Faculty of Humanities (ETDs)
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Item Career adaptability, occupational identity, and psychologica well-being after a career change during the covid-19 pandemic(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Kutu, Siyamthanda; Donald, FionaOBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the relationship between career adaptability, occupational identity, and Psychological Well-being at Work in South African employees who experienced career change during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study is framed within the Career Construction Theory where the pandemic is contextualised as a career shock. METHODS: Employing a quantitative approach, this study adopts a correlational, non-experimental, cross-sectional research design. Purposive sampling, including criterion-based and snowball sampling techniques, was utilized to recruit participants. The sample comprised 62 South African employees who experienced career changes between 2020 and 2022 due to the pandemic's impact on the labour market. Data w as collected through structured online questionnaires, incorporating validated scales. Ethical considerations were addressed, ensuring informed consent, confidentiality, and minimal harm to participants. RESULTS: Regression analysis revealed significant positive relationships between career adaptability, occupational identity, and Psychological Well-being at Work. Specifically, both career adaptability and occupational identity emerged as strong predictors of Psychological Well-being at Work among the participants. Descriptive statistics provided insights into the sample characteristics, indicating a diverse range of career change experiences during the pandemic. The study under scores the importance of fostering adaptability and building a robust occupational identity to enhance employees' psychological well-being amidst career transitions, particularly in times of crisis like COVID-19.Item Exploring Stigmas and Emotions of Transgender People Using Rasa Theory and Rasaboxes in Drama Therapy(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Keseni, Siphokuhle Cleopathra; Henriques, LeilaThe goal of this study is to explore the emotional experiences of people who identify as transgender. Through Performance Ethnography, I hope to create awareness about how transgender individuals feel and how their experiences are influenced by the stigmas surrounding them. Performance Ethnography is a qualitative data collection method that explores the various facets of performance. It involves combining multiple ethnographic techniques and theoretical frameworks from performance studies (Finesurrey, 2019). I will use semi-structured qualitative interviews, audio recordings, journal writing, observation and performance to collect data. In this performance, I will use the collected data to create the performance. I will be using rasa boxes to move from one emotion to another. The data will be created by Rasa in real-time, and the audience will be able to hear and inspect it as it is presented. My research participants will be transgender individuals aged 20-35 years old.Item The role of social media in career discovery, aspirations, and choice of South African university students: A Social Cognitive Perspective(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Cronje, Sherrilee; Mlilo, SifisoThe aim of this study was to explore the role of social media in shaping the career discovery, aspirations, and choices of South African university students. This was explored through three key research questions around how South African university students perceive the influence of social media in the discovery and exploration of career options, how they perceive the influence of social media in the formations of their career aspirations, and how they perceive the influence of social media on their career decisions. A cross-sectional, qualitative, interpretivist research design was employed whereby data was gathered through non-probability convenience sampling through volunteers and snowball/chain sampling methods as well as a purposive strategy. Interviews were conducted on the sample, and these were then analysed through a thematic analysis methodology in order to explore the experiences of the participants. The sample consisted of 14 individuals between the ages of 22-27 who were studying in South Africa through a tertiary educational institution. The study utilized Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) as a theoretical framework to understand the impact of social media on the behaviour and career development of South African students. SCCT proved highly beneficial in explaining the role of social media in shaping career interests and facilitating career exploration. While social media played a significant role in exposing students to various career options and influencing their perceptions, it was not perceived as the primary determinant of career choices. Rather, personal interests, passions, and other factors played a more significant role. Nevertheless, social media did have an indirect influence on career decisions by providing information and shaping perceptions. The study's findings align with previous research but also offer nuanced insights, contributing to the understanding of social media's role in the career journey. This research fills a gap in South African literature and lays the groundwork for future studies in this area.Item Tutor-student interaction: how advice is requested, offered, and responded to in an online consultation.(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Tebele, Tebele Sharon; Tam, CatherineIn many university courses, tutors and students engage in online consultations for tutors providing students with academic support. Part of a tutor’s responsibility in such an interaction is to give the student academic advice. Previous studies have been done on how students accept or resist advice in in-person interactions, but the online tutor-student consultation has not been investigated. I focus on advice giving and explore how advice is requested, offered, and responded to in an online tutor-student consultation using an ethnomethodologically informed conversation analytic approach. To do this, I examine a single 27-minute audio recording of an online tutor-student consultation. The session was voluntarily recorded on the online meeting platform and both the tutor and student consented to sharing it with me. Through a tutor-led interrogative sequence, the tutor builds a common ground and establishes an epistemic equilibrium where both tutor and student are knowledgeable about the student’s experiences. Thereafter, the student may issue a troubles telling that shifts the epistemic gradient so that the tutor is in a more knowledgeable position and able to offer advice regarding the trouble. I also investigate an instance where the student does not issue a troubleshooting, and the tutor does not offer advice. My findings align with the recommendations by a previous study that advice-giving can be evaluative: as the tutor only advised after the student had shared their thoughts and knowledge about the topic to determine if there was a need for advice. The findings contribute to the literature on advice sequences in institutional settings by reinforcing prior findings and demonstrating how the tutor used a series of techniques to build common ground and epistemic equilibrium and how the student used a troubles telling to shift the epistemic gradient so the tutor could move into a more knowledgeable position necessary for giving advice. While there has been limited research conducted on advice-giving in face-to-face T-S interactions to my knowledge, there has been no investigation of how advice is accomplished in online T-S consultations to highlight the originality of the current study.Item Comrades on the Road: Stories from South Africa’s Iconic Race(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Brown, Ryan LenoraItem Seeming, being and becoming: an intimate, autoethnographic rasa-led performance art exploration(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023) Maharajh, Reshma; Khan, Sharlene; Munro, Allan; Andrew, DavidThis thesis focuses on the interplay of "Seeming," "Being," and "Becoming" as it relates to past experiences, present moments and future potentialities. In this project, I delve into the concept of my South African ‘Indianness’ from a personal perspective. As a researcher, I engaged performance art and the aesthetic theory of rasa from the Nātyashāstra a treatise on dramatic theory or the science of drama in Sanskrit (a language of scholarship and philosophy across ancient ‘India’) to explore this concept further. The research encompasses three interconnected practices: rasa, autoethnography, and practice-led research and how central living strategies and concepts are used to define body- mindedness as a life force as emergence in performance strategy. Rasa serves as a guiding metaphor, representing the emotional essence of the artmaking strategies and creative process. These pursuits were not merely cathartic but were about reaching a Transcendental Emotional Moment (TEM) in which "being" and "becoming" converged. Rasa has been proven to be an effective tool in exploring my own identity, subject formation and artmaking, with therapeutic benefits. The second line of inquiry delves into my lived experiences as a widow, mother and practising Hindu, highlighting the complexity of South African Indianness and seeks to bridge the gap between "seeming" and "being" while anticipating what might "become" through the lens of rasa. The third line of inquiry revolves around the practice of performance art (combined with autoethnographic reflection), exploring the tensions between two philosophic models of Integrity and Intimacy as proposed by Kasulis (2002). As the artist (both creator and subject), my life and body became the canvas upon which the artwork unfolded. Performance art allowed for a moment of being when the artwork and I came into existence for each other. This process required cognitive and creative engagement with the project’s content, drawing on past experiences, culture, relationships, politics and religion, guided by rasa. The goal created an environment in which the ‘Oneness of Being’ emerged, leading to a TEM in performance. This moment invited the potential for refreshed, emergent insights and meaning through autoethnography and practice-led research. The “Seeming, Being and Becoming” trajectory and the efficacy of the rasa roadmap is proposed as a cultural philosophy that promotes human flourishing, culminating in the moment of TEM.Item So, where to (So-we-to) with audiences? An explorative inquiry into audience development strategies at Soweto Theatre in the period 2019-2023(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mogotsi, Ratanang; Mavhungu, JohannaTheatre does not exist without an audience; it is imperative that theatre’s find new and innovative strategies that will develop audiences as the sector continues to face a drop in theatre attendance. Through a qualitative inquiry and Soweto Theatre as the case study, this research explores audience development strategies implemented at Soweto Theatre between 2019 and 2023. This period saw the biggest decline in theatre audiences across the theatre sector in South Africa and abroad due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The findings reveal the necessity of organisational restructuring, improved internal and external communication among the staff, clear task allocation and role management, as well as strategic management alignment in order to improve its audience development strategies. Storytelling is introduced as one of the key concepts to audience development. Storytelling integrates more process-related content into marketing initiatives such as social media which allows for audiences to get a taste of what to expect and to be a part of the storytelling process. Soweto Theatre, symbolises a catalyst for cultural democracy, fostering social cohesion and community empowerment. This research report concludes that digital platforms such as social media can be used to disseminate information, for outreach, arts education and cultural inclusion. Furthermore, nurturing young talent, and forging sustainable partnerships is pivotal in democratising the arts and cultivating a more inclusive cultural space. Collaboration among arts organisations and youth development programs across various theatres can further enrich experiences and heighten opportunities for emerging artists, contributing to the growth of audiences in South Africa's dynamic creative and cultural industries.Item An investigation of the financial and psychological impact of COVID-19 on students at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Maepa, Pontsho; Ntshongwana, ZintleThe 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) intensified poverty, hunger, and health problems while having severe effects on sustainability measures. People faced psychological and financial difficulties because of the financial hardship caused by the pandemic.This study explored the financial and psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among students on students from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. A case study design was employed in this investigation. Ten (10) full-time University of Witwatersrand students, ages 18 to 30, were chosen using a purposive sampling technique. Individual interviews using a semi-structured interview guide were used to gather the data. The study found that while some participants reported minimal financial impact and effective coping strategies, others faced challenges with accommodation deposits, National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) delays, and psychological distress. The study identified a range of emotional responses, including anxiety and academic concerns. Moreover, the transition to online learning presented both benefits and drawbacks, influencing students' academic performance and engagement. The study recommends considering the financial implications of accommodation deposits, ensuring timely disbursement of NSFAS allowances, and emphasizing interactive elements in online learning. Acknowledging the psychological toll, universities are urged to enhance mental health support services. Future pandemic responses should prioritise maintaining a supportive residential environment for students.Item An ethnographic study of outside-circularity and deconstructive creation from the waste reuse practices of the urban waste precariat(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Reyneke, PierreThe study consists of an ethnographic inquiry into the waste reuse practices performed by the urban waste precariat on the landfill and streets of Pretoria East, City of Tshwane. I analyse the contribution of this social grouping to the urban circular economy and environment by conceptualising of these waste reuse practices as value-production processes not rooted in capitalism, practised outside of state and formal market recognition and support. I term these forms of existing circularity “outside-circularity” and identify an alternative value-production process termed “deconstructive creation”. The deconstructive creation process produces life from capitalist ruins, an alternative form of value to capitalism. This form of value draws on new formations of kinship and exchanges in a subsidiary and care economy, and functions on principles of everyday communism. Life from the capitalist ruins finds expression in two ways. Firstly, urban life that is more than mere material sustenance is produced, and a form of social solidarity as new kinship formations develop between Zimbabwean migrants in the City of Tshwane. Secondly, urban space is produced in the form of street craft markets and garden beautification to transform the suburban aesthetic. I problematise portrayals of waste reclaimers as an undifferentiated group exclusively performing reclaiming and recycling of paper and packaging materials. For this I develop and apply the social categorisation ‘urban waste precariat’, to move beyond the term ‘reclaimer’ with its singular focus on paper and packaging recycling. The term urban waste precariat incapsulates both recycling and reuse practitioners and hereby, I portray the complexity of the urban waste economy to include waste reuse practices, a cluster of waste work excluded from the literature in South Africa, thus far. Methodologically, I identify points of transition that are seminal to the circularity of the practices seen as meshwork. These points are discard, salvage, disassembly, transformation, exchange, and use. In addition, I trace circuits of material flow, both human and nonhuman, to portray the meshwork that entangles to form waste reuse practices. Through critical ethnography and by viewing waste reuse practices through the concept of skill, I show how space is relationally produced by tracing the socio-spatial history of traditional craft making skill development. The ethnographic data illustrate how this skill is employed in waste reuse practices, from artist hubs in Zimbabwe (Mbare and Chitungwisa) to its emergence through migration in Pretoria East’s informal iii street markets and suburban gardens. The study thus argues for the potential of sustainability and circularity to emerge from such skilled waste reuse practices of deconstructive creation.Item Enabling Authentic Learning Experiences for Indigenous Knowledge Acquisition in a Digital Environment: A Case of Zulu Beading Practice(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Dlamini, Phiwokuhle; Bristow, TeganThe Zulu beading practice is a well-known example of an indigenous art form that has been passed down through generations in traditional communities for cultural continuity. Research shows that Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer is a fundamental component of the epistemological system (Iseke & DesMoulins, 2015, p. 31). Elders impart knowledge using indigenous pedagogies, which promotes understanding and learning about communities and their local knowledge. With the increasing globalisation and modernisation of societies, social relationships, and cultural knowledge have become increasingly scattered. The contemporary generation often lives behind indigenous learning practices and adapts to new ways of learning in digital environments (Newman & Hatton-Yoe, 2008, p. 31). Consequently, there is a risk of traditional knowledge such as knowledge about Zulu beadwork becoming extinct when the knowledgeable elders pass away. Therefore, this indigenous knowledge needs to be documented and stored in the present digital learning environment where it can be retrieved and shared across generations. This study, therefore, explores ideas for enabling authentic learning experiences and accessibility of indigenous knowledge in a digital environment, with a focus on the Zulu beading practice. Using the Zulu beading practice, as a case study, the research investigates a potential digital learning environment to enhance the learning experience of cultural knowledge. The researcher also explores the potential of embracing digital learning environments to promote the continuity of traditional knowledge. A qualitative research approach was followed to explore the documented experiences of teaching and learning Zulu beading in a digital environment. Furthermore, a literature review was employed as a research methodology to establish the existing traditional approaches followed to teach the artistry of Zulu beading to aspiring practitioners as well as the practices needed to teach Zulu beading knowledge and skills to these practitioners in the digital environment. The findings revealed that the Zulu beading artistry is tacit knowledge, which comprises the Techne, Phronesis, and Episteme as the three knowledge categories. To create an authentic learning experience, the three knowledge categories are taught holistically. Therefore, this study aims to use the research outcomes to suggest a learning management system that could help facilitate the authentic learning experience of learning Zulu beading knowledge and skills digitally. The process of enabling authentic learning experiences in a ii digital environment requires the inclusion of indigenous viewpoints from knowledgeable elders who are skilled beadwork practitioners, linguistic engagement, and the integration of professional digital practices for developing learning solutions.