Faculty of Arts and Design
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Item Coverage of climate change : graduate students’ climate change policy awareness and assessment of Ghanaian media(Common Ground Research Networks, 2019) Adjin-Tettey, Theodora DameGhana's recognition of the adverse effects of climate change has compelled the government to put in place a National Climate Change Policy (NCCP), while highlighting the critical role of communication. In the light of this, the study attempts to establish what audience members (graduate students) perceive of how the media are taking up the role of providing the needed information on climate change. Results showed that there is high exposure to television and radio among this audience and the dominant source of climate change information is television. More respondents were aware of global policies and initiatives on climate change than national or local policies. Respondents also have a rather negative perception about the extent to which Ghanaian legacy media are communicating climate change. Respondents expect the media to give maximum attention to climate change communication. The top-three topics they want from climate change communication in the media are: effects of climate change; how to prevent climate change; and how to deal with effects of climate change.Item The use of graphic design materials as a resource to address the issue of literacy acquisition in rural schools of the Eastern Cape(2014-01) Somlenze, Mzomhle; Pratt, Deirdre DeniseCurrently, literacy acquisition is one of the major problems facing South African education. Despite tremendous efforts made to deal with this problem over the past few years, literacy acquisition remains a major challenge in South African schools particularly for those schools in rural areas. These problems are caused predominantly by poor infrastructure, lack of good reading habits, inadequate support of literacy activities and illiteracy at home. It is the position of this study that literacy acquisition programmes should expand beyond traditional methodologies by making use of visual strategies such as this one, as in different cases, the use of visual images proved more effective; for example in health campaigns. This dissertation, then, sets out to investigate how graphic design materials could be used as a resource in an attempt to address the issue of literacy acquisition in rural schools of the Eastern Cape. This was achieved by studying how learners responded to the use of graphic design materials which were designed specifically for this investigation; it could then be seen how the learner’s responses to these materials might affect the acquisition of literacy. An in-depth investigation with the Grade Six learners from three rural schools (two from the Eastern Cape and one from KwaZulu Natal) was conducted as part of a phenomenological research process to provide variations and comparable research outcomes, and was carried out from within both the emic and etic viewpoints. This meant that the researcher was privy to both the participants’ world (from his own childhood background in the Eastern Cape) and his (more recently acquired) researcher’s point of view. Findings include a reflection on learner’s experiences as well as on the context or the conditions of the learners’ everyday lives. The goal was to focus on participant’s experiences as they experienced them in their lived world. The research outcomes are discussed in terms of how the current schooling conditions affect literacy acquisition in rural schools, and, to counter this, what effect learners’ responses to the visual images, in particular, might have on literacy acquisition. In all these three schools, the study suggested that the use of these graphic design materials has amongst other things, made reading fun and easy to understand. This study concludes by reflecting on the research outcomes and offering suggestions as to how graphic design materials could be used to address some of the problem identified by this investigation. It is thought that the originality of the research lies in the starting point and focus of literacy acquisition being the visual aspect of storytelling, rather than the verbal, and in moving from the visual to the verbal, using narrative as the bridge exploiting the connection between the two.Item From apprenticeship to freedom : an analysis of art workshop trends in Africa(Durban University of Technology, 2019) Adewumi, Kehinde ChristopherThis paper focuses on the dynamic trends in the establishment and operation of art workshops in Africa. Workshop here does not refer to the space in which an artist produces their work; rather, it connotes a collaborative and interactive platform on which artists come together as peers, regardless of age, gender, social status and professional qualification, to share ideas and/or produce art. Thus, several artists have, through such platforms, fostered professional relationships, pushed their creative boundaries, as well as encountered and explored new materials, techniques and contexts. However, fundamental changes have occurred over the years in the operational methodologies of these art workshops, from the colonial era to the contemporary period. Adopting the postcolonial approach, this paper examines the shift in the operational aim and approach of these art workshops. The paper also considers the creative implications of such shifts in trends.Item Television violence : a reflection of the views of children in South Africa(2012) Usadolo, Sam Erevbenagie; Gwauya, Tafadzwa TsitsiContrary to what is commonly available in literature, this study examines children’s view about their understanding of television violence. The participants were selected using a stratified sampling procedure. The data analysed showed that the children are very conscious of violent contents on their televisions and would eschew it where possible. Findings about younger participants in the study show that they believe television violence is real as opposed to older ones. The children’s views about the WWE wrestling came along gender line and age. The older boys and the young participants of both sexes (58%) believe WWE wrestling is real as opposed to 42 percent who are mainly girls of older ages. Regarding their favourite characters, the female participants prefer characters who are funny, nice and with good personality. Boys, on the other hand prefer characters with actions and full of energy. Finally, the data showed that the children would imitate their favourite characters based on their discernment of what is good. This, in other words shows that the children are able to make critical judgement of television characters’ behavioursItem Views from the margins : theorising the experiences of black working-class students in academic development in a historically white South African university(AOSIS, 2019) Hlatshwayo, Mlamuli N.; Fomunyam, Kehdinga GeorgeA significant amount of South African literature on academic development often focuses on the ideological and theoretical shifts that have occurred within the academic development field across different periods in the country – tracing different phases within the field, broadly termed, ‘academic support’, ‘academic development’ and ‘higher education development’. One of the gaps that have been identified in this literature is often the silence regarding the experiences of the black students themselves in academic development, and to what extent being in the programme has made a difference to their university experiences. This article attempts to fill this gap by critically exploring and theorising the complex experiences of black working-class South African students in an academic development programme in a historically white higher education institution. To effectively make sense of their experiences, French philosopher Pierre Bourdieu’s theory on capital was employed in this article. Participants were purposely recruited using snowball sampling and 32 black working-class students participated in the study. The findings of this study suggest that academic development in a historically white university is a complex field of forces that require further critical interrogation and theorisation. Students’ experiences of academic development are often complex and at times contradictory with some seeing the value of the programme, and others rejecting it and looking at it as an extension of their marginality in a historically white higher education institution.Item Value and limitations of broad brush surveys used in community-randomized trials in Southern Africa(SAGE Publications, 2019-04) Bond, Virginia; Ngwenya, Fredrick; Murray, Emma; Ngwenya, Nothando; Viljoen, Lario; Gumede, Dumile; Bwalya, Chiti; Mantantana, Jabulile; Hoddinott, Graeme; Dodd, Peter J.; Ayles, Helen; Simwinga, Musonda; Wallman, Sandra; Seeley, JanetWe describe and reflect on a rapid qualitative survey approach called "Broad Brush Survey" (BBS) used in six community-randomized trials (CRTs)/studies in Zambia and South Africa (2004-2018) to document, compare, classify, and communicate community features systematically for public health and multidisciplinary research ends. BBS is based on a set sequence of participatory qualitative methods and fieldwork carried out prior to a CRT intervention and/or research by social scientists to generate rapid community profiles using four key indicators: physical features, social organization, networks, and community narratives. Profiling makes apparent similarities and differences, enabling comparison across communities and can be facilitated by an ideal model of open-closed systems. Findings have provided practical outputs (e.g., community profiles) and academic opportunities (e.g., community typologies). The BBS approach enables complex social landscapes to be incorporated in CRTs. This method has proven to be useful, adaptable and to have multidisciplinary appeal.Item A reflection on ethical and methodological challenges of using separate interviews with adolescent-older carer dyads in rural South Africa.(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2019-07-08) Gumede, Dumile; Ngwenya, Nothando B.; Namukwaya, Stella; Bernays, Sarah; Seeley, JanetThis article discusses our reflections on ethical and methodological challenges when conducting separate interviews with individuals in dyads in the uMkhanyakude district, South Africa. Our work is embedded in an ethnographic study exploring care relationships between adolescents and their older carers in the context of a large-donor funded HIV programme. We use these reflections to discuss some of the challenges and present possible management strategies that may be adopted in conducting dyadic health research in resource-poor settings.Methods
Drawing from the relational agency, three rounds of separate interviews and participant observation were undertaken with dyads of adolescents aged between 13 and 19 and their older carers aged 50+ from October 2017 to September 2018. A reflexive journal was kept to record the interviewer's experiences of the whole research process. We identified methodological and ethical challenges from these data during the thematic analysis.Results
A total of 36 separate interviews were conducted with six pairs of adolescent-older carer dyads (n = 12 participants). Five themes emerged: recruitment of dyads, consenting dyads, confidentiality, conducting separate interviews with adolescents and older carers, and interviewer-dyad interaction. We also illustrated how we dealt with these challenges.Conclusions
Results from this study can guide the recruitment, consenting and collecting data for health studies that employ a similar form of enquiry in LMICs. However, ethical and methodological challenges should be recognised as features of the relationships between cross-generation dyads rather than weaknesses of the method.Item How citizen camera-witnessing has been incorporated by Health-e : an investigation into the integration of citizen generated news into the traditional news cycle(2019-04) Cross, Sheetal; Thakur, SurendraRecent rapid technological development has driven mass communication growth through the use of digital and social media platforms. Easier global new access has resulted in a multitude of changes within the media industry. These extend to include the influence of traditional media houses over the communication agenda as well as the manner in which news is produced, disseminated, and consumed. The historic relationship between news media and its audience was a one-way communication stream. However, evolving trends in technology and digital influence has prompted a paradigm shift in favour of a more interactive communication model. In this context, the audience is provided with the opportunity to respond to news information in real-time in an online space. The rise of mobile journalism has also promoted greater access to information with a shorter turnaround time for exposure. This expedition of media sharing has led to an influx of information access not previously afforded to the ordinary citizen. Through the influence of information and communications technologies (ICTs), the audience is no longer merely a consumer of news, but participates actively in the process of news gathering, dissemination, promotion, and consumption. The rise of technologies that support audience participation ushered in the emergence of citizen journalism and citizen camera-witnessing as a phenomenon that challenges several conventions inherent to traditional methods of media reporting. However, little is known about how such developments have affected the manner in which news is produced and consumed in the South African setting. Therefore, a need has arisen to understand how citizen journalism and citizen camerawitnessing have been incorporated as part of the news reporting cycle in the local environment. In response to this research challenge, a qualitative interpretivist study was undertaken to explore how citizen journalism and citizen camerawitnessing have been incorporated by Health-e as part of the news cycle in South Africa. Toward this end, thematic analysis, guided by the Media Synchronicity Theory as a theoretical lens, was performed on the qualitative data obtained from the semi-structured interviews that were conducted with management and staff members at a local organisation named Health-e News. In conclusion, this study provided novel evidence on how (such) changes have been incorporated into a more formal setting within the media industry, where traditional journalists and citizen journalists are employed in a more collaborative partnership. In addition, this study observed the news media watchdog element regarding government regulations where health is concerned, and regarding some of the challenges that arose when news coverage on serious health crises were left uncovered.Item Connecting technology and sensory design : a collaborative approach to designing university learning environments in a digital age(2018-11) Parker, Megan; Reynolds, Michelle C.; Gaede, RolfThis study explores how technology-enhanced learning (TEL) environments may be designed to stimulate the human senses. The research examines how interior designers can improve the design of learning environments to integrate seamlessly with emerging technologies, focusing specifically on how to provide students with an embodied and improved learning experience. The research challenges the notion that a need exists to connect technology and sensory design. The aim was to discover how a collaborative design approach could be used to assist interior designers to overcome the challenges they face when accommodating technology and the senses in university learning environments. The study followed an action research approach, situated in the interpretative inquiry paradigm. The sample population was comprised of various professional specialists from South Africa and the United States of America. Online interviews, focus group discussions, reflection questionnaires and an academic research journal were used to gather data. The findings describe and illustrate the challenges which interior designers face when designing learning environments in the digital age. To connect technology and the senses effectively, interior designers need to find a balance between integrating technology, stimulating the senses and encouraging collaborative learning. The study makes a strong case for a collaborative design approach when designing TEL environments, as the wider range of knowledge and skills leads to more informed decisions.Item Hypocoristics in isiZulu anthroponomy(2019-02-01) Zungu, Evangeline Bonisiwe; Zulu, Sylvia Phiwani; Bariki, IsaiahThis article focuses on the context and meaning of hypocoristics in isiZulu. The analysis provided is based on names collected randomly within the isiZulu speaking community. The objective of this paper is to discuss hypocoristics in isiZulu, one of the eleven official languages of South Africa which is also spoken in slightly different forms in other countries of the sub southern African region. Hypocoristics has a variety of definitions. Depending on the context, it could mean one of the following. 1. An expressive or informal form of a proper name that derives morphologically from a personal name. E.g. Bill and Dick for William and Richard respectively in English. 2. A diminutive form of a personal name. 3. An affective diminutive form of a personal name. 4. A familiar personal name modified by abbreviation. 5. An expressive form of a child language that sometimes renders the personal name unrecognisable. 6. A nickname