published_or_final_version / Chinese Historical Studies / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / Literary and Cultural Studies / Master / Master of Arts

published_or_final_version / abstract / Social Work and Social Administration / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Modern African states need to be analyzed from a perspective which complements, corrects, or specifies dependency/world-system and structural marxist explanations of peripheral political dynamics. This dissertation offers such a perspective as it seeks to explain variations in state-society exchange among four comparably dependent modern nations of the Sahelian African region (Senegal, Mauritania, Chad, Sudan). The model accounts for the political ramifications--state's mode of rule, level and type of opposition mobilization--of each country's ethno-religious configuration. It assumes that trans-national economic (and/or geopolitical) dynamics do not necessarily weigh more heavily on the dynamics of state-society relations than local political processes.

This thesis investigates how two Christian communities — differentiated primarily by their medium of communication — characterize and cast Christian community. The method of fantasy theme analysis was used to explore this thesis's central research question; namely, are content differences present in the ways in which face-to-face and digital communication systems characterize and cast the Christian sense of community? After an analysis of St. Pixels Church of the Internet (digital communication) and St. Luke's United Methodist Church (face-to-face communication) it was found that the online community demonstrated a rhetorical vision of koinonia, while the face-to-face community demonstrated a rhetorical vision of ekklesia. / Department of Telecommunications

This exploratory study of child and youth care services in Nigeria first examines theoretical concepts associated with the causation of youth problems in developed countries with particular reference to Britain and North America. From an historical and comparative perspective, the application and limitations of Western theories of delinquency causation in developing countries are analysed. An historical analysis of traditional Nigerian culture serves to highlight the problems associated with socio-economic change and the impact of change on traditional child and youth care practices. The impact of urban development on migrant youths is then analysed to establish the theoretical relationship between urbanisation and delinquency. Traditional roles maintained in extended families and traditional patterns of child and youth care practices are analysed to Identify the relationship between family disorganisation and delinquent behaviour among contemporary Nigerian young people. Family structure is identified as a core variable in explaining differences between rural and urban delinquency. Two case studies are presented to illuminate the degree of delinquent behaviour found amongst children and young people from disorganised families and to highlight differences between delinquency found in an urban area and a rural culture. Religious differences are identified as central to sequences in the development and definition of delinquency in the two major cultures in Nigeria. A social policy ideal, based on the notion of an integrated "continuum of care" for children and families, is used to analyse and evaluate child welfare services found in Nigeria at the present time. Prospects for the future development of services are also considered.

A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Arts University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, for the degree of Master of Arts / A neglected focus in South African urban geographical studies over the last two decades has been the changes taking place in the inner city. The objective in this study is to examine residential change in one inner city suburb of Cape Town, namely Woodstock. The time period for this investigation is the era of late apartheid prior to the repeal of the Group Areas Act. The theoretical framework for this dissertation is provided by international Iiterature on ethnic segregation and the gentrification issue'. The majority of research undertaken on gentrification has concerned the cities of North America. Western Europe or Australia. With few exceptions, gentrification has been little researched outside of the devaloped world. The South African context therefore provides a developing world setting for research on gentrification. It is argued that between 1900 and 1980 the case study area of Woodstock experienced considerable change in its residential complexion. In particuIar, the ethnic composition of the suburb shifted throughout the twentieth century with waves of new immigrants to the suburb, including Jews from Eastern Europe and the settIement of a Portuguese community from Madeira. These shifts in the ethnic make-up of Woodstock reinforced the 'respectable', working class character of this mixed race, inner city zone of Cape Town. During the 1980s, however, a change in the class composition of the area was triggered by the onset of processes of gentrification. The advance of gentrification was taking place at the same time as apartheid legislation, in the form of the Group Areas Act, was posing a threat to the multi-racial character of the suburb. The research documents the relationship between gentrification and the community struggle mounted to retain the multi-racial status of this inner city Area. It is shown from this South African study that the 'gentrification issue' is of relevance to research on developing world cities. / Andrew Chakane 2018

MSc (Med) Population-Based Field Epidemiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 2009 / Background: Sub-Saharan Africa continues to bear the brunt of the global HIV epidemic, with the epicentre located in Southern Africa. Of all the adult and children living with HIV globally in 2006, two-thirds (63%) were in sub-Saharan Africa.1 The epicenter of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa is located in the KwaZulu Natal province, where HIV incidence and prevalence continue to remain high and this has serious implications for HIV prevention and control programmes. Objectives i. To profile individuals who sero-converted during the period 2003-2007 in order to better target interventions. ii. To estimate the incidence rate for HIV during the period 2003 to 2007. iii. To identify factors associated with HIV infection at individual and household levels in Kwazulu-Natal. Methods This involved analysis data of a dynamic cohort study. The follow-up period was 2003-2007, and the study was a household-based HIV sero-prevalence survey of a population in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa, conducted by the Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies. The cohort comprised females aged 15 to 49 and males 15 to 54 years who participated in the baseline HIV sero-prevalence survey in 2003 and/ or subsequent surveys in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Individuals who participated in at least two surveys and had a negative HIV result on first enrolment were included in the analysis. Selected demographic, socio-economic, behavioural and geographic variables of the participants were obtained from the demographic surveillance system (DSS) database of the Africa Centre Demographic and Information System (ACDIS) for analysis. Profiles of recently HIV sero-converters were based on these variables and descriptive statistics used to compare the differences in sero-conversion between the different strata of each variable. Multiple logistic regression was used to investigate the association between variables of key interest. Results A total of 39, 738 individuals were surveyed for the four annual sero-prevalence surveys conducted from 2003-2007. Of these, 41.5% (n=16,491) were HIV negative on their first enrolment into the study, 11.6% (n=4610) were HIV positive on first enrolment, while 46.9% (n=18,637) had either participated in just one out of the four surveys, or were non-resident at baseline. These two categories of participants as well as those who tested HIV positive on first enrolment were dropped from the analysis. The final sample size used for analysis was 16,491 individuals and comprised 8,425(51.1%) females aged 15-49 years old and 8,066 (48.9%) males aged 15-54 years old. The incidence rate for HIV sero-conversion among the 16, 491 individuals included in the final analysis was 11.5 per 1000PYs during the follow-up period. In other words, 539 individuals sero-converted during 46818.15 person-years (PYs) at risk from 2003-2007. A significant proportion of the new HIV acquisitions (69.8%) occurred in households without any recently or previously infected household member, and women had a significantly greater risk of HIV infection(IR= 16.9 per 1000PYs; 95% CI: 15.33-18.640) compared to men(IR=5.9; 95% CI: 4.95-6.94) in this study area. Conclusion The younger age bracket (24-30 years old) was associated with significantly higher risk of HIV infection compared to the older age category. However, the age group 20-24 years bears the greatest burden of HIV pandemic in this community. Majority of seroconverters were rural dwellers but peri-urban dwellers had the greatest risk of HIV acquisition. The study also showed that attendance of a school or a training facility on a full-time basis during the follow-up period was protective for HIV acquisition compared. Also, attainment of standard 10 to 12 level of education was associated with a greater risk of HIV seroconversion. This can be attributed to the age of individuals at these levels of education and the associated high risk profile of this group. Living in close proximity to primary or secondary roads was also associated with a risk of HIV infection compared to those living far from major roads. This could be due to the ease of mobility and potential exposure multiple sex partners. This may be due to a desire for modern social amenities which requires financial wherewithal, which in turn facilitates transactional sex.

In my thesis I wish to illustrate the ability of architecture to provide restitution, inclusion and identity. In Botswana, Basarwa have been forcefully evicted from their ancestral land to facilitate diamond mining by the government. In addition to this, within other Southern African countries, Basarwa have experienced varying degrees of similar circumstances. This has resulted in Basarwa experiencing widespread exclusion, loss of culture and dispossession. The aim of this project is not to solve this issue but to create a platform to work towards improving the current state of Basarwa. The aim is to explore the notion of a cultural think-tank; an advocacy center where Basarwa from all over southern Africa can congregate and advocate for the various issues affecting them, where information and archives can be accessed and cultural performances can occur. This is a significant step towards achieving this goal. The site is in Botswana at the heart of the admin-istrative center and has been selected as a subversive form of restitution. This thesis investigates the types of dispossessions that Basarwa have experienced the resulting effects of exclusion, and the experiences of Basarwa in the Southern African context. Cosmopolitanism and multiculturalism are explored as vehicles of change that could help achieve the goal. Furthermore as a means of restitution and identity build-ing, mythological cosmology and design have been investigated as they are the essential elements in the formation of identity and a source of pride and esteem for Basarwa. By creating a building where advocacy for the plight of Basarwa can occur, which celebrates the mythological cosmology, design heritage and cultural practices of Basarwa, the aim is to achieve restitution, inclusion and identity.