Although public relations is seen as a function that contributes to the greater good of society and the performance of an organisation (ref. Grunig, 2006b:3; Grunig, Grunig & Dozier, 2002:xii), the function does not, for various reasons, always deliver on this promise (ref. Gray, 2004:26–27; Grunig et al., 2002:166, 169, 192; Steyn, 2000c:40; Tobin, 2004:56; Van Ruler, 1997:248, 263; 2004a:123). Practitioners and professional bodies from various countries have researched, and tried to overcome the variables negatively influencing practitioners, through various methods. However, no study has provided a comprehensive prioritised list of all the variables influencing practitioners' contribution to organisational performance. In addition none of these actions has led to a sustainable solution for the profession where a critical mass of practitioners can keep the promise of contributing to the greater good of society and the performance of the organisation. In light of this problem, this study tries to understand how public relations practitioners can enhance their contribution to organisational performance, by examining the variables influencing practitioners in contributing to organisational performance. The study is framed within the relational, reflective, two–way symmetrical and feminist paradigms, supported by the general excellence theory as meta–theory, and the relationship management and corporate communication role theories. The multidimensional paradigm was specifically selected to accommodate the complex research context (Grunig, 1989:18; 2006a; Valin, 2004). From theory it was established that public relations contributes to organisational performance by assisting organisations to adapt to their changing environment by providing strategic information from the environment to the organisation that could reduce uncertainty in the organisation's strategic decision–making (Grunig et al., 2002:xi; Raupp & Van Ruler, 2006:18; Steyn, 2000c:27; Valin, 2004). Through this process the organisation's triple bottom line goals are aligned with the realities of the environment in which it operates (Moss et al., 2000:283; van Tonder & van Rheede van Oudtshoorn, 2006:149). This then creates long–term relationships with stakeholders that creates many benefits for the organisation (Grunig, 2006b:3, 6; Grunig et al., 2002:xi, 10, 11; Grunig & Haung, 2000:32; Hon & Grunig, 1999:7–9, 11; Phillips, 2006a:34, 35; 2006b:212). Within South Africa specifically, corporate communication practitioners perform the roles of strategist, manager and technician in order to complete the above tasks (Steyn, 2000b:1–42; 2000c:20–43). The research methodology followed to gather data to answer the General research question, is both exploratory and interpretive. The research started with a literature study, followed by semi–structured interviews with four purposefully selected practitioners and the chairpersons of the two professional bodies (PRISA and IABC) in order to verify the variables identified in literature, and possibly identify new variables pertaining to the South African environment. These variables, together with those identified in literature, were then used to construct a questionnaire completed by public relations practitioners active in the 1 319 top performing South African organisations as per South Africa's Top 300 National Companies List (Fletcher, 2007:1–330) and the Financial Mail Top 200 Companies List (Williams, 2005:1–168). A response rate of 19.9% was achieved. The qualitative data was content analysed and the quantitative data analysed by means of Statistica (StatSoft Inc., 2007) and SPSS (SPSS Inc., 2007) data analysis software. In order to determine the relationships between the variables influencing practitioners, structural equation modelling, by means of AMOS (SPSS Inc., 2009) software, was used. In essence it was found that practitioners should take ownership and manage the variables influencing their performance. Furthermore, 13 variables pertaining to the individual–, industry– and professional–levels were statistically verified as the most important variables influencing practitioners. Due to the specific relationship between these variables, it would seem that enhancing any of these 13 variables would enhance the practitioner's contribution to organisational performance. The main contribution of the study is to add to the discussion on the how the profession can manage its contribution to organisational performance by categorising and empirically verifying a list of all variables influencing practitioners' performance and by suggesting a model indicating the relationship between the most important variables influencing practitioners. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Although public relations is seen as a function that contributes to the greater good of society and the performance of an organisation (ref. Grunig, 2006b:3; Grunig, Grunig & Dozier, 2002:xii), the function does not, for various reasons, always deliver on this promise (ref. Gray, 2004:26–27; Grunig et al., 2002:166, 169, 192; Steyn, 2000c:40; Tobin, 2004:56; Van Ruler, 1997:248, 263; 2004a:123). Practitioners and professional bodies from various countries have researched, and tried to overcome the variables negatively influencing practitioners, through various methods. However, no study has provided a comprehensive prioritised list of all the variables influencing practitioners' contribution to organisational performance. In addition none of these actions has led to a sustainable solution for the profession where a critical mass of practitioners can keep the promise of contributing to the greater good of society and the performance of the organisation. In light of this problem, this study tries to understand how public relations practitioners can enhance their contribution to organisational performance, by examining the variables influencing practitioners in contributing to organisational performance. The study is framed within the relational, reflective, two–way symmetrical and feminist paradigms, supported by the general excellence theory as meta–theory, and the relationship management and corporate communication role theories. The multidimensional paradigm was specifically selected to accommodate the complex research context (Grunig, 1989:18; 2006a; Valin, 2004). From theory it was established that public relations contributes to organisational performance by assisting organisations to adapt to their changing environment by providing strategic information from the environment to the organisation that could reduce uncertainty in the organisation's strategic decision–making (Grunig et al., 2002:xi; Raupp & Van Ruler, 2006:18; Steyn, 2000c:27; Valin, 2004). Through this process the organisation's triple bottom line goals are aligned with the realities of the environment in which it operates (Moss et al., 2000:283; van Tonder & van Rheede van Oudtshoorn, 2006:149). This then creates long–term relationships with stakeholders that creates many benefits for the organisation (Grunig, 2006b:3, 6; Grunig et al., 2002:xi, 10, 11; Grunig & Haung, 2000:32; Hon & Grunig, 1999:7–9, 11; Phillips, 2006a:34, 35; 2006b:212). Within South Africa specifically, corporate communication practitioners perform the roles of strategist, manager and technician in order to complete the above tasks (Steyn, 2000b:1–42; 2000c:20–43). The research methodology followed to gather data to answer the General research question, is both exploratory and interpretive. The research started with a literature study, followed by semi–structured interviews with four purposefully selected practitioners and the chairpersons of the two professional bodies (PRISA and IABC) in order to verify the variables identified in literature, and possibly identify new variables pertaining to the South African environment. These variables, together with those identified in literature, were then used to construct a questionnaire completed by public relations practitioners active in the 1 319 top performing South African organisations as per South Africa's Top 300 National Companies List (Fletcher, 2007:1–330) and the Financial Mail Top 200 Companies List (Williams, 2005:1–168). A response rate of 19.9% was achieved. The qualitative data was content analysed and the quantitative data analysed by means of Statistica (StatSoft Inc., 2007) and SPSS (SPSS Inc., 2007) data analysis software. In order to determine the relationships between the variables influencing practitioners, structural equation modelling, by means of AMOS (SPSS Inc., 2009) software, was used. In essence it was found that practitioners should take ownership and manage the variables influencing their performance. Furthermore, 13 variables pertaining to the individual–, industry– and professional–levels were statistically verified as the most important variables influencing practitioners. Due to the specific relationship between these variables, it would seem that enhancing any of these 13 variables would enhance the practitioner's contribution to organisational performance. The main contribution of the study is to add to the discussion on the how the profession can manage its contribution to organisational performance by categorising and empirically verifying a list of all variables influencing practitioners' performance and by suggesting a model indicating the relationship between the most important variables influencing practitioners. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Al llarg d'aquest treball, he intentat defensar la idea de que els judicis de valor que elabora la crítica de cinema espanyola estàn inscrits en tradicions culturals que deriven, la major part d'elles, de categories històrica i socialment construïdes. En aquest cas, la cinefília, en qualsevol de les seves accepcions, seria l'origen sociocultural de les tradicions cinematogràfiques de gran part de la crítica. D'ella sorgirien les idees i conceptes que fa servir la crítica sobre el que és art, cultura i cinema. D'altra banda, he desenvolupat la idea de que aquestes tradicions cinèfiles, per molt diverses que puguin ser des d'un punt de vista històric, cultural i social, es converteixen en una pràctica institucionalitzada des del moment en què es formulen a través de la crítica de cinema. Pel que fa institució, per tant, la crítica treballa per mantenir la seva posició social privilegiada com estament regulador dels discursos cinematogràfics que circulen en la societat en un moment històric determinat. La proposta d'analitzar la crítica de cinema en els anys 90 és perquè en aquesta dècada es formalitza un canvi generacional llargament incubat durant els 80. En aquest aspecte, es produeix un xoc generacional en el qual cada formació crítica, més enllà de les seves tradicions culturals i cinèfiles, treballarà per legitimar uns gustos cinematogràfics i consolidar-los com a part de la institució. En el procés, els mateixos crítics s'erigeixen en representants d'aquests gustos emetent discursos públics sobre el cinema i la cultura, jerarquitzant, fent judicis de valor i discriminant models estètics cinematogràfics i culturals. En aquest sentit, la crítica de cinema funciona com un espai de confrontació dels gustos culturals de les diferents tradicions cinèfiles, gustos que es van institucionalitzant a mesura que els discursos es legitimen social i culturalment. Aquests discursos cinematogràfics i aquests processos d'institucionalització estan sotmesos a múltiples variables socials, culturals, històriques, econòmiques, nacionals, generacionals i de gènere que els situa més enllà del camp cinematogràfic. Al llarg d'aquest treball, he intentat aprofundir en cadascun d'aquests paràmetres per a establir els orígens i significats dels discursos i pràctiques culturals que circulen al voltant del cinema. El mètode d'anàlisi que m'ha permès un acostament interdisciplinari a la cinefília i la crítica de cinema és la branca dels estudis culturals que ve de la teoria cultural i la sociologia de la cultura. / A lo largo de este trabajo, he intentado defender la idea de que los juicios de valor que elabora la crítica de cine española están inscritos en tradiciones culturales que derivan, la mayor parte de las veces, de categorías histórica y socialmente construidas. En este caso, la cinefilia, en cualquiera de sus acepciones, sería el origen sociocultural de las tradiciones cinematográficas de gran parte de la crítica. De ella surgirían las ideas y conceptos que maneja la crítica acerca de lo que es arte, cultura y cine. Por otro lado, he desarrollado la idea de que estas tradiciones cinéfilas, por muy diversas que puedan ser desde un punto de vista histórico, cultural y social, se convierten en una práctica institucionalizada desde el momento en que se formulan a través de la crítica de cine. En cuanto institución, por tanto, la crítica trabaja para mantener su posición social privilegiada como estamento regulador de los discursos cinematográficos que circulan en la sociedad en un momento histórico determinado. La propuesta de analizar la crítica de cine en los años 90 es porque en esa década se formaliza un cambio generacional largamente incubado durante los 80. En este aspecto, se produce un choque generacional en el que cada formación crítica, más allá de sus tradiciones culturales y cinéfilas, trabajará para legitimar unos gustos cinematográficos y consolidarlos como parte de la institución. En el proceso, los mismos críticos se erigen en representantes de esos gustos emitiendo discursos públicos acerca del cine y la cultura, jerarquizando, haciendo juicios de valor y discriminando modelos estéticos cinematográficos y culturales. En este sentido, la crítica de cine funciona como un espacio de confrontación de los gustos culturales de las diferentes tradiciones cinéfilas, gustos que se van institucionalizando a medida que los discursos se legitiman social y culturalmente. Estos discursos cinematográficos y estos procesos de institucionalización están sometidos a múltiples variables sociales, culturales, históricas, económicas, nacionales, generacionales y de género que los sitúa más allá del campo cinematográfico. A lo largo de este trabajo, he intentado profundizar en cada uno de estos parámetros para establecer los orígenes y significados de los discursos y prácticas culturales que circulan en torno al cine. El método de análisis que me ha permitido un acercamiento interdisciplinar a la cinefilia y la crítica de cine es la rama de los estudios culturales que viene de la teoría cultural y la sociología de la cultura. / Throughout this work I have attempted to defend the idea that value judgments produced by the Spanish film criticism are enrolled in cultural traditions that derive, most of the times, from historically and socially constructed categories. In this case, cinephilia, in any of its forms, would be the sociocultural background of the cinematic traditions of much of contemporary Spanish film critics. From it arises the ideas and concepts to handle criticism about what art, culture and film should be. Furthermore, I developed the idea that these cinéphiles traditions, however different that may be from an historical, cultural and social perspective, become an institutionalized practice from the time they are made through film criticism. As an institution, therefore, film criticism works to maintain its privileged status as a regulator estate of those cinematic discourses circulating in a society at a particular historical moment. The proposal to analyze Spanish film criticism in the 90s, is because in that decade formalizes a long-incubated generational change since 80s. In this aspect, there is a generational clash in which each critical training, beyond cultural and cinéphiles traditions, will work to legitimize and consolidate some cinematic tastes as part of the institution. In this process, critics are put forward as representatives of those tastes by issuing public statements about cinema and culture, a hierarchy, making discriminating judgments, and aesthetic models and cultural films. In this sense, film criticism works as a confrontation of cultural tastes of the different cinéphile traditions, and tastes are becoming institutionalized as legitimate social and cultural statements. These cinematographic discourses and institutionalizing processes are subject to multiple social, cultural, historical, economic, national, generational and gender variables, which puts them beyond the cinematographic field. Throughout this work I have attempted to delve into each one of these parameters in order to establish the origins and meanings of discourses and cultural practices that circulate around the cinema. The method of analysis that has allowed me to an interdisciplinary approach to cinephilia and film criticism is the branch of cultural studies that comes from cultural theory and sociology of culture.

A feminist examination of the life of the Afrikaans poet Ingrid Jonker is preceded by a look at the conventional literary biography with its unique dual nature: scientific enquiry combined with the art of storytelling, which is aptly called “fiction under oath” (Gutiérrez 1992: 49). Subsequently, an overview of the theoretical basis of feminist ideology and literary approaches is presented with the emphasis on the psychoanalytical point of departure, which views women’s marginalized position as social instead of biological in origin, and therefore as changeable. Biography owes its important place in contemporary women’s writing to the fact that it documents the history and experience of women in the patriarchal system. Feminist biographers, influenced by Postmodernism, force the genre from its traditionally linear form and narrow focus on a famous, usually male subject. The result is a more fluid, cyclical portrayal of (usually) influential women, shedding more light on the social, domestic and personal spheres. Because this kind of biography does not claim to be authoritative, the biographer’s personal contribution and her methods are made explicit. The intuitive and experimental nature of feminist biography makes it suitable for an intertextual and even interdisciplinary approach. Jonker’s life is analysed against the background of a folk tale, The Red Shoes, which is an allegory for the sacrifice of the instinctive creative self or archetypal “wildish woman”. Ancient myths, which narratives of almost every culture share, are seen as responsible for the tenacious survival of the patriarchy through time, social change, and across cultural boundaries. For this reason, feminists see the creation of new myths or infusing old myths with new meaning as the key to women’s emancipation. Against this background, the following subtexts also act as shaping elements in the Ingrid Jonker biography: · The concept of a person’s life “script” unfolding according to repetitive messages laid down in the unconscious by authority figures; · The “conspiracy” between a biographee and her biographers in forming her public image; and · Six archetypes in the Jungian idiom that characterise a person’s journey to spiritual maturity, Examined with these subtexts in mind, Ingrid Jonker’s life story unfolds as follows: A poet in conflict with her time and “abandoned” by her parents, is displaced in pre-adolescence from a unstructured rural milieu where her instinctive creativity was allowed to develop freely, to a highly structured, limiting and artificial urban environment. She seems prophetically destined for a tragic end. Her obsession with death is fed by an inability to have meaningful relationships and to adjust to society’s double standards. Ever the victim of imagined or real betrayal, she joins the ranks of other female artists who follow the same destructive archetypal pattern. She is spurred on not only by her own feral recklessness, but also by other artists who are inspired by her flirtation with death. Upcoming generations are mesmerised by her “moth around a flame” life and, like children, ask time and again for the disastrous though darkly romantic story with its mythical proportions, which turned Jonker into an icon. In doing so, they manage their own collectively unconscious fear of the annihilation of death. The Red Shoes links with Kristeva’s distinction between semiotic and symbolic language. The former is non-rational, intuitive and signifies the maternal whereas the latter represents language that is masculine, rational, linear and therefore patriarchal and logocentric. / Dissertation (MA (Afrikaans))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Afrikaans / unrestricted

ʼn Visuele analise van twee Afrikaanse, Christelike vrouetydskrifte het ten doel om die aard van ʼn hedendaagse Christen-Afrikaanse vroue-ideaal te ondersoek, soos dit in alledaagse kultuur gekonstrueer word. Hierdie studie bestaan uit ʼn visuele analise wat fokus op populêre media, naamlik die Afrikaanse, Christelike glansvrouetydskrifte Finesse en Lééf. Die tiende verjaardaguitgawe van Finesse in Mei 2008 dui op ʼn mylpaal vir Christen-Afrikaanse vroulikheid. Daarom ag hierdie studie die Christen-Afrikaanse vroue-ideaal as ʼn waardige onderwerp om te bestudeer. Die studie stel ondersoek in na die agtergrond rondom die Christen-Afrikaanse vroue-ideaal, wat insluit: die sosio-politieke konteks rondom die Afrikaner/Afrikaanses, ʼn Godsdienstige kultuurgeskiedenis, en die bydrae van vrouetydskrifte tot die konstruering ʼn vroue-ideaal. Hierdie visuele analise bepaal dat die Christen-Afrikaanse vroue-ideaal subtiel gekonstrueer word deur sekere kodes wat met vroulikheid geassosieer word. Dit sluit onder meer in: visuele tekens wat ʼn denkbeeldige gemeenskap simboliseer, teekoppies, inskrywings, mooimaaksessies, vrugte, see, skoenlappers en skoonheid. Hierdie tekens simboliseer mitiese vroulikheid wat vergestalt in die Christen-Afrikaanse vroue-ideaal, wat deur die raamwerk van Finesse en Lééf ondersteun word. ʼn Kritiese, visuele analise van Finesse en Lééf volg, met spesifieke verwysing na visuele beelde waar ʼn vrou as individu in ʼn foto verskyn. Hierdie analise eien sekere karaktereienskappe wat die Christen-Afrikaanse vroue-ideaal voorhou, terwyl sekere tekens of kodes wat bepalend is tot haar uiterlike voorkoms, uitgelig word. Die studie bepaal dat die rolle wat die Christen-Afrikaanse vroue-ideaal voorhou, dié van eggenote en moeder insluit en word ondersteun deur die visuele analise. Die belang van iii haar rolle lei waarskynlik tot die Christen-Afrikaanse vroue-ideaal se beperking tot die huislike sfeer. Die huislike sfeer in die betrokke tydskrifte word visueel uitgebeeld aan die hand van resepte en dekor. Deur middel van die visuele analise van Finesse en Lééf bepaal hierdie studie die aard van Christen-Afrikaanse vroulikheid soos dit tydens 2008 in alledaagse kultuur weerspieël word. ENGLISH : The aim of a visual analysis of two Christian, Afrikaans, women's magazines is to explore the nature of the contemporary Christian-Afrikaans feminine ideal, as it is constructed in popular culture. Therefore, this study consists of a visual analysis which focuses on popular media, in this case the Christian, Afrikaans, glossy women's magazines, Finesse and Lééf. This coincides with the tenth birthday celebration of Finesse, which represents a milestone for Christian-Afrikaans femininity. Therefore, this research regards the Christian-Afrikaans feminine ideal as a significant topic to be studied. The construction of the Christian-Afrikaans feminine ideal is considered in terms of: the social-political context surrounding the Afrikaner/Afrikaanses; a religious cultural history; and the contribution of women's magazines to the construction of a feminine ideal. From the visual analysis it is clear that the Christian-Afrikaans feminine ideal is subtly constructed by codes that may be associated with femininity. These include: visual signs that symbolise an imagined community, tea cups, subscriptions, make-overs, fruit, the sea, butterflies and beauty. These signs, which are supported by the frameworks of Finesse and Lééf respectively, work together to construct not only a myth of femininity, but more importantly to this study, the Christian-Afrikaans feminine ideal. The critical visual analysis of Finesse and Lééf focuses on photographs of individual women in these magazines. This allows the study to pinpoint specific characteristics that form part of the persona of the Christian-Afrikaans feminine ideal. Signs and codes that contribute to the physical appearance of the Christian-Afrikaans feminine ideal are also pointed out. This study discovers that the various roles expected from the Christian-Afrikaans feminine ideal include that of wife and mother. These two primary roles then lead to the association of the Christian-Afrikaans feminine ideal with the private sphere. The visual analysis reveals that the private sphere is constituted by articles on decor and recipes in both magazines. Through a visual analysis of Finesse and Lééf, this study explores the nature of Christian-Afrikaans femininity as it was portrayed in 2008 in two popular magazines. Copyright / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Visual Arts / unrestricted

After the Catalan conflict in 2017, the number of female politicians and sympathizers in VOX increased notoriously(Bernardez-Rodal et al., 2020). Moreover, the growing participation and engagement of female audiences suggests that the use of several techniques to attract women (Pilkington, 2017; Mattheis, 2018; Askanius, 2021a) or the use of topics that evoque shared feelings (Dietze & Roth, 2020) could also be unfolding at a great speed in Spain. Thus, wanting to spand knowledge on the mentioned phenomenon, this thesis focuses on the Spanish context and explores how three VOX female politicians benefit from Alternative Influence Networks or AIN (Lewis, 2018) in Instagram and use influencer practices to spread far-righ ideas and sell anti-feminist or gender equality narratives.  For veracity and objectivity this research considered every post in the feed of these representatives for the sampling,obtaining a total of 290 relevant posts which were later analysed following a case study methodology. Theories of mediatization and media power, social media, online Interactivity and AIN, gender politics, and post-feminism and anti-feminism, served to understand the content of the analysed posts and classify them into 5 main topics (1. Anti-Feminism;2. Maternity; 3. Gender Politics and Gender Issues; 4. Targeting Women: Fear for the Spanish Race; 5. Christian values: pro-life and heteronormative love) that were repeatedly manifested in various ways. Main findings include how VOX female politicians benefit from social media to target women and sell far-right ideas through influencer practices and other tactics that are similarly used by other far-right actors. From this we could conclude that the role of female representators in VOX is of great importance to attract female audience by posting sensitive content or aiming at empathy through identification as well as to soften the image of the far-right through fear-based techniques or turning to biology.

Text in Afrikaans with summaries in Afrikaans and English / Despite the fact that many people in South Africa are affected by divorce, not much research is done on divorce recovery. This study on divorce recovery is shaped by a feminist theological perspective and a postmodem social constructionist discourse. As qualitative research, narrative group work was embarked on over a period of a year with five women who went through divorce. Through therapeutic letters different themes emerged. These themes formed the focus for each chapter and are enriched by relevant literature reflections. In the first chapter the stark reality of divorce in South Africa, the discursive positioning, epistemology and research methodology are discussed, and the stories of the participants are told. Divorce is deconstructed by the participants as resistance to patriarchy and not only an interpersonal crisis. The majority of claimants in divorce cases in South Africa are women. The dominant oppressive biblical discourse that divorce is always sin is reconstructed. An alternative religious discourse is co-constructed amongst the participants: that divorce under certain circumstances is God's will for women who are caught in humiliating and oppressive marriages. The various spheres of life that women reconstruct after divorce are discussed. These include: • practical matters such as the legal proceedings, housing and finances • emotional reconstruction where emotions such as fear. senses of guilt, and rage from a feminist perspective view are discussed. • reconstruction of social relations which includes aspects such as the relation with the former husband, family, new male friends and children • spiritual reconstruction which includes a feminist perspective on the Bible, sin, the will of God, and also a divorce ritual • the reconstruction of identity. Finally the five participants' reconsructed stories are told. / Ten spyte daarvan dat baie mense in Suid-Afrika deur egskeiding geraak word, word daar nie veel navorsing oor egskeidingsherstel gedoen nie. Hierdie studie oor egkeidingsherstel word gedoen vanuit 'n feministies teologiese perspektief en 'n sosiale konstruksieteorie diskoers. Oor 'n tydperk van 'n jaar is deur middel van kwalitatiewe navorsing saam met vyf vroue wat deur egskeiding geraak is, groepswerk gedoen. Uit die terapeutiese briewe wat geskryf is het verskillende temas uitgekristalliseer. Hierdie temas het die grondslag gevorm vir elke hoofstuk wat deur 'n relevante literatuurstudie aangevul is. In die eerste hoofstukke word die harde werklikhede van egskeiding, die diskoersposionering, epistemologie en navorsingsmetodiek bespreek. Die verhale van die deelnemers word vertel. Egskeiding word deur die deelnemers dekonstrueer as weerstand teen patriargie en nie net 'n interpersoonlike krisis nie. Die meerderheid eisers in egskeidingsgedinge in Suid-Afrika is vroue. Die onderdrukkend dominante Bybelse diskoers dat egskeiding altyd sonde is word rekonstrueer. 'n Alternatiewe godsdienstige diskoers, dat egskeiding vir vroue wat in vernederende en onderdrukkend huwelik vasgevang is, onder sekere omstandighede die wil van God kan wees, word saam met die deelnemers rekonstrueer. Die verskillende lewensterreine wat vroue na egskeiding rekonstrueer, word bespreek. Dit sluit in: • praktiese aangeleenthede soos die regsproses, behuising en finansies • emosionele rekonstruksie wat emosies soos angs, skuldgevoelens en woede word vanuit 'n feministiese perspektiefbespreek • spirituele rekonstruksie wat 'n feministiese perspektief op die Bybel, sonde, die wil van God en 'n egskeidingsritueel insluit • die rekonstruksie van identiteit Ten slotte word die vyf deelnemers se nuwe verhale vertel. / Practical Theology / D.Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans with summaries in Afrikaans and English / Despite the fact that many people in South Africa are affected by divorce, not much research is done on divorce recovery. This study on divorce recovery is shaped by a feminist theological perspective and a postmodem social constructionist discourse. As qualitative research, narrative group work was embarked on over a period of a year with five women who went through divorce. Through therapeutic letters different themes emerged. These themes formed the focus for each chapter and are enriched by relevant literature reflections. In the first chapter the stark reality of divorce in South Africa, the discursive positioning, epistemology and research methodology are discussed, and the stories of the participants are told. Divorce is deconstructed by the participants as resistance to patriarchy and not only an interpersonal crisis. The majority of claimants in divorce cases in South Africa are women. The dominant oppressive biblical discourse that divorce is always sin is reconstructed. An alternative religious discourse is co-constructed amongst the participants: that divorce under certain circumstances is God's will for women who are caught in humiliating and oppressive marriages. The various spheres of life that women reconstruct after divorce are discussed. These include: • practical matters such as the legal proceedings, housing and finances • emotional reconstruction where emotions such as fear. senses of guilt, and rage from a feminist perspective view are discussed. • reconstruction of social relations which includes aspects such as the relation with the former husband, family, new male friends and children • spiritual reconstruction which includes a feminist perspective on the Bible, sin, the will of God, and also a divorce ritual • the reconstruction of identity. Finally the five participants' reconsructed stories are told. / Ten spyte daarvan dat baie mense in Suid-Afrika deur egskeiding geraak word, word daar nie veel navorsing oor egskeidingsherstel gedoen nie. Hierdie studie oor egkeidingsherstel word gedoen vanuit 'n feministies teologiese perspektief en 'n sosiale konstruksieteorie diskoers. Oor 'n tydperk van 'n jaar is deur middel van kwalitatiewe navorsing saam met vyf vroue wat deur egskeiding geraak is, groepswerk gedoen. Uit die terapeutiese briewe wat geskryf is het verskillende temas uitgekristalliseer. Hierdie temas het die grondslag gevorm vir elke hoofstuk wat deur 'n relevante literatuurstudie aangevul is. In die eerste hoofstukke word die harde werklikhede van egskeiding, die diskoersposionering, epistemologie en navorsingsmetodiek bespreek. Die verhale van die deelnemers word vertel. Egskeiding word deur die deelnemers dekonstrueer as weerstand teen patriargie en nie net 'n interpersoonlike krisis nie. Die meerderheid eisers in egskeidingsgedinge in Suid-Afrika is vroue. Die onderdrukkend dominante Bybelse diskoers dat egskeiding altyd sonde is word rekonstrueer. 'n Alternatiewe godsdienstige diskoers, dat egskeiding vir vroue wat in vernederende en onderdrukkend huwelik vasgevang is, onder sekere omstandighede die wil van God kan wees, word saam met die deelnemers rekonstrueer. Die verskillende lewensterreine wat vroue na egskeiding rekonstrueer, word bespreek. Dit sluit in: • praktiese aangeleenthede soos die regsproses, behuising en finansies • emosionele rekonstruksie wat emosies soos angs, skuldgevoelens en woede word vanuit 'n feministiese perspektiefbespreek • spirituele rekonstruksie wat 'n feministiese perspektief op die Bybel, sonde, die wil van God en 'n egskeidingsritueel insluit • die rekonstruksie van identiteit Ten slotte word die vyf deelnemers se nuwe verhale vertel. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D.Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

Text in English, with abstracts and keywords in English, Afrikaans and isiZulu / South Africa has been known to have the highest rate of gender-based violence globally. This qualitative study locates gender-based violence using the interpretive phenomenological paradigm and multicultural feminism as both allowed participants’ to be given a voice. This study thus enabled women who have been abused to discuss their perception of their own experiences. The primary aim of the study is orientated towards an increased understanding of the possible barriers that prevent women from leaving their abusers. The main findings point out how victim manipulation, financial abuse, isolation and responses by social and legal services serve as barriers to the women leaving their abusive partners. The secondary aim contributes to an understanding of the risk factors influencing gender-based violence. Furthermore, the study explores the impact of prolonged abuse on the participants. The criteria used for the selection were women with diverse backgrounds from the Inanda district, who have lived in abusive relationships for two years or longer. Eight participants completed the research process and were selected using the purposive sampling method. Significantly, this study provides an insight into the reality of how women process and give meanings to their experiences of abuse. Hence, the research sought to inform the literature and the greater community on the lived experiences of women in abusive relationships. / Suid-Afrika het wêreldwyd die hoogste persentasie van geslagsgebaseerde geweld. Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie plaas geslagsgebaseerde geweld met behulp van die interpretatiewe fenomenologiese paradigma en multikulturele feminisme, aangesien albei die deelnemers 'n stem laat kry. Hierdie studie het dus vroue wat mishandel is, in staat gestel om hul persepsie van hul eie ervarings te bespreek. Die primêre doel van die studie is gerig op 'n groter begrip van die moontlike hindernisse wat vroue verhoed om hul misbruik te verlaat. Die belangrikste bevindings wys daarop hoe manipulasie van slagoffer, finansiële mishandeling, isolasie en reaksies deur maatskaplike en regsdienste dien as hindernisse vir die verlaat van hul vrouens met hul maat. Die sekondêre doel dra by tot die begrip van die risikofaktore wat geslagsgebaseerde geweld beïnvloed. Verder ondersoek die studie die impak van langdurige mishandeling op die deelnemers. Die kriteria wat gebruik is vir die keuring was vroue met verskillende agtergronde uit die distrik Inanda, wat al twee jaar of langer in beledigende verhoudings leef. Agt deelnemers het die navorsingsproses voltooi en is met behulp van die doelgerigte steekproefmetode gekies. Hierdie studie bied 'n insig in die werklikheid van hoe vroue hul ervarings van mishandeling verwerk en betekenisse gee. Daarom het die navorsing probeer om die literatuur en die groter gemeenskap in te lig oor die ervarings van vroue in beledigende verhoudings. / Iningizimu Afrika yaziwa ukuthi inesilinganiso esiphakeme kunazo zonke sodlame olususelwa ebulilini emhlabeni jikelele. Lolu cwaningo lwekhwalithi lubheka udlame olususelwa ebulilini kusetshenziswa ukuhumusha okuyi-phenographical paradigm kanye nobungqingili bezamasiko njengoba bobabili abahlanganyeli bavunyelwe ukuba banikezwe izwi. Lolu cwaningo lwenze ukuthi abesifazane abahlukunyeziwe bakhulume ngokubona kwabo ngokwenzeka kwabo. Inhloso yokuqala yocwaningo isekelwe ekuqondeni okwandayo kwemigoqo engahle ivimbele abesifazane ukuba bashiye abahlukumezi babo. Okutholakele okukhulu kuveza ukuthi ukuxhaphaza izisulu, ukuhlukunyezwa ngokwezimali, ukwahlukaniswa nezimpendulo ngezinsizakalo zezenhlalo nezomthetho kusebenza njengezithiyo kwabesifazane beshiya abalingani babo abahlukumezayo. Inhloso yesibili inomthelela ekuqondeni kwezimpawu zobungozi ezinomthelela udlame olususelwa ebulilini. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lolu cwaningo lubheka umthelela wokuhlukunyezwa isikhathi eside kwabahlanganyeli. Abangu-8 ababambe iqhaza baphothula inqubo yokucwaninga futhi bakhethwa besebenzisa indlela enamasampula enenjongo. Okusemqoka ukuthi lolu cwaningo luhlinzeka ngokuqonda kweqiniso lokuthi abesifazane basebenza kanjani futhi banikeze izincazelo kulokho kwabo okuhlukumezeka. Ngakho-ke, lolu cwaningo lufune ukwazisa izincwadi kanye nomphakathi omkhulu ngokuhlangenwe nakho kokuphila kwabesifazane ebudlelwaneni bokuhlukumeza. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / This thesis investigates gender relations in agricultural value chains by examining gender differentials in terms of gender roles in agricultural production and marketing, gender division of labour within the household, gendered daily and seasonal activities in the household, decision-making power within the household, and access to productive resources and agricultural support services. The study also assessed historical, socio-cultural, and institutional factors constraining gender equality and women’s empowerment in agricultural value chains. Employing critical theory, the study used a qualitative research approach, specifically basic classical ethnographic methods - participant observation, field notes, in-depth interviews, semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and secondary documents. The study also used a time-use survey and seasonal calendar as its primary source of data. The study revealed that women are generally underrepresented in most profitable nodes of the value chains. However, agricultural value chain interventions have different outcomes for women in female-headed households (FHHs) and women in male-headed households (MHHs). The commercialization of agriculture, particularly in MHHs, has led women to lose control over the commodities they traditionally used to control, as these commodities have fallen into the hands of men. Therefore women in this category are either disempowered or at least not empowered by the value chain interventions. Nevertheless, for women of FHHs, gender mainstreaming in agricultural value chains has contributed to improving gender equality, employment, and women’s empowerment by boosting their economic, social, and personal empowerment levels, though they still lag behind the men in many aspects. The participation of women in managing and controlling high-value crops is constrained by unequal power relations within the household and society. This could be explained in terms of limited resources, low level of literacy, shortage of labour and time, limited access to productive inputs, technologies, market information and agricultural extension services, restriction of mobility, and other socio-cultural and institutional barriers. / Hierdie studie handel oor genderverhoudings in landbouwaardekettings deur genderkenmerke te ondersoek ten opsigte van genderrolle in landbouproduksie en -bemarking, die verdeling van take by die huis op grond van gender, daaglikse en seisoenale werksaamhede tuis volgens gender, besluitnemingsbevoegdheid in die huishouding, en toegang tot produktiewe hulpbronne en landbouhulpdienste. Die studie verreken ook die historiese, sosiaal-kulturele en institusionele faktore wat gendergelykheid en die bemagtiging van vroue in landbouwaardekettings belemmer. Genderverhoudings word deur die lens van die kritiese teorie bekyk. ʼn Kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering is gevolg en klassieke etnografiese metodes is toegepas, waaronder deelnemerwaarneming, veldaantekeninge, deurtastende en halfgestruktureerde onderhoude, onderhoude met sleutelinformante, fokusgroepbesprekings en sekondêre dokumente. ʼn Tydbenuttingsopname en seisoenale kalender was die primêre databronne. Uit die studie het geblyk dat vroue by die mees winsgewende skakels van die waardeketting grotendeels onderverteenwoordig is. Die uitkomste van landbouwaardekettingintervensies vir vrouehuishoudings (VH) (huishoudings waarin ʼn vrou die broodwinner is) verskil van dié vir mannehuishoudings (MH) (huishoudings waarin ʼn man die broodwinner is). Weens die kommersialisering van die landboubedryf, in veral MH’s, het beheer oor die kommoditeite van vroue se hande in dié van mans oorgegaan. Gevolglik word vroue in hierdie kategorie ontmagtig of ten minste nie deur die waarde van kettingintervensies bemagtig nie. Ofskoon ʼn groter genderbewustheid in die landbouwaardeketting gelyke indiensneming en die ekonomiese, maatskaplike en persoonlike bemagtiging van vroue bevorder het, het vroue steeds ʼn groot agterstand. Ongelyke magsverhoudings tuis en in die samelewing beperk vroue se bestuur van en beheer oor lonende gewasse. Die redes hiervoor is onder meer beperkte hulpbronne, ongeletterdheid, ʼn tekort aan arbeid en tyd, beperkte toegang tot produktiewe insette, tegnologieë, markinligting en landbouverlengingsdienste, beperkte mobiliteit en talle ander sosiaal-kulturele en institusionele struikelblokke. / Lolu cwaningo luphenya ubudlelwano kwezobulili kwezemisebenzi yokukhiqiza ngasemkhakheni wezolimo , lokhu kwenziwa ngokuthi kuhlolwe izimpawu ezahlukile kwezobulili, mayelana nezindima ezidlalwa ubulili emkhakheni wezemikhiqizo yezolimo kanye nokuthengiswa kwemikhiqizo, ukwehlukaniswa kwabasebenzi ngokobulili ngaphakathi kwekhaya kanye nokutholakala kwemithombo yokukhiqiza kanye nemisebenzi yokuxhasa ezolimo. Isifundo futhi sihlola izinto ezithinta umlando, inhlalakahle yabantu kwezolimo kanye nezimo/nezinto ezikumaziko ezidala ukungalingani kobulili kanye nokuhlonyiswa ngamandla kwabesimame emisebenzini yezokukhiqiza kwezolimo. Ukusebenzisa umqondo ogxekayo (critical theory), kusetshenziswe indlela yokucwaninga eyencike kwingxoxo, ikakhulukazi izindlela zokuqala ze-ethinogilafi, phecelezi (basic classical ethnographic methods) – ukubhekisisa izenzo zabadlalindima, ukuthatha amanothi wokwenzeka ezinkundleni zokusebenza ezingaphandle, ukwenza izinhlolo vo ezijulile, ukwenza izinhlolo vo ezimbaxambili, ukwenza izinhlolovo zomuntu onolwazi olunzulu, izingxoxo zeqembu eliqondiwe kanye nemibhalo yesigaba sesibili. Isaveyi yesikhathi ebizwa nge (time-use survey) kanye nekhalenda yenkathi (seasonal calendar ) zisetshenziswe njengemithombo yokuqala yedatha. Ucwaningo luveze ukuthi abesimame ngokwenjwayelo bamele inani elincane labesimame emikhakheni eminingi yezokukhiqiza, okuyimikhakha engenisa inzuzo eningi. Yize kunjalo, imizamo yokuxhasa imisebenzi yokukhiqiza kwezolimo inemiphumela eyehlukahlukene kwabesimame kumakhaya aphethwe abesimame (FHHs) futhi le mizamo inemiphumela eyehlukahlukene kwabesimame kumakhaya aphethwe ngabesilisa (MHHs). Ukufakwa kwemboni yezolimo kwibhizinisi, ikakhulukazi kwimizi ephathwe ngabesilisa (MHHs), sekuholele ekutheni abesimame balahlekelwe yilawulo kwimithombo yezomnotho ebebejwayele ukuyiphatha, njengoba le mithombo yezomnotho seyiwele ngaphansi kwezandla zabesilisa. Ngakho-ke abesimame kulo mkhakha mhlawumbe bephucwe amandla noma mhlawumbe abahlonyisiwe ngokwanele ngamandla ngamakhono okuxhasa imisebenzi yezokukhiqiza. Yize-kunjalo, ngasohlangothini lwabesimame abaphethe imizi FHHs, ukulinganisa amanani ngokobulili kwimisebenzi yezolimo sekube negalelo ekuthuthukiseni ukulingana ngokobulili, kwezemisebenzi kanye nokuhlomisa ngamandla kwabesimame ngokuxhasa amazinga abo ezomnotho, ukuhlonyiswa kwamazinga abantu kanye nomuntu ngamunye, yize abesimame basahamba emuva kwabesilisa emikhakheni eminingi. Ukubandakanyeka kwabesimame ekuphatheni kanye nasekulawuleni kwezitshalo zecophelo eliphezulu kukhinyabezwa ukungalingani ngamandla ngaphakathi kwekhaya kanye nomphakathi. Lokhu kungachazwa ngokwemithombo yomnotho emincane, ngokwamazinga aphansi emfundo, ngokusweleka kwabasebenzi kanye nesikhathi, ngokwamathuba amancane okufinyelela izinsiza zokukhiqiza, ngokwezixhobo zobuchwepheshengokuswela ulwazi lwezimakethe kanye nokwandiswa kwemisebenzi yezolimo, ngokwemigomo evimbezela ukuhamba kanye nezinye izihibe ezivimbela inhlalakahle yabantu kwezolimo kanye nezihibe zamaziko. / Development Studies / D. Phil. (Development Studies)