Race, ethnicity and culture have been a central theme in South African history, and while not disregarding the recent socio-political changes, many South Africans of different races continue to lead essentially different lives. Public schools are becoming more racially and culturally integrated and it is important that this leads to incisive change and not merely altering the racial demographics of the learner and educator bodies. Culture in South Africa is dynamic and the values and norms of members of a particular group are in a state of flux. Moreover, the shift from a traditional teacher-centred curriculum to an outcomes-based curriculum in South African education means that the teacher is encouraged to accept each learner in the culturally diverse classroom as an individual, who brings a unique life experience into the classroom and contributes to learning in the context. The learner's cultural background, family and community should be considered in both the selection of learning material and in classroom interaction. This study investigates the South African adolescent's perspective of culture by means of a literature review, a photographic essay and an empirical investigation using a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches. The literature review expanded on the concepts of race, culture and ethnicity. Topics relating to the life in Johannesburg that adolescents perceived as significant were commented on in the photographic essay. Thereafter, adolescent learners from two ex-model C schools in Johannesburg were selected as participants in the empirical research. The quantitative research considered aspects such as learner prejudice, ethnic group preference and the value attached to cultural traditions using questionnaires and sociograms as data gathering methods. The qualitative phase used focus group discussions using as a stimulus a posed photograph of a racially diverse group of learners engaged in a group activity. Learners were selected, for the focus discussion groups, on the basis of the results of the sociogram used in the quantitative phase. Findings showed that learners regard diversity as a resource although evidence suggests that black learners are moving away from traditional cultural practices. Based on the findings of the literature study and the empirical inquiry recommendations for the improvement of practice are made. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Socio-Education)

with the emergence of multiculturalism and the opening up of schools to all races in South Africa, the education system is undergoing enormous changes. Educators and pupils are faced with unfamiliar cultures, languages and backgrounds. This diversity has resulted in a need for schools to evolve I with the changing circumstances. The complexities associated with racial integration necessitates an educational programme suitable to meet the I needs of our culturally diverse society. A change strategy is necessary to provide teachers with a multicultural approach to education which is ultimately aimed at providing pupils o e cultures with equal opportunities to learn and succeed in a multicultural society. It is the concern of this dissertation to examine the role and function of the school guidance counsellor in attempting to meet the needs of educators, and pupils coming from different cultural, ethnic, racial and socio-economic backgrounds. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The East Cape Opera Company was founded by Gwyneth Lloyd in 1995 and has performed in various Eastern Cape venues and festivals as well as conducting a tour of the Netherlands. The Company has performed well known operas and operettas such as Mozart's The Magic Flute, Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado as well as their own original isiXhosa operas such as Temba and Seliba, The Moon Prince - Inkosana Yenyanga and The Clay Flute. This thesis is situated within the context of apartheid and post-apartheid, and an emerging post-1994 South African’s operatic culture that embraces multiculturalism. The aim of this research is to explore and raise awareness regarding intercultural communication in relation to isiXhosa operas and examine the linguistic and dramatic characteristics of the construction of these operas. This involves an analysis of the integration of African cultural practices (dramatic and musical) within an essentially western art form. The thesis makes use of intercultural and literary theory as a point of departure to analyse not only the literary qualities of the isiXhosa operas performed by the East Cape Opera Company, but it also seeks to show how these operas reflect an emerging intercultural reality within the South African context. The thesis explores the mixing of genres, including African genres such as the folktale and oral poetry as part of Opera, which has previously been seen as a Western domain. It is argued that this mixing of genres and languages allows for the success of African Opera

This study seeks to support the thesis that African indigenous languages in South Africa should enjoy equal treatment in terms of the South African Constitution. Therefore, it will explore and find ways and means of how the South African government can reach out to rural communities with inadequate English proficiency, in an English-dominated South Africa, by breaking down the existing language barriers and curbing social inequalities. Language rights, like any other human rights, should be protected, as enshrined in the new democratic Constitution of South Africa.

MA (Xitsonga) / Ehansi ka Senthara ya M. E. R. Mathivha ya Tindimu ta Afrika, Vutshila ni Ndhlavuko / Xikongomelonkulu xa ndzavisiso lowu i ku lava ku andlala ntirho lowu wu tirhiwaka hi vutivi bya tindziminyingi hi ku kongomisa eka Vatsonga va lembe ro sungula eYunivhesiti ya Vhenda. Xikongomelo xin’wana xa ndzavisiso lowu i ku lava ku kumisisa ndlela leyi mhaka ya vutivi bya tindziminyingi yi vuyerisaka machudeni ha kona loko va ri karhi va ti nghenelerisa eka minhjekanjhekisano ya swa tidyondzo. Theme leri ra tindziminyingi ri tumbulukile khale hi nkarhi wa ku akiwa ka xihondzo ya Babel. Theme leri ri kongomisa eka xiyimo laha munhu a nga ni vuswikoti bya ku tirhisa tindzimi timbirhi kumbe ku tlula. Dyondzo ya tindziminyingi yi tanihi tidyondzo letin’wana hikuva nayona yi va yi simekiwile eka rimba ra dyondzo yoyoleyo. Ndzavisiso lowu wu simekiwile eka Thiyori ya Affordances. Xikongomelo xa ku va hi hlawuriwile thiyori i mhaka ya leswaku eYunivhesiti ya Vhenda ku kumeka vanhu vo hlaya laha swi nyikaka nkarhi eka machudeni ku va va dyondza tindzimi ta van’wana machudeni leswaku va oloveriwa hi swa tidyondzo ta vona. Dyondzo kumbe ndzavisiso lowu wu tirhisa tindlela timbirhi to hlengeleta mahungu, ku nga endlelo ra nkoka ni endlelo ra ntalo laha swi nga ta endliwa eYunivhesiti ya Vhenda. Machudeni lawa ya ta hlawuriwa hi ku tirhisa endlelo ra sampula ya xikongomelo laha ku nga ta hlawuriwa machudeni ya khumetsevu ku suka eka swikolo swo hambanahambana swa le yunivhesiti leyi. Vuxokoxoko byi ta hlengeletiwa hi ku tirhisa maendlelo ya vuxiyaxiya ni maendlelo ya Nongonoko wa swivutiso laha machudeni ya nga ta vutisiwa swi vutiso swo karhi. Hambiloko swi ti komba onge ririmi ra Xinghezi hi rona ririmi ra matimba eka swa tidyondzo kambe tindzimi ta Xintima na tona ta tirhisiwa swinene eka swa tidyondzo ta vona. Vulavisisi byi komba leswaku mhaka ya tindziminyingi yi ni xiave xikulu swinene eka ku pfuna machudeni loko ya ri karhi ya burisana hi mhaka ya swa tidyondzo ta vona. Ndzavisiso lowu wu ni nkoka swinene eka vanhu lava vatsakelaka ku hlaya ni ku hluvukisa tindzimi ta Xintima. / NRF

This study investigates language varieties, non-verbal behaviour and language attitudes as cultural barriers which inhibit successful communication between Blacks and Indians at Durban Institute of Technology. The investigation reveals that Indians and Blacks often misunderstand each other. Sometimes these groups feel misunderstood because they use different varieties of English. To compensate for these differences, participants use non-verbal strategies. However, non-verbal behaviour is culturally determined and people tend to transfer it to intercultural situations. One finds that this transfer leads to miscommunication and negative stereotypes. Furthermore, non verbal behaviour which does not meet the politeness criteria leads to negative attitudes and strained relations amongst peers and supervisors. The study suggests these solutions: the introduction of intercultural awareness campaigns for all employees and Zulu conversational skills for all Indians. For the whole South African community, the spirit of ubuntu should be cultivated between all racial groups to foster mutual respect. / Sociolinguistics / M.A.

The importance of supervision and the influence of this relationship on the process of supervision, is often underrated. In order for this process to be implementede success-fully knowledge of the different functions including the administrative- educational- and supportive functions is of the utmost importance. It is also becoming increasingly impor-tant that note should be taken of the impact that cultural differences has on supervisor-relationships, the supervisional process and the effectivity of rendering of service as so-cial service organisations increasingly consists of diverse staff members rendering service to a diverse clientelle. This descriptive study has as goal to describe the impact of cultural differences on the practice focussing on the function of supervision and the establishment of diverse organisations and problems arising in this connection. Carefull attention will be paid as to how respondents experience cultural differences in the working environment, their problems and their opinions of how to solve these problems effectively. Conclusions and recomendations were made, which focussed on problems arising as result of cultural differences. The compilation of tentative guidelines which could be usefull in establishing supervision services with greater cultural sensitivity were given. / Social Work / M.Diac (Maatskaplike Werk-Rigting)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of academic libraries in providing services to culturally diverse student populations. In this study the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of the culturally diverse students of the Technikon Witwatersrand were analysed. The study also tried to establish whether there are differences in information needs and information-seeking behaviour of various cultural groups. The empirical investigation was conducted by means of focus group interviews and a questionnaire survey on a sample of undergraduate students of the Technikon Witwatersrand. There were assumptions that African students have limited experience in using the academic library, have no computer and information handling skills and might have language difficulties. Therefore, the expectation was that African students might have problems in the use of the academic library. However, the results of the empirical study show that English and Afrikaans speaking students are experiencing more problems than African students. / Information Science / M.Inf.

This study explores approaches and strategies to implement in multicultural English-medium secondary schools for the management and education of black pupils with limited proficiency in English. It attempts to identify means of enhancing and accelerating the mastery by such pupils of English at a level sufficient to support their cognitive-academic needs. An account is given of those elements of the South African education system that have contributed to the disadvantagement that such children bring to the multic,llttu'al classroom. Relevant theories of bilingual education create a theoretical context for the qualitative research that follows, in which the experiences are recorded of educators at three schools where the needs of limited-English-proficient (LEI') pupils have been addressed. Data gathering was by means of focus-group interviews. Based Oll this research, guidelines are offered to help multicultural schools design policies and implement programmes to accommodate the needs of LEP pupils. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Comparative Education)

South Africa is currently experiencing rapid social change with socio-economic deprivation, influencing the future orientation of adolescents. Research indicates that a lack of future expectations affects present behaviour−diminishing the possibility of socialisation and productivity in adulthood. The objective of this study is to assess the future perceptions of indigent adolescents. The Gestalt paradigm provided the framework for defining the study. This empirical study uses a mixed methodology design combining both the quantitative and the qualitative approaches. A crosssectional survey provided the groundwork in terms of ascertaining the degree of awareness in respect of the future orientation of indigent, urban adolescents whilst a qualitative, semi-structured, one-on-one interview provided an in-depth contextualisation of the problem. The empirical study demonstrated that, although socio-economic deprivations and pervasive social issues do influence the future orientation of adolescents in South Africa, these influences have not eradicated the indigent adolescents’ motivational striving toward a positive and productive future. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)