AA 2005 Volume 37 Issue 3

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http://hdl.handle.net/11660/6704

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    Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro: a therapeutic team adventure
    (University of the Free State, 2005) Kriek, Hendrik
    English: This study presents a description of an adventure therapy experience undertaken by an individual who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro as part of a hiking team. Using phenomenological analysis and operating from a social constructionist stance, it describes how the narratives of the subject were altered through the interplay of individual, team and adventure. It shows how she reclaimed nurturing behaviour, regained emotional competence and relinquished independence. Through the experience, she also escaped her situation of entrapment by redefining her competing relationships, allowing leadership and re-evaluating spirituality by means of an enhanced sense of connectedness. Thus, she used the adventure experience as an event or text through which she created meaning and reconstructed some of the operant narratives in her life. The study indicates that adventure provides an opportunity for participants to deconstruct and reconstruct the operative narratives of their lives.
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    “Cultural development” in Mangaung: reflections on the discourse of a development agency
    (University of the Free State, 2005) Erasmus, Piet
    English: This study investigates the 12-year involvement of the MUCPP in “cultural development” in Mangaung. Since “development” and “culture” are highly ramified concepts, their application is first explained. Next, since the stance adopted by Ferguson (1990) towards development is particularly useful when considering development discourses, his discussions on development will serve as the theoretical and methodological basis of this article. Thus, the main objective of this study will not be to survey or explain the success or failure of the institutionalised production of “cultural development” in Mangaung. Instead, the article will strive to understand, explain and analyse the “cultural development industry” of the MUCPP in terms of its dominant ideas and its discourse. This will be done within certain constraints, including the paucity of written information. The findings will thus depend largely on interviews conducted to supplement the documentary information. Finally, conclusions will be drawn, raising questions that may inform any future cultural interventions in Mangaung on the part of the MUCPP .
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    The effects of stressors, positive affectivity and coping strategies on well-being among academic staff in a Nigerian agricultural university
    (University of the Free State, 2005) Ladebo, Olugbenga; Oloruntoba, Abayomi
    English: This study examined the effects of stressors and coping strategies on the well-being of academic staff in an agricultural university in Nigeria. Surveys were administered to 133 faculty members. The stressors identified were heavy workloads, inadequate physical facilities, insufficient resources, poor working conditions, and career advancement expectations; the coping mechanisms employed included active planning, supportseeking and disengagement. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis showed that positive affectivity (PA) was significantly and positively related to job satisfaction and psychological strain. Stressors such as poor working conditions and heavy workloads were significantly and negatively related to job satisfaction and psychological strain, respectively. It is suggested that lessened workloads and improved working conditions might significantly enhance the well-being of faculty members.
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    Gender stereotypes and reconstruction: a feminist appraisal of Nigerian video films
    (University of the Free State, 2005) Ogunleye, Foluke
    English:This paper posits that the video film, a popular art form in Nigeria, should initiate a new image and foster the empowerment of women, rather than merely reflecting the damaging traditions within society. Traditionally, a woman’s role is that of a subordinate to man, and women are restricted to a very narrow domain. This is reflected in the film media by means of a portrayal and projection of negative female stereotypes, which furthers the wrong socialisation of the female in society. Negative stereotypes are reflected particularly in some of the thematic concerns, including prostitution, adultery, jealousy and crime. In the context of film’s having become one of the most powerful agents of change within society, this study provides an interpretative evaluation of the Nigerian video film industry and advocates that the battle against stereotyping must necessarily be fought by adopting a tripartite approach, at the levels of ideology, film-making and film criticism.
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    Gender, purchase intention and sponsor image: a case study of the 2003 Cricket World Cup
    (University of the Free State, 2005) Van Heerden, Neels; Kotzè, Theuns; Bruwer, Johan
    English:This study examines the influence of gender and recall in terms of sponsor image and purchase intention in relation to the four international sponsors of the 2003 Cricket World Cup (CWC 2003). The research was conducted six months after the CWC 2003 among 120 university students. The hypothesis was that consumers who correctly recalled a particular brand as one of the four global sponsors of CWC 2003 would have a more positive image of that brand and a stronger intention of purchasing it than those who were not able to recall the brand as a sponsor. The findings supported this hypothesis for only one of the sponsor brands, namely LG. They also identified sizeable differences in the correlation between sponsor image and purchase intention for respondents in the two recall groups. Male and female respondents differed in their ability to recall two of the sponsor brands, but no gender differences were found in their scores on sponsor image or purchase intention.
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    Higher education and the market: influence and responses
    (University of the Free State, 2005) Van Wyk, Berte
    English: This article briefly considers theoretical assumptions about markets and then explores how internationalisation, globalisation and neo-liberalism relate to markets in higher education. To gain a better understanding of how markets manifest themselves in South Africa, it then explores how the three Western Cape universities (Cape Town, Stellenbosch, and the Western Cape) position themselves in relation to the market. What are the possible responses to markets in higher education? Three possibilities are explored. First, an institution of higher education may promote what Chomsky referred to as a “free marketplace of ideas”. Secondly (but related to the first possibility), it may emphasise higher education as a democratic public sphere. Thirdly, it may refocus on equity within the South African higher education system.
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    The induction of inexperienced teachers: problems and needs
    (University of the Free State, 2005) Steyn, Trudie; Schulze, Salomé
    English:This paper reports on an investigation into the problems experienced by neophyte educators. Hypotheses were formulated, focusing on the relation between gender, age, years of teaching experience and geographical location, on the one hand, and problems experienced, on the other. Perceptions of the various existing support systems and ways in which mentors could be selected were also investigated. The most pressing problems experienced were a lack of resources and an inability to maintain discipline or implement outcomes-based education (OBE). These problems were influenced by gender, age, years of experience and the specific education system in which the neophyte teacher was employed.
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    Politieke transformasie: ’n konseptuele oriëntering en Suid-Afrikaanse toepassing
    (University of the Free State, 2005) Duvenhage, André
    English:In this article the concept of political transformation, as it has occurred since 1994, is analysed and then empirically applied in the South African context. Political transformation in reaction to an unacceptable political past is presented as a reactive, progressive, planned, fundamental and rapid change. The phenomenon of political transformation — as an extremely dynamic societal process — is explained against the background of the political hegemony of the ANC; the restructuring of opposition politics; political and economic capacity; political conflict and patterns of violence, as well as the impact of South Africa’s transformation initiatives on the Southern African community. The article places in perspective the influence of the previous (apartheid) government’s evolutionary change on the ANC’s revolutionary strategy, as well as the implications for South African society and politics.
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    Selling HIV/AIDS prevention: a case of mixed messages
    (University of the Free State, 2005) Francis, Dennis; Rimensberger, Nicole
    English: This paper reports on a content analysis of three youth magazines, undertaken in order to establish whether the messages of loveLifeare diluted, contradicted or reinforced by such examples of popular youth culture. SL, Blunt and Ymag were sampled over a period of six months (July-December 2003) in an attempt to identify and analyse the content and perceptions that these magazines convey to their readers. The relationship between the message content of the three magazines and the core values of loveLife’s educational campaigns is then explored.:
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    Solid waste management in intensively farmed rural areas: a Western Cape case study
    (University of the Free State, 2005) Van der Merwe, Hannes; Steyl, Ilse
    English: Waste control in intensively farmed and densely settled rural areas of South Africa poses a particular challenge to integrated waste management policy. In this case study, undertaken in the Western Cape, a survey among 350 rural landowners revealed a typology of the significant amounts of often environmentally detrimental waste generated, and confirmed that inappropriate storage, collection and disposal strategies were employed on rural properties. Disposal sites were generally poorly located, constructed and operated, generating environmental problems. Owners’ perceptions of their own practices, their attitude towards participation in alternative waste management schemes, and their service needs are reported on in this article in order to inform service provision strategies. Owners expressed a variety of needs and requirements for public service delivery, as well as a willingness to participate in and to pay for services.
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    The use and potential commercial development of Athrixia phylicoides
    (University of the Free State, 2005) Rampedi, Issac; Olivier, Jana
    English: Athrixia phylicoides (Asteraceae) is a plant indigenous to the north-eastern mountain ranges of South Africa. It has been harvested for generations by rural communities for use as a tea and a medicine as well as to make brooms. Due to the popularity of these products, signs of over-exploitation of the plant have recently been noted. Commercial production of A phylicoides may be considered as a means of alleviating this pressure on the plant’s natural population and its habitat, provided that there is sufficient demand for the plant and its products. This article reports on two surveys conducted to determine the present use of the plant and to assess the demand for its products.