Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Transformation of South Africa's historically white universities IS evidenced by a
diversification of their student and staff populations. The transition from exclusion to
inclusion of minority cultures in these university campuses has not been without its
challenges for those students. This study provides a record of the experiences of five
coloured women who are undergraduate students at Stellenbosch University (SU), a
predominantly white institution. The approach used is feminist, grounded participatory
action research.
Despite institutional policy initiatives, the Coloured undergraduate students in the study
did not experience the university environment as inclusive. What emerged was that the
women had an acute awareness of othernesses and their own minority status. Factors such
as the small number of minority students and the absence of symbols or icons that reflect
and acknowledge the presence of diverse cultures exacerbate their feeling of being in the
minority or 'tolerated otherness'. The women experienced SU as a university where
established practices and traditions continue despite the changing demographics of the
student population. This type of organisational culture in which covert and overt resistance
to transformation is the norm acts as a constraint on the political will to move from policy
to practice and entrenches the marginalisation of minority groups.
The study found that integration is left largely to personal initiative. Personal variables
such as resilience, strategies for coping with stress and the resolution of identity issues,
appear to playa key role in academic success. However, academic success is not always
accompanied by successful social integration. Social isolation was found to have a
negative impact on personal and academic confidence. Although the women in the study have had relatively negative experiences of
transformation, their willingness to engage in reflexive praxis and dialogue could serve as
a challenge to SU to engage in a process which acknowledges the concerns, resistance and
experience of all role-players. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die transformasie van histories-blanke Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite word gekenmerk aan
die diversifisering van hulle studente en personeel. Hierdie proses vind plaas deur die
geleidelike wegbeweeg van die algehele uitsluiting van die minderheidsgroepe op die
betrokke kampusse tot hulle volledige insluiting by aIle bedrywighede. Die proses is nie
sonder uitdagings vir die betrokke studente nie. In hierdie studie word die ervaringe
beskryf van vyf bruin vroulike voorgraadse studente aan die SteIlenbsoch Universiteit
(US), 'n oorwegend-blanke tersiere instelling. Vir hierdie studie is 'n feministiese
benadering wat gebaseer is op deelnemende aksienavorsing gebruik.
Ten spyte van institusionele beleidsinisiatiewe om genoemde transformasie te bespoeding,
het die voorgraadse bruin studente wat aan hierdie studie deelgeneem het, nie die
universiteitsomgewing as inklusief ervaar nie. Dit het eerder duidelik geword dat die
dames baie bewus was van hulle andersheid en hulle minderheidstatus. Faktore soos die
klein aantal minderheidstudente en die afwesigheid van simbole of ikone wat die
teenwoordigheid van diverse kulture reflekteer en erken, het hulle ervaring as behorende
tot 'n minderheidsgroep versterk. Die dames het die US ervaar as 'n universiteit waar
ingewortelde praktyke en tradisies voortgesit word ten spyte van die veranderende
demografie van die studentebevolking. Hierdie soort organisatoriese kultuur waar bedekte
en openlike teenstand tot transformasie die norm is, plaas 'n demper op die politieke
gewilligheid om van beleid na praktyk te beweeg en verdiep die marginalisering van
minderheidsgroepe.
Die bevindings van die studie is dat integrasie grootliks oorgelaat word aan persoonlike
inisiatiewe. Persoonlikeheidseienskappe soos gedetermineerde optrede, die benutting van
strategiee om stres te hanteer en identiteitskrisisse op te los, speel blykbaar 'n sleutelrol in
akademiese sukses. Akademiese sukses loop egter nie altyd hand aan hand met sosiale
integrasie nie. Daar is bevind dat sosiale isolasie 'n negatiewe impak op persoonlike en
akademiese vertroue het.
Alhoewel die ervarings van die dames wat aan die studie deelgeneem het relatief
negatiewe was ten opsigte van transformasie, was hulle tog gewillig om deel te neem aan
die reflektiewe praksis en dialoog. Hierdie feit dien as 'n uitdaging aan die Stellenbosch
Universiteit om betrokke te raak by 'n proses waarin die bekommemisse, weerstande en
ervaringe van aIle rolspelers hanteer word.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50621 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Damons, Lynne |
| Contributors | Daniels, D., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Educational Psychology. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 103 pages |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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