3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item Exploring perceptions on racism and xenophobia at the University of the Witwatersrand(2018) Ntshiqa, Mzubanzi GivenThe purpose of this research is to explore the differences in perception on racism and xenophobia between male and female students at the Wits School of Governance. Literature has shown that there were incidents of racism and xenophobia at the University of the Witwatersrand. The following research questions were answered, that is – (i.) ‘To what extent are the differences in perception on racism between male and female students at the Wits School of Governance?’ and, (ii.) ‘To what extent are the differences in perception on xenophobia between male and female students at the Wits School of Governance?’ The two hypotheses were tested, that is(i.) ‘There are significant differences in perception on racism between male and female students at the Wits School of Governance’, and (ii.) ‘There are significant differences in perception on xenophobia between male and female students at the Wits School of Governance’. This research sought to bring the racism and xenophobia incidents to the attention of the Members of Parliament (MPs) and civil servants who happened to be students at the Wits School of Governance (WSG) as a way of influencing policy by bringing awareness, ensure understanding of the issue and its importance, and generate concern for racism and xenophobia. The WSG was chosen as the physical context for this research. This research employed the quantitative research strategy, the case research study design, the purposive sampling technique and an on-line questionnaire to draw data. This research found that there was no significant difference in perception on racism between male and female students at the Wits School of Governance, but there was a significant difference in perception on xenophobia between male and female students at the Wits School of Governance.Item Exploring negotiations of space and safety by international African students in South African higher education(2019) Hoxobes, GezinaThis study employed a phenomenological analysis to explore the negotiations of space and safety by international African students in South African higher education. Issues of how international African students enhance their safety, what identity consequences these safety enhancements have and how the sense of community amongst international African students influences their psychological wellbeing were of pertinence to this study. This study included international African students from the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Pretoria, totalling 13 participants. It was found that international African students: employ diverse mechanisms to enhance their safety; have inhibitions to self-expression and enablers to identity expression in enhancing their safety; have a poor sense of community; experience feelings of happiness, sadness and loneliness as well as indifference and; have encountered xenophobia in diverse forms. These findings contribute to the scant body of knowledge about the experiences of international African students within the South African context and so encourages further research in this area.Item Samaj belonging in the in-between : reviving the greater Transvaal Gujarati Hindu community in Johannesburg(2016) Daya, Jasmeeta MaganEntitled “Samaj, Belonging in the In-between: Reviving the greater Transvaal Gujarati Hindu community in Johannesburg”, this project centres on themes of belonging, culture and identity, and seeks to explore how Diasporic or migrant communities foster a sense of belonging for themselves in their host society through the formation of community organisations and community centres for the enactment of their identity narratives. The project centres on the Gujarati Hindu community, a minority Diasporic group, whose “histories and narratives[...] in the context of ethnicity, Diaspora and identity have yet to be fully explored in South African historiography” (Hiralal 2014: 62). The project seeks to explore how the historical narrative of the community, largely impacted by the marginalisation resulting from colonial and apartheid policies, influenced the group to strengthen their hold on their cultural identity through the formation of community organisations , or Samaj’s, and the establishment of community centres, in order to foster a sense of belonging for themselves, in the suburban areas, or ethnic enclaves, in which they were located. At present, in post-apartheid South Africa, with the rise of urbanisation, members of these communities have sought to relocate to the city, away from those ethnic enclaves, which has resulted in a physical disconnect between them and the community spaces and, thus, their markers of cultural identity. In relation to this shift, the question that arises is: how is a sense of belonging constructed, through the medium of architecture, in contemporary society, specifically in the urban environment where different cultures and identities intersect? In addition, can a regional centre be constructed in the city to serve as a base for the community? Furthermore, how could a community centre of this nature be re-envisioned in a post-apartheid, urban South African context? As a means of addressing the questions above the project adopts acculturation theory and the integration of cultures as a favourable model to facilitate a sense of belonging. As a strategy for achieving that integration, the project argues for hybridity or the in-between (Bhabha 1994) as a location in which belonging can be constructed. The concept of the in-between, where belonging, culture and identity can be interpreted, negotiated, re-constructed serves as the central concept in the project. This concept is applied at multiple scales and instances, including to site, programme and concept, where each instances aims at facilitating connection, experience, engagement and exchange - qualities inherent of the in-between . The resultant design is a cultural centre and culinary incubator located in the diverse, vibrant and multicultural suburb of Fordsburg.Item Medical outcasts: voices of undocumented Zimbabwean and Mexican women fighting gendered and institutionalized xenophobia in American and South African emergency health care(2016-08-01) Richter, RoxaneThis thesis is the culmination of medical aid work and 24 one-on-one interviews with undocumented Mexican women in the U.S.A. and Zimbabwean women in South Africa seeking lifesaving emergency healthcare access. The theoretical research combined with practitioner-based fieldwork, shows the direct and deplorable effects of xenophobic policies coupled with a demonstrable failure to enforce healthcare access rights.Item Modes of processing influencing errors in reading comprehension.(2010-11-12) Rogers, Shawn CatherineLearner’s processing styles may play a vital role in their approach to learning, more specifically; the ability to make inferences plays an important role in all areas of language and learning and may contribute to difficulties learners are experiencing at school. It is therefore that the research was directed at investigating a possible relationship between the left hemispheric analytical and right hemispheric holistic processing styles and the types of errors inferential versus literal, made in reading comprehension tasks. The hemispheric processing styles were operationalised as the approach taken to the Rey- Osterreith Complex Figure (ROCF) and the types of errors made on the Stanford Diagnostic Reading Test (SDRT) across two levels of educational development. The sample consisted of grade 4 and grade 10 model C learners from the same schooling district. The data obtained from both assessments were subjected to correlation analyses, chi squared tests, analyses of variances (ANOVAs) and logistic regressions. Finally the results and associative conclusions indicated that there were only modest positive relationships between the predominant hemispheric processing styles and the error types on reading comprehension tasks and the demographics of the learners were the main contributors and accounted for the results discovered in the study as opposed to general hemispheric processing. Thus there is a need to understand the unique dynamics within the country and to explore alternatives to teaching practices to account for the variations evident in the classrooms.Item Perceptions of cross-racial adoption in South Africa.(2010-08-06) Hall, Victoria AnnThis study aimed to explore possible ways in which racist ideology and counter positions to this ideology are played out in discourses about cross-racial adoption (CRA) in the current post-apartheid context of South Africa. Three focus group interviews were conducted with 18 psychology students at the University of the Witwatersrand. The study adopted a social constructionist approach to knowledge and transcripts from the focus groups were analyzed using discourse analysis that combined techniques from Braun and Clarke (2006) and Parker (1992, 1999). Analysis revealed that students’ discussion focused mainly on the extent to which they thought black children raised by white parents should (or should not) be exposed to black culture. The discourses underlying these opinions appeared to gain social legitimacy for their speakers through three overarching repertoires, all of which tended to be used to divert attention away from the political ramifications of arguments. Firstly, participants claimed that their arguments were made with “the best interests of the child” at heart. Secondly, participants constructed particular meanings of the relationship between ‘race’ and identity by framing these meanings as central to “knowing who you are”. Thirdly, participants distanced themselves from accountability for their opinions by framing them as reflections of “other South Africans’ attitudes” towards ‘race’ and CRA. Overall, the analysis revealed that processes of racialisation show strong persistence in both black and white people’s discourses about CRA, but tend to be overtly expressed as a value and tolerance of different cultures and ethnicities. However, counter voices to these discourses did emerge in prominent challenges to the idea that ‘race’, ethnicity and culture are intrinsic and immutable features of people. Less prominent were the occasional counter voices that suggested these constructs are nevertheless pertinent, because of the ways in which they may be used to either challenge ‘racially’-derived inequalities between groups, or to fuel the prominence of racist ideology in society.Item Understanding the socio-political status of Leokwe society during the Middle Iron Age in the Shashe-Limpopo Basin through a landscape approach(2009-05-22T07:39:04Z) Du Piesanie, JustineCalabrese (2005) identified two distinct ceramics styles in the Shashe- Limpopo basin at the same time – Leokwe and K2. This is the first record of ethnicity in the Iron Age of southern Africa. With this identification come new avenues for research. How these groups interacted, and their relative status through time is the focus of my research. According to Calabrese, some Leokwe groups maintained a higher, or at least equal status on initial contact with K2, before K2 became the dominant political group. He bases this claim on the identification of what he terms ‘Elite Symbolic Objects’ at sites, such as Castle Rock. Using GIS, it is clear that the locale of sites differ within the landscape. Specifically, locations vary through time on the escarpment and floodplain and their relationship to primary and secondary resources. This variation suggests that access to resources was controlled, and this implication influences ones assessment of the relative status of K2 and Leokwe groups. Additionally, new excavations at Castle Rock call into question the validity of ‘elite symbolic objects’ in determining status.Item Perceptions of self-image : a comparative study of White and African urban females in university gyms.(2009-03-26T07:53:31Z) Van Schalkwyk, LameezThe primary aim of the research attempted to investigate whether ethnic differences in self-image existed amongst White and African females. It further investigated whether specific factors such as family, peer relations and psychosocial factors (specifically perceptions regarding the media) have had a positive or negative influence on weight. Additionally it explored whether black females may still perceive a fuller figure as being more acceptable or whether changes have occurred within past and/or present ideologies. The study used both qualitative and quantitative analysis. In order to establish whether ethnicity was significantly different from BMI, BSQ, SATAQ-3, t-tests (non-parametric one-way ANOVA comparisons) were performed. Ethnicity was not significantly different in relation to the dependent variables BSQ; overall SATAQ-3 scores and its dimensions; and affirmation, belonging and commitment of the MEIM. However significant differences were found between BMI, the overall MEIM and its subscale ethnic identity. Low and high scores of the MEIM revealed no differences across all measurement instruments used within the study, demonstrating no effect upon BSQ or the SATAQ-3 and its subscales. However there was a significant difference found between ethnic groups with regard to BMI. Fisher’s –z was used to conduct comparisons between the correlations established using Pearson’s Rank Coefficient Correlations. The results indicated that significant relationships did exist between the BSQ, specific subscales of the SATAQ-3, and BMI. Results obtained from Fisher’s-z revealed significant differences on the BSQ and SATAQ-3 (including its subscales) correlations. Multiple Regression was conducted to establish whether BMI, MEIM and SATAQ-3 have had an impact upon the outcome of BSQ. The comparisons revealed that BMI and sociocultural factors may have an impact upon the perceptions of body shape and size. Major themes identified within the qualitative analysis were culture, inherited concepts, media, family, friends and parental (mother) influences amongst others. The results revealed that White females may experience greater body dissatisfaction. African females had stated that their body concept is influenced by ethnicity, while White females communicated media and stereotyped images of white females as being the source of pressure to loose weight.Item The development of ethnic minorities: A case study of west Africans in South Africa(2006-11-16T09:55:06Z) Petkou, Chamba LawrenceThis thesis is a study of how West Africa immigrants experience immigration into South Africa, and how they are affected by their new context. Based on interview schedule (survey), in-depth interviews, observations (direct and indirect), primary and secondary sources, some 112 Cameroonians and Nigerians (72 Cameroonians and 40 Nigerians) were studied between May 2001 and December 2003. The study revealed that, xenophobia, discrimination, and the South African affirmative action, make it difficult for West African immigrants to achieve their goals in the country. From an overall perspective, these immigrants are not allowed to work or study; they suffer harassment, social exclusion and gross human rights abuses in the country. While the majority of these immigrants have actually abandoned their home countries for South Africa, various reasons account for their immigration into South Africa. A study of the factors influencing West African immigration into South Africa, found that, although several factors account for West African immigration into South Africa, the factors are interlinked to one another, and not independent in themselves. I showed that, although push and pull factors, such as political, economic, socio-cultural factors, communication and technological advances, proximity, precedence and tradition of migration influence West African immigration into South Africa, the role of family pride, usually ignored in most migration studies is fast becoming an emerging push factor of migration in the West African sub-region. In South Africa, West African immigrants interact with the general public, as well as some government institutions most notably, the Department of Home Affairs. An examination of past and current immigration policy, the Department of Home Affairs, and the general public found that although immigrants enter South Africa with the hope of improving their lives, and those of family members back home, they are socially excluded; suffer from serious human rights abuses, discrimination and xenophobic hostility. The Aliens Control Act of 1991, the new Refugee Act of 1998, negative attitude of some officials, interpreters and the general public, a simultaneous increase in the iii number of immigrants with unemployment, lack of socialization between South Africans and West Africans, apartheid isolation and indoctrination of South Africans, and the role of the media have all contributed to the high levels of discrimination and xenophobic hostility West Africans experience in South Africa. I have termed this fear and dislike of West Africans, and the resultant negative reactions by South Africans ‘Westaphobia’. The study saw West African immigrants as socially excluded in South African. An examination why, revealed the factors and the reasons as another facet of discrimination and xenophobia. It was found that, immigrants adapt in various ways to resist discrimination and xenophobia, and in the course of adapting, modify their personal identities, giving rise to multiple identities. Such hybridities were evident in immigrants dressing, dancing and hairstyles, expressive gestures, having more South African friends, changing legal status, joining, forming and organizing social functions. Despite experiences of discrimination, xenophobia and exclusion, the study found that immigrants implement certain strategies to ensure their survival in South Africa. In the midst of these problems, some immigrants still manage to succeed in their businesses and other under takings. Immigrants’ high concentration in Hillbrow with its commercial and locational advantages, initial capital through immigrants’ networks, the use of family labor, are all added advantages. The study also found that through small business activities, and the trading of ethnic goods, immigrants are able to survive and send remittances back home. At the same time, trading in and consuming ethnic goods help strengthened immigrants self-identification, unify and link them to their roots. Further revelations saw some of the immigrants as transmigrants, who develop hybrid identities, and live their lives across boundaries. In this way, they are able to succeed despite their status as the undesirables in South Africa. Others are pushed to the wall, and are forced to transgress various margins of the law, to ensure their survival, resist discrimination and xenophobic hostility in South Africa. For some, transgressing margins of the law is the fastest means of amassing wealth to be able to live a better live in South Africa, and still take care of family members in their home countries.Item Shifting Chinese South African identities in Apartheid and Post-Apartheid South Africa(2006-11-14T10:21:26Z) Park, Yoon Jung;The focus of this PhD thesis is the shifting identities of the approximately 12,000-strong community of South African-born Chinese South Africans during the apartheid and post-apartheid periods. This thesis begins with the assumption that social identities are constructed. It also assumes that identities are contested amongst the various social actors; that identities shift over time and across individual life spans; and that individuals have multiple, often overlapping identities. The three strands of identity that form the core of this thesis are racial, ethnic, and national identities; at any given time, due to specific historic circumstances, one or another of these identities has been more or less salient. This thesis used a combination of methodologies the address the key research questions. The primary research method was qualitative. In-depth interviews were supplemented by a survey, archival research, and participant observation. The principal social actors dominating the construction of Chinese South African identities were the Chinese South Africans, themselves, and the South African and Chinese states. Chinese history, myths about China, and Chinese culture were the primary building materials used in the construction of Chinese South African identities; however, these ‘materials’ could only be utilised within the constraints established by the apartheid system. From the 1960s, Chinese South Africans were singled from amongst the ‘non-whites’ to receive concessions and privileges; over time they came to occupy the nebulous, interstitial spaces of apartheid as unofficial ‘honorary whites’. South African state attempts to legally redefine the Chinese as ‘white’ failed because the Chinese South Africans were unwilling to give up their unique ethnic identity. Concessions and greater interaction with white South Africans had led many Chinese to conclude that their Chineseness had been ‘diminished’ and ‘lost’. What we witnessed, rather, was the selective incorporation of chosen aspects of Chinese culture and values into new Chinese South African identities. Because of the diminishing impact of apartheid legislation on Chinese South Africans, we were able to identify three distinct identity cohorts during the apartheid era: the shopkeepers, the fence-sitters, and the bananas. In the post-apartheid era, affirmative action policies, new immigration from China and Taiwan, and globalisation have influenced more recent constructions of Chinese South African identities. Keywords: Chinese, Chineseness, South African, apartheid, post-apartheid, identity, construction, ethnicity, ‘honorary white’, race.