Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study investigates how the three selected Western Cape Province (WCP) institutions of higher education position their brand imageries and awareness in a localised global way. It explores the branding discourses and strategies used by three WCP universities namely: University of the Western Cape (UWC), University of Cape Town (UCT), and Stellenbosch University (SU). The study applies the qualitative-interpretative approach with multiple methods such as interviews, observation, and document analysis to collect the data. Using the framework of Critical multisemiotic discourse analysis (CMDA), which combines CDA, and multimodality, the researcher analyses how the universities construct and position unique brands to the world and how the students as stakeholders consume these brands. The study also explores how the universities deploy, manipulate, and circulate linguistic, visual and extra-visual semiosis across multiple modalities to create attractive brand imageries. The CMDA framework illuminates the ways in which language and other semiotics are used to construct social reality and ideologies, and negotiate meanings in the universities’ branding practices. The study findings show that the universities are using different types of modalities to relay their institutional brand promotional messages to reach their target audience. These modalities include print media, word of mouth testimonials, alumni, social chatrooms such as Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and semiotic landscape to mention a few. Open days and orientation days are also used to showcase the brands and these events are resemiotised in different media and even posted on the universities websites so as to reach a wide audience from all over the world. In this case, the study demonstrates how the universities are able to promote their brands to their South African communities within their physical vicinity and reach the regional and international community online. This includes showing how some of the modes such as selected architecture and scenery, mission statements, branded goods, logos, historical artefacts together with particular semiotic materials and discourses are recirculated by means of being deterritorialised from the different contexts and reterritorialised into the universityscapes, to accentuate and sell the brands and create attractive brandscapes. Moreover, the study particularly demonstrates that the demise of apartheid and segregated universities in South Africa has prompted the universities to redefine, rebrand and realign themselves to the local, regional and international communities. This has necessitated new repositioning strategies in the post-apartheid South African universities under study. The universities have appropriated materialities of globalisation, commodified heritage and aesthetics of both their academic and social life as branding materials. The universities have adopted the social transformation agenda that tries to eliminate segregation in higher education institution. They all champion inclusive higher education that promotes internationalisation through quality education. Given their historical background, the seemingly effective drive towards transformation through redressing and internationalisation processes still mirrors apartheid inequalities among the HBUs and HWUs. These processes filter into these academic contexts differently. The relentless drive to commercialisation in the market economy from an unequal footing, places the HBUs in a weaker position, where they are always trying to catch up. In addition, the study demonstrates that the universities have adopted the culture of consumerism and the market economy that perpetuates an excessively materialistic and exploitative view of living. The traditional identities of universities, as sites of higher education, have been replaced by corporate-like brand identities, which ensure that they are well known for what they have, they do and lastly what they are. The ideological shift in brand identity is displayed in the imagery of the mission statements, logos, branded goods, buildings, historical artefacts, students, sports and academic resources, all of which are remediated in documentaries, social media, YouTube, television advertisements and other media. This ideological shift and a focus on brand identities, as icons of consumption, have resulted in practices that create unequal subject positions among the universities both at a local and international level, as it widens the competition gap between the HBUs and the HWUs. Through evaluating the students’ brand perceptions and analysis of the brand materials, the study further highlights the undeniable problems in these universities’ branding processes, such as the discrepancy of effective branding trajectories that adequately support the historically disadvantaged institutions to be on the same competitive ground with the historically white universities. The forces of globalisation, technologisation and commodification do not make it easier either as these inherited inequalities on development, cause massive differences in wealth among the universities and citizens accessing resources in these universities. The analysis in this study clearly demonstrates how the universities are able to appropriate multiple semiosis and discourses between the reproduction of the racial social order through subtle traces of resistance or through trying to hold on to the past and branding themselves as inclusive university brands both at a national and a global level. This study brings to the fore that institutional branding is not simply a matter of explicit lexical self-description and attribution, but also pertains to an organisation’s use of semiotic features and patterns, such as particular metaphors or types of modalities. The study therefore contributes to the debates on post-apartheid socio-economic transformation in South African universities, and hints that pretending that the inherited inequality in these universities will correct itself, is futile as it is evident that cultural dialogue and communication based on equity, are necessary in order to avoid widening the gap between the contexts of higher learning in South Africa. Even in light of the latest 'Rhodes Must Fall' and 'Fees Must Fall' campaigns, this study provides information that can positively influence perspectives on access to higher education in South Africa. Against the backdrop of globalisation and internationalisation on these universities, the study recommends that the universities and stakeholders work and rethink new ways of university branding and collaboration that facilitate positive growth. The study thus undoubtedly contributes to the field of language and communication particularly in understanding the concepts of institutional brand identity and consumption as practices, which can be actively changed and negotiated for authentic transformation that is beneficial to both the institution and its stakeholders. This implies that institutional brand identity should not only put emphasis on the business world but on the social world as well how people interpret meanings in their lives. Ultimately, the study calls for an understanding and incorporation of the relatively new concepts of institutional branding and brand identity consumption in modernity practices where communication is characterised by many meaning-making semiotics other than the verbal aspects of human interaction.

This study investigates the teaching and learning of mathematics in four rural schools in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The study is set against the backdrop of Curriculum 2005 (C2005) - an outcome based curriculum reform initiative that has been introduced to all South African schools. The objective of the study is to investigate the teaching and learning practices of four rural teachers of mathematics in this complex reform milieu. The following broad research question guides this study: "How do teachers interpret and implement the new mathematics curriculum in terms of a political perspective (how teachers and learners are connected to the curriculum); a socio cultural perspective (what adjustments the teacher makes to accommodate the learners' circumstances); and a practical perspective (how the teacher implements the goals of C2001?" The South African situation provides a unique and particularly challenging context for teaching and learning and curriculum reform. It is understood that schools differ - and therefore curriculum issues cannot be solved through general pronouncements but rather viewed from a multiplicity of perspectives. In this thesis, I examine the teaching and learning of mathematics in four rural classrooms in the Eastern Cape. By way of honouring the contextual complexity of the situation, 1 have adopted a multiple perspectives approach to analysing what goes on in these four classrooms. I use a political perspective to help understand how power operates in the curriculum process. / I employ a socio cultural perspective to examine how the curriculum process attends to the local circumstances of teachers and learners. A practical perspective is used to examine how the curriculum is implemented in a technical sense. This constructivist interpretive study employs the techniques of case study and narrative inquiry to study the curriculum practices of four teachers. Multiple methods - including interviews, participant observation and video recording - were used to gather data. Narrative accounts of the teaching and learning of mathematics were constructed and then analysed using the three perspectives. The study concludes that the curriculum can be interpreted at different levels formal, perceived, operational and experiential - and each level can be analysed in terms of the political, socio cultural and practical. Bringing these three perspectives together is a challenging, but necessary task in order to understand and act upon the complexities of educational reform in rural South African classrooms.

<p>The chief aim of this project is to investigate the groundwater flow dynamics of the various fractured-rock aquifers (deep and shallow) associated with Karoo dolerite ring complexes in the Qoqodala area (northeast of Queenstown in the Eastern Cape Province).</p>

<p>The chief aim of this project is to investigate the groundwater flow dynamics of the various fractured-rock aquifers (deep and shallow) associated with Karoo dolerite ring complexes in the Qoqodala area (northeast of Queenstown in the Eastern Cape Province).</p>

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Our study aimed to determine the preference of Western Cape consumers for the eating quality and appearance of pears. Identifying the main sensory drivers of liking and consumer groupings with similar preferences may allow the pear industry to target specific markets and increase local consumption, which is stagnating at relatively low levels. Our first trial included 9 European pear cultivars (Pyrus communis L.) and one Asian pear cultivar (P. pyrifolia (Burm.) Nak.). These were chosen to represent a wide range of characteristics in order to identify the main sensory drivers of liking and possible consumer groupings. The majority of the 421 consumers, irrespective of gender, ethnicity and age, preferred pears with a distinct pear flavour, a sweet taste, a fair amount of malic acid, soft, juicy flesh with melt character, and a yellow or pale green peel colour with a typical pear shape. Astringency, sourness and grittiness negatively affected consumer preference. None of the pears were mealy and therefore we could not assess this characteristic. Two consumer clusters with similar preferences for eating quality and also for appearance were identified. In terms of eating quality, group 1 (55% of consumers) indicated a liking for a wide range of cultivars with poorly defined likes and dislikes. Group 2 (45% of consumers), in contrast, had a high liking for the eating quality of a small selection of cultivars while disliking the rest. Based on the preferences for appearance, group 1 (61% of consumers) again indicated a liking for a wide range of cultivars. Group 2 (39% of consumers) scored the most familiar cultivars, viz. Bon Chretien and Packham’s Triumph, very high and the other cultivars much lower than group 1. The objective of our second study was to investigate consumer preference for firm, juicy pears compared to soft pears with a melt character and to identify which of ‘Forelle’, ‘Packham’s Triumph’ and ‘Abate Fetel’ is best suited to either option. Pears were harvested within the commercial harvest window (H1) (flesh firmness at 6- 6.8kg, 6.4-7kg and 6-6.8kg respectively) and again a month later (H2). H1 and H2 pears were ripened at room temperature (20 ºC) for seven or one day, respectively. More consumers (67%) correlated positively with melt character, juiciness, overall pear flavour and sweet taste. These characteristics were the most prominent in H1 ‘Packham’s Triumph’ pears while H2 fruit were much firmer, but lower in preferred flavour characteristics. There is, however, also a market for crisp and juicy pears as 33% of the consumers showed a preference for these characteristics. ‘Forelle’ and ‘Abate Fetel’ could both be suitable for this market. ‘Forelle’ was preferred firm, probably because H1 soft pears were more astringent and sour as well as less juicy than H2. There was no difference in preference between H1 and H2 in ‘Abate Fetel’. In conclusion, most Western Cape consumers prefer European pears with the characteristic soft, melting texture, but a third of consumers seem to like firm, juicy pears. Hence, there is opportunity to develop a market for tree-ripe and Asian pears, but marketing will be needed to overcome appearance preferences. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ons studie was daarop gemik om die voorkeur van Wes-Kaap verbruikers vir die eetkwaliteit en voorkoms van pere te bepaal. Die identifisering van die belangrikste sensoriese drywers van smaakvoorkeure en verbruikersgroepe met soortgelyke voorkeure kan die peerbedryf toelaat om spesifieke markte te teiken en plaaslike verbruik te verhoog, wat tans op relatief lae vlakke stagneer. Ons eerste proef het 9 Europese peer kultivars (Pyrus communis L.) en een Asiatiese peer kultivar (P. pyrifolia (Burm.) Nak.) ingesluit. Die kultivars is gekies om 'n wye verskeidenheid eienskappe te verteenwoordig sodat die belangrikste drywers van sensoriese smaakvoorkeure en moontlike verbruikersgroeperings geïdentifiseer kon word. Die meerderheid van die 421 verbruikers, ongeag geslag, etnisiteit en ouderdom, het pere met 'n duidelike peer geur, 'n soet smaak, 'n redelike hoeveelheid appelsuur, sagte en sappige tekstuur met n smeltkarakter, en 'n geel of liggroen skilkleur met 'n tipiese peer vorm verkies. Frankheid, hoë suurvlakke en grinterigheid het verbruikers voorkeur negatief beinvloed. Geen pere in ons studie was melerig nie en daarom kon ons nie hierdie eienskap evalueer nie. Twee verbruikersgroepe met soortgelyke voorkeure vir eetkwaliteit en peervoorkoms is geïdentifiseer. In terme van eetkwaliteit het groep 1 (55% van die verbruikers) voorkeur vir 'n wye verskeidenheid van kultivars aangedui. Groep 2 (45% van die verbruikers) daarteenoor het die eetkwaliteit van net 'n klein seleksie van kultivars verkies, terwyl hul ‘n afkeur getoon het vir die res. In terme van voorkoms, het groep 1 (61% van die verbruikers) weereens van 'n wye verskeidenheid kultivars gehou terwyl groep 2 (39% van die verbruikers) baie hoë punte aan die bekende Bon Chretien en Packham's Triumph kultivars toegeken het, maar die ander kultivars baie laer as groep 1 bepunt het. Die doel van ons tweede proef was om verbruikersvoorkeur vir ferm, sappige pere teenoor sagte pere met 'n smelt tekstuur te bepaal en tot watter mate 'Forelle', 'Packham's Triumph’ en ‘Abate Fetel' geskik is vir iedere opsie. Pere is tydens die kommersiële oesvenster (H1) (fermheid 6-6.8kg, 6.4-7kg en 6-6.8kg onderskeidelik) en weer 'n maand later (H2) geoes. H1 en H2 pere is teen kamertemperatuur (20 ºC) onderskeidelik vir sewe of een dag rypgemaak. Die meeste verbruikers (67%) se voorkeur korreleer positief met 'n smeltende tekstuur, sappigheid, peer geur en soet smaak. Hierdie eienskappe was die prominentste in H1 'Packham’s Triumph' pere terwyl H2 vrugte baie fermer, maar laer in voorkeur geureienskappe was. Daar is egter wel 'n mark vir ferm, sappige pere aangesien 33% van die verbruikers 'n voorkeur toon vir hierdie eienskappe. 'Forelle' en 'Abate Fetel' sou beide geskik kon wees vir hierdie mark. 'Forelle' is verkies as fermer peer, waarskynlik omdat H1 sagte pere meer frank, suurder sowel as minder sappig was. Daar was geen verskil in verbruikersvoorkeur tussen 'Abate Fetel’ se H1 en H2 pere nie. Ten slotte, die meeste verbruikers van die Wes-Kaap verkies die smaak van ryp Europese pere met hul karakteristieke sagte, smeltende tekstuur, maar 'n derde van die verbruikers hou wel van ferm, sappige pere. Daar is dus 'n geleentheid om die mark vir boomryp en Asiatiese pere te ontwikkel, maar bemarking sal nodig wees om die verbruikersvoorkeure vir voorkoms te oorkom.

Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom (IPS) / Organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) has been documented as an important work outcome that correlates positively with positive job performance. Engagement in OCBs is not a random event, and it depends on a myriad of factors that include the organisation's ability to put in place measures to develop employees' emotional intelligence. Change-oriented leadership plays a pivotal role in fostering emotional intelligence and the engagement in OCBs as the 21st century organisation strives to adapt to changes in the external environment. The primary goal of the study was to conduct an investigation of the relationships between change-oriented leadership, emotional intelligence and OCB. The secondary aim of the study was to validate a theoretical model explaining the structural relationships between these variables in a South African University. A convenience sample consisting of 206 support staff at a selected university in the Western Cape Province was drawn. Generally, high levels of reliability were found in the sub-scales of the latent variables. In addition, the unidimensionality of the sub-scales was tested using exploratory factor analyses (EFA). The overall measurement and structural models were ascertained using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural modelling, respectively, using the LISREL 8.80 software. The Reasonable model fit was found for the overall measurement model of the specific latent variables through confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Structural equation modelling (SEM) also showed reasonable model fit for the structural model.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Since the advent of South Africa's democracy in 1994 there have been several changes in the policy and legislative arena specifically promoting public-private-partnerships in the health sector. These initiatives have given rise to opportunities for inter-sectoral policy transfer under the rubric of ―best practices‖. This exploratory study examines the character, obstacles and contested nature of a selection of policy transfers between private and public health institutions in a single province of South Africa. The study looks at the dynamics at play around envisaged, current and past transfers of policies and organisational practices in relation to administrative systems and technologies used in four different hospital settings – two public and two private hospitals in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. This thesis explores the views of managers and labour organisations about policy transfer focusing on local contexts, and how various parties construct policy transfer, hence providing a perspective of policy at the ―plant‖ level. In this research, special focus is placed on different agents' role and understandings of their contexts and how and why policies move and contradictions of these developments. In-depth interviews were conducted at four major Eastern Cape hospitals. The thesis argues that in practice, policy transfer is messy, politicized and traversed by power and vested interests and that organised labour plays a key role in policy transfer process. The thesis focuses on the different philosophical/ideological underpinnings, socio-political values and operational environments in each sector. This study is designed to contribute to existing knowledge on practices particularly between the public and private sectors in order to widen the understanding of the complexity of transferability.

Magister Public Health - MPH / Background: Optimal management of Type 2 diabetes requires that patients have a convenient method of collecting chronic medication. In the Western Cape Province, Type 2 diabetes patients can collect chronic medication from primary health care facilities including community health centres. The Chronic Dispensing Unit (CDU) was established to facilitate the dispensing of chronic medication by making medication collection more convenient for patients and was expected to improve medication collection. However, it has been observed that some Type 2 diabetes patients fail to collect pre-packed CDU parcels on the prescribed date and time which could result in poor treatment outcomes and secondary complications. This study therefore aims to explore the factors that influence collection of CDU chronic medication parcels by Type 2 diabetes patients from the Elsies River Community Health Centre (CHC), a primary health care facility in the Western Cape Province. Methodology: An exploratory qualitative research design was used to explore the personal-, social-, health system-related factors that affect collection of pre-packed CDU parcels. Semistructured interviews were conducted in English or Afrikaans with 18 purposefully selected Type 2 diabetes patients who are registered to collect pre-packed CDU parcels from the Elsies River CHC, and three key-informants from the Elsies River CHC. Data was recorded using a digital recorder. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using inductive content analysis. Results: The main factors that facilitate collection of pre-packed CDU parcels were support from family and social support. On the other hand, social factors that were reported as barriers to collection were the safety of the patients and collectors failing to collect on behalf of the patient. Patients' recognition of the value of their treatment and value of the service were the main personal factors which facilitated collection. Personal factors that were reported as a barrier to collection included forgetfulness, laziness and tiredness. Other personal factors that were reported by participants as barriers to collection were illness, transport problems, financial constraints and anticipating non-collection. Health service related factors reported as facilitating factors were reduced waiting time and mistrust of the off-site collection system. In addition, participation in the diabetes chronic club and pharmacy support were also reported as facilitating factors. Negative staff attitude and a limited collection time for pre-packed CDU parcels were reported as barriers to collection by Conclusion: Various personal-, social and health service related factors affect the collection of pre-packed CDU parcels by Type 2 diabetes patients from the Elsies River CHC. To improve collection among patients who fail to collect on their appointment date, the factors that have been found to facilitate collection should be extended to more patients. Recommendations: It is recommended that patients surround themselves with support structures including family, friends and community organisations to assist and motivate them in displaying adherent behaviour. Patients who make use of independent collectors should ensure that these individuals are reliable to avoid an undersupply of medication. Counselling and health promotion should be provided to patients by health service staff as a means of encouragement and empowerment. The diabetes club which serves as a source of information and support should be accessed by more patients. Open communications channels between health service staff and patients should be constructed to ensure that staff are aware of the barriers patients face.

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / Given that numerous research studies have established the important role that attachment plays in the development of internalizing disorders in children, it is important to ensure that the clinical psychologists working within this population and within this category of disorders are aware of this link. This will help ensure that they intervene adequately and appropriately. Although there is some emerging research on psychologists' perceptions and practices regarding the assessment of internalizing disorders, there is very little available information to date specifically addressing clinical psychologists' perceptions and understandings regarding the influence of attachment on the development of internalizing disorders in children. This study aimed to explore how clinical psychologists operationalize internalizing disorders in children and how they understand the link between infant-caregiver attachment and internalizing disorders in children. Parents/caregivers from low income, high violence communities are a vulnerable group in South Africa, and as a result, it is becoming increasingly important to explore how clinicians understand the development of children growing up in conditions where the nature of parenting is taking place under conditions of pervasive adversity. As such, this study explored the perceptions of clinical psychologists working in low income, high violence communities within Cape Town. This research was conducted using a qualitative research approach that makes use of in-depth individual interviews. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and then transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. A sample size of eight participants was recruited using a purposive, snowball sampling technique. All ethical considerations were adhered to and appropriate ethical clearance was obtained from all relevant ethical committees. Object relations theory provided the theoretical framework through which data was interpreted. A specific focus on attachment theory was incorporated. Findings suggest that although clinicians acknowledge and accept the important influencing factor of infant-caregiver attachment on the development of internalizing disorders in children, very few clinical psychologists make use of attachment theory as their primary theoretical or therapeutic orientation. Participants highlighted the importance of an integrative approach to the understanding of childhood pathology and made reference to the fact that the impact of attachment relationships needs to be considered in conjunction with other risk factors that predispose children to the development of internalizing disorders. Given the importance that participants placed on systemic and contextual factors influencing the attachment relationship, future research could investigate the role of a multi-disciplinary approach to the treatment of internalizing disorders in children. Further research also needs to be conducted that examines the efficacy of attachment-based conceptualizations and interventions in diminishing internalizing problems in children, and the way that these are perceived by the clinical psychologists working with these behaviours.

Cut-Off Lows (COLs) are certainly amongst the most important synoptic-scale rain producing weather systems in South Africa. Rainfall associated with COLs is usually widespread, while about 20% of COLs are associated with heavy rainfall. Both these attributes of rainfall associated with COLs are important to agriculture. Widespread rainfall secures good grazing potential, while heavy rainfall not only contributes largely to maintaining dam levels that are needed for irrigation, but also to flooding and erosion. Agriculture in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa is predominantly rain-fed, while agricultural activities that depend on irrigation are mostly located along the western coastal belt of the province. Despite of the fact that all COLs do not pass directly over the Eastern Cape Province, most of them appear to have a direct or indirect influence on the rainfall of the province, and in turn, impact on agricultural production and even the economy. In this study, the contribution of COLs to rainfall over the Eastern Cape Province is investigated. In order to achieve this, a climatology of COLs for the period 1979 to 2009 (31 years) was constructed by utilizing the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP-NCAR) reanalysis data to create 6-hourly contour images of geopotential heights and air-temperatures at the 500 hPa pressure level. All COLs that occurred over South Africa bounded by 200S to 400S and 00E to 500E from the day they started (at the formation of a closed low pressure system) until the day they ended (at the disappearance of the closed low pressure system), and that were cold cored, were considered as potential COLs in this study. In addition, low level circulation maps obtained from the South African Weather Service’s (SAWS’s) daily weather bulletins were used to ensure that the defined COLs were indeed extending from the 500 hPa pressure level to the land surface. Daily rainfall totals from 22 well-distributed weather stations over the Eastern Cape Province were used to determine the contribution of COLs to the rainfall over the province. It was found that 64% of COLs that lasted for more than 24-hours over the study domain had an influence on the total rainfall over the Eastern Cape Province. Monthly frequency distribution of COLs reveal that April and May had the highest occurrences, while December and January have the least occurrence. Long-term seasonal frequencies distributions of COLs show the highest occurrence during March-April-May (MAM) with the least occurrences during December-January-February (DJF). Most COLs lasted for 2-4 days over South Africa and the Eastern Cape Province for the study period of 31-years. The contribution of rainfall associated with the occurrence of COLs is found to be approximate 37-38% annually along the coastal areas, while it is less than 10% annually over the interior of the Eastern Cape Province. / MSc / gm2014 / Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology / unrestricted