Nearer my mall to thee: The decline of the Johannesburg Central Business District and the emergence of the neo-apartheid city

African Studies Seminar series. Paper presented 5 October, 1998Many people subscribe to the notion that the Johannesburg central business district, or CBD, has declined substantially in recent years. A closer examination of the available data, however, suggests that the process has in fact been evident for some 40 years (Lauf 1959). By the 1950s, white residential growth had already begun to bulge out to the north (Figure 1), while the 1960s saw the beginnings of a similar movement of office accommodation. Furthermore, some of the major developments that emerged in the downtown area during the 1970s, and that were intended to reinforce the status of the CBD, in fact did much to hasten the decline of downtown retailing. The neo-apartheid city that we see unfolding today has deep historical roots

Improving Memory Through N-back Training

Jaeggi and colleagues have claimed that fluid intelligence may be improved through a cognitive training regime utilising the n-back task; maintaining that the improvement in Gf is realised through melioration in working memory (WM). To date there has been no evidence to support this assertion, however Jaeggi, Buschkuehl, Jonides, and Perrig (2008) obtained a significant improvement in short term memory (STM). The current study examined the near transfer mechanisms of the single n-back task; specifically STM and WM as operationalised through the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities. Forty-seven participants were divided into experimental (n = 26) and active control groups (n = 21); and engaged in 20-daily, 20-minute training sessions over a 30-day period using either a single n-back, or a combined verbal and general knowledge task respectively. Before and after the training process STM and WM psychometric tests were administered, and subsequently compared for performance improvements. The constructs of WM and STM were found not to be significantly improved by single n-back training. Furthermore, pre-training test scores, and test gain scores were found to be independent of age

Improving memory using N-back training

Investigations into n-back training and near transfer to short-term memory (STM) and working memory (WM) have realised inconsistent results. A significant transfer to STM was reported using dual n-back training (Jaeggi, Buschkuehl, Jonides, & Perrig, 2008). However, the majority of studies have found no significant transfer to WM as operationalised by complex span tasks using either single or dual n-back training. The current study examined the single n-back task and near transfer to STM and WM as operationalised by the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities (Mather & Woodcock-Johnson, 2001). Forty-seven participants were divided into experimental treatment (n = 26) and active control (n = 21) groups; and engaged in 20 daily, 20-minute training sessions over a 30-day period using either a single n-back task, or a combination of two general knowledge tasks respectively. STM and WM psychometric tests were administered before and after the 30-day training process. No significant difference was found between pre- and post-training STM or WM scores, indicating both constructs were unlikely near transfer mechanisms for single nback training. There was concern that the non-significant WM finding may have been confounded as there is evidence to suggest that the single n-back task and one of the active control group tasks both relied on recognition for resolution. The small effect size associated with single n-back transfer to STM implied that this outcome was independent of the active control group. Furthermore, the non-significant result for STM suggests that single and dual n-back tasks differ in their transfer properties

Diversity Climate Assessment of the Communication Studies Department

This study is a mixed-method assessment combining survey questionnaire and qualitative interviews in assessing and understanding student experiences in the communication studies department at Western Washington University. The purpose of the study is twofold: (a) to examine students’ perception of the diversity climate in communication classes and the department in general; and (b) to understand communication patterns that silence marginalized voices in the classroom. Aside from studies published in educational journals, Halualani (2010) is the first published study in the communication discipline that investigates diversity climate assessment at a multiracial university on the U.S. West Coast. Therefore, the findings of the study may be utilized to enhance intercultural dialogue in the field of communication. The participants are students who have taken at least four classes at the department and have attending communication classes since the past two academic quarters. The quantitative measure is a survey-questionnaire adapted from the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) survey, administered in many colleges nationwide. The measurements have high reliability that ranges from .71 to .94 in the sub-scales (Hurtado, Alvarado, & Guillermo-Wann, 2015; Hurtado & Carter, 1997; Johnston & Yeung, 2014; Locks, Hurtado, Bowman, & Oseguera, 2008). The qualitative measure is face-to- face interviews between the student researcher and students attending WWU. Questions are drawn from the interview protocol based on Spradley’s (1979) techniques to infer cultural knowledge from symbols used in participant discourse. Qualitative interviews allow for in-depth investigation of the students’ experiences in the classroom. The findings of this study may allow the articulation of the participants’ muted voice as an underrepresented group at the university. An understanding of the participants’ marginalized perspective can also be used to encourage conversations and actions that move WWU community and the communication discipline toward racial equity

The South African coal mining industry as a driver of green growth and a low carbon economy? A study on Sustainable Development Goals 7 & 13

There is an apparent inconsistency between South Africa’s pledge to transition toward a green economy and its continued dependence on coal-based energy. This research investigates the South African coal mining sector and its alignment with two of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in terms of company reporting and measurement of specific indicators. The research methodology employs a content analysis of the 2016 annual reports of the five largest coal companies operating in South Africa. Data is analysed in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals, to determine if the mining companies are in fact reporting on the specific indicators outlined in the SDGs, and what their strategy is with regard to energy and climate change. The coal sector is analysed in view of South Africa’s high contribution to greenhouse gas emissions as a result of its coal-based energy system. Results show that the major coal mining companies are reporting on some of the SDG 7 (Clean Energy) and 13 (Climate Action) indicators. The quality of the data varies, however, and the lack of uniformity in reporting makes comparison between firms challenging. Some companies have created sophisticated climate action plans, with one company showing strategic intent to diversify its core business into renewable energy production, while three others are implementing some form of renewable energy deployment onsite. There are thus definite signs of active engagement with the specific SDGs, but not (yet) of radical innovation. In conclusion it has been found that coal companies operating in the South African coal sector do have the sufficient systems in place to measure and report on data that is critical for reaching Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Clean Energy) and Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action), however it cannot be stated that by early 2017, the companies were representing demonstrable progress in contributing toward meeting these targets. It can also be concluded that publicly released data can be used to gauge a company’s sustainability performance, however doing a comparative analysis remains challenging and there are no industry standards to define what are acceptable emissions or energy use across different industries

Introduction

Co-chaired by Dan Beavon of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Jerry White of the University of Western Ontario, and Peter Dinsdale of the National Association of Friendship Centres, the conference promoted interaction between researchers, policy-makers, and Aboriginal peoples. It expanded knowledge of the social, economic, and demographic determinants of Aboriginal well-being, and sought to identify and facilitate the means by which this knowledge may be translated into effective policies. The fifth volume in the Aboriginal Policy Research series derives from the proceedings of a pre-conference workshop on gender issues related to defining identity and Indian status (often referred to as Bill C-31). This book has two guest editors, Wendy Cornet and Erik Anderson, who were instrumental in the organizing of the workshop