Browse
Recent Submissions
Item Open Access Item Open Access Key success factors of managing the Robertson Wine Festival(University of the Free State, 2011) Marais, Michelle; Saayman, MelvilleEnglish: The Robertson Wine Festival is one of South Africa’s largest wine festivals. The uniqueness of this wine festival is that it takes place on an existing wine route and 48 wine farms actively participate. This article presents the results of a survey conducted during the festival in June 2009, when visitors to the festival completed 450 questionnaires. The article aims to identify the key success factors of managing a wine festival. A factor analysis was used to analyse the data. The results identified seven key success factors that managers must consider when organising a successful wine festival.Item Open Access Sociology in practice: H.W. van der Merwe’s contribution to conflict resolution and mediation in South Africa(University of the Free State, 2011) Liebenberg, IanEnglish: Conflict, repression and resistance had an alienating effect on a micro- and macro-level in apartheid South Africa. This brings to mind Hendrik Willem van der Merwe as a person who united South Africa’s enemies. This article explores auto-ethnographic insights in a discussion of his approach to mediation, involvement with the Centre for Intergroup Studies and his establishing of the South African Association for Conflict Intervention (SAACI). His approach differed from others at the time such as the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA). The value of his work is noted and further research advised. The article suggests that scholarly activism (or the activist scholar) is again needed to build peace and justice in the context of South Africa and our continent.Item Open Access Cultivating critical pedagogy using educational technologies in life sciences classrooms(University of the Free State, 2011) Waghid, FaiqEnglish: This article explores the use of educational technologies in Grades 10 to 12 Life Sciences classrooms at a local high school in the Western Cape. The application of educational technologies in science classrooms has the potential to engender critical teaching and learning, and to contribute to professional development. By reflecting on my own professional development as a science teacher, I show that the use of educational technologies cultivates moments of critical pedagogy which link strongly with reflective teaching, critical thinking and transformative learning. Educational technologies can enhance reflective teaching whereby teachers can take theories and expertise in their practice seriously, organise their classrooms to facilitate critical learning, and address broader institutional and social issues.Item Open Access Implementing continuing professional teacher development: policy and practice(University of the Free State, 2011) Steyn, TrudieEnglish: It is important for South African teachers to be appropriately equipped to meet the growing needs and challenges of the country. The dire need for suitably qualified teachers is addressed in South Africa’s National Policy Framework for Teacher Education and Development. This article attempts to address the problem of how Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD), as stipulated by the National Policy Framework, can be implemented to create a collaborative learning culture in schools. The article uses the conceptual frameworks for collective learning to interpret the literature and the findings.Item Open Access Social justice in education today(University of the Free State, 2011) Nieuwenhuis, JanEnglish: Authors on social justice provide a specific lens through which social justice in education can be viewed. They construct an ideal that cannot be legislated or achieved by means of international conventions or declarations – social justice is seated in the hearts and minds of people and it must be lived. It requires that every citizen should take the responsibility to protect, advance and promote the values, principles and ideals of social justice. In achieving these noble ideals developing countries need to come to terms with certain challenges that must be addressed lest social justice remain but a dream. This article argues that as long as these conditions exist there cannot be social justice.Item Open Access The incidence of sexual harassment at higher education institutions in South Africa: perceptions of academic staff(University of the Free State, 2011) Joubert, Pierre; Van Wyk, Christo; Rothmann, SebastiaanEnglish: This article aims to investigate the perceptions of academic staff relating to the incidence of sexual harassment at higher education institutions in South Africa. The results show a relatively low incidence level of sexual harassment, with gender harassment being more prevalent than unwanted sexual attention and quid pro quo harassment. No statistically significant effect of gender, age, population group or years of service was found on the perceptions of the incidence of sexual harassment.Item Open Access Grading and price in the accommodation sector of South Africa(University of the Free State, 2011) Du Plessis, Engelina; Saayman, MelvilleEnglish: This article analyses the relationship between grading and price in the accommodation sector in South Africa. The literature review investigates whether the accommodation grading system is a good indicator of accommodation quality, and whether tourists get what they are paying for. The research was conducted in cooperation with the major role players in the accommodation sector in South Africa, namely the South African Tourism Service Association, the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa and the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa. The results show a strong correlation between the grading of the accommodation and price. This confirms that managers also consider “stars” as symbols of the type of quality which they can use to communicate a “value for money” experience when tourists choose accommodation at a certain price.Item Open Access Another look at ‘Khoikhoi’ and related ethnonyms(University of the Free State, 2011) Raper, Peter E.English: The nomadic pastoralists formerly called “Hottentots” are today known as the Khoikhoi, a term also encountered as Khoekhoe, often abbreviated as Khoe. The name, said to be derived from the words khoi (khoe) “person” and khoin (khoen) “people”, is variously interpreted as “people of people”, “the best people”, “people of pure race”, “excellent people”, “our people”, “people of our group”, among others. Early forms of the name indicate that the two components of the ethnonym are not identical, and that the first contains a click, thus casting doubt on the given interpretations. This article proposes an interpretation based on definitions of words in Van Riebeeck’s Diary. Variant forms Khoikhoi(n), Khoekhoe(n) and Quena are discussed, as well as a number of ethnonyms that mean “mountain people”.Item Open Access South African gay fathers’ parenting practices: from pathology to ‘normalisation’(University of the Free State, 2011) Rothmann, JacquesEnglish: The article reflects the findings of a qualitative sociological study in which in-depth interviews and self-administered questionnaires were employed with gay fathers. The article highlights the realisation of the principles of generative fathering in the parenting practices of the fathers and the manner in which pathological views of gay men, in general, influenced these practices of the fathers. One of the findings underscored this objective by emphasising that sexual orientation played a minimal role in the parenting practices of gay fathers. Factors associated with the gay men’s own socialisation, parenting skills and support from their marital or life partners proved to be more influential in terms of their role as parents.Item Open Access A troubled journey: the South African government and the Taxi Recapitalisation Policy, 1998-2008(University of the Free State, 2011) Van Schalkwyk, DenverEnglish: This article outlines the South African government’s facilitation of the Taxi Recapitalisation Policymaking (TRP) process which is aimed at regulating the country’s volatile minibus taxi industry. By following a policy stages approach, it highlights why government found it difficult to successfully implement the policy, in particular between 1998 and 2008. The minibus taxi industry became prominent in the 1970s as a result of a loophole in the Road Transportation Act of 1977, which neither defined nor mentioned the word “taxi”. The taxi industry is an important force to be considered by the government in its formulation and implementation of transport policies. However, the industry is plagued by various problems, including a high rate of minibus taxis involved in accidents, un-roadworthy vehicles and violence. It is in this context that the government formulated both the original and revised versions of the recapitalisation policy.