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Research Publications (Arts and Design)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://ir-dev.dut.ac.za/handle/10321/214

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2023 - 202454

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Start date: 2023

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    Using self-study approach to critique gender stereotyping and discrimination on family resources for girls and women : educational implications
    (Center for Strategic Studies in Business and Finance SSBFNET, 2024-08) Thamae, Mamothibe Amelia; Thaba-Nkadimene, Kgomotlokoa Linda
    Girls and women continue to suffer at the hands of patriarchal society that excludes them in family resource allocation. The primary objective of this paper is to examine the challenge that leads to the exclusion of family resource allocation in the form of educational resources for African girls and women. This paper adopts a self-study research approach, which is undergirded by interpretivism philosophical methodology. Intersectional feminism offers a lens for questioning the domination and supremacy of patriarchal society that perpetuates girls’ and women’s vulnerability in the acquisition of family resources in this age. We then discuss how girls and women lead lives marred by hunger, poverty, and inequality. Furthermore, we discuss gender violence and inequality, girl commodification, lessons from matriarchal and patriarchal polities, and gender discrimination at the workplace. We recommend that gender stereotypes and discrimination be eliminated in all social settings; and that at family, society and workplace levels. Finally, that educational institution should reconstruct curricula that should purposively interrogate girls and women's gender stereotyping and discrimination, GBV and other gender issues.
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    From the classroom to the African newsroom : how journalism education can bridge the gap between the classroom and the shrinking newsroom
    (Informa UK Limited, 2024-01-01) Adjin-Tettey, Theodora Dame
    Throughout the development of journalism, several groups have made efforts to gain access to voice and advance specific agendas. The current evolutionary phase of journalism has witnessed the democratization of the origination and distribution of journalistic content and has propelled unparalleled content diversity and interactivity and a transition from communality of audience membership to individuality. This unprecedented phase has also brought on certain challenges to journalism as a practice and business, some of which are revenue loss to digital giants, misinformation, dwindling trust in mainstream media, shifting eyeballs to digital platforms and the withering of size and influence of mainstream news outlets. Consequently, journalism graduates now enter a job market that is largely low paying, is increasingly mediated by technology, is rapidly converging, and is experiencing a change in work cultures. In the midst of the rapid evolutions, one of the major concerns is how journalism and media studies schools can respond to this rapidly transforming environment for journalism practice. Through the autoethnography method of enquiry, this paper, thus, reflects on some of the current trends and makes proposals as to how journalism training schools can respond to current realities.
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    Assessing safety of journalism practice in Ghana : key stakeholders’ perspectives
    (Informa UK Limited, 2023-12-31) Adjin-Tettey, Theodora Dame; Braimah, Sulemana
    This study sought to use the self-reporting method of survey as well as key informant interviews to investigate the depth and spread of the problem. A total of 115 respondents took part in the survey. Additionally, eight interviews were conducted with key stakeholders. The study found that the most common infraction was verbal abuse. Colleagues, police, political fanatics, politicians, security operatives and government officials, were among the top perpetrators of safety violations against journalists. A sizeable portion (albeit fewer) were dissatisfied with their workplace safety provisions and minimal confidence in the concern of their employers for their well-being. About half of respondents indicated their media organisations did not make provisions for safety gear for covering potentially dangerous beats. Many of the respondents thought that the posture, attitude and actions of key state actors, law enforcement agencies as well as their own association (GJA) concerning their safety were unsatisfactory. The study recommends that the government ensures the security and safety of journalists and media organizations. Media organizations must ensure a safe and toxic-free work environment through codes of practice, policies, and enforcement; and journalists become familiar with the various types of safety breaches and corrective measures that can be taken.
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    Grievable/disposable lives in the Anthropocene culture : ecoprecarity, indigeneity and ecological wisdom in Kaala Paani
    (Wiley, 2024-01-01) Karmakar, Goutam; Pal, Payel
    Abstract Traditional media and contemporary digital communication platforms have been instrumental in developing environmental awareness and educating the general public about the entrenched dangers of ecoprecarity. Visual references like ecocinema, short films, documentaries and television series have shown how the Anthropocene is affecting the world and how important human‐centred survival models are. These visual references have played a big part in ecological knowledge and shown possible ways to use socio‐ecological practices. The present article critically analyses Kaala Paani, a contemporary Indian Hindi‐language survival drama seven‐episode television series, and foregrounds how this series not only represents the ecological issues we face but also fosters a stronger sense of ethical accountability towards the long‐term impact of our decisions and actions on the natural environment. Through its focus on dramatizing environmental toxins and the power of indigenous and tribal knowledge to fight them, the series effectively tells viewers about the harmful effects of illegally exploiting the environmental buffer zone and the results of capitalist‐driven developmentalism. The series also inspires them to recognize the overwhelming existence of nature that the discourse of the ‘Anthropocene’ has downplayed.
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    Safety of journalists from a gendered perspective : evidence from female journalists in Ghana’s rural and peri-urban media
    (University of the Free State, 2023-12-13) Adjin-Tettey, Theodora Dame; Asuman, Manfred A.K.; Ayim-Segbefia, Mary Selikem
    This study sought to explore the safety risks female journalists working in Ghana`s rural and peri-urban media encounter while doing their work, how safe they feel and how they are coping with safety breaches. Thirteen semi-structured interviews with female journalists employed by Ghanaian broadcast media outlets in rural and peri urban areas were undertaken. Guided by Braun and Clark’s (2006) six steps for qualitative data analysis, interview transcripts were thematically analysed. It was found that physical and emotional security threats; poor working conditions were the main threats to female journalists working in Ghana’s rural and peri urban media. While there are generally bad working conditions, some participants believe that men receive more benefits and opportunities for professional growth than women. Compared to their male peers, females are occasionally ridiculed and refused training and professional opportunities. When there are safety violations, employers generally offer little assistance. Female journalists cope with violations and insecurities by self-censoring, avoiding working during specific hours of the day, and steering clear of reporting conflicts, politics, and elections as a safety measure. The study recommends that to avoid maladaptive actions by journalists, media organisations address the safety needs of their female journalists. Journalists themselves should look out for personal security initiatives to enhance their skills. 
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    Lurking as a mode of listening in social media : motivations-based typologies
    (Emerald, 2023-02-02) Adjin-Tettey, Theodora Dame; Garman, Anthea
    In this study, the authors aim to probe the relationship between listening and lurking and discuss types of lurking that occur on social media sites based on the motivations driving them. Although listening is a significant practice of online attention, intimacy, connection, obligation and participation as much as voice is, it is yet to receive the kind of attention voice is given in the context of social media. In the rather limited studies on online attention, the concept that has gained consideration is “lurking”, and this practice has often been treated as a derogatory non-activity or as passivity. The interest to study lurking is based on the premise that lurking is a significant ground on which listening occurs in social media and through which voice can be given attention.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a phenomenological approach to understand motivations for lurking in online spaces. Phenomenological research involves data gathering through inductive, qualitative methods with the aim of explaining specific phenomena from the perspective of research participants. In this research, the lived experience studied was lurking and what drives lurking. A total of 12 members of the Licence to Talk project, a research project based at the School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa, took part in the study. They shared their personal experiences of online lurking through a critical reflective writing. Based on the experiences shared, the authors identified and categorised the various types of lurking based on the varied motivations driving them.FindingsThrough the phenomenological approach, the study has theorised a more useful understanding of lurking as a form of online listening by identifying and categorising seven lurking behaviours that are nested within the lurking activity. This study, thus, provides a tentative framework for studying online lurking by bringing to bear listening theory and by reasoning that lurking is a needs-based activity that has purpose imbedded within it.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors recognise that this study is limited by its small number of participants. Nevertheless, as researchers with a strong grounding in listening theory, the authors thought it valuable to interrogate their own practices on social media and to develop a more useful understanding of what lurking might entail and, on the lurking-listening relationship. A larger study would provide stronger evidence to test the hypothesis about lurking as a very interesting form of listening with a relationship to complex behaviours and needs.Originality/valueIt is expected that by conceptualising the various forms of lurking based on the motivations that drive online lurking (listening), it will provide an empirical and theoretical/conceptual basis for further investigations into this pervasive mode of online attention.
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    Putting forward sustainability as a model for journalism education and training
    (Informa UK Limited, 2024-01-01) Booker, Nancy; Mutsvairo, Bruce; Baliah, Dinesh; Adjin-Tettey, Theodora Dame; Holt, Kristoffer; Tallert, Lars; Mujati, Jean
    African journalism practice presents unique opportunities and challenges that require journalists to be equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge, and values to engage in sustainable journalism. Training institutions play a critical role in ensuring that journalists are not only professionally-ready to execute their mandate but also that they can safeguard and promote ethical values in their everyday work. Some of these values include “truth telling, independence, objectivity, fairness, inclusivity and social justice” (Gade, Nduka, and Dastger 2017, 10). Africa, like other regions of the Global South, has several journalism training institutions that provide an opportunity to challenge “hegemonic epistemologies and ontologies of Western-centric journalism studies” (Mutsvairo et al. 2021, 993). In the context of this submission, the present study investigates the current state of sustainable journalism in Africa. We examined data based on a syllabi analysis of journalism programs in Kenya, South Africa and Ghana to appraise what role sustainable journalism education and training could play in Africa. Findings show that efforts are already in place across select learning and training institutions but also point to profound gaps in the curriculum, pedagogy and resources needed to prepare journalists for sustainable journalism.
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    Digital sanctuary : exploring security and privacy concerns of congregants in the virtual church
    (Informa UK Limited, 2024-01-01) Adjin-Tettey, Theodora Dame; Kwofie, Juliana
    As contemporary churches continue to hire media teams to create and disseminate growing amounts of online content, questions of safety, security, and privacy are warranted. This study focuses on the case of a church in Ghana and explores the complex interplay between, ethical, security, and privacy issues in the online church. Data collection involved 170 survey respondents and eight (8) interview participants. The study found that convenience, flexibility, and device accessibility drove congregants’ reliance on the digital platforms of the church. However, there were discernible privacy and safety concerns like invasion of privacy, unauthorized access to personal information, potential for identity theft, and misuse of personal data for targeted advertising. While diverse perspectives were held by members of the media department of the church, there was a general lack of concern about the safety and security ramifications of disclosing personal sensitive information to audiences outside of the physical church as it was viewed as a potential point of inspiration for others. We recommend that churches develop guidelines around concerns raised by congregants to optimize congregants’ online security and safety, while also providing continuous awareness programs for congregants to protect their security and safety and be ethical users of digital platforms.
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    Countering the threats of dis/misinformation : fact-checking practices of students of two universities in West Africa
    (Bastas Publications, 2024-01-18) Adjin-Tettey, Theodora Dame; Amenaghawon, Francis
    Although access is uneven, studies have shown a high uptake of digital technologies and platforms across Africa, with many accessing social media, which is a fertile ground for the spread of fake news and disinformation, calling for the need to factcheck information before consumption or sharing. The study was grounded in explore, engage, and empower (EEE) model of media and information literacy (MIL), which states that MIL competencies empower media and information users to identify, access, and retrieve information and media content skillfully (explore), analyze, and evaluate media and information critically (engage) and create, share, or use information and media ethically, safely, and responsibly (empower). The purpose was to assess fact-checking practices of students in two universities in Ghana and Nigeria to ascertain the extent to which they factcheck information, their levels of knowledge of fact checkers and the fact checkers that they use. The simple random sampling was used to draw a total of 316 respondents. It was found that although many respondents confirmed the authenticity of news and information received before acting on them, they mostly did so through social media and their networks. Few respondents knew about fact-checking platforms and could state names of actual factcheckers. The study makes a case for MIL, which includes fact checking, to enable media users to analyze and evaluate news and information critically to ensure the consequent ethical safe and responsible sharing and usage of information and media content, as EEE model proposes.
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    Pre-service science teachers’ perceptions towards developing isiZulu vocabulary for teaching and learning
    (UJ press, 2024-09-20) Thamae, Mamothibe Amelia
    Abstract This study investigates pre-service teachers’ perceptions towards developing an isiZulu vocabulary for teaching and learning chemistry in three rural FET schools in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. It contributes to the ongoing debates around curriculum decolonisation and code-switching in teaching and learning. The study adopts a qualitative interpretivist paradigm, utilizing individual interviews with six (6) isiZulu pre-service chemistry teachers who were purposively selected. The study found that pre-service teachers generally had a positive attitude towards curriculum decolonisation and code-switching for teaching and learning chemistry. This study also found that some pre-service teachers were not keen to develop isiZulu vocabulary, given the challenges and complexities of code-switching in real-life chemistry teaching and learning contexts. Further, the findings indicate developing isiZulu vocabulary can enhance curriculum decolonisation and code-switching for effective teaching and learning of chemistry in this context. The study recommends the need for pre-service teachers to be conscientised about the value of developing isiZulu vocabulary for effective teaching and learning of chemistry lessons. Future 176 Theorising Curriculum in Unsettling Times research must explore how to effectively empower pre-service teachers to manage code-switching in teaching chemistry in rural contexts.