Unisa Press Journals (University of South Africa)
Not a member yet
6222 research outputs found
Sort by
Northern Nigerian Literary Gender Discourse and the Dialectics of Tradition and Contemporaneity in Linda Jummai Mustafa’s What If…
No full textThis article examines the contribution of Northern Nigerian women to the development of Nigerian literature using Linda Jummai Mustafa’s What If… as a text of reference. The article discusses the contributions of previous Northern Nigerian women to the burgeoning Nigerian literature in relation to issues of Western education, culture, religion, and traditions that have served as encumbrances militating against the development of literature from the Northern region. The article examines various strands of feminist theories and settles on postcolonial feminism in the analysis of the text. Relevant materials were obtained from the internet while hard-cover books were also consulted as secondary materials. The primary text is subjected to critical analysis by focusing on the thematic foci, characters’ development, and narrative styles of the author. It is discovered that new female Northern Nigerian writers are more critical than their senior colleagues as Linda Jummai Mustafa deploys her work to challenge the institutions of marriage, religion, and culture contrary to the status quo. She also challenges patriarchal dominance among the people of Northern Nigeria. She concludes that for women to contribute their quota towards the development of the society, they must be educated. Therefore, she condemns issues of illiteracy among women, terrorism, and spread of HIV/AIDS, rape, and child/forced marriage, among others
The Implications of Ignoring the Cultural and Linguistic Needs of Children With Disabilities During Psychological Assessment: A Critical Analysis
No full textThis study explored the implications of leaving out the cultural and linguistic perspectives of children with disabilities during psychological assessment. Psychological assessment plays a pivotal role in identifying the needs of children with disabilities. However, traditional assessment tools often fail to account for cultural and linguistic diversity, which can negatively impact diagnostic accuracy and appropriateness of intervention. This article aimed to critically analyse the implications of ignoring the cultural and linguistic needs of children with disabilities during assessment through a comprehensive review of the literature. By examining existing literature, case studies, and expert opinions, the article aimed to promote awareness and understanding of the significance of cultural and linguistic considerations in psychological assessment, ultimately advocating for more inclusive and equitable practices
Analysis of the Existing Legal Framework and Sustainability of the Building a Better Tomorrow – Youth Initiative for Agribusiness (BBT-YIA) Programme in Tanzania
No full textThe Government of Tanzania, through the Ministry of Agriculture, has launched the Building a Better Tomorrow - Youth Initiative for Agribusiness (BBT-YIA) programme, which aims to transform agriculture into a business and create over 1.5 million jobs for youth and women by the year 2030. However, little is known about the existing environment for the programme\u27s sustainability. This study uses primary and secondary information to assess the adequacy of the existing legal framework in Tanzania for sustainable implementation of the BBT-YIA programme. Primary data were collected through key informant interviews, physical observations, and official interviews. Official interviews were held with personnel responsible for the BBT-YIA programme in the Ministry of Agriculture. Secondary data were collected through a review of various electronic and hard copy documents including published articles on youth empowerment. The findings show that the existing legal framework in Tanzania provides inadequate support for the sustainability of the BBT-YIA programme. Only national and international development plans were found to be well aligned with the BBT-YIA. Sustainable land and financial allocation, wider agricultural impact, positive youth economic growth, and structured implementation plans were found to lack specific legal backing. To this end, the study recommends instituting training and mentorship programmes, access to land and resources, market access and support services, research and innovation, environmental stewardship, and monitoring and evaluation
Science or Discretion? Factors that Influence Social Workers’ Decision-making in Rendering Foster Care Services
No full textScientific decision-making or discretion: what are the factors that influence the decision-making processes of social workers rendering foster care services? Social workers are required daily to decide whether a child at risk of harm and neglect should be moved to alternate care. A well-considered decision can result in positive outcomes, but a poorly conceived decision can have dire consequences for the child, biological parent and foster parents. This article is based on a study that investigated the factors that influence the decision-making processes of social workers rendering foster care services. The study employed a qualitative approach and a collective case study design. The population of the study was social workers and their supervisors rendering foster care services to government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Gauteng, South Africa. Purposive sampling and triangulation of data collection methods were used, namely, case file analysis and semi-structured interviews with social workers and supervisors. Both deductive and inductive data analysis approaches were adopted. Ethical clearance was obtained for the study, and before the commencement of data collection, participants were fully briefed about the study, and informed consent was obtained. Trustworthiness was addressed during the study. The findings on the factors influencing the decision-making process in the assessment phase, the placement phase, and the supervision phase will assist social workers in becoming more aware of factors that can consciously or unconsciously influence their decision-making. This will result in more uniform, transparent, and informed decision-making regarding the provision of foster care services
Transforming Didactic Methods: A New Vision for Kazakhstan’s Primary Education System
No full textThis study examines the current state of primary education in Kazakhstan, where traditional teaching methods may be insufficient for comprehensive student development. The purpose is to develop proposals for improving the educational system of primary schools in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The study employs a mixed-methods approach combining systematic analysis, deduction, classification, and comparison methods, along with a survey of 71 participants (12 teachers, 26 parents, and 33 students) to evaluate Kazakhstan’s primary education system, with data synthesis used to formulate recommendations for improving educational didactics. The results reveal that while the education system has strengths in providing comprehensive subject coverage and clear learning outcomes, it faces challenges such as insufficient attention to individual student needs, limited integration of information and communication technologies, and gaps in critical thinking development. The survey findings indicate generally positive perceptions of the educational environment, though with varying levels of satisfaction among different stakeholder groups. The study concludes that structural changes are needed in Kazakhstan’s primary education system, particularly in integrating modern pedagogical approaches and technologies
Destabilising Pedagogies Towards Intersectional Gender Justice
No full textAbstract
How and to what extent can pedagogies in higher education work towards disrupting injustices and promoting participatory parity for students? This article emerges from a doctoral study which explored this question through investigating the pedagogies of two undergraduate modules in the Women’s and Gender Studies department at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa. These modules draw on feminist and multimodal pedagogies and participatory learning and action techniques in seeking ways of disrupting conventional divides between activism and the academy to promote alternative forms of knowledge production. This article indicates that consistently centring and drawing on students’ lives and prior knowledges, connecting these to theory, and opening these up for dialogue and debate among differently positioned peers promotes students’ awareness of and insights into injustices stemming from hegemonic norms. Using students’ own contexts and diverse prior knowledges and lived experiences allows the development of critical thinking skills necessary to think beyond entrenched, essentialised norms and enables students to see how they are both products of and implicated in reproducing injustices. Sharing these moments of awareness, agency and activism in the classroom is a necessary first step in developing graduates who are committed to promoting social justice
The Lived Psychological Experiences of South African Female Offenders Coping in Involuntary Solitary Confinement
No full textInvoluntary solitary confinement (ISC) is a restrictive procedure with limitations, implemented as a disciplinary tool in correctional centres. ISC entails removing an offender from the institutional community, like general population incarceration, to a living situation where they are exclusively alone, with little-to-no-contact with other offenders and/or the institution’s staff. These limitations are associated with negative biopsychosocial effects that affect the offenders’ psychological wellbeing, particularly female offenders being a marginalised population in the correctional context, impacting their social reintegration into society. The article discusses the lived psychological experiences and coping mechanisms of female offenders in ISC with the aim of developing strategies aimed at supporting female offenders in ISC. A phenomenological research design and purposive and snowball sampling were utilised. Anonymity was ensured using pseudonyms. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data and data was analysed using the thematic data analysis technique
Examining Governance and Institutions in South Africa: An Analysis of Post-Apartheid Institutions
No full textSouth Africa is often lauded as the paragon of democracy on the African continent. Since the end of apartheid in 1994, the country has enjoyed a relatively stable democracy that has seen new presidents assuming the leadership. This paper explores South Africa’s institutional set-up post-1994 and how this is fundamental in protecting the country’s democracy. Providing the African context where some countries shifted to one-party states, this paper argues that South Africa avoided the trajectory followed by countries such as Zambia and Zimbabwe. Drawing on path dependence, it highlights that despite this divergence, South Africa inherited an uneven system that has contributed to the persistent disparities between the rich and the poor. The apartheid systems that once governed the country are still at play today; as a result, issues such as unemployment remain widespread. Chapter Nine institutions, as outlined in the South African Constitution, are mechanisms designed to protect and uphold democracy. The advent of state capture demonstrated their importance: without them, it is likely that state capture would have gone unchecked, further undermining the country’s democratic functions. This paper emphasises that, as South Africa commemorates 30 years of democracy in 2024, there must be concerted efforts to strengthen these institutions against threats such as state capture, which erode the foundations of democracy
The Speaker in the New Constitutional Design in South Africa: Has Independence Turned into Partisanship?
No full textThe Speaker as head of the National Assembly—the popular chamber of Parliament—has emerged as a crucial institution in South Africa’s new constitutional design. The office is expected, among other functions, to steer the National Assembly to ensure that the executive branch of government is held accountable. Accountability is a foundational value of the new constitutional dispensation in terms of section 1(d) of the Constitution. Parliament’s role of holding the executive accountable is concretised in section 55(2) of the Constitution. The notion that Parliament will exercise oversight over the executive is based, among others, on the presumption that the Speaker, as the leader of the National Assembly, will be independent, impartial and fair when discharging her functions. However, the past 30 years have demonstrated that this presumption is incorrect. The sections of the Constitution related to the appointment of the Speaker, her removal from office, and the exercise of the Speaker’s functions in general suggest that the office is inherently partisan. The practice also points to a partisan rather than independent speakership. The purpose of this article is to critique the presumption of the Speaker’s independence. The article uses two practical examples in contemporary constitutional history—the Nkandla and Phala Phala sagas—to demonstrate that the institution is inherently partisan in its broader constitutional scheme and praxis
Improving Legislative Protection for Whistleblowers of Corruption in South African Municipalities
No full textWhistleblowing is widely recognised as a critical mechanism for preventing and combating corruption in South African municipalities. However, whistle-blowers often face severe retaliation, creating a climate of fear that discourages reporting and ultimately undermines anti-corruption efforts. This article explores how legislative protections for whistleblowers can be strengthened to enhance accountability and transparency in local governments. Using a doctrinal research approach, the study identifies essential components of an effective whistleblowing framework and critically evaluates existing South African legislation governing whistleblowing on corruption in municipalities. The analysis reveals significant gaps in legal protection, which demands urgent reform. To address these shortcomings, the article proposes nine key elements that should be incorporated into South African whistleblowing legislation to ensure a robust and secure reporting system