Thesis (M.A.) in Communication--University of Maine, 2007. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 193-200).

The purpose of this research is to examine what blind begging is; why it exists; what it means; what causes it; and how beggars operate. It explores the theme that begging has evolved in Southern Africa through the influence of colonialism linked with institutionalised religion and traditional cultural conceptions: Christian, Muslim or Buddhist that equates giving, particularly to blind beggars, to receiving some form of salvation. The underlying theme is that blind beggars fulfil a requirement in society which satisfies a hierarchal social identity and the need to discard the excess or unwanted articles to those less fortunate in the guise of blind beggars. The hypothesis can be extended to the civilized west needing to be the developed and a polar opposite undeveloped Africa to which to donate and thus discard the excess or unwanted articles to appease some moral outlook but not to extract the blind beggar or underdeveloped state from poverty. Thus, blind begging is a professional response to a perceived market need and the blind beggars have the physical infrastructure to successfully exploit this niche market and thus make a sustainable livelihood that allows them to develop a business plan that guarantees a return that allows them to invest and eventually retire. I used a parachute method where I observed where the beggars operate and approached them for a focus group discussion, then individual interviews with participants. In Johannesburg they operate differently so I approached each beggar individually. This research is important to examine some lives of marginalised disabled in our society that may be misunderstood because of stereotypical social attitudes. It serves to highlight their plight and contribute to possible solutions to social mis-conceptions and practices. Most of the people I encountered giving donations made up the panel of givers.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Murdoch University, 2003. / Thesis submitted to the Division of Arts. Bibliography: leaves 266-276.

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This comparative study of Zimbabwean immigrants in Britain illustrates why they should not be viewed as reified communities with fixed essence, but as a product of ethno-racial identities and prejudices developed and nurtured during the phases of Zimbabwe’s history. Through an analysis of personal interviews, participant observation, and secondary and primary sources, the thesis identifies and engages historical experiences which had been instrumental in not only constructing relations between Zimbabwean immigrant communities, but also their economic and social integration processes. The quest to recognise historic legacies on Zimbabwean immigrants’ interactions and integration processes necessitated the first thematic chapter to engage the construction of ethno-racial identities in the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial phases of Zimbabwe’s history. With contemporary literature on the Zimbabwean communities in Britain tending to create perceptions that Zimbabwean immigrants are a monolithic community of Blacks, the thesis’ examination of inter-community relations between Blacks, Whites, Coloureds and Asians unveils Zimbabwean immigrants fragmented by historic racial and ethnic allegiances and prejudices. Examining education and employment as economic integration indicators has also facilitated the identification of historical experiences that have been influential in determining economic integration patterns of each Zimbabwean community. Intermarriage, language, religion and relations with the indigenous population were critically engaged to gauge the influence of historical socialisation on Zimbabwean communities’ interaction with Britain’s social structures. While it is undeniable that colonial Zimbabwe was beset with a series of political and economic policies which set in motion salient racist discourses that inevitably facilitated the construction of racially divided diaspora communities, the thesis also unveils a Black diaspora community imbued with historic communal tensions and prejudices. By focusing on Black Zimbabwean immigrants, the thesis will not only be acknowledging an increase of Sub-Saharan Africans in Britain, but also offers an alternative perspective on Black British History by moving away from the traditional areas of study such as eighteenth century slavery and post-1945 African-Caribbean migration. Exploring the dynamics of diaspora relations of the Shona and the Ndebele will expose how both the Nationalist Movement and the post-colonial government failed to implement nation building initiatives needed to unite Africans that had been polarised along ethnic lines. Black Zimbabweans therefore migrated as products of unresolved ethnic conflicts that had been developed and nurtured throughout the phases of Zimbabwe’s history. In the absence of shared historic socio-economic or cultural commonalities within the Black community and between the Zimbabwean diaspora communities demarcated by race, the thesis will be tackling the key question: are Zimbabweans in Britain an imagined community?

Magister Artium - MA / According to migrant research in South Africa, after the advent of democracy in South Africa, in 1994, the country has received an influx of foreign migrants, more especially from the African continent. However, much focus has been on the negative outcomes of the host community and its relationship with immigrants. Recent immigration research labelled South Africa as a xenophobic nation, and much emphasis on xenophobia was in Black South African townships. Although townships in South Africa are widely known for their hostile attitudes towards African nationals, in recent years, townships like Gugulethu have become homes for many African immigrants. This study investigates the integration of foreign migrants into the South African community: a case of Zimbabweans living in Gugulethu, Cape Town. Qualitative research methods’ adopting an in-depth interpretation of the findings was used to answer the research question posed by this study. The research question posed by this study is, in the absence of a strategic plan to integrate African foreign nationals into South Africa society, how do African migrants living in Gugulethu use their social capital to integrate themselves into the local community, which is widely regarded as xenophobic? Qualitative data was collected through in-depth interviews and observations and data was analysed according to the research questions by making codes and themes. In addition, the number of study participants was 30 people; 25 Zimbabwean immigrants and for comparative purposes 2 Ugandan immigrants and 3 local South Africans were also included. Both convenience and snowballing sampling techniques were used. The study found that despite the challenges faced by migrants in their host community, these migrants used their social capital in the form of social networks to integrate themselves into the host community

This study explores the self-representations of cross-border migrant, female sex workers in Johannesburg and compares these representations to those created by public discourses around cross-border migration, sex work, and gender. With a focus on issues of agency, vulnerability, and power, the study questions the impact of prevalent representations of these women by others on their individual self-representations. The participatory approach of this study builds on previous participatory research projects with migrant sex workers in Johannesburg and employs creative writing as a methodology to generate narratives and thus adds to literature about alternative methodologies for reaching currently marginalised and under-researched groups. Organisations such as Sex Worker Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT) and Sisonke Sex Worker Movement have worked with sex workers to generate digital stories for advocacy; however, academic research employing storytelling as a methodology has not been done with migrant sex workers in South Africa. While existing evidence indicates that cross-border migrant, female sex workers are often marginalised by state and non-state actors professing to assist them, this study emphasizes the voices of the women themselves. Over the course of three months, I conducted creative writing workshops with five female Zimbabwean sex workers in Hillbrow, Johannesburg; the women generated stories in these workshops that became the basis for one-on-one unstructured interviews. I compared the self-representations that emerged from this process with the representations of migrant sex workers that I determined from a desk review of the websites of organisations that contribute to trafficking and sex work discourses in South Africa. With the Prevention and Combating of Trafficking in Persons Bill close to becoming law in South Africa and the prevalent assumption that systemic trafficking problems are related to the sex industry and irregular migration, developing a better understanding of migrants involved in sex work in South Africa is particularly important. Furthermore, a national focus on reducing and even preventing immigration—and the stigma attached to migrants—adds urgency to the elucidation of the lives of migrants. This study investigates how female Zimbabwean sex workers in Johannesburg—often positioned as vulnerable and sometimes misidentified as trafficked—see themselves in a country increasingly concerned with issues of (anti-)immigration and (anti-)trafficking. Furthermore, sex work is criminalized in South Africa and social mores attach stigma to prostitution. Contrary to assumptions that all sex workers are forced into the industry or foreign sex workers trafficked into the country, the participants in this study spoke of active choices in their lives—including choices about their livelihood and their movement—and describe their vulnerabilities and strengths. Perhaps the most striking similarity between participants was the women’s acknowledgement of the dangers they face and the decisions they make, weighing risks and gains. This recognition of agency ran through the six key themes that I generated through thematic analysis: Conflicting Representations of Sex Work, Stigma and Double Existence, Health and Safety, Importance of Independence, Morality of Remittances, and Mobility. Throughout the analysis, I argue that the participants in the study present themselves as aware of the dangers they face and calculating the risks. The participants responded enthusiastically to the creative writing methodology—through their stories, discussions, and interviews, they portrayed a complex, at times ambiguous, portrait of migrant sex workers in South Africa. While recognizing their double vulnerability—as illegally engaging in sex work and, often, illegally residing in South Africa, they also emphasized their strength and agency.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, School of Social Sciences at the University of Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Arts in Migration and Displacement, July 2017 / This research is encouraged by the recent developments in the migration patterns of Zimbabweans in South Africa in the period 2009-2016. The absence of secure livelihoods due to the political stalemate in Zimbabwe resulted in Zimbabweans looking for a safe haven in different parts of the world. South Africa is among many other countries which has been a recipient of both undocumented and documented Zimbabweans. Most Zimbabweans in South Africa were undocumented and in 2010 the South African government made an initiative to regularise the positions of Zimbabweans living in South Africa, yet there is limited academic research on the livelihoods of regularised Zimbabwean migrants in South Africa. The rationale behind the implementation of the Zimbabwe Documentation Process (ZDP) in 2010 and the renewal of the process through issuing the Zimbabwe Special Permit (ZSP) in 2014 is noteworthy. However, this study explores the livelihood experiences of regularised Zimbabweans in Johannesburg, South Africa. The research examines the livelihood strategies, challenges, opportunities and outcomes of regularised Zimbabwean migrants. The purpose of this formative qualitative study is to investigate if the access to livelihood opportunities and outcomes among regularised Zimbabwean migrants are strongly dependant on documentation. This is an important area of study given the ongoing special dispensation for Zimbabweans in South Africa and the wider migration scholarship in the country. Based on 15 semi structured interviews with regularised Zimbabwean migrants and 1 key informant conducted in Turfontein and Florida my assertion in this study is that the reported livelihood experiences of regularised Zimbabweans highlight a complex connection between documentation and livelihoods. On one hand findings show that documentation has improved the economic and social wellbeing of regularised Zimbabwean migrant in Johannesburg and on the other hand, documentation is undermining the livelihood options of regularised Zimbabwean migrants. For individuals who are in search of secure and sustainable livelihoods, findings show that mostly regularisation is offering limited protection and temporary rights to migrants who are likely to live in South Africa for years to come. Key words: documentation, livelihood experiences, regularisation, regularised Zimbabwean migrants, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Documentation Project, and Zimbabwe Special Permit. / XL2018

There has been an expansion of the informal economy globally, in both developed and developing countries. Among those joining the informal economy are Zimbabwean cross border traders coming to South Africa. This study explores the business environment within which the Zimbabwean cross border traders coming to South Africa operate. It gives an overview of the demographics of traders, the socioeconomic and political environment in which they operate and the nature of their supply relations. It also explores trader's experiences, the problems they face, the role of financial and social capital and the economic contribution of traders. The study made use of business tools, thus introducing new dimension of analysis into the field of informal economy studies. This study not only fills a gap in the literature on migration and informal activities but also concludes by making key policy recommendations. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Geography, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 111-124).