4 research outputs found
Constructing âClimate Change Knowledgeâ: The example of small-scale farmers in the Swartland region, South Africa
During the last decades âClimate Changeâ has become a vital topic on national and international political agendas. There it is presented as an irrevocable fact of global impact and thus of universal relevance. What has often been neglected are local discourses of marginalized groups and their specific contextualization of âClimate Changeâ phenomena. The aim of this project, to develop another perspective along these dominant narratives, has resulted in the research question How is social reality reconstructed on the phenomenon of âClimate Changeâ among the âEmerging Black Farmersâ in the Swartland region in Western Cape, South Africa?
Taken as an example, âClimate Change Knowledgeâ is reconstructed through a case study on the information exchange between the NGO Goedgedacht Trust and local small-scale farmers in the post-Apartheid context of on-going political, social, economic and educational transition in South Africa.
Applying a constructivist approach, âClimate Change Knowledgeâ is not understood as an objectively given, but a socially constructed ârealityâ that is based on the interdependency of socio-economic conditions and individual assets, including language skills and language practice, sets of social norms and values, as well as strategies of knowledge transfer.
The data set consists of qualitative data sources, such as application forms and interview material, which are triangulated. The rationale of a multi-layered data analysis includes a discursive perspective as well as linguistic and ethical âside perspectivesâ.
Epistemologically, the thesis is guided by assumptions of complexity theory, framing knowledge around âClimate Changeâ as a fluid, constantly changing system that is shaped by constant intra- and inter-systemic exchange processes, and characterized by non-linearity, self-organization and representation of its constituents. From this point of departure, a theoretical terminology has been developed, which differentiates between symbols, interrelations, contents and content clusters. These elements are located in a system of spatio-temporal orientation and embedded into a broader (socio-economic) context of âhistoricityâ. Content clusters are remodelled with the help of concept maps. Starting from that, a local perspective on âClimate Changeâ is developed, adding an experiential notion to the global narratives.
The thesis concludes that there is no single reality about âClimate Changeâ and that the farmersâ âClimate Change Knowledgeâ highly depends on experiential relativity and spatio-temporal immediacy. Furthermore, analysis has shown that the systemâs historicity and social manifestations can be traced in the scope and emphasis of the content clusters discussed. Finally the thesis demonstrates that characteristics of symbols, interconnections and contents range between dichotomies of direct and indirect, predictable versus unpredictable, awareness and negligence or threat and danger, all coexisting and creating a continuum of knowledge production
Constructing âClimate Change Knowledgeâ the example of small-scale farmers in the Swartland region, South Africa
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2016.ENGLISH ABSTRACT:
During the last decades âClimate Changeâ has become a vital topic on national and
international political agendas. There it is presented as an irrevocable fact of global
impact and thus of universal relevance. What has often been neglected are local
discourses of marginalized groups and their specific contextualization of âClimate
Changeâ phenomena. The aim of this project, to develop another perspective along
these dominant narratives, has resulted in the research question How is social reality
reconstructed on the phenomenon of âClimate Changeâ among the âEmerging Black
Farmersâ in the Swartland region in Western Cape, South Africa?
Taken as an example, âClimate Change Knowledgeâ is reconstructed through a
case study on the information exchange between the NGO Goedgedacht Trust and
local small-scale farmers in the post-Apartheid context of on-going political, social,
economic and educational transition in South Africa.
Using a constructivist approach, âClimate Change Knowledgeâ is not understood
as an objectively given, but a socially constructed ârealityâ that is based on the
interdependency of socio-economic conditions and individual assets, including
language skills and language practice, sets of social norms and values, as well as
strategies of knowledge transfer.
The data set consists of qualitative data sources, such as application forms and
interview material, which are triangulated. The rationale of a multi-layered data analysis
includes a discursive perspective as well as linguistic and ethical âside perspectivesâ.
Epistemologically, the thesis is guided by assumptions of complexity theory, framing
knowledge around âClimate Changeâ as a fluid, constantly changing system that is
shaped by constant intra- and inter-systemic exchange processes, and characterized
by non-linearity, self-organization and representation of its constituents. From this
point of departure, a theoretical terminology has been developed, which differentiates
between symbols, interrelations, contents and content clusters. These elements are
located in a system of spatio-temporal orientation and embedded into a broader
(socio-economic) context of âhistoricityâ. Content clusters are remodelled with the
help of concept maps. Starting from that, a local perspective on âClimate Changeâ is
developed, adding an experiential notion to the global narratives.
The thesis concludes that there is no single reality about âClimate Changeâ
and that the farmersâ âClimate Change Knowledgeâ highly depends on experiential
relativity and spatio-temporal immediacy. Furthermore, analysis has shown that the
systemâs historicity and social manifestations can be traced in the scope and emphasis
of the content clusters discussed. Finally the thesis demonstrates that characteristics
of symbols, interconnections and contents range between dichotomies of direct and
indirect, predictable versus unpredictable, awareness and negligence or threat and
danger, all coexisting and creating a continuum of knowledge production.
All names of participants in this study are mentioned on the basis of explicit informed
consent.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:
Tydens die laaste dekades het âKlimaatsveranderingâ ân belangrike onderwerp op nasionale
en internasionale politieke agendas geword. Volgens die dominante narratiewe
word âKlimaatsveranderingâ voorgestel as ân onherroeplike universele feit met globale
impak en relevansie. Wat egter dikwels agterweë gelaat word is plaaslike diskoerse van
gemarginaliseerde groepe en hul konteks-spesifieke perspektiewe van âKlimaatsveranderingâ.
Die doel van hierdie projek is dus om ân ander perspektief naas hierdie dominante
verhale te ontwikkel deur die volgende navorsingsvraag te beantwoord: âHoe
word die sosiale werklikheid gekonstrueer rondom die verskynsel van âKlimaatsveranderingâ
onder die âontluikende swart boereâ in die Suid-Afrikaanse provinsie van
die Wes-Kaap?
As ân voorbeeld van so ân kontekstuele ervaring van diĂ© universele fenomeen is
âKennis van Klimaatsveranderingâ gerekonstrueer deur ân gevallestudie oor die uitruil
van inligting tussen die NGO Goedgedacht Trust en plaaslike kleinskaalse boere in
die post-Apartheid konteks van die deurlopende politieke, sosiale, ekonomiese en
opvoedkundige oorgang in Suid-Afrika.
Die studie is gegrond op ân konstruktivistiese benadering waarvolgens âKennis
van Klimaatsveranderingâ nie verstaan word as ân objektiewe gegewe nie, maar as ân
sosiaal gekonstrueerde âwerklikheidâ wat gebaseer is op die interafhanklikheid van
sosio-ekonomiese toestande en individuele bates, insluitend taalvaardighede en -praktyke,
stelle van sosiale norme en waardes, sowel as strategieë van kennisoordrag.
Die datastel bestaan uit kwalitatiewe databronne, soos aansoekvorms en onderhoudmateriaal,
wat getrianguleer is. Die rasionaal van ân meerlagige data-analise sluit
ân diskursiewe perspektief sowel as taalkundige en etiese ârandperspektieweâ in.
Epistemologies word die proefskrif gelei deur aannames van kompleksiteitsteorie wat
kennis omtrent âKlimaatsveranderingâ beskryf as ân vloeiende, voortdurend veranderende
stelsel wat gevorm word deur konstante intra- en inter-sistemiese ruilprosesse, en
wat gekenmerk word deur nie-lineariteit, self-organisasie en verteenwoordiging van
die onderskeie bestanddele. Vanuit hierdie uitgangspunt is ân teoretiese terminologie
ontwikkel wat ân onderskeid tussen simbole, verbindings, inhoud en inhoudklusters
tref. Hierdie elemente is geleĂ« in ân stelsel van tydruimtelike oriĂ«ntasie en ingebed in
ân breĂ«r (sosio-ekonomiese) konteks van âhistorisiteitâ. Inhoudklusters is gehermodelleer
deur die gebruik van konsepkaarte. Hieruit is ân plaaslike perspektief op âKlimaatsveranderingâ
ontwikkel wat ân ervaringsbegrip by die globale verhale voeg.
Die tesis kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat daar geen enkele werklikheid ten opsigte
van âKlimaatsveranderingâ bestaan nie en dat die betrokke boere se âKennis van Klimaatsveranderingâ hoogs afhanklik is van relatiwiteit van ervaring en tydruimtelike
onmiddellikheid. Verder het ontleding getoon dat die historisiteit en sosiale manifestasies
van die stelsel opgespoor kan word in die omvang en nadruk van die behandelde
inhoudklusters. Uiteindelik bewys die tesis dat eienskappe van simbole, verbindings
en inhoud wissel tussen digotomieë van direk en indirek, voorspelbaar versus onvoorspelbaar,
bewustheid en nalatigheid of bedreiging en gevaar, wat almal saambestaan
en ân kontinuum van kennisproduksie skep.
Alle name van deelnemers aan hierdie studie word genoem op die basis van eksplisiete
ingeligte toestemming
Constructing âClimate Change Knowledgeâ: The example of small-scale farmers in the Swartland region, South Africa
During the last decades âClimate Changeâ has become a vital topic on national and international political agendas. There it is presented as an irrevocable fact of global impact and thus of universal relevance. What has often been neglected are local discourses of marginalized groups and their specific contextualization of âClimate Changeâ phenomena. The aim of this project, to develop another perspective along these dominant narratives, has resulted in the research question How is social reality reconstructed on the phenomenon of âClimate Changeâ among the âEmerging Black Farmersâ in the Swartland region in Western Cape, South Africa?
Taken as an example, âClimate Change Knowledgeâ is reconstructed through a case study on the information exchange between the NGO Goedgedacht Trust and local small-scale farmers in the post-Apartheid context of on-going political, social, economic and educational transition in South Africa.
Applying a constructivist approach, âClimate Change Knowledgeâ is not understood as an objectively given, but a socially constructed ârealityâ that is based on the interdependency of socio-economic conditions and individual assets, including language skills and language practice, sets of social norms and values, as well as strategies of knowledge transfer.
The data set consists of qualitative data sources, such as application forms and interview material, which are triangulated. The rationale of a multi-layered data analysis includes a discursive perspective as well as linguistic and ethical âside perspectivesâ.
Epistemologically, the thesis is guided by assumptions of complexity theory, framing knowledge around âClimate Changeâ as a fluid, constantly changing system that is shaped by constant intra- and inter-systemic exchange processes, and characterized by non-linearity, self-organization and representation of its constituents. From this point of departure, a theoretical terminology has been developed, which differentiates between symbols, interrelations, contents and content clusters. These elements are located in a system of spatio-temporal orientation and embedded into a broader (socio-economic) context of âhistoricityâ. Content clusters are remodelled with the help of concept maps. Starting from that, a local perspective on âClimate Changeâ is developed, adding an experiential notion to the global narratives.
The thesis concludes that there is no single reality about âClimate Changeâ and that the farmersâ âClimate Change Knowledgeâ highly depends on experiential relativity and spatio-temporal immediacy. Furthermore, analysis has shown that the systemâs historicity and social manifestations can be traced in the scope and emphasis of the content clusters discussed. Finally the thesis demonstrates that characteristics of symbols, interconnections and contents range between dichotomies of direct and indirect, predictable versus unpredictable, awareness and negligence or threat and danger, all coexisting and creating a continuum of knowledge production
Constructing âClimate Change Knowledgeâ: The example of small-scale farmers in the Swartland region, South Africa
During the last decades âClimate Changeâ has become a vital topic on national and international political agendas. There it is presented as an irrevocable fact of global impact and thus of universal relevance. What has often been neglected are local discourses of marginalized groups and their specific contextualization of âClimate Changeâ phenomena. The aim of this project, to develop another perspective along these dominant narratives, has resulted in the research question How is social reality reconstructed on the phenomenon of âClimate Changeâ among the âEmerging Black Farmersâ in the Swartland region in Western Cape, South Africa?
Taken as an example, âClimate Change Knowledgeâ is reconstructed through a case study on the information exchange between the NGO Goedgedacht Trust and local small-scale farmers in the post-Apartheid context of on-going political, social, economic and educational transition in South Africa.
Applying a constructivist approach, âClimate Change Knowledgeâ is not understood as an objectively given, but a socially constructed ârealityâ that is based on the interdependency of socio-economic conditions and individual assets, including language skills and language practice, sets of social norms and values, as well as strategies of knowledge transfer.
The data set consists of qualitative data sources, such as application forms and interview material, which are triangulated. The rationale of a multi-layered data analysis includes a discursive perspective as well as linguistic and ethical âside perspectivesâ.
Epistemologically, the thesis is guided by assumptions of complexity theory, framing knowledge around âClimate Changeâ as a fluid, constantly changing system that is shaped by constant intra- and inter-systemic exchange processes, and characterized by non-linearity, self-organization and representation of its constituents. From this point of departure, a theoretical terminology has been developed, which differentiates between symbols, interrelations, contents and content clusters. These elements are located in a system of spatio-temporal orientation and embedded into a broader (socio-economic) context of âhistoricityâ. Content clusters are remodelled with the help of concept maps. Starting from that, a local perspective on âClimate Changeâ is developed, adding an experiential notion to the global narratives.
The thesis concludes that there is no single reality about âClimate Changeâ and that the farmersâ âClimate Change Knowledgeâ highly depends on experiential relativity and spatio-temporal immediacy. Furthermore, analysis has shown that the systemâs historicity and social manifestations can be traced in the scope and emphasis of the content clusters discussed. Finally the thesis demonstrates that characteristics of symbols, interconnections and contents range between dichotomies of direct and indirect, predictable versus unpredictable, awareness and negligence or threat and danger, all coexisting and creating a continuum of knowledge production