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Item Language choice and preference in multilingual families: An analysis of code-switching between the first language and English by selected UNAM main campus lecturers and their families(University of Namibia, 2025) Ikalafeng-Verbeeck, Mphonyana V.Namibia is a country that is rich in languages and even though English is the official language, there are officially ten other local/indigenous languages that are spoken in the country. Studies have indicated that the use of English has been observed to be common in many homes in Windhoek, Namibia. The study sought to examine language choices and preferences within selected households of UNAM Main Campus lecturers, as well as explore the reasons behind the practice of the linguistic behaviours of code-switching and code-mixing (if such do exist within the families). Furthermore, the enquiry also examines the factors influencing the lecturers’ families’ language practices in relation to language choice and preference. Adopting the mixed method research design, data was collected through face to face interviews and an online questionnaire. The main participants were lecturers who have children and speak more than one language – are at least bilingual. Discourse Analysis (DA) was used to analyse the data collected from 17 questionnaires and 6 interviews. The data was then interpreted through the lenses of the Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) (Giles, 2011). The findings revealed that code-switching is practiced in all the participants’ households and it was mostly related to the influence from watching cartoons for toddlers and school for school going children. Parents found it easy to communicate in both their first languages (L1) and English or Afrikaans with their children. Language preference differed from one person to the next as some preferred their mother tongue more than English since mother tongue represented their identity, while some did not value which language was spoken at home as long as the family members (especially the children), are able to express themselves and communicative goals were met. Language choice on the other hand was observed to be determined by the person/people that the person is speaking to. Parents found it easy to choose English when talking to their toddlers, because the cartoons they watch which are in English, while conversations with grown children depended on the children’s proficiency in the mother tongue or a third language they learnt at school. The study recommends sending young members of the family to rural homes to fully acquire mother tongue where there are more opportunities for them to meet and interact with native speakers of the preferred indigenous languages.Item Forms of persuasion in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Fugard’s Sizwe Bansi is dead: A comparative analysis(University of Namibia, 2023) Freyer, CelineThe current study explored the forms of persuasion in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Fugard’s (along with John Kani and Winston Ntshona), Sizwe Bansi is Dead. The purpose of this study was to investigate how a European and African dramatist comparatively employ rhetorical strategies in their respective plays. The aim of the study was, firstly, to compare and contrast Shakespeare and Fugard’s use of rhetorical techniques to effectively bring out the themes in the selected two plays; secondly, examine the effectiveness of these rhetorical devices in the development of characters in the two plays; and thirdly, comparatively explore how the forms of persuasion used by Shakespeare and Fugard can strengthen the readers’ comprehension of the two plays. The study adopted a literary qualitative approach. The main scenes in both Macbeth and Sizwe Bansi is Dead were content analysed in relation to the dramatists’ deployment of the modes of persuasion, as well as rhetorical techniques. Both dramatists employed all of Aristotle’s mode of persuasion; namely, ethos, logos and pathos, to appeal to the audience and effectively bring out their messages. The findings of the study revealed that rhetorical techniques such as flashbacks, alienation effect, humour and comic elements, and the story-within-a-story technique were stylistically, and therefore effectively used by Fugard and his co-writers in Sizwe Bansi is Dead to drive home their thematic message to their readers and audience. Also, exploring the modes of persuasion in Sizwe Bansi is Dead enables the readers and viewers of the play to appreciate the fundamental problem created by the unacceptable situation that Sizwe Bansi, the main protagonist, Buntu and Styles find themselves in. Shakespeare, on the other hand, worked to move his audience by using literary techniques such as symbolism, irony, allusion, personification, foreshadowing, and imagery. Hence, the protagonist, Macbeth, transforms from a war hero to a tyrant and continues to choose ii evil because he is persuaded by other characters in the play through ethos, pathos and logos, proving that a negative influence of surrounding people can result in one’s own downfall. This study also proved that both Shakespeare and Fugard employed rhetorical techniques to effectively bring out the themes in both plays, develop their characters, and enhance the readers’ understanding of both plays. Hence, the success of both plays, lies in their aim of presenting good stories that would reach out to a designated audience who would accept and appreciate their message. The study concludes that the forms of persuasion used in both Macbeth and Sizwe Bansi is Dead, by these dramatists were successfully developed to achieve verisimilitude.Item ’n Verkenning en Vergelyking van Houdings en persepsies rakende afrikaans in die khomasstreek van Namibië ná drie Dekades van Onafhanklikheid(University of Namibia, 2022) Harmse, NicoletteGiven the chequered history of Afrikaans in Namibia, it is to be expected that a range of attitudes and perceptions regarding Afrikaans have existed and still exist among its own speakers as well as among non-speakers who are in contact with the various groups within its speech community. After three decades of Namibian independence, these attitudes and perceptions remain largely undocumented. Therefore, this study aimed to document these attitudes and perceptions. It was, however, not possible to gather the clear majority of the Khomas region’s residents’ attitudes towards and perceptions about Afrikaans. Therefore, a convenience sample was drawn, which entails that the results are not necessarily representative of the entire population. The study focused on perceptions and attitudes as they are indirectly observed, and not necessarily on the reasons for such perceptions or attitudes. Attitudes and perceptions were measured only within the parameters of the variables that are represented in the research instrument, and they pertain to the Afrikaans language as a construct rather than the Afrikaans speech community. A mixed method research design was used for this exploratory research, utilising a survey methodology. The study was mostly qualitative in that it reported subjective results, because participants’ attitudes and perceptions will form the basis of iii conclusions. Quantitatively, attitudinal variables within and across groups were quantified and processed statistically. Quantitative variables like age, and gender binaries were also involved for purposes of comparison, as well as the following various groups: Afrikaans speaking respondents, non-Afrikaans speaking respondents and multilingual speaking respondents (Afrikaans and other languages). The electronic questionnaire was distributed in May 2020 with a link via email and social media, while the printed questionnaires were distributed by hand to potential respondents who could not access the online questionnaire. There were 266 responses on the electronic questionnaire and 34 respondents completed the printed questionnaire – thus 300 respondents in total. There was a question in the biographical part of the questionnaire that requested the respondent to indicate how long he/she has been living in the Khomas region. This ensured that any questionnaires of non-residents of the Khomas region could be excluded from the data analysis. After last mentioned exclusion, the respondents were deducted to 275 respondents. The results contain different attitudinal profiles (positive, neutral, and negative attitudes), which were constructed from certain questions and their possible responses. The responses of the three different groups – Afrikaans speaking respondents, non Afrikaans speaking respondents and multiple language speaking respondents (Afrikaans and other languages) were divided into the relevant profiles. Lastly, the respondents’ perceptions regarding Afrikaans were also documented. The research and results show that the majority of respondents mainly have a positive attitude towards languages in general, as well as towards Afrikaans. However, there is a misperception among the younger generations of Afrikaans speakers about how Afrikaans originated in Namibia. A recommendation for future studies is to involve a larger part of the Khomas region, or perhaps even all the regions of Namibia, to get a clearer idea of the attitudes towards and perceptions about Afrikaans in Namibia as a whole.Item A feminist stylistic and framing theory exploration of selected news reports on intimate partner violence in the Namibian newspaper (2019-2020)(University of Namibia, 2022) Namandje, Saarah TaleniIn Namibia, ‘intimate partner violence’ remains a huge concern. A variety of sources may have presented ‘intimate partner violence’ as a phenomenon but not many seem to have touched on the writing style perpetuating and presenting the events. This study aimed at exploring, examining and analysing the language usage by The Namibian male and female writers when reporting on ‘intimate partner violence’. The study intended to reveal the crucial role that news media houses play in the local community. Amongst the frequently reported headlines covered in The Namibian newspaper and creating a captivating sensation is the topic of ‘intimate partner violence’. Although either gender can commit violence in the case of ‘intimate partnership, the spectacle creates curiosity and interest to the public especially when the violent tendency seems subjected mostly towards one specific gender. In Namibia’s case, and based on the news reports, it appears that the male gender dominates the category of perpetrators. This qualitative study analysed the discourse of news reports on ‘intimate partner violence’ published in The Namibian newspaper between 2019 and 2020. Data of this study was analysed using relevant scholars’ analysis as established through desktop study. The researcher examined the news texts for stylistic features at the word, phrasal and sentence levels in order to construe textual meaning, application of sexism, assigning blame and justification of the crime. The findings were interpreted through the lenses of the Framing and Feminist Stylistic Theories. The study’s major findings reveal that the intimate partner violence phenomenon was nonchalantly presented. The victims’ voices were mostly silent whereas the perpetrators were actively presented. The study concluded that most news reports seemed commercially packaged and lacked enlightenment. The study strongly recommends further research in media discourses and framing with special focus to intimate partner violence in Namibia.Item Investigating structural ambiguity in newspaper headlines: A case study of selected headlines in the Namibian newspaper between 1st February and 31st December 2020(University of Namibia, 2022) Massamba, ElisabethThe purpose of the study was to investigate possible meanings of the structurally ambiguous headlines found in The Namibian newspaper and to illustrate the ambiguity by tree diagram. The study focused on structural ambiguity in the news headlines published between 1st February 2020 and 31st December 2020 covering political, social, and sports beats. The study also described the causes of structural ambiguity in these headlines. No fieldwork was carried out in this research as it was limited to desktop design due to the qualitative nature of the research. In addition, the data were analysed using Clare’s (2013) theory of ambiguity to demonstrate that the headlines are structurally ambiguous, Carnie’s (2013) syntactic theory to find possible explanations for each ambiguous phrase or sentence and Bornstain’s (1997) tree diagram theory to reveal the structural ambiguity. The study revealed that structural ambiguity occurs in the headlines of The Namibian newspaper because of modification scope, negation scope, active or passive meaning, present participle and mostly due to prepositional phrases. In addition, the study also revealed that not all structural ambiguous headlines can be exposed using the tree diagram, therefore making it a limiting tool to illustrate structural ambiguity. In the final analysis, the study recommended that the newspaper editors should include deck heads to further give meaning to the headlines and to clear any confusion that might be caused by ambiguity in the headline.Item A functional stylistics analysis of David Smuts’ death, detention and disappearance: A lawyer’s battle to hold power to account in 1980s Namibia(University of Namibia, 2022) Shinedima, EliseThe study examined the thematic concerns in Smuts’s Death, Detention and Disappearance: A Lawyer’s Battle to Hold Power to Account in 1980s Namibia as evinced through the author’s utilisation of the three different metafunctions of language – the interpersonal, textual and ideational, as explicated by Halliday (1975). Adopting a two thronged approach, the thesis attempted a theoretical appreciation of the text from a Functional Stylistics perspective (Halliday & Hasan, 1995), while also explicating how the usage of the three meta-functions of language represents for us an avenue to better understand and appreciate the Smuts’ concerns with regards to this historical epoch within Namibia. The study probes Smuts’s use of the interpersonal function of language (in line with mood, modality and person) as well assessing the manner and purposes of use of the ideational function of language (in connection with modification, apposition and coordination) within the text and how these contribute towards a better understanding and appreciation of the text. Furthermore, the enquiry observed and acknowledges the practice of the detailed elements of different meta-functions, and explored how the specific elements produce a multiplicity of meanings centred on how different readers will evaluate and interpret the text. Adopting a qualitative design, the analysis conducted herein drew largely on the desire to understand the meanings that the writer creates in the text, and which the reader negotiates. Through content analysis, the study observed that Smuts’s use of the stipulated elements of the two meta-functions of language was to chiefly articulate his intents throughout the text. The study notes that ideational elements are used to postulate more information and to develop relations in the narrative. Smuts’s use of the interpersonal features are to communicate his personal opinions of things and how he perceives experiences. The study concludes that one is only able to fully comprehend narratives when meanings are taken into account, valued and absorbed completely by making use of the specified elements of the two out of three meta-functions of language as utilised by an author.Item A neo-aristotelian and visual rhetorical analysis of SWAPO’s people’s liberation army of Namibia’s the combatant(University of Namibia, 2022) Simon, Maria NdapunikwaThis study offers a neo-Aristotelian and visual rhetoric analysis of two purposively selected volumes of the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN)’s revolutionary magazine, The Combatant. The aim of the study was to examine how the magazine employed rhetoric devices in its advocacy for exposing the evil tactics of the apartheid regime in Namibia. The study thus investigated how the magazine employed the three canons of rhetoric: invention, arrangement and style, as well as visual patterns to convey its intended communicative and rhetorical potential. Moreover, the study sought to find out the extent at which The Combatant incorporated other rhetoric al devices in its quest to function as a tool that exposes colonialism. Couched within the theoretical foundations of Neo-Aristotelian Rhetorical Theory and Visual Rhetorical Analysis, the study examined the rhetorical and communicative potentials of the magazine in the context of the Namibian liberations war. The study adopted a qualitative research approach - which was explorative in nature and also utilising content analysis in analysing the collected data which was purposively sampled. The major findings of the study revealed that the magazine integrated invention, arrangement and style in assembling the magazine, which confirms that The Combatant was an intentional and intelligent rhetorician. The findings of the study further revealed that The Combatant used visual images as means of persuasion and poems were incorporated as rhetorical devices. The study concludes that the faculty of rhetoric is of utmost importance in political discourse and it is a skill every Politian must possess in order to persuade and impose ideologies on an intended audience.Item Anthropomorphism and social issues in selected Namibian children’s literature(University of Namibia, 2022) Mubuyaeta, Mercy M.This study explored the use of anthropomorphism in selected Namibian children’s literature texts. The texts that formed part of the analysis were obtained from the anthology, The Stolen Water and Other Stories: Traditional Tales from Namibia (1993) retold by Jennifer Davis, and Mbinda (1998) by Izona Bock. The aforementioned texts were selected because of their use of anthropomorphised animals to address social issues in the Namibian society. The stories analysed were from different tribes such as the Khoisan people, the Ovambo, the Kavango the Herero, Nama and the Damara. The stories are of a folklore nature; thus, they tell the stories from the cultural perspectives of the Namibian people. The study aimed to explore how anthropomorphism as a literary technique is used to communicate social issues in the selected Namibian’s children literature. The analysis of the data was guided by the folklorist theory, as well as primary and secondary sources on the Namibian and African cultures. The study is qualitative literary research and employed thematic analysis of the selected short stories. From the analysis, it was revealed that social issues such as discrimination, environmental destruction, crime, corruption, abuse and poverty are some of the prevalent problems raised in the various societies in Namibia. The study further revealed that most of the social issues are the consequences of the colonial legacy, the mismanagement of the country’s resources and a disregard for culture. Moreover, the analysis appeared to suggest that possible solutions to the problems could be an inclusion of traditional methods as well as the revival of the spirit of Ubuntu in Namibian societies. Finally, the researcher recommends further studies of children’s literature that explore possible imaginative solutions to social issues currently faced in Namibia.Item Desperate mobilities: Literary representations of migration, displacement and diaspora in an elegy for easterly by Petina Gappah and we need new names by Noviolet Bulawayo(University of Namibia, 2016) Mabwe, TinotendaThe aim of this proposed study is to explore critically how literature presents migration, displacement and diaspora in An Elegy for Easterly by Petina Gappah and We Need New Names by NoViolet BulawayoItem Expressions of exile and homecoming: A critical analysis of the selected Namibian poetry in English(University of Namibia, 2020) Shitope, Lovisa Indileni NdapandulaThe main focus of this thesis was to analyse the thematic expressions of the exile and homecoming of selecting Namibia poetry in English. The study is guided by new historicism and post colonialism theories. The study adopted a qualitative approach and data was analysed using a thematic analysis. The study found that Namibians gained independence yet they are facing factors such as disillusionment, poverty, high rate of unemployment, alienation, identity crisis, corruption and there is a huge gap between the rich and the poor as portrayed in the selected poems. The study also paints a picture that shows the possibility of a change over that happens when one goes into exile. At the same time, the poets show that after all, exile is not that dreadful, although other poems might depict it as otherwise. The study contends that the poets portray independence as a total failure economically, culturally and politically. The political complaint portray how government has failed to deliver on most its promises due to corruption and how independent has co-operated the self-respect and identity that comes with being black and being poor. In overall, it appears that post-independence poets are disillusioned by the fruits of independence. The poets echo the high aggression and low receptivity of the lives experienced in the foreign lands. Also, these poems communicate, through the choice of words, insightful and frightening lived realities of exilic life.Item Multilingualism in the lecture room: An investigation of translanguaging by UNAM Main Campus lecturers in content subjects in Windhoek, Namibia(University of Namibia, 2021) Ya Nangoloh, PhyllisThe current study investigated multilingualism in the lecture room, paying particular attention to the presence or absence of translanguaging at the University of Namibia (UNAM) main campus. The purpose of the study was, firstly, to investigate why lecturers translanguage or why they do not. Secondly, the study aimed at identifying any translanguaging strategies applied in the lecture room. Finally, the study aimed at exploring the opinions of students, regarding the practice of translanguaging in the lecture room and its effect on their experience of learning. The concern was with the fulfilment of communicative functions that lie in the academic results of learners and students in Namibia. The study adopted the qualitative exploratory design. The participants of the study were thirty-two (first-, second-, third- and fourth-year) content subject students, and four content subject lecturers from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. The data of this study were collected through open ended questionnaires for the students and semistructured interviews for the lecturers. Data collected from the questionnaires were analysed by employing narrative analysis, while interviews were analysed through thematic analysis where common themes were identified, reviewed and presented. Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) was used as the theoretical framework. Additionally, the two types of accommodation processes (convergence and divergence) were used to analyse the data in order to determine which of the five sociolinguistic strategies of CAT, the lecturers use. The findings of the study revealed that lecturers often translanguage for various reasons which include: to explain a concept, clarify and emphasise a point, lack of knowledge of the word in English, and to make the lesson more interesting. Moreover, the study also revealed that when a lecturer uses a language that students understand, it not only enhances their understanding of the taught content, but constructs human relations as well. To add on, the majority of the students feel that using only English in the lecture room affects their academic performance negatively as they sometimes do not understand concepts taught. They thus suggest that lecturers translate difficult terms or concepts into vernacular language. Furthermore, the study revealed that the lecturers converge and use approximation, interpretability and discourse management strategies of CAT. The study thus recommends further exploration of the topic that involves classroom observations. Another recommendation is for the language policy to be investigated against the findings of this study.Item Constructing ethos through mottos and mission statements: Exploring the meanings of school mottos in Ohangwena region, Namibia(University of Namibia, 2018) Hamunyela, Hambeleleni PanduleniSchool mottos and mission statements use language that is similar to language of advertisement. This study is a stylistic analysis of school mottos and mission statements. The main purpose of the study was to analyse how schools construct their ethos/character through school mottos and mission statements. The study also profiled the nature of school mottos found in Ohangwena region as well as their purpose. This study is a qualitative study. The data collected were critically analysed based on the ethos they intended to profess. This was informed by the linguisticstylistic theory that focuses on analysing and synthesising texts. It allowed the researcher to analyse the text focusing on the linguistic and stylistic features employed in the text. Content analysis was employed as a data analysis method. The study revealed that schools in Ohangwena region construct their intended ethos through their aims, beliefs and goals, which are embedded in their mottos, mission statements as well as logos. It was also revealed that mottos, mission statements and logos work together to construct the ethos of the school. The mottos used imperative verbs, ellipsis, metaphors and hyperbole. The school mottos were found to fall under the following categories: religion, education, knowledge, motivation, unity and achievement and aspirations. The findings of this study add to the field of research into slogans/ mottos and mission statements in Namibia. The study brought to the fore the ethos portrayed by schools through their beliefs and aims as well as the stylistics and linguistics components employed in school mottos and mission statements.Item "When men beat women": A critical examination of the literary presentation of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the anthology We must choose life (2008) by Elizabeth Ikhaxas (Ed.)(University of Namibia, 2021) Nauyoma, Oiva S.Gender-based violence is a global problem of great concern. This thesis is a critical examination of the literary presentation of gender-based violence in the anthology We Must Choose Life (2008) by Elizabeth IKhaxas (Ed). The study is framed within the paradigm of “when men beat women” which examines male on female violence as a form of gender-based violence in Namibia as presented in the selected literary anthology We Must Choose Life (2008). Largely a desktop study, the thesis is qualitative in nature and employs a content analysis approach to analyse the selected pieces within the anthology. The textual analysis was informed by three theoretical frameworks, namely, Ecofeminism (d'Eaubonne, 1974), Trauma (Caruth, 1996) and Resilience (Rutter, 1987). Ecofeminism examines the suffering of women from the dominant influence of a male-oriented society. Trauma Theory explores a person’s emotional response to an overwhelming event that disrupts previous ideas of an individual’s sense and the standards by which one evaluates society, while Resilience Theory emphasises the strengths that one has, rather than one’s vulnerability, through exploring the coping strategies. The study revealed that gender roles, norms and assumptions form a repository of the techniques of violence and acceptance of violence. In this respect, specific forms of abuse of women have been identified as gender-based violence with the level of acceptability. It was further observed that some Namibian women have long-standing abusive relationships due to over-dependence on the perpetrators of violence for socio-economic support, fear of the perpetrators’ reprisals, as well as conformity to cultural and religious practices. Based on the findings, the study recommends further investigation of gender roles and relationship problems, in particular, gender-based violence. Further studies to encourage men to write an anthology that examines gender-based violence against men in society, and empowers women to be actively involved in the development of a violence-free environment are still green areas for research.Item Fuctions of Oshiwambo proverbs: An analysis of Oshikwanyama and Oshindonga proverbs(University of Namibia, 2020) Ndume, LeenaThis study analysed the functions of Oshiwambo proverbs. The study was guided by three objectives namely: to analyse and identify functions of Oshiwambo proverbs; to assess the proverbs and examine their meanings; and to evaluate and classify the selected Oshiwambo proverbs according to their functions. Oshiwambo has a collection of proverbs, but none of the existing studies on Oshiwambo proverbs focuses on functions of proverbs or classified them. Thus, the classification of Oshiwambo proverbs according to their functions still needed to be explored. It was therefore the intention of this study to analyse the functions of Oshiwambo proverbs and classify them. The study adopted a qualitative research design. The Linguistic data in this study was analysed using the cognitive theory of proverb interpretation. The study analysed the Oshiwambo proverbs according to Ghazizadeh and Najafi’s (2010) ten functions namely: educational and moral principles, family blood relationship and relative, patience, warnings, social, comforting in difficulties, God and religious life, motivation and encouragement, appreciation, and conflict. The target population was all Oshiwambo proverbs that were published in the two books “Omishe di dule eyovi” and “Omayeletumbulo gAawambo”. Hence, this study was a desktop research. The study employed a purposive sampling procedure to select 100 proverbs from the above two books as a sample. A total of fifty (50) Oshikwanyama and fifty (50) Oshindonga proverbs and their meanings were selected and analysed. These selected proverbs were analysed and grouped into different categories according to their functions. The researcher found that some proverbs can belong to more than one category. The study found that Oshindonga and Oshikwanyama proverbs have similar functions and meanings. The study further revealed that proverbs show a lot about people’s lives and attitudes towards their surroundings, reflecting various cultural values in given societies.Item An audio-visual rhetorical analysis of Dr Abraham Iyambo's advocacy for the concept - ''Towards free education for all'(University of Namibia, 2021) Scholtz-Kotzee, Alvera MarianaThis study offered an audio-visual rhetorical (AVR) analysis of the then Minister of Education and Culture, Dr Abraham Iyambo’s audio-visuals (AVs) on how he advocated for ‘free education for all’ in Namibia. Various government policies and ministers of education have advocated for ‘free education for all’ but arguably they could not promote this goal as much as Dr Abraham Iyambo did. It was only when he became the Minister of Education and Culture in 2010 when ‘free education for all’ came to be advocated for with distinct vigour. The study examined how Iyambo integrated audio-visual rhetoric in his advocacy for ‘free education for all’ in Namibia. It thus investigated how Iyambo employed audio visual patterns (AVP) and related linguistic features in his speeches. The study argues that Iyambo used Burke’s identification theory as a complementary strategy in his audio-visual rhetoric, Cicero’s five canons, and Aristotle’s proofs to persuade the entire education fraternity (audience) to promote this goal. Moreover, the study sought to find out the extent to which Iyambo incorporated other rhetoric devices in his advocacy. The study is the first of its kind to undertake an audio-visual rhetorical analysis of Iyambo’s AVs in his quest to promote the goal of ‘free education for all’ in Namibia. The study adopted a qualitative research approach, and was exploratory in nature. It employed the use of checklists as a data collection tool. Content analysis was used to analyse three videos that were purposively sampled. The symbolic convergence theory (SCT) and the fantasy theme theory (FTA) guided the researcher in the analysis. The findings of the study reflect that Iyambo was an intelligent rhetorician who employed AVPs, trait of linguistic features, Burke’s identification theory, all of Cicero’s five canons, and Aristotle’s proofs in his quest to attain ‘free education for all’ in Namibia. The study concludes that the faculty of rhetoric is of utmost importance in every sphere of life if one must bring about reformation.Item An analysis of the (re)constructions of gender identities through language use on selected Facebook pages of Namibian youth: A case study of the University of Namiia's postgraduate students(University of Namibia, 2021) Matheus, GerhardThe rising popularity of social networking sites among university students has led to invisible lines between students’ offline and online identities. Students are often lured into expressing themselves openly on social networks in ways that expose their personalities. The study explored how the University of Namibia’s post-graduate students (re)construct their gender identities on Facebook through language use. The researcher further explored whether students performed and sustained the societally assigned gender roles on virtual spaces as often as they may do during daily face-toface conversations. Previous scholars have provided inadequate data surrounding aspects such as socio-pragmatic competence, cyber language and gender differences among post-graduate students, and this has prompted this study. By employing the Linguistic Appraisal Theory, the Difference Approach and the Dominance Approach, the researcher pinpointed different ways of gender performance and presentation on social networks. A qualitative approach was used; ethnographic analysis was performed on Facebook walls of 12 male and 12 female students. Furthermore, one-on-one interviews were conducted with eight participants. It emerged that male participants use language that portrays dominance and order (harsh and direct). On the other hand, female participants use polite and subordinate language when engaging in conversations in virtual spaces. It is thus safe to conclude that when engaging in conversations, post-graduate students present ‘an extended offline self’ in virtual spaces. Social networks grant them an opportunity, not to reconstruct identities, but rather extend their already existing ones into more socially acceptable ones. The choice of language employed in virtual environments is similar to the traditional patterns of the language; this shows that Facebook users are still deeply engrossed in culture and maintain societal expectations on virtual environments.Item Humanising climate change through climate fiction: A literary examination of New York 2140 (2017) by Robinson and the Drowned world (1962) by Ballard(University of Namibia, 2021) Andima, Eva-LiisaCli-fi is a neologism that is accredited to Dan Bloom, and it is used to refer to novels, short stories and films whose main focus is on the consequences of climate change (Svoboda, 2016). This thesis employed a qualitative desktop literary analysis and purposively sampled two cli-fi novels, New York 2140 (2017) by Robinson and The Drowned World (1962) by Ballard as they explicitly capture the main theme of this study. The study employed thematic content analysis to analyse gathered data which was systemised into different themes to ease the data analysis and presentation process. Through the ecocriticism theory and the econarratology theory, the study examined how climatic concerns are fictionally expressed in the selected novels, explored the complexity of the relationship between human systems and natural systems as presented through specific environmentally destructive events in the selected cli-fi novels and analysed how cli-fi narratives enhance innovative understandings of the human place in an expanded ecosphere as presented in the selected novels. The study found that in both novels, climate change is “humanised” by the abnormality of growth of humans, animals and plants too, as well as their declining health. Though the identified themes in both novels are similar, each novel expresses each theme uniquely. Under the climatic concern theme in New York 2140 (2017), it was established that climate change is a consequence of human activities on the environment over a long period of time. Contrastingly, in The Drowned World (1962), climate change happens naturally, and humans have to adapt and figure out how to survive the calamity. Future studies are recommended to look beyond written cli-fi narratives and look at, for example, orality and visual narratives to examine humanised climate change. Future studies could also use the Rhetorical Narrative Theory (RNT) to explore the humanisation of climate change in cli-fi works.Item A comparative analysis of Afrofuturism, magical realism and African mythology in Namwali serpell's The old drift and Marlon Jame's Black leopard red wolf: An afrocentric perspective(University of Namibia, 2021) Mbewe, MasiyaletiAfrofuturism, Magical Realism and African Mythology are genres in literary fiction that can be used by authors and writers to explore difficult themes, complex characters, speculative settings and experimental plot points. While studies of these genres in literature exist, there has not been sufficient research in these concepts that centre the African perspective or explore the intersections of these genres. The main objective of this study was to investigate how Afrofuturism, Magical Realism and African Mythology are applied in the novels The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell and Black Leopard Red Wolf by Marlon James, to provide an analysis, explore new methods of theorising African literature and challenge current literary epistemologies. This study used the Afrocentric theoretical framework developed by Asante (1980) to meet said objectives and contextualise the analysis of the two novels. One of the main findings of this research outlined how instrumental Afrofuturism, Magical Realism and African Mythology are as literary genres in African literature as they allow authors to centre African perspectives. These perspectives thereby help cultivate a distinct lens that prioritises the African reader. Furthermore, the genres under investigation proved to be a resourceful way for African narratives immerging from the continent to explore a magnitude of complex themes. Lastly, the study recommends that more research on African literature from an Afrocentric perspective be conducted on other literary work produced in the genres of Afrofuturism, Magical Realism and African Mythology as there are more crucial insights yet to be uncovered.Item An exploration of aristotelian proofs in commencement ceremony speeches at the University of Namibia, 2004-2018: The case of Professor Lazarus Hangula(University of Namibia, 2021) Hamurenge, Christoph N.Good public speaking is an art, and in order to convince or persuade an audience, one needs to master the skills for this art of oratory. This ability is often enhanced by employing a variety of communication strategies, among them Aristotle’s proofs of persuasion (Aristotle, 1976, & Yenawine, 1997). This study explored the usage of Aristotelian proofs of persuasion in commencement ceremony speeches delivered by Professor Lazarus Hangula, the second and former Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the University of Namibia (UNAM), from 2004 to 2018. Rhetorical ethos, pathos and logos when used in speeches effectively have been credited with profound impact of persuasion on the audience (Borg, 2004 & Yenawine, 1997). This study, thus, explored how Aristotle’s proofs of persuasion - ethos, pathos, and logos = are used in the commencement ceremony speeches at the University of Namibia to persuade members of staff and students to be dedicated to their work. The study is grounded on Aristotle’s Theory of Rhetoric (Aristotle, 1976), which identifies ethos, pathos, and logos as a means of persuasion. Vastly employed for the analysis of speeches, the theory examines emotion, authority, and logic, which are essential parameters for an effective speech (Borg, 2004). It also helps to determine the effectiveness of persuasion; a rhetorician should consider in discourse when addressing an audience. The study employed a qualitative document analysis research design in which five commencement ceremony speech samples by Professor Lazarus Hangula were explored. The study, in identifying and interpreting the usage of ethos, pathos and logos in the speeches using Aristotle’s theory of rhetoric, largely observes that the speeches make extensive use of the proofs of persuasion in negotiating meaning and proposals with the audience.Item Examining the (in)significance of the African boychild as an unheard voice in feminist critical discources: A literary exploration of BA, Dangarembga and Andreas' selected works(University of Namibia, 2020) Butau, AshleeThis thesis examined how literature presents the (in)significance of the African boy child as an unheard voice in the selected feminist critical discourses of three literary works - Mariama Ba’s (1979) So Long a Letter, Tsitsi Dangarembga’s (1989) Nervous Conditions and Neshani Andreas’s The Purple Violet of Oshantuu (2001). The presentation of the boy child in African feminist writing is an area which has not been given much attention in gender writing. The thrust in this research rests on the traditional African perspective, on who can be defined as the African boy child. This study incorporated young and grown up males, bearing in mind the fact that a grown up man in the African culture can be considered a boy child. This is so as to accommodate all males that are presented in the selected feminist critical discourse. Studies on the (re)presentation of the boy child in literary fiction is, as far as the research has established, an understudied area within the broader area of gender discourse. The three novels were selected using purposive sampling as they portray an array of masculinities. The researcher employed Masculinities and Nego-feminism as literary theories to underpin this study, from examining the various roles boy children and males in general play in the texts. Masculinities as a concept was used in order to magnify the construction of the boy child’s identity as it has a lot of bearing on the character of men. Nego-feminism places both genders side by side as men and women try to negotiate their spaces in life and mirrors how the negotiated spaces between the boy children and the females bring about a transformed society in which negative patriarchal values melt away. The study analysed how the three selected female authors portray masculinities as they are experienced in daily life and where historical periods determine their different reactions to the social constructs that gender is. A qualitative research design was adopted to interpret the portrayal of masculinities in the two novels. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the three novels for the portrayal of the boy child characters. The study indicated that the boy child’s identities are a product of a social construct which differs from community to community, and are constantly subject to change. The study observed that the selected feminist discourses have seemingly muted the voice of the boy child who is represented in the three texts as having a privileged position in the society compared to the girl child. The study further noted that feminist writers employ a boy child inhibiting motif that is embraced in muted efforts of the African patriarch to improve gender issues by pedestalising the female voice. The study evaluated the effectiveness of the boy children’s silences in matters pertaining to human affairs and the erasure of hegemonic influences on the globe as one of the fundamental aspects of feminism. The three selected female authors seemingly represented the boy children in a society that exploits the patriarchal dividend of power and hold on to the characteristics of hegemonic masculinity. However, the research also observed that, as portrayed by Ba, Dangarembga and Andreas, some of the boy children are virtuous, admirable and responsible. In discoursing about the boy child (re)presentations of the boy child adjunct inter-texting themes include brotherhood, boy child education as reflection of gender preferences and an instrument of oppression, fathers and son relationships and boy hood as a construct through socialisation, tradition, cultural practices, education and projections of gender.