The study made An Investigation Into The Attitudes Of The !Xun And Khwe Communities In Northern Cape, South Africa. Towards Protection Of Indigenous Knowledge Systems And Their Implications For Policy And Research. Taking into consideration the complexity of investigating the attitudes of these indigenous communities, the research followed a participatory and triangulation approach. In order to explore the personal experiences of the respondent community members, the researcher undertook to document these experiences in the form of narratives. The use of narrative in this study was one way of moving away from western empiricism and epistemology. They also help to describe sequences of experiences undergone by a certain group of people in a study area. The major findings of the research were: As a result of isolation from their places of origin and the problem of unemployment, the !Xun and Khwe communities. especially the young generations have become dependent on social welfare grants. However, the majority of the elder generations continued to utilize indigenous knowledge and practices to augment the low income. As a result of historical circumstances including removals, the !Xun and Khwe people have experienced various changes in their lives including westernization. This has impacted on their relationship and attitudes towards the utilization of indigenous knowledge and practices for livelihood. Their satisfaction of basic needs has changed from depending mainly on the veldt products to include wage labour and social welfare grants. The !Xun and Khwe communities expressed the desire to benefit from the new democratic dispensation in South Africa through provision of housing. water, electricity and other social amenities. Education was a necessity that most respondent members valued. It was seen as a vehicle for social mobility in modem conditions of life. The respondent communities realized the role of research in influencing policy that affects their lives. As a result. they wanted to be involved in all research processes instead of merely being used as objects or subjects. There were various aspects of community life that required protection through policy and legislation. These included local resources. especially access to land, indigenous language; cultural heritage and practices including dances and music. Various community structures had been established to address different issues facing the survival of these communities. They called for a better government policy coordination including their participation in policy and legislation formulation and implementation to ensure the survival of their culture including language. On the basis of these findings the study presents the following recommendations to the study communities. individual researchers. organizations and governments within the Southern African region where these indigenous people are located: Researchers should be sensitive to me interest of indigenous communities as participants and co-owners of the whole research process including research results; Researchers should acknowledge the use of narratives as a method of collecting and interpreting data among local and indigenous communities. Narratives help to explore the personal experiences of the community members in relation to the problem under investigation: Researchers and policy makers involved with indigenous communities should not only consult but should ensure that the respective communities as beneficiaries become part of whole research and policy formulation and implementation process. There is need for more research on the impact of westernization. especially the lack of policy and legislation enforcement to protect the lives of indigenous communities against the vagaries of western modernization such as HIV/AIDS. commercialization of indigenous knowledge and resources for profit motives. / (Ph.D.) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2004

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban Institute of Technology, 2006. / Neck pain is a common complaint and a common source of disability in the general population with a point prevalence of nearly 13%. Reports indicate that industry related neck disorders (lifetime incidence of nearly 50%) account for as many days of absenteeism as low back pain; one could compare the two clinical conditions in terms of these trends on a global scale. To investigate whether similar trends do exist, 200 participants with neck pain and 200 asymptomatic participants (stratified sampling according to age and gender) that consented to the research were clinically assessed. These participants also completed a questionnaire addressing the factors that have been identified as related to neck pain at the consultation where they were assessed. This research did not involve the treatment of the participants, although a free treatment was given for patients that opted for one or to those that required it post participation in the study. If treatment was outside the scope of the chiropractic clinic, the participants were referred to the appropriate health care provider. The aim of the study was to investigate factors associated with neck pain in the indigenous African population in the greater Durban area. Data was analysed according to the following: Descriptive statistics were interpreted by means of frequency tables, pie charts, bar graphs and / or in a tabular format in order to describe the sample characteristics of the population under study. Inferential statistics included regression analysis in order to determine any relationships between the patient‟s neck complaint characteristics and factors associated with the complaint. SPSS version 11.5 was used for data analysis (SPSS Inc, Chicago, Ill, USA). A p value of <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Descriptive analysis involved presenting or graphing categorical variables as counts and percentages, and quantitative variables as medians and interquartile ranges due to the skewness of the data. Associations between factors and neck pain were examined bivariately using Pearson‟s chi square or Fisher‟s exact tests as appropriate for categorical factors, or Mann-Whitney tests in the case of quantitative non-parametric data. Finally in order to examine the adjusted independent effects of all factors which were found to be individually significant in the bivariate analysis, multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was done. A backwards elimination modelling technique was used, based on likelihood ratios, with entry and exit probabilities set to 0.05 and 0.010 respectively. Results were reported as odds ratios, 95% confidence intervals and p values. Chi squared analyses was utilised to assess the strength of the relationship and the degree of significance of the relationship. All statistics were analyzed at a confidence interval of 95% and a level of significance where α ≤0.05 (pvalue). The symptomatic participants seemed to be less well educated than the controls. The cases seemed to be less in full time employment, less unemployed, and more self employed than the controls. Income was unevenly distributed among cases and controls. The cases who were working seemed to earn less than the controls who were working. The duration of having neck pain was mainly 1 month. The majority of cases classified their pain as mild. Most participants felt that their pain was worst in the afternoons or related to activities, while they felt their pain was least in the mornings. Frequency of neck pain was mainly constant (36.5%), followed by frequent (32.5%) and seldom (25%). Symptomatic participants mostly reported that their pain began without injury, gradually in 67.5% and abruptly in 13.5%. Fewer symptomatic participants reported pain beginning after an injury (n=22 gradually and n=7 abruptly). The majority reported their neck pain to be stable (38%), while 34% felt it was getting worse and only 19% getting better. More than half of the cases reported difficulty with work due to neck pain. Fewer reported difficulties with daily activities such as washing (30%), sleeping (26%), and lifting (24%). Almost half of the cases rated their disability as none (48%). Only 16% reported severe disability. Thirty-three percent (n=66) reported having been absent from work due to neck pain. The duration of absence in those who were absent was mainly 0-1 week (89.4%). 59 (29%) reported being bed-ridden with neck pain. The most frequent duration was also 0-1 week (81.4%). Ninety three point five percent reported no change in occupational status, while 6 (3%) were demoted, 5 (2.5%) boarded, and 2 (1%) fired. With respect to associated signs and symptoms, 156 (78%) reported to suffer from headaches. In addition, symptomatic participants were asked if they associated their neck pain with any other activities. The most commonly reported factor was stress (22%), followed by bad posture (17%). The other reported factors were reported infrequently. Participants who worked in occupations that involved driving, turning neck, answering the telephone, working in an air-conditioned room, and bending over a desk were significantly more at risk of being cases than controls. Non-occupational factors which were associated with neck pain were worrying a lot, motor vehicle accident, not enough bed support, not using arms to support a book, sitting without back or arm support, not watching TV a lot, and exercising. The results of the study suggest that neck pain within the indigenous African population is associated with the level of education, income, stress levels, bad posture, repetitive movements of the neck, and motor vehicle accidents. It was also found that most of neck pain patients do suffer from headaches. The findings show that neck pain is mostly classified as mild in nature with 1 month duration. Although neck pain was reported to be responsible for at least 7 days of absenteeism from work, causing difficulty with daily activities, most patients reported no disability as a result of neck pain.

Correct race and sex determination of unknown skeletal material is an important aspect of forensic anthropology. Numerous studies have focused on the differences, both osteometric and morphological, between the sexes of a particular racial phenotype, between race groups, and populations. From previous work by a variety of researchers, the necessity of population specific standards for identification has been demonstrated. The purpose of this research was to examine the metric and morphological differences in the pelvis between the sexes and races of South African whites and blacks. Results will be used in developing standards of identification tailored to this population. A sample of 400 known sex/race os coxae were examined. Skeletal material was obtained from the Pretoria collection housed at the University of Pretoria, Department of Anatomy and the Dart collection located at the University of Witwatersrand, Department of Anatomical Sciences. A series of thirteen measurements and five morphological characteristics were examined. Indices were calculated from data obtained from the metric analysis. Left and right sides were examined and those bones visibly pathologically deformed were excluded from the study. Data were subjected to SPSS stepwise and direct discriminant analysis. Results showed ischial length as the most sexually dimorphic characteristic in whites, while acetabulum diameter was best in blacks. Four functions (using pelvic dimensions) were developed for determining sex. Highest accuracies were achieved from function 1 (including all dimensions) which correctly classified 92-96% of individuals. Race differences were also investigated. Pubic length was chosen as best for discriminating between races for males and iliac breadth as best in females. Accuracies were 86-89% for males and 82-88% for females. Accuracies for sex discrimination were consistent with earlier studies. Morphological results yielded >80% accuracy for all traits in white males except greater sciatic notch shape where only 33% were correctly classified. A population specific variation in sciatic notch shape was observed where >50% of the white males had a wide sciatic notch previously thought to be a female expression. Black males recorded 81 % correct classification for pubic shape and >90% for the remaining characteristics. Greater sciatic notch and pubic bone shape achieved highest accuracies with 96% for both traits in white females, and 84% and 88% in black females respectively. In conclusion, this study conclusively demonstrates that race and population differences affect the expression of sexual dimorphism and must be accounted for to develop the most effective methods of analysis. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Anatomy / unrestricted

Thesis (M.A. (English Studies)) --University of Limpopo, 2012 / The mini dissertation seeks to explore the positive and negative qualities of an indigenous African leader as presented in a variety of oral texts including folktales, proverbs and praise poems as well as in the African novels of Mhudi, Maru, Things Fall Apart and Petals of Blood in order to deduce an indigenous African concept of a leader. This research is motivated by the fact that although researchers and academics worldwide acknowledge that it is very difficult to objectively define and discuss the terms ‘leader’ and ‘indigenous leader’ yet many tend to dismiss offhand such indigenous concepts of leadership as ubuntu as primitive, barbaric and irrelevant to modern institutions without examining them in detail.

Documented value of indigenous knowledge (IK) in the lives of communities raises the need to facilitate its accessibility. Public libraries in South Africa can play an important role in facilitating access to this knowledge by integrating it into their services. Apart from positively contributing to the quality of lives of indigenous communities, integration of IK would result in the provision of inclusive and transformed library services. The purpose of this study was to explore how public libraries in South Africa may integrate IK into their services. Located within the critical theory paradigm, a qualitative multiple-case study was conducted among four purposefully selected provincial library services in South Africa. Directors of the selected provincial library services were interviewed. Collection development policies of the selected libraries were also analysed to determine the extent of their alignment with the provision of IK. Atlas.ti. was used to analyse data thematically. Findings revealed that libraries have not integrated IK into their services. Furthermore, collection development policies were not aligned to the provision of IK. Factors contributing to non-integration of IK in public libraries included the perception that librarians did not seem to regard IK as within their purview but rather an aspect for archival institutions. Non- alignment of policies to IK integration, content that is not accessible to indigenous communities and dwindling funding for library services provision also emerged as contributory factors. It was concluded that the hegemony of western knowledge continued to marginalise IK, possibly contributing to its non-integration. A framework based on principles of community involvement, inclusivity, access and transformation was recommended for integrating IK into services of public libraries. It was recommended that public librarians, as stakeholders in the transformation of library services need to engage in the IK discourse in order to enhance their ability to provide inclusive services. The importance of involving communities in defining IK according to their contexts to enable meaningful integration into library services was highlighted. A need to expand the study to other provinces in South Africa to determine librarians’ understanding and views regarding integration of IK was identified. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

Thesis (M. Tech.) -- Central University of Technology, Free State

Asians and expatriate Africans have been prominent in the SMME economy of South Africa. This work seeks to establish reasons for the growth and competitiveness of SMMEs run by these groups compared to those operated by local citizens. Reasons for this competitiveness are gleaned from existing literature and presented in accordance with the Perren model which attributes the growth of SMMEs to the owner’s motivation, expertise in managing growth, access to resources, and demand. In this work, the Perren model was first applied to Asians and Lebanese in East and West Africa to set a foundation for comparison with the South African situation. This work concluded that it is the four interim growth drivers acting together that cause competitiveness of Asian- or expatriate African-owned SMMEs. Policy recommendations to improve competitiveness of SMMEs owned by local citizens are then suggested at the end. / Economics / M. Com. (Economics)

Today, unlike yesterday we talk about Moral Regeneration amongst the Vhavenḓa youth of today and throughout the whole world. Strategies of combating this monster that is snatching our youth are recommended in this study. The problem dealt with in this study is the issue of Moral degeneration amongst the youth which needs to be regenerated. There are many causes of moral degeneration amongst the youth discussed in this study which are accompanied by the remedial strategies. As a way forward in this study, observations of researchers and scholars on how to find the solution about moral degeneration that has impacted on the lives of Vhavenḓa youth and other youth of today around the globe were focused on. The literature review in this study was based more on issues that are linked to Indigenous Knowledge Systems as discussed by various scholars. This study used the qualitative research methodology though quantitative minimally. The sampling of data was more purposive though there were cases of convenience and snowballing so as to get more data. Data for this research study was collected through questionnaires and interviews from a host of interviewees. This data was analysed using open and axial coding. The findings were grouped or categorised into major themes in terms of selective coding. Reasons behind the findings were explained too. Finally, consequences, implications for further study and also recommendations were indicated. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African languages)

Text in English / It is common knowledge that the social work profession in Africa, including its theories, methods, and models, has been implanted from the global North (Europe) and North America. Scholarship within social work has confirmed that there are challenges of relevance and appropriateness of Westernised social work interventions, and consequently, their effectiveness in a context outside the Euro-North American axis. It is against this backdrop that the researcher explored the African family, its experiences, and its coping strategies when raising a child with Down syndrome as well as the nature of social work services they received and whether such services were congruent with the family’s existential condition and subjectivities. A retrospective qualitative study following a phenomenological design was conducted. Research data were collected from a sample drawn using purposive and snowball techniques, through the use of semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data analysis process adapted from Terre Blanche, Durrheim and Painter (2006:33) was used. The findings revealed the existence of a paradoxical relationship between Eurocentrism underlying social work practice and the Afrocentric worldview. The typical African family raising a child with DS was found to be characterised by a unique form and structure consistent with a clan system different from the conventional Eurocentric concept of family. It was also found that despite the pressure and assault exerted by modernity, colonization and apartheid on the traditional African clan system, it remained resilient and retained its unique character distinct from the western nuclear family system. In relation to dealing with challenges associated with raising a child with DS, the African clan’s concerns were found to transcend pre-occupation with the etiology and treatment of the condition as emphasized in the western paradigm. Without discounting the significance of the etiology and treatment of the condition, the African clan draws on its spirituality and affection to consider the purpose and function of the condition in the bigger scheme of things. Social work as a helping profession seemed to be unpopular amongst African clans raising children with DS. The findings were used to develop indigenised social work practice guidelines for social workers assisting African families raising children with DS. / Social Work / Ph. D. (Social Work)

Today, unlike yesterday we talk about Moral Regeneration amongst the Vhavenḓa youth of today and throughout the whole world. Strategies of combating this monster that is snatching our youth are recommended in this study. The problem dealt with in this study is the issue of Moral degeneration amongst the youth which needs to be regenerated. There are many causes of moral degeneration amongst the youth discussed in this study which are accompanied by the remedial strategies. As a way forward in this study, observations of researchers and scholars on how to find the solution about moral degeneration that has impacted on the lives of Vhavenḓa youth and other youth of today around the globe were focused on. The literature review in this study was based more on issues that are linked to Indigenous Knowledge Systems as discussed by various scholars. This study used the qualitative research methodology though quantitative minimally. The sampling of data was more purposive though there were cases of convenience and snowballing so as to get more data. Data for this research study was collected through questionnaires and interviews from a host of interviewees. This data was analysed using open and axial coding. The findings were grouped or categorised into major themes in terms of selective coding. Reasons behind the findings were explained too. Finally, consequences, implications for further study and also recommendations were indicated. / African Languages / D. Litt. et Phil. (African languages)