This research is an exploratory study of ancient and modern perceptions with regard to Muslim female clothing practices. A combination of historical-comparative and social-science research methodology is utilised to determine how female clothing practices, specifically modest clothing, developed over millennia. The research belongs under the broad umbrella of qualitative data collection and analysis. The study has a socio-historical, cultural, and religious focus and departs from the observation that Muslim female clothing practices imply a complex symbol of many meanings. Female clothing practices are analysed from a historical perspective as a cultural phenomenon with its roots in ancient Mediterranean societies (Chapter 2). These ancient cultural practices are re-applied and re-appropriated in Islamic tradition (Chapter 3) and find expression in modern society via Muslim women s choice to follow traditional clothing practices (Chapter 4). This allows the researcher to also study the phenomenon within the context of the social-sciences (Chapter 5). In this way the researcher approaches Muslim female clothing practices as a complex symbol with many meanings by means of a comprehensive research approach. The ecological systems theory acts as theoretical framework for the study. Individuals interact within environmental systems. It creates a framework from which scholars can study the relationships between individuals and their communities and the wider society. The research develops in four phases. First, it explores the nature, development, meaning, and cultural significance of female clothing in the ancient Mediterranean world, with a specific focus on the origin of the cultural phenomenon. Second, it investigates wearing the hijab as a religious obligation according to Islamic tradition. Third, it investigates the significance of various facets of the hijab as it features in contemporary society. Finally, through a qualitative research approach, it explores women's perceptions of their choice to wear the hijab in a non-Muslim society. The researcher concludes that an ancient cultural practice has been re-applied on a religious level in the Islamic context. In spite of many misconceptions and negative stereotyping Muslim women agree that they freely choose to wear the hijab because it gives visual expression to their identity as Muslims and protects them against objectification. By using the hijab as an opportunity for dialogue, better understanding of the practice might lead to increased tolerance for diverse cultural and religious practices in contemporary society. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Ancient Languages / MA / Unrestricted

Emotional awareness, a pre-requisite for emotional intelligence, encompasses being in contact with, as well as effectively expressing and owning one s emotions, and is critical to the holistic functioning of children. Children in the middle childhood years are primed for learning as they have entered their formal schooling years, thereby not only needing to learn to read and write but to interact with peers and adults in a socially acceptable manner. Children in child and youth care centres have unique challenges in coping with and overcoming the emotions caused by the circumstances that have brought them into care. Emotional awareness, and the potential benefits for children s socio-emotional skills, can be to the advantage of these children. It is believed that emotional awareness can be taught through specific interventions, such as programmes aimed at enhancing children s skills in identifying, understanding and effectively expressing their emotions. The goal of this study was to evaluate such a programme, referred to in this study as an Emotional Awareness Programme for children in middle childhood, to be implemented within the context of a child and youth care centre. The Emotional Awareness Programme was implemented over two months at a child and youth care centre in Pretoria. The study followed a quantitative research approach, with a quasi-experimental comparison group pre-test post-test research design. Data was collected by means of a standardised measuring instrument, the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale for Children (LEAS-C). The findings of the study suggested that the exposure of participants of middle childhood age in a child and youth care centre to the Emotional Awareness Programme had a limited effect on their emotional awareness. However, this effect could not be exclusively ascribed to the programme. As the context of the child and youth care centre and the traumatic experiences of children in alternative care could have an effect on the implementation of the Emotional Awareness Programme as well as on the measurement of emotional awareness, and as such, further research on the topic of this study is recommended. It is recommended that the study be replicated in other child and youth care centres. / Mini Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Social Work and Criminology / MSW / Unrestricted

Since the implementation of EAP services within the COJMM, EAP practitioners experience different challenges. Some of these challenges are limited funding for the EAPs, lack of awareness of EAP services and poor participation in EAPs by the employees (EAPA-SA, 2010:6).Due to the above challenges the EAP within the COJMM is not always effective and structured as envisioned by the EAP Professional Standards. Furthermore, the researcher has also observed that the intention of EAPs in the public sector has been influenced by the instruction of the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) and is subject to increasing pressure to comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (85 of 1993) and Labour Relations Act (108 of 1996) rather than implementing EAP services guided by employees? needs and EAP Professional Standards. The findings from previous research studies and the Public Service Commission? reports in South Africa reveal that various Government departments are still experiencing challenges with regards to implementing effective EAP services within the public sector (Public Service Commission, 2010:2). Based on the researcher?s professional observation, it seems as if in the South African context municipalities as well as provincial and national government departments are faced with different challenges to implement EAPs that are in line with the professional standards for EAPs. This view was confirmed by Matlawa (2011), EAP Advisor at Tzaneen Municipality in Limpopo Province, who indicated that EAPs within the public sector are not always implemented in accordance with the professional standards of EAPs in South Africa. Therefore, a quantitative research approach was appropriate to evaluate the EAP services within the COJMM according to the Professional Standards of EAP in South Africa. A randomised cross sectional survey design was utilised to carry out the research study with a questionnaire as a survey instrument. Quantitative data was collected through a questionnaire from the sample of 109 employees in the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality and valuable conclusions emanated from the findings of this research study. The majority of the respondents identified amongst other factors the issue of staff ratio as one of the limitations with regards to the implementation of EAP services within COJMM. The other key issue that the respondents identified clearly was with regards to the lack of marketing of the EAP services within COJMM. The study was also concluded with some useful and relevant recommendations from the employees? responses on how to improve the implementation of EAP services within the COJMM. One of the crucial recommendations drawn from the findings of this research study was that more information sessions and training on the processes and procedures regarding accessing EAP services should be conducted regularly throughout the whole COJMM. Another recommendation was that every region within the COJMM should have an EAP representative for better proximity of the service to employees. / Mini Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Social Work and Criminology / MSW / Unrestricted

This research is situated within a broader urban sociology framework, and set against the background of a precarious economic and political milieu in Zimbabwe, as a result of which urban infrastructure deteriorated immensely during the post-independence period, in particular the third decade. Drawing on a literature on decentralization and urban governance (Reddy, 1999; Smit and Pieterse, 2014), with a specific focus on Africa (Ribot, 1999; Chigwata, 2010;Chigwenya, 2010), the study contends that the acclaimed decentralization and devolution of power by the central state in Zimbabwe can be described as phony and counter-productive in as far as urban infrastructure development is concerned. Through a focus on fragmenting urban infrastructure in contemporary Masvingo, Zimbabwe the study explores the challenges faced by the municipal council and the livelihood and survival strategies of local elites in combating service delivery and infrastructure challenges. In this research, I argue that infrastructure conditions in urban Masvingo have deteriorated owing to rapid urbanization, decentralization devoid of devolution, political instability, human negligence, and macro-economic challenges, which in my view affects the municipality s prioritization of expenditures. The municipal council view the rise of government parastatals such as ZINARA as the biggest challenge undermining their ability to acquire resources for infrastructure maintenance. Furthermore, it is argued that the continued fragmentation of infrastructure and service delivery became an eyesore as well as a threat to elites, who embraced a let s do it ourselves approach . As a result, urban elites in Masvingo constantly engage with key institutions, including the state and non-governmental organizations, to negotiate infrastructural challenges with a view to improve livelihoods and well-being. In addition, urban elites have been necessitated to implement a range of coping strategies at household level (such as use of borehole water, household generators, and access to countryside resources) to combat failing infrastructure. The study found that the coping strategies employed by the elite urban ratepayers varies depending on whether they reside in a low density or high density suburb. The research deployed data source triangulation techniques, utilizing semi-structured interviews, document analysis and participant observation. A total of seventeen interviews were conducted with key informants including councillors and top representatives of the municipal council, a member of parliament, and selected elite urban ratepayers in Masvingo. / Mini Dissertation (MSocSci)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Sociology / MSocSci / Unrestricted

Namibia is one of the countries in Southern Africa which is hardest hit by the double burden of HIV and TB. Namibian national data shows that, although 50% of all TB patients in 2011 were HIV positive, there was an unintegrated approach in the management of these two diseases (Seeling, Mavhunga, Thomas, Adelberger & Ulrichs, 2014:269). It is against this background that this study was conducted. The goal of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of patients with HIV and TB co-infection in Rundu, Namibia. A qualitative research approach was utilised in this study. The researcher draws attention to the experiences of co-infected patients by employing a phenomenological design which allowed patients to reminisce on their lived experiences. The study was therefore exploratory and descriptive in scope. Unstructured one-on-one interviews were used to collect data. The findings reveal the presence of structural deficiencies in the management framework for co-infected patients. For instance, the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) was not well-co-ordinated and there was no integration of HIV and TB services. Consequently, patients experienced a sense of being neglected by health care professionals and noted that their interests as patients were, to a certain extent, ignored. Participants preferred to be treated in the context of their home environment by means of home based care (HBC). Most participants bemoaned the existence of stigma both at community level and in health care settings. A range of psychosocial experiences were also described. As a consequence of this study, general recommendations were put forward and these included the need for the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) to expedite the integration of HIV and TB services in Namibia, particularly in relation to patients getting HIV and TB services under one roof. It was also noted that for co-infected patients to be holistically managed, there is a need to strengthen HBC as a strategy of managing patients to guarantee the involvement of family members in keeping with the biopsychosocial perspective (BPS), the theoretical framework for this study. While the goal and objectives of this study were generally met, the researcher stressed the need for future research to explore the feasibility of HBC as a strategy for managing HIV and TB co-infected patients before the Government of the Republic of Namibia could incorporate the strategy in policy. / Mini Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Social Work and Criminology / MSW / Unrestricted

South Africa adopted a human security orientation at the start of its democratic epoch in 1994. Human security is an approach to security which prioritises the protection of the people over security of the state. One of its central tenets is that security is best achieved through development as opposed to arms procurement. Against this backdrop, the principal objective of this study was to critically analyse and describe South Africa s official perceptions of human security in the period 1994-2009, and their impact on the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). Three indicators were identified to respond to the research questions and objectives. The indicators are strategic defence posture, actual functions performed by the SANDF and civil-military relations in South Africa. Following an evaluation of these the main finding was that state security and human security were equally prioritised in South Africa s official lexis but in praxis the impact made the operational functioning of the SANDF difficult. The analysis conducted in this study was enhanced by ideas from Critical Security Studies (CSS) which emerged as a response to the seemingly anachronistic realist assumptions which fuelled traditional security (studies) for much of the Cold War. The qualitative-documentary study was necessary to contribute to an understanding of a phenomenon like human security. This is especially as South Africa s official pronouncements and policy documents often make reference to human security principles while the lived daily experience for the vast majority of people is anything but secure. / Mini Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Political Sciences / MA / Unrestricted

Effective, sustainable and versatile Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) requires collaborative problem-solving between parents as help-seekers and professionals as help-givers during assessment, to facilitate treatment planning based on mutual understanding of parents problems and needs. However, international and South African research reflect parent dissatisfaction and poor participation in ECI programmes for young children with disabilities, which indicates a breakdown in the collaborative problem solving process. The field of ECI confronts the problem by training professionals as help-givers, but does not do the same for parents as help-seekers. This study drew from the field of psychology and innovatively used the first two stages of social problem-solving, namely, problem orientation and problem definition to conceptualise help-seeking in Early Childhood Communication Intervention (ECCI). The study developed and tested a parent training programme to facilitate parents orientation to and definition of problems experienced in parenting young children (0-6 years) with moderate to severe communication disabilities. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent groups pre-test-post-test control group design was used to implement 16 hours of training with 34 parents (i.e. 15 in the experimental group and 19 in the control group). Between-group and within-group analyses revealed that training had a statistically significant effect on parents problem orientations regarding initial and maintaining attributions of children s established disabilities, confidence in seeking help from family and friends, and appraising problems as challenges. Training effects were even greater for problem definition with parents showing moderately good skills in providing relevant information in an organized format, thereby facilitating intervention planning. Theoretical and clinical implications of the findings are discussed. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / DPhil / Unrestricted

Various political parties, civil rights groups, ministerial spokespeople and columnists support the view that one of South Africa's leading challenges is overcoming the scarring legacy that the Bantu Education Act of 1953 left on the face of the country. In the light of this a need arises to revisit the position and place of Bantu Education in the current contested interpretation of its legacy. It is apparent from the vast literature on this topic that academics are not in agreement about whether or not the 1953 education legislation was the watershed moment for ensuring a cheap labour force. On the one hand it would seem that the general consensus is that 1953 was indeed a turning point in this regard thus a largely traditional view. However, on the other hand, another school of thought becomes apparent, which states that securing a cheap, unskilled labour force was already on the agenda of the white electorate preceding the formalisation of the Bantu Education Act. This latter school of academics propose that their theory be coined as a Marxist one. In examining these two platforms of understanding, traditional and Marxist, regarding Bantu Education and the presumption that it was used as a tool to ensure a cheap, unskilled labour force, the aim of this study is two-fold. First, to contextualise these two stances historically; and second to examine the varying approaches regarding the rationalisation behind Bantu Education respectively by testing these against the rationale apparent in the architects of the Bantu Education system. This includes analysing primary sources in the form of parliamentary debates and contemporary newspaper articles. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Historical and Heritage Studies / MA / Unrestricted

Estimates suggest that over one third of South Africa s population is under the age of eighteen years. This shows that children constitute a substantial percentage of the country s population. Where developmental issues are concerned, all children are any country s future. This includes children who are living with HIV and need care and protection. Thus, this population group is seen as a time-bomb ready to explode, unless there are ways of enabling them to fulfil their aspirations. The high rate of HIV infection has left many South African children s future in obscurity. It has also exposed these children, particularly those already in need of care and protection, to a number of predicaments, among them failure to secure suitable foster care. Nonetheless, foster care is still the most viable option in South Africa, in the event that natural family care fails. The goal of this study was to investigate the challenges experienced by social workers in placing children living with HIV in foster care in Johannesburg from an empowerment perspective. The research utilised a qualitative approach through focus group interviews with designated social workers and foster parents. The research participants were selected using purposive sampling. Findings of the study revealed numerous fears and challenges regarding the foster care placement of children living with HIV. These include myths and misconceptions about HIV; fear of losing the child through death; stress; financial concerns; lack of education and information on HIV; stigma and discrimination; lack of support from social workers; fear to disclose a child s HIV status; compliance and adherence to medication; shortage of foster parents and; shortcomings of the Children s Act No. 38 of 2005 (as amended). Further, social workers play a critical role in recruitment and screening of prospective foster parents as well as educating, training and supervising the foster parents of children living with HIV. Finally, empowerment of social workers and foster parents through provision of comprehensive HIV education and training, support groups, incentives, and facilitating collaboration of all role players is fundamental to successful fostering of children living with HIV. Based on the findings in this study, the researcher concluded that the challenges in placing children living with HIV in foster care are a result of a complex combination of sociological, psycho-social, medical and economic factors. Since these factors are interconnected, they should not be addressed in isolation. Recommendations from the study include a thorough examination of factors which motivate foster parents to bring children into their care; addressing foster parents fears and challenges concerning fostering HIV positive children; provision of a comprehensive HIV education and training for foster parents and social workers; giving incentives to the foster carers of children living with HIV; formulation and implementation of specific policies regarding the care of children living with HIV who are in need of care and protection, and collaboration and empowerment of all role players. / Mini Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Social Work and Criminology / MSW / Unrestricted

Noise induced hearing loss remains a concern within the employment sector, in spite of the preventability there of. In order to effectively prevent this debilitating disorder the risks need to be fully understood. One such area that requires investigation is the cash centres within the financial, banking industry. The aim of this research study was therefore to determine whether employees within the cash centres are exposed to noise levels that could be damaging to the auditory system and warrants the implementation of a hearing conservation programme. In order to investigate the noise levels emitted during cash management processes, the researcher obtained noise level recordings, with the use of the Cirrus CR110: A doseBadge Personal noise Dosimeter. Measurements were conducted to determine Lex8h dBA minimum and maximum as well as the peak SPL levels expressed in dBC. These measurements enabled the researcher to compare the noise levels to current legislation regarding noise exposure within the work place. The results revealed a mean Lex,8h of 75.87 dBA (SD=6.09) during the coin processing procedures, compared to 72.91 dBA (SD=8.79) during note processing. The maximum Lex,8h measured was 85.8 dBA. A mean peak sound pressure level of 133.4 dBC (SD = 9.81) was obtained during coin processing, compared to 129.3 dBC (SD = 8.27) during note processing. The maximum peak sound pressure level measured was 142.5 dBC. The data reveals that the noise levels in the bank cash centres do not exceed the SA legislative guidelines, but do still pose a risk for the development of NIHL as the noise levels exceed 75 dBA. As limited information is available regarding the noise exposure within the cash centres, this study highlights the need for further investigation, improved awareness regarding the noise exposure in the cash centres and the possible implementation of hearing conservation programmes within this industry. / Dissertation (MCommPath)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / MCommPath / Unrestricted