The impact of the hybridisation of dactylopius opuntiae cockerell cochineal lineages on the biological control of cactus weeds
- Authors: Mofokeng, Kedibone
- Date: 2022-04-06
- Subjects: Dactylopius South Africa Eastern Cape , Cochineal insect South Africa Eastern Cape , Opuntia South Africa Eastern Cape , Dactylopius Hybridization South Africa Eastern Cape , Insect-plant relationships , Weeds Biological control South Africa Eastern Cape , Host affinity
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232466 , vital:49994
- Description: In an attempt to control the harmful invasive alien plant, Opuntia megapotamica Arechav. (Cactaceae), a population of the cochineal insect Dactylopius opuntiae Cockerell (Dactylopiidae) (known as the ‘engelmannii’ lineage) is being considered as a potential biological control agent. This lineage of cochineal and the already established ‘ficus’ and ‘stricta’ lineages of the same cochineal species will inevitably hybridise where they occur in sympatry, possibly influencing the efficacy of the lineages on their respective hosts. Laboratory studies were conducted to investigate the likely outcomes of hybridisation between the ‘engelmannii’ and ‘ficus’ lineages. Detailed hybridisation trials, during which individual insects were manipulated and crossed, were used to compare the host affinity of F₁ and F₂ hybrids between the ‘ficus’ and ‘engelmannii’ lineages with the host specificity of the two pure-bred lineages. Host affinity was determined by plotting the net rate of increase (R) of a cochineal population developing on one host plant species against R on the other host plant species. F₁ hybrids were less species-specific than the purebred lineages in both crosses. Thus, the first generation will most likely remain effective in controlling both plant species in the field. F₂ hybrids produced a mixture of purebred and hybrid genotypes, with a higher net rate of increase when compared to purebred nymphs on their alternative host. Biological control of both Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. (Cactaceae) and O. megapotamica in the Eastern Cape Province, where both invasive alien plant species occur together, could be enhanced by the less specific nature of the F₁ progeny, which developed equally well on both O. megapotamica and O. ficus-indica; but this benefit will be reduced by the loss of host specificity of F₂ progeny. The success of biological control would depend on whether the species-specific nymph encounters its target host, because the less specific nymphs will have little effect on controlling either weed. These findings indicate that only purebred D. opuntiae lineages should be released in monocultures of their targeted weed. Long-term consequences of hybridisation should be monitored in the field. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04-06
The influence of financial socialisation agents on financial knowledge, financial self-efficacy and financial behaviour among South African consumers
- Authors: Maswena, Kaelo
- Date: 2022-04-06
- Subjects: Financial literacy South Africa , Finance, Personal South Africa , Budgets, Personal South Africa , Consumer behavior South Africa , Consumers Attitudes , Life skills South Africa , Social learning South Africa , Self-control South Africa , Socialization South Africa , Financial socialisation agents
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232421 , vital:49990
- Description: There is a need to promote positive financial behaviour in South Africa. According to the Human Sciences Research Council (2018), South African financial behaviour culture emphasises a financially vulnerable nation in terms of not having enough income for future planning and lacking financial self-control. In its key role in influencing financial behaviour, financial socialisation, which is characterised by interactions with indirect, or purposive financial education and communication of financial norms influencing financial behaviours, attitudes, knowledge, capabilities, and self-efficacy of consumers, is the topic of this study. The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of financial socialisation agents on financial (actual and self-assessed) knowledge, financial self-efficacy and financial behaviour among South African consumers. Based on Glenn’s (2018) framework, Xiao et al. (2009) socialisation and Moschis et al. (1978) consumer socialisation theory, the financial socialisation theoretical framework is provided for this study. Literature review provided an overview of past studies on the concepts of financial socialisation, financial (actual and self-assessed) knowledge, financial self-efficacy and financial behaviour. Therefore, a positivistic research paradigm was adopted, which used a cross-sectional correlational research methodology. This study analysed data primarily collected by a questionnaire survey of South African social attitudes to financial literacy by the Human Sciences Research Council (2011), using a multi-staged sampling technique in all South African provinces of consumers of 16 years and older. Descriptive statistics showed that most respondents were black African females between the ages of 26 and 35 years. Most held Matric certificates and were in paid employment for 30 hours or more per week. Most respondents considered family to be the most influential financial socialisation agent, followed by friends, then the bank. Actual financial knowledge of respondents, was indicated as relatively high. Results on self-assessed financial knowledge showed that most of the respondents considered their level of financial knowledge to be neutral. Using Pearson product-moment correlations to measure the strength and correlations of relationships, positive significant correlations were found between financial socialisation agents, financial (actual and self-assessed) knowledge and financial self-efficacy, while a negative and insignificant correlation was found between financial socialisation agents and financial behaviour. Multiple regression analysis results testing the hypotheses of the study demonstrated that financial socialisation agents have a significant positive influence on financial (actual and self-assessed) knowledge and financial self-efficacy; a significant influence on financial behaviour was not reported. Self-assessed financial knowledge showed a positive significant influence on financial self-efficacy and actual financial knowledge had an insignificant negative influence on financial self-efficacy. Actual financial knowledge had a significant positive influence on financial behaviour, whereby a positive yet insignificant relationship was found between self-assessed knowledge and financial behaviour. In the end, recommendations for the results indicate that financial educators need to develop a financial education plan that will include other content areas of financial knowledge such as identified by Huston (2010) and Lusardi and Mitchell (2011); the most important recommendation would be to help consumers have an accurate understanding of their own level of financial knowledge and to improve financial self-efficacy in consumers, financial socialisation experiences such as offering encouragement to open a bank account, to save and invest money, and presenting opportunities to practise financial skills, may increase consumers’ self-efficacy and lead to positive financial behaviours. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Commerce, Management, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04-06
The invasion autecology of Iris pseudacorus L. (Iridaceae) in South Africa
- Authors: Sandenbergh, Emma
- Date: 2022-04-06
- Subjects: Iris pseudacorus South Africa , Invasive plants South Africa , Aquatic weeds South Africa , Plant genetics South Africa , Freshwater ecology South Africa , Iris pseudacorus Geographical distribution , Phytogeography
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232272 , vital:49977
- Description: Iris pseudacorus L. (Iridaceae) is an emergent aquatic macrophyte originating from Europe, north Africa, and western Asia, and is becoming an increasingly problematic invader in South Africa. By forming dense rhizomatic mats in the absence of natural enemies, I. pseudacorus outcompetes co-occurring indigenous biota, causing serious environmental and socioeconomic challenges. Iris pseudacorus is a declared invader in South Africa, Argentina, New Zealand, the United States of America, and Canada, but little information is known regarding the species’ invasive potential, particularly in the southern hemisphere, hindering the effectiveness of control efforts. This study addresses this knowledge gap in a South African context, providing valuable insight into the invasion autecology of I. pseudacorus in South Africa. For effective management and control of I. pseudacorus in South Africa and the global south, its distribution and invasive potential must be determined, and its population genetics understood. Hence, this study aimed to map the current confirmed distribution of I. pseudacorus populations in South Africa, investigating the relative abundance of I. pseudacorus individuals in each population, and comparing their sexual reproductive outputs. Moreover, this study assessed the competitive interactions between I. pseudacorus and co-occurring native species T. capensis, and examined the genetic diversity present between and within South African I. pseudacorus populations. Through field surveys, I. pseudacorus infestations were confirmed in eight of the country’s nine provinces, with the highest number of infestations recorded in the urban hubs, and greatest population abundances reported in the warmer, wetter regions of South Africa. These surveys indicated that South African I. pseudacorus populations have enhanced their sexual reproductive output relative to native range populations, and a germination rate of ~ 83 % was determined in the laboratory. The results of a common garden competition experiment indicated that T. capensis may be a superior competitor over I. pseudacorus, but this was not supported by field observations, and may be a result of the short duration of the experiment. Using inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs), high genetic diversity was observed within and between populations of I. pseudacorus, indicating the employment of sexual reproductive strategies, and providing evidence for gene-flow between and within populations. Moreover, a weak negative correlation was observed between geographic distance and genetic similarity, ii indicating a largely anthropogenic spread of I. pseudacorus, and suggesting the occurrence of fewer founding events than reported in the United States. This study provides useful insight into the invasion autecology of I. pseudacorus in South Africa, contributing to the ongoing research surrounding I. pseudacorus invasions worldwide, particularly in the southern hemisphere. These results contribute to the development of appropriate adaptive and integrated management strategies to control I. pseudacorus invasions in South Africa, and should be implemented before South African I. pseudacorus infestations reach the severity observed elsewhere. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Botany, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04-06
The use of the cochineal insect, Dactylopius tomentosus Lamarck, as a biological control agent for the invasive alien thistle cholla, Cylindropuntia pallida (Rose) F.M. Knuth in South Africa
- Authors: Zozo, Ekhona
- Date: 2022-04-06
- Subjects: Cochineal insect , Thistles Biological control South Africa , Alien plants South Africa , Invasive plants South Africa , Cactus South Africa , Biological assay
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/233823 , vital:50131
- Description: Cylindropuntia pallida (Rose) F.M. Knuth (Cactaceae) is an invasive alien plant in South Africa indigenous in the southern U.S.A. and Mexico. Large infestations of this species can be found in the Kalahari and arid Karoo regions of South Africa, which is also present in Namibia. Because it is a very spiny cactus, dense infestations have a negative impact on agriculture and natural ecosystems. This cactus has become naturalised to the extent that eradication is impossible and the negative impacts are steadily increasing due to its increasing distribution and density. The cochineal insect, Dactylopius tomentosus Lamarck (Dactylopiidae), is native in Mexico and parts of North America, such as Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico in the U.S.A. This cochineal species is highly specialized and associated only with Cylindropuntia species, a group of cacti that are primarily restricted to the same areas. It has been introduced into Australia and South Africa as a biological control agent to control various invasive alien Cylindropuntia species. This cochineal species has several biotypes specific to certain Cylindropuntia species hosts. A biotype is a clade that cannot be differentiated morphologically from others but has different host ranges and impacts depending on the host plant species. Included amongst biotypes that have been released in South Africa are D. tomentosus ‘imbricata’ and D. tomentosus ‘cholla’ for the biological control of Cylindropuntia imbricata (Haw.) F.M. Knuth (Cactaceae) and Cylindropuntia fulgida (Engelmann) F.M. Knuth var. mamillata (Schott ex Engelmann) Backeb. (Cactaceae), respectively. These biotypes have resulted in both host plants being under substantial control in South Africa. The first part of this thesis evaluated which of the two D. tomentosus biotypes already in use in South Africa could be an effective biological control agent for C. pallida. This was done by assessing the fitness of the cochineals on the three cactus species and assessing the impact that each of the cochineals has on each of the target weed species. Should these biotypes prove ineffective, there is a third biotype, namely D. tomentosus ‘californica var. parkerii’, which researchers in Australia have worked on and have found to be suitably host-specific for release in Australia and suitably damaging to C. pallida in that country. Therefore, this new biotype could be released in South Africa if it is required. Sexually compatible biological control agents, especially those closely related and occurring in close spatial proximity to one another, may interbreed and the impacts of this hybridisation are difficult to predict. It is important to understand the outcomes of the hybridisation of cochineal because it can affect the impact of the biological control agents and thus the control of the target weed. The second part of this thesis investigated the impacts of the hybridisation of the two cochineal biotypes by assessing the damage the agents would have on the target weed, and on C. imbricata and C. fulgida var. mamillata, in the presence of one or both cochineal biotypes. The ‘cholla’ biotype performed better on C. pallida than the ‘imbricata’ biotype, but neither biotype could control C. pallida to an extent similar to the control they provide for their respective target weeds, C. imbricata and C. fulgida var. mamillata. Both the ‘cholla’ biotype and hybrids of the two biotypes of cochineal were effective at killing C. pallida when both C. imbricata and C. fulgida var. mamillata were also present. This suggests that the ‘cholla’ or hybrids may be effective at controlling C. pallida when either C. imbricata or C. fulgida var. mamillata are also present in the field due to the high population density of cochineal that results under these circumstances. There are, however, many C. pallida infestations in South Africa where the plant is problematic and is isolated from other Cylindropuntia species, and these populations are unlikely to be controlled by the ‘cholla’ biotype or the hybrids. Neither of the cochineal biotypes that are used for biological control in South Africa are suitably damaging to C. pallida to warrant their use as biological control agents for this species. Dactylopius tomentosus ‘californica var. parkerii’ is therefore recommended for release based on its host-specificity and impact to C. pallida in Australia. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Zoology and Entomology, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04-06
Wild Honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia) augmentation
- Authors: Michau, Paul-Luc
- Date: 2022-04-06
- Subjects: Herbal teas South Africa Joubertina , Tea trade South Africa Joubertina , Legumes Harvesting South Africa Joubertina , Legumes Planting South Africa Joubertina , Sustainable development South Africa Joubertina , Economic development Environmental aspects South Africa Joubertina , Natural resources Management South Africa Joubertina , Wild Honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232635 , vital:50009
- Description: Honeybush (Cyclopia spp.) is an endemic legume to the fynbos region of South Africa, and certain species of the genus are used to make health tonics. There are growing international markets for such products and, currently, wild populations of the species Cyclopia intermedia are disproportionately relied upon to support this increase. Due to the sensitivity and ecological complexity of the resource, serious concerns about sustainability and regulation have arisen. The social landscape of the resource is equally as complex, and solutions for alleviating pressure on wild populations, such as reducing or banning harvesting, and switching to commercial cultivation are untenable in every case. A possible option, which has been used in the wildflower industry, is to augment (increase) wild populations by planting seeds or seedlings directly into the veld. The main focus of this research was to explore the viability of using augmentation to boost wild populations of C. intermedia through field trials. In support of this broad aim, research objectives addressed understanding the ecological habitat conditions of the species, quantifying the economic potential of augmentation, characterizing wild populations and conducting seed germination tests. GIS methods were used to locate sites most representative of natural conditions on different post-fire aged veld on a farm in the Kouga mountains. The study characterized habitat conditions by collecting soil and vegetation samples at plots where honeybush was present and absent within close proximity. Vegetation diversity was only slightly higher in presence plots, and no clear pattern between absence and presence plots was observed for soil properties. However, post-fire site age did significantly influence certain nutrient levels. The augmentation trial results indicate that seedlings have a much higher survival rate than seeds on average. Survival success varied unpredictably between plots where wild honeybush was already present and adjacent plots where it was absent. Post-fire site age influenced seedling growth and seed survival positively with the newly burnt plots showing the best growth rates overall. The cost-benefit analysis reveals that seeds are a better option as they require low-cost inputs and carry less risk, unlike seedlings which may have higher survival but are more expensive. The study recommends using trials to assess survival before choosing an option. Out of five natural populations of honeybush that were assessed only one showed seedling recruitment and three young plants were found between two of the other sites. Growth characteristics of populations showed expected variability based on site conditions and disturbance history. Growth appears to be rapid in the first-year post disturbance, thereafter slowing down. Average stem numbers and basal circumference increased concurrently for both harvested and unharvested populations. Due to the influence of natural conditions such as slope aspect and soil properties on plant morphology, it is best to compare harvested and unharvested individuals from the same site and preferably within close proximity to minimize such differences. Using seed sourced from the same parent population is critical to preserving genetic integrity and little is understood about germination characteristics from wild C. intermedia populations. The study tested germination rates between green and brown seed and alternative collection methods. When comparisons were done within farms on two occasions collection and seed colour did have a significant influence. Overall, the influence of which farm the seeds were collected from appeared to play the biggest role in determining germination. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Geography, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04-06
A Smaller Circle
- Authors: Bhikha, Nasira
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Creative writing (Higher education) South Africa , South African fiction (English) 21st century , Short stories, South African (English) 21st century , Diaries -- Authorship , Autobiography , Short stories, English History and criticism , American fiction History and criticism , Mexican fiction History and criticism
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232427 , vital:49991
- Description: My thesis is a collection of prose forms weaving my identity as a South African woman of colour, my observations of life through personal, cultural and sociological lenses, where traditions are constantly challenged and evolving. The collection focuses on the untold and unresolved, using fiction as a tool of pushback and psychological reflection. I am motivated by writers who use what I would term reflective expressionism to evoke empathy by tapping into innate, universal emotions. In particular Tiff Holland’s vivid telling of family in the novella Betty Superman where she navigates complex relationships, and bell hooks’ memoirs Bone Black: Memories of Girlhood written as poetic vignettes in fluctuating points of view to draw attention to the intricacies of social structures. Joanna Walsh’s Vertigo has strongly influenced my approach to writing through her compelling imagery and use of motif in fragmented prose that delves into the psyche of her characters. I am also inspired by Lidia Yuknavitch’s visceral use of language, identifying with her invitation: “You deserve to sit at the table. The radiance falls on all of us.” , Thesis (MACW) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Languages, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
Be more than a bystander, break the silence on violence: a discursive analysis of student responses to anti-rape poster campaigns
- Authors: Skae, Shannon Lalla Rookh
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Women Violence against South Africa , Women college students Violence against South Africa , Women college students Abuse of South Africa , College students Attitudes , Sex crimes Prevention , Anti-rape movement South Africa , Bystander effect South Africa , Rape culture South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232866 , vital:50033
- Description: University students are a population vulnerable to sex and gender-based violence (SGBV). The use of alcohol is prominent in university life and is argued to contribute significantly to SGBV in South Africa and worldwide. Interventions to reduce SGBV at South African universities are thus a relevant social concern. One increasingly popular approach to addressing SGBV on university campuses is the bystander intervention. The bystander intervention goes to the cause of SGBV by targeting peer acceptance as the primary foundation supporting rape; arguing that witnesses to SGBV can be empowered to interrupt potential SGBV situations. The aim of this thesis was to investigate student responses to anti-rape intervention campaigns of various kinds. Different theories were examined, and this research then proceeded from a social constructionist theoretical perspective, which was relevant as it is about what individuals say, the societies formed, the rules made, the language used to pass on knowledge and the interactions experienced with others and how they all form the reality people inhabit. The study focused on the individual constructions and talk about the posters and the discursive positions he or she took up in relation to them, which is what social constructionism is interested in, as it is concerned with the language and talk people use and how these are molded by society. Forty five student volunteer participants were shown two examples of anti-rape poster campaigns (one using the bystander approach and the other not), and were asked to respond to a structured open-ended questionnaire. Responses to the questionnaire were subjected to Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA). The analysis revealed the ways in which the constructions of sexual violence, perpetrators and victims in the poster campaigns shaped and limited participant responses and talk about SGBV in different ways, according to which of the two posters were being responded to. Key findings of this study showed that the bystander intervention poster produced more positive change in response to dominant discursive constructions in relation to the SGBV poster than did the non-bystander intervention poster. This means the establishment of the potential for success of the bystander intervention in helping to prevent SGBV in a South African context. , Thesis (MA) -- Humanities, Psychology, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
Composition portfolio
- Authors: Lemmer, Elizabeth Kate
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Composition (Music) , Music South Africa , COVID-19 (Disease) and the arts , Emotions in music , Violin music Scores , String quartets Scores , Chamber music Scores
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text , sheet music
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232624 , vital:50008
- Description: In this portfolio I reflect on issues Covid-19 has brought to our communities and the possibilities of creating a brighter future. My music reflects the struggle that most people have faced in the last two years, the emotions and the conspiracies surrounding the experience, and the effect of solitude. In a time such as this it is almost inevitable that the music being composed is connected to the struggle in society at large. For ma composition is a journal of the heart. The pandemic has created a situation where most are out of touch with each other, have lost all previous routine and structure, where relationships are broken due to lack of personal contact, and almost everyone has unwillingly (or unwittingly) been thrust into self-reflection. Every day sees a new struggle to squeeze in all those pre-pandemic ideals so that some normalcy can be obtained, but this is not a time to be looking back. It’s a time to understand what we are going through, build new joy and excitement for this different life and learn to live the best we can with the opportunities we are given. There has not been a more important time to foster some form of connection with friends and family, and to be as strong and supportive as possible. The portfolio begins with a solo violin piece, Unwelcome Solitude, which exemplifies the loneliness and sadness during the various lockdowns over the last two years, with hints of the past and the difficulties in trying to resurrect pre-Covid-19 times. There are some unusual expressive markings to add to the descriptive effect within the piece. This is followed by The Pandemic, two serialism works: Panic and Pain scored for a string quartet. Both of these pieces apply a flexible use of serialism to emphasize out the emotional aspects of the music, and quite simply; the panic and the pain caused by Covid-19 and the country’s response to the pandemic as a whole. Finally there is a three movement chamber piece titled A Storm Series which quite literally represents the series of events that occur from the upcoming to the closure of a typical Highveld storm. Further than this, these pieces represent the series of events that occurred in South Africa from the first rumour of the Covid-19 virus starting to circle around the world, through the various lockdowns and progression of events in our country and abroad. The final movement of this series, Re-awakening, ends on a positive note representing the rainbow at the end of the storm, and the positive outlook for South Africa to keep persevering through the pandemic. , Thesis (MMus) -- Faculty of Humanities, Music and Musicology, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
I want him to hold me, but I’m afraid to ask: the objective correlative and the souvenir as representational narrative devices of queer male intimacy
- Authors: Ferreira, Evaan Jason
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Sexual minorities in art , Sexual minority culture , Intimacy (Psychology) , Sexual minorities in motion pictures , Intimacy (Psychology) in motion pictures , Homosexuality and motion pictures , Motion pictures Study and teaching , New media art , Nostalgia , Souvenirs (Keepsakes) , Gay men , Queer male intimacy , Objective correlative
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232556 , vital:50002
- Description: This thesis centres itself around an investigation into the representations of the relationship between intimacies and ideas of romance, love, desire, and vulnerability in male relationships. The premise for this body of work was sparked by my own observations on the conflation of sex and intimacy in representations of queer male love—particularly (but not exclusively) in mainstream film and media. Whilst intimacy and sex are not unrelated, the over-emphasis on the physical when trying to represent the connection between two men led me to consider other ways in which a relationship or special connection could be gestured towards — through other kinds of signifiers that last longer than physical contact and point to the importance of a particular connection. In the introduction, I consider my own experiences as a closeted queer teen when contemplating representations of queer relationships in mainstream media. I explore several studies by gender and film theorists who consider reasons and modes in which the representations of queer intimacies on-screen are distorted to favour a presumed heterosexual audience. In the first chapter, I discuss two potential means by which to relay a more complex emotional state via the use of narrative signifiers. I examine T.S. Eliot's (1919) theory on the objective correlative in narratives as a means to explore the emotional state of a character through metaphors which open up the reading rather than illustrating it through dialogue or direct speech. I then explore Susan Stewart's (1992) ideas on souvenirs of personal experience. In Chapter Two, I conduct a close reading of three mainstream films, which employ such signifiers in the attempt to share more complex representations of queer male intimacies through well-developed storylines and characters. The films Brokeback Mountain (2006), Moonlight (2016), and Call Me by Your Name (2017) have been selected based on their use of the objective correlative and souvenirs as plot devices (rather than exclusively physical intimacy) to demonstrate the emotional resonance between characters. The third and final chapter explores my own use of objective correlatives and souvenirs as symbolic, narrative devices in my practical body of work: an online garden of remembrance. My practical work focuses largely on the process of creation of these intimacy objects (the objective correlative or the souvenir) through an investigation into my own poetry, which details my experiences of intimacies with other men, specifically where vulnerability and secrecy played a large role. , Thesis (MFA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Fine Arts, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
Representations of adult women who have experienced 'absent' fathers: a thematic analysis of True Love magazine
- Authors: Moola, Lubayna Codelia
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Absentee fathers South Africa , Fathers and daughters South Africa , Fathers and daughters in literature South Africa , Mass media and families South Africa , Mass media and women South Africa , Families Psychological aspects , Self-actualization (Psychology) in women South Africa , True Love magazine , Thematic analysis
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232568 , vital:50003
- Description: This study explored how adult women who have experienced father 'absence' are represented in True Love magazine, a popular South African women's magazine targeting black women readers. The study examined nineteen articles published between 2016 and 2021 in True Love, featuring black women’s stories and clinical psychologists, which mentioned ‘absent’ fathers. Through the lenses of psychoanalytic, traditional African cultural, and feminist theoretical frameworks and their key concepts, the articles were examined in relation to how the effects on the adult women of complicated relationships with their fathers while they were growing up, were represented. The selected articles were analysed using Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis, and representational themes were identified guided by theoretical frameworks and familiarity with the scholarly literature on father ‘absence’ in South Africa. A wide range of childhood and young adult experiences of father-daughter relationships, and household circumstances, appeared alongside the strong maternal networks which supported these girls and women. Representations and themes of clinical psychologists involved Freudian psychoanalytic frameworks to describe the damaging psychological implications of ‘absent’ fathers, particularly affecting adult women’s capacities to form trusting intimate relationships with men. The adult women’s stories – largely successful businesswomen and/or celebrities in the arts, as represented by True Love feature writers and editors – presented themes of what the women had learnt from their mothers, and how they had overcome difficulties and obstacles. These themes included representations of resilience, and of being ‘survivors’, informed by empowerments from a feminist theoretical framework. These themes also represented the women as working psychotherapeutically to manage their past experiences and psychological distress, to transform their retriggering in adult heterosexual relationships, and to pursue healing and self-actualisation. These representations and themes are argued to have inspirational and motivating implications for girls and women in contemporary South Africa. They generate alternate stories about the longer-term effects and outcomes of father ‘absence’, rather than the prominent 'victim' stories in media and scholarly literature of young women doomed to suffer poor relationships and depression forever. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
The application of a simple decision support system to address water quality contestations in the Vaal Barrage catchment, South Africa
- Authors: Chili, Asanda Sandra
- Date: 2022-04
- Subjects: Vaal Barrage (South Africa : Reservoir) , Decision support systems South Africa Vaal Barrage (Reservoir) , Water Pollution Law and legislation South Africa , Water quality South Africa Vaal Barrage (Reservoir) , Water use Law and legislation South Africa Vaal Barrage (Reservoir) , Urban watersheds South Africa Vaal Barrage (Reservoir) , Watershed management South Africa Vaal Barrage (Reservoir) , Water use licences (WUL)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/232204 , vital:49971
- Description: Deteriorating environmental water quality is one of the complex challenges in South Africa that threaten freshwater ecosystem health and functionality. An emerging concern is the contestation of water quality regulatory instruments such as standards in water use licences (WUL), and the resource quality objectives. In the Vaal Barrage catchment where this study was undertaken these contestations were evident, suggesting the need for both technical and social solutions to water quality changes in socio-ecological systems. The Vaal Barrage catchment within the lower section of the Upper Vaal is a highly developed, urbanised, and complex catchment supporting and contributing to the social-economic development of Gauteng Province and the entire country, as the Upper Vaal contribute 20% to the Gross Domestic Product of South Africa. This study explores the motivations for stakeholders’ contestations of water quality regulatory instruments in order to contribute to ways in which water resource users and regulators can collaboratively address water quality challenges in the Vaal Barrage catchment. The study also explores water quality scenarios and their ecological and management implications. Document analysis, participant observations and a semi-structured questionnaire were deployed to explore stakeholders’ motivations, values, and perceptions of the water quality regulatory instruments. The results were triangulated to gain better insights into research participants responses. To explore water quality management scenarios, the study applied a water quality systems assessment model Decision Support System (DSS). The DSS was recently developed as part of a bigger project within the Vaal Barrage catchment. Regarding stakeholders’ motivation for contesting water quality regulatory instruments in the catchment, the results revealed a perceived lack of scientific credibility and defensibility in the processes used for deriving standards in WUL, a lack of transparent linkage between the WUL and resource quality objectives, and the increased need for stakeholder engagement in the resource quality objective formulation process. Furthermore, the study revealed punitive measures, education and awareness, self-regulation as mechanisms to encourage compliance. The applied DSS results showed that high nutrient loads, sulphate and total dissolved solids sourced from upstream catchments contribute to water quality deterioration in the Vaal Barrage catchment. The results also showed that the Vaal Barrage catchment could not host additional licence emitters because of TDS, phosphate and nitrate levels, which pose a serious risk to the ecology of the Vaal Barrage catchment, indicating that system had exceeded its assimilative capacity for critical water quality variables. Lastly, the results evidenced the need for collaborative action by the waste emitters within the Vaal Barrage catchment, particularly collaboration between upstream and downstream waste emitters. The study has far-reaching implications for water quality management in South Africa. These include i) the need for transparent and open processes and methods for deriving standards in water use licence, ii) the need for a water quality DSS that recognises catchment hydrological complexity in deriving standards in WUL, and for linking WUL and Resource Quality Objectives (RQOs), iii) collaboration between resources users, and between the resources users and the regulators to bring pollution to acceptable levels and iv) both social and technical solutions are necessary for managing water quality challenge, particularly in a highly developed catchment such as the Vaal Barrage system. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Institute for Water Research, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-04
Characterising the sleep-wake behaviour of adolescents in a sample of South African high school students in Makhanda, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Mandondo, Nathasha Luleka
- Date: 2021-10-29
- Subjects: Sleep-wake cycle South Africa Makhanda , Sleep deprivation South Africa Makhanda , Academic achievement South Africa Makhanda , Mood (Psychology) South Africa Makhanda , High school students Conduct of life , Teenagers Health and hygiene South Africa Makhanda , Teenagers Sleep South Africa Makhanda , Depression in adolescence South Africa Makhanda
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/245714 , vital:51398
- Description: Sleep plays a significant role during adolescence. Overall, sleep is essential for growth and development, cognitive function, memory consolidation, concentration, alertness, mental and physical health, as well as the overall quality of life. During adolescence though, sleep-wake behaviour has been shown to undergo drastic changes, progressing from the early ages of 11-13 years through to late adolescence while attending school. During this period, adolescents experience later bedtimes, earlier waketimes, and less than recommended sleep durations, especially on weekdays during the school term. On weekends, however, adolescents tend to further delay their bed and wake times, resulting in discrepancies between week-and-weekend sleep-wake behavior. These changes are driven by a variety of systemic factors, that include biological, psychosocial, school, and behavioural changes that adolescents experience. The interaction of systematic factors has been described as the “Perfect Storm of insufficient and inappropriately-timed sleep” (Carskadon, 2011a; Crowley et al., 2018). While previous research on adolescent sleep has been focused mainly in countries of the Global North, there has been comparatively less research in the Global South, particularly in countries like South Africa, and in out of large city centres like Johannesburg and Cape Town. It is also not known what the impact of certain demographic factors, such as learner sex, boarding/day schooling, and public/private schooling is on sleep-wake habits. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the sleep-wake behaviour of a sample of late adolescents from public and private schools in Makhanda in the Eastern Cape of South Africa and to make comparisons between different groups within. Method: This study is comprised of two phases. Phase one adopted a cross-sectional design to characterise Grade 12 learners' (final year students) sleep-wake behaviour across various public and private schools. This was achieved through the administration of an amended version of the School Sleep Habits Survey (SSHS). The SSHS included questions that capture demographic information, academic performance, sleep duration at different times of the week and also incorporated scales to assess daytime sleepiness, sleep-wake behavior problems, depressive mood, and chronotype. Phase two adopted an observational descriptive design. The sleep-wake behaviour of a sample of Grade 11 learners was tracked for 9 days using the Core Consensus Sleep Diary and Actigraphy. Data were not normally distributed and were thus analysed using non-parametric statistics and all data were displayed as the median and interquartile range (no 1-3). Results: Analysed surveys totalled 231. All participants were Grade 12s (final year of high school), aged between 17-19, from three private schools (n=152) and two public schools (n=79). The sample consisted of students identifying as females (n=94) and males (n=137). Participants self-identified as either Black/African (n=73), White (n=125), Colored (n=32) and as Indian (n=1). Over half of the sample lived in boarding houses/hostels (n=130) and slightly less than half (n=95) were day scholars. For Phase One, the median obtained for self-reported sleep duration on weekdays was 07hrs (06hrs-07hrs:18min) and 08hrs (07hrs-09hrs) on the weekend (p<0.01; z=10). The median for self-reported bedtime on weeknights was 11:00 (10:30-11:30) p.m., while on the weekends, it was an hour later i.e., 12:00 a.m. (11:00 p.m. -12:37 a.m.; p<0.01; z=9.4). Self-reported waketime on weekdays was 06:20 (06:00-06:30) a.m. and it was one-hour forty minutes later on weekends i.e., 08:00 (07:00-09:00) a.m. (p<0.01; z=13). With regards to sex differences on school mornings, females reported waking up 14 minutes later than their male counterparts (p<0.01; z=-3.1). On school mornings, day scholars reported significantly earlier waketimes than boarders (p<0.01; z=8.1). The opposite was found on weekends with day scholars reporting significantly later waketimes than boarders (p<0.01; z=-4.1) while day scholars reported going to bed significantly later than boarders during weekends (p<0.01; z=-2.7). There were noteworthy differences between types of schools with public school learners reporting earlier bed (p<0.01; z=3.9) and wake times (p<0.01; z=10) than private school learners on weekdays. On the weekend, however, public school learners reporting later bed (p=0.01; z=-2.7) and wake times (p<0.01; z=-4.4) than private school learners. Overall, the Grade 12 learners scored 12 (11-15) on the depressed mood scale indicating a trend towards high self-reported depressive symptoms, and 26 (23-30) on the ME scale, which demonstrated that this sample population reflects a preference for neither evenings nor mornings. The majority (75 %; n=174) of the Grade12 learners perceived themselves as getting too little sleep, 59% (n=134) reported waking up at least once during the night and 92% (n=213) reported experiencing varying degrees of daytime sleepiness. There was a relationship between caffeine consumption and usage of electronic devices (EDs) before bedtime and some sleep parameters. Specifically, the frequency of consumption of coffee/tea and soda had a medium and positive correlation with sleep onset latency as well as to the scale of sleep-wake problems. Academic performance was also positively and significantly correlated with self-reported mean weekday waketime and negatively correlated with mean weekend sleep duration as well as Weekend Waketime Delay (WWD). For Phase Two, the median self-reported sleep duration for 14 female boarders recorded in sleep diaries i.e.,07:32 (07:22-07:55) and the total sleep time (TST) recorded by the actigraphy i.e., 07:06 (06:54-07:35) and was less than the recommended sleep duration of 8-10 hours for adolescents and not significantly different (p=0.18; z=1.3). However, median sleep duration on the weekend was significantly longer on both actigraphs (08:16; 07:22-08:40) and sleep diaries (08:24; 07:59-08:51) and not significantly different (p=0.3; z=1.1). Overall, bedtimes, waketimes, and sleep onset latency, for both weekdays and weekends, did not differ significantly between the sleep diary responses and actigraph recordings. Discussion: Adolescents in this cohort, like many around the world report weekday sleep durations that are shorter than the recommended 8-10 hours. This may probably partly be explained by later bedtimes influenced by academic obligations, bedtime autonomy, and screen time as well as early waketimes influenced by school start times as indicated in the reasons given for bedtimes. Insufficient sleep during school nights, in this cohort, likely resulted in an accumulated sleep debt which may explain the extended sleep duration and later waketimes on weekends. Weekday waketimes were probably determined by commuting and school-related demands, specifically, school start times as indicated in the reasons given for waketimes. Thus, the results of this study do, in part, align with the factors outlined in the Perfect Storm model of poorly timed and insufficient sleep in adolescents proposed by Carskadon (2011a). Personal characteristics or contextual factors, such as being a boarder or a day scholar, attending a public or private school as well sex differences, accompanied by lifestyle factors such as the consumption of caffeine and usage of electrical devices may have interacted and influenced bed and wake times, resulting in what has been termed “a Perfect Storm of insufficient and inappropriately-timed sleep” in this cohort. Conclusion: The current study provided new insight into the sleep-wake behaviour of late adolescents in Makhanda, Eastern Cape of South Africa. More research is encouraged in the South African context. This knowledge can be used to implement contextually appropriate sleep hygiene education programs in the school curriculum and on an individual level. Furthermore, the results point to the fact that early school start times, in concert with other lifestyle and personal factors may be contributing to insufficient sleep in this group. These results, therefore, highlight the need for schools in this context to consider interventions such as delaying school start times to possibly improve sleep in this context. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Human Kinetics and Ergonomics, 2021
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- Date Issued: 2021-10-29
Enabling social learning to stimulate value creation towards a circular economy: the case of the Food for Us food redistribution mobile application development process
- Authors: Durr, Sarah Jane
- Date: 2020-04
- Subjects: Social learning South Africa Eastern Cape , Mobile apps , Circular economy South Africa Eastern Cape , Communities of practice South Africa Eastern Cape , Social networks South Africa Eastern Cape , Food for Us (Application software)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/245736 , vital:51401
- Description: This M.Ed. study investigates the social learning enabled by a food redistribution mobile application (app) project, Food for Us, in the Raymond Mhlaba municipality in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Over an 18 month period, the Food for Us mobile app innovation project was piloted in two case study sites, Worcester, Western Cape, and the Raymond Mhlaba municipality, Eastern Cape, in South Africa, the latter being the focus of this study. In South Africa, one-third of the food produced for consumption is wasted; paradoxically, 26% of all households’ experience hunger. Food surplus occurs in many contexts, including communities of emerging small scale farmers, many of which are not able to find markets for their produce, resulting in wastage. In a time of mobile technology expansion, the wide infiltration of Internet-enabled smartphones into diverse communities has increased dramatically with the uptake of mobile apps being a key area of interest amongst environmental educators. The Food for Us app project aims to address the challenges of food insecurity and market access for smallscale farmers by creating an innovative technological solution in the form of a mobile app. This research project aimed to investigate the social learning that was enabled within the communities of practice that utilised and interacted with the Food for Us mobile app and Food for Us project support systems. Data was collected through a series of surveys, interviews and workshops and was analysed using Wenger, Trayner and de Laat’s (2011) Value Creation Framework. The Food for Us app pilot was not successful in the way that was originally anticipated by the Food for Us team; however, there were important social learning findings that emerged from the project which opened up a new way of looking at technological innovation in the supply chains with the small scale farming contexts. The key findings that emerged from this study indicated that technological innovation on its own is not effective in enabling deep social learning. When facilitated and supported by other networked social learning systems (such as WhatsApp group, workshops and course meetings), however, boundary crossing, intergenerational learning and network building emerged as important forms of value creation that can be enabled. Through the analysis it was noted that inhibiting factors such as app trial design, lack of critical mass participation and continued application software challenges, affected the development of value. These inhibiting factors informed recommendations around the need to develop strong social networked systems around technologically innovative solutions to promote the realisation of transformative value. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2020
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- Date Issued: 2020-04
De-industrialisation and the economic crisis in Zimbabwe
- Authors: Dlamini, Trinity Nkosilathi
- Date: 2014-12
- Subjects: Community life , Land reform -- Zimbabwe , Sustainable development -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/25915 , vital:64563
- Description: Zimbabwe has faced massive de-industrialization in the past decade. Decline in manufacturing production has immensely contributed to the economic crisis that hit the country since 1997. Most scholars have regarded the land reform program as the main contributor to the economic crisis but this study reveals how industrial decline led to the same crisis. Sustainable economic growth should be consistent with high levels of employment. This can be achieved through a strong role by a developmental state with autonomy over industrial development and guiding the process of capital accumulation. During the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) period, there were high levels of economic growth with the manufacturing sector emerging as the leading sector in the country`s economy. However, this growth failed to translate into economic development. The UDI regime had favoured capital-intensive production, controls on trade, foreign currency and the exchange rate system. With the attainment of independence, the post-independence government had to alter policies so as to expand productivity and create employment opportunities for the previously marginalized black people. This study notes that the state failed to invest accumulated capital and diversify production in the years it had achieved strong economic growth. The state did not address the issue of transformation of colonial production processes through policy. It failed to promote labour-intensive production and there was inadequate investment in expanding the manufacturing sector. The Zimbabwean economy has the potential to generate significant investible capital but it is never reinvested locally in a more balanced and integrated pattern of development. Even with the liberalization of the economy in 1991 through the Economic Structural Adjustment Program (ESAP), the country never achieved the targeted economic growth. Focus further shifted towards investing on capital-intensive production in the agricultural sector at the expense of labour-intensive industries. Therefore, the decline in manufacturing production in the early 1990s led to the economic crisis in Zimbabwe. , Thesis (MSoc) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce , 2014
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- Date Issued: 2014-12
Towards qualifications for environmental practitioners: a study of roles and competencies of entry level environmental managers
- Authors: Dingela, Mcebisi Sidwell
- Date: 2002-04
- Subjects: Environmental management South Africa , Environmental policy South Africa , Environmental education South Africa , Vocational qualifications South Africa , Educational equalization South Africa , Occupational training South Africa , Training needs South Africa , National Qualifications Framework (NQF)
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/245616 , vital:51388
- Description: The decision by the previous apartheid governments to deprive the black population of quality education and training has dealt both the people (student and workers) and the economy of this country a severe blow. That blow is demonstrated by the current lack of skills among the majority of people of this country, particularly the black workers who constitute the majority of the workforce. The post-apartheid government is making a strong attempt at redressing the past injustices in all its forms, of particular interest in this research project, the endeavours in the education and training sphere, specifically developments associated with the National Qualifications Framework. The passing into law of the South African Qualifications Act of 1995 and the formulation of the National Qualification Framework represent significant milestones towards redressing current education and training imbalances. In order to actualise the promises of these policies and laws, new qualifications will have to be developed. This research project explores training needs of environmental practitioners in three different contexts employing a combination of research methods, i.e. Case Study and a Survey. The research project sought to identify the roles and training needs of environmental management practitioners in fulfilling their job demands as well as for career advancement. The research also sought to identify through a survey training courses currently on offer in South Africa in the environmental management field. The cases revealed a range of roles and competencies required by 'entry-level' environmental managers. Of note was the observation that these roles were broader than what the traditional perspectives on environmental management might suggest, and competencies required included several social skills, in addition to various technical skills. The survey revealed a strong leaning towards technical competence among the majority of available training courses in environmental management; and that technical emphasis remained the case even among those courses that appeared to include at least one 'social' dimension. It thus seems that this emphasis on technical competence is not consistent with the job demands of the three studied environmental management practitioners. The research identified a need for an encompassing (broad) course or qualification at 'entry level' that would take into account the realities on the ground as they confront these practitioners on a daily basis. Such training will provide practitioners with the necessary competencies to function in this seemingly evolving field of environmental management. Suggestions to inform the development of an entry-level qualification or training programme are made as part of the recommendations flowing from the research findings. The suggested qualification 'framework' is based on generic areas identified among the research participants. More work is needed though in order to translate the suggestion into an accredited qualification. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2002
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- Date Issued: 2002-04