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The Representation of Adult Family Members in Selected Children’s Books by Roald Dahl
No full textThis thesis focuses on the representation of the five adult family members (mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers and aunts) that are present in a specialised corpus of Roald Dahl’s children’s literature. Children’s fiction provides insight into how society views childhood as it reflects the dominant ideologies in society (Larkin-Lieffers 2010).The family is “central to most children’s literature” (Alston 2008: 2) which makes the analysis of the family in children’s fiction important. Society favours particular representations of the family, as well as men and women, and these representations are also reflected in the fiction available to readers. I have used Critical Discourse Analysis and Corpus Linguistics in order to establish how adult family members are represented in Dahl’s fiction. The physical description and the verbs of speech that collocate significantly with the different tagged characters are analysed to establish patterns in representation. Verbs of speech give the reader information that allows them to establish the emotion and attitude of the character and this helps the reader make judgements with regards to the positive or negative perception of the character. The repeated use of particular descriptions and verbs of speech primes the reader to associate particular features with certain characters and the evaluation provided by these features bleeds over onto the characters. There is evidence of a continuum of verbs of speech moving from verbs of speech with low pitch and low volume like ‘said’ to ones with a high pitch and high volume like ‘shrieked’. The tagged characters are discussed according to the continuum to establish any patterns the verb of speech use. Women were found to collocate with verbs of speech like ‘shrieked, ‘screamed’ and ‘wailed’ which suggests that women are more hysterically emotional while men collocate with verbs of speech like ‘shouted’ and ‘yelled’ which were less hysterical and suggest aggression. Aunts were the exception to this pattern as they collocated with more masculine verbs of speech, like ‘shouted’. These patterns help establish whether or not the representations follow the dominant ideologies of women being emotional and home bound and men being aggressive and more active in the public sphere
Graduation Ceremony 2016
No full textRhodes University Graduation Ceremonies 2016 [at] 1820 Settlers National Monument Thursday, 31 March at 10.00 & 17:00 [and] Friday, 1 April at 10:00; 14:30 & 18:30 [and] Saturday, 2 April at 10:0
Testing the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of livestock guarding dogs in Botswana
No full textLivestock guarding dogs (LSGDs) have been used for centuries to reduce depredation
on livestock and more recently, to facilitate the conservation of threatened predator
species. Conservation NGOs (non-government organisations) in southern Africa
promote the use of Anatolian Shepherds as LSGDs. However, livestock farmers in
Botswana have been using a variety of different breeds for this purpose, including the
local mixed-breed “Tswana” dogs. Postal, telephonic and face-to-face interview
questionnaires were administered to 108 livestock farmers in Botswana to gauge how
their LSGDs were being used, in order to determine what factors contributed to the
success and affordability of these dogs. Eighty-three percent of farmers had LSGDs
which equaled or decreased livestock depredations on their farms, with an average
reduction in livestock depredation of 75% per year. This equated to an average saving
of US27) and
maintaining the 198 LSGDs in my study (average US1,497/farm or US$789/LSGD). A unique investigation of
different breeds was possible due to the diverse array of breeds in the sample
(Anatolian Shepherds, Cross Breeds, Tswana dogs, Greyhounds and Pitbulls), with
the crossbreed dogs (Crosses and Tswana LSGDs) performing the best. LSGDs that
reduced depredation and had minimal behavioural problems were the most likely to
incite positive changes in their owners in regards to attitudes towards predators. Sixtysix
percent of farmers stated that they were more tolerant of predators since obtaining
a LSGD, and 51% reported that they were less likely to kill predators since obtaining
a LSGD. My results indicate that successful, well-behaved LSGDs are a cost-effective
tool that has the ability to increase farm productivity and improve predator-farmer
conflicts in Botswana. The methods recommended in my thesis, in particular the
benefits of using local breeds of dog as LSGDs, can be implemented on farming
practices the world over to assist farming productivity and to promote conservation
efforts
A study of the influence of employee empowerment on organizational citizenship behaviours of teachers within Grahamstown independent senior schools.
No full textThis research investigates the influence of empowerment on organisational citizenship behaviours
(OCB) of teachers within Independent Senior schools in Grahamstown.
Teachers, as a schools driving force, contribute immensely to the education of its students as well as
determine the success and effectiveness of the school as an educational institution. The nature of a
teacher’s work, and indirectly the principal’s job of managing these teachers, is complex and difficult
to define as there are only certain behaviours which can be contractually obliged from teachers.
Further behaviours which are beneficial to the organisation, such as OCB, need to be induced via
incentives or encouraged via certain behavioural management initiatives, such as increased levels of
empowerment. It is important for schools to encourage their teachers to participate in such beneficial
behaviours as not all behaviours can be dictated or managed through contractual limitations.
Previous studies and literature reviewed suggest that OCB is an important variable that significantly
influences a schools performance. Such studies and literature suggest that empowerment could induce
greater levels of OCB.
The concepts of OCB and empowerment are defined and discussed and a 58 item Questionnaire is
formulated based on the two concepts, drawn mainly from Short and Rinehart (1992) and Bogler and
Somech (2004). The Questionnaire is divided into two parts, firstly OCB and secondly empowerment.
Each section of the Questionnaire is divided into the relevant categories and dimensions as prescribed
by past literature. The first part determines the behaviours which the participants believe form part of
a teachers ‘in-role’ behaviour, therefore also determines which behaviours the participants believe are
‘extra-role’ or OCB. The second part determines the participant’s perception of their empowerment in
their own workplace. This research makes use of an online Questionnaire. The data is collected and
described using averages, modes and medians. This data is organised in a manner which further
allows for a Pearson correlation analysis test to be run. This test is used to establish the correlation
relationship between the two variables in this research and the statistical significance of this
relationship is analysed by observing the respective p-value.
The conclusion is drawn that there exists four statistically significant positively correlated
relationships between the empowerment dimension (decision making, status, self-efficacy and impact)
and OCB. However there exists a weak positively correlated non-statistically significant relationship
between empowerment and OCB. This suggests that empowerment as a whole does not greatly
influence higher levels of OCB, however the four individual dimensions of empowerment do have a
positive influence
An investigation of servant leadership within Rhodes University sports clubs.
No full textThis research investigates the level of servant leadership within Rhodes University sport
clubs. The goals of this research are to assess the perception the club members have of their
chairperson and to key identify areas of development.
The sport clubs at Rhodes University are partially run by chairpersons who are voted into the
position by his or her peers of a sports club. The chairpersons work alongside Rhodes
University employees who are a part of the Sports Administration team to oversee the
running, scheduling and finances of the club. The sports clubs are representative of Rhodes
University and it is the chairperson’s responsibility to ensure the club is lead and run
effectively.
Robert Greenleaf coined the term servant leader in the 1970s (Greenleaf, 1997). The servant
leader is a leader who is driven by his or her followers, as leadership involves a leader serving
his or her followers first and foremost (Greenleaf, 1977). The leader takes on a role that is
supportive and contributes to their personal as well as their professional achievements (Smith,
Montagno and Kuzmenko, 2004).
A questionnaire consisting of 27 questions was drafted, of which were four demographic
questions. A 5-point Likert Scale was used in order for the participants to respond to the
questions. The questionnaire was drawn from a number of questionnaires available in
literature on leadership and adapted to suit Rhodes University sports clubs. The questionnaire
was distributed personally by the researcher, as well as through an online questionnaire.
There were a total of 153 candidates who participated in the study. Descriptive statistics were
used to analyse the data.
The majority of the respondents had the perceptions that their chairperson displayed
characteristics of a servant leader. Majority of the participants were in agreement of the
questions asked in the questionnaire, which focused on many servant leadership qualities. The
results will be handed over to the Head of Sports Administration in order for them to get an
idea of their leaders’ characteristics and areas where they can improve upon
The impact of three different footwear conditions on individual biomechanical, physiological and perceptual responses during running.
No full textBackground: Despite the introduction of running footwear in the 1970’s, running injury rates continue to be unacceptably high. The subsequent revival of barefoot running and the introduction of minimalist footwear occurred, in an attempt to reduce injury rates and increase performance. There is much contention in the literature around the effectiveness of these footwear conditions. Furthermore individual responses have recently been proposed to provide more accurate and reflective conclusions than the use of mean data. Objectives: Twofold: a) to compare the biomechanical, physiological and perceptual responses between the shod, minimalist and barefoot footwear conditions and b) to assess and compare individual responses under these footwear conditions. Methods: 26 well-trained, male, habitually shod endurance runners, aged between 18 - 30 years completed three experimental sessions on an indoor runway and motorized treadmill. Each session was completed in either the shod, minimalist or barefoot condition, running at 15km.h-1. Variables assessed included stride rate, stride length, impact peak, vertical impact and average loading rate and strike time (biomechanical); heart rate, oxygen consumption and electromyography (physiological); and rating of perceived exertion and body discomfort (perceptual). Results: Biomechanics – Stride rate and stride length showed a significant (p<0.001) increase and decrease respectively when running in the minimalist or barefoot conditions versus shod. Running barefoot versus the minimalist and shod conditions resulted in a significantly (p<0.001) greater vertical impact loading rate. Strike time was significantly (p=0.008) reduced running in the minimalist and barefoot conditions versus shod. Physiology – Running barefoot versus shod resulted in a significantly (p=0.02) reduced heart rate and Tibialis Anterior activity (p=0.005). There was a large variability in individual responses for many variables, with responders and non-responders seen. Conclusion: The study suggests that there are significant differences between all three forms of running for some variables. It was further noted that there is support for the proposal that individual responses are highly variable and should be analysed accordingl
Leopard population density and community attitudes towards leopards in and around Debshan Ranch, Shangani, Zimbabwe
No full textLeopards (Panthera pardus) are regarded as one of the most resilient large carnivore species in the world and can persist in human dominated landscapes, areas with low prey availability nd highly fragmented habitats. However, recent evidence across much of their range reveals declining populations. In Zimbabwe, 500 Convention for the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) export tags are available annually for leopards as hunting trophies, despite limited accurate data on the leopard populations of the country. Moreover, when coupled with the massive land conversions under the controversial National Land Reform Programme (NLRP), leopard populations in Zimbabwe are in dire need of assessment. My study was conducted on Debshan ranch, Shangani, Zimbabwe, which is a commercial cattle (Bos indicus) ranch but also supports a high diversity of indigenous wildlife including an apparently healthy leopard population. However, the NLRP has resulted in an increase in small-holder subsistence farming communities around the ranch (the land was previously privately owned and divided into larger sub-units). This change in land-use means that both human and livestock densities have increased and the potential for human leopard conflict has increased. I estimated the leopard population density of the ranch and assessed community attitudes towards leopards in the communities surrounding the ranch. To estimate population densities, I performed spoor counts and conducted a camera trapping survey. Questionnaire interviews were used to assess community attitudes. My spoor counts provided a leopard density estimate of 13.57 leopards/100km2 compared to the camera trapping estimate of between 2.0 and 6.9 leopards/100km2. Although the high density estimate derived from the spoor counts is possible for Debshan because leopards are the apex predators and are adequately protected, potential edge effects are not yet fully understood. Thus, the more conservative estimate of 2.0 leopards/100km2, derived from the camera trapping survey, is probably more appropriate. Attitudes towards predators amongst respondents surrounding Debshan (n = 140) were neither too negative nor positive, attitude index had a mean score of 1.7 ± 3.8 (range: -7 – 10). No single predictor variable used in my analysis was able to adequately explain why the communities held these negative views. However, livestock losses were repeatedly listed by respondents as being one of the main reasons for their lack of tolerance towards predators. The density estimate of 2.0 leopards/100km2 translates to a population of 9 – 26 leopards within Debshan ranch. This density estimate is too low considering the habitat type at Debshan ranch but should be interpreted with caution as it lacks fundamental elements like age and sex ratio. Moreover, the interaction of the leopard population with the surrounding communities is currently unclear. As a precautionary measure, I recommended reducing the annual hunting quota for Debshan from five to one leopard. Future work should aim to improve the attitudes of the surrounding communities to secure broader landscapes for leopard conservation while also reconciling density estimates to fully understand the leopard population of the region
An investigation of the aquatic macroinvertebrate fauna of the southern Great Escarpment (South Africa): Insights from ecological and genetic studies
No full textBiological diversity in freshwater biomes is vital to maintain healthy, functioning ecosystems with resilience to disturbance and the impacts of climate change. Freshwater ecosystems provide essential resources to life on Earth. However, as increasing pressure is being placed on the environment by human population growth, the quality of freshwater resources and the health of these ecosystems are at risk. Mountain streams provide an important source of water and are usually less affected by anthropogenic stressors, compared to lowland freshwaters. These montane streams are therefore of important conservation value and due to their untransformed nature serve as ideal ecosystems for biodiversity studies and as reference sites for studies on environmental change.
This study explores aquatic macroinvertebrate biodiversity of the southern Great Escarpment in South Africa. Species assemblages and the environmental variables of each site were sampled from first order streams across five different mountain blocks along the Great Escarpment. Additionally, mitochondrial DNA of three mayfly species (Afroptilum sudafricanum, Demoreptus natalensis and Demoreptus capensis), commonly occurring in the study area, was analysed to compare the genetic diversity between habitat specialist and habitat generalist species.
A total of 2 595 macroinvertebrate specimens from 47 families and 86 species were collected with several interesting and potentially new species being discovered. Partitioned diversity analyses indicate that macroinvertebrate diversity varies across mountain blocks. Multivariate analyses indicate that differences in assemblages could be attributed to differences in environmental variables between sites, particularly water velocity, total dissolved solids and salinity. As these environmental variables reflect of the topography of the sites, differences in species assemblages was attributed to difference in topography and therefore biotopes present.
Habitat-restricted mayfly species (D. natalensis and D. capensis), occur in distinct populations confined to mountains blocks. Isolation-by-distance analyses further emphasis that these species are genetically restricted by their habitat preference for mountain streams. In contrast, A. sudafricanum, a habitat generalist, showed no indication of genetic structure due to location or distance. Possible cryptic taxa and new species were identified within A. sudafricanum and Dermoreptus respectively.
This study provides an important contribution to the baseline data of freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity for the southern Great Escarpment region and provides insights into the considerable genetic diversity of selected aquatic taxa across this region
A critical analysis of the relationship between the South African Defence Force and the South African media from 1975-83
No full textThe main focus of this thesis is to show the nature of the relationship between the South African Defence Force and the local media from 1975-83. The thesis will analyse issues specifically relating to the nature of the relationship and show how and why they are relevant to understanding the authoritarianism of the apartheid state. The nature of the relationship will be conceptualised by way of the analogy of a marriage. The thesis will show that for the SADF the relationship was “a marriage of convenience” whereas for the media it was a “marriage of necessity”. This relationship operated within the context of a highly militarised society that has been termed a “Garrison State”. The apartheid government introduced legislation governing reporting of defence matters and the media (namely the South African Defence Act 1957 including amendments made up until 1980) that imposed legal constraints within which defence correspondents had to operate. Moreover, the MID’s secret monitoring
of the local media reveals the extent to which the military distrusted the media. A sampling of the coverage of defence matters in a selection of newspapers will reveal how their editorial staffs and reporters operated in a situation where the flow of information was controlled by the military. This will also show that certain defence correspondents cultivated close relations with SADF personnel to ensure that they were kept informed. The thesis will also show how the SADF reacted to the international media exposure of Operation Savannah and Operation Reindeer and how the SADF sought to limit the damage to its reputation by clamping down on the local media. The creation of two media commissions both headed by Justice MT Steyn, set out to investigate the manner in which local media reported on security issues in an environment in which the media and the public were confronted by the “Total Strategy” discourse of the apartheid government. The working relationship between the SADF and the media encapsulated in the thesis can be described as highly complex and the use of the “marriage” analogy assists in understanding this relationship
Eye of a needle
No full textMost of my stories are about interpersonal relationships between the sexes, as well as intrapersonal
processes, such as growing old. I have a deep connection to such themes because of
my background as a general nurse and midwife; meeting too many abused women in
hospitals, and the broader community. Because patterns of abuse tend to become invisible, I
use experimental forms of storytelling as well as sharp, ironic and dark humour as a way to
make this side of life more visible. My reading has shown me how experimental forms can
render seemingly timeless or ageless topics in a fresh, vital way