University of Pretoria | National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS)

The effect of Intensive Interaction on preverbal communication and cortical brain activity in persons with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities

Background: Intensive Interaction is a social communication intervention for persons with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities. The goal of Intensive Interaction is to establish human connectedness and improve communication. The aim of this thesis was to determine the effect of Intensive Interaction on preverbal communication and cortical brain activity.

Improving Existing Water Supply Systems to Enhance Water Availability and Accessibility in Rural Communities: A Case of the Mankweng Cluster, Polokwane Municipality, South Africa

Water supply systems play a crucial role in distributing and providing water for domestic, irrigation and industrial use. Water supply systems have existed for centuries. Right from antiquity, ancient civilisations across the globe developed intricate water supply systems, such as aqueducts, qanats, canals, furrows and terraces for irrigation and drinking water supply. The beginning of the second half of the 19th century witnessed the introduction of centralised water supply systems, such as dams, taps, reservoirs, water treatment systems and pipelines.

Robots and Dignity from an Afro-Communitarian Perspective

One of the criticisms raised against using technologies powered with artificial intelligence (AI) is that some of their uses would undermine human dignity. This argument is prevalent in healthcare and military robotics, where it is argued that the use of these AI technologies in various domains undermines or violates the dignity of those human beings who are in contact with them. In this thesis, I look to investigate Under which conditions various AI technologies would undermine human dignity.

A Qualitative Analysis of the Informal Social Networks of Street Traders in the Pretoria Central Business District, South Africa

The study investigates informal social networks’ role, contribution, and significance to street traders within the Pretoria Central Business District (CBD). This locale was considered ideal for this study because the City of Tshwane is the single-largest metropolitan municipality in South Africa. Furthermore, the metropolitan is centred around Pretoria, which is a capital city. As such, the city attracts a diverse and large amount of street traders, both local and foreign.

Development and evaluation of an augmentative and alternative communication training for caregivers of young children in a low-income rural context of South Africa

Background: Training caregivers of young children with complex communication needs to implement augmentative and alternative communication methods has resulted in various communication gains for children. Such training may be a feasible, effective and socially valid way of improving children’s communication outcomes in contexts where access to rehabilitation professionals and resources is limited.

Accommodating persons with severe communication disabilities in court: Development and appraisal of guidelines

Persons with severe communication disabilities often face violations of their basic human rights, such as exclusion from the justice system. Accessing the justice system – whether as a witness, defendant or legal practitioner with a severe communication disability – is extremely challenging.

Barriers to and facilitators of employment: Perspectives of persons with severe communication disabilities and specialised recruitment agents

Globally, persons with disabilities are facing exclusion from participation in the labour market. In South Africa, the employment rate of persons with severe communication disabilities remains low despite the implementation of legislation and policy initiatives to promote their economic participation.

Developing an ICF code set for health care practitioners to identify fall risk factors in older adults

Falls in adults older than 65 years of age constitute a global health concern and are the main cause of injury-related mortality in older adults. The falls death rate increased by 30% from 2009 to 2018, mainly due to the age of older adults increasing.

Eine Andere Heimat - A Different Home: A Biographical Narrative of South African Germanness, 1864 - 2014

The growth of a distinctive German South African minority that began during the midnineteenth century, is closely related to the arrival of German mission societies in the region and the Hermannsburg Mission Society (HMS) in particular. Influenced by the tide of nineteenth century German emigration, along with sentiments of ethnic German nationalism, the HMS was far more than an agent of Christian evangelism in that it offered the means for a new life abroad without the need to forgo a connection to the “old country” or Heimat.

From 'native health' to primary health care: Transformation in rural health care service provision in the former Transvaal, 1930-1994.

This thesis focuses on the transformation of healthcare services for the blacks in the former Transvaal during the period from the 1930s to 1990s. The thesis argues that over this period the healthcare of rural blacks from Union to Republican governments had incipient features of primary health care – haphazardly driven by progressive-minded individuals within the state, by missionaries, as well as other stakeholders, motivated by concerns over the socio-economic conditions of the blacks.

University of Pretoria