Faculty of Humanities (ETDs)

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Perceptions of Mental Health in low-middle- income South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Ndlazi, Simphiwe; Harvey, Clare
Mental health is an important contributing factor to well-being. Understanding mental health is crucial in influencing an individual’s help-seeking behaviour. This study aimed to explore and discover perceptions of mental health in Low-Middle income (LMI) communities in the South African context, as well as gain an in-depth understanding of what informs the perceptions of mental health. Furthermore, the aim was to establish information on the role of perceptions of mental health. Finally, the aim was to contribute to the current scope of knowledge on perceptions of mental health and improve the academic research attention given to perceptions of mental health in the South African context. The study employed a qualitative approach and used one-on-one, semi-structured interviews as a method of data collection. Seven individuals above the age of eighteen years were invited to be participants. Based on the findings, mental health is recognised in LMI communities however, it is also stigmatised. It has been discovered that financial strain and joblessness are major contributors to mental health issues among LMI communities. Additionally, individuals have reported insufficient mental health resources and care within these communities, including a shortage of qualified professionals in public clinics. This study has the potential to improve the awareness on the prevalent perspectives and stigma surrounding mental health and other significant mental health issues in LMI communities, such as resource allocation. The study also highlights the urgency of developing effective policies and tailored interventions that are context-sensitive to address the disparities in quality mental health care in LMI communities.
Politically-Coordinated Social Movements or Hashtag Campaigns? A Discourse Analysis of Online Anti-Immigrant Tweets in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Lindie, Sivuyile Zenani; Scully, Ben
The recent emergence of online anti-immigrant sentiment on Twitter in South Africa has been interrogated by a few research organizations to determine the extent to which digitally-mediated spaces are being increasingly leveraged by various social and political actors to further stimulate widespread anti-immigrant propaganda about African migrants and refugees residing in South Africa. This research study determines and analyzes whether online anti-immigrant contestations on Twitter in South Africa are a new model of collective protest action either building on or superseding the orthodox characteristics of social movements. In doing so, it conducts a discourse analysis to understand how social media-driven forms of collective action, contestation, and/or protests are coordinated and mobilized through the powerful discursive use of language on Twitter. The study’s primary theoretical framework, the ‘Social Constructivist Paradigm’ and ‘Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)’, forms a crucial aspect of understanding how widespread feelings of frustration and disillusionment among the majority of marginalized South Africans are channelled through various Twitter posts and interactions to continue legitimizing a growing anti-immigrant populist discourse. The methodology of the study followed a mixed-methods research approach using the filtering and querying features of a free cloud-based research software tool called COSMOS (Collaborative Online Social Media Observatory Software), to collect and analyze data on Twitter. The findings of this study were analyzed using content and statistical analyses. The study found that the hashtags used to spread online anti-immigrant discourse in South Africa, particularly, #PutSouthAfricansFirst, #OperationDudula, and #ForeignersMustGo, can be conceptualized as ‘hashtag campaigns’ that are a microcosm of larger politically-coordinated offline anti-immigrant social movements in South Africa. These findings demonstrate how the discursive coordination of language into the virulent anti-immigrant discourse on Twitter draws on various conventional attributes of ‘social movements’ to constitute a novel model of online collective action. Indeed, an emerging model of online collective formations mobilized by various politically-connected groups of people with shared anti-immigrant beliefs and identities that further seek to deepen already fractured relations between South African citizens and African foreigners.
Exploring cyber misogyny and women journalists’ work and practice in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Nyamweda, Tarisai L.; Daniels, Glenda
Women journalists are increasingly facing cyber misogyny. However, there is a paucity of research and evidence, particularly in the global South, on this worrying phenomenon. This research study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on cyber misogyny and its effect on women journalists’ practice through documenting their experiences of cyber misogyny and how it affects journalism work and practice as well as contribute to new insights on recommendations to deal with the issue. It uses in depth interviews with selected media development and feminist organisations to understand the phenomenon of cyber misogyny as it relates to women journalists who have encountered cyber misogyny, to collect information to inform this study. Data collected has been augmented by content analysis of selected X posts generated by journalists and the responses from audiences on the selected X posts. The data collected from the in-depth interviews was analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The research is grounded on feminist theory, the concept of the role of the media in democracy and hegemonic masculinity, and uses the concept of journalistic routines as a lens through which to examine the effects of cyber misogyny on journalism practice.
A Qualitative Exploration of People Living with Chronic Pain in Rural South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Ramoshai, Tebatso; Wadley, Antonia; Mulaudzi, Mamakiri
Chronic pain is a highly prevalent global health concern. While much research has been conducted on the prevalence, treatment, and management of chronic pain, few studies have explored the experiences of people living with chronic pain, particularly in the South African context. This study aimed to explore and interpret how HIV-negative people living with chronic pain perceive their personal experiences with chronic pain and the impact it has on their lives. Part of a larger study that investigated the factors that influence the experience, daily activity, and disclosure of pain in people living with and without HIV in rural South Africa, this study conducted a qualitative exploration and interpretation of pre-collected interview data on a purposively selected sample of 16 HIV-negative individuals living with chronic pain from the Limpopo province of South Africa. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Seven main themes emerged from the data: The nature of pain, participants’ typical physical activity, pain interference, disclosure of chronic pain, reactions to pain disclosure, benefits of disclosing pain, and social support. The findings suggest that for HIV-negative people living with chronic pain, the impact of pain is multidimensional. All participants experienced pain interferences; however, there was little to no difference in participants' physical activity levels regardless of interferences. The findings suggest that economic stressors may be an influential factor in how pain is experienced between any two pain cohorts, determining whether there will be a change in physical activity levels or not. Furthermore, contrary to previous concerns in a South African cohort with chronic pain, pain disclosure was high in this cohort; therefore, participants were able to recruit different types of social support from close others. This research, therefore, contributes to the qualitative knowledge of the relationships between pain, physical activity, and the seeking of social support by people living with chronic pain in a South African context
Hearing function of paediatric patients with cancer in Johannesburg, South Africa: relationships and influences explored
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Chauke, Tlangelani Nyeleti; Khoza-Shangase, K.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are about 466 million people living with a disabling hearing loss globally, with almost 34 million of them being children, and approximately 7 million of these children are living in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In South Africa, the incidence of childhood cancer represents approximately 1% of all cancers in the population. The standard treatment in South Africa consists of platinum compounds such as cisplatin and carboplatin. Morbidity factors amongst childhood cancer survivors include hearing loss. Between 20% and 70% of patients suffer from cisplatin and carboplatinum-related ototoxicity. In any context including the South African context, for preventive audiology, it is important to describe and characterise the hearing function of paediatric patients with cancer. Aim: The main aim of the current study was to investigate the hearing function of paediatric patients with cancer in Johannesburg, South Africa. Methodology: A descriptive retrospective record review design was adopted in this study. The patient records were reviewed from Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital oncology and audiology units. Non- proportional quota sampling was used in this study. Data was reviewed from 47 patient records from the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital audiology and oncology units. Analysis: In this current study, descriptive and inferential statistics were used in order to indicate any patterns the data may have assumed and to help summarise the collected data. Findings: Demographic and diagnostic factors were thought to have an influence on the hearing function of the paediatric population with cancer. When establishing if a relationship existed between age of diagnosis, gender, race, type of cancer, treatment duration, and type of treatment and hearing function, all the objectives were found to be statistically non-significant, except for the type of cancer which was found to have a statistically significant association. The researcher was 95% 8 confident that the true prevalence of hearing loss in the paediatric population with cancer would fall between 23.5% and 51.2%. The prevalence of hearing loss was found to be 36.2%. Conclusion: The participants who were found to have a hearing impairment, had a hearing impairment due to ototoxicity. As evident from all the audiological assessments administered, there was an evident change in the hearing function of participants from session one to two. Implications: It was recommended by the researcher that audiological monitoring as well as screening protocols be implemented in the oncology and audiology units. Current findings could contribute towards identifying risk factors that are associated with hearing loss in the paediatric population with cancer. These findings could possibly help guide future researchers, audiologists, pharmacists, oncologists, or policy makers in in developing treatment protocols, policies and interventions that may help minimize the effects and risks of cancer treatment on the hearing function of this population without having to compromise the effectiveness of their treatment. Implications for future research are also raised by current findings.
The gendered barriers women face in politics: The case study of South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Olivier, Ursulene; De Matos Ala, Jacqueline
Women politicians face nefarious and diverse obstacles. Their voices are both needed and lacking in the halls of national decision-making. According to the 2022 Global Gender Gap Report (GGGR) the gap in global female Political Empowerment has consistently remained the largest since the first report was published in 2006. Globally women only have 22% of the Political Empowerment that men have. This research conducts a discourse and content analyses of female political representation in South Africa and whether this translates into better outcomes for gender equality in broader society. It investigates the social constructs of political hegemonic masculinity and political patronage and the role it plays in the political careers of women to reach executive level positions such as becoming a cabinet minister and president. Key findings are gender stereotypes and gender roles found in both social constructs keep women out of political power. Many women politicians also do not champion the gender equality cause in South Africa in support of political hegemonic masculinity and political patronage.
Masculinity and its role in gender-based violence in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Davhana-Ngwenya, Vhugala
This study investigates ways in which men construct masculinity and understand its role in gender-based violence. An increased interest in studying masculinity and its construction suggests that there are different ways in which men express their masculinities. 11 males over the age of 18 participated in the study. A semi-structured interview schedule was used to guide one on one interviews that were used to collect data. The interviews were recorded and transcribed for easy analysis. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data through identifying, analysing, and reporting repeated themes. Specifically, four themes were identified in this study: (1) Constructions of traditional masculinity, (2) Construction of gender-based violence, (3) Role models and (4) Proposed interventions for gender- based violence. The findings suggest that participants have a negative view towards the traditional ideology of masculinity and conventional masculinity. For most of the participants’ influential role models were predominantly male figures who held positions of authority in their households or communities while for other media emerged as a significant role model. The participants understood the impact of GBV and its far-reaching consequences on its victims. The research will contribute to the field of psychology in the understandings of constructions of masculinity and its role in Gender Based Violence.
Teachers' Discourse, Language, Genetics, Life Sciences, South Africa, classrooms
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mupfawa, Shungu
South Africa has consistently ranked close to the bottom in international studies on the quality of mathematics and science education. This poor performance portrays a negative picture of the quality of teaching and learning science and mathematics in the country. Local reports such as the South African National Diagnostic Report on grade 12 performance attest to this as it shows that the quality of passes in life sciences at the matric level is low. As a result, fewer matriculants enrol for life sciences-related careers at higher institutions of learning. The overall quality of passes in life sciences could be aggravated by the poor performance of learners in genetics-related questions which make a substantial contribution to scores in the Life Sciences examination. Literature on the teaching and learning of genetics also points to difficulty with the teaching and learning of this topic, including the use of language by the teachers. This thesis reports on a case study in which I investigated the classroom Discourse of four life sciences teachers while teaching basic genetics to grade 12 learners. The study aimed to characterise the teachers’ Discourse during the teaching of basic genetics. In this study, my conception of Discourse was influenced by Gee’s Theory of Discourse which makes a distinction between Discourse with an upper-case ‘D’ denoting language and other factors associated with it and discourse with a lower-case ‘d’ as referring to language. Therefore, in this study, the teachers’ Discourse ‘D’ was conceptualised in terms of language ‘d’ (the language of science) and context which entailed Discourse strategies, interaction patterns, teacher Discourse moves, and multimodal representations. This study drew on literature and research from the fields of Discourse analysis, language, teacher talk, science teaching, and classroom Discourse to develop a complex picture of the classroom. A case study was conducted in three high schools in Johannesburg, South Africa. Data was collected from four teachers each of whom was observed three times, and video recorded while teaching basic genetics concepts to grade 12 learners. A follow-up interview was conducted with each teacher. These post-observation interviews together with field notes were added for data triangulation purposes. The interviews helped me to access teachers’ rationale for taking certain actions during the observed lessons. Moreover, the interviews enhanced the trustworthiness of my analysis. The lesson observation transcripts were analysed using Lemke’s Thematic Analysis merged with Mortimer and Scott’s Communicative Approaches and Discourse patterns. This study unveiled two major types of Discourse of teachers who followed an examination based approach and teachers whose Discourse followed a conceptual approach. This led to the development of a Discourse Teaching Strategy Model which portrays teachers as being either conceptually or assessment focused. My Discourse Teaching Strategy Model shows that amongst other characteristics, conceptually focused teachers used higher-order questions to build conceptual understanding and logical exposition for consolidation. Further, the model shows that logical exposition was sometimes replaced by selective summary where the teachers justified the curriculum. Teachers adopting a conceptual focused strategy used controlling pacing and marking importance as pedagogical measures and admonition for maintaining discipline. This study contributes to the effective teaching of genetics by offering the Discourse Teaching Strategy Model as a model to guide thinking about the planning and development of science teaching as well as a tool for reflection upon one’s teaching strategies. Thus, this model can be used to expand self-development or in-service development especially if one is to teach for ii conceptual understanding. Researchers can use the model as an analytical tool for identifying a particular teacher’s Discourse practices.
An investigation of quality assurance practices and teaching in a higher learning institution in Johannesburg South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Dlodlo, Khanyisa
Higher education institutions (HEIs) in developing countries are increasingly focusing on quality assurance, as indicated by their development of relevant policies, structures, and procedures. This study aims to examine the quality control measures within HEIs and assess lecturers' knowledge of these measures. Institutional and national policy documents related to quality were analyzed to understand the regulatory framework for lecturers. Categories of Quality Practices in Teaching, such as assessment, curriculum, and teaching strategies, were established for data analysis. Using an interpretative paradigm and qualitative techniques, the study involved interviews with three lecturers and a quality assurance (QA) manager. This approach helped gain insights into how quality measures are implemented and how lecturers utilize them to improve teaching. The study categorized and compared lecturers' practices with institutional and national policy documents to evaluate their alignment. Findings revealed that lecturers have limited knowledge about the institution's QA measures. Their practices often do not align with the institution’s QA policies, partly due to their lack of awareness of these policies. Although the institution has QA measures, many are adopted from national documents, but there is insufficient emphasis on these measures at both institutional and national levels. The study recommends that lecturers should be involved in the creation, review, and evaluation of QA policies to enhance their engagement and understanding. Additionally, peer and student evaluations should be mandatory and conducted more frequently than the current three-year cycle. Finally, having teaching qualifications as a requirement for employment is suggested to improve QA in teaching.
Investigating the experiences of female Heads of Departments leading at an Independent High School in South Africa
(University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Reddy, Leslie Cheston Nicholas; Fleisch, Brahm
Throughout history, women have faced various challenges because of their gender. With society developing and people becoming more aware of gender diversity and equality, organisations still have not purposefully remedied how women are seen in society. More specifically, schools, particularly primary schools, have long been the domain of women due to the stereotypical notions that women are natural caregivers and there to nurture children. However, leadership and management positions within schools have traditionally been dominated by men as many independent schools in South Africa were developed during the apartheid administration, which disadvantaged people of colour, more specifically women of colour. This research report investigated the experiences of female heads of departments (HODs) leading at an independent school in South Africa. Through the use of transformative leadership as the theoretical framework for this study, it became apparent that women's experiences are unique to their gender and often shared with other women. This study used a qualitative research design by looking at seven HODs. Data was obtained through semi-structured interviews and observations. With this, central themes of their experiences, challenges, and strategies used by female HODs in independent schools were collated thematically. This study revealed that gender-biased perceptions of women leaders exist in several forms of discrimination even though they are in leadership positions. Additionally, the challenges these female HODs faced were aspects that dealt with society's beliefs impacting their ability to lead confidently. These women also have perceptions of male privilege, the demands of working in an independent school, the need to prove themselves as a leader and gender-pay discrepancies. The women in this study also gave insight into their perceptions of male arrogance, recognising a gender shift in school leadership and examining the role of school existence and traditionalism in their role as leaders. The study revealed that the women in this independent school feel better equipped and are better managers than their male counterparts. The women leaders recognised the value of emotional intelligence and also strived to implement various strategies in how they led to ensure that they could manage their positions effectively. These strategies included building relationships with colleagues, students and parents; open communication; adopting iii multiple leadership styles; and caring for and empowering students. All these strategies were implemented to mitigate their challenges as female HODs in an independent school.

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