This thesis argues that it is both necessary and possible to change the world. Changing the world requires engaging with, to try to understand it from the basis of lived reality, and then acting. Our ability to do this is, however, affected by hegemony, which attempts to convince us that the way things are is either normal and natural and the only possible way they could be, or that it is impossible to change them. Nevertheless, there is always resistance to this, and I suggest that we might learn something useful by examining how this happens. The thesis thus explores Gramsci’s theory of hegemony, and its applicability to our current world; and also considers resistance to this. I argue that the nature of capitalism has shifted, and discuss how this shift has impacted on hegemony, identifying three current interlocking hegemonic ideologies. I consider current resistance to this hegemony, including the role of social movements. Much resistance, and many social movements, I argued, cannot properly be called counter-hegemonic in that, although it/they may critique the dominant economic system, it/they remain trapped within hegemonic logic. However, it is clear that there is existing truly counter-hegemonic resistance, including some social movements, and I argue that Abahlali baseMjondolo is one such counter-hegemonic movement. Thus it is possible that those who join/align themselves with this movement might be considered to have ‘unlearned’ hegemony and be useful subjects for this study. I thus consider the life stories of seven people who have aligned themselves to this movement, in order to determine whether they have indeed ‘unlearned’ hegemony, and if so, how. I discuss relevant and appropriate theory for examining this phenomenon, including experiential learning, transformative learning and Freirean emancipatory learning. I argue that whilst these theories of learning are helpful, they cannot entirely account for unlearning. I then turn to the theory of the event of Alain Badiou as a possible complementary or alternative way into thinking about unlearning. I apply both the learning theories and Badiou’s theory of the event to the stories, all of which show strong evidence of unlearning,, and consider how useful the theories are in understanding this. I conclude that all of the theories help to some extent in understanding the unlearning in stories. There are, however, fundamental differences between the learning theories on the one hand and Badiou’s theory on the other. I construct a model showing that the basis of the difference between the adult learning theories and Badiou’s theory of the event rests on the locus of the trigger for transformation. I argue that Badiou’s theory provides a very useful additional perspective to adult learning theory; but that it cannot be considered to have replaced existing theories in understanding how people learn informally to think and act in counter-hegemonic ways. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

Title in English and Afrikaans / Communication Science / D.Litt. et Phil. (Communication Science)

This study responds to the following research question: How might rural school youth engage peers using social media in a participatory cultures framework to contribute to addressing gender-based violence in their community? This question is supported by the following secondary questions: How do rural school youth understand gender-based violence in their community. how might rural school youth use social media within a participatory cultures framework to engage peers in addressing GBV How can rural school youth engage with their peers via social media to facilitate youth agency in a participatory cultures framework This qualitative study is positioned in a critical paradigm and employs a visual participatory research methodology to contribute to addressing gender-based violence in the age of HIV and AIDS. The participants in this study are five learners (3 boys and 2 girls) with five of their peers (3 boys and 2 girls) from a secondary school in rural Vulindlela in KwaZulu-Natal, purposively selected from Grade 9 classes. Digital storytelling was employed as the main visual method of data generation to express the participants’ understanding of, and solutions to, genderbased violence. The stories were used by the participants to engage their peers around the topic via social media and to enable them to reflect on their own agency. The study draws on Jenkins’ theory of participatory cultures as a heoretical framework. Thematic analysis was applied to make meaning of the findings. The findings show that rural school youth understand gender-based violence (GBV) as a complex problem. Youthful learners are able to competently apply social media to address GBV and engage their peers through social media – hifting the power to participate as agents of change.The findings have implications for youth, the school, and the community. The youth are seen as knowledgeable actors who should inform intervention programmes aimed at social change. Social media can offer an engaging environment for peer learning and support. For digital participation, the youth need to acquire digital skills at school which could be integrated throughout the curriculum, drawing on participatory cultures. In the community, youth as knowledge producers are competent in leading, guiding, and instructing community members using social media spaces as more people have access to inexpensive digital technology that allows them to participate in community intervention programmes aimed at social change. I conclude by arguing that youth can express lived realties on GBV and solutions to GBV through visual methods such as digital storytelling. Their engagement on social media such as Facebook can be viewed as intervention by assuming agency through a guided process of solving community problems collaboratively with peers through the process of participatory cultures. This democratic process strengthens agency for community benefit and highlights a new youth and peer culture where youth circulate new and self-made content aimed at social action through their continuous reflection – a shift in power as the voices and actions of youth are acknowledged.

This study aimed to provide South African public relations professionals with insights into the use of the Social Media News Release (SMNR) as a PR 2.0 tool that has the potential to elicit consumer-driven dialogue in social media channels about information, a brand, product or service advocated by the particular social media news release. Drawing on literature from fields such as public relations, new media studies, marketing, and consumer studies, an analysis of two South African SMNR case studies was conducted including the Samsung Omnia i900 SMNR and the Standard Bank Pro20 2008 and 2009 SMNRs. An in-depth content analysis applying limited designations analysis and detailed assertions analysis techniques was performed on selected content from the dedicated social media platforms linked to in the SMNRs to determine the origins, tone and thematic nature of communications on the platforms. A total of 2071 messages was analysed by means of content analysis across six social media platforms in the two case studies. In order to triangulate and support data, an online survey was conducted with 43 social media users as respondents in order to determine social media users’ interactions with the social media platforms and SMNRs. The study found that the social media platforms linked to the SMNRs in the two case studies largely successfully elicited and hosted social media user-generated conversations about the themes advocated by the SMNR. The Blog, Facebook and YouTube platforms proved to be most successful in generating social media conversation, while the Flickr, Twitter and Delicious platforms were less effective among South African consumers. It was found that social media news releases are likely to elicit consumer-driven dialogue on the dedicated social media platforms linked to by the SMNRs if the platforms are managed correctly. Factors that were identified as important management considerations include ensuring the relevancy and timeliness of content on the social media platforms, the involvement by the platform creator in stimulating and encouraging participation from social media users where necessary, as well as the swift response to user comments, deleting of spam comments and pro-active management of negative perceptions that may arise from user comments on the platforms.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this assignment is to examine two investigative journalism programmes in South Africa, namely Carte Blanche and SpecialAssignment in order to ascertain whether two South African policing organisations have been subjected to racist stereotyping on these two programmes. Both these programmes are held in high esteem within South African and international media circles. Carte Blanche has won many awards, such as the prestigious eNN African Journalist of the Year Award in 2002. Special Assignment won the equivalent award in 2001. The approaches and styles in revealing the truth by using investigative forms of journalism are however slightly different. Both Carte Blanche and Special Assignment have produced stories from August 2003 to September 2004 that have exposed corruption within the South African policing organisations. Many of the perpetrators within the police force were identified as people of colour. This assignment therefore aims to discover whether racist stereotyping exists in this niche of investigative journalism television programmes. This opens up the possibility for these portrayals to be seen as stereotypical, since the dominant press codes in South Africa stipulates that reference to 'race' in news reporting should only be done where it will contribute significantly to understanding the subject matter or if the reference to the race of the person is particularly applicable. This assignment aims to discover whether racist stereotyping exists in this niche of investigative journalism television programmes. The research method comprised analysing programmes on Carte Blanche and Special Assignment that dealt with the South African policing organisations from August 2003 to September 2004. The original transcripts of the programmes were retrieved from the relevant websites of Carte Blanche and Special Assignment and have also been studied. Sources on media ethics as well as newspaper and magazine articles dealing with the South African policing organisations, crime and corruption were scrutinized in order to provide background information for the study. The analyses of the programmes was complemented by interviews conducted with the investigative journalists at the helm of the two programmes, namely, Ruda Landman from Carte Blanche and Jessica Pitchford from Special Assignment. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om twee ondersoekende joernalistiekprogramme in Suid-Afrika, naamlik Carte Blanche en Special Assignment, te ondersoek ten einde vas te stelof die Suid- Afrikaanse polisiëringsorganisasies in dié twee programme aan rassestereotipering onderhewig is. Albei dié programme word hoog geag in Suid-Afrikaanse en internasionale mediakringe. Carte Blanche het reeds verskeie toekennings gewen, soos die toonaangewende eNN Afrikajoernalis van die Jaar Toekenning in 2002. Special Assignment het hierdie toekenning in 2001 gewen. Die benaderings en styl wat tydens die bekendmaking van die waarheid gevolg word deur die toepassing van ondersoekende vorme van joernalistiek verskil egter effe. Sowel Carte Blanche as Special Assignment het van Augustus 2003 tot September 2004 stories opgelewer wat korrupsie in die Suid-Afrikaanse polisiëringsorganisasies aan die kaak gestel het. Baie van die skuldiges in die polisiemag is geïdentifiseer as gekleurde mense. Hierdie studie beoog dus om vas te stel of daar rassestereotipering in hierdie afdeling van televisieprogramme met betrekking tot ondersoekende joernalistiek bestaan. Ondersoekende joernalistiek is ongetwyfeld een van die stimulerendste afdelings van die joernalistiek. Dit is 'n uitgesproke vorm van joernalistiek wat die vermoë het om die samelewing te beïnvloed. Ondersoekende joernalistiek maak gewoonlik misdrywe aan die publiek bekend. Die konsekwente uitbeelding van gekleurde mense op 'n negatiewe wyse sou kon lei tot die inboet van etiese waardes en dus tot rassestereotipering. Die navorsingsmetode het behels dat daar van Augustus 2003 tot September 2004 na programme oor die Suid-Afrikaanse polisiëringsorganisasies op Carte Blanche en Special Assignment gekyk is en dat dit op band opgeneem is. Die oorspronklike transkripsies van die programme is van Carte Blanche en Special Assignment se onderskeie webtuistes verkry en word as bylaes by hierdie studie aangeheg. Bronne oor media-etiek asook koerant- en tydskrifartikels wat oor die Suid-Afrikaanse polisiëringsorganisasies, misdaad en korrupsie handel, is noukeurig nagegaan. 'n Persoonlike onderhoud is met Ruda Landman van Carte Blanche gevoer, en met Jessica Pitchford van Special Assignment is 'n onderhoud per e-pos gevoer. Landman en Pitchford was albei betrokke by die samestelling van die betrokke

This thesis examines the political public relations campaign of the Democratic Alliance in the 2009 elections in order to explain the party’s performance in these elections. The research is premised on John Petrocik’s (1996) issue ownership theory. A number of quantitative and qualitative content analyses were conducted to provide answers to the main research questions. These involved: the party’s 286 media releases; party leader Helen Zille’s 2009 campaign speeches; and Zille’s Facebook platform. Results revealed that although the DA demonstrated extreme political resilience amidst fierce challenges in the 2009 elections, the party primarily campaigned on an anti-ANC ticket and a fair amount of negative advertising against the governing party to win itself votes. Not only did the party fail to “associate” itself with real issues affecting South African voters—especially the poor Black African majority which constitutes the largest voting bloc—it failed to pronounce itself clearly on other issues. Instead, the party attached itself to a multitude of shared issues, often “trespassing” on issues of common concern not necessarily “owned” by any one political party. This study also deduced that while Facebook facilitated public opinion on the DA in the 2009 elections, it still could not be regarded as a genuine public sphere in the South African context. / Communication Science / M.A. (Communication)

<p>This study discussed the effect of new information and communication technologies use on adolescents. The research also assessed whether gender and frequency of use of new information and communication technologies would interact to influence self-esteem and social support from family and friends.</p>

Thesis (M.Com. (Development Theory and Policy))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, School of Economic and Business Sciences, 2016. / Many ICT projects continue to fail despite the use of established projects methods and techniques as the proper communication systems required for successful project outcomes have been lacking. It is generally believed that the adoption and diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICTs) makes a contribution to a nation‟s economic and sustainable development. The explosion of social media is changing the way we communicate and therefore the processes involving project management information systems. Research shows that as technology usage lags, so does per capita income, skills development and productivity. Despite much global literature that relates to the failure of ICT projects, what is absent from the literature is knowledge of the relative contribution of different factors to ICT project success in the South African context. This study sought to address this absence. From a review of the literature on social media tools and knowledge sharing and reuse, four propositions relating the use of social media and adoption of certain knowledge management practices to the success of ICT projects were generated about the likely impact of these variables on ICT project performance. The research study was conducted over twenty-month effort. Both qualitative and quantitative data were obtained. The qualitative study based on a grounded theory analysis of ICT professionals, derived propositions that were tested empirically. Bivariate correlation analysis, multiple linear regressions and multiple hierarchical regression analyses were applied. Results indicated that knowledge management adoption mediates the relationship between social media usage and ICT project cost performance. Additionally project type was found to play a moderating role in the relationship between knowledge management and project performance. Implications for practice and theory are discussed.

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Journalism and Media Studies), 2016 / This research report is an exploratory study into two regional commercial music stations (YFM and 947) and their use of Twitter as a tool to relate to, interact with and enable participation from their audiences. Of particular interest was why they are using it, what they are doing with it and how this affects the on-air content pre, during and post broadcast, if at all it does. [Abbreviated Abstract. Open document to view full version] / GR2017

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Strategic Marketing, 2016 / Word-of-mouth (WOM) has been seen to be one of the most powerful resources of transmitting information. Progression in Information technology and the rise of online social network sites have changed the way information is being conveyed. This phenomenon sways consumers as this effortlessly accessible information could significantly influence their consumption decision. The purpose of this paper is to investigate Social Media factors impacting purchase intention of mobile devices amongst Working Generation Y in South Africa. The target population for this study was defined those who are between ages of 24-35 years of age and are employed. This paper relies on a quantitative analysis of the results gathered through an online survey. Measurement of items have been adapted from existing scales found in the marketing literature. Researchers reviewed the items for validity and readability. A multiple regression model procedure and Structural Equation Model is applied to test the relationship between independent and dependent variables. The research model was tested using a sample of 250 people who are South Africa’s Working Generation Y consumers and are regular social network users. Based on the resulted yielded from this research paper, it is reasonable to argue that consumer engagement will affect eWOM which may influence consumer purchase intentions. The paper outlines ways to promote a brand effectively through online consumer communities’ also known as virtual communities, as well as general guidelines for website and forum moderators for facilitating such presentation in a manner useful to the members of their online communities. While there is a substantial research stream that examines the branding of consumer’s goods and an increasing literature on product brands, little is known about social media, brand image and purchase intention in the context of online communications. This paper therefore extends existing measurement of these variables. / XL2018