An assessment of how well social movement theory explains the emergence and development of Rape Crisis Cape Town

This thesis uses three social movement theories to analyse the growth and development of Rape Crisis Cape Town (Rape Crisis). Rape Crisis provides counselling to rape victims, education and advocacy. The thesis also uses Rape Crisis to assess the analytic power of these theories, which were developed in the USA and Europe, in South Africa. This thesis seeks answers to several key questions about Rape Crisis's history. It emerged in 1976 at a time when there was relatively little self-conscious feminist activity in South Africa. How was Rape Crisis able to emerge and grow despite hostility from authorities and other left wing organisations; why Rape Crisis went from a modified collective to a collective when feminist organisations usually follow the opposite path; why Rape Crisis maintained its collective structure for much longer than most feminist organisations; why Rape Crisis changed dramatically in terms of structure and organisational culture after 1992? This work uses interviews, documentary evidence, and secondary sources to build a picture of Rape Crisis's development and the issues it confronted. The thesis covers the period 1976 to 2000. The main chapters consider a phase of Rape Crisis's development using the three social movement theories under consideration: resource mobilisation theory, political process theory and generational theory. The analytical power of each theory is considered. The thesis concludes that the theories considered offer a cogent analysis of Rape Crisis and combining the theories creates a strong analysis. The theories were able to provide answers to the key questions outlined above. The shortfalls identified in the theories were not caused because the theories were unsuitable for examining an organisation in South Africa. The problems stemmed from the failure of the theories to consider the impact of emotion on organisations. Thus, the criticism is applicable to these theories whenever they are dealing with social movement organisations that engage in emotional work. The key emotions for the purposes of this thesis were stress and those associated with trauma. These emotions impacted on decision-making, organisational structure and collective identity. However, the thesis concludes that the existing theories can be adapted to consider the impact of emotion. Rape Crisis's ability to emerge and grow without a sponsor organisation challenges the theories' arguments about the importance of social movement organisations being based in organisationally rich social sectors

Between Student and Teacher: Learning to Teach as Translation

In this article, I propose that teacher educators use the metaphor of translation to illuminate the process of preparing to teach. Drawing on my analysis of the experience of preservice teachers enrolled in a methods course required for certification to teach at the secondary level, I explain how a project based in that class supports the preservice teachers\u27 translations. Through a weekly exchange of letters with selected students who attend a local public high school, and ongoing reflection on that exchange, preservice teachers enrolled in this methods course face two challenges: to translate what it means to be a teacher as they translate themselves into teachers, and to translate the language they use with students as they interact with those students

Unrolling Roles in Techno-Pedagogy: Toward New Forms of Collaboration in Traditional College Settings

Taking the rapid development of information technologies as a catalyst for re-examining the roles generally assigned to professors, students, librarians, and technology support staff in traditional college settings, this article explores how these players in higher education can collaborate to redefine their roles. The article begins with a theoretical exploration of our concept of role and then describes a workshop designed to explore how roles are defined and played out in academic settings

Dialogue Across Differences of Position, Perspective, and Identity: Reflective Practice in/on a Student-Faculty Pedagogical Partnership Program

Background: Inspired by various conceptualizations of both cultural diversity and cross-role partnership, this discussion challenges the assumption that holds sway in many people’s minds: Differences primarily divide us. The context for this argument is a program that pairs undergraduate students and faculty members in semester-long partnerships to explore and revise pedagogical practices. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to explore how dialogue across differences supported by a student–faculty partnership program can inspire greater openness to and appreciation of differences. The focus is on fostering deeper connection and empathy across student and faculty positions, perspectives, and cultural identities. Research Design: Through systematically documented reflective practice, I draw on audiorecorded conversations, mid- and end-of-semester feedback, and follow-up interviews with student and faculty participants in the program, as well as on my own reflective notes and less formal communication with participants, to identify the ways in which these faculty and students conceptualize differences as resources for learning. Findings: Through supporting the demanding work of communicating and collaborating across differences, this program makes it normative for differences to exist and for people in relationships to benefit from them. The student–faculty partnerships evoke deliberate consideration of differences in position, perspective, and identity within collaborative work, which, in turn, generate ongoing critical reflection with the promise of changing higher educational practices. Conclusions/Recommendations: Higher education needs to create more opportunities for students and faculty to engage in dialogue across various kinds of difference. Suggestions are offered for how to create structures and support within which faculty and students can forge new perspectives that allow them to draw on differences as a uniting rather than a dividing force