Electronic Theses and Dissertations (PhDs)
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10539/37996
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Item Bisexuality in Democratic South Africa: Experiences of Women in Johannesburg(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Khuzwayo, Zuziwe; Roy, SrilaThe field of gender and sexuality studies has been growing in academic institutions since the 1970’s. One of the reasons for its growth is that women across the globe are challenging conservative ideas and norms on how they should engage in romance, sexuality and heteronormativity which has implications for broader society. There has also been an increase in LGBTQI+ rights globally including in parts of the world where historically these identities were viewed as illegal and foreign to the indigenous people. In recent years though, there has also been a growing anti-gender backlash across the globe that has resulted in hard-won legal rights being reversed, or new legislation being imposed that is homophobic and transphobic. When it comes to research on sexuality, studies on bisexuality, however, and specifically research stemming from Global South contexts, is limited. This research contributes to the field of sexuality studies by looking at how bisexual women construct and express their sexuality, looking at multiple factors such as race, class, age and space in the city of Johannesburg. Using qualitative methods of life-history and in-depth interviews conducted during the six years of the PhD, this study shows how each of these factors shapes and influence an individual’s sexuality in a democracy where LGBTQI+ rights exist but are inadequately materialised. Drawing on feminist and queer theory, the study delves into how bisexuality is expressed and performed by women living in Johannesburg, and how challenges in claiming their sexuality exist outside but also within LGBTQI+ spaces. The study shows how queer women continue to carve out public and private spaces for themselves amid high levels of violence against women. Lastly, the research shows the continued regulation of women’s sexuality through heteronormativity in public and private spaces, and what this says about how women living on the African continent claim their sexuality in different waItem Operating under the Radar: Forestry Plantation Workers Everyday Resistance in Chimanimani District, Zimbabwe(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mvundura, Wellington; Pillay, DevanThis thesis explores and analyses the everyday forms and practices of labour resistance that rural commercial forestry plantation labour crafts to navigate a highly insecure post-colonial capitalist plantation labour process. It attends to the scholarly puzzle that in Zimbabwe, Africa, and elsewhere quotidian forms and practices of resistance are in a much less or barely empirically demonstrated and theoretically elaborated state in both resistance and labour resistance studies. This is even more pronounced in agrarian labour politics studies, yet agriculture labour constitutes a significant proportion of the overall industrial labour-force in xii Africa and elsewhere and is arguably the most easily exploitable form of wage labour. This motivated my empirical focus on commercial plantation labour. In light of evidence from Barura plantation estate, I argue that the workers may have to accept the fact of post-colonial capitalist plantation wage employment, the plantation-specific modalities of statist ethno-national citizenship, and state-sanctioned partisan national politics while contesting the terms and conditions under which these mutual systems of domination and exploitation occur. The practices do not seek to radically decompose the historical material- cum-symbolic bases of these systems of power. The everyday practices of defiance mediate the workers’ realisation of piecemeal de facto material and status gains more than the de jure recognition of those gains. My major empirical contribution is the discovery and foregrounding of the quotidian practices of subaltern groups as an integral part of politics. In a specialised and methodical manner, I re- centre the mundane everyday acts of plantation labour as workplace politics namely labour resistance. Theoretically I deploy and test the conceptual-cum-theoretical positions of seminal scholars on (everyday) resistance and modify some of these positions in light of empirical evidence. Methodologically, I break from the intention-oriented and foreground the practice- oriented approach to everyday resistance. This study is based on a continuous fourteen-month long on-site ethnography at a state-owned commercial forestry plantation. Ethnography was instrumental for the contextualised in-depth discovery and thick description of the workers’ forms, practices, and dynamics of subterranean labour resistance. It also enabled the cultivation of high levels of trust and rapport required to discover a sensitive, incriminating, and largely backstage (hidden) social phenomenon like quotidian labour resistance. For data collection I used three levels of participant observation, unstructured in-depth interviews, casual conversations, and deep hangouts.Item Personhood and Gender in a Traditional African Community(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Nyirenda, Vitumbiko; Etieyibo, EdwinThere is a common assumption that traditional African societies were gender-neutral and lacked hierarchical gender ordering. Proponents of this view argue that women in these societies held significant positions, challenging notions of subordination and oppression. They contend that women have historically been leaders, advisors to kings, queens, soldiers, and landowners. However, some scholars argue that this assumption does not reflect the lived experiences of many African women, who face discrimination and oppression by men and society. This perspective suggests a distinct conception of personhood, indicating that African communities are inherently gendered, which in turn shapes their concept of personhood. The primary claim is that personhood has often been presented in non-gendered terms, based on the general assumption of gender neutrality in traditional African communities. However, this does not align with the realities of these communities. This dissertation thoroughly explores the intellectual divergence surrounding various understandings of gender in African society and its relation to discussions on personhood. Regarding gender, I argue that in the African context, it is viewed as complementary, fluid, and relational, indicating healthy and positive gender relationships within the community. Concerning personhood, I argue that it is often presented in non-gendered ways. Those who fail to recognize this perspective often conflate modern social issues with the dominant values of traditional African communities.Item Women, State Law, And the Crisis of Chieftaincy: The Case Of Nswazi Village In Zimbabwe(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Muradzikwa, Tracey C.; Dube, S.I.Increasingly, post-colonial African states have been grappling with the issue of the gender- gap within traditional leadership institutions, resulting in contestations between state laws and traditional customary laws. Using the landmark succession of Indunakazi Sinqobile Mabhena of Nswazi in Umzingwane district, Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe as a case study, the dissertation provides a new perspective on female traditional leadership through studying the in-depth the negotiation of the legitimacy of Mabhena’s chieftaincy. The study is a “feminist ethnography” of the daily life of Chief Mabhena in a Nswazi community to establish how the governance strategies of women chiefs are configured in practice, with a focus on debates and contention regarding the succession and legitimacy of Indunakazi Mabhena. Drawing on more than one year of fieldwork and making use of a qualitative narrative ethnographic research methods, the Zimbabwean case shows how African women play a significant role in the reconceptualization of legitimacy in traditional leadership and the perceptions of the people of Nswazi on the legitimacy of Indunakazi Mabhena in particular. A key finding of the thesis is that the legitimacy of traditional leaders primarily lies with the community accepting the rulership of the appointed leader through celebrations, ceremonies, and commitment to the well-being of the people that preserve their heritage and lineage. To that end, the naturalization of male chieftaincy primogeniture is put to question.Item Evolution of Enforcement: United Nations Enforcement Actions Under Article 42 of Chapter VII(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Custer, Scott; Brosig, MalteThis dissertation presents a comprehensive examination of the evolution of peace enforcement operations under the framework of the United Nations Charter's Chapter VII, Article 42. Through a qualitative research methodology, incorporating in-depth case study analysis and process tracing, the dissertation explores the changing actor constellations in peace enforcement, highlighting the shift from predominantly Member State-led operations to more complex arrangements involving Regional Arrangement and the United Nations Department of Peace Operations (UNDPO). By analyzing seven specific cases in Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Libya, and Mali, the research identifies key causal mechanisms that have shaped the actor constellations of peace enforcement missions. The findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of the conditions under which peace enforcement operations are initiated and the strategic considerations that guide the international community's response to threats to peace and security. The study concludes by discussing the implications of these evolutions for future peace enforcement endeavors and the broader study of peace and conflict resolution within the field of International Relations.Item Role of Men in Teenage Pregnancy in the Bojanala district, North West province, South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Petlele, Rebaone; Mkwananzi, Sibusiso; Odimegwu, CliffordTo Professor Odimegwu, words aren’t enough to express my appreciation for your guidance, support and enduring patience. Thank you, Prof, for guiding me through this journey, not only during my PhD, but from my undergraduate years. Thank you for not giving up on me. You have been instrumental in my career progression and achievements. I am most grateful. Dr Mkwananzi, thank you so much for being there for me. You have been my sounding board, you have been rooting for me from day one, thank you for giving of your time, your grace, and all you’ve shared with no reservation…including the laughs. Thank you. To my DPS family, you have been a source of motivation and my constant support system. Thank you to all staff members, past and present. Dr Sasha and Prof Nicole, you have been a constant and positive feature in my academic journey. You have taught me, mentored me and became a great example of what I could achieve. I appreciate you both very much. Ms Gloria, thank you for everything you do. To my fellow PhD brothers and sisters, what an amazing bond we share, thank you for the camaraderie, this journey was so much better with you by my side. You’ve been there and I cannot thank you enough, I know our journey doesn’t end here. To everyone at Community Media Trust (CMT), I am most grateful. Your organisation’s support has been immeasurable. Thuso Molefe, thank you for saying yes, thank you for facilitating all the reinforcement I needed to see through my fieldwork. Boitumelo, ka leboga (thank you) Sistas, your assistance opened so many doors, thank you for all that you did for me and with me. Mam’Wendy, thank you for being there when we needed you. The work you do is a calling, I appreciate all the counsel you provided during this time, not just to my study participants, but those moments I needed to debrief too. I know your work isn’t done yet, thank you for everything. Levite Solomon Mabolawa, you have gone far beyond the call of duty. You were there during all the phases of my fieldwork, you took on multiple roles, you used your resources and time to ensure I achieved what I was there to do. Thank you for being selfless, this would not have been possible without your daily acts of kindness. Thapelo Moloto, you’ve been more than a fellow researcher but a big brother. Thank you for nurturing this process like you would your own. I am so grateful. You never hesitated to take on this task, and I am so happy that it was you who accompanied me on this journey.Item An ethnographic study of outside-circularity and deconstructive creation from the waste reuse practices of the urban waste precariat(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Reyneke, PierreThe study consists of an ethnographic inquiry into the waste reuse practices performed by the urban waste precariat on the landfill and streets of Pretoria East, City of Tshwane. I analyse the contribution of this social grouping to the urban circular economy and environment by conceptualising of these waste reuse practices as value-production processes not rooted in capitalism, practised outside of state and formal market recognition and support. I term these forms of existing circularity “outside-circularity” and identify an alternative value-production process termed “deconstructive creation”. The deconstructive creation process produces life from capitalist ruins, an alternative form of value to capitalism. This form of value draws on new formations of kinship and exchanges in a subsidiary and care economy, and functions on principles of everyday communism. Life from the capitalist ruins finds expression in two ways. Firstly, urban life that is more than mere material sustenance is produced, and a form of social solidarity as new kinship formations develop between Zimbabwean migrants in the City of Tshwane. Secondly, urban space is produced in the form of street craft markets and garden beautification to transform the suburban aesthetic. I problematise portrayals of waste reclaimers as an undifferentiated group exclusively performing reclaiming and recycling of paper and packaging materials. For this I develop and apply the social categorisation ‘urban waste precariat’, to move beyond the term ‘reclaimer’ with its singular focus on paper and packaging recycling. The term urban waste precariat incapsulates both recycling and reuse practitioners and hereby, I portray the complexity of the urban waste economy to include waste reuse practices, a cluster of waste work excluded from the literature in South Africa, thus far. Methodologically, I identify points of transition that are seminal to the circularity of the practices seen as meshwork. These points are discard, salvage, disassembly, transformation, exchange, and use. In addition, I trace circuits of material flow, both human and nonhuman, to portray the meshwork that entangles to form waste reuse practices. Through critical ethnography and by viewing waste reuse practices through the concept of skill, I show how space is relationally produced by tracing the socio-spatial history of traditional craft making skill development. The ethnographic data illustrate how this skill is employed in waste reuse practices, from artist hubs in Zimbabwe (Mbare and Chitungwisa) to its emergence through migration in Pretoria East’s informal iii street markets and suburban gardens. The study thus argues for the potential of sustainability and circularity to emerge from such skilled waste reuse practices of deconstructive creation.Item The geopolitics of climate change and violent conflicts in Africa: the Nigerian and Kenyan perspectives(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Emupenne, Olanrewaju Ojo; Small, MichelleThis study empirically examined the correlation between climate change (independent variable) and violent conflict (dependent variable), focusing on East Africa and West Africa. Climate change poses a serious threat to humanity and the ecosystem, particularly in Africa. Also, despite other serious challenges the continent faces, violent conflict remains among the most devastating. Various reasons, including poor leadership, social exclusion, and conflicting goals, are cited as causes of violent conflict in Africa. Recently, a new narrative has emerged suggesting climate change is a potential driver of violent conflicts. This study examines the correlation. So, to investigate this relationship, a survey research design was employed. The study adopted a descriptive research design, and four main research methods were used in the study namely, mixed methods research, comparative case study research, triangulation approach to social research, and convergent synthesis design. Also, the research utilized questionnaires that were directly formulated from the study’s hypotheses and were tested using a parametric regression model. Furthermore, the research employed Key Informant Interviews (KII), and the data gathered were processed using Atlas.ti, a Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Software (CAQDAS). Sampling techniques included purposive, stratified, and random sampling. The study population comprised government officials, environmentalists, academia, farmers, herders, youth leaders, and community leaders. 17 government officials, 7 academia, 6 environmentalists, 15 farmers, and 13 herders randomly selected in Nigeria, and 22 government officials, academia, and environmentalists, 15 farmers and members of farmers cooperatives, and 12 herders and members of livestock associations randomly selected in Kenya participated in the Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) to make a sample size of 110. In addition, 174 government officials, environmentalists, and academics completed the Set A questionnaire in Nigeria, 116 government officials, environmentalists, and academics completed the Set A questionnaire in Kenya, and 423 farmers, herders, youths, and community leaders completed the Set B questionnaire in Nigeria, and 205 respondents do the same in Kenya to make a sample of 918 respondents. In all, a total of 1,028 respondents participated in the study. The study was systematically guided by four research questions and two hypotheses. These research questions are as follows: (1) To what extent does climate change effect features in the geopolitics of peace and security in West Africa and East Africa? (2) Specifically, what is the correlation between climate change and farmer-herder conflicts in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria and farmer-herder conflicts in the Tana River County in Kenya? (3) What is the level of awareness about the effects of climate change among crop farmers, herders, and policymakers in the Northern region of Nigeria and Tana River County of Kenya, and how does the knowledge about the effects of climate change play a role in the different stakeholders’ approach to conflict? (4) What are the policy frameworks in Nigeria and Kenya that create awareness about climate change and mitigate the effects vi of climate change on violent conflict at both national and local levels? The quantitative data obtained were analyzed using SPSS Version 25 and R, while the qualitative data were analyzed using Atlas.ti. Results revealed a positive correlation between climate change and geopolitical dynamics of peace and security in West Africa and East Africa but did not establish causation. While climate change intensified, it contributed to shifts in geopolitical dynamics impacting peace and security. However, establishing causation requires more than observing correlation; it demands demonstrating that changes in the independent variable cause changes in the dependent variable. The findings of the study also revealed varying levels of knowledge and awareness regarding climate change among farmers, herders, and policymakers in Northern Nigeria and Tana River County of Kenya; divergent opinions about available policy frameworks for creating awareness about climate change and mitigating the effects of climate change on violent conflict. Some of the respondents agreed that policies were available, some were of the view that policies were available but not implemented while some expressed the fact that policies were not available. Considering these findings, several policy recommendations were made which include the integration of climate adaptation strategies with conflict prevention efforts, decision- making and policy implementation, creating more awareness programmes, indigenous approach and inclusivity, curbing migration, farmer/herder dialogue, and the establishment of special judicial commission solely for farmers and herders. In a nutshell, the study emphasized the need for nuanced understanding and consideration of multiple factors influencing the geopolitical landscape of AfricaItem The crisis of trade union representation in post-1973 unions and the role of the full-time shop steward (FTSS): A case study of NUMSA at BMW Rosslyn Plant Tshwane South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Malabela, Musawenkosi Hemelton; Mosoetsa, SarahFull-time shop stewards (FTSSs) are elected trade union shop stewards paid by the employer to do full-time union work. This is a peculiar arrangement in the South African industrial landscape which draws from the German model of workers’ councils. These FTSSs were first negotiated in the early 1980s at Ford and Volkswagen (VW) in South Africa. The main reason for these FTSSs was, as noted by Gomomo (1985), to deal with production pressures and disruptions caused by ordinary shop stewards, who, from time to time, would be pulled from the production line to attend to trade union business. The employer offered these positions as a tool for addressing this dilemma. This benefitted the trade unions that were growing exponentially and did not have money to hire organisers to service every organised and non- organised workplace. The s served to augment the role of the organisers; they became a de facto organiser. This study, through in-depth interviews, document analysis, focus groups, ethnography and participant observation, explores the contradictory role of FTSSs through the case study method at BMW. The findings highlight the significance of the FTSSs in building the power of the trade union at the shopfloor level and the potential they have in building a strong, vibrant and militant trade union movement on the ground or branch level. The evidence shows that, if not properly managed, FTSSs’ positions can be used for upward social mobility by self-interested individuals. This is because of the benefits and resources attached to these positions, which accord incumbents some level of social status. Hence these positions are highly and fiercely contested. For these positions to yield positive outcomes, FTSSs ought to be accountable to the rank-and-file members through regular meetings for feedback and mandate takings, and regular 4 elections ought to be institutionalised. Notions of career pathing of FTSSs need not be entertained as they will open space for the institutionalisation of upward social mobility of FTSS. Although upward social mobility is one of the options for an FTSS, those who are not re-elected to office face social downgrading, which includes going back to the production line. This comes with a huge personal loss and has a psychological impact as they lose the benefits associated with these positions and the social status that comes with it. The thesis turns Michels’ (1958) notion of ‘iron law of oligarchy’ on its head as it shows that FTSSs should act as a countervailing force against the development of oligarchic tendencies in the workplace. Because accountable FTSSs suffocate the development of oligarchic tendencies in the trade union. The thesis argues that accountability is a pain of democracy—it should be embraced and promoted, and regular elections of FTSSs should be encouraged and institutionalised as a countervailing force to the development of oligarchic tendencies. This will promote the worker control principle, which is the cornerstone of these post-1973 trade unions. The thesis further argues that the FTSS falls into the trap of being a tool of management if not properly managed. They become a communication bridge of management or information brokers1 (see Malabela, 2012) by communicating production schedules. Borrowing from Tony Lane's (1974) thesis of shop stewards being the man with two masters, it argues that the FTSS is the man with three masters. The three masters are the workers who elected them, the second one is the employer who pays their salary, and finally, the trade union who they represent and on whose card they were elected. I posit that all these masters have different expectations: the 1 See Malabela, 2012 5 first is to represent them against the employer, the second is to maintain labour peace and avoid unnecessary strikes and stoppages, and the third is to build a strong workplace organisation. In the final analysis FTSSs are an important and integral part of South African industrial relations—and benefit both the employer and the trade union. The trade union needs to develop clear policies to manage FTSSs, so that the positions are not abused for upward social mobility and to hold them accountable. Accountability occurs through regular general meetings with workers to solicit mandates and report back, and FTSS elections should be institutionalised. Trade unions ought to benefit a great deal from FTSSs only if these positions serve the intentions of the trade unions and build a vibrant workplace organisation that serves the interest of the rank-and-file.Item Ethics and the Destiny of Being(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Letswalo, Gabe MorokoeAlthough the student experience is commonly praised for its empowerment, learning opportunities, and adventurous nature, it is important to acknowledge that students also face substantial pressure and stress throughout their academic journeys. This has been known to adversely affect student engagement (i.e., vigour, dedication, and absorption) levels, potentially diminishing academic performance and productivity levels, and increasing the likelihood of university dropouts (Jafri, 2017; Kuh et al., 2008). Fortunately, psychological capital (PsyCap); the combination of four psychological capacities (hope, self-efficacy, optimism, and resilience), has been cited as a significant contributor of academic engagement (Luthans et al., 2016; You, 2016). These constructs are explained by the Job Demands- Resources (JD-R) model as well as the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory. However, few studies have considered the relationship between PsyCap and academic engagement amongst first-year university students. This provided a unique and novel context for application, warranting future research. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to examine whether a micro PsyCap intervention had an effect upon the levels of academic engagement experienced by first-year university students. The following three instruments were combined into an online questionnaire and used to collect the necessary data for the current study: 1) A demographic questionnaire was administered to gather information about the sample and sample characteristics; 2) the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students (UWES-S) was used to measure academic engagement; 3) the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) was used to measure psychological capital and/or personal resources. Data was collected at two different time periods (i.e., pre-intervention/time 0 and post-intervention/time 1), whereby the PCQ was used to measure levels of PsyCap, and the UWES-S was used to measure academic 2 engagement. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics, correlational analysis, and mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVA). The final sample (N = 319) consisted of both full-time and part-time first-year students across different faculties of study (i.e., Humanities, Health Sciences, and Commerce, Law, and Management) at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. Results of the current study demonstrated that a positive relationship exists between PsyCap and academic engagement. Specifically, the study revealed that students with higher levels of PsyCap tend to show more energy and enthusiasm (vigour), stronger commitment (dedication), and deeper absorption in their learning (absorption). These findings were supported by previous research. However, the current study also revealed that the proposed PsyCap intervention failed to significantly affect the students’ levels of vigour, dedication, and absorption over time. These results were surprising considering previous research but may be attributed to the inherent difficulties of developing an online intervention in South Africa, where there are significant variations in resource availability and economic status (especially amongst university students). Based on these challenges, future studies should incorporate face-to-face interventions to ensure inclusivity and participation from all participants; use larger and more representative samples; and embrace a mixed-methods approach to gain a deeper understanding of participant experiences. Nevertheless, the study’s result does not invalidate prior research that has demonstrated the effectiveness of PsyCap interventions in enhancing academic engagement amongst university students. 3 This study confirms a link between psychological capital (PsyCap) and student engagement, underlining the importance of personal resources in the student-university context. Further research is necessary to develop more effective iterations of the proposed PsyCap intervention aimed at effectively enhancing academic engagement and promoting overall student success.