3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Composition in crisis: case studies in South African art music, 1980 - 2006(2009-09-01T09:43:19Z) Pooley, Thomas, MathewThis dissertation explores a crisis in South African composition through an analysis of the field of art music in the period 1980-2006. Drawing on the work of Pierre Bourdieu (1993) and Thomas Kuhn (1970), I argue that the field of composition shifted from an autonomous to a more heteronomous mode of production during this period, and that this shift was embodied in a change of artistic paradigm. In chapter one I show how an ‘autonomous’ paradigm during the 1980s upheld the Eurocentric outlook and value system of apartheid, and how it was replaced in the early 1990s by a more ‘heteronomous’ or ‘cross-cultural’ paradigm. The composer case studies (chapters two to four) show how Kevin Volans, Peter Klatzow, and Hendrik Hofmeyr contributed to aesthetic and social change in the field, especially with regard to the inclusion of African elements. Chapter five is a critique of the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra as a ‘Proudly South African’ post-apartheid institution, showing how its programming policy is detrimental to the interests of composers. The Conclusion reflects on the dominated position of the field of composition relative to economic and political imperatives in the field of power, and considers how a prolonged and continued crisis has challenged the very notions of what constitutes artistic value in the field.Item Working memory in South Africa(2009-06-10T08:31:15Z) Fisher, KatharineWorking memory allows for continual updating and maintenance of information for cognitive and behavioural guidance. It provides continuity of experience and is integral to complex and adaptive human functioning. This study investigated performance on a selection of computer-based neuropsychological tests of working memory in a sample of 105 South African adults. The central aim was to examine whether demographic and computer performance variables affected performance on the computer-administered tests. Another key research question was whether commonly used tests of working memory measured domain-specific components of working memory, or tapped into domain-free executive attention. In particular, the study examined the n- Back Test, which had been used extensively in international research but was not sufficiently validated in the literature. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to investigate the validity of this test. The study found that the ability to manipulate a computer mouse affected performance particularly on the timed computerised tests, and that computer ability was also related to prior experience using a computer, confidence using a computer, gender and home language. Computer mouse ability was subsequently partialed out of the analysis as a covariate. No significant main effects of computer experience, confidence, gender or home language were found when computer mouse ability was removed from the analysis. This suggested that the demographic differences in performance found on the tests may have been informed by experience and confidence using a computer rather than reflect true differences in performance between the groups. Once computer mouse ability had been partialed from the results the 2-Back condition of the n-Back Test correlated significantly with the backward condition of the Digit Span Test, the forward condition of the Spatial Span Test, and part B of the Trail Making Test around the use of complex executive attention, which provided some evidence for the n -Back Test as a measure of the executive component of working memory. However, the n-Back Test did not load onto the same factor as these tests, but it appeared that the n-Back and Digit Span Tests factored around the type of executive resource demanded by each test.Item Customer service expectations in retail banking in South Africa(2008-10-28T07:16:11Z) Moller, DiedreCustomer satisfaction and retention are critical for retail banks. Service quality is a major determinant of customer satisfaction, and is increasingly being seen as a key strategic differentiator within the financial services sector worldwide. However, little is known about service quality in an African context for retail banking. This research assesses customer expectations based on service quality factors for retail banks across ten countries in Africa. Specifically, the objectives are to determine whether cross-national differences in customer service expectations exist in the African retail banking sector, what the relative importance of key service dimensions in African retail banking are, and whether these service expectations are constant over time. A questionnaire based survey of 4035 respondents across ten African countries was used. The determinants of external service quality were identified, which include service quality dimensions and respective underlying attributes. The SERVQUAL model developed by Parasuraman, Zeithaml & Berry (1990) was adopted for modelling the data. The results were rescaled to interval data and then analysed by way of ANOVA testing, t-testing and rank ordering. The research shows, with the exception of the Responsiveness service expectation dimension, that there are no commonalities of service expectations among the African countries of this study. The implications of this are significant for managers of multinational retail banks in Africa wishing to improve the quality of service delivery. The Responsiveness service expectation dimension was found to consistently be the most important expectation across all countries. Thereafter, the relative importance of subsequent service dimensions varied considerably for each country, but, on average, ranked as follows: Responsiveness, Reliability, Tangibles, Assurance and, finally, Empathy.Item Factors influencing fly ash formation and slag deposit formation (slagging) on combusting a south african pulverised fuel in a 200 MWe boiler(2006-04-24) van Alphen, Christopher1997, South African’s major power utility, recognised the need to improve the understanding of fly ash formation and slag deposition of South African coals. This requirement is due to the predicted quality changes of power station feedstocks and the limited research into the slagging propensity of South African coals. This research seeks to develop an analytical technique and a fly ash formation model for predicting the slagging propensity of coals. The research will establish if the models based on Carboniferous coals can be applied to South African Permian coals. A water-cooled suction pyrometer with a custom designed slag probe was used to obtain samples of fly ash and slag from within a 200 MWe pulverised fuel boiler. Simultaneously, samples of pulverised fuel feedstock were collected. The mineral attributes in the pulverised fuel and the phases in fly ash and slag deposit were quantified by CCSEM. The analytical procedure, CCSEM, has been developed with a novel procedure for identifying minerals and C-bearing phases. The new fly ash formation model assumes that the mineral attributes of the combusting pulverised fuel particle controls the size and elemental signature of the resultant fly ash particle(s). The new model has shown that the inherent mineral attributes controls the physical and chemical characteristics of the initial fly ash phases. Thereafter, conditions (stoichiometric, temperature and turbulence) within the combustion chamber promote the physical and/or chemical interaction of the initial fly ash particles. Slag deposits are enriched in Ca- and Fe-bearing alumino-silicates. The new slagging propensity index is based on either predicting or measuring the proportion of Ca- and Fe-bearing alumino-silicates. iv The numerous fly ash formation models, based on Carboniferous coals are not necessarily valid for South African coals. It is not the integrity of the actual fly ash formation mechanisms that is questioned, but rather the experimental scale on which the models are based. This research has produced an analytical technique and a fly ash formation model to predict the slagging propensity of coals. This forms a platform for further research into the role that organically bound cations, combustion conditions and boiler configuration has on the formation of Ca- and Fe-bearing alumino-silicates.Item Morphological variation in the metatarsal bones of selected recent and pre-pastoral humans from South Africa(2006-03-23) Zipfel, BernhardThe study of the human metatarsals reveals frequent morphological variations from the typical descriptions. Pathologies of these bones in contemporary humans are common, and it has been suggested that some of these may be associated with some of these variants. Within this context, it was not clear to what extent footwear and other environmental factors such as modern substrates have influenced metatarsal morphology. This study essentially consists of three parts. First a preliminary morphometric study of the first, second and fifth metatarsals, to demonstrate the broad patterns of discrimination between selected hominoidea, namely humans, gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans. In addition, the SKX 5017 first metatarsal fossil thought to be of Paranthropus robustus was included. Second, a primary morphometric investigation into the patterns of morphological discrimination in the five metatarsals of selected humans from South Africa, namely Sotho, Zulu, European and pre-pastoral subgroups. The contemporary human subgroups are associated with modern lifestyles and the pre-pastoral individuals represent habitually unshod forager societies from the western and southern Cape, dated 9750 - 2000 B.P. Third, a non-metric investigation into the patterns of variation in epigenetic and pathological variants of the metatarsus of the four human subgroups. A suite of existing metrical data was utilized for the preliminary hominoid study, and a suite of metrical and non-metrical data was collected for the primary human study from appropriate skeletal collections. Univariate analysis of these iv samples revealed important, though simplistic trends in morphology. Subsequent multivariate analyses utilizing principal components and canonical variates analysis were undertaken. Multivariate analysis of the hominoid samples revealed large scale variation between the species. This discrimination was on the basis of genetics, locomotor function and geography. Multivariate analysis of the human metrical data revealed very subtle morphological discrimination within and between the subgroups. Most of this discrimination appears to be genetic, followed by a functional or life-style based discrimination suggesting a broad discrimination between recent humans and the habitually unshod pre-pastoral subgroup. The epigenetic traits reveal considerable variation within groups, with similar trends between them. All subgroups have an appreciable number of identifiable pathological changes, with the recent human subgroups having the most and the prepastoral subgroup the least. In all subgroups, the hallucal metatarsal displays by far the greatest frequency in osseous modification. The main conclusions of this study are: 1.) The general patterns of morphological discrimination between the metatarsals of the human subgroups are very subtle. The non-metric traits are very variable, but do not discriminate between any of the subgroups. 2.) Both recent and ancient human groups present with similar patterns of pathological changes, but the frequency is different, these changes are to a great extent influenced by lifestyle. Regardless of temporal context, no clear correlation between morphological variation and pathological changes could be found.Item The stratigraphy,chronology and palaeoenvironment of The Pleistocene Cave Fill, Gladysvale Cave, South Africa(2006-03-22) Pickering, RobynThe South African hominin bearing caves have yielded a wealth of early hominin and other faunal material, which has been the subject of many studies. Little work, however, has been undertaken on the cave fills themselves, as the breccias are complex, poorly stratified, highly calcified, inadequately exposed and too old to date by conventional radiometric means (Partridge, 2000). Gladysvale Cave is an exception to this, as the younger, internal deposits are well exposed from mining, are extremely well stratified, and are preliminarily dated to between 200 and 250 kyr, making this an ideal location to document the three dimensional stratigraphy and sedimentology of a cave fill fan and to test other models of cave sedimentation. The chronostratigraphic approach of Moriarty et al. (2000) was used to divide the deposit at Gladysvale into flowstone bounded units (FBU). The younger, internal deposit at Gladysvale was shown to consist of six major FBU and two minor ones, which in general occur throughout the cave. Binding flowstones are not always present, and are limited to areas directly below and in close proximity to major palaeodrip sources. The majority of sediment entered the cave through a single, central entrance and then split into two lobes around a number of stalagmitic bosses. This entrance eventually choked, and final stage sedimentation entered through a slit-like entrance across the front wall of the cave. As accommodation space inside the cave is fixed, the morphology of the units is defined by their relative position in the cave and the topography of the underlying units. Six major facies types are described, and facies changes from the proximal to distal portions of the deposit are described. Facies changes in time were controlled by the sediment supply rates. A number of intercalated flowstones and stalagmites were dated via ICP-MS Uranium-series dating, and despite problems with detrital contamination, ten reliable and robust dates were acquired, only three of which required correction for excess 232Th. The internal fan deposit is between ~570 and 7 kyr, making it both older and younger than previously thought. The dated speleothems all grew in the recovery period following a full interglacial or major inter stadial, indicating that these were periods of increased effective precipitation, during which the cave entrance was restricted to incoming clastic sediment. The dated flowstones show good concordance with the rainfall record of the Tswaing Impact Crater, and this record was used to generate an age model for the undated flowstones and intercalated breccia units. Carbon and oxygen isotope analysis of the breccias and flowstones provided further climatic control. Oxygen isotopes are invariant between flowstone and breccia, and any original signature was most likely overprinted by the residence time of the groundwater in the dolomite host rock. Carbon isotopes show more variation, and there is clear partitioning between flowstone and breccia, and ä13C values are interpreted as representing changing amounts of C3 and C4 vegetation respectively. The C4 signal for the breccias is confirmed by the presence of granular soil micropeds seen in thin sections. The succession of flowstones and breccias, the U-series dates and the stable light isotope data provide a ~600 kyr record of terrestrial climate change, which is, to date, the oldest such record for southern Africa, and shows excellent concordance with various other climate change records, both global, local and marine. The synchronicity of these records suggests a strong allocyclic control, which is attributed to changes in atmospheric circulation, in particular the size and position of the circumpolar vortex above Antarctica. A climatically controlled model for the nature and rate of sedimentation at Gladysvale Cave is proposed, in which flowstones grow during the warm, wet recovery period following full interglacials, during which C3 vegetation dominates and cave entrances are restricted. Sediments are washed into more open caves, during arid, C4 dominated conditions, corresponding to glacial periods. As this model is climatically controlled, and the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site is a relatively small area, the other caves in the area would have experience the same conditions, and if open at the time should contain fills of similar ages. This study has shown the value of the cave fills themselves, which are often understudied. The breccias at Gladysvale are strongly climatically controlled, being deposited only once certain climactic thresholds are crossed, hence producing a highly punctuated record. The hominin and other faunal remains from these caves should be viewed within this context. Gladysvale Cave also contains a ~600 kyr record of climate change, which will contribute to our understanding of terrestrial climatic changes and the landscape’s response to them.Item Inclusive Practice in South Africa: A Deaf Education Perspective(2006-03-22) Peel, Emma LouiseIn accordance with Education policy post 1994 there is currently a move in South Africa toward implementing an inclusive approach to educating learners who experience barriers to learning into regular/mainstream schools. Such an inclusive philosophy is considered, at policy level, to be the most effective means of combating discriminatory attitudes, creating welcoming communities, building an inclusive society and achieving education for all (Department of Education, 2001). From an inclusive viewpoint, it is important that all learners are given the best education possible from an academic, emotional and social perspective and emphasis is placed on, educating the whole child by meeting individual needs through the identification and accommodation of any barriers to learning. Within such an education and training system, it is important that Deaf learners are not excluded and that the practice of inclusion takes into account the needs of all Deaf learners. The intention of this research project is to provide an accurate account of the current situations in schools for the Deaf throughout South Africa with regards to barriers to learning and development. It will examine whether these schools, currently, foster the ideals of inclusion as made explicit in White Paper Six (Department of Education, 2001). This thesis will also investigate whether Deaf learners in schools for the Deaf, have access to the most appropriate, least restrictive barrier free education. In order to achieve this, a questionnaire, based on the barriers to learning and development as identified by the above-mentioned document, was sent by post to every principal working in schools for the Deaf in South Africa. In addition, the research intends to determine whether barriers to learning and development are presently being experienced by Deaf learners in current schools for the Deaf and if so, what barriers are being experienced and how these barriers can be addressed and prevented so that Deaf learners be accommodated in a manner that promotes a school environment that is most appropriate and least restrictive for Deaf learners. From the findings it was revealed that schools for the Deaf do not foster inclusive principles as many Deaf learners experience barriers to learning and development as identified in White Paper 6 (Department of Education, 2001: 7 & 18) within schools for the Deaf. To address the barriers found in the findings of the study, this dissertation provides recommendations to assist principals with strategies and information necessary for transforming schools for the Deaf in order to become inclusive and thus provide Deaf learners with access to the most appropriate, least restrictive education possible.Item Student teachers' knowledge and understanding of algebraic concepts: The case of colleges of education in the Eastern Cape and southern Kwazulu Natal, South Africa(2006-03-22) Osei, Christian MensahThis study is aimed at investigating the knowledge and understanding of algebra amongst final year College of Education students in and around Transkei region of Eastern cape, South Africa. Triangulation methods were used to gather data for the study, which included an algebra test instrument, adapted from the CDMTA and Kaur and Sharon (1994) test instruments, interviews and classroom observations. Six Colleges of Education with a total number of 212 students constituted the sample from the Eastern Cape province and South KwaZulu Natal. Data were collected from August 1997 to July 1998. The motivation for the study was that such an exploratory investigation could contribute significantly to the understanding of some of the principal reasons underlying the poor results in the final schooling examination (the “matric”) of the teaching and learning of mathematics in rural areas of South Africa. Algebra forms a big proportion of the final matric examination in mathematics. The overall results of the study indicate that the conceptual algebraic knowledge and understanding of these College students is weak and fragile. In analysing the algebraic knowledge and understanding of students as evidenced by the data, factors such as language, the nature of mathematics, the philosophy underpinning teaching and learning and textbooks were seen to have played important roles in the conceptions and misconceptions which many of the subjects of the study portrayed. My research clearly shows that College of Education students have misconceptions, poor learning and teaching of algebraic concepts. This suggests that these prospective teachers do not have well developed concepts in algebra. The participants’ knowledge and understanding of algebraic concepts are therefore not good enough to assist learners as far as learning for conceptual understanding is concerned at schools. The results show that much of the knowledge and understanding of algebra came from previous knowledge and understanding gained during high school. Little change had happened during the years spent at the Colleges. The conceptions and misconceptions arose out of the traditional framework of knowledge acquisition rather than through approaches advocated by the newly implemented South African curriculum (Curriculum 2005), which has been revised to a National Curriculum Statement similar to what NCTM (1991) Standards might have envisaged. The lack of pedagogical content knowledge in algebra, shown by these student teachers during their teaching practice lessons reflects a deeper problem pertaining to 2 their future teaching after completion of the courses at Colleges. This is bound to have a cascading effect on teaching and learning in schools, perpetuating the cycle of misconceptions in algebra shown by this study, unless something radical is done about the teaching and learning of algebra at Colleges. The study concludes with recommendations arising out of the results and a number of suggestions for education departments, curriculum implementers, lecturers and future researchers. Strategies are suggested for improving the existing poor state of affairs in the learning and teaching of algebra at Colleges of Education and at secondary schools. These include improvement in algebraic competencies like multiple representations; understanding of basic principles such as: one cannot add unlike terms, checking solutions of equations and inequations. Real life examples should be used to give meaning to the algebraic concept they want to teach where possible. College of Education lecturers should place emphasis on conceptual understanding and correct usage of algebraic notations and symbols. Curriculum developers should include history and relevance of certain algebraic topics in order to create interest and meaning for some of the concepts. Instructional materials in school algebra should be designed specifically for local contexts. Researchers should investigate the cause of misconceptions and misunderstandings of algebraic concepts at high schools and try to address them before they are carried through to the College of Education level.Item CONTRIBUTION OF TOURISM TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF BLACK-OWNED SMALL, MEDIUM AND MICRO ENTERPRISES (SMMEs) IN POST APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA: AN EVALUATION OF TOUR OPERATORS(2006-03-22) Nemasetoni, IreneThe purpose of the research report is to investigate the role that tourism plays in developing black-owned small enterprises and how it has contributed towards Black Economic Empowerment in the ten-year period between 1994 and 2004. The research drew from the aims of the Tourism White Paper and sought to review the problems and progress in transforming the tourism industry in South Africa and establish whether black entrepreneurs are making headways into an industry that can potentially change racial imbalance in economic control. The research was conducted among 40 black tour operators based mainly in Gauteng using a questionnaire. The report established that black tour operators, because of their previously disadvantaged background, are struggling to make an impact into the seemingly white-dominated industry.Item An evaluation of the key factors that influence a South African-based firm to implement environmental management(2006-03-22) Nel, HannelieInternational research indicates that the practice of environmental management may lead to profitability and competitive advantage for the firm. But this theory has not been tested in South Africa. This lack of empirical evidence led the researcher to the primary research question: does environmental management increase a firm’s profitability in South African-based firms? The secondary objective of the study is to determine which factors cause South African-based firms to implement environmental management strategies. Based on a comprehensive literature review, this study delineates the concepts environmental management and profitability and examines the causal relationship between the two factors. Data is collected from firms operating in ten sectors in South Africa using a cross-sectional online mail survey. A proposed research model and hypotheses are tested using confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis with latent variables. The SAS System is used for statistical analysis. The test of the structural model supports the proposed hypothesis that environmental management increases competitive advantage in South African-based firms. Environmental management, however, is limited to the minimization of natural resource consumption and competitive advantage is determined by the strength of the firm’s relationships with its stakeholders. In turn, top management positively influences the strength of these relationships. South African firms follow a strategy of pollution control as opposed pollution prevention. One of the main contributing factors to compliance with regulation in environmental management (as opposed to innovation) is the lack the technical skill and knowledge in both government and the manufacturing sector.