We as a group decided to speak on Technological advances and how it affects people. I will be focussing on a sub theme of the advantages and disadvantages that social networking such a facebook,myspace, cell phones and so on have on people in general.
starting with cell phones, a great advantage of the modern day cell phone is that one can always get hold of a person just by calling their phone-it becomes a part of that persons identitity and one knows one can always reach them.This is where a great advantage of cellphones as safety devices comes into play, as thanks to these mobile phones, in case of an emergency and one is not near a landline or has no means of contacting someone, the cell phone is great for as long as it has signal you can instantly call someone for help or an ambulance etc.In this way, if you want to take the extreme advantage it has the ability to assist in saving lives.Simple fact is that cell phones make our lives easier,especially when in a foreign country it is of vital importance to have a cell phone that functions properly in that country as one can easily get stuck or lost or be put in an awwkard situation where the cell phone would aid in reaching help and/assistance quickly and usually efficiently.all in all the main advantage of the cell phone is for emergencys, and here we can add the luxury of the phone which is being able to causally keep in contact with friends and family and send short mesages,emails,pictures,voice notes, videos etc. the cellphone becomes a mini portal into the technological world where almost everything is possible by the touch of a few buttons. The world is literally at ones fingertips such as internet access on mobile phones.
When asking the older generation such as my grandmother of 89 years what she thought of the mobile phones we seeminlgy "tech savy" youth know "everything"about, she replied-too complicated and it cuts out the ability to have a real conversation. This one must admit is true,as great as it is being able to call and SMS nationally and internationally within a matter of seconds, it takes away real face-to face ,vis-a-vis conversation. Conversations simply are not what they used to be, they have lost the pure factor as these days one can hide behind a keypad and think about what one wants to say or reply and ho to say it,erase it,rewrite it,where before the time of these phones you did not have that option.It has gravely altered social communication in the modern world.Cell phones have altered social interaction both positively in the sense that its quick and easy to converse over long distances, but the sad part is that it cuts people out of good old conversation,makes people anti-social at times,stressed, and also can be dangerous such as in the case of minors with phones having access to adult websites via their cell phones or chat rooms etc. which could become potentially dangerous situations, as well as amongst the younger generation becoming an item which declares you "cool" or not if you do not have the latest blackberry or smart phone and this in turn in the long run could have serious and negative effects on especially childrens means of social interaction, confidence etc.
All in all one just has to be educated and wise on how to use these mobile phones correctly and properly,hence it depends solely on how individuals decide to use their phones be it advantageous to them or not.
Kim Brown
Friday, October 1, 2010
Health Safety: Drugs
The second topic that I will be focusing on is that of drugs in Stellenbosch. Speaking to students on this issue, the most common drug that is brought up besides dagga is tik. It is widely known that tik is one of the most used drugs in the Western Cape, especially in areas such as the Cape Flats. It is clear that from speaking to students that have done drugs that these products are very easy to find in Stellenbosch as people are selling them in car parks, class and clubs.
However, this isn’t only a problem found within the student population in Stellenbosch but also in the homeless population. After speaking to numerous students about the drug problem in Stellenbosch, many have spoken about their experiences and the most prominent issue that arises is how widespread the use is of date rape drugs. After interviewing female students about this issue, it seems that this is a bigger problem than one initially thinks as not many female students openly talk about this issue and many have the opinion that “it will not happen to me”.
When questioned why they use drugs, many people claimed that they do it for social reasons. The most commonly used drug used amongst those interviewed is dagga with the minority admitting to using prescription pills.
The students interviewed that expressed strong opinions against using drugs seem to think that this problem relates more to “the others” such as the homeless and the gangs that operate in Stellenbosch rather than the student population. This is concerning as it reveals how some students on campus are not aware of how widespread this problem is within Stellenbosch.
- Sarah Otto
The Homeless People of Stellenbosch
The beggar’s Living Standards:
The living standards and life spam of the homeless people in Stellenbosch is not that of a high-quality. Many of the homeless beggars die due to illness and diseases caused by the unhealthy environment they live in. Their bad circumstances are most of the time due to the fact that they sleep under bushes and bridges.
Stellenbosch is home to some of the richest people in South Africa but also to a number of the poorest people as well. At the University of Stellenbosch is a saying: “The rich people are getting richer and the poor people are getting poorer”, this can be seen when one looks at all the homeless people dwelling in the streets of Stellenbosch and when one notice the many enormous houses in the town and all the expensive cars that drives pass one daily. This two opposing situations are present and has a negative effect on the growth and development in Stellenbosch because this means that there is little equality in the redistribution of income among citizens.
Their living standards contribute the amount of years they will survive.
Carien van der Walt
Sosiale verdraagsaamheid tussen studente
Is daar verdraagsaamheid tussen studente in woonkomplekse?
As 'n student bly ek nie in die koshuis nie, maar in 'n woonstel in Stellenbosch. In die kompleks waar ek bly is die meerderheid mense studente. Hierdie studente is van verskillende rasse naamlik wit, swart en kleurlinge. Oor die algemeen is die mense van dieselfde klasgroep. Ek weet van geen voorval waar van die studente oor iets gestry het nie. Daar moet verseker verdraagsaamheid tussen ons wees, want soos julle weet, as studente 'n braai of 'n kuier hou, dan is ons nie van die stilste wat daar is nie. Omdat die inwoners nie almal van dieselfde ras is nie, of dieselfde kulturele normes het nie, verskil ons musiek smaak ook oor die algemeen. So iets het nog nooit 'n ander student kwaad gemaak nie. Dit is definitief ’n bewys van sosiale verdraagsaamheid tussen studente. Enige iemand is meer as welkom om met my te verskil.
Martin Botha
The Hope Project: SU's Contribution to Improve Local Society
Week 2:
The University of Stellenbosch has contributed immensely to the creation of health organizations spread out across the Western Cape. Also, the developmental goals and projects created by the university in collaboration with the Provincial Government of the Western Cape have focused on educating and informing the public through means of educational programs scholars to awareness programs and events. The Hope Project, initiated by the Stellenbosch University is a prime example of how a university can contribute to the public.
For example, also inspired through the Hope Project, the Africa Institute for HIV/AIDS Management uses interactive educational theatre to address the mobilization of communities with respect to HIV and AIDS. This includes eliminating stigma, developing partnerships between social and governmental decision-makers and systematically involving infected and affected communities and individuals. Since January 2003 the Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management has three fundamental pillars that functions as the foundation of their being. These include academic programs, research and community mobilization. The centre focus on collaborating the theory of the academics with the practice of doctors and nurses and the assistance it offers to the better good of the rural and general public. Education plays a major role in behaviour modification and the institute uses the educational theatre approach towards HIV and AIDS related education, abstinence and prevention programmes. This approach is effective in overcoming the obstacles of low literacy levels and the strategy is guaranteed to push people’s emotional buttons and inspire them to truly engage in the topic at hand. Through drama, art and music the institution attempts to inspire, attract and give hope to those suffering from the disease.
Another example of a developmental project is the Hope Project that has led to the creation of among others the Ukwanda Rural Clinic. Next week I will look at the Ukwanda Rural Clinic and also try and conduct an interview.
Good Times
Bibliography:
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Media and Society
Film Fridays
The world over, media and society plays an important role in how young people see themselves. However, it is even more acutely felt within the context of Stellenbosch. I will briefly explore the effects of Films, as a subset of Media and Society, on the students society within Stellenbosch. This week, I will look at availability of films and movies on campus and its reach. Also, I will explore films as an information tool.
Stellenbosch is perceived by many to be a rather removed campus resulting in a removed student community. By removed I refer to the way students can procede with their lived with little or no regard for happenings in the outside world. As a result, in order to stay up to date and relevant students have to derive their information and cultural updates from other mediums. Movies is one of those mediums.
Stellenbosch in and out... Bubble living
Ster Kinerkor has a junction outlet located 5 minutes from the main campus, the junction being lower priced than the normal cinemas. In addition, on Tuesdays movies are half priced and furthermore students with special discount cards such as Discovery Health and Edgars cards are entitled to a further discount. This all leads to greater access to movies for the students community.
Then we have the substantial network of shared files wherein the student community shares movies through outlets such as DC++, online sharing and servers. This is a virtually cost free way of accessing the most recent and up to date movies. This further enhances the access to movies by the student community.
Messages like these are widely ignored
Now that we have established the access points we will examine the use of films within the Stellenbosch student community. The first use goes without saying - one goes to the movies to be entertained. This is the primary reason students go to the cinema. In addition, movies allows you to be culturally relevant within the student community. In Stellenbosch, where so many experiences duplicate each other and are shared amongst students, movies provide a further dimension for interaction.
However, the main use of movies within the student community of Stellenbosch is to be informed. This is very important. Movies enable students to keep track of technological developments (3D), important issues on the minds of leaders (An Inconvenient Truth, The 11th Hour) and even helps students keep up with the image of South Africa and how it is being perceived and developed internationally. The latter would be through popularity of movies such as District 9 and the production of movies such as Invictus and the movie that is currently being made about the life of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.
Movies also educate and is an important indicator of the culture temperature globally. Movies that are popular today might not have been popular a few decades ago. This is an important indicator of the change of times and culture.
So from this one can deduce that movies is an important source of information and helps students shape the view of the world, without having to leave their bubble ! Furthermore, movies incites curiosity. Saw something that interesting? Students have access to tools such the internet and the library to further research and learn.
In conclusion, movies play an important role in the lives of Stellenbosch students enabling them to keep track of the outside world while still remaining within the bubble that is Stellenbosch. In addition, with the availability of movies and films to students at little or no cost it is a avenue open to exploitation.
Friday Films,
Anthea Hartzenberg
15617475
Images courtesy of Google Images.
15617475
Images courtesy of Google Images.
Public Health. The conditions of the workplaces a case study of the staff and the patients and how their financial aid influences their medical opportunities.
Our group has chosen to concentrate our case study on an issue in town that has created many problems on the health sector of the public. We have decided to work on various options concerning the issues of HIV/Aids, TB, sanitation and pollution and the public services and their reaction towards these issues. As well we will focus on the financial restraint concerning with their budget and resources and the independent groups, private services, SU health services and development goals. For these few weeks I will concentrate my study on the conditions of the workplaces, how different their circumstances are and how it affects the patients and the staff. Public health is one of the main problems that comes forward everywhere no matter what age, gender, size, and race or wealth. These issues are part of what has led to these circumstances. Public health is a practice to help with diseases, prolonging life and promoting health through efforts of society. I will focus in the area of Stellenbosch and the surroundings, focusing on Idasvalley, Cloetesville, Pniel/Kylemore and Kayamandi. By evaluating these different people, surroundings and how they go about their health issues and look at the different conditions of the hospitals and the clinics. Lastly together with the working conditions one will analysis their training, experiences and how their budgets affect their processes.
stephanie cupido
stephanie cupido
What is perceived as beautiful?
The topic our group will be presenting on the blog is about beauty, and how it is perceived in Stellenbosch. My topic specifically places special emphasis on rural areas which will be compared to urban areas. The topic is an interesting one as it will attempt to clarify what beauty really is, in different race and cultural groups. Comparisons will include fair versus dark skin as well as different types of hair. I will actively investigate and do a thorough research by engaging with members of society on this topic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDGSjx_tUHM The following link provides an overview of what my topic will be about. More specifically the link is about girls that appeared on the Tyra Banks show because they were either unhappy or happy with the features they were born with. All the girls were black American and provide interesting opinions. The following comment was made on the YouTube blog on 25 September 2010: “I think we have this notion that light skin is more beautiful because it's not as common in the black race. Just like a black person who has blue or green eyes, it's rare, so we think it's beautiful. That's the same reason we may see light skin as beautiful, not because people think being white is superior.” I will engage with the public in Stellenbosch to find out what there take on the matter is.
Justine Keller
The working conditions within the public heath sector
The workplace and waiting rooms of the public hospitals and clinics are more crowded than private hospitals and clinics reason being that the majority of South Africans are living in poverty and the high inequality percentage is relatively high, therefore, this contributes to crowded public hospitals and clinics. The workplaces of public hospitals are of low standard because the funds allocated for the specific public health sector is relatively low. The waiting rooms are normally small and it can only accommodate a limited number of patients. Some patients have to wait outside when they waiting to be helped in the casualty ward. The doctors are also limited to a number of patients and they are normally seen only by booking an appointment in order to avoid long queues if you have not made an appointment then you have to wait and it could take the whole day. Normally patients that stay over at the hospital must wait for available hospital beds. The working conditions are at times unhygienic because of being short of staff. Patients are kept in compact conditions. The medicine section is not concealed but the pill packets are sealed. The buildings are not properly taken care of, due to low funds and therefore it is understandable that the conditions are not of high standards.
K.Festus
MEDIA AND SOCIETY
MEDIA AND SEXUALITY BY JENNIFER LE ROUX
Wherever we look, catalogs, magazines, television, movies, and billboards, the images shown present us with the cultural standard, what we should be like and what is in fashion, but specifically what sexual practices are expectable. The mass media are an increasingly accessible way for people to learn about and see sexual behavior. The media may be especially important for young people as they are developing their own sexual beliefs and patterns of behavior, and as parents and schools remain reluctant to discuss sexual topics. Sexual talk and displays are increasingly frequent and explicit in this mediated world. One content analysis found that sexual content that ranged from flirting to sexual intercourse had increased from slightly more than half of television programs in 1997-1998 to more than two-thirds of the programs in the 1999-2000 season. Depiction of intercourse (suggestive or explicit) occurred in one of every 10 programmes.
These media sources set standards that women should be beautiful and sexy at all times. Girls as young as the age of twelve begin to dress up and imitate stars such as Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus and Kim Kardashian wanting to be just like them. All these women, for example, show how pop culture depicts women, as having a “sexy” look no matter what they do, as they exercise or just going through an ordinary day. This creates unnecessary expectations for both men and women
Being young students at Stellenbosch I feel the media does play a huge part in how we view sex. The media in an indirect way teaches us how we should act and what we should look like. Movies, magazines, fashion and television, depict women to be a kind of sex object that have to be skinny and sexy, and men on the other hand to be romantic womanizers who have sex with as many women as they can. In stellenbosch I have witnessed many young women complain that they are either not thin or pretty enough for a guy to notice them and a few that wouldn’t dare go out without make up on in case they bump into a good looking man. The young men are often under just as much pressure by their friends to find a girl on their nights out although most are not interested in a stable long term relationship. On another note however, the media also shows women that men are these romantic people that can sweep women of their feet. When students are in a committed relationship the media creates the image that we as women should be spoilt rotten but often times our student boyfriends don’t have the time or the money to fulfill these mating rituals as depicted in the movies.
These images place an incredible amount of pressure on men and women to live up to this standard that is most often impossible to meet. Women go on diets; some even become bulimic or anorexic trying to meet the cultural standard. Women who cannot meet this standard lose self-esteem and confidence in themselves, which impairs their ability to function to their best ability. Men have similar pressures from the pop culture. Just like women, advertisements for men are everywhere. In movies, the man who always get the girl is depicted as a romantic womanizer like Agent 007 from James Bond or someone with a “perfect body”, and wash board abs. Movies also show men as a hero, the “knight in shining armor” that rides to the rescue of a woman in distress on his white stallion and sweeps her off her feet with his bravery, charm, and romance. At the moment, pop culture has a bad influence on everyone. It influences people to become this ideal person that is not reachable and lets people think that having casual sex, taking drugs, and committing violent act are expectable.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Pollution and Cigarettes
As a student who happens to be a smoker, I know that there is nothing more pleasant then having a cigarette or two in between classes. I have noticed that the majority of students on campus are smokers. however, i wonder if we are all aware of the danger we are causing to the environment and those around us?
Let me break this up to u guys. When cigarette smoke is freed into the air, whether it is directly from the cigarette or from the lungs of the smoker, the chemicals are released into the heavens. The chemicals and carcinogen particles move up, (since smoke is less dense than air) and stay in the atmosphere, causing the air to become dirty and more toxic. The smoke also pollutes the air directly surrounding people who are on the ground in high concentrations, which can lead to health issues in people who do not even smoke. furthermore, littering is also a form of pollution, and we all know that smokers tend to leave their cigarette buds on the ground after a smoke.
in the following weeks, i will be collecting data in the form of interviewing smoking and non smoking students. we will be informed as to whether or not students are willing to quit smoking for the betterof the environment and humanity.
K Moroeng
Let me break this up to u guys. When cigarette smoke is freed into the air, whether it is directly from the cigarette or from the lungs of the smoker, the chemicals are released into the heavens. The chemicals and carcinogen particles move up, (since smoke is less dense than air) and stay in the atmosphere, causing the air to become dirty and more toxic. The smoke also pollutes the air directly surrounding people who are on the ground in high concentrations, which can lead to health issues in people who do not even smoke. furthermore, littering is also a form of pollution, and we all know that smokers tend to leave their cigarette buds on the ground after a smoke.
in the following weeks, i will be collecting data in the form of interviewing smoking and non smoking students. we will be informed as to whether or not students are willing to quit smoking for the betterof the environment and humanity.
K Moroeng
Fashion searching for an identity…
THE GREAT STEREOTYPE
“Poppies, princesses, jock, emo’s, high end fashion asters, alternative rock stars, Barbie blonds, farm friends/ plain Janes, gangster, vintage and boho”…
The evil judgemental eye of the Stellenbosch “canned food factory” has become a breeding ground for people to be politely de-personalised and categorised into a labelled can or one of the above stereotypes. Every where one goes these days you are glanced at and then judged by our fellow students, working adults and school goers by your choice of fashion that you were inclined, for whatever reason to uniform yourself that morning. Yes this sounds like a harsh accusation but in so many ways this is how society has developed here in Stellenbosch and especially on campus.
However as one can clearly see the down side to being “categorised” and loosing the ability to defines one’s own personality, morals, beliefs, and character, and being defined solely by the group of stereotype you fit into. There is also a great appeal to this situation. Theorists on clothing and identity go on to note that clothing does not only reflect one’s own personal identity but it also reflects a group identity to which one now conforms to, which gives many a sense of belonging in this diverse and for some lonely world. It is through the active use of various props, costumes and artifacts that one announces to the world around them who they are and how they wish to be seen. Georg Simmel and Erving Goffman Sociologists of the Sociological Investigation of Human Experience pointed out these phenomena of fashion in their analysis of front and back region performances. The back region is where one arranges their dress and the various props that will be used in a particular presentation of self, in this he addresses these two vital social tendencies; to belong to a group and to be individual- fashion in his perspective does both. This can also be seen as the pursuit of inclusion or exclusion. Fashion being the midpoint between the two. If one is too far in front or behind the accepted “taste” then they are out of fashion. Students in particular in searching for their identity feel the need to be like their peers or on the other side of the scale, unlike their peers and take the notion of anti-fashion. Anti-fashion however is but in its self also a reaction to fashion in the sense that they are rebelling against the collective norm and therefore want to be perceived in that rebellious spirit. Our nature as students in particular, feels the need to mark boundaries between social groupings or the “categories” of stereotypes; Poppies, princesses, jock, emo’s, high end fashion asters, alternative rock stars, Barbie blonds, farm friends/ plain Janes, gangster, vintage and boho… on campus we get them all, mostly being defined by their fashion items, in which the visual aspect is their main item.
A. Tunmer
Media & Society: TV Tuesday
How I Met my Friends
Have you ever been approached at a bar by a tap on the shoulder and a “Hi! Haaave you met [insert name]” followed by raucous laughter? Maybe not. But I know I’ve tried that line out. Not because I think it’ll work, but because I think it’s funny. And most people you come across would agree. In isolation, that doesn’t seem very funny at all, but if you’re a fan of “How I Met Your Mother” it suddenly all begins to make sense. Because that’s one of Barney’s favourite pick-up games to play with Ted. And we all know that Barney pretty much sets the bar for good humour these days.
It sounds ridiculous, but it’s actually true. Those that watch shows like HIMYM find the jokes so hilarious that they bring them in to real-life situations. And reciting them and re-working them to suit your own situations suddenly becomes the new form of humour within your friendship circles. Pretty sad how easily we give up our originality really.
HIMYM seems to be the recipe for the new (and probably funnier) “Friends”. That good old show we all grew up with, the one that made us believe that Rachel and Ross and the gang were really our good friends, and that Phoebe and Joey were about as funny as people came. That’s what we grew up on. That was our example of a perfect friendship group. So perhaps it’s no wonder we’ve all accepted HIMYM so readily, and been so eager to integrate our own lives with those on the screen... As far as everything we’ve been taught, those shows provide the example of ideal friendship groups, and set the bar for comedic banter.
- Sarah Chaimowitz
How I met Your Mother: http://www.tv.com/how-i-met-your-mother/show/33700/summary.html
Friends: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108778/
Have you ever been approached at a bar by a tap on the shoulder and a “Hi! Haaave you met [insert name]” followed by raucous laughter? Maybe not. But I know I’ve tried that line out. Not because I think it’ll work, but because I think it’s funny. And most people you come across would agree. In isolation, that doesn’t seem very funny at all, but if you’re a fan of “How I Met Your Mother” it suddenly all begins to make sense. Because that’s one of Barney’s favourite pick-up games to play with Ted. And we all know that Barney pretty much sets the bar for good humour these days.
It sounds ridiculous, but it’s actually true. Those that watch shows like HIMYM find the jokes so hilarious that they bring them in to real-life situations. And reciting them and re-working them to suit your own situations suddenly becomes the new form of humour within your friendship circles. Pretty sad how easily we give up our originality really.
HIMYM seems to be the recipe for the new (and probably funnier) “Friends”. That good old show we all grew up with, the one that made us believe that Rachel and Ross and the gang were really our good friends, and that Phoebe and Joey were about as funny as people came. That’s what we grew up on. That was our example of a perfect friendship group. So perhaps it’s no wonder we’ve all accepted HIMYM so readily, and been so eager to integrate our own lives with those on the screen... As far as everything we’ve been taught, those shows provide the example of ideal friendship groups, and set the bar for comedic banter.
- Sarah Chaimowitz
How I met Your Mother: http://www.tv.com/how-i-met-your-mother/show/33700/summary.html
Friends: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108778/
Challenging the cosmology of beauty.
“We want the ‘i-pods’; the portable stuff” says interviewed Stellenbosch men.
The cosmology of beauty has at large shaped society’s perception about physical beauty and attractiveness, especially for the ‘ladies’. The pursuit of the “slim” body sizes or ‘budilicious’ shapes, the modification of skin as seen in Stellenbosch campus, the light skinned ladies spend notable amount of time trying to ‘turn’ their skin by sitting in direct sunlight. On the other hand the dark skinned ladies avoid the sun to protect themselves from turning darker, some even use chemical skin lighters for the pursuit of ‘beauty’.
Does the Cosmo define beauty or do individuals define their own beauty at the reference of Cosmo? In knowledge of the negative consequences that beauty surgery, skin lighter etc may have to once body health; where do we draw the line in chasing physical beauty and attractiveness? To the amount of time and energy one spend trying to look their best, is there a real tangible value of beauty proportional to the energy one spend trying to look ‘beautiful’? Are the ladies that turn to take the boyish style or the ‘free spirited’ type still considered beautiful, or are they just quitters of the contemporary beauty image?
[By: ADELE COSSA]
The cosmology of beauty has at large shaped society’s perception about physical beauty and attractiveness, especially for the ‘ladies’. The pursuit of the “slim” body sizes or ‘budilicious’ shapes, the modification of skin as seen in Stellenbosch campus, the light skinned ladies spend notable amount of time trying to ‘turn’ their skin by sitting in direct sunlight. On the other hand the dark skinned ladies avoid the sun to protect themselves from turning darker, some even use chemical skin lighters for the pursuit of ‘beauty’.
Does the Cosmo define beauty or do individuals define their own beauty at the reference of Cosmo? In knowledge of the negative consequences that beauty surgery, skin lighter etc may have to once body health; where do we draw the line in chasing physical beauty and attractiveness? To the amount of time and energy one spend trying to look their best, is there a real tangible value of beauty proportional to the energy one spend trying to look ‘beautiful’? Are the ladies that turn to take the boyish style or the ‘free spirited’ type still considered beautiful, or are they just quitters of the contemporary beauty image?
[By: ADELE COSSA]
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Growth of Townships and the implications this has on the youth and thus the increase in crime
Our group is doing a study of the growth of townships and the various impacts this growth has on a number of social issues such as crime, health, education and employment. We are particularly focusing on the Kayamandi informal settlement located on the outskirts of Stellenbosch.
My focus in this section, thus far, will be on the increasing crime which is so evident in the Kayamandi settlement, but which can also be found within the many other informal settlements which are increasing in size. Furthermore, it is important to look at the contemporary youth's impact on crime in and around townships, as these youth's are the future of our country.
The growth in townships can quite simply be summed-up as a result of the increasing amount of poverty and unemployment in and around areas of high-density populations, or around areas of over-population.
It is an unfortunate truth that the creation and growth of townships around South Africa can be traced back to around the time of apartheid, where colonization had a stronghold on people of all races. With colonization came the loss of homes, land, identity and even the dignity of, mostly, people of colour. Forceful removal, of masses of people- of colour- was often used as a means to eradicate masses of people from certain areas which were limited to white ownership, this was also an attempt to import and export slaves and to simply relocate certain people, for "better" use of certain land-space previously owned by people of colour. Furthermore, the increasing loss of jobs around these times left black/ coloured people with no choice but to resort to "setting-up camp" elsewhere, where there may have been a better chance of jobs- a rise in urbanisation contributed to this movement and establishment of informal settlements.
Irrespective of the history behind townships or informal settlements, I wish to bring this discussion back "home" to put the issue of township growth into context. Kayamandi, known- in English- to mean "Sweet Home" is a township just on the outskirts of Stellenbosch. This township was brought about, due to a high rate of unemployment and the constant need for more and more jobs to sustain the populations/ people who moved to this area.
However, an increase/ rise in population numbers ultimately means less and less space, and thus a growing need for sustainable resources to sustain these populations. The money put into such efforts to sustain these people is, however, not enough to build proper housing for these people, as well as provide them with means to educate these masses. With the lack of education for the contemporary youth, comes the need for this youth to feel more accepted, thus, a need for a sense of identity. In this search for identity, many a youth resort to extreme ways to fill the hole that was once their culture, of which they lost a part of, through the generations- due to historical "happenings" such as Apartheid. These extreme needs can include the joining of a gangs, the committing of heinous crimes to feel accepted and a part of something greater than the self.
The life of the less fortunate is a vicious circle, where history repeats itself and sometimes roles are reversed- and still- people get hurt.
Growth in townships, does indeed result in multiple problems, rise in crime being a prominent issue. I personally got to hear about a crime committed in Kayamandi, and a crime which leaves me unsettled about the idea of growing townships.
In wanting to do fieldwork research on this topic- getting physically involved in the Kayamandi community, I came across a recent news story which left me fearing for my very life, and made me change my mind about going into the Kayamandi township to do research. Recently, and how the story goes, a young Stellenbosch student, Daniel Booysen was stabbed in the neck and died, on the scene of the crime, for trying to help a friend and save her from being raped by these criminals. These criminals apparently wanted to rape this female friend of Daniel's. Could this want to rape an innocent girl, be a result of sheer boredom, a desire for the criminal to feel important and like a "main man" among his friends?
There will always be many unanswered questions where matters like this are concerned. However, it is of the utmost importance that one takes all the possibilities into account, and works around trying to prevent certain outcomes. One could start with education, and try constantly and consistently educating these less fortunate masses. Why not try "up" the quality of life in these settlements, and possibly find ways to solve the problem of overpopulation in areas, by limiting the size of such a settlement, finding other ways to accommodate for all these people, and to accommodate for space. A particular area can only sustain "so many" people, any more than it can handle may be to the detriment of the community and surrounding communities.
Bellow are two links which relate to this post. The one link gives a brief history of Kayamandi, and the other is a link to the 'News24' article on the recent crime- mentioned above- which took place in Kayamandi.
Sources:
http://www.prochorus.org/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_custom&cause_id=303&page=kayamandi
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Murdered-Matie-trying-to-help-20100917
Tanya Masters
15417395
My focus in this section, thus far, will be on the increasing crime which is so evident in the Kayamandi settlement, but which can also be found within the many other informal settlements which are increasing in size. Furthermore, it is important to look at the contemporary youth's impact on crime in and around townships, as these youth's are the future of our country.
The growth in townships can quite simply be summed-up as a result of the increasing amount of poverty and unemployment in and around areas of high-density populations, or around areas of over-population.
It is an unfortunate truth that the creation and growth of townships around South Africa can be traced back to around the time of apartheid, where colonization had a stronghold on people of all races. With colonization came the loss of homes, land, identity and even the dignity of, mostly, people of colour. Forceful removal, of masses of people- of colour- was often used as a means to eradicate masses of people from certain areas which were limited to white ownership, this was also an attempt to import and export slaves and to simply relocate certain people, for "better" use of certain land-space previously owned by people of colour. Furthermore, the increasing loss of jobs around these times left black/ coloured people with no choice but to resort to "setting-up camp" elsewhere, where there may have been a better chance of jobs- a rise in urbanisation contributed to this movement and establishment of informal settlements.
Irrespective of the history behind townships or informal settlements, I wish to bring this discussion back "home" to put the issue of township growth into context. Kayamandi, known- in English- to mean "Sweet Home" is a township just on the outskirts of Stellenbosch. This township was brought about, due to a high rate of unemployment and the constant need for more and more jobs to sustain the populations/ people who moved to this area.
However, an increase/ rise in population numbers ultimately means less and less space, and thus a growing need for sustainable resources to sustain these populations. The money put into such efforts to sustain these people is, however, not enough to build proper housing for these people, as well as provide them with means to educate these masses. With the lack of education for the contemporary youth, comes the need for this youth to feel more accepted, thus, a need for a sense of identity. In this search for identity, many a youth resort to extreme ways to fill the hole that was once their culture, of which they lost a part of, through the generations- due to historical "happenings" such as Apartheid. These extreme needs can include the joining of a gangs, the committing of heinous crimes to feel accepted and a part of something greater than the self.
The life of the less fortunate is a vicious circle, where history repeats itself and sometimes roles are reversed- and still- people get hurt.
Growth in townships, does indeed result in multiple problems, rise in crime being a prominent issue. I personally got to hear about a crime committed in Kayamandi, and a crime which leaves me unsettled about the idea of growing townships.
In wanting to do fieldwork research on this topic- getting physically involved in the Kayamandi community, I came across a recent news story which left me fearing for my very life, and made me change my mind about going into the Kayamandi township to do research. Recently, and how the story goes, a young Stellenbosch student, Daniel Booysen was stabbed in the neck and died, on the scene of the crime, for trying to help a friend and save her from being raped by these criminals. These criminals apparently wanted to rape this female friend of Daniel's. Could this want to rape an innocent girl, be a result of sheer boredom, a desire for the criminal to feel important and like a "main man" among his friends?
There will always be many unanswered questions where matters like this are concerned. However, it is of the utmost importance that one takes all the possibilities into account, and works around trying to prevent certain outcomes. One could start with education, and try constantly and consistently educating these less fortunate masses. Why not try "up" the quality of life in these settlements, and possibly find ways to solve the problem of overpopulation in areas, by limiting the size of such a settlement, finding other ways to accommodate for all these people, and to accommodate for space. A particular area can only sustain "so many" people, any more than it can handle may be to the detriment of the community and surrounding communities.
Bellow are two links which relate to this post. The one link gives a brief history of Kayamandi, and the other is a link to the 'News24' article on the recent crime- mentioned above- which took place in Kayamandi.
Sources:
http://www.prochorus.org/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_custom&cause_id=303&page=kayamandi
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Murdered-Matie-trying-to-help-20100917
Tanya Masters
15417395
Dressed for success! Fashion, occupations and identity By: G. C. J. Louw
The quote by L. W. Banner (1983: 3), “...appearance is a primary mark of identification, a signal of what they consider themselves to be”, illustrates that the clothes a person wears fulfils more than just covering that person in a certain fabric or textile but that clothes are a way of giving form to an identity. Fashion is the same as dressing/clothing oneself in the sense that it is a multifaceted behaviour which forms part of culture and society, however fashion goes one step further; it is seen as a collective behaviour, which means that it is related to group behaviour (Damhorst, 2000: 1).
I will however focus my study of how fashion influences identity, by looking at fashion in the workplace (within the city of Stellenbosch). I will try to understand why people from different occupations wear what they wear (through looking at accountants’ and artists’ fashion) and what this has to do with their character, what influence fashion has on gender identity in the workplace, how uniforms relate to people’s individuality and how power and politics are manifested in dress sense. My mission is thus to find out how fashion differs according to occupations and how this relates to a corporate/business world identity.
Sources:
Banner, L. W. 1983. American Beauty. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Damhorst, M. L. 2000. Introduction. In Damhorst, M. L., Miller, K. A. & Michelman, S. O. The meanings of dress. The United States of America: Fairchild Publications, Inc. 1-11.
Comparing the university’s language policy to that of other South African educational institutions.
This part of the blog will look at the language policy of the University of Stellenbosch, compared to other institutions in South Africa. As one of the most debated issues in South Africa, one will look at how the policy is applied at the university (lectures, general information). Will also look at the language policy of the University of Free State and the University of Pretoria. The two universities are also using almost the same policies (50% Afrikaans & 50% English). Also one will have interviews with some of the students in Stellenbosch, Pretoria and the general public. The aim of the interviews is to get the general view on the language policy.
Quoting from the language policy of the University of Stellenbosch, “the Afrikaans language community is demographically, on the grounds of both the number of its users and its geographical distribution regionally and nationally, one of the stronger language communities in the country. Speakers of Afrikaans are in the majority at the University of Stellenbosch among both students and staff. Culturally Afrikaans is a standard language that has for decades functioned as an academic language and is a national asset as a fully developed cultural language.” This is some of the issues that one will be looking at.
This blog will look at both the positives and the negatives of the language policy, with primary reference from the University of Stellenbosch’s language policy.
Phumzile Andries
Monday, September 27, 2010
Wat is Misdaad?
Doel van die Blog oor Misdaad
In Sosiale antropologie het ons gekyk na hoe antropoloë die publiek wil betrek deur middel van "public engaging". Dit wil sê dat die dissipline die breër gehoor en mense buite die dissipline ook wil betrek. Daarvolgens het een die "living-Stellenbosch blog" opgestel sodat die publiek in Stellenbosch ook kan deelneem aan die kwessies in Stellenbosch. Ons groep het besluit om te fokus op Misdaad in Stellenbosch.
Wat is Misdaad?
Voor een in diepte na misdaad in Stellenbosch gaan kyk is dit belangrik om eers na verskeie definisies te kyk. Nietemin in vandag se lewe het misdaad deel geword van die mense se alledaagse lewe en almal dra die risiko’s en gevolge daarvan. Geleerdes en publieke opinies assosieer misdaad met skade en geweld, dit wil sê verwoesting van eiendom, geweld teen individue en die ontkenning van respek teenoor mense en institusies. 'n Ander definisie definieer dat dit dade is wat strafbaar is deur wette wat geïmplementeer is. Die laaste definisie is dat misdaad 'n skadelike daad is teen die publiek wat die staat probeer of wil verhoed. Op grond van veroordeling is misdaad strafbaar deur middel van boetes, of tronkstraf en in sommige gevalle die doodstraf. Die definisie, misdaad kan verskil van mens tot mens, kultuur tot kultuur en nasie tot nasie.
Zander Wiese
Bronne
Morrison, W. What is crime? Contrasting definitions and perspectives. [Online]. Availible: http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199227297/hale2e_ch01.pdf.htm [26 September 2010]
Morrison, W. What is crime? Contrasting definitions and perspectives. [Online]. Availible: http://www.oup.com/uk/orc/bin/9780199227297/hale2e_ch01.pdf.htm [26 September 2010]
Business Dictionary. 2010. What is crime? [Online]. Availible: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/crime.html [27 September 2010]
Music and us
For my individual blog I will be looking at the role that music plays in today’s society, using Stellenbosch as a case study. I’m going to be looking at popular songs that students listen to and will share my own thoughts as well as those of academics on the effect that these songs have on society. Specifically, I will be investigating the impact of music on student culture as a whole as well as within individual cultures (Afrikaner Music, English music etc).I will investigate and discuss how popular music has influenced people’s values and opinions on subjects such as sexuality, social relationships, gender and more. I will also take my conclusions and extrapolate them to show how Stellenbosch is in some aspects a microcosm of the greater South Africa.
My approach will be to take a song that is popular in South Africa and more specifically in Stellenbosch amongst students and will investigate the themes presented in the song. Within each theme I will analyze the discourse used by the artist and it’s effect on students. I will also look at the music video (if applicable) and talk about the imagery within it. This first post serves as a sort of a mission statement for what I hope to achieve. Accordingly, this post isn’t very interesting. The ensuing posts will however be awesome. Well, at least in my (humble) opinion. We have a commenting system on the website so please use it! I’d love to hear what impact music has on our values and world view. Or if you disagree. Disagreeing is good too.
My approach will be to take a song that is popular in South Africa and more specifically in Stellenbosch amongst students and will investigate the themes presented in the song. Within each theme I will analyze the discourse used by the artist and it’s effect on students. I will also look at the music video (if applicable) and talk about the imagery within it. This first post serves as a sort of a mission statement for what I hope to achieve. Accordingly, this post isn’t very interesting. The ensuing posts will however be awesome. Well, at least in my (humble) opinion. We have a commenting system on the website so please use it! I’d love to hear what impact music has on our values and world view. Or if you disagree. Disagreeing is good too.
I hope that you wait with mouth-watering anticipation for my next post. I know you’re not. But let’s pretend?
CP Du Toit
15614255
CP Du Toit
15614255
Student consumption in Stellenbosch
Consumption refers to the amount of food that is bought and eaten. I am in group 11 and we will be looking at consumption in and around Stellenbosch with specific regard to the students of Stellenbosch University.
We will be focusing on how for example a students meal times would differ from a working persons. The students living in a Residence have specific meals and meal times and pay for them through their university fees. At the same time a student living in a "Digs" (sharing of a house with other students) would buy food for himself/herself and have to prepare it, or being in a "Digs" one student would prepare food for his/her roommates one night and another roommate the next night. Then students living in a private residence/home would again have a completely different eating schedule to students in Residence or a "Digs".
We will not only be looking at students' eating schedules, but also what they consume. Many students, because of the daily/nightly activities 'eat on the go' which means they would grab any, most convenient food available. Often not the most healthiest choice.
-Christina Blumer
We will be focusing on how for example a students meal times would differ from a working persons. The students living in a Residence have specific meals and meal times and pay for them through their university fees. At the same time a student living in a "Digs" (sharing of a house with other students) would buy food for himself/herself and have to prepare it, or being in a "Digs" one student would prepare food for his/her roommates one night and another roommate the next night. Then students living in a private residence/home would again have a completely different eating schedule to students in Residence or a "Digs".
We will not only be looking at students' eating schedules, but also what they consume. Many students, because of the daily/nightly activities 'eat on the go' which means they would grab any, most convenient food available. Often not the most healthiest choice.
-Christina Blumer
media, society and popular culture
Our group’s broader topic of discussion is media, society and popular culture within the context of South Africa, and more specifically; Stellenbosch. Each of us will look at a different aspect of everyday student life that the media effects in a light-hearted but educational manner. We’ll be structured so that as a group we have a post every day, in the following format:
Music Mondays – by McLovin’ (C.P.)
TV Tuesdays – by Sarah (me)
Mid-week high – by Hein
Therapy Thursdays (focusing on sexuality, of course) – by Jennifer Mae
Film Fridays – by Anthea
TV Tuesdays – by Sarah (me)
Mid-week high – by Hein
Therapy Thursdays (focusing on sexuality, of course) – by Jennifer Mae
Film Fridays – by Anthea
I personally will be focusing on the more specific issue of popular television programs, and the influence and effect that they have on our youth culture.
Even for those that don’t have TVs, “series” is a big part of our lives. In Stellenbosch especially it is incredibly easy to download entire seasons of a show and spend days cooped up in one’s room watching them. Series has become an entire culture; which shows you watch, how soon you get the new episodes, how much of it you’ve seen, until eventually it extends into our personality. We find the jokes that Barney says in How I Met Your Mother so funny that we build our own humour on his, or we think that the love between Derrick and Meredith in Grey’s Anatomy is so amazing and true that we judge our own relationships on theirs, and accept nothing less than what they have.
It’s an interesting phenomenon, and most of us (myself included) are very much caught up in it. I will study different shows each week, comparing them to one another and showing the correlation to our own lives, thus discussing the effect and influence of popular television shows on us as Stellenbosch students.
- Sarah Chaimowitz
Language Policy: Benefits and Drawbacks of a dual language approach to tertiary education.
The language policy at Stellenbosch University has been a contentiously debated topic for the last couple of years and with recent national attention paid to the topic, one begs to ask the question, what are the benefits and/or drawbacks to a dual language approach to tertiary education?
Stellenbosch University is currently using Afrikaans and English in their dual language program with the hopes of keeping to their Afrikaans language tradition and infusing it with the lingua franca of our globalised world. However as mentioned above, what advantage is it to students and a world that is becoming, in the words of Thomas Friedman “Flat” and increasingly interconnected, when the usage and implementation of Afrikaans is exiled to the southern tip of Africa? This blog will explore the issue of the dual language approach and the fundamental benefits and drawbacks of using this language policy at a tertiary level.
In my next entry, I will be exploring the issue of "Afrikaans for a Globalized world" where I will look at 'where Afrikaans fits into our global community' and 'how feasible it is to have a dual language approach when one of the languages is only spoken in the country of origin'.
Naadirah Grimsel
Language Policy: The Efficacy of Bilingual Courses
Stellenbosch University (SU) is currently in the midst of heated debate surrounding its language policy. This blog focuses on the efficacy of presenting classes in a bilingual format, as well the resulting impact on various students.
At SU Afrikaans is recognised as the default language to be used in undergraduate courses, whereas English is the primary medium used in postgraduate courses. The more specialised a particular area of study becomes, the greater the chances that the relevant texts and courses will be in English. As a result many Afrikaans students opt to study in English, despite having the option to study in Afrikaans, in preparation for future postgraduate studies.
SU is, in a certain sense, the last line of defence when it comes to providing tuition in Afrikaans on a tertiary level. Most of the courses currently follow the T-option (bilingual classes, 50% English and 50% Afrikaans). Although T-option classes can be negotiated rather easily by most Afrikaans speaking students, many English speaking students have difficulty understanding the sections of the class presented in Afrikaans. As a result, many English students have a very disjointed educational experience, making it very difficult to engage the topic at hand. The T-option courses account for this problem by emphasising the student's right to raise his/her hand and request a translation. In theory this seems like a solution, but in practice, very few students exercise this right. This is mainly due to social pressure i.e. students are afraid of holding up the class. Therefore, is the T-option’s attempt to maintain Afrikaans’ presence in the academic sphere legitimate, considering the adverse effects the T-option has on students who are not proficient in Afrikaans?
At SU Afrikaans is recognised as the default language to be used in undergraduate courses, whereas English is the primary medium used in postgraduate courses. The more specialised a particular area of study becomes, the greater the chances that the relevant texts and courses will be in English. As a result many Afrikaans students opt to study in English, despite having the option to study in Afrikaans, in preparation for future postgraduate studies.
SU is, in a certain sense, the last line of defence when it comes to providing tuition in Afrikaans on a tertiary level. Most of the courses currently follow the T-option (bilingual classes, 50% English and 50% Afrikaans). Although T-option classes can be negotiated rather easily by most Afrikaans speaking students, many English speaking students have difficulty understanding the sections of the class presented in Afrikaans. As a result, many English students have a very disjointed educational experience, making it very difficult to engage the topic at hand. The T-option courses account for this problem by emphasising the student's right to raise his/her hand and request a translation. In theory this seems like a solution, but in practice, very few students exercise this right. This is mainly due to social pressure i.e. students are afraid of holding up the class. Therefore, is the T-option’s attempt to maintain Afrikaans’ presence in the academic sphere legitimate, considering the adverse effects the T-option has on students who are not proficient in Afrikaans?
Niell Schoeman
Where to, Miss? – Public Transport
Public transport in the past is very different from public transport as we know it now. This will be my main focus in the series of blogs being posted. I will be comparing public transport to the so-called good old days to modern transport of the 21st century. With the above being said, it is a given that a few blogs will be dedicated to public transport pre World Cup and public transport post World Cup.
According to the Thesaurus, a definition of public transport is buses, trains etc that everyone can use. For the everyday man, it is their only mode of transport that they, unfortunately, have to share with the masses. Now that there is a general understanding of what public transport is, the discussion can focus on whether or not public transport in South Africa is where it should be.
Channelle Arries
Channelle Arries
Black is Beautiful...So how beautiful is black?
Introduction
Afros, weaves, dreadlocks and even no hair? Skinny jeans, Eva jeans, billowy maxi skirts and mini-skirts, rocker, punk or seductively soft and feminine. There appears to be versatility, choice and multiple-dimensions to how black girls on Stellenbosch campus seem to be interpreting and expressing their notion and conception of 'what is beautiful?'.
When it comes to the interpretation and expression of physical aesthetic and what constitutes attractiveness in terms of body image, fashion and style are young black South African women aspiring to a homogenized western conception of beauty and body image or are 'sistas doing it for themselves'?
How do western notions of beauty which dominate and are advanced by the media influence their choices and expressions? Can their varied and multidimensional interpretation and expression be seen as an assault to this uni-dimensionality or are they just taking the best from both worlds? Finally, how do black men respond to all this and what limits do the dominance of patriarchal thinking put on the black woman's freedom of expression?
Afros, weaves, dreadlocks and even no hair? Skinny jeans, Eva jeans, billowy maxi skirts and mini-skirts, rocker, punk or seductively soft and feminine. There appears to be versatility, choice and multiple-dimensions to how black girls on Stellenbosch campus seem to be interpreting and expressing their notion and conception of 'what is beautiful?'.
When it comes to the interpretation and expression of physical aesthetic and what constitutes attractiveness in terms of body image, fashion and style are young black South African women aspiring to a homogenized western conception of beauty and body image or are 'sistas doing it for themselves'?
How do western notions of beauty which dominate and are advanced by the media influence their choices and expressions? Can their varied and multidimensional interpretation and expression be seen as an assault to this uni-dimensionality or are they just taking the best from both worlds? Finally, how do black men respond to all this and what limits do the dominance of patriarchal thinking put on the black woman's freedom of expression?
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Pollution in Stellenbosch / Besoedeling
Die impak van besoedeling blyk soos talle ander Suid-Afrikaanse vraagstukke bestek te wees, hetsy met koloniale of Apartheids nalatingskap waar die demografiese skeiding op etniese grondslag gedoen was. Dog is die nie net tot tuis omgewings beperk nie, maar sigbaar in verskeie lande veral nie Westerse lande. Self stede soos New York sien die etniese dele nie so goed daar uit nie. Dus ontsnap Stellenbosch nie van hierdie tendens nie en gewis lyk die prentjie dieselfde as die res. Waar die verskil wesenlik tussen kleur beweeg lyk ryker woongebiede skoner, arm gebiede nie so skoon nie. Hierdie tendens is ook sigbaar binne die woongebiede soos in Cloetesville, Idasvallei en Kayamandi (CIK), die gegoede dele lyk beter, paaie dienslewerings is beter want belastingbetalers eis mees dienste, bevolkingsdigtheid is laer teenoor die dele waar die bevolkingsdigtheid hoër sou wees. Dus sou elites meer insae tot dienste kan vermag teenoor die "ander"
Die gegewe tendens laat die gegoedes, meer spraaksaam oor besoedeling want dit pla, soos die besorgde groep in die Weides wat kla oor geraas van studente asook die bedigting van hul woongebied. Die besoedeling in gebiede waar meer mense woon raak dus `n probleem, in die dorpskern, gebreekte glas as gevolg van bottels wat uit motors geslinger word, "CIK" areas raak rommel deels van die bestaan. Die stadbeplanners werk daaraan om ruimtes in die sake-kern te verbeter asook ander maar die res van die gebiede leef steeds daarmee want hul het dit geerf.
Laastens, besoedeling raak almal, is die omgaan wat verskillend gesien word, deur verskillende rolspelers, Die "Bergies" hou Stellenbosch skoon waar die afval in Die sakekern tans meer is, en in ander gebiede is dit deel van die lewe is. Thats life living in Stellenbosch.
A. Adicary
Die gegewe tendens laat die gegoedes, meer spraaksaam oor besoedeling want dit pla, soos die besorgde groep in die Weides wat kla oor geraas van studente asook die bedigting van hul woongebied. Die besoedeling in gebiede waar meer mense woon raak dus `n probleem, in die dorpskern, gebreekte glas as gevolg van bottels wat uit motors geslinger word, "CIK" areas raak rommel deels van die bestaan. Die stadbeplanners werk daaraan om ruimtes in die sake-kern te verbeter asook ander maar die res van die gebiede leef steeds daarmee want hul het dit geerf.
Laastens, besoedeling raak almal, is die omgaan wat verskillend gesien word, deur verskillende rolspelers, Die "Bergies" hou Stellenbosch skoon waar die afval in Die sakekern tans meer is, en in ander gebiede is dit deel van die lewe is. Thats life living in Stellenbosch.
A. Adicary
Poverty, Homeless and Human Rights.
If your living in South Africa, poverty and especially homeless is something you just can't ignore. It's everywhere you look, brought to you in the most diverse forms you can think of. If you live in Stellenbosch, homeless people are everywhere. Some of them are even notorious and have acquired their own fan supported Facebook pages. A couple of days spent in the town and one can't help but wonder who all the unique characters are.
Seeing the homeless and general state of poverty in the country, I find it interesting how people make sense of human rights. Those of us that are blogging and don't have to sleep on the street enjoy political rights, autonomy and individual freedom. The right to vote and all the other luxuries. These seem helpful when all other aspects of your life are doing fine, but why is there so little focus on human rights, as opposed to political rights? So there's something to think about whenever you walk past another homeless person. Should we live in a society that cares more about your vote than you? We should take into account the dire state of some of our fellow citizens to cast light on the injustices of society.
Dirk Pretorius
The trap of poverty
Living and travelling in South-Africa one may not take a long time to realize that South-Africa is the most unequally divided country in the world.
Some live in rich affluent communities and may find it difficult to understand to which extent people may suffer from poverty, but there is a South Africa out there with people in desperate need. We live in the 21st century with technology, knowledge and ways to overcome poverty, but somehow most people are not benefitting from it. There is a huge gap between the rich and poor, which are causing problems for South-Africa and the world.
I am going to work on the blog discussing the causes and influences poverty has in South-Africa and find out why people are battling to escape the claws of poverty.
I have registered for group 10 late and still have to discuss finer details on the topic with them when we will have a meeting.
Marnus van der Merwe
Safety and Pollution: Physical Safety
Our group has chosen to focus on the topics of Safety and Pollution, looking at Stellenbosch as a case study. I will be focusing on the topic of safety, or more specifically physical safety and will be looking at everyday happenings that may be detrimental to the physical safety of individuals in Stellenbosch.
This, my first blog post, will serve as an introduction to my chosen topic, while my second post will focus on the physical safety of students living in residences and other accommodation. My third post will focus on physical safety with regard to crime (such as attacks, rape and break-ins), while my fourth post will deal with other aspects of physical safety, possibly looking at the subject of the dangers of technology on the physical safety of an individual, followed by a conclusion on my topic.
With regard to students, who form the majority of the population of our university town, safety is often a minor and forgotten issue, with students often oblivious to the dangers surrounding them. In terms of living conditions, students are granted almost total freedom in most situations, with no curfews, people to answer to, or systems in place to monitor their comings and goings. Due to a lack of transportation in many situations, students are often compelled to walk to their destination of choice, at times, placing themselves in unknown and unexpected situations of danger. The failure of technology, such as cell phones, often becomes detrimental in situations like this.
It is for these, as well as many other reasons, that the physical safety of individuals is often threatened. Over the next four weeks, I will investigate and analyze these topics.
Cayley Kerr
Breaking the Silence on Poverty
Economics 288 - a lecture on scarce resources. I will never forget this lecture for one single yet profound reason. My class, myself included, were told that we lived in a bubble. One in which we where protected from the hardships of life, living off of our parents and inclined to partying rather than worrying. I was offended and voiced my objections, yet this is not the first or the last time that I have been confronted by this misconception. Ultimately providing the inspiration necessary to write on this particular theme.
Poverty does not always have to be abject in that the person in question is living off of the streets or even has no food to eat. Rather this blog will deal with the harsh conditions that some Stellenbosch students do in fact live in, and the trials some go through to simply get to University. Fact - A very large portion of students attending Stellenbosch University are only able to do so because of alternative funding such as; bursaries, loans or third party funding. Thus, when most people think of poverty it is in terms of those living in settlements rather then those able to attend university. "But they are able to attend University so they must have money" - this misconception I hope to address.
Leehandi de Witt
Poverty does not always have to be abject in that the person in question is living off of the streets or even has no food to eat. Rather this blog will deal with the harsh conditions that some Stellenbosch students do in fact live in, and the trials some go through to simply get to University. Fact - A very large portion of students attending Stellenbosch University are only able to do so because of alternative funding such as; bursaries, loans or third party funding. Thus, when most people think of poverty it is in terms of those living in settlements rather then those able to attend university. "But they are able to attend University so they must have money" - this misconception I hope to address.
Leehandi de Witt
Die verskillende gesigte van armoede: 'n vergelyking tussen twee stede
Armoede in Suid-Afrika is 'n groot probleem. Alle gemeenskappe ervaar armoede op verskillende maniere. My blog handel oor die effek wat armoede het in verskillende stedelike gemeenskappe waarvan Stellenbosch deel vorm. Die onderwerp sal konsentreer op twee arm gemeenskappe nl. Kayamandi in Stellenbosch en Kayalitsha in Kaapstad. Daar sal gekyk word na die verskillende gevolge van armoede in die sin van basiese behoeftes, sosiale interaksies en ander probleme wat hierdie gemeenskappe kniehalter.
In die blog sal daar oor die volgende paar weke vergelyking getrek word tussen die inwoners van Kayamandi en Kayalitsha om die verskille in armoede, wat lei na die probleme in die gemeenskappe, te beklemtoon. Temas wat bespreek sal word is werkloosheid, misdaad, lewensomstandighede, gesondheid en die effek van HIV\VIGS en opvoeding.
Paul Deetlefs
In die blog sal daar oor die volgende paar weke vergelyking getrek word tussen die inwoners van Kayamandi en Kayalitsha om die verskille in armoede, wat lei na die probleme in die gemeenskappe, te beklemtoon. Temas wat bespreek sal word is werkloosheid, misdaad, lewensomstandighede, gesondheid en die effek van HIV\VIGS en opvoeding.
Paul Deetlefs
Sosiale verdraagsaamheid tussen rasse groepe in Stellenbosch en regoor Suid-Afrika
Dit is noodsaaklik om na die verdraagsaamheid tussen rasse groepe te gaan kyk as gevolg van die apartheid sisteem wat Suid-Afrika in die vroeer jare gehad het. Ek sal eerstens my eie opinie oor die saak lig en ook gaan navorsing doen by van my mede studente op Stellenbosch Universiteit. Ek sal kyk wat sekere kulture oor verskillende dinge voel en hoe hulle dit hanteer. Dan sal ek ook kyk hoeveel rasse verwante voorvalle in Stellenbosch gebeur en hoe dit die studies van studente beinvloed. Dan sal ek die van Stellenbosch vergelyk met Suid-Afrika en ander universiteite.
Ek dink nie dat daar baie verdraagsaamheid tussen alle rasse in Suid-Afrika is nie, dit is maar net my opinie en ek kan verkeerd wees. Dalk sal ek oor die volgende paar weke van siening verander.
Martin Botha
Poverty does not Discriminate
Poverty is felt throughout the world, not having a specific audience, but only those people that are caught up in certain circumstances, for whatever reason there is. The government of South-Africa says that every citizen are treated as equals, having the same set of rights, but these promises are not always met.
When talked about poverty of South Africa one normally thinks of black shanty towns, but no one realizes that it is not only black people that is trapped in this poverty-ridden hole. White people is part of it, that includes 450 000 white people together with 8 000 000 black people. This includes 80 shanty towns in the vicinity of Pretoria. These numbers must be seen as an amount of 8 450 000 people living in poverty.
A short study was done on Krugersdorp’s Coronation park, a former caravan park that were situated near a reservoir and a public picnic park where 450 white South-Africans live in
“400 white squatters living in cramped tents and caravans and sharing a single ablution block. Cats and dogs roam noisily through the camp, dodging heaps of rubbish, piles of scrap metal and abandoned car parts.” REUTERS (2010)
This These people live in old caravans and tents and patched houses of tin and wood. All these people share only one ablution block. Open camp fires are being used to warm water, cook food en keep people warm, and in many cases bring people together. The local council cut electricity in a 2nd effort to remove these people from the location. This was done in order to develope this site as a wide-screen viewing area for the soccer world cup that South Africa recently hosted. All these people that live in these shanty towns live under the poverty line, that accounts for 10% of all white people in South-Africa. This clearly shows that the poverty is not only limited to black people.
The people that live in these conditions according to REUTERS (2010) blame the affirmative action for their current status in society and also blame the ANC-government for its lack of help. Statistics say that the unemployment rate of white South Africans has doubled in only one decade (1995-2005). Ann Le Roux states:
“Our colour here is not the right colour now in South Africa” REUTERS (2010)
In this situation the people find themselves on the wrong side of history after the apartheid era as they get little sympathy from the people who perceive them as “the people who profited unfairly during the brutal apartheid years”. These people see themselves as victims of “reverse-apartheid” and with this status they say that it puts them at an even greater disadvantage than the other greater population of poverty.
There are however 2,000 other shanty towns that are bigger that most of these white shanty towns, but it is no reason for the lack of help from the ANC government. Every person in South-Africa deserves to be treated equally and they all have the same specicific human rights. If the country continually throws the race card in the faces of all citizens through media and other forms, it will never be cured and overcome, for destructive vines cannot grow if there is nothing to cling onto.
Hugo van Niekerk says, ““We won’t get houses from this government. If we were black maybe yes, but we are white.” Is this not something that raises immense concern? President Jacob Zuma have visited a white shanty town and his reply was:
The vast number in black poverty does not mean we must ignore white poverty, which is becoming an embarrassment to talk about”. REUTERS (2010). It has been identified, but why has nothing been done to help these people?
We are all South Africans and if we continually fight each other the outcome will definitely be to the detriment of both parties, a country should stand and work together as one nation, it is the only way, that these problems can be abolished.
There are a couple of photos on the website that is listed in the bibliography below, its worth looking at.
Eben
Bibliography1 Hardship deepens for South Africa’s Poor Whites. http://blogs.reuters.com/photo/2010/03/26/hardship-deepens-for-south-africas-poor-whites/ (25 Sep 2010)
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