Investigating the grade four ESL teachers' and learners' attitudes and experiences of learning and teaching through the medium of English in five primary schools in the King William's Town district
- Authors: Gqamane, Gilbert Khangelani
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , English language -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- South Africa , Curriculum planning -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6290 , vital:21070
- Description: In this study I investigated the attitudes and experiences of Grade four ESL learners and teachers in learning and teaching through the medium of English. The sample for the study was purposive and the design was a multiple case study which involved five primary schools from the rural environs of KWT. Grade four ESL teachers and learners of the five chosen primary schools participated in this study. The objective of this research study was to investigate the attitudes and experiences of grade four ESL teachers and learners in learning through the medium of English in order to establish how these experiences and attitudes may have an influence on teaching for effective school learning. The research method used was qualitative with a small quantitative component. The following research tools were used in collecting data: Language surveys, classroom observation schedules, teacher questionnaires, teacher level interviews, language comprehension tests and learner level interviews. The data were generated to provide answers to the main research question which was: ―What are Grade four ESL teachers‘ and learners‘ attitudes and experiences of learning through the medium of English in five primary schools in the KWT district? The analyses of data generated from the language surveys confirm that in the KWT rural schools from grade one to grade three isiXhosa is used exclusively. It is in grade four where the official transition from isiXhosa to English begins. The data generated from the language surveys further confirm that both learners and teachers use isiXhosa as their mother tongue and English is an additional language for both groups. The analysis of data generated from learner interviews suggests that the most prevalent attitude from the learners is that English is a hindering factor to school learning because they do not understand it. However, the learners also highlight the need to study English because it is the language of success and aspiration which is normally used in the global village. The analysis of the data generated from teacher questionnaires and the teacher level interviews also suggests that English is a barrier to school learning for ESL learners. ESL learners do not achieve optimally in English medium school learning. However, the same data suggest that English is still preferred to be the LoLT because it is perceived to be the language of success and aspiration. Moreover, the majority of written materials is in English and English is perceived to be an international language. The analysis of the data generated from language comprehension tests suggests that it had an effect on performance when the learners wrote a test that they had seen in another language. This is indicated by the learners‘ better levels of performance in the language tests when they have seen in another language. The main finding of the study is that English medium learning makes school learning difficult. The transition from isiXhosa medium learning to English medium learning in grade four is early. Teachers resort to code switching as a language strategy for effective teaching in order to minimise the blow caused by the use of English as the LoLT.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Gqamane, Gilbert Khangelani
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , English language -- Study and teaching (Elementary) -- South Africa , Curriculum planning -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/6290 , vital:21070
- Description: In this study I investigated the attitudes and experiences of Grade four ESL learners and teachers in learning and teaching through the medium of English. The sample for the study was purposive and the design was a multiple case study which involved five primary schools from the rural environs of KWT. Grade four ESL teachers and learners of the five chosen primary schools participated in this study. The objective of this research study was to investigate the attitudes and experiences of grade four ESL teachers and learners in learning through the medium of English in order to establish how these experiences and attitudes may have an influence on teaching for effective school learning. The research method used was qualitative with a small quantitative component. The following research tools were used in collecting data: Language surveys, classroom observation schedules, teacher questionnaires, teacher level interviews, language comprehension tests and learner level interviews. The data were generated to provide answers to the main research question which was: ―What are Grade four ESL teachers‘ and learners‘ attitudes and experiences of learning through the medium of English in five primary schools in the KWT district? The analyses of data generated from the language surveys confirm that in the KWT rural schools from grade one to grade three isiXhosa is used exclusively. It is in grade four where the official transition from isiXhosa to English begins. The data generated from the language surveys further confirm that both learners and teachers use isiXhosa as their mother tongue and English is an additional language for both groups. The analysis of data generated from learner interviews suggests that the most prevalent attitude from the learners is that English is a hindering factor to school learning because they do not understand it. However, the learners also highlight the need to study English because it is the language of success and aspiration which is normally used in the global village. The analysis of the data generated from teacher questionnaires and the teacher level interviews also suggests that English is a barrier to school learning for ESL learners. ESL learners do not achieve optimally in English medium school learning. However, the same data suggest that English is still preferred to be the LoLT because it is perceived to be the language of success and aspiration. Moreover, the majority of written materials is in English and English is perceived to be an international language. The analysis of the data generated from language comprehension tests suggests that it had an effect on performance when the learners wrote a test that they had seen in another language. This is indicated by the learners‘ better levels of performance in the language tests when they have seen in another language. The main finding of the study is that English medium learning makes school learning difficult. The transition from isiXhosa medium learning to English medium learning in grade four is early. Teachers resort to code switching as a language strategy for effective teaching in order to minimise the blow caused by the use of English as the LoLT.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Microcystin enhances the fitness of microcystin producing cyanobacteria at high light intensities by either preventing or retarding photoinhibition
- Authors: Phelan, Richard Reginald
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Microcystins , Microcystis , Cyanobacterial toxins
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10354 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020957
- Description: Several genera of cyanobacteria produce microcystin, a monocyclic peptide, with a unique chemical structure. To date, there have been over a 100 different structural variants of microcystin which have been identified. Microcystin production is affected by numerous environmental factors. However, the primary modulating factor for intracellular microcystin quota is the intracellular N:C ratio. No clearly defined biological role has been described for microcystin. Proposed roles for microcystin include defence against plankton grazers, metal chelation, an infochemical and a protectant against oxidative stress. There is sufficient evidence to support a biological role for microcystin in photosynthesis: microcystin is predominantly located in the thylakoid membranes, the microcystin gene cluster is differentially expressed as a function of light and a growth advantage for the microcystin producer in saturating light intensities. The purpose of this study is to investigate a possible biological role for microcystin in preventing photoinhibition and thus explaining the growth advantage observed in toxin-producers over non-toxin-producers. The uptake of exogenous microcystin was observed in Synechocystis PCC 6803 which was internalized and located in the thylakoid membranes and caused the inhibition of photosynthesis. Microcystin variants and increasing concentrations of microcystin-LR had no effect on the fluidity of the thylakoid membranes. The exposure of thylakoid membranes from Synechocystis PCC 6803 to physiologically relevant concentrations of different microcystin variants resulted in the inhibition of photosystem II activity but not photosystem I activity. The inhibition of photosystem II was variant dependent and concentration dependent for microcystin-LR and microcystin-RR. Chlorophyll a fluorescence data showed that photosystem II inhibition was caused by the inhibition of the oxygen evolving complex. Furthermore, a completion study revealed that the microcystin-producing Microcystis PCC 7806 had a competitive advantage over the non-microcystin producing ΔmcyA mutant of Microcystis PCC 7806 at high light intensities. The data indicates that microcystin protects the toxin-producer by either retarding or preventing photoinhibition and thus identifying the first data supported function for microcystin in cyanobacteria.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Phelan, Richard Reginald
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Microcystins , Microcystis , Cyanobacterial toxins
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:10354 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020957
- Description: Several genera of cyanobacteria produce microcystin, a monocyclic peptide, with a unique chemical structure. To date, there have been over a 100 different structural variants of microcystin which have been identified. Microcystin production is affected by numerous environmental factors. However, the primary modulating factor for intracellular microcystin quota is the intracellular N:C ratio. No clearly defined biological role has been described for microcystin. Proposed roles for microcystin include defence against plankton grazers, metal chelation, an infochemical and a protectant against oxidative stress. There is sufficient evidence to support a biological role for microcystin in photosynthesis: microcystin is predominantly located in the thylakoid membranes, the microcystin gene cluster is differentially expressed as a function of light and a growth advantage for the microcystin producer in saturating light intensities. The purpose of this study is to investigate a possible biological role for microcystin in preventing photoinhibition and thus explaining the growth advantage observed in toxin-producers over non-toxin-producers. The uptake of exogenous microcystin was observed in Synechocystis PCC 6803 which was internalized and located in the thylakoid membranes and caused the inhibition of photosynthesis. Microcystin variants and increasing concentrations of microcystin-LR had no effect on the fluidity of the thylakoid membranes. The exposure of thylakoid membranes from Synechocystis PCC 6803 to physiologically relevant concentrations of different microcystin variants resulted in the inhibition of photosystem II activity but not photosystem I activity. The inhibition of photosystem II was variant dependent and concentration dependent for microcystin-LR and microcystin-RR. Chlorophyll a fluorescence data showed that photosystem II inhibition was caused by the inhibition of the oxygen evolving complex. Furthermore, a completion study revealed that the microcystin-producing Microcystis PCC 7806 had a competitive advantage over the non-microcystin producing ΔmcyA mutant of Microcystis PCC 7806 at high light intensities. The data indicates that microcystin protects the toxin-producer by either retarding or preventing photoinhibition and thus identifying the first data supported function for microcystin in cyanobacteria.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Objecting to apartheid: the history of the end conscription campaign
- Authors: Jones, David
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: End Conscription Campaign (South Africa) , Apartheid -- South Africa , Government, Resistance to South Africa , Conscientious objection South Africa , South Africa -- Social conditions , South Africa -- Politics and government
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA (History)
- Identifier: vital:11538 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1005998 , End Conscription Campaign (South Africa) , Apartheid -- South Africa , Government, Resistance to South Africa , Conscientious objection South Africa , South Africa -- Social conditions , South Africa -- Politics and government
- Description: It is important that the story of organisations like the End Conscription Campaign be recorded. The narrative of the struggle against apartheid has become a site of contestation. As the downfall of apartheid is still a relatively recent event, the history is still in the process of formation. There is much contestation over the relative contributions of different groups within the struggle. This is an important debate as it informs and shapes the politics of the present. A new official narrative is emerging which accentuates the role of particular groupings, portraying them as the heroes and the leaders of the struggle. A new elite have laid exclusive claim to the heritage of the struggle and are using this narrative to justify their hold on power through the creation of highly centralised political structures in which positions of power are reserved for loyal cadres and independent thinking and questioning are seen as a threat. A complementary tradition of grassroots democracy, of open debate and transparency, of “people’s power”, of accountability of leadership to the people fostered in the struggle is being lost. It is important to contest this narrative. We need to remember that the downfall of apartheid was brought about by a myriad combination of factors and forces. Current academic interpretations emphasize that no one group or organisation, no matter how significant its contribution, was solely responsible. There was no military victory or other decisive event which brought the collapse of the system, rather a sapping of will to pay the ever increasing cost to maintain it. The struggle against apartheid involved a groundswell, popular uprising in which the initiative came not from centralised political structures, orchestrating a grand revolt, but from ordinary South Africans who were reacting to the oppressive nature of a brutally discriminatory system which sought to control every aspect of their lives.4 Leaders and structures emerged organically as communities organised themselves around issues that affected them. Organisations that emerged were highly democratic and accountable to their members. There was no grand plan or centralised control of the process. As Walter Benjamin warned in a different context, but applicable here: “All rulers are the heirs of those who have conquered before them.” He feared that what he referred to as a historicist view constructed a version of history as a triumphal parade of progress. “Whoever has emerged victorious” he reminds us “participates to this day in the triumphal procession in which the present rulers step over those who are lying prostrate. According to traditional practice the spoils are carried along in the procession.” 5 He was warning of just such a tendency, which has been repeated so often in the past, for the victors to construct a version of history which ends up justifying a new tyranny. To counter this tendency it is important that other histories of the struggle are told – that the stories of other groups, which are marginalised by the new hegemonic discourse, are recorded.This aim of this dissertation is thus two-fold. Firstly it aims to investigate “the story” of the End Conscription Campaign, which has largely been seen as a white anti-apartheid liberal organisation. The objective is to provide a detailed historical account and periodisation of the organisation to fill in the gaps and challenge the distortions of a new emerging “official” discourse.Secondly within this framework, and by using the activities and strategies of the organisation as evidence for its suppositions, the question of the role played by the ECC in the struggle.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Jones, David
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: End Conscription Campaign (South Africa) , Apartheid -- South Africa , Government, Resistance to South Africa , Conscientious objection South Africa , South Africa -- Social conditions , South Africa -- Politics and government
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA (History)
- Identifier: vital:11538 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1005998 , End Conscription Campaign (South Africa) , Apartheid -- South Africa , Government, Resistance to South Africa , Conscientious objection South Africa , South Africa -- Social conditions , South Africa -- Politics and government
- Description: It is important that the story of organisations like the End Conscription Campaign be recorded. The narrative of the struggle against apartheid has become a site of contestation. As the downfall of apartheid is still a relatively recent event, the history is still in the process of formation. There is much contestation over the relative contributions of different groups within the struggle. This is an important debate as it informs and shapes the politics of the present. A new official narrative is emerging which accentuates the role of particular groupings, portraying them as the heroes and the leaders of the struggle. A new elite have laid exclusive claim to the heritage of the struggle and are using this narrative to justify their hold on power through the creation of highly centralised political structures in which positions of power are reserved for loyal cadres and independent thinking and questioning are seen as a threat. A complementary tradition of grassroots democracy, of open debate and transparency, of “people’s power”, of accountability of leadership to the people fostered in the struggle is being lost. It is important to contest this narrative. We need to remember that the downfall of apartheid was brought about by a myriad combination of factors and forces. Current academic interpretations emphasize that no one group or organisation, no matter how significant its contribution, was solely responsible. There was no military victory or other decisive event which brought the collapse of the system, rather a sapping of will to pay the ever increasing cost to maintain it. The struggle against apartheid involved a groundswell, popular uprising in which the initiative came not from centralised political structures, orchestrating a grand revolt, but from ordinary South Africans who were reacting to the oppressive nature of a brutally discriminatory system which sought to control every aspect of their lives.4 Leaders and structures emerged organically as communities organised themselves around issues that affected them. Organisations that emerged were highly democratic and accountable to their members. There was no grand plan or centralised control of the process. As Walter Benjamin warned in a different context, but applicable here: “All rulers are the heirs of those who have conquered before them.” He feared that what he referred to as a historicist view constructed a version of history as a triumphal parade of progress. “Whoever has emerged victorious” he reminds us “participates to this day in the triumphal procession in which the present rulers step over those who are lying prostrate. According to traditional practice the spoils are carried along in the procession.” 5 He was warning of just such a tendency, which has been repeated so often in the past, for the victors to construct a version of history which ends up justifying a new tyranny. To counter this tendency it is important that other histories of the struggle are told – that the stories of other groups, which are marginalised by the new hegemonic discourse, are recorded.This aim of this dissertation is thus two-fold. Firstly it aims to investigate “the story” of the End Conscription Campaign, which has largely been seen as a white anti-apartheid liberal organisation. The objective is to provide a detailed historical account and periodisation of the organisation to fill in the gaps and challenge the distortions of a new emerging “official” discourse.Secondly within this framework, and by using the activities and strategies of the organisation as evidence for its suppositions, the question of the role played by the ECC in the struggle.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Portfolio
- Hogge, Quentin Edward Somerville
- Authors: Hogge, Quentin Edward Somerville
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Poetry , Post-apartheid , Environment , South African poetry (English) -- 21st century , Creative writing (Higher education) , English language -- Writing
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:5963 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001813
- Description: My initial intention is to try to show how, as a poet in South Africa, I suffer from a creative identity crisis. I am a white English-speaking male. I live surrounded by isiXhosa-speaking people. Is my poetry, or will my poetry be, relevant in the ‘New’ South Africa? Is English, the language of the colonial oppressors, the appropriate medium in the post-apartheid milieu? Will my subject matter be relevant? These questions and my attempts at answering them, form the basis of the poetry and the portfolio that accompanies the poems. My absorption with finding a creative ‘voice’, my concerns with the environment and a questioning of what post-apartheid poetry should write about all seem a bit Quixotic, especially to me! But at another level, they are deeply serious. (p. 5.)
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Hogge, Quentin Edward Somerville
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Poetry , Post-apartheid , Environment , South African poetry (English) -- 21st century , Creative writing (Higher education) , English language -- Writing
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:5963 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001813
- Description: My initial intention is to try to show how, as a poet in South Africa, I suffer from a creative identity crisis. I am a white English-speaking male. I live surrounded by isiXhosa-speaking people. Is my poetry, or will my poetry be, relevant in the ‘New’ South Africa? Is English, the language of the colonial oppressors, the appropriate medium in the post-apartheid milieu? Will my subject matter be relevant? These questions and my attempts at answering them, form the basis of the poetry and the portfolio that accompanies the poems. My absorption with finding a creative ‘voice’, my concerns with the environment and a questioning of what post-apartheid poetry should write about all seem a bit Quixotic, especially to me! But at another level, they are deeply serious. (p. 5.)
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Self-esteem, coping and the psychology of infertility
- Authors: Jordaan, Hendrina Jacoba
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Infertility -- Psychological aspects , Self-esteem -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9959 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020055
- Description: This exploratory-descriptive study, using multiple case studies, investigated the self-esteem, coping and psychology of infertility of a sample of individuals who have received infertility treatment at a privately managed health care unit. Infertility is a complex condition associated with the inability to conceive a child, frequently manifesting itself as a result of various biological factors. A literature review indicated that being on Artificial Reproductive Technology (ART) treatment significantly increases the stress in an individual. In an attempt to gain insight into the way patients undergoing infertility treatment find the strength to complete their treatment cycles, and to endure and overcome the pressures associated therewith, in order to continue their lives – in spite of a negative treatment/pregnancy result, the researcher found it necessary to investigate the self-esteem, coping and the psychology of patients undergoing infertility treatment. An exploratory descriptive research design was used and the participants were chosen by means of a non-probability purposive sampling procedure. The participants were given a package of questionnaires to complete under the supervision of the group facilitator and researcher, prior to, as well as after the intervention. The assessment consisted of a biographical questionnaire and two standardised paper and pencil measures. The participants’ self-esteem was explored using James Battle’s (1981) Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory; while the coping resources were explored using Hammer and Marting’s (1988) Coping Resource Inventory (CRI). Although these data were not analysable, due to the small sample size, it was utilised in a qualitative manner to support the findings from the qualitative data. The data were also gathered from the participants via a psychological intervention programme in the format of three focus group sessions. All the qualitative results were analysed, according to Tesch’s model of content analysis. The general finding was that the period of infertility treatment is experienced as both difficult and challenging by individuals, and that there is immense healing in the sharing of one’s narrative with other infertility patients. It also surfaced that selfesteem, especially one’s feelings of worth, is most affected by a diagnosis of infertility, as well as by going through the roller coaster of the emotions associated with the treatment and monthly cycle of infertility. It was evident from the narratives told by the participants that every domain of one’s self-esteem is affected by a diagnosis of infertility, and that the biggest challenge in maintaining a positive selfesteem seemed to be in finding a balance between one’s real self and one’s ideal self. Furthermore, this study found that the challenge related to coping for the participants in this study was to present a coherent life narrative to the ‘world’, despite intense feelings of being misunderstood by others, and being faced with the discourse of infertility, as part of one’s life script. The main coping responses utilized by participants included the re-channelling of one’s focus, using denial, seeking out familial and social support, bargaining with God, and nurturing hope and faith that this journey of infertility is merely just a journey and not a destination, with the destination that of being blessed with a biological child of one’s own.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Jordaan, Hendrina Jacoba
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Infertility -- Psychological aspects , Self-esteem -- Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9959 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020055
- Description: This exploratory-descriptive study, using multiple case studies, investigated the self-esteem, coping and psychology of infertility of a sample of individuals who have received infertility treatment at a privately managed health care unit. Infertility is a complex condition associated with the inability to conceive a child, frequently manifesting itself as a result of various biological factors. A literature review indicated that being on Artificial Reproductive Technology (ART) treatment significantly increases the stress in an individual. In an attempt to gain insight into the way patients undergoing infertility treatment find the strength to complete their treatment cycles, and to endure and overcome the pressures associated therewith, in order to continue their lives – in spite of a negative treatment/pregnancy result, the researcher found it necessary to investigate the self-esteem, coping and the psychology of patients undergoing infertility treatment. An exploratory descriptive research design was used and the participants were chosen by means of a non-probability purposive sampling procedure. The participants were given a package of questionnaires to complete under the supervision of the group facilitator and researcher, prior to, as well as after the intervention. The assessment consisted of a biographical questionnaire and two standardised paper and pencil measures. The participants’ self-esteem was explored using James Battle’s (1981) Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory; while the coping resources were explored using Hammer and Marting’s (1988) Coping Resource Inventory (CRI). Although these data were not analysable, due to the small sample size, it was utilised in a qualitative manner to support the findings from the qualitative data. The data were also gathered from the participants via a psychological intervention programme in the format of three focus group sessions. All the qualitative results were analysed, according to Tesch’s model of content analysis. The general finding was that the period of infertility treatment is experienced as both difficult and challenging by individuals, and that there is immense healing in the sharing of one’s narrative with other infertility patients. It also surfaced that selfesteem, especially one’s feelings of worth, is most affected by a diagnosis of infertility, as well as by going through the roller coaster of the emotions associated with the treatment and monthly cycle of infertility. It was evident from the narratives told by the participants that every domain of one’s self-esteem is affected by a diagnosis of infertility, and that the biggest challenge in maintaining a positive selfesteem seemed to be in finding a balance between one’s real self and one’s ideal self. Furthermore, this study found that the challenge related to coping for the participants in this study was to present a coherent life narrative to the ‘world’, despite intense feelings of being misunderstood by others, and being faced with the discourse of infertility, as part of one’s life script. The main coping responses utilized by participants included the re-channelling of one’s focus, using denial, seeking out familial and social support, bargaining with God, and nurturing hope and faith that this journey of infertility is merely just a journey and not a destination, with the destination that of being blessed with a biological child of one’s own.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Supporting environment and sustainability knowledge in the grade 10 life sciences curriculum and assessment policy context : a case study of the Fundisa for Change teacher education and development programme pilot project
- Authors: Songqwaru, Nonyameko Zintle
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Fundisa for Change Teachers -- Training of -- South Africa Life sciences -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa -- Case studies Environmental education -- South Africa -- Case studies Curriculum planning -- South Africa Curriculum-based assessment -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1907 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006842
- Description: In the context of yet another curriculum revision in South Africa, this study investigates how teachers can be supported to meet the environmental discourse requirements as outlined in the revised curriculum in the Life Sciences. The study takes place in the context of a National Case Study which has resulted in a development of a national network, curriculum framework and resources for teacher education, with specific focus on the integration of environment and sustainability in the South African teacher education system. The study intends to provide insights into what constitutes adequate professional support and assistance to teachers that enables them to understand and work with the environment and sustainability content knowledge requirements of the Life Sciences Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). The study seeks to inform future curriculum implementation decisions and teacher education programmes. The study is designed as a qualitative case study inquiry that has used open-ended, individual and focus group interviews, direct field observation and document analysis to generate data. The study revealed that: * Teachers developed confidence from an in-depth analysis of the CAPS curriculum. * Teachers have content gaps in environment and sustainability knowledge and these can be addressed through professional development that emphasises rich subject knowledge. * Teachers are not familiar with teaching methods that can be used to teach environmental and sustainability content knowledge. * Teachers struggle to see the relationship between teaching and assessing. * Teachers do not have enough and adequate resources for teaching and learning. * Training given to teachers should be interactive to enable them to recontextualise training received in their work places. * Teacher training should go beyond content knowledge that teachers have to teach, but should also consider how teachers can teach and assess that knowledge. * It is important to have a strong framing for selection and sequencing of content knowledge and a relatively weak framing for pacing and hierarchical rules in teacher training workshops. * Professional development has the potential to lead to whole school development. The study recommends that: ** Recontextualisation should be grounded on interpreting the policy requirements ** Teacher pre- and in-service training should focus on developing teachers’ understanding of the foundational knowledge in the Life Sciences ** The links between Life Sciences pedagogy and environmental pedagogy should be made explicit. ** Good quality resources should be provided for teachers and they should be supported to use these appropriately. ** Teachers’ academic literacy needs to be developed. Further recommendations: * Further studies should be conducted that would look at how teachers can be supported to work with environment and sustainability content knowledge within other subjects or other content areas of Life Sciences. This could provide some insights in terms of looking at the patterns, similarities or differences between different cases. It would be valuable to trace the teachers who participated in this pilot to observe how they recontextualise the training in their classroom practices. There is no point in attending a course or training if it will not impact one’s practice. Some insights into classroom practices were gained through reflective interviews from the teachers who had taught the biodiversity content, but this was not observed in practice.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Songqwaru, Nonyameko Zintle
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Fundisa for Change Teachers -- Training of -- South Africa Life sciences -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa -- Case studies Environmental education -- South Africa -- Case studies Curriculum planning -- South Africa Curriculum-based assessment -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1907 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006842
- Description: In the context of yet another curriculum revision in South Africa, this study investigates how teachers can be supported to meet the environmental discourse requirements as outlined in the revised curriculum in the Life Sciences. The study takes place in the context of a National Case Study which has resulted in a development of a national network, curriculum framework and resources for teacher education, with specific focus on the integration of environment and sustainability in the South African teacher education system. The study intends to provide insights into what constitutes adequate professional support and assistance to teachers that enables them to understand and work with the environment and sustainability content knowledge requirements of the Life Sciences Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS). The study seeks to inform future curriculum implementation decisions and teacher education programmes. The study is designed as a qualitative case study inquiry that has used open-ended, individual and focus group interviews, direct field observation and document analysis to generate data. The study revealed that: * Teachers developed confidence from an in-depth analysis of the CAPS curriculum. * Teachers have content gaps in environment and sustainability knowledge and these can be addressed through professional development that emphasises rich subject knowledge. * Teachers are not familiar with teaching methods that can be used to teach environmental and sustainability content knowledge. * Teachers struggle to see the relationship between teaching and assessing. * Teachers do not have enough and adequate resources for teaching and learning. * Training given to teachers should be interactive to enable them to recontextualise training received in their work places. * Teacher training should go beyond content knowledge that teachers have to teach, but should also consider how teachers can teach and assess that knowledge. * It is important to have a strong framing for selection and sequencing of content knowledge and a relatively weak framing for pacing and hierarchical rules in teacher training workshops. * Professional development has the potential to lead to whole school development. The study recommends that: ** Recontextualisation should be grounded on interpreting the policy requirements ** Teacher pre- and in-service training should focus on developing teachers’ understanding of the foundational knowledge in the Life Sciences ** The links between Life Sciences pedagogy and environmental pedagogy should be made explicit. ** Good quality resources should be provided for teachers and they should be supported to use these appropriately. ** Teachers’ academic literacy needs to be developed. Further recommendations: * Further studies should be conducted that would look at how teachers can be supported to work with environment and sustainability content knowledge within other subjects or other content areas of Life Sciences. This could provide some insights in terms of looking at the patterns, similarities or differences between different cases. It would be valuable to trace the teachers who participated in this pilot to observe how they recontextualise the training in their classroom practices. There is no point in attending a course or training if it will not impact one’s practice. Some insights into classroom practices were gained through reflective interviews from the teachers who had taught the biodiversity content, but this was not observed in practice.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
The Accidental Prospector
- Authors: De Moor, Irene J
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Uncataloged
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:5961 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004214
- Description: While excavating an ant nest in the river gravels of the NW Cape Diamond fields, Amanda de Bruyn, an entomologist studying the aggressive Camponotus fulvopilosus,finds a diamond. She is torn between the necessity of handing it in to the authorities and the dream of making a quick buck. When a stroke of bad luck renders her current research project null and void she is faced with the prospect of losing her career and her research funding. She is forced to consider selling her diamond and embarks on an adventure that will carry herback into South Africa’s dark past and derail her marriage and career.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: De Moor, Irene J
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Uncataloged
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:5961 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004214
- Description: While excavating an ant nest in the river gravels of the NW Cape Diamond fields, Amanda de Bruyn, an entomologist studying the aggressive Camponotus fulvopilosus,finds a diamond. She is torn between the necessity of handing it in to the authorities and the dream of making a quick buck. When a stroke of bad luck renders her current research project null and void she is faced with the prospect of losing her career and her research funding. She is forced to consider selling her diamond and embarks on an adventure that will carry herback into South Africa’s dark past and derail her marriage and career.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
The family in Shakespeare's plays: a study of South African revisions
- Authors: Hjul, Lauren Martha
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Parents , Parental bonds , Family , Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- In literature -- Research , Coetzee, J M, 1940-. Disgrace , Gordimer, Nadine. My son's story , Peteni, R L, 1915-. Hill of fools , English drama -- 17th century -- History and criticism , Families in literature , English literature -- History and criticism
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2181 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001832
- Description: This thesis provides a detailed consideration of the family in Shakespeare’s canon and the engagement therewith in three South African novels: Hill of Fools (1976) by R. L. Peteni, My Son’s Story (1990) by Nadine Gordimer, and Disgrace (1999) by J. M. Coetzee. The study is divided into an introduction, three chapters each addressing one of the South African novels and its relationship with a Shakespeare text or texts, and a conclusion. The introductory chapter provides an analysis of the two strands of criticism in which the thesis is situated – studies of the family in Shakespeare and studies of appropriations of Shakespeare – and discusses the ways in which these two strands may be combined through a detailed discussion of the presence of power dynamics in the relationship between parent and child in all of the texts considered. The three chapters each contextualise the South African text and provide detailed discussions of the family dynamics within the relevant texts, with particular reference to questions of authority and autonomy. The focus in each chapter is determined by the nature of the intertextual relationship between the South African novel and the Shakespearean text being discussed. Thus, the first chapter, “The Dissolution of Familial Structures in Hill of Fools” considers power dynamics in the family as an inherent part of the Romeo and Juliet genre, of which William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is but a part. Similarly, the impact of a socio-political identity, and the secrecy it necessitates, is the focus of the second chapter, “Fathers, Sons and Legacy in My Son’s Story” as is the role of Shakespeare and literature within South Africa. These concerns are connected to the novel’s use of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, King Lear, and Hamlet. In the third chapter, “Reclaiming Agency through the Daughter in Disgrace and The Tempest”, I expand on Laurence Wright’s argument that Disgrace is an engagement with The Tempest and consider ways in which the altered power dynamic between father and daughter results in the reconciliation of the father figure with society. The thesis thus addresses the tension between parental bonds and parental bondage
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Hjul, Lauren Martha
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Parents , Parental bonds , Family , Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- In literature -- Research , Coetzee, J M, 1940-. Disgrace , Gordimer, Nadine. My son's story , Peteni, R L, 1915-. Hill of fools , English drama -- 17th century -- History and criticism , Families in literature , English literature -- History and criticism
- Language: English
- Type: text , Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2181 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001832
- Description: This thesis provides a detailed consideration of the family in Shakespeare’s canon and the engagement therewith in three South African novels: Hill of Fools (1976) by R. L. Peteni, My Son’s Story (1990) by Nadine Gordimer, and Disgrace (1999) by J. M. Coetzee. The study is divided into an introduction, three chapters each addressing one of the South African novels and its relationship with a Shakespeare text or texts, and a conclusion. The introductory chapter provides an analysis of the two strands of criticism in which the thesis is situated – studies of the family in Shakespeare and studies of appropriations of Shakespeare – and discusses the ways in which these two strands may be combined through a detailed discussion of the presence of power dynamics in the relationship between parent and child in all of the texts considered. The three chapters each contextualise the South African text and provide detailed discussions of the family dynamics within the relevant texts, with particular reference to questions of authority and autonomy. The focus in each chapter is determined by the nature of the intertextual relationship between the South African novel and the Shakespearean text being discussed. Thus, the first chapter, “The Dissolution of Familial Structures in Hill of Fools” considers power dynamics in the family as an inherent part of the Romeo and Juliet genre, of which William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is but a part. Similarly, the impact of a socio-political identity, and the secrecy it necessitates, is the focus of the second chapter, “Fathers, Sons and Legacy in My Son’s Story” as is the role of Shakespeare and literature within South Africa. These concerns are connected to the novel’s use of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, King Lear, and Hamlet. In the third chapter, “Reclaiming Agency through the Daughter in Disgrace and The Tempest”, I expand on Laurence Wright’s argument that Disgrace is an engagement with The Tempest and consider ways in which the altered power dynamic between father and daughter results in the reconciliation of the father figure with society. The thesis thus addresses the tension between parental bonds and parental bondage
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
The impact and control of waterweeds in the Southern Mozambique Basin rivers
- Authors: Langa, Sílvia da Fátima
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Water hyacinth -- Mozambique Water ferns -- Mozambique Water lettuce -- Mozambique Salvinia molesta -- Mozambique Aquatic weeds -- Mozambique Invasive plants -- Mozambique Aquatic weeds -- Control -- Mozambique Invasive plants -- Control -- Mozambique Aquatic weeds -- Biological control -- Mozambique Invasive plants -- Biological control -- Mozambique Aquatic resources -- Management -- Mozambique Beetles -- Mozambique Insects as biological pest control agents -- Mozambique
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:5587 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001905
- Description: In Mozambique, establishment of aquatic weeds has been enhanced through the increased enrichment of water bodies by nutrient runoffs from human and agricultural wastes that lead to an increase in nitrate and phosphate in the water. The aquatic weeds, water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), red water fern ( Azolla microphylla), water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) and salvinia (Salvinia molesta) were found in most watercourses in Mozambique and are becoming aggressive in some watercourses, especially in the Umbeluzi and Incomati rivers. Farmers and people living along the rivers are aware of the negative impact of the water weeds because the large mats of weeds cause loss of shoreline and navigability along the rivers. Other commonly perceived effects of aquatic invasive plants in Mozambique rivers include: reduced navigable surface area; difficulties for fishermen, which reduces income; increased prevalence of insects and insect-borne disease, and decreased aesthetic value. The methods currently used for the control and management of the aquatic weeds are mechanical and manual control. Both methods are costly, time consuming, and only provide a short-term solution to the problem. The study found that the weevils Neochetina eichhorniae and N. bruchi were effective biological control agents in the study area but their impact is too gradual compared to the aggressive proliferation of water hyacinth. The one year lab-experiment clearly demonstrated that the water lettuce weed had a significant impact on the recruitment of macro-invertebrates to the artificial substrates, and water lettuce contributed to the reduction of oxygen in the water and consequent reduction of macro-invertebrate abundance and diversity. The biodiversity recovered at the same time in the pools containing water lettuce controlled by N. affinis and water lettuce controlled by herbicide, but richness and diversity of macro-invertebrates was higher in the water lettuce controlled by N affinis during the first sampling occasion compared to the water lettuce in pools controlled by herbicide, where macro-invertebrates increased only when DO levels recovered after water lettuce mat decay. The number of taxa recorded in this study is an indication of the significance of macro-invertebrates in an aquatic environment. This therefore emphasizes the need for more research efforts into macrophyte and macro-invertebrate associations in the aquatic system to better understand the implications of habitat modification arising from human activities. It will also enable us to be better equipped with a more appropriate ecological understanding for aquatic resources management.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Langa, Sílvia da Fátima
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Water hyacinth -- Mozambique Water ferns -- Mozambique Water lettuce -- Mozambique Salvinia molesta -- Mozambique Aquatic weeds -- Mozambique Invasive plants -- Mozambique Aquatic weeds -- Control -- Mozambique Invasive plants -- Control -- Mozambique Aquatic weeds -- Biological control -- Mozambique Invasive plants -- Biological control -- Mozambique Aquatic resources -- Management -- Mozambique Beetles -- Mozambique Insects as biological pest control agents -- Mozambique
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:5587 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001905
- Description: In Mozambique, establishment of aquatic weeds has been enhanced through the increased enrichment of water bodies by nutrient runoffs from human and agricultural wastes that lead to an increase in nitrate and phosphate in the water. The aquatic weeds, water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), red water fern ( Azolla microphylla), water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) and salvinia (Salvinia molesta) were found in most watercourses in Mozambique and are becoming aggressive in some watercourses, especially in the Umbeluzi and Incomati rivers. Farmers and people living along the rivers are aware of the negative impact of the water weeds because the large mats of weeds cause loss of shoreline and navigability along the rivers. Other commonly perceived effects of aquatic invasive plants in Mozambique rivers include: reduced navigable surface area; difficulties for fishermen, which reduces income; increased prevalence of insects and insect-borne disease, and decreased aesthetic value. The methods currently used for the control and management of the aquatic weeds are mechanical and manual control. Both methods are costly, time consuming, and only provide a short-term solution to the problem. The study found that the weevils Neochetina eichhorniae and N. bruchi were effective biological control agents in the study area but their impact is too gradual compared to the aggressive proliferation of water hyacinth. The one year lab-experiment clearly demonstrated that the water lettuce weed had a significant impact on the recruitment of macro-invertebrates to the artificial substrates, and water lettuce contributed to the reduction of oxygen in the water and consequent reduction of macro-invertebrate abundance and diversity. The biodiversity recovered at the same time in the pools containing water lettuce controlled by N. affinis and water lettuce controlled by herbicide, but richness and diversity of macro-invertebrates was higher in the water lettuce controlled by N affinis during the first sampling occasion compared to the water lettuce in pools controlled by herbicide, where macro-invertebrates increased only when DO levels recovered after water lettuce mat decay. The number of taxa recorded in this study is an indication of the significance of macro-invertebrates in an aquatic environment. This therefore emphasizes the need for more research efforts into macrophyte and macro-invertebrate associations in the aquatic system to better understand the implications of habitat modification arising from human activities. It will also enable us to be better equipped with a more appropriate ecological understanding for aquatic resources management.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
The Impact of the common law and legislation on African indigenous laws of marriage in Zimbabwe and South Africa
- Authors: Gwarinda, T A
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , LLD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1421 , vital:26554
- Description: The study sought to examine the development of customary law, primarily focusing on the extent to which the true African marriage has been preserved by its incorporation in, and regulation by legislation and the constitutions of Zimbabwe and South Africa. Today, colonial legislation has either been repealed or revised. However, evidence persists suggesting the inclusion of western principles within frameworks governing African marriages such as the Customary Marriages Act and the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act of post-independence Zimbabwe and South Africa respectively. To understand the true purpose of custom, the study initially investigates the classical customary law position drawing deeper insights into the main features of the African marriage. From an African perspective, the research revealed whether legislation satisfactorily dealt with aspects such as registration of customary marriages, determination of minority and capacity to marry, payment of bride wealth, grounds for divorce, proprietary consequences of marriage during and after termination of marriage by death or divorce and women’s rights to communal land tenure and immovable property among others. Apart from legislation it became imperative to determine the role of constitutionalism and human rights law in the regulation and preservation of custom. A comparative study was motivated not only because Zimbabwe and South Africa share a border but also because migration between the two countries in the past decade due to various socio-economic forces has led to inter-marriages and cultural diversity. In addition, historically, both jurisdictions have Roman-Dutch law as the basis for the formation of their legal systems. The methodology remained largely a qualitative type research based on documentary analysis. Several findings emerged among which was the fact that, women in traditional African marriages had property rights contrary to popular belief however they continue to be most disadvantaged when it comes to having real rights in ownership of communal land. The African marriage generally sought to preserve marriage more than its western counterpart, the civil marriage. Legislation was the main vehicle for attaching customary law to western principles of law thus losing its intended purpose. Other findings were that polygamy and widow inheritance are prevalent and continue to face condemnation in today’s society; constitutionalism and international human rights law do not readily find acceptance among traditionalists; bride wealth payments persist among rural and urban folk alike and continue to symbolise a marriage between respective parties and their families; and spouses omit to register customary marriages mainly because bride wealth payments adequately legitimise their unions. Initiation ceremonies persist among some ethnic groups particularly the South African Xhosa who have adhered to circumcision for boys as determining their capacity to marry. The study concludes by making recommendations that could assist in harmonising customary law and common law. These include educational initiatives; advocacy and advice giving; regulation of unregistered customary marriages; improving access to justice; eradication of child marriages; improving the status of rural women; and constitutional reform. It is hoped that these recommendations will bridge the gap between customary law and western law as we endeavour to determine the future of the African marriage in a contemporary traditional context.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Gwarinda, T A
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , LLD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1421 , vital:26554
- Description: The study sought to examine the development of customary law, primarily focusing on the extent to which the true African marriage has been preserved by its incorporation in, and regulation by legislation and the constitutions of Zimbabwe and South Africa. Today, colonial legislation has either been repealed or revised. However, evidence persists suggesting the inclusion of western principles within frameworks governing African marriages such as the Customary Marriages Act and the Recognition of Customary Marriages Act of post-independence Zimbabwe and South Africa respectively. To understand the true purpose of custom, the study initially investigates the classical customary law position drawing deeper insights into the main features of the African marriage. From an African perspective, the research revealed whether legislation satisfactorily dealt with aspects such as registration of customary marriages, determination of minority and capacity to marry, payment of bride wealth, grounds for divorce, proprietary consequences of marriage during and after termination of marriage by death or divorce and women’s rights to communal land tenure and immovable property among others. Apart from legislation it became imperative to determine the role of constitutionalism and human rights law in the regulation and preservation of custom. A comparative study was motivated not only because Zimbabwe and South Africa share a border but also because migration between the two countries in the past decade due to various socio-economic forces has led to inter-marriages and cultural diversity. In addition, historically, both jurisdictions have Roman-Dutch law as the basis for the formation of their legal systems. The methodology remained largely a qualitative type research based on documentary analysis. Several findings emerged among which was the fact that, women in traditional African marriages had property rights contrary to popular belief however they continue to be most disadvantaged when it comes to having real rights in ownership of communal land. The African marriage generally sought to preserve marriage more than its western counterpart, the civil marriage. Legislation was the main vehicle for attaching customary law to western principles of law thus losing its intended purpose. Other findings were that polygamy and widow inheritance are prevalent and continue to face condemnation in today’s society; constitutionalism and international human rights law do not readily find acceptance among traditionalists; bride wealth payments persist among rural and urban folk alike and continue to symbolise a marriage between respective parties and their families; and spouses omit to register customary marriages mainly because bride wealth payments adequately legitimise their unions. Initiation ceremonies persist among some ethnic groups particularly the South African Xhosa who have adhered to circumcision for boys as determining their capacity to marry. The study concludes by making recommendations that could assist in harmonising customary law and common law. These include educational initiatives; advocacy and advice giving; regulation of unregistered customary marriages; improving access to justice; eradication of child marriages; improving the status of rural women; and constitutional reform. It is hoped that these recommendations will bridge the gap between customary law and western law as we endeavour to determine the future of the African marriage in a contemporary traditional context.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
The use of English and isiXhosa in teaching and learning Physical Sciences in four schools in King Williams Town education district of the Eastern Cape: a case study
- Authors: Sibanda, Busani
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
- Identifier: vital:16222 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1019733
- Description: The present study investigates the use of English and isiXhosa in teaching and learning Physical Sciences in four King Williams Town schools. Physical Sciences educators and Grade 11 Physical Sciences learners were interviewed to find out about their perceptions with regard to the language(s) used in the learning and teaching of the subject Physical Sciences. The same educators and learners were also observed to find out their actual language practices in class. The findings revealed that English was the preferred medium of instruction in the learning and teaching of Physical Sciences, even though the majority of learners had low proficiency in English. Both teachers and learners extensively use code-switching to bridge this language gap in order to improve the learning of content. The choice to use isiXhosa to bridge the English second language barrier was influenced by the language profile of the learners. However, even in lessons in which teachers used code-switching, the participation of learners in class discussions was very low because the delivery of the lessons was still teacher-centred. The National Department of Education assessment policy seems to limit schools toward adopting English as the LoLT even though learners in these schools were isiXhosa first language speakers. The fact that all assessment are done in English leads to school adopting English on LoLT. Schools adopted the English only policy as way of promoting learners’ learning and understanding of English, so that the learners are not disadvantaged by the English language factor when writing examinations.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Sibanda, Busani
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M Ed
- Identifier: vital:16222 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1019733
- Description: The present study investigates the use of English and isiXhosa in teaching and learning Physical Sciences in four King Williams Town schools. Physical Sciences educators and Grade 11 Physical Sciences learners were interviewed to find out about their perceptions with regard to the language(s) used in the learning and teaching of the subject Physical Sciences. The same educators and learners were also observed to find out their actual language practices in class. The findings revealed that English was the preferred medium of instruction in the learning and teaching of Physical Sciences, even though the majority of learners had low proficiency in English. Both teachers and learners extensively use code-switching to bridge this language gap in order to improve the learning of content. The choice to use isiXhosa to bridge the English second language barrier was influenced by the language profile of the learners. However, even in lessons in which teachers used code-switching, the participation of learners in class discussions was very low because the delivery of the lessons was still teacher-centred. The National Department of Education assessment policy seems to limit schools toward adopting English as the LoLT even though learners in these schools were isiXhosa first language speakers. The fact that all assessment are done in English leads to school adopting English on LoLT. Schools adopted the English only policy as way of promoting learners’ learning and understanding of English, so that the learners are not disadvantaged by the English language factor when writing examinations.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
The violence of language : contemporary hate speech and the suitability of legal measures regulating hate speech in South Africa
- Authors: Janse van Rensburg, Leanne
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Hate speech -- South Africa , Hate speech -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Racism in language , Freedom of speech -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:3663 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001866 , Hate speech -- South Africa , Hate speech -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Racism in language , Freedom of speech -- South Africa
- Description: This thesis unites law and social science so as to give a comprehensive account of the phenomenon of racial hate speech in South Africa as an obstacle to transformation. Hate speech is presented as a form of violent language and an affront to the constitutional rights of freedom of speech, equality and dignity. To establish the nature of hate speech, the fluid quality of language is explored so as to show how language can be manipulated, on the one hand, as a means to harm, and employed, on the other hand, as a tool to heal and reconcile. This double gesture is illustrated through the South African linguistic experience of past hate and segregation and the current transformation agenda. It is through this prism that hate speech regulation is discussed as an uneasy fit in a country where freedom of expression is constitutionally protected and where language plays an important role in bringing about reconciliation, and yet words are still being employed to divide and dehumanise. This reality necessitates a clearly articulated stance on the regulation of language. The thesis accordingly interrogates the current legal standards in relation to hate speech with reference to international law that binds South Africa and the constitutional standard set for the regulation of language and the prohibition of hate speech. Thereafter, the current and proposed legislative prohibitions on hate speech, the residual common law provisions governing expression and the regulation of language in the media are outlined and analysed. These legal frameworks are explored in terms of their content and their application in various fora so as to ascertain what the South African approach to hate speech prohibition is, whether it is consistent and, ultimately if it is indeed suitable to the South African experience and the realities of language. This thesis concludes that contemporary hate speech measures lack a coherent understanding of what hate speech entails and a general inconsistency in approach as well as application is found in the treatment of hate speech complaints in South Africa. This is explained through the fallibility of language as a medium to regulate expression and solutions are offered to not only taper current and proposed hate speech provisions but to also consider alternative forms of resolving hate speech complaints
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Janse van Rensburg, Leanne
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Hate speech -- South Africa , Hate speech -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Racism in language , Freedom of speech -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:3663 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001866 , Hate speech -- South Africa , Hate speech -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Racism in language , Freedom of speech -- South Africa
- Description: This thesis unites law and social science so as to give a comprehensive account of the phenomenon of racial hate speech in South Africa as an obstacle to transformation. Hate speech is presented as a form of violent language and an affront to the constitutional rights of freedom of speech, equality and dignity. To establish the nature of hate speech, the fluid quality of language is explored so as to show how language can be manipulated, on the one hand, as a means to harm, and employed, on the other hand, as a tool to heal and reconcile. This double gesture is illustrated through the South African linguistic experience of past hate and segregation and the current transformation agenda. It is through this prism that hate speech regulation is discussed as an uneasy fit in a country where freedom of expression is constitutionally protected and where language plays an important role in bringing about reconciliation, and yet words are still being employed to divide and dehumanise. This reality necessitates a clearly articulated stance on the regulation of language. The thesis accordingly interrogates the current legal standards in relation to hate speech with reference to international law that binds South Africa and the constitutional standard set for the regulation of language and the prohibition of hate speech. Thereafter, the current and proposed legislative prohibitions on hate speech, the residual common law provisions governing expression and the regulation of language in the media are outlined and analysed. These legal frameworks are explored in terms of their content and their application in various fora so as to ascertain what the South African approach to hate speech prohibition is, whether it is consistent and, ultimately if it is indeed suitable to the South African experience and the realities of language. This thesis concludes that contemporary hate speech measures lack a coherent understanding of what hate speech entails and a general inconsistency in approach as well as application is found in the treatment of hate speech complaints in South Africa. This is explained through the fallibility of language as a medium to regulate expression and solutions are offered to not only taper current and proposed hate speech provisions but to also consider alternative forms of resolving hate speech complaints
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
Gender and affirmative action in South Africa: A case study on women empowerment in the Department of Education in Mthatha district offices.: subtitle if needed. If no subtitle follow instructions in manual
- Authors: Mbatani, Mziwekaya Eric
- Date: 2012-09
- Language: English
- Type: Masters theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/3207 , vital:43188
- Description: Abstract The main objective of this study has been to investigate the implementation of the affirmative action on the basis of gender balancing in the Department of Education in Mthatha District offices. The affirmative action policy is the program that seeks to remedy the past discrimination ideologies like on the bases of race and gender. Gender discrimination seemed to be the worst kind of discrimination in the past. Even within the same race, there are gender biases as well as within the same classes, women are treated differently. Some women are experiencing the impact of racial discrimination and class discrimination which puts women secondary of their same racial or same class male counterpart. Some men are experiencing only racial discrimination alone while others are experiencing class discrimination. Women serve the most severe discrimination of them all in the entire country of South Africa. Affirmative action has been used as a tool to eradicate all forms of discrimination. Hence its implementation needs to be evaluated to determine its impact on the eradication of discrimination, more especially sex discrimination. Evaluation has been made possible with the help of affirmative action measures which stipulate most of the principles of the affirmative action directed especially to the employers the gender balancing in the workplace is done with the aim of empowering and advancing women as their right according to gender equality. Women are experiencing the worst kind of social injustice have ever been practiced round the globe. Every woman is experiencing gender discrimination. Even in the rich family women are treated secondary by their male counterpart throughout their history of their living. In actual fact the presence of women in these family units is to help men help the men to have boys who will takeover the patriarchal duties assigned to every men as socialize to think and behave as the head of the families. If the family does not have boys who will later changed to be men, that family previously does run the risk of loosing the rights every households have where there are men. These girls to overcome the barriers of not having men and loose the right mention above they will marry men who will protect the right of their family. Previously, the family that did not have male will run the risk also of being robbed of their land and accused of black magic and the girls being raped. Some of the things that used to happen in the past are happening right now. Although women are promised the full dignity they deserve but some of the worst things that often happen to them in the past are still happening presently owing to the lack of political will to change the patriarchal system which is undermining the full dignity women deserve. This is viewed by Marxist feminists as being caused by the economic mode of production presently operating ‘capitalism’. The Marxist feminist suggests that there shall be no social justice if capitalism is still in place. Therefore they suggested that the only thing to eradicate is to eradicate the present form of production. The liberal feminist claim that the cause of the situation women found themselves is the unequal distribution of resource between men and women. Therefore they advocated that there should be equal rights between men and women as well as equal distribution of resources to men and women. Women must be empowered politically so as to have the equal voice like men. They must emanicipate themselves from the bondages of patriarchal ideologies. Women are just biological different from men but have equal mental capabilities as that of men. The equals should be treated equal and the unequals should be treated unequal. The differences we have should not be made as bases for treating others as unequal. The resources in our societies should be distributed equal among the demographics we have in our societies. The population of the country matters in terms of the countries prestige in terms of economic power. The more the population the country has the more powerful the country will be. In actual fact, the more productive the population of the country is the more productive the country will be. However, the less the productive the population of the country is, the lesser the productivity the country will be. Hence women should also be empowered economically. , Thesis (MMED) -- Faculty of HUMANITIES, SOCIAL SCIENCES and LAW, 2012
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012-09
- Authors: Mbatani, Mziwekaya Eric
- Date: 2012-09
- Language: English
- Type: Masters theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/11260/3207 , vital:43188
- Description: Abstract The main objective of this study has been to investigate the implementation of the affirmative action on the basis of gender balancing in the Department of Education in Mthatha District offices. The affirmative action policy is the program that seeks to remedy the past discrimination ideologies like on the bases of race and gender. Gender discrimination seemed to be the worst kind of discrimination in the past. Even within the same race, there are gender biases as well as within the same classes, women are treated differently. Some women are experiencing the impact of racial discrimination and class discrimination which puts women secondary of their same racial or same class male counterpart. Some men are experiencing only racial discrimination alone while others are experiencing class discrimination. Women serve the most severe discrimination of them all in the entire country of South Africa. Affirmative action has been used as a tool to eradicate all forms of discrimination. Hence its implementation needs to be evaluated to determine its impact on the eradication of discrimination, more especially sex discrimination. Evaluation has been made possible with the help of affirmative action measures which stipulate most of the principles of the affirmative action directed especially to the employers the gender balancing in the workplace is done with the aim of empowering and advancing women as their right according to gender equality. Women are experiencing the worst kind of social injustice have ever been practiced round the globe. Every woman is experiencing gender discrimination. Even in the rich family women are treated secondary by their male counterpart throughout their history of their living. In actual fact the presence of women in these family units is to help men help the men to have boys who will takeover the patriarchal duties assigned to every men as socialize to think and behave as the head of the families. If the family does not have boys who will later changed to be men, that family previously does run the risk of loosing the rights every households have where there are men. These girls to overcome the barriers of not having men and loose the right mention above they will marry men who will protect the right of their family. Previously, the family that did not have male will run the risk also of being robbed of their land and accused of black magic and the girls being raped. Some of the things that used to happen in the past are happening right now. Although women are promised the full dignity they deserve but some of the worst things that often happen to them in the past are still happening presently owing to the lack of political will to change the patriarchal system which is undermining the full dignity women deserve. This is viewed by Marxist feminists as being caused by the economic mode of production presently operating ‘capitalism’. The Marxist feminist suggests that there shall be no social justice if capitalism is still in place. Therefore they suggested that the only thing to eradicate is to eradicate the present form of production. The liberal feminist claim that the cause of the situation women found themselves is the unequal distribution of resource between men and women. Therefore they advocated that there should be equal rights between men and women as well as equal distribution of resources to men and women. Women must be empowered politically so as to have the equal voice like men. They must emanicipate themselves from the bondages of patriarchal ideologies. Women are just biological different from men but have equal mental capabilities as that of men. The equals should be treated equal and the unequals should be treated unequal. The differences we have should not be made as bases for treating others as unequal. The resources in our societies should be distributed equal among the demographics we have in our societies. The population of the country matters in terms of the countries prestige in terms of economic power. The more the population the country has the more powerful the country will be. In actual fact, the more productive the population of the country is the more productive the country will be. However, the less the productive the population of the country is, the lesser the productivity the country will be. Hence women should also be empowered economically. , Thesis (MMED) -- Faculty of HUMANITIES, SOCIAL SCIENCES and LAW, 2012
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012-09
A critical study of voice teaching method, with specific reference to solo singing, choral singing and vocal health for the teenage singer
- Authors: Olivier, Madelie Charlotte
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Singing -- Instruction and study , Voice culture -- Exercises , Singing -- Methods
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8523 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1019926
- Description: This dissertation presents a critical study of voice teaching method as this pertains to the high school learner studying voice within the South African educational environment, with learning outcomes determined for subject music within the GET (General Education and Training) and FET (Further Education and Training) bands of the Department of Basic Education at each school grade level, as well as by external examining bodies such as Unisa (University of South Africa), Trinity Guildhall and ABRSM (Amalgamated Board of the Royal Schools of Music). Emphasis is placed on the methodological principles applicable in the case of the Western classical music solo vocal repertoire, but reference is also made to the applicability of this method in other vocal genres and, in particular, in the case of choral music participation. Special attention is given to the subject of the vocal health of the developing teenage voice, which includes an overview of vocal disorders and suggestions for rehabilitation and remedial programmes where necessary. Triangulation of research results is achieved in this study through inclusion of: - A thorough survey of selected pertinent bibliographic sources - Description of and engagement with the researcher’s own numerous phenomenological encounters in this field - Interviews conducted in Port Elizabeth with Jill Nock, voice teacher, on the subject of voice teaching method, and with John Black, Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist, on the subject of vocal health. The researcher concludes that there is a need for continued education and training of music educators in the South African high school environment, many of whom are not trained voice specialists, in order to cater for the growing number of high school music learners who choose to specialise in voice. Although educator networking can go a long way towards creating an informal support system to address this need, it is ultimately the responsibility of the Department of Basic Education to address this in a formal and all-encompassing fashion.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Olivier, Madelie Charlotte
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Singing -- Instruction and study , Voice culture -- Exercises , Singing -- Methods
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8523 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1019926
- Description: This dissertation presents a critical study of voice teaching method as this pertains to the high school learner studying voice within the South African educational environment, with learning outcomes determined for subject music within the GET (General Education and Training) and FET (Further Education and Training) bands of the Department of Basic Education at each school grade level, as well as by external examining bodies such as Unisa (University of South Africa), Trinity Guildhall and ABRSM (Amalgamated Board of the Royal Schools of Music). Emphasis is placed on the methodological principles applicable in the case of the Western classical music solo vocal repertoire, but reference is also made to the applicability of this method in other vocal genres and, in particular, in the case of choral music participation. Special attention is given to the subject of the vocal health of the developing teenage voice, which includes an overview of vocal disorders and suggestions for rehabilitation and remedial programmes where necessary. Triangulation of research results is achieved in this study through inclusion of: - A thorough survey of selected pertinent bibliographic sources - Description of and engagement with the researcher’s own numerous phenomenological encounters in this field - Interviews conducted in Port Elizabeth with Jill Nock, voice teacher, on the subject of voice teaching method, and with John Black, Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist, on the subject of vocal health. The researcher concludes that there is a need for continued education and training of music educators in the South African high school environment, many of whom are not trained voice specialists, in order to cater for the growing number of high school music learners who choose to specialise in voice. Although educator networking can go a long way towards creating an informal support system to address this need, it is ultimately the responsibility of the Department of Basic Education to address this in a formal and all-encompassing fashion.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
An analysis of pacing and sequencing of reading instruction in three grade 1 classrooms where isiXhosa is the language of learning and teaching
- Authors: Masola, Athambile
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Reading (Elementary) -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers -- Research -- South Africa Literacy -- Education (Primary) -- Research -- South Africa English language -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Foreign speakers
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1420 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003301
- Description: Reading development in the Foundation Phase (FP) is central to children’s success as they progress through school. However, evaluations in South Africa such as the Annual National Assessments (ANAs) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) (2006) show that reading achievement in the Foundation Phase is low, especially for children learning with African languages as their home language. This thesis examines pacing and sequencing in three Grade 1 literacy classes where isiXhosa is the language of learning and teaching (LOLT). The research took the form of a case study, focusing on the teachers’ classroom practice and how they understand their practice. Documents related to reading development in the Foundation Phase are analysed with regard to pacing and sequencing, examining how the curriculum frames literacy for teachers in the Foundation Phase. The teachers’ understanding in relation to their social context is also an important part of this research. In the thesis the way in which the teachers sequence and pace learning is analysed, drawing on Bernstein’s notions of internal and external framing, and Bourdieu’s notion of the habitus. The intended curriculum and the implemented curriculum are then compared. The results confirm that in low socio‐economic status (SES) schools, the level of poverty has an impact on teaching practice. The results also show that pacing and sequencing are reliant on the degree of planning amongst teachers. The level of development amongst learners also plays a role in how teachers organise their practice in order to differentiate the teaching of reading for all learners. The understanding that teachers have about their teaching practice are layered and influenced by their experiences, history and memories as teachers. The thesis concludes that there is a need to develop teachers’ understanding of planning and organising the teaching of reading, especially when the learners are from poor communities and do not get support in the home. In order for teachers to improve their practice, it is important for them to have the opportunity to reflect on and understand their practice.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Masola, Athambile
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Reading (Elementary) -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers -- Research -- South Africa Literacy -- Education (Primary) -- Research -- South Africa English language -- Study and teaching -- South Africa -- Foreign speakers
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1420 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003301
- Description: Reading development in the Foundation Phase (FP) is central to children’s success as they progress through school. However, evaluations in South Africa such as the Annual National Assessments (ANAs) and the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) (2006) show that reading achievement in the Foundation Phase is low, especially for children learning with African languages as their home language. This thesis examines pacing and sequencing in three Grade 1 literacy classes where isiXhosa is the language of learning and teaching (LOLT). The research took the form of a case study, focusing on the teachers’ classroom practice and how they understand their practice. Documents related to reading development in the Foundation Phase are analysed with regard to pacing and sequencing, examining how the curriculum frames literacy for teachers in the Foundation Phase. The teachers’ understanding in relation to their social context is also an important part of this research. In the thesis the way in which the teachers sequence and pace learning is analysed, drawing on Bernstein’s notions of internal and external framing, and Bourdieu’s notion of the habitus. The intended curriculum and the implemented curriculum are then compared. The results confirm that in low socio‐economic status (SES) schools, the level of poverty has an impact on teaching practice. The results also show that pacing and sequencing are reliant on the degree of planning amongst teachers. The level of development amongst learners also plays a role in how teachers organise their practice in order to differentiate the teaching of reading for all learners. The understanding that teachers have about their teaching practice are layered and influenced by their experiences, history and memories as teachers. The thesis concludes that there is a need to develop teachers’ understanding of planning and organising the teaching of reading, especially when the learners are from poor communities and do not get support in the home. In order for teachers to improve their practice, it is important for them to have the opportunity to reflect on and understand their practice.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
An analysis of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) preventive diplomacy in the kingdom of Lesotho: a case study
- Authors: Bukae, Nkosi Makhonya
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Southern African Development Community , Diplomatic negotiations in international disputes , Diplomacy , Conflict management -- Lesotho , Africa, Southern -- Politics and government , Lesotho -- Politics and government
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: vital:8196 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008296 , Southern African Development Community , Diplomatic negotiations in international disputes , Diplomacy , Conflict management -- Lesotho , Africa, Southern -- Politics and government , Lesotho -- Politics and government
- Description: The focus of this study is the Southern African Development Community (SADC) preventive diplomacy interventions in Lesotho in 1994, 1998 and 2007. The core aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of the SADC security mechanism (the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security (OPDS) in conflict prevention, management and resolution on the basis of the Lesotho experience. Data for this qualitative case study was collected through interviews and document analysis. The twenty four participants for the study were drawn from the SADC OPDS unit, Lesotho political parties, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Academics from the University of Botswana (UB) and the National University of Lesotho (NUL), retired Botswana Defence officers who participated in the Lesotho missions and office of the post-2007election dispute dialogue facilitator in Lesotho. Documents on the SADC Treaties, Protocols, Communiqués and interventions in other set ups were used to highlight its operational policies, mandate, structures, successes and challenges. Lesotho was chosen as a case study because SADC employed both non-coercive (SADC Troika and Eminent Person mediation, 1994 and 2007 respectively) and coercive measures (the 1998 military intervention). The findings of the study revealed that SADC as a regional body had its own successes and challenges. Different perceptions on the SADC interventions in Lesotho emerged mainly between the participants from the ruling party and the opposition parties. While the former commended SADC for successfully mitigating the calamitous effects of 1994, 1998 and 2007 post-electoral violence, the opposition parties viewed the regional organisations as engaged in illegal interference in the domestic affairs of the country to defend the incumbent governing party. It also emerged from the study that the SADC security mechanism has numerous structural and operational flaws. There were several unanswered questions revolving around the legality and mandate of some of the missions. For instance, no concrete evidence emerged as to whether the 1998 military intervention was authorised by the SADC. The study also revealed that SADC has learnt valuable lessons from the Lesotho missions. Some of the reforms which the SADC has introduced in the OPDS such as the establishment of the SADC Stand by Force, Early Warning structures, the Mediation Unit, and a panel of expert mediators emanated mainly from the Lesotho experiences. The study recommends that SADC needs to harmonise the efforts of its OPDS structures such as the Mediation Unit; the Troika; the Inter-State Defence and Security Committee (ISDSC); the Inter-State Politics and Diplomacy Committee (ISPDC) and the Summit of Heads of States and Governments for rapid, coherent and well coordinated interventions in future regional preventive missions. It is also recommended that SADC should focus on identifying and mitigating underlying causal factors such as underdevelopment; poverty; deprivation of freedoms, marginalisation and other forms of social stratifications and oppression in its preventive diplomacy missions if durable peace is to be achieved in Lesotho and any other future cases.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Bukae, Nkosi Makhonya
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Southern African Development Community , Diplomatic negotiations in international disputes , Diplomacy , Conflict management -- Lesotho , Africa, Southern -- Politics and government , Lesotho -- Politics and government
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: vital:8196 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008296 , Southern African Development Community , Diplomatic negotiations in international disputes , Diplomacy , Conflict management -- Lesotho , Africa, Southern -- Politics and government , Lesotho -- Politics and government
- Description: The focus of this study is the Southern African Development Community (SADC) preventive diplomacy interventions in Lesotho in 1994, 1998 and 2007. The core aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of the SADC security mechanism (the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security (OPDS) in conflict prevention, management and resolution on the basis of the Lesotho experience. Data for this qualitative case study was collected through interviews and document analysis. The twenty four participants for the study were drawn from the SADC OPDS unit, Lesotho political parties, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Academics from the University of Botswana (UB) and the National University of Lesotho (NUL), retired Botswana Defence officers who participated in the Lesotho missions and office of the post-2007election dispute dialogue facilitator in Lesotho. Documents on the SADC Treaties, Protocols, Communiqués and interventions in other set ups were used to highlight its operational policies, mandate, structures, successes and challenges. Lesotho was chosen as a case study because SADC employed both non-coercive (SADC Troika and Eminent Person mediation, 1994 and 2007 respectively) and coercive measures (the 1998 military intervention). The findings of the study revealed that SADC as a regional body had its own successes and challenges. Different perceptions on the SADC interventions in Lesotho emerged mainly between the participants from the ruling party and the opposition parties. While the former commended SADC for successfully mitigating the calamitous effects of 1994, 1998 and 2007 post-electoral violence, the opposition parties viewed the regional organisations as engaged in illegal interference in the domestic affairs of the country to defend the incumbent governing party. It also emerged from the study that the SADC security mechanism has numerous structural and operational flaws. There were several unanswered questions revolving around the legality and mandate of some of the missions. For instance, no concrete evidence emerged as to whether the 1998 military intervention was authorised by the SADC. The study also revealed that SADC has learnt valuable lessons from the Lesotho missions. Some of the reforms which the SADC has introduced in the OPDS such as the establishment of the SADC Stand by Force, Early Warning structures, the Mediation Unit, and a panel of expert mediators emanated mainly from the Lesotho experiences. The study recommends that SADC needs to harmonise the efforts of its OPDS structures such as the Mediation Unit; the Troika; the Inter-State Defence and Security Committee (ISDSC); the Inter-State Politics and Diplomacy Committee (ISPDC) and the Summit of Heads of States and Governments for rapid, coherent and well coordinated interventions in future regional preventive missions. It is also recommended that SADC should focus on identifying and mitigating underlying causal factors such as underdevelopment; poverty; deprivation of freedoms, marginalisation and other forms of social stratifications and oppression in its preventive diplomacy missions if durable peace is to be achieved in Lesotho and any other future cases.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
An archaelogy of South Africanness: the conditions and fantasies of a post-apartheid festival
- Authors: Truscott, Ross
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Nationalism -- South Africa -- History -- 20th century , Whites -- Race identity -- South Africa , Afrikaner loyalists , Psychoanalysis , Discourse analysis , Multiculturalism -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , D Soc Sc (Psych)
- Identifier: vital:11610 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/539 , Nationalism -- South Africa -- History -- 20th century , Whites -- Race identity -- South Africa , Afrikaner loyalists , Psychoanalysis , Discourse analysis , Multiculturalism -- South Africa
- Description: It has become commonplace in academic studies, particularly those with a critical bent, to view nations as being historical constructs, as being without essence, though not without effects of exclusion and inclusion, of the constitution of the „authentic‟ national subject and the „other of the nation.‟ The critical impetus at work here is to show how a nation is constructed in order to bring into view the knowledge and power relations this construction entails, to show whose interests the construction serves, and whose it does not. This study examines the discursive production, the performative enactment and the spatial emplacement of post-apartheid „South Africanness‟ through a case study of Oppikoppi music festival. Oppikoppi is an annual event that emerged in 1994, on the threshold of the „new South Africa.‟ The festival is attended predominantly by young white Afrikaans-speaking South Africans and is held on a farm in the northernmost province of Limpopo, South Africa, an area notoriously conservative in its racial politics. Yet, curiously, Oppikoppi has been repeatedly referred to, and refers to itself with an almost obsessive regularity and repetitiveness, as a „truly South African‟ event. Indeed, the festival has been promoted, since 1998, as „The Home of South African Music,‟ and in 2009 the site of the festival was unofficially declared a „national monument.‟ Through the employment of concepts drawn from the writings of French philosopher and historian, Michel Foucault – particularly his earlier archaeological works – and from Sigmund Freud – particularly his metapsychological works – this study has posed two broad sets of questions. Firstly, from a Foucauldian perspective, what have been the conditions for the production of „South Africanness‟ at this festival? What have been the requirements, the discursive „rules of the game‟ for whiteness and Afrikanerness to become „South African‟? To what extent does this constitution of the festival as a „South African‟ event preserve older lines of division, difference and oppression? To what extent does this bring about meaningful social change? Secondly, from a psychoanalytic perspective, what are the fantasies constellated in the discourse of the festival as a „South African‟ event? Who, in these fantasies, is constituted as the „other of the post-apartheid nation‟? How has fantasy provided a kind of „hallucinatory gratification,‟ a phantasmatic compensation for, and a means of conserving, the losses of privilege in the new nation? And how has fantasy oriented the festival towards post-apartheid sociality, soliciting identifications with the post-apartheid nation? The overarching argument proposed is that anti-apartheid post-apartheid nation building has cultivated a melancholic loss of apartheid for whites in general and Afrikaners in particular, a loss that cannot be grieved – indeed, a loss that should not be grieved – and, as such, a grief that takes on an unconscious afterlife. Apartheid and the life it enabled – not only racialised privilege, but also a structure of identification and idealisation, of being and having – becomes a loss that is buried in, and by, the injunctions issued to post-apartheid memory and conduct. Without the discursive resources with which to symbolise this loss, disguised repetitions of the past, a neurotic refinding of the lost objects of apartheid, and melancholia are the likely outcomes, each of which engender a set of exclusions and enjoyments that run along old and new lines.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Truscott, Ross
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Nationalism -- South Africa -- History -- 20th century , Whites -- Race identity -- South Africa , Afrikaner loyalists , Psychoanalysis , Discourse analysis , Multiculturalism -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , D Soc Sc (Psych)
- Identifier: vital:11610 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/539 , Nationalism -- South Africa -- History -- 20th century , Whites -- Race identity -- South Africa , Afrikaner loyalists , Psychoanalysis , Discourse analysis , Multiculturalism -- South Africa
- Description: It has become commonplace in academic studies, particularly those with a critical bent, to view nations as being historical constructs, as being without essence, though not without effects of exclusion and inclusion, of the constitution of the „authentic‟ national subject and the „other of the nation.‟ The critical impetus at work here is to show how a nation is constructed in order to bring into view the knowledge and power relations this construction entails, to show whose interests the construction serves, and whose it does not. This study examines the discursive production, the performative enactment and the spatial emplacement of post-apartheid „South Africanness‟ through a case study of Oppikoppi music festival. Oppikoppi is an annual event that emerged in 1994, on the threshold of the „new South Africa.‟ The festival is attended predominantly by young white Afrikaans-speaking South Africans and is held on a farm in the northernmost province of Limpopo, South Africa, an area notoriously conservative in its racial politics. Yet, curiously, Oppikoppi has been repeatedly referred to, and refers to itself with an almost obsessive regularity and repetitiveness, as a „truly South African‟ event. Indeed, the festival has been promoted, since 1998, as „The Home of South African Music,‟ and in 2009 the site of the festival was unofficially declared a „national monument.‟ Through the employment of concepts drawn from the writings of French philosopher and historian, Michel Foucault – particularly his earlier archaeological works – and from Sigmund Freud – particularly his metapsychological works – this study has posed two broad sets of questions. Firstly, from a Foucauldian perspective, what have been the conditions for the production of „South Africanness‟ at this festival? What have been the requirements, the discursive „rules of the game‟ for whiteness and Afrikanerness to become „South African‟? To what extent does this constitution of the festival as a „South African‟ event preserve older lines of division, difference and oppression? To what extent does this bring about meaningful social change? Secondly, from a psychoanalytic perspective, what are the fantasies constellated in the discourse of the festival as a „South African‟ event? Who, in these fantasies, is constituted as the „other of the post-apartheid nation‟? How has fantasy provided a kind of „hallucinatory gratification,‟ a phantasmatic compensation for, and a means of conserving, the losses of privilege in the new nation? And how has fantasy oriented the festival towards post-apartheid sociality, soliciting identifications with the post-apartheid nation? The overarching argument proposed is that anti-apartheid post-apartheid nation building has cultivated a melancholic loss of apartheid for whites in general and Afrikaners in particular, a loss that cannot be grieved – indeed, a loss that should not be grieved – and, as such, a grief that takes on an unconscious afterlife. Apartheid and the life it enabled – not only racialised privilege, but also a structure of identification and idealisation, of being and having – becomes a loss that is buried in, and by, the injunctions issued to post-apartheid memory and conduct. Without the discursive resources with which to symbolise this loss, disguised repetitions of the past, a neurotic refinding of the lost objects of apartheid, and melancholia are the likely outcomes, each of which engender a set of exclusions and enjoyments that run along old and new lines.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
An evaluation of the efficacy of digital real-time noise control techniques in evoking the musical effect
- Authors: Warneke, Andrew Travis
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Music -- Acoustics and physics , Signal processing -- Digital techniques
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8524 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020158
- Description: This study sought to determine whether or not it may be possible to evoke ‘the musical effect' – the emotional response perceived by music listeners – using white noise as a sound-source and real-time digital signal processing techniques. This information was considered to be valuable as in a world driven by technological progress the potential use of new or different technologies in creating music could lead to the development of new methods of – and tools for – composition and performance. More specifically this research asked the question 'what is music?' and investigated how humans – both trained musicians and untrained people – perceive it. The elements of music were investigated for their affective strengths and new fields of research explored for insights into emotion identification in music. Thereafter the focus shifted into the realm of Digital Signal Processing. Common operations and techniques for signal manipulation were investigated and an understanding of the field as a whole was sought. The culmination of these two separate, yet related, investigations was the design and implementation of a listening experiment conducted on adult subjects. They were asked to listen to various manipulated noise-signals and answer a questionnaire with regard to their perceptions of the audio material. The data from the listening experiment suggest that certain DSP techniques can evoke ‘the musical effect’. Various musical elements were represented via digital techniques and in many cases respondents reported perceptions which suggest that some effect was felt. The techniques implemented and musical elements represented were discussed, and possible applications for these techniques, both musical and non-musical, were explored. Areas for further research were discussed and include the implementation of even more DSP techniques, and also into garnering a more specific idea of the emotion perceived by respondents in response to the experiment material.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Warneke, Andrew Travis
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Music -- Acoustics and physics , Signal processing -- Digital techniques
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8524 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020158
- Description: This study sought to determine whether or not it may be possible to evoke ‘the musical effect' – the emotional response perceived by music listeners – using white noise as a sound-source and real-time digital signal processing techniques. This information was considered to be valuable as in a world driven by technological progress the potential use of new or different technologies in creating music could lead to the development of new methods of – and tools for – composition and performance. More specifically this research asked the question 'what is music?' and investigated how humans – both trained musicians and untrained people – perceive it. The elements of music were investigated for their affective strengths and new fields of research explored for insights into emotion identification in music. Thereafter the focus shifted into the realm of Digital Signal Processing. Common operations and techniques for signal manipulation were investigated and an understanding of the field as a whole was sought. The culmination of these two separate, yet related, investigations was the design and implementation of a listening experiment conducted on adult subjects. They were asked to listen to various manipulated noise-signals and answer a questionnaire with regard to their perceptions of the audio material. The data from the listening experiment suggest that certain DSP techniques can evoke ‘the musical effect’. Various musical elements were represented via digital techniques and in many cases respondents reported perceptions which suggest that some effect was felt. The techniques implemented and musical elements represented were discussed, and possible applications for these techniques, both musical and non-musical, were explored. Areas for further research were discussed and include the implementation of even more DSP techniques, and also into garnering a more specific idea of the emotion perceived by respondents in response to the experiment material.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
An exploration of the interaction between English language learning orientation and motivation among marketing students at an FET college
- Authors: Cosburn, Ericha
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers Language and culture -- South Africa Language and education -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1536 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003418
- Description: Student motivation in FET colleges in South Africa is generally considered to be underresearched. Seyfried (1998, p. 54) contends that "motivations of participants still receive too little attention in the planning of vocational programmes". In an attempt to explore how motivational variables interact with English language leaming, this mixed-method study focused on FET marketing students studying English as part of their three-year vocational qualification. In the first phase, three focus group discussions were conducted with students from the three levels in the programme - a total of 16 students. These interviews were transcribed and coded according to a theoretical model that was adapted from Domyei's Extended Framework of Motivation (1998). In the second phase, 195 questionnaires were distributed, of which 142 were used in the final analysis. The results of these were indexed according to the theoretical model. Initial data processing enabled the creation of two analytical models for use in data analysis - one to analyse focus group data and the other to analyse questionnaire data. The study found a link between instrumentality, integrativeness, identity and perceived motivational orientations. It was also clear that orientation did not automatically translate into motivation. Another link was found between self-worth, self-efficacy and goal orientation. Perceived L2 competence, self-concept and identity also interacted strongly: participants who saw themselves as most alienated from their culture, also saw themselves as more competent in the L2, than their peers who identified more closely with their own culture. A predictable link was found between linguistic self-confidence, willingness to communicate [WTC] and language use anxiety. What made this finding interesting was that participants seemed to fear being judged by native English speakers to a greater extent than being judged by their peers. Finally some factors emerged as detracting from motivation, while others played a contributing role. While this is to be expected, it was interesting to note which factors fell into which category.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Cosburn, Ericha
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: English language -- Study and teaching -- Foreign speakers Language and culture -- South Africa Language and education -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: vital:1536 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003418
- Description: Student motivation in FET colleges in South Africa is generally considered to be underresearched. Seyfried (1998, p. 54) contends that "motivations of participants still receive too little attention in the planning of vocational programmes". In an attempt to explore how motivational variables interact with English language leaming, this mixed-method study focused on FET marketing students studying English as part of their three-year vocational qualification. In the first phase, three focus group discussions were conducted with students from the three levels in the programme - a total of 16 students. These interviews were transcribed and coded according to a theoretical model that was adapted from Domyei's Extended Framework of Motivation (1998). In the second phase, 195 questionnaires were distributed, of which 142 were used in the final analysis. The results of these were indexed according to the theoretical model. Initial data processing enabled the creation of two analytical models for use in data analysis - one to analyse focus group data and the other to analyse questionnaire data. The study found a link between instrumentality, integrativeness, identity and perceived motivational orientations. It was also clear that orientation did not automatically translate into motivation. Another link was found between self-worth, self-efficacy and goal orientation. Perceived L2 competence, self-concept and identity also interacted strongly: participants who saw themselves as most alienated from their culture, also saw themselves as more competent in the L2, than their peers who identified more closely with their own culture. A predictable link was found between linguistic self-confidence, willingness to communicate [WTC] and language use anxiety. What made this finding interesting was that participants seemed to fear being judged by native English speakers to a greater extent than being judged by their peers. Finally some factors emerged as detracting from motivation, while others played a contributing role. While this is to be expected, it was interesting to note which factors fell into which category.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
An exploratory study of South African choral identity with specific reference to three regional children's choirs
- Authors: Swart, Jan-Erik
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Children's choirs , Cultural pluralism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8519 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1013205
- Description: This qualitative mini-treatise explores how South African choral identity is perceived by three regional children’s choirs, facing challenges of representing cultural diversity against the background of an ongoing process of social transformation. The study proposes that choirs from South Africa project a distinctly South African “choral” identity which they themselves have constructed by fabricating a mental representation of themselves, and which they project outwardly by means of a range of musical and extra-musical elements observable in the cultural product and artifacts generated over time. The researcher has analyzed a selection of cultural products and artifacts of the Eastern Cape Children’s Choir, the Cantare Children’s Choir and the Tygerberg Children’s Choir, in order to identify common practices among three subject choirs which sustain their continuity, in terms of Richard’s definition of identity (in Torres 2008: 3): “to name a set of practices which subjects may adopt in sustaining both the individual and, to varying degrees, collective continuity”. Research findings indicate that subject choirs are perceived, and project their choral identities, according to their musical ability to communicate and interact with other world-class choirs. Recurring practices undertaken by each subject choir, in order to maintain their international perspective, are identified as key to sustaining their continuity. Choral identity is furthermore strongly influenced by the choral tradition of the choir and the role of the conductor in developing their choral tone. This study is significant to regional children’s choirs seeking to overcome challenges of renegotiating cultural identity, as well as sustaining and expanding choral singing as an art form in South Africa.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2012
- Authors: Swart, Jan-Erik
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Children's choirs , Cultural pluralism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MMus
- Identifier: vital:8519 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1013205
- Description: This qualitative mini-treatise explores how South African choral identity is perceived by three regional children’s choirs, facing challenges of representing cultural diversity against the background of an ongoing process of social transformation. The study proposes that choirs from South Africa project a distinctly South African “choral” identity which they themselves have constructed by fabricating a mental representation of themselves, and which they project outwardly by means of a range of musical and extra-musical elements observable in the cultural product and artifacts generated over time. The researcher has analyzed a selection of cultural products and artifacts of the Eastern Cape Children’s Choir, the Cantare Children’s Choir and the Tygerberg Children’s Choir, in order to identify common practices among three subject choirs which sustain their continuity, in terms of Richard’s definition of identity (in Torres 2008: 3): “to name a set of practices which subjects may adopt in sustaining both the individual and, to varying degrees, collective continuity”. Research findings indicate that subject choirs are perceived, and project their choral identities, according to their musical ability to communicate and interact with other world-class choirs. Recurring practices undertaken by each subject choir, in order to maintain their international perspective, are identified as key to sustaining their continuity. Choral identity is furthermore strongly influenced by the choral tradition of the choir and the role of the conductor in developing their choral tone. This study is significant to regional children’s choirs seeking to overcome challenges of renegotiating cultural identity, as well as sustaining and expanding choral singing as an art form in South Africa.
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- Date Issued: 2012