Browsing by Author "Berg, Julie"
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- ItemOpen AccessGlancing the city : a story of six refugees in Cape Town.(2011) Armstrong, Adam; Berg, JulieSouth African spaces are socially and politically important. Historically this is due to Apartheid's brutal exclusion. More recently, this can be attributed to the conscious building of the "new South Africa? after 1994. Concurrently, many foreign Africans come into South African spaces, claiming them and creating lives with varying degrees of safety and success. This claiming and 'invading' of local spaces by foreigners leads to changes for both foreigners and locals. A spatial lens is used to dissect the nuanced community and spatially mediated identities of refugees in Cape Town. Using space allows one to explain xenophobia more broadly. This thesis draws on ethnographic data gathered over 18 months in Muizenberg and Retreat, to make numerous theoretical claims about the nature of personal and national identity, community and the making of social space.
- ItemOpen AccessLet's talk about sext : gendered millennial perceptions of sexting in a cyborg society(2016) Meyer, Melissa Isabella; Berg, Julie; Moult, KelleyIn a cyborg society where people exist both organically and via technology, sexual expression and interaction via technology has become 'normal'. The controversy surrounding sexting stems from contemporary literature and media portraying it as coercive, harmful and unacceptable, with particular reference to young females. Qualitative data on this phenomenon is extremely limited and biased, potentially resulting in unjust limitations and restrictions. This study investigates Millennial sexting behaviour by considering general and gendered perceptions of sexting to better understand the phenomenon; its risks, benefits, and the practice itself. An exploratory mixed methods study amongst university students (N = 579) revealed expected and unexpected findings. Respondents acknowledged sexting's risks, while the benefits of and motivations for sexting were emphasised with little evidence of negative pressure. It is argued that the benefits of sexting greatly outweigh the potential risks, but moreover, that sexting is a primarily feminist practice that holds much promise. The need for sextual education and awareness of sext-consent is examined, as theoretical and policy implications are discussed.
- ItemOpen AccessMapping the security arrangements for Khayelitsha's schools: what are the normative and functional outcomes of a nodal policing approach to poling school-based violence in Khayelitsha?(2015) Henderson, Ashleigh; Berg, JulieIn light of the contextual realities of school violence, the aim of this paper is to provide an analytical map of the security arrangements at schools in a particular area, namely Khayelitsha. The question is not whether these arrangements are failing (as will be made clear by the evidence provided in chapter four) but rather why and how they are failing. The task of identifying these gaps in an accurate and sufficiently nuanced way would be impossibly large if the scope of the study were all schools in South Africa. Furthermore, in order to be able to make precise recommendations and implement effective interventions, it is necessary to have a thorough understanding of the particular issues faced by particular schools, rather than schools in general. As such, I have chosen to narrow the scope of the study to one area where violence in schools has been shown to be particularly prevalent. The area in question is a large township located on the outskirts of the City of Cape Town called Khayelitsha. This area has been chosen not only to narrow the scope of the study, but also because policing in Khayelitsha has recently been the topic of an extensive Commission of Inquiry.
- ItemOpen AccessThe new security beat : an audit of interventions employed to protect young people at Westbank High School in Metro-South district of the Western Cape(2011) Dube, Paul; Berg, JulieAll over the world, state police are but one actor within a hybrid policing field involved in the provision of security. Civil society can legitimately come together in either self-help schemes or by means of buying security to deal with feelings of insecurity. An area can therefore be subject to plural policing. This paper is an audit of security interventions implemented to protect learners enrolled at Westbank High School. Westbank High School is a high-risk school. Learners in schools suffer a double-blow because not only do they suffer from crime within the school walls but also outside the school walls. Two general questions emerge in this situation. The first being, what is being done by state and non-state actors about the problem of crime in and around schools? Secondly, how are school children being supported and protected against criminal activity in their respective schools?
- ItemOpen AccessPolitics of the number: an account of predominent South African prison gang influences(2014) Skywalker, Luke Lee; Berg, JulieThe study is a contextual account of various factors that facilitate and promote the continued dominance of the ‘Number gangs’ prevalent in many (if not most) South African prisons. Even though there is a substantial amount of factors that critically influence and sustain the South African prison gangs, this paper will focus upon a few of these influences. An emergent sentiment from exponents within these gangs, and supporting academic literature both argue that these dominant inmate factions are now adapting their mythical credo so as to remain an informal power-player within the scope of a failing South African prison administration. From a managerial perspective, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) is often found attempting to give meaningful accounts of itself amidst its failed efforts to transform both itself and the South African prison administration. The policy legislation and administration of DCS thus also contribute to prison gang prominence. The study shows that DCS has embraced a policy of harsher penality, although its official position is that it is transforming into an administration that is focused upon human rights. This paper will thus give brief insight into the prison gangs’ organization and operations, and then focus upon various contexts within which the Number gangs continue to be pervasive, especially due to changing prison administrative policy (or lack thereof) and due to new adaptive strategy employed by gangs to make themselves powerbrokers within this contentious penal discourse.
- ItemRestrictedPolycentric security governance : legitimacy, accountability, and the public interest(2015) Berg, Julie; Shearing, CliffordThis thesis examines how power is constituted in hybrid polycentric systems of security governance. In particular, the thesis explores how legitimacy - as one form of power - is configured in Improvement Districts in South Africa, with a specific focus on three ways by which it is gained: through promoting public participation in decision-making; through transparent and accountable policing nodes; and through the delivery of effective security for the public good. Polycentric systems of security governance are usually composed of a number of policing or security nodes that are independent of each other, but take account of each other in relationships of co-operation or conflict and where no single node dominates all the rest. In other words, some or all of these nodes, may co-ordinate around specific security problems or events in a sustained manner. The functioning of polycentric security governance was explored in Improvement Districts in Cape Town and Johannesburg, as they are an exemplar of polycentricity in the way that they operate. Qualitative field research was employed using a nodal analytical framework and a collective case study approach. In-depth interviewing, participant and direct observation as well as documentary analysis were the primary research methods employed. The findings of the research reveal that polycentricity impacts on legitimacy in a number of ways. Legitimacy may originate from multiple sources and state and non-state policing nodes within polycentric security governance systems may undermine, enhance and/or co-produce democratic participation, accountability and security for the public interest. There are a number of factors or conditions that shape whether polycentric systems of governance are legitimate and how they derive this legitimacy. The main finding of the thesis is that for a polycentric system to be aligned to the public interest, it needs to be motivated by public, peer and political expectations, amongst other things. The findings of the thesis both challenge the normative tendency to associate democratic legitimacy with the state and contribute to the pressing question of how to theoretically account for the empirical reality of polycentric security governance systems.
- ItemOpen AccessPrivate prisons : international experiences and South African prospects(2000) Berg, Julie; Van Zyl Smit, DirkBibliography: leaves 165-170.
- ItemOpen AccessProtection and pragmatism: an exploration of the mentalities of workers in the private security industry(2017) Weber, Ruby; Berg, JulieThe quest for 'security' and the practices aimed at creating this on a literal and a figurative level is a common human striving. The people whom we task and entrust with providing this security are increasingly part of a combination of both public police and private security agents. Whilst the public police have been the focus of a large body of research, the volume of research in the field of private security is relatively thin. Given the robust growth of the private security sector in both developed and developing countries, combined with the dearth of research involving fieldwork in the private security industry, this research aims to fill a part of this knowledge gap. Specifically, this dissertation aims to address an even less-investigated research question - that of how the providers of private security think about and undertake their work of creating 'security'. In other words, it explores their mentalities. This exploration of the mentalities of those who provide private security will be undertaken through an exploratory case study, using the concept of nodal governance as the framing analytic. This case study focusses on a suburban security company operating in the southern suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa.
- ItemOpen AccessTaming the green bull in the regulatory china shop how insufficient understanding of governance and power resulted in the Solar Water Heater Bylaw in the City of Cape Town not being implemented(2012) Grimwood, Sakina; Berg, JulieThis thesis grapples with the one particular case: the unsuccessful draft Solar Water Heater By-law in the City of Cape Town. The case is framed by the question why the by-law initiative did not take off. The choce behind this initiative was informed by the hope that the answer would help in understanding climate change governance in the municipal setting in particular. Essentially, the desire is to gain an appreciation of how such initiatives should be undertaken in settings such as these. Networked governance literatures of Rhodes et al, literatures on power in the Foucaldian and Weberian traditions, implementation theories and literatures on municipal climate change governance all aided in reaching findings to the question posed. Through the engagement with the literature in combination with the analysis of the empirical data, a hypothesis in answer to this question was generated. In the context of the City of Cape Town, the complexities of both power and governance were confirmed. There is a tapestry of networks and nodes interacting with each other in this context. Each network and node has its own peculiarities, which in combination create a delicate regulatory environment. Such policy environment requires strategic action. Ultimately, in line with the hypothesis, it has been found that if one wants to drive a policy initiative, one needs to understand both the complexities and power, and the context of the policy regime within which one works. This, however, though necessary, is not sufficient. In addition, one must formulate a strategy of implementation that fits this context, if one wishes to be successful in seeing the policy through to implementation.
- ItemOpen AccessThe honest thief: a qualitative study exploring the ethics of clandestine intelligence collection in a statutory environment(2018) Corbett,Trevor R; Berg, Julie; Shearing, CliffordResearchers studying intelligence ethics have rarely had access to the insight of serving intelligence practitioners. In this study, a small number of practitioners were sampled in an attempt to gain an understanding of the techniques they use to make sense of the ethically questionable tasks they are required to undertake within the legal framework of the institution of intelligence. The researcher argued that intelligence practitioners may use some of the neutralization techniques found in criminological and psychological models in order to remain effective in an environment which places their personal ethical framework at risk of compromise. In some aspects, themes seemed to correspond with the Rational Choice Theory of Cornish and Clarke (1986), the Neutralization Theory of Sykes and Matza (1957) and the Cognitive Dissonance theory of Festinger (1957). Themes were categorised under two primary headings: the institutional framework and a conceptual and theoretical perspective of ethics in relation to intelligence practice. It could be argued that intelligence ethics studies may be entrenched in the overarching fields of philosophy, criminology and psychology as they all offer useful explanations of how deviant behaviour is understood and justified by individuals. A combination of factors played into how they made ethical decisions and how they justified (or did not) these decisions. Findings suggested a combination of institutional frameworks (deontologically derived rules predetermined by the institution) and personal ethical frameworks (derived by each individual participant’s family, religion etc) were key in creating a working ethical framework (intertwining the former and the latter) which allowed/justified them in making ethical decisions which they considered vital to a nation-state’s survival.
- ItemOpen AccessThe private security industry in South Africa: A review of applicable legislation(2003) Berg, JulieThe pre- and post- apartheid governments have been engaging with the private security industry through the creation and enforcement of legislation to regulate the industry. The new government, in particular, has been actively implementing legislation to further tighten restrictions and update older legislation. Considering these developments it is perhaps necessary to review all the legislative parameters, both old and new, directed at the private security industry. The future role of private security in South Africa may depend on the success of the legislative attempts of the government and could be a preparation for a formal partnership with the public police.
- ItemOpen AccessThe risk of 'tik' and the crime rate(2005) Berg, JulieThis article provides an overview of the annual crime statistics as released by the South Africa Police Service (SAPS) from 1994 to 2005, which will be portrayed in graphics and briefly discussed. But, as the crime rates will demonstrate, there is need for a closer look at and interpretation of South Africa’s drug-related crime. Hence the focus of this article will be on the drug-crime nexus, more specifically on the drug, methamphetamine, known colloquially as ‘tik’.
- ItemOpen AccessTowards a third phase of regulation: re-imagining private security in South Africa(Academy of Science of South Africa, 2011) Berg, Julie; Nouveau, Jean-PierreWith the legislative review of police oversight currently taking place in South Africa, now is a good time to reflect on the regulation of the private security industry. This article does so by focusing on three challenges to the current private security regulatory systems: the increased pluralisation of policing within public spaces; the operation of hidden sectors within the industry; and the nature of criminal abuses perpetuated by the industry. We do this to demonstrate the need for a re-imagining of what regulation, especially state regulation, of this industry should entail. The aim of the article is not to review the current legislation or to identify gaps and propose means of filling those gaps, but rather to reflect on the underlying premises informing the legislation and propose a shift in thinking. We do this by briefly identifying two phases of state regulation in South Africa, implemented before and after the change to a new democratic dispensation, and suggest that we are now entering a third phase of regulation. We conclude with suggestions as to what this third phase may entail.
- ItemOpen AccessWhat is the effect of a state centric approach on policing in South Africa? A review of policy(2014) Kasipo, Mafuro; Berg, JulieA state centric approach to policing has had a detrimental effect on security governance in South Africa. This approach is an enduring legacy of the Hobbesian worldview which places the state at the centre of security governance. However, the multiplicity of policing actors throughout the history of South Africa undermines the notion that the SAPS have monopoly on security governance. The popularity of the state police in the public’s perception of security governance highlights a need of a policing approach which gives the SAPS a role as well as acknowledges other policing actors; minimal policing is a plausible alternative
- ItemOpen AccessYouth at risk: politics, crime; its accessories and youth justice in South Africa(2009) Choritz, Sharon Lisa; Berg, JulieYouth violence assumes several forms which may be attributed towards a complex set of causes inextricably linked to the oppressive past which provide an explanation towards the nature and frequency of violence incidents. Central to such causes are; the 'culture of violence' which remains firmly entrenched in our society, structural inequalities onset by the Apartheid government and the escalating unemployment rates. Discourse intent upon providing explanations for the rising crime rates have emphasized unequal power relations, strong patriarchal values and entrenched conventional notions of masculinity and femininity as causal factors. The emphasis rests upon the fact that youth violence and victimization result not only from political and socioeconomic inequality, but may also be accredited towards expressions of gender identity as well as the manner in which society construct and reconstruct such identities. Dominant theorists' upon this subject, reason that poor, young men associate marginalization and powerlessness experienced under the Apartheid and post-Apartheid regime as a form of emasculation, which when internalized, finds its expression through the medium of violence. The alliance between male identity and criminal violence is expressed in crimes such as hijackings, assaults, gang activities, housebreakings and sexual violence committed against women and girls. Assessments of both national and international literature upon the subject of crime, delinquency and violence amongst youth have evolved along gender-specific lines. The general consensuses amongst researchers are that males both perpetrate and experience the most degree of violence and that this is generally recognized as a resulting effect of masculinity. The persistent popularity of violent crime in South Africa constitutes a form of 'compensatory manhood ' which witness young men searching to salvage a sense of masculinity/male identity by partaking in crime and violence. However, whilst it is imperative for the growth of this nation to recognize the contributing factors underlying the reasons as to why adolescents, especially males, gravitate towards subcultures, such as gangs, it is, nonetheless, imperative that such youngsters are restrained and their behaviour restricted as the violence of the Apartheid years has led to the belief among many South Africans that violence is an acceptable means of resolving conflict. The mistreatment of our youth under the Apartheid regime is a strong indicator that the South African justice system was not implemented with young people in mind and did not function with the purpose of assuming their fidelity. The reason in part, is our inheritance of a legal system, derived from Britain, which was designed for control, not for social restoration or personal transformation. Owing to the British influence upon our law, we too adopted such approach, though it was to our detriment. Furthermore, collective adolescent behaviour particularly in the arena of gangs is little understood by law officials skilled in western legal procedures. Thus, in dealing with youth at risk it is vital that one interacts with them in a fitting and fair manner as well as a suitable forum; subscribing to the fact that we too, experienced the anxieties and turmoil accompanied by the transition to adolescence and all that it presented namely; the pressures to conform and the wish to transform. Thus with this in mind, legal personnel, assume a responsibility by virtue of their title, to ensure inhabitants' of South Africa are dealt with in a manner particular to them. The central feature of this study was to explore the affiliation between marginalized youth, the construct of masculinity and its accompanying violence exhibited in South Africa today. This paper further serves to highlight the link between Apartheid, poverty, unemployment, unequal opportunities, gangs and crime and through the medium of this interrelated relationship; demonstrate how the effects of the past have impacted upon the opportunities for youth today.