M.A. (French) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Thesis (M.A. (Applied Language and Literacy Education))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities, 2017 / This study critically analyses a set of folktales from the African Storybook website, which is an open licence digital publishing platform supporting early reading in Africa (www.africanstorybook.org). The selected folktales were mostly written by educators and librarians working in the African Storybook project pilot sites. The folktales were illustrated and published as indigenous African language and English storybooks during 2014 to 2015. The analysis is centrally concerned with the settings in which the folktales take place (with a distinction made between space, place and time), and the age and gender associated with central characters. The analytical tools used and the perspectives applied are drawn predominantly from post-colonial studies, African feminism, critical literacy, broad folktale scholarship, and theory from local – as opposed to global – childhoods. The analysis is interested in the conventions of the folktale genre, as it is constructed in the narratives by the writers. The three central findings with regards to the settings of folktales are as follows: (i) 90% of the folktales are set in rural environments in or near villages or small settlements. The somewhat idealised villages and settlements appear to have been relatively untouched by modern communications and infrastructure, and represent a “nostalgic, imagined past”. (ii) The study found that 75% of the folktales are set in the remote past, indexical of the folktale genre’s oral roots. (iii) Supernatural characters, objects and events occur in nearly 75% of the folktales. This suggests a possible interpretive space of intersecting temporalities and dimensions of existence, as well as possibilities for imaginative problem-solving. In addition, it raises challenging questions about the limits of human agency. The study also found that the ASb folktales, perhaps somewhat unsurprisingly for a genre that tends to employ archetypes and stereotypes, seemingly offer no characterisation outside of heteronormative family roles. But despite the heteronormativity and narrowly-defined family roles, especially for women characters, the folktales also present other positions for female gendered characters, and by extension for girl child readers – courageous, interesting, clever and unconventional female characters are in no shortage in these narrative populations. The findings suggest that the ASb folktales provide a range of identity positions for both girls and boys in African contexts, and my study reflects on how educators might navigate this complex territory. In particular, the findings point to how teachers and other adult caregivers might balance the moral and cultural lessons in folktales with the need for children to imagine and construct different worlds and positions for themselves. / MT2017

PhD (Xitsonga) / Eka Senthara ya M. E. R. Mathivha ya Tindzimu ta Afrika, Vutshila na Ndhavuko / Xikongomelo xa ndzavisiso lowu i ku xopaxopa swivuriso swa Xitsonga leswi tshuriweke ku suka eka swiharhi swa le nhoveni na swiharhi swa le kaya (swifuwo) ku endlela ku kombisa hilaha swi paluxaka mahanyelo ni mavonelo ya vutomi ya Vatsonga eka swiyenge swa vutomi leswi landzelaka: rirhandzu na vukati, mavabyi na matshungulelo ya wona, rifu na swikholwakholwana, milandzu na maahlulelo ya yona, mitirho, vusiwana, rifuwo, vukhongeri, rivengo, vukungundzwana, nyimpi, vutlhari, dyondzo, makhombo, maambalelo, swakudya na swakunwa na swin‟wana na swin‟wana. Ndzavisiso lowu wu aviwile hi swiyenge swimbirhi leswikulu, xiyenge xo sungula xi kongomisiwe eka swivuriso leswi tshuriweke ku suka eka swiharhi swa le nhoveni kasi xiyenge xa vumbirhi xi kongomisiwe eka swivuriso leswi tshuriweke ku suka eka swiharhi swa lekaya (swifuwo). Xiyenge xo sungula xi tlhela xi aviwa hi swiyengentsongo swinharhu, ku nga, xiphemu lexi vulavulaka hi swivuriso leswi tshuriweke ku suka eka swiharhi swa le nhoveni leswi dyaka swimilana ntsena, swiharhi swa le nhoveni leswi dyaka nyama, na swiharhi swa le nhoveni leswi dyaka swimilana na nyama. Xiyenge xa vumbirhi na xona xi aviwa hi swiyengentsongo swinharhu, ku nga, swivuriso swa swiharhi leswi tshuriweke ku suka eka swifuwo leswi dyaka swimilana ntsena, swivuriso swa swifuwo leswi dyaka nyama na swivuriso swa swifuwo leswi dyaka swimilana na nyama. Vuxokoxoko bya ndzavisiso lowu byi tekiwile ku suka eka Vutlhari bya Vatsonga (Machangana) ku nga tsalwa ra swivuriso swa Xitsonga leri tsariweke hi HP Junod (1978). Swivuriso leswi swi xopaxopiwa hi tihlo ra vuxoperi hi ku tirhisa maendlelo ya Lakoff, G na Johnson, M (1980) ya thiyori ya mianakanyo ya vugego (Conceptual Metaphor Theory) Eka thiyori leyi ku vuriwa leswaku mhakankulu leyi lawulaka matirhelo ya swivulwana swa vugegovutlhokovetseri a hi ririmi, kambe i mianakanyo. Thiyori leyi yi tirhisa mpananiso (cross domain mappings), laha mhaka ya nkoka ku nga xitikoxihlovo (source domain) na xitikoxikongomisiwa (target domain). Hi ku ya hi thiyori leyi, nchumu wo karhi wu twisiseka kahle hi ku wu pimanisa na wun‟wana. Hileswaku, xitikoxikongomisiwa xi twisiseka ku antswa hi ku xiya xitikoxihlovo.