Unisa Press Journals (University of South Africa)
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A Sustainable Community Development Framework for Environmental Citizenship Empowerment
No full textA plethora of evidence indicates rapid industrialisation and urbanisation contributed significantly to the estranged relationship between humanity and nature. The environmentally pro-active mandate is clear. Ecological social work and environmental citizenship have become as popular catchphrases as their originator, sustainable development, in contemporary discourse. Yet, despite their growing popularity, conceptual and operational clarity for achieving sustainable community development through environmental citizenship empowerment remains a challenge. The global development agenda, reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals, is grounded in a holistic view of sustainability interdependent with well-being dimensions (health, income, education, housing, energy, sanitation, environment, transport, security, food, recreation and communication). The leading theory for community development——socio-ecological systems theory——is linked to different forms of community capital (ecological, physical, economic, human, social and cultural), which are collectively required for sustainable community development. Each is seen as a sub-system of the larger ‘community’ system interconnected with the status of the well-being dimensions and influenced by policies and legislation that unfold at micro to macro levels. Challenges to sustainable community development, and their solutions, are presented across these well-being dimensions, development levels and legislative policies which influence development initiatives. This paper discusses concepts of sustainable community development, environmental citizenship and the importance and relevance of socio-ecological systems theory in sustainable community development practice. It proposes a Sustainable Community Development Framework for environmental citizenship empowerment informed by the Triple Bottom Line pillars within the context of socio-ecological systems theory. It concludes with suggestions and recommendations to social service professionals for sustainable community development
“Say Not Her Name!” The Socio-Cultural Significance of Personal Name Avoidance Strategies for Shona Married Women:
No full textShona culture discourages people from addressing married women using their personal names. The article uses the socio-onomastic approach to discuss the socio-cultural significance of this personal name avoidance practice. Extant literature has looked at the general address system for different addressees in private and public settings. A study of honorific discourses that thrive on name avoidance for specific addressees is yet to be done among the Shona. This study gathered data using observation and semi-structured interviews with a sample of 100 participants. It established that clan praise names, kinship terms, and teknonyms are the personal name avoidance strategies used
The Prevalence of Corruption in Society as Depicted in Selected Xitsonga Poems: A Critical Discourse Analysis
No full textCorruption is prevalent in many spheres of life today. Media platforms such as radio, newspapers, and television, as well as electronic platforms like Facebook and X frequently discuss various forms of corruption in both the public and private sectors. Similarly, literature, essays, and other literary publications often address numerous types of corruption. This article examines how language is employed to represent various forms of corruption in selected Xitsonga poems. This study employs the critical discourse analysis (CDA) approach to investigate how language in selected Xitsonga poems reveals underlying power relations, ideological positions, and social structures associated with corruption. Poems depicting corruption have been selected from various poetry anthologies and critiqued to illustrate the types of corruption identified by Xitsonga poets. The article finds that poets are concerned and worried about the corruption taking place within Vatsonga communities. In conclusion, this article demonstrates how society, through the eyes of poets, feels about corruption
Neoliberal Debt Culture in Global Higher Education
No full textGlobal Higher Education (GHE) is undergoing direct and indirect underfunding, which results in institutional instability. Direct underfunding refers to the abrupt withdrawal of state subsidies to the public university, as witnessed by the political reaction of the Trump administration to Palestine solidarity movements in American higher education, among many others around the world. Indirect underfunding refers to the austerity measures being applied to the public university by governments advancing the neoliberal world system. These two connected underfunding measures birth systemic attacks on the civil liberties of students and staff, and they erode the core purpose of the public university. An underfunded public university in the market economy is compelled to take on debt to survive, and this creates an institutional crisis of instability. Paul Zeleza’s reading of GHE as a triad of a nationalist, developmental, and neoliberal university provides the theoretical depth to this study of this global phenomenon from its origins of colonial hierarchy, particularly from the six regions of the world with contested traditions of higher education: North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. The article adds two perspectives to critical studies of GHE: a critique of debt culture as the dominant option of running the public university, and a proposal to return to the original and liberating promise of the public university
Librarians to the Rescue! An LIS-Associated Workflow Model for the Rescue of Research Data at Risk
No full textThis study presents a data rescue workflow model and explores the potential roles and responsibilities of the library and information services (LIS) sector in rescuing at-risk data. The methodology was multifaceted, consisting of three distinct phases of data collection and analysis. First, content analysis was conducted on 15 purposively selected data rescue publications to identify key activities that are integral to the data rescue process. This phase resulted in the creation of an initial data rescue workflow model. Second, feedback was obtained from six experienced researchers at a South African research institute, chosen from a sample of criterion-based researchers, after they reviewed the initial model. This feedback was used to revise the model. Third, additional feedback on both the initial and revised models was gathered during a mini focus group session with three purposively selected LIS experts at the same research institute. This feedback was used to refine the model and develop a final recommended data rescue workflow model, which is presented in this study. The recommended model outlines the crucial stages, activities, and outputs of data rescue in a chronological sequence. The study’s outcomes provide new insights into data rescue and the involvement of LIS professionals, highlighting how various LIS experts can contribute to data rescue projects
The Foundations of the Early Church and Their Parallels in the Growth of Pentecostal Christianity in Nigeria
No full textThis study looks at the historical and theological roots of Pentecostal Christianity in Nigeria, from early 20th-century Bible schools to its contemporary status as a vibrant religious movement. It employs a qualitative research design, combining historical records, church documents, and modern interpretations to present a detailed view of the growth of Pentecostalism. The study focuses on specific examples, such as Bible lessons in Lagos, Ijebu-Ode, and Ilesa, as well as the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, which were chosen for their historical significance and representativeness of varied settings. These stories demonstrate how grassroots initiatives, scriptural teachings, and lay leadership all contributed to the growth of Pentecostalism. The findings not only show striking similarities between Nigerian Pentecostalism and the Early Church, especially in their focus on faith healing, prayer, and Holy Spirit-led worship, but also how the contemporary Church adjusts to local cultural and sociopolitical contexts. However, the study identifies gaps in theological continuity, such as a lack of emphasis on sacramental rituals and community ethics, which raises serious concerns about the selective appropriation of Early Church traditions. Finally, the study indicates that the long-standing influence of fundamental Christian teachings has profoundly altered Nigerian Pentecostalism, establishing it as a transformative movement with substantial theological and socioeconomic implications for the Nigerian religious landscape
A Historical Analysis of Gender Discrimination in the Johane Marange Apostolic Church: Insights from its Manicaland Province Headquarters
No full textThis paper presents a historical analysis of gender discrimination within the Johane Marange Apostolic Church, with a focus on its headquarters in Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe. The study explores the church’s doctrinal evolution, traditional gender roles, and marriage practices, highlighting their profound impact on the educational and economic opportunities of women. Rooted in both biblical interpretations and African cultural norms, the church’s teachings emphasise male authority and female subordination, perpetuating gender inequalities. The analysis is enriched by detailed case studies from Manicaland Province, illustrating women’s lived experiences and the intergenerational effects of these discriminatory practices. Furthermore, the paper compares the Johane Marange Apostolic Church with other African Initiated Churches (AICs) to contextualise its unique challenges and reform efforts. Despite significant resistance to change, there are emerging voices advocating for gender equality within the church, driven by increased awareness of human rights and external support. The paper concludes with recommendations for promoting gender equality through educational initiatives, legal reforms, community engagement, and support services, emphasising the need for a multifaceted approach that respects cultural and religious contexts while advancing women’s rights
Papering over the Cracks: The COVID-19 and Post-COVID South African Curriculum Policy Response
No full textThis article documents curriculum and assessment policy changes over four years (2020 to 2024) in South Africa in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and school closures. Early on, some changes were made to the national CAPS curriculum documents in the form of trimming content (2020), identifying “fundamental” knowledge (2020), and reviewing subject content (2022). The focus was on retaining the curriculum while allowing for flexibility in coverage through weakened controls over moderation, assessment, and promotion requirements, ceding most curriculum and assessment decisions to the school and classroom levels. Given a very unequal system, this meant that curriculum coverage and learning losses mapped onto and deepened pre-COVID-19 patterns of educational disadvantage. Post-COVID, a similar approach of devolution of curriculum decision-making to school and teacher level was taken. There were no attempts to recoup time in order to remediate learning losses, apart from later attempts in one province. Post-COVID, the Department of Basic Education tightened controls over coverage again but maintained leniency with respect to assessment and progression. During the pandemic the Department of Basic Education claimed remote solutions as a key mechanism for addressing curriculum coverage, despite very few learners having access to these. There were few mechanisms to address the severe educational impact of the pandemic, especially on learners in the poorest communities. The article argues that rather than address learning losses directly government strategies have masked them
The Conceptualisation of African Philosophy in the Novels of OK Matsepe
No full textOliver Kgadime Matsepe has a distinctive way of presenting his introductory paragraphs in all his nine novels, which is both fascinating and thought-provoking. The opening paragraphs reflect on life holistically, and this has led literary scholars who worked on Matsepe’s works to refer to it as a “philosophical introduction” (matseno a kakanyophelo). These introductions demonstrate a high level of thinking coupled with Matsepe’s philosophy about African life in general and human nature in particular. Moreover, the plot structure of his novels, including the themes, is profoundly captured in the philosophical introductions. In this article, the epistemological approach, which is part of the qualitative research design, shall be used as a research methodology to investigate the phenomenon. This is informed by the meaning and interpretation that shall be ascribed to the philosophical introductions sampled from the nine novels. African philosophy would serve as the basis of the literature review to demonstrate the connection between the philosophical introduction and African philosophy. Furthermore, the philosophical introductions shall be contextualised to demonstrate their reflection on the current global community in South Africa, even though his literature was published some 60 years ago. How could the current global society be shaped and conscientised by an African writer like Matsepe, who addresses critical societal issues such as jealousy, greed, selfishness, nepotism, corruption, diversity, gender issues, and leadership
Cross-Cultural Communication Challenges in Basic Military Training: The Case of Recruits in the South African Air Force
No full textThis article aims to explore the impact of cultural, linguistic, and racial diversity on the effectiveness of cross-cultural communication among Basic Military Training (BMT) recruits undertaking training in a cross-cultural communication environment within the South African Air Force (SAAF) Gymnasium, Hoedspruit. In addition to an extensive review of the literature on cross-cultural communication, this article uses Effective Interaction Workgroup Communication Theory (EIWCT) to expound on the interface between cultural diversity and cross-cultural communication. A piloted topic guide was administered to a purposively sampled number of BMT recruits, and data was thematically analysed to generate study findings. The study’s findings indicate that effective training of military recruits is impeded by cross-cultural differences that emerge with cultural stereotypes, linguistic and racial barriers in military camps. The study recommends a comprehensive cross-cultural communication strategy to enhance inclusivity, collaboration, and operational effectiveness in military training environments