"Domestic workers' social networks and the formation of political subjectivities : a socio-spatial perspective

A Research Report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Art in Political Studies, Johannesburg, 2017Despite their long history of organising, South African domestic workers are deprived of a platform to organise due to the post-apartheid state positioning itself as the primary articulator, representative, and protector of domestic workers‟ collective interests and the resultant displacement of the domestic workers‟ union in these roles. Even at its peak, the union struggled to rally domestic workers around its cause. The shift from “live-in” domestic work to “live-out” domestic work provides workers with greater personal freedom and less isolation from friends and family; allows them to gain some control over their working conditions and; challenges the “atomised” nature of domestic work as domestic workers interact quite frequently with each other in spaces such as taxis and buses, taxi ranks and street corners as they go about travelling to and from work every day. Domestic workers‟ engagement in the everyday practice of commuting to work and the spaces where domestic workers regularly interact with each other allow for the appearance of social networks where grievances can be shared and rallied around; mutual support is given and; information regarding work can be obtained. Significantly, these social networks are integral to the formation of collective identities and the building of political subjectivities of domestic workers, who as a group are deprived of a platform to organise. Furthermore a fuller conception of political action needs to be adopted. Domestic workers, who are without resources and the leadership of a vital union, find themselves in a position of political marginalization; yet participate in everyday forms of resistance. These coupled with their engagement in everyday life, constitute the invisible face of political mobilization. The social networks that have appeared show promise, however they are under-developed and have not yet been formalised in a way that organised action can ensue. As such it is possible that organisational impetus will have to come from the efforts of middle class actors belonging to NGOs, activists and government agencies as has been experienced in other parts of the globe.MT201

Midwives’ Views Regarding Tuberculosis Screening amongst HIV/AIDS Positive Pregnant Women, South Africa

Tuberculosis (TB) infections is classified as one of the non-pregnancy related infections (NPRI) which cause maternal mortality. Therefore, it was important for the researcher to explore the challenges faced by midwives regarding TB screening as it is the most leading complication in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected pregnant women. To that effect, several strategies for TB screening during pregnancy have been introduced and implemented thus far. Screening of TB during antenatal care helps to enhance early detection, exclusion and treatment of the infection in pregnant women who are HIV positive. The study used qualitative descriptive research design. The population included all midwives aged 30 to 48 years, who were working at primary health (PHC) clinics in Kganya local area, Capricorn District, Limpopo Province in South Africa. Nonprobability purposive sampling technique was employed to select ten midwives. Data were collected through in-depth individual semi -structured interviews with ten midwives. Data analysis was accomplished, using the manual thematic analysis according to Tesch’s method of data analysis. Finally the main themes were extracted. Two themes emerged from the study, namely: Challenges regarding TB screening; Measures that can enhance TB screening. It is important that the department of health should pay attention to challenges faced by midwives to ensure adequate TB screening amongst HIV positive pregnant women. Capacitating both midwives and the community with knowledge regarding TB screening during pregnancy can be beneficial to the health of the pregnant women and their unborn babies

The benefits and challenges of the use of digital technology on clinical learning of undergraduate nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic: An integrative literature review

The purpose of this study was to compile research on the advantages and challenges of using digital technology in clinical education for undergraduate nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic.  The study employed an integrative literature review with the use of the five steps as per Cooper’s framework.  Data were collected from four electronic databases to access research articles published from 2019 to 2023. Out of 440 potential candidates, eighteen satisfied the inclusion criteria. Three themes emerged from the analysis namely: 1) the benefits 2) the challenges of digital technology and 3) attitudes towards the use of   technology in clinical learning. The use of digital technology helps nursing students become more competent and confident in their ability to practice in a friendly environment. It is imperative that there should be opportunities for workshops to create awareness regarding the importance of digital technology. The practical implications of the study are that nursing education institutions should invest in the purchase of digital technology equipment as a means of advancing the implementation of new educational advancements. The stakeholders in clinical teaching and learning should be better equipped by health facilities and nursing education institutions to make better use of digital technologies

Gas sensing properties of Ceo2 nanostructures

>Magister Scientiae - MScThe industrial safety requirements and environmental pollution have created a high demand to develop gas sensors to monitor combustible and toxic gases. As per specifications of World Health Organization (WHO) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), lengthy exposure to these gases lead to death which can be avoided with early detection. Semiconductor metal oxide (SMO) has been utilized as sensor for several decades. In recent years, there have been extensive investigations of nanoscale semiconductor gas sensor

Literature Review: The Support Needs of The Nurse Mentors in Their Mentoring Role

In order to develop effective mentoring programme, it is important to identify the needs of the nurse mentors.  A lot has been documented about the needs of the nurse mentees, however, there is a dearth of recent literature finding the support needs of the nurse mentors. The aim of this integrative review was to synthesize the literature on the support needs of the nurse mentors in their mentoring role. The search was steered across Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature; Direct of Open Access Journals; Google Scholar, PubMed/MEDLINE, Science Direct, and SCOPUS, in order to identify challenges and support that need to provide to the nurse mentors in their mentoring role. The Medical Subject Headings according to National Library of Medicine was used to search for the key concepts. Key search concepts were entered into the query box on the main PubMed page and searched. The search details page was check to determine how PubMed processed the search. The same concepts were used on the database to search for the articles which were included in this review. Seven subthemes, twenty categories were identified and classified into two main themes: Challenges to effective mentoring; Support needed by the nurse mentors. The review identifies challenges faced by nurse mentors and concludes that they need support. This study suggests that policy makers should make a concerted effort by availing resources for mentoring role. Workshops to equip mentors and collaboration between different stakeholders might help to enhance the support of the nurse mentors. Future research should analyse collaboration in support of the nurse mentors in their mentoring rol

Traditional Leadership and Independent Bantustans of South Africa: Some Milestones of Transformative Constitutionalism beyond Apartheid

The institution of traditional leadership represents the early form of societal organisation. It embodies the preservation of culture, traditions, customs and values. This paper gives a brief exposition of the impact that the pre-colonial and colonial regimes had on the institution of traditional leadership. During the pre-colonial era, the institution of traditional leadership was a political and administrative centre of governance for traditional communities. The institution of traditional leadership was the form of government with the highest authority. The leadership monopoly of traditional leaders changed when the colonial authorities and rulers introduced their authority to the landscape of traditional governance.The introduction of apartheid legalised and institutionalised racial discrimination. As a result, the apartheid government created Bantustans based on the language and culture of a particular ethnic group. This paper asserts that the traditional authorities in the Bantustans of Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei seemed to be used by the apartheid regime and were no longer accountable to their communities but to the apartheid regime. The Bantustans’ governments passed various pieces of legislation to control the institution of traditional leadership, exercised control over traditional leaders and allowed them minimal independence in their traditional role. The pattern of the disintegration of traditional leadership seemed to differ in Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei. The governments of these Bantustans used different political, constitutional and legal practices and methods to achieve this disintegration. The gradual disintegration and dislocation of the institution of traditional leadership in these four Bantustans led to the loss of valuable knowledge of the essence and relevance of the institution of traditional leadership. One of the reasons for this anomaly emanated from the fact that undemocratic structures of government were established, commonly known as traditional authorities. More often than not these traditional institutions were mere puppet institutions operating on behalf of the Bantustan regime, granted token or limited authority within the Bantustan in order to extend the control of the Bantustan government and to curb possible anti-apartheid and anti-Bantustan-system revolutionary activity within traditional areas. The advent of the post-apartheid government marked the demise of apartheid and the Bantustan system for traditional leaders and the beginning of a new struggle for the freedom of the traditional authorities. This paper highlights changes brought about by the new constitutional dispensation in the institution of traditional leadership. The author demonstrates that the primary objective of the democratic government of South Africa in this regard is to transform the institution of traditional leadership and re-create the institution completely in line with the values and principles of the 1996 Constitution and democracy. The post-apartheid order rejects the old order as far as it is sexist, racist, authoritarian and unequal in its treatment of persons. All of the rules, principles and doctrines of the institution of traditional leadership apply in the new dispensation only in so far as they are rules, principles and doctrines that would survive the scrutiny of the present society when measured against their compliance with the requirements of human dignity, equality and freedom. The government has enacted democratic legislation intended to change the institution of traditional leadership and make it consistent with the 1996 Constitution. The institution of traditional leadership is obliged to ensure full compliance with the constitutional values and other relevant national and provincial legislation. The right to equality, including the prohibition of discrimination based on gender and sex, has an important impact on the institution of traditional leadership. For example, under the new constitutional dispensation women may become traditional leaders in their traditional communities, which is contrary to the old and long observed African customary rule of male intestate succession, which excluded women from succession to the position of traditional leadership. One of the remarkable features of the transformation of traditional leadership in South Africa is that gender equality has been progressively advanced. The inclusion of women in traditional government structures adds democratic value and credibility to the institution of traditional leadership, which for many years remained essentially male-dominated. The doctrine of transformative constitutionalism is well established in South Africa

Traditional Leadership and Independent Bantustans of South Africa: Some Milestones of Transformative Constitutionalism beyond Apartheid

The institution of traditional leadership represents the early form of societal organisation. It embodies the preservation of culture, traditions, customs and values. This paper gives a brief exposition of the impact that the pre-colonial and colonial regimes had on the institution of traditional leadership. During the pre-colonial era, the institution of traditional leadership was a political and administrative centre of governance for traditional communities. The institution of traditional leadership was the form of government with the highest authority. The leadership monopoly of traditional leaders changed when the colonial authorities and rulers introduced their authority to the landscape of traditional governance. The introduction of apartheid legalised and institutionalised racial discrimination. As a result, the apartheid government created Bantustans based on the language and culture of a particular ethnic group. This paper asserts that the traditional authorities in the Bantustans of Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei seemed to be used by the apartheid regime and were no longer accountable to their communities but to the apartheid regime. The Bantustans’ governments passed various pieces of legislation to control the institution of traditional leadership, exercised control over traditional leaders and allowed them minimal independence in their traditional role. The pattern of the disintegration of traditional leadership seemed to differ in Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei. The governments of these Bantustans used different political, constitutional and legal practices and methods to achieve this disintegration. The gradual disintegration and dislocation of the institution of traditional leadership in these four Bantustans led to the loss of valuable knowledge of the essence and relevance of the institution of traditional leadership. One of the reasons for this anomaly emanated from the fact that undemocratic structures of government were established, commonly known as traditional authorities. More often than not these traditional institutions were mere puppet institutions operating on behalf of the Bantustan regime, granted token or limited authority within the Bantustan in order to extend the control of the Bantustan government and to curb possible anti-apartheid and anti-Bantustan-system revolutionary activity within traditional areas. The advent of the post-apartheid government marked the demise of apartheid and the Bantustan system for traditional leaders and the beginning of a new struggle for the freedom of the traditional authorities. This paper highlights changes brought about by the new constitutional dispensation in the institution of traditional leadership. The author demonstrates that the primary objective of the democratic government of South Africa in this regard is to transform the institution of traditional leadership and re-create the institution completely in line with the values and principles of the 1996 Constitution and democracy. The post-apartheid order rejects the old order as far as it is sexist, racist, authoritarian and unequal in its treatment of persons. All of the rules, principles and doctrines of the institution of traditional leadership apply in the new dispensation only in so far as they are rules, principles and doctrines that would survive the scrutiny of the present society when measured against their compliance with the requirements of human dignity, equality and freedom. The government has enacted democratic legislation intended to change the institution of traditional leadership and make it consistent with the 1996 Constitution. The institution of traditional leadership is obliged to ensure full compliance with the constitutional values and other relevant national and provincial legislation. The right to equality, including the prohibition of discrimination based on gender and sex, has an important impact on the institution of traditional leadership. For example, under the new constitutional dispensation women may become traditional leaders in their traditional communities, which is contrary to the old and long observed African customary rule of male intestate succession, which excluded women from succession to the position of traditional leadership. One of the remarkable features of the transformation of traditional leadership in South Africa is that gender equality has been progressively advanced. The inclusion of women in traditional government structures adds democratic value and credibility to the institution of traditional leadership, which for many years remained essentially male-dominated. The doctrine of transformative constitutionalism is well established in South Africa.   

VALIDATION OF CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: USERS EXPERIENCES

A content management system is ubiquitous and trouble-free in managing accurate, up-to-date, easily accessible and systematically organised information. The main aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of the e-Learning officials regarding the quality of content populated in the content management system (CMS) of the e-Learning unit of Gauteng Department of Education (GDE). This study used the Information Systems Success Model (ISSM) to validate user experiences. A mixed methods research approach incorporated a questionnaire and a series of focus group interviews to explore the perceptions of the e-Learning officials. The study used convenience sampling to select a sample of 15 e-Learning managers (Deputy Chief Education Specialists) and 30 e- Learning subordinates (Senior Education Specialists). The findings revealed that the information in the CMS was relevant and that all the activities in the e- Learning unit were performed as expected. Furthermore, the instructions to navigate the system were clear. This study gives a better insight into how the quality of information within a system is understood during development and evaluation. This contribution adds to the literature on e-Learning and could be used as a guideline for ensuring the quality of information in systems content development

Rural Tourism and Inclusive Development in Port St. Johns - South Africa

The purpose of this study was to explore ways of achieving an inclusive approach to tourism development in rural communities. Although tourism has generally been recommended as a means of orchestrating development in rural communities, achieving this laudable goal has often been illusive due to the fragmented approach adopted by tourism stakeholders. An exploratory quantitative research approach was adopted by using a structured survey instrument to generate 307 valid responses from community members in Port St. John in the Eastern Cape Province (ECP) of South Africa. Results obtained reveal similarities and some differences based on demographic characteristics with regards to the benefits of rural tourism to the community. Importantly, the study illuminates the fragmented way in which residents perceive tourism benefits, both from a gender perspective and personal benefit versus community dichotomy. The paper discusses policy as well as practical local economic development implications. Keywords: Rural tourism; community; Port St. Johns; inclusive development; sustainable developmen

What middle class? : the shifting and dynamic nature of class position

Class categorisation should not only be informed by academic pursuits but by the lived experiences of those being categorised. A human or community centred definition of class will illustrate the complexities of class experience and will thus present a dynamic conceptualisation. Through two life histories interviews of two black women from South Africa this article illustrates that middle classness for blacks during apartheid was constantly shifting due to its socio-economic and political impermanence. Thus membership to this social position included continuous negotiation driven by inclusiveness in ones own community and the effects of being racially othered in interaction with whites and white spaces. In conclusion the article argues that being middle class and black is heterogeneously experienced and thus complex