KovsieJournals - University of the Free State (UFS)
Not a member yet
5214 research outputs found
Sort by
‘A love note to our future selves’: the coaching imperative in platform cultures
Get PDFThis article looks at the imperative of life coaching on media platforms as a broader social technology and a technology of the self. Life coaching suggests that a better future self can be achieved through the constant training of one’s personality, body, taste, preferences, emotions, image, communication skills, and a myriad of other life aspects. I understand the coaching imperative as a wider mandate of self- improvement standing at the crossroads of the wellness and spirituality industries (e.g. mindfulness, yoga, self-help), the body industry (e.g. fitness, health, exercise), guidance and counselling (e.g. ‘how to become a millionaire’, ‘how to become an alpha male’) and the affordances of media platforms. Using literature on micro-celebrities and platform studies as well as research on life coach training programmes, books, and instructions, I argue that the ‘self’ in this narrative is an ongoing project, constantly under supervision and reframing. The imperative to improve assembles a productive process composed of technical infrastructure, e.g. self-tracking devices, tests, and apps, and labour power, e.g. self-labour, the labour of the therapist, the coach, and the analyst
Comparative digital protest cultures in South Africa and Tamil Nadu: #feesmustfall, #Jallikattu, and Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM) - a case of surveillance and diasporic potential
Get PDFThis paper explores three protest movements differing in scale and scope in two regions in the world. #feesmustfall (2015-2016) was a social media movement in South Africa to protest against prohibitive hikes in university fees. #Jallikattu (2017) was a social media movement in Tamil Nadu (India) to lift a ban imposed by the Supreme Court of India against an ancient cultural sport with bulls. Abahlali baseMjondolo (AbM) is a South African social media movement to raise issues related to shack dwellers. While there is literature focusing on these movements individually (Bosch 2016, Kalaiyarasan 2017, Mdlalose 2014), a comparative approach offers some alternate insights into how state power manifests in the age of digital capitalism. Habermas (1987, 1989) theorised the transformation of the public sphere and key to understanding how these publics contest existing power structures is his explication of authentic communicative action. Using Fuchs’s (2016) and Zuboff’s (2019) analyses of social media activism, we examine police brutality and surveillance in these three movements. The classical model of diaspora (Harutyunyan 2012) is introduced to show how it manifests in two of the protest movements, and contemporary notions of diaspora (Grossman 2019: 1265) are explored to see what they could offer to diverse protest cultures
On the proletarian public sphere and its contemporaneity: crises, class and the media
Get PDFThis article attempts a critical enquiry into contemporary politics and culture as characterized by a prolonged capitalist crisis and its concomitant economic, social, political, and environmental dimensions. The article highlights the position of the working class today, and its critical potential for a politics of social change, and socialism. Class is understood in intersectional terms, taking into consideration the associations of ethnicity, race and gender in the formation of classed subjects in a globalized world. The experience of the lower classes in structural as well as political terms, is largely negated from publicity, or assimilated and distorted by the media and cultural industries. This has dire consequences for understanding the crisis, its causes, effects, and possible solutions, interpellating the working class and the poor to bourgeois norms and sensibilities. The negation of proletarian voices and the mediation of the proletarian experience by hegemonic bourgeois ideas is theoretically discussed, drawing on the proletarian public sphere notion, and also by looking at empirical contexts of media practices (notably the mainstream news coverage of the Greek/European economic crisis of the 2010’s, and the European “refugee crisis” from 2015 onwards). By not addressing the systemic foundations of crises (e.g., economic, humanitarian) in their complexity, the insecurities triggered by neoliberalism are articulated by liberal pundits and mainstream media through discourses blaming targeted groups (e.g., migrants and workers of the European periphery). Hence, the development of effective antagonistic politics, relies on the creation of both organizational forms and communication structures, to produce shared meanings and identities, as well as political goals and strategies; class perspectives are crucial to overcome the prolonged, current political impasse that capitalist society reproduces, and the possibility to overcome the crises that capitalism produces
The enthronement of compassion and care and the unseating of customary obligation in the parable of the Good Samaritan
Get PDFThe article studies the parable of the compassionate and caring Samaritan as source of radical lessons in dispensing care. In the parable, Jesus stressed that the dispensing of care should be primary and conformity to customary obligations are to be subordinated. This study primarily examines the power of obligatory customs that Jesus “overpowered” and attempts to elaborate on the following reasons why Jesus had to dethrone customary obligations. First, traditional customs turned prejudices have debilitating effects on character, behaviour, and moral agency. Secondly, overcoming negative prejudices will free our minds for creative responses and lead us toward a better understanding of compassionate care as possessing a divine character
Interview with Prof. Julian Müller: Reflections on a career in Practical Theology
Get PDFEmeritus Prof. Julian Müller is a distinguished practical and pastoral theological scholar celebrated for his contributions to interdisciplinary and postfoundational studies, a narrative approach towards pastoral theological practices, and researchon pastoral care and Ubuntu. This interview delves into Prof. Müller’s journey from ministry to academia, the evolution of his research interests, and his insights on the future of practical and pastoral theology in South Africa. Prof. Müller’s reflections offer valuable perspectives on the dynamic nature of practical theology and its relevance in addressing contemporary challenges
Violence in South African Schools: Trends, psychology, and amelioration:
No full textSchool violence is a global concern (UNESCO, 2022) with prolific consequences due to its lifelong psychological impact. Violence will continue to afflict human populations due to its underlying psychology, but this can be tempered by culture and other environmental factors. Violence is part of human nature and has an evolutionary basis rooted in our biology and is expressed psychologically through behaviour, thinking, and emotional expression (Buss, 2019; Zhang-James, et al., 2018). There are many forms, including physical and sexual assault, bullying and cyberbullying, public shaming, sexual harassment, suicidality, verbal and emotional abuse, and property theft. Although violence is ubiquitous, it is distributed disproportionally, as is obvious when considering demographics such as age, race, ethnicity, geographic location, socioeconomic status, gender, and environmental disparities (e.g., pollution, noise, and access to essentials). A prime example of environmental disparities is the current crisis affecting South Africa’s electrical grid and its effects on behavior (Khumalo, 2023). These facts reveal challenges that can be addressed in order to reduce violence overall and in specific settings, and concomitantly reduce disparities and enhance social justice (Khumalo, 2019). We address these issues and provide recommendations for amelioration in the context of school violence in South Africa. While school violence is an increasing problem and challenge for all stakeholders (Le Mottee & Kelly, 2017; Ngidi & Kaye, 2022), Nelson Mandela reminds us that “We owe our children – the most vulnerable citizens in any society - a life free from violence and fear.
Foundation phase male teachers’ reflections in teaching of comprehensive sexuality education in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa
No full textChildren in their childhood and teenage years can acquire either healthy or unhealthy lifestyles. Without proper guidance, unhealthy lifestyles (e.g. risk-taking, substance abuse, poor family planning) may negatively affect their psychosexual development (i.e. ability to make healthier sexual choices). Male and female teachers can be role models for learners to acquire healthy sexual lifestyles. Historically, the Foundation Phase (FP) has been a highly feminine teaching space. Lately, however, the space has seen an increasing presence and participation of FP male teachers. This paper shares FP male teachers’ reflections in teaching comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) content within the Life Skills curriculum in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Five FP male teachers were engaged in a focus group conversation; data were thematically analysed, underpinned by a feminist post-structural lens. Although the teachers reported a restriction of FP male teachers in teaching CSE-related content, they also indicated that learners showed increased self-exposure to CSE-related content. To counter the censorship of FP male teachers in teaching CSE-related content, the study recommends explicit incorporation of feminist pedagogies to enable FP male teachers to be part of the delivery of SE content as equal stakeholders.  
Enhancing urban and regional development for border security in Iran: A futures study of West Azerbaijan province
Get PDFIn the border regions of Iran, which include West Azerbaijan province, the interwoven dynamics between development and security present a multifaceted set of challenges. This comprehensive study delves into the intricate relationship between these two critical elements, with a focus on elucidating potential scenarios that impact on development and security alike. Employing a rigorous methodological approach, using advanced data analysis tools and incorporating insights from experts, this research identifies seven pivotal factors that play a crucial role in shaping the sustainable development and security landscape of these border regions. By using the Method for Inserting Knowledge into Decision Support Models (Méthode d’Insertion de Connaissances dans les Modèles d’Aide à la Décision) MicMac software, an in-depth analysis of both direct and indirect variables was conducted to precisely gauge their influence in border security. The outcomes of this extensive analysis provide a solid foundation for the construction of diverse scenarios, thus offering a wide spectrum of potential future trajectories for the region. The examination of these scenarios grants invaluable insights into the intricate nexus between development and security, reinforcing the essential need for a holistic and integrated approach to regional planning. This research effectively underscores the vital imperative of nurturing synergies between security and development for the sustained progress of Iran’s border areas. With a focus on empirical data and informed projections, this study sheds light on the intricate dynamics at play, emphasising the pivotal role of an integrated approach to regional advancement
Practising planners’ perceptions of post-1994 planning law and settlement planning and development processes: A Western Cape case study
Get PDFWhile a significant body of academic work has been compiled on the transformation of planning law since the end of apartheid, far less has been produced on the perceptions of practising planners of these new laws, and their impacts on the planning profession’s stated objective of contributing to the creation of quality human settlements. This article seeks to assist in filling this gap in the field by reporting on a study into the perceptions of practising planners in the Western Cape in this regard. The study involves research into the views of professional planners on planning laws applied during and post-apartheid and the impact of these laws on human settlement planning and development. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 25 professional planners employed in the public and private sectors. The data sample, limited to the Western Cape province, was regarded as a starting point for further research on the perception of planners in these regards in the remaining eight provinces in the country. The key findings of this study are that planners by and large welcome the new planning legislation and view it as an improvement on the old. The challenges being experienced are mainly related to the institutional and financial landscape in which the law plays out rather than the law itself, notably lengthy planning processes; a focus on meeting housing-delivery targets at the cost of other equally important settlement development objectives; capacity, and budget constraints