Faculty of Arts and Design

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An auto-ethnographic enquiry : critical reflection on the influences in the development of a black African male educator
(2012-09-03) Gumede, Jerome Thamsanqa; Conolly, Joan Lucy; Sienaert, Edgard
This thesis sets out to demonstrate the influences on the personality of a Black African Male Educator – specifically mine - as I enquire: ―Why do I do things the way I do?‖ and ―What has enabled me to meet, face and resolve the challenges that I have come across in life?‖ I have addressed these questions from a self-study perspective, using narrative enquiry, living theories methods and auto-ethnography. I have written this thesis aware that I lived the first thirty seven years of my life under the potentially personality deforming oppression of apartheid, and that I have conducted my study and written my thesis in the context of the HIV&AIDS pandemic. In creating my own ―living theory‖ philosophy, I look at my epistemology - How do I know what/that I know? - my ontology – Who am I? Who am I becoming? What do I believe? and my axiology – What do I value? In creating my own ―living theory‖ (Whitehead, 2008), I examine the influences which have informed my personality development and that of my research participants. The originality of the contribution of this thesis to the academy is to demonstrate the influence of one person‘s personal origin and naming, carers and family, childhood experiences and learning, sport and sport instructors on his personality development. In addition, the thesis highlights the usefulness of forms of knowledge - herding and induku - that have not been explicitly declared as useful and included formally in education. To this end, I demonstrate the connections that exist between, induku, herding, work, community involvement and education as influential in personality development. I use my personal beliefs and values – principally ubuntu and ukuhlonipha – and the Critical Cross Field Outcomes to demonstrate the relationship between these values and outcomes, my personal account and the development of my human personality. I look at the implications for education. I review the Republic of South Africa‘s National Curriculum Statement in Life Orientation Grades 10–12. I suggest ways in which the Beliefs and Values demonstrated and examined in this thesis, and Critical Cross Field Outcomes can be incorporated in Community Service Integrated Projects that can help learners to make their beliefs and values explicit in their learning, all to the end of influencing values-informed personal development.
Breaking the silence, addressing the confusion and challenging denial surrounding HIV and AIDS by engaging tradition : a study of the mnemonic oral style with special reference to Marcel Jousse
(2013-11-15) Ngaloshe, Christina Nosabata; Conolly, Joan Lucy; Sienaert, Edgard
In this study I demonstrate the extent to which I have achieved my original goals to ‘break the silence, address confusion and challenge denial around HIV and AIDS’. As the study progressed I could not ignore the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and AIDS infection, and the impact of poverty and (mis)education in the time of HIV and AIDS. I also found myself confronted with the use of the traditional mnemonic oral-style of performance in the form of ‘new wine in old bottles’ where the learners at Mthusi High School used the ‘old bottles’ of gospel songs, isicathamiya and izibongo to compose and relay the ‘new wine’ of their experience and understandings around HIV and AIDS. I could see that the use of the mnemonic oral-style was a natural and powerful way for the learners’ understandings of HIV and AIDS to be shared amongst themselves, within the community, and with a larger public so breaking the silence around HIV and AIDS, and so addressing the confusion, challenging denial, stigma and discrimination around HIV and AIDS. The use of the mnemonic oral style in this way suggested to me that it could also be used effectively in education, and led to my suggesting the use of the traditional mnemonic oral-style relating to HIV and AIDS education in the Grades 10-12 Life Orientation Curriculum.
How do I use my living and lived experience to influence creative economic independence in others?
(2013) Kaplan, Bonnie; Kadwa, Farida; Conolly, Joan Lucy
Due to the high levels of unemployment in Durban South Africa, the New Venture Creation (NVC) groups I coached/mentored were seeking to become self-employed, to find social and economic independence. I have observed that many of the people in my NVC groups seemed to lack, self-confidence and self-esteem in the start-up process of their business. These lacunae pose a problem, as they are all necessary if one wants to create a viable, sustainable and profitable business. The reason that I coach these emerging entrepreneurs is to assist in building their self-confidence and self-esteem so that they have the courage to “go for it”. The problem I have sought to address in this research is: How do I influence emerging entrepreneurs to become sufficiently self-confident to be able to design, establish and sustain their own employment and employment for others? I work on the assumption that most people have the capacity to be self-employed. I have used autoethnography with action research to describe the interventions that I initiated, report on their implementation, as well as the evolution of new perceptions and understandings that developed as a result. By using my own and the participants visual data with still images and video with visual narrative I demonstrate the evidence of my living theory and self-study to influence creative economic independence in others and reflect critically on what has been done and achieved, and critically assess the way forward. I verbally explained the ethical issue of obtaining consent to use names and photographs in my study to the participants. My explanation was followed by obtaining written consent from the five key participants and others in the pictorial data.
A journey in family literacy : investigation into influences on the development of an approach to family literacy
(2012-08-20) Desmond, Alethea Snoeks; Conolly, Joan Lucy; Sienaert, Edgard
In this critical reflective self study I have examined the Family Literacy Project (FLP) to determine the influences that contributed to the development of an approach to family literacy. This study responds to the question What influences contributed to the development of an approach to family literacy relevant to the needs of families in rural KwaZulu Natal? By identifying and exploring and critically reflecting on these influences I provide insights that can inform policy and practice in the adult education and early childhood development sectors in South Africa. The study includes my critical reflections on finding a voice within a self study and how this has contributed towards the development of a methodology. In the process, I have developed a deeper understanding and appreciation of what has been achieved in the FLP during the first eight years under my directorship, and why. In the study, I report on these insights. The FLP project in this study is situated in deeply rural KwaZulu Natal, where the existing extensive knowledge base is almost exclusively oral, and informed by well established insights, understandings and values. In this context, I have examined the roles of families, adult literacy and early childhood development to establish their impact on the development of literacy in families. Through critical reflection, I then identified the principles – active learning, holistic development, community and children‟s rights – underpinning the FLP and was able to establish how these impacted on the development and success of the project. I then examined the roles, practices and characteristics of the FLP facilitators, and the experiences of facilitators and those who engaged in the project. I also looked at the roles played by the community, the external evaluators, and the effect of exposure of the project in the public domain through attendance at iv conferences, publication of journal articles, and awards made to the project because of its successes. I conclude the study by suggesting how the insights from the study might provide support for others engaged in such initiatives and indicating how the topic may be further investigated.
"Living in two worlds" : optimizing our indigenous knowledge systems to address the modern pandemic, HIV and AIDS
(2013-11-15) Nyawose, Theobald Zwelibanzi; Conolly, Joan Lucy; Sienaert, Edgard
This thesis focuses on the alarming situation of the rate of HIV infection which is escalating every day in South Africa, and what can be done to address the rate of HIV infection. Much has been tried to curb this escalation, but all efforts have had little effect. This concerns me deeply. So I have looked at the problem from the perspective of education. I have personally experienced how Zulu indigenous knowledge, in the form of traditional modes of Zulu sexuality education, was used in the past to address the problems of sexually transmitted diseases, and pregnancy before it was sanctioned. I have seen that the rituals performed as part of traditional Zulu sexuality education have been effective. I believe that indigenous knowledge systems in the South African context refer to a body of knowledge embedded in African philosophical thinking and social practices that have evolved over thousands years. Indigenous knowledge systems acknowledge the rich history and heritage of the people as important contributors to nurturing the values and norms in society, and so form the basis of education for the people. I believe that our indigenous knowledge systems according to the dictates of rites and rituals observed by our forefathers can play a major role in the (sexuality) education of our youth, and can optimise our efforts to fight against the HIV and AIDS pandemic. This study focuses on the adolescent stage. Adolescence is a phase of discovery and experimentation in which young people develop new feelings, which (coupled with physical maturing) lead to exploring new behaviors and relationships, including sexual behaviours and sexual relationships. Therefore, I believe that adolescents should be targeted because they are just beginning to face social situations in which their decisions and actions about their sexual behaviours and sexual relationships will determine their future. In addition, adolescents are – or should be – school going, so they can be influenced by what is in their school curriculum. I have made suggestions about how the Life Orientation Grades 10—12 curriculum can be used to include traditional sexuality education for this purpose. In doing so, I do not suggest that all South African school going teenagers should perform the traditional Zulu rituals, but I am suggesting that the revival and adaption of traditional modes of sexuality education in all cultures could be helpful in the fight against the HIV and AIDS pandemic. I use the Zulu traditions because they are the traditions with which I am familiar. I have carried out this study to promote the use of Zulu traditional sexuality education to curb the rate of HIV infection among young Zulu people. I believe that this traditional method, if it is used optimally, can reduce the rate of infection and the speed of mortality, as well as the problem of early pregnancy among our Zulu youth, in South Africa.
My journey of awareness : a study in memory, identity and creative development
(2013-05-08) Pretorius, Anna M.; Conolly, Joan Lucy; Roome, John William
I believe that the election in 1994 of the first democratic government in South Africa has presented a challenge to all South Africans in different ways. I believe that one of the principal challenges that the 1994 elections presented to my conservative Calvinistic Afrikaner community was to address its personal, family, community, national and international identity/ies. Arising out of this perspective and perception, I have explored my and my family memory/ies to answer questions about my identity. My study is a journey of awareness: a self-study exploring my identity through critical self-reflection and the development of my art practice. My self-study is multi- disciplinary: it employs interchangeable methodologies allowing for various forms of knowledge generation. My journey of awareness is a “living theory” in which I have developed my “living standards of judgement” and addressed my “living contradictions” (Whitehead 1985; 1989; 2008a; b; c; d). My study illustrates the symbiotic research and creative process of developing an understanding of my identity as a white Afrikaans woman through practicing my art. My art practice assisted in the action/reflection process as well acting as a tool for social action and transformation.
A narrative self-study : how do I demonstrate my multi-cultural origins in my art of fashion?
(2014) Madubela, Thandiwe Elsie; Scott, Lee; Conolly, Joan Lucy
My study is a qualitative research self-study. The aim of the study is to demonstrate how my multi-cultural origins have created in me my unique South African-ness and how this uniqueness has manifested in my art of fashion design. As a critically reflective practitioner-researcher trying to improve my professional practice, I have used multiple methodologies to answer the question in the title of my introspective study, “A Narrative Self-Study: How do I demonstrate my multi-cultural origins in my art of fashion?” I have used critical reflection, action research, narrative enquiry, and auto-ethnography to account for how my discovery of my amaXhosa and amaMpondo roots has interacted with my Bosotho-ness, and my Born-again Christian awareness. I have thus transformed my understanding of myself, my values, my beliefs about myself and the world around me. I collected the data in a number of different ways: I reflected on the lived experiences of my childhood; I observed and participated in cultural rituals, and reflected on these lived experiences; I used unstructured interviews to talk to many people who provided information which I recorded using a digital camera and took notes. These experiences and reflections enabled me to develop a Mix-and-Match Fusion Fashion design range of outfits. My Mix-and-Match Fusion Fashion design range incorporates a number of elements which identify with all of my cultural origins. I believe that my Mix-and-Match Fusion Fashion range demonstrates my South African-ness in my art of fashion design. It represents and expresses, symbolizes and celebrates the transition of my beliefs and understanding of my journey of self-discovery involving my five personas. I have used visual methodologies to analyse my designs and employed visual analysis to discuss my findings. I believe that Africans are increasingly proudly wearing and accepting their traditional attire as high fashion. I believe that the design of my Mix-and-Match Fusion Fashion range is suitable for the Southern African market, and demonstrates that I have effectively used my multi-cultural origins to improve my art of fashion.
The relationship between script and image with specific reference to the work of Celeste van der Merwe, Willem Boshoff and Barbara Kruger
(2012-09-10) Van der Merwe, Celeste; Roome, John William; Conolly, Joan Lucy
The crux of my thesis is the study of the relationship of script and image in the work of contemporary arts. I chose to focus on three selected artists, i.e. myself, Celeste van der Merwe, a local South African male artist named Willem Boshoff and an international female artist, Barbara Kruger. My intention was to write a readable self-study thesis that would be both informative and educational while simultaneously appealing to the heart of the reader. In order to realise this intention, I focussed on how the above-mentioned artists used script and image to address social issues prevalent in society today. I also made social statements through the medium of my art based on the familiar allegory, Little Red Riding Hood. My aim has been to address the breakdown of the family structure by focussing on the suffering of teenagers as a result of dysfunctional family structures and behaviours. I explored the powerful and provocative manner in which Barbara Kruger effectively wields the combination of script and image in her work. Boshoff on the other hand is a South African linguist who incorporates script in a variety of disciplines such as installations, visual poetry, concrete poetry, sculpture. In my own art I deconstructed and transformed materials and found that the process of breaking down and rebuilding reflected the breakdown and restoration in/of the lives of children. By consciously investigating my practice as a creative artist using script and image I have gained a better understanding of myself and I believe I am now able to improve my practise. Through this self-study research I have grown in self-discovery and self-actualization as an artist and have developed as a researcher. Finally, I concluded that the relationship between script and image is open-ended, not conclusive and differs in each work of art.
The role of education in land restitution, redistribution and restrictions as individual, group and national empowerment through land reform
(2013) Yeni, Clementine Sibongile; Conolly, Joan Lucy; Sienaert, Edgard
This study is focused on the role of education to improve awareness of two critically important aspects of the South African situation 19 years after the first democratic elections in 1994. In the first instance, the study aims to augment the grades 10-12 Life Orientation curriculum to promote understanding and appreciation of land rights as human rights for every citizen in South Africa to address the social injustices of the past. In the second instance, the study focuses on grades 10-12 Agricultural Sciences curriculum to ensure that every learner who leaves school is in a position to care for land responsibly, and to use land productively for his or her own benefit and the benefit of others in the future. These foci have been informed by numerous interactions with people in four small communities on the Southern KwaZulu-Natal coast, who have been victims of landless as a result of the Group Areas act of 1960, and are claiming restitution for the land lost, and are required by law to make the restituted land productive. The study records first hand stories told about land ownership, landless, land claims, land restitution, and land (ab)use stories, in the form of narratives, such as autobiographies, auto-ethnographies, accounts of action research and self study. My research participants and I are the authors of our land stories. We tell our stories as a way of making the private public in the interests of a fair and just society. The forms of presentation include narratives, dialogues, playlets, literary references and critical reflections. The perspectives used include the native worldview, rurality as a dynamic, generative and variable milieu, the orality-literacy interface, the effect of oppression, and values and beliefs, customs and mores which (in)form a civil and civilised society. During the course of the study, the role of stories to reveal what is happening in the lives of those people most affected by unjust laws, and to empower them to take action in their own best interests became evident. The major role of education in land reforms cannot be overemphasized, which is why I have used what I have discovered from the many interactions with many people to inform two grades 10-12 school curricula: the grades 10-12 Life Orientation curriculum and the grades 10-12 Agricultural Sciences curriculum .
Telling tales : pictograms as a visual voice
(2013-10-17) Scott, Lee; Carey, Piers; Conolly, Joan Lucy
In this critically reflective self-study I have illustrated how my research in the field of Graphic design has been purposeful in creating a visual voice to express myself, improve my practice as an artist, teacher, and visual activist and in turn create an alternate voice for others. My study includes the conceptualization of the pictographic cards that I have named PicTopics, their value as an educational tool and their pertinence as visual prompts. My research questions have included exploring the role of the PicTopics in communicating a story or message, and how they could be pertinent to my practice as an artist, researcher, teacher and social being. My methodology, under the umbrella of self-study, has explored the living social, educational, and artistic values associated with fun, playing, creativity and wellbeing as a way to improve my practice. I used the PicTopic in a variety of settings - with the public at an art gallery to record their stories, in the classroom as creative prompts and as a way to inspire and conceptualize the practical artistic component of this study. I believe that the PicTopics when used as prompts can trigger and cultivate storytelling, enable engagement between people and open communication channels between the educator, and students. The PicTopics have become a thread between my living theories which are linked with my values and beliefs, my practice as an artist and my role as an educator and social transformer.
Towards the biochemical nature of learning and its implication for learning, teaching and assessment : a study through literature and experiences of learners and educators
(2013-10-16) Timm, Delysia Norelle; Conolly, Joan Lucy; Sienaert, Edgard
In this study I have explored scientific insights towards establishing how the biochemistry of the human being could have a significant impact on human learning in a number of different ways. I have discovered that the biochemistry within the whole human being is triggered by the molecules of emotion occurring in a psychosomatic network active throughout the whole being. The molecules of emotion are neuropeptides such as endorphins, linked to their receptors, such as opiate receptors. This triggering of the molecules of emotion constitutes the pleasure principle which enables and encourages learning. In addition, the growth of myelin ensheathing all the neurons, through a process of myelination, also informs human learning biochemically. These biochemical processes make human learning ‘active’. These biochemical processes also constitute a network of subtle energies operating in the viscera of all human beings, and so account for the anthropology of learning, viz. what is common to all human learning, regardless of ethnic group, language, economic circumstances, religious belief system, level of education, social class, age, gender, rural or urban location, inter alia. I have then drawn on my own learning experiences – my autobiography - and the experiences of others – an autoethnography - for evidence of the operation of the biochemistry in my and their learning. I have presented evidence of the emotions of joy, love and fun activating whole-being-learning that occurs in all of personal, spiritual and educational human learning. I have described my living spiritual and living educational theory as one where human learning happens when there is joy-filled love and love-filled joy within a safe community of practice. Within this safe community of practice, at least three aspects are argued to be features of whole-being-learning:  the relationships between the learners, their teachers and the subject are characterised by joy-filled love and love filled joy.  the talents and gifts of both the learners and the teachers are explored, celebrated, and used for inclusive benefit.  the knowledges of, about, and between, learners and teachers become integrated and coherent. My original contributions to the body of scholarly knowledge evidenced by my study include the following :  I have established the link between human learning as a biochemical process and the efficiency of games as a learning tool, thereby showing the link between learning and fun.  I have explored the holistic, organic intrinsic connections between personal, spiritual and educational human learning.  I have contributed to a growing understanding of the study of self as a subject and object in terms of my ways of human knowing (my epistemology), my ways of being human (my ontology) and my values (my axiology) which (in)form my attitudes of joy-filled love and love filled joy in all that I do.