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University of KwaZulu-Natal

Mother, daughter, sister, wife? Interrogating constructions of South African Indian women’s identity – a study of South African Indian Women playwrights and our plays

This thesis interrogates the gendered constructions and representations of Indian South African women (ISAW), South African Indian women (SAIW), and/or South African women of Indian descent’s (SAWOID) identity through a study of such playwrights and their plays, including my own work. ISAW, SAIW and/or SAWOID lives are critically affected by the roles we are expected to perform in our families, namely those of daughter, sister, wife, and mother. Sylvia Walby (1990) distinguishes two key forms of patriarchy: public and private.

Housing as an asset: examining asset accumulation through home-based enterprises in Vosloorus township, Gauteng

The aim of this study was to examine housing as an asset for poverty alleviation by focusing on the relationship between a property and its ability to create income-generating activities through home-based enterprises. It essentially investigated the performances of home-based enterprises in Vosloorus Township, Gauteng. The study explored the different perceptions which households held about home-based enterprise activities and how they affect their livelihoods. The study further examined the relationship between housing, home-based enterprises, and the informal sector.

Neoliberalism, new managerialism and social Work practice: perspectives of child welfare Social work managers and practitioners

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore social work managers and social work practitioners’ perceptions regarding the influence of neoliberalism and new managerialism in their daily functioning within the Child Welfare organisations in the eThekwini region, KwaZulu Natal. This study utilized a descriptive, interpretive design and adopted non-probability, purposive sample selection. The sample comprised four child welfare district offices and the umbrella body, namely Child Welfare South Africa.

Picturing Orphans’ Vulnerability, Resilience and Agency: Using participatory visual methods as transformative pedagogies to address sexual violence among orphans attending a township secondary school in KwaZulu-Natal.

The study reported in this thesis examined the vulnerability and agency of a group of adolescent orphans in the context of sexual violence in and around a township secondary school. This qualitative study was located within a transformative paradigm and employed a participatory visual methodology in its objective to pursue the notion of research as an intervention.

A study of selected risk factors for hypertension and other non-communicable diseases among older adults in rural contexts in South Africa

Non-communicable diseases have emerged among the prominent causes of preventable mortality and morbidity across the world. South Africa is currently dealing with a considerable burden of non-communicable diseases in addition to the burden of existing communicable diseases.

Career Development Narratives and Experiences of post-matriculants in a disadvantaged community: A study of Douglas in the Northern Cape

Post-matriculants in disadvantaged communities such as Douglas encounter a number of career challenges. The transition to the democratic dispensation in 1994, coupled with the rapid changes in the information domain that are characteristic of post-industrial life, complicate the career development trajectories of black youth in the rural areas in particular.

Consensual Democracy and Education: The role of National Unity and Reconciliation Commission of Rwanda.

The National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) is the institution set up by the post genocide government of Rwanda, responsible for national unity and reconciliation. The aim of this research is to assess the educational role of NURC in Rwanda’s peace building efforts.

Examining the causes and effects of early girl child Dropout in KwaZulu-Natal: a case study of Zwelibomvu district secondary schools

This study examines the causes and effects of early girl-child dropouts in secondary schools in the Zwelibomvu area in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The area has a significantly high record of dropouts among girls compared to their boy counterparts, resulting in an unbalanced gender ratio at schools.