scholarly journals ‘Music of origin’: class, social category and the performers and audience of kiba, a South African migrant genre

Africa ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 454-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah James
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Performance Theory ◽  
Social Category ◽  
Critical Perspective ◽  
Cultural Expression ◽  
Work Related ◽  
African Migrant ◽  
Modern Work

AbstractThis article uses a case study of the kiba migrant performance genre from the Northern Province of South Africa to illuminate recent theoretical ideas on the role of performers and audiences, and in so doing to offer a critical perspective on the way in which the concept of class has been conceptualised in some southern African studies. While the homogenising and Western-derived concept of class may well be unsuitable in some African and other southern contexts, as certain writers have claimed, migrant northern Sotho communities have developed indigenous notions of social category which combine modern work-related sources of identity with apparently backward-looking celebrations of traditional behaviour. The article examines the contention of performance theory that cultural expression does not merely reflect the predilections of established groupings of people but may provide a focus for the consolidation and identity of new ones.

Exploring Guanxi in a Cross-Cultural Context

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
_ _
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Employment Decisions ◽  
Employment Relationships

Abstract Using a case study of recently arrived Cantonese-speaking migrants, this article examines the role of guanxi in shaping Chinese newcomers’ economic activities and opportunities in South Africa. In Johannesburg, Cantonese-speaking migrants tend to be employed in restaurant and fahfee (gambling) sectors, which are partially inherited from the early generations of South African Chinese. Through narratives and stories, this article reveals that Cantonese newcomers often strengthen personal and employment relationships through the practice of guanxi, but that doing so can also constrain their employment decisions. Moreover, the ambiguous boundary between the act of bribery and the practice of guanxi may facilitate Chinese participation but can also result in the victimization of the newcomers.

scholarly journals The role of spirituality as a coping mechanism for South African traffic officers

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rochelle Jacobs ◽  
Annelize Van Niekerk
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Coping Mechanisms ◽  
Coping Mechanism ◽  
Adaptive Coping ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Interpretive Paradigm ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Work And Life

Traffic officers are faced with many stressful situations, yet each traffic officer might cope differently with these stressors. Spirituality is regarded as an essential defence in stressful situations. Therefore, this article provides a basic framework guiding traffic officers and practitioners, on how spirituality can be used as a coping mechanism when faced with various work-related stressors. An interpretative, qualitative study was conducted utilising purposive sampling in which 10 traffic officers participated in in-depth interviews. In line with the interpretive paradigm, data were analysed using content analysis. The research findings indicate when utilising spirituality to various degrees in their workplace, traffic officers displayed adaptive coping capabilities. Traffic officers associated less spirituality or a lack thereof with weaker coping capability. Furthermore, spirituality in traffic officers is informed by their spiritual or religious foundation, their purpose in work and life, their connection to a spiritual source, and the fruits of spirituality. The coping ability of traffic officers is influenced by their upbringing and background, by stressors in their work environment and by their coping mechanisms. The role of spirituality in the coping of traffic officers culminated in their ability to interpret the meaning of spirituality, and then implementing spirituality as a coping mechanism.

REACHING ACROSS THE DIVIDE – THE ROLE OF CULTURAL EVENTS IN PEACEBUILDING

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian Devine ◽  
Bernadette Quinn ◽  
Frances Devine
Keyword(s):  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Cross Culture ◽  
Cultural Expression ◽  
Shared Experiences ◽  
Cultural Event ◽  
Community Dialogue ◽  
The City

This paper assesses whether or not a cultural event can play a peacebuilding role during the post violence phase of conflict. Cultural expression has long been a contentious issue in Northern Ireland, no more so than in Derry/Londonderry, the city at the centre of this study. Adopting a qualitative approach, the authors used the city’s Fleadh Cheoil (2013) event as a case study and found that it served three of the seven-peacebuilding functions outlined by Paffenholz and Spurk (2010): social cohesion, in-group socialisation and intermediation/facilitation. The findings suggest that the event enabled positive change by building ‘bridges’ and developing intercommunal trust and cross culture understanding. This did not happen by chance and nor was it unproblematic. However, inclusivity was a core objective and the event was planned and managed accordingly. This required strong leadership, risk taking, sensitivity and a willingness to negotiate and compromise. In turn, this created the conditions for cross community dialogue that had ramifications beyond the cultural realm. Whilst this paper has demonstrated how a cultural event can play a role in peacebuilding, it does not suggest that culture events are a panacea for sectarianism, bias or conflict in Northern Ireland or elsewhere. However, if planned properly they can contribute to the peacebuilding process by providing an opportunity for people to navigate difficulties and develop shared experiences in complex and challenging conditions. These can help build trust, tolerance, understanding and confidence that enable divided societies to co-exist more peacefully.

A necessary dialogue: a South African case study exploring the role of national HRD in HIV/AIDS non-government organizations

2010 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melony H. Johnson ◽  
Kenneth R. Bartlett ◽  
Peter Cunningham ◽  
Susan A. Lynham ◽  
Jill Von der Marwitz
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Government Organizations ◽  
Hiv Aids

scholarly journals Integrating community health workers into the formal health system to improve performance: a qualitative study on the role of on-site supervision in the South African programme

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. e022186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-hwei Tseng ◽  
Frances Griffiths ◽  
Julia de Kadt ◽  
Nonhlanhla Nxumalo ◽  
Teurai Rwafa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health System ◽  
Community Health ◽  
South African ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Skill Levels ◽  
Clinic Staff ◽  
Study Approach

ObjectivesTo explore the role of on-site supervision in community health worker (CHW) programmes and CHW integration into the health system. We compared the functioning of CHW teams reporting to a clinic-based nurse with teams supervised by a community-based nurse. We also consider whether a junior nurse can provide adequate supervision, given the shortage of senior nurses.DesignA case study approach to study six CHW teams with different configurations of supervision and location. We used a range of qualitative methods: observation of CHW and their supervisors (126 days), focus group discussions (12) and interviews (117).SettingSouth Africa where a national CHW programme is being implemented with on-site supervision.ParticipantsCHWs, their supervisors, clinic managers and staff, district managers, key informants from the community and CHW clients.ResultsEffective supervisors supported CHWs through household visits, on-the-job training, debriefing, reviewing CHWs’ daily logs and assistance with compiling reports. CHWs led by senior nurses were motivated and performed a greater range of tasks; junior nurses in these teams could better fulfil their role. Clinic-based teams with senior supervisors were better integrated and more able to ensure continuity of care. In contrast, teams with only junior supervisors, or based in the community, had less engagement with clinic staff, and were less able to ensure necessary care for patients, resulting in lower levels of trust from clients.ConclusionSenior supervisors raised CHW skills, and successfully negotiated a place for CHWs in the health system. Collaboration with clinic staff reduced CHWs’ marginalisation and increased motivation. Despite being clinic-based, teams without senior supervisors had lower skill levels and were less integrated into the health system.

The Role of the Anak Raja in Malay History: A Case Study from Eighteenth-Century Kedah

1976 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Watson Andaya
Keyword(s):  
Eighteenth Century ◽  
Balance Of Power ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Political ◽  
Social Category ◽  
Ruling Class ◽  
Shifting Balance ◽  
History Of

The history of the Malay world in the eighteenth century is characterised by a constantly shifting balance of power, extreme flexibility in the political patterns, and an ongoing search for strong friends and advantageous allies. Malay and European sources relating to the period contain an often overwhelming amount of information concerning seemingly endless conspiracies, broken treaties, negotiations, and re-alignments. Yet from this maze of detail distinct themes emerge, one of which concerns the activities of various Malay anak raja (sons of kings and pirates) and anak baik (sons of nobles). Existing material allows for the compilation of a number of interesting biographies. We can, for instance, follow the career of Perak's Raja 'Alim, who might have successfully unseated his cousin and become ruler himself had it not been for Dutch intervention. The wandering life led by a Siak prince, Raja Ismail, and his unceasing efforts to rally support for a triumphant return to his homeland are similarly described in both Malay chronicles and the missives of Dutch governors. Such accounts make for absorbing reading and undoubtedly have their own intrinsic historical value. On the other hand, it is perhaps more fruitful to regard anak raja like Raja 'Alim and Raja Ismail not so much as individuals as representatives of a distinct social category within what has been called the “ruling class.” If viewed in this light, the activities of many anak raja mentioned in the records take on a new dimension, and comments concerning their role in Malay history assume a wider application.

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