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Small but strong: Socioeconomic and ecological resilience of a small European fishing community affected by a submarine volcanic eruption
Get PDFSmall-scale coastal fishing communities are facing many new challenges, such as rapid ecological changes created by anthropogenic and natural events like earthquakes or volcanic eruptions. This paper explores how a coastal population has responded to such an event and highlights the diverse coping strategies used to tackle it. This research was conducted on the island of El Hierro (Spain), where a submarine volcanic eruption occurred in 2011, affecting a multiple-use Marine Protected Area (MPA) and the nearby fishing community of La Restinga. Our study illustrates how the local population coped with this situation by combining multiple monetary and non-monetary activities (e.g., informal exchanges) as well as the role of institutions in increasing local resilience by supporting fishers' demands and allowing their participation in the decision-making process in the immediate wake of a catastrophic event. Local families also exploited various natural resources in and near the MPA, thus ensuring access to crucial marine resources and continued recreational/cultural services. The results suggest that collective action played a key role in the recovery process after the eruption, creating some advantages for different local groups despite the hazardous nature of the event
Birthing process preparedness of first-time mothers in the public obstetric units of the Nelson Mandela Bay health district (NMBHD).
Get PDFThe birthing process is a challenging, unpredictable yet a beautiful life event for birthing women, requiring reasonable birthing process preparedness on birthing woman to enhance her cooperation during the birthing process. Often first-time mothers lack their own frame of reference regarding the birthing process to improve their birthing process preparedness. As an alternative they are reliant on that of other people with birthing process experiences or on what they are told by midwives. The purpose of this study was to understand how was the preparedness of the birthing process of first-time mothers in the public obstetric units of the NMBHD. Thus, an indication of how ready were they, when the labour started. The objectives of the study were as follows, to: • explore and describe the birthing process preparedness of first-time mothers in the public obstetric units of the NMBHD and • formulate recommendations for midwives and nurse managers that would aid them in facilitating the birthing process preparedness of first-time mothers in public obstetric units in the NMBHD. The study adopted a qualitative research design with exploratory, descriptive and contextual approach. The research population were first-time mothers who had booked and delivered in any of the obstetric units in the NMBHD. The convenience, non-probability sampling methods were used in selecting the first-time mothers who met the inclusion criteria. Envisaged sample size was 21 participants but also depending on data saturation. Sixteen participants were ultimately interviewed but only fifteen of those interviews were used. The data collection method used was one-on-one semi-structured interviews which were captured on a digital voice-recorder. The thematic method of data analysis was used to analyse data from the interviews. Three main themes emerged from the data analysis: • Theme 1: Participants shared their experiences regarding the birthing process and their birthing process preparedness. • Theme 2: Participants expressed having had varied experiences from factors that had influenced their birthing preparedness. iv • Theme 3: Participants provided suggestions for midwives to facilitate their birthing process preparedness. Recommendations were made for midwives and managers, nursing education, research and limitations of the study were outlined. To comply with trustworthiness, this study adopted Lincoln and Guba’s Model of trustworthiness. The ethical principles that guided this study with human participants were the principles of respect for persons, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, 202
Facilities management competencies and performance : A case of a property company in the city of Johannesburg
No full textFacilities management (FM) as a profession continues to evolve in the same manner and pace as the rest of the world. from being a profession hidden in the janitor rooms to being elevated to the senior executive position where influence on strategic organisational decisions is possible, FM professionals are required to possess virious skills, knowledge and qualifications to be considered competent and effective. the reserch seekd to establish the current qualifications and skills of the FM professionals in the Joburg property Company (JPC), thier attitudes and perceptions regarding FM qualification and training, the important competency requirements and practising levels, as well as the knowledge and application of strategic performance measures within the JPC to achieve its business objectives.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment, and Technology, 202
Don’t let the little man live in your head for free: an interpretive phenomenological analysis of seafarers with reportedly high levels of well-being
Get PDFThe mental health of seafarers has become a growing issue of concern and has attracted the attention of researchers in recent times. Seafarers are predominantly men, spend months at sea with little to no contact with loved ones ashore, and usually must reside in confined spaces that often contain substantial levels of noise and heat. The underlying causes of mental illness among seafarers are known. Some of the causes include sleep deprivation, occupational stress, marital/relationship problems, fatigue, the threat of piracy, psychosocial workload, loneliness, social isolation, separation from families, lack of shore leave, cultural issues, and job security. Despite these stressors, there are many men and women seafarers who flourish in the industry and enjoy their careers. Very little research has been conducted into the well-being practices of those seafarers who enjoy high levels of well-being. This study explores the lived experiences of a group of seafarers with reportedly high levels of psychological well-being, as well as their experiences of workplace stressors and mental health interventions offered by the industry. This study is an interpretive phenomenological analysis, which is epistemologically underpinned by phenomenology, hermeneutics and idiography. Results revealed four focus areas: general lived experiences across two worlds and how this relates to identity, what seafarers with reportedly high levels of psychological well-being experience as stressors, well-being practices of these seafarers and how these seafarers experience and make sense of mental health interventions they have come across.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 202
Smallholder farmers' perceptions of drought tolerant maize crop in cork village in Mpumalanga province
Get PDFThe study explored smallholder farmers’ perceptions of drought tolerant maize in Cork village, Mpumalanga Province. The study analysed the factors that pushed smallholder farmers to grow drought tolerant maize crops. It examined the maize varieties farmers grow and investigated the benefits and the challenges of growing drought tolerant maize crops. The review of literature found that no similar studies have explored the smallholder farmer’s perceptions of drought tolerant maize. The study was guided by a pragmatic research philosophy and it used mixed research methodology to collect data on the research objectives of the study. Purposive sampling was used to select primary respondents and snowball sampling was used to select key informants. The study found that drought and agro-ecological conditions have pushed farmers to grow drought tolerant maize crops and these crops are improving farmer’s agricultural yields and food security. However, drought tolerant maize crop varieties are inaccessible at shops and they are very expensive to buy given the socio-economic status of people living in rural areas of this village. The study recommends that the price of drought tolerant maize seed varieties should be subsidised, availability and easily accessibility to the market should be improved and future studies could investigate the contribution of drought tolerant maize varieties on household food security.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic science, 202
Reimagining Culture and Creative Industries: Developing Career Connected Pathways
Get PDFCulture and Creative Industries (CCI) have an enormous potential to impact society’s socio-economic development. The approach of this study argues for the possibility of developing progressive social transformation and stands in distinction to those who argue against this possibility and casts doubt on the concept of development entirely. This study offers a hopeful alternative path navigating through overly optimistic and cynical viewpoints in the concept of a CCI ecosystem. The intent is to shift the discourse to consider creativity and culture as contributing to cross-sector dialogue and understanding, as well as allowing participants to take charge of their own development and providing the foundation for inclusive and sustainable capacity building and innovative progress. This study makes the development case that co-creating staged generative pathways with participants is critical for shifting societal circumstances away from “extractive” processes and towards more “complementary” actions leading to a desired state of inclusive well-being. Furthermore, it contends that scholarship that views Culture and Creative Industries (CCI) as self-contained or apart from the economy and society is ineffective. Due to its multi-sector, emergent and complex nature, a mixed methods research strategy drawing upon Margaret Archer's (1995) Morphogenetic Approach rooted in the Critical Realist meta-theory, was used in this research. Data was gathered and mined from a citywide situational survey, semi-structured questionnaires and co-sector focus group sessions. Transformative Scenario Planning (Kahane, 2012) was implemented to articulate a cross-sector and co-created account of the make-up, actions, and interrelationships of the facets and mechanisms that are responsible for shaping CCI as a significant contributor to a desired quality of life and well-being of a community. This research study sought to understand how, for whom, when and in what ways the powers, liabilities, dispositions, and resources found in the creative sector can be understood to raise engagement and strengthen the results of socio-economic initiatives. It is limited to a situational analysis of CCI in Seattle, Washington. ix Based on the findings, a case for capacity building through integrated career-connected learning pathways has been created and offered as a research-informed, adaptable, and adoptable Creative Exchange Learning Co-Lab (CELCL) curriculum. This staged development process is designed whereby the implications for individual and organisational revitalisation are intended to occur simultaneously. Creative actions, cultural expressions, learning opportunities, and business strategies are exposed, and opportunities arise through this collaborative development process, engaging transformative actions that generate activity around the needs, assets, and interests of particular communities of practice in Seattle. It is recommended that this process be implemented in order to move towards a more sustainable, connected, and equitable CCI ecosystem.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic science, 202
Characterising the shared genetic influences between schizophrenia and subcortical brain regions
Get PDFBackground: Abnormalities in brain structural volumes are well established in schizophrenia (SZ) and have been proposed as an endophenotype for the disorder. Despite increasing interest in the genetic relationship between brain structural volumes and SZ, our knowledge of the genetic overlap between the phenotypes is limited. This study aims to extend our current understanding of the shared genetic influences between SZ and subcortical brain volumes using data from the latest genome-wide association studies for the respective phenotypes (GWAS) and novel statistical approaches. Additionally, we will explore whether the association between schizophrenia and abnormal regional brain volumes is causal in nature. Methods: Summary statistics were obtained from the largest Psychiatric Genomic Consortium (PGC)-SZ GWAS (Ncase = 69,369, Ncontrol = 236,642) and the CHARGEENIGMA-UKBB GWAS of volumetric measures for eight subcortical brain regions (the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, brainstem, caudate nucleus, hippocampus, globus pallidus, putamen, and thalamus), and total intracranial volume (N = 30,983 - 40,380). Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) effect concordance analysis (SECA) was used to assess pleiotropy and concordance. Genetic correlation was assessed using linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSR) and the pleiotropy informed conditional FDR approach was applied to identify SNPs associated with SZ conditional on their association with subcortical brain volumes. Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to test for causal association between SZ and each brain region. Results: There was evidence of global pleiotropy between SZ, and all examined subcortical brain regions. Inverse concordance between the genetic determinants of SZ and volumes of the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, brainstem, hippocampus, and thalamus was observed. Increased statistical power to detect SZ risk loci was shown when conditioning on subcortical brain volumes. There was no significant evidence for a causal effect of any of the examined brain regions on schizophrenia risk. Discussion: These data confirm the shared genetic basis of SZ and specific intracranial and subcortical brain volumes and provide evidence for negative concordance between SZ and volumes of the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, brainstem, hippocampus, and thalamus. Leveraging the genetic overlap between SZ and subcortical brain volumes has the potential to provide novel insights into the biological basis of the disorder
South African local labour forums in the municipal sector: Structure, functioning and performance
Get PDFThe South African Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 provides for the establishment of statutory, yet voluntary, employee participation structures in the form of Workplace Forums. These Workplace Forums were modelled on the system of German Works Councils. The establishment of Workplace Forums solely lies with a representative trade union in a workplace of more than 100 employees. Trade unions have not been enthusiastic about the idea of Workplace Forums, this is because they view these structures as a mechanism that undermines collective bargaining due to the limitations that come with consultation as a process in decision-making. Trade unions would rather have powers of negotiation, for which Workplace Forums do not cater. Consequently, very few Workplace Forums have been established in South Africa. In the South African Municipal sector, there are Local Labour Forums which are solely for employee participation over and above matters reserved for collective bargaining in the South African Local Government Bargaining Council. Local Labour Forums have powers of consultation and negotiation on matters that affect labour relations and employees in the municipality. Local Labour Forums became an area of interest because of the limited opportunities in South Africa to study Workplace Forums. The aim of the study was to investigate Local Labour Forums as an example of Workplace Forums as employee participation structures. Therefore, the main research question was: how are these Local Labour Forums structured, what are the details of their functioning and what are the perceptions of the participants in these structures of their influence on performance in the workplace? The aim was translated into four objectives. The first objective was to explore the structure and functioning of Local Labour Forums. The second objective was to explore the perception of the parties to Local Labour Forums, namely, councillors, managers, and unions regarding their relationships. The third objective was to explore the agreements concluded by the parties and their levels of satisfaction with the agreements. The fourth objective was to explore the perception of the parties to Local Labour Forums of the contribution of the Local Labour Forums to the service delivery of the municipality. This was an exploratory and descriptive qualitative study. The population of the study was the Local Labour Forums in two metropolitans, six districts and thirty-one Eastern iv Cape municipalities. The sampling method used was non-probability purposive sampling. Primary data was sourced using both interview guidelines and a short survey questionnaire. The data obtained was transcribed and thematically analysed using Tesch’s (1990) content analysis as a method. The findings of the study indicated that while both Workplace Forums and Local Labour Forums are workplace committees, Local Labour Forums operate differently from Workplace Forums in terms of their structure and functioning. A major difference between these two structures is that Local Labour Forums are joint consultation committees, comprising of both the employer and employee representatives; whereas Workplace Forums are structures which only comprise of employees who then meet with the employer on a regular basis. The processes used for both these structures are somewhat different because Local Labour Forums have powers of consultation and negotiation, whereas Workplace Forums only have the powers to consult and jointly make decisions, not to negotiate. Adding to these differences is that Local Labour Forums have powers to establish subcommittees who will report back to this particular structure, whereas nothing about subcommittees is mentioned for Workplace Forums. In terms of the findings gathered on Local Labour Forums based on the abovementioned objectives, it was found that the establishment of these municipal structures are mandated by the South African Local Government Bargaining Council. Local Labour forums discuss matters of mutual interest which pertain to their respective municipalities. The parties to the Local Labour Forums are from both the employer and employee components. The employer component consists of senior municipal management/directorates and councillors. The employee component consists of the two in-house trade unions, the South African Municipal Workers’ Union and the Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union. The fact that these parties are from different backgrounds in terms of conscience does not affect the relationships and agreements of the forum, because they are all about what is good for the structure. When it comes to performance of the Local Labour Forum, it was discovered that these structures are not directly involved in delivering services to the municipalities, but the decisions taken influence how the municipalities deliver their services.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty Faculty of Business and Economic science, 202
The determinants of loan delinquency among co-operative financial institutions in South Africa
Get PDFThe world's attention has been drawn to co-operatives since the 2008 financial crisis because of their resilience and ability to prosper in adverse economic situations. Co-operatives, particularly Co-operative Financial Institutions (CFIs), have increased their participation, proving to be a channel for increasing access to finance for the previously unbanked, poverty reduction, and sustained socioeconomic growth across the African continent. Co-operatives have the potential to be a catalyst for long-term growth, which is especially important in a country like South Africa, yet they have been failing owing to loan default. Loan delinquency is a major threat to CFI's ability to continue granting loans to loan applicants and to grow the business. CFIs are unable to recoup the monies they have provided to loan borrowers, as the default rate has steadily increased. This influences the CFIs' financial obligations. The financial growth of CFIs is vital, and failure to keeping cash in circulation has an impact on their fundamental business. In South Africa, CFIs have observed a surge in loan defaults since 2010. Proper loan appraisals, timely reminders of loan recipients' repayments, and escalation on prompt follow-up on loan defaulters all are priorities for CFI management. Despite the efforts of CFIs to reduce delinquency, it has continuously increased. The objective of this study was to figure out what factors influence loan delinquency among CFIs. The study looked at an average of 47 CFIs in South Africa. Another objective of this study was to investigate the extent of loan delinquency among South African CFIs. The study used a quantitative approach, with secondary data obtained from CBDA. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate the model's goodness of fit. The computed results show that this study has only one-way cross-sectional effects. In this example, the null hypothesis of the Breusch-Pagan (BP) test of "POLS is appropriate" is rejected. According to the descriptive statistics presented in the following section, the null hypothesis of regularly distributed data is not rejected. Pearson correlation was used to determine whether there was a relationship between the control variables and the dependent variable. The least squares regression output from the study was presented in the final section. Finally, GLS regression with random effects was used to examine the relationship between total loan delinquency and the dependent variables. x The research looked at seven independent variables: share league/affiliation, the proportion of women in total membership, youth savings, interest rates, total account receivables, and loan portfolio. However, the results of youth savings, interest rate, and total savings deposits may not be reliable because they are statistically insignificant. According to the study, financial institutions should provide easily accessible and accurate payment methods to encourage borrowers to pay on time. This can be accomplished by creating a website. In addition, CFIs/credit intuitions use a share league/affiliation method to maximize their responsible ownership and investigate why women's membership leads to lower loan delinquency.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic science , 202
Framed boxed beadwork artefact
No full textFramed boxed African beadwork artefact gifted to Dr. Brigalia Bam when she was inaugurated as Chancellor of the Walter Sisulu University on 13 October 2007.Donated/gifted to Nelson Mandela University ArchivesForms part of: Brigalia Bam collectio