On the ontology of part-whole relations in Zulu language and culture

Parthood and attendant part-whole relations enjoy interest in ontology authoring for various subject domains, as well as in, e.g., NLP to understand text. The list of common part-whole relations is occasionally slightly modified for languages other than English. For isiZulu, it was shown that there are not always 1:1 mappings and, moreover, dictionaries list many more translations for parthood and part-whole relations. This complicates selecting the semantically appropriate ones for localising ontologies or aligning local ontologies to other ones. It also raises the question whether the ‘common’ part-whole relations are really that common. We aim to investigate the extant part-whole relations in isiZulu and determine their ontological status.We harvested a lexicon of 81 terms from dictionaries, which was reduced to 31 through several iterations of refinement, of which 13 were formalised and aligned to well-known part-whole relations. It showed that in some cases distinctions are made—and for which words exist—that have not been included before in part-whole relations, yet in other cases it is more coarse-grained; e.g., a parthood for portions of cloth, for objects properly contained in the mouth, and for regions with a part-region that has a fiat boundary and objects located in it

'Koze Kube Nini?' The violence of representation and the politics of social research in South Africa

Paper presented at the Wits History Workshop: Democracy, Popular Precedents, Practice and Culture, 13-15 July, 199

Space

Sound and space—however one defines these terms—are phenomenologically and ontologically intertwined

The influence of ancestral spirits on sexual identity amongst Traditional Healers (iZangoma) in South Africa: A discourse analysis

Over the years South African Traditional Healers have been discriminated against, with claims that they are ‘witch-doctors’. Non-heterosexual Africans2 are also often faced with the horror of violent attacks stemming from the belief that homosexuality is ‘un-African’. The harsh experiences of homosexual, bisexual and transgender traditional healers are, therefore, unimaginable. This study explored the spiritual (ancestral) influence on the sexual identity of African Traditional Healers, particularly iZangoma. The study revealed that for some iZangoma engaging in same-sex relationships is never a choice but ‘imposed’ or forced by the dominant ancestral guide, depending on which sex the ancestor was attracted to when they were still alive. This paper challenges the idea that homosexuality has never existed in Africa, and is therefore an import from the West. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: this study may potentially inform contemporary African debates around homosexuality and challenge how it is perceived amongst groups that are regarded as playing significant roles of healing and leadership in African communities. Since homosexuality amongst izangoma is not a chosen identity but forced by ancestral guides, this calls for an end to discrimination against ancestral possession, homosexuality in Africa, and the double  stigmatisation against izangoma who are attracted to the same sex. Keywords: sexual identity, homosexual, bisexual, transgender, LGBTQI+, African Traditional Healer, iZangoma, ancestors, ancestral guid

A reflection on the necessity for an ‘ontological turn’ in African studies with reference to the ecologies of knowledge production

We are currently witnessing the increased diversification of the field of academic knowledge production, where more and more forms of knowledge that were kept at the periphery for centuries are claiming recognition at centre stage. This reality has pushed scholars to question the impact and lasting legacies of historical processes of racism and colonialism still embedded in mainstream academic knowledge production. This translates today into a major critic of social science methodologies, which may be seen as “master’s tools” serving to reproduce contested coloniality of academic knowledge in most non-Western regions today. In Africa this debate is framed as the knowledge decolonial option and looks particularly at what forms and whose knowledge is legitimised, reproduced, and for what purpose through the current education structure and what socio-political and cultural functions it plays. This is the debate that this paper contributes to. It suggests an ontological turn in order to move from an emphasis on the identities of the producers to focus instead on the knowledge production process itself. The main argument is that there is indeed a timely necessity to advance an ontologically relevant Africanist scholarship that gives a sympathetic theological reading of the African lived experience. As a methodology and scholarly language, ontology constitutes a neutral ground in knowledge production, validation and consumption debates that needs to be taken seriously as it allows scholars to take into account the lived worlds that people inhabit and the correlating ways of being and knowing. The paper highlights particularly the current issues of misreading and misrepresentation as well as the need to avoid reading African realities with external interpretative and explanative lenses

Identity construction: the case of African women workers in South Africa, 1989-1994

African Studies Seminar series. Paper presented 7 August 1995Identity is not a social entity. It is not embodied in a social individual, or social institutions. It is not, further, inscribed on the space of language. That is, language does not create or even contain identity. In this sense, in the absence of the stability of identity in any social form and representation, the question of the social status of identity is raised with a critical awareness that cautions us against any hasty assertion of the reality of identity. These propositions emerge from the research that I have been conducting on the question of the formation of identity among a group of African women workers in the Retail sector. These women live in the nearby African townships of Johannesburg. The majority of them are active members of the dominant trade union in the retail sector, South African Commercial and Catering Allied Workers Union (SACCAWU). The study explores the question of identity formation in their lives, with respect to two significant social spaces, the workplace and vicinity. These are the social spaces within which their lives emerge and are located. Their lives are dispersed within these social spaces

The early years of black radio broadcasting in South Africa : a critical reflection on the making of Ukhozi FM

Includes bibliographical references. .The history of black radio in South Africa demonstrates the legacy of colonialism, but also exhibits the performance of novel identities in the 'modem' state. In this dissertation I look at the early years of black radio in South Africa circa 1940-1944, focussing primarily on the Zulu language service. The service was originally broadcasted on the Afrikaans and English radio stations in South Africa. It was 3 minutes in length at its inception in 1940 and was gradually extended to 30 minutes by September of 1942. Based on the collection of archival material and newspaper clippings I look at three colonial figures that were active in the early years of native radio, namely: Hugh Tracey, who was the initiator of broadcasts in Zulu, K. E. Masinga, who presented the first shows in the Zulu service, and The Zulu Radio Choir, who were mentioned as part of the first groups to be recorded for the Zulu radio service (Tracey 1948). All three of these stakeholders have played a foundational role in the establishment of the radio archive in South Africa. Using discourse analysis and Judith Butler's performativity theory (1988; 1990; 1999), I trace the discursive interactions of these stakeholders-an area where 'African tradition' meets 'colonial modernity' (Mudirnbe 1988). I then proceed to show how their performative acts reveal multi-layered processes of redefinition and negotiation. A recurring thread in the entire dissertation is a quest to represent Africa and its people's in new ways that challenge colonial legacies

Exploring the possibility of an Ubuntu-based political philosophy

It is typically said that there are two questions that political philosophy seeks to address: ‘who gets what?’ and ‘who decides on who gets what?’ South Africa, along with much of the rest of the world, has answered the second question badly and currently ranks as one of the world’s most unequal societies. Counter-intuitively, South Africa maintains a social-political order that (re)produces this inequality along with great enthusiasm for ubuntu, an African ethic that at a minimum requires that we treat each other humanely. However, due to the view that ubuntu has been co-opted in support of South Africa’s unjust system, ubuntu has largely been ignored by radical thinkers. The aim of this thesis is therefore to explore the possibility of an ubuntu-based political philosophy, with the core assumption that political philosophy is rooted in ethical theory. Three tasks are therefore undertaken in this thesis. Firstly, ubuntu is articulated as an ethic. Secondly, it is compared to similar Western ethical theories in order to determine if there are distinguishing characteristics that make ubuntu a more appropriate founding ethic for South African political philosophy. Finally, whether ubuntu can find real-world applicability will be assessed by looking at the way ubuntu has been used in the la

An inclusive learning environment for culturally and linguistically diverse learners.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Learners with cultural and linguistic diversities face many challenges in a classroom environment that is not inclusive of their needs. Therefore, this study gives these learners a voice, one that expands their language and cultural beliefs while they are still learning to their full potential. Teachers play a pivotal role in creating this environment for learners, and this study therefore includes teachers in the process of overcoming cultural and linguistic barriers. The study was carried out at a public school in Durban, South Africa, and a qualitative research approach was adopted. This study had a sample size of 5 learners and 3 teachers. This research was unpinned by a critical paradigm, as the researcher wanted to bring about change for these learners. An asset-based approach was used to frame this study, as the researcher wanted to identify the assets in learners and teachers, and mobilise these assets to bring about change. The findings of this study identified the current experiences of the learners and the teachers. Some of the major challenges for learners and teachers were language barriers, the lack of parent involvement, cultural diversity, and the negative attitude of learners. The findings also indicated that a sense of belonging is imperative for learners to function at their full potential. Learners need to be able to participate in the classroom academically and on the playground socially without feeling marginalised because of their cultural and linguistic diversity. Learners also need to have positive relationships with their peers and teachers at school. The findings indicated the practices that can be seen as assets to overcome these challenges, and that can be adopted by teachers and learners. Information and communications Technology (ICT) was identified as essential in making the classroom inclusive, as it has the ability to include diverse languages and cultures within the classroom. Secondly, learners wanted posters in diverse language and cultures to be present in the classroom, to be used as teaching tools to help learners with vocabulary learning, especially through incidental learning. Lastly, learners teaching learners,‖ which is also known as peer teaching, can be utilised as a teaching method for learners who experience language barriers, and for learners in the process of change. In concluding this study, it is recommended that teachers try to use the learners‘ home language in combination with the language of teaching and learning for learners to fully comprehend their subjects. Language and culture are closely linked, where language can be seen as a representation of one‘s culture. People have their own diverse cultures, and hence their own diverse languages. This research therefore emphasises the importance of integrating strategies that will enhance the learning environment for culturally and linguistically diverse learners. This will encourage the learners to progress and learn at their full potential, while still maintaining positive relationships with their school community