The effectiveness of networking and collaboration in creative hubs: a case of Hub@Goethe
- Authors: De Beer, Magdalena Gertruda
- Date: 2022-04-06
- Subjects: Cultural industries South Africa , Cultural industries Economic aspects South Africa , Economic development projects South Africa , Social entrepreneurship South Africa , Creative ability Economic aspects South Africa , Social capital (Sociology) South Africa , Social networks South Africa , Hub@Goethe
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/284504 , vital:56069
- Description: This research took the form of a case study investigating the effectiveness of a single hub in South Africa, namely Hub@Goethe in Johannesburg. The context of the creative economy and creative industries provided insight into the experiences of creative cultural labourers in the new economic model. The context emphasised the research problem which considered the difficulties experienced by creative and cultural entrepreneurs and their career paths who, through labour precarity, remain isolated from the market, without access to physical spaces, network connections and business knowledge to realise their business ideas. The literature reviewed revealed how co-working office spaces, creative spaces and hubs provide creative entrepreneurs with the spatial infrastructure, amenities, and network access to mitigate challenges in the creative cultural sectors. These spaces offer a multitude of different amenities which is specific to their community’s needs. Guided by the theory of social capital and structural holes reviewed in the literature, the effectiveness was assessed by the hub’s ability to provide network access benefits or resource endowments. The research looked at whether the hub could provide creative cultural entrepreneurs with resource benefits such as a) access to social interactions, collaboration, and knowledge sharing, b) access to business or professional skills-based education programmes and mentorship, c) access to market and d) generation both social and economic benefit. The research adopted a qualitative approach, seeking insights into the creative entrepreneurs’ experiences at the hub utilising one-to-one interviews. The thematic analysis confirmed that the hub was effective overall in providing entrepreneurs with access to benefits or resource endowments embedded in the network, confirming that hubs may be an effective tool in mitigating difficulties experienced by creative entrepreneurs in the creative industries. The research also showed areas of improvement where the hub could increase its experienced effectiveness, especially in reference to routes to market. The research findings inferred the importance of physical space, proximity and accessibility has on collaborative practices amongst creative entrepreneurs within the hub space. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Commerce, Rhodes Business School, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-06
- Authors: De Beer, Magdalena Gertruda
- Date: 2022-04-06
- Subjects: Cultural industries South Africa , Cultural industries Economic aspects South Africa , Economic development projects South Africa , Social entrepreneurship South Africa , Creative ability Economic aspects South Africa , Social capital (Sociology) South Africa , Social networks South Africa , Hub@Goethe
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/284504 , vital:56069
- Description: This research took the form of a case study investigating the effectiveness of a single hub in South Africa, namely Hub@Goethe in Johannesburg. The context of the creative economy and creative industries provided insight into the experiences of creative cultural labourers in the new economic model. The context emphasised the research problem which considered the difficulties experienced by creative and cultural entrepreneurs and their career paths who, through labour precarity, remain isolated from the market, without access to physical spaces, network connections and business knowledge to realise their business ideas. The literature reviewed revealed how co-working office spaces, creative spaces and hubs provide creative entrepreneurs with the spatial infrastructure, amenities, and network access to mitigate challenges in the creative cultural sectors. These spaces offer a multitude of different amenities which is specific to their community’s needs. Guided by the theory of social capital and structural holes reviewed in the literature, the effectiveness was assessed by the hub’s ability to provide network access benefits or resource endowments. The research looked at whether the hub could provide creative cultural entrepreneurs with resource benefits such as a) access to social interactions, collaboration, and knowledge sharing, b) access to business or professional skills-based education programmes and mentorship, c) access to market and d) generation both social and economic benefit. The research adopted a qualitative approach, seeking insights into the creative entrepreneurs’ experiences at the hub utilising one-to-one interviews. The thematic analysis confirmed that the hub was effective overall in providing entrepreneurs with access to benefits or resource endowments embedded in the network, confirming that hubs may be an effective tool in mitigating difficulties experienced by creative entrepreneurs in the creative industries. The research also showed areas of improvement where the hub could increase its experienced effectiveness, especially in reference to routes to market. The research findings inferred the importance of physical space, proximity and accessibility has on collaborative practices amongst creative entrepreneurs within the hub space. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Commerce, Rhodes Business School, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-06
A critical analysis of how the potential of Dynamic Geometry Software as a visualisation tool may enhance the teaching of Mathematics
- Authors: Mavani, Beena Deepak
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Mathematics -- Computer-assisted instruction , Geometry -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Manipulatives (Education) -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Information visualization , Mathematics teachers -- Training of -- South Africa -- Mthatha , GeoGebra Literacy Initiative Project (GLIP) , Dynamic Geometry Software (DGS)
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177192 , vital:42798 , 10.21504/10962/177192
- Description: Visualisation in the mathematics classroom has its own pedagogical value and plays a significant role in developing mathematical intuition, thought and ideas. Dynamic visualisation possibilities of current digital technologies afford new ways of teaching and learning mathematics. The freely available GeoGebra software package is highly interactive and makes use of powerful features to create objects that are dynamic, and which can be moved around on the computer screen for mathematical exploration. This research study was conceptualised within the GeoGebra Literacy Initiative Project (GLIP) – an ICT teacher development project in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The focus of this study was on how GeoGebra could be used as a teaching tool by harnessing its powerful visualisation capacity. In the study, selected GLIP teachers collaboratively developed GeoGebra applets, then implemented and evaluated them. The research methodology took the form of action research cycles in which the design, implementation and evaluation of successive applets determined the data gathering and analysis process. My data consisted mainly of recorded observations and reflective interviews. The underlying theoretical foundation of this study lies in constructivism, which aligned well with the conceptual and analytical framework of Kilpatrick et al.’s (2001) description of teaching proficiency. An in-depth analysis of my classroom observations resulted in multiple narratives that illuminated how teachers harnessed the visualisation capabilities inherent in the software. My findings showed that dynamic visualisation and interactivity afforded by the use of technology are key enabling factors for teachers to enhance the visualisation of mathematical concepts. My analysis across participants also showed that technical difficulties often compromised the use of technology in the teaching of mathematics. The significance of this research is its contribution to the ongoing deliberations of visualisation and utilisation of technological resources, particularly through the empowerment of a community of teachers. The findings recognised that the integration of technology required appropriate training, proper planning and continuous support and resources for the teaching of mathematics. This action research provided insightful information on integrating Dynamic Geometry Software (DGS) tools in mathematics classrooms that could be useful to teachers and curriculum planners. , Thesis (PhD) -- Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
- Authors: Mavani, Beena Deepak
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Mathematics -- Computer-assisted instruction , Geometry -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Manipulatives (Education) -- South Africa -- Mthatha , Information visualization , Mathematics teachers -- Training of -- South Africa -- Mthatha , GeoGebra Literacy Initiative Project (GLIP) , Dynamic Geometry Software (DGS)
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/177192 , vital:42798 , 10.21504/10962/177192
- Description: Visualisation in the mathematics classroom has its own pedagogical value and plays a significant role in developing mathematical intuition, thought and ideas. Dynamic visualisation possibilities of current digital technologies afford new ways of teaching and learning mathematics. The freely available GeoGebra software package is highly interactive and makes use of powerful features to create objects that are dynamic, and which can be moved around on the computer screen for mathematical exploration. This research study was conceptualised within the GeoGebra Literacy Initiative Project (GLIP) – an ICT teacher development project in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The focus of this study was on how GeoGebra could be used as a teaching tool by harnessing its powerful visualisation capacity. In the study, selected GLIP teachers collaboratively developed GeoGebra applets, then implemented and evaluated them. The research methodology took the form of action research cycles in which the design, implementation and evaluation of successive applets determined the data gathering and analysis process. My data consisted mainly of recorded observations and reflective interviews. The underlying theoretical foundation of this study lies in constructivism, which aligned well with the conceptual and analytical framework of Kilpatrick et al.’s (2001) description of teaching proficiency. An in-depth analysis of my classroom observations resulted in multiple narratives that illuminated how teachers harnessed the visualisation capabilities inherent in the software. My findings showed that dynamic visualisation and interactivity afforded by the use of technology are key enabling factors for teachers to enhance the visualisation of mathematical concepts. My analysis across participants also showed that technical difficulties often compromised the use of technology in the teaching of mathematics. The significance of this research is its contribution to the ongoing deliberations of visualisation and utilisation of technological resources, particularly through the empowerment of a community of teachers. The findings recognised that the integration of technology required appropriate training, proper planning and continuous support and resources for the teaching of mathematics. This action research provided insightful information on integrating Dynamic Geometry Software (DGS) tools in mathematics classrooms that could be useful to teachers and curriculum planners. , Thesis (PhD) -- Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
Anisotropic copper oxide nanorods decorated with gold and palladium nanoparticles and their enzymatic properties
- Authors: Sicwetsha, Simbongile
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: To be added
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/178547 , vital:42949
- Description: Access restricted until April 2023. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
- Authors: Sicwetsha, Simbongile
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: To be added
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/178547 , vital:42949
- Description: Access restricted until April 2023. , Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, Chemistry, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
Exploring the influences of an intersemiotic complementarity teaching approach on Grade 9 Namibian learners’ sense-making of chemical bonding
- Aikanga, Frans Paulus Shintaleleni
- Authors: Aikanga, Frans Paulus Shintaleleni
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Physical sciences -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia , Chemical bonds , Semiotics , Cognition in children , Communication in education , Language and education -- Namibia , Visual learning , Verbal learning
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/178281 , vital:42927
- Description: Anecdotal evidence from my 10 years’ experience teaching Grade 9 Physical Science in Namibian schools revealed learners’ difficulty with making sense of chemical bonding. The Junior Secondary examiners’ reports in recent consecutive years (2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017) also revealed this challenge among Grade 10 learners (Namibia. Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture [MoEAC], 2017). The language of learning and teaching (LoLT) for most school subjects (including Physical Science) in Namibia is English, which is taken as a second language by most learners (Kisting, 2011). The results of the English Language Proficiency test written by all principals and teachers in Namibia show that most are not proficient in this language (Kisting, 2011). This has raised concern as to how teaching of content subjects may be undertaken effectively with English as the LoLT. In Namibia, chemical bonding is part of the chemistry section of Physical Science, taught as a sub-topic under the Matter section, where the nature, characteristics, and behaviour of three states of matter are explained. The difficulty students have with chemical bonding is identified as being due to complex chemical concepts (Chittleborough & Mamiala, 2006), and the specialised language of the topic these concepts involve (Gilbert & Treagust, 2009). Additionally, this difficulty may be ascribed to lack of suitable pedagogic approaches, which is linked to science teachers not being fluent in the LoLT. Despite this link, Johnstone (1982) posits that addressing the challenge of teaching and learning chemical knowledge requires teachers’ understanding of three levels of representation: macroscopic, sub-microscopic, and symbolic. Addressing this challenge may be accomplished by using multimodality in teaching, which is achievable via intersemiosis of different semiotic modes, drawing from Systemic Functional Linguistics. This is due to non-linguistic modes also having the potential to make meaning as language does, and the fact that language alone cannot fully enable effective meaning-making in discourses that are inherently multimodal, such as science. Some studies have suggested that the intersemiosis of visual and verbal semiotic modes has the potential to enable more meaning-making of scientific discourse than either of these two alone. The study reported on in this thesis has built on such previous studies in order to explore the influences of a visual-verbal intersemiotic complementarity teaching approach on Grade 9 Namibian learners’ sense-making of chemical bonding. No studies from Namibia exploring these influences on Grade 9 learners could be found. This revealed the knowledge gap that this study aimed to contribute to filling. I accomplished this goal by embarking on a two-cycle action research study. The first cycle followed a traditional teaching approach and assessment, whereas the second cycle, the intervention, included a visual-verbal intersemiotic complementarity teaching approach and assessment. I achieved visual-verbal intersemiotic complementarity teaching and assessment by coordinating spoken and written language with visuals in the form of diagrams and physical models. The critical paradigm was adopted to explore the influences of this pedagogic approach, with the underlying aim of exploring the intervention approach for bringing about a change in learners’ sense-making of chemical bonding, compared to traditional approaches that do not consider intersemiosis. This study is informed by Vygotsky’s (1978) social constructivism to account for learning as a product of social construction, and Halliday’s (1978) Systemic Functional Linguistics to account for the role played by semiotic modes in making meanings. This study involved collecting qualitative data that were accessed via document analysis, structured lesson observation, the teacher’s and learners’ reflective journals, and the pre- and post-test. Collecting these data was facilitated by a critical friend. The results reveal a positive influence of the visual-verbal intersemiotic complementarity teaching approach on Grade 9 Namibian learners’ sense-making of chemical bonding. This influence was realised in the noticeable shift from the learners’ discourse (use of talk and visuals) being perceptual (which is less scientific) to being idea-based (which is more scientific). Learners were also found to be self-motivated and keen to learn complex chemical bonding concepts after the intervention – another sign of their making sense of the topic. The implications of this study include that visual-verbal intersemiotic complementarity should be considered a pedagogic approach to chemical bonding by curriculum developers and reviewers, teacher training institutions, and science textbook authors. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
- Authors: Aikanga, Frans Paulus Shintaleleni
- Date: 2021-04
- Subjects: Physical sciences -- Study and teaching (Secondary) -- Namibia , Chemical bonds , Semiotics , Cognition in children , Communication in education , Language and education -- Namibia , Visual learning , Verbal learning
- Language: English
- Type: thesis , text , Masters , MEd
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/178281 , vital:42927
- Description: Anecdotal evidence from my 10 years’ experience teaching Grade 9 Physical Science in Namibian schools revealed learners’ difficulty with making sense of chemical bonding. The Junior Secondary examiners’ reports in recent consecutive years (2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017) also revealed this challenge among Grade 10 learners (Namibia. Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture [MoEAC], 2017). The language of learning and teaching (LoLT) for most school subjects (including Physical Science) in Namibia is English, which is taken as a second language by most learners (Kisting, 2011). The results of the English Language Proficiency test written by all principals and teachers in Namibia show that most are not proficient in this language (Kisting, 2011). This has raised concern as to how teaching of content subjects may be undertaken effectively with English as the LoLT. In Namibia, chemical bonding is part of the chemistry section of Physical Science, taught as a sub-topic under the Matter section, where the nature, characteristics, and behaviour of three states of matter are explained. The difficulty students have with chemical bonding is identified as being due to complex chemical concepts (Chittleborough & Mamiala, 2006), and the specialised language of the topic these concepts involve (Gilbert & Treagust, 2009). Additionally, this difficulty may be ascribed to lack of suitable pedagogic approaches, which is linked to science teachers not being fluent in the LoLT. Despite this link, Johnstone (1982) posits that addressing the challenge of teaching and learning chemical knowledge requires teachers’ understanding of three levels of representation: macroscopic, sub-microscopic, and symbolic. Addressing this challenge may be accomplished by using multimodality in teaching, which is achievable via intersemiosis of different semiotic modes, drawing from Systemic Functional Linguistics. This is due to non-linguistic modes also having the potential to make meaning as language does, and the fact that language alone cannot fully enable effective meaning-making in discourses that are inherently multimodal, such as science. Some studies have suggested that the intersemiosis of visual and verbal semiotic modes has the potential to enable more meaning-making of scientific discourse than either of these two alone. The study reported on in this thesis has built on such previous studies in order to explore the influences of a visual-verbal intersemiotic complementarity teaching approach on Grade 9 Namibian learners’ sense-making of chemical bonding. No studies from Namibia exploring these influences on Grade 9 learners could be found. This revealed the knowledge gap that this study aimed to contribute to filling. I accomplished this goal by embarking on a two-cycle action research study. The first cycle followed a traditional teaching approach and assessment, whereas the second cycle, the intervention, included a visual-verbal intersemiotic complementarity teaching approach and assessment. I achieved visual-verbal intersemiotic complementarity teaching and assessment by coordinating spoken and written language with visuals in the form of diagrams and physical models. The critical paradigm was adopted to explore the influences of this pedagogic approach, with the underlying aim of exploring the intervention approach for bringing about a change in learners’ sense-making of chemical bonding, compared to traditional approaches that do not consider intersemiosis. This study is informed by Vygotsky’s (1978) social constructivism to account for learning as a product of social construction, and Halliday’s (1978) Systemic Functional Linguistics to account for the role played by semiotic modes in making meanings. This study involved collecting qualitative data that were accessed via document analysis, structured lesson observation, the teacher’s and learners’ reflective journals, and the pre- and post-test. Collecting these data was facilitated by a critical friend. The results reveal a positive influence of the visual-verbal intersemiotic complementarity teaching approach on Grade 9 Namibian learners’ sense-making of chemical bonding. This influence was realised in the noticeable shift from the learners’ discourse (use of talk and visuals) being perceptual (which is less scientific) to being idea-based (which is more scientific). Learners were also found to be self-motivated and keen to learn complex chemical bonding concepts after the intervention – another sign of their making sense of the topic. The implications of this study include that visual-verbal intersemiotic complementarity should be considered a pedagogic approach to chemical bonding by curriculum developers and reviewers, teacher training institutions, and science textbook authors. , Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Education, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-04
An analysis of intellectual property awareness among researchers at University of Fort Hare, Alice, South Africa
- Mawokomayi-Moffat, Betina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7299-7327
- Authors: Mawokomayi-Moffat, Betina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7299-7327
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Intellectual property
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21224 , vital:47418
- Description: This study emerges in the period whereby innovation has become relevant in today’s society. Globally, universities are shifting from being merely centers of learning to becoming entrepreneurial universities as they are commercialising their intellectual property (IP). This study analyses IP awareness among researchers at University of Fort Hare (UFH). The study was informed by the pragmatic paradigm and a mixed-methods design was used to collect data. The study focuses on IP awareness activities conducted between 2016 and 2019, data was collected between January 2020 and November 2020 as there was need for collecting more data from the Innovation Office to supplement the data that was initially collected. Closed ended questionnaires were distributed to researchers at UFH since they are potential IP creators, an open-ended questionnaire was also used to collect data from one key informant from the Innovation Office, and a semi-structured interview was conducted with one key informant from the Innovation Office at UFH. Thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data from qualitative responses on questionnaires, interview responses and the UFH IP policy. Statistical Package for Social Sciences and Microsoft Excel were used to analyse quantitative data. The study revealed that the UFH Innovation Office employs various communication strategies to create awareness of IP among researchers and that the Office hosts at least three IP workshops each year. The study found out that methods used to create awareness include social media posts, email communication, distributing booklets and fliers that contain IP information, interactive discussions with IP experts, and small visits to faculty researchers, or research groups to conduct presentations on IP. However, despite these initiatives at the University, the study found out that researchers have a low level of IP awareness and this needs to be addressed by the Innovation Office. Interestingly, the results further indicated that UFH values IP and in responding to the requirements of the Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Funded Research Act, of 2008, the University established its Technology Transfer Office that is responsible for facilitation of commercialisation of research outputs and creating awareness of IP among researchers. The study recommends the need to improve communication strategies for IP awareness and that the Office should employ diversified strategies to educate researchers about the importance of IP and its protection and that awareness activities should not be a once off activity but continuous. The study also recommends the University and the government to consider incorporating IP modules in the curriculum of all disciplines so that every student and researcher would have the knowledge of IP and how it affects people’s lives. The study also recommends that research and development should be prioritised as innovations emanate from research projects. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Mawokomayi-Moffat, Betina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7299-7327
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Intellectual property
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21224 , vital:47418
- Description: This study emerges in the period whereby innovation has become relevant in today’s society. Globally, universities are shifting from being merely centers of learning to becoming entrepreneurial universities as they are commercialising their intellectual property (IP). This study analyses IP awareness among researchers at University of Fort Hare (UFH). The study was informed by the pragmatic paradigm and a mixed-methods design was used to collect data. The study focuses on IP awareness activities conducted between 2016 and 2019, data was collected between January 2020 and November 2020 as there was need for collecting more data from the Innovation Office to supplement the data that was initially collected. Closed ended questionnaires were distributed to researchers at UFH since they are potential IP creators, an open-ended questionnaire was also used to collect data from one key informant from the Innovation Office, and a semi-structured interview was conducted with one key informant from the Innovation Office at UFH. Thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data from qualitative responses on questionnaires, interview responses and the UFH IP policy. Statistical Package for Social Sciences and Microsoft Excel were used to analyse quantitative data. The study revealed that the UFH Innovation Office employs various communication strategies to create awareness of IP among researchers and that the Office hosts at least three IP workshops each year. The study found out that methods used to create awareness include social media posts, email communication, distributing booklets and fliers that contain IP information, interactive discussions with IP experts, and small visits to faculty researchers, or research groups to conduct presentations on IP. However, despite these initiatives at the University, the study found out that researchers have a low level of IP awareness and this needs to be addressed by the Innovation Office. Interestingly, the results further indicated that UFH values IP and in responding to the requirements of the Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Funded Research Act, of 2008, the University established its Technology Transfer Office that is responsible for facilitation of commercialisation of research outputs and creating awareness of IP among researchers. The study recommends the need to improve communication strategies for IP awareness and that the Office should employ diversified strategies to educate researchers about the importance of IP and its protection and that awareness activities should not be a once off activity but continuous. The study also recommends the University and the government to consider incorporating IP modules in the curriculum of all disciplines so that every student and researcher would have the knowledge of IP and how it affects people’s lives. The study also recommends that research and development should be prioritised as innovations emanate from research projects. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
An analysis of special needs in a.a. milne’s children’s series, winnie the pooh, and the updated pooh series authored by david benedictus
- Authors: van Tonder, Tarryn
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: children’s literature , Children with disabilities--Education , Special education
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21189 , vital:47393
- Description: A. A. Milne was an author that made an impact on the development of children’s literature that continues today. His collection of books, inspired by his own life experiences, has paved the way for the development of recognising individuals that behave in ways that are contrary to societal norms, a topic that had been given little attention before the Winnie the Pooh books were written. These little children’s books were a front runner in the discussion of disabilities and special needs characters in children’s literature and revealed to children that they did not need to be fearful of individuals who were unlike them. Winnie the Pooh books encouraged sensitivity toward those with disabilities and special needs and illustrated how one could show acceptance in a loving and safe environment. The Winnie the Pooh series incorporates captivating and endearing characters with physical or mental aberrations, thus, educating society, enlightening readers and paving the way for literature to incorporate novel characters that have physical barriers or deformities. Each character in the Winnie the Pooh books is unique in his or her own way, displaying various special needs, character ‘flaws’, personalities and disabilities. These special needs characters are depicted honestly and with a wry sense of humour wherein each is accepted despite his or her foibles. This collection of books opposed the norm in children’s literature of shunning differences and disabilities, but addressed this topic in an open, tolerant manner, enabling children around the globe to embrace the characters because of their uniqueness. A. A Milne defied society’s rules and norms and paved the way for child readers to be introduced to individuals with special needs in a fresh, inviting way, encouraging these young readers to envision affirming experiences in their interactions with special needs individuals. These books endeavoured to positively change perceptions concerning special needs and disabilities. As a result, the Winnie the Pooh books have altered mind-sets and inspired this topic to be brought to the forefront. This project seeks to provide an exploration of special needs within the characters of the Winnie the Pooh collection of books authored by A.A Milne, as well as the contemporary renditions of these books authored by David Benedictus, by analysing the characters through a psychoanalytical lens, as well as providing an extensive examination through the medical and social theories of disability. Thus, the study will provide a thorough, text-based literary analysis by discussing three main areas regarding the topic of special needs in Winnie the Pooh. The three focal areas in this study are as follows: firstly, to analyse the manner in which special needs or disabilities had been previously addressed and depicted in children’s literature; secondly, to identify the special needs traits in each of the Winnie the Pooh characters and examine how each of them are depicted or portrayed in the books written by A. A. Milne and David Benedictus; and thirdly, to examine what the other characters do to illustrate their acceptance of the special needs characters and consider how these books can be used as a tool in bibliotherapy. The analysis of The Winnie the Pooh books is important due to the way they address the topics of acceptance, friendship and love for individuals with special needs and disabilities. This study significantly contributes to the literary debates on the topics of special needs characters and their portrayal in children’s literature. The topic of special needs is on the rise in political and social debates and more efforts are made to create inclusion in society. Literature plays a fundamental role in shaping children’s perspectives on acceptance or fear regarding individuals who differ from them, including those that have special needs or a disability. Characters with special needs or disabilities have constantly been identified as villains, malevolent and rejected by society. A.A. Milne’s portrayal of characters with special needs in a friendly, loving and accepting way has made children from around the world fall in love with these characters. This study will contribute to the growing understanding of special needs and disabilities as represented in literature and contribute to the breadth of research on A.A. Milne’s, Winnie the Pooh books. , Thesis (MA) (English) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: van Tonder, Tarryn
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: children’s literature , Children with disabilities--Education , Special education
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21189 , vital:47393
- Description: A. A. Milne was an author that made an impact on the development of children’s literature that continues today. His collection of books, inspired by his own life experiences, has paved the way for the development of recognising individuals that behave in ways that are contrary to societal norms, a topic that had been given little attention before the Winnie the Pooh books were written. These little children’s books were a front runner in the discussion of disabilities and special needs characters in children’s literature and revealed to children that they did not need to be fearful of individuals who were unlike them. Winnie the Pooh books encouraged sensitivity toward those with disabilities and special needs and illustrated how one could show acceptance in a loving and safe environment. The Winnie the Pooh series incorporates captivating and endearing characters with physical or mental aberrations, thus, educating society, enlightening readers and paving the way for literature to incorporate novel characters that have physical barriers or deformities. Each character in the Winnie the Pooh books is unique in his or her own way, displaying various special needs, character ‘flaws’, personalities and disabilities. These special needs characters are depicted honestly and with a wry sense of humour wherein each is accepted despite his or her foibles. This collection of books opposed the norm in children’s literature of shunning differences and disabilities, but addressed this topic in an open, tolerant manner, enabling children around the globe to embrace the characters because of their uniqueness. A. A Milne defied society’s rules and norms and paved the way for child readers to be introduced to individuals with special needs in a fresh, inviting way, encouraging these young readers to envision affirming experiences in their interactions with special needs individuals. These books endeavoured to positively change perceptions concerning special needs and disabilities. As a result, the Winnie the Pooh books have altered mind-sets and inspired this topic to be brought to the forefront. This project seeks to provide an exploration of special needs within the characters of the Winnie the Pooh collection of books authored by A.A Milne, as well as the contemporary renditions of these books authored by David Benedictus, by analysing the characters through a psychoanalytical lens, as well as providing an extensive examination through the medical and social theories of disability. Thus, the study will provide a thorough, text-based literary analysis by discussing three main areas regarding the topic of special needs in Winnie the Pooh. The three focal areas in this study are as follows: firstly, to analyse the manner in which special needs or disabilities had been previously addressed and depicted in children’s literature; secondly, to identify the special needs traits in each of the Winnie the Pooh characters and examine how each of them are depicted or portrayed in the books written by A. A. Milne and David Benedictus; and thirdly, to examine what the other characters do to illustrate their acceptance of the special needs characters and consider how these books can be used as a tool in bibliotherapy. The analysis of The Winnie the Pooh books is important due to the way they address the topics of acceptance, friendship and love for individuals with special needs and disabilities. This study significantly contributes to the literary debates on the topics of special needs characters and their portrayal in children’s literature. The topic of special needs is on the rise in political and social debates and more efforts are made to create inclusion in society. Literature plays a fundamental role in shaping children’s perspectives on acceptance or fear regarding individuals who differ from them, including those that have special needs or a disability. Characters with special needs or disabilities have constantly been identified as villains, malevolent and rejected by society. A.A. Milne’s portrayal of characters with special needs in a friendly, loving and accepting way has made children from around the world fall in love with these characters. This study will contribute to the growing understanding of special needs and disabilities as represented in literature and contribute to the breadth of research on A.A. Milne’s, Winnie the Pooh books. , Thesis (MA) (English) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Beneath the shadow of a fig tree: Exploring the Intersections of Memory, Architecture and Narrative through the Design of a Memoryscape for South End, Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Patsalos, Daniella
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Architecture, Domestic -- Designs and plans , Architecture -- South End, Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59116 , vital:60265
- Description: Operating within the fluctuating boundaries shared between memory, architecture and narrative, the following treatise explores the possibilities of magical realism as an architectural mode for the expression of hybrid realities, hidden narratives and imaginative worlds. Magical realism, in its essence, creates space for the interactions of diversity and the disruption or transgression of accepted categorical boundaries. As such, it facilitates the fusion or familial co-existence of possible worlds, spaces, systems or ideas that would be, in some contexts, incongruous, making it a useful medium for the voice of postcolonial cultures. Magical realism is subversive in nature, adopting an in-betweenness and all-at-onceness that resists, or rather inverts, conventional perceptions of what is ‘magic’ and what is ‘real’. In testing the potentialities of an architectural interpretation of magical realism, the project assumes a collective form as a magical realist memoryscape, representative of the tangible and intangible narratives that constitute the selected site of South End, Port Elizabeth. More than just the merging of the ideas of memory and landscape, a memoryscape is expressive of the interdependent, entangling manifestations of place and remembrance while also portraying an unravelling of the stories, mythic narratives, materialities and metaphysical phenomena of space. A memoryscape is therefore the point of homogenisation at which the concepts of memory, culture, emotion, narrative and landscape converge. South End was once a spirited and multicultural community faced with the involuntary trauma of displacement and loss as a result of the Group Areas Act of 1950 and the destructive ideologies of the Apartheid regime. Thus, drawing upon the themes of dreams, nightmares, memories and consciousness, the memoryscape is composed of a series of four metaphorical ‘cities’ that translate the chronologies, traces, ruins, embodied experiences and subjective iconographies into architectural realities that reflect a true cartography of the South End narrative. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Patsalos, Daniella
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Architecture, Domestic -- Designs and plans , Architecture -- South End, Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59116 , vital:60265
- Description: Operating within the fluctuating boundaries shared between memory, architecture and narrative, the following treatise explores the possibilities of magical realism as an architectural mode for the expression of hybrid realities, hidden narratives and imaginative worlds. Magical realism, in its essence, creates space for the interactions of diversity and the disruption or transgression of accepted categorical boundaries. As such, it facilitates the fusion or familial co-existence of possible worlds, spaces, systems or ideas that would be, in some contexts, incongruous, making it a useful medium for the voice of postcolonial cultures. Magical realism is subversive in nature, adopting an in-betweenness and all-at-onceness that resists, or rather inverts, conventional perceptions of what is ‘magic’ and what is ‘real’. In testing the potentialities of an architectural interpretation of magical realism, the project assumes a collective form as a magical realist memoryscape, representative of the tangible and intangible narratives that constitute the selected site of South End, Port Elizabeth. More than just the merging of the ideas of memory and landscape, a memoryscape is expressive of the interdependent, entangling manifestations of place and remembrance while also portraying an unravelling of the stories, mythic narratives, materialities and metaphysical phenomena of space. A memoryscape is therefore the point of homogenisation at which the concepts of memory, culture, emotion, narrative and landscape converge. South End was once a spirited and multicultural community faced with the involuntary trauma of displacement and loss as a result of the Group Areas Act of 1950 and the destructive ideologies of the Apartheid regime. Thus, drawing upon the themes of dreams, nightmares, memories and consciousness, the memoryscape is composed of a series of four metaphorical ‘cities’ that translate the chronologies, traces, ruins, embodied experiences and subjective iconographies into architectural realities that reflect a true cartography of the South End narrative. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Contested environmental knowledge: Struggles over meanings and uses of medicinal plants in Kabokweni, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa
- Authors: Mbeng, Emiline Oben Otang
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Medicinal plants , Ethnobiology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21146 , vital:47143
- Description: The main aim of this study was to examine the meanings attached by locals to medicinal plants in Kabokweni, Mpumalanga and how such meanings tend to shape the character of local struggles over access to, use and even commercial benefits of medicinal plants. This study draws its theoretical schema from political ecology, especially ethnoecology where the goal is to elucidate environmental conflict, most especially in terms of contestations over knowledge, power and practice, as they relate to the meaning and control of medicinal plants in Kabokweni. The study, therefore, recognises the complex interconnections between nature and society through a careful analysis of what one might call the forms of access and control over resources and their consequences for environmental health and sustainable livelihood. In-depth interviews, oral histories and non-participant observation were used to collect data and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data into meaningful themes according to the research questions and objectives of the study. The study found that Swati medicinal plant names are not subjective, but depend on socio-cultural and pragmatic perspectives, and meanings shape local struggles over medicinal plants in Kabokweni. Four underlying discourses were identified from the analysis of local narratives on the meanings and uses of medicinal plants. Each discourse offered a noticeably different concept of medicinal plants and people-plant relationships. Firstly, the ‘sustainability discourse’ referred to the role of foresters and environmentalists in sustainably managing plant resources. Secondly, the ‘livelihood discourse’ was entrenched in the local culture and economy. Thirdly, the ‘knowledge discourse’ conceptualises medicinal plants predominantly in terms of species richness and natural processes, while the ‘economic discourse’ emphasised the economic potential of medicines derived from plants as their major concern. Powerful social actors who influenced decisions about use and management of indigenous medicinal plants controlled these discourses. Finally, the study argues that rural communities would continue harvesting natural resources, even if illegally. Hence, to avert conflicts between indigenous actors and environmental agencies, communities need to be integrated into management programs, so they can be aware of some crucial issues such as sustainable harvesting of medicinal plants. , Thesis (MSoc) -- Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Mbeng, Emiline Oben Otang
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Medicinal plants , Ethnobiology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21146 , vital:47143
- Description: The main aim of this study was to examine the meanings attached by locals to medicinal plants in Kabokweni, Mpumalanga and how such meanings tend to shape the character of local struggles over access to, use and even commercial benefits of medicinal plants. This study draws its theoretical schema from political ecology, especially ethnoecology where the goal is to elucidate environmental conflict, most especially in terms of contestations over knowledge, power and practice, as they relate to the meaning and control of medicinal plants in Kabokweni. The study, therefore, recognises the complex interconnections between nature and society through a careful analysis of what one might call the forms of access and control over resources and their consequences for environmental health and sustainable livelihood. In-depth interviews, oral histories and non-participant observation were used to collect data and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data into meaningful themes according to the research questions and objectives of the study. The study found that Swati medicinal plant names are not subjective, but depend on socio-cultural and pragmatic perspectives, and meanings shape local struggles over medicinal plants in Kabokweni. Four underlying discourses were identified from the analysis of local narratives on the meanings and uses of medicinal plants. Each discourse offered a noticeably different concept of medicinal plants and people-plant relationships. Firstly, the ‘sustainability discourse’ referred to the role of foresters and environmentalists in sustainably managing plant resources. Secondly, the ‘livelihood discourse’ was entrenched in the local culture and economy. Thirdly, the ‘knowledge discourse’ conceptualises medicinal plants predominantly in terms of species richness and natural processes, while the ‘economic discourse’ emphasised the economic potential of medicines derived from plants as their major concern. Powerful social actors who influenced decisions about use and management of indigenous medicinal plants controlled these discourses. Finally, the study argues that rural communities would continue harvesting natural resources, even if illegally. Hence, to avert conflicts between indigenous actors and environmental agencies, communities need to be integrated into management programs, so they can be aware of some crucial issues such as sustainable harvesting of medicinal plants. , Thesis (MSoc) -- Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Exploring "DIGITAL ECOLOGY" as a tool for environmental conservation through : The design of a virtual eco-pack for Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Edmayr, Alexandra Charlotte
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Conservation of natural resources -- Port Elizabeth , Human ecology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59018 , vital:60256
- Description: This treatise deals with the design of a new Virtual Eco-Park and humankind's relationship to the natural world. The cultural institution of captivity has been positive and negative for the study and conservative approaches of fauna and flora. While this has had benefits, it has resulted in a dominated mindset over the 'other'. This treatise looks at the zoo and aquarium as an outdated educational platform and proposes a new perspective. This treatise explores 'digital ecology' as a tool of theoretical application. The intention is to provide environmental conservation. The design will use the virtual medium for a new immersive experience instead of the 'live exhibit'. The 'digital ecology' is also seen as spatial stacking of layers. Using Timothy Lukes theories on the three natures, this thesis applies this theory in a post-anthropocentric way by its role in generating the Virtual Eco-Park. The layers are terrestrial as an ecosystem, the territorial as the built environment and the digital as the immersive experience. These components form the skeleton of the application to the site. The Port Elizabeth manganese ore and tank farm and the surrounding area has been a dump and polluted landscape for forty years. This treatise, in its entirety, has set up an urban framework that promotes a reconnection to the ecological systems in Port Elizabeth. The 'digital ecology' and the Virtual Eco Park as a 'building' intends to regenerate/ reestablish an old industrial landscape into a new park. The building is designed to become a component of the landscape and not an object on the landscape. The result of this research will result in a final design that hosts immersive experience—bringing the 'true wild' into the urban landscape by replacing the 'tamed natural'—thereby solving the Anthropocene of the Zoo building type by reframing it as the virtual eco-park of nature. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Edmayr, Alexandra Charlotte
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Conservation of natural resources -- Port Elizabeth , Human ecology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59018 , vital:60256
- Description: This treatise deals with the design of a new Virtual Eco-Park and humankind's relationship to the natural world. The cultural institution of captivity has been positive and negative for the study and conservative approaches of fauna and flora. While this has had benefits, it has resulted in a dominated mindset over the 'other'. This treatise looks at the zoo and aquarium as an outdated educational platform and proposes a new perspective. This treatise explores 'digital ecology' as a tool of theoretical application. The intention is to provide environmental conservation. The design will use the virtual medium for a new immersive experience instead of the 'live exhibit'. The 'digital ecology' is also seen as spatial stacking of layers. Using Timothy Lukes theories on the three natures, this thesis applies this theory in a post-anthropocentric way by its role in generating the Virtual Eco-Park. The layers are terrestrial as an ecosystem, the territorial as the built environment and the digital as the immersive experience. These components form the skeleton of the application to the site. The Port Elizabeth manganese ore and tank farm and the surrounding area has been a dump and polluted landscape for forty years. This treatise, in its entirety, has set up an urban framework that promotes a reconnection to the ecological systems in Port Elizabeth. The 'digital ecology' and the Virtual Eco Park as a 'building' intends to regenerate/ reestablish an old industrial landscape into a new park. The building is designed to become a component of the landscape and not an object on the landscape. The result of this research will result in a final design that hosts immersive experience—bringing the 'true wild' into the urban landscape by replacing the 'tamed natural'—thereby solving the Anthropocene of the Zoo building type by reframing it as the virtual eco-park of nature. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Expressions of “Local” and “Global” Identity: The Design of an International Convention Centre for Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Pretorius, Hanri
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Convention facilities -- Port Elizabeth , Architecture -- Designs and plans
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59128 , vital:60266
- Description: Convention centres are highly flexible business and leisure gathering spaces where memorable experiences happen indoors. These centres are usually surrounded by perfectly manicured landscaping, strategically placed hotels in the immediate area, and an abundance of fashionable restaurants aimed at creating a lifestyle experience that will ensure that clients return. This convention centre experience can be found in almost every city that has a convention centre. These centres’ designs have become universal and their focus is aimed at outdoing one another to create a more iconic building to attract more people and host more events. This design treatise will focus on how to localise convention centre design to create a place for not only indoor experiences but outdoor experiences as well, to create a multifaceted design that will cater for convention centre activities as well as for its surrounding community, thus ensuring the creation of an urban catalyst that promotes the creation of a vibrant public gathering space. The research and process to achieve this is thus documented. The document consists of two distinct parts. The first part provides insight into the theoretical position taken which provides a lens through which all other research is viewed. The second comprises the design process rooted within the theoretical position that was established in Part 1. Together, the research as well as the design process will lead to a refined design outcome presented as a set of architectural drawings and a computerised model. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Pretorius, Hanri
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Convention facilities -- Port Elizabeth , Architecture -- Designs and plans
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59128 , vital:60266
- Description: Convention centres are highly flexible business and leisure gathering spaces where memorable experiences happen indoors. These centres are usually surrounded by perfectly manicured landscaping, strategically placed hotels in the immediate area, and an abundance of fashionable restaurants aimed at creating a lifestyle experience that will ensure that clients return. This convention centre experience can be found in almost every city that has a convention centre. These centres’ designs have become universal and their focus is aimed at outdoing one another to create a more iconic building to attract more people and host more events. This design treatise will focus on how to localise convention centre design to create a place for not only indoor experiences but outdoor experiences as well, to create a multifaceted design that will cater for convention centre activities as well as for its surrounding community, thus ensuring the creation of an urban catalyst that promotes the creation of a vibrant public gathering space. The research and process to achieve this is thus documented. The document consists of two distinct parts. The first part provides insight into the theoretical position taken which provides a lens through which all other research is viewed. The second comprises the design process rooted within the theoretical position that was established in Part 1. Together, the research as well as the design process will lead to a refined design outcome presented as a set of architectural drawings and a computerised model. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Inclusivity and access to amenity in the urban environment: the design of a student resource centre in central, Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Tshelametsi, Gorata
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Urban ecology (Sociology) , Students -- Education
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , Thesis
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58639 , vital:59976
- Description: The increasing concern for sustainability in the 21st century has brought about new meanings for city processes, relations and the built environment. Typically, the environmental and economic aspects of the issue have received the most attention, leaving social sustainability largely neglected within the discourse. It could be argued however, that social sustainability is the key to many of the challenges faced by the South African post-apartheid cities. Using primary and secondary research method composed of a qualitative approach, involving site visits, photography and closed interviews, this study examines the nature of spatial segregation in the South African post-apartheid city in relation to Lefevbre’s ideas. Focusing on segregation, this investigation will discuss the forced removals that occurred in South Africa from the mid-1800s, through to the Apartheid Era in the late 1900s, and seek to gain insight into the manner in which these events have shaped the urban landscape of the South African cities. Port Elizabeth, known during apartheid as the Cradle of Black Resistance, was at the forefront of the political struggle in South Africa. For this reason, Port Elizabeth has been chosen for analysis. The site for intervention is the cities’ primary public transport interchange; the gateway into the wealthy southern suburbs from the northern township settlements. This is the point of connection between the divides of the city but is itself a highly disconnected environment. The findings indicate the integration of the existing on-site activities with the new proposed Student Resource Centre functions creates a mixed-use ribbon of activity. These connections facilitate the interaction between students living in the inner city. Through a holistic approach, the intervention seeks to bridge both physical and social barriers, towards a more integrated lived experience and socially sustainable future for Port Elizabeth. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty - School of Architecture, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Tshelametsi, Gorata
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Urban ecology (Sociology) , Students -- Education
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , Thesis
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58639 , vital:59976
- Description: The increasing concern for sustainability in the 21st century has brought about new meanings for city processes, relations and the built environment. Typically, the environmental and economic aspects of the issue have received the most attention, leaving social sustainability largely neglected within the discourse. It could be argued however, that social sustainability is the key to many of the challenges faced by the South African post-apartheid cities. Using primary and secondary research method composed of a qualitative approach, involving site visits, photography and closed interviews, this study examines the nature of spatial segregation in the South African post-apartheid city in relation to Lefevbre’s ideas. Focusing on segregation, this investigation will discuss the forced removals that occurred in South Africa from the mid-1800s, through to the Apartheid Era in the late 1900s, and seek to gain insight into the manner in which these events have shaped the urban landscape of the South African cities. Port Elizabeth, known during apartheid as the Cradle of Black Resistance, was at the forefront of the political struggle in South Africa. For this reason, Port Elizabeth has been chosen for analysis. The site for intervention is the cities’ primary public transport interchange; the gateway into the wealthy southern suburbs from the northern township settlements. This is the point of connection between the divides of the city but is itself a highly disconnected environment. The findings indicate the integration of the existing on-site activities with the new proposed Student Resource Centre functions creates a mixed-use ribbon of activity. These connections facilitate the interaction between students living in the inner city. Through a holistic approach, the intervention seeks to bridge both physical and social barriers, towards a more integrated lived experience and socially sustainable future for Port Elizabeth. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty - School of Architecture, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Investigating Architecture Related to Animals in Captivity Through the Design of a Rhino Sanctuary in the Kruger National Park
- Authors: Kaene, Hansen Mark
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Kruger National Park (South Africa) , Rhinoceroses
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59040 , vital:60258
- Description: Throughout history, animals have been domesticated and held captive in the interests of man. Animal captivity dates back to Ancient Egypt, however, as humanity has developed and further understood animals, their nature, importance and habitational needs, we have been able to appreciate and respect the value of each living thing that shares our planet alongside us. Humanity has progressed in its realisation that, our own species, is not so much superior to all living things, as it is one small, but very dominant part, of a larger system. This furthered understanding has altered the nature of animal captivity, no longer serving only the purposes of entertainment and observation, but also the interests of safeguarding and protecting our natural environment and all those that reside within it. The emergence of new technologies has advanced man’s ability to study and observe animals within their natural habitat, allowing study of the animals free of the limitations and impact of captivity on their psychological state. Harmful cultural beliefs and black market trade, have depleted the planet’s animal populations at an alarming rate, to the point that we can no longer sit idle while our rich natural resources and ecosystems are being devastated solely for economic gain. The efforts, interventions and support offered by African governments have fallen short in terms of the protection and rehabilitation of one of our continent’s most iconic large fauna, the rhinoceros. The war against illegal poaching has been taken up by private individuals. The cost of such efforts, however, weighs heavily on those who attempt to tackle the situation. To address these challenges, wildlife sanctuaries have developed safe havens for animals that have fallen victim to the illegal black-market trade. The design, construction and establishment of rhino sanctuaries is subject to specific legislation and prescribed regulations and standards for meeting the habitational requirements of the various sub-species of rhino. From an architectural standpoint, the narrative of an archi-type for ‘sanctuary’ has not yet been fully developed, as the high costs to private owners of game farms keeping rhinos - for those who have taken it upon themselves to provide for their shelter and enclosure - necessitate that such be undertaken using the most cost-effective means and approach through which to attain regulatory compliance. This treatise explores the narratives of the idealistic architectural approach to designing enclosures for the safeguard of wildlife species. Sanctuaries are designed to accommodate species-specific needs. The species of focus is the African black rhinoceros, the numbers of which, alongside its family of other sub-species, have been devastated by poachers and the black market trade to point of near extinction. The treatise explores the narratives of the ‘restrictive’ and ‘non-restrictive’ senses of animals in captivity through the programme of a sanctuary for black rhino. The aim of the treatise is to understand the specific requirements relating to a species’ natural habitat, and to adopt these principles in the design of an enclosure type that provides security and rehabilitation facilities within a non-stressful and safe environment through architectural intervention. The approach finds anchor in the narrative concerned with those conditions idealistic for a ‘cultural environment’ in which man and animal may dwell together in mutual harmony. This narrative focuses on the phenomenon of the natural versus the man-made, in order to understand meaning, identity and place within the programme of architectural design for wildlife. The Kruger National park exists as the largest natural reserve on the African continent and is situated at the frontlines of the illegal black market trade of rhino horn. This provides an ideal context within which the treatise explores the animal enclosure conceptually and towards serving the needs and requirements for the re-release of a rhino back into its natural habitat post-injury. The architectural intervention is to understand place, meaning and identity through the spatial implications of indigenous Sotho patterns and principles – those of a people whose understanding of context and culture have shaped the orientation of traditional settlements within a natural landscape. The physical form of the architectural intervention is derived from the existing natural materials found within the context of the treatise study, and from making use of affordable, eco-friendly methods and modes of construction. The treatise aspires to identify a new strategy and architectural type for the design of a wildlife sanctuary for poached and orphaned black rhino within an African context. II. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Kaene, Hansen Mark
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Kruger National Park (South Africa) , Rhinoceroses
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59040 , vital:60258
- Description: Throughout history, animals have been domesticated and held captive in the interests of man. Animal captivity dates back to Ancient Egypt, however, as humanity has developed and further understood animals, their nature, importance and habitational needs, we have been able to appreciate and respect the value of each living thing that shares our planet alongside us. Humanity has progressed in its realisation that, our own species, is not so much superior to all living things, as it is one small, but very dominant part, of a larger system. This furthered understanding has altered the nature of animal captivity, no longer serving only the purposes of entertainment and observation, but also the interests of safeguarding and protecting our natural environment and all those that reside within it. The emergence of new technologies has advanced man’s ability to study and observe animals within their natural habitat, allowing study of the animals free of the limitations and impact of captivity on their psychological state. Harmful cultural beliefs and black market trade, have depleted the planet’s animal populations at an alarming rate, to the point that we can no longer sit idle while our rich natural resources and ecosystems are being devastated solely for economic gain. The efforts, interventions and support offered by African governments have fallen short in terms of the protection and rehabilitation of one of our continent’s most iconic large fauna, the rhinoceros. The war against illegal poaching has been taken up by private individuals. The cost of such efforts, however, weighs heavily on those who attempt to tackle the situation. To address these challenges, wildlife sanctuaries have developed safe havens for animals that have fallen victim to the illegal black-market trade. The design, construction and establishment of rhino sanctuaries is subject to specific legislation and prescribed regulations and standards for meeting the habitational requirements of the various sub-species of rhino. From an architectural standpoint, the narrative of an archi-type for ‘sanctuary’ has not yet been fully developed, as the high costs to private owners of game farms keeping rhinos - for those who have taken it upon themselves to provide for their shelter and enclosure - necessitate that such be undertaken using the most cost-effective means and approach through which to attain regulatory compliance. This treatise explores the narratives of the idealistic architectural approach to designing enclosures for the safeguard of wildlife species. Sanctuaries are designed to accommodate species-specific needs. The species of focus is the African black rhinoceros, the numbers of which, alongside its family of other sub-species, have been devastated by poachers and the black market trade to point of near extinction. The treatise explores the narratives of the ‘restrictive’ and ‘non-restrictive’ senses of animals in captivity through the programme of a sanctuary for black rhino. The aim of the treatise is to understand the specific requirements relating to a species’ natural habitat, and to adopt these principles in the design of an enclosure type that provides security and rehabilitation facilities within a non-stressful and safe environment through architectural intervention. The approach finds anchor in the narrative concerned with those conditions idealistic for a ‘cultural environment’ in which man and animal may dwell together in mutual harmony. This narrative focuses on the phenomenon of the natural versus the man-made, in order to understand meaning, identity and place within the programme of architectural design for wildlife. The Kruger National park exists as the largest natural reserve on the African continent and is situated at the frontlines of the illegal black market trade of rhino horn. This provides an ideal context within which the treatise explores the animal enclosure conceptually and towards serving the needs and requirements for the re-release of a rhino back into its natural habitat post-injury. The architectural intervention is to understand place, meaning and identity through the spatial implications of indigenous Sotho patterns and principles – those of a people whose understanding of context and culture have shaped the orientation of traditional settlements within a natural landscape. The physical form of the architectural intervention is derived from the existing natural materials found within the context of the treatise study, and from making use of affordable, eco-friendly methods and modes of construction. The treatise aspires to identify a new strategy and architectural type for the design of a wildlife sanctuary for poached and orphaned black rhino within an African context. II. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Investigating the Buddhist Monastery as Type through The Design of a Vihara in Pinelands, Cape Town
- Authors: Van Zyl, Adam
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Buddhist monasteries -- Pinelands -- Cape Town , Buddhist architecture -- Pinelands -- Cape Town
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59160 , vital:60269
- Description: This treatise begins with an interest in the architectural typology of the Vihara - the Buddhist monastery. Through an investigation of the monastery type, an appropriate theoretical lens is identified. The core architectural function of the monastery is the creation of sacred space. Four constituent elements of sacred space are identified and are taken throughout the treatise as a set of values through which investigation is directed and design decisions are made. Through investigation of the typical monastery context, it becomes possible to identify an appropriate site. An urban farmland in Cape Town, in the heart of the South African Buddhist community is identified. Design drivers emerge through researching mapping and visiting the site. It is through a synthesis of all the information learned, that a single, core gesture is developed. The aim is to design a building to serve the local monastic Buddhist community. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Van Zyl, Adam
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Buddhist monasteries -- Pinelands -- Cape Town , Buddhist architecture -- Pinelands -- Cape Town
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59160 , vital:60269
- Description: This treatise begins with an interest in the architectural typology of the Vihara - the Buddhist monastery. Through an investigation of the monastery type, an appropriate theoretical lens is identified. The core architectural function of the monastery is the creation of sacred space. Four constituent elements of sacred space are identified and are taken throughout the treatise as a set of values through which investigation is directed and design decisions are made. Through investigation of the typical monastery context, it becomes possible to identify an appropriate site. An urban farmland in Cape Town, in the heart of the South African Buddhist community is identified. Design drivers emerge through researching mapping and visiting the site. It is through a synthesis of all the information learned, that a single, core gesture is developed. The aim is to design a building to serve the local monastic Buddhist community. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Investigating the Contemporary Role of Traditional Civic Building Types through The Design of a Public Library in Hlotse Town,Leribe,Lesotho
- Authors: Falatsi, Sera E.
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Sustainable architecture -- Hlotse Town -- Lesotho , Industrialized building -- Hlotse Town -- Lesotho
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58983 , vital:60253
- Description: This treatise aims to design a public library in a small town of Hlotse, Leribe, Lesotho and to investigate the role of a public contemporary building in a city. This came after realising that there are no public facilities that act as places of civic entertainment or formal community encores but, rather they perform specific functions while public interactions take place in informal courtyards in town and in open spaces. This treatise explores the issues involved in the desighn of a public library, first by investigating on the transition of public libraries, moving from transitional to relational libraries then exploration of criteria to be a civic icon. The research conducted further touches on how technology impacted the architectural design as well as public libraries’ role. This together with the site context and Hlotse culture ( of sense of collection) has provided a unique response in developing an architectural design. Precedent studies are selected based on the nature of this treatise’s aim and the contexts which they are situated in, relevent to Hlotse. Architectural intervention will focus on creating a public positive urban space connecting the site, informal market and the taxi rank as well as responding to the lack of greenspaces. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Falatsi, Sera E.
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Sustainable architecture -- Hlotse Town -- Lesotho , Industrialized building -- Hlotse Town -- Lesotho
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/58983 , vital:60253
- Description: This treatise aims to design a public library in a small town of Hlotse, Leribe, Lesotho and to investigate the role of a public contemporary building in a city. This came after realising that there are no public facilities that act as places of civic entertainment or formal community encores but, rather they perform specific functions while public interactions take place in informal courtyards in town and in open spaces. This treatise explores the issues involved in the desighn of a public library, first by investigating on the transition of public libraries, moving from transitional to relational libraries then exploration of criteria to be a civic icon. The research conducted further touches on how technology impacted the architectural design as well as public libraries’ role. This together with the site context and Hlotse culture ( of sense of collection) has provided a unique response in developing an architectural design. Precedent studies are selected based on the nature of this treatise’s aim and the contexts which they are situated in, relevent to Hlotse. Architectural intervention will focus on creating a public positive urban space connecting the site, informal market and the taxi rank as well as responding to the lack of greenspaces. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Investigating the Regeneration of Post-industrial landscapes: The Design of a Brick Manufacturing Facility at Dimbaza, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Williams-Jones, Zeni
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Regeneration -- Dimbaza, Eastern Cape , Post-industrial landscape -- Dimbaza, Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59183 , vital:60271
- Description: This treatise was born out of a response to ecological concerns surrounding the abandoned post-industrial sites in Dimbaza, Eastern Cape. These sites are not only derelict and abandoned, but also highly contaminated, negatively impacting both natural and urban environments. In light of this, the treatise deals with the issue of regenerating one specific such site: the site of the former Dimbaza foundry (formerly the working foundry of Dimbaza Foundries (Pty) Ltd). This is undertaken with an emphasis on creating an ecologically sound and sustainable future and providing guidance on equitable systems that incorporate societal needs with the integrity of nature. The current derelict state of the industrial sector of Dimbaza provides the foundations for an investigation into an architectural intervention that is regenerative in nature. The Dimbaza foundry site, which is contaminated by large amounts of waste products from previous industrial activities, was chosen to exemplify this regenerative ethos. The proposed regenerative plan is twofold, whereby the buried industrial waste product is mined and subsequently used as an additive in the production of clay bricks. This brick manufacturing facility is seen as a temporary intervention, designed to remediate the contaminated land and restore the site to a productive landscape. Furthermore, by promoting value creation in each and every part of the system, one is able to minimise waste and the continual usage of raw materials. Research into the particulars of the mining and manufacturing processes facilitates an informed architectural intervention that contributes to the spatial economy and lends itself to permanence and ephemerality. Furthermore, through an understanding of the physical, spatial, and historic qualities, insights were drawn into the remediation of brownfields and future possibilities for the site. In other words, remembrance of what had come before, inspires the after. The reprogramming or redevelopment of the architectural intervention plays an integral part in preventing a repeat of the repetitive industrial cycle of construction and destruction which adversely affects both the human and natural environment. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Williams-Jones, Zeni
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Regeneration -- Dimbaza, Eastern Cape , Post-industrial landscape -- Dimbaza, Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59183 , vital:60271
- Description: This treatise was born out of a response to ecological concerns surrounding the abandoned post-industrial sites in Dimbaza, Eastern Cape. These sites are not only derelict and abandoned, but also highly contaminated, negatively impacting both natural and urban environments. In light of this, the treatise deals with the issue of regenerating one specific such site: the site of the former Dimbaza foundry (formerly the working foundry of Dimbaza Foundries (Pty) Ltd). This is undertaken with an emphasis on creating an ecologically sound and sustainable future and providing guidance on equitable systems that incorporate societal needs with the integrity of nature. The current derelict state of the industrial sector of Dimbaza provides the foundations for an investigation into an architectural intervention that is regenerative in nature. The Dimbaza foundry site, which is contaminated by large amounts of waste products from previous industrial activities, was chosen to exemplify this regenerative ethos. The proposed regenerative plan is twofold, whereby the buried industrial waste product is mined and subsequently used as an additive in the production of clay bricks. This brick manufacturing facility is seen as a temporary intervention, designed to remediate the contaminated land and restore the site to a productive landscape. Furthermore, by promoting value creation in each and every part of the system, one is able to minimise waste and the continual usage of raw materials. Research into the particulars of the mining and manufacturing processes facilitates an informed architectural intervention that contributes to the spatial economy and lends itself to permanence and ephemerality. Furthermore, through an understanding of the physical, spatial, and historic qualities, insights were drawn into the remediation of brownfields and future possibilities for the site. In other words, remembrance of what had come before, inspires the after. The reprogramming or redevelopment of the architectural intervention plays an integral part in preventing a repeat of the repetitive industrial cycle of construction and destruction which adversely affects both the human and natural environment. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Investigating the use of Biophilic Principles in Rehabilitative Environments: The Design of a New Correctional Facility for Nelson Mandela Bay
- Authors: De villiers, Jaun
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Correctional institution -- Nelson Mandela Bay , Rehabilitation technology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59005 , vital:60255
- Description: South African correctional facilities are riddled with issues such as overcrowding and high recidivism rates. Recidivism refers to the tendency of a convicted criminal to re-offend once released. This is mainly due to the lack of rehabilitative programmes and infrastructure to aid in rehabilitating a convict to not reoffend and to earn an honest living. With unemployment being a significant factor in South Africa, society intentionally makes it more difficult to find employment if one has a criminal record. We should consider the fact that today’s prisoners are tomorrow’s neighbours. Therefore rehabilitation in correctional facilities should be the most important part of the incarceration programme (Cox, 2013). Many South African prisoners experience conditions such as being locked up for 23 hours a day in a cell crammed with two to three times more the number of inmates the facility is capacitated for with little to no access to the natural environment. Thomas Ouard, architect and PhD at the Nantes School of Architecture in France, indicated that there is a direct relationship between a prisoner’s psychological health and the surroundings perceived by the prisoner on a daily basis and that the opportunity to experience landscapes and vegetation, even though large windows, can significantly aid the mental health of inmates (Ouard, 2015). Additionally, Dr Söderlund, the current chairperson of Biophilic Cities Australia, proved through her research that physiological evidence indicates that biophilic principles applied in prisons, through patterns of vegetative areas and organic architectural patterns, can greatly aid in rehabilitating prisoners and can contribute to relaxation, stress relief, and feelings of refuge and peace (Söderlund & Newman, 2017). There are four levels of security in South African prisons: supermaximum, maximum, medium, and minimum-security. Generally, medium- and minimum-security prisons attempt to explore rehabilitative programmes the most. South African prison facilities are often located on the outskirts of a town, which causes difficulties for family and friends to visit inmates. The facilities also struggle with expenses regarding access to essential services, lack of operational medical staff, costly transfers of prisoners, and procurement of supplies and food stock (United Nations Office for Project Services [UNOPS], 2016). However, 21st-century prisons contain modern technologies and advanced security systems that allow modern correctional facilities to be incorporated into an urban environment (Ricci, 2006). This treatise therefore aimed to establish a 21st-century mediumsecurity prison in an urban environment that incorporates principles of biophilia as constituent to rehabilitation. The facility will be focused on rehabilitation in order to reduce recidivism, and, ultimately, in the long run, will lead to a facility that is populated within its capacity. To meet the aim of this study, the following objectives were set: to establish a set of architectural principles and theories that will act as design drivers focused on the rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals, and to reduce the operational costs of the design of a new correctional facility. This can be achieved by amending the facility with an urban agricultural component through biophilic principles to explore horticultural therapeutic activities that will aid in rehabilitating convicts and aid as an additional food supply, which can also be a form of income for the facility. The project includes sustainable and regenerative approaches that respond to the environment and provide additional infrastructure to the facility in terms of water, gas, and electricity. It is important to note that it will be nearly impossible for one new correctional facility to address all the difficulties that South African facilities face. However, the facility intends to act as a new paradigm of knowledge that can be applied to future facilities in South Africa. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: De villiers, Jaun
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Correctional institution -- Nelson Mandela Bay , Rehabilitation technology
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59005 , vital:60255
- Description: South African correctional facilities are riddled with issues such as overcrowding and high recidivism rates. Recidivism refers to the tendency of a convicted criminal to re-offend once released. This is mainly due to the lack of rehabilitative programmes and infrastructure to aid in rehabilitating a convict to not reoffend and to earn an honest living. With unemployment being a significant factor in South Africa, society intentionally makes it more difficult to find employment if one has a criminal record. We should consider the fact that today’s prisoners are tomorrow’s neighbours. Therefore rehabilitation in correctional facilities should be the most important part of the incarceration programme (Cox, 2013). Many South African prisoners experience conditions such as being locked up for 23 hours a day in a cell crammed with two to three times more the number of inmates the facility is capacitated for with little to no access to the natural environment. Thomas Ouard, architect and PhD at the Nantes School of Architecture in France, indicated that there is a direct relationship between a prisoner’s psychological health and the surroundings perceived by the prisoner on a daily basis and that the opportunity to experience landscapes and vegetation, even though large windows, can significantly aid the mental health of inmates (Ouard, 2015). Additionally, Dr Söderlund, the current chairperson of Biophilic Cities Australia, proved through her research that physiological evidence indicates that biophilic principles applied in prisons, through patterns of vegetative areas and organic architectural patterns, can greatly aid in rehabilitating prisoners and can contribute to relaxation, stress relief, and feelings of refuge and peace (Söderlund & Newman, 2017). There are four levels of security in South African prisons: supermaximum, maximum, medium, and minimum-security. Generally, medium- and minimum-security prisons attempt to explore rehabilitative programmes the most. South African prison facilities are often located on the outskirts of a town, which causes difficulties for family and friends to visit inmates. The facilities also struggle with expenses regarding access to essential services, lack of operational medical staff, costly transfers of prisoners, and procurement of supplies and food stock (United Nations Office for Project Services [UNOPS], 2016). However, 21st-century prisons contain modern technologies and advanced security systems that allow modern correctional facilities to be incorporated into an urban environment (Ricci, 2006). This treatise therefore aimed to establish a 21st-century mediumsecurity prison in an urban environment that incorporates principles of biophilia as constituent to rehabilitation. The facility will be focused on rehabilitation in order to reduce recidivism, and, ultimately, in the long run, will lead to a facility that is populated within its capacity. To meet the aim of this study, the following objectives were set: to establish a set of architectural principles and theories that will act as design drivers focused on the rehabilitation of incarcerated individuals, and to reduce the operational costs of the design of a new correctional facility. This can be achieved by amending the facility with an urban agricultural component through biophilic principles to explore horticultural therapeutic activities that will aid in rehabilitating convicts and aid as an additional food supply, which can also be a form of income for the facility. The project includes sustainable and regenerative approaches that respond to the environment and provide additional infrastructure to the facility in terms of water, gas, and electricity. It is important to note that it will be nearly impossible for one new correctional facility to address all the difficulties that South African facilities face. However, the facility intends to act as a new paradigm of knowledge that can be applied to future facilities in South Africa. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Legitimizing repressed knowledge systems in the post- colonial city through the design of an indigenous afro- pharmacy in central, Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Mlenzana, Mihle
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Traditional ecological knowledge -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59095 , vital:60263
- Description: This thesis explores the possibility of marrying repressed African indigenous knowledge systems with the abrasive, post- colonial environment that is Central, such that an African identity is represented in a built environment that was shaped and formed by European influences. This is aligned with the African renaissance paradigm. Set in the backdrop of Central, Port Elizabeth’s disparaged CBD, the study culminates in a successful and appropriate architectural design for an Afro- indigenous pharmacy and a vernacular architecture for Port Elizabeth. The design process will take cues from the social, economic, political, physical and urban CBD context of the chosen site, such that the final proposal is practical and usable by the public for which it is intended, while simultaneously being environmentally sensitive. Furthermore, the research aims to shed light upon the importance of urban regeneration through the repurposing of an abandoned Brownfield site into a productive landscape and a sustainable enterprise. The qualitative methodological approach is followed to gather primary data, which is obtained by visiting existing herbalist practices and conventional pharmacies in Port Elizabeth, and will be used as case studies from which interpretations and information will be drawn. Secondary data in the way of precedence studies of urban growing facilities that make use of hydroponic systems, along with precedence studies of commercial pharmacies, is also gathered and used as reference material on how they respond to the urban hubs in which they exist. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Mlenzana, Mihle
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Traditional ecological knowledge -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59095 , vital:60263
- Description: This thesis explores the possibility of marrying repressed African indigenous knowledge systems with the abrasive, post- colonial environment that is Central, such that an African identity is represented in a built environment that was shaped and formed by European influences. This is aligned with the African renaissance paradigm. Set in the backdrop of Central, Port Elizabeth’s disparaged CBD, the study culminates in a successful and appropriate architectural design for an Afro- indigenous pharmacy and a vernacular architecture for Port Elizabeth. The design process will take cues from the social, economic, political, physical and urban CBD context of the chosen site, such that the final proposal is practical and usable by the public for which it is intended, while simultaneously being environmentally sensitive. Furthermore, the research aims to shed light upon the importance of urban regeneration through the repurposing of an abandoned Brownfield site into a productive landscape and a sustainable enterprise. The qualitative methodological approach is followed to gather primary data, which is obtained by visiting existing herbalist practices and conventional pharmacies in Port Elizabeth, and will be used as case studies from which interpretations and information will be drawn. Secondary data in the way of precedence studies of urban growing facilities that make use of hydroponic systems, along with precedence studies of commercial pharmacies, is also gathered and used as reference material on how they respond to the urban hubs in which they exist. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Memory in the Ecosystem of the City: The Design of a Funerary Landscape in Shark River Valley, Port Elizabeth
- Authors: Ritchie, Brittney
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Archaeological landscape -- Port Elizabeth , Cemeteries , Shark River Valley, Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59139 , vital:60267
- Description: This thesis evolved from an inherent fascination with the architecture of funerary landscapes. Funerary structures can be regarded as the first architectural interventions and provide a fundamental perspective of how societies dealt with death and its meaning. Architecture has manifested in this type for many years, for many reasons and in many different expressions. Monolithic burial mounds of the Neolithic age, the pyramids of Giza and the mausoleums of the classical era are typical examples of funerary landscapes. The architecture of contemporary funerary landscapes, however, does not display characteristics similar to those of their predecessors. Contemporary funerary landscapes appear to be dissociated from their environment and motivated by efficiency rather than any attempt to reflect and embrace the deeper processes of death and mourning. Subsequently, these landscapes lack identity and the notion of meaning, appearing derelict, dull and forgotten by society. There is a common approach, particularly in South Africa, of displacing these landscapes to the peripheries of cities, further exacerbating the divide between society and the roles and rituals of death. This approach is a paradox to the ecological paradigm of our time. In order to address this issue and understand funerary landscapes as type, this study firstly explored various relevant theoretical aspects as well as examples of successful funerary landscapes around the world. The typical cemetery with its inherent problems provided an opportunity for this study to respond constructively through an architectural design, taking into consideration the function of the funeral, the process of grief and the concern of re-integrating the funerary landscape into the ecosystem of the city. Then, an appropriate site was chosen in the city of Port Elizabeth for the design of a funerary landscape. In order to explore the established set of principles, this thesis proposed a funerary landscape as a place of both memorial and recreation within a delicate ecosystem in an underutilised urban park of Port Elizabeth; Shark River Valley. This design aimed to integrate with both the natural environment and the surrounding built fabric, encouraging interaction with the rich cultural and natural heritage the city has to offer. The ambition is for this funerary landscape to become a narrative journey, framing a series of experiences which will bring people together, reconciling society and encourage them to embrace and cope with death in a meaningful way. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Ritchie, Brittney
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Archaeological landscape -- Port Elizabeth , Cemeteries , Shark River Valley, Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/59139 , vital:60267
- Description: This thesis evolved from an inherent fascination with the architecture of funerary landscapes. Funerary structures can be regarded as the first architectural interventions and provide a fundamental perspective of how societies dealt with death and its meaning. Architecture has manifested in this type for many years, for many reasons and in many different expressions. Monolithic burial mounds of the Neolithic age, the pyramids of Giza and the mausoleums of the classical era are typical examples of funerary landscapes. The architecture of contemporary funerary landscapes, however, does not display characteristics similar to those of their predecessors. Contemporary funerary landscapes appear to be dissociated from their environment and motivated by efficiency rather than any attempt to reflect and embrace the deeper processes of death and mourning. Subsequently, these landscapes lack identity and the notion of meaning, appearing derelict, dull and forgotten by society. There is a common approach, particularly in South Africa, of displacing these landscapes to the peripheries of cities, further exacerbating the divide between society and the roles and rituals of death. This approach is a paradox to the ecological paradigm of our time. In order to address this issue and understand funerary landscapes as type, this study firstly explored various relevant theoretical aspects as well as examples of successful funerary landscapes around the world. The typical cemetery with its inherent problems provided an opportunity for this study to respond constructively through an architectural design, taking into consideration the function of the funeral, the process of grief and the concern of re-integrating the funerary landscape into the ecosystem of the city. Then, an appropriate site was chosen in the city of Port Elizabeth for the design of a funerary landscape. In order to explore the established set of principles, this thesis proposed a funerary landscape as a place of both memorial and recreation within a delicate ecosystem in an underutilised urban park of Port Elizabeth; Shark River Valley. This design aimed to integrate with both the natural environment and the surrounding built fabric, encouraging interaction with the rich cultural and natural heritage the city has to offer. The ambition is for this funerary landscape to become a narrative journey, framing a series of experiences which will bring people together, reconciling society and encourage them to embrace and cope with death in a meaningful way. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Negotiating Coloured identities in conversation with peers in a post-apartheid Eastern Cape rural context
- Authors: Pretorius, Shaida Angelina
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Colored people (South Africa) , Post-apartheid era--South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21123 , vital:47115
- Description: The Coloured is a contested identity, and many who see themselves as “Coloured” are grappling with this social identity in a rapidly changing South African context. Therefore this study has sought to investigate how Coloured adolescents construct identities of what it means to be Coloured in conversation with their peers in the post-apartheid context. A qualitative study was conducted which allowed a phenomenon like the identity of Coloured young people to be studied in depth, openness and rich detail. The research sample for this study consisted of young Coloured people in their late adolescence, who either attended secondary school or had matriculated and attained the status of young adults, and had grown up in the rural Eastern Cape setting in which the study was conducted. Focus group discussions were held, three of the groups comprised both White and Coloured Afrikaans-speaking secondary school learners, while the remaining two comprised Coloured young people only (a total of thirty-three participants). Nonetheless, all five of the focus group discussions provided appropriate forums for the young Coloured participants to verbalise their experiences and the ways in which they constructed their identities as young Coloured members of post-apartheid South African society. A discursive and rhetorical analytic approach was utilized to analyze the data obtained from the focus group conversations held. This research project has adopted the perspective of discursive psychology and social constructionist meta-theory in investigating how Coloured adolescents construct ethnic identities in conversation. The analysis revealed that the adolescents in the study appear to negotiate constructive and liberated identities of Colouredness in dialogue with peers regarding the multi-cultural school setting as a social space, relating to peers and building friendships, as well as dealing with multi-cultural love relationships. There are indications that they succeed in transcending the apartheid barriers of the past in terms of relating to fellow South Africans, both Black and White. In contrast, there were also discourses of Colouredness that were more unsettling and pointing to heavy identity struggles. It became evident from the analysis that the narratives of what being Coloured means in the post-apartheid era were also saturated with senses of struggle, uncertainty, dissatisfaction, hopelessness, to mention a few. It appeared that many Coloured voices were trapped in ideologies of the past where Colouredness was equated with not being worthy enough, and being marginalised. The present study showed that Coloured adolescents often recite the discourse of the “inbetween-ness” in the construction of narratives of being Coloured. The sense of Colouredness emerging from these narratives seems to resonate with what was experienced during the Apartheid era. From a dialogical self perspective multivoicedness in terms of constructing identities of being Coloured in conversation emerged. In a cultural context of perceived tensions, contradictions and ambivalence living in the new South Africa as a Coloured young person gave rise to contestation of identities of being Coloured as well as a multiplicity and diversity of voices and identities, including voices that transcend the restrictions and boundaries of the past. The theory developed by Hermans and colleagues of the multi-voiced and dialogical self, allowed for this multiplicity and dynamic complexity of identities to be studied sufficiently. , Thesis (MSoc Sci) (Counselling Psychology) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Pretorius, Shaida Angelina
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Colored people (South Africa) , Post-apartheid era--South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/21123 , vital:47115
- Description: The Coloured is a contested identity, and many who see themselves as “Coloured” are grappling with this social identity in a rapidly changing South African context. Therefore this study has sought to investigate how Coloured adolescents construct identities of what it means to be Coloured in conversation with their peers in the post-apartheid context. A qualitative study was conducted which allowed a phenomenon like the identity of Coloured young people to be studied in depth, openness and rich detail. The research sample for this study consisted of young Coloured people in their late adolescence, who either attended secondary school or had matriculated and attained the status of young adults, and had grown up in the rural Eastern Cape setting in which the study was conducted. Focus group discussions were held, three of the groups comprised both White and Coloured Afrikaans-speaking secondary school learners, while the remaining two comprised Coloured young people only (a total of thirty-three participants). Nonetheless, all five of the focus group discussions provided appropriate forums for the young Coloured participants to verbalise their experiences and the ways in which they constructed their identities as young Coloured members of post-apartheid South African society. A discursive and rhetorical analytic approach was utilized to analyze the data obtained from the focus group conversations held. This research project has adopted the perspective of discursive psychology and social constructionist meta-theory in investigating how Coloured adolescents construct ethnic identities in conversation. The analysis revealed that the adolescents in the study appear to negotiate constructive and liberated identities of Colouredness in dialogue with peers regarding the multi-cultural school setting as a social space, relating to peers and building friendships, as well as dealing with multi-cultural love relationships. There are indications that they succeed in transcending the apartheid barriers of the past in terms of relating to fellow South Africans, both Black and White. In contrast, there were also discourses of Colouredness that were more unsettling and pointing to heavy identity struggles. It became evident from the analysis that the narratives of what being Coloured means in the post-apartheid era were also saturated with senses of struggle, uncertainty, dissatisfaction, hopelessness, to mention a few. It appeared that many Coloured voices were trapped in ideologies of the past where Colouredness was equated with not being worthy enough, and being marginalised. The present study showed that Coloured adolescents often recite the discourse of the “inbetween-ness” in the construction of narratives of being Coloured. The sense of Colouredness emerging from these narratives seems to resonate with what was experienced during the Apartheid era. From a dialogical self perspective multivoicedness in terms of constructing identities of being Coloured in conversation emerged. In a cultural context of perceived tensions, contradictions and ambivalence living in the new South Africa as a Coloured young person gave rise to contestation of identities of being Coloured as well as a multiplicity and diversity of voices and identities, including voices that transcend the restrictions and boundaries of the past. The theory developed by Hermans and colleagues of the multi-voiced and dialogical self, allowed for this multiplicity and dynamic complexity of identities to be studied sufficiently. , Thesis (MSoc Sci) (Counselling Psychology) -- University of Fort Hare, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
Psychological empowerment as a moderator of the relationship between job insecurity and intention to quit among employees at Emalahleni local municipality, Eastern Cape
- Mapete, Siphosethu https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1580-9382
- Authors: Mapete, Siphosethu https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1580-9382
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Employee morale , Municipal officials and employees
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20174 , vital:45405
- Description: Psychological empowerment, job security and retention are important characteristics that all organisations would be happy to have among all their employees. This is because retention and psychological empowerment on their own are characteristics that are linked to many desirable organisational outcomes such as job satisfaction, productivity and employee retention. In other words, a psychologically empowered employee is an engaged and desirable one, and it is therefore extremely important for organisations to know how engagement among employees can be generated or enhanced, especially the case in the public sector that is characterised by high levels of stress among its employees. The main objective of the study is to explore the combined effect of psychological empowerment, job insecurity and intention to quit in the South African public sector where psychological empowerment plays a moderating effect. The study enquires into the effects gender, race, marital status, age and educational level have on the study variables. A quantitative approach is adopted. A structured self – administered questionnaire comprising of four sections: biographical information, Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire (PEQ), Job Insecurity Inventory (JII) and Turnover Intention Scale (TIS) was used to collect the data. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) will be used to analyse data, and both descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized. The results revealed a negative relationship between job insecurity and intention to quit. A negative relationship was also found between the dependent variable psychological empowerment and the independent variable intention to quit. Additionally, a combined effect of psychological empowerment and job insecurity on intention to quit was also found due to the fact that no previous studies found job insecurity to be significantly positively related to intention to quit. Job insecurity was also found to be significantly negatively related to intention to quit, and the two variables combined (psychological empowerment and job insecurity) were found to be even more strongly related to intention to quit than any of the two separately. These are the results the present study found. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09
- Authors: Mapete, Siphosethu https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1580-9382
- Date: 2020-09
- Subjects: Employee morale , Municipal officials and employees
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20174 , vital:45405
- Description: Psychological empowerment, job security and retention are important characteristics that all organisations would be happy to have among all their employees. This is because retention and psychological empowerment on their own are characteristics that are linked to many desirable organisational outcomes such as job satisfaction, productivity and employee retention. In other words, a psychologically empowered employee is an engaged and desirable one, and it is therefore extremely important for organisations to know how engagement among employees can be generated or enhanced, especially the case in the public sector that is characterised by high levels of stress among its employees. The main objective of the study is to explore the combined effect of psychological empowerment, job insecurity and intention to quit in the South African public sector where psychological empowerment plays a moderating effect. The study enquires into the effects gender, race, marital status, age and educational level have on the study variables. A quantitative approach is adopted. A structured self – administered questionnaire comprising of four sections: biographical information, Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire (PEQ), Job Insecurity Inventory (JII) and Turnover Intention Scale (TIS) was used to collect the data. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) will be used to analyse data, and both descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized. The results revealed a negative relationship between job insecurity and intention to quit. A negative relationship was also found between the dependent variable psychological empowerment and the independent variable intention to quit. Additionally, a combined effect of psychological empowerment and job insecurity on intention to quit was also found due to the fact that no previous studies found job insecurity to be significantly positively related to intention to quit. Job insecurity was also found to be significantly negatively related to intention to quit, and the two variables combined (psychological empowerment and job insecurity) were found to be even more strongly related to intention to quit than any of the two separately. These are the results the present study found. , Thesis (MCom) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2020
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2020-09