Exclusion of women in the church governance structures : The Case of the Baptist Church of Southern Africa in Cradock Region
- Authors: Mbali, Nkosinati McGiven
- Date: 2022-10
- Subjects: Women in church work , Church and social problems -- South Africa , Cradock Baptist Church
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/23924 , vital:61567
- Description: In every community there are women. However, they are often marginalized because they are perceived as being unable to make a meaningful contribution to various economic endeavours or society in general. Sometimes they are shunned by their own families, while even church communities have been known to treat women in thoughtless ways. As a result, their spiritual potential cannot be effectively tapped. The research has explored many experiences of women in the mainstream Baptist Churches of Southern Africa in Cradock Region in the Eastern Cape. The study delves into the barriers that prevent the full inclusion of women in church life and what churches are and/or should be doing to remove such barriers so that women can embrace all that a church has to offer and progress on their spiritual journey. The study also looks at the importance of systematic theology in the church and how it should be directed at enabling women to exercise their spiritual gifts. The study applied the theoretical framework that discussed what is faced by women in the church, providing in-depth literature and Biblical review, and examining selected individuals who contributed to the study on what is faced by women daily in their spiritual growth. It provided important insights into how involved the participants are in church activities and whether they face subtle or more overt discrimination. A few strategies were also considered aimed at improving conditions for excluded women in the church, not only through better physical access but also through greater acceptance by the church leadership and the membership as a whole. The findings from the study will not only help the churches that were the focus of the fieldwork to help their women members embrace church life more fully and exercise their spiritual gifts, but they will also provide important insights for the broader Christian church towards the potential of inclusive community that will contribute richly to the spiritual enhancement of their church, family and community. For the survey work, the researcher adopted a qualitative approach. The participants' sample consisted of adults with a range of women and men of the church. Supplementary input was solicited from women and men who understand the challenges presented by both parties – particularly when a lack of familiarity with certain physical conditions leads to an unthinking, and sometimes uncaring, attitude. The data has been collected using informal and semi-structured interviews and observation. Being able to exercise choice and having control over their lives and a sense of independence were singled out as being of great importance to the women participants, as these factors contributed to their well-being and satisfaction with life. Most of the participants reported that they were not warmly embraced by their churches, because of their gender, and they were able to lead a fulfilling life of worship. However, more could be done to enhance their participation in church affairs and to become role models for other church communities that are not as accommodating through a lack of knowledge, training and resources. The research only focused on the rural, white, Coloured, Indian and African residential areas in Cradock in the Eastern Cape. Therefore, the study will only focus on the Baptist Church of Southern Africa in Cradock Region and should ideally not be generalized to areas other than those selected for this study. There is much scope for more detailed research to be conducted on disability in other Christian churches to break down both physical and attitudinal barriers that prohibit many individuals' spiritual and emotional satisfaction and growth. Each Chapter has a unique contribution to advancing the central argument of the study with Chapter One introducing and painting a backdrop against which the problem of the marginalisation and exclusion of women in church leadership and structures must be understood. In Chapter Two the researcher reviews the relevant literature, gaining a deeper understanding of what knowledge already exists in the body of knowledge, identifying gaps and using the study to propose solutions for what might be done to mitigate the challenge. In an attempt to guide the study, an appropriate research methodology is suggested and discussed in Chapter Three. This chapter deals with what data needed to be collected and what instrument had to be used to analyse the data. The appropriateness of the research methodology is of the essence in deciding what path the study must follow to realise the objectives of the study and respond to the set research questions. In Chapter Four, the collected data is presented and analysed using the mechanisms proposed in Chapter Three. Finally, a consolidation of the findings is presented in a summary with recommendations of what mechanisms the researcher has distilled from the analysed data. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10
- Authors: Mbali, Nkosinati McGiven
- Date: 2022-10
- Subjects: Women in church work , Church and social problems -- South Africa , Cradock Baptist Church
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/23924 , vital:61567
- Description: In every community there are women. However, they are often marginalized because they are perceived as being unable to make a meaningful contribution to various economic endeavours or society in general. Sometimes they are shunned by their own families, while even church communities have been known to treat women in thoughtless ways. As a result, their spiritual potential cannot be effectively tapped. The research has explored many experiences of women in the mainstream Baptist Churches of Southern Africa in Cradock Region in the Eastern Cape. The study delves into the barriers that prevent the full inclusion of women in church life and what churches are and/or should be doing to remove such barriers so that women can embrace all that a church has to offer and progress on their spiritual journey. The study also looks at the importance of systematic theology in the church and how it should be directed at enabling women to exercise their spiritual gifts. The study applied the theoretical framework that discussed what is faced by women in the church, providing in-depth literature and Biblical review, and examining selected individuals who contributed to the study on what is faced by women daily in their spiritual growth. It provided important insights into how involved the participants are in church activities and whether they face subtle or more overt discrimination. A few strategies were also considered aimed at improving conditions for excluded women in the church, not only through better physical access but also through greater acceptance by the church leadership and the membership as a whole. The findings from the study will not only help the churches that were the focus of the fieldwork to help their women members embrace church life more fully and exercise their spiritual gifts, but they will also provide important insights for the broader Christian church towards the potential of inclusive community that will contribute richly to the spiritual enhancement of their church, family and community. For the survey work, the researcher adopted a qualitative approach. The participants' sample consisted of adults with a range of women and men of the church. Supplementary input was solicited from women and men who understand the challenges presented by both parties – particularly when a lack of familiarity with certain physical conditions leads to an unthinking, and sometimes uncaring, attitude. The data has been collected using informal and semi-structured interviews and observation. Being able to exercise choice and having control over their lives and a sense of independence were singled out as being of great importance to the women participants, as these factors contributed to their well-being and satisfaction with life. Most of the participants reported that they were not warmly embraced by their churches, because of their gender, and they were able to lead a fulfilling life of worship. However, more could be done to enhance their participation in church affairs and to become role models for other church communities that are not as accommodating through a lack of knowledge, training and resources. The research only focused on the rural, white, Coloured, Indian and African residential areas in Cradock in the Eastern Cape. Therefore, the study will only focus on the Baptist Church of Southern Africa in Cradock Region and should ideally not be generalized to areas other than those selected for this study. There is much scope for more detailed research to be conducted on disability in other Christian churches to break down both physical and attitudinal barriers that prohibit many individuals' spiritual and emotional satisfaction and growth. Each Chapter has a unique contribution to advancing the central argument of the study with Chapter One introducing and painting a backdrop against which the problem of the marginalisation and exclusion of women in church leadership and structures must be understood. In Chapter Two the researcher reviews the relevant literature, gaining a deeper understanding of what knowledge already exists in the body of knowledge, identifying gaps and using the study to propose solutions for what might be done to mitigate the challenge. In an attempt to guide the study, an appropriate research methodology is suggested and discussed in Chapter Three. This chapter deals with what data needed to be collected and what instrument had to be used to analyse the data. The appropriateness of the research methodology is of the essence in deciding what path the study must follow to realise the objectives of the study and respond to the set research questions. In Chapter Four, the collected data is presented and analysed using the mechanisms proposed in Chapter Three. Finally, a consolidation of the findings is presented in a summary with recommendations of what mechanisms the researcher has distilled from the analysed data. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10
Assessment of the human health implications of climate variability in East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Orimoloye, Israel Ropo https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5058-2799
- Authors: Orimoloye, Israel Ropo https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5058-2799
- Date: 2018-05
- Subjects: Climatic changes , Global temperature changes
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25360 , vital:64224
- Description: Impacts associated with climate variability and extreme heat are already obvious in varying degrees and expected to be disruptive in the near future across the globe especially in the urban regions. Urban areas have distinctive features that leave their residents and properties vulnerable to extreme climate events. Global temperatures continue to change, reaching new levels almost every year for the past two decades. However, even though the causes are debated it is evident that climate variability is real. Climate variability and disaster risk are threats to human health that adversely reinforce each other. Better knowledge on the association between climate change, variability and extreme weather-related illness is needed and can aid strategies to reduce vulnerabilities. The impacts of climate variability on the health of residents in East London (EL) area in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa were explored through four interdependent research segments. The first section examined the climate variability and urban surface thermal characteristics implication on human health using Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. Remote sensing was used to assess the Land Surface Temperature (LST) and estimated Radiation (R) of East London area from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images for 1986, 1996, 2006 as well as from Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) for 2016 spanning a period of 30 years. Rapid urbanization and land cover changes in this area have contributed significantly to this drastic change in the natural land surface characteristics (increased land surface temperature and surface solar radiation). For instance, vegetation cover declined by about 358.812km2 while built-up areas increased by 175.473km2 during this period which correlates with the area thermal characteristics changes. Radiation levels also increased over the years with values exceeding the global solar radiation index. Exposure to increased surface radiation poses risks of heat stroke, skin cancer and heart disease to the local population. Consequently, this study provides pertinent information on human health sustainability and epidemiological case management. The second part explored past temperature and humidity trends (1986-2016) and projects future trends (2017-2030). The historical data of meteorological variables were obtained from the archives of the South African Weather Service and analyzed using the ordinary least square regression model in GRETL (GNU Regression Econometric and Time-series Library) statistical software. This study discovered a local consistency between models and the observations add to existing knowledge and this is crucial in knowing the shifts in climatic change as well as recognizing variability and its conflicting effects on human health, environment, agriculture, ecological sustainability and socioeconomic status in the region. The third segment assessed the potential impacts of climate variability on health using existing heat indices during the study period. The results demonstrated that in East London from 1986 to 2016 during summer and autumn (December to May) of various years exceeded high heat index values. It is obvious that summer and autumn months are more vulnerable to heat extreme and humidex. The humidex and Heat Index (HI) increased annually by 0.03percent and 0.9percent respectively throughout the study period. The increment in the various indices showed highly significant ill-health and environmental impacts on humans especially with prolonged exposure. The last segment appraised the association between climatic elements and epidemiological incidences of the study area between 2012 and 2016. The epidemiology incidences data were obtained from the archives of the Cecilia Makiwane Hospital in East London area and National Tertiary Service Grant (NTSG) database for the period. The results have showed that there exists significant effects of climate variability on the health of East London residents and these have been identified to have negative impacts on health of the people in the area. This study also revealed noticeable impacts of extreme heat on human health and a positive correlation between meteorological components (HI and temperature) and epidemiological cases (cardiovascular, skin cancer and diarrhea) during the study period. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2018
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018-05
- Authors: Orimoloye, Israel Ropo https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5058-2799
- Date: 2018-05
- Subjects: Climatic changes , Global temperature changes
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25360 , vital:64224
- Description: Impacts associated with climate variability and extreme heat are already obvious in varying degrees and expected to be disruptive in the near future across the globe especially in the urban regions. Urban areas have distinctive features that leave their residents and properties vulnerable to extreme climate events. Global temperatures continue to change, reaching new levels almost every year for the past two decades. However, even though the causes are debated it is evident that climate variability is real. Climate variability and disaster risk are threats to human health that adversely reinforce each other. Better knowledge on the association between climate change, variability and extreme weather-related illness is needed and can aid strategies to reduce vulnerabilities. The impacts of climate variability on the health of residents in East London (EL) area in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa were explored through four interdependent research segments. The first section examined the climate variability and urban surface thermal characteristics implication on human health using Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. Remote sensing was used to assess the Land Surface Temperature (LST) and estimated Radiation (R) of East London area from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images for 1986, 1996, 2006 as well as from Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) for 2016 spanning a period of 30 years. Rapid urbanization and land cover changes in this area have contributed significantly to this drastic change in the natural land surface characteristics (increased land surface temperature and surface solar radiation). For instance, vegetation cover declined by about 358.812km2 while built-up areas increased by 175.473km2 during this period which correlates with the area thermal characteristics changes. Radiation levels also increased over the years with values exceeding the global solar radiation index. Exposure to increased surface radiation poses risks of heat stroke, skin cancer and heart disease to the local population. Consequently, this study provides pertinent information on human health sustainability and epidemiological case management. The second part explored past temperature and humidity trends (1986-2016) and projects future trends (2017-2030). The historical data of meteorological variables were obtained from the archives of the South African Weather Service and analyzed using the ordinary least square regression model in GRETL (GNU Regression Econometric and Time-series Library) statistical software. This study discovered a local consistency between models and the observations add to existing knowledge and this is crucial in knowing the shifts in climatic change as well as recognizing variability and its conflicting effects on human health, environment, agriculture, ecological sustainability and socioeconomic status in the region. The third segment assessed the potential impacts of climate variability on health using existing heat indices during the study period. The results demonstrated that in East London from 1986 to 2016 during summer and autumn (December to May) of various years exceeded high heat index values. It is obvious that summer and autumn months are more vulnerable to heat extreme and humidex. The humidex and Heat Index (HI) increased annually by 0.03percent and 0.9percent respectively throughout the study period. The increment in the various indices showed highly significant ill-health and environmental impacts on humans especially with prolonged exposure. The last segment appraised the association between climatic elements and epidemiological incidences of the study area between 2012 and 2016. The epidemiology incidences data were obtained from the archives of the Cecilia Makiwane Hospital in East London area and National Tertiary Service Grant (NTSG) database for the period. The results have showed that there exists significant effects of climate variability on the health of East London residents and these have been identified to have negative impacts on health of the people in the area. This study also revealed noticeable impacts of extreme heat on human health and a positive correlation between meteorological components (HI and temperature) and epidemiological cases (cardiovascular, skin cancer and diarrhea) during the study period. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science and Agriculture, 2018
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018-05
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