M.A. (History) / The main purpose of this study is to expose a hidden dimension in the annals of African resistance politics. This dimension has never received adequate attention thus the repercussions of its influence has not been adequately accounted for. This dimension is centred on the causes and consequences of conflict between the ANC Africanist Youth League and the Communist Party. The Africanist Youth League was convinced that its conflict with the Communist Party was in defence of African nationalism and self-determination. The Communist Party's infiltration of the ANC and its concerted efforts to derail it and the Youth League from African Nationalism, comes under critical scrutiny in this study. Thus, the popular view of the Youth League's conflict with the ANC is proved to have been the sub-plot of the main ideological rivalry between the Communist Party and the ANC Youth League.

South Africa is a country of diversity, culture and various identities; and beneath this diversity, lays the complexity of defining and owning a space for oneself. This study was motivated with the intention to understand Black women’s representations in South Africa as well as the social interactions evident in the relationship between a Black woman and her hair. Literature elucidates on the historical richness of representation for Black people as well as the contemporary relevance of representation for Black women in particular. Furthermore, beauty discourse extends beyond the merely corporeal and finds meaning in historical, political, and circumstantial frames of thought. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with Black women. These interviews generated three discursive themes – hair and politics, hair and media and finally, circumstantial self-representation. Exploring these themes revealed that hair, as a projection of the self, is constantly redefining itself and its meaning in a progressive social culture. Furthermore, women assume agency and a degree of importance and identity from the hairstyles they choose to wear on a daily basis. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology-Research Consultation)

South Africa is a country of diversity, culture and various identities; and beneath this diversity, lays the complexity of defining and owning a space for oneself. This study was motivated with the intention to understand Black women’s representations in South Africa as well as the social interactions evident in the relationship between a Black woman and her hair. Literature elucidates on the historical richness of representation for Black people as well as the contemporary relevance of representation for Black women in particular. Furthermore, beauty discourse extends beyond the merely corporeal and finds meaning in historical, political, and circumstantial frames of thought. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with Black women. These interviews generated three discursive themes – hair and politics, hair and media and finally, circumstantial self-representation. Exploring these themes revealed that hair, as a projection of the self, is constantly redefining itself and its meaning in a progressive social culture. Furthermore, women assume agency and a degree of importance and identity from the hairstyles they choose to wear on a daily basis. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology-Research Consultation)

This study, The lived experiences of black women academic researchers at the University of South Africa, investigated the factors that impacted on the lives of the black women academics at Unisa in the College of Education. It was a phenomenological study wherein the participants shared their lived experiences through in-depth interviews. This was a qualitative study that employed an interpretive paradigm. This permitted the view that reality is multiple layered. It took into account the various viewpoints of the participants as different realities that were narrated in this report by using the verbatim quotations of the participants. The findings revealed that Black women academic lecturers at Unisa faced challenges in the teaching and learning area. They had no ownership of modules that they taught because they were not primary lectures. They experienced racism and alienation from both Black and White academics that have long been at Unisa. White staff questioned their qualifications and, they received no orientation in the teaching of ODL modules. In the research area, challenges concerned the supervision of postgraduate students and article writing for publication. It also arose that they received less support from senior colleagues and from their supervisors in their personal studies. There was general complaint about the 2010 Unisa mentoirship programme but there was commendation of the recent CEDU mentorship programme. The participants felt that Unisa should introduce academic support programmes that would cater for staff over the age of 50 because the current programmes only cater for those below 50 years of age. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Comparative Education)