School of Social Sciences

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/10413/6487

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 1406

The 1949 Durban riots : a community in conflict.
(1983) Kirk, S. L.; Warhurst, Philip R.
No abstract available.
A study of trial participants' understanding and attitudes towards randomisation, double-blinding and placebo use, and a pilot intervention in a microbicide trial in Malawi.
(2010) Ndebele, Paul Maduba.; Wassenaar, Douglas Richard.
This empirical study was aimed at assessing trial participants’ understanding of randomisation, double blinding and placebo use as well as investigating their attitudes towards the three procedures. The study was conducted within the HPTN035 microbicide trial that was being conducted in Blantyre and Lilongwe in Malawi among other sites. The study was descriptive in nature and used a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods which included review of study documents, in-depth interviews with study staff, structured interviews with a sample of 203 participants and two focus group discussions with 18 microbicide trial participants. Overall, more than half of participants were categorised as having lower levels of understanding on the concepts under study. The study also established that the majority of participants had negative attitudes towards the three procedures. Based on these findings, a pilot intervention was designed aimed at improving understanding. The pilot intervention consisted of an information session which was delivered with the assistance of a PowerPoint. During the session, the three terms were explained using a story based on the growing of crops, as Malawi is an agricultural society. The intervention phase was delivered using a sample of 36 low scorers who were randomly assigned to the intervention and non-intervention arms. An assessment after the intervention suggested that the intervention was useful in improving understanding of the three procedures. The findings provide some evidence that research participants can understand research procedures if the procedures are explained in user-friendly terms and if information concerning their justification and personal implications is provided. The findings further suggest that the intervention was useful in changing participants’ attitudes towards randomisation and double blinding. The intervention did not change attitudes towards placebo use in a statistically significant way. Theoretical and practical recommendations, as well as suggestions for further research were recommended.
Academic information needs and information seeking behaviour of grade 11 learners of Eastwood Secondary School.
(2017) Richard, Sunitha.; Monyela, Madireng Jane.
Information is considered an important resource that is essentially needed in all human endeavours. Information is a message that changes an individual’s knowledge by adding to existing knowledge or filling in the gap, hence information significantly enhances the existing knowledge of the user. For a learners to excel academically, it is necessary for the learners to make use of relevant and pertinent information to ensure his or her success. Learners are expected to build their knowledge through engaging with a wide range of resources and the emphasis in assessment learning is on projects and portfolios of work instead of rote memorizing of textbooks and teacher’s notes. Learners purposively seek information to satisfy their school work related needs. Aim: This study examines the academic information needs and information seeking behaviour of grade 11 learners at Eastwood Secondary School. Methodology: The research employed a quantitative methodology in the form of a survey. The questionnaire was used as a data collection instrument to collect data from 169 grade 11 learners, which produced a response rate of 100%. Findings: The findings revealed that that the learners were most in need of information that dealt with the subjects of mathematics, physical science and English. The information sources that were most sought after included the Internet, textbooks and study guides. Learners revealed that they preferred printed material followed by online material. English was the most preferred language when searching for information. It was found that academic needs influenced their searching behaviour on the Internet and in books. Learners were found to be most satisfied with the use of the Internet and cell phone when searching for information. The learners were faced with various challenges; the major challenges was the poor staff attitude of the community /public library, the school being without a functioning library and the lack of time to seek needed information. Recommendations: The study recommends the following: collaboration between community/public library and the school, school library policy, functioning school library, increase in public funding to schools for information resources, computers with internet connectivity at schools and for a teacher librarian to teach information literacy.
Academic information needs and information-seeking behaviour of Haythorne Secondary grade eight learners using the Msunduzi Woodlands Branch Public Library, Pietermaritzburg.
(2017) Budhu, Bhavisha Premdass.; Kheswa, Siyanda Edison.
Information is an essential ingredient for a socially and economically engaged democracy in any community. The changes and advancements in the educational system and the lack of school libraries have resulted in a paradigm shift in the role that public libraries play in the 21st century. This necessitates public libraries to become knowledgeable about current information needs and the information-seeking-behaviour of its users. It is against this backdrop that this study investigates the academic information needs and information-seeking behaviour of grade eight learners of Haythorne Secondary using the Msunduzi Woodlands Branch Public Library, Pietermaritzburg. The study’s methodology was largely quantitative, with some qualitative elements as it seeks to identify the academic information needs of a particular community. Hence a mixed methods approach was adopted in order to accommodate both sets of data. The study utilised a descriptive cross-sectional survey design. A census survey was undertaken with a sample of grade eight learners (256 learners) of Haythorne Secondary who used the Msunduzi Woodlands Branch Public Library, Pietermaritzburg. The study seeks to ensure equal representation as well as represented, input from both registered and non-registered library users. The instrument used for collecting data from learners was a self-administered questionnaire consisting of closed and open-ended questions. In addition, a semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect data from the Northern Branches Senior Librarian. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were ensured through a pre-test on a group of grade eight learners at Eastwood Secondary School, Pietermaritzburg. The quantitative data was captured using SPSS software. The qualitative data were analysed manually using thematic analysis. The results of the study showed that the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of the learners was influenced by their age and educational context. Learners needed information for diverse purposes, however, their most frequent information need was for academic purposes, self-education, solving problems, health, recreation or leisure, news, family emerging sexuality and careers. The preferred information sources included the Internet, books, study guides, newspapers and informal information sources (professionals, family and friends). The barriers experienced by learners to seeking information from the library included the absence of public computers, Internet access, insufficient and relevant library resources and constraint of library hours. Based on the findings, recommendations were made to address certain problems presented in this study. The fundamental conclusion is that sustainable information dissemination and library services in public libraries within the 21st century will depend on a more dynamic leadership and vision of a new model of a public library that holistically embraces the absence of school libraries and bridges the digital divide.
Academic integration within the context of globalization : experiences of students from the SADC region studying at Howard College (University of KwaZulu-Natal)
(2013) Munsense, Ida Manyina.; Misgun, Biniam Tesfamariam.
Migration of people has long been conceived as voluntary relocation of an individual or groups of people in pursue of better job opportunities. In the context of globalisation, the semantic of migration has been expanded to include forced displacement of people as result of armed conflict or structural violence such as poverty and inaccessibility to basic needs. The United Nations‟ General Secretary has sanctioned the new explanatory trends in the concept of migration on the report on “human rights of migrants” (2002) under the article “Conceptual and substantive development of the question of the human rights of migrants” that does not leave out students migrating to integrate into a new academic environment to pursue higher degrees in fields of interest. Besides the effects of socio-political instability and economic unsustainability, human capital development theory justifies the influx of foreign students in South African universities in general, and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (Howard College) in particular. The process of integration is punctuated not only with opportunities but with challenges as well. This research looks in-depth into various experiences of international students integrating into Howard College. It is designed as a case study that basically use literature review and interactive interviews as sources of data, with a sample of twenty students registered with UKZN-Howard College. It investigates various aspects of integration process, examines the challenges that are involved in the process and the strategies that students develop to avert the adversities of immersion into this new academic milieu. The findings of this study abided by the interpretive paradigm appropriate to qualitative research using social network theory and human capital development as conceptual framework for the study. This research tables views from the field that are translated into recommendations that could improve the living condition of foreign students from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) on campus and prompt the adjustment of the SADC Protocol on Education and Training according to the needs that arise from SADC students‟ various experiences.
Academic travel : travelling for work.
(Kamla-Raj Enterprises., 2013) Ojong, Vivian Besem.
This paper endeavours to show how academics become part of cross-cultural production, cultural circulation and ideological circulation. The stand-point of analysis of this paper is the individualised process of academic participation in tourism and the by-product of their participation. This paper is not intended to make academics that travel to conferences look opportunistic, yet the difference from mainstream tourism is that it is part of academic portfolio. Other tourists travel to places to unwind and rest but with an academic tourist, that point of disconnection is not there. This is part of valuable experience. Once an academic is highly connected that academic becomes highly successful. Attending a conference is not only about presenting a paper but also about connecting with people.
Access to and use of electronic information resources in the academic libraries of the Lesotho Library Consortium.
(2017) Sejane, Lefuma.; Hoskins, Ruth Geraldine Melonie.
The study presents the findings of a survey regarding access to and use of electronic information resources in academic libraries of the Lesotho Library Consortium (LELICO). Nine institutions were studied, namely; the National University of Lesotho; Lesotho College of Education; Lesotho Agricultural College; Lerotholi Polytechnic; Centre of Accounting Studies; National Health Training College; Lesotho Distance Teaching Centre; Lesotho Institute of Public Administration and Management, and Institute of Development Management. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model by Venkatesh et al., (2009) underpinned the study, using the main variables or constructs of direct determinants of intention, being; Facilitating Condition (FC), Effort Expectancy (EE), Performance Expectancy (PE) and Social Influence (SI), also the direct determinants for use behaviour, User Behaviour (UB) and Behaviour Intention (BI). The study adopted the post-positivists paradigm and mixed methods were used; that is, qualitative and quantitative approaches. The self-administered questionnaires were distributed to the librarians (systems librarians, subject librarians and acquisition librarians), while the two semi-structured interviews were conducted with the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Directors and Rectors, University Librarian, and Library Directors. Response rate of 69.6% for librarians, 44.4% for PVC, Directors or Rectors and 56% for University Librarian and Library Directors were achieved. To analyse quantitative data, the SPSS Version 20.0 was used, while qualitative data was analysed by sorting, classifying and arranging data which were examined in relation to combined thematic content analysis. To ascertain reliability and validity of the instruments, pre-testing was done of both the instruments for librarians and the Library Director of the University of KwaZulu-Natal Library, in Pietermaritzburg. The research study was guided by the ethical protocol of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, which was adhered to. It was established that the type of e-resources accessed and used by academic libraries of LELICO included: e-mail, search engines, websites, Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC), e-journals, full-text databases, reference databases, institutional repositories (IRs) and Compact Disc-Read Only Memories (CD-ROMs). The study established that e-resources which were accessed and used mostly were e-mail, search engines and websites, followed by the OPAC, e-journals, full-text databases, IRs, reference databases. The study further found that main uses of e-resources were for communication, to support teaching and learning activities, such as professional research, assignments and lecture requirements. The findings showed that awareness of e-resources was mainly through formal engagement, such as library orientation and through informal engagement such as colleagues. The following strategies were in place: IRs, Open Access (OA), Information Literacy (IL) programme as well as library orientation sessions to improve on the access to and use of e-resources. It has been further revealed that challenges such as budget cuts, low internet bandwidth, lack of up-to-date Information Technology (IT) infrastructure, inadequate searching skills, shortage of staff and high cost of subscription fees posed many of the threats to access to and use of e-resources in the institutions libraries. The findings revealed lack of guidelines and e-resources collection development policies. The study concluded that access to and use of electronic information resources in the academic libraries were influenced by how e-resources were accessed, systems in place, effectiveness of the consortium, challenges facing libraries and strategies in place. The study recommended the establishment of e-collection development policies, guidelines and procedures for budget allocation, conducting of needs assessment to selection, collections maintenance, evaluation and resource sharing formulated to be implemented to enhance the efficient management of e-resource collection by providing selection procedures, requirements, standards and specifications in terms of Information and Communication Technologies(ICTs) infrastructure, equipment and human resource recruitment. The findings of the study influenced the formulation of e-resources collection development policies in academic libraries of the LELICO. The research is a strong platform for critical knowledge exchange and engagement and the presentation of results enhanced the understanding of the current realities and status in relation to access to and use of e-resources in the higher education setting particularly in the academic libraries. Furthermore, the study makes significant contribution in the areas of policy, theory and practice regarding access to and use of e-resources. The present study contributes to the body of knowledge, information and literature, especially in the context of Lesotho.
Access to gender and development information by rural women in the Tanga region, Tanzania.
(1998) Kiondo, Elizabeth.; Stilwell, Christine.
Rural women play significant roles in both food and cash crop production, however, the majority of them lack access to productive resources, including information. To enhance the process of development and to ensure that rural women participate in and benefit from rural development processes, it is important that productive resources such as land, technology and information are made accessible to them. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which rural women access gender and development information. It therefore investigated how the rural information delivery system is organised and operates in order to gain an understanding of the factors which hamper the accessibility of information to the majority of rural women. This understanding will enable rural development planners and information professionals to design and implement information services which are accessible to all members of the rural community. In conducting this study in the Tanga region of Tanzania, a sample of 773 households was drawn from an estimated 155,863 households to acquire a sample of rural women. A structured interview protocol was used to collect data from the rural women. A total of 64 human information providers out of a total of 90 targeted to be included in the study, was interviewed. Data was also collected through document reviews and informal discussion with key informants at regional and district levels as well as through personal observations during field work. The findings of the study indicate that at least 40 percent of rural women are still functionally illiterate and at least 30 percent head rural households. Tt:1e majority of them still live in poverty with limited incomes. On the other hand the information providers are predominantly male, constituting a male/female ratio of 3: 1. The information needs of rural women are practical and strategic in nature. Information providers used are mainly friends and relatives, village leaders, health extension workers and hospitals and clinics. The communications used in information exchange processes are oral in nature with face to face communication being the main channel used. Formal sources of information such as printed and audio-visual sources are rarely used. Furthermore, this study has shown that socio-economic factors impact on levels of access and use of information providers. Information made accessible to women is mainly health information, followed by community affairs which is mainly about community problems discussed at village meetings. Very few women benefit from rural training programmes and information on development projects because these are limited to specific project areas. Information delivered is therefore not adequate to satisfy rural women's needs whereas information accessed is moderately relevant as far as their health information needs are concerned. The main barriers to rural women's access to information include: workload, attitudes of information providers, customs and traditions and non availability of other sources such as printed and audio-visual sources, as well as low income and relatively low education levels of women. This study has identified several weaknesses in the rural information delivery system which need to be addressed. It is therefore recommended that in order to make information readily accessible to the majority of women, there is a need (i) to formulate gender sensitive policies and institute mechanisms for implementation, which should include the training of information providers in gender issues in services-provision; (ii) to make available adequate financial resources to support rural information seryices; (iii) to use a variety of sources of information to cater for ; the heterogenous needs of users; (iv) to have a political will not only to address gender issues but also to sensitize entire rural communities to gender issues.
Access to health care and its determinants: the case of older persons in Chivi South district, Zimbabwe.
(2024) Muzvidziwa, Evelyne.; Govender, Jayanathan Perumal.
This study investigates the accessibility of health care services by older persons living in rural areas of Chivi South district. Access to health care has remained invisible in the scholarship in third-world countries like Zimbabwe. In this respect, the study explores the lived experiences of rural older persons residing in Chivi South, a research site embedded in political uncertainty and economic quagmire bedeviling Zimbabwe. This qualitative study was anchored on the interpretivist approach. A sample of 10 key informants and 20 older persons participated in key informant and in-depth interviews. This study established four key findings that will contribute immensely to the sociology of ageing in poor-resourced settings such as Zimbabwe. The cultural meaning of illness among older persons is essential in creating acceptable healthcare services. The consequences of not making a more enabling and inclusive environment for older persons will have a dire impact on healthcare delivery. Changes in policies that support more preventative health and social care globally instead of a reactive approach, which is wholly unsustainable for today’s ever-growing population. In Zimbabwe, older persons are often treated as a homogenous group with similar needs, leading to blanket interventions that overlook individual differences. This has resulted in poorly conceptualized and targeted assistance programs, failing to address local needs. Socially constructed narratives of successful ageing could inform the design of appropriate geriatric policies and programs to transform the healthcare needs of older persons in Zimbabwe. The key findings of the study show that the older persons living in the rural areas of Chivi South district experience challenges such as limited access to economic resources, traveling long distances to access healthcare services, inequalities in the healthcare service delivery system, reduced health status, limited availability, acceptability, and accessibility of healthcare services and inter alia. These challenges limit older persons from accessing much-needed healthcare services. The preeminent aim of this study is informed by the theoretical accounts of Penchansky and Thomas (1981) and Giddens (1984). The structures that frame rural healthcare provision ultimately function as key determinants of the nature and scope of healthcare service utilization, which propounded the structuration theory. Based on the subjective narratives of the research participants, the uniqueness of this study is anchored on its ability to offer a sociological foundation for developing innovative interventions and workable public policy options that support the aging population in African rural spaces. The study showed evidence of how social determinants of health may help reduce disparities in healthcare access for older persons in rural settings. Older persons, especially those residing in poor communities, have unique needs when addressing social health needs. The ageing population in Zimbabwe faces socio-economic predicaments and various challenges in the healthcare sector. It is particularly challenging to manage social connectedness in rural areas because of the issues around accessibility of health care, i.e., physical, financial, and societal barriers, making these multifaceted but crucially critical social determinants of health. Any efforts to improve the health and well-being of older rural persons address rural-urban disparities in healthcare needs and include a focus on the social determinants of health.
Access to health care facilities during COVID-19: probing experiences of Ntabeni a rural community in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal.
(2022) Ndlovu, Hloniphile Talent.; Zondi, Virginia Balungile.
Anthropologists have critically taken an interest in studying the political economy of health and healthcare of people especially in forgotten communities. This incorporates admittance to medical care offices and reception of medical care. While they concur that the South African public medical care framework has gone through key changes, they also agree that the implementation or the realization of such important policies have become fragmented, and exacerbated inequalities in relation to access to health care and related facilities. This happens at the heart of solid constitutional and legislative policy frameworks which are in place to guarantee the right to access to healthcare. These constitutional and legislative provisions of guaranteed health care access remain a panacea and, as a result, most poor people are still unable to enjoy this international human right to health care and health facilities. The unprecedented arrival of COVID-19 brought South African health inequalities to light as most people could not access medical health care and health facilities at the time of their need. This qualitative study titled “Access to health care facilities during COVID-19: Probing the experiences of Ntabeni, a rural community in Pietermaritzburg, KZN”, draws on critical contributions of anthropology as a field of study and uses two theoretical frameworks, namely, social constructivism and access theory, as guidelines for the study. Data was collected from thirty (30) purposely sampled participants from the Ntabeni community. The recruitment included both males and females that were deemed fit to participate in the study as guided by ethical considerations of the study. Research findings revealed that the community of Ntabeni could not access health care during the COVID-19 lockdown levels 5 and 4 restrictions in South Africa, and this took a toll on their health. COVID-19 and lockdown regulations/restrictions exacerbated inequalities because poor community members of Ntabeni encountered barriers of affordability, accommodation, awareness, availability and accessibility of health care and facilities. Community members of Ntabeni felt excluded as human beings and as voters who were promised access to free medical health care. The study recommends that: the department of health should prioritize health and access to health care and facilities for the Ntabeni Community which is caged by poverty, unemployment and many health issues. These issues threaten the survival right of all human beings. Government should remove user fees at public hospitals to maximize access to health care and facilities for indigent people. The provision of a wellness or mobile clinic should be expedited as they will also accommodate those who cannot cater for their medical needs. This will make health services more accessible and affordable. Future anthropological research is needed to understand the factors that inhibit communities from accessing universities and contributing to the high rate of unemployment. Other studies could potentially look at the impact of the Msunduzi Integrated Development Planning, which is supposed to positively impact the lives of the members of Ntabeni community in terms of their socio-economic needs.
Access to land and land ownership for residential and livelihood purposes in the historically disadvantaged areas in Mpumalanga province : a case study of informal settlement in Govan Mbeki Municipality.
(2016) Nxumalo, Lindani Ernest.; Fakude, Gordon Phiwinhlanhla Ian.
It is certainly undeniable that the land question remains an emotive issue across the social and political spectrum in the national and local level of South African government. The legacy of Native Land Act of 1913 which gave effect to ‘legal’ dispossession of land from native black people and apartheid policies and laws left a remarkable fragmentation of spatial development in both rural and urban areas. In the post democratic South Africa, strides were and are still being made to address the social injustice and imbalances of the past policies through land reform programmes and other pieces of legislation. In contrast, a large number of poor black people are still confronted with challenges of access to land and ownership for residential and livelihood purposes in South Africa. In the past two decades South African municipalities have witnessed a mushrooming of informal settlements established through land invasions as a result of, among other things, ever rising population, poverty and immigration to urban areas. The study was conducted in Mpumalanga province with a special case study of Govan Mbeki Municipality’s informal settlements. The main objective of the study was to investigate the obstacles that impede the poor from accessing and owning the land within the municipal jurisdiction. This study adopted both qualitative and quantitative research designs. The exploratory method was used to gather the general insight on the subject. Key participants were identified through the use of convenience sampling which is a non-probability sampling technique. Interviews were conducted and questionnaires were distributed to the selected participants. Collected data was analysed using Statistic Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) which produced tabulations and graphs that made sense of the data and Content data analysis was employed which helped to establish themes from the data. These techniques assisted in understanding the challenges faced by the informal settlements in terms of the role of government with regard to redistribution of land for residential and livelihood purposes. The findings of the study established that the growing population in Govan Mbeki Municipality led to a demand for land for residential. Accessing of residential land by the landless poor people was revealed as a major challenge which resulted in land invasions as means to acquire housing. The ownership of land by private entities such as Sasol and coal mines, were found to be one of the obstacles that impede the land redistribution programme in the municipal area. Most of the surface lands were found not to be compatible for settlements due to underground mining operations. Land is accessed through obtaining low cost housing and bidding for stands when they become available at the municipality. Given the fact that a number of them are poor, they found themselves excluded and the allocation of low cost houses move at a slow pace.
Accessibility issues and challenges facing students living with disabilities in institutions of higher education and training : the case of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal’s Pietermaritzburg campus.
(2019) Nene, Nompilo Nonzuzo.; Mtshali, Khondlo Phillip Thabo.
Institutions of higher education formally provide platforms for individuals to develop their talents and skills. However, for this to be achieved, individuals require access to relevant resources. This is not the case for students with disabilities as they face challenges of accessibility. With the case study of the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Pietermaritzburg campus, this research interrogates the challenges faced by students with disabilities. Assuming that the participation and representation of students with disabilities is important for these challenges to be resolved, this study explores governance arrangement that will create a conducive environment for students with disabilities. This is a qualitative research study that relies on both secondary and primary sources. Secondary sources consisted of academic journal articles, books and online material that address the themes of this study. Primary sources consisted of in-depth interviews and questionnaires, government documents, and documents from South African Universities, including the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The researcher interviewed a total of fifteen participants from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Pietermaritzburg campus. The study used the following theoretical and conceptual tools: The study conceptualizes people living with disabilities as a minority group. As a remedy to political marginalization, this study argues for a consociational democratic student governance. This study utilized the accessibility model to probe different factors affecting accessibility. The accessibility model is composed of four factors: physical accessibility, perceptual accessibility, financial accessibility and social accessibility. The major conclusion of this study is that the majority of participants interviewed do face challenges of accessibility at University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Pietermaritzburg campus. The challenges faced by students with disabilities are: physical, social, financial and perceptual. The major accessibility challenge is the physical environment of the institution as well as the lack of support for students with disabilities from some of the academic staff. The study also discovered that there are students with disabilities who enrol in courses as a result of their disability and not their passion. The Disability Support Unit also appeared as one of the facilities which partially hinder access to information. The lack of engagements from the Student Representative Council with students with disabilities was also seen as a reason for the continuous experience of challenges by students with disabilities. The study recommends awareness campaigns to deal with social and perceptual challenges. Furthermore, the study recommends a consociational governance structure that will ensure that issues facing students with disabilities are fairly represented in all University governance structures.
The ‘accompanying spouse dependent visa status’: challenges and constraints faced by Zimbabwean immigrant women in integration into South Africa’s formal labour market.
(2019) Chimukuche, Rujeko Samanthia.; Muthuki, Janet Muthoni.
Transboundary migration at both regional and continental levels has become the defining feature of the 21st century. Among other issues, poverty and economic strife, regional conflict and extreme environmental disasters have been cited as key factors motivating global migration patterns. A holistic address to the current migration challenges, coupled with other key development issues such as gender, health and education can contribute significantly towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. The recent global migration crisis due to economic strife and war brings back to the fore an old age problem, but with fresh challenges. Migration and forced displacement are issues that require long-term solutions. In South Africa for example, whilst much attention has been placed on xenophobic attacks and other issues at the nexus of immigrant and indigenous communities, limited focus has been placed on the integration, specifically formal labour integration of immigrant communities and the gender inequalities that are prevalent. Despite noble efforts by South Africa hosting several immigrants, several challenges arise in integrating the migrants into society as it is often difficult to harmonize the interests of indigenous communities and those of foreign nationals. This research study has aimed to fill in the gaps by analyzing how stringent immigration and visa regulations prevent skilled migrant women spouses from employment which often results in several societal vices including domestic abuse, minimum or no access to important services such as healthcare, education, social welfare among others. Using a qualitative approach, the study analyzed South Africa migration and labour policies in terms of mainstreaming the gender needs of skilled migrant women. Secondly, the study highlighted the migratory experiences and constraints of skilled Zimbabwean women migrant spouses in South Africa labour integration. The experiences of these women have shown the gender inequalities of the migratory policies. Thirdly, Zimbabwean women opportunities and/or challenges in integration into South African formal labour market were explored. Lastly, practical interventions to support the integration of skilled migrant women spouses into South Africa’s formal labour market were suggested. Key findings show that gender dynamics are pivotal in migration patterns and the mainstreaming of gender in migration policies is important. This study has therefore contributed to the fields of gender and migration by examining ways in which gender rights of skilled migrant women spouses can be incorporated in labour integration policy making.
Adams College : the rise and fall of a great institution.
(1987) Singh, C.; Burchell, D. E.
Abstract available in PDF.
The administration of Sir Arthur E. Havelock as Governor of Natal, 1886 - 1889.
(1979) Moodley, Manikam.; Heydenrych, Dirk Hendrik.
No abstract available.
Adolescent sexual behaviour and its relationship to familial environment and perceptions: a study of Cape Town, South Africa.
(2020) Chikovore, Emma Shuvai.; Sooryamoorthy, Radhamany.
Worldwide, adolescents are exposed to an array of challenges that include unplanned pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). In South Africa, UNAIDS (2019) estimates that 69,000 female and 25,000 male adolescents acquired HIV in 2018. Little research has investigated the role of the family in influencing adolescent sexual behaviour. The significance of selecting South Africa, particularly Cape Town in the province of Western Cape to highlight the family environment and adolescent sexual behaviour nexus was done due to the historical background of high inflow of local and international migration to the city. By far, Western Cape’s HIV prevalence rate of 8.9% in a hyperendemic South African context, makes it one of the lowest in the country (Simbayi et al., 2019). Nevertheless, attractive economic prospects particularly in the city of Cape Town is likely to attract both international and local immigration which is likely to trigger an upward trend of HIV infections. Guided by the Life-Course Perspective Theory, this mixed method approach was carried out firstly, to understand the link between the family structure, the family’s financial circumstances, and parental engagement with their children and adolescent sexual behaviour; and secondly, to understand the perceptions of adolescents and parents on the role played by the family environment in shaping sexual behaviour among adolescents. The study drew data from the Cape Area Panel Study (CAPS); a longitudinal study conducted in Cape Town. The study tracked the lives of 4,752 adolescents aged between 14 and 22 and the study spanned between 2002 and 2009. In addition, 15 in-depth interviews (IDI) with adolescents and three (3) focus group discussions (FGD) with parents and adolescents were conducted. The participants in the IDI and FGD were recruited from the same sampling clusters as CAPS. The panel data were analysed using the logistic regression analysis reporting odds ratios (OR), and qualitative data using thematic analysis and the NVivo 11. Adolescents aged between 16 and 19 had higher odds of reporting having initiated sex and having experienced a pregnancy compared to adolescents aged between 14 and 15 years. Odds of reporting early sexual debut and adolescent pregnancy were lower among adolescents living in a family with a father, respectively. Adolescents from a family with a monthly income ≥ R25, 001 had less odds of having experienced a pregnancy, and higher odds of reporting condom use among adolescents from families with an income of R25, 001 and above compared to adolescents from a family with an income of R5,000 and less. These results were later supported by results from the qualitative data as both parents and adolescents blamed early sexual debut and pregnancy on the family environment. The study confirms the important role played by the family environment in determining adolescent sexual behaviour. It recommends the need to pay attention to families when designing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) programmes for adolescents.
Adoption and use of electronic instructional media among academics in selected universities in South West Nigeria.
(2016) Alabi, Adefunke Olanike.; Mutula, Stephen M.
This study was conducted to determine the adoption and use of electronic instructional media among academics in selected universities in South West Nigeria. The study addressed the following research questions: What is the extent of adoption and use of electronic instructional media in selected Nigerian universities? What factors influence adoption and use of electronic instructional media? How do media literacy skills influence adoption and use of electronic instructional media? What is the moderating effect of gender, age and teaching experience on adoption and use of electronic instructional media? What challenges are faced in the adoption and use of electronic instructional media by academics in selected Nigerian universities? The Unified Theory of Technology Acceptance and Use (UTAUT) and Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory were used as the underpinning theoretical lens. The philosophical perspective was based on post-positivism. Quantitative, complemented by qualitative methods were used with the survey research design. The target population of the study consisted of academics and management staff from two purposively selected Nigerian universities in the South West geopolitical zone. Academics were drawn from the faculties of Science, Arts and Technology in the universities that made up this study. From a population of 732 academics, a sample size of 267 was determined using a published table for selecting sample sizes as put forth by Israel (1992). Additionally, the census method was used to reach 11 university management staff members comprising deans of faculties, the university librarians and directors of the Centre for Information and Technology units. The survey questionnaires were used mainly to collect quantitative data from academics while interviews were used to collect qualitative data from university management staff. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was computed using Cronbach’s alpha (α) through a test-retest reliability method. A Cronbach’s alpha (α) value of r = 0.96 was obtained. Response rates of 80.5% and 90.9% were obtained from the data collected through quantitative and qualitative methods respectively. Quantitative data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 21) to generate descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data was processed using the NVivo 10 package. The ethical aspect or the axiological component of this study was achieved by adhering to the ethical protocol of the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Permission was obtained from the relevant authorities of the universities which fell under the ambit of this study. The findings revealed that though academics had adopted various types of electronic instructional media, this did not necessarily translate into extensive usage of such electronic instructional media. The majority of academics, however, regularly pursued innovative ways to incorporate electronic instructional media into their lectures. The findings further showed that academics used personal computers, MS Word, Internet, e- mail, mobile phones, mobile devices, Web resources, e-books and power-point presentations on a daily basis for teaching purposes. Academics used these electronic instructional media mainly for preparing lecture notes, presentation of lectures, producing assignments, course manuals, and communicating with students and colleagues. The findings also revealed that use of electronic instructional media such as LMS, plagiarism software, interactive whiteboard and social networking sites for teaching purposes was yet to be entrenched among Nigerian academics. The findings showed that facilitating conditions and effort expectancy were the strongest factors influencing adoption and use of electronic instructional media by academics for teaching purposes. The findings showed a significant relationship between media literacy skills and adoption and use of electronic instructional media. Gender and teaching experience, as moderating variables, influenced the adoption and use of electronic instructional media. Findings also revealed that behavioural intention was capable of explaining 8.6% of the variance in adoption and use of electronic instructional media. The study concluded that Nigerian academics are not using electronic instructional media as much as they should for the delivery of knowledge. The following recommendations were therefore proffered: 1) the universities need to develop a framework for the integration of electronic instruction media into the curriculum; 2) there is need to build capacity and create awareness among academics in relation to the integration of the interactive whiteboard, LMS and plagiarism software in their pedagogy; 3) universities are urged to develop institutional policy on adoption and use of electronic instructional media in order to provide clarity in areas such as as standards, strategies, best practices, staff training, infrastructural acquisition, gender equity and data/information security; 4) collaboration between faculty and subject librarians should be nurtured to create a vibrant and conducive academic and support environment that promote the use of electronic instructional media in teaching and learning. The originality and contribution of the study is situated in the domain of methodology, theory, practice and policy. For example in the area of methodology, this study’s point of departure from extant studies is that it employs the mixed method approach for data collection and stepwise multiple regression was used to determine the best predictor of technology adoption and use among academics. In this regard, the thesis makes a significant contribution towards developing a guideline for deploying instructional technology in universities or any educational setting. From the theoretical perspectives, the study validates UTAUT and DOI from the context of a developing country. The study, therefore, further advances the UTAUT and Roger’s diffusion of innovation theory in measuring the precursors of technology adoption and use in any contextual setting. With regard to practice and policy, the study provides an empirical baseline data that can be used as managerial guidelines for policy support, monitoring and evaluation in driving and promoting electronic instructional media adoption and use in Nigerian universities.
The adoption and use of peer reviewed electronic journals by academics at selected Zimbabwean state universities.
(2014) Machimbidza, Takawira.; Mutula, Stephen M.; Hoskins, Ruth Geraldine Melonie.
The study investigated the adoption and use of peer reviewed electronic journals by academics at selected Zimbabwean State Universities. The investigation grew out of the realisation that despite several efforts that were made by different university libraries in Zimbabwe to enhance access to peer reviewed electronic journals, the use of such journals among academics remained very limited. Specifically, the study determined the level of awareness of peer reviewed electronic journals by academics, established academics‟ extent of use of the resources, assessed the attitudes and perceptions of academics towards the resources, determined factors that influence the behaviour of academics in Zimbabwean State Universities towards the resources, and investigated the strategies used by state universities libraries in Zimbabwe to promote use of peer reviewed electronic journals by academics. The study was underpinned by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) whose constructs of Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, Social Influence, and Facilitating Conditions and moderating factors of gender, age, experience, and discipline proved valuable to the tackling of research questions and analysis of data. The study embraced both the positivist and interpretivist paradigms and adopted the quantitative and qualitative approaches within a survey research design. The population consisted of 794 academics from three state universities in Zimbabwe: National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE), and Midlands State University (MSU). The population also included 24 professional librarians from the same universities who were all considered as respondents for the study. The sample size for academics was 363. Data were collected by questionnaires from academics and interviews from professional librarians. The overall response rate was 58.4% for academics with 212 questionnaires being returned out of the 363 that were sent out whereas 22 professional librarians were interviewed out of the targeted 24. Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and qualitative data were processed using the Nvivo package. The study found that while the majority of academics in the three universities were aware of the existence of peer reviewed electronic journals in their institutions they did not have intimate knowledge and awareness of the resources. The study also established that the majority of academics at Zimbabwean State Universities had adopted electronic journals but their level of use was low as measured by the number of articles consulted per week, frequency of use, and the major source of information for academics. Attitudes and perceptions of academics towards peer reviewed electronic journals were generally on the positive side with many academics regarding the resources as important for their work. However, academics in Zimbabwe were frustrated by many barriers that militated against their use of electronic journals. The study also found that state universities libraries in Zimbabwe depended on a number of strategies to promote use of electronic journals. However, there were weaknesses in the way these strategies were implemented as they were largely not personalised. The study also established the best fitting UTAUT model, isolating Performance Expectancy and Facilitating Conditions constructs as the most crucial determinants of adoption and use of peer reviewed electronic journals in Zimbabwe. The study recommended establishment of strong and fluid communication channels between university libraries and academic faculties as this would result in effective induction processes that would enhance the awareness of peer reviewed electronic journals by academics. Universities were urged to review the information they were giving to academics to determine its relevancy and adequacy in generating in-depth awareness of electronic journals. Universities were also urged to employ more personalised marketing and promotion strategies to augment the broad based strategies they were using. The use of social media in promotion was also emphasised. Top administrators of universities were encouraged to take a leading role in encouraging use of electronic journals. University libraries were urged to review the model they use to subscribe to peer reviewed electronic journals and embrace one that enables more access to full text electronic journal articles and facilitate participation of academics in selection of resources. Universities were urged to eliminate all forms of barriers that militate against the use of electronic journals by academics and institute continuous training programmes to improve the skills of users. Universities were also encouraged to increase research funding as this had the effect of improving usage of peer reviewed electronic journals.
Adoption and utilisation of e-government systems by citizens in SADC: the case of Zambia and Zimbabwe.
(2017) Munyoka, Willard.; Maharaj, Manoj Sewa.
Electronic government (e-Government) offers great opportunities for transforming the public service delivery systems by providing an effective, efficient and transparent tool for facilitating the active participation of citizens in government decision making processes and for achieving good governance. However, the success of e-government is not entirely dependent on the provision of excellent e-government systems (supply-driven), but also on other factors like system acceptance and utilisation by citizens. Whilst the United Nations e-Government Surveys have demonstrated the proliferation of e-government initiatives in both developed and developing countries, the implementation, adoption and utilisation of such systems in developing nations is constantly affected by many challenges. Many citizens are hesitant to adopt and use e-government systems for various reasons and in some cases, such decisions are indeed merited. Citizens’ awareness, technical aptitude, confidence and trust in the government and its e-government systems are salient factors that are impacting the acceptance and utilisation of such systems. Similarly, practitioners (decision and policy makers, designers and implementers) of e-government have noted that most of the challenges being encountered by citizens are distinctively pertinent to national and regional socio-economic, cultural, political, and technological circumstances, and thus require a contextual and holistic approach for solutions. This study is driven by the quest to examine and establish the fundamental factors that are affecting citizens’ capacity, effort and behavioural intentions to adopt and continue using egovernment systems in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region; using Zimbabwe and Zambia as a case study. Thus, this study focuses on the government to citizen (G2C) domain with particular emphasis on the citizen-side. Currently, there are no holistic, people-driven models that could be used to assist and guide practitioners on e-government maters (including guiding citizen-informed designs and implementation, predicting and stimulating adoption and utilisation) for the SADC region and other developing nations with similar socio-economic and technological settings. This study aims to develop a people-driven e-government adoption and utilisation model (PDEGAUM), build upon two long-established theoretical frameworks; the Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) (focused on understanding the demand-side) and the ITU E-Government Implementation Toolkit (focused on understanding how the supply-side could be aligned with, and be informed by, the demand-side). An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was considered most appropriate for testing the PDEGAUM conceptual model. Multistage sampling techniques were used to select the 800 respondents (drawn from Zimbabwe and Zambia) for the survey method (selfadministered questionnaires were used). After the pre-analysis screening of the quantitative data, only 736 questionnaires were used for data analysis (comprised of 489 citizens who have used e-government systems and 247 have not used). Explanatory Factor Analysis (EFA) and regression analysis (using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS)); and structural equation modelling (SEM) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) (using IBM Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS)) were selected for testing the model fit of the proposed model. All but one of the hypotheses was confirmed by this study. Semi-structured interviews (serving a confirmatory role) were pursued with 8 purposively selected interviewees from the respondents who had participated earlier on in the survey. The Total Quality Framework (TQF) was adopted as the most suitable theoretical lens for guiding the analysis of the qualitative data; thematically using the Nvivo Plus qualitative data analysis software (QDAS). The qualitative results confirmed the quantitative results. Findings of this study confirm the proposed PDEGAUM model as being suitable for the SADC region. The PDEGAUM model is novel in that it places citizens’ demands and input at the centre stage of spearheading e-government initiatives, which in turn informs e-government implementation. This approach contradicts the supply-driven approach by being contextuallyaware of citizens’ concerns in-line with e-government initiatives. Such a holistic gesture by the government is believed to go a long way in fostering and stimulating the adoption and utilisation of e-government systems. Decisively, the findings of this study have demonstrated that a people-driven approach constitutes the basis for rolling-out successful e-government systems, particularly in the context of the SADC region and other developing countries that are plagued by complicated socio-economic and political dynamics.
Adoption of linked data among the university libraries in Uganda.
(2024) Akullo, Winny Nekesa.; Nsibirwa, Zawedde Gulikomuseesa.
Globally, libraries have experienced numerous innovation cycles due to technological developments and among these cycles is Linked Data. Linked Data is a set of practices used to represent and connect structured data on the Web. It requires that data is published on the Web in a readable, interpretable, and useable format by computers. This study aimed to explore the adoption of Linked Data among selected university libraries in Uganda. The objectives of the study were to: determine the level of awareness of Linked Data among professional librarians; establish the extent of Linked Data adoption; determine the potential benefits of adopting Linked Data; investigate the factors that influence the professional librarians’ behaviour towards the adoption of Linked Data; and investigate the strategies to promote the use and adoption of Linked Data. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory were adopted for the study. The study used a pragmatism paradigm. Mixed methods were employed to collect quantitative and qualitative data for the study. Fourteen university libraries were purposively selected and a target population of 187 participants from these selected university libraries was identified. A link to the online questionnaire was sent to the professional librarians and heads of library technical services and telephonic interviews conducted with the University librarians and heads of IT. Of these respondents, 160 responded, giving a response rate of 85.6%. The SPSS software was used to analyse quantitative data while qualitative data was analysed using thematic content analysis. The results showed that 70.3% of the professional librarians were aware of the Linked Data concept; 82.8% were aware of the university library’s need to use the Web of Data to enable access and sharing of data with users without barriers. The results further showed that 91.8% of the respondents prefer to first experience with how Linked Data works before adopting and implementing it; 93.4% of the respondents expressed willingness to learn about Linked Data technologies to improve data sharing and reuse in their institutional libraries. The results of the study further showed that over 90% of the respondents agreed that Linked Data shall reduce unnecessary duplication; and improve users’ overall search experiences; increased richness in overall data; increase the exposure of institutional repository collection to web search engines; benefit research, discovery, and enrich discovery and create a model other universities can use. The results also showed that over 70% of the respondents indicated that top management buy-in and support, prior knowledge of using Linked Data will influence the behaviour of professional librarians towards the adoption of Linked Data in university libraries, and; over 90% of the respondents agreed that benchmarking with other institutional libraries and support from the IT staff will influence the adoption of Linked Data. While 97.5% of the respondents proposed the need to encourage staff to keep themselves up-to-date and explore the potential of Linked Data technologies in libraries with a few indicated the need to include research assignments in some of the employees’ workload for them to conduct research during the exploratory stages of innovation adoption. The study, therefore, recommends that university libraries lobby for budget allocations or seek grants to facilitate the acquisition of infrastructure required for the adoption and implementation of Linked Data. Other recommendations include the training of professional librarians by professional associations with expertise in Linked Data technologies ; the development of courses on Linked Data by the various library and information training institutions; the establishment of a library technical team that will ensure data sharing and its reuse; the development of a legal framework that will mandate university libraries to share and link their data; collaboration with other university libraries through the Consortium of Uganda University Libraries (CUUL); the establishment a central data repository; and collaboration and the establishment of partnerships with other communities and organisations both in and out of the library and information field. The originality and contribution of the study is derived from the methodology, theory, practice, and policy. The study explored the adoption of Linked Data and is the first to be carried out in multiple universities in Uganda.

Browse

Browsing School of Social Sciences by Title