Music as life stories : an exploration of Leonard Karikoga Zhakata’s sungura lyrics on the socio-political context of Zimbabwe from 2000 to February 2009

A content analysis of Leonard Karikoga Zhakata’s sungura music unpacks shared experiences of Zimbabweans during a decade of crises.Various musicians composed music pregnant with cultural meaning. These genres defied the ruling Zanu PF party‘s propaganda. The ZANU P.F. flagged enemy was imperialist history, whose characteristic was bankrupt in civil justice. Common sense ‘umunthu’ (‘Humaness)’ philosophy could have witnessed the ruling party stand by the people at the height of economic decline. This dissertation argued that the sungura genre became a formidable force. The music had dramatic effect of unifying citizens of different distinct cultural traditions, often which set Shona, Manyika, Korekore, Changana and Ndebele apart. ‘Mugove’ ‘(Reward) and ‘Hupenyu mutoro’ (Life is a burden) lyrics manifested thought processes, ideas and actions which projected popular unity against ruling elite hegemony. Zimbabweans’ collective cultural awareness that could have defined social experiences indirectly or directly motivated formations of oppositional political establishments. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was the brainchild of political disillusionment chorused in “Hupenyu Mutoro’ (Life is a burden) and ‘Mugove’ (Reward) lyrics. The musical texts unravelled the hidden sin of gross graft by the powerful built on self aggrandisement at the expense of the vulnerable subalterns. The sungura genre manifested an art of aggressive entertainment and enjoyment yet passively and remotely awakening citizens to the obtaining dire economic hardships. The genre’s scholarly fabric and dynamics, cut deep into life sensibilities as exemplified by ‘Hupenyu Mutoro’. The deplorable life style experienced by the suffering majority epitomised by political repression and economic meltdown became catalyst for political participation and opportunities for plural voices.This dissertation argues that academic curricula harnesses the influential sungura genre in teaching a people’s story. Sungura music authenticates national historical versions that comfortably orbits around official realities of civil governance processes, what Fanon refers to as ‘a zone of occult instability (Fanon, 1963 p. 253). Unemployment, hyper-inflation, cholera out breaks, empty shelves in shops compounded with a ravaging parallel market prices became food for thought. Disllusionment nagged Zimbabweans below and above the poverty datum peg vis a viz the material power index of a handful citizens in the ruling party. Hence Zhakata’s ‘Hupenyu mutoro’ (Life is a burden) and ‘Mugove’ (Reward) became a classical and contested terrain that motivated the teaching and learning of Zimbabwean history.CommunicationM.A. (Communication

The Impact of Co-operation Policies on Participation in Online Learning Object Exchange: A Preliminary Investigation

This research investigates the impact of cooperation policies on participation in, and benefits from, online learning object exchanges. First, an in-depth study of issues encountered in other online contexts (peer-to-peer systems, discussion group with lurkers, reputation systems) provided evidence that explicit cooperation policies and motivation techniques could bring benefits to online object exchanges. A case study is presented based on the comparison between two peer-to-peer systems, Mojo Nation and Gnutella, to show how cooperative policies could add value to online communities. This case study highlights several issues, such as the algorithm of pricing/exchange mechanism. Successfully solving these issues will be the key to identifying the benefits of an e-marketplace based online object exchange. An outline of an experimental exchange mechanism is presented, along with a prototype interface for users. To investigate further issues for users, an online scenario-based questionnaire was set up to measure potential users' attitudes towards cooperation policies. The detailed analysis on questionnaire results shows that cooperation policies hold promise to make the online object exchange more efficient. The results also illustrated how a transaction-based community could achieve the following benefits: increase of ROI object value discovery faster repository expansion better motivation through reputation recognitio

Sects and Violence: Development of an Inclusive Taxonomy to Hermeneutically Explore the Histo-philosophical Motivators for the Inception and Development of the Martial Art, Wing Chun Kuen.

Martial arts participation rates exceed those reported for a number of higher-profile physical activities (Sport England, 2002), however little research has been conducted to investigate the purported motivation and benefits participants derive (e.g. Jones, McKay and Peters, 2006; Ko, Kim and Valacich, 2010). A specific area often discussed is the notion of personal growth (Ko et al., 2010), either through a form of psychotherapy (e.g. Monahan, 2007), extenuating what may be deemed positive personality attributes (e.g. Kurian, Caterion and Kulhavy, 1993), lowering depression (e.g. Bodin and Martinsen, 2004), reducing aggression (e.g. Twemlow, Sacco and Fonagy, 2008) or reducing stress (e.g. Yan and Downing, 1998). Such personal growth is deemed to be transformatory in nature (e.g. Lancaster, 2004; Luskin, 2004; Hartelius, Caplan and Rardin, 2007). Due to issues of generalisability within martial arts research (e.g. Jones et al., 2006), one style which has lacked a tradition of academic research has been selected for a case study. Wing Chun is a unique style, developing exponentially over the past forty years: a style which retains its fighting heritage, utilising exclusive training methods (e.g. Rawcliffe, 2003). Given the pragmatic nature of Wing Chun, an hermeneutic approach has been adopted to investigate the histo-philosophical motivation for the inception of the style to provide a context from which to explore current participant motivation. Initially, an inclusive theoretical taxonomy has been developed for subsequent analysis. This hermeneutic analysis has been conducted through the development of a 360 degree mixed-methodological approach (e.g. Tashakkori and Teddlie, 2008) utilising exploratory and explanatory stages (e.g. Creswell and Plano-Clark, 2007) to ascertain the validity of the taxonomy. Findings are subsequently discussed in relation to the mixed-methodological approach. From the taxonomy, a proposal is that an inherent link exists between the development of a better fighter and a better person while implying that the martial arts are a person-centred transformatory practice

An exploration of the care needs of frail older persons in Namibia: perspectives and experiences of formal and informal caregivers

The adequate care of older persons is a major global concern and countries are examining ways to respond to these needs, especially the needs of frail older persons in the care environment. Important strides have been made in developed countries but progress has been slow in less developed countries in the Global South and limited information exists on the care needs of frail older persons and lived experiences of formal and informal caregivers. This thesis examines the care needs of frail older persons in Namibia. Namibia has only recently been liberated from colonial rule by Germany and apartheid South Africa. During this time black communities were disenfranchised, resource-scarce and living under poor conditions. For older persons, this meant unequal treatment, social exclusion and denial of access to decent care. The aim of this study was to provide an in-depth understanding of the needs of frail older persons in the care environment in Namibia by examining the lived experiences of caregivers and analysing policy. Using a qualitative methodology, the study collected primary data from formal and informal caregivers based on semi-structured interviews and focus groups. The data analysis relied mainly on coding strategies under Atlas-ti and qualitative content analysis. The secondary data were collected from legislation, government policy documents, journals and other public reports. The finding revealed that Namibia's history has entrenched the current situation of unmet needs of frail older persons, exacerbated by inadequate policy protection. These limitations were highlighted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The study also found that the effective care of frail older persons is only possible through stakeholder engagement and cross-sectoral collaboration. The study therefore recommends that government should undertake a process of social reforms to ensure that the needs of this group are prioritised, that a performance framework should be implemented to ensure delivery and that all stakeholders should be mobilised. The study has contributed to these outcomes by suggesting a model for needs assessment of frail older persons, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. This model could be used to improve care practices, serve government in evidence-based policy making and provide a useful analytical tool for scholarship

Higher education and peacebuilding: A comparative case study of peace and conflict studies programs in Kenyan universities

University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. August 2019. Major: Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development. Advisor: Frances Vavrus. 1 computer file (PDF); xv, 247 pages.This study aimed to understand the role of higher education and peacebuilding in Kenya. In particular, the study explored how university administrators, faculty, students and national officials understand peace, and how university-level peace and conflict studies programs were designed and implemented for peacebuilding in Kenya. The study entailed a year-long period of fieldwork that focused on two Kenyan universities, Amani University and Umoja University , and their PCS programs. It was structured as a comparative case study utilizing semi-structured interviewing, document review and participant observations. The primary findings of this study are as follows: First, participants viewed higher education institutions (universities) as critical actors in the consolidation of peace, and peace and conflict studies (PCS) programs as critical for peacebuilding. However, participants also viewed universities as enablers of ethnic divisions and a culture of violence, a problematic role which participants felt needed to be addressed in order to generate meaningful efforts of peacebuilding through higher education. Secondly, participants understood peace as an outcome of the practice of uwazi and undugu, sustainable development, freedom from corruption, ethnic inclusivity and cohesiveness, absence of physical violence, good leadership and dialogue and reconciliation. I argue that these participants’ constructions of peace, reflected their tacit knowledge, aspirations and lived experiences of conflict and peace that were particular to Kenya and therefore constituted a peace knowledge. Thirdly, faculty utilized peace knowledge and critical pedagogy to design PCS curricula and drew on local knowledge and resources to develop students’ knowledge, skills and agency for peace and justice. Additionally, students’ perspectives revealed transformative experiences in PCS programs. These formations of new perspectives and awareness of peace illustrate the transformative element of a university learning experience and confirmed the critical role of university actors and programs in shaping actions and values for peace and sustainability. This study contributes to understandings of peace and the role of education in peacebuilding. It reveals the relational nature of peace, particularly the role of individual lived experiences as well as context-level factors in shaping perspectives on peace and conflict which differ from one region to another. Subsequently, findings of this research illustrate limitations and promises of higher education institutions (HEIs) as avenues for peacebuilding. In Kenya, HEIs were constrained by competing demands for institutional survival amidst diminishing state financing and the high demand for university level-education and certifications. Similarly, broader social and historical issues within universities and beyond inhibit institutional efforts for peacebuilding. For example, negative ethnicity, electoral malpractice, corruption and inequality in resource allocations are issues that are imbedded in the structural and social fabric of the society in Kenya and require system-wide approaches in addition to peace education. This study concludes that there is a need for governments and educators to advocate for and implement policies and practices that incorporate local knowledge in peace education curriculum. It also suggests the need for a system-wide policy that address social and structural practices that exacerbate tensions and violence within all institutions

Curating Publics in Brazil: Experiment, Construct, Care

Grounded in case studies at the nexus of socially engaged art, curatorship and education, each anchored in a Brazilian art institution and framework/practice pairing – lab/experiment, school/construct, clinic/care – this dissertation explores the artist-work-public relation as a complex and generative site requiring multifaceted and complicit curatorial approaches. Lab/experiment explores the mythic participatory happenings Domingos da Criação (Creation Sundays) organized by Frederico Morais at the Museum of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro in 1971 at the height of the military dictatorship and their legacy via the minor work of the Experimental Nucleus of Education and Art (2010 – 2013). School/construct examines modalities of social learning via the 8th Mercosul Biennial Ensaios de Geopoetica (Geopoetic Essays), 2011. Led by chief curator José Roca and Pablo Helguera as pedagogic curator, the 8th edition’s regional artist residencies, neighborhood cultural center, and mediator team brought an expanded pedagogy to the center of the curatorial project. Clinic/care explores transdisciplinary practices in art and health via the Farmácia Baldia de Boa Viagem (Baldia Pharmacy of Boa Viagem) at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Niterói, focusing on the use and study of medicinal plants featured as part of Carlos Vergara’s exhibition Sudário (Shroud) in 2013-2014. Amidst the complexities of each situation a set of contingent, relational and contextual “lessons” emerge as a possible fount for imagining a socially engaged curatorship grounded in a praxis of experiment, construct, care. One shaped by the legacies of post Neoconcrete art practices, decolonial pedagogies, Joaquin Torres García’s famous upturned map of the Americas as a gesture of radical locality, and the vital anti-colonial tradition of Oswald de Andrade’s anthropophagy. Drawing on its etymological roots of curare – to care – here curating affects a network of molecular learning and activism derived from a poetic and political contagion of encounters – of ideas, practices, people and contexts – and an ethical commitment to place

'Making a Difference': University Teachers' Narratives of Student Diversity

An increasing diversity of students in higher education has prompted much research investigating diverse students' learning needs and experiences; however there is little research investigating teachers' experiences of student diversity. This thesis reports on a study aimed at helping to redress this imbalance. Twenty-two New Zealand university teachers were interviewed and asked what 'diversity' means to them and invited to talk about their experiences of student diversity in small-group teaching contexts. The study had two aims. The first was to examine the meanings study participants make of the notion 'diversity' and of their experiences of teaching diverse students. The second aim was to problematize the notion of 'diversity' by exploring how these teachers position themselves and are positioned within classroom relationships and institutional contexts, and by considering the narrative and discursive resources they draw on to talk about their experiences. The study was underpinned by a relational ontology and used narrative and post-structural methods of data analysis. A review of the literature on diversity in higher education identified ways that diversity is conceptualized. Because teaching diverse students involves relations of power and care, analysis of the meanings of 'power' and 'care' in the literature provided further conceptual tools for data analysis. Analysis of participants' narratives finds that 'diversity' is not an innocent concept but a powerful way of positioning people within or outside categories of difference, in relation to dominant norms, or in ways that challenge such positioning. Study participants described diversity positively when talking about it as a concept but their narratives of experience often portrayed it as problematic, and they employed various narrative strategies to reconcile the tension between these positions. Participants' narratives often conflicted with the public narratives of their universities, suggesting that the challenges participants face and the practical knowledge they have acquired teaching diverse students are not adequately recognized or valued. This study shows that there are multiple ways to 'speak and do' diversity that are embedded in relations of power and care, and constructed within and from larger social, political and educational narratives. This study challenges those in higher education to think reflexively about diversity, and offers suggestions for constructing alternative narratives of diverse educational relations