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Exploring the perceptions of coloured Christian lesbian Women of the influence of Christianity on their identity development
Get PDFSouth Africa is a nation of which the greater number of its citizens are followers of the Christian faith. Coloured people form part of this population, as the majority of Coloured people in South Africa consider themselves to be Christians. In the Christian faith, homosexuality is considered to be a sin and is frowned upon which may result in difficulty navigating identity development of members of the LGBTQIA+ community. This conflict may, in turn, greatly affect the identity development and overall wellness of these individuals who may want to hold onto a religious identify, but are in conflict, as their sexuality falls outside of what is considered acceptable. This research study sought to explore the perceptions of South African Coloured lesbian women, who follow Christianity, regarding the influence of religion on their identity development. This exploration was considered necessary as it contributes to a gap in the literature on the influence that religion has on identity development for a queer person. The research study was qualitative in nature and research participants were recruited by way of the purposive sampling strategy and 12 participants were interviewed. Semi-structured virtual interviews were conducted as the data collection tool to the research study. Ethical clearance to conduct this study, informed consent, voluntary participation, the right to withdraw participation from the research study, anonymity and confidentiality, and no harm of the participants are the ethical points that this study adhered to. The research study used thematic analysis to identify patterns in the data and Braun and Clarke’s data analysis technique was employed. The trustworthiness of this study, was guided by Lincoln and Guba’s four constructs; credibility, dependability, transferability and confirmability. The themes identified in this study were as follows: 1) The imposition on identity (subthemes of guilt and confusion; feelings of being lost and isolated); 2) The significance of race in prejudice against lesbian women; 3) Spiritual transition. The main finding of the aforementioned themes included an underlying understanding amongst they have at some point experienced uneasiness to “coming out” for fear of judgement as Christian lesbians. Although some participants were able to navigate through their identity development, they have experienced confusion and conflict in accepting all the different facets of their identity, simultaneously, due to judgement of other Christians who have imposed a “choose one or the other” mindset upon them. In addition, added minority stress within race factors were identified as a pinning point amongst participants, who felt that their experiences within their sexuality and religious interactions would be different, if they were other races. This highlights the triple minority stress that is faced by marginalised communities in South Africa. Finally, the participants expressed a transition away from religious communities, to a more spiritual relationship with their God, signifying a shift in religious interaction.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Health Science, School of Behavioural & Lifestyle Sciences, 202
The role of environmental factors, vegetation type, and community knowledge, attitude, and practices on schistosomiasis intermediate host snails’ distribution in the Nelson Mandela Bay water bodies
Get PDFSchistosomiasis, often known as bilharzia, is a parasitic water-borne disease caused by trematode flatworms of the genus Schistosoma. In 76 endemic countries, including 46 in Africa, over 800 million individuals are at risk of contracting the disease. This study examined the influence of water physicochemical properties, vegetation type and community knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) on the distribution and habitat preference of schistosomiasis intermediate host snails in the communities of Kariega and Kwa Nobuhle, in Nelson Mandela Bay. Methods. A quantitative cross-sectional research design approach was employed in this study. Data for the water physicochemical properties was collected over different seasons over a 9-month period. Eight sampling sites were selected based on their proximity to residential areas. A simple dip method was used for surface water samples and measurements done using a Bante 900P multiparameter meter, Macherey Nagel PF-12 plus, and hardness meter. A 300 μm mesh scoop net on a metal frame was used to capture snails. At each sample site, the predominant plant species were gathered and transported to experts in the Botany Department at Nelson Mandela University for identification. The composition and percentage cover of vegetation were visually estimated and documented. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit responses from 380 participants for the pre- and post-intervention KAP study, using the interview format. Data was analysed using R software (version 4.3.1) and Microsoft Office 365 Excel (2019 version). Results. Freshwater snails were found in all eight water bodies studied; however, schistosomiasis intermediate host snails were only found in three of them while the prevailing species in the study sites were Physa snails. There was no correlation between the number of snails and turbidity (r=-0.070). However, a negative and weak correlation existed between snails and DO (r=-0.185), hardness (r=-0.210), pH (r=-0.235), TDS (r=-0.236), EC (r=-0.240), salinity (r=-0.242), and temperature (r=-0.273). There was also a negative correlation between snails and vegetation coverage (r=-0.127). Of the 380 study participants, only 8.7% were aware of the disease pre-intervention. The paired samples t-test results demonstrate a difference (7.2 ± 2.5) in knowledge scores, and the improvement in knowledge levels post-intervention is statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusion. The study discovered an abundance of Physa snails; considering their biological characteristics and ability to endure, these snails could potentially serve as a biological control agent in locations where theThesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Behavioural & Lifestyle Sciences, 202
Tienerafrikaans: ’n studie van tienertaal, met spesiale verwysing na sleng, in twee Inxuba Yethemba (RSA-)skole
Get PDFIt is understood that, for us humans to communicate with one another, we need language. Communication thus has a close relationship with society. But language changes and it has many varieties. On the one hand we have the standard variety of a language which is mostly used in formal situations, and on the other hand we have other varieties, which are mostly used in informal situations. Slang serves as an example of the latter and is chiefly used by adolescents – individuals between the ages of 13 and 19. As Saal and Lawrence (2019: 24) put it: young people are the agents of linguistic change. The researcher finds the language of teenagers quite interesting seeing that he is a teacher who frequently comes across words or phrases he has not heard or does not know the meaning of. The goal of this study is thus to investigate teenage language as phenomenon, with special reference to slang. This study examines slang words and expressions as they occur among teenagers in two Nxuba (formerly Cradock) schools, as well as find out why, when, and when the research group will not make use of slang. Nxuba forms part of the Inxuba Yethemba Municipality in the Eastern Cape. During the study general linguistic phenomena that occur among the teenagers in the given town are also investigated. These phenomena are analysed using the phonetic, phonological, morphological, syntactic, semantic, and lexical levels of variation. This study follows a qualitative approach with the help of questionnaires, direct observation, and focus group interviews as data collection methods. It was found that teenagers are highly creative and create novel words or give new meanings to words that already exist in the standard variety. The reasons why teenagers make use of slang is, among other things, to ease communication, for the fun of it, secrecy, and to enrich the standard variety. Slang is mostly used in informal situations and tends to be avoided in the presence of older persons, at church, and when doing schoolwork. There are also various linguistic phenomena that appear in teenagers’ general language usage: borrowing, reduction, homonyms, polysemes, and various phonological phenomena, among other.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities , School of Language, Media and Communication , 202
Elephant impacts on plant diversity and structure in the Shamwari Private Game Reserve
Get PDFMany African landscapes rely on processes such as fire, tree-fall and drought in addition to herbivores to initiate change across the landscape. In the Eastern Cape, elephant have a significant impact on the community structure and diversity of the vegetation they live in. This is most likely the case for the Albany Valley Thicket and azonal riparian vegetation of Shamwari Private Game Reserve, where browsing animals, particularly megaherbivores like the black rhinoceros and elephant, are the main cause of defoliation. The presence of large herbivores creates challenges when it comes to long-term sustainability and biodiversity of the vegetation in Shamwari. Vegetation monitoring provides essential information for effective management of megaherbivores not only in Shamwari but in many other similar reserves. The aim of this study was to design a monitoring plan for the Albany Valley Thicket and riparian vegetation in Shamwari using available vegetation metrics. The vegetation was measured in permanent plots (90 m line intercept analysis per plot) in the Albany Valley Thicket and riparian vegetation of Shamwari. Plot selection was based on thicket structural integrity using NDVI score as a proxy. In all plots, thicket structure was assessed using canopy heights measured every 50 cm along the line. Detrended correspondence analysis of the species abundance data suggested three distinct structural and compositional vegetation states for thicket and riparian vegetation: dense, intermediate and open. Significant relationships between NDVI and vegetation structural metrics across the condition states indicated that NDVI could be used as a proxy for vegetation condition. Vegetation compositional metrics, however, were not always correlated to NDVI and determining species diversity for the vegetation presents additional information useful for monitoring. The monitoring recommended for the reserve is to evaluate vegetation structural integrity annually in summer using NDVI. Areas of change could then be measured for diversity as well as for change in the abundance of selected plant indicator species. This information should be used to initiate management actions if unwanted change has occurred.Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Environmental Sciences, 202
Prevalence of red blood cell alloantibodies in healthy blood donors: A retrospective study
Get PDFBackground: Blood transfusion is one of the essential supporting therapies in the management of patients and all efforts must be geared towards ensuring greater blood safety. There are studies on the prevalence of red blood cell alloantibodies in numerous transfused patients. However, no research has been done on the population of healthy first-time donors in South Africa who donates blood for transfusion. Red blood cell alloantibodies may be present in the donated units and potentially lead to transfusion reactions or to decreased survival of transfused RBCs. Therefore, it is necessary to know the prevalence of alloantibodies in donors and the clinical significance. Aims and objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and identity of red blood cell alloantibodies in healthy first-time blood donors in the South African population, as well as to identify them, with the goal of improving blood safety and transfusion support for patients. Materials and methods: This retrospective and observational study investigates healthy first-time blood donors in the South African population over a five-year period, from January 2015 to December 2019. ABO typing and Rh typing were performed using the fully automated immunohaematology analyser BECKMAN COULTER PK7300 (Danaher Corporation, Brea, California). Erytra Eflexis automated system (8-column DG Gel cards) (Diagnostic Grifols, Barcelona, Spain) was used for antibody screening and antibody identification was performed using the RBC 11 Identisera Diana panel sheet. Approval was obtained from the Ethics Committees of Nelson Mandela University, South African National Blood Services and Western Province Blood Services prior to commencement of the study. Results: A total of 497 711 healthy first-time donors, consisting of 209 604 (42%) males and 288 107 (58%) females, were evaluated for irregular antibodies. The maximum number of donors belonged to the age group 18 to 29. Antibody screening results were positive in 849 donors from the entire population investigated, and 603 were RBC alloantibodies with an overall prevalence of 0.12%. The most frequent RBC alloantibody identified was anti-M from the MNS blood group systems, being present in 129 blood donors. Conclusion: The prevalence of RBC alloantibodies in the donor population in the study was 0.12% (603/497 711). As the inclusion criteria was limited, larger studies examining at all donors (first-time and repeated donations) are needed to determine the actual prevalence of alloantibodies in the population of South African donors.Thesis (MHSc) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Care & Medicinal Sciences, 202
IL-4/ IL-13 directed microglial activation and differentiation in response to LPS-induced neuroinflammation
Get PDFMicroglia activation is a common hallmark of neuroinflammation that occurs during pathogen invasion or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation. A neuroinflammatory response is elicited by the release of proinflammatory cytokines which stimulates microglia in an autocrine manner to be polarized into classically activated, pro-inflammatory M1 cells. Prolonged exposure to the inflammatory response can have disastrous effects on the central nervous system (CNS). However, microglia can alternatively be polarized into the activated M2 anti-inflammatory phenotype, but the exact molecular mechanism mediating this phenotypic switch remains poorly understood. Studies have shown that interleukin (IL)-4 can induce the M2 phenotype and activate the signal transducer and activator of the transcription 6 (STAT6) signalling pathway that in turn provokes a beneficial Th2 immune response. Since IL-4 and IL-13 share a common IL-4 receptor alpha (IL-4Rα) chain, it is possible that alternative microglia differentiation and its anti-inflammatory action also involve IL-13. This study aimed to investigate how IL-13 and STAT6 signalling orchestrates the microglial response and differentiation associated with LPS-induced inflammation. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms that relieve LPS-induced neuroinflammation and neural protection through IL-13-enhanced BDNF signalling were also investigated. C8-B4 microglial cells were induced with LPS to exhibit an M1 pro-inflammatory phenotype or stimulated with IL-4 and/or IL-13 to exhibit an M2 anti-inflammatory microglial phenotype. The cell viability following LPS, IL-4, and/ or IL-13 exposure was determined. The LPS-induced neuroinflammatory response and the anti-inflammatory response induced by IL-4 and IL-13 which promotes STAT-6 signalling were determined by measuring TNFα, IL-1β, and BDNF protein concentrations using ELISA assays. The polarising effects of LPS and IL-4/IL-13 cytokines were also examined via changes in the expression of Iba-1, CD206, CD86, and STAT-6 determined by immunofluorescence analysis. These changes were further investigated by quantifying the mRNA transcripts of TNFα, IL-1 β, Arg-1, CD206, IL-4R, and STAT-6 and BDNF using qRT-PCR.Thesis (MSc) -- Faculty of Science, School of Biomolecular & Chemical Sciences, 202
An analysis of mathematical connections in the presentations of fraction concepts in Namibian grade 7 mathematics textbooks
Get PDFThis study investigated how selected grade 11 mathematics learners used smartphones with the MathCityMap application to learn trigonometry outdoors for conceptual understanding. The aim of this research project was to explore outdoor mathematics learning for conceptual understanding using smartphones. This case study of grade 11 mathematics learners in Lejweleputswa District in the Free State Province, was informed by the Realistic Mathematics Education theory. The study is grounded within an interpretive paradigm and used the explanatory sequential mixed-method design. Forty-two grade 11 mathematics learners participated in the survey and from these 12 were purposively selected to participate in walking the mathematics trails and interviews. The findings revealed that, while the grade 11 mathematics learners acknowledged the significance and value of using smartphones for learning mathematics, they were prohibited from carrying or using smartphones on the school premises, as part of the school code of conduct. The preferred use of smartphones for learning mathematics was understandable, as the survey was conducted at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions were still in place. The survey unearthed that among applications for learning mathematics, the MathCityMap application was not known by the learners who participated in the survey. Mathematics trails observations indicated that outdoor tasks were a source of mathematical concepts or formal mathematical knowledge, and enabled learners to reinvent mathematical ideas and concepts with adult guidance. Learners were able to make use of appropriate mathematical models and connections. The mathematics trails ignited robust discussions among learners, and prompted learners to draw from prior knowledge, and recognise and identify suitable mathematical models and shapes from the real-world objects. Learners were able to use multiple representations, make necessary mathematical links, and use their prior knowledge to enhance their trigonometry conceptual understanding. This study concluded that using smartphones with the MathCityMap application could enhance conceptual understanding of trigonometry. The implications for teachers are that learners should be exposed to outdoor mathematics learning using smartphones with the MathCityMap application to improve their conceptual understanding. It is hoped that the results of this study can be used by various stakeholders, who include, inter alia, mathematics subject advisors and teacher training institutions, to enhance learners’ conceptual understanding of mathematics.Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post School Education, 202
A case study of code-switching in English First Additional Language Foundation Phase classrooms
No full textAccess restricted. Expected release in 2026.Thesis (MEd) -- Faculty of Education, Secondary and Post School Education, 202
The effectiveness of implementing mediation resolutions in Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) in Kariega 1994-2021
Get PDFThis study aimed to generate an in-depth understanding of how the resolutions are being implemented post-mediation process and the labour union, which in this study is the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) and the mediator in the process of managing collective disputes between the employer and employee utilising mediation. The study was limited to the Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) Kariega plant, therefore, the findings are contextually limited to the VWSA Kariega plant. The theoretical frameworks for this study were relative deprivation theory, frustration-aggression theory, Marxism, and dysfunctional and functional social conflict. These were utilised to explore and describe the phenomenon under investigation. This study employed a qualitative method to answer the research questions and address its problem statement. The data were collected through focus group discussions and elite interviews. The study used a purposive sampling technique, and the sample included 33 participants. The primary research question was: Were the agreements mediated at the VWSA Kariega plant effectively implemented between 1994 and 2021? The study’s findings imply that for the effective implementation of mediation resolutions, the following should be considered: implementing resolutions within the given timeframe, parties at mediation adapting and accommodating new technological changes and disasters at the National Bargaining Forum (NBF) level, prioritising the education and training of shop stewards and VWSA management representatives on NBF agreements, including the implementation thereof. Managing pertinent issues concerning NUMSA and the Automobile Manufacturers Employers Organisation (AMEO), interpreting NBF agreements, and ensuring that parties differentiate between the Labour Relations Act No. 66 of 1995 (LRA) and NBF processes. At the policy level, the findings imply that parties need to understand the LRA’s role and the process of resolving conflict utilising the formal processes stipulated in the LRA and why the LRA cannot override the NBF agreement as an informal process of managing conflict.Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, School of Governmental and Social Sciences, 202
A revised checklist of extant freshwater fishes of the Zambezian Lowveld Ecoregion, with taxonomic revision of the lowveld largescale yellowfish, Labeobarbus marequensis
No full textAccess restricted. Expected release in 2025.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Science, Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, 202