School of Literature, Language and Media (ETDs)
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Item What is called literature? Heidegger, responsive figuration, and the aspect of be-ing(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Van Niekerk, Marthinus Christoffel; Williams, MerleFrom the metaphysical orientation of Western thinking, being is understood as presence, truth as correspondence, and language as representation. This understanding inclines reflections on the nature of literature towards the question “What is literature?”, and calls for responses that seek determinative commonalities between literary objects. In this thesis, I attempt a different approach to the being of literature, prompted by Heidegger’s thinking, which understands being dynamically and non-substantively as the self-withholding clearing which grants beings their appearance. Language does not unfold primarily in meaningful references between objects, but in dis-closure; it responds to the aspect of be-ing, showing beings in their being by showing the possibility of meaninglessness in every appearance. This is what clears and holds open a reach for referential play. Language therefore entails a response to the self-withholding of being, and in that sense itself speaks. In this light, “What is called literature?” becomes a question concerning how being calls on language to respond as literature, and human beings are called on to participate responsively in this dialogue. Two different but interconnected ways in which literature calls are investigated. On the one hand, literature promises a reach of discursive representability; it demands the disclosure of beings as orderable and immediately available. On the other hand, literature figures a rift, a drawing in the sense both of a meaningfully gathered marking, and of a drawing open which draws away. I read William Blake’s The First Book of Urizen to trace how it literalizes the tension between these callings of literature. It figures a rift, and puts into play a differencing relation between a poetic attunement to delay and non-arrival, and the demand for arrival arising from its positioning within the realm of discursive availability which characterizes the contemporary field of literature.Item Memory, Trauma and Narrative in Yvonne Vera’s The Stone Virgins and Delia Jarrett-Macauley’s Moses, Citizen &Me(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mtongana, Lutho Siphe; Musila, Grace A.The notion of memory is a core fabric of identity and navigating human life both at individual level and collective levels. Therefore, when everyday life is disrupted by traumatic events such as wartime conflict, individual and shared memory becomes highly contested, especially when subaltern voices compete with dominant narratives. This thesis explores the role and power of memory in narrating trauma and violence in Yvonne Vera’s The Stone Virgins (2002) and Delia Jarrett-Macauley’s Moses, Citizen & Me (2005). By depicting how memory is at the centre of both texts, the study interrogates the ways in which the authors use memory as a narrative device to mediate healing, reconciliation and reintegration, or as a weapon of silencing survivors of traumatic wartime experiences. Using Sigmund Freud’s argument that trauma manifests both at the moment of distressing event and at the moment of recall of that event, the thesis interrogates the ways in which Vera and Jarrett-Macauley narrate trauma by cross mapping the representation of the Gukurahundi civil war in Zimbabwe and the decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone to the national politics of the respective countries. I argue that while the authors’ approaches to historical conflict differ — with Jarrett-Macauley utilising an expatriate narrator who takes on the role of mediation while Vera draws on history, art and landscape — both authors are concerned with inventing alternative routes to stitching together forms of multidirectional memory.Item The requirements of ethical journalism: An analysis of COVID-19 related news coverage by South African print and online media(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Goba, Lindi Mpumelelo; Sithole, EnockThe media provides people with medical scienYfic informaYon during a health crisis. This funcYon of the media is even more crucial when there are lockdown restricYons as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies of media coverage of pandemics show that reporYng was generally negaYve in that the stories were of an alarmist nature and there were high levels of sensaYonalism. The compromised standards of reporYng could be a`ributed to the need for print and online news media outlets to a`ract audiences and increase profits given the bad state of the economy, parYcularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to analyse the extent to which the South African print and online media met the requirements of ethical journalism, as set out in the South African Press Code, in their reporYng on COVID-19. The researcher uYlised a mixed methods approach as the study includes both qualitaYve and quanYtaYve aspects. The data was collected through the Press Council’s website and was sampled using the keyword COVID-19. In total, there were 105 complaints submi`ed to the Press Council of South Africa during March 2020 and March 2022. Out of the 105, the researcher analysed 13 complaints that were related to COVID-19 reportage made during the same period. This period includes the outbreak of the pandemic, the second wave, and concludes with the third wave which is when the pandemic began to wind down. The results and findings of this study show that the number of complaints submi`ed during the pandemic was significantly low and that the publicaYons that breached the Press Code were mainly sancYoned for serious breaches. This suggests that print and online publicaYons that subscribe to the Press Council pracYced ethical journalism and adhered to the requirements of the Press Code to a moderate extent.Item Intimacy, sadness-as-courage and post-apartheid disillusionment in Nhlanhla P. Maake’s Mangolo a Nnake(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mochechane, Khumo Sophia; Musila, Grace A.In this thesis, I analyse Nhlanhla P. Maake’s 1999 novella, Mangolo a Nnake. While Mangolo readily constitutes apartheid literature, I make a discussion around its prescient nature; that is to say, the ways in which it predicts post-apartheid neocolonialism and ‘ruined time’. The overarching subject matter being black female self-actualisation, I explore Professor Roger Coulibaly’s question, “What do African women need in order to write?”, making a case for the responses space, time and affective prompting. The broad subject of psychosocial support, female solidarity and female social capital is also discussed in line with the ways in which sadness sometimes births the courage to initiate and maintain self-actualisation. By way of close reading of the novella, I discuss various literary devices that are able to cultivate intimacy in a reader. The reader of an epistolary novel can be considered an ‘eavesdropper’, and I show the ways in which literary ‘eavesdropping’ makes way for simulation with a literary character to take place as abstract spectator – that is to say, as reader. I also discuss psychosocial support vis-a-vis female solidarity as an additional need for black women writers. These sometimes find expression by way of storytelling and humour. The latter two are explored in this thesis for their therapeutic and healing abilities. I also read Ntshebo’s disappointment and hurt as allegorical of the larger disappointment of the post-apartheid nation as a result of neocolonialism. A running trope throughout this thesis is the ways in which the concept of the ‘New Woman’ found place and proliferation under the apartheid regime.Item Exploring the Anti-Bildungsroman in Kopano Matlwa’s Coconut (2007) and Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s I Do Not Come to You by Chance (2009)(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Shirinde, Karabelo; Musila, G.AThis study uses the term anti-bildungsroman to reference African post-colonial counter-discursive novels that reconfigure the conventions of the classical bildungsroman. The anti-bildungsroman allows post-colonial writers to ‘talk back’ to empire by claiming narrative forms and structures that have historically centred the bourgeois white male protagonist. This research study explores how the anti-bildungsroman centres post-colonial protagonists’ coming of age in environments deeply affected by colonialism. The study examined the extent to which the coming-of-age novels Coconut (2007) by Kopano Matlwa and I Do Not Come to You By Chance (2009) by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani reconfigure the traditional bildungsroman format to constitute an African counter discourse. The study examines themes tied to the protagonists’ social condition that influence their environment and shaped their daily experiences; the narrative structure and characterology which determined how the structural plots and goals of socialisation are reconfigured; and the historical, socio-political and cultural contexts in which the respective narratives are set, which take into consideration the history of colonialism, contemporary impacts of neoliberalism, and the struggles of nation-building within post-independent states. The study concludes that Coconut (2007) and I Do Not Come to You By Chance (2009) are forms of anti-bildungsroman which express the challenges associated with coming of age in countries stained by the ramifications of colonialism. Matlwa and Nwaubani reject the ideological premises of the classical bildungsroman genre which is tied to European bourgeois subjectivity. Instead, they reconfigure the classical coming of age story in the context of the aftermath of empire.Item Representative Fiction in Muslim Literature in South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Paruk, FathimaThis research explores Muslim representative fiction in South Africa, addressing the challenges of limited local readership and reliance on imported content in the South African Muslim publishing sector. It emphasises the need for more representative adult fiction and investigates how independent and hybrid models can amplify diverse Muslim voices. The study employs semi-structured interviews, analyses books by self-identifying Muslim authors, and uses Nielsen Book Data and the Muslim Book Reviewers (MBR) scale to examine epitextual and paratextual elements. Key findings indicate that local Muslim publishers face challenges such as small market size, limited readership, competition with international publishers, and distribution and marketing issues. To address these challenges, it is recommended to conduct regular surveys and focus groups to understand evolving preferences, strengthen networks with local retailers, expand online presence and social media marketing, improve publication quality to meet international standards and ensure culturally relevant and diverse content. Promoting local authors, investing in underrepresented genres, and fostering collaborations with community members and educational institutions are also essential for enhancing the quality, impact, and market reach of Muslim fictionItem Teaching Intermediate Phase isiZulu reading comprehension skills to at-risk readers in uMkhanyakude mainstream schools: Pedagogical strategies that work(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Ntshangase, Chief Langelihle; Tshuma, LindiweDespite several interventions put in place to alleviate the reading crisis in South African primary schools, many teachers still experience challenges in teaching reading comprehension. The situation is even more dire with regards to teaching inclusive reading to at-risk readers in mainstream schools in under-resourced settings. The term at-risk readers refer to learners with reading difficulties. Curriculum guidelines on reading do not outline pedagogical strategies that are effective in reading classrooms that include both at-risk and healthy progress readers. It is against this background that this study investigates the pedagogical strategies used to teach isiZulu inclusive reading comprehension at the Intermediate Phase level. Since the majority of studies conducted around literacy challenges focus on teachers’ capabilities to teach reading, this study extends this debate by interrogating teacher educators’ facilitation of inclusive reading. This qualitative study is guided by the interpretivist paradigm and framed by the Lexical quality hypothesis, Word Learning Theory and the Simple view of reading approach. Non-participant classroom observations and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 10 intermediate phase isiZulu teachers based in mainstream schools, in uMkhanyakude district. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with seven isiZulu methodology lecturers purposively selected from five South African universities. The qualitative data were analysed by the researcher through thematic analysis. The unit of analysis in this research are the pedagogical strategies for developing intermediate phase isiZulu inclusive reading among At-Risk readers. Findings indicate that intermediate phase isiZulu teachers struggle to organize meaningful and cohesive reading strategies. Strategies employed are not structured to address specific reading challenges and consequently at-risk readers in mainstream schools remain inadequately catered for. Furthermore, university teacher education departments do not adequately equip pre-service intermediate phase teachers with the necessary pedagogical skills to teach inclusive reading to at-risk readers in mainstream schools. This study, thus contributes to the body of knowledge related to the pedagogical strategies best suited for developing inclusive reading.Item Framing of climate change in South Africa: An analysis of content in News24 and TikTok(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mawila, Cathrine; Sithole, EnockClimate change has become a danger to the planet and human survival. This has incited dialogs about the subject to gain momentum on international economic and political platforms. The discussion about climate science and climate change is mainly conducted in the mainstream media and the internet. However, the internet, as a communication channel, is fast taking over the role of traditional media as a platform for distributing information to the public. The internet has opened up new avenues for public debates and has allowed the public to discuss important issues such as climate change. In South Africa, many researchers employed the content analysis media theory to study different frames on news media coverage of climate change. Previous studies analysed tweets and blogs in South Africa on the subject of climate change and argued that although there was some closeness in the way print media and online media covered topics on climate change, online media had become the most frequently used to interact and reach audiences effectively and in real-time. This study took the matter forward and compared the framing of climate change in two distinct platforms, News24 and TikTok, between April 2022 and April 2023 to understand the topic across diverse sections of media users in South Africa. The study found that News24's framing of climate change was mostly linked to weather events or climate disasters, while TikTok's engagement with the issue was found to be inadequate. The study also found that misinformation was prevalent in TikTok. Furthermore, News24's articles were influenced by international narratives, while TikTok's frames were based on rudimentary knowledge. The most prevalent frames in both News24 and TikTok were socio-economic and disaster-related, likely due to the recent KZN floods. The study also found that TikTok lacks reputable sources. The findings of this study could prove useful in guiding climate change communicators to focus on educating the general public about climate change, given the prevalence of climate change misinformation on social media platformsItem How Does the Media Frame Human Trafficking in South Africa: A Study of Four Metropolitan Newspapers(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Seeth, Avantika; Finlay, AlanHuman trafficking has become a widely discussed topic in the South African media in recent years, with an apparent increase in media reports on kidnappings, abductions and arrests. Given the severity and frequency of the crime, and that it happens in South Africa, the way in which the media frames its coverage of human trafficking is important in terms of creating public awareness and even informing lawmakers. This research investigates how the print media in South Africa frames its stories on human trafficking by looking at coverage in four metropolitan newspapers, The Star, The Cape Times, The Witness and The Pretoria News, from 2015 to 2019. This time frame was chosen as it is the period in which unabridged birth certificates for minors were introduced and then removed, in an effort to combat human trafficking by the South African government. Based on an analysis of a total of 306 articles, the findings from this study indicate that when it comes to human trafficking, there is a striking absence of investigative reporting on the topic. Coverage of human trafficking in South Africa tends to happen when prominent people are involved, or comment, or if an event like a court case happens. Amongst the frames identified, the topic of sex trafficking and sex work is often misunderstood, and yet reports on human trafficking are linked to sex trafficking the most. A high volume of reports deal with child exploitation. While the media is dependent on international stories for some of its coverage, these are often not given a local angle or relevance.Item Phonological memory and sentence processing in South African L2 English-speaking children(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Madziwo, Alexia Ruvarashe; Nicolas, Ramona KuneneOut of the many factors that have impacted the state of education in South Africa (resulting in low literacy rates and high rates of academic failure), it is critical to investigate the linguistic implications on education. Comprehension has been pinpointed as a site of further research and intervention; therefore, this current study aimed to investigate the possible contributions that phonological short-term memory (pSTM) has on spoken sentence comprehension of South African second language (L2) English-speaking children from southern African Bantu language backgrounds. Discourse has claimed pSTM – a temporary auditory information memory store – to be an independent language process system from that of comprehension. However, it presents an interesting focal point for a few reasons including the following: i) L2 English-speaking children from southern African Bantu languages are confronted with the phonologically distinct English language in educational spaces; ii) children need to store sentences to process and respond to them; and iii) children’s complex linguistic skills have not yet been developed – thus, there is dependence on lower-level linguistic skills. In this study, 25 children from Polokwane, Capricorn District, participated in tasks to identify the effects of pSTM in relation to sentence processing. The researcher then analysed the developmental aspects of these processes. The corpus fell into two separate groups: i) the Grade 1, 6–7-year- olds and ii) the Grade 4, 9–10-year-olds. Three tasks were presented to the participants: i) the nonword repetition task to assess their pSTM capacity, ii) a sentence-repetition task, and iii) a sentence-picture naming task. The results indicated that pSTM capacity was present from age 6 and improved with age. However, there was no clear contribution to sentence processing; despite high pSTM capacity results, sentence comprehension and repetition results remained low. In this study, we also found the following: i) syntax was a marker for comprehension issues; ii) sentence repetition showed better results than comprehension, indicating a possibly stronger link between pSTM and sentence repetition; iii) possible language interactions during pSTM disyllabic recall were noted.