Browsing by Author "Simons, Mary"

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    Advocacy-orientated, advocacy-related and scholarly literature on the Rwandan genocide of 1994 : assessing whether the main points of concern, criticism or dispute about the literature arise from the basic facts and empirical evidence presented or from the interpretive frameworks employed to analyse them
    (2011) Motlafi, Nompumelelo; Simons, Mary; Du Toit, André
    This literature review is written as a response to Timothy Longman's general suggestion that much of the literature on the "Rwandan genocide of 1994" was based on empirically poor secondary analyses instead of "rigorous" original empirical research. The study was further alerted by Longman's indication that there had been "myths and inaccuracies" circulating in the literature.
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    African trade unions : - labour ideology - industrial and commercial workers' union of Africa
    (1977) Soudien, Crain; Simons, Mary
    This work has grown from, and come to supercede, an honours dissertation written on roughly the same area of interest. broader though. The scope of this work is significantly There are two major foci of interest, which, it is hoped, blend to provide a more representative overview of this particular period. The first focus rests on Johannesburg for the reason that it was South Africa's most rapidly developing industrial centre; It was here that the predominant capitalist social formations were most truly represented. The other focus turns on the ICU and its peculiar development. The closing chapters are an attempt to locate the ICU in Johannesburg, to look at the manner in which the ICU might or might not have resonated the feeling of the people of that city. The period in which this thesis is set, l9l7 to 1930, possibly witnessed some of the earliest attempts to seize in harness the 'black' labour force, to manipulate and control its movements at the urban level. The Pass Laws and urban regulations, statutorily sanctioned by the Urban Areas Act of 1923, nurtured a proletarian class, hampered not only in its ability to live where it chose, but in its very ability to sell its labour power. The effect which these measures gave rise to is of immense interest. For a long time, it has been suspected and known that alternative methods have best devised in the urban African context simply to overcome the difficulty of surviving; the growth of intensive informal market networks is perhaps one of the most significant indicators about the attitude of ·victim people to their kind of existence. I have not been able to pursue the structure of this sub-market in this thesis. It is sufficient to note its pervasive presence against the development of organisations which grew out of the working class and try to understand the dynamics or interactions of consciousness which were produced in this situation. It is my under- standing that real interaction, between the working class and its highly peculiar approach to the struggle and the organisations and the approach of expediency which they adopted, never really came about. It would thus be possible to argue that the ICU and other similar organisations failed to comprehend and take advantage of the level of thinking of the workers themselves. The material which the ICU drew on, was, arguably, considerably advanced in its degree of proletarianization. The urban workers, unli.ke the mine workers, had no access to a subsistence mode of production.
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    A case study in the use of beadwork as a model for successful development practice in South Africa
    (2003) Lidsky, Robyn; Simons, Mary
    Bibliography: leaves 103-110.
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    Coloured education struggles in South Africa : education boycotts in the Western Cape, 1976
    (1984) Bond, David Francois de Beer; Maclaughlin, Britt; Simons, Mary
    This is an empirical study which is inf owned by a broad theoretical perspective. A major part of the work is a historically descriptive investigation of the Coloured education system and related conflict in South Africa. The work's main focus is an analysis of the Coloured participation in an initially African education protest which developed into a national political revolt. The South African State requires an ideological force to gain the Black populace's acceptance of the government's legitimacy and, thus, to bolster its political supremacy. Education institutions are examples of mechanisms which the State can employ for such ideological and political purpose. Such institutions do not, however, have an ideological function for the State alone; education becomes a contested terrain because both rulers and ruled seek its use for their opposing political ends. This theoretical approach is reflected in the study's focus on the Coloured population category's opposition to elements of the State education system. This study displays the relationship between education, ideology, and politics. The government's attempt to propound its ideology through education is manifest in the examination of the Coloured education system. The contrasting hopes and idea is of Coloureds give rise to a series of educational struggles. The examination of these reveals distinct phases which are characterised by an altered opposition leadership, new political trends, new organisational fonts and internal ideological divisions. Much of this study traces the historical development of Coloured educational and related political protest fran 1948 to 1976. This historical analysis aims to explain the emergence, in 1976, of educational institutions as the main site of national struggle and the reasons for the Coloured role therein. Armed with the essential historical context, the study provides a detailed analysis of the Coloured participation in the 1976 events. It examines mobilisation, motives and methods; alliances, organisations and focus; conditions, conflicts and consequences. The Coloured role in the 1976 events was a continuation of educationally and politically linked struggles of the past; was significantly new due to more recent political developments, the emergence of new student and scholar organisations and the growth of the Black Consciousness ideology. The study shows that Coloured participation in the Black education struggles of 1976, despite certain limitations, posed a significant challenge to government ideological and political hegemony in South Africa.
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    A critical analysis of the accuracy of the country forecasts as prepared by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)
    (2007) Durham, Kate Saranne; Van Walbeek, Corne; Simons, Mary
    This thesis draws attention to the complexities involved in forecasting economic indicators. A literature review examines the general use of forecasts, errors within forecasts and various methods of analysing the accuracy of forecasts. The focus of this paper is on the testing and measuring of forecast accuracy within the Economist Intelligence Unit Country Forecasts, in particular the forecast accuracy of GOP and Inflation. This is carried out through the assessment of four a priori hypotheses 1) High Income Country Forecasts are consistently more accurate than those forecasts made for countries in the Low Income Category. 2) The accuracy of forecasts decreases the more distant the forecast horizon becomes, therefore Current-Year (t) Forecasts will outperform One-Year-Ahead (t+1) Forecasts. 3) The EIU Forecasts outperform No-Change-Forecasts as measured by the Theil's U-Statistic. 4) The EIU can forecast turning points better than a Random Probability method of forecasting can. The Tests used to evaluate the above hypotheses are the Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Theil U-Statistic and Turning Point Directional Analysis. The conclusion reached by this thesis is that the accuracy of forecasts decreases the more distant the forecast horizon becomes, therefore it can be said that Current-Year (t) Forecasts will outperform One-Year-Ahead (t+1) Forecasts. Additionally, the EIU Forecasts do outperform No-Change-Forecasts as measured by the Theil's U-Statistic. Therefore the EIU can forecast turning points better than a Random Probability method of forecasting can. Finally, this thesis concludes that there is little evidence to suggest that High Income Country Forecasts are consistently more accurate than those forecasts made for countries in the Low Income Category.
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    Effective community development, with a particular focus on early childhood development : a South African case study
    (2005) Keenan, Emma; Simons, Mary
    Includes bibliographical references.
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    Ignorance in the time of AIDS: what we do, and do not know about the ABC message in Uganda
    (2010) Mauchline, Kerry Joan; Simons, Mary
    The reduction of the HIV prevalence rate in Uganda during the early 1990s is often attributed to the introduction of an ABC policy. The Ugandan government is thought to have maintained a consistent message that suggested behaviour change in response to the HIV epidemic - encouraging citizens to Abstain, Be faithful, and/or use Condoms. It is thought that such a policy provides individuals with behavioural 'options', allowing them to choose a manner of protecting themselves against HIV infection. Although often used as an example of a successful social policy, many questions regarding the case are still unanswered. This dissertation establishes what is and is not known about the decline in prevalence in Uganda, as well as the role played by the ABC policy in that decline. The dissertation takes the form of a literature survey using key terms relating to the case. The ABC concept and the issues relevant to its implementation are initially discussed on an abstract level. The dissertation then turns to the implementation of the ABC policy in Uganda and the alleged success thereof. Three key topics are discussed in relation to the case: 1) the available statistical evidence pertaining to HIV/AIDS rates, 2) the available statistical evidence of behaviour change in Uganda, and 3) the national policy employed by the Ugandan government during the past three decades. The ideological debate surrounding the current Ugandan policy is also discussed. From the analysis of the available literature on the ABC policy and the Ugandan case, it becomes evident that certain things are known about the topic while others are not. The literature shows that a decline in prevalence did indeed take place, but that the extent and timing of this decline are unclear. The literature also shows that prevention messages in the country did suggest a change in behaviour in response to the threat of HIV, but that the content of these messages was not consistent on a national level. 6 Most importantly, the literature does not support a clear link between the implementation of an ABC policy and behaviour change in Uganda, nor does it clearly support a link between an ABC policy and a decline in HIV prevalence. Further research on the effectiveness and potential negative impact of the ABC concept is necessary before it is widely implemented in other countries.
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    The impact of judicial control on the public administration of the environment : 1995 to 2007
    (2011) Hall, Jennifer Helen; Corder, Hugh; Simons, Mary
    This thesis sets out the findings of an empirical study on three environmental departments' responses to judicial regulation during the first fifteen years of democracy.
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    Lessons in management effectiveness : Ziphilele Youth Projects (ZYP)
    (2006) Simões, Gabrielle; Simons, Mary
    This dissertation focuses on understanding the development philosophy and standards of practice that contribute to the organisational effectiveness that mark Ziphilele Youth Projects (ZYP) as an effective and professional non-governmental organisation (NGO).
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    Lessons in management effectiveness : Ziphilele Youth Projects (ZYP)
    (2006) Simões, Gabrielle; Simons, Mary
    This dissertation focuses on understanding the development philosophy and standards of practice that contribute to the organisational effectiveness that mark Ziphilele Youth Projects (ZYP) as an effective and professional non-governmental organisation (NGO).
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    Lost in bureaucracy : the experience of Rwandan refugee women in Cape Town
    (2004) Bubenzer, Friederike; Simons, Mary
    Bibliography: leaves 72-78.
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    The N2 Gateway Project 2005-2007 : analysis and an assessment
    (2007) Blake, Paul; Simons, Mary
    The Breaking New Ground Plan and its implementation in the pilot project known as the N2 Gateway is an important step in the conceptualization and delivery of social housing in South Africa. The National Department of Housing in BNG promotes the building of communities and not just the construction of houses as was allegedly the case in the previously built state housing. In practice, however, the N2 Gateway Project does not adequately adhere to the Breaking New Ground Strategy and is fraught with implementation problems. Whilst the N2 Gateway houses may in some cases be of a better quality, they are being built far away from economic opportunities and lack the specified social amenities and community facilities. The N2 Gateway project has been rushed, been plagued by poor planning and has failed to deliver within its time-frames. The failure to properly implement the N2 Gateway Project necessitates an analysis of the project and if necessary a review of the BNG housing policy.
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    Narrating rape at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa
    (2005) Rattazzi, Erin Alexis; Du Toit, André; Simons, Mary
    The seven women who shared their stories of rape at the human rights violation hearings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission ('TRC') in South Africa offer a nascent public record of women's experiences of rape under apartheid. This project is motivated by a desire to examine how these testimonies of rape were affected by explicit and implicit underlying narrative frameworks associated with the language of the TRC, and that of rape. In particular, this project analyses the extent to which the juxtaposition of these two frameworks at the TRC may have either enabled or constrained the seven women's narratives.
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    Principals : an assessment of the correlation between leadership and management at socio-economically disadvantaged schools in the Western Cape
    (2010) Casey, Taryn Lee; Simons, Mary
    The central hypothesis of this dissertation is that there is a strong correlation between leadership, management and thriving socio-economically disadvantaged schools in the Western Cape. This study is a case study of 15 schools in mostly socio-economically disadvantaged areas of the Western Cape. This was a qualitative study that included a combination of field work, interviews, literature and document reviews and desktop analysis.
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    Pro-poor education : an analysis of key policies guiding funding to basic education at a primary level in South Africa
    (2007) Poggenpoel, Sasha; Simons, Mary
    This dissertation examines a key South African education funding policy, the 2006 Amended National Norms and Standards for School Funding, which has been promoted as one of the first pro-poor education funding policies in South Africa. We assess whether it is in fact aligned with the principles necessary to ensure pro-poor education. The basis for this evaluation is a list of US AID-developed principles whose presence would be a good indication of the degree to which an education policy is pro-poor.
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    Section 26, Grootboom, and breaking new ground : South Africa's constitutional right to housing in theory and practice
    (2008) Yannias, Alexandra; Simons, Mary
    Includes abstract Includes bibliographical references (leaves 110-117).
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    Trust and transformation in the water sector in South Africa
    (2005) Goldin, Jaqui; Simons, Mary; Gran, Thorvald
    Water policy under the 1956 Water Act actively discouraged participation and water was managed centrally. The principles enshrined in the National Water Act (no 36 of 1998), designed in line with international sustainable development goals that actively encourage participation of a wide range of stakeholders operating closest to the resources that are being used, require a shift from governing through direct controls to governance where the state interacts with a wide range of interest groups. Although policy seemingly embraces a new water management paradigm, the old is being resurrected with all the contradictions and contortions that precipitated the shift in focus from the old to the new in the first place. There is on the one hand an undeveloped notion of what participation should entail, but there is also a culture in the domain of water that negotiates meanings around technical rather than social discourses. It is the absence of knowledge, the unequal power relationship between water users and the inhibition of agency that makes participation so difficult and keeps those who have knowledge, in - and those who do not have knowledge, out, with the unintended consequence of strengthening bonds between those who have had, in the past, privileged access to water. Those who suffer water deprivation have not been able to use their franchise to improve their access to water and their access to decision-making bodies in the water sector. Repeated failures to achieve reform are costly in terms of finance, and they are costly because they affect the production of trust and make it difficult to retain the 'spirit of the law.' The changing role of the state and the influence that state policy and intervention has in developing or hindering the production of trust and the perpetuation or production of shame is pivotal. Trust is a valuable but volatile resource and the broader set of analytic tools have provided a scafIold using the following set of analytic themes: style of government, way in which bureaucrats accept or resist change, ability of non-state and state actors to develop synergistic relationships, equalising of power, meaningful transfer of knowledge and creation of an agency-enhancing and agency-enabling environment. Trust is a product of a set of 'ideal' conditions, public officials being trustworthy, trading credit slips between water users, having a sense of agency and being able to trust. The ideals of trust present trust as a product of democratic processes and in these ideal conditions trust, as an experience, is reproduced and smoothes relationships. The study expands on the theme of trust by introducing the idea of shame as an inhibitor of trust and examines conditions that activate shame based feelings.