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From cultural work to cultural industry: Affect, labour and the remaking of South Africa’s arts sector
No full textThis dissertation is concerned with historical, structural, psychosocial and affective dynamics in South Africa’s art and culture worlds. The study focuses on how South Africa’s transition from apartheid to post-apartheid affected cultural workers and brought about the remaking of an arts sphere founded on liberation culture into a so-called ‘sector’ – a distinctive branch of the nation’s economy increasingly dominated by free-market neoliberal sensibilities. Attention is paid to the how those involved in cultural activities and culture itself were defined within the context of national and international struggles about and around cultural labour. The moment of transition to post-apartheid in the mid-1990s inaugurated forms of subject constitution, cultural and aesthetic production, organisation and policy-making that both influence and reflect power relations today. As the study shows, however, current patterns within the arts and culture environment were anticipated by apartheid-era struggles within and about culture and cultural work, which were not solely South African but were also shaped by global trends. Neoliberalism’s affective impact in what became a democratic arts and culture “sector” is explored in relation to: the world and labour of “cultural workers” from the 1980s to the early 1990s; the turn to entrepreneurialism in the new century; and, how cultural workers today navigate a world dominated by commodified aesthetic projects and agendas. The present study is interdisciplinary, engaging discourses and theoretical propositions from Cultural Studies, as well as the critical social sciences and humanities. Postcolonial, feminist and historical materialist theories are foregrounded with the aim of unearthing and illustrating how complex transnational, classed, racialised and gendered subject positions and struggles take on specific textures and shapes in a country that is grappling with the residual effects of apartheid. This mix brings diverse perspectives and understandings to the fore
Rejoinder to: cochrane et al., errors and bias in marine conservation and fisheries literature: their impact on policies and perceptions [mar. policy 168 (2024) 106329]
No full textWe agree with Cochrane et al. that misleading science can misinform and is to be avoided. And we agree wholeheartedly that scientists should “strive for objectivity and accuracy” in their writing. Indeed, many of the recommendations in Cochrane et al., are, in our opinion, logical and well-founded. Unfortunately, as we outlined below, Cochrane et al., seem to have failed to follow their own advice to be, “as far as possible, objective and reliable” when it comes to reporting the conclusions of the panel of six scientists that reviewed the issues around penguin-fisheries interactions and the Island Closures Experiment (ICE) in South Africa (hereafter “the ICE panel”), and in their characterisation of Sherley et al, and Sydeman et al., as presenting “misleading findings” and representing “scientific neocolonialism”
Exploring food Insecurity among international migrants in South Africa: a case study of Zimbabweans in Cape Town.
No full textThe connection between international migration and food insecurity has become a significant global issue over the past few years because of the rapid rise in migration flows as well as food insecurity. People are migrating temporarily and permanently outside their borders in search for better income opportunities and food security or as a response to natural disasters, war, persecution or political reasons. South Africa is Africa’s biggest recipient of migrants from, and outside of, Africa and is one of the countries that has significantly been affected by the migration and food insecurity issue. Although Zimbabwean migrants form the largest percentage of the international migrant population in South Africa, relatively little is known about the food insecurity issues of this population group. It is against this background that this study focuses on understanding the relationship between migration and food insecurity among international migrants in Khayelitsha and De Doorns in Cape Town, South Africa. Included in this study, is a consideration of the food insecurity among Zimbabwean migrants living in these areas. This study seeks to explore the food insecurity challenges faced by international migrants living in Khayelitsha and De Doorns in Cape Town and the role that social capital plays in helping them become food secure
Response to ‘an open letter: in solidarity with all children suffering in wars; to all who hold or share a concern for the wellbeing of children’
No full textSince 7 October 2023, when Hamas launched an attack in Israel, killing over 1 200 people, the response has unleashed a humanitarian disaster of incomprehensible scale. By October 2024, over 43 000 Palestinians, including more than 13 700 children, have lost their lives in Gaza. These continuously increasing numbers have been numbing our minds for over a year now, but they are not just statistics. All of these numbers are children who once had names, dreams and laughter. They are families erased. Schools and hospitals, meant to protect and nurture and serve people, have become gravesites. Entire futures are being wiped out in Gaza. Over 11 000 schoolchildren have been killed. Nearly 700 000 children have gone without education for over a year. Their teachers, classmates and sanctuaries of learning have been obliterated. One can only imagine the silence that has replaced the once-boisterous hum of schoolyards. When the Secretary-General of the United Nations called Gaza’s plight a ‘crisis of humanity’, it was more than rhetoric.[1] It is a call to awaken the collective conscience of the world. The deliberate targeting of civilians, the denial of humanitarian aid and the relentless bombing campaigns all point to a moral collapse – one that implicates us all if we remain silent. This is not merely a war; it is increasingly agreed upon that this conflict has taken the shape of a modern-day genocid
Strengthening family bonds: a systematic review of factors and interventions that enhance family cohesion
No full textStrong emotional bonds within families are foundational to children’s academic, psychological, and social development. While family cohesion is widely recognized as a protective factor across these domains, there remains a need to understand the specific mechanisms and interventions that foster such cohesion, particularly in diverse socioeconomic and cultural contexts. This systematic review examines global evidence on factors influencing family cohesion and evaluates intervention strategies designed to strengthen familial relationships. Drawing on 41 peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2023, this review adheres to PRISMA guidelines and applies the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) to assess methodological quality. The findings are organized around four core dimensions of family cohesion—emotional bonding, adaptability, communication, and support—and highlight both common patterns and culturally specific mechanisms. Studies were drawn from a range of settings including North America, sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, East and Southeast Asia, and Europe, enabling a cross-cultural analysis of how family cohesion operates under different social, cultural, and economic conditions. Intervention strategies are reviewed separately following the synthesis of correlations, with attention to their effectiveness, cultural relevance, and contextual adaptability. Community-based programs, trauma-informed therapies, and parenting interventions emerge as key approaches, though their success has varied by regional and structural context. Studies consistently demonstrate that higher family cohesion correlates with improved academic outcomes, as supportive home environments promote motivation, reduce stress, and enhance learning. Mental health benefits are also evident, with cohesive and adaptable families mitigating risks of anxiety and depression through open communication and emotional availability
The demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with access to toilet facilities in South Africa: the case of Ethekwini Municipality and the City of Cape Town
No full textThe current study examines the relationship between the demographic and the socioeconomic characteristics of household heads and their access to toilet facilities in eThekwini Municipality and the City of Cape Town, South Africa. Utilizing data from the 2019 General Household Survey, we employed chi-square statistics and logistic regression analysis to explore the connections between dependent and independent variables and to highlight factors that contribute to access to toilet facilities. The findings reveal a significant correlation between gender, population group, age, education, and economic status with access to toilet facilities in both eThekwini Municipality and the City of Cape Town. Furthermore, the results underscore the disparities in access to improved toilet facilities influenced by demographic and socioeconomic factors. These findings pose the need to address and alleviate the imbalances in access to essential services such as toilet amenities. Targeted interventions by local governments to provide improved toilet facilities for all could significantly enhance public health and restore dignity to residents in these metropolitan areas, and the country as a whole
Physical activity of community-dwelling adults with traumatic spinal cord injuries in the Cape Metropole
No full textIn developing countries, spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are currently a public health concern (Jesuyajolu et al. 2023). In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that over 15 million people currently live with an SCI worldwide (WHO 2024). In South Africa, the incidence rate for traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) was estimated at 76 per million people, which was found to be one of the highest when compared to developed, Western countries (Joseph et al. 2015). Globally, adults with SCIs often lead very sedentary lifestyles, and this predisposes them to develop secondary complications and puts them at an increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and obesity (Cragg et al. 2013; Garcίa Massó, Serra-Añó & Gonzalez 2015; Nooijen et al. 2015; Warms, Whitney & Belza 2008). In the previous literature, it was noticed that there is a 17% prevalence of CVD among the SCI population compared to a 5% prevalence among the non-SCI population (Cragg et al. 2013). Physical activity (PA), however, is an important modifiable factor in decreasing the risks of CVD, stroke and diabetes (Cragg et al. 2013; Garcίa-Massó et al. 2015; Nooijen et al. 2015; Warms et al. 2008
Petrogenetic characterization of La Vasca alkaline complex and its relationship to the Eastern Mexican Alkaline Province
No full textPeralkaline and agpaitic igneous rocks with local eudialyte mineralization have been reported in the La Vasca
alkaline complex (LVAC) but no detailed information on its age and relationship to the Eastern Mexican Alkaline
Province (EMAP) has been available. We present petrological, geochemical, isotopic, and geochronological data
from the LVAC and the surroundings, located in northwestern Coahuila. The main intrusion is composed of
ferroan granitoids that are classified by their alumina saturation index into metaluminous and peralkaline. The
metaluminous rocks are monzonite and syenite with post-collisional geochemical affinity. Middle Eocene zircon
ages of these rocks range between 47.6 ± 0.3 Ma and 45.4 ± 0.3 Ma and are significantly older than other
alkaline rocks from the EMAP. The peralkaline rocks are composed of syenite and eudialyte-bearing foid-syenite
with intraplate geochemical affinity that probably coevolved with the metaluminous rocks. Both groups show
minimal crustal contamination, with affinity to an Ocean Island Basalt mantle source. The LVAC is explained by a
similar formation model than other rocks of the EMAP, suggesting its extension into northwestern Coahuila.
Furthermore, the eudialyte foid-syenites represent the first occurrence of agpaitic rocks in Mexic
Antibody production with synthetic peptides against human Coronavirus-NL63 ORF3 protein
No full textHuman Coronavirus (HCoV) NL63 was detected in an infant in the Netherlands in 2004 and will hereafter be referred to as CoV-NL63. Four years later, it was classified into Group 1 coronaviruses by the International Committee for Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), which was modified into alphacoronavirus in 2009. It appears that CoV‐NL63 originates from bats and its hosts are bats and palm civets. A 27,553‐bp CoV‐NL63 genome structure and the spike glycoprotein (S1 domain) use angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) for infectious entry. Furthermore, CoV‐NL63 simplifies binding to ACE2 by attaching to heparan sulphate proteoglycans on the cell surface. ACE2 has a significant expression in airway differentiated epithelial cells and CoV‐NL63 enter these cells from their apical surface. It is imperative to note that CoV‐NL63, CoV‐229E, CoVHKU1 and CoV‐OC43 infect polarized epithelial cells, and the entry and release of these viruses are related to apical cells in addition to respiratory signs, there are two non-respiratory symptoms including gastroenteritis and Kawasaki disease, both of which are associated with CoV‐NL63. Moreover, neurological manifestations of CoV-NL63 have been reported, especially in children. The main aim of this research study was to generate monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the human coronavirus NL63 Open Reading Frame 3 (ORF3) protein. Firstly, bioinformatic tools were used to assist in identifying antigenic determinants and antigenic epitopes were used to generate peptides of ORF3 protein. Thereafter, the ORF3 protein was characterized using various molecular techniques across the bacterial and mammalian expression systems. A CoV-NL63 full-length ORF3 protein (Protein Identity Number: ABE97138.1) was utilized for the synthesis of the peptide from the N-terminus and peptides conjugated with a MAP; KLH and MAP+KLH linkage on the carboxyl end. The mAbs were generated in vivo by immunizing BALB/c mice. Antigen-specific ELISA assessed the antibody specificity and sensitivity. The mAbs that exhibited the highest specificity and sensitivity for antigenic peptide (s) were used to characterize the ORF3 protein by Western blot and immunofluorescence analysis (IFA)
Librarians’ book selection practices and budget fluctuations in the City of Cape Town, South Africa
No full textOne of the main purposes of a library is to disseminate information to the community it serves. Collection development, which is the process of building and maintaining a library’s collection is, thus an essential part of library services. The selection of materials that align with community needs and interests is an especially important aspect of collection development. With reference to the Helen Haines theory of book selection which is community-centred and highlights the role of lifelong learning in book selection, this research investigated the book selection practices of librarians from the City of Cape Town Library and Information Service. It assessed the role of the current Collection Development Plan (CDP) in book selection; it gathered insights on selection tools utilized by librarians performing book selection and explored how declining library budgets have affected the book selection process. This research utilized a two-pronged mixed methods approach. Firstly, electronic questionnaires were distributed to 75 libraries to gather the initial research data. Interviews were then conducted with 5 librarians to gain a more in-depth look at the book selection process. This research found that book selection librarians within the City of Cape Town are highly experienced and that the selection process is a highly consultative one, which involves both staff and communities. Another key finding was that participants considered the CDP to be outdated. Finally, the data suggest that book selection for community libraries are more affected by budget fluctuations than regional or city-wide libraries. The study thus recommends that the CDP should be updated in consultation with the different levels of library staff for whom it is intended. Another recommendation is that the methods in which budgets are allocated to the different library tiers need to be re-evaluated to ensure that community libraries are not unfairly disadvantaged as a result of budget cuts