Thesis (MPhil (Philosophy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / As poverty continues to impact billions of people across the world – to the extent that millions die daily simply because they are too poor to live – there is a pressing ethical question to ask: Who, if anyone, should be taking moral responsibility to end extreme poverty? The key moral problem that my thesis addresses is that those individuals who should primarily be taking moral responsibility to eradicate extreme poverty because they have the power and thus responsibility to make a real difference are not. My contention is that capitalism as it is currently practiced perpetuates extreme poverty and that the very individuals who have the greatest power to eradicate poverty do not view this as a real ethical challenge nor as their primary responsibility to address. I argue that these individuals are global corporate business leaders and that extreme poverty will only be eradicated when these leaders take moral responsibility to apply capitalism in a far more sustainable way - a way that has continuity for future generations and that is fundamentally just towards all human beings. The practice of sustainable capitalism as a solution to extreme poverty is dependent on a ‘critical mass’ of business leaders acting in a way that displays virtuous moral character and sets the example for others to follow. I will assume as a starting point that global poverty does exist and that people dying of poverty when others have far in excess of their needs cannot be ethically justified, irrespective of which moral theory it is viewed from. My thesis will commence by assessing the virtue of virtue ethics theory in comparison to other moral theories and I will illustrate that virtue ethics theory is most appropriate in addressing the moral problem of extreme poverty because it places moral responsibility firmly on the individual human being rather than on any metaphysical principle or context that exists ‘above’ the individual. In my analysis of the relationship between virtue and justice, I will specifically argue that capitalism as it is currently being practiced is unjust and unsustainable. I will further argue that it does not represent Aristotle’s ideal of ‘the good life’ for all and that the outdated modernist principles on which capitalism is currently premised, need to be challenged. Since global corporate business leaders are both the architects of capitalism as we currently experience it and the greatest beneficiaries of it, they have the corresponding greatest moral responsibility to act to eradicate extreme poverty. Business leaders need to take primary moral responsibility to eradicate extreme poverty through practicing a more just and sustainable form of capitalism that is inclusive of all, balancing society and profit needs. In closing I will propose that the African humanist concept of ‘ubuntu’ provides a unique opportunity in South Africa to inform an ethical consciousness that could underpin a future sustainable capitalist approach and perhaps serve as an example to influence global corporate business leaders.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Business leaders of today agree that people are the greatest asset of their enterprises, but they struggle to live up to the requirements the knowledge specialists of today dictate. This study investigates the method of storytelling as a leadership tool to engage people in businesses and to contribute to such businesses in becoming an Employer of Choice. In the present day knowledge era the way we communicate has changed completely and knowledge has become the single most important factor within businesses. The latter, in conjunction with the technology boom, has led to an extremely fast paced business environment worldwide, leaving the knowledge experts feeling somehow alienated. Business leaders need to understand this phenomenon and incorporate a culture of care within the business. It is easy to overlook the least troublesome, uncomplicated and inexpensive ways of communications, such as storytelling, to add value in creating a business environment of such a nature. South African businesses should tap into the wisdom of the Ubuntu culture that has its roots deep in storytelling as a method of knowledge sharing and to foster development. The objective of this research document is to illustrate the relationship between storytelling and engaging employees and retaining talent by means of which management could gain a better overview of how their implementation of a storytelling culture in the business could affect their customer retention in the relevant business. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Eietydse sakeleiers stem saam dat mense die grootste bate in hul ondernemings is, maar hulle vind dit moeilik om aan die vereistes te voldoen wat die kennisspesialiste deesdae voorskryf. Hierdie studie stel ondersoek in na die metode van storievertel as 'n bestuurswerktuig om mense binne ondernemings te betrek en om by te dra dat sulke ondernemings 'n voorkeurwerkverskaffer kan word. In die hedendaagse kennis-era het die manier waarop ons kommunikeer, heeltemal verander en het kennis die enkel belangrikste faktor in ondernemings geword. Gepaardgaande met die ontploffing in tegnologie, het ondernemings tot 'n uiters vinnige pas in die wêreldwye sake-omgewing gelei, wat die kennisspesialiste ietwat vervreemd gelaat het. Sakeleiers behoort hierdie verskynsel te verstaan en 'n omgee kultuur in hul ondernemings in te voer. Dit is maklik om die mees probleemvrye, ongekompliseerde en goedkoopste kommunikasie maniere mis te kyk, soos die vertel van stories, om waarde toe te voeg tot die skepping van 'n sake-omgewing van so 'n aard. Suid-Afrikaanse ondernemings behoort die wysheid in die Ubuntu-kultuur te ontgin met sy wortels diep in storievertel as 'n manier om kennis te deel en om te ontwikkel. Die doel van hierdie opdrag is om die verhouding tussen storievertel en die betrokkenheid van werknemers toe te lig en om hul talent te behou waardeur die bestuur 'n beter oorsig kan verkry van hoe die implementering van 'n strorievertel kultuur in die onderneming die behoud van kliënte in die betrokke onderneming kan beïnvloed.

O instituto jurídico da responsabilidade civil é um dos instrumentos previstos em lei, do qual qualquer paciente pode se valer para promover uma ação de reparação de danos contra o cirurgião-dentista, pelos prejuízos causados. Com o incremento do número de processos, aumenta proporcionalmente a importância do conhecimento das características dessas demandas, no intuito de estabelecer uma orientação fundamentada para que o profissional possa se resguardar e, na ocorrência de lides, encontrar-se municiado para produzir sua competente defesa. Ante tal fato, torna-se fundamental a verificação dos entendimentos dos Tribunais sobre a responsabilidade civil dos cirurgiões-dentistas, sendo que não existem pesquisas que se preocupam em analisar o tema em âmbito nacional. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar o levantamento das jurisprudências a respeito das ações de responsabilidade civil promovidas contra o cirurgião-dentista, utilizando a Internet, bem como apresentar o panorama e o entendimento dos principais temas perante os Tribunais do Brasil. Foram obtidos, quando possível, dados relativos à origem, à obrigação assumida, ao seu fundamento, ao agente, à inversão do ônus da prova e às especialidades mais demandadas. Para facilitar a comparação entre os vários entes da Federação, foi proposto um coeficiente de experiência processual que relaciona o número de processos e a quantidade de cirurgiões-dentistas. Foram levantadas 482 jurisprudências, sendo 1 no Supremo Tribunal Federal, 3 no Superior Tribunal de Justiça e 478 nos Tribunais Estaduais e Distrito Federal. Dessas 478, foi possível verificar uma tendência de aumento no número e na quantidade de Estados que tiveram experiências com processos judiciais. Em relação à origem, 18,6% foram consideradas como Contratual, enquanto 6% relacionavam-na como Extracontratual. Foram encontradas 10,6% como obrigação de resultado e, 4,1% como obrigação de meio. Como fundamento, 58,15% tiveram a Teoria Subjetiva, enquanto que 8,15% a Teoria Objetiva. A responsabilidade do agente foi observada como direta em 99,3% e, em 0,6%, como indireta. Houve o deferimento da inversão do ônus da prova em 2,7% dos casos. Em 48,3%, foi possível identificar as especialidades odontológicas, das quais as mais citadas foram: cirurgia (32,9%); prótese (26,4%); ortodontia (15,6%); implantodontia (13%); endodontia (6,5%), periodontia (2,6%); pediatria (1,7%); patologia (0,9%) e, por último, disfunção têmporo-mandibular e dor oro-facial (0,4%). Os Estados que apresentaram maior quantidade de processos foram: Rio de Janeiro, com 107; Minas Gerais, com 101; São Paulo, com 94; Rio Grande do Sul, com 75; o Distrito Federal, com 32. Quanto ao coeficiente de experiência processual, a cada 1.000 profissionais, no Brasil, 2,23 já tiveram experiência com processos. A Região mais exposta a processos foi a Região Sul, seguida das Regiões Centro-Oeste, Sudeste, Norte e Nordeste. Em relação aos Estados e Distrito Federal, verificou-se que o Distrito Federal apresenta 6,22 profissionais processados civilmente a cada 1.000. No Rio Grande do Sul são 5,95; no Rio de Janeiro, 4,22; Minas Gerais, 3,82; Rondônia, 2,15; Paraná, 1,91; Mato Grosso do Sul, 1,81; Espírito Santo, 1,75; Santa Catarina, 1,36; São Paulo, 1,31; Bahia, 1,13; Goiás, 1,06; Tocantins, 0,89; Alagoas, 0,54; Rio Grande do Norte, 0,43; e, por último, no Estado de Pernambuco, 0,18. / The civil liability act is one of the resources provided by law, which can be used by any patient in order to bring a legal action for damages against dentists. With the increase in the number of cases, the necessity of a sound knowledge on the features of these lawsuits has proportionally augmented, so that the professionals may have a solid orientation to protect themselves, and in case of a legal process, be able to produce their competent defense. In view of this fact, the checking of the jurisprudences concerning dentists\' civil liability becomes of paramount importance, since in Brazil there are no studies analyzing this matter. The objective of this study has been to survey the jurisprudences of civil liability lawsuits against dentists, by using the Internet, as well as to present an outlook on jurisprudences related to the main topics in Brazilian Courts. When possible, data have been obtained regarding the origin, professional obligation, legal basis, defendant, inversion of the burden of proof, and more demanded dental specialties. In order to facilitate the comparison between the Brazilian states, a coefficient of procedural experience has been proposed. This coefficient correlates the number of legal processes and the quantity of dentists. 482 jurisprudences have been studied: 01, in the Federal Supreme Court; 03, in the Supreme Court of Justice, and 478, in the State Courts and the Federal District. From these 478, it has been possible to verify an increasing trend in the number and quantity of the states which have experienced lawsuits. As to the origin, 18.6% have been considered contractual, while 6%, extracontractual. 10.6% have been regarded as obligation de résultat (obligation of result), and 4.1%, as obligation de moyens (obligation of means). 58.15% have been legally based on the Subjective Theory, whereas 8.15%, on the Objective Theory. The liability of the defendant has been evaluated as direct in 99.3%, and indirect in 0.6%. The granting of the inversion of the burden of proof has occurred in 2.7% of the cases. It has been possible to identify the dental specialties in 48.3%, from which the most cited ones have been: dental surgery (32.9%), prosthodontics (26.4%), orthodontics (15.6%), implantology (13%), endodontics (6.5%), periodontics (2.6%), pediatrics (1.7%), pathology (0.9%), and finally, temporomandibular joint dysfunction and orofacial pain (0.4%). The states presenting the largest quantity of legal processes have been: Rio de Janeiro, with 107, Minas Gerais with 101, São Paulo with 94, Rio Grande do Sul with 75, the Federal District with 32. Concerning the coefficient of procedural experience, in Brazil, 2.23 professionals have already experienced lawsuits out of 1,000. The Southern Region has had more lawsuits, followed by the Central-Western, Southeastern, Northern, and Northeastern ones. In relation to the states and the Federal District, it has been noted that the Federal District have presented 6.22 professionals who have faced civil lawsuit out of 1,000; Rio Grande do Sul, 5.95; Rio de Janeiro, 4.22; Minas Gerais, 3.82; Rondônia, 2.15; Paraná, 1.91; Mato Gosso do Sul, 1.81; Espírito Santo, 1.75; Santa Catarina, 1.36; São Paulo, 1.31; Bahia, 1.13; Goiás, 1.06; Tocantins, 0.89; Alagoas, 0.54; Rio Grande do Norte, 0.43; and Pernambuco, 0,18.

Ubuntu is a worldview and a way of life shared by most Africans south of Sahara. Basically Ubuntu underlines the often unrecognized role of relatedness and dependence of human individuality to other humans and the cosmos. The importance of relatedness to humanity is summarized by the two maxims of Ubuntu. The first is: a human being is human because of other human beings. The second maxim is an elaboration of the first. It goes; a human being is human because of the otherness of other human beings. John Mbiti combines those two maxims into, "I am because we are, and we are because I am." Ubuntu worldview can provide insights about relationships with communities and the world that contribute to the meaning of Global Bioethics. <br>Ubuntu can be described as involving several distinct yet related components that can be explored in relation to major strands of discourse in contemporary Bioethics. The first component of Ubuntu deals with the tension between individual and universal rights. The second component of Ubuntu deals with concerns about the cosmic and global context of life. The third component of Ubuntu deals with the role of solidarity that unites individuals and communities. Ubuntu has a lot in common with current discourse in bioethics. It can facilitate global bioethics. It can inspire the on-going dialogue about human dignity, human rights and the ethics that surround it. It can inspire and be inspired by global environmental concerns that threaten the biosphere and human life. Ubuntu can critique the formal bioethical principles of autonomy, justice, beneficence and non-maleficence. Above all, Ubuntu can create a basis for dialogue and mutually enlightening discourse between global bioethics and indigenous cultures. Such a dialogue helps make advancements in bioethics relevant to local indigenous cultures, thereby facilitating the acceptability and praxis of global bioethical principles. / McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts; / Philosophy / PhD / Dissertation;

Ageing in Africa and the world over is a phenomenon that affects individuals and societies. The expanding older population (people aged 60+) in South Africa led to this research, which represents an attempt to explore the experiences of loneliness of older persons in Africa and thereby gain some understanding of the subjective experiences of loneliness of a group of older African persons in their socio–cultural context. Defining loneliness from the existing literature was challenging since it became evident that loneliness in the literature is defined and researched largely in terms of individual meanings attached to the concept, and the applicability of such individual meanings to an African context remains unconfirmed. Experiences of loneliness are not well known among older Setwana–speaking persons, and few studies have focused on collectivistic experiences as such. Loneliness is considered a complex, contextual experience that goes beyond the individual and also includes culture as an inseparable aspect of people’s lives. Conceptualising loneliness as a socially constructed phenomenon places this study within the paradigm of phenomenology exploring people’s experiences. The philosophy of ubuntu relates to being in the world among others thus creating the concept of a social self. In essence, to be a self, one has to belong to a community, and one is always contextualised as an existence among others in interaction. A qualitative design was used together with a purposive convenience sampling method whereby the participants were selected on the basis of their availability during the research period. The participants’ ages ranged from 61 up to 73, and the sample included 16 female and two male participants. Two data sets were collected at different times from members of the Day Care Centre for the Aged in Ikageng, Potchefstroom, South Africa, as well as community residents who did not attend the centre. Various qualitative techniques were used to collect the data including the Mmogo–methodTM, in–depth individual interviews and focus groups. Multiple methods were employed for analysing the data including phenomenological analysis, key–words–in–context and analysis strategies as stipulated by the Mmogo–methodTM. The rigour of the data was enhanced through the use of diverse qualitative data–gathering methods as well as an array of qualitative analysis methods in a process known as crystallisation. Ethical approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of the North–West University, Potchefstroom Campus, under a larger project, “An exploration of enabling contexts (05K14)”. The researchers constructed two main themes from the findings: descriptions of loneliness and coping with loneliness. Loneliness related to the self and to others, and coping with loneliness involved actively engaging with the environment, being with others and using coping strategies. Some of the findings are linked to the existing literature, and some are unique relating to being with others and including social embeddedness as a multi–layered phenomenon connected to experiences of loneliness - it is here where the literature falls short in clarifying the findings within our context. Suggestions are made for future research, and some of the limitations of the study are pointed out. To conclude: Loneliness is a multi–dimensional phenomenon that older Batswana people experience on many levels of engagement with and disengagement from the self and others. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Ageing in Africa and the world over is a phenomenon that affects individuals and societies. The expanding older population (people aged 60+) in South Africa led to this research, which represents an attempt to explore the experiences of loneliness of older persons in Africa and thereby gain some understanding of the subjective experiences of loneliness of a group of older African persons in their socio–cultural context. Defining loneliness from the existing literature was challenging since it became evident that loneliness in the literature is defined and researched largely in terms of individual meanings attached to the concept, and the applicability of such individual meanings to an African context remains unconfirmed. Experiences of loneliness are not well known among older Setwana–speaking persons, and few studies have focused on collectivistic experiences as such. Loneliness is considered a complex, contextual experience that goes beyond the individual and also includes culture as an inseparable aspect of people’s lives. Conceptualising loneliness as a socially constructed phenomenon places this study within the paradigm of phenomenology exploring people’s experiences. The philosophy of ubuntu relates to being in the world among others thus creating the concept of a social self. In essence, to be a self, one has to belong to a community, and one is always contextualised as an existence among others in interaction. A qualitative design was used together with a purposive convenience sampling method whereby the participants were selected on the basis of their availability during the research period. The participants’ ages ranged from 61 up to 73, and the sample included 16 female and two male participants. Two data sets were collected at different times from members of the Day Care Centre for the Aged in Ikageng, Potchefstroom, South Africa, as well as community residents who did not attend the centre. Various qualitative techniques were used to collect the data including the Mmogo–methodTM, in–depth individual interviews and focus groups. Multiple methods were employed for analysing the data including phenomenological analysis, key–words–in–context and analysis strategies as stipulated by the Mmogo–methodTM. The rigour of the data was enhanced through the use of diverse qualitative data–gathering methods as well as an array of qualitative analysis methods in a process known as crystallisation. Ethical approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of the North–West University, Potchefstroom Campus, under a larger project, “An exploration of enabling contexts (05K14)”. The researchers constructed two main themes from the findings: descriptions of loneliness and coping with loneliness. Loneliness related to the self and to others, and coping with loneliness involved actively engaging with the environment, being with others and using coping strategies. Some of the findings are linked to the existing literature, and some are unique relating to being with others and including social embeddedness as a multi–layered phenomenon connected to experiences of loneliness - it is here where the literature falls short in clarifying the findings within our context. Suggestions are made for future research, and some of the limitations of the study are pointed out. To conclude: Loneliness is a multi–dimensional phenomenon that older Batswana people experience on many levels of engagement with and disengagement from the self and others. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

This thesis questions what it was like for pre-service teachers registered in a Bachelor of Education program to experience Kpanlogo, a West African dance from Ghana. Over a period of two years, the primary researcher introduced this dance to her peers first as a pre-service teacher, and then as a graduate student in a variety of ways: 1) practicing it for a performance at a community building talent show on campus, 2) learning it through a professional development workshop, and 3) teaching it to intermediate students at a local school, on two different occasions. Five pre-service teachers responded to an invitation to participate in a phenomenological study about their experiences. The two research questions which guided the interviews were: 1) What was it like to experience Kpanlogo, a West African dance, as a pre-service teacher? 2) What was it like as a pre-service teacher to teach students Kpanlogo? The conceptual framework of Sankofa Cyclical Waves, situated in a collectivist African Worldview orients us to the philosophy of Ubuntu, which posits that humanness is found and cultivated within community. Sankofa, a Ghanaian proverb which encourages its people to go back, physically or spiritually, to retrieve what was once lost or forgotten was used as a particular path to analyze the lived experiences of the pre-service teachers. In this thesis the Sankofa Cyclical Waves provided a structure to identify their various levels of understanding Ubuntu. Experiences analyzed as being novice in nature were awkward at the start, then as the dancer moves towards the end of the continuum, towards Ubuntu, the dancer moves through a series of waves as they become more familiar with rhythms, movements, African dance attire, and becoming a part of the whole; the Other‘s community.

Modern economic theory of self-interest alleges that in their economic relations people always behave in a way that maximises their utility. The idea whether human beings were solely self-interested has a long history as it can be seen from the writings of Greek philosophers and the Church fathers. Among Greek philosophers there were those who argued that human beings were naturally self-interested (Aristotle) and those who maintained that human beings were communal by nature (Plato, Stoics and the Pythagoreans). The later position was adopted by the Church fathers as they condemned self-interest as the sin of avarice and greed. The justification of self-interest in human and political activities was part and parcel of the economic and political early modernists, as it can be seen in the works of Mandeville, Hobbes, Hume and Adam Smith. In the writings of these thinkers, the flourishing of wealth depended on individual freedom to pursue their self-interests. In this regard, selfinterest became the sole source of motivation in the behaviour of homo economicus. A persistent motif in late modern economic discourse on self-interest is based on the idea that people think and act on the basis of that which is to their self-interest. It is mainly for this reason that late modern economic thinkers maintain that society would prosper when people are left alone to pursue their self-interests. Late modern economic theory of utility maximisation alleges that individuals act only after calculating costs and benefits. The argument of this thesis, based on the commonalities between African humanism and process philosophical anthropology, is that self-interest is antithetical to communal life as advocated in the ethic of Ubuntu. One who acts solely on the basis of maximising his or her utility would inevitably deprive others of a humane existence. A holistic metaphysical outlook based on the relatedness and interrelatedness of everything that exists as we find it in African humanism and process philosophical anthropology implies that the individual exists in internal relations with everything else. We should go beyond selfinterest by giving primacy to a holistic ethic. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / D. Div. (Theological Ethics)

Chapter 1 introduces the study by means of its aim, scope, methodology and terminology. It also hosts summaries of all the folktales that are analysed in this study. Chapter 2 is a study of parenthood and its portrayal in Zulu folktales. Motherhood and fatherhood will be scrutinised separately. Chapter 3 concentrates on girl characters as siblings, brides and companions to old men. Chapter 4 analyses boy characters as herd boys, villains, tricksters and companions to old women. Chapter 5 concentrates on the status of the Zulu folktale. The influence of urbanisation, gender, and the media will receive attention. The lessons that folktales teach will be noted. Chapter 6 concludes and summarises this study and hosts recommendations on the promotion of Zulu folktales / African Languages / M.A. (African Languages)

The South African educational system has undergone many changes since 1994. The integration of previously segregated education departments has made it possible for different cultures to be in the same classroom. However, it is the researcher's view that the vast majority of learners in multicultural secondary schools do not exit the system with the skills and attitudes needed to contribute positively to nation-building. This is borne out by the fact that many learners continue to prefer the company and assistance of their own cultural groups for work in class and out of class. Incidents of racial conflict, religious intolerance and cultural discrimination are reported among learners from time to time. The researcher believes that the basis for creating a new society, that is free of fear and discrimination, lies in the imparting and assimilation of nation-building values at multicultural secondary schools. A qualitative method of research was employed as it lent itself to naturalistic inquiry, detailed thick description, inquiry of depth and direct quotations to capture people's personal perspectives and experiences. An extensive literature study of nation-building, nation-building values and multicultural education was conducted. The empirical study was conducted at a local multicultural secondary school. Research techniques such as observation, interviews, completion of an open-ended questionnaire and discussions were used. The researcher was able to ascertain the values that underpin nation-building; the factors that militate against the promotion of nation-building values and strategies that can be used to promote these values at multicultural secondary schools. He has made significant proposals to the Department of Education, which should be carefully considered. Ultimately, the promotion and assimilation of nation-building values at multicultural secondary schools should lead to a progressive and peaceful nation. / Educational Studies / (D.Ed.(Psychology of Education))