Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa has made a remarkable transformation from an openly racist to a tolerant and
democratic nation. The transformation process removed the legal barriers between subgroups
that formerly postulated separate development for the various racial groups and restricted the
contact between individuals to a major extent. In present day society, one can observe the
transformation process in that South African citizens from different backgrounds have to
develop new patterns of communication and interaction. This process was mirrored in the
student culture of Stellenbosch.
The first objective of this study was to research how individual students experienced their social
and academic environment. Since student relations do not always conform to the University
norm of mutual respect for human diversity, the University felt the need to facilitate an
intervention for valuing human diversity. The second objective of this study was to evaluate the
process of the intervention, focusing on the programme context, the programme activities and
the program theory. In addition, the impressions of workshop participants were studied.
In order to conceptualise the research objectives, the theoretical principles of valuing diversity
were discussed in the form of a purposive literature review on the social psychology and
sociology of stereotyping and related processes, which were examined as barriers to valuing
diversity.
The Value Diversity Intervention was implemented in August 2001. The intervention aimed to
heighten students' awareness of the diversity of the student body and to improve the interaction
among the various student subgroups. The intervention was designed as a workshop and
included 50 students from various backgrounds who were living in the University residences.
Two evaluation types were utilised in this study, i.e. the evaluation of perceived needs and the
evaluation of the intervention process. The research questions were clarified and the specific
methods for gathering and analysing the data were specified. In addition, the aspect of validity
and the quality of the obtained data were reviewed.
The evaluation of perceived needs showed that individual students perceived the student
population to be divided into minority ('coloured', 'black') and majority ('white') groups. Even
though group membership did not affect specific instances of intergroup relations (e.g. individual friendships), it had implications for the social atmosphere on campus, which was
characterised by a lack of intergroup contact and a domination by the majority group.
Accordingly, minority group members interpreted the social atmosphere more negatively than
majority group members. Hence, minority group members perceived a need to improve
intergroup interaction.
This analysis indicates that a value diversity intervention may be beneficial. This corresponded
to the view of the Department of Student Affairs, which arranged the Value Diversity
Intervention.
The evaluation of the intervention highlighted both negative and positive aspects. Firstly, the
intervention design did not include the promotion of the intervention itself, which might have
been essential making students interested in the diversity topic and in motivating students to
participate. Secondly, the intervention did not address the specific diversity challenges as
experienced by students of the University of Stellenbosch. Students expressed concerns
regarding the applicability of the provided information in their daily life. Thirdly, the workshop
focused mainly on stereotypes. Yet, the possible effects of stereotypes were not sufficiently
discussed. In addition, a large number of stereotypes were listed, but these were often biased
due to the lack of participants from diverse groups. Further, no workshop technique which
questioned the presented lists of biased stereotypes was applied or generated. Besides these
technical considerations, it should be noted that stereotypes in general perpetuate the division
between subgroups. Thus, the workshop focused to a large extent on past and present aspects,
which divide the student population, instead of focusing on uniting issues.
The described negative aspects might have been balanced by one of the four observed
workshops. This specific workshop was characterised by a small amount of participants and a
positive presentation of one of the main facilitators. This resulted in a productive discussion,
where the participants used the possibility to reflect on the current situation out of their
perspective and reflected upon the contributions of the facilitator. Students might have been
motivated to take positive impulses of this workshop in their daily life.
Based upon this research, recommendations can be determined. Firstly, the promotion of the
intervention should emphasize the desirability of diversity values and highlight the personal
potential benefits to participants. Secondly, it might be useful to acknowledge differences
between students, but to place a greater emphasis on similarities, i.e. on aspects that connect students. Thirdly, the curriculum of the intervention should be modified to cater especially for
student needs. Fourthly, the selected workshop components should achieve an equal balance
between lecture parts and interactive elements. Participants should have the possibility to take
an active part in the intervention if they are interested in doing so. The final recommendation
entails that future interventions should be based on a comprehensive, sustained strategy with
long-term goals. These strategies should be integrated in the already existing infrastructure of an
institution.
This intervention has to be understood as a contribution to the transformation process that South
Africa is currently undergoing. Based on the recent discussion at the University of Stellenbosch
about the adoption of a comprehensive diversity strategy, it is hoped that this singular
intervention will be linked to further contributions in this transformation process. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid Afrika het 'n merkwaardige transformasie vanaf 'n openlik rassistiese tot 'n tolerante en
demokratiese nasie ondergaan. Voorheen het die wetlike skeiding tussen subgroepe aparte
ontwikkeling en, vir verskeie rassegroepe, minimale kontak met individue in verskillende
rassegroepe beteken. Die transformasieproses in Suid-Afrika het hierdie omstandighede
verander en in die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing is die proses waardeur mense van
verskillende agtergronde nuwe patrone van kommunikasie en interaksie moet ontwikkel,
merkbaar.
Die transformasieproses kan ook in die studentekultuur van Stellenbosch gesien word. Die
eerste doel van die tesis was om ondersoek in te stel na hoe individuele studente hulle sosiale en
akademiese omgewing ervaar. Aangesien studenteverhoudinge nie altyd tot die Universiteit se
norm van wedersydse respek vir menslike diversiteit konformeer nie, het die Universiteit gevoel
dat daar 'n behoefte is om 'n intervensie te fasiliteer om waardering vir menslike diversiteit
skep. Die tweede doel van die tesis was om die proses van die intervensie te evalueer deur te
fokus op die konteks van die program, die programaktiwiteite en die programteorie. Verder is
die indrukke van die deelnemers aan die werkswinkelook bestudeer.
Die teoretiese beginsels onderliggend aan die waardering van diversiteit is bespreek ten einde
die navorsingsdoelwitte te konseptualiseer. Dit is verwesenlik deur 'n "doelgerigte"
literatuurstudie oor die sosiale sielkunde en sosiologie van stereotipering en verwante prosesse
wat gesien word as struikelblokke in die evaluering van diversiteit.
Die intervensie vir die waardering van diversiteit is in Augustus 2001 deur die Universiteit van
Stellenbosch geimplimenteer. Die intervensie het as doel gehad om studente 'n verhoogde
gewaarwording van die diversiteit van die studenteliggaam te bied en ook om interaksie tussen
die verskeie studente-subgroepe te bevorder. Die intervensie is ontwerp as 'n werkswinkel vir
50 studente van verskillende agtergronde wat van Universiteitsbehuising gebruik maak.
Die tesis verduidelik hoe die navorsingsdoelwitte korrespondeer met die evalueringstipes wat
gebruik is, nl. die evaluasie van waargenome behoeftes en die evaluasie van die proses. Die
navorsingsvrae is duidelik gestel en die wetenskaplike metodes vir dataversameling en dataanalise
word gespesifiseer. Verder word die aspek van die geldigheid en kwaliteit van die data
ook bespreek. Die evaluering van waargenome behoeftes het gewys dat individuele studente die
studentepopulasie sien as verdeel In 'n minderheidsgroep ('bruin' en 'swart') en 'n
meerderheidsgroep ('wit'). Alhoewel lidmaatskap tot n betrokke groep rue
intergroepverhoudings affekteer nie (bv. individuele vriendskappe), het dit tog implikasies vir
die sosiale atmosfeer op kampus wat deur 'n tekort aan intergroepkontak en dominasie deur die
meerderheidsgroep gekarakteriseer kan word. Vervolgens interpreteer minderheidsgroepe die
sosiale atmosfeer meer negatief as lede van die meerderheidsgroep. Dit kan dan ook as die rede
aangevoer word waarom lede van minderheidsgroepe 'n waargenome behoefte het om
intergroepinteraksie te bevorder.
Die persepsies van die respondente wat 'n onderhoud toegestaan het, het aangedui dat 'n
intervensie vir die waardering van diversiteit voordelig sal wees en dit het ooreengestem met die
siening van die Departement van Studentesake, wat die intervensie gereël het.
Die evalusie van die intervensie beklemtoon albei die negatiewe en positiewe aspekte. Eerstens,
het die intervensie intervensie-ontwerp, nie die promosie van die intervensie self behels nie, wat
noodsaaklik sou gewees het om student geinteresseerd te maak in die diversiteit van die
onderwerp en om die studente te motiveer om mee te doen. Tweedens, het die intervensie nie
die spesifieke uitdagings soos deur die studente van die Universiteit van Stellnbosch ondervind
is, aangespreek nie. Studente het hulle bekommernis uitgespreek oor die toepassing van die
informasie in hulle daaglikse lewe. Derdens het die werkswinkel hoofsaaklik gefokus op
stereotipes. Nogtans was die effekte van die stereotipes nie deeglik bespreek nie. Boonop was
daar te groot aantal stereotipes gelys, maar dit was bevooroordeeld as gevolg van die gebrek van
deelnemer van diverse groepe. Daar was ook geen werkswinkel tegnieke van toepassing wat die
aangebode lyste van die bevooroordeelde stereotipes bevraagteken het nie. Naas die tegniese
oorwegings, moet daar gelet word dat stereotipes in die algemeen die verdeling tussen
subgroepe in stand hou van stereotipes in die algemeen. Dus het die werkswinkel tot 'n groot
mate gefokus op huidige en vorige aspekte wat die studente verdeel het in plaas daarvan om te
fokus op sake van ooreenstemming.
Gegrond op hierdie navorsing, kan aanbevelings gemaak word. Eerstens moet daar klem gelê
word op die bevordering van die verskeie behoeftes en waardes van die intervensie en die
potensiaal waarby deelnemers kan baat. Tweedens, kan dit waardevol wees om verskille tussen
studente te erken maar groter klem te lê op eendersheid, d.i. aspekte wat die studente tot mekaar
verbind. Derdens moet die leerplan van die intervensie gewysig word om in die behoeftes van die student te voorsien. Vierdens, moet daar 'n balans gehandhaaf word tussen die lesings en
interaktiewe elemente. Daar moet 'n moontlikheid bestaan vir deelnemers om 'n aktiewe rol in
die intervensie te speel indien hulle dit verlang. Ten slotte word aanbeveel dat toekomstige
intervensie gebaseer word op begrypende en volgehoue strategie met lang termyn doelwitte. Die
bogenoemde strategie moet in die alreeds bestaande infrastruktuur verweef word.
Hierdie intervensie kan beskou word as 'n bydrae tot die transformasie proses wat Suid-Afrika
huidiglik ondergaan. Gebaseer op die onlangse gesprek by die Universiteit van Stellenbosch oor
die aanneming van'n omvattende diversiteitstrategie, word daar gehoop dat die enkelvoudige
intervensie kan inskakel by verdere bydraes in die transformasie proses.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53615 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Dittmar, Vera |
| Contributors | Mouton, J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Sociology and Social Anthropology . |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 152 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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