Text in Afrikaans / Spieel, kamer van spieels, mise-en-abyme, representasie, ensovoorts, is almal begrippe wat met die nosie van selfrefleksiwiteit in verband gebring word. Hoewel selfrefleksiwiteit nie 'n nuwe verskynsel is nie, is die vraag waarom dit juis vandag so akuut in die literer-teoretiese diskoers neerslag vind. Dit geld veral teoretiese bydraes oor die Postmodernisme en/of Postmodemistiese tekste. Hieruit kan 'n mens aflei dat daar 'n direkte verband tussen selfrefleksiwiteit en die Postmodernisme bestaan. Hierdie studie is dan primer gemteresseerd in die wyses waarop die Postmodernistiese dramafteater die nosie van selfrefleksiwiteit in die enkoderingsproses in diens neem. Daarbenewens word ondersoek ingestel na die invloed wat die konsep van vervreemding in die twintigste-eeuse dramajteater op die verskillende beskouings van selfrefleksiwiteit gehad het. Die uiteindelike oogmerk is om aan te toon dat selfrefleksiwiteit in die Postmodernistiese dramafteater gevestigde aannames oor kuns as spieelbeeld van die werklikheid omverwerp. / Mirror, hall of mirrors, mise-en-abyme, representation, et cetera are all concepts associated with the notion of self-reflexivity. While self-reflexivity is not a new phenomenon, the question is why, in our time, it should be so acutely present in the discourse of literary theory - especially in theoretic contributions on Postmodernism and/or Postmodernist texts. One is lead to conclude that self-reflexivity and Postmodernism are directly linked. This study, then, focuses primarily on how Postmodernist drama/theatre employs the notion of self-reflexivity in the encoding process. It also explores the impact of the concept of alienation in twentieth century drama/theatre on the various views of self-reflexivity. The fmal objective is to show that self-reflexivity in Postmodernist drama/theatre challenges ftxed suppositions about art as a reflection of reality. / Afrikaans, Theory of Literature / M.A. (Theory of Literature)

Psychotherapy is an interpersonal encounter where a therapist collaborates with clients to facilitate a healing process. Due to the personal nature of the therapeutic encounter, the therapist requires the necessary skills and knowledge, as well as a differentiated sense of self. The importance of supporting the psychotherapy trainee’s own differentiation process seemed to have been neglected in research in recent years. In South Africa there has recently been increasing pressure to select larger groups of trainees which has the risk that the tending to differentiation would further be neglected. The purpose of this research study is to reemphasise the importance of differentiation of self of the psychotherapy trainee by examining my own process of differentiation during my psychotherapy training. This study introduces the reader to these concepts and explores psychotherapy training in general and the Unisa training method specifically. The research design of this study is autoethnography which falls in the realm of social constructionism and the coding method is Thematic Data Analysis. The research findings as reflected in the two global themes namely individuation; and gaining and strengthening authentic relationships, seem to accurately reflect the process of differentiation. The specific training method of the Unisa training team in combination with the way in which I engaged with this process seemed important for the facilitation of this process of differentiation. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

The Dissertation titled Documentary Approaches in Contemporary Fine Art Moving Image focuses on the practical and theoretical research of documentary approaches to videos and films in the art field. It notices especially the self-reflexive strategies as a consequence of critical approach towards the medium itself and lack of belief in its ability to mediate reality or truth. Attempts to convey reality by audiovisual means are accompanied by the reflection of the way this happens. The Dissertation also reflects on the uncertain relation between the documentary and truth, which has been described in art by the artist and theoretician Hito Steyerl. The examined artworks were made in the period between the beginning of 21st century, when the documentary turn was reflected intensively, and the present time. The selection of examples was strongly influenced by the local study of Israeli art in The Video Archive of the Center for Contemporary Art in Tel Aviv. Motives of conflict, violence and trauma resonating in studied videos and films influenced further selection and analysis of the authors’ documentary methods from a different context. In the selected works I can see particularly various forms of alienation effects and self-reflexive approaches. Using these procedures the artists highlight the constructedness of the audiovisual work and the way it was produced. Recurring formal principles have been stated. Reenactment of real events, revealing the way the work was produced or the artist’s position in the production process; these strategies indicate the uncertain relationship between the documentary work and reality. In the frame of these tendencies also reevaluation of the observational documentary strategies as something seemingly opposite to self-reflexive strategies is reviewed. Theoretical outcomes are continuously accompanied by author’s own art projects concentrated around the form of documentary portrait and its (de)construction. They experiment with the formal principles analyzed on a theoretical level.

The dissertation thesis studies the extension of the context of the term model as a means of interpretation for Czech and Slovak post-conceptual works of art. Based on result of a historical excursion into the history of painting, sculpture and architecture, the thesis offers a new typology of a model which is exemplified on particular work of art of Czech and Slovak post-conceptual era in the first two decades of the 21st century. The historical part of the thesis concludes the following: model in the art is an emancipated form originating from different academic as well as layman discourse; emancipated model has a methaphorical layer and thus it reflects wide historical, cultural and social relations. The categories proposed include: a linear model, a physical model, a cognitive model and an immersive model. The linear model encompases the sketch themes and so-called visualization metaphors (graphs, charts, schemes, etc) and originates as a reaction to information saturation and complicated networks. The physical model is a form to architecture and hobby modelling, it is characterised by a simple, „sketchy“ structure reacting to social themes and individual and collective memory. The cognitive model points to the cognitive turn of the society, it evaluates the materialisation of mental space and explains the emancipated model as an open category. Finally, the immersive model interprets the medium of exhibition as a model form which is articulated by and artisitic manifesto or an architectural interference. Another form of immersion that is being discussed in the chapter about immersive models, is a photographic or 3 D computer illusion as a reaction to society‘s virtualisation. Simultaneously to theoretical-historical research, an artistic research was taking place which became the basis for the creation of different categories and typologies of model. Each proposed category thus includes a so-called author‘s note reflecting the practical part of the dissertation thesis.

Ce mémoire, qui s’intéresse aux enjeux de l’imbrication du philosophique et du romanesque chez les penseurs des Lumières françaises, cherchera à mettre de l’avant la contribution originale de Denis Diderot à la réflexion philosophique sur le roman, de même qu’à l’exploration des ressources littéraires permettant de philosopher par le roman. Nous nous proposons, dans un premier temps, d’examiner ce qui relève d'une théorisation explicite de l'écriture des fictions narratives dans l’oeuvre du philosophe langrois. Nous nous attacherons à montrer comment l’approfondissement des thèses de son matérialisme, ainsi que les déceptions consécutives à ses projets de réforme du théâtre, sont venus bouleverser les conceptions esthétiques et morales qui formaient le premier horizon normatif à partir duquel Diderot envisageait les modalités idéales de l'écriture et de la réception romanesques. Puis, dans un deuxième temps, nous chercherons à faire voir comment Diderot, à titre d’auteur de fictions narratives, entreprend une exploration aussi originale que féconde des ressorts proprement philosophiques de l’écriture romanesque. Les dernières sections de notre étude seront consacrées à une lecture approfondie de Jacques le fataliste et son maître. Nous tâcherons d’abord d’en dégager les principales ressources mises au service de la formation d’un lecteur de romans plus lucide et plus critique. Puis, nous chercherons à mettre en lumière de quelle façon cette propédeutique, si elle réussit, doit ultimement conduire le lecteur à entamer un véritable dialogue avec l’oeuvre, tant sur les questions métaphysiques et ontologiques qu’entraîne le « fatalisme » de Jacques, que sur les enjeux moraux qui en découlent. / This thesis, which deals with the interweaving of philosophy and literature in the work of French Enlightenment thinkers, seeks to shed light on Denis Diderot’s unique contributions to philosophical reflection on the novel, as well as to the exploration of the literary resources that make it possible to delve into philosophical issues through the novel. Beginning with an examination of Diderot’s explicit theories about writing narrative fiction, it argues that the outgrowth of his materialism and the disenchantment following his attempts at theatre reform upended the aesthetic and moral basis for the initial normative framework underpinning his analysis of how fiction is ideally written and received. It goes on to examine how Diderot, as a novelist, undertook an innovative and fruitful exploration of the unsuspected philosophical resources that narrative fiction offers. The final sections are devoted to a close reading of Jacques the Fatalist and His Master, beginning with an attempt to identify the main resources it deploys to train more lucid and critical readers of fiction. The thesis then seeks to show how this knowledge base, if successfully transmitted, ultimately leads the reader to engage in a genuine dialogue with the work, both in terms of the metaphysical and ontological issues raised by Jacques’ “fatalism” and the moral issues that ensue.

Empirical research studies that focus on the experiences of Latinas in executive leadership are limited. In its entirety, workforce research has overlooked how social and cultural experiences influence this group’s leadership development. This gap in research has failed to uplift the Latina executive voice and their achievements. Addressing this gap has the potential to influence distinctive workforce practices and future scholarship. Utilizing an asset-based perspective, this study presents counter narratives that intentionally focus on exploring Latina leaders’ voices. The importance of intersectional experience and social identities illustrate non-monolithic, yet aligned, experiences among study participants. This foundational dissertation explored mentoring phenomena through a qualitative study with Latina, nonprofit, chief executive officers (CEO) in the State of California as protégés. The nonprofit racial leadership gap provided context for the high number of Latinas/os in California relative to the minimal number of Latinas holding executive positions. This context warranted a necessary exploration into how mentoring experiences positively influenced Latina leadership development (LLD) so that findings may be replicated for future practice. A hermeneutic phenomenological research design maintained participant engagement which explored two key research questions: 1. What are the salient characteristics of quality mentoring relationships for Latina nonprofit executive leaders in California 2. How have quality mentoring relationships influenced Latina leaders’ sense of self-efficacy and leadership development? Data were collected via demographic questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and researcher field notes. Participants included 10 Latina CEOs of California nonprofit organizations. They represented all five regions of the state. Study findings demonstrated that:(a) mentoring relationship type evolved over time, b) a constellation of mentors were integral to leadership growth, c) mentors supported expressions of authenticity and LLD, d) mentor-protégé match suitability acted as a sphere of influence, and e) peer mentoring promoted a sense of openness and vulnerability. Findings revealed that quality mentoring relationships encouraged participant leadership development that positively impacted executive self-efficacy and retention. Recommendations are presented that further support Latina executive leaders’ development. Four recommendations are presented for formal and informal mentoring practices, and two proposals are offered for future mentoring research that extends the foundational work of this study. Furthermore, a researcher journal was maintained throughout the duration of this study. The journal led to the development of a researcher self-reflexivity process model. This model illustrated how researcher positionality evolved from insider-to-outsider, yet sustained researcher-participant engagement from pre-data collection through data analysis that reconciled pre-suppositions, interpretations, and meaning-making. This study represents the richness found in stories that have been minimally included in empirical literature. It offers implications for the value of uplifting voices to enhance leadership practice and future research.

Fondée sur un corpus de huit films allemands réalisés entre 1919 et 1924 (Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, Genuine et Raskolnikow de Robert Wiene, Algol de Hans Werckmeister, Von morgens bis mitternachts et Das Haus zum Mond de Karlheinz Martin, Torgus/Verlogene Moral de Hanns Kobe et Das Wachsfigurenkabinett de Paul Leni), cette étude porte sur l'esthétique et la réception du cinéma expressionniste, dont l'étiquette fait aujourd’hui encore l'objet de confusions. Pour identifier des traits constitutifs de son esthétique, trois axes sont envisagés : la réception critique, l'esthétique fantastique et la réflexivité. Le retour à la première phase de la réception repose sur un corpus de 225 documents d'archives majoritairement inédits, principalement extraits de huit revues de cinéma allemandes, et notamment des trois périodiques qui font alors autorité : Der Kinematograph, Lichtbild-Bühne et Film-Kurier. Le recours aux critiques et aux premières théories esthétiques qui précédent les célèbres ouvrages de Siegfried Kracauer et de Lotte Eisner permet d'appréhender l'horizon d'attente de la critique. Dans le contexte du débat sur la valeur artistique du cinéma, l'expressionnisme est perçu comme l’avènement d'un art du cinéma, caractérisé par la volonté des créateurs de faire œuvre d'art, qui s'exprime par l'unité stylistique, la conception des décors et l'opposition au naturalisme. La réception se fait aussi au prisme du fantastique et témoigne à la fois de l'héritage du romantisme et de l'importance du renouveau du fantastique. L'enjeu de l'analyse filmique proposée est de dégager en quoi la tension entre les deux pôles du fantastique est constitutive d'une esthétique des frontières, à l'origine de la structure narrative, de la configuration de l'espace et d'une réflexion ontologique. Enfin, ambition artistique et fantastique se rejoignent dans l'esthétique d'un cinéma qui se prend lui-même pour objet. En recourant à la notion d'écran second, élaborée dans le cadre de l'énonciation cinématographique, l'analyse identifie des formes de mise en scène du regard et de l'expérience cinématographique, dans leur rapport au désir. / Based on a corpus of eight german films made between 1920 and 1924 (Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, Genuine and Raskolnikow by Robert Wiene, Algol by Hans Werckmeister, Von morgens bis mitternachts and Das Haus zum Mond by Karlheinz Martin, Torgus/Verlogene Moral by Hanns Kobe and Das Wachsfigurenkabinett by Paul Leni), this thesis investigates the aesthetics and the reception of German expressionist film. Up until today, there is still some confusion over the definition of expressionist cinema. In order to identify constituent characteristics of its aesthetics, three areas of research are explored: the critical reception, the fantastic aesthetics and the self-reflexivity. The analysis of the first period of reception is based on a corpus of 225 mostly unpublished archival documents. These documents come from eight different film periodicals, mainly from the three leading trade journals of the early twenties: Der Kinematograph, Lichtbild-Bühne and Film-Kurier. By focusing on film reviews and on the first theories of aesthetics that preceeded Siegfried Kracauer's and Lotte Eisner's famous works on Weimar cinema, we get a sense of film critics' expectations back when the movies were first released. In the context of the debate about cinema and its artistic value, expressionism was perceived as the advent of film art, caracterised by the deliberate will of its contributors to create art. This ambition expresses itself through stylistic unity, a very distinctive conception of set designs and an opposition to Naturalism. Expressionist film is also perceived through the lense of the fantastic, which shows both the legacy of German romanticism and the importance of the renewal of fantastic literature and film in Germany. The film analysis of the present work aims at showing how the tension between the two poles of the fantastic is a constituent characteristic of the aesthetics of borders that caracterises expressionist film: it accounts for its narrative structure, its configuration of space and the ontologic reflexion it offers. Finally, cinema itself appears to be one of the main topics of these films. This is both the result of the artistic ambition of expressionist filmmakers and the explanation for their predilection for the fantastic: in some respect, films are fantasies, in that they manipulate the spectator and produce illusions. This is why spectatorship plays a major role in expressionist cinema: thanks to the notion of secondary screen, borrowed from the field of filmic enunciation, our analysis identifies characteristic representations of looks and gazes as well as of cinematic experiences, and reveals their relation to human desires.

That consciousness is ubiquitous, and relevant to autopoietic self-organisation and embodiment within every living being and/or organism, is a prevalent idea in contemporary consciousness research. However, because ‘consciousness’ as a word is derived from con or cum, meaning ‘with’ or ‘together’ and scire, ‘to know’ or ‘to see’ it infers the experience of knowing with an ‘other’ and/or ‘others’. The narrative that follows, while expressing a life of its own, documents the interdisciplinary research conducted and questions who and/or to what ‘other’ might infer. My visual diary, Dust from dust: Microorganisms and other tales: An Artist’s diary, created as the visual component of a creative practice-as-research undertaking, was silently performed amidst ‘others’ in the Unisa gallery, in an attempt to render visible, the autopoietic, self-organising embodiment essential to the conscious self-developmental component of the project. Once upon a time, I grew bacterial yeast cells in a glass vitrine to observe how they self-organised their own embodiment and photographed the process. At the same time, I conducted interdisciplinary research into consciousness as a self-developmental process, and utilising the cellular symbiosis unfolding in the vitrine as a self-reflexive mirror, came to visualise how indispensable bodily feelings are to conscious self-development, and being-in-the-world-with-others processes. As a creative-practice-as-research undertaking, I grew, manipulated and photographed the cellular imagery in the vitrine over many years in an attempt to unfold personal bodily feeling associations the imagery held captive, while gathering photographic footage I considered capable of expressing the primordial nature of certain emotive feeling experiences. Once obtained, I choreographed and performed a stop-frame video, entitled Dust from Dust: Microorganisms and other tales. An artist’s diary. The stop-frame video, along with a catalogue that focuses on the processes engaged with, accompanies the written narrative. Once edited, I macroscopically projected different phases of the video into a three-walled enclosure in the UNISA Art gallery. The three videos, representing a facet of my praxis, ran concurrently over a two week period. The fourth facet, presented with the video projections to emphasise conscious self-development as an in-the-world-with-others process, was the glass vitrine. It was positioned in a darkened enclosure in the gallery space, opposite the video projections. This narrative documents how I projected myself into the cellular imagery developing in the glass vitrine, in a way akin to how the ancient alchemists ‘projected’ themselves into the prima materia with which they worked. While the alchemists seemingly worked unconsciously, and my praxis initially started somewhat unconsciously, the process developed into a conscious attempt to embody the research findings. So, while the video choreographed, champions a microbial cell story, by referring to it as an artist’s diary, I emphasise the subjective nature of my praxis as a whole. In this creative-practice-as-research undertaking, I address the significance of bodily feelings and their relevance to being-in-the-world-with-others processes. In doing so, I aim to offer insight into how and why feelings are essential to inter-subjectivity and/or sociality, self-organisation and conscious self-development, as well as how and why conscious self-development can lead to immersive experiences, which I interpret as embodied adaptation to the rich diversity and/or fullness of life itself. / Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Art History)