3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Drawing on Words: Jasper Johns's Illustrations of Samuel Beckett's Foirades/Fizzles(1994) Richards, Colin PeterBetween 1973 and 1976 artist Jasper Johns produced some thirty-three illustrations to accompany five prose texts authored by Samuel Beckett. The result was the book Foirades!Fizzles, published in New York in 1976. Almost without exception the critical literature published on this book draws the relation between image and text away from any idea of illustration. And this only when the idea is not simply ignored. This critical attitude reflects a wider tendency in especially elevated critico-aesthetic discourse to consider illustration as aesthetically and textually debased. Bracketed off, illustration merely signals a parasitic relation. Compromising the integrity of the texts it enjoins, it articulates a secondary aesthetic of the accessory. This view seems unproductive not only when applied to Johns's work, but also to image-text combinations more generally. The sheer incidence of such combinations (including illustration) in recent and current aesthetic production suggests that the indifference or prejudicial critical reflex routinely provoked by illustration marks a moment of poverty in contemporary critical thinking. This moment appears solidly rooted in a once dominant and still apparently powerful formalist and purist impulses within modernist discourse. The persistence of these impulses suggests the survival of unexamined, limiting and tenacious critical assumptions. A closer examination of selected texts - pre-modernist, modernist, and post-modernist - point beyond these assumptions. Here the logic of the supplement in particular illuminates very specifically how illustration might come to function, and where its incendiary critical potential may lie. The supplement resists the easy hierarchisation or even synthesis of different texts which has been the fate of illustration. It renders illustration both critically robust and radical. The concept of allegory is also illuminating here. It not only helps us understand better the fate of illustration within modernism and postmodernism, but also provides for enlightening readings of Foirades!Fizzles. In turn, a revaluation of illustration opens up a more productive view of allegory in both modernist and postmodernist discourse. Illustration, in coordinating different semiotic systems, however marginally, can function as a framing, focusing and spacing device, a way of bracketing and specifying themes, structures and forms within a given textual complex, a way of opening readings otherwise foreclosed or overlooked. In this study such readings are articulated through a set of textual configurations which include: vision and perception; the body, eye, and skin; calibration, measurement, and point of view; memory, repetition and originality; and finally liminality, ambiguity and metastable signification. Against the grain of published opinion there is then much to be gained by recognising the capacious critical potential of illustration, what we might term its 'motivated contingency'. Rather than being considered critically inconsequential or an aesthetic impedin1ent, illustration may in fact provide an almost unique opportunity not only to explore issues germane to Johns's work (both independently and in relation to Beckett's texts), but also to address certain important critical debates within postmodern discourse. Its value may be felt in reading Foirades!Fizzles, in reading other image-text combinations, and the broader relations between visual art, literature, and language.Item The penetration and fracturing mechanisms generated in brittle rock by the impingement of a high velocity jet(1992) Giltner, Scott GeorgeExtensive studies on the jet penetration process in ductile metal targets have been previously carried out in numerous investigations. As a result, the penetration in ductile targets has been characterized by various theoretical models. However the penetration of brittle materials, particularly rock, has received considerably less attention. The lack of information concerning brittle materials is important as major differences between penetration in ductile and brittle materials have been observed. In most instances the actual penetration in brittle materials is far less than that given by theoretical calculations. This thesis presents an investigation into the high velocity jet penetration of brittle rock. The aim of this work is to describe the dynamic forces transmitted into the rock by the jet and the subsequent response of the rock to these forces. It is shown that existing penetration theories do not adequately describe penetration in rock. Of all the jet and target properties considered in the theories examined, target strength is shown to be the most relevant for predicting penetration depth. Recovery of the actual hole created was achieved by overcoring of the hole. Detailed measurements of the hole profile and fracture zones around the hole are presented. From the recovered samples of the hole, thin and polished sections were obtained for microscopic analysis. Results from the microscopic examination of these specimens are discussed from which temperature and pressure information are derived. In order to provide an adequate description of the penetration process, instrumentation was used to measure the penetration velocity, particle acceleration, and dynamic strain generated in the rock. From the instrumentation the interface pressure, dynamic stress, and dynamic strain generated in the rock are quantified and related to the various fracture zones identified around the hole. The results of these tests indicate that penetration in rock can be separated into three distinct phases. Initially the rock behaves as a hydrodynamic fluid should the interface pressure be very high. However as the interface pressure drops, the strength of the rock becomes evident and the second phase is entered into. The second phase is characterized by rapid changes occurring in the behaviour of the rock. Once the behaviour of the rock has stabilized, the third and final phase of penetration is entered. This final phase is predominantly controlled by the rock strength. As a result of this investigation, a better understanding of the interaction between the rock target and penetrating jet has been established. Additionally the behaviour of rock subjected to very high shock pressure has also been described. This has allowed better insight into the material properties governing the penetration process and the fracturing of rock from purely dynamic stresses.Item Reproductive labors: the politics of women's health in South Africa, 1900 to 1960(1995) Burns Catherine EileenThis dissertation opens the theme of reproduction in southern Africa to historical scrutiny. To do this, the work is divided into nine chapters, each tackling related aspects of this field of inquiry. It examines the development of a definition and practice of public health in the early decades of this century in Johannesburg and traces the local history of maternal health, mothercraft, and midwifery in the context of urban segregation. Healing practices that existed outside of official control, namely the work of family midwives and health practitioners many of whom were black women with skills and experience acquired in rural settings, are explored. Here, the commonplace separation of "Western biomedicine" and "indigenous African" practices concerning health and midwifery are challenged, using the records of an extraordinary herbalist and midwife, Louisa Mvemve. In 1928 the Bridgman Memorial Hospital was established as a site for a massive project to train and certify a cadre of black midwives and as space for scientific research concerning the bodies, birthing capacities, and gynecology of black women. The development of a local specialty termed "Bantu Gynaecology" is traced, indicating the powerful linkages between the development of anthropological and scientific knowledge about black women. The heart of this dissertation is an examination of the complex and contradictory history of the Bridgman through archival records and the oral testimony of women who trained at the Hospital and who gave birth there from 1930 to 1962. The politics of contraception and birth control in Johannesburg and the history of debates about sexuality and illegitimacy lead to a discussion of the increasingly didactic involvement of local and central state officials in the policing of black women in the city. This increasingly invasive state intervention in birth, "family planning" and controlling the reproductive labor of black women after 1950 is the subject of the last section.Item Vrouetaal in drie Afrikaanse tydskrifte: Die Boervrou (1919-1931), Die Huisgenoot (1932-1948) en Sarie (Marais) (1949-1989)(1993) Slabbert Sarah Johanna CatharineThis study is based on three main hypotheses: a) The discourse between a women's magazine and its reader can be regarded as a specialized type of woman-to-woman communication and can therefore be placed within the paradigm of women's language. b) Because language is a social semiotic, changes in the social position of women will be reflected in the lexicogrammatical features of the women's magazine. c) Changes in the social position of women will mainly be reflected in the realm of interpersonal meaning and consequently one can expect movement in those lexicogrammatical features that are associated with interpersonal meaning. The research traces the historical development of this discourse type in three Afrikaans magazines: Die Boerevrou (1919-1931), the women's section of Die Huisgenoot (1932-1948) and Sarie(Marais) (1949-1989). The focus is on three core sections of the women's magazine: the discourse between female and male characters in love stories, and the discourse between magazine-speaker and reader-listener in general articles and in advertisements. Theoretically, the research links up with the functional model of Halliday. The method is mainly quantitative and based on the Interactional Process of Analysis (IPA) of Bales (1970) as interpreted by Preisler (1986), as well as on the work of Fowler et al. (1979). Three sets of specific hypotheses have been defined. The first is based on the stereotypes of women's language, the second on IPA categories and the markers of tentativity, and the third on the markers of control as described by Fowler et al. (1979). When relevant, the behavior of additional variables that have shown themselves to be sensitive to time, or which have been previously researched in other material, e.g. Stoops (1972), was also described quantitatively. For the advertisements changes in the context of the situation were also described in qualitative terms. The results have proved the central assumption of the study to be correct, namely that the discourse of women's magazines would be sensitive to the defined variables. The most important findings were the following: In all the examined volumes, with the exception of 1970/71, a significant difference between the linguistic behavior of male and female characters in the magazine stories was found. This difference is however not always equal and does not always concern the same variables. In both the magazine articles and the advertisements there is a movement away from an explicit task-oriented role towards a more socio-emotional role. In the articles, it entails a massive shift from task-oriented functions towards the function ''Dramatizing" (Bales 1970), whereas the shift in the advertisements is not as large and towards "Friendly" (Bales 1970}. The study has shown that a quantitative instrument that has been developed for the description of group interaction on a synchronic level can also be successfully applied to a historical study on written language. It is hoped that it has also demonstrated the value of functionally defined variables and contrastive material for stylistic analysis.Item The capacity of municipalities to deliver on housing.(2003) Maluleke, Delca Petunia.This study was undertaken to determine whether Gauteng municipalities, constitutionally obliged to provide low-cost housing to those who qualify for it, possessed the capacity to do so. The only Gauteng municipality not included in this research were Metsweding District Municipality. Pertinent literature was consulted and reviewed. In this qualitative research, the data were obtained from interviews and answers to questionnaires. Analysis showed that all the municipalities studied lacked the capacity to deliver on their mandate. Necessary capacity was found to be lacking in several areas. The report concludes with suggestions for rectifying this problem and thus, enabling municipalities to meet their housing delivery obligations.Item Technology management, transaction processes and governance structures(2003) Siriram, RajenallThis thesis focuses on technology management within and between firms. The effects of technology management on transaction processes, and the mechanisms for effective governance of technology is studied. A model incorporating different schools of thought including technology management, strategic management, organizational and TCE (transactional cost economics) and operations management is built. The model has subsets of technology management, transaction processes, and governance structures. The model is then tested within an investigative framework, which includes organizational determinants, competitors, and external factors. The testing is on firms that adopt or implement technologies. Technological firms are categorized into user firms and system integrator firms. User firms are firms that adopt technologies; system integrator firms are firms that are involved in the implementation of technologies and help user firms. Statistical analysis is used to test correlations between these two types of technological firms. An expert panel is used to understand the differences and similarities between the two types of technological firms. Different links are significant in this model and the following conclusions may be drawn: firstly that technology management, transaction processes and governance structures are linked; secondly that the transaction cost economic view and the resource-based view are both important for competitive advantage and neither is superior to the other; and thirdly that the effects of technological change on the organizational and environmental evolution is significant. This thesis lays the foundation for further work toward integrating technology management, transaction processes, and governance structures. In addition lessons for managers involved in technological decisions are also provided.Item End-user satisfaction with an information system implementation in Natalspruit hospital, Gauteng province(2005) Vomacka, JaromirThe aim of this study was to evaluate user satisfaction with a new hospital information system, Medicom, implemented in Natalspruit hospital. A sample consisted of 380 full-time employees representing all groups of hospital staff who utilised the software. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The mean total score for the survey was 40.7 out of possible 60. This was above the middle score of 36 meaning that the users were satisfied with the system. Administrative personnel were most satisfied (mean 43.9). Medicom scored highest for the dimension of Ease of Use. Six variables that were presumed to influence users' satisfaction were analysed; only Availability of the Technical Support was significantly associated with satisfaction in multivariate analysis. Medical doctors were found to be not utilizing the system. Staff complained about training, technical problems and time constraints to exploit the Medicom prospects to its optimum. Implications for improving the hospital information system are discussed.Item Cost and quality of care: a comparative study of public and privately contracted chronic psychiatric institutions(1998) Porteus, Kimberley AnnItem An assessment of the impact of injuries due to assaults, gunshots and motor vehicle accidents on the admissions and costs of the Orthopaedic department at Addington hospital in Durban(2004) Lutge, Elizabeth EleanorThis research report examined the epidemiology of trauma in the orthopaedic ward at Addington hospital, Durban, over the year 2000. It also quantified the financial cost of trauma to this ward over the same period of time, using the “bottom up” costing method. The cost of trauma was also calculated using the “top down” method, as well as using tariff charges (used to bill patients with medical aid attending public hospitals). The overall cost of trauma to this ward for 2000 was found to be R5 440 964.20. A constant relationship was found between the costs as calculated using the three methods above.Item Molecular Genetic Variation in Mozambican and Zimbabwean populations(2001) Eddy, Carey-AnneGenetic data, used in conjunction with linguistic, archaeological and anthropological data, is extremely valuable in understanding the evolutionary and demographic history of subSaharan African populations. Present-day southern African populations are represented by Khoisan and Bantu-speaking groups. The Bantu languages have their origins in the Benue- Niger area between present-day Nigeria and Cameroon, and has spread to central and southern Africa over the past 2-3000 years. The spread of Bantu-speaking peoples, referred to as the “Bantu expansion”, ought to have contributed to the spectrum of genetic variation found in sub-Saharan African populations. In this study we propose to examine the genetic structure of two southeastern Bantu-speaking population groups: the Remba (a Lemba group) from Zimbabwe and a Mozambican group sampled near Inhambane. Although the Lemba from South Africa live among the Venda and the Remba among the Shona, their intriguing oral history and unique Semitic-like cultural practices have set them apart from their Bantu-speaking neighbours. They claim descent from Jews who came to Africa from “Sena”. A previous study using Y chromosome markers suggested both a Bantu and Semitic contribution to the Lemba gene pool. More recently, the presence of a particular Y chromosome type termed the “Cohen Modal Haplotype” (CMH) in the Lemba from South Africa, led others to conclude that the Lemba have a specifically Jewish ancestry. These studies, however, have not resolved conclusively the origins of the Lemba. The Mozambican gene pool might reflect contributions from other populations particularly. The Mozambican gene pool might reflect contributions from other populations particularly due to the crucial geographic position it occupied, linking landlocked countries to coastal IV ports, during the days of slavery and trade with the East. There have only been limited genetic studies in populations from Mozambique and even the archaeological record from present-day Mozambique is especially sparse. We used the non-recombining portion of the Y chromosome and mtDNA data to examine the contribution of males and females, respectively, to the gene pools of the Remba and the Mozambicans and to investigate the prehistory of these two population groups. The Remba from Zimbabwe and the Lemba from South Africa shared common Y chromosome haplotypes that were connected via single mutational steps, suggesting that they have a common recent ancestry. The CMH was found in only one Lemba individual from South Africa and was absent in the Remba. Furthermore, there were no one-step derivatives of the CMH in the Lemba or the Remba. It is possible that the CMH was introduced into the Lemba fairly recently due to gene flow from South African Jews. Although the Remba and Lemba do have a common Semitic contribution to their Y chromosme gene pool, it is premature to use the CMH as evidence of Jewish ancestry in the Lemba. There was no evidence from the mtDNA data to suggest any non-African contribution to the mtDNA gene pool of the Remba and Lemba or the Mozambicans. There is, however strong evidence suggesting that the Remba, Lemba, Mozambicans, Venda, southeastern Bantu speaking population groups from South Africa and several other sub-Saharan African populations share a recent common maternal ancestry that most likely has its roots in the Benue-Niger region prior to the Bantu expansion. Despite the role the Mozambicans may have played during the days of slavery and trading, their Y chromosome profile shows no reflection of any contribution from non-African populations.