3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/handle/10539/45
Browse
4 results
Search Results
Item Radical agenda - settings? exploring informality and the spatial and economic practices of informal people within the ambit of suggestion, contestation and movement towards an alternative city(2016) Ngobese, Siphelele Lisolam MelodyThis research report examines the extent to which the economic and spatial practices of informal people can be classed as radical genda-setting towards an alternative city. In so doing the practices and perceptions of business owners, market traders and street traders in Yeoville are explored. To give greater context of what informal people are possibly pushing up against, state practice and policy are also considered. The discussion further draws on the nexus between politics and governance as well as between the state and capital on the making of contemporary cities. Social movement theory provides the initial basis to carry out the discussion. The interweaving theories of quiet encroachment (Bayat), insurgent citizenship (Holston) and subaltern urbanism (Roy) give the exploration greater depth.Item Working and living condition in contemporary South African farmlands: exploring the impacts of tenure reforms on farm workers and labour tenants, a study of Bethal district(2016-01-28) Okpa, Michael EvalsamThe relationship between farmers and farm workers in South Africa in one steeped in controversy, yet this area of study has received little attention. Agrarian history in South Africa is topical especially when considering the interaction between farmers (predominantly white) and farm workers (almost entirely black) in a capitalist economy. Farm workers current social and economic situation is a product of colonialism, segregationist and apartheid policies, as well as capitalist development and post-apartheid development strategy. This study hence analyses the social cohesion within the commercial farming community, placed against the backdrop of the Land Reform Programme – tenure reform. The social relations and labour are highly shaped by the capitalist mode of production and through the control of capital. Total institutions, domestic governance, and paternalism, impedes successful tenure reform. The study reveals a mutual cohesion between farmer and their employees based on a variety of reasons ranging from mutual understanding, good communication, good working relationship, and treating such other fairly. Nonetheless, this does not mean that farm workers are not being maltreated as other studies on farm relations have shown. Without a doubt, land reform particularly tenure reform has clearly tested the patience of farmers. The study further acknowledges that the current land reform programme (especially tenure reform) is deficient, and has not benefited those for whom it was intended. Despite the legislation that have been passed in order to protect the rights of those living on farms, and to secure the labour right of those who work on them, there has been little improvement in securing tenure rights as well as the poverty level of many farm dwellers. Successful implementations of recent interventions to tenure security are the preconditions necessary for the broader land reform programme to reduce poverty levels among farm workers. Hence, securing tenure rights for farm workers must therefore be tired to programmes which aim to reduce poverty level among farm dwellers in general. Tenure reform by itself cannot alleviate rural poverty unless the government take a decisive action to stimulate the rural economy. Equally, farm dwellers (including farm workers and labour tenants) have felt the harshest consequence of the crises facing post-apartheid South Africa’s agriculture sector. This historical process has left its legacy in post-apartheid South Africa, characterised not only by a bimodal agricultural system but also by an unequal relation within (white) commercial farms where farm workers and labour tenants are faced with the harshest reality of poverty in the mist of agrarian wealth. This study therefore explores the disputed labour regime in the farming sector – the mechanisation and casualization of farm labour, as well as farm consolidation, both leading to a drop in rural/farm employment as an immediate consequence; and low unionisation of farm workers.Item Filmscape: socially integrating film production within the Johannesburg city context(2015-05-12) Jardine, BrandonCinema has been considered the primary art form of the 20th Century. However, due the falling number of cinema goers the art form is under threat of losing its significance in modern day society. The decline in cinema goers has led to the decreased profitability of the independent film industry. This has led to the reduction of the complex narrative in films and an increased focus on special effects. As a result films, and the way in which they are perceived, are losing their artistic integrity as an art form. Through the formation of a cinematic architecture a more spatialized experience can be projected upon the audience. This creates a space of pure experience and hedonistic escape for the cinema goer. It can then be said that through architecture, the reinvention of the cinema typology and an increased approachability within the independent film industry, an experience can be created that could not be replicated in one’s home. The rise of the home theatre and internet based media has come to justify the need for the cinema to act as a social space. The non‐exclusivity that was once a strong driver of the 1930’s ‘Golden Age’ of cinema has become increasingly fictional in the present day context. The decline in cinema goers stems far beyond cinema and lies in the relevance of film to the common man. This thesis aims to break down the barriers that surround the film and cinematic universe and allow it to flood the surrounding city context embedding itself in the local culture. The physical design should programmatically encompass elements of pre‐production and postproduction with Johannesburg acting as the physical film set for production. The average man should have the ability to enter this building, gain the skills and knowledge to develop a film, rent the relevant equipment, edit the film and use the building as a platform to showcase work and earn an income. This ultimately transforms the building and its urban framework into a cultural knowledge database where depictions of local culture and time can be archived for future generations. Flexible professional workspace and the timesharing of highly specialised equipment allows for the rapid expansion and contraction common to the highly volatile industry. Park Station as a site choice acts as a cultural interchange. This provides vast interconnectivity that is needed to host large scale events such as the Jozi Film Festival and the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs). A study of the history of cinema and its impact throughout has inspired and informed this work. The temporal progression of cinematic style has resulted in the loss of both luxury and ‘The Spectacle’ of cinema. This being said, this progression has improved the availability, variety and increased the immersion of the audience within the film. Cinema architecture, through a more inclusive approach, can be reinvented to once again act as the primary platform of display for the independent film industry. Film will thus start to form an integral part of the surrounding streetscape and pedestrians’ daily lives. The building design will cater for the escapist and the socially integrated; the in‐between and the excluded.Item Culture as a moderator for the infusion of Web 2.0 technology: TAM vs WebQual(2012-06-29) Hammerich, WestleyIt is clear that the internet is being used more often for social interactions but the reasons why people adopt these newer technologies are still unclear. Over the last thirty years numerous adoption theories have been proposed however few account for the newer types of technology, such as social website usage. Purpose – The study will compare and contrast two different models of adoption to see if one model is better than the other in understanding the usage of social networking websites such as Facebook. At an organisational level the idea of extended usage of technology has been encapsulated in the construct of infusion of technology into a work place. The study will also show that infusion of technology may occur at an individual level of research. The argument is made that since national culture has been shown to affect usage, national culture may moderate the level of infusion that is found. Methodology – The study will use a quantitative methodology to survey potential (or actual) users of Facebook using a structured questionnaire. Since two adoption models are being tested, two questionnaires were developed and tested. The items for the questionnaires have been adapted from prior literature. Reliability and validity tests confirmed the scales from prior literature. The sample was selected from higher education institutions within the Johannesburg region .Specifically, students from the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Johannesburg were invited to complete the questionnaires. The two questionnaires were mixed randomly between the students. Findings – It was found that the traditional technology acceptance model could better explain the usage of social networking websites when compared to the more modern WebQual framework. The study found that there is a strong positive relationship between usage and infusion. In line with the prior research on national culture moderating usage, the study found that national culture does moderate the relationship between usage and infusion. Implications – The study has a number of implications. Firstly, the research compared two models of technology usage. The study showed that the technology acceptance model was better at explaining the usage of social networking websites. Future research should focus on improving the TAM model and may result in better understanding the usage of social websites. Secondly, a set of scales are provided for future research which allow for the measurement of infusion at an individual level. These scales were tested for reliability and validity in two separate data collections and in both collections the scales met or exceeded the statistical requirements. Thirdly, the relationship between usage and infusion is seen to be moderated by national culture. This has 5 large implications for organisations and people who use Web2.0 as a medium for business. As an example, marketers could use the results in better understanding the usage of these types of websites, in the hope that it would allow for better targeting and placement of adverts. Lastly, the implications may extend beyond the context of the research. The study found a relationship between usage and infusion at an individual level of analysis. The relationship may exist in other areas of research which relate to Information systems including but not limited to Marketing (increasing the life cycle of products and increasing the value of customers through brand loyalty) and human resources (increasing employee efficiency through understanding peoples infusion of different types of technology). Research limitations – The research is limited to the sample that was achieved. The findings can be directly inferred to a similar sample base within South Africa, however cannot be generalised to samples of dissimilar natures. While the study used Facebook as a case, it should be cautioned that the results should not be generalised to other forms of social networking websites such as Twitter. Originality – The study is original in the following ways: Firstly, the study was conducted in South Africa where few other studies been found with a similar nature. Secondly, the study extended the thoughts on usage to the idea of infusion. Thirdly, two models were directly compared with independent data collections occurring. Fourthly, the relationship between usage and infusion is seen to be moderated by national culture. Both the relationship as well as the moderation effects has previously been empirically shown.