Unisa Press Journals (University of South Africa)
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Violence in Psychiatric Inpatient Wards: Insights from the Persian Version of the Brøset Violence Checklist
No full textThis cross-sectional study evaluated the validity and reliability of the Brøset Violence Checklist (BVC) in predicting violent behaviour among psychiatric ward patients in Iran. Additionally, the study aimed to identify demographic and clinical predictors associated with violent acts. It addressed 147 patients in the psychiatric wards of a university hospital north-west of Iran through a descriptive design. Demographic forms, BVC and the Staff Observation Aggression Scale-Revised were assessed. In this context, the translation and content validity and inter-observer reliability of the BVC were also evaluated. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics, the Chi-squared test, logistic regression, and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Thirty-six patients committed acts of violence. Pre-violent behaviours including boisterousness, physical and verbal threats and attacking objects differed significantly between violent and non-violent patients (p < 0.05), while confusion showed no significant difference. High BVC scores (OR = 6.705, 95% CI = 3.371–13.339, p < 0.001), a diagnosis of bipolar mood disorder (OR = 6.387, 95% CI = 1.077–37.884, p = 0.041) and schizophrenia (OR=19.633, 95% CI= 2.191–175.859, p = 0.008) were significant predictors of violent behaviour. ROC curve analysis identified a BVC cut-off point of 1.5 with a sensitivity of 0.89 and specificity of 0.84. There was a statistically significant difference in the incidence of violence was found between the two groups categorised by this cut-off (X2 = 63.96, p < 0.001). The BVC can be integrated into routine risk assessments during patient admission and hospitalisation in Iranian psychiatric wards
Economics and Economics Education: Crisis and Countermeasures
No full textThis commentary briefly reviews the intellectual history of macroeconomics in an informal way. It analyses mainstream economic theories and points out that they have failed to predict economic and financial crises because modern mainstream economics education is going astray. In response to the current crisis facing economics education, the commentary proposes reconstructing curriculum systems, innovating teaching methods, reforming evaluation systems, reshaping social responsibilities, and localising international experiences
In Honour of Oral Tradition : The Historical Category and Technique of Aesthetic Transfer and Its Decolonising Effect in Ben Okri’s Starbook
No full textImbuing contemporary literary traditions with African oral material is a fashionable and important practice, which gives African literature its unique epistemic texture and aesthetic sense. Contemporary writers of African literature borrow from African legends, myths, proverbs and riddles, and other folkloric material, thus realising a new approach to literature production. This article explores Ben Okri’s novel, Starbook, in search of how the writer advances the utilisation and transformation of folkloric material in the production of his narrative. It reveals the widespread utilisation of oral material in written African literature (with Starbook as an example)—aesthetic transfer. The article presents aesthetic transfer as a method that advances African oral material in archival and transformative ways, keeping the material alive and relevant. In Starbook, it appears in two categories, i.e., i) the literary category of oral tradition in the form of formulae genres such as riddles, parables, and proverbs; ii) the historical category of oral tradition in the form of narratives based on myths, legends, and history. The article focuses on the second category. It draws from the conceptual work of Charles Bodunde who says that current aesthetic practices among Black artists indicate a growing interest in the techniques of the oral artists who situate their art in the African social and cosmic settings. It adopts the textual analysis method, which is qualitative by nature, to explore Okri’s Starbook. The findings are that Okri harnesses certain material borrowed and moulded after guides gleaned from oral tradition such as myth, legend, history, and some stylistics or formulaic proclivities of storytelling.
Men Writing Women: A Software Reverse Engineering Perspective
No full textMen who set out to “speak” for women must deal with an insider-outsider dialectic that interrogates their motive and impacts their understanding of the female subject. In African literary studies, conversations about men’s feminist thought and practice have revolved around gender positionality, often leading to the conclusion that men cannot be feminists but can play auxiliary roles as pro-feminists. Through a close reading of David Mungoshi’s The Fading Sun (2009), the article explores the possibilities and limits of “man feminism” within a Zimbabwean context. In the process, it calls for an alternative, non-essentialist grammar for discussing man feminism. Situated within the theoretical framework of Africana Womanism, the article contends that privileging gender positionality in evaluating the feasibility of “man feminism” not only homogenises men’s ideological positions concerning feminism but also obstructs crucial insights into men’s feminist engagements. Although alive to underlying concerns about “man feminisms,” the article further argues that recognising and embracing men’s input can unlock new solidarities and opportunities for nuance in the African feminist discourse. These claims are advanced in a methodologically innovative way by adapting the computer science concept of software reverse engineering as a conceptual metaphor
Revisiting the Principles set out in Daniels: A Discussion of Basfour 3327 (Pty) Ltd v Thwala
No full textThis case note discusses the judgment in Basfour 3327 (PTY) Ltd v Thwala (LCC160/2017) [2022] ZALCC 20. It revisits principles set out in Daniels v Scribante 2017 (4) SA 341 (CC) to show that, although consent is not a requirement for an occupier to improve an existing dwelling to align it with dignity, meaningful engagement with the owner is necessary. Despite the occupation needs occupiers might have, Daniels is context sensitive and therefore not a blanket authority to construct a new dwelling. This note affirms that Thwala can be distinguished from Daniels: in Thwala, the occupiers were not involved in improving their existing dwelling to make it habitable. Instead, they were constructing a new dwelling outside the demarcated area, without the owner’s consent. Where a dwelling is not habitable and it is necessary to construct a new one, it must be done after meaningful engagement between the occupiers and the owner in accordance with the general guidelines set out in Daniels. The Thwala judgment should be welcomed for speaking out against the violation of the rights and/or interests of owners by occupiers
Racial and Gender-Based Inequality in School Completion in South Africa: An Expression of Socioeconomic Disparity
No full textSocioeconomic disparities reveal unfair imbalances in the distribution of economic, political, and social resources. They stifle social mobility and hinder economic growth and development. This article discusses the expressions of socioeconomic inequalities and their implications. Given the importance of education in addressing socioeconomic disparities, it documents differences in secondary school completion by race and gender in South Africa. The consequences of these educational disparities are highlighted, and interventions are recommended. It uses nationally representative data from General Household Surveys from 2015 to 2019. Cross-tabulation and a chi-square test were used to indicate the inequalities in school completion based on race and sex. School completion, expressed as the proportion of those aged 21 to 23 years who have at least completed upper-secondary education, ranged from 48% in 2015 to 54% in 2019. Black and Coloured racial groups were significantly behind Asian and White racial groups over the years. This highlights a lingering phenomenon that has existed since the apartheid regime and emphasises the socioeconomic disadvantages of the Black and Coloured race. Though females were ahead of males in school completion, the gap was not as pronounced as observed among the racial groups. Concerted efforts to address this issue should be taken to prevent the recurring intergenerational transfer of socioeconomic disadvantage among Black and Coloured people in South Africa
Teachers’ Perspectives of African Languages in Teaching Mathematics: Is There a Place for Sepedi?
No full textLanguage and mathematics teaching has been a critical issue for decades. The debate in the African context is on using the mother tongue to teach mathematics or, alternatively, to use English with a more teaching-orientated mathematics register. During an ethnomathematics, indigenous games intervention programme, 14 participants from a rural district in the Limpopo province of South Africa were interviewed regarding the challenges they are currently experiencing in teaching mathematics in the Intermediate Phase (Grades 4 to 6). The medium of instruction at these schools is English in the Intermediate Phase, while in the Foundation Phase, the learners are taught mathematics in Sepedi, which is the mother tongue in the district. In the study, we aim to explore how language influences the teaching of mathematics in the Intermediate Phase. We found firstly that English is a barrier to learning for Intermediate Phase learners even though code-switching is used for understanding. Secondly, the debate developed on whether teachers should use mother tongue in Grade 4 or use English which may give the learners the cultural capital to pursue mathematics through later phases. Finally, there may not be a sufficient mathematics register in Sepedi for teachers to engage learners in deeper mathematical discourse and allow them to understand the mathematical concepts. We recommend that teachers be capacitated to use language in various ways when using Sepedi to enhance teaching mathematics. Future research endeavours will include working with a mathematics register in Sepedi and implementing it in mathematics classrooms
Comparative Analysis of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Islamic Educational Practices and Transmission: The Traditional Mahdarah in Mauritania
No full textThis article explored and compared the educational systems of indigenous societies and Islamic traditions, specifically focusing on traditional methods of education and knowledge transmission. Indigenous knowledge systems are often deeply rooted in their communities’ cultural contexts and environmental settings, employing oral traditions, storytelling, and experiential learning as crucial pedagogical tools. Similarly, Islamic educational practices emphasise the transmission of knowledge through rigorous oral traditions, most notably illustrated in the preservation and teaching of hadith. The study delves into the linguistic and oral components that play a pivotal role in preserving and disseminating knowledge within both frameworks. Language and oral traditions are integral to sustaining cultural identity and environmental stewardship in Indigenous communities. These communities often employ multi-generational oral transmission methods to teach social norms and spiritual beliefs. Similarly, in the Islamic tradition, the hadith—reports describing the words, actions, or habits of the Prophet Muhammad—are meticulously preserved through chains of oral transmission (isnād), highlighting the importance of memorisation, recitation, and verification of sources. The study employed a qualitative approach; through a comparative analysis, the article examined the strengths and challenges of these traditional educational methods, particularly in how they adapt to contemporary educational demands. It highlights the importance of preserving linguistic diversity and oral heritage in indigenous societies and reflects on how the principles of hadith transmission can offer insights into effective educational practices. A look at a sub-Saharan society like Mauritania demonstrates how its inhabitants have incorporated both indigenous and Islamic systems to develop a reasonably effective educational system known as the mahdarah. Documents and case studies from observations of Mauritanian scholars who have studied at these institutions are analysed. This study underscores the value of integrating traditional knowledge systems into modern education to foster a more holistic and culturally inclusive approach to teaching and learning
Exploring Innovative Approaches to Address Internet Accessibility Challenges among Library Staff
No full textThe article investigated novel strategies and solutions aimed at overcoming barriers related to internet accessibility faced by library staff. A qualitative research method was employed. Qualitative data collection methods were guided by the phenomenological research paradigm. Data collection was based on focus group discussions. The study found that sluggish internet accessibility is harrowing particularly when the task is urgent. It found that access to different internet sources, exercising patience, setting priorities for tasks, leaving a task undone and coming back to it when the situation improves, and making use of mobile hot spots or other connections are very helpful coping mechanisms when the internet is slow. Adaptability, self-encouragement, resilience, optimism, resourcefulness, and peer support are important in overcoming slow internet issues. The study recommends the need for library management to provide a constant backup internet connection, and ensure that staff must imbibe the culture of prioritisation of tasks to maximise results with available alternative resources. Also, staff should be resilient and ready to adapt in order to avoid the frustration and harrowing experience associated with slow internet accessibility and attend occasional training and workshops on remediating and coping strategies on slow internet accessibility for library staff. The study identifies novel coping mechanisms and makes practical recommendations. The study enriches our understanding of the complex dynamics surrounding slow internet accessibility in library settings
The Nature and Prevalence of Impulsive Behaviour in a South African University Sample
No full textImpulsive behaviour is a concerning phenomenon, closely linked to a range of adverse mental and physical health outcomes. It often manifests in risky sexual behaviour, excessive alcohol consumption, and reckless driving. University students appear particularly vulnerable to such behaviours, as they navigate the transition from high school to university and experience increased autonomy in their decision-making. Research has shown that economic and social inequality are key drivers of risky behaviour among young adults in developing societies, including African contexts, yet there is a lack of prevalence data, and much of the existing literature tends to focus primarily on risky sexual behaviour and substance use. This highlights the need to explore the nature and prevalence of other forms of risky behaviour within this context. The present study aimed to explore the prevalence and nature of impulsive behaviour in a sample of university students in South Africa. Using a quantitative approach and a cross-sectional design, the study recruited 532 psychology students aged 18–35 years from a South African university. The Impulsive Behaviour Scale (IBS) was administered across three year groups in a group setting. Data were analysed using SPSS Version 28, revealing a high prevalence rate (90%) of impulsive behaviour in the sample, with no significant gender differences. The most frequently endorsed behaviours included risky sexual activity, self-harm, impulsive spending, and excessive alcohol consumption. The findings have important implications for social workers and other mental health practitioners in the South African context