it is located is somewhat flawed, as a result of which it does not effectively impact upon reach and reception. At the core of this failure rate are implementation problems and the lack of evaluation that would have picked up the - problems earlier, for which solutions would have been found. Consequently, th~$tudy recommends the need to explore the suitability and effectiveness of the indigenous media for possible syncretization with conventional media as recommended in the need based integrative model (Nwosu and Megwa: 1993). Indigenous media are ideally suited to rural communication needs because they are consistent with the socio-cultural expectations of the audience. RIIC therefore stands to benefit from these media because the bulk of its audience resides in rural areas.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1998
- Authors: Maleke, Jackson Mogopodi
- Date: 1998
- Subjects: Rural Industries Innovation Centre (Kanye, Botswana) , Communication in rural development , Mass media in community development
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3455 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002909 , Rural Industries Innovation Centre (Kanye, Botswana) , Communication in rural development , Mass media in community development
- Description: The study was conducted in Phitshane-Molopo in Botswana. Phitshane-Molopo is located about 115 kilometers south of the main village of Kanye in which the Rural Industries Innovation Centre operates. The study constitutes the first attempt at evaluating audience reach and reception of the RIIC media messages. In this study, a sample of 50 representatives of households (the rationale is covered in chapter 1) was taken, for which a questionnaire was administered, including conducting in-depth interviews with key informants. The study found that RIlC media are not reaching the audience in keeping with the corporate goals and assumptions on the basis of which the communication strategy was established. The audience has claimed that the print media relayed to them through the extension officer channel do not reach them. The study also found that the audience possessed adequate literacy skills and the majority of them could read materials produced in Setswana. Only a few individuals preferred media text produced in the English language. The study therefore deplores RIIC's proclivity towards producing its media texts only in the English language. This has tended to marginalise members of the audience who cannot read in English. It is thus hoped that this study would provide a learning experience for RIIC to consider producing its communication media in relation to the needs of the audience. The study also found that the impact of the RIIC radio programme is very poor, with only a low of 2% of the sample population having listened to this programme. The problem stems from the poor Radio Botswana transmission system. The audience said that for the larger part of the day, they can't get Radio Botswana on air. As a result, they have shifted their interest to the South African radio stations such as Radio Tswana and Radio Mmabatho, which are constantly on air. The study concludes that the RIIC communication strategy is failing in the study area because the paradigm in which it is located is somewhat flawed, as a result of which it does not effectively impact upon reach and reception. At the core of this failure rate are implementation problems and the lack of evaluation that would have picked up the - problems earlier, for which solutions would have been found. Consequently, th~$tudy recommends the need to explore the suitability and effectiveness of the indigenous media for possible syncretization with conventional media as recommended in the need based integrative model (Nwosu and Megwa: 1993). Indigenous media are ideally suited to rural communication needs because they are consistent with the socio-cultural expectations of the audience. RIIC therefore stands to benefit from these media because the bulk of its audience resides in rural areas.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1998
Land, Church, Forced Removals and Community on Klipfontein Farm in the District of Alexandria, Eastern Cape c. 1872 - 1979
- Authors: Bezuidenhout, GJW
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Janse van Rensburg family , Klipfontein Farm (Alexandria, South Africa) , Alexandria (South Africa) -- History , Colored people (South Africa) -- History , Colored people (South Africa) -- Religion , Colored people (South Africa) -- Relocation , Black people -- Relocation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Family farms -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Church history -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- Law and legilstion -- South Africa , Land reform -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/161315 , vital:40615
- Description: This thesis is a case study of how church, land and dispossession of land has influenced identity formation of a coloured community in the Eastern Province, namely the Klipfontein community. Coloured history in the Eastern Province has largely been neglected. This study attempts to rectify such a lack of in-depth enquiry as it may lead to misinterpretations that may influence contemporary politics and identity formation. Through research based on primary sources, it is evident that the social landscape of Klipfontein Farm and the relationships between that community and surrounding black African and white communities have largely been shaped by the stipulations contained in the joint will of the community’s ancestors: Dirk and Sarah Janse van Rensburg. The land devolved into a trust and has been administered by trustees since the death of the first spouse in 1877. By keeping the land in a trust, it enabled the descendants to continue to live on the farm in perpetuity, without the risk of being forced off the land via financial restraints or racially-based legislation. But the usufructuaries could also never fully utilise Klipfontein as an agricultural concern due to a combination of a lack of equipment and skill, and the provisions of the will. These complications inevitably led to inter-familial disputes and tension. Before 1939 there had already been three court cases dealing with the interpretations of the Will. In that same year the Supreme Court ordered that tracts of the land, including a part of Boesmansriviermond village, be sold in order to pay off arrear rates and taxes. Although the responsibility for these sales lay with the trustees, the community has been suspicious of the usufructuaries ever since. A key element of the Klipfontein identity is their religion. The church legitimises their right to the farm - against those who wish to take that right away. Their claim to occupation is couched in scriptural discourse, viewing Klipfontein as 'their Garden of Eden' that God gave to the stamvader, Dirk Janse van Rensburg. This seemed to have been partially successful for the Klipfontein community in staving off harassment by authorities. It also caused friction between the community and the black African residents. Some usufructuaries and family members felt that such right was exclusively given to the coloured community and so they became increasingly annoyed by the black Africans who settled there. Other usufructuaries did not share this feeling. They allowed evicted black African farm labourers to settle on certain portions of Klipfontein until the late 1970s. The black African population rapidly increased due to misinformation and evictions from neighbouring farms. This only further exacerbated the inter-familial conflict between usufructuaries, flaring tensions between the black Africans and their reluctant hosts as well as animosity from the white community towards Klipfontein. In 1979, after a series of court cases, a decision was made to remove all the African settlers by force and relocate most of them to the ‘homeland’ of Ciskei. The rest, who were of ‘working-age’ were left behind in a ‘temporary emergency camp’ on the outskirts of Kenton-on-Sea. The effects of these removals still impact the relationships between the different racial groups in the area to this day.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Bezuidenhout, GJW
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Janse van Rensburg family , Klipfontein Farm (Alexandria, South Africa) , Alexandria (South Africa) -- History , Colored people (South Africa) -- History , Colored people (South Africa) -- Religion , Colored people (South Africa) -- Relocation , Black people -- Relocation -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Family farms -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Church history -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Land tenure -- Law and legilstion -- South Africa , Land reform -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/161315 , vital:40615
- Description: This thesis is a case study of how church, land and dispossession of land has influenced identity formation of a coloured community in the Eastern Province, namely the Klipfontein community. Coloured history in the Eastern Province has largely been neglected. This study attempts to rectify such a lack of in-depth enquiry as it may lead to misinterpretations that may influence contemporary politics and identity formation. Through research based on primary sources, it is evident that the social landscape of Klipfontein Farm and the relationships between that community and surrounding black African and white communities have largely been shaped by the stipulations contained in the joint will of the community’s ancestors: Dirk and Sarah Janse van Rensburg. The land devolved into a trust and has been administered by trustees since the death of the first spouse in 1877. By keeping the land in a trust, it enabled the descendants to continue to live on the farm in perpetuity, without the risk of being forced off the land via financial restraints or racially-based legislation. But the usufructuaries could also never fully utilise Klipfontein as an agricultural concern due to a combination of a lack of equipment and skill, and the provisions of the will. These complications inevitably led to inter-familial disputes and tension. Before 1939 there had already been three court cases dealing with the interpretations of the Will. In that same year the Supreme Court ordered that tracts of the land, including a part of Boesmansriviermond village, be sold in order to pay off arrear rates and taxes. Although the responsibility for these sales lay with the trustees, the community has been suspicious of the usufructuaries ever since. A key element of the Klipfontein identity is their religion. The church legitimises their right to the farm - against those who wish to take that right away. Their claim to occupation is couched in scriptural discourse, viewing Klipfontein as 'their Garden of Eden' that God gave to the stamvader, Dirk Janse van Rensburg. This seemed to have been partially successful for the Klipfontein community in staving off harassment by authorities. It also caused friction between the community and the black African residents. Some usufructuaries and family members felt that such right was exclusively given to the coloured community and so they became increasingly annoyed by the black Africans who settled there. Other usufructuaries did not share this feeling. They allowed evicted black African farm labourers to settle on certain portions of Klipfontein until the late 1970s. The black African population rapidly increased due to misinformation and evictions from neighbouring farms. This only further exacerbated the inter-familial conflict between usufructuaries, flaring tensions between the black Africans and their reluctant hosts as well as animosity from the white community towards Klipfontein. In 1979, after a series of court cases, a decision was made to remove all the African settlers by force and relocate most of them to the ‘homeland’ of Ciskei. The rest, who were of ‘working-age’ were left behind in a ‘temporary emergency camp’ on the outskirts of Kenton-on-Sea. The effects of these removals still impact the relationships between the different racial groups in the area to this day.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The African National Congress' foreign policy in transition: change or continuity, 1989-1994
- Machesa, Aubrey Mpho John Refiloe
- Authors: Machesa, Aubrey Mpho John Refiloe
- Date: 1997
- Subjects: African National Congress -- Foreign relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2797 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003007 , African National Congress -- Foreign relations
- Description: But the central focus will be to explore the foreign policy transition by reflecting the theory that even though international and regional political developments had an impact on the foreign policy transition of the ANC, the internal and domestic political struggles that had evolved during the same time-frame as both the international and regional political developments also had major contributions to the foreign policy transition of the movement. Within this context, the study will also explore the preliminary contours of a post-apartheid foreign policy as perceived by the ANC as to how the country will be reintegrated into the political and economic world order.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1997
- Authors: Machesa, Aubrey Mpho John Refiloe
- Date: 1997
- Subjects: African National Congress -- Foreign relations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2797 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003007 , African National Congress -- Foreign relations
- Description: But the central focus will be to explore the foreign policy transition by reflecting the theory that even though international and regional political developments had an impact on the foreign policy transition of the ANC, the internal and domestic political struggles that had evolved during the same time-frame as both the international and regional political developments also had major contributions to the foreign policy transition of the movement. Within this context, the study will also explore the preliminary contours of a post-apartheid foreign policy as perceived by the ANC as to how the country will be reintegrated into the political and economic world order.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 1997
Melanie Klein: a psychobiographical study
- Authors: Espinosa, Marianna J
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Klein, Melanie Psychology -- Biographical methods Psychoanalysis
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2971 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002480
- Description: The objective of psychobiography is a better understanding of individuals, and psychobiographical case studies add meaning and value to research (Runyan, 1988a). Melanie Klein was chosen for this study through a purposive sampling method due to her contributions to the discipline of psychology, which placed her in a distinguished position regarding twentieth century psychoanalysis. Furthermore, no other psychobiography has been written on Klein. The primary aim of this study was to present the reader with a basic description of her life, and a secondary aim was to accomplish an in-depth description of Klein within her social and historical context. Due to these aims and the nature of psychobiography, it may be said that this is a qualitative study based on a single case method, described as explorative and descriptive. Data was analysed according to Huberman and Miles’ (1994) approach which consists of data reduction, display and verification. This study was guided by Levinson’s (1996) theory of Adult Development in Women. The theory allowed for an in-depth description of Klein’s experiences and social and historical contexts by merely illuminating her life. Finally, it may be said that this study contributed to the limited amount of psychobiographical research in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
- Authors: Espinosa, Marianna J
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Klein, Melanie Psychology -- Biographical methods Psychoanalysis
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2971 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002480
- Description: The objective of psychobiography is a better understanding of individuals, and psychobiographical case studies add meaning and value to research (Runyan, 1988a). Melanie Klein was chosen for this study through a purposive sampling method due to her contributions to the discipline of psychology, which placed her in a distinguished position regarding twentieth century psychoanalysis. Furthermore, no other psychobiography has been written on Klein. The primary aim of this study was to present the reader with a basic description of her life, and a secondary aim was to accomplish an in-depth description of Klein within her social and historical context. Due to these aims and the nature of psychobiography, it may be said that this is a qualitative study based on a single case method, described as explorative and descriptive. Data was analysed according to Huberman and Miles’ (1994) approach which consists of data reduction, display and verification. This study was guided by Levinson’s (1996) theory of Adult Development in Women. The theory allowed for an in-depth description of Klein’s experiences and social and historical contexts by merely illuminating her life. Finally, it may be said that this study contributed to the limited amount of psychobiographical research in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2008
Rehab is for quitters
- Authors: Maharaj, Keshav
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Creative writing (Higher education) Short stories, South African (English) -- 21st century South African fiction (English) -- 21st century English language -- Writing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:5972 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011901
- Description: My collection has the common theme of addiction: addictive personalities strung across the pages. Not only the usual addictions such as the daily-ritualized beer or joint, but also the pain of addiction to anti-social habits, pathologies, forbidden love, etc. I try to capture the behavior and life that surrounds addictions too: relationships, rehab, criminal behavior, all sorts of abuse, etc. Some of the stories are heavy-handed, slapping the reader in the face, some are subtler. Some are told with lightness and humor, some with gravity.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Maharaj, Keshav
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Creative writing (Higher education) Short stories, South African (English) -- 21st century South African fiction (English) -- 21st century English language -- Writing
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:5972 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011901
- Description: My collection has the common theme of addiction: addictive personalities strung across the pages. Not only the usual addictions such as the daily-ritualized beer or joint, but also the pain of addiction to anti-social habits, pathologies, forbidden love, etc. I try to capture the behavior and life that surrounds addictions too: relationships, rehab, criminal behavior, all sorts of abuse, etc. Some of the stories are heavy-handed, slapping the reader in the face, some are subtler. Some are told with lightness and humor, some with gravity.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014