Issue 1 & 2 (JSHSS Vol. 3)

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http://hdl.handle.net/11070/1360

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Browsing Issue 1 & 2 (JSHSS Vol. 3) by Subject "Namibia"

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    Causes and risk factors of maternal deaths in Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2014) Lihongeni, Mulama; Indongo, Nelago
    The main purpose of this paper was to identify causes of maternal deaths in all districts and referral hospitals, and to assess risk factors and determine underlying contributory factors to maternal deaths in Namibia. The study proposed strategies for midwifery practice in order to prevent maternal deaths. A retrospective audit of maternal records was conducted with detailed analysis of the 154 maternal deaths recorded during the period 2008-2012. Of the 154 maternal deaths reviewed, 58.4% were from direct maternal deaths and 41.6% were from indirect maternal deaths. Hemorrhage (37.8%), eclampsia (24.4%) and puerperal sepsis (23.3%) were the leading causes for direct maternal deaths. About 65% of the hemorrhage cases; 64% of the eclampsia cases and 53% of the puerperal sepsis occurred to women who lived in rural areas. The predominant recognizable indirect causes were HIV (45.3%); pneumonia (23.4%) and Tuberculosis (17.2%). Women who live in rural areas were more likely to experience a maternal death due to pneumonia (60%) as compared to those in urban areas. Most women who died due to HIV were aged between 30-39 years (75.9%) while maternal deaths due to eclampsia were most common among the younger women (15-29 years). Maternal deaths are less likely to occur to women living together with their partner than those who are not living together (OR = 0.53). This descriptive study identified a range of socio demographic, clinical and health system factors as possible contributors to maternal deaths in Namibia
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    A framework for setting up pastoral information services in Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2014) Matsveru, David; Nengomasha, Cathrine T.; Yule, Wilson
    This paper is based on a study entitled “Information needs and information seeking behaviour of Namibian pastors”. The study aimed to establish the information required by pastors to carry out their work; how they seek information and the problems they encounter in doing so. One of the study’s objectives was to come up with a framework for setting up pastoral information services in Namibia. The study used a mixed methods research design employing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. In this paper, the authors propose a framework for setting up pastoral information services for Namibian pastors. The framework is based on the premise that information service providers need to analyse the pastors’ contexts, motivating factors, prevailing circumstances, information seeking behaviours and information use.
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    Practitioners’ experiences of the implementation of sustainable development in the institutions of higher learning in Namibia
    (2014) Hamunyela, Miriam N.; Kasanda, Choshi D.; Kanyimba, Alex T.
    The aim of this article reports results of the study that examined the experiences of the practitioners in Namibian Higher Education institutions on the implementation of Education for Sustainable Development. Although the article demonstrated that lecturers in the Namibian Higher Education Institutions view education for sustainable development as cross-cutting discipline that should be the responsibility of all lecturers, it seems that lecturers do not teach it collaboratively, as required by international bodies. The members of institutions’ management should inspire and motivate the idea of sustainability and environmental awareness, and actively promote the transformation of society through the adoption of a policy and action plan on education for sustainable development.
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    The rights of the dead: A case of the Ovahimba people of Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2014) Nyathi, Sifiso F.
    This paper stems from a research study conducted to explore the conceptions of Namibia’s Ovahimba tribe about the rights of the dead. Among other disciplines, the study locates itself under customary law, sociology and anthropology. The study employed a qualitative approach to data collection and analysis. The population of this study was all the Ovahimba speaking people living in the Kunene Region. A combination of the convenience, the purposive and the homogeneous sampling techniques were used to select the sample. The study established that Ovahimba people believe that the spirits of the dead (ancestors) live and communicate with them all the time through the sacred fire. Therefore, they believe that the dead have equal rights as the living. It is therefore recommended that the Namibian nation be wary of importation of Western values that impose themselves on indigenous African cultures in the name of law and justice. The paper also recommends that the school curriculum for the Ovahimba people be vetted to ascertain cultural fairness and neutrality to avoid elements of ideological hegemonic impositions and/or brainwash.
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    Social Work students’ attitudes towards gender equality in Namibia: Results from an exploratory study
    (University of Namibia, 2014) Mathews, John; Muinjangue, Ester; Nashandi, Johanna; Rukambe, Zelda
    This manuscript explores the attitudes towards gender equality of students studying social work in Namibia. While previous published research has explored social work students’ attitudes toward sexism and gender equality, no published research presents the perspectives of students in a Southern African context. The Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI) was used as the main data collection tool. This 22-item instrument measures levels of benevolent and hostile sexism and is supported with firm psychometric evidence, including established validity in international settings and in multiple languages. Results presented are based on a sample of 154 undergraduate social work students in an accredited social work degree programme at a Namibian public university. Overall, the results indicate above average levels of sexism, with higher scores for benevolent sexism than hostile sexism. Using bivariate analyses, the findings indicate that older students, married students, and those in the advanced stages of the degree programme (years 3-4) hold more positive attitudes related to gender equality, and thus hold less sexist views. Suggestions for addressing negative beliefs about gender equality in terms of curricular integration and increasing opportunities for student exposure to positive imagery are discussed.
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    Types of parent involvement in schools in the Omusati education region of Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2014) Jekonia, Josephine E.; Mowes, Andrew D.
    Little research has been conducted in the areas of parental involvement in education in Namibia. In this article the views of parents regarding their involvement in education were investigated. Data were collected using a questionnaire which was administered to a systematic sample of one hundred and fifty six (156) parents of learners in grades eight to ten from a random sample of ten (10) combined and junior secondary schools. It is clear from the study that parents are involved only in some activities such as feeding and dressing the children for school, attending parent -teacher meetings, discussing school matters, voting in school board elections, helping children with homework, ensuring that children behave well both at home and at school, providing a quiet place for homework, teaching children the alphabet and that they attend school functions. However, parents were less frequently involved in activities such as attending parents’ evenings, helping elsewhere, helping with special groups such as sport and drama, , limiting TV viewing, helping the school to set challenging academic grades, discussing the child’s progress, and checking homework every night.