Experiences of casualty doctors regarding their role in the management of gender-based violence victims at the intermediate hospitals, Oshakati
- Tachere, Oghoteru Richardson
- Authors: Tachere, Oghoteru Richardson
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Family violence -- Namibia , Physicians -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:10029 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1309 , Family violence -- Namibia , Physicians -- Namibia
- Description: The research focused on the experiences of casualty doctors regarding their role in the management of gender-based violence victims at the Intermediate Hospital Oshakati, Namibia. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was utilized and data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews. These were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the Tesch’s method of qualitative data analysis by the researcher in conjunction with an independent coder. The research findings revealed that the study participants experienced gender-based violence as a common and recurrent public health issue. Participants indicated that the majority of the victims presented with a wide range of physical injuries as well as significant emotional trauma. With further exploration, it emerged that participants identified alcohol abuse, low socioeconomic status and several relationship problems as prevalent factors associated with gender-based violence. They also recognized that the current programme managing gender-based violence provides a measure of safety for victims by making emergency services available. In addition, these services could be accessed free of charge and victims identified as ‘high-risk’ were offered sanctuary in the ward to prevent further harm. Study participants further observed that the presence of a multi-disciplinary team of care-givers also contribute positively to the management of gender-based violence victims. However, participants experienced several challenges that impair their role in the management of gender-based violence victims. Notable among these are high workload (arising from shortage of personnel and offering services to non-emergency cases in casualty), lack of collaboration among team members and a lack of proficiency in psychosocial intervention strategies. Based on the study findings, it is hereby recommended that clear guidelines for the management of gender-based violence victims should be established and a better collaboration among all cadres of professionals involved in this issue should be promoted. In addition, campaigns to sensitize the community about values that can help in the prevention of gender-based violence and dangers of alcohol abuse as well as strengthening the legislative framework vis-à-vis implementing punitive measures against culprits, should be vigorously pursued.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Tachere, Oghoteru Richardson
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Family violence -- Namibia , Physicians -- Namibia
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:10029 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1309 , Family violence -- Namibia , Physicians -- Namibia
- Description: The research focused on the experiences of casualty doctors regarding their role in the management of gender-based violence victims at the Intermediate Hospital Oshakati, Namibia. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was utilized and data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews. These were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the Tesch’s method of qualitative data analysis by the researcher in conjunction with an independent coder. The research findings revealed that the study participants experienced gender-based violence as a common and recurrent public health issue. Participants indicated that the majority of the victims presented with a wide range of physical injuries as well as significant emotional trauma. With further exploration, it emerged that participants identified alcohol abuse, low socioeconomic status and several relationship problems as prevalent factors associated with gender-based violence. They also recognized that the current programme managing gender-based violence provides a measure of safety for victims by making emergency services available. In addition, these services could be accessed free of charge and victims identified as ‘high-risk’ were offered sanctuary in the ward to prevent further harm. Study participants further observed that the presence of a multi-disciplinary team of care-givers also contribute positively to the management of gender-based violence victims. However, participants experienced several challenges that impair their role in the management of gender-based violence victims. Notable among these are high workload (arising from shortage of personnel and offering services to non-emergency cases in casualty), lack of collaboration among team members and a lack of proficiency in psychosocial intervention strategies. Based on the study findings, it is hereby recommended that clear guidelines for the management of gender-based violence victims should be established and a better collaboration among all cadres of professionals involved in this issue should be promoted. In addition, campaigns to sensitize the community about values that can help in the prevention of gender-based violence and dangers of alcohol abuse as well as strengthening the legislative framework vis-à-vis implementing punitive measures against culprits, should be vigorously pursued.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Factors affecting people with disabilities in the employment sector
- Authors: Caga, Tabisa
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Blind -- Employment , People with visual disabilities -- Employment
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9992 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1549 , Blind -- Employment , People with visual disabilities -- Employment
- Description: Since 1994, the South African Government has formulated various policies in an attempt to redress the previous political, economic and social imbalances within the country. The majority of the policies have focused on empowering previously disadvantaged groups including people with disabilities. Despite the interventions, literature reviewed reflects that there is very little progress made with regard to empowerment of people with disabilities in the employment sector. The study seeks to explore and identify factors that affect people with visual disabilities in the employment sector. The researcher used a qualitative approach to investigate the perceptions of people with visual disabilities through conducting focus groups interviews with participants that were recruited using a purposive sampling approach. A total of four groups from Pretoria have been used to draw findings for the research study. During the focus group discussions, a semi structured interview guide was used to generate more in‐depth interpretations from the participants and data was analysed using Tesch’s (1990) framework that is described in Creswell (2003). The findings of the research revealed that people with visual disabilities still have problems in accessing and retaining employment despite the South African favourable legislation. Dominating among the factors that are viewed by the participants to hinder their employability are societal negatives attitudes which include unequal treatment, discrimination when they seek employment, belittling and disregard by employers, coworkers and the society at large. There are also a number of factors that were perceived as barriers to job seekers with visual disabilities which include inaccessible advertising media for vacancies, inaccessible transports systems, inaccessible education and training and lack of funded positions suited for people with visual disabilities.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Caga, Tabisa
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Blind -- Employment , People with visual disabilities -- Employment
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9992 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1549 , Blind -- Employment , People with visual disabilities -- Employment
- Description: Since 1994, the South African Government has formulated various policies in an attempt to redress the previous political, economic and social imbalances within the country. The majority of the policies have focused on empowering previously disadvantaged groups including people with disabilities. Despite the interventions, literature reviewed reflects that there is very little progress made with regard to empowerment of people with disabilities in the employment sector. The study seeks to explore and identify factors that affect people with visual disabilities in the employment sector. The researcher used a qualitative approach to investigate the perceptions of people with visual disabilities through conducting focus groups interviews with participants that were recruited using a purposive sampling approach. A total of four groups from Pretoria have been used to draw findings for the research study. During the focus group discussions, a semi structured interview guide was used to generate more in‐depth interpretations from the participants and data was analysed using Tesch’s (1990) framework that is described in Creswell (2003). The findings of the research revealed that people with visual disabilities still have problems in accessing and retaining employment despite the South African favourable legislation. Dominating among the factors that are viewed by the participants to hinder their employability are societal negatives attitudes which include unequal treatment, discrimination when they seek employment, belittling and disregard by employers, coworkers and the society at large. There are also a number of factors that were perceived as barriers to job seekers with visual disabilities which include inaccessible advertising media for vacancies, inaccessible transports systems, inaccessible education and training and lack of funded positions suited for people with visual disabilities.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Factors associated with successful talent development in South African soccer players
- Authors: Mudege, Solomon Mufudzi
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Soccer -- Training -- South Africa , Ability , Soccer -- Coaching -- South Africa , Professionalism in sports -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:10103 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015713
- Description: In recent times, the performances of the South African senior national team (“Bafana Bafana”) have not matched the impressive off-field advancements in South African professional soccer. At the historic 2010 FIFA World CupTM held in South Africa, Bafana Bafana became the first host nation to be eliminated in the first round of the competition. Such disappointments have compelled stakeholders in South African soccer to call for a re-assessment of all structures and programmes which have an impact on the playing abilities of South African players. Of prime importance is the need to obtain a better understanding of talent development in South African soccer. The aim of this research study was to determine the relevance of selected factors associated with successful talent development in South African male professional soccer players competing in the 2008-2009 ABSA PSL season. In order to accomplish the research aims, the literature relating to talent development concepts and models was examined. The literature review identified seven factors which are relevant to talent development in soccer. The empirical study was exploratory, and it utilized a descriptive, non-experimental approach. Data were collected via a 53-item questionnaire, which was designed to evaluate the identified seven factors. The questionnaire was administered to a sample of 56 South African professional soccer players who played for clubs participating in the 2008-2009 season of the ABSA Premier Soccer League. The results obtained from the sample were analysed in terms of their descriptive statistics and confirmatory factor analysis was performed. The following six factors were statistically confirmed as being associated with the successful talent development of the sample: Training Environment, Motivation and Ambitions, Personal Development, Family Support, Cultural Factors and Coaching. These six factors accounted for 58 percent of the overall variance. The questionnaire had a reliability of 0.84, as measured by the Cronbach alpha coefficient. The study concludes that talent development in South African soccer is a multifactorial and complex process. Although the sample size was not suitable for discriminant analysis, theories such as the relative age effect and the „10-year rule‟ may be applicable to South African soccer. This study also adds to the limited body of knowledge on South African soccer, by identifying and scientifically analysing those factors which are associated with successful talent development. As success on the international stage becomes a priority in South African soccer, the identified factors serve as a sound scientific basis in the formulation of improved structures and strategies for perfecting the abilities of young soccer players, and increasing the competitiveness of Bafana Bafana.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Mudege, Solomon Mufudzi
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Soccer -- Training -- South Africa , Ability , Soccer -- Coaching -- South Africa , Professionalism in sports -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:10103 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015713
- Description: In recent times, the performances of the South African senior national team (“Bafana Bafana”) have not matched the impressive off-field advancements in South African professional soccer. At the historic 2010 FIFA World CupTM held in South Africa, Bafana Bafana became the first host nation to be eliminated in the first round of the competition. Such disappointments have compelled stakeholders in South African soccer to call for a re-assessment of all structures and programmes which have an impact on the playing abilities of South African players. Of prime importance is the need to obtain a better understanding of talent development in South African soccer. The aim of this research study was to determine the relevance of selected factors associated with successful talent development in South African male professional soccer players competing in the 2008-2009 ABSA PSL season. In order to accomplish the research aims, the literature relating to talent development concepts and models was examined. The literature review identified seven factors which are relevant to talent development in soccer. The empirical study was exploratory, and it utilized a descriptive, non-experimental approach. Data were collected via a 53-item questionnaire, which was designed to evaluate the identified seven factors. The questionnaire was administered to a sample of 56 South African professional soccer players who played for clubs participating in the 2008-2009 season of the ABSA Premier Soccer League. The results obtained from the sample were analysed in terms of their descriptive statistics and confirmatory factor analysis was performed. The following six factors were statistically confirmed as being associated with the successful talent development of the sample: Training Environment, Motivation and Ambitions, Personal Development, Family Support, Cultural Factors and Coaching. These six factors accounted for 58 percent of the overall variance. The questionnaire had a reliability of 0.84, as measured by the Cronbach alpha coefficient. The study concludes that talent development in South African soccer is a multifactorial and complex process. Although the sample size was not suitable for discriminant analysis, theories such as the relative age effect and the „10-year rule‟ may be applicable to South African soccer. This study also adds to the limited body of knowledge on South African soccer, by identifying and scientifically analysing those factors which are associated with successful talent development. As success on the international stage becomes a priority in South African soccer, the identified factors serve as a sound scientific basis in the formulation of improved structures and strategies for perfecting the abilities of young soccer players, and increasing the competitiveness of Bafana Bafana.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Factors influencing expatriates' ability to cross-culturally adjust
- Authors: Hesse, Anjuli
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Aliens -- Psychological aspects , Adjustment (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9424 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1589 , Aliens -- Psychological aspects , Adjustment (Psychology)
- Description: Globalisation has led to an increasing growth of world trade which has directed business all over the world to become increasingly international and increased the number and power of multinational companies. These expatriates are confronted with societal norms different from their home cultures. This study investigated which factors influence cross-cultural adjustment the most and which factors are perceived by the expatriates to influence cross-cultural adjustment. Based on the literature review four different categories of factors influencing cross-cultural adjustment were identified (Individual, organisational, work-related and non-work related factors) A self-administered online questionnaire, based on existing questionnaires (Black’s (1988) cross-cultural adjustment questionnaire) and literature research, was developed in order to detect a relationship between factors and one of the three adjustment types (general, interaction and work) and to reveal the perceived importance of the factors. In this study all identified factors were perceived to be important for cross-cultural adjustment. However, language skills and spousal adjustment were perceived to be the most important factors and had indeed the strongest correlation towards cross-cultural adjustment. Based on the findings of this research project, recommendations for organisations and expatriates have been provided.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Hesse, Anjuli
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Aliens -- Psychological aspects , Adjustment (Psychology)
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9424 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1589 , Aliens -- Psychological aspects , Adjustment (Psychology)
- Description: Globalisation has led to an increasing growth of world trade which has directed business all over the world to become increasingly international and increased the number and power of multinational companies. These expatriates are confronted with societal norms different from their home cultures. This study investigated which factors influence cross-cultural adjustment the most and which factors are perceived by the expatriates to influence cross-cultural adjustment. Based on the literature review four different categories of factors influencing cross-cultural adjustment were identified (Individual, organisational, work-related and non-work related factors) A self-administered online questionnaire, based on existing questionnaires (Black’s (1988) cross-cultural adjustment questionnaire) and literature research, was developed in order to detect a relationship between factors and one of the three adjustment types (general, interaction and work) and to reveal the perceived importance of the factors. In this study all identified factors were perceived to be important for cross-cultural adjustment. However, language skills and spousal adjustment were perceived to be the most important factors and had indeed the strongest correlation towards cross-cultural adjustment. Based on the findings of this research project, recommendations for organisations and expatriates have been provided.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Factors influencing university students' use of HIV voluntary counselling and testing services : an analysis using the health belief model
- Authors: Musemwa, Shingisai
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Health Belief Model , AIDS (Disease) , College students
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9867 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1448 , Health Belief Model , AIDS (Disease) , College students
- Description: Human Immune Virus (HI)V /Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has emerged as the most devastating epidemic that the world has experienced. Voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) has proven to be an effective way of preventing and controlling HIV. South African universities provide free VCT services on their campuses; however, these facilities are underused. The study’s objectives were to use the components of the health belief model (HBM) to explore and describe the factors that influenced the decision made by university students who have gone for VCT. The sample consisted of five male students. Data was collected through one-on-one in depth interviews, which were recorded. Data was analysed using thematic analysis, and the components of the HBM were used as codes for the data. Themes were generated for each component. The results indicated that perceived severity, perceived benefits and cues to action played a role in influencing the participants’ decision to go for VCT. In addition, results show that perceived susceptibility had little influence on their decision to go for VCT. Even though participants acknowledged barriers to VCT, they reported that the perceived benefits for VCT outweighed the barriers, and the decision to go for VCT was made. Participants suggested that to increase uptake of VCT on their campus, the university could improve current VCT campaigns, introduce rewards for VCT and introduce couples VCT.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Musemwa, Shingisai
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Health Belief Model , AIDS (Disease) , College students
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9867 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1448 , Health Belief Model , AIDS (Disease) , College students
- Description: Human Immune Virus (HI)V /Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has emerged as the most devastating epidemic that the world has experienced. Voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) has proven to be an effective way of preventing and controlling HIV. South African universities provide free VCT services on their campuses; however, these facilities are underused. The study’s objectives were to use the components of the health belief model (HBM) to explore and describe the factors that influenced the decision made by university students who have gone for VCT. The sample consisted of five male students. Data was collected through one-on-one in depth interviews, which were recorded. Data was analysed using thematic analysis, and the components of the HBM were used as codes for the data. Themes were generated for each component. The results indicated that perceived severity, perceived benefits and cues to action played a role in influencing the participants’ decision to go for VCT. In addition, results show that perceived susceptibility had little influence on their decision to go for VCT. Even though participants acknowledged barriers to VCT, they reported that the perceived benefits for VCT outweighed the barriers, and the decision to go for VCT was made. Participants suggested that to increase uptake of VCT on their campus, the university could improve current VCT campaigns, introduce rewards for VCT and introduce couples VCT.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Factors limiting township learners from discovering and developing their talents
- Authors: McKeown, Jim
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Education -- Economic aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9108 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1014323
- Description: Discovering and developing one’s talents significantly increases the likelihood of one leading a meaningful and fulfilling life, realising success in the world, and breaking out of the cycle of poverty. It should be the responsibility of schools to provide opportunities for learners to discover and develop talents that they are passionate about. This passion will then create a self-reinforcing cycle in which learners are more motivated to work hard in school and further develop their talents. Therefore, discovering and developing one’s talents should be seen as both a means to improved education and an end of education itself. This research paper sought to identify the factors limiting township learners from discovering and developing their talents and to make recommendations as to how to mitigate these factors. The researcher used the partnership between the Masinyusane Development Organisation, a local education non-profit organisation, and School A, a secondary school in the township of New Brighton, Port Elizabeth as a case study. Data from the study were carefully analysed and it was concluded that the township learners are not being provided the opportunities necessary, particularly in the schools, to discover and develop their talents. This has resulted in poor academic performance, high drop-out rates, low levels of motivation, confusion with regards to career development, and missed opportunities to break out of the cycle of poverty. The researcher believes this research sheds light on the issue and lays a foundation from which to provide South African township learners with greater opportunities to discover and develop their talents. These opportunities will assist learners in improving their school performance, ensuring that they embark on career paths they will realize success in, and ultimately, in breaking out of the cycle of poverty that traps so many of them.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: McKeown, Jim
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Education -- Economic aspects -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9108 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1014323
- Description: Discovering and developing one’s talents significantly increases the likelihood of one leading a meaningful and fulfilling life, realising success in the world, and breaking out of the cycle of poverty. It should be the responsibility of schools to provide opportunities for learners to discover and develop talents that they are passionate about. This passion will then create a self-reinforcing cycle in which learners are more motivated to work hard in school and further develop their talents. Therefore, discovering and developing one’s talents should be seen as both a means to improved education and an end of education itself. This research paper sought to identify the factors limiting township learners from discovering and developing their talents and to make recommendations as to how to mitigate these factors. The researcher used the partnership between the Masinyusane Development Organisation, a local education non-profit organisation, and School A, a secondary school in the township of New Brighton, Port Elizabeth as a case study. Data from the study were carefully analysed and it was concluded that the township learners are not being provided the opportunities necessary, particularly in the schools, to discover and develop their talents. This has resulted in poor academic performance, high drop-out rates, low levels of motivation, confusion with regards to career development, and missed opportunities to break out of the cycle of poverty. The researcher believes this research sheds light on the issue and lays a foundation from which to provide South African township learners with greater opportunities to discover and develop their talents. These opportunities will assist learners in improving their school performance, ensuring that they embark on career paths they will realize success in, and ultimately, in breaking out of the cycle of poverty that traps so many of them.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Feminist appropriations of Hans Christian Andersen's "The little mermaid" and the ways in which stereotypes of women are subverted or sustained in selected works
- Authors: Mostert, Linda Ann
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: English literature -- Criticism, Textual , Feminism and literature
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8451 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1371 , English literature -- Criticism, Textual , Feminism and literature
- Description: According to Lewis Seifert, “Fairy tales are obsessed with femininity … These narratives are concerned above all else with defining what makes women different from men and, more precisely, what is and is not acceptable feminine behaviour” (1996: 175). This study, then, will demonstrate how certain patriarchal ideas associated with fairy tales are disseminated when fairy tale elements are reworked in film, visual art and the novel. The aim of this project, more specifically, is to show how certain stereotypical representations of women endure in works that could be read as feminist appropriations of Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Little Mermaid’. Stereotypical representations of women are numerous and may include: depicting females as fitting neatly into what is often called the virgin/whore or Madonna/whore binary opposition; depicting women as being caring and kind, but also passive, submissive and weak; and depicting older women as being sexually unattractive and evil (Goodwin and Fiske 2001:358; Sullivan 2010: 4). It must be said that the list of stereotypes relating to women given here is far from exhaustive.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Mostert, Linda Ann
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: English literature -- Criticism, Textual , Feminism and literature
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8451 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1371 , English literature -- Criticism, Textual , Feminism and literature
- Description: According to Lewis Seifert, “Fairy tales are obsessed with femininity … These narratives are concerned above all else with defining what makes women different from men and, more precisely, what is and is not acceptable feminine behaviour” (1996: 175). This study, then, will demonstrate how certain patriarchal ideas associated with fairy tales are disseminated when fairy tale elements are reworked in film, visual art and the novel. The aim of this project, more specifically, is to show how certain stereotypical representations of women endure in works that could be read as feminist appropriations of Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Little Mermaid’. Stereotypical representations of women are numerous and may include: depicting females as fitting neatly into what is often called the virgin/whore or Madonna/whore binary opposition; depicting women as being caring and kind, but also passive, submissive and weak; and depicting older women as being sexually unattractive and evil (Goodwin and Fiske 2001:358; Sullivan 2010: 4). It must be said that the list of stereotypes relating to women given here is far from exhaustive.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Fiction en tant qu histoire: une etude de l evolution des roles de la femme dans le vingtieme siecle dans le roman La Poussiere des Corons par Marie-Paul Armand
- Authors: De Wet, Michelle
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Historical fiction , Women -- Social conditions -- 20th century , Women and war
- Language: French
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8452 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008392 , Historical fiction , Women -- Social conditions -- 20th century , Women and war
- Description: Georges Duby and Michelle Perrot’s work, Histoire des femmes en Occident, Antoine Prost and Gérard Vincent’s work A History of Private Life as well as Chantal Antier’s work Les Femmes dans la Grande Guerre and Carol Mann’s work Femmes dans la Guerre, show that women have been largely ignored in the annals written about the twentieth century. This period was one marked by two World Wars, which had an enormous impact on women, especially in terms of their roles in society. These events resulted in women moving from the home to the world of work. These writers acknowledge that women in the twentieth century were mostly excluded from history. In contrast to others who have written about this time, these writers consider women and their roles in society and how these roles have changed as a consequence of the historical events of the time. Marie-Paul Armand was a popular writer of French fiction. At first glance her novels seem to be enjoyable historical, romantic fiction for readers who enjoy sentimental love stories. However on closer examination one can see that she rigorously researched the period in which her novels are set. These novels reconstitute the reality of women’s lives during the twentieth century. In her first award-winning novel La poussière des corons, Armand depicted the life of her main character, Madeleine, through the various stages of a woman’s life from her birth at the turn of the century, early childhood, adolescence during the First World War until old age in the 1960s. This novel mirrors the life of a woman in working class French mining society from the beginning of the twentieth century until the fifties and sixties when Western women underwent an unprecedented metamorphosis of their role. These novels would appeal to a wider readership than works by Historians with the same subject matter.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: De Wet, Michelle
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Historical fiction , Women -- Social conditions -- 20th century , Women and war
- Language: French
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8452 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008392 , Historical fiction , Women -- Social conditions -- 20th century , Women and war
- Description: Georges Duby and Michelle Perrot’s work, Histoire des femmes en Occident, Antoine Prost and Gérard Vincent’s work A History of Private Life as well as Chantal Antier’s work Les Femmes dans la Grande Guerre and Carol Mann’s work Femmes dans la Guerre, show that women have been largely ignored in the annals written about the twentieth century. This period was one marked by two World Wars, which had an enormous impact on women, especially in terms of their roles in society. These events resulted in women moving from the home to the world of work. These writers acknowledge that women in the twentieth century were mostly excluded from history. In contrast to others who have written about this time, these writers consider women and their roles in society and how these roles have changed as a consequence of the historical events of the time. Marie-Paul Armand was a popular writer of French fiction. At first glance her novels seem to be enjoyable historical, romantic fiction for readers who enjoy sentimental love stories. However on closer examination one can see that she rigorously researched the period in which her novels are set. These novels reconstitute the reality of women’s lives during the twentieth century. In her first award-winning novel La poussière des corons, Armand depicted the life of her main character, Madeleine, through the various stages of a woman’s life from her birth at the turn of the century, early childhood, adolescence during the First World War until old age in the 1960s. This novel mirrors the life of a woman in working class French mining society from the beginning of the twentieth century until the fifties and sixties when Western women underwent an unprecedented metamorphosis of their role. These novels would appeal to a wider readership than works by Historians with the same subject matter.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Fictional representations of trauma in Elias Canetti’s novel Auto-da-Fé
- Authors: Buczynski, Jennifer Ann
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Violence in literature , Literature and society , Fictitious characters
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8447 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008062 , Violence in literature , Literature and society , Fictitious characters
- Description: This dissertation examines Elias Canetti‟s novel, Auto-da Fé, in an attempt to show how it depicts the manifestations of violence and the effects of traumaon the individual and on modernist society. This analysis of Auto-da Fé concentrates on the representation of trauma on a fictional level at a time when Europe was experiencing political, social and economic upheaval after the First World War. Auto-da Fé provides an intense emphasis on the psychological effects of trauma on the characters; thereby reflecting the turmoil of this period. An analysis of Canetti‟s novel, in the light of trauma, reveals an enigmatic testimony not only to the nature of violent events, but of the way trauma resists simple comprehension. I argue that this gives rise to complexities within the narration by tracing the insistently recurring words and symbols which point to an interpretation beyond the thematic content of the text, namely one which repetitively bears witness to hidden wounds within individual consciousness. The titles of the three parts of Auto-da-Fé reflect a condition of somatic and sychosomatic dislocation: “A Head without a World”, “Headless World”, and “The World in the Head”. My argument is that the fictional trauma in Canetti‟s novel contains several characters who suffer from a breach of the self and the inability to comprehend society. The inability to fit into society results in the protagonist creating an isolated refuge in order to protect himself from the outer world. However, his alienation exacerbates his physical and emotional dislocations and ultimately leads to his destruction.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Buczynski, Jennifer Ann
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Violence in literature , Literature and society , Fictitious characters
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8447 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008062 , Violence in literature , Literature and society , Fictitious characters
- Description: This dissertation examines Elias Canetti‟s novel, Auto-da Fé, in an attempt to show how it depicts the manifestations of violence and the effects of traumaon the individual and on modernist society. This analysis of Auto-da Fé concentrates on the representation of trauma on a fictional level at a time when Europe was experiencing political, social and economic upheaval after the First World War. Auto-da Fé provides an intense emphasis on the psychological effects of trauma on the characters; thereby reflecting the turmoil of this period. An analysis of Canetti‟s novel, in the light of trauma, reveals an enigmatic testimony not only to the nature of violent events, but of the way trauma resists simple comprehension. I argue that this gives rise to complexities within the narration by tracing the insistently recurring words and symbols which point to an interpretation beyond the thematic content of the text, namely one which repetitively bears witness to hidden wounds within individual consciousness. The titles of the three parts of Auto-da-Fé reflect a condition of somatic and sychosomatic dislocation: “A Head without a World”, “Headless World”, and “The World in the Head”. My argument is that the fictional trauma in Canetti‟s novel contains several characters who suffer from a breach of the self and the inability to comprehend society. The inability to fit into society results in the protagonist creating an isolated refuge in order to protect himself from the outer world. However, his alienation exacerbates his physical and emotional dislocations and ultimately leads to his destruction.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Gender oppression and possibilities of empowerment: images of women in African literature with specific reference to Mariama Ba's So long a letter, Buchi Emecheta's The Joys of motherhood and Tsitsi Dangarembga's Nervous conditions
- Authors: Nyanhongo, Mazvita Mollin
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Women and literature -- Africa Women and literature -- Africa Women and literature -- Africa Women and literature -- Africa Women and literature -- Africa African literature -- Women authors Women -- Africa -- Literary collections
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/6411 , vital:29659
- Description: This study consists of a comparative analysis of three novels by three prominent African women writers which cast light on the ways in which women are oppressed by traditional and cultural norms in three different African countries. These three primary texts also explore the ways in which African women‟s lives are affected by other issues, such as colonialism and economic factors, and this study discusses this. An analysis of these novels reveals that the interconnectedness of racial, class and gender issues exacerbates the oppression of many African women, thereby lessening the opportunities for them to attain self-realization. This study goes on to investigate whether there are possibilities of empowerment for the women in the primary texts, and examining the reasons why some women fail to transcend their situations of oppression. The primary novels will be discussed in different chapters, which explore the problems with which various women are beset, and discuss the extent to which the various women in the novels manage to attain empowerment. In conclusion, this study compares and contrasts the ways in which the women in the primary texts are oppressed and highlights the reasons why some women are able to attain empowerment, whilst others are unable to do so. It also shows that many women are beset with comparable forms of oppression, but they may choose to react to these situations differently. Over and above these issues, the study seeks to draw attention to the fact that women need to come together and contribute to the ways in which they can attain various forms ofempowerment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Nyanhongo, Mazvita Mollin
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Women and literature -- Africa Women and literature -- Africa Women and literature -- Africa Women and literature -- Africa Women and literature -- Africa African literature -- Women authors Women -- Africa -- Literary collections
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/6411 , vital:29659
- Description: This study consists of a comparative analysis of three novels by three prominent African women writers which cast light on the ways in which women are oppressed by traditional and cultural norms in three different African countries. These three primary texts also explore the ways in which African women‟s lives are affected by other issues, such as colonialism and economic factors, and this study discusses this. An analysis of these novels reveals that the interconnectedness of racial, class and gender issues exacerbates the oppression of many African women, thereby lessening the opportunities for them to attain self-realization. This study goes on to investigate whether there are possibilities of empowerment for the women in the primary texts, and examining the reasons why some women fail to transcend their situations of oppression. The primary novels will be discussed in different chapters, which explore the problems with which various women are beset, and discuss the extent to which the various women in the novels manage to attain empowerment. In conclusion, this study compares and contrasts the ways in which the women in the primary texts are oppressed and highlights the reasons why some women are able to attain empowerment, whilst others are unable to do so. It also shows that many women are beset with comparable forms of oppression, but they may choose to react to these situations differently. Over and above these issues, the study seeks to draw attention to the fact that women need to come together and contribute to the ways in which they can attain various forms ofempowerment.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
GIS implementation as a decision support tool for planning and managing development interventions
- Authors: Jong, Yungong Theophilus
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Geographic information systems , Decision support systems , Enterprise resource planning , Spatial systems
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9257 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021227
- Description: The aim of this study is to examine key implementation and managerial issues surrounding the use of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a Decisions Support Tool (DST) for planning and managing development interventions. Ever since the emergence of GIS as a powerful analytical tool in almost all spheres of human endeavour, many organisations involved in development work have adopted its use. But the challenges of conceiving and implementing a GIS in ways that are more responsive to the problems that trigger its purchase remains a daunting task to many development organisations; even those with a wealth of experience in GIS. This is one of the motivating factors for this study. In this research, some relevant themes in GIS implementation and GIS management as a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) were examined in the literature review. A case study research strategy was used focusing on the experience of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Enterprise GIS (EGIS). The study examined how the system is been ran and what other development organisations can learn from this experience. Data was collected and analysed using a mixed research methods approach. The findings show a good level of GIS acceptance among municipality staff. However, running the system is not hitch free. A couple of problems and challenges were identified on the field. It is recommended that the municipality like most development organisations seeking GIS solutions should put the user at the centre of every technical innovation in GIS as a DST.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Jong, Yungong Theophilus
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Geographic information systems , Decision support systems , Enterprise resource planning , Spatial systems
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9257 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021227
- Description: The aim of this study is to examine key implementation and managerial issues surrounding the use of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a Decisions Support Tool (DST) for planning and managing development interventions. Ever since the emergence of GIS as a powerful analytical tool in almost all spheres of human endeavour, many organisations involved in development work have adopted its use. But the challenges of conceiving and implementing a GIS in ways that are more responsive to the problems that trigger its purchase remains a daunting task to many development organisations; even those with a wealth of experience in GIS. This is one of the motivating factors for this study. In this research, some relevant themes in GIS implementation and GIS management as a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) were examined in the literature review. A case study research strategy was used focusing on the experience of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Enterprise GIS (EGIS). The study examined how the system is been ran and what other development organisations can learn from this experience. Data was collected and analysed using a mixed research methods approach. The findings show a good level of GIS acceptance among municipality staff. However, running the system is not hitch free. A couple of problems and challenges were identified on the field. It is recommended that the municipality like most development organisations seeking GIS solutions should put the user at the centre of every technical innovation in GIS as a DST.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Heroes at the gates appeal and value in the Homeric epics from the archaic through the classical period
- Authors: Fox, Peta Ann
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Homer. Iliad Homer. Odyssey Homer Criticism and interpretation Homer Influence Epic poetry, Greek -- History and criticism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3593 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002168
- Description: This thesis raises and explores questions concerning the popularity of the Homeric poems in ancient Greece. It asks why the Iliad and Odyssey held such continuing appeal among the Greeks of the Archaic and Classical age. Cultural products such as poetry cannot be separated from the sociopolitical conditions in which and for which they were originally composed and received. Working on the basis that the extent of Homer’s appeal was inspired and sustained by the peculiar and determining historical circumstances, I set out to explore the relation of the social, political and ethical conditions and values of Archaic and Classical Greece to those portrayed in the Homeric poems. The Greeks, at the time during which Homer was composing his poems, had begun to establish a new form of social organisation: the polis. By examining historical, literary and philosophical texts from the Archaic and Classical age, I explore the manner in which Greek society attempted to reorganise and reconstitute itself in a different way, developing original modes of social and political activity which the new needs and goals of their new social reality demanded. I then turn to examine Homer’s treatment of and response to this social context, and explore the various ways in which Homer was able to reinterpret and reinvent the inherited stories of adventure and warfare in order to compose poetry that not only looks back to the highly centralised and bureaucratic society of the Mycenaean world, but also looks forward, insistently so, to the urban reality of the present. I argue that Homer’s conflation of a remembered mythical age with the contemporary conditions and values of Archaic and Classical Greece aroused in his audiences a new perception and understanding of human existence in the altered sociopolitical conditions of the polis and, in so doing, ultimately contributed to the development of new ideas on the manner in which the Greeks could best live together in their new social world.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Fox, Peta Ann
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Homer. Iliad Homer. Odyssey Homer Criticism and interpretation Homer Influence Epic poetry, Greek -- History and criticism
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3593 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002168
- Description: This thesis raises and explores questions concerning the popularity of the Homeric poems in ancient Greece. It asks why the Iliad and Odyssey held such continuing appeal among the Greeks of the Archaic and Classical age. Cultural products such as poetry cannot be separated from the sociopolitical conditions in which and for which they were originally composed and received. Working on the basis that the extent of Homer’s appeal was inspired and sustained by the peculiar and determining historical circumstances, I set out to explore the relation of the social, political and ethical conditions and values of Archaic and Classical Greece to those portrayed in the Homeric poems. The Greeks, at the time during which Homer was composing his poems, had begun to establish a new form of social organisation: the polis. By examining historical, literary and philosophical texts from the Archaic and Classical age, I explore the manner in which Greek society attempted to reorganise and reconstitute itself in a different way, developing original modes of social and political activity which the new needs and goals of their new social reality demanded. I then turn to examine Homer’s treatment of and response to this social context, and explore the various ways in which Homer was able to reinterpret and reinvent the inherited stories of adventure and warfare in order to compose poetry that not only looks back to the highly centralised and bureaucratic society of the Mycenaean world, but also looks forward, insistently so, to the urban reality of the present. I argue that Homer’s conflation of a remembered mythical age with the contemporary conditions and values of Archaic and Classical Greece aroused in his audiences a new perception and understanding of human existence in the altered sociopolitical conditions of the polis and, in so doing, ultimately contributed to the development of new ideas on the manner in which the Greeks could best live together in their new social world.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
HIV-related stigma amongst service staff in Grahamstown: a comparison of Hi-Tec security guards and Rhodes catering in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Mazorodze, Tasara
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: AIDS phobia -- Research -- South Africa -- Grahamstown HIV infections -- Employees -- Research -- South Africa AIDS (Disease) -- Employees -- Research -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3016 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002525
- Description: Despite the acknowledged reality that HIV-related stigma is a major barrier to effective HIV prevention and treatment, and perhaps because it is complex in nature, few local empirical scales have been developed to measure stigma and to be able evaluate the impact of anti-stigma interventions. Whilst the development of two recent South African HIV-related stigma scales can be celebrated as a major breakthrough, the reliability and validity of these scales across contexts remains largely unknown. This research project employs these two local, and competing, HIV-related personal stigma scales - the first developed by Kalichman et al. (2005) and the second developed by Visser, Kershaw, Makin and Forsyth (2008)-to compare the psychometric properties of the scales and to obtain a measure of HIV-related stigma with a sample of 246 service staff employed at either Rhodes University Catering Division or the Hi-Tec Security company, both organisations located in Grahamstown, a small town in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Both organisations are major employers of semi-skilled workers in this local context. The results suggest that the Visser et al. scale (2008) reports slightly better psychometric properties than the Kalichman et al. (2005) scale for this sample. Furthermore, the security guards appear to be more stigmatising than the caterers, and it is suggested that this might be a consequence of the combined influences of normative occupational roles and workplace context. Results also show that participants who practices safe sex, know someone with HIV and/or who have been tested for HIV show lower levels of HIV-related stigma. Finally, personal stigma scores are generally lower than attributed stigma scores, which might offer a useful point of intervention.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Mazorodze, Tasara
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: AIDS phobia -- Research -- South Africa -- Grahamstown HIV infections -- Employees -- Research -- South Africa AIDS (Disease) -- Employees -- Research -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:3016 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002525
- Description: Despite the acknowledged reality that HIV-related stigma is a major barrier to effective HIV prevention and treatment, and perhaps because it is complex in nature, few local empirical scales have been developed to measure stigma and to be able evaluate the impact of anti-stigma interventions. Whilst the development of two recent South African HIV-related stigma scales can be celebrated as a major breakthrough, the reliability and validity of these scales across contexts remains largely unknown. This research project employs these two local, and competing, HIV-related personal stigma scales - the first developed by Kalichman et al. (2005) and the second developed by Visser, Kershaw, Makin and Forsyth (2008)-to compare the psychometric properties of the scales and to obtain a measure of HIV-related stigma with a sample of 246 service staff employed at either Rhodes University Catering Division or the Hi-Tec Security company, both organisations located in Grahamstown, a small town in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Both organisations are major employers of semi-skilled workers in this local context. The results suggest that the Visser et al. scale (2008) reports slightly better psychometric properties than the Kalichman et al. (2005) scale for this sample. Furthermore, the security guards appear to be more stigmatising than the caterers, and it is suggested that this might be a consequence of the combined influences of normative occupational roles and workplace context. Results also show that participants who practices safe sex, know someone with HIV and/or who have been tested for HIV show lower levels of HIV-related stigma. Finally, personal stigma scores are generally lower than attributed stigma scores, which might offer a useful point of intervention.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Horrelpoot (2006) van Eben Venter as apokaliptiese roman: 'n intertekstuele studie
- Authors: Roth, Johan Friedrich
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Venter, Eben. Hoorelpoort , Apocalyptic literature
- Language: Afrikaans
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8445 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1492 , Venter, Eben. Hoorelpoort , Apocalyptic literature
- Description: The dissertation offers a comparative reading of Eben Venter's Horrelpoot (2006) and Joseph Conrad's A Heart of Darkness (1902). The aim of this investigation is to establish whether the Afrikaans novel is overshadowed by the classical text, or whether it is an independent text in its own right. Following on a short reception study of reviews and articles published on Venter's latest fictional work, Horrelpoot, is read as an apocalyptic and / or dystopic novel. Whereas Conrad's novel is set in the Congo, Eben Venter opts for a fictionalized post-apartheid South African society riddled with social problems and a complete lack of infrastructure. The ideological notions pertaining to white South African fearing a black future form the crux of Venter's analysis of the contemporary white psyche in South Africa. From an intertextual point of view Venter's re-writing of Conrad's classic is a clear example of how, according to Kristeva's definition, one sign system is transposed into another. What is the result of this for the reception of the contemporary novel? Is one able to read Venter's novel without having to rely on Conrad's novel as intertext? An overview of the different theoretical views on intertextuality is also provided. The apocalyptic vision in Venter's novel is also examined against the background of a series of related novels in South Africa that deal with the same issue. In the 1980s apocalyptic novels focused primarily on apartheid society as symbolizing a dystopic, amoral and oppressive society that needed to be overthrown in favour of a more utopian non-racial society. Venter's novel places a question mark behind such an assumption as it shows that living in a post-apartheid society could even be worse and more dictatorial.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Roth, Johan Friedrich
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Venter, Eben. Hoorelpoort , Apocalyptic literature
- Language: Afrikaans
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:8445 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1492 , Venter, Eben. Hoorelpoort , Apocalyptic literature
- Description: The dissertation offers a comparative reading of Eben Venter's Horrelpoot (2006) and Joseph Conrad's A Heart of Darkness (1902). The aim of this investigation is to establish whether the Afrikaans novel is overshadowed by the classical text, or whether it is an independent text in its own right. Following on a short reception study of reviews and articles published on Venter's latest fictional work, Horrelpoot, is read as an apocalyptic and / or dystopic novel. Whereas Conrad's novel is set in the Congo, Eben Venter opts for a fictionalized post-apartheid South African society riddled with social problems and a complete lack of infrastructure. The ideological notions pertaining to white South African fearing a black future form the crux of Venter's analysis of the contemporary white psyche in South Africa. From an intertextual point of view Venter's re-writing of Conrad's classic is a clear example of how, according to Kristeva's definition, one sign system is transposed into another. What is the result of this for the reception of the contemporary novel? Is one able to read Venter's novel without having to rely on Conrad's novel as intertext? An overview of the different theoretical views on intertextuality is also provided. The apocalyptic vision in Venter's novel is also examined against the background of a series of related novels in South Africa that deal with the same issue. In the 1980s apocalyptic novels focused primarily on apartheid society as symbolizing a dystopic, amoral and oppressive society that needed to be overthrown in favour of a more utopian non-racial society. Venter's novel places a question mark behind such an assumption as it shows that living in a post-apartheid society could even be worse and more dictatorial.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
How has the South African government conceptualised gender?: an evaluation of the draft strategic framework on gender and women's empowerment
- Ndlovu, Innocencia Sithandazile
- Authors: Ndlovu, Innocencia Sithandazile
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Sex discrimination against women -- South Africa , Women in development -- South Africa , Equality -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9097 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011856 , Sex discrimination against women -- South Africa , Women in development -- South Africa , Equality -- South Africa
- Description: The research seeks to evaluate how the South African government has conceptualised gender through the use of the concepts of WID and GAD. This research has been conducted through the analysis of the Draft Strategic Framework on Gender and Women's Empowerment a document of the Department of Trade and Industry that was formulated to address and redress the issues of gender equality. It has some sound suggestions that seek to identify strategies to improve women empowerment through financial independence. As a result they have used various approaches in order to provide strategies that are mindful of the „needs‟ of the women. Accordingly they have formulated a policy that understands who these women are and have made recommendations of strategies that different groups of women can identify with. They have included the marginalised rural and disabled women and even gone as far as catering for younger women still at school. However there has been concern at the impact that the exclusion of men has contributed, therefore it is important to find ways in which to make men more involved.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Ndlovu, Innocencia Sithandazile
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Sex discrimination against women -- South Africa , Women in development -- South Africa , Equality -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9097 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1011856 , Sex discrimination against women -- South Africa , Women in development -- South Africa , Equality -- South Africa
- Description: The research seeks to evaluate how the South African government has conceptualised gender through the use of the concepts of WID and GAD. This research has been conducted through the analysis of the Draft Strategic Framework on Gender and Women's Empowerment a document of the Department of Trade and Industry that was formulated to address and redress the issues of gender equality. It has some sound suggestions that seek to identify strategies to improve women empowerment through financial independence. As a result they have used various approaches in order to provide strategies that are mindful of the „needs‟ of the women. Accordingly they have formulated a policy that understands who these women are and have made recommendations of strategies that different groups of women can identify with. They have included the marginalised rural and disabled women and even gone as far as catering for younger women still at school. However there has been concern at the impact that the exclusion of men has contributed, therefore it is important to find ways in which to make men more involved.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Human figure drawings and the general mental development of South African children
- Authors: Burger, Reinhart
- Date: 2011
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9869 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008068
- Description: This quantitative exploratory-descriptive study investigated the value of human figure drawing (HFD) tests for developmental testing in the South African context. Due to their characteristics such tests may be particularly suitable to screen for developmental delays in the local South African context. The objectives of the research were to explore and describe the standardized HFD scores and Griffiths Mental Development Scales – Extended Revised (GMDS-ER) general quotients (GQ) of the sample; to investigate whether a relationship exists between the standardized HFD scores and GQs; and to investigate the strength and directionality of this relationship if it was found to exist in the sample. Relevant literature was discussed and an integration of key constructs was provided. The research sample consisted of 30 GMDS-ER protocols collected at a University Psychology Clinic in the Nelson Mandela metropol, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The HFDs of the Draw-a-person items of the GMDS-ER protocols were scored according to the scoring criteria of the Draw-a-Person Intellectual Ability Test for Children, Adolescents, and Adults (DAP: IQ). Key findings included the following: a statistically significant large positive correlation indicative of a marked relationship existed between standardized HFD scores and GQs. The DAP: IQ might provide a better indication of mental development than intellectual ability. A statistically significant medium positive correlation indicative of a small but definite relationship existed between chronological age and HFD raw scores. In conclusion, the findings suggest that HFDs follow a developmental progression and that HFD tests may be useful in developmental testing.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Burger, Reinhart
- Date: 2011
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9869 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1008068
- Description: This quantitative exploratory-descriptive study investigated the value of human figure drawing (HFD) tests for developmental testing in the South African context. Due to their characteristics such tests may be particularly suitable to screen for developmental delays in the local South African context. The objectives of the research were to explore and describe the standardized HFD scores and Griffiths Mental Development Scales – Extended Revised (GMDS-ER) general quotients (GQ) of the sample; to investigate whether a relationship exists between the standardized HFD scores and GQs; and to investigate the strength and directionality of this relationship if it was found to exist in the sample. Relevant literature was discussed and an integration of key constructs was provided. The research sample consisted of 30 GMDS-ER protocols collected at a University Psychology Clinic in the Nelson Mandela metropol, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The HFDs of the Draw-a-person items of the GMDS-ER protocols were scored according to the scoring criteria of the Draw-a-Person Intellectual Ability Test for Children, Adolescents, and Adults (DAP: IQ). Key findings included the following: a statistically significant large positive correlation indicative of a marked relationship existed between standardized HFD scores and GQs. The DAP: IQ might provide a better indication of mental development than intellectual ability. A statistically significant medium positive correlation indicative of a small but definite relationship existed between chronological age and HFD raw scores. In conclusion, the findings suggest that HFDs follow a developmental progression and that HFD tests may be useful in developmental testing.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Ill at ease in our translated world ecocriticism, language, and the natural environment in the fiction of Michael Ondaatje, Amitav Ghosh, David Malouf and Wilma Stockenström
- Authors: Johnson, Eleanore
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Ondaatje, Michael, 1943- The English patient Ghosh, Amitav. The hungry tide Malouf, David, 1934- An imaginary life Stockenström, Wilma. The expedition to the Baobab tree Ecocriticism Human ecology in literature Nature in literature
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2234 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002277
- Description: This thesis explores the thematic desire to establish an ecological human bond with nature in four contemporary novels: The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje, The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh, An Imaginary Life by David Malouf, and The Expedition to The Baobab Tree by Wilma Stockenström. These authors share a concern with the influence that language has on human perception, and one of the most significant ways they attempt to connect with the natural world is through somehow escaping, or transcending, what they perceive to be the divisive tendencies of language. They all suggest that human perception is not steered entirely by a disembodied mind, which constructs reality through linguistic and cultural lenses, but is equally influenced by physical circumstances and embodied experiences. They explore the potential of corporeal reciprocity and empathy as that which enables understanding across cultural barriers, and a sense of ecologically intertwined kinship with nature. They all struggle to reconcile their awareness of the potential danger of relating to nature exclusively through language, with a desire to speak for the natural world in literature. I have examined whether they succeed in doing so, or whether they contradict their thematic suspicion of language with their literary medium. I have prioritised a close ecocritical reading of the novels and loosely situated the authors’ approach to nature and language within the broad theoretical frameworks of radical ecology, structuralism and poststructuralism. I suggest that these novels are best analysed in the context of an ecocritical mediation between poststructuralist conceptions of nature as inaccessible cultural construct, and the naïve conception of unmediated, pre-reflective interaction with the natural world. I draw especially on the phenomenological theories of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, whose insistence that perception is always both embodied and culturally mediated truly renders culture and nature irreducible, intertwined categories. By challenging historical dualisms like mind/body and culture/nature, the selected novels suggest a more fluid and discursive understanding of the perceived conflict between language and nature, whilst problematizing the perception of language as merely a cultural artefact. Moreover, they are examples of the kind of literature that has the potential to positively influence our human conception of nature, and adapt us better to our ecological context on a planet struggling for survival.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Johnson, Eleanore
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Ondaatje, Michael, 1943- The English patient Ghosh, Amitav. The hungry tide Malouf, David, 1934- An imaginary life Stockenström, Wilma. The expedition to the Baobab tree Ecocriticism Human ecology in literature Nature in literature
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:2234 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1002277
- Description: This thesis explores the thematic desire to establish an ecological human bond with nature in four contemporary novels: The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje, The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh, An Imaginary Life by David Malouf, and The Expedition to The Baobab Tree by Wilma Stockenström. These authors share a concern with the influence that language has on human perception, and one of the most significant ways they attempt to connect with the natural world is through somehow escaping, or transcending, what they perceive to be the divisive tendencies of language. They all suggest that human perception is not steered entirely by a disembodied mind, which constructs reality through linguistic and cultural lenses, but is equally influenced by physical circumstances and embodied experiences. They explore the potential of corporeal reciprocity and empathy as that which enables understanding across cultural barriers, and a sense of ecologically intertwined kinship with nature. They all struggle to reconcile their awareness of the potential danger of relating to nature exclusively through language, with a desire to speak for the natural world in literature. I have examined whether they succeed in doing so, or whether they contradict their thematic suspicion of language with their literary medium. I have prioritised a close ecocritical reading of the novels and loosely situated the authors’ approach to nature and language within the broad theoretical frameworks of radical ecology, structuralism and poststructuralism. I suggest that these novels are best analysed in the context of an ecocritical mediation between poststructuralist conceptions of nature as inaccessible cultural construct, and the naïve conception of unmediated, pre-reflective interaction with the natural world. I draw especially on the phenomenological theories of Maurice Merleau-Ponty, whose insistence that perception is always both embodied and culturally mediated truly renders culture and nature irreducible, intertwined categories. By challenging historical dualisms like mind/body and culture/nature, the selected novels suggest a more fluid and discursive understanding of the perceived conflict between language and nature, whilst problematizing the perception of language as merely a cultural artefact. Moreover, they are examples of the kind of literature that has the potential to positively influence our human conception of nature, and adapt us better to our ecological context on a planet struggling for survival.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Improving governance to foster economic development: a case study of Nairobi City
- Authors: Makena, Njeru Sharon
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Decentralization in government -- Kenya -- Nairobi , Public administration -- Kenya -- Nairobi , Economic development -- Kenya -- Nairobi
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9117 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015679
- Description: Good governance is a critical element to economic development both at the local and national level. Devolution, which is a form of decentralization, is a means of achieving good governance if implemented appropriately. Government plays a pivotal role in the governance framework of a country. This study aimed at exploring how governance of Nairobi City can be improved under a devolved system of government to foster economic development. The study specifically looked at government effectiveness which is one of the Worldwide Governance Indicators. Through a literature review, the study looks at how devolution can improve governance, and what government effectiveness entails, not only from the World Bank perspective but also from other related literature. The major assumption of this study is that improved governance consequently leads to enhanced economic development, as argued by numerous scholars and practitioners in previous studies (Todaro and Smith, (2009) Mcneil and Malena, (2010) and UNDESA 2007). Furthermore, this study assumed that despite only focusing on one of the six indicators, an idea of good governance as a whole will be obtained. The study used a mix of qualitative and quantitative approach of a case study of Nairobi City. Nairobi City is not only a unit of devolution under the new constitution, but will also host the national government. Furthermore, it is also the financial stronghold of the country. Data was collected from two sets of respondents using two different instruments. A questionnaire was used to collect data from the citizenry, and face to face interviews were used to collect data from government officials. The questionnaire focused on capturing citizen perceptions on government effectiveness. Respondents were selected through convenient sampling at pre-determined service delivery points within Nairobi City. The face-to-face semi-structured interview gauged the level of government effectiveness of selected government institutions within Nairobi City. For the former instrument, the data was analyzed through SPSS and Microsoft Excel; and presented in tables, charts and graphs. For the latter, a descriptive discussion has been used to illustrate findings. The study found that government institutions within Nairobi to an extent have established mechanisms and systems to improve service delivery, and consequently promote government effectiveness. It is observable from the study that, the systems in place do not respond to the citizen needs and expectations as illustrated by a satisfaction index of 54 percent.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Makena, Njeru Sharon
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Decentralization in government -- Kenya -- Nairobi , Public administration -- Kenya -- Nairobi , Economic development -- Kenya -- Nairobi
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9117 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1015679
- Description: Good governance is a critical element to economic development both at the local and national level. Devolution, which is a form of decentralization, is a means of achieving good governance if implemented appropriately. Government plays a pivotal role in the governance framework of a country. This study aimed at exploring how governance of Nairobi City can be improved under a devolved system of government to foster economic development. The study specifically looked at government effectiveness which is one of the Worldwide Governance Indicators. Through a literature review, the study looks at how devolution can improve governance, and what government effectiveness entails, not only from the World Bank perspective but also from other related literature. The major assumption of this study is that improved governance consequently leads to enhanced economic development, as argued by numerous scholars and practitioners in previous studies (Todaro and Smith, (2009) Mcneil and Malena, (2010) and UNDESA 2007). Furthermore, this study assumed that despite only focusing on one of the six indicators, an idea of good governance as a whole will be obtained. The study used a mix of qualitative and quantitative approach of a case study of Nairobi City. Nairobi City is not only a unit of devolution under the new constitution, but will also host the national government. Furthermore, it is also the financial stronghold of the country. Data was collected from two sets of respondents using two different instruments. A questionnaire was used to collect data from the citizenry, and face to face interviews were used to collect data from government officials. The questionnaire focused on capturing citizen perceptions on government effectiveness. Respondents were selected through convenient sampling at pre-determined service delivery points within Nairobi City. The face-to-face semi-structured interview gauged the level of government effectiveness of selected government institutions within Nairobi City. For the former instrument, the data was analyzed through SPSS and Microsoft Excel; and presented in tables, charts and graphs. For the latter, a descriptive discussion has been used to illustrate findings. The study found that government institutions within Nairobi to an extent have established mechanisms and systems to improve service delivery, and consequently promote government effectiveness. It is observable from the study that, the systems in place do not respond to the citizen needs and expectations as illustrated by a satisfaction index of 54 percent.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Improving socio-ecological resilience strategies of climate change in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole
- Authors: Nzante, Ekiyie
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Forest resilience -- Climatic factors -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Global warming -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9145 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018823
- Description: The Kyoto Protocol of UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) postulated that anthropogenic causes are the main drivers of global climate change. This Kyoto Protocol was ratified by South Africa, with South Africa accepting all the binding commitments. Since then South Africa has promulgated legislations which cater for the environment and the reduction of the greenhouse gases respectively, with the aim of promoting sustainable development. The South African constitution has recognised the environment in Section 24. This is the birth place of the “Environmental Clauses” which do not only speak to the national government but are also broken down to the provincial and local government. This study was grounded within the field of Development studies and undertook a case study of improving the socio-ecological resilience strategies of climate changes in Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole (NMBM). The study employed the use of semi-structure interviews whereby a questionnaire was used to guide the researcher in the interview process. A total of 23 officials were interviewed, ranging from governmental departments (municipality) through civil societies to private consultants, in order to avoid the generation of biases. The data obtained from respondents were presented, analysed, and discussed. From the data collected, it was possible to single out certain barriers to climate change resilience initiative in NMBM. Some of these barriers include the lack of awareness of climate change resilience issues, lack of political will, lack of funding, and the poor concern given to climate change issues since the municipality does not consider it a core issue. Based on the study findings, the main recommendation offered to NMBM was the creation of a Sustainable Development Framework, which will provide a perfect platform for development, acknowledge the threat posed by the negative effects of climate change, and enhance opportunities to execute climate change projects in NMBM.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Nzante, Ekiyie
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Forest resilience -- Climatic factors -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Global warming -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality , Sustainable development -- South Africa -- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9145 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1018823
- Description: The Kyoto Protocol of UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) postulated that anthropogenic causes are the main drivers of global climate change. This Kyoto Protocol was ratified by South Africa, with South Africa accepting all the binding commitments. Since then South Africa has promulgated legislations which cater for the environment and the reduction of the greenhouse gases respectively, with the aim of promoting sustainable development. The South African constitution has recognised the environment in Section 24. This is the birth place of the “Environmental Clauses” which do not only speak to the national government but are also broken down to the provincial and local government. This study was grounded within the field of Development studies and undertook a case study of improving the socio-ecological resilience strategies of climate changes in Nelson Mandela Bay Metropole (NMBM). The study employed the use of semi-structure interviews whereby a questionnaire was used to guide the researcher in the interview process. A total of 23 officials were interviewed, ranging from governmental departments (municipality) through civil societies to private consultants, in order to avoid the generation of biases. The data obtained from respondents were presented, analysed, and discussed. From the data collected, it was possible to single out certain barriers to climate change resilience initiative in NMBM. Some of these barriers include the lack of awareness of climate change resilience issues, lack of political will, lack of funding, and the poor concern given to climate change issues since the municipality does not consider it a core issue. Based on the study findings, the main recommendation offered to NMBM was the creation of a Sustainable Development Framework, which will provide a perfect platform for development, acknowledge the threat posed by the negative effects of climate change, and enhance opportunities to execute climate change projects in NMBM.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
Incidence and mechanism of injuries occurring over season among premier and president league hockey teams of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
- Authors: Walker, Rostin
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Field hockey injuries -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:10091 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1577 , Field hockey injuries -- South Africa
- Description: The aim of the study was twofold namely (1) to describe and compare the incidence and mechanism of injuries that occurred in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University hockey teams that play in the Premier and President Leagues; and (2) to determine the relationships between the level of physical preparation of the relevant players and injury occurrence. The study utilised an exploratory-descriptive epidemiological approach, implementing a cohort study design and was conducted over a period of six months. Data collection was done by means of two physical tests, one to assess the players’ endurance and the other to assess their anaerobic fitness. This was performed twice on the participants during the study. Data collection also utilised four questionnaires to determine the following: the players’ personal information and medical history, the preparation and training the players did for hockey, the incidence and mechanism of the injury the players have incurred and the follow-up of the injury to describe the type of injury and the rehabilitation process. The study included 42 participants with 25 from the two Premier League Teams and 17 from the President League Team. The results were placed into table and graph format and elucidated by means of descriptive statistics. Furthermore inferential statistics and Cohen’s d were utilised to determine both statistical and practical significances of differences between groups mean values respectively. The statistical significance of differences between the frequency distributions of the two sample groups was determined by means of Chi2 tests of independence. Cramér’s V statistic was used when there were statistically significant Chi2 tests results to determine the practical significance of the two sample group’s differences. The variable of highest level of play showed the only significant difference with regards to screening statistics as the Premier League Participants had a higher number of years participating at a provincial level. The injury statistics revealed that the incidence of injury in the Premier League was 4.08 injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures (A-E), while there was a significantly higher incidence for the President League of 14.71 injuries per 1000 A-E. Matches showed a significantly higher incidence of injuries (8.18 injuries per 1000 A-E) than xiv practices (2.42 injuries per 1000 A-E) which follows previous research. Goalkeepers and halves showed the highest occurrence of injuries (36 percent each) and are supported by 59 percent of the injuries occurring on the defensive side of the 23 metre line. Contact injuries (collision 6 percent, hit by stick 17 percent and hit by ball 33 percent) accounted for 56 percent of all the injuries. No significant differences were found between the two leagues with regards to preparation, the Multi Stage Shuttle Run Test (MSSRT) and the Repeated Sprint Test (RST), except for one period each for technical skills and aerobic training. The relationship between injuries and training showed no significances with regards to preparation, MSSRT and RST, although there was minimal balance and proprioceptive training performed. Thus the lower league showed a significantly higher incidence of injury with preparation not being a mechanism for injuries.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011
- Authors: Walker, Rostin
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Field hockey injuries -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:10091 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1577 , Field hockey injuries -- South Africa
- Description: The aim of the study was twofold namely (1) to describe and compare the incidence and mechanism of injuries that occurred in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University hockey teams that play in the Premier and President Leagues; and (2) to determine the relationships between the level of physical preparation of the relevant players and injury occurrence. The study utilised an exploratory-descriptive epidemiological approach, implementing a cohort study design and was conducted over a period of six months. Data collection was done by means of two physical tests, one to assess the players’ endurance and the other to assess their anaerobic fitness. This was performed twice on the participants during the study. Data collection also utilised four questionnaires to determine the following: the players’ personal information and medical history, the preparation and training the players did for hockey, the incidence and mechanism of the injury the players have incurred and the follow-up of the injury to describe the type of injury and the rehabilitation process. The study included 42 participants with 25 from the two Premier League Teams and 17 from the President League Team. The results were placed into table and graph format and elucidated by means of descriptive statistics. Furthermore inferential statistics and Cohen’s d were utilised to determine both statistical and practical significances of differences between groups mean values respectively. The statistical significance of differences between the frequency distributions of the two sample groups was determined by means of Chi2 tests of independence. Cramér’s V statistic was used when there were statistically significant Chi2 tests results to determine the practical significance of the two sample group’s differences. The variable of highest level of play showed the only significant difference with regards to screening statistics as the Premier League Participants had a higher number of years participating at a provincial level. The injury statistics revealed that the incidence of injury in the Premier League was 4.08 injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures (A-E), while there was a significantly higher incidence for the President League of 14.71 injuries per 1000 A-E. Matches showed a significantly higher incidence of injuries (8.18 injuries per 1000 A-E) than xiv practices (2.42 injuries per 1000 A-E) which follows previous research. Goalkeepers and halves showed the highest occurrence of injuries (36 percent each) and are supported by 59 percent of the injuries occurring on the defensive side of the 23 metre line. Contact injuries (collision 6 percent, hit by stick 17 percent and hit by ball 33 percent) accounted for 56 percent of all the injuries. No significant differences were found between the two leagues with regards to preparation, the Multi Stage Shuttle Run Test (MSSRT) and the Repeated Sprint Test (RST), except for one period each for technical skills and aerobic training. The relationship between injuries and training showed no significances with regards to preparation, MSSRT and RST, although there was minimal balance and proprioceptive training performed. Thus the lower league showed a significantly higher incidence of injury with preparation not being a mechanism for injuries.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2011