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A critique of social networking services within the public sphere of the 21st century
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Food: environment, security and experiences of students at the University of the Free State
No full textDissertation (M.Sc.(Nutrition and Dietetics))--University of the Free State, 2021Background and motivation: The high influx of students from lower socio-economic backgrounds attending universities and their struggle with acquiring nutritious food have been cited as barriers to students' higher learning. Numerous studies show that students are food insecure compared to the overall population. Many student initiatives to curb hunger among students in South African Higher Education Institutions are under pressure owing to the increasing need for food assistance. This study aimed to explore how students experience the concept of 'feeding themselves’ within their current food environments on and off-campus and whether these experiences are associated with food insecurity. These insights may help address students' well-being, which is vital for academic success. Method: A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted. A self-administered electronic survey was made available via Evasys in early May 2020 to all 42 282 registered students at the University of the Free State (UFS). The framework developed by Turner et al. (2018) was used to create questions related to the personal domain of the food environment that students were exposed to while studying at the UFS, which entails four separate constructs, namely accessibility, affordability, convenience and desirability of food. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 10-item tool included in the questionnaire to assess students' prevalence and severity of food insecurity at the UFS during the reference period as described above. Descriptive statistics were expressed as frequencies and percentages for categorical data, and medians and interquartile ranges for numerical data. Associations were investigated by crosstabulation and chi-square, Fisher's exact and Wilcoxon rank tests as applicable. Results: A total of 1 387 participants provided consent and participated in the study. Most students (80.9%) were single, and approximately half were first-generation students (54.1%). According to institutional statistics, 68.2% of participants received National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) to fund their studies. The majority of participants (79.2%) indicated receiving a stipend for food and living expenses. Overall, 8% and 17.1% of participants were classified as having high and marginal food security levels, respectively; and together, these participants were classified as food secure (25.1%). Conversely, 23.4% and 51.5% of participants were classified as having low and very low food security, respectively, and these two categories combined constituted the food insecure students (74.8%). Black, African males and first-generation students, had the highest percentages of food insecurity. Food insecurity was significantly (p<.05) associated with gender (p<.0001), race (p<.0001), relationship status (p=.001), level of study (p=.0002), campus (p<0.0001), faculty (p<.0001), and family history of graduates (p<.0001). Students who received NSFAS were significantly more likely to be food insecure than those who did not. Price, convenience and familiarity of food were identified as the most important factors in guiding food purchases, significantly more so for the most insecure students (p<.0001). Almost three-quarters of participants (70.1%) reported buying ready-to-eat food from street vendors and these students were significantly more likely to do so compared to food insecure students (p<.0001). Less than half of the participants (40.7%) ate breakfast before class. Students classified as very food insecure were least likely to eat breakfast (p<0001). The most food insecure students relied fully on public transport for shopping and indicated that food was expensive, and that shopping was very time consuming when they would rather study. Most indicated that they go shopping for groceries and ingredients only once (59.3%) or twice (18.0%) per month. A quarter (24.5%) carried their shopping home over fairly long distances on foot, while another 31.2% paid for private cabs or shuttle services. The most food-insecure participants were more likely to buy their food from street vendors and Shoprite (p<.0001). Students were reluctant to pool resources for buying and preparing meals in groups, mostly because of not being able to contribute equally. Most participants, particularly the very food insecure students, kept their groceries and produce in their bedroom cupboards and most only had access to very limited fridge and freezer space, if at all. Access to cooking facilities and utensils, as well as lack of confidence in their own cooking skills, and lack of skills to budget and plan ahead for food shopping, emerged as themes that contributed to food insecurity. Conclusion: The study showed that students face numerous obstacles to obtaining food during the academic term. Cross-tabulation of students' food security with food environment factors revealed that students with very low food security were statistically significantly (p<.05) disadvantaged on multiple counts when compared to their food secure peers. It may be driving vulnerable students further down the food insecurity continuum towards hunger by not paying attention to their campus food surroundings, which may significantly impact their physical and mental health and academic progress
Investigating the prevention and mitigatory role of risk communication in the COVID-19 pandemic: a case study of Bloemfontein, South Africa
No full textThe South African disaster response activities surpass risk reduction since the implementation of the Disaster Management Act 57 of 2002 (DMA) and the National Disaster Management Framework of 2005 (NDMF). Risk reduction, in particular risk communication, remained unexploited until the occurrence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The legislation and policy mandate a proactive approach for disaster management, requiring a focus on disaster risk reduction. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the significance of risk communication as a critical prevention and mitigatory strategy in disaster risk management, focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic. Key to risk communication success is ensuring adequate comprehension, accurate perception of the disseminated information, and compliance with regulations. Questions of trustworthiness, acceptability, effectiveness, and usefulness of messages and
strategies communicated sought answers from the Bloemfontein population. Furthermore, the Agenda-setting Theory provided the grounding for the study. The study sample was picked in a stratified random sampling manner, using the confidence level and margin of error equation. A questionnaire survey was used to collect the data required to achieve the research objectives. Risk communication as a disaster risk reduction strategy implemented concurrently with imposed regulations was found to have played a vital role in mitigating the virus spread. However, the respondents were not aware of the local disaster management centre, which is supposed to be engaged in COVID-19 disaster management activities.Publisher's versio
Experiences of health care professionals working with childhood malnutrition in the Xhariep District, Free State
No full textIntroduction: Childhood malnutrition remains a global health crisis where more than 149 million children are stunted. The rate of childhood malnutrition is a persistent issue in South Africa, where many challenges exist regarding management. Priority nutrition interventions aimed at lessening the burden of malnutrition have been identified; however, several challenges hamper progress in achieving the country’s goal to reduce the prevalence of malnutrition. By identifying the experiences of health care professionals, who treat childhood malnutrition daily at an operational level, their experiences can be recorded, and aid policy makers understand the factors that presently affect the management of malnutrition from the health professionals’ perspectives. Aim: This study aims to describe the experiences of health care professionals during the management of childhood malnutrition. Methods: The study followed a typical descriptive design using a qualitative approach. Six healthcare professionals (two doctors, two registered dietitians, and two professional nurses) who work with childhood malnutrition in the Xhariep District were identified and included in the study. Open-ended questions were asked in semi-structured one-on-one narrative interviews conducted with each participant, following an interview protocol. Every interview was audio recorded with informed consent. Data were coded, grouped into categories, and then further organized into themes. Results: The majority of the participants work at district hospital facilities; however, services are still rendered to primary health care facilities using community outreaches. Participants showed a general understanding of the term malnutrition with an inclination towards the immediate causes thereof. Substance abuse, caregivers’ lack of knowledge, and social problems and economic constraints were the common perceptions of why childhood malnutrition is still high in South Africa. Recurring challenges experienced by the health care professionals with the treatment of childhood malnutrition included: lack of medical and human resources, uncooperative patients, mismanagement by staff and emotional burdens. To overcome these challenges, participants mentioned: availing additional assistance for patients, engaging community support, sourcing other supplementation stock, promoting education and health campaigns, and acquiring more human resources as methods and solutions. The general opinion regarding the protocols and programs currently in place to help treat childhood malnutrition is that they are good and valuable. If implemented correctly, it improves the patient’s health significantly. However, most participants felt that the implementation and lack of human and financial resources cause the protocols and programs to fail. Conclusion and Recommendations: Although the participants came from three different components with varying responsibilities within the health system, they all experienced similar challenges. A pattern resulting from the cascade of these challenges was noted, which stemmed from financial constraints. With limited financial resources allocated at primary health institutions, stock and human resources availability is negatively impacted, which leads to poor service delivery. Patients who do not receive adequate quality health care are left unsupported and uninformed, which can factor caregivers of children with malnutrition to neglect their responsibilities, ultimately resulting in a persistent decline of the child’s health and nutritional status. The quality-of-service delivery at public health facilities correlates with the rate of malnutrition in South Africa. To decrease the rate of childhood malnutrition, policies need to be revised to greatly improve the quality of care patients receive at public health facilities
Metal exchange of ZIF-8 and ZIF-67 nanoparticles with Fe(II) for enhanced photocatalytic performance
No full textZeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), such as ZIF-8 and ZIF-67, were found to be efficient catalysts. However, ZIFs are not used much in photocatalysis due to their low photocatalytic activity for most reactions. The photocatalytic activity can be improved by modifying the framework by exchanging the Zn(II) ions (ZIF-8) and Co(II) ions (ZIF-67) with a more photocatalytically active metal(II) ion to form an efficient bimetallic ZIF photocatalyst. Redox-active iron (Fe)-based materials are known to be highly potent photocatalysts. Thus, incorporating iron into ZIFs could significantly enhance their photocatalytic performance. In this study, we modified nanosized ZIF-8(Zn) and ZIF-67(Co) via metal (Fe2+) exchange to produce bimetallic frameworks that are photocatalytically more active than their parent ZIFs. Nanosized ZIF-8 and ZIF-67 were synthesized isothermally in either water or methanol under ambient conditions.
From these, Fe-containing bimetallic ZIF-8 and ZIF-67 nanoparticles were synthesized via the metal exchange, and their performance on the photocatalytic degradation of dye was evaluated. The morphology and crystal structures of the pristine ZIF-8 and ZIF-67 nanoparticles were retained to a large extent
during the iron exchange. Their Brunauer−Emmett−Teller (BET) surface areas decreased by less than 15% for nZIF-8 and less than 12% for nZIF-67. The binding energy values on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed the preservation of the oxidation state of Fe(II) during the exchange process. A remarkably higher catalytic activity was observed for the photocatalytic degradation of dye by the Fe-exchanged nZIF-8 and nZIF-67 compared to their parent ZIFs. This proved that the incorporation of Fe(II) centers into the ZIF framework enhanced the photocatalytic activity of the framework dramatically. In addition, these catalysts can be regenerated and reused without an appreciable loss in activity.Publisher's versio
The role of school progression policy on grade 12 Learners’ self-esteem in Motheo education district
No full textSchool Progression Policy (SPP) is a mitigation strategy for high dropout rates in South Africa’s education system. It has social and emotional implications for progressed learners. Thus, the SPP is still a debatable policy, considering the concerns around the changes facing the progressed learners. Whereas the SPP affords learners an opportunity to advance in their school career, it also affects their self-esteem. This study aims to explain the role of SPP in affecting the Grade 12 learners’ self-esteem in the Motheo Education District. This study determined the nature of Grade 12 learners’ self-esteem and explored how the SPP affected the self-esteem of progressed Grade 12 learners at selected schools in the Motheo Education District. The study is mainly conceptualised within the Social Comparison Theory, the Labelling Theory, and the Social Identity Theory. This theory triangulation enables the researcher to explain the role of SPP in the development of Grade 12 learners’ self-esteem. The study is rooted within a pragmatist research paradigm underpinned by a mixed methods research approach which combines quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The researcher adopted the mixed-method approach using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale questionnaire and face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The scale registered a Cronbach’s Alpha reliability score of 0.623. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics for the quantitative component and thematic analysis technique for the qualitative component of the study. For the quantitative component of the study, the researcher used purposive sampling with a sample of 50 learners (females = 29 and males = 21) recruited from five schools. From the 50 learners, the qualitative component involved 37 learners (females = 23 and males = 14) and 15 teachers and/or SMTs (females = 7 and males = 9) from four of the five selected schools in the Motheo Education District. The findings revealed that SPP adversely affected the self-esteem of the Grade 12 learners in Motheo Education District. The study recommended, among others, that schools should become centres for care and support to mitigate the effects of SPP, labelling and comparison of learners at schools. The value of this study lies in its contribution to the body of knowledge on enhancing academic performance, and it is hoped that its findings and recommendations will assist schools in shaping their interventions to intertwine the development of progressed learners’ self-esteem
Sosiale media en koinonia in gemeentes: ’n prakties teologiese studie
No full textAfrikaans: Met die fenomenale groei van sosiale media, het hierdie vorm van nuwe media, ’n daadwerklike deel van meeste mense se daaglikse lewe geword. Talle gemeentes het die geleentheid aangegryp om ook van sosiale media platforms gebruik te maak, maar terselfdertyd ook die teleurstelling beleef dat hulle nie die verwagte reaksie op hulle media-plasings ontvang het nie. Hierdie navorsing ondersoek die ontwikkeling van sosiale media, veral die inhoudelike van sosiale media plasing en mense se verwagtings wanneer hulle hierdie platforms besoek. Die volgende navorsingsvraag spruit uit die agtergrond van die inhoudelike van sosiale media plasings en die gebruikers se verwagtings: Kan sosiale media koinonia in die plaaslike gemeente bevorder? Die navorsing volg ’n hermeneutiese proses. Oplossings word gesoek deur die verloop van vier duidelike take, soos oorspronklik deur Osmer omskryf. Die eerste behels die empiries beskrywende taak om die stem van die gebruikers te hoor en wel deur middel van ’n inhoudsanalise van vyf gemeentes se Facebook inskrywings, persoonlike onderhoude met Facebook-gebruikers, en ’n fokusgroep-gesprek met gebruikers van ’n Whatsapp-groep. Dit word volg deur die interpretatiewe taak en behels ’n literatuurstudie waar na redes gesoek word oor waarom dít wat in die eerste taak waargeneem is, gebeur. Derdens, ’n normatiewe taak word uitgevoer ten einde sekere toepaslike begrippe vanuit die Skrif en tradisie te beoordeel. Laastens, is die pragmatiese taak waar daar gepoog word om die praxis probleem te herstel. Uit die empiriese werk, sowel as die literatuurstudie, blyk dit dat gebruikers nie net eenrigtingkommunikasie op sosiale media wil ontvang nie, maar ’n behoefte het om op hierdie platforms te sosialiseer en selfs onderlinge koinonia te ervaar. Hoewel ’n koinonia-ervaring in ’n digitale ruimte moontlik minder intens is as in ’n fisiese omgewing, kan hierdie medium heelwat bydra tot mense wat alreeds ’n verbintenis met ’n fisiese gemeente het, se ervaring van koinonia. Met die korrekte gebruik, kan sosiale media dus beslis help om koinonia in die plaaslike gemeente te bevorder.English: With the phenomenal growth of social media, this form of new media has become an active part of most people's daily lives. Many congregations took the opportunity to also make use of social media platforms, but at the same time also experienced the disappointment that they did not receive the expected response to their media posts. The research explores the development of social media, but especially the content of social media posts and people's expectations when visiting these platforms. The following research question emerged from the background of the content of social media posts and the users' expectations: Can social media promote koinonia in the local church? The research follows a hermeneutical process, seeking solutions through the course of four clear tasks, as originally described by Osmer. The first is the empirical descriptive task of hearing the voice of the users. It involves a content analysis of five congregations' Facebook entries, personal interviews with Facebook users, and a focus group conversation with users of a Whatsapp group. This is followed by the interpretive task. Reasons are sought through a literature study on why what was observed in the first task happened. Thirdly, there is a normative task to judge certain relevant concepts from Scripture and tradition. Lastly, there is the pragmatic task, where an attempt is made to repair the praxis problem. From the empirical work, as well as from the literature study, it become clear that users not only want to receive one-way communication on social media but have a need to socialize on these platforms and even experience mutual koinonia. Although a koinonia experience in a digital space may be less intense than in a physical environment, this medium can greatly contribute to people, who already have a connection to a physical congregation, experience of koinonia. Properly used, social media can definitely contribute to the experience of koinonia in the local congregation
A preliminary investigation into the Samaritan Pentateuch as an intralingual translation
No full textThis dissertation investigates the Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) as an intralingual translation. It gives an overview of the Samaritans and their version of the Pentateuch before presenting a model of intralingual translation. This model is then used to compare the SP to the Jewish Masoretic Text of the Pentateuch. The intralingual translational model is based on Peircean semiotics, which can be used to compare any two translations which share a common source. Translations are viewed as the product of a complex system – a trajectory of translational actions. Like many complex systems, translations generally follow a gradual, relatively stable path, but occasionally there are major changes in trajectory. When comparing two translations, often their translational trajectories will be similar, and they will be recognisably the same. However, where trajectories do differ significantly, on many occasions only one of them will have undergone a significant change in trajectory, while the other remains closer to the common source. This model is then used as an alternative to classical textual criticism, to compare the Samaritan Pentateuch (SP) and the Masoretic Text (MT) as a whole, and then the Song of Moses in particular (Deuteronomy 32:1-43). We see that on many occasions the SP has undergone a more significant change on its translational trajectory than the MT. These intralingual translational changes include: dialectical change, grammatical normalisation, and exegetical problem solving. There are also creative expansions, where scribes supplemented the text of the Pentateuch with text found elsewhere, with the aim of creating a more harmonised whole. Elsewhere there are translational changes linked to Samaritan theology and culture, many of which relate to the focus of their religious life: Mount Gerizim. Descriptive Translation Studies helps us to determine the skopos, that is, the aim or purpose behind these different kinds of translational changes. For example, some of the expansions of the SP are also found in a set of Jewish Qumran manuscripts known as the pre-Samaritan texts, and therefore cannot be attributed to Samaritan theology. Thus, the skopos behind these translational changes is different to the more overtly Samaritan additions. Unlike traditional textual criticism, this model also covers the translation of non-verbal sign systems, such as the formatting of poetry on the page, which differs from the Masoretic tradition for the Song of Moses. Another non-verbal sign system is the Samaritan Hebrew script, related to the paleo-Hebrew script, which is used for the SP. Here, recent evidence suggests that the Samaritans held onto the older script, while the Jews adopted the newer one, itself a major translational change. Overall, the translational paradigm presented in this dissertation gives a holistic view of all the distinctives of the Samaritan Pentateuch. This model could be fruitful both in the study of other ancient manuscripts and in the analysis of modern Bible translation processes
Exploring the use of collaborative strategies by school management teams to sustain learner discipline in secondary schools
No full textThesis (Ph.D. (School of Education Studies))--University of the Free State, 2021Indiscipline remains a bone of contention in schools across the world. The preponderance of literature associated with indiscipline highlights its severity and the frequency of its manifestation rendering it a global problem. Literature presents a general conception of lack of discipline in South African schools. Since the post-dispensation of the education system in South Africa, school management teams have been tasked with the management of discipline in schools. Research suggests that school management teams have established, and are currently implementing, strategies to manage learner discipline. Yet, despite the implementation of these strategies, the persistence of indiscipline in schools across South Africa remains a reality. There is therefore, need for the use of strategies that can sustain learner discipline in schools. This study consequently sought to explore how school management teams use collaborative strategies to sustain learner discipline in secondary schools. This study is grounded in the Collaborative Leadership Theory. The sample size comprised 24 secondary schools in ILembe education district, from which four participants per school were selected, yielding 96 participants in total. Participants selected included the principal, one deputy principal, and two departmental heads per school. A mixed-method research approach was used for this study, and was conducted according to an explanatory sequential design. The design comprised two-phases; a quantitative and qualitative data strand. The researcher employed sequential mixed method sampling, using both probability (random) sampling and purposive sampling strategies. In the first phase, the researcher collected quantitative data by means of questionnaires. In the second phase, qualitative semi-structured interviews were used to provide further and more detailed explanations of the results obtained in the first phase. The analytical methods used included descriptive statistics for the quantitative data and content analysis for the qualitative data that was collected. The study revealed that school management teams employed strategies to manage learner indiscipline in schools by collaborating with external stakeholders and adopting a whole-school approach to sustaining learner discipline. The study also revealed that the rigidness of policy counteracts collaborative efforts. It is recommended that a collaborative leadership approach be adopted to encourage stakeholders to approach all aspects of school management in partnership with stakeholders who have a vested interest in the school
Zulu Poems of (and for) nature: Bhekinkosi Ntuli’s environmental imagination in Imvunge Yemvelo (1972)
No full textNature, climate crisis, and the Anthropocene have carved space in recent inter-, cross-, and multi-disciplinary humanities studies. In South Africa, such studies have barely touched literature in African languages. Nyambi and Otomo focus on the tropes of “lady nature,” nostalgia, and dystopia in Zulu writer Bhekinkosi Ntuli’s Imvunge Yemvelo to explore the complex ways in which these tropes test the normative epistemes of ecological crises. Beyond rejecting imperial distortions of indigenous environmentalism, Ntuli’s poems re-center local knowledge of nature in understanding its relationship with humans. That knowledge subverts epistemic structures of colonial conservation, revising and re-visioning racially geo-politicized knowledge hierarchies.Publisher's versio