It is argued that South African feminism in the 1990's risks sabotaging itself as a movement and as a form of social critique because it has (1) not completely eradicated key positivist elements from its ontology and epistemology; (2) inadequately examined a crucial issue in an emancipatory social science, namely power; (3) increasingly opted for relativist and pragmatist perspectives in theorising women's oppression and social transformation. It is further argued that the over-reliance on relativism, standpoint theory and pragmatism is problematic for contemporary feminism. As an alternative, Bhaskar's transformational analysis of power in combination with an anti-racist feminism and social psychology is used to provide a robust framework within which complex social issues may be addressed. In this study, 16 female participants were interviewed about their experiences of living in an impoverished township. Themes identified in the data suggested that the theoretical perspectives used in the study provided insights into the subtleties and complexities of the operation of power in society. These insights enabled productive understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of development initiatives and political decision-making processes in the community, and the survival strategies of its women. It is hoped that research work of this sort could make a real contribution to the ongoing women's emancipation struggle in Port Alfred and similar communities.

Thesis (MTech (Design))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011 / This study explores the possibilities of using design interventions in mitigating crime. The study employs the Design Against Crime (DAC) philosophy in dealing with crime, which provides a holistic perspective regarding crimeand related issues.High crime levels in South Africa necessitate alternative approaches to dealing with crime, as it is becoming evident that the old strategies that have been utilised are not providing the desired effects.The focus is on the emergence of crime amongst youth at risk, living in communities-in-tension and more specifically,the Bridgetown community near Cape Town. Communities which constitute the lower socio-economic income level, usually suffer the most with regards to crime. The effects of crime negatively influence the development of the community, allowing the cycle of poverty and crime to continue. If the cycle of crime can be broken in these communities, development may take place which will strengthen them in a number of ways, including their standing in society. In order to gain a better understanding of the crime situation in South Africa, the study investigates the country‘s crime history and its widespread effects on society today. The research also looks at other factors such as personal and environmental settings that inform an individual‘s decision to commit crime. Delinquency and its results are also explored. The theoretical lens used in the study is that of Socially Responsible Design (SRD), with DAC as a subsection.SRDlooks at providing solutions to societal problems from a holistic point of view. The study uses a qualitative approach which focuses on people in real life situations,allowing the researcher to gain insight into what motivates people in their specific circumstances. The participants involved in the study are members of the Bridgetown community, youth from that community and theReconstructed Living Labs (RLabs) team, who were previously involved in crime. The researcher sought the views of experts in the field with regards to crime alleviation in communities such as Bridgetown. This research study concludes that opportunities exist forholistic and multi-faceted deployment of DAC strategies in that community to ameliorate crime, when these strategies targetyouth at risk.

Thesis (MTech (Education))--Peninsula Technikon, 2003 / Teaching and Learning cannot take place in an unsafe environment. The school plays a central role in the socialisation of a child and it is critical that schools offer a safe environment in which learning can take place. This study attempts to investigate school stakeholder perceptions of the Safe Schools Programme of the WCED and its impact on the learning environment of one primary school in the Mitchell's Plain district. The study as a whole is set against the research literature on crime and violence in schools. The literature surveyed covered the following aspects: (I) What constitutes crime and violence in schools; (2) The effects of crime and violence on the school environment; and (3) Approaches to reducing crime and violence in schools. This research project is a case study of school stakeholder perceptions of the Safe Schools Programme of the WCED as implemented in one primary school. Qualitative research techniques were employed and data was collected by means of individual semi-structured interviews with the acting principal and the safety officer of the school. A focus group interview was held with a group of educators and support staff members. Learners were excluded from the study as the aim was to determine the perceived impact of the Safe Schools Programme on the learning environment at the school. Primary school learners may perhaps not be able to articulate their views on the issue under research. Parents were not included in this research process but could be a valuable source of data for future research.

M.Ed. / This investigation forms part of a greater research project on identity and the factors influencing identity as perceived by the learners themselves. A research team of the Department of Educational Sciences of the Rand Afrikaans University conducted the research project. The focus of this study is the contribution of the geographical environment to the identity of secondary school learners as perceived by the learners themselves. Aspects of the geographical environment are addressed as factors contributing to the identity of secondary school learners as perceived by the learners themselves. In chapter two a literature study to the contribution of the geographical environment to the identity of secondary school learners as perceived by the learners themselves was undertaken. This information was used to support the investigation and to make conclusions based on factual information. Aspects of the geographical environment that make a contribution to the identity of the learners as perceived by the learners themselves were discussed. In chapter three the instrument of research was discussed. Questionnaires were completed by secondary school learners of different schools in the Johannesburg district of the Gauteng Department of Education. The information from the completed questionnaires helped the researcher to ascertain to what extent the aspects of the geographical environment contributed to their identities as perceived by the learners themselves. The analyses and interpretation of empirical data were discussed in chapter four. The validity of the research instrument was investigated. Chapter five focused on the importance of research on the contribution of the geographical environment to the identity of secondary school learners as perceived by the learners themselves. Teachers and parents should be aware of the contribution of the geographical environment and how this affects the secondary school learner's personal and social development as well as his/her expectations for the future. The findings of this research essay suggest that secondary school learners do perceive the geographical environment as contributing to their identities. Data indicate that learners seem to put a higher value on 'mobility' and `home' followed by 'health' than in other aspects. Data also show that learners seem to have a lower opinion of the contribution of the geographical environment to their identities concerning 'educational and recreational facilities' as well as on 'security in their surroundings' despite literature that proves that these aspects are very important in the development of an adolescent's identity.

This thesis examines development changes that took place in Glenmore after 1994. To examine such change one needs to have a concise historical understanding of the situation in Glenmore before democracy. The aim of the work is to critique development at a local, rural level, pinpointing the major changes, if any, that came with the incorporation of the former homeland of Ciskei (and thus Glenmore village) with South Africa. These people were forcibly resettled in 1979 for political and economic reasons. Their situation then was one of dire poverty; it is argued here that even with democracy, their history of underdevelopment has continued. The reason for this continued underdevelopment is the structure of the former reserves. The overall political context has changed in South Africa but the most important aspect with regard to the development of the homelands: land, has not. At the central level, the government has churned out a wide variety of development policies, which due to the prevailing political and economic context of the times are fraught with inconsistencies. The example used here to show some of these inconsistencies is the 1997 White Paper on Land Reform. This confusion at the central level with regard to the perceived future of South Africa has managed to adversely affect the rural areas and their development. There very well might be policies in abundance to improve the life-world of the rural poor, but there are inconsistencies between this policy and actual practice. With regard to Glenmore the confusion in the present government’s central development policy is arguably the main reason for the underdevelopment of the village. The inconsistencies in policy such as the 1997 White Paper on Land Reform, have meant that the structure of the reserves has not changed. Vital issues such as land tenure and ownership have not been dealt with. The study thus shows that unless the structure of the homeland system which is predominantly based on issues of land, is changed, genuine social and economic development will not take place in areas like Glenmore.

From preface: This dissertation is concerned with the impact of the implementation of a particular kind of agricultural development project, viz. Betterment Planning, upon a rural Black village in the Keiskammahoek Magisterial District of the Ciskei, in South Africa. The project was implemented in the mid-1960s, and involved the re-organisation of the village environment into demarcated arable, grazing and residential areas, which necessitated the villagers moving from their old, scattered residential clusters to several new, concentrated residential areas. This dissertation seeks to trace the consequences of this development project, and particularly the socio-economic consequences of the residential relocation that it involved.

South Africa is currently experiencing ever-increasing rural-urban migration with many citizens from the former homeland areas migrating to cities to seek employment. Despite long-term residence in urban areas, many township dwellers do not consider these places to be home. Research into circular migration patterns reveal the lifelong relationships that migrants (amagoduka) have with their family home (ekhayeni). This study aimed to explore this relationship, looking in particular at the meanings imbued in the locality of home. In addition, the role of natural landscapes and social components in constructing meanings and attachments to ekhayeni for Xhosa-speaking migrants in Cape Town townships, who have family linkages to rural villages in the Transkei, was also explored. The study found that the landscape of home remains central to migrants’ cultural identity, belonging and well-being. Childhood experiences in nature, and cultural and recreational activities that continue to take rural inhabitants into these landscapes, remain key to this relationship. The rural area, as a geographical entity embodied with social and cultural/spiritual components continued to supply and satisfy many human needs for migrants, which were seen as crucial for psychological, mental and spiritual well-being.

This thesis in an exploration of political mobilisation and its relation to violence and control in the townships of the Vaal Triangle, South Africa, c.1976 to 1986, with a particular focus on the Vaal Uprising of 1984. It examines the emerging conflict between councillors and local communities and the redrawing of imagined boundaries of community. Councillors were demarcated as a collective group that was perceived to be violating the social contract and were regarded as being obstacles to meaningful political change. The period saw the emergence of a localised discourse around accountability, political legitimacy, transparency, freedom and community. Political subjectivities were influenced by the straddling of everyday experiences of oppression, violence, inequality and poverty on one hand and the impact of ideologies of freedom and liberation on the other. The latter were promoted by the African National Congress in exile, as well as the United Democratic Front, but these organisations did not provide direct leadership. On 3 September 1984 the conflict escalated, sparked by an announcement to increase rent, service tariffs and municipal levies. It led to a large-scale uprising that altered the political and social landscape. It heralded the beginning of the insurrectionary period of the mid-1980s that brought the most sustained challenge to the apartheid regime. The relative success of the uprising in enforcing concessions from local authorities and the departure of councillors from the townships informed subsequent political strategies. The state attempted to win Hearts and Minds with limited reforms but also used heavy-handed repression. Terror began to escalate and state violence further conscientised and radicalised local communities. Youth activists in particular came to believe that the regime could only be overcome if confronted with strategies of political violence. Alleged informers and black policemen came under increasing attack, reflecting a redrawing of boundaries of community and hindering effective policing.

Social problems that are identified by government policy are articulated in ways that confer the responsibility of their management onto the state. In this way, policy reform serves as a means to justify political rule, as the ‘answers’ to policy failures are located within the realm of state intervention. This role of policy is maintained by the traditional definition of policy as it enables policies to be presented as the outcome of ‘necessary’ actions taken by state institutions to better the wellbeing of citizens. Since 1994, mainstream research on basic education policy in South Africa has employed traditional understandings of policy and its function. In doing so, these inquiries have failed to question the very idea of policy itself. They have also neglected to identify the productive role played by policy in the practice of power. To illuminate the necessary limits of policy reform, an alternative approach to analyse basic education policy is necessary. This thesis premises policy as discourse and advances a governmentality analysis of basic education policy during the first fifteen years of democracy (1994-2009) in South Africa. By drawing on the work of Michel Foucault, the study argues that government – ‘those actions upon the actions of others’ – during this period in South Africa was informed by both a liberal and a neo-liberal mentality of rule. The tensions between these two rationalities contributed to the continuation of apartheid’s socio-economic inequalities in the postapartheid era; an outcome buttressed by the contradictory impulses within basic education policy. By considering policy as a productive translation of governmental reasoning, the boundaries of intervention for future policy reforms are highlighted. These show that the inequalities that were perpetuated during the first fifteen years of democracy justify policy responses similar to those responsible for their production

M.A. / This chapter has been dedicated towards painting a picture of the quality of life issues regarding migrant workers living in hostels. The results and findings as interpreted has brought about useful information that will be utilised to draw conclusions and recommendations. Quality of Life of Migrant Workers at Eskom The findings have reconfirmed who the migrant worker is in terms of the description given by Leatt (1981) which was the definition adopted for the study. The indices drawn from the objective and subjective indicators of quality of life which were adopted from Moller, Schlemmer and Du Toit's (1987) were used as the basis from which the interview schedule was drawn, and has proved useful. Reference is made in particular to questions 12,13 and 14. Relevant construct for quality of life were found, with more usable constructs from questions 12 and 13. Furthermore the statistical analysis of the vector of the mean test scores referring to the HOT 1 has also given useful information as it enabled the student to analyse three variables independently and jointly see section 3.3. Cross tabulations representing correlations between indices created out of quality of life indicators namely core quality of life issues as identified by Question(s) 12,13 and 14 and the objective indicators of quality of life, namely accommodation, the intake of nutritious food, and recreation practices. There is a clear demonstration of quality of life issues that should be looked at if the quality of life of migrant workers living in hostels has to be improved. Although there are many diverse quality of life issues identified in the study the three that were selected with the framework of this study has given usable information. The next chapter will address the conclusions and recommendations.