Social Work / M.A. (Social Work)

Thesis (M.A.)--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities, School of Human and Community Development, 2005.

Considerable attention has in recent times been given to the attitudes of secondary school pupils towards Geography among black schools in South Africa. Many reasons account for this. It is partly because of the poor results and falling numbers of pupils in the discipline. Concern has also been expressed on the relevance of the Geography syllabus to the black pupils. Evidence suggests that these problems are evident in Transkei. The need therefore exists to assess pupils' attitudes towards Geography in Transkei. Arising from this background, this study sets out to assess the attitudes of secondary school pupils in Transkei towards Geography. Two hundred and thirty four pupils from eight urban and rural secondary schools in the Butterworth District of the Republic of Transkei were used in the study. Attitudes were measured in terms of "interest in Geography", "desire to study the discipline", "commitment to Geography" and the perceived relevance of the discipline. Through the use of techniques such as percentages, chi-square and principal component analysis - among others - for the analysis of the data, the following information emerged from the study: (1) Geography is generally perceived as being worthy of study; (2) Differences in responses were noted to result from a complex of factors which were grouped into home environmental factors and school environmental ones. (3) The major factor influencing attitudes towards Geography was noted to be home environmental conditions.In general pupils from lower income families expressed more positive views about the worth of Geography than those from the upper income families. From the above findings, it has been proposed that teachers and educational planners need to be made aware of these findings as they are important for classroom practice. It has also been recommended that there is a need to improve certain school practices such as taking pupils on Geography excursions more often as factors such as this were shown to improve pupils' attitudes towards the discipline.

Social Work / M.A. (Social Work)

M.Ed. / The aim of this study was to explore, with the intention of providing a rich description, the experiences of black women enrolled at an historically white university. Limited studies in the South African context have revealed that many women have alienating and marginalising experiences in formal education from as early as primary schooling up to their learning experiences as adults. This often takes the form of disrespect from patriarchal teachers and institutions or androcentric content or information that excludes or undermines the efforts and experiences of women. Furthermore, the general position of women in broader society is filled with disparity and devaluation, as women are often the primary care givers, the lowest paid employees in formal employment, and unpaid workers within the family structure. For black women, who are often triply exploited through race, gender and economic disadvantage, the struggle to belong and even survive within higher ' education appears to be more challenging. As a result, black women sometimes view the university as alienating, androcentric and patriarchal which leads to descriptions of feeling restricted, silent, invisible or the 'other'. Traditional and cultural restrictions placed on black women often further exacerbate these experiences. Consequently, black women's stories are neither told nor heard within broader society or within texts in higher education institutions. The overarching perspective in which the study was grounded was that of socio constructivism, using qualitative research methods to explore the experiences of black women pursuing post graduate studies at an historically white university. Data for this study were collected via semi-structured, in-depth interviews with ten black women within the Education Faculty. I used the constant comparative method of data analysis to search for recurring themes and patterns. From the findings, it was clear that the prevailing perception of participants was that racial bias was present in almost every experience in higher education. In addition participants cited a number of constraints, which impacted negatively on their experiences. Many participants also reported a perceived lack of support from lecturers, which exacerbated an already challenging situation. As opposed to the many negative experiences, some positive experiences related to professional growth and learning opportunities were cited. Some participants also made observations about measures for the university to become more accessible to black women. The main implications arising out of the study are that management needs to endorse policy to deal with issues of both obvious and subtle racial bias. Staff development training, which incorporates methods for dealing appropriately with adult learners and practices that promote woman-positive and culturally responsive programmes, must compliment this. In addition, greater support should be afforded students, particularly part- time students, for increased opportunities to consult with lecturers and effective language tutoring. Accessible measures for part time students to raise their complaints via the SRC should also be created. Moreover, serious consideration needs to be given to the provision of adequate, affordable and efficient childcare facilities as a service for all students.

M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / This study explores the Western ideal of the thin body as experienced by Black female students. This research was motivated by the limited number of empirical studies that employ a qualitative method to investigate Black South African females’ perception of the thin ideal, or what they perceive an ideal body to be. Three Black female students were recruited from the University of Johannesburg’s campus, to participate in the interviews. On campus, interaction is encouraged through an initiation process where everyone is invited to take part, and where diversity is celebrated. This setting was appropriate because the students found themselves in a socio-cultural flux between traditional values and values instilled by modern western society. Data collection and the analysis were guided by a phenomenological research design, namely, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) because it explores the participants’ experience of the Western thin ideal from their perspective, and acknowledges the researcher’s enmeshed interpretation of the participants’ worldview. The study resulted in the identification of four master themes: 1) Physical presentation, 2) The environments influence on my body image, 3) Sense of worth, and 4) Admiration versus animosity, which were discussed in relation to relevant literature. In the concluding chapter, the key strengths and limitations of this study are reviewed, and the implications of the findings for further investigation are discussed...

This thesis is a reception analysis using qualitative interviews to investigate black students' watching of a South African soap opera, Generations, taking into account the context of a largely white South African university campus. The findings of this study are that students find pleasure in talking about Generations and hold seemingly contradictory views on whether it is 'realistic' or not. The analysis concludes that watching Generations does serve to affirm these students' black identity, since there is a particular need to do so on a campus where black students witness and experience racial discrimination.

M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / The prospects of future peace in this world are largely dependent upon meaningful cooperation between nations as well as collaborative efforts in promoting ideological compromise. This \ will hopefully ensure international stability for succeeding generations. Although political and ideological disputes have both characterised humanity and marked the course of history, there is another problem posing an immediate threat to the future of man. Current population increases present humanity with a unique situation and with a problem that grows more critical with the passage of time. Latter and Van Tonder (1976) report that it took all of recorded time until the middle of the 19th century to achieve a population of one billion. This figure was doubled within 100 years and was trebled 30 years later. The above authors also report that by the year 2000 the world population will have reached seven billion (assuming stable fertility and mortality figures). According to the United Nations projection of world population (1966, in L6tter & Van Tonder, 1976), towards the end of this century a total world population can be expected of between ~'5400 000 000 and 7000 000 000. These projections are based upon the supposition that contemporary Third World (including developing areas) fertility levels will decline. These projections should therefore be considered to be inevitable. Britannica World' Data (1986) give credence to the above in estimating that by the turn of the century, although the annual population growth rate will have dropped from 1,7% to 1,5%, the earth should be expected to have to accommodate a population of 6126 000 000.

M.Ed. / Originally the aim of the study was to detemine the role of the African educator at home as well as at school. It was felt that this person has an extremely difficult task to accomplish, especially in view of the violence and the problems just before the 1994-elections. However, as the study progressed, the African concept, Ubuntu, proved to be an interesting topic and it was thought to be a possible solution to a country riddled with unique problems in education and the violence in particular. The term Philosophy of Life was briefly discussed, as it is always embedded in the way one educates one's child. Education as a concept was studied, in particular in the way it teaches a child to become more human. The Philosophy of Life that seemed of great importance is Humanism. Universal educational principles that seemed relevant, were identified to be used as criteria for the rest of the study. The term, human, and all the others related to it were analysed. Western Humanism, both Traditional and Neo-humanism, were studied. The educational implications of Western humanism were discussed, using the identified criteria for education as guidelines. In chapter four the African humanism, Ubuntu, was, via a literature study, analysed in great depth. There are as many versions of this term as there are people, but the most common characteristics of Ubuntu were identified. After a general discussion, the connotations usually given to the charateristics were listed. Afterwards the educational implications of Ubuntu were discussed. In chapter five an educational evaluation of the implications of African Humanism was undertaken. This study does not claim to be complete. It was merely an attempt to get a better grasp on reality. A literature study proved sufficient for this purpose, as very little was actually written about the concept Ubuntu, when the research was started. However, much has been said and written since.

The context for this study is the period leading up to and the four years since the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994. It is a critical exploration of black students' responses to university discourses as they begin their degrees, and an analysis of the extent to which Critical Language Awareness can be used to facilitate a greater understanding of institutional conventions and practices. It includes a brief consideration of students' school experiences and then explores their perceptions of the university as a whole as well as of individual texts. The way in which language encodes asymmetrical power relations and is used to construct students' subjectivities within the institution is of central concern. The research methodology adopted here is critical action research. The study consists of two research cycles, a short pilot study and a longer eight week language teaching programme. This second cycle was carried out in 1991 at the University of Natal during a time marked by unprecedented political fluidity and the establishment of new institutional and social structures. The impact of these changes has been felt at every level as racial separation, uniformity and ethnic homogeneity, which were once dominant social norms, have been replaced by the movement towards an integrated social order defined by its diversity, difference, and multiplicity. Because the research process is inseparable from its socio-political context, a theoretical perspective which attempts to theorise multiplicity and contradiction has been adopted here. Insights from postmodern thought are therefore central to this work and have facilitated the interrogation and, at times, the rewriting of many aspects of critical social theory, critical pedagogy and critical action research. The immediate context for this study is Learning, Language and Logic, a first-year course whose primary aim is the acquisition of academic literacy. Over a period of four years, the two action research cycles were developed and integrated into the curriculum. The first was a short intervention during which students analysed three university texts and the second, central cycle was an eight week programme which introduced them to the central principles of Critical Language Awareness. It was designed to provide students entering the university with the opportunity to explore unfamiliar aspects of the university environment and to analyse a range of texts drawn from its discourses. The primary method of analysis of the data was Critical Discourse Analysis but a content analysis of some of the data was also undertaken. The results of this research provide a strong indication that the integration of the principles of Critical Language Awareness into a first year course in academic literacy adds a crucial dimension to students' understanding of the university environment. It provides them with linguistic insights from which they can further develop the ability to analyse their educational context, to respond critically to academic texts and to understand the roles that they can play within the university. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.