A critical discourse analysis of representations of the Niger Delta conflict in four prominent Western anglophone newspapers
- Authors: Mushwana, Tinyiko
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Newspapers -- Political aspects -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Newspapers -- Economic aspects -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Newspapers -- Social aspects -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Mass media -- Political aspects -- Nigeria , Mass media -- Economic aspects -- Nigeria , Mass media -- Social aspects -- Nigeria , Insurgency -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Petroleum industry and trade -- Political aspects -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Public opinion -- Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:2872 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007745 , Newspapers -- Political aspects -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Newspapers -- Economic aspects -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Newspapers -- Social aspects -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Mass media -- Political aspects -- Nigeria , Mass media -- Economic aspects -- Nigeria , Mass media -- Social aspects -- Nigeria , Insurgency -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Petroleum industry and trade -- Political aspects -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Public opinion -- Africa
- Description: This thesis explores the manner in which the conflict in the oil-rich Niger Delta in Nigeria is represented in western Anglophone media. Large oil reserves in the Niger Delta have contributed millions of dollars towards the growth of Nigeria's export economy. Despite this, the Niger Delta is the least developed region in the country and is characterised by high rates of inequality. Residents of the Niger Delta have been outraged by the lack of action on the part of the Nigerian government and multinational oil corporations. Their discontent over the inequalities in the region has resulted in the proliferation of armed groups and militants who often use violent and criminal tactics to communicate their disgruntlement. This thesis closely examines the representations of the violent insurgency in the Niger Delta by conducting a Critical Discourse Analysis of 145 news texts selected from four western Anglophone newspapers from 2007 to 2011. The depiction of the conflict as it appears in the four newspapers is discussed in relation to an overview of scholarly literature which explores the portrayal of Africa not only in western media, but also in other forms of western scholarship and writing. The research undertaken in this study reveals that to a significant extent representations of the Niger Delta conflict echo and reflect some of the stereotypical and age-old negative imagery that informs meanings constructed about the African continent. However, the analysis of the news texts also shows that there are certainly efforts amongst some newspapers to move beyond simplistic representations of the conflict. The disadvantage however, is that these notable attempts tend to be marred by the use of pejorative language which typically invokes negative images associated with Africa. This study argues that the implications of these representations are highly significant as these representations not only affect the way in which the conflict is understood, but also the manner in which the international community responds to it.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Mushwana, Tinyiko
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Newspapers -- Political aspects -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Newspapers -- Economic aspects -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Newspapers -- Social aspects -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Mass media -- Political aspects -- Nigeria , Mass media -- Economic aspects -- Nigeria , Mass media -- Social aspects -- Nigeria , Insurgency -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Petroleum industry and trade -- Political aspects -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Public opinion -- Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: vital:2872 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1007745 , Newspapers -- Political aspects -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Newspapers -- Economic aspects -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Newspapers -- Social aspects -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Mass media -- Political aspects -- Nigeria , Mass media -- Economic aspects -- Nigeria , Mass media -- Social aspects -- Nigeria , Insurgency -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Petroleum industry and trade -- Political aspects -- Nigeria -- Niger River Delta , Public opinion -- Africa
- Description: This thesis explores the manner in which the conflict in the oil-rich Niger Delta in Nigeria is represented in western Anglophone media. Large oil reserves in the Niger Delta have contributed millions of dollars towards the growth of Nigeria's export economy. Despite this, the Niger Delta is the least developed region in the country and is characterised by high rates of inequality. Residents of the Niger Delta have been outraged by the lack of action on the part of the Nigerian government and multinational oil corporations. Their discontent over the inequalities in the region has resulted in the proliferation of armed groups and militants who often use violent and criminal tactics to communicate their disgruntlement. This thesis closely examines the representations of the violent insurgency in the Niger Delta by conducting a Critical Discourse Analysis of 145 news texts selected from four western Anglophone newspapers from 2007 to 2011. The depiction of the conflict as it appears in the four newspapers is discussed in relation to an overview of scholarly literature which explores the portrayal of Africa not only in western media, but also in other forms of western scholarship and writing. The research undertaken in this study reveals that to a significant extent representations of the Niger Delta conflict echo and reflect some of the stereotypical and age-old negative imagery that informs meanings constructed about the African continent. However, the analysis of the news texts also shows that there are certainly efforts amongst some newspapers to move beyond simplistic representations of the conflict. The disadvantage however, is that these notable attempts tend to be marred by the use of pejorative language which typically invokes negative images associated with Africa. This study argues that the implications of these representations are highly significant as these representations not only affect the way in which the conflict is understood, but also the manner in which the international community responds to it.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A critical evaluation of the quality of social development interventions with specific reference to social assistance
- Authors: Draai, Enaleen Enchella
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: South African Social Security Agency , Social security -- South Africa , Social service -- South Africa , Public welfare -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: vital:8277 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1016210
- Description: Citizens interact with government departments and agencies for public services and goods which lead to a service encounter between a public official and client. Various initiatives and policies have been developed and are being implemented in the public service to adopt a client-centred approach to service delivery. The White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service of 1997, identifies the eight Batho Pele principles which sets the framework for implementation of service quality within the South African public service. Government departments are expected to implement measurable service standards to determine levels of service quality to be met that will define levels of client satisfaction with service provision. The assessment of the service encounter by the client informs perceived levels of satisfaction held. This assessment of service quality by clients is therefore value-laden, subjective and periodic. The study focused on the implementation of measures to create and maintain a clientcentric public service in South Africa that would lead to levels of client satisfaction with service quality. The study assessed the implementation and maintenance of service quality at the Social Security Agency of South African the Eastern Cape. The SASSA is responsible for the disbursement of various social grants to facilitate a quality of life as enshrined by the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of South Africa, 1996. The focus of the study was linked to beneficiary maintenance and customer care at SASSA. The study included three different sample groups namely the clients, officials engaged in grant administration and different levels of management which included senior management, district and area managers. The findings revealed that the SASSA has implemented numerous new programmes aimed at a client-centric approach to service delivery. Analysis of the findings revealed expectation as well performance gaps which indicated that officials do not comply with the protocols of the agency and the Batho Pele principles. The promised service standards specified within the SASSA Customer Care Charter is not being realised which fundamentally indicate inefficient and ineffective monitoring of compliance with norms and standards. A conclusion drawn therefore is that the human dignity of clients in search of socials assistance who chiefly constitute vulnerable groups is being infringed. Three key service quality dimensions are identified that needs intervention for improved service quality. These dimensions include tangibility, assurance and responsiveness of functional components identified in respect of nine themes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Draai, Enaleen Enchella
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: South African Social Security Agency , Social security -- South Africa , Social service -- South Africa , Public welfare -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DPhil
- Identifier: vital:8277 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1016210
- Description: Citizens interact with government departments and agencies for public services and goods which lead to a service encounter between a public official and client. Various initiatives and policies have been developed and are being implemented in the public service to adopt a client-centred approach to service delivery. The White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service of 1997, identifies the eight Batho Pele principles which sets the framework for implementation of service quality within the South African public service. Government departments are expected to implement measurable service standards to determine levels of service quality to be met that will define levels of client satisfaction with service provision. The assessment of the service encounter by the client informs perceived levels of satisfaction held. This assessment of service quality by clients is therefore value-laden, subjective and periodic. The study focused on the implementation of measures to create and maintain a clientcentric public service in South Africa that would lead to levels of client satisfaction with service quality. The study assessed the implementation and maintenance of service quality at the Social Security Agency of South African the Eastern Cape. The SASSA is responsible for the disbursement of various social grants to facilitate a quality of life as enshrined by the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of South Africa, 1996. The focus of the study was linked to beneficiary maintenance and customer care at SASSA. The study included three different sample groups namely the clients, officials engaged in grant administration and different levels of management which included senior management, district and area managers. The findings revealed that the SASSA has implemented numerous new programmes aimed at a client-centric approach to service delivery. Analysis of the findings revealed expectation as well performance gaps which indicated that officials do not comply with the protocols of the agency and the Batho Pele principles. The promised service standards specified within the SASSA Customer Care Charter is not being realised which fundamentally indicate inefficient and ineffective monitoring of compliance with norms and standards. A conclusion drawn therefore is that the human dignity of clients in search of socials assistance who chiefly constitute vulnerable groups is being infringed. Three key service quality dimensions are identified that needs intervention for improved service quality. These dimensions include tangibility, assurance and responsiveness of functional components identified in respect of nine themes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A critical realist exploration of the emergence, development, management and sustainability of a Christian private institution of higher education in Malawi
- Kadyakapita, Mozecie Spector John
- Authors: Kadyakapita, Mozecie Spector John
- Date: 2013 , 2013-03-24
- Subjects: Christian universities and colleges -- Administration -- Research -- Malawi Private universities and colleges -- Administration -- Research -- Malawi Education, Higher -- Administration -- Research -- Malawi Higher education and state -- Research -- Malawi Universities and colleges -- Malawi -- History Educational planning -- Malawi
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1400 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001818
- Description: This study was prompted by an interest in exploring ways in which the development of private higher education in Malawi could be more sustainable. It examines the challenges that private institutions of higher education face in different contexts and the underlying causes of these challenges. The aim of the study was to explore the emergence of private higher education (PHE) in Malawi, its management, development, the challenges it faces and the generative mechanisms of these challenges. The research is a case study of one of the earliest private institutions of higher education in Malawi. The institution is owned and operated by a Christian church organisation that has been operating a network of private primary and secondary schools and health centres since its establishment in Malawi in the early 1890s. Critical realism is used as an underlabourer for its stance on ontological, epistemological and ethical assumptions of reality and its views on agency and structure. Two theoretical frameworks - complexity theory and transformational leadership theories - are used as lenses to help make sense of the nature of social organisations and also as heuristic devices for organising and making sense of data. Data were collected using qualitative interviews, archival document content analysis and observation. Twenty participants were purposefully selected for interviews. The participants comprised a senior officer at the MoEST headquarters, proprietors, members of the top management team of the institution, administrative assistants, heads of academic and nonacademic departments, teachers and non-teaching staff and students. Abstracted data were analysed using inductive, abductive and retroductive modes of inference. The study established that the emergence of private higher education in Malawi was generated by a number of mechanisms. These include the need to survive the threat to socioeconomic development posed by global trends in scientific and technological issues that heavily rely on access to the knowledge economy; the need to respond to demand for equity and access to higher education; the need to carry out the mission of the Christian church; government’s failure to expand and widen access to higher education; and the agential need to survive economic demands. The research findings indicate that a critical challenge that the emergence of private higher education faced was the lack of adequate and efficient structures and systems in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to expeditiously process applications to establish and accredit, monitor and control the development of private higher education institutions. It was also found that the challenges that the private higher education faces include high level of authoritarian governance and management practices, weak institutional management and control systems and structure, secularisation, lack of adequate funds to meet operation and capital development costs, facilities and resources to support teaching – learning functions, learner support facilities and services and a critical shortage of appropriately qualified administrative and academic personnel. The underlying causes of the challenges include the perceived threat to personal power and survival; fear of apostasy and secularisation; cultural values, adverse socioeconomic conditions; lack of diverse sources of funding, ineffective communication skills; weak governance systems and structures; low level of self-control; unfavourable attitudes towards educational institutions and the need to restore equity. To make private institutions of higher learning more sustainable, the study recommends that governance practices be guided by clear structures, policies and guidelines in the interest of transparency and accountability. It also recommends that government works in close partnership with private providers, reviews unfair policies concerning government scholarships, subsidizes the cost of materials for instruction and infrastructure development, and provides technical assistance to prospective and active providers. Lastly, the study recommends that private providers form an association so as to share experiences and to collectively deal with issues of common interest and concern. , Adobe Acrobat 9.53 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Kadyakapita, Mozecie Spector John
- Date: 2013 , 2013-03-24
- Subjects: Christian universities and colleges -- Administration -- Research -- Malawi Private universities and colleges -- Administration -- Research -- Malawi Education, Higher -- Administration -- Research -- Malawi Higher education and state -- Research -- Malawi Universities and colleges -- Malawi -- History Educational planning -- Malawi
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1400 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1001818
- Description: This study was prompted by an interest in exploring ways in which the development of private higher education in Malawi could be more sustainable. It examines the challenges that private institutions of higher education face in different contexts and the underlying causes of these challenges. The aim of the study was to explore the emergence of private higher education (PHE) in Malawi, its management, development, the challenges it faces and the generative mechanisms of these challenges. The research is a case study of one of the earliest private institutions of higher education in Malawi. The institution is owned and operated by a Christian church organisation that has been operating a network of private primary and secondary schools and health centres since its establishment in Malawi in the early 1890s. Critical realism is used as an underlabourer for its stance on ontological, epistemological and ethical assumptions of reality and its views on agency and structure. Two theoretical frameworks - complexity theory and transformational leadership theories - are used as lenses to help make sense of the nature of social organisations and also as heuristic devices for organising and making sense of data. Data were collected using qualitative interviews, archival document content analysis and observation. Twenty participants were purposefully selected for interviews. The participants comprised a senior officer at the MoEST headquarters, proprietors, members of the top management team of the institution, administrative assistants, heads of academic and nonacademic departments, teachers and non-teaching staff and students. Abstracted data were analysed using inductive, abductive and retroductive modes of inference. The study established that the emergence of private higher education in Malawi was generated by a number of mechanisms. These include the need to survive the threat to socioeconomic development posed by global trends in scientific and technological issues that heavily rely on access to the knowledge economy; the need to respond to demand for equity and access to higher education; the need to carry out the mission of the Christian church; government’s failure to expand and widen access to higher education; and the agential need to survive economic demands. The research findings indicate that a critical challenge that the emergence of private higher education faced was the lack of adequate and efficient structures and systems in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to expeditiously process applications to establish and accredit, monitor and control the development of private higher education institutions. It was also found that the challenges that the private higher education faces include high level of authoritarian governance and management practices, weak institutional management and control systems and structure, secularisation, lack of adequate funds to meet operation and capital development costs, facilities and resources to support teaching – learning functions, learner support facilities and services and a critical shortage of appropriately qualified administrative and academic personnel. The underlying causes of the challenges include the perceived threat to personal power and survival; fear of apostasy and secularisation; cultural values, adverse socioeconomic conditions; lack of diverse sources of funding, ineffective communication skills; weak governance systems and structures; low level of self-control; unfavourable attitudes towards educational institutions and the need to restore equity. To make private institutions of higher learning more sustainable, the study recommends that governance practices be guided by clear structures, policies and guidelines in the interest of transparency and accountability. It also recommends that government works in close partnership with private providers, reviews unfair policies concerning government scholarships, subsidizes the cost of materials for instruction and infrastructure development, and provides technical assistance to prospective and active providers. Lastly, the study recommends that private providers form an association so as to share experiences and to collectively deal with issues of common interest and concern. , Adobe Acrobat 9.53 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A Crown on the Move: stylistic integration of the Luba-Lunda complex in Lunda-Kazembe performance
- Authors: Simbao, Ruth K
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147524 , vital:38646 , https://doi.org/10.1162/afar.2006.39.3.26
- Description: Carried on a scarlet and zebra-hide litter above the heads of a throbbing crowd, Mwata Kazembe XIX gloriously stretches out his arms as if to embrace a world that is his own (Fig. 1). As he parts the sea of well-wishers, splashes of red burst into view and the talking drum beats out its decree. Basking in a charged clamor where the senses blur in clouds of dust, Mwata gracefully sways from side to side, jangling the beads and cowries on the back of his akatasa crown. It is on this day that the Lunda-Kazembe Crown moves.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Simbao, Ruth K
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/147524 , vital:38646 , https://doi.org/10.1162/afar.2006.39.3.26
- Description: Carried on a scarlet and zebra-hide litter above the heads of a throbbing crowd, Mwata Kazembe XIX gloriously stretches out his arms as if to embrace a world that is his own (Fig. 1). As he parts the sea of well-wishers, splashes of red burst into view and the talking drum beats out its decree. Basking in a charged clamor where the senses blur in clouds of dust, Mwata gracefully sways from side to side, jangling the beads and cowries on the back of his akatasa crown. It is on this day that the Lunda-Kazembe Crown moves.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A cyber security awareness and education framework for South Africa
- Authors: Kortjan, Noloxolo
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer crimes -- Prevention , Computer security
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9811 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1014829
- Description: The Internet is becoming increasingly interwoven in the daily life of many individuals, organisations and nations. It has, to a large extent, had a positive effect on the way people communicate. It has also introduced new avenues for business and has offered nations an opportunity to govern online. Nevertheless, although cyberspace offers an endless list of services and opportunities, it is also accompanied by many risks. One of these risks is cybercrime. The Internet has given criminals a platform on which to grow and proliferate. As a result of the abstract nature of the Internet, it is easy for these criminals to go unpunished. Moreover, many who use the Internet are not aware of such threats; therefore they may themselves be at risk, together with businesses and governmental assets and infrastructure. In view of this, there is a need for cyber security awareness and education initiatives that will promote users who are well versed in the risks associated with the Internet. In this context, it is the role of the government to empower all levels of society by providing the necessary knowledge and expertise to act securely online. However, there is currently a definite lack in South Africa (SA) in this regard, as there are currently no government-led cyber security awareness and education initiatives. The primary research objective of this study, therefore, is to propose a cyber security awareness and education framework for SA that will assist in creating a cyber secure culture in SA among all of its users of the Internet.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Kortjan, Noloxolo
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Computer crimes -- Prevention , Computer security
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9811 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1014829
- Description: The Internet is becoming increasingly interwoven in the daily life of many individuals, organisations and nations. It has, to a large extent, had a positive effect on the way people communicate. It has also introduced new avenues for business and has offered nations an opportunity to govern online. Nevertheless, although cyberspace offers an endless list of services and opportunities, it is also accompanied by many risks. One of these risks is cybercrime. The Internet has given criminals a platform on which to grow and proliferate. As a result of the abstract nature of the Internet, it is easy for these criminals to go unpunished. Moreover, many who use the Internet are not aware of such threats; therefore they may themselves be at risk, together with businesses and governmental assets and infrastructure. In view of this, there is a need for cyber security awareness and education initiatives that will promote users who are well versed in the risks associated with the Internet. In this context, it is the role of the government to empower all levels of society by providing the necessary knowledge and expertise to act securely online. However, there is currently a definite lack in South Africa (SA) in this regard, as there are currently no government-led cyber security awareness and education initiatives. The primary research objective of this study, therefore, is to propose a cyber security awareness and education framework for SA that will assist in creating a cyber secure culture in SA among all of its users of the Internet.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A descriptive analysis of statements taken by police officers from child complainants in sexual offence cases that examines the degree to which the form and content of the statements accord with best practice across a range of variables
- Authors: Johns, Alex
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Child sexual abuse -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Police -- South Africa Child witnesses -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:3664 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002611
- Description: With over twenty thousand complaints reported annually to police of child sexual abuse in South Africa, specialist police nvestigators are practised at taking statements from child complainants. This thesis analyses the fit between actualpolice practice and that recommended by international best practice. Children are a special class of witness because of their inherent social, emotional, and cognitive immaturity, and they are universally acknowledged to be very difficult witnesses to interview without the interviewer lending a bias to the process and thereby contaminating the outcome. The first half of the thesis therefore provides a detailed account of the research basis of current international best practice and of the hallmarks of that best practice which result in reliable interview outcomes. The second half of the thesis presents a descriptive analysis of 100 police statements taken from children in the Eastern Cape who had been raped in the period between 2010 and 2012. The findings of the analysis are presented in detail and then compared to the best practice summarised from the international research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Johns, Alex
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Child sexual abuse -- Law and legislation -- South Africa Police -- South Africa Child witnesses -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , LLM
- Identifier: vital:3664 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002611
- Description: With over twenty thousand complaints reported annually to police of child sexual abuse in South Africa, specialist police nvestigators are practised at taking statements from child complainants. This thesis analyses the fit between actualpolice practice and that recommended by international best practice. Children are a special class of witness because of their inherent social, emotional, and cognitive immaturity, and they are universally acknowledged to be very difficult witnesses to interview without the interviewer lending a bias to the process and thereby contaminating the outcome. The first half of the thesis therefore provides a detailed account of the research basis of current international best practice and of the hallmarks of that best practice which result in reliable interview outcomes. The second half of the thesis presents a descriptive analysis of 100 police statements taken from children in the Eastern Cape who had been raped in the period between 2010 and 2012. The findings of the analysis are presented in detail and then compared to the best practice summarised from the international research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A discourse analysis of print media constructions of 'Muslim' people in British newspapers
- Authors: Nanabawa, Sumaiya
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Muslims -- Great Britain -- Public opinion Islam -- Great Britain -- Public opinion Racism in mass media Mass media -- Political aspects -- Great Britain Mass media -- Social aspects -- Great Britain Journalism -- Social aspects Journalism, Commercial -- Great Britain
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3132 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006767
- Description: This research study aimed to examine how the identity of ' Muslim' people is constructed in British print media today, and whether or not these constructions promote or undermine a xeno-racist project. The research draws on the idea that identity is partly constructed through representation, with an emphasis on how language can be used to construct and position people in different ways. Using a social constructionist paradigm, the study further considers the role that print media has in providing a discursive field within which the construction and reproduction of racist attitudes and ideologies in contemporary global society can take place. Sixty-five newspaper articles were selected from the online archives of British newspapers, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph using systematic random sampling. These were analysed using the six stages of Foucauldian discourse analysis outlined by Carla Willig. To provide a more fruitful account, the analysis also incorporated the methods of Potter and Wetherell whose focus is on the function of discourse, as well as van Langenhove and Harre's focus on subject positioning, and Parker's use of Foucauldian analysis which looks at power distributions. The analysis revealed that Muslims are discursively constructed as a direct politicised or terror threat, often drawing on discourses of sharia law, and Muslim-Christian relationships. They are also constructed as a cultural threat, drawing on discourses of isolation, oppressed women, the veil/headscarf, identity, visibility and integration. The analysis also showed some variation in constructions, and these extended from the racialization of Muslims to showing the compatibility between Islamic and western values. This study discusses the form these different constructions take and the possible implications these constructions might have in contributing toward a prejudiced and largely negative image of Islam and Muslims.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Nanabawa, Sumaiya
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Muslims -- Great Britain -- Public opinion Islam -- Great Britain -- Public opinion Racism in mass media Mass media -- Political aspects -- Great Britain Mass media -- Social aspects -- Great Britain Journalism -- Social aspects Journalism, Commercial -- Great Britain
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3132 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006767
- Description: This research study aimed to examine how the identity of ' Muslim' people is constructed in British print media today, and whether or not these constructions promote or undermine a xeno-racist project. The research draws on the idea that identity is partly constructed through representation, with an emphasis on how language can be used to construct and position people in different ways. Using a social constructionist paradigm, the study further considers the role that print media has in providing a discursive field within which the construction and reproduction of racist attitudes and ideologies in contemporary global society can take place. Sixty-five newspaper articles were selected from the online archives of British newspapers, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph using systematic random sampling. These were analysed using the six stages of Foucauldian discourse analysis outlined by Carla Willig. To provide a more fruitful account, the analysis also incorporated the methods of Potter and Wetherell whose focus is on the function of discourse, as well as van Langenhove and Harre's focus on subject positioning, and Parker's use of Foucauldian analysis which looks at power distributions. The analysis revealed that Muslims are discursively constructed as a direct politicised or terror threat, often drawing on discourses of sharia law, and Muslim-Christian relationships. They are also constructed as a cultural threat, drawing on discourses of isolation, oppressed women, the veil/headscarf, identity, visibility and integration. The analysis also showed some variation in constructions, and these extended from the racialization of Muslims to showing the compatibility between Islamic and western values. This study discusses the form these different constructions take and the possible implications these constructions might have in contributing toward a prejudiced and largely negative image of Islam and Muslims.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A feasibility study of wireless network technologies for rural broadband connectivity
- Authors: Twele, Nombulelo
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Wireless communication systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local area networks (Computer networks) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Broadband communication systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Computer Science)
- Identifier: vital:11396 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1016167 , Wireless communication systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local area networks (Computer networks) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Broadband communication systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: The adoption of wireless broadband technologies to provide network and Internet connectivity in rural communities has conveyed the possibility to overcome the challenges caused by marginalization and many other characteristics possessed by these rural communities. With their different capabilities, these technologies enable communication for rural communities internally within the community and externally on a global scale. Deployment of these technologies in rural areas requires consideration of different factors - these are in contrast, to those considered when deploying these technologies in non-rural, urban areas. Numerous research show consideration of facts for deployment of broadband technologies in urban/ non-rural environments and a little has been done in considering facts for deployment in rural environments. Hence this research aims to define guidelines for selection of broadband technologies and make recommendations on which technologies are suitable for deployment in rural communities, thereby considering facts that are true only within these rural communities. To achieve this, the research determines the metrics that are relevant and important to consider when deploying wireless broadband technology in rural communities of South Africa. It further undertakes a survey of wireless broadband technologies that are suitable for deployment in such areas. The study first profiles a list of wireless communication technologies, determines and documents characteristics of rural communities in Africa, determines metrics used to declare technologies feasible in rural areas. The metrics and rural characteristics are then used to identify technologies that are better suited than others. Informed by this initial profiling, one technology: mobile WiMAX is then selected for deployment and further evaluation. A technical review of mobile WiMAX is then carried out by deploying it at our research site in the rural, marginalized community of Dwesa (Eastern Cape, South Africa). The final section of this research provides recommendations that mobile WiMAX, LTE and Wi-Fi are the best suitable technologies for deployment in rural marginalized environments. This has been supported by extensive research and real life deployment of both Wi-Fi and mobile WiMAX. This research also recommends consideration of the following facts when seeking deployment of these technologies in rural communities: the geographical setting of the target terrain, the distances between sources and target customers and distances between target communities, weather conditions of the area, applications to be deployed over the network, social well-being of the community and their financial freedom as well.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Twele, Nombulelo
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Wireless communication systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local area networks (Computer networks) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Broadband communication systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc (Computer Science)
- Identifier: vital:11396 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1016167 , Wireless communication systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Local area networks (Computer networks) -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Broadband communication systems -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: The adoption of wireless broadband technologies to provide network and Internet connectivity in rural communities has conveyed the possibility to overcome the challenges caused by marginalization and many other characteristics possessed by these rural communities. With their different capabilities, these technologies enable communication for rural communities internally within the community and externally on a global scale. Deployment of these technologies in rural areas requires consideration of different factors - these are in contrast, to those considered when deploying these technologies in non-rural, urban areas. Numerous research show consideration of facts for deployment of broadband technologies in urban/ non-rural environments and a little has been done in considering facts for deployment in rural environments. Hence this research aims to define guidelines for selection of broadband technologies and make recommendations on which technologies are suitable for deployment in rural communities, thereby considering facts that are true only within these rural communities. To achieve this, the research determines the metrics that are relevant and important to consider when deploying wireless broadband technology in rural communities of South Africa. It further undertakes a survey of wireless broadband technologies that are suitable for deployment in such areas. The study first profiles a list of wireless communication technologies, determines and documents characteristics of rural communities in Africa, determines metrics used to declare technologies feasible in rural areas. The metrics and rural characteristics are then used to identify technologies that are better suited than others. Informed by this initial profiling, one technology: mobile WiMAX is then selected for deployment and further evaluation. A technical review of mobile WiMAX is then carried out by deploying it at our research site in the rural, marginalized community of Dwesa (Eastern Cape, South Africa). The final section of this research provides recommendations that mobile WiMAX, LTE and Wi-Fi are the best suitable technologies for deployment in rural marginalized environments. This has been supported by extensive research and real life deployment of both Wi-Fi and mobile WiMAX. This research also recommends consideration of the following facts when seeking deployment of these technologies in rural communities: the geographical setting of the target terrain, the distances between sources and target customers and distances between target communities, weather conditions of the area, applications to be deployed over the network, social well-being of the community and their financial freedom as well.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A feminist analysis of Lyman Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables and Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden
- Authors: Becker, Bonnie
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1290 , vital:26543
- Description: The primary aim of this project is to provide a close contextual and textual analysis of the selected children’s classics: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Anne of Green Gables and The Secret Garden using the feminist literary theory. From this perspective I have shown how the selected works of Lyman Frank Baum, Lucy Maud Montgomery and Frances Hodgson Burnett’s writing have contributed to women’s stereotypical roles within society and perpetuated their subjugated position. I have also conducted an examination of the extent to which the female protagonists attempt to emancipate themselves from gender oppression. A comparative study of the selected children’s texts has not yet been conducted and therefore this project serves as a significant contribution to this field of study. An exploration of the historical background of the authors and children’s literature is conducted to provide an overview into the inner workings of the writers’ lives and the historical significance of children’s literature as a genre. The theoretical framework of feminist literary theory is used in the analysis of the selected texts. The connection between feminist literary theory and children’s literature is highlighted and provides further understanding of the purpose of this study. The history of feminism as both a movement and a contemporary literary criticism is explored. Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex is used when analysing the texts’ characters and how they are based on society’s stereotypical gender roles. Luce Irigaray’s Speculum of the Other Woman and This Sex Which is Not One is examined to aid in an exploration of psychological female oppression through feminine and masculine discourse evident in the creation of the novels’ female and male characters. Hélène Cixous’ “The Laugh of the Medusa” and The Newly Born Woman is interrogated according to the stereotypical ideology surrounding the terms masculinity and femininity and how these terms are interpreted in the selected works. Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble and Undoing Gender are additionally explored to assist in the understanding of the concept of gender performativity and through the lens of Butler’s interpolation of gender the move towards the emancipation of women is seen in the selected children’s texts. The close textual feminist analysis focuses on the female protagonists: Dorothy, Anne and Mary as well as the secondary female characters: the wicked witches, Aunt Em, the Queen of the Field-Mice, the princess made from china, Glinda’s female soldiers from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; Marilla Cuthbert, Rachel Lynde and Diana Barry from Anne of Green Gables and Martha, Mrs Sowerby and Mrs Craven from The Secret Garden. The portrayal of the secondary male characters are additionally explored according to feminist literary theory: The Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Lion and the wizard Oz from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; Matthew Cuthbert and Gilbert Blythe from Anne of the Green Gables’ and Mr Craven, Colin Craven and Dickon Sowerby from The Secret Garden. The comparison of these children’s classics by Baum, Montgomery and Burnett provides insight into the selected works of all three writers, through the lens offered by feminist literary theory. Through the interrogation of these representative female protagonists found in early children’s literature, an understanding of not only the subordination of women, as evident in literature during this era, is illustrated but also the comprehension that women’s liberation was foreshadowed in these early children’s novels.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Becker, Bonnie
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/1290 , vital:26543
- Description: The primary aim of this project is to provide a close contextual and textual analysis of the selected children’s classics: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Anne of Green Gables and The Secret Garden using the feminist literary theory. From this perspective I have shown how the selected works of Lyman Frank Baum, Lucy Maud Montgomery and Frances Hodgson Burnett’s writing have contributed to women’s stereotypical roles within society and perpetuated their subjugated position. I have also conducted an examination of the extent to which the female protagonists attempt to emancipate themselves from gender oppression. A comparative study of the selected children’s texts has not yet been conducted and therefore this project serves as a significant contribution to this field of study. An exploration of the historical background of the authors and children’s literature is conducted to provide an overview into the inner workings of the writers’ lives and the historical significance of children’s literature as a genre. The theoretical framework of feminist literary theory is used in the analysis of the selected texts. The connection between feminist literary theory and children’s literature is highlighted and provides further understanding of the purpose of this study. The history of feminism as both a movement and a contemporary literary criticism is explored. Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex is used when analysing the texts’ characters and how they are based on society’s stereotypical gender roles. Luce Irigaray’s Speculum of the Other Woman and This Sex Which is Not One is examined to aid in an exploration of psychological female oppression through feminine and masculine discourse evident in the creation of the novels’ female and male characters. Hélène Cixous’ “The Laugh of the Medusa” and The Newly Born Woman is interrogated according to the stereotypical ideology surrounding the terms masculinity and femininity and how these terms are interpreted in the selected works. Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble and Undoing Gender are additionally explored to assist in the understanding of the concept of gender performativity and through the lens of Butler’s interpolation of gender the move towards the emancipation of women is seen in the selected children’s texts. The close textual feminist analysis focuses on the female protagonists: Dorothy, Anne and Mary as well as the secondary female characters: the wicked witches, Aunt Em, the Queen of the Field-Mice, the princess made from china, Glinda’s female soldiers from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; Marilla Cuthbert, Rachel Lynde and Diana Barry from Anne of Green Gables and Martha, Mrs Sowerby and Mrs Craven from The Secret Garden. The portrayal of the secondary male characters are additionally explored according to feminist literary theory: The Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Lion and the wizard Oz from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; Matthew Cuthbert and Gilbert Blythe from Anne of the Green Gables’ and Mr Craven, Colin Craven and Dickon Sowerby from The Secret Garden. The comparison of these children’s classics by Baum, Montgomery and Burnett provides insight into the selected works of all three writers, through the lens offered by feminist literary theory. Through the interrogation of these representative female protagonists found in early children’s literature, an understanding of not only the subordination of women, as evident in literature during this era, is illustrated but also the comprehension that women’s liberation was foreshadowed in these early children’s novels.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A framework for assuring conformance of cloud-based email at higher education institutions
- Authors: Willett, Melanie
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Cloud computing -- Security measures , Computer networks -- Security measures , Web services , Education, Higher -- Technological innovations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9815 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018664
- Description: Cloud computing is a relatively immature computing paradigm that could significantly benefit users. Cloud computing solutions are often associated with potential benefits such as cost reduction, less administrative hassle, flexibility and scalability. For organisations to realize such potential benefits, cloud computing solutions need to be chosen, implemented, managed and governed in a way that is secure, compliant with internal and external requirements and indicative of due diligence. This can be a challenge, given the many concerns and risks commonly associated with cloud computing solutions. One cloud computing solution that is being widely adopted around the world is cloud-based email. One of the foremost adopters of this cloud computing solution is higher education institutions. These higher education institutions stand to benefit greatly from using such services. Cloud-based email can be provisioned to staff and students at these institutions for free. Additionally, cloud service providers (CSPs) are able to provide a better email service than some higher education institutions would be able to provide if they were required to do so in-house. CSPs often provide larger inboxes and many extra services with cloud-based email. Cloud-based email is, therefore, clearly an example of a cloud computing solution that has the potential to benefit organisations. There are however, risks and challenges associated with the use of this cloud computing solution. Two of these challenges relate to ensuring conformance to internal and external (legal, regulatory and contractual obligations) requirements and to providing a mechanism of assuring that cloud-based email related activities are sound. The lack of structured guidelines for assuring the conformance of cloud-based email is putting this service at risk at higher education institutions in South Africa. This work addresses this problem by promoting a best practice based approach to assuring the conformance of cloud-based email at higher education institutions. To accomplish this, components of applicable standards and best practice guidelines for IT governance, IT assurance and IT conformance are used to construct a framework for assuring the conformance of cloud-based email. The framework is designed and verified using sound design science principles. The utility and value of the framework has been demonstrated at a higher education institution in South Africa. This framework can be used to assist higher education institutions to demonstrate due diligence in assuring that they conform to legal and best practice requirements for the management and governance of cloud-based email. This is a significant contribution in the relatively new field of cloud computing governance.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Willett, Melanie
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Cloud computing -- Security measures , Computer networks -- Security measures , Web services , Education, Higher -- Technological innovations
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9815 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018664
- Description: Cloud computing is a relatively immature computing paradigm that could significantly benefit users. Cloud computing solutions are often associated with potential benefits such as cost reduction, less administrative hassle, flexibility and scalability. For organisations to realize such potential benefits, cloud computing solutions need to be chosen, implemented, managed and governed in a way that is secure, compliant with internal and external requirements and indicative of due diligence. This can be a challenge, given the many concerns and risks commonly associated with cloud computing solutions. One cloud computing solution that is being widely adopted around the world is cloud-based email. One of the foremost adopters of this cloud computing solution is higher education institutions. These higher education institutions stand to benefit greatly from using such services. Cloud-based email can be provisioned to staff and students at these institutions for free. Additionally, cloud service providers (CSPs) are able to provide a better email service than some higher education institutions would be able to provide if they were required to do so in-house. CSPs often provide larger inboxes and many extra services with cloud-based email. Cloud-based email is, therefore, clearly an example of a cloud computing solution that has the potential to benefit organisations. There are however, risks and challenges associated with the use of this cloud computing solution. Two of these challenges relate to ensuring conformance to internal and external (legal, regulatory and contractual obligations) requirements and to providing a mechanism of assuring that cloud-based email related activities are sound. The lack of structured guidelines for assuring the conformance of cloud-based email is putting this service at risk at higher education institutions in South Africa. This work addresses this problem by promoting a best practice based approach to assuring the conformance of cloud-based email at higher education institutions. To accomplish this, components of applicable standards and best practice guidelines for IT governance, IT assurance and IT conformance are used to construct a framework for assuring the conformance of cloud-based email. The framework is designed and verified using sound design science principles. The utility and value of the framework has been demonstrated at a higher education institution in South Africa. This framework can be used to assist higher education institutions to demonstrate due diligence in assuring that they conform to legal and best practice requirements for the management and governance of cloud-based email. This is a significant contribution in the relatively new field of cloud computing governance.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A framework for biometrics for social grants in South Africa
- Authors: Van de Haar, Helen Augusta
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Biometric identification -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Biometric identification cards -- South Africa , Public welfare -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9829 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021018
- Description: In the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) Annual Report of 2011/2012 it is stated that there were more than 15 million social grants paid out to needy beneficiaries of which 10 927 731 were Child Support Grants. A major challenge that is continually being addressed is the management and administration of these grants. In particular, the focus is on service delivery and zero tolerance to fraud and corruption. SASSA has made various attempts to address these issues, such as the rollout of biometric smart cards in 2012. This research endeavour attempts to discover whether a framework can be designed where necessary factors are taken into consideration to provide for an efficient social grant application and delivery process that uses biometrics. The framework aims to suggest improvements in the use of biometrics for the social grants. Seeing that biometrics in this case is used as a technology to improve a system involving humans, this study followed a Design Science approach and made use of a case study to collect the data required for the study. Literature studies reviewed the fields of social grants and biometrics. The challenges and lessons learnt from current implementations of social grants and biometrics within the South African context and further abroad were also relevant for the study. The framework that resulted from the above was evaluated for validity and applicability after which a modified framework is presented. The research concludes with specific implementation guidelines as well as areas for future research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Van de Haar, Helen Augusta
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Biometric identification -- Law and legislation -- South Africa , Biometric identification cards -- South Africa , Public welfare -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9829 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021018
- Description: In the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) Annual Report of 2011/2012 it is stated that there were more than 15 million social grants paid out to needy beneficiaries of which 10 927 731 were Child Support Grants. A major challenge that is continually being addressed is the management and administration of these grants. In particular, the focus is on service delivery and zero tolerance to fraud and corruption. SASSA has made various attempts to address these issues, such as the rollout of biometric smart cards in 2012. This research endeavour attempts to discover whether a framework can be designed where necessary factors are taken into consideration to provide for an efficient social grant application and delivery process that uses biometrics. The framework aims to suggest improvements in the use of biometrics for the social grants. Seeing that biometrics in this case is used as a technology to improve a system involving humans, this study followed a Design Science approach and made use of a case study to collect the data required for the study. Literature studies reviewed the fields of social grants and biometrics. The challenges and lessons learnt from current implementations of social grants and biometrics within the South African context and further abroad were also relevant for the study. The framework that resulted from the above was evaluated for validity and applicability after which a modified framework is presented. The research concludes with specific implementation guidelines as well as areas for future research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A framework for co-located collaborative business process modelling using touch technologies
- Authors: Snyman, Irene
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Reengineering (Management) , Information technology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:10498 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021015
- Description: In recent years the field of Business Process Modelling (BPM) has gained increasing attention from both the business and research communities. One of the primary drivers for BPM is the improved understanding of Business Processes (BPs) and the competitive advantage gained over competitors. In addition, BPM can improve communication in an organisation and facilitate increased support for change management. BPM is a collaborative activity that needs to be carried out in a team environment, and Collaborative Business Process Modelling (CBPM) promotes improved readability, accuracy and quality of process models as well as a reduced workload for modellers. In spite of the increased popularity of CBPM, there is limited research related to the collaborative nature of the modelling tasks performed by modellers and specifically to the synchronisation of shared process models. In addition, tools and techniques to support CBPM do not support this synchronisation effectively or efficiently. This study proposes a conceptual framework for CBPM using touch technologies in a colocated collaborative environment. The main research problem addressed by this study is that modellers experience difficulties conducting BPM activities in a co-located collaborative environment. In order to address the research problem and clarify and elaborate on the problems of CBPM, a two-fold approach was undertaken. Firstly, after an in-depth literature review, a BPM survey was designed and then sent to modellers in South African Information Technology (IT) consulting companies in order to provide a more in-depth understanding of the status and challenges of CBPM in IT consulting organisations. The results revealed that available BPM software do not adequately cater for CBPM and software tools do not enforce versioning and synchronisation. In addition, hardware constraints were reported as well as problems with integrating different parts of the process model that the modellers were working on. The results of the survey also showed that the positive aspects of CBPM are that ideas could be shared and overall there is a better understanding of the BPs being modelled. The second part of the problem elaboration consisted of usability field studies with participants from both education and industry using a traditional popular BPM software tool, Enterprise Architect (EA). Whilst several benefits of CBPM were confirmed, several challenges were encountered, particularly with regard to the integration and synchronisation of models. To overcome the problems of CBPM, a framework was developed that allows for co-located CBPM using tablet PCs. The framework includes a developed prototype of the BPMTouch software which runs on tablet PCs, as well as some theoretical aspects of CBPM. The BPMTouch software supports effective and efficient CBPM and the synchronisation of process models since it allows multiple modellers to work together on one BP model, with each modeller using his/her own tablet. If one modeller makes changes to the model, the changes are immediately reflected on the tablets of the other modellers since the changes to the model are updated in real time. Modellers cannot draw on the same model simultaneously, however, everyone can see what the active modeller (active participant with the green flag) is doing. Other participants can then become the active modeller and make changes to the model once the flag has been released and re-allocated. The results from the field studies, industry surveys and usability evaluations were all incorporated into the BPMTouch software tool design and into the aspects of CBPM in order to assist with the process of co-located CBPM using touch technologies. Usability evaluations were carried out in which industry and student participants used BPMTouch to create an integrated model and simultaneously and synchronously create a process model. The evaluations of the BPMTouch prototype revealed that participants prefer this system over traditional BPM software since the BPMTouch removes the need for post modelling integration. The theoretical contribution of the framework consists of aspects proposing that organisations should take the potential benefits and challenges of CBPM into consideration and address the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) before embarking on a CBPM project. These aspects can help with decisions relating to CBPM. The use of this framework can improve the quality of process models, reduce the workload of modellers and in this way increase the success rate of CBPM projects.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Snyman, Irene
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Reengineering (Management) , Information technology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
- Identifier: vital:10498 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021015
- Description: In recent years the field of Business Process Modelling (BPM) has gained increasing attention from both the business and research communities. One of the primary drivers for BPM is the improved understanding of Business Processes (BPs) and the competitive advantage gained over competitors. In addition, BPM can improve communication in an organisation and facilitate increased support for change management. BPM is a collaborative activity that needs to be carried out in a team environment, and Collaborative Business Process Modelling (CBPM) promotes improved readability, accuracy and quality of process models as well as a reduced workload for modellers. In spite of the increased popularity of CBPM, there is limited research related to the collaborative nature of the modelling tasks performed by modellers and specifically to the synchronisation of shared process models. In addition, tools and techniques to support CBPM do not support this synchronisation effectively or efficiently. This study proposes a conceptual framework for CBPM using touch technologies in a colocated collaborative environment. The main research problem addressed by this study is that modellers experience difficulties conducting BPM activities in a co-located collaborative environment. In order to address the research problem and clarify and elaborate on the problems of CBPM, a two-fold approach was undertaken. Firstly, after an in-depth literature review, a BPM survey was designed and then sent to modellers in South African Information Technology (IT) consulting companies in order to provide a more in-depth understanding of the status and challenges of CBPM in IT consulting organisations. The results revealed that available BPM software do not adequately cater for CBPM and software tools do not enforce versioning and synchronisation. In addition, hardware constraints were reported as well as problems with integrating different parts of the process model that the modellers were working on. The results of the survey also showed that the positive aspects of CBPM are that ideas could be shared and overall there is a better understanding of the BPs being modelled. The second part of the problem elaboration consisted of usability field studies with participants from both education and industry using a traditional popular BPM software tool, Enterprise Architect (EA). Whilst several benefits of CBPM were confirmed, several challenges were encountered, particularly with regard to the integration and synchronisation of models. To overcome the problems of CBPM, a framework was developed that allows for co-located CBPM using tablet PCs. The framework includes a developed prototype of the BPMTouch software which runs on tablet PCs, as well as some theoretical aspects of CBPM. The BPMTouch software supports effective and efficient CBPM and the synchronisation of process models since it allows multiple modellers to work together on one BP model, with each modeller using his/her own tablet. If one modeller makes changes to the model, the changes are immediately reflected on the tablets of the other modellers since the changes to the model are updated in real time. Modellers cannot draw on the same model simultaneously, however, everyone can see what the active modeller (active participant with the green flag) is doing. Other participants can then become the active modeller and make changes to the model once the flag has been released and re-allocated. The results from the field studies, industry surveys and usability evaluations were all incorporated into the BPMTouch software tool design and into the aspects of CBPM in order to assist with the process of co-located CBPM using touch technologies. Usability evaluations were carried out in which industry and student participants used BPMTouch to create an integrated model and simultaneously and synchronously create a process model. The evaluations of the BPMTouch prototype revealed that participants prefer this system over traditional BPM software since the BPMTouch removes the need for post modelling integration. The theoretical contribution of the framework consists of aspects proposing that organisations should take the potential benefits and challenges of CBPM into consideration and address the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) before embarking on a CBPM project. These aspects can help with decisions relating to CBPM. The use of this framework can improve the quality of process models, reduce the workload of modellers and in this way increase the success rate of CBPM projects.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A framework for the implementation of social media marketing strategies in political campaigning
- Authors: Ayankoya, Kayode A
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Online social networks -- Political aspects -- South Africa , Social networks -- South Africa , Campaign management -- South Africa , Branding (Marketing) -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8850 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020118
- Description: The concept of social media has grown rapidly in the last years. This can be attributed to the rate of adoption and the penetration of social media around the world. Currently, there is an estimate of over two billion people that are actively using social media. The increased usage of social media has changed the way people interact and communicate. Literature suggests that Internet-enabled social networks (relationship between or among individuals and groups) are developing faster than offline relationships. Previous studies have linked social media to the social network theories that define social relationships based on the actors, the ties that exist and the flow of resources among them. This is made possible by social networking sites and other Internet enabled services that allow friends to meet, connect and interact. Social media allow for individuals, groups or organisations to build their social network of friends and followers. It also facilitates the formation of communities with common interest. Social media facilitate the creation and exchange of content such as text messages, images, audio and video formats among individuals or communities that share a common interest or belong to the same social network. Social capital theorists suggest that the ties that exist in social interaction like on social media have the ability to create benefit for the actors in the networks. This provides the foundation to study the benefits that individuals and organisations can obtain from social media. The opportunity to target and communicate directly with the target market and potential customer qualifies social media as a valuable marketing tool and an important component of the integrated marketing communication. As a marketing communication tool, social media introduces a completely new paradigm into marketing communications. Therefore marketing professionals and academics are continuously seeking how to take advantage of social media for different industries. In the field of politics, the use of marketing concepts to engage voters and drive collective participation in political processes has become critical due to stiff competition. The use of social media for political campaigning and engagement could be beneficial, but politicians and political organisations are not taking full advantage of the concept. Previous studies show that organisations are aware of the opportunities that social media could provide for their organisations. However, they are reluctant because they are faced with the problems of lack of information on how to implement social media for business purposes. This treatise investigates the approach and critical success factors for the use of social media for political campaigning and engagement. To evaluate the conceptual framework that was suggested by this study based on the literature review and case studies, an empirical study was conducted among the members of the Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape. A survey was conducted among the members of the Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape using a questionnaire and 92 responses were received. The questionnaire measured the respondents’ social media usage, level of political engagement, perception on the use of social media for political engagement and the level of political activities on social media. Also, hypotheses were tested to examine the assumption that there might be an association between the respondents’ gender, population group and level of political activities on social media. The findings of this study indicate that a structured approach, a strong emphasis of engaging followers socially and micro-targeting are critical to effective implementation of social media for political campaigning and engagement. Other factors include the direct involvement of leadership, listening and encouragement of user generated contents. This study concludes that political organisations can use social media to establish multi-levelled social networks that provide access to their target audience and also reach potential audience through their friends. This social connectedness can then be translated into political social capital for campaign and engagement purposes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Ayankoya, Kayode A
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Online social networks -- Political aspects -- South Africa , Social networks -- South Africa , Campaign management -- South Africa , Branding (Marketing) -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8850 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020118
- Description: The concept of social media has grown rapidly in the last years. This can be attributed to the rate of adoption and the penetration of social media around the world. Currently, there is an estimate of over two billion people that are actively using social media. The increased usage of social media has changed the way people interact and communicate. Literature suggests that Internet-enabled social networks (relationship between or among individuals and groups) are developing faster than offline relationships. Previous studies have linked social media to the social network theories that define social relationships based on the actors, the ties that exist and the flow of resources among them. This is made possible by social networking sites and other Internet enabled services that allow friends to meet, connect and interact. Social media allow for individuals, groups or organisations to build their social network of friends and followers. It also facilitates the formation of communities with common interest. Social media facilitate the creation and exchange of content such as text messages, images, audio and video formats among individuals or communities that share a common interest or belong to the same social network. Social capital theorists suggest that the ties that exist in social interaction like on social media have the ability to create benefit for the actors in the networks. This provides the foundation to study the benefits that individuals and organisations can obtain from social media. The opportunity to target and communicate directly with the target market and potential customer qualifies social media as a valuable marketing tool and an important component of the integrated marketing communication. As a marketing communication tool, social media introduces a completely new paradigm into marketing communications. Therefore marketing professionals and academics are continuously seeking how to take advantage of social media for different industries. In the field of politics, the use of marketing concepts to engage voters and drive collective participation in political processes has become critical due to stiff competition. The use of social media for political campaigning and engagement could be beneficial, but politicians and political organisations are not taking full advantage of the concept. Previous studies show that organisations are aware of the opportunities that social media could provide for their organisations. However, they are reluctant because they are faced with the problems of lack of information on how to implement social media for business purposes. This treatise investigates the approach and critical success factors for the use of social media for political campaigning and engagement. To evaluate the conceptual framework that was suggested by this study based on the literature review and case studies, an empirical study was conducted among the members of the Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape. A survey was conducted among the members of the Democratic Alliance in the Eastern Cape using a questionnaire and 92 responses were received. The questionnaire measured the respondents’ social media usage, level of political engagement, perception on the use of social media for political engagement and the level of political activities on social media. Also, hypotheses were tested to examine the assumption that there might be an association between the respondents’ gender, population group and level of political activities on social media. The findings of this study indicate that a structured approach, a strong emphasis of engaging followers socially and micro-targeting are critical to effective implementation of social media for political campaigning and engagement. Other factors include the direct involvement of leadership, listening and encouragement of user generated contents. This study concludes that political organisations can use social media to establish multi-levelled social networks that provide access to their target audience and also reach potential audience through their friends. This social connectedness can then be translated into political social capital for campaign and engagement purposes.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A framework to mitigate phishing threats
- Authors: Frauenstein, Edwin Donald
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Mobile computing -- Security measures , Online social networks -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9832 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021208
- Description: We live today in the information age with users being able to access and share information freely by using both personal computers and their handheld devices. This, in turn, has been made possible by the Internet. However, this poses security risks as attempts are made to use this same environment in order to compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for users and organisations to protect their information resources from agents posing a security threat. Organisations typically spend large amounts of money as well as dedicating resources to improve their technological defences against general security threats. However, the agents posing these threats are adopting social engineering techniques in order to bypass the technical measures which organisations are putting in place. These social engineering techniques are often effective because they target human behaviour, something which the majority of researchers believe is a far easier alternative than hacking information systems. As such, phishing effectively makes use of a combination of social engineering techniques which involve crafty technical emails and website designs which gain the trust of their victims. Within an organisational context, there are a number of areas which phishers exploit. These areas include human factors, organisational aspects and technological controls. Ironically, these same areas serve simultaneously as security measures against phishing attacks. However, each of these three areas mentioned above are characterised by gaps which arise as a result of human involvement. As a result, the current approach to mitigating phishing threats comprises a single-layer defence model only. However, this study proposes a holistic model which integrates each of these three areas by strengthening the human element in each of these areas by means of a security awareness, training and education programme.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Frauenstein, Edwin Donald
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Computer networks -- Security measures , Mobile computing -- Security measures , Online social networks -- Security measures
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
- Identifier: vital:9832 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021208
- Description: We live today in the information age with users being able to access and share information freely by using both personal computers and their handheld devices. This, in turn, has been made possible by the Internet. However, this poses security risks as attempts are made to use this same environment in order to compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for users and organisations to protect their information resources from agents posing a security threat. Organisations typically spend large amounts of money as well as dedicating resources to improve their technological defences against general security threats. However, the agents posing these threats are adopting social engineering techniques in order to bypass the technical measures which organisations are putting in place. These social engineering techniques are often effective because they target human behaviour, something which the majority of researchers believe is a far easier alternative than hacking information systems. As such, phishing effectively makes use of a combination of social engineering techniques which involve crafty technical emails and website designs which gain the trust of their victims. Within an organisational context, there are a number of areas which phishers exploit. These areas include human factors, organisational aspects and technological controls. Ironically, these same areas serve simultaneously as security measures against phishing attacks. However, each of these three areas mentioned above are characterised by gaps which arise as a result of human involvement. As a result, the current approach to mitigating phishing threats comprises a single-layer defence model only. However, this study proposes a holistic model which integrates each of these three areas by strengthening the human element in each of these areas by means of a security awareness, training and education programme.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A high-level architecture for efficient packet trace analysis on gpu co-processors
- Nottingham, Alastair, Irwin, Barry V W
- Authors: Nottingham, Alastair , Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429572 , vital:72623 , 10.1109/ISSA.2013.6641052
- Description: This paper proposes a high-level architecture to support efficient, massively parallel packet classification, filtering and analysis using commodity Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) hardware. The proposed architecture aims to provide a flexible and efficient parallel packet processing and analysis framework, supporting complex programmable filtering, data mining operations, statistical analysis functions and traffic visualisation, with minimal CPU overhead. In particular, this framework aims to provide a robust set of high-speed analysis functionality, in order to dramatically reduce the time required to process and analyse extremely large network traces. This architecture derives from initial research, which has shown GPU co-processors to be effective in accelerating packet classification to up to tera-bit speeds with minimal CPU overhead, far exceeding the bandwidth capacity between standard long term storage and the GPU device. This paper provides a high-level overview of the proposed architecture and its primary components, motivated by the results of prior research in the field.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Nottingham, Alastair , Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429572 , vital:72623 , 10.1109/ISSA.2013.6641052
- Description: This paper proposes a high-level architecture to support efficient, massively parallel packet classification, filtering and analysis using commodity Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) hardware. The proposed architecture aims to provide a flexible and efficient parallel packet processing and analysis framework, supporting complex programmable filtering, data mining operations, statistical analysis functions and traffic visualisation, with minimal CPU overhead. In particular, this framework aims to provide a robust set of high-speed analysis functionality, in order to dramatically reduce the time required to process and analyse extremely large network traces. This architecture derives from initial research, which has shown GPU co-processors to be effective in accelerating packet classification to up to tera-bit speeds with minimal CPU overhead, far exceeding the bandwidth capacity between standard long term storage and the GPU device. This paper provides a high-level overview of the proposed architecture and its primary components, motivated by the results of prior research in the field.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A history of the German settlers in the Eastern Cape, 1857-1919
- Authors: Zipp, Gisela Lesley
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Colonists -- Eastern Cape -- 19th Century Immigrants -- Germany -- History Immigrants -- Germany -- Social life and customs
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3609 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004215
- Description: This thesis came into being as the result of a question innocently posed to me three years ago: Why do some towns in the Eastern Cape have German names? This thesis is not so much an answer to that question (which is answered in the following paragraphs) as an attempt to answer the questions that followed: Were the Germans really as benevolent and hard-working as much of the most readily available literature implies? Why did the military settlers leave and the peasant farmer settlers remain? What was the nature of relationships between the German settlers and other groups in the area? How did the German settlers see themselves? The existing literature provides the historic details, more or less, but not the context and explanations I sought. As such, I set out to find them and document them myself, addressing three main questions: 1. What was the (changing) nature of the German settlers' day-to-day lives between 1857 and 1919? 2. How was a German identity maintained/constructed within the German communities of the Eastern Cape between 1857 and 1919? 3. How did the Germans interact with other groups in the area? In answering these questions, I have also provided the necessary background as to why these settlers chose to come to South Africa, and why some of them left. I have limited this study to the period between 1857 and 1919 so as to include the First World War and its immediate aftermath, a time when enmity between Great Britain and Germany would have made life difficult for German descendants in the Union of South Africa. Introduction, p. 7.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Zipp, Gisela Lesley
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Colonists -- Eastern Cape -- 19th Century Immigrants -- Germany -- History Immigrants -- Germany -- Social life and customs
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3609 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1004215
- Description: This thesis came into being as the result of a question innocently posed to me three years ago: Why do some towns in the Eastern Cape have German names? This thesis is not so much an answer to that question (which is answered in the following paragraphs) as an attempt to answer the questions that followed: Were the Germans really as benevolent and hard-working as much of the most readily available literature implies? Why did the military settlers leave and the peasant farmer settlers remain? What was the nature of relationships between the German settlers and other groups in the area? How did the German settlers see themselves? The existing literature provides the historic details, more or less, but not the context and explanations I sought. As such, I set out to find them and document them myself, addressing three main questions: 1. What was the (changing) nature of the German settlers' day-to-day lives between 1857 and 1919? 2. How was a German identity maintained/constructed within the German communities of the Eastern Cape between 1857 and 1919? 3. How did the Germans interact with other groups in the area? In answering these questions, I have also provided the necessary background as to why these settlers chose to come to South Africa, and why some of them left. I have limited this study to the period between 1857 and 1919 so as to include the First World War and its immediate aftermath, a time when enmity between Great Britain and Germany would have made life difficult for German descendants in the Union of South Africa. Introduction, p. 7.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A kernel-driven framework for high performance internet routing simulation
- Herbert, Alan, Irwin, Barry V W
- Authors: Herbert, Alan , Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429585 , vital:72624 , 10.1109/ISSA.2013.6641048
- Description: The ability to provide the simulation of packets traversing an internet path is an integral part of providing realistic simulations for network training, and cyber defence exercises. This paper builds on previous work, and considers an in-kernel approach to solving the routing simulation problem. The inkernel approach is anticipated to allow the framework to be able to achieve throughput rates of 1GB/s or higher using commodity hardware. Processes that run outside the context of the kernel of most operating system require context switching to access hardware and kernel modules. This leads to considerable delays in the processes, such as network simulators, that frequently access hardware such as hard disk accesses and network packet handling. To mitigate this problem, as experienced with earlier implementations, this research looks towards implementing a kernel module to handle network routing and simulation within a UNIX based system. This would remove delays incurred from context switching and allows for direct access to the hardware components of the host.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Herbert, Alan , Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429585 , vital:72624 , 10.1109/ISSA.2013.6641048
- Description: The ability to provide the simulation of packets traversing an internet path is an integral part of providing realistic simulations for network training, and cyber defence exercises. This paper builds on previous work, and considers an in-kernel approach to solving the routing simulation problem. The inkernel approach is anticipated to allow the framework to be able to achieve throughput rates of 1GB/s or higher using commodity hardware. Processes that run outside the context of the kernel of most operating system require context switching to access hardware and kernel modules. This leads to considerable delays in the processes, such as network simulators, that frequently access hardware such as hard disk accesses and network packet handling. To mitigate this problem, as experienced with earlier implementations, this research looks towards implementing a kernel module to handle network routing and simulation within a UNIX based system. This would remove delays incurred from context switching and allows for direct access to the hardware components of the host.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A marine chemical ecology study of the sea hare, Bursatella leachii in South Africa
- Authors: D'Souza, Nicole
- Date: 2013 , 2013-03-22
- Subjects: Sea hares (Mollusks) -- South Africa -- Kenton-on-Sea , Sea hares (Mollusks) -- Ecology -- South Africa -- Kenton-on-Sea , Sea hares (Mollusks) -- Behavior -- South Africa -- Kenton-on-Sea , Sea hares (Mollusks) -- Defenses -- Behavior -- South Africa -- Kenton-on-Sea
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4283 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002952 , Sea hares (Mollusks) -- South Africa -- Kenton-on-Sea , Sea hares (Mollusks) -- Ecology -- South Africa -- Kenton-on-Sea , Sea hares (Mollusks) -- Behavior -- South Africa -- Kenton-on-Sea , Sea hares (Mollusks) -- Defenses -- Behavior -- South Africa -- Kenton-on-Sea
- Description: The large cosmopolitan sea hare Bursatella leachii is a common resident in Eastern Cape river mouths during summer and late autumn where they congregate in beds of Zostera capensis to breed. In this thesis, the previously known toxic formamide marine secondary metabolite (-)-bursatellin (2.2), which may deter predators of South African specimens of the globally distributed sea hare Bursatella leachii, was isolated and identified (Chapter 2). There have been no previous chemical ecology studies of B. leachii and the latter half of this thesis is devoted to chemical ecology studies of this organism. Interestingly, the isolation of the (-)-diastereomer of 2.2 from specimens of B. leachii collected from the Kariega River mouth (near Kenton-on-Sea) suggests that the South African specimens of this species are similar to specimens collected from Puerto Rico and from the Mediterranean Sea. Two different chromatographic techniques for isolating 2.2 were compared in order to maximize the amount of 2.2 isolated from the Kariega River mouth sea hares. The doubling of selected resonances observed in both the ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra of the bursatellin isolated in this study suggest one of three possibilities; either firstly, the presence of closely related compound(s), secondly, the presence of diastereomers or thirdly the presence of rotamers. Through NMR kinetic studies, we were able to establish that the presence of rotamers was very unlikely due to no change in the relative ratio (3:1) of the ¹H NMR signals with an increase in temperature. Although the attempted synthesis of the acetate derivative (2.28), as a means of separating a diastereomeric mixture was successful, the chromatographic separation of the proposed acetylated diastereomers was not successful. Preparation of the camphanate ester derivatives (e.g. 2.30) proved to be unsuccessful. Five B. leachii specimens were dissected, their organs separated and individually extracted with methanol. The methanol extracts were individually chromatographed on HP-20 media, and the distribution of bursatellin determined by isolation and NMR. It was evident from this investigation that the distribution of 2.2 within individual B. leachii specimens was found to be highest within the B. leachii ink gland. The lower amounts of 2.2 contained in the digestive system, relative to other organs, was hypothesized to occur because 2.2 is sequestered from the diet of the sea hare and efficiently moved from the gut to various organs around the body where it is stored. The absence of 2.2 from the skin was surprising and may be a result of a smaller mass of skin relative to other organs coupled with the limitations of the chromatographic separation techniques employed. Surprisingly, no bursatellin was found within juvenile sea hares. Chapter three discusses the isolation of ilimaquinone (3.1) and pelorol (3.19) from the sponge Hippospongia metachroma and the structure elucidation of each compound using computer modeling to illustrate the conformation. It was deemed necessary to isolate these well known and abundant bioactive marine natural products from a sponge as standard compounds in the bioassays given the paucity of 2.2 available for this study. Chapter four describes the assays used to test the biological activity of the bursatellin 2.2 compared to the generally bioactive ilimaquinone and the structurally related and commercially available broad spectrum antibiotic chloramphenicol. B. leachii, a shell-less marine mollusc inhabits a variety of intertidal habitats and, therefore, is exposed to several different predators, yet does not appear to have any specific predators. Potential predators of this sea hare in the Kariega Estuary could be fish and amphipods which are found in close proximity to these sea hares. Results of the assays showed that at roughly natural concentrations, (calculated from the isolated chromatographic yield) feeding was deterred by the fish and amphipods, which implied that 2.2 may confer a defensive role within the organism. The relatively high concentration present within the ink gland of B. leachii may support this hypothesis. Surprisingly, given its structural similarity to chloramphenicol, 2.3 did not show any antimicrobial action against five of the six bacterial strains against which it was screened [chloramphenicol inhibited the growth of all the bacterial strains at very low concentrations (0.25 mg/mL)]. Bursatellin was found to be only active against Staphylococus aureus at high concentrations ca. 2 mg/mL when compared to chloramphenicol. Neither bursatellin nor chloramphenicol showed anti-fungal activity. Although this study suggests that the sea hares may use chemical defences in addition to opaline ink to defend themselves, they also live within the seagrass Z. capensis, which possibly provides the sea hare with a cryptic form of physical defence against several predators that are unable to swim freely within the weed beds in the littoral zone of the estuary. , Adobe Acrobat 9.53 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: D'Souza, Nicole
- Date: 2013 , 2013-03-22
- Subjects: Sea hares (Mollusks) -- South Africa -- Kenton-on-Sea , Sea hares (Mollusks) -- Ecology -- South Africa -- Kenton-on-Sea , Sea hares (Mollusks) -- Behavior -- South Africa -- Kenton-on-Sea , Sea hares (Mollusks) -- Defenses -- Behavior -- South Africa -- Kenton-on-Sea
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:4283 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002952 , Sea hares (Mollusks) -- South Africa -- Kenton-on-Sea , Sea hares (Mollusks) -- Ecology -- South Africa -- Kenton-on-Sea , Sea hares (Mollusks) -- Behavior -- South Africa -- Kenton-on-Sea , Sea hares (Mollusks) -- Defenses -- Behavior -- South Africa -- Kenton-on-Sea
- Description: The large cosmopolitan sea hare Bursatella leachii is a common resident in Eastern Cape river mouths during summer and late autumn where they congregate in beds of Zostera capensis to breed. In this thesis, the previously known toxic formamide marine secondary metabolite (-)-bursatellin (2.2), which may deter predators of South African specimens of the globally distributed sea hare Bursatella leachii, was isolated and identified (Chapter 2). There have been no previous chemical ecology studies of B. leachii and the latter half of this thesis is devoted to chemical ecology studies of this organism. Interestingly, the isolation of the (-)-diastereomer of 2.2 from specimens of B. leachii collected from the Kariega River mouth (near Kenton-on-Sea) suggests that the South African specimens of this species are similar to specimens collected from Puerto Rico and from the Mediterranean Sea. Two different chromatographic techniques for isolating 2.2 were compared in order to maximize the amount of 2.2 isolated from the Kariega River mouth sea hares. The doubling of selected resonances observed in both the ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra of the bursatellin isolated in this study suggest one of three possibilities; either firstly, the presence of closely related compound(s), secondly, the presence of diastereomers or thirdly the presence of rotamers. Through NMR kinetic studies, we were able to establish that the presence of rotamers was very unlikely due to no change in the relative ratio (3:1) of the ¹H NMR signals with an increase in temperature. Although the attempted synthesis of the acetate derivative (2.28), as a means of separating a diastereomeric mixture was successful, the chromatographic separation of the proposed acetylated diastereomers was not successful. Preparation of the camphanate ester derivatives (e.g. 2.30) proved to be unsuccessful. Five B. leachii specimens were dissected, their organs separated and individually extracted with methanol. The methanol extracts were individually chromatographed on HP-20 media, and the distribution of bursatellin determined by isolation and NMR. It was evident from this investigation that the distribution of 2.2 within individual B. leachii specimens was found to be highest within the B. leachii ink gland. The lower amounts of 2.2 contained in the digestive system, relative to other organs, was hypothesized to occur because 2.2 is sequestered from the diet of the sea hare and efficiently moved from the gut to various organs around the body where it is stored. The absence of 2.2 from the skin was surprising and may be a result of a smaller mass of skin relative to other organs coupled with the limitations of the chromatographic separation techniques employed. Surprisingly, no bursatellin was found within juvenile sea hares. Chapter three discusses the isolation of ilimaquinone (3.1) and pelorol (3.19) from the sponge Hippospongia metachroma and the structure elucidation of each compound using computer modeling to illustrate the conformation. It was deemed necessary to isolate these well known and abundant bioactive marine natural products from a sponge as standard compounds in the bioassays given the paucity of 2.2 available for this study. Chapter four describes the assays used to test the biological activity of the bursatellin 2.2 compared to the generally bioactive ilimaquinone and the structurally related and commercially available broad spectrum antibiotic chloramphenicol. B. leachii, a shell-less marine mollusc inhabits a variety of intertidal habitats and, therefore, is exposed to several different predators, yet does not appear to have any specific predators. Potential predators of this sea hare in the Kariega Estuary could be fish and amphipods which are found in close proximity to these sea hares. Results of the assays showed that at roughly natural concentrations, (calculated from the isolated chromatographic yield) feeding was deterred by the fish and amphipods, which implied that 2.2 may confer a defensive role within the organism. The relatively high concentration present within the ink gland of B. leachii may support this hypothesis. Surprisingly, given its structural similarity to chloramphenicol, 2.3 did not show any antimicrobial action against five of the six bacterial strains against which it was screened [chloramphenicol inhibited the growth of all the bacterial strains at very low concentrations (0.25 mg/mL)]. Bursatellin was found to be only active against Staphylococus aureus at high concentrations ca. 2 mg/mL when compared to chloramphenicol. Neither bursatellin nor chloramphenicol showed anti-fungal activity. Although this study suggests that the sea hares may use chemical defences in addition to opaline ink to defend themselves, they also live within the seagrass Z. capensis, which possibly provides the sea hare with a cryptic form of physical defence against several predators that are unable to swim freely within the weed beds in the littoral zone of the estuary. , Adobe Acrobat 9.53 Paper Capture Plug-in
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A mathematical investigation of the effects of sexual orientation and HIV status on HPV transmission and vaccination
- Authors: Holtzhausen, Tresia Louisa
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Virus diseases -- Mathematical models , Cervix uteri -- Cancer -- Treatment , Sexual orientation , Immune response -- Mathematical models
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/3946 , vital:20494
- Description: The effect of the inclusion of sexual behaviour, particularly three sexual orientation classes, on the transmission dynamics of HPV and cervical cancer incidence was investigated. A comprehensive literature review of mathematical models of HPV transmission and the natural history of cervical cancer was concluded. A mathematical model using ordinary differential equations was developed, which incorporated the three sexual orientation classes, and a sexual mixing algorithm for modelling the transmission dynamics. Reproduction numbers, determined through a simplified version of the developed model, indicated that the bisexual population could form a bridge between the heterosexual and homosexual population. The level of interaction is determined by the selection preferences of a bisexual individual to form a partnership with an individual of the same or opposite sex. The model was simulated, with parameters based on a South African population and HPV type 16/18, to investigate the effects of HIV status, sexual orientation and various vaccination strategies on HPV transmission and cervical cancer incidence. The results indicated that HIV status is a significant factor when determining cervical cancer incidence. The results regarding vaccination strategies agreed with results from the literature review with a two sex before sexual debut and catch up program the most effective, noting that with increased vaccination coverage of females the marginal impact on cervical cancer incidence of this approach diminished.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Holtzhausen, Tresia Louisa
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Virus diseases -- Mathematical models , Cervix uteri -- Cancer -- Treatment , Sexual orientation , Immune response -- Mathematical models
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/3946 , vital:20494
- Description: The effect of the inclusion of sexual behaviour, particularly three sexual orientation classes, on the transmission dynamics of HPV and cervical cancer incidence was investigated. A comprehensive literature review of mathematical models of HPV transmission and the natural history of cervical cancer was concluded. A mathematical model using ordinary differential equations was developed, which incorporated the three sexual orientation classes, and a sexual mixing algorithm for modelling the transmission dynamics. Reproduction numbers, determined through a simplified version of the developed model, indicated that the bisexual population could form a bridge between the heterosexual and homosexual population. The level of interaction is determined by the selection preferences of a bisexual individual to form a partnership with an individual of the same or opposite sex. The model was simulated, with parameters based on a South African population and HPV type 16/18, to investigate the effects of HIV status, sexual orientation and various vaccination strategies on HPV transmission and cervical cancer incidence. The results indicated that HIV status is a significant factor when determining cervical cancer incidence. The results regarding vaccination strategies agreed with results from the literature review with a two sex before sexual debut and catch up program the most effective, noting that with increased vaccination coverage of females the marginal impact on cervical cancer incidence of this approach diminished.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
A maturing manifesto: the constitutionalisation of children’s rights in South African jurisprudence 2007-2012
- Sloth-Nielsen, Julia, Kruuse, Helen
- Authors: Sloth-Nielsen, Julia , Kruuse, Helen
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/68972 , vital:29344 , http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15718182-02102005
- Description: Pre-print , This article represents the next in a series of five-year overviews of children’s rights in the courts in South Africa. Using the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Welfare of Children as a point of departure, the study suggests that it is in the public sphere that children’s rights have had their most impact in the period under review. The article highlights eight areas of distinction in this five-year period: these include judicial approval of resource mobilisation for the fulfilment of children’s rights, emphasis on the quality of and standards in education; the development of innovative remedies to deal with unreasonable state measures affecting children, and an increasing focus on the right to dignity of the child. The authors conclude that the scope of the cases cited points to the growing insertion of children’s rights considerations in increasingly diverse areas of legal interaction. Furthermore, the authors posit that the CRC and ACRWC – together with non-binding sources of international law – have substantively informed and enriched the jurisprudence of South African courts.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013
- Authors: Sloth-Nielsen, Julia , Kruuse, Helen
- Date: 2013
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/68972 , vital:29344 , http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15718182-02102005
- Description: Pre-print , This article represents the next in a series of five-year overviews of children’s rights in the courts in South Africa. Using the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Welfare of Children as a point of departure, the study suggests that it is in the public sphere that children’s rights have had their most impact in the period under review. The article highlights eight areas of distinction in this five-year period: these include judicial approval of resource mobilisation for the fulfilment of children’s rights, emphasis on the quality of and standards in education; the development of innovative remedies to deal with unreasonable state measures affecting children, and an increasing focus on the right to dignity of the child. The authors conclude that the scope of the cases cited points to the growing insertion of children’s rights considerations in increasingly diverse areas of legal interaction. Furthermore, the authors posit that the CRC and ACRWC – together with non-binding sources of international law – have substantively informed and enriched the jurisprudence of South African courts.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2013