Browsing by Author "Cooper, David"

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    An exploration of whether the Policy on Financial Awards for Service Providers (Circular no. 17/2004) is a reasonable solution to the subject of welfare service financing
    (2005) Lotvonen, Mari Tuulikki; Cooper, David
    [pg28 is missing] Since 1975 the South African government has struggled to find a suitable way to finance welfare services that would meet both the welfare service providers' and the government's needs. In spite of several policy formulating attempts the solution has still to be found. The most recent policy document regarding welfare service financing is the Policy on Financial Awards to Service Providers (Circular No. 17/2004), which intends to transform the social service delivery system in South Africa. The research undertaken was empirical research, aiming to explore whether welfare organisations in the Western Cape can meet the transformation criteria as stipulated in the Policy on Financial Awards (RSA, 2004a) and obtain funding from sources other than the government. The research sample was selected using the purposive sampling method. Sample selection criteria was that an organisation must have received subsidies from the Provincial Administration Western Cape (PAWC) in the financial year 2003/2004, must employ four or more social workers and the head office must be located in an urban area within the greater Cape Town. Only twenty welfare organisations met the sampling criteria therefore the sample became the research population. All twenty organisations participated in the research, resulting in a one hundred percent (100%) response rate. The research design combined three quantitative and qualitative data collection methods - personal questionnaires developed by the researcher, informal interviews with respondents, and document analysis of audited financial statements for the year 2003/2004. The data was collected between May 2005 and August 2005. One transformation criterion is that welfare organisations' employment profiles must be reflective of the communities they provide services for. Based on the research findings, none of the welfare organisations meet this transformation criterion. If the Policy on Financial Awards is strictly applied, this lack of meeting the criterion is illegal in terms of South African labour legislation. In terms of service provision in rural areas the Policy definition was not precise, but the findings suggest that fifteen organisations (75% of the research population) are likely to face difficulties in meeting this transformation criterion. Based on the analysis of financial statements, seven organisations (35% of the research population) can be considered to be financially sustainable. In terms of obtaining funding from sources other than government the findings suggest that nine organisations (45% of the research population) have adequate fundraising strategies.
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    Engaged scholarship at the South African College of Music of the University of Cape Town: An exploratory study of the perceptions and practices of full-time music academic staff
    (2018) Davids, John W R; Cooper, David
    Debates concerning the concept of 'engaged scholarship’ (ES) in terms of university-society connectivity have become part of the discourse within the shifting South African higher education landscape after 1994. Given the legacy of historical inequalities continuing to permeate all spheres of South African society including higher education, the idea of social-justice-centred engaged scholarship forms the main thrust of the narrative in this thesis. Furthermore, with music inherently geared towards societal engagement, and 'engaged scholarship’ included in UCT’s latest Social Responsiveness Policy Framework, this thesis critically examines the ES responses - in terms of their perceptions and practices - of music academics at the SACM in post-1994 South Africa. The opening chapter outlines the largely two-pronged research methodology approach pertaining to the analysis and findings of: (1) literature and documents, and (2) in-depth interviews of a representative sample of full-time SACM music academics. Chapter 2 provides a historical sociology unpacking the ES concept as part of an emergent University Third Mission. With developments largely unfolding at American universities, the first part of Chapter 2 shows the development of ES as essentially following two routes. Firstly the Triple Helix notion of university-industry-government (U-I-G) relations since the mid-20th century, identified by Etzkowitz as a 'Second Academic Transformation’ grafted on an earlier 19th century 'First Academic Transformation’ which began in Germany. Then secondly, in the 1990s a broadened view of scholarship aimed at making universities more relevant to the needs of society (i.e. via U-CS or university-civil society links) proposed by Boyer. With the issue of an emergent University Third Mission also entering the South African higher education discourse after 1994, the second part of Chapter 2 highlights conceptual confusion by considering policy and conference debates on 'community engagement’ (CE), the preferred expression for university-society relations in South Africa. Unfolding developments at UCT however have resulted in a discourse of ES becoming integral to this university’s Social Responsiveness Policy Framework after 2012. Moreover with social justice largely absent from CE discourse and the Triple Helix, Cooper has proposed a Quadruple Helix whereby civil society is added as fourth helix (i.e. resulting in U-I-G-CS). The approach of this study, therefore, explores the concept of a social-justice-centred engagement (outlined in part three of Chapter 2) with which it strongly resonates. Chapter 3 focuses attention on the milieu and ethos of UCT and the SACM, putting SACM music academics, part of an elite historically 'white’ university, in perspective. This highlights the entrenched hegemony of the historically 'white’ European settler institutional culture and 'orphan’ status of music indigenous to Africa at the SACM. Against this backdrop Chapter 4 provides a snapshot of the ES perceptions and practices of SACM music academics derived from the in-depth interviews. Importantly, with music largely absent from ES discourse, including at UCT, the critical analysis of the narratives of music academics form the basis for this thesis creating four music-specific ES categories in this chapter, and a proposed typology of music-specific ES in Chapter 5. In addition, a particularly important finding in Chapter 5 depicts the SACM as probably the most engaged UCT department, mainly displaying elements of the Quadruple Helix (U-I-G-CS), but with this engagement significantly skewed towards largely 'white’ civil society. Moreover, given the historically Eurocentric ethos of the SACM, western classical music has retained its uncontested hegemony (including within the SACM student curriculum) despite the introduction in the 1980s of new streams of non-western classical music, including music indigenous to Africa. With reference to ES, the engagement of the majority of SACM music academics was, furthermore, found overwhelmingly to be with the elite social classes. However, 'black’ academics were significantly more engaged with the 'black’ working class than their 'white’ counterparts. Considering the core findings above, pathways enabling the development of more balanced SACM-society relationships, particularly with the 'black’ working class majority have been proposed in the concluding chapter. A crucial recommendation is the decolonisation of the institutional culture and curriculum of the SACM, thereby restoring the former 'Other’, to 'Self’. These being spaces outside the comfort-zone of most music academics, it is suggested that music-specific ES research, potentially able to shift embedded reasoning, should become integral to the decolonisation process.
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    Equity, difference and the nature of the academic environment : an investigation into the responses of South African universities to the admission and participation of disabled students
    (2006) Howell, Colleen Jane; Cooper, David; Lazarus, Sandy
    Includes bibliographical references (leaves 312-326).
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    The evolving policy landscape for technology transfer from public research organisations in South Africa
    (2008) Wolson, Rosemary A; Cooper, David; Heher, Tony; Hofmänner, Alexandra
    Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 116-124).
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    Exploration of residential diversion within a restorative justice framework in the management of young sex offenders in SA
    (2012) Gxubane, Eric Thulane; Cooper, David; Graser, Roland
    The study explored the use of residential diversion within a restorative justice framework in the management of youth sex offenders in South Africa. The research design combined qualitative and quantitative approaches with a predominantly qualitative thrust in the gathering, analysis and presentation of data. A non-probability purposive sampling method was adopted with three sets of samples, namely, youth ex-sex offenders, their significant others, and key informants from various professions who were involved in the management of youth ex-sex offenders and/or their victims in a variety of settings. Three semi-structured interview schedules were developed in advance and used as tools for data collection through in-depth face-to-face interviews with each research respondent.
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    The migration of Africa's intellectual capital: an explorative research on the career trajectories of academics from other African countries to the University of Cape Town, South Africa
    (2014) Hulsekopf, K; Cooper, David
    The dissertation investigates the development of higher education in Africa and points to the phenomenon of migration of African academics to destinations overseas and more recently to South Africa. The research interest derives from South Africa's unique position on the continent to attract academics from overseas including African academics who left their home country. Therefore South Africa's universities play a significant role in return migration of these academics to the continent. This research follows an explorative approach that aims to capture the trajectories of African academics in present day South Africa. The quantitative research provides a picture of the origin and proportion of African academics at South African universities while the qualitative research explores the trajectories of eleven African academics who were at the time of the study employed at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. The research question focuses on the question 'Why are academics from other African countries than South Africa leaving their country of origin?' and 'What motivates African academics to come to South Africa?' Among other, the research also uncovers whether academics who once immigrated to South Africa have intentions to return to their country of origin. The core part of the dissertation contains the presentation of the findings of in-depth interviews with eleven academics from the University of Cape Town. The research also includes the analysis of all 23 South African universities for the year 2011by accessing information from the database of HEDA (Higher Education Data Analyser) with the assistance of the Institution of Planning Department (IPD) of UCT. Here the proportion of academics coming from other African countries, are presented, for the year 2011. Drawing from the literature on higher education in Africa as well as from the interviews with eleven academics, the dissertation illustrates that in regard to the 'brain drain' of African academics, the overall post 1980s imposed neo-liberal regulations set by the World Bank and IMF which channelled public spending and foreign capital towards primary and secondary education, was an important factor leading to the degradation of African universities and consequently contributed to the migration of African academics. The trajectories of the academics illustrate that the majority of the academics left their country of origin for postgraduate studies overseas or in South Africa. However, after the completion of their studies these academics were eager to build an academic career in Africa, whereby South Africa of them became the preferred destinations. Return migration to the country of origin is in most cases only considered after retirement. Nevertheless, they are all engaged in building relationships to institutions or civic organisations in their home country as well as enabling postgraduate students from their home country to come to South Africa for further studies The dissertation suggest further research to examine to what extent these 'knowledge exchanges' and 'educational transfers' between academic diaspora in South Africa and other African countries are fertile for development in the country of origin and in which ways, universities and academics, in their role as 'ideological leader' can contribute to socio-economic and cultural development by establishing sustainable of relationships which are of mutual benefit.
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    The PhD degree : an investigation into doctoral education in South Africa and international PhD reform initiatives
    (2001) Bailey, Tracy; Cooper, David
    Since its emergence in the 1800s in Germany, the 'modern' Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree has been one of the cornerstones of new knowledge production and research training. Over the past two decades, there has been a surge of debate and reform around doctoral eduction internationally as a result of significant changes in both the global and local contexts within which doctoral education takes place. At the macro level, globalisation and the global economy are redefining what constitutes knowledge, who produces it and for what purposes. At the same time, more than ever before, many governments are depending on doctoral graduates to contribute to achieving national goals. These developments have drawn into question the purpose and form of doctoral programmes and the knowledge products and training outcomes they produce.
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    Reflective practitioners : a case study in facilitating teacher development in four African primary schools in Cape Town
    (1991) Walker, Melanie; Cooper, David
    The thesis is an action research study of the work of a university-based facilitator and a total of 34 teachers from four african primary schools in Cape Town between 1987 and 1989. The study is premised on the argument that teachers are important in developing quality schooling, and that teachers should be active producers of pedagogical knowledge, shaping the curriculum through their engagement in a process of reflection-on-practice. It examines a relatively under-researched area in action research studies - namely the role of the facilitator in the process of educational change. The reflective practitioners of the thesis title are both the university-based facilitator conducting 'second-order' action research into her own educational of practice, and the teachers Both levels of the 'first order' reflective practice which the facilitator tried to encourage reflection shape and are shaped as facilitator and teachers explore together the limits and possibilities of curriculum development. The second order research thus: informs the facilitator's action with teachers; generates practical knowledge for INSET; contributes to knowledge of staff development processes; contributes to the general literature on action research; and also provides a comparative dimension for those working in developing countries. The study outlines the historical and political context shaping educational work in schools between 1987 and 1989, including an account of the nature of intellectual production at african teachers' colleges. It highlights two key dilemmas in the facilitator's practice the dilemma of democratic vs directive practice, and the dilemma of only reforming the form and content of the curriculum vs the transformation of teaching. The study found that a recessive role for the facilitator was not appropriate where bantu education has severely limited teachers' exposure to alternative ideas of teaching and learning. The tension was for the facilitator to learn how to share expertise within a participatory framework in which teachers would take responsibility for their own learning. The study explains how teachers changed, or failed to change, in the areas of new methods, new materials and changing pedagogical assumptions - and the influence of the facilitator's interventions in all this. The limits of technical knowledge divorced from critical thinking, and the limits of emancipatory knowledge without technical skills are revealed in the work of both the facilitator and the teachers. A more nuanced reading of the reform-transformation dilemma, arising from the concrete experience of participants in this study, is suggested. Action research is evaluated as a project of possibility, both for teachers and for teacher-educators to research their own practice in pre- and in-service work. Based on the findings generated by this study, suggestions are made for democratic and reflective forms of INSET for teachers, as a contribution to the reconstruction of education in a democratic South Africa.
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    Women studying and working in engineering : case studies from UCT and civil engineering in the Western Cape
    (2001) Conrad, Ashraf; Cooper, David; Jawitz, Jeffery
    In this thesis two case studies were used to investigate women's involvement in engineering in the Western Cape during the early to mid 1990s. The first study provided a statistical profile of women engineering students (WES) at UCT as background to the second, a qualitative, in-depth study that used life-story interviews to identify experiences and attitudes of professional women civil engineers (WE). In 1993, data on demographics, school and social background, reasons for doing engineering and diversity life of WES was collected in sections, by academic year, by groups of senior undergraduate Sociology research students for their individual final year research projects. The questionnaire they used was standardized and contained both closed and open-ended questions. The analysis in this thesis of the WES database combined the data from the different individual Sociology research projects, culminating in a 70% (59 of 83) sample of 2nd, 3"1, 4th and postgraduate year white, coloured and Indian women students registered at UCT in 1993. The results of this analysis showed that the majority of U CT students in the early 1990s were white, young, single women. By using data about parents education levels (50% of mothers and 75% of fathers had received some form of further or higher education) and parents occupations (two-fifths of the mothers and more than half of the fathers held qualified positions) they were fowid to be socially privileged. Individually, and as a group, their performance at school was outstanding, with the entire group achieving an A- or B- matric aggregate with many showing a clear preference for mathematics and science. Using a framework of categories refmed by Jawitz and Case (1998), three categories of reasons for doing engineering, namely "Socialisers" (including having an engineer in the family), "Contact with Engineering" (through open days organised by educational institutions or engineering organisations) and performance and ability in "School Subjects", were fowid to be particularly significant. Isolated incidents of sexist attitudes from male colleagues and lecturers did not detract from an overall positive attitude to studying engineering by the WES, as evidenced by nearly 90% willing to conditionally or wiconditionally support, over opposing, or not recommending, the decision by other women to do engineering. The transcription of audio-taped life-story interviews, conducted in 1998 and 1999, with Cape Town-based women civil engineers provided the qualitative data of the WE study. In the analysis, resistance to entry by women to, and the creation of an wiwelcome atmosphere for women on the building site, came strongly to the fore. Also, some women encowitered serious incidents of sexual harassment and gender discrimination on the building site and even in the office environment. The existence of women's engineering organizations were fowid to partly fill the need for women to network and support each other in the face of a hostile environment in traditional male-dominated industries. The conflicting demands of motherhood and career were fowid to exact a heavy physical and emotional toll on professional women. These women, however, negotiated this conflict in coming. up with Wlique, specialised and livable solutions.