Journal for Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (JSHSS, ISNN 2026-7215)
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The Journal for Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (JSHSS) is a peer-reviewed publication of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Namibia. The interdisciplinary journal publishes research papers from the research agendas of the faculties and from international scholars in humanities and social sciences, and related areas. Specifically, the journal concentrates on researches and critical analyses of issues on the wide spectrum of sociology, psychology, language, rhetoric, linguistics, visual and performing arts, literature, politics, economics, philosophy, history, human sciences, geography, media and information studies, inter alia. Guidelines for contributors: Each article must be submitted with an abstract of not more than 250 words. The article must have clear sections throughout. All articles must be in Microsoft Word and one and a half spaced. Each article should be between 4000 and 7000 words long. Shorter or longer articles may be published depending on their strengths. Book reviews must be between 800 and 1200 words long. JSHSS uses the American Psychological Association (APA) referencing style. The author of an article is requested to include his/her biographical information in 60 words, e-mail address and the name of their institution. Authors should use the following e-mail addresses to submit their articles: jkangira@unam.na; jhunter@unam.na; nmlambo@unam.na; journalhss@unam.na Editorial: Chief Editor: Prof Jairos Kangira (University of Namibia) Deputy Chief Editor: Prof Johannes Hunter (University of Namibia) Assistant Editor: Dr Nelson Mlambo (University of Namibia). Members of the Editorial Board Prof Herman Beyer (University of Namibia) Prof Beatrice Ekanjume-Ilongo (National University of Lesotho) Prof Pedzisai Mashiri (University of Zimbabwe) Prof Sibusiso Moyo (Durban University of Technology) Prof Kingo Mchombu (International University of Management) Prof Cathrine Nengomasha (University of Namibia) Prof Cezar Ornatowski (San Diego University, USA) Prof Phillipe-Joseph Salazar (University of Cape Town) Prof Isaac Mapaure (University of Namibia) Prof Ian Rothman (University of North West, RSA) Dr Mildred Nkolola-Wakumelo (University of Zambia).
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Item Mwalimu J. K. Nyerere as an African rewriter: The case of Kiswahili creative translations and rewritings(University of Namibia, 2012) Malangwa, Pendo S.Rewriting, in the narrow sense, is the presentation of works of literature to suit various ideological and poetological ends; it refers to the written process of changing genres. In the broader sense, it includes all forms of transforming a text from one culture or text type to another. In that sense, rewriting places the production and reception of literature within the wider framework of culture and history. Translation is one form of rewriting; it transforms a text written in one source language into another target language. States or their leaders can use rewritings for cultural, political, economical and ideological purposes. J.K. Nyerere used rewriting as a tool for ideological, social and Cultural Revolution. Moreover, he used rewriting as a technique of mobilizing and influencing his society towards appreciating religious doctrine and African socialism. This paper examines some of J.K. Nyerere’s rewriting contributions into Kiswahili since his country’s independence.Item Views and preferences of parents, teachers and principals on the implementation of the language policy in primary schools in Namibia(University of Namibia, 2012) Mostert, Louise; Hamunyela, Miriam N.; Kasanda, Choshi D.; Smit, Talita C.; Kangira, Jairos; Zimba, Roderick F.; Hengari, Job U.; Veii, Kazuvire R.The language policy of schools in Namibia states that from grade 1 to grade 3, learners should receive education in their mother tongues. The mother tongue becomes a subject from grade 4 onwards while English takes over as the medium of instruction. This paper presents the views of parents, teachers and principals and parents on how this policy is implemented in three schools studied in the Khomas region. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews from one urban school, one peri-urban school and one rural school. The fi ndings of the study refl ect diff erent language preferences between parents and teachers, the latter favouring English and the former advocating the mother tongue asItem Does mass media communication support HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns among the youth in Oshana Region, northern Namibia?(University of Namibia, 2012) Shikongo, Regina Mpingana; Mchombu, KingoHIV/AIDS is a global health and social problem, and has affected people of diverse backgrounds and all walks of life. Since it was detected in Namibia in 1986, many people have become hospitalised and died due to the disease. However, many organisations have used mass media campaigns to communicate health messages in an effort to bring change in people’s lifestyles and sexual behaviours. This paper explores the impact of mass media communication aimed at HIV/AIDS prevention among the youth in Oshana region, northern Namibia. In this paper both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were employed. Survey research was conducted among the In-school youth (ISY) and Out of-school youth (OOSY). Participants were drawn from nine secondary and 26 combined schools and six youth organizations in the region. Respondents revealed that mass media campaigns are available in the region disseminating information to the youth using the conventional health education model. Data also revealed that the majority in both sets of youth groups are sexually active, have sexual partners and received behaviour change information mainly through mass media (radio, television and printed materials) regularly. Study results further revealed that in addition to knowledge, youth require understanding and dialogue to be able to manage change in their social and sexual behaviours.Item Community perceptions of climate change and vanability impacts in Oshana and Ohangwena Regions(University of Namibia, 2012) Kaundjua, Maria B.; Angula, Margaret; Angombe, Simon T.The links between climate change, social and economic development, health, and environmental sustainability have become a dominant and urgent global concern. Understanding community perceptions leads to successful adaptation to climate change. This paper analyses community perceptions of climate change in selected Namibian regions. The study applied the qualitative research approach using the focus group discussion method. The data collection was conducted within a Socio-economic and Gender Analysis framework. The study has revealed that the communities are aware that the climate is changing due to changes observed in the past three to four decades. However, the study concluded that the communities do not have an adaptive capacity to respond to catastrophic natural disaster events such as the recurrent floods of 2009, ww & 2011. The study recommends a programme on community awareness regarding climate variability and change and its implications. The government in collaboration with communities and other relevant stakeholders should set up a long-term adaptation strategy for Namibia.Item School libraries and their role in promoting a reading culture: Case study of Caprivi, Omusati, Omaheke, Karas and Khomas regions of Namibia(University of Namibia, 2012) Nengomasha, Cathrine T.; Uutoni, Wilhelm; Yule, WilsonThe importance of school libraries cannot be overemphasized. This paper is based on a study on school libraries in Namibia which was conducted by the University of Namibia, Department of Information and Communication Studies from July 2009 to February 2010. The study covered five of Namibia's thirteen regions, namely Caprivi, Omusati, Omaheke, Karas and Khomas. The study employed a qualitative and quantitative research design using a triangulation of data collection methods including surveys, interviews, focus group discussions, and observation. Some of the questions the study aimed to answer were, "What is the state of school libraries?" and "What is their role in promoting a reading culture in Namibia?" The World Bank (2008, p. xxi) describes how effective school libraries can be as "they provide additional reading opportunities for students, which in turn improve reading skills, comprehension and writing clarity of expressions, which in turn support student performance in all other curriculum subjects. Although the study showed the existence of libraries in all the schools; more than Bo per cent of these were not adequately resourced in terms of reading materials, equipment, and stafj1ng. The study also established that although learners said that they liked reading there was no strong library programme to inculcate a reading culture in the learners. A number of other factors can contribute to a good or bad reading culture. These include the language of instruction and home/family environment. In Namibia, a 2011 report of the education system audit notes that proficiency in English, the language of instruction is below basic. The study concluded that the majority of school libraries in Namibia are not in a position to provide the benefits described by the Word Bank above. This is evidenced by the fact that there is a high failure rate in Namibian schools. The small percentage of schools with libraries that were well run happened to have a good pass rate but in these cases the libraries were also adequately resourced, equipped and staffed.Item Joining the knowledge creation, scholarly publishing and dissemination network: The development of publishing at UNAM(University of Namibia, 2012) Katjavivi, JaneSince it was established in 1992, the University of Namibia has established itself as an institution of higher education that has won respect across Africa and internationally. It has developed new faculties, graduated thousands of students, and produced a wide range of publications including research reports on subjects of national, regional and international significance. As it approached its 20th anniversary in 2012, UNAM took the bold step of establishing a new unit dedicated to publishing, apparently ignoring the prevailing reality for smaller university presses around the world, which have experienced falling markets since the turn of the century. What was the context for this? What is the history of publishing at UNAM? How does the new unit fi t into the overall work of the University and where is it going? This paper explores these questions. It is the product of my own involvement as Publisher for UNAM Press, appointed in June 2011, information gathered from meetings with academic leaders at UNAM, and an examination of University documents and publications and the UNAM Press Policy approved by Senate in 2011.Item Rethinking the poetics of urban informalities in fiction: Reconstructing the city space in times of crisis(University of Namibia, 2012) Mlambo, NelsonThis paper considers ways of reading and theorising urbanity and the urbanites’ coping strategies for survival. The prime motivation is to demonstrate their apt capacity to transform the urban space and utilise it to better their lives. Using resilience theory and focusing on the profundity of agency, the paper takes literature, particularly the short story set in urban Zimbabwe during the crisis of the past decade to focus on the characters as actors with the capacity to innovate and respond to difficulty with ingenuity through urban informalities; strengths we can all learn from.Item Sociolinguistic meaning of Bantu place names : The case of Ruhaya in north-western Tanzania(University of Namibia, 2012) Buberwa, AdventinaThis paper examines the sociolinguistic meaning behind the adoption of place names in Ruhaya, the language spoken in north-western Tanzania. The paper based on the assumption that place names are not arbitrary labels but are connected with particular social-cultural phenomena such as community heroes or persons who made notable contributions to the society or people who had achieved particular notoriety or events that had come to be considered unique. These would be reflected in what the name was derived from in the appropriate time and place (appropriate context). The paper reveals that Ruhaya place names have meanings which tend to be derived from phenomena such as names of unique people, events, fauna, flora, crops raised, habitation information, natural terrain and activities carried out in the area to which the name is given. Also, place names in Ruhaya have meanings relating to parts of the human body such as hip, nape, tongue, breast and heart. As language advance, it was necessary to explore such sociolinguistic elements as an important contribution to the growing body of sociolinguistics and linguistics knowledge relating to languages spoken in Tanzania and Africa in general.Item Death and dying: An analysis of the language used in copying with death in the Shona society(University of Namibia, 2012) Kaguda, DamarrisThis article analyses the language that the Shona speaking people in Zimbabwe use in naming death and dying, describing the dead, and consoling the bereaved. The research derives its linguistic analysis from a Shona socio-cultural-religious perspective. Related to this perspective, is the concept of saving face and easing the tension caused by death and this notion can be understood in the light of the politeness principle that guides human communication. Interviews and participatory observations were employed as data collection techniques in order to establish whether the Shona people use their language ordinarily or they fine-tune it to suit specific situations, particularly the unpalatable social situations like death and dying (language for specific purpose). Undergirded by these theoretical frameworks and methods, the study established that the Shona people have the tendency of creating, packaging and re-packaging their language use in relation to the social dilemma confronting them. Indirect ways of referring to tabooed matters such as death are in tandem with the Shona semantic philosophy in which by ‘indirection they find direction.’ In this regard, reference to death and dying often take the form of some blunt and euphemistic words or phrases, idiomatic and metaphorical expressions as a way of coping with death and dying. Euphemistic words and expressions allow the Shona people to talk about unpleasant notions and neutralise the unpleasantness, for example, the subjects of death and dying.Item Reduction of location error in GPS collar tracking data of bovine cattle by using data screening(University of Namibia, 2012) Polojarvi, Katja; Colpaert, Alfred; Matengu, Keneth K.Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry enables tracking of an individual animal over a long period of time and can provide researches with accurate information on animal movement. However, various environmental factors influence the satellite signals received by a GPS collar, potentially deteriorating accuracy of position. We tracked Caprivi Sanga cattle using Televilt Tellus Basic GPS collars in North-East Namibia in 2006 and 2007. Locations obtained during the night, when the cattle are gathered inside livestock enclosures, revealed that a significant proportion of the locations are inaccurate. We used data of seven GPS collars for testing different data screening options as a way to reduce location error. Basic analysis showed that simple measures of accuracy like dilution of precision (DOP) and figure of merit (FOM) are not sufficient to remove erroneous locations from the data. We removed the inaccurate locations with the following condition: 2D location with DOP >6 or 0< altitude <850 m or altitude >1050 m or DOP ≥10 or FOM ≥10 or walking speed of the animal over 4.5 km/h. This data screening option eliminated 75% of the most erroneous locations (>300 m from the livestock enclosures) retaining 97.2% of the locations correctly located inside the livestock enclosures. Before data screening, 95% (1372) of the night-time locations that were located outside the livestock enclosures were located 71-406 m from the enclosures. The maximum error was over 10 km. After data screening, 95% (485) of the locations were 54-298 m from the enclosures; the maximum error was 4.4 km.Item Theorising the environment in fiction: An ecocritical reading of Jairos Kangira’s The bundle of firewood(University of Namibia, 2012) Pasi, Juliet S.Western perceptions of the African continent as a forest or ‘site of death’ can be traced to as far back as Joseph Conrad’s Heart of darkness. Post-colonial readings of this text exude a literary paradigm shift that has seen African writers attempt to valourise the African forest as a possible site of development. This ecological oriented criticism (ecocriticism) has emerged as one of the fresh ways of celebrating the environment as the fi gurative site upon which human regeneration is likely to occur. The environment becomes a response to the urgent mundane socio-economic issues and provokes readers to interrogate them. In discussing Kangira’s The bundle of firewood, this paper will analyse how these texts use the environment as a narratology to deconstruct the rigid divisions that typify girlhood stereotypes; seeing these not as monolithic, but as permeable and interchangeable. Thus, celebrating the environment is a way of shifting the centre; of giving agency to silent issues and silenced subjects. It becomes a powerful metaphor in terms of the self’s constant quest for definition in a society whose social sexual matrix it (the self) transgresses. The paper reflects on the ramifications of such transgressive politics. It argues that ecocriticism plays a significant role in creating and steering ideologies around a renegotiation of relationships. The paper concludes that the environment is metonymic of so many things; in this context, the politics of exclusivism, and the self’s radicalisation and involvement in a limitless re-fashioning.Item The archaeology of the Dome Gorge in the Daureb/ Brandberg, Namibia: Themes, content and context(University of Namibia, 2012) Gwasira, GoodmanThe Ddureb' Brandberg, Namibia's highest mountain, is one of the most weJI documented rock art regions in the world. All in a/1 almost 900sites comprising of almost 50 ooo individual images were recorded in the Ddureb. However the rock engravings' which have been found in the Dome Gorge remain relatively sparsely researched. The Dome Gorge is a unique site in the sense that paintings and engravings converge and in some cases superimpose each other. The aim of this research was to understand the entire corpus of the area through conducting empirical documentation of the site. Altogether seven different types of combinations of engravings and paintings were observed in the data. The study a/so investigated the spatial patterning of the rock engravings in the Dome Gorge and established an empirical description of the distribution and Jiguration of engravings based on quantitative analysis.Item The developement of tourism entrepreneurial activities in Namibia(University of Namibia, 2012) Kimaro, Mary-Ellen; Ihuha, Rosemary; Angula, MargaretFor decades entrepreneurship has been recognised as an important contributor to economic growth and development. The purpose of this paper is to examine the tourism entrepreneurial activities in Namibia and assess their potential to contribute to the economy. The main objective is to analyse the development process of tourism entrepreneurial activities in general and their current weaknesses, opportunities and threats as experienced by entrepreneurs in Windhoek and Okahandja. With the high unemployment rate being experienced in Namibia, a solution to this social problem is needed to help alleviate the plight of the unemployed and underemployed. The results of the survey provide insight into the entrepreneurial operations, and the challenges thereof. The results show that tourism entrepreneurs are potential employers in Namibia. The majority of products and services offered are not locally produced, opening an opportunity for entrepreneurs to diversify the offering and increase their market share by offering services and products such as traditional meals, clothing and jewellery. The study concludes that there are benefits for potential entrepreneurs to operate their own businesses. However, some shortcomings were noted that include lack of training and lack of awareness of available and affordable training programmes as well as other common and unique problems faced by these entrepreneurs. The study concludes that measures should be taken to ensure that entrepreneurs are nurtured and mentored in order to realise their business success. Furthermore, the study recommends a number of measures to improve the status quo of entrepreneurs and facilitate growth within the tourism entrepreneurial activities.Item Genitals are assets: Sexual and reproductive behaviours of street children of Harare, Zimbabwe, in the era of the HIV and Aids pandemic by Watch Ruparanganda. Umbreit: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing, 2011, pp 303.(University of Namibia, 2012) Chirere, MemoryWatch Ruparanganda’s book, Genitals are Assets: Sexual and Reproductive Behaviours of Street Children of Harare, Zimbabwe, in the era of the HIV and Aids Pandemic, is extremely thought provoking and will make you want to laugh and cry at the same time. It explores the sexual and economic relations amongst the street children of Harare, Zimbabwe, in a language that is effortless and compelling. This is a book for both the deep academics and ordinary readers. Underneath everything else, this book goes into important theoretical and methodological debates about power differentials between men and women in society.Item Conventional and novel/creative metaphors: Do differing cultural environments affect parsing in a second language?(University of Namibia, 2012) Smit, Talita C.Metaphors can be regarded as systemic interrelations of multiple experiences which map one relatively stable domain to another. A number of cognitive linguists, such as KOvecses (2005) and Lakoff (2006), suggest that much metaphorical thinking arises from recurring patterns of physical experiences and sensori-motor interactions with the physical world. Gibbs (1999, p. 152) furthermore states that "people clearly a/so learn conceptual metaphors from their experiences with language." Research findings indicate that the default interpretations by First Language speakers were octuol/y the idiomCltic understandings, not the literal ones. The question could be asked whether this would be the case with Second Language speakers when drawing inferences from metaphorical expressions used by first language speakers, and specifically in the case of novel/creative metaphorical expressions.I assumed that this process might pose difficulties for ESl readers from an African environment when reading a business article in English which contained a fair amount of metaphorical expressions. I looked at both conventional metaphors and novel(creative metaphors. These were the metaphors with a source domain that presupposed meta-knowledge of the British English cultural environment. I also included in the research instrument a few orientational metaphors that were used in the business artcle. The findings of this study indicate concurrence with Gibbs (1999, cited in Yu zoog) that "{c]ultura/ models 'in shaping what people believe, how they act, and how they speak about the world and their own experiences' set up specific perspectives from which aspects of 'embodied experiences are viewed as particularly salient and meaningful in people's lives. ... In short, 'social and cultural constructions of experience fundamentaJ/y shape embodied metaphor."'Item A cognitive grammatical approach to the semantics of Nambya extended verbs(University of Namibia, 2012) Chabata, EmmanuelThis article is an analysis of the meanings of extended verbs in Nambya. Put simply, an extended verb is a complex verb that is a consequence of combining a verb base and a verbal extension. Using the principles adopted in the theory of Cognitive Grammar (CG), it will be argued that the addition of different kinds of verbal extensions to verb bases often result in constructions with multiple meanings that are related. Unlike earlier scholarship on the meanings of extended verbs in Nambya that treats them as a result of a simple mathematical addition of the individual meanings of the verb base and the verbal extension, this article aims to show that the addition of derivational morphemes such as verbal extensions onto verb bases significantly modifies the meanings of the respective base forms. It is argued that the addition of the verbal extensions often results in two kinds of related meanings, that is, those that are mathematically derivable from the verb base by composition and those that are not easily traceable owing to the fact that they are generally idiosyncratic - hence the reason why extended verbs should sometimes be treated as new verbs that are different from their bases. In this regard, therefore, the proposal being made is that verbal extensions should be treated as highly productive morphemes in lexeme formationItem Searching for the rain(University of Namibia, 2012) Ashikuti, SelmaSearching for the rain is an anthology of verse by Namibian poet Axaro W. Thaniseb who currently directs the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN). In this anthology, Thaniseb dares to address issues in post-independence Namibia that many would rather not hear nor talk about. He demonstrates bravery as he calls a spade a spade as he explores diff erent controversial themes. The same bravery is shown when he intelligently uses vernacular languages when he switches between languages in the book. In this realistic contemporary work, he shows both his great talent in writing and also his understanding and analysis of Namibian society, its passions, struggles and achievements and manages to do so impartially. Thaniseb’s style of writing is not only easy to read and thought provoking but it is also realistic. In this 46 poem anthology, Thaniseb covers themes raging from dreams, social inequalities, love, self-discovery, fear, pain, war to nationalism. As he travels not only across Namibia but across the world, he pens the poems we fi nd in Searching for the rain, the reader is therefore taken on a journey and into the thought life of the author as he writes with brutal honesty about his feelings, observation and judgements on life especially within Namibia. In this dominantly post-independence Namibian poetry, Thaniseb intricately uses many voices and as a result allows the reader an opportunity to hear not only his voice but many others’ such as that of a man in post-independence Namibia, a young man from the kasie, a man in love and a father who adores his daughter.Item Inequalities of nutrition: The Namibian paradox(University of Namibia, 2012) Misihairabgwi, Jane M.; Rennie, TimothyThe paradoxical coexistence of obesity with undernutrition has been we!l documented worldwide. In many developing countries, 6o % of households contain both underweight and obese individuals, a situation referred to as the "dual burden household". The Namibian population is simultaneously made up of groups of overweight and obese individuals as well as a large group of underweight individuals. Based on data collected from 2003 to 2004, 28 % of Namlbians were categorized as underweight, 11 % as overweight and 7 % as obese. Among adults, aged 30-46, 29% were categorized as overweight or obese. In a middle-income country such as Namibia, food scarcity may no longer be the driving factor behind energy intake. Instead, the availability of cheap, energy dense foods may facilitate the consumption of more calories whiJe an indoor, sedentary lifestyle would further reduce the average daily energy expenditure. Specific cultural perceptions may also encourage obesity. The 'double burden' of disease that has been created threatens to overwhelm the health services in Namibia. In this paper, we document reports on nutritional inequality internationally, and in Namibia specifically, and propose a research strategy to address the burden of the coexistence of under nutrition and obesity in Namibia. The paper documents a useful starting point for understanding the determinants of inequalities in nutritional status and provides some understanding of the causes of inequalities in nutritional status as well as the factors responsible for inequalities in health and nutritional status of individuals.Item The accounting role of regional councillors in financial management for regional councils in Namibia : The cases of Oshana and Caprivi regional councils(University of Namibia, 2012) Mutumba, Boniface S.Although decisions to acquire and expend financial resources in regional councils are a domain of regional councillors, officials appointed by regional councils and those serving the Ministry of Regional Local Government and Rural Development in Namibia view this as quixotic. This paragonistic perception of appointed officials towards councillors gives rise to synthetic practices that continue to override the efficacy of regional councillors in their role as financiers at regional level in Namibia. Like other regional councils in Namibia, Oshana and Caprivi regional councils are grappling with challenges in financial management. Reflecting on the anecdote of experiences of these two regional councils, this paper makes the call for politicians, technocrats at central and regional government levels and academics to abandon, or at least more vigorously challenge the somewhat archaic, paragonistic methodologies that are very often inappropriate to democratic and corporate governance compliant financial management at sub national level. It argues that there is need to grow legislation based, innovative and creative methodological responses to separate the roles of regional councillors and technocrats appointed by regional councils in financial management. Citing the ideological and methodological shifts made in the Decentralisation process in Namibia, it is argued that it is indeed possible to create unique and exciting processes. Processes that move beyond the rhetoric of “the normative separation of the roles of councilors and officials” to one that in very real terms makes regional councillors the focus of financial planning, budgeting and budgetary control and monitoring the financial activities of regional councils.Item Assessing virtual culture exchanges(University of Namibia, 2012) Fox, TomThe rapidly growing presence of old and new media in postcolonial Namibia, particularly from the decade after the turn of the Millennium, has signifi cance for cultural and lifestyle transformations in the country. Formerly entrenched social identities, shaped by restrictive colonialism and indigenous traditions, appear to be under pressure as shifts become apparent in the face of cultural globalisation. This article examines the characteristics of change from the perspective of young Windhoek adults’ experiences of Internet social networks. The research constitutes a cultural study that addresses the current knowledge gap regarding how the Internet is increasingly situated in youth identity and cultural lifestyle spaces. Social networks appear to be changing the cultural landscapes of Namibia, if the evidence is accepted, and youth are at the cutting edge of cultural transformations wrought by new media such as the Internet.