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Theses and dissertations (Management Sciences)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://ir-dev.dut.ac.za/handle/10321/14

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Peace-building--South Africa

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    The role of children in preventing recurrence of xenophobia in Umbilo, KwaZulu-Natal
    (2020-11) Nyamadzawo, Ruth T.; Harris, Geoffrey Thomas; Kaye, Sylvia Blanche
    South Africa has witnessed a lot of conflict and violence in the post-independence era. The country has been characterised by direct, cultural and structural violence. As the country that is economically powerful in the SADC region, it has attracted a lot of migrant nationals through its borders.
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    Reducing school violence : a peace education project amongst stakeholders in Umlazi
    (2018-09-01) Ngidi, Lucia Zithobile; Kaye, Sylvia Blanche; Harris, Geoffrey Thomas
    Violence occurring within South African schools is a concern for all stakeholders. Violence takes various forms including bullying, theft of property, robberies and vandalism, sexual violence, harassment and rape, gang related violence, violence related to drugs and alcohol abuse, physical violence, shooting, stabbing and murder, violence through student protest and racially motivated violence. Every form of violence has devastating effects on the school system such as physical and psychological effects, educational damage and societal breakdown. The aim of this study was to explore school violence in the South African high school context, review existing strategies that seek to minimise it and thereafter devise and incorporate more effective strategies to prevent this scourge from increasing. There are numerous services currently in place to support abused victims and perpetrators, including, school level support plans and specialised support services, however, the problem persists. The study was built on the foundation of three related theories; firstly, the social learning theory, which states that the behaviour of an individual is learned from their surrounding environment through the process of observational learning; secondly, the restorative justice theory, which supports the use of healing approaches instead of punitive measures; and lastly, the Cure Violence model, which includes visualising and treating violence as if it were an infectious disease that spreads from one person to another. For the purpose of the study, a qualitative research approach was chosen to employ a case study research design. Institutions involved in the study were two secondary schools in the Umlazi district, Durban. Semi-structured interviews, open-ended questionnaires and focus groups discussions were used in a triangulation approach to enhance validity and reliability. I also wrote field notes while doing interviews and conducting focus group discussions to document participants’ responses and other observations which transpired in the process. Action research, premised on the Cure Violence model, utilising the information obtained from data collection was planned, implemented and evaluated in one school. Specialised groups – the We Care (WC) group and the School Peer Educators (SPEs) were trained and empowered to be agents of peace in this context. Participants’ responses on what they thought were the causes of violence were grouped into the following themes: environmental factors; resistance to parents; lack of awareness; influence of poverty; peer influence; love relationships; culture and religion. The WC and SPE groups were imparted with invaluable knowledge during this study, knowledge which is intended for use in years to come in the school and in the surrounding communities. The WC group reported to be very functional in dealing with cases involving parents when I returned for follow-up visits and reflection.
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    A participatory action research study of junior youth-led community action in Durban, South Africa
    (2017) Varjavandi, Roya; Harris, Geoffrey Thomas
    Informed by Bronfenbrenner’s theory of social ecosystems and embedded in the Freirean pedagogy of participatory and critical praxis, this youth-led participatory action research (YPAR) study aims to highlight the power and potential of young people as peacebuilders. Bringing attention to the powerful capacity young people have in transforming society, the entire process was guided by the following meta-question: “how can YPAR assist young people to become active agents in the construction of peace?” Approximately 20 young people aged between 13 and 17 from a low-income high-density neighbourhood in central Durban became co-researcher volunteers in the program. Their participation in a six phases process involved exploration and identification of the social needs of the community, followed by planning, implementing and evaluating a peacebuilding intervention. The data itself is comprised of the activities that constituted the YPAR program, including drama skits, mapping and photo story posters. The data was collected using research diaries, video and audio recording and photography. Through the involvement of participants in research and action as “peace leaders,” the findings highlight the potential of YPAR in the peacebuilding field.