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- Table of Contents Vol 19, No 1 (2023)
Authors: Editorial Office
First page: 1
PubDate: 2024-06-28
DOI: 10.4102/td.v19i1.1436
Issue No: Vol. 20, No. 1 (2024)
- Beyond neoliberal policies: Blind spots in the Staffing South
Africa’s Universities Framework
Authors: Mlamuli N. Hlatshwayo
First page: 8
Abstract: Attracting the next generation of academics is important for ensuring that the higher education system is sustainable and continues to produce the much-needed graduates who will respond to the growing needs of the knowledge economy. Deeply rooted in the decolonial and transformation struggles in the Global South, academic staffing and recruitment questions are central to representation and diversity in the academy. In this article, I critique what I see as the rising neoliberal logic in South African higher education that frames national thinking and policies on attracting and retaining the next generation of academics in the country. While some policies and legislative frameworks have been proposed in response to this challenge, I particularly focus on the Staffing South Africa’s Universities Framework (SSAUF) which has served as an integrated policy framework that guides the country’s vision on attracting, retaining and supporting the next generation of scholars. I especially reveal three interconnected and intersectional blind spots that are prevalent in the policy, i.e. (1) the misframed and misrecognised conceptual understanding of early career academics and emerging scholars, (2) the lack of systemic and adequate pathways for postdoctoral research fellows to access higher education as permanent staff members and (3) the ideological (and decolonial) missed opportunities in the policy.Transdisciplinary contribution: I provide an interdisciplinary critique of ways in which the higher education policy is socially constructed and enacted in the academe, and the glaring blind spots that have real and material implications for early career scholars in South Africa.
PubDate: 2024-05-31
DOI: 10.4102/td.v20i1.1439
Issue No: Vol. 20, No. 1 (2024)
- Exploring Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants’ pedagogical
growth in United States universities
Authors: Nhlanhla Mpofu
First page: 9
Abstract: This research addresses the scarcity of studies examining how participants in higher education exchange programmes, specifically the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) programme, use situated learning experiences to develop professional knowledge. To fill this gap, the study examined how FLTAs construct and reconstruct teaching knowledge during their fellowship. Grounded in situated learning theory and experiential learning, the phenomenological design aligns with interpretive and qualitative traditions. The 2017–2018 cohort, comprising six FLTAs, participated in focused group discussions. Data analysis, utilising grounded theory approach, revealed that FLTAs constructed knowledge through structured programmes and personal-social experiences, employing introspective, retrospective, and prospective reflection practices. Additionally, participants emphasised the impact of accommodating and adapting beliefs, values, and dilemmas in challenging assumptions about higher education teaching and learning. This study contributes to a novel understanding of how planned activities and authentic experiences form the basis for professional knowledge construction across continents.Transdisciplinary contribution: The transdisciplinary nature of this study allows for a holistic exploration of the process of teaching knowledge construction. By integrating insights from teacher knowledge construction, cognitive psychology, higher education teaching, inter-cultural practices and continuous professional development, this research provides a comprehensive understanding of how Fulbright FLTAs construct their professional knowledge during their fellowship. The study highlights the complexity of knowledge development, considering the cognitive processes involved, and addresses the context of higher education teaching and inter-cultural experiences. By emphasising the importance of continuous learning and growth, this research contributes to the field of teachers’ knowledge development.
PubDate: 2024-03-18
DOI: 10.4102/td.v20i1.1392
Issue No: Vol. 20, No. 1 (2024)
- Resisting disposability: Survivalist entrepreneurs in South Africa’s
informal recycling sector
Authors: Olivia Loots, Palisa G. Ntsala
First page: 10
Abstract: Waste is an increasing global environmental issue. South Africa’s informal sector plays a crucial role in diverting recyclables from landfills. Despite their indispensable contributions, informal recyclers form part of a societal group that is marginalised, negatively labelled and deemed ‘disposable’ under neoliberal capitalist structures. This article draws on data from interviews held with 21 participants who work in the informal recycling sector in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) in South Africa. It investigates the participants’ own perceptions of their societal role, of which four became prominent, namely: (1) cleaners of the environment, (2) providers for dependents, (3) informal environmental educators and (4) community uplifters. We argue that the participants’ positive self-views can be seen as a powerful counter-narrative that challenges harmful prevailing stereotypes, which allows for a more nuanced perception of their lives and labour. Their positive self-perceptions and resourcefulness should not be interpreted as an endorsement of neoliberal capitalism that compels them to actively combat stigmatisation. Instead, their determination to resist negative stereotypes simultaneously underscores the necessity of confronting stigmatisation in society.Transdisciplinary contribution: The parallel themes of agency and autonomy in both informal recycling and entrepreneurship prompt a reconsideration of the conventional entrepreneurial discourse and its applicability to marginalised communities. We recommend that informal recyclers’ accumulated knowledge, skill set and well-being be acknowledged to ensure their dignity and that their labour is valued.
PubDate: 2024-07-11
DOI: 10.4102/td.v20i1.1455
Issue No: Vol. 20, No. 1 (2024)
- Second-generation Mozambican migrant youth narratives of being born in
Limbo in South Africa
Authors: Betty Chiyangwa, Pragna Rugunanan
First page: 10
Abstract: Second-generation migrant youth studies are under-researched in South Africa. Often their views are marginalised in social science research. Our article draws on the intersectionality approach to understand the daily experiences of this ‘disadvantaged group’. This article explores the complexities of second-generation Mozambican migrant youth’s lived experiences when constructing their identities and developing a sense of belonging in post-apartheid South Africa. The study was conducted in a rural area in Bushbuckridge, South Africa approximately 100 km from the Mozambican border. This case study is informed by semi-structured interviews and narratives from 22 second-generation Mozambican migrant youths aged 18 to 34 years. Views of two key informants are also provided. We found that undocumented migrants struggle to integrate into host communities and have to be creative in navigating social challenges in creating an identity and a sense of belonging in South Africa. They shared feelings of living in limbo since childhood and fear of possibly dying in limbo with no clear sense of belonging and identity. There is a strong association between documentation status, feelings of identity, sense of belonging and levels of social integration. We recommend the development of a multilayer comprehensive model to uphold the lives of vulnerable groups in South Africa.Transdisciplinary Contribution: In exploring the interdependency and interconnectedness of social categories and social systems, the article revealed that participants’ experiences of identity formation and sense of belonging were marginalised in complex, intersectional and precarious ways where they constantly (re)negotiated their experiences, shaped by their paradoxical migrant status in South Africa.
PubDate: 2024-07-02
DOI: 10.4102/td.v20i1.1429
Issue No: Vol. 20, No. 1 (2024)
- Commerce, labour and happiness: An Existential reading of Adam Smith’s
‘The poor man’s son’
Authors: Mark Rathbone
First page: 10
Abstract: This article highlights the philosophical contribution of an existential reading of Adam Smith’s narrative of ‘The poor man’s son’ that opens transdisciplinary research themes. The narrative in Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments [1759] deals with the issue of labour and happiness in commercial society, an important contemporary topic in meaningful labour research. This field is dominated by research on labour’s personal or moral value, which may lead to personal and workplace conflicts in case of ethical dilemmas. Recent research advocates existentialism, underscoring authenticity in workplace meaningful labour. The problem is that some of these studies limit meaning of employees’ reception of workplace policies and other events, resulting in a dualism between surface and deep existentialism. I will argue that an existential reading of the narrative ‘The poor man’s son’ contributes to transdisciplinary research by advancing research in commerce, specifically existential meaningful labour, by advocating an integrative theory of labour and happiness. The insights from Jean-Paul Sartre concerning anguish, authenticity, freedom, and facticity challenge the assumption that the son’s labour was meaningless because of the misery he experienced during old age, supporting a view that his choices were an expression of his freedom of choice and authenticity, and not determined by circumstances that provide important insights for an integrative theory of meaningful labour that prioritises the anguish of ontological freedom, consciousness as the source of freedom and facticity as hurdles to be surmounted on the path to fulfilment.Transdisciplinary contribution: The article is an intersection between philosophy and commerce by promoting insights from existentialism to read ‘The poor man’s son’ in Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments, providing insights for an integrative theory of meaningful labour and happiness.
PubDate: 2024-05-20
DOI: 10.4102/td.v20i1.1457
Issue No: Vol. 20, No. 1 (2024)
- Assessing the integration between disaster risk reduction and urban and
regional planning curricula at tertiary institutions in South Africa
Authors: Tiana Koen, Christo Coetzee, Leandri Kruger, Karen Puren
First page: 10
Abstract: Urban areas are increasingly being affected by more frequent and severe disasters. It has been argued in theory and international development policy that the integration of disaster risk reduction (DRR) within existing urban planning (UP) curricula would greatly benefit efforts to build resilient urban environments. However, the current status quo and progress of this crucial transdisciplinary integration in the South African University context remain unclear. Through the application of an exploratory mixed method research design, this article established that UP lecturers at South African universities have a good grasp of the theoretical need for the integration of DRR into existing curriculums and have also tentatively started to integrate DRR into some of their modules. However, because of challenges such as full curricula, financial and human resources constraints and integration predominantly happening on postgraduate level, integration has not occurred in sufficient depth while also missing the opportunity to expose the majority of the student cohort and future urban planners to much-needed DRR knowledge.Transdisciplinary contribution: This article illuminates the current status of integration across and collaboration between DRR and UP at selected South African Universities.
PubDate: 2024-04-24
DOI: 10.4102/td.v20i1.1451
Issue No: Vol. 20, No. 1 (2024)
- Towards a definition of ‘empathic understanding’ in industrial
design practice
Authors: Veronica Barnes, L.J. Theo, Vikki Eriksson
First page: 12
Abstract: Empathy is often not well defined, particularly in design. While the practice of designers developing a deep understanding of the people who use their products is recommended, the details of how to do this are limited. This problem of vagueness about empathy in design makes it difficult for product designers to take suitable actions to produce best results for the users. Through a strategic examination of a body of literature, across seven databases relevant to design, the systematic literature review adds to a discussion on empathy within the designing process. Study limitations included the complex nature of empathy itself, and multiple uses of the terms design and product. Findings indicate a contradiction of internal and external factors affecting empathy in design, and are considerably more complex than just an ‘accepted’ part of the design process. Shifting towards user-centred design in industrial design means that a considerably more nuanced understanding of empathy is needed, for implementation in design practice. By better understanding the concept of empathy as a duality, all stakeholders can manage expectations around empathy ‘behaviour’, and empathy as part of the design process. Empathy needs to be recognised as a complex phenomenological relationship between process (external) and person (internal) within industrial design. Practical, theoretical and societal implications of this concept are discussed.Transdisciplinary contribution: Empathy in product design practice represents several fields, related to human behaviour and interactions. This review’s contribution is to confirm areas for further research and the importance of developing theory to address the complexity of design practice.
PubDate: 2024-04-11
DOI: 10.4102/td.v20i1.1426
Issue No: Vol. 20, No. 1 (2024)
- Transboundary COVID-19 response on health communication in Botswana, South
Africa and Zimbabwe
Authors: Mark Nyandoro, Takafira Mduluza, Lucy Nyandoro
First page: 13
Abstract: A global COVID-19 pandemic caused untold community disruptions, a huge toll on lives and placed major burdens on the economies of developing countries. It spread worldwide within a short period of time before nations could mobilise evidence for the best responses. Communities in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe were heavily disrupted. This article focuses on exploring the transboundary differences in COVID-19 responses, plus the implications for improving the health communication strategies in a pandemic age. Health practitioners and governments were ill-prepared to inform the general public about the pandemic and enforced complete shutdowns of economic and social activities. With the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging communities, there was a dearth of focused health communication on COVID-19’s end. New tools of communication and dissemination of information were embraced in the southern Africa country-specific cases. For example, content on precautionary lifestyles, individual or personal responsibility and utilisation of community health workers in the pandemic era was prioritised to prevent or minimise infections and avoid recurrence of the disease. New communication methods were important for addressing uncertainty and can be applied for any future pandemic. This health communication topic addresses the neglected, but important gap on the efficacy of processes towards better health communication strategies. The transdisciplinary methods include improved health communication strategies informed by the experiences of three Southern African Development Community countries. While such measures to arrest COVID-19 proved plausible, these countries’ projections for the future are a concern, suggesting an urgent need to enhance and strengthen health communication in southern Africa.Transdisciplinary contribution: This is a transdisciplinary exploration of health communication and its implications for COVID-19 and future pandemic responses in Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
PubDate: 2024-05-09
DOI: 10.4102/td.v20i1.1394
Issue No: Vol. 20, No. 1 (2024)
- Nurturing youth film literacy: Post-qualitative arts-based inquiry into
critical self-awareness
Authors: Wendy Smidt, Zayd Waghid
First page: 13
Abstract: Post-digital, as a timeframe set, raises specific concerns for young adults engaged in artistic and cultural activities, seeking to establish a sustainable livelihood within a semi-rural South African context. They grapple with issues such as determining their positionality within a world marked by fading boundaries between the physical and digital. To better understand the post-digital impact on experiential learning opportunities for young adults, the authors explored the specific ways and extent to which active engagement in shortfilm-making contributes to developing critical self-awareness among the participating post-school youth. An assemblage of transformative theories and concepts, rather than pre-determined methodologies, guided this inquiry that extended beyond the development of career and workplace competencies. The strengths of spaciousness and in-between boundary positions provided by the spider’s thread metaphor served as a useful methodological tool. Moving beyond the limitations of traditional discourse and content analysis, multimodal discourse analysis in combination with a modified, six-category measuring instrument was used to explore (analyse) the evidence (data) created as products of active participant engagement in a shortfilm-making project, over a 10-month period in 2020. Findings revealed that, for the participants, it was by moving from physical self-centred understandings of reality to experiential creations of authentic reality (shortfilm-productions) and involving an expanded awareness of those alternative possibilities that nurtured their potential transpersonal growth.Transdisciplinary Contribution: A synthesis of arts-based, post-qualitative and developmental phenomenographic approaches was employed to create, explore and communicate evidence in ways that present a holistic picture of alternative pathways to knowledge production.
PubDate: 2024-01-30
DOI: 10.4102/td.v20i1.1382
Issue No: Vol. 20, No. 1 (2024)
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