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Doing Concepts Differently
Get PDFThis article proposes an alternative way of using concepts in the scholarship of teaching and learning in the South. Normative understandings and uses of concepts in educational scholarship are challenged through a postphilosophical and postqualitative approach. In such an approach, concepts, instead of methods, become the generating force of research and pedagogy, as a counter to approaches which use formulaic methodologies to dictate the structure and content of pedagogy and research. Postphilosophies are predicated on a relational ontology which assumes that relationships precede entities and come into being in complex entanglements. Concepts are not seen as abstract ideas in the human mind but come into being through material arrangements as part of the world. In the paper, we develop six propositions as provocations for activating and doing concepts differently: Consent not to be singular, Render each other capable, Diffract concepts to enlarge your scholarly perspective, Make pedagogy an event, Make scholarship through research-creation, and Use writing to aerate your scholarly practice. The article extends an invitation to readers to consider doing concepts differently in their own scholarly practice
Re-viewing Peer Reviewing: Towards an Affirmative Scholarship
Get PDFAlthough often unacknowledged and unrewarded, peer reviewing is a crucial part of the process of academic scholarship. Surprisingly, not much has been written on the process and experience of peer reviewing, besides a few articles in journals of teaching and learning in higher education. Nor has there been much consideration of peer reviewing as a critical component of the academic project within larger efforts to rethink the problematic euro-western, patriarchal and neoliberal logics that underpin higher education. This article makes a contribution to the emerging interest in the peer reviewing process by considering the experiences of authors in this regard and thinking about reviewing as a pedagogical practice which refuses reviewing as an individualist, competitive and gate-keeping practice. We address reviewing as a key component of the project of reconceptualising knowledge-making practices, within the context of current feminist decolonial and new materialist rethinkings of dominant neoliberal scholarship. We propose affirmative, response-able peer reviewing as a critical part of the larger project of challenging current conditions and practices in higher education - for doing academia differently.
Productivity improvement framework for South African construction SMEs
Get PDFContractors’ productivity holds strategic importance for both long-term micro and macroeconomic performance. A significant number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the construction sector in South Africa are characterised by poor performance, which can be attributed, in part, to low productivity rates. This scenario contributes to a pessimistic outlook for the South African construction industry and undermines its potential for job creation. This study aims to investigate the primary obstacles that hinder productivity within construction SMEs and proposes an improvement framework. The study employed a qualitative research approach, collecting data from registered SMEs in South Africa through semi-structured interviews. Qualitative content analysis was applied to analyse the research data. The key factors identified as undermining SMEs’ productivity include challenges related to workers\u27 skillsets, directors\u27 competencies, government interference, and workers’ remuneration. The implications of this research are valuable for SMEs, offering insights to expedite project delivery and thereby mitigating the risk of construction business failure. Previous studies have often focused on the overall performance of construction SMEs, with limited attention to their productivity. Moreover, productivity-focused studies tend to lack a strong SME-centered approach. This research bridges these gaps and introduces interventions that have the potential to enhance productivity in small and medium-sized construction organisations
Promoting the digital transformation of the South African quantity surveying profession through the implementation of change management theories
Get PDFThe construction industry is lagging behind in the digital race, thus not living up to its potential to drive the knowledge economy of the Built Environment (BE). This paper explores the motivations for change: why the 4+5IR is worth not resisting and what 4IR technologies could benefit the Quantity Surveying Profession (QSP). The introduction to the new concept of change management is used to illustrate how the QS workplace can go about embracing digital transformation (4IR), concentrating on human-centric, sustainable and resilient nuances (5IR). A form of documentary research, namely a literature review study, has been undertaken to review pertinent research and extract relevant information though content analysis about the digitalisation relevant to the Built Environment, the construction industry and its value chain, and the Quantity Surveying Profession specifically; knowledge innovation and creativity economy, as well as how change management strategies assist the implementation of digital transformation. The QSP, as part of the BE, appears to have compelling reasons to adopt 4IR to improve and enhance their service offering to the construction industry value-chain, thereby contributing to the BE’s attainment of the SDGs. To accept the challenge of digital transformation, the application of change management theories in the QS workplace offer the opportunity to learn new concepts as well as adopt 4IR technology, through a scientific approach for QS practices to accept the challenge of digital transformation. The paper offers a roadmap toward achieving digital transformation by the QS community based on a literature review study, however, it is suggested these be tested through empirical data collected among QS practices who have determinedly set about adopting 4IR technology. The QSP risks becoming inexorable, if it continues to ignore the 4+5IR. The ‘science’ of change management offers a forensic approach to efficiently manage a transformative process and should be an approach which QSs’ respect and value, given they apply it in their every-day activities
White Izangoma: The Creation of New Significance or New Members of Traditional Healing-Divining Practice?
Get PDFOne of the social changes with the collapse of Apartheid in the South African society was the emergence of so-called ‘white isangomas’ or ‘white izango-ma’. This was not the first time that people of European origins were called by amadlozi (ancestral spirits) to ubungoma2. The first records are dating back to the beginning of the 20th century, but the social situation (colonialism and then Apartheid) made it impossible for Whites to be trained. However, with the growing awareness of the importance of African cultures, white peo-ple who felt the calling, started looking for answers. The calling is character-ized by a sickness of body and mind that shows itself in having visions and an overwhelming weakness. It is widely believed that it can be healed only through the training by a fully-fledged isangoma. This essay analyses white izangoma vocation and work, establishing if they really are part of ubungo-ma, and if they influence and change black izangoma’s teachings and work. The information originates from the author’s field study, written izangoma’s testimonials, and other academic research
Religion and Migration in Iraq: Investigating the Reasons for Return of Internally Displaced Christians to Baghdeda
Get PDFThe emergence of terrorist group Daesh in 2014 and the international military campaign against it caused humanitarian crisis and mass displacement in Iraq. About 5.8 million people became internally displaced, and as of 2021, 1.2 million remain in displacement. This article engages with the question of what motivates people to return from displacement to their area of origin. It investigates the role religion played in the decision of internally displaced Christians to return to Baghdeda in the Ninewa Plain, Iraq’s largest Christian town. Based on qualitative interviews, the article examines the factors influencing people’s decisions to return. We find that religion constitutes an important factor influencing the decision to return, within the nexus of other considerations such as economic opportunities, reconstruction, and security. Religion thereby plays a role because of the respondents’ Christian identity, the encouragement to return by religious leaders, and the reconstruction efforts led by the churches
A Million Dollar Question: What Will it Take to Bridge the Gap Between Legal Rights and Workplace Realities?
Get PDFIt may be surprising that African countries stand out (with some exceptions) for giving domestic workers basic coverage under the labour law. Many countries worldwide have failed to meet this most basic requirement, and labour law protections are the critical foundation for activating the social and legal changes that are needed to professionalise the sector. Unfortunately, legal protections are not enough. A recent study on migrant domestic workers in the SADC region showed rampant informality across countries, resulting in a dearth of labour law enforcement (ILO, 2022). It is common knowledge that domestic work is under the radar, and employers are not held accountable to the law
‘Two Souls, Two Thoughts, and Two Unreconciled Strivings in One Body’: W.E.B. Du Bois’ Double Consciousness in the Lived Experiences of Black South Africans
Get PDFAmerican sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois introduces the phrase double consciousness in his work. According to Du Bois, this phrase describes a dilemma of two consciousnesses that Black Americans face due to what he calls ‘the veil of racism’. While the consciousness that Du Bois speaks of is in the context of Black Americans, this work attempts to answer whether colonisation and racism in South Africa did not also lead to a form of double consciousness to those who experienced it. This work does this by firstly exploring the institutionalised form of colonisation in South Africa known as apartheid. It shows how this system characterisedand made Black people seem as though they were lazy, stupid, and inferior, which in turn led to the second consciousness. This work further shows the experience of double consciousness by Black South Africans through hair and beauty politics. It shows that Black South Africans retaliate and assert their blackness through protest despite the double consciousness. Furthermore, this work usesSouth African literature to demonstrate how Black people in South Africa are knowledgeable of the consciousness, its effects, and how it operates
An IoT-Based Hydroponic Monitoring and Control System for Sustainable Food Production
Get PDFThe agricultural sector, historically the main source of food globally, faces unprecedented challenges due to decreasing soil fertility and unsustainable farming practices. This study presents a smart farming method, a tailored approach to cultivating food and arable crops, as a sustainable and innovative farming method. Hydroponics involves growing plants in nutrient water solutions rather than soil, establishing a controlled environment free from external conditions. We developed a sophisticated hydroponics system equipped with sensors monitoring temperature, humidity, pH, and light levels. Using IoT technologies, we enabled real-time data transmission from sensors to a dedicated web server - Amazon web services (AWS) and an Android mobile application powered by a Raspberry Pi3. This setup allows remote monitoring and control of the hydroponic system, reducing human intervention. The experiment validated the sensor network\u27s efficiency in accurately transmitting data. The findings suggest that widespread adoption of hydroponic farming could substantially enhance global food security. Future advancements in this method could include real-time monitoring of plant growth rates by incorporating additional sensors, like carbon dioxide (CO2) sensors. This research is a significant step toward sustainable agriculture. It offers a technologically advanced solution capable of transforming food production methods and ensuring a more secure and sustainable food supply worldwide
