1,720,960 research outputs found
Assessing the impact of loal content policy on youth culture in Mbare Harae: the case of Youth.com
No full textThe study sought to establish the impact of using the local content policy in reducing television cultural influences on Mbare youth in Zimbabwe. It is assumed that television has ideological and hegemonic functions which have come to dominate the life styles of the youths on issues of dress styles, musical tastes and language, thus threatening and weakening the long established local cultures. Hence the Zimbabwean government’s local content policy was established to reduce influences of alien cultures. This study, therefore, sought to establish if Mbare youth cultures confirm or reject the imitation of television cultures with regard to dress styles, music tastes and language. In addition, the investigation aimed at establishing the feasibility of using the local content policy to reduce foreign cultural intrusions vis-à-vis globalisation challenges. The three theories utilised in the discussion of the influence of television on Mbare youth culture in this study include the cultivation theory, the theory of hegemony and the uses and gratification theory. A qualitative study was adopted to gather data using focus group discussions, questionnaires and semiotic analysis. The sample of the study consisted of 87 participants and 4 Youth.com programmes. The study revealed that television has ideological and hegemonic functions. As such, it tends to be a dominant influence on the life styles and culture of Mbare youths. The study also established that Youth.com influences youth culture through music. In Zimbabwe music has become the most influential aspect of Youth.com despite not being specified in the local content policy on television broadcasting. Furthermore, the study shows that the implications of globalisation on local television content are undermining government efforts to preserve local cultures through the local content policy. The primary reason for this has to do with the fact that Youth.com programme does not contain a higher quota of local content as stipulated in the policy. However, although the local content policy was viewed as a political gimmick, the the study revealed that it was necessary in view of youths’ vulnerability to television’s ideological and hegemonic influences. Nevertheless, in view of the loopholes revealed by this study, the policy requires to be revised to cater for all the essential cultural elements, such as, music, which are allowing alien cultures to penetrate local ways of life. For instance, the urban groove music has major impacts on the culture of Mbare youths
The gendered perspective of cyberbullying: The case of a rural University in Limpopo
No full textThe rapid advancement of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has heightened misuse of internet-based technologies by young people. Besides increased integration due to availability and access to mobile communication technologies, students today indulge in cyberbullying where they harass, insult and stalk each other. Scholars have researched extensively on cyberbullying in institutions of higher learning globally and how victims try to cope with the problem. However, there is a dearth of literature on the gendered perspective of cyberbullying in institutions of higher learning in Southern Africa. Using the Social Information Processing Theory, the study examined the phenomenon of cyberbullying at a rural university in South Africa. The key questions of the study were: How do male and female victims perceive cyberbullying? How do male and female victims react to cyberbullying? Does cyberbullying have the same effects on students of different gender? Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and questionnaires targeted at male and female victims of cyberbullying at University of Venda. Findings revealed inconsistencies in how male and female victims perceived and reacted to cyberbullying.</jats:p
Radio broadcasting, policy and local language revitalisation in Zimbabwe
No full textThe media as disseminators of news are considered the principal institutions that have the mandate to provide relevant information to the citizenry; from which members of the public get a better understanding of their society. Communicating in indigenous languages, in particular, facilitates interaction and the preservation of African languages. Studies have shown that radio is the most effective channel of mass communication which can help in the usage and preservation of indigenous languages. This is because it is affordable and accessible in more peripheral areas than other media. However, due to radio’s ideological and hegemonic functions, many governments in most African countries and in Zimbabwe, in particular, have continued to closely monitor and control its day to day running. Zimbabwe radio, due to the previous and current political contexts, has continued to create an atmosphere where minority languages are not given necessary recognition leading to their exclusion from most of the existing radio stations. This has come to threaten indigenous minority languages and to weaken the long established cultures. The research springs primarily from the desire to unearth the truth behind the failure by ILRBSs and government to protect indigenous languages in Zimbabwe, a sovereign nation. The electronic colonialism theory and globalisation approach (specifically its cultural globalisation strand) were utilised in this study. The research adopted a mixed method design. Data was collected using four instruments namely, Interviews, Focus groups discussions, questionnaire and document analysis. The study revealed that minority languages in Zimbabwe have never been developed beyond their oral use by speakers in their confined locations. This makes any effort to use these languages for broadcasting a serious challenge since speakers and non-speakers do not value these languages. The government’s stringent media laws and policies have made the usage of radio broadcasting in preserving indigenous languages an almost impossible task. The ambiguous BSA and its various vague policies are nothing but a fallacy to minority indigenous languages’ revitalization efforts. In addition, the existing education system is worsening this problem because of its failure to develop educational materials in minority indigenous languages. The study concludes with the observation that in multilingual and multicultural Zimbabwe, the language stance of the government, education system and the media particularly radio are destructive to indigenous languages preservation and revitalisation. In order to ensure effective indigenous languages preservation and revitalization in Zimbabwe, there is need to revise the various language policies enshrined the BSA and to open up the broadcasting landscape to reflect the multiplicity and diversity of voices existing in the country.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 201
Radio broadcasting, policy and local language revitalisation in Zimbabwe
No full textThe media as disseminators of news are considered the principal institutions that have the mandate to provide relevant information to the citizenry; from which members of the public get a better understanding of their society. Communicating in indigenous languages, in particular, facilitates interaction and the preservation of African languages. Studies have shown that radio is the most effective channel of mass communication which can help in the usage and preservation of indigenous languages. This is because it is affordable and accessible in more peripheral areas than other media. However, due to radio’s ideological and hegemonic functions, many governments in most African countries and in Zimbabwe, in particular, have continued to closely monitor and control its day to day running. Zimbabwe radio, due to the previous and current political contexts, has continued to create an atmosphere where minority languages are not given necessary recognition leading to their exclusion from most of the existing radio stations. This has come to threaten indigenous minority languages and to weaken the long established cultures. The research springs primarily from the desire to unearth the truth behind the failure by ILRBSs and government to protect indigenous languages in Zimbabwe, a sovereign nation. The electronic colonialism theory and globalisation approach (specifically its cultural globalisation strand) were utilised in this study. The research adopted a mixed method design. Data was collected using four instruments namely, Interviews, Focus groups discussions, questionnaire and document analysis. The study revealed that minority languages in Zimbabwe have never been developed beyond their oral use by speakers in their confined locations. This makes any effort to use these languages for broadcasting a serious challenge since speakers and non-speakers do not value these languages. The government’s stringent media laws and policies have made the usage of radio broadcasting in preserving indigenous languages an almost impossible task. The ambiguous BSA and its various vague policies are nothing but a fallacy to minority indigenous languages’ revitalization efforts. In addition, the existing education system is worsening this problem because of its failure to develop educational materials in minority indigenous languages. The study concludes with the observation that in multilingual and multicultural Zimbabwe, the language stance of the government, education system and the media particularly radio are destructive to indigenous languages preservation and revitalisation. In order to ensure effective indigenous languages preservation and revitalization in Zimbabwe, there is need to revise the various language policies enshrined the BSA and to open up the broadcasting landscape to reflect the multiplicity and diversity of voices existing in the country.Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 201
Fostering Intra-University Collaborative Culture in Marginalised Institutions
No full textCollaboration is essential for success in community-engaged research and development projects, particularly in academic institutions, where interdisciplinary practice is becoming more prevalent. However, lack of communication, trust, and shared goals, among other factors, make university researchers face challenges which often deter effective intra-university collaboration. Consequently, this leads to missed opportunities and duplication of efforts, making it almost impossible for universities to address critical societal challenges. This paper emanates from a qualitative study in which academic staff and postgraduate students drawn from all faculties of the University of Venda reflected on strengthening a culture of collaboration among researchers and enhancing their chances of being relevant in historically disadvantaged communities. Data were collected through interest group-specific reflection circles and online interviews before being subjected to thematic content analysis. Findings reveal that (a) building a collaborative culture; (b) facilitating collaboration; (c) project management for collaboration, communication and feedback; (d) recognition and rewards, and (e) encouraging diversity and inclusion were important ways to strengthen the partnership between researchers in previously marginalised communities. This study contends that inter-disciplinary collaboration could enhance researchers' capabilities and an institution's academic standing by ensuring the university-engaged research effectiveness in the rural communities it serves. Strengthening collaboration among researchers within the same rural-based university is essential because it allows the university to achieve its goals, advance knowledge and contribute to social change in a meaningful, sustainable manner.
Keywords: Collaboration, community engagement, development projects, interdisciplinary practice, intra-university culture, reflection circles, rural development
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Favoriser une culture de collaboration intra-universitaire dans les institutions marginalisées
RésuméLa collaboration est essentielle à la réussite des projets de recherche et développement impliquant la communauté, en particulier dans les établissements universitaires, où la pratique interdisciplinaire est de plus en plus répandue. Cependant, le manque de communication, de confiance et d'objectifs communs, entre autres facteurs, place les chercheurs universitaires face à des difficultés qui freinent souvent une collaboration intra-universitaire efficace. Par conséquent, cela entraîne des occasions manquées et des doublons, rendant presque impossible pour les universités de relever les défis sociétaux critiques. Cet article est issu d'une étude qualitative dans laquelle des enseignants-chercheurs et des étudiants de troisième cycle issus de toutes les facultés de l'Université de Venda ont réfléchi au renforcement d'une culture de collaboration entre chercheurs et à l'amélioration de leurs chances d'être pertinents au sein de communautés historiquement défavorisées. Les données ont été recueillies lors de cercles de réflexion spécifiques à des groupes d'intérêt et d'entretiens en ligne, avant d'être soumises à une analyse de contenu thématique. Les résultats révèlent que (a) la création d'une culture de collaboration ; (b) la facilitation de la collaboration ; (c) la gestion de projet pour la collaboration, la communication et le retour d'information ; (d) la reconnaissance et les récompenses, et (e) l'encouragement de la diversité et de l'inclusion ont été des moyens importants de renforcer le partenariat entre chercheurs issus de communautés auparavant marginalisées. Cette étude soutient que la collaboration interdisciplinaire pourrait améliorer les capacités des chercheurs et la réputation académique d'une institution en garantissant l'efficacité de la recherche universitaire au sein des communautés rurales qu'elle dessert. Le renforcement de la collaboration entre chercheurs au sein d'une même université rurale est essentiel, car cela permet à l'université d'atteindre ses objectifs, de faire progresser les connaissances et de contribuer au changement social de manière significative et durable.
Mots-clés : Collaboration, engagement communautaire, projets de développement, pratique interdisciplinaire, culture intra-universitaire, cercles de réflexion, développement rura
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
No full text“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
An Assessment of the Impact of the Mentoring Programme on Student Performance
No full textThe University of Venda introduced an academic mentoring programme in 2012. The introduction of the programme was in response to the results of a national study that was conducted by Scott, Yeld and Hendry (2007). The study was replicated at institutional level by the then University of Venda Deputy Vice-Principal Academic and the then acting Director of the Centre for Higher Education Teaching and Learning and it yielded similar results that indicated that at least 30% of undergraduate students drop out at the end of their first year. Using Margaret Archer’s morphogenetic framework, this paper seeks to assess the impact of the programme on students’ performance. The key question asked in this study is: ‘What impact has the mentoring programme made on the academic performance of students in the Department of Communication and Applied Language Studies?’ This department formed part of this study because the module lecturer was among the first few who exercised her agency by consciously volunteering to join the programme with the hope that it would improve pass rate. The pass rate improved from 80% to 92% the first time the programme was implemented and it has been high ever since, while the students in that department have continued to embrace the programme. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were adopted for this study. Qualitative data consisted of an open-ended questionnaire which was used to collect data from forty-five mentees. Interviews were also conducted with ten mentees, three student mentors, the Media Studies (MST 1541) lecturer and the educational development practitioner (EDP). From the forty-five questionnaire respondents, only ten mentees were also interviewed to confirm responses that were given in questionnaires before the researcher had reached saturation point. Quantitative data were collected through a comparison of module results for 2012 and 2013. The MST 1541 classes in 2012 and 2013 were taught by the same lecturer, who confirmed minimal changes in terms of content and teaching methods which could have influenced the improved pass rate in 2013. The study concludes that the mentoring programme contributed to improving student success. However, the study only focused on one causal mechanism, namely mentoring. It is therefore recommended that a broader study be conducted to evaluate the impact of additional causal mechanisms. Furthermore, the researchers recommend improved monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to curb the inconsistencies and irregularities reported by the mentors, mentees, lecturer and educational development practitioner
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