Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / Data from the National Injury Mortality Surveillance System (NIMSS) show that homicide is the major cause of death with firearms and sharp objects as the main external causes of death in South Africa. The current study is a descriptive study, describing the epidemiology of sharp object fatalities in the city of East London (also known as Buffalo City) in South Africa. It is a secondary data analysis of mortuary data collected by morticians trained in data collection methods according to World Health Organisation standards. This descriptive study aimed to develop the profile of sharp object fatalities in East London. Most of the findings were consistent with other literature on sharp object violence/homicide and on homicide in general using rates per population denominator data. It also combined variables to arrive at more complex descriptions. The following risk factors were identified: male, between the ages 30-34, being from a disadvantaged population group, alcohol consumption, weekend, between the times 20h00 and 23h59 and if we discount the place of death, 'unknown' then the greatest percentage of deaths occurred in a private house. The results were interpreted within an ecological and contextual theoretical framework to hypothesize possible etiological factors. The conclusion was that there were multiple variables which all interact and influence one another across all ecological levels and as other studies have recommended, this study too also recommends that more work is needed in order to identify the multiple pathways leading to fatalities, perhaps by way of multivariate studies as well as qualitative studies with perpetrators of sharp object fatalities. / South Africa

This thesis focuses on the labour process within the minibus taxi industry in East London, South Africa. This industry is structurally situated within the informal sector or economy but is marked by contradictory processes of formalisation and in-formalisation. Though the taxi industry seems to straddle the formal and informal economies in South Africa, the study is conceptually framed in terms of the informal sector but in a critically-engaged fashion. The very distinction between formal and informal economies, whether in South Africa or elsewhere, is open to dispute; and, even if accepted, there are differing conceptualisations of the relationship between the ‘two’ economies. Also, the conceptual clarity of the term ‘informal economy’ has been subject to scrutiny, given the vast range of activities it is said to incorporate. While the distinction between formal and informal economies may be a useful conceptual starting-point, this thesis demonstrates that it is analytically useful to speak of degrees and forms of formalisation and in-formalisation along a continuum, rather than to dichotomize economies. The thesis therefore analyses in depth the competing and tension-riddled processes of formalisation and in-formalisation in the minibus taxi industry, and with a specific focus on the labour process.

In South Africa the small town or hamlet, nestling - as is so often the case - at the foot of a mountain, frequently proclaims its identity to the traveller by inscribing its name in great, white-washed letters of stone upon the side of the hill. If this were the case with Bethelsdorp, the temptation would be to write on those bare, rocky hills, that form the back-drop for the drama a century and a half have seen on its stage, the one word, "Ichabod." For the glory has departed. And some would even question whether any of its days had been glorious. Around this small outpost of Christendom have centred, from its earliest beginnings, both praise and contumely. It is the purpose of this investigation to attempt to judge between these opinions, in an attempt to arrive at the truth, by a survey of the years Bethelsdorp enjoyed under the direction of Johannes Theodorus van der Kemp. He has had many critics, many protagonists: perhaps of no other man in the short history of this land has there been such diversity of opinion. Before the judgments of historians and biographers can be assessed, however, the facts of his work must be appreciated, and the effort towards understanding must be preceded by a brief description of the circumstances antecedent to the foundation of that station, which marked the summt of his life and work.

Talent in the field of attraction of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is scarce in South Africa, especially in the Eastern Cape, due to the history of exclusion of South Africa from world economic participation, prior to 1994. In order for the ELIDZ to achieve its mandate of FDI attraction, job creation and economic growth, talent management has to be a key aspect in the boardroom discussions and strategic planning sessions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effective use of talent management by the East London IDZ to leverage the competitive edge of the ELIDZ in the business of attracting Foreign Direct Investment into South Africa, and also of competing against the world’s Economic Processing Zones (EPZ’s) and Free Trade Zones (FTZ’s). According to Holbeche (2009:166), talent consists of those individuals who can make a difference to organisational performance, either through their immediate contribution, or, in the longer term, by demonstrating the highest level of potential. For the purpose of this study, talent management is defined as the systematic attraction, identification, development, engagement / retention and deployment of those individuals with high potential who are of particular value to an organisation. The literature reviewed pointed out very clearly that organisations that have properly developed, implemented and managed talent management strategies enjoy high levels of motivation, innovation and creativity, lesser levels of staff turn-over, high employee performance, superior productivity and mostly a competitive advantage in their league. The East London IDZ study response enjoyed a rate of 40 out of 54 employees who received questionnaires and returned them by the due date. The responses represented a total of 74.1 percent, and this level of response is attributed to the fact that by the end of May 2011, the ELIDZ had just undergone an Organisational Re-structuring. The current status quo of the ELIDZ, based on the views as reflected in this study ,is very compromising for an organisation that aims to compete in the global space for the attraction and retention of foreign direct investment (FDI’s), and the global competitiveness based on the talent available. The overall picture depicted by the empirical results suggests that there are critical gaps for which the ELIDZ Executive Management and Board need to craft solutions, if competitiveness is going to be taken seriously in the near and long-term future.

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This thesis set out to explore the changing nature of consumption patterns in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century London through the analysis of archaeological evidence previously excavated by the Museum of London Archaeology. The aim of this research was to address existing gaps and limitations within the existing methodology related to the excavation and analysis of these environments, to establish a more holistic method of approaching consumption practices from this period, and to explore the complexities which were being performed within the setting of these establishments. To do this, a typological system for artefact classification was developed which enabled the categorization of material by their fabric, form and their associated functions. The distribution patterns of the various types and functions across three sites and five establishments in the City of London were analyzed. The material was then assessed for patterns indicating changes in consumption. Linkages from these patterns are then made between historical themes and theoretical frameworks outlined within the thesis. Particular focus will be given to developing a better understanding of how these venues changed over time based on the degree of variation that can be perceived between the late seventeenth to the late eighteenth centuries. By exploring the character of consumption practices, I will demonstrate how they work together to provide a more complete picture of the complex systems at work. During the course of this research, specific objectives have been achieved and conclusions reached which make original contributions to the wider dialogues surrounding how meaningful patterns of consumption can be perceived and interpreted through material goods from establishments of social or public consumption. The focus on the everyday materials from closed deposits related to clearance episodes (Pearce 2000) from these establishments and their how they relate to emergent and shifting patterns of social trends in consumption is what separates this thesis from other scholarship on these and similar spaces. Significantly, this research differs from the previous examples by attempting to detect social change across a variety of classes and in a variety of different settings, all brought together in relatively modest atmospheres of social and public consumption. This has allowed for both the subtle and the overt shifts in social patterns to be detected, and from there, conclusions are drawn regarding wider social ideology.

This diploma thesis deals with the fundamental analysis of selected metals as commodities, for use in the production of batteries for electric vehicles, to hedge against changes in the price of physical raw materials. Selected metals are analyzed based on the fundamental parameters, historical price development and the current situation on the commodity market. Based on these fundamental data, a recommendation is formulated for the method of hedging the prices of selected commodities.

Executive functioning usually refers to one’s ability to regulate one’s behavior, set goals, be mentally flexible, and understand the consequence of one’s actions. However, certain neurodevelopmental disabilities such as Autism, often can negatively impact executive function processes. Although applied behavior analytic (ABA) treatment is the most recommended intervention for autism treatment practitioners rarely assess or target executive functioning within their treatment planning. The present study assessed the relationship between direct and indirect executive functioning scores and a language assessment used by ABA providers. Thirty-nine children with autism spectrum disorder were administered a variety of scales including the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF 2), Comprehensive Executive Functioning Inventory (CEFI), Tower of London (TOL), and the PEAK Comprehensive Assessment (PCA). Obtained data yielded a moderate, negative relationship between the total BRIEF and total PCA scores (r=-0.521, p=.032) and a moderate, positive relationship between CEFI planning and PCA scores (r=0.394, p=.017). However, there was a strong correlation between total PCA scores and TOL scores (r=0.708, p=.005).

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