Representations of Dutch contacts with coastal inhabitants of Africa, 1475-1652. Prior to 1996, South African Dutch studies had largely been determined by traditional rigid historical and geographic boundaries set in 1933. The framework exclusively focused on the period after the arrival of Van Riebeeck in 1652 to 1925 (when Afrikaans replaced Dutch as an official language) and on topics regarded as typically South African. Siegfried Huigen in 'De Weg naar Monomotapa' (1996) not only questioned these limitations but introduced a revised time frame including the period “about 1596 to 1652”. The revised framework has provided an opportunity to study texts prior to 1652 including both the earliest recorded Dutch contacts with the coastal inhabitants of Africa as well as the significant 1595 record of the initial Dutch cross-cultural encounters on the coast of Southern Africa. Where the role of the Dutch East India Company after 1602 had previously been considered foremost, the maritime forces of the Dutch States General and independent Dutch traders before 1602 and the activities of the Dutch West Indies Company after 1621 on the entire African coast had attracted little attention. Contact between the Dutch and coastal inhabitants of Africa and the textual representations of such contacts had contributed to a more extensive Dutch frame of reference than had previously been presumed. Previous assumptions attributing the nature of representations to the frequency and length of contacts had somehow not accounted for similar factors not influencing representations of coastal inhabitants elsewhere in Africa nor had the actual extent of the Dutch frame of reference been fully considered. Since the initial 1595 textual representation of Willem Lodewycksz describing the contact between the Dutch and Khoikhoi in Mossel Bay, the texts have had a profound influence on the South African discourse. Comparative studies of the initial representations and early 20th century compilations of the primary texts indicate that the elucidation prevalent in the more recent works has been the source of questionable interpretations and conclusions that have erroneously been attributed to the late sixteenth century seafaring scribes. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

The German place nomenclature in South west Africa, under the influence of various toponymic and linguistic factors, spontaneously developed into a unique toponymicon. The specific nature of this toponymicon is marked by a large number of inherited name transfers from Europe on the one hand and a partially or fully germanized local toponymicon with numerous examples of translations, adopted loan names and substitutions on the other hand. This unique toponymicon mainly originated from the inter linguistic interaction between German, Afrikaans and the indigenous languages of the territory. The supposition on which the theoretical concept and research method was formulated and executed, is the dichotomous nature of the place names as onomastic and linguistic signs. The German place names have certain general, but also intrinsic toponymic and linguistic features in common. This prompted the diachronic and synchronic analysis of the place names on both linguistic and onomastic levels. The onomastic approach entailed the analysis of the structural composition of the place names; the toponymic motives; the interlinguistic contact situation; the origins, etymologies and semantic aspects of the names. On the linguistic level the names were analyzed according to syntagmatic and paradigmatic criteria and categorized according to linguistic principles pertaining to proper nouns, specifically toponyms or place names. The conclusion was reached that the German South West African toponymicon, despite the large number of name transfers that occurred and the close resemblance with its European origins which is still clearly discernible, appears on the formal and functional level as a unique, yet true Southern African toponymicon . / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1986.

In this dissertation it is indicated that gender is a social construct, while sex is biologically determined. The concept of gender refers to that which is understood within a certain society to define masculinity and femininity, the power struggle between the two sexes, as well as the social limitations which are placed on people's behaviour as a result of gender. Children's and young adult's literature exert a great influence on the youth's idea of gender roles. The social and cultural history of South African society is used in this study to explore stereotypical gender roles in Afrikaans youth literature. The role of a patriarchal society, homosexuality, and changing perceptions of gender roles are investigated. It is indicated that in both English and Afrikaans children's and young adult's literature the portrayal of gender roles is often unrealistic, stereotypical, and contains sexist language. Two novels namely, Gooi horn in die slool (1971) and Skilpoppe (1998), are analysed using the following categories: male or female author, representation of gender roles, and use of sexist language. The teaching implications of the findings for the second language learner are then articulated. OPSOMMING In hierdie skripsie is aangetoon dat geslaglelikheid ("gender"), anders as geslag wat biologies bepaal is, 'n sosiale konstruk is. Geslagtelikheid hou verband met wat in 'n bepaalde samelewing onder manlikheid en vroulikheid verstaan word, asook met magsverhoudings tussen die twee geslagte en sosiale beperkings wat op grond van geslagtelikheid op mense se gedrag geplaas word. Jeugliteratuur oefen 'n groot invloed uit op jeugdiges se siening van geslagtelikheid. Die sosiale en kultuur-historiese agtergrond in die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing word in die studie gebruik om die uitbeelding van geslagtelikheid in die Afrikaanse jeugliteratuur te problematiseer. Die rol van 'n patriargale samelewing, homoseksualiteit en veranderde sienings oor geslagtelikheidsrolle word onder andere uitgelig. Daar word aangetoon dat die uitbeelding van geslagtelikheid in sowel Engelse as Afrikaanse jeugliteratuur dikwels baie onrealisties is en wemel van stereotiperings en seksistiese taalgebruik. Twee jeugverhale, naamlik Gooi ham in die slool (1971) en Skilpoppe (1998), word aan die hand van 'n aantal kategoriee, naamlik outeur, uitbeelding van geslagtelikheid en seksistiese taalgebruik geanaliseer, voordat onderrigimplikasies vir die tweedetaalklaskamer aangedui word. / Thesis (M.A.) - University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

No abstract available. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1989.

No abstract available. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1985.

The aim of this study is to determine how literature teaching in a multicultural context can be used effectively to promote intercultural communication and understanding in South Africa, a relatively young democracy in a period of transition. A selection of short stories from the chosen short story anthologies, Taxi (1996) and Keerpunt(1995), will be analysed with reference to both key elements from theories about intercultural communication and the criteria for multicultural texts. The study will be concluded by a statement about the suitability of the chosen anthologies to promote intercultural communication and understanding through the teaching of literature within a multicultural context. Die doel van hierdie studie is om ondersoek in te stel na hoe literatuuronderrig in 'n multikulturele konteks effektief gebruik kan word om interkulturele kommunikasie en begrip te bevorder veral noudat Suid Afrika ' n relatief nuwe demokrasie in 'n oorgangsperiode is. Hierdie doel word nagestreef deur geselekteerde kortverhale uit die gekose kortverhaalbundels, Taxi (1996) en Keerpunf (1995), te analiseer met verwysing na kernelemente vanuit die teorievorming oor interkulturele kommunikasie asook die kriteria vir 'n multikulturele teks. Aan die einde van hierdie studie word aangedui of die gekose kortverhaalbundels geskikte tekste is om interkulturele kommunikasie en begrip in 'n multikulturele konteks te bevorder deur literatuuronderrig. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.