Browsing by Author "Dyll, Lauren Eva."

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African foreign students’ behavioral practices towards the University of KwaZulu-Natal HIV and AIDS support programme at Howard College Campus.
(2018) Smith, Isaiah Philip.; Dyll, Lauren Eva.
This study investigates African foreign students’ behavioural practices towards the University of KwaZulu-Natal HIV and AIDS support programme. The participants of the study consisted both male and female between the ages of 26- 30 students from college of humanities, college of Agricultural engineering and science and the college of Health science of the Howard College Campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. The Health Belief Model was adopted in this study to explore the factors that influence African foreign students’ behavioural practices in response to HIV prevention at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The study is both quantitative and qualitative. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used in data collection. The study revealed that foreign students’ behavioural practices towards UKZN HIV and AIDS Support Programme is limited to HIV and AIDS testing, with very few students knowing about other activities of the programme. This implies that the programme needs to create more awareness regarding its activities and active participation of all students, especially international students who mostly feel disengaged within the school. The study also found out that the major barriers that hinder African foreign students from joining the HIV and AIDS support programme include: lack of adequate publicity about the programme, foreign students home country’s perception of HIV and AIDS and fear of hidden costs related to programme activities. When these things are taken into consideration, it will increase general awareness of UKZN African foreign students’ participation in the programme. It is indeed a fact that the way South African students see HIV and AIDS is quite different from how students from other countries view HIV and AIDS scourge. This study therefore aims to provide knowledge of the factors that influence African foreign students' behavioural practices towards HIV and AIDS support programme, so as to improve the implementation process of the program for better efficiency.
An examination of how Sowetan Live and Daily Sun reported on Operation Dudula and foreign nationals: January to June 2022.
(2023) Xulu, Luyanda Randy.; Dyll, Lauren Eva.
Abstract available in PDF.
Assessing knowledge, attitudes and practices of KwaZulNatal health professionals towards men who have sex with men (MSM) : exploring access to mainstream public healthcare services.
Greehy, Precious S.; Dyll, Lauren Eva.
Background: Healthcare institutions tend to ignore the role healthcare workers (HCWs) play in shaping perceptions of and responses to service uptake. Lack of appropriate HCW skills and their perceived attitudes towards men who have sex with men (MSM) patients has been connected to “misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, and delayed treatment, leading to poor health prognosis and higher risk of transmitting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections to partners” (Smith, 2015). Research Aim: This study explores key factors at individual, group and societal levels which influence perceived HCWs attitudes towards MSM; and how this limits access to HIV prevention, treatment, and support and care services for the MSM population. A Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) study is conducted to evaluate the KAPs of HCWs and the ways in which these may affect service provision to MSM patients. The study aims to provide evidence-informed solutions required to equip HCWs with necessary skills to provide HIV/AIDS and quality healthcare services that are sensitive to the needs of MSM. Methods: The study employs qualitative methods and data will be collected through face-to-face interviews. The social ecology model informs this study. Prospective participants include various health professionals, such as the head of the provincial health department, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and technicians or medical students from two public healthcare facilities in Durban – King Edward VIII hospital and Imbalenhle clinic, in Pietermaritzburg. Methods used were structured interviews in the form of focus group discussions and self-administered questionnaires. These were conducted with various categories of HCWs in both healthcare facilities. Conclusions: HCWs play a huge role in influencing responses to HIV and AIDS interventions among key population groups, including the perpetuation of stereotyping and stigma. There is a need for a multi-faceted intervention that addresses perceived HCW attitudes towards MSM. Lessons learned from other studies about barriers to HIV prevention and management may have application in other populations.
Audience interpretation of the representation of violence and gangsterism in South African television: a case study of Uzalo.
(2018) Mpanza, Khethelihle Musa Brian.; Dyll, Lauren Eva.
Uzalo: Blood is Forever was launched in 2015 and by the end of September 2018 Uzalo became the most popular South African television production with 10.2 million viewers each night. Uzalo’s narrative is largely driven by gangsterism and as such relies on violence and crime to achieve its objective. A unique achievement of Uzalo is its portrayal of a gangster in a township setting on prime-time television, this study explores how this is not mutually exclusive from its dominance of television viewer ratings. This study was, therefore, conducted to ascertain why violent stories are popular with audiences and how the portrayal of violence, through Uzalo’s characters, resonates with its viewers in the township of KwaMashu and central Durban. Furthermore, the study investigates the audience’s interpretation of how accurate Uzalo is in its depiction of the township setting. Uzalo is considered to belong to the telenovela genre. This study outlined the construct of that genre but also drew on comparisons from outside the genre, both locally and internationally. A qualitative research methodology was adopted and data was collected through four focus groups, two in KwaMashu and two in central Durban. Thematic analysis organises the data which is then interpreted through the lens of narrative theory and the concepts related to ‘the active audience’. The study found that Uzalo is premised on binary oppositions which are expressed through the inner conflict of its characters who constantly grapple with the moral boundaries of good and bad. These individual accounts play out under the broader disequilibrium of two babies being swapped at birth and nurtured in obverse circumstances to their nature. Furthermore, this study considered whether the audience perceives the depicted violence as realistic or unrealistic and also highlighted similarities and differences of the audiences’ perception of violence in a township setting. These interpretations were varied and found to be informed by the audience’s location (township and/or CBD) and experience (cultural beliefs, age and past experiences).
Close encounters with the first kind : what does development mean in the context of two Bushman communities in Ngwatle and the Northern Cape?
(2004) Dyll, Lauren Eva.; Tomaselli, Keyan Gray.
The aim of this research is to investigate the interaction between the ‘beneficiaries’ of development - the Ngwatle Bushmen in southern Botswana and the Khomani Bushmen in the Northern Cape of South Africa, and the agents of development – local NGOs (Non Government Organisations) and Trusts, whose development programmes are influenced by broader state policy. The development programmes implemented by these organisations affect Bushman rights with regards to public participation in the development process, land, hunting and access to resources and benefits. In discussing these issues this study draws on James Murombedzi’s (2001) proposition that community based natural resource management (CBNRM) programmes that supposedly devolve the management of natural resources to the local population, may be an extension of greater state control over resources. It will investigate the impact of what Steven Robins (2002: 835) calls “double donor vision” on the lives of the Ngwatle and Khomani Bushmen. Donors and NGOs view Bushmen as “both ‘First Peoples’ and modern citizen-in-the-making” (Robins, 2001: 833). He argues that this dual mandate to “promote the ‘cultural survival’ of indigenous people and to socialise them into becoming virtuous modern citizens” (Robins, 2001: 842) contributes to intra-community divisions and conflicts. An overview of the issue of identity as discussed by Anthea Simoes (2001) who tested Stuart Hall’s (1990, 1996, 1997) two models of identity in both communities, is necessary here to frame the discussion of development as being affected by differences in identity construction.This research therefore seeks to discuss perspectives of the process of development communication and implementation in the two Bushman communities. What type of development occurs and how does this interaction shape perceptions of development amongst the Bushmen? Different development communication paradigms adopt communication strategies and implementation programmes that best suit their goals. The modernization and dependency/dissociation development paradigms fail to offer mechanisms to facilitate negotiation, conflict resolution and community or individual empowerment (Servaes, 1999). The development support communication (DSC) paradigm and to a larger degree the ‘another development’ paradigm, in contrast, encourage local people to actively participate in the search for solutions to development problems as perceived and experienced by them (Ansah, 1992). This research aims to illustrate, however, that these different development paradigms exist alongside each other in the field – this adds to the ‘messiness’ of development in practice. The research frames the perceptions of and engagement with development via a comparative analysis of Ngwatle and the Northern Cape Bushman communities.
A community media narrowcasting in Uganda : an assessment of community audio towers.
(2016) Semujju, Robert Brian.; Dyll, Lauren Eva.
This thesis is about Community Audio Towers (CATs). CATs are small media platforms that use horn speakers hoisted on a long dry pole, an amplifier and a microphone to communicate daily village events. This study shows that individuals depend more on CATs than other available mainstream channels. The thesis interrogates the level of individual (i.e. villager) dependency on CATs in Ugandan rural and semi-urban communities alongside the other three available platforms in Uganda: radio, television and newspapers. There is a gap in existing literature to explain dependencies in small (alternative) media like CATs. Therefore, the study uses the Media System Dependency (MSD) theory (Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur, 1976), a relevant media theory that explains dependencies on a communication platform similar to this case study. However, since CATs are a community media, they are also theorised in this study within the framework of development communication, which helps the study to argue that CATs are small media platforms that provide local information. However, due to the need to investigate dependencies in CATs, the study‘s main research questions are raised using the MSD theory. The study employs both quantitative and qualitative methods. To investigate the level of individual dependency on CATs, a survey was done among 100 respondents from two districts in Uganda (50 respondents from each district). Data was collected in the rural Masaka district and in the semi-urban Mukono district. Additionally, to understand how CATs are sustained, how they attract the community members, and their position in the national communication infrastructure, ten key informant interviews were conducted with various CATs stakeholders like: the State Minister for ICT, technical experts at Uganda Communications Commission, District information and Development officers, local council chairmen and CATs announcers. The study found that the level of individual dependency on CATs is higher than the individual dependency on any other mass communication platform accessed by the sample communities. CATs appear to attract the audience through localising the processes of information gathering, processing and dissemination. These processes are affordable and done by the locals themselves, something that increases attention whenever the community requires a channel to communicate an issue. The challenges include noise, lack of a licence or regulation, and weather variations that disturb sound waves. The thesis concludes by introducing Small Media System Dependency (SMSD) relations to explain dependency relations in small/alternative media platforms.
Community participation in the Zimbabwe Community Development Association (ZCDA) ISAL project: a development communication perspective.
Shembe, Clive.; Dyll, Lauren Eva.
Community social change projects emphasise the need for participatory communication practises. The intended beneficiaries are expected to participate in the social change projects, but often their voices are not fully heard. This study therefore seeks to ‘write from below’, by investigating the participation of Gutu Ward 13 community members in the Zimbabwe Community Development Association (ZCDA) Internal Savings and Lending (ISAL) microfinance project. This research is cognisant of the key role that the community members play in social change projects. As such, the culture-centred approach (Dutta, 2008, 2011) is employed as the methodological and conceptual framework for this study, as it acknowledges the importance in the interaction of culture, structure and agency. This study also uses the Communication for Participatory Development (CFPD) model (Kincaid and Figueroa, 2009) as a benchmark upon which participation in the ZCDA ISAL project is analysed. Participation is complex, and in this study participation is conceptualised as power (Arnstein, 1969). Thus, the participatory process should be empowering and accord power to those without it, or those previously excluded from social change projects. This research analyses the participation trends, forms of participation, self-exclusion and non-participation in the ISAL project. It adopts a qualitative research approach and data was collected via focus group discussions with Gutu Ward 13 members participating in the ISAL project, key informant interviews with the village development workers, and external social change agents such as ZCDA staff. Participant observation was undertaken at the Gutu Ward centre during a community meeting and also during the interviews. From the findings and literature, convergence highlights how social cohesion influences the participation of certain stakeholders in the microfinance project. Divergence also highlights the reasons for non- participation and self-exclusion of the stakeholders, most of which are at the ‘margins’. This highlights the need to include and encourage participation from previously excluded groups in community projects, and also for the development of a structure which facilitates equal agency in participation, because community interests influences participation. More so, the participation of community members during the project aids in future participation and ownership.
Discontinuity without change? the place and discourse of colonial memory in Zimbabwe’s post- Mugabe Zanu-PF politics.
(2024) Kupeta, Noah.; Lubombo, Musara.; Dyll, Lauren Eva.
Zimbabwean politics are notably complex and difficult to understand, even by scholars with a strong interest in African affairs with a long institutional memory of the historical determinants of the independence and post-independence struggles within Zimbabwe. Through the lens of political culture and functional theory campaign communication, this qualitative inquiry titled “Discontinuity without change? The place and discourse of colonial memory in Zimbabwe’s post-Mugabe ZANU-PF politics” scrutinizes the colonial narratives in the political discourses in Zimbabwe’s ruling party ZANU (PF) following the Robert Mugabe era intending to understand how colonial memory shapes the party’s the ideological foundations and policy directions. The study draws on eight speeches delivered by former president Robert Mugabe during the 2002 elections, as well as speeches by his successor and current president Emmerson Munangagwa during the 2018 election campaign. It also incorporates insights from key informants within ZANU (PF), Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), Zimpapers, and Alpha Media Holdings (AMH) to explore the role of media in influencing the nuanced interplay between historical legacies, political discourse, and contemporary governance. By examining the ebbs and tides of electoral politics in Zimbabwe spanning nearly decades through the prism of post-colonial memory, the study concludes that while Mnangagwa’s ascendance as President hinted at a departure from his predecessor’s politics, there is a notable continuity in the streams of colonial memory that informed ZANU-PF electoral strategies. This underscores how political discourses and power dynamics during elections are deeply entrenched within the broader context of Zimbabwean politics and pan-African pursuit of of self-determination (Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo), identity and independence. Despite certain shifts in Mnangagwa’s ‘New Dispensation’ that deviate from Mugabeism, the persistence of colonial memory underscores its pivotal role in shaping the principles and practices of representative democracy within Zimbabwe. The media’s influence in (re)shaping post-Mugabe discourse sheds light on the implications of memory appropriation in contemporary Zimbabwean political communication.
Examining online and offline community perceptions of social media activism in Zimbabwe: a case of a Facebook campaign against ‘child sex work’ in Epworth, Zimbabwe.
(2021) Nhongonhema, Francisca Nyaradzo.; Dyll, Lauren Eva.
Zimbabwean activism is migrating from physical activism to new media platforms. Noting these changes, this research seeks to investigate the perceptions of the online audience as well as local offline communities on the use of social media as a platform for activism, using Doubt Chimonyo’s Facebook campaign against child sex work in the high-density community of Epworth (Zimbabwe). Social media activism scholarship tends to prioritise seminal case studies such as the Arab Spring, while leaving out relatively small-scale case studies that show contextualised social media practices at the local level. However, there are multiple factors that pose as challenges for the Zimbabwean populace to fully utilise social media. These include the digital divide and retrogressive laws stifling social media use. In the context of this study the extreme poverty in Epworth is attributed as a main driver of child sex work in the area. Scholars have noted that efforts by both government and NGOs to curb the practice are not producing desired results. Consequently, social media activism attempts to fill the gap as exemplified by the Facebook campaign under study. This study contributes to the understanding of the perception of social media activism within the complex specificities a high-density community within Zimbabwe. More specifically it presents findings on, 1.) the principles and practice that constitute someone as a social media activist, 2.) the ways in which Facebook, as a participatory platform, mediates activism in Epworth (Zimbabwe), and 3.) if/how social media activism resonates with online and offline communities, using Chimonyo’s campaign as a case study. These findings are analysed in relation to Henry Jenkins (2006) theory of participatory culture. Data was collected through interviews, focus group discussions, comments from the online audience in response to the videos presented on Facebook, and literature from key scholars. Two focus group discussions were conducted with a sample of Epworth community members in order to gain an understanding of their perception on the campaign against child sex work. A semi-structured interview was conducted with Doubt Chimonyo as the creator of the campaign against child sex work with the purpose of establishing the preferred reading of the campaign in order to draw comparisons with the Epworth and online responses. In comparison to other online campaigns discussed in this study, such as #Thisflag campaign (2016), #ZimbabweanLivesMatter (2020) this study concludes that political campaigns have more potential to create resonance offline unlike social campaigns such as the campaign against child sex work. Considering that the campaign set out to involve the Epworth adult community in finding solutions to curb child sex work in the area, the choice of an online platform is questionable as it effectively excluded the Epworth audience thereby rendering this particular campaign not successful.
Fashioning meaning: the graphic t-shirts of Butan Wear and Magents Lifestyle Apparel as alternative forms of socio-cultural communication about South African collective identities.
(2016) Ngcobo, Nonduduzo Simphiwe Siphosethu.; Dyll, Lauren Eva.
This dissertation explores the socio-cultural communication properties of the Butan Wear and Magents Lifestyle Apparel graphic t-shirts. As a study located in the field of communication and informed by Cultural Studies, this research argues that the study of the creation of clothing reveals meaning about the collective identities who use certain clothing styles to express their identities. This research defines fashion as the creation of clothing styles that are reflective of the cultural narratives of certain collective identities (Barnard, 1996; Kawamura, 2005; Jackson, 2006; Mitchell et al., 2012). It contextualises fashion design as communicative tool used by designers to convey knowledge about the lived reality of their target market (Crane, 1999; Gick and Gick, 2007; Kazmierczak, 2013). Qualitative in nature, Fashioning Meaning, as the title suggest, is concerned with the meaning making process and is framed by inductive reasoning, which focuses on the process of the creation of meaning (du Plooy, 2007). It employs a qualitative content analysis that utilises semiotics as an interpretive tool for the analysis of the Butan Wear and Magents Lifestyle Apparel t-shirts (Chandler, 1994; du Plooy, 2007; Fourie, 2009). Semiotics as an interpretive tool is utilised to uncover the latent meanings of the four graphic t-shirts under analysis (Fiske, 1990; Chandler, 2007). Semiotic theory further serves as a theoretical framework alongside the Encoding/Decoding model (Hall, 2006; [1980]) and the Circuit of Culture model (du Gay et al., 1997). Using the Circuit of Culture interrelated moments of production, consumption, representation and identity (du Gay et al., 1997); this research interprets the aesthetics of Butan Wear and Magents Lifestyle Apparel graphic t-shirts as a form of text. The Encoding/Decoding model serves as a further interpretive and theoretical framework for the analysis of the encoding processes utilised by the above-mentioned fashion brands under analysis (2006; [1980])
Global conservation, local impacts : environmental decision making in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.
(2004) Dyll, Lauren Eva.; Brooks, Shirley.
In 1996, two years after the election of a fully democratic government and the return of South Africa as an acceptable member of international society, the Premier of South Africa's Limpopo Province met with his counterpart, the Governor of Gaza Province, in Mozambique, to discuss the potential of establishing business links between these two adjacent regions. As a result, an International Agreement to establish the Great Limpopo National Park (GLTP) was signed in 2000. Areas included in the GLTP are the Kruger National Park (KNP) in South Africa, Limpopo National Park (LNP) in Mozambique and the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe. Other areas earmarked for inclusion are the Sengwe Communal land in Zimbabwe, and Zinave and Banhine National Parks in Mozambique. This thesis explores the processes of decision making throughout the administrative hierarchy of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP), and evaluates these in terms of social and environmental justice principles. The three main objectives are: to identify decision making procedures and approaches currently being used in the setting up of the GLTP; to determine the extent to which decision making approaches have incorporated concerns relating to social and environmental justice; and to assess public participation in the GLTP to date - particularly at the community level. Findings indicate that the popular rhetoric surrounding the GLTP has, to date not taken place in reality. Many of the flagship projects have been met with opposition from the community. Social justice is not sufficiently prioritised within the GLTP, as shown by ongoing power differentials, prioritising of wildlife over people in terms of water rights, ongoing harsh treatment of "poachers", the disruption of traditional land use activities, and resettlement of villages into new and potentially different communities. Findings displayed in the questionnaire results, indicate that policies and action plans for the GLTP were developed by the state with little public participation. The community's powerless to influence any decisions or affect any change is encapsulated in the fact that they are, at present living with introduced wild animals. A public participation technique that took the form of a community barriers meeting did take place. This however did not contribute to the community having a say in the park plans. One cannot deny that decision makers have realised their mistake of bypassing community consultation and moving directly to implementation. It seems more effort is being made to bring communities into the process, through the formation of the Project Liaison Board, and thereby ensuring that they receive their promised benefit from the development of the GLTP. It is very difficult to try and categorise the type of approach to community conservation in the GLTP. Certain elements from all three relationships are evident, but more so from Protected Area Outreach.
The good, the bad and the balanced: a critical analysis of the representation of the black African migrants in the South African Daily News and Daily Sun newspapers, 2016- 2017.
(2019) Jani, Clifford.; Dyll, Lauren Eva.
The number of black African migrants in South Africa keep rising and currently stands at around two million despite the xenophobic attacks (Statistics South Africa's 2011). The post-apartheid era in South Africa has witnessed an influx of both permanent and temporary African and Asian migrants (Enigbokan et al. 2015: 3). The representation of black African migrants in the press remains contested, with some studies acknowledging the dominance of a negative and biased portrayal of Black African migrants in the press (Danso and McDonald 2001). This paper analysed how black African migrants are represented in some of the dominant newspapers in Durban, South Africa. Content and critical discourse analyses were used to examine the keywords, tone and metaphors in newspaper articles to identify how black African migrants are represented. Stories about refugees, immigrants, foreigners and asylum seekers were selected for analysis across 40 news articles in the two newspapers. Data were analysed using a two-step process of content analysis and critical discourse analysis. The research findings from this study indicate that black African migrants in the two newspapers are presented using more negative than positive metaphors. One of the critical findings of this study is the negative association of black African migrants with ‘illegality’, ‘drug dealing’ and ‘crime’. The study noted a few newspaper reports on the successes of migrants. The press tends to cover more of the gory activities of the black African migrants. This study analysed the linguistic character of newspaper content pertaining to black African migrants during the period 2016 – 2017. It then identified significant patterns that are consistent with extant literature on media constructions of migrants and the migration debate. Overall, the study established that black African migrants are portrayed negatively in most news articles.
The insights of outsiders : investigating learner perceptions of the mass treatment campaign's communication strategy for Schistosomiasis prevention in Ugu District, South Africa.
(2013) Dlomo, Nqobile Ntokozo.; Dyll, Lauren Eva.; Taylor, Myra.
Schistosomiaisis, commonly referred to as bilharzia is a neglected tropical parasitic water borne disease prevalent in developing countries and is endemic in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The World Health Organisation (WHO) aims to eliminate bilharzia as a public health problem by the year 2020 and as a measure to work towards this goal, the South African Department of Health (DoH) Ugu District, KwaZulu-Natal commenced a Mass Treatment Campaign (MTC) targeted at rural schools to decrease bilharzia infection intensity and prevalence levels. The DOH MTC utilises communication materials to communicate with stakeholders and the public to create awareness of the campaign and bilharzia. This study specifically explored the perceptions of learners towards the communication materials used by the DOH MTC to communicate with the learners in order to generate improvements for the current communication strategy. The ability of an individual to receive information is commonly impacted by the community, social networks and the environment and infrastructural settings of the community. The Social Ecological Model of Communication and Health Behaviour (SEMCHB) acknowledges that such factors may have an impact on how the individual receives information. The study utilises the broader social ecological perspective, and particularly the SEMCHB as a framework for understanding and exploring the perceptions of learners. The study made use qualitative data through focus group discussions, semi- structured interviews and participant observations to gain insights from learners. The study discovered that many incorrect perceptions about bilharzia still surround the learners. The perceived messages communicated through the DoH MTC still need to be communicated with learners, since some learners face challenges in understanding the preferred message. The encoding of the communicated messages through the poster, pamphlet and consent forms is influenced by the individuals social networks hence this study recommends that future communication message are designed with reference to the SEMCHB.
An interpretive study of the representations of South African Zulu masculinities in the soap operas, Uzalo, Imbewu and Isibaya.
(2021) Nzimande, Melba Belinda Melissa.; Dyll, Lauren Eva.
Since their origins in the 1930s, soap operas have been known as a feminine genre. Contributing to soap opera scholarship, this study explores the interpretations of masculinities that are presented in three South African soap operas by Zulu male audiences living in KwaZulu-Natal - Uzalo, Imbewu and Isibaya. A constructivist approach guides the study in understanding that masculinities are fluid and influenced by social and cultural factors. It articulates the complexity and ambiguity of contemporary South African masculinities, thus working against stereotypical representations of black South African men. An indigenised cultural studies approach includes how the study’s focus group participants read the soap opera preferred messages of Zulu masculinities and reasons for their dominant, negotiated or oppositional readings of these. This is enabled through a comparison of data collected through in-depth interviews with producers from each of the soap operas, with responses from 30 focus group participants in rural and urban areas of Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Data is analysed through the development of deductive and inductive thematisation where the relationship between the theme and international and local theoretical positions are explained. Typically, soap opera scholarship argues that the genre subverts discourses of hegemonic masculinity. This study found that contemporary South African soap opera representations of masculinities both uphold and subvert dominant discourses of Zulu masculinities. The significance of this is twofold. Firstly, soap opera producers are creating narratives that no longer conform only to traditional soap opera codes and conventions. They encode messages through narratives that draw in male viewers and use the power of cultural proximity in representations, meaning that there is a move to the indigenisation of settings, storylines and languages to attract audiences. Secondly, male audiences decode the messages through parasocial relationships and cultural proximity. The study adds to understanding the specificities of viewing within the African context, and the importance of creatives to be aware of the ways in which these habits shape the meanings of the programmes they produce. In sum, the study contributes to African masculinity studies, but particularly masculinity studies in soap operas in terms of representation and audience engagement in a “post” era, from the perspective of the global South.
Inviting xenophobia? An examination of Ilanga and Isolezwe’s coverage of the 2015 xenophobic attacks in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2021) Khwebulana, Cebisa.; Dyll, Lauren Eva.
Post-apartheid South Africa has become a prime migration destination for many foreign nationals. Previous research examines the way in which foreigners are represented in the press, particularly in the context of xenophobic attacks, but mostly with English newspapers as the case studies. This study examines the representation of foreign nationals in isiZulu vernacular tabloids, Ilanga and Isolezwe during the 2015 xenophobic attacks in South Africa. This is significant, as Zulu people are the target audience of these two tabloids and they are a local community that were reported to be involved in instigating and carrying out xenophobic attacks in South Africa (Dube, 2018). A total of 34 Ilanga and Isolezwe articles, from 1 April to 31 July 2015, were selected and examined. Content analysis is used in this study to examine the language used by these tabloid newspaper articles to determine how foreigners were represented during these 2015 attacks. The news articles about Isilo (King Goodwill Zwelithini) abantu bokufika (foreigners), abokufika (foreigners), ukuhlaselwa kwabokufika (xenophobic attacks), ukucwaswa kwabokufika (xenophobia) were selected for this study. The resulting themes are interpreted through the lens of the theoretical framework of representation theory that assists in understanding how certain representations connect meaning and language to culture. The study’s findings show that negative and othering representations are present in within both Ilanga and Isolezwe. These publications highlight the difference between foreigners and South Africans. Foreigners are represented as illegal immigrants, criminals and rebels by both Isolezwe. Ilanga had only two negative stereotypes and they are foreigners as illegal immigrants and criminals. However, both publications included a positive theme, where foreigners are represented as desperate people who have no place to go. Then Ilanga represented foreigners as better business people compared to locals. Although there were not many positive themes about foreigners but this was a great start towards a balanced coverage. This is different from the previous research that focuses only on negative representations of foreigners.
'Lodge-ical' thinking and development communication : !Xaus Lodge as a public-private community partnership in tourism.
(2011) Dyll, Lauren Eva.; Tomaselli, Keyan Gray.
This thesis explores the interface between community development via tourism and the field of development communication vis-à-vis a case study of the community-owned and privatelyoperated !Xaus Lodge in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The research is informed by Critical Indigenous Qualitative Research that employs interpretive research practices that aim to be ethical, transformative, participatory and committed to dialogue. The study valorises the voices of all lodge stakeholders analysing their expectations and how they negotiate the processes involved in the establishment and operations of the lodge. As a longitudinal study from 2006 until 2011 it focuses on the processes involved in transforming a failed poverty alleviation-built tourism asset into a commercial product with a range of benefits for the community partners. The processes involved are studied and shaped via participatory action research. This thesis generates a generalised public-private-community lodge partnership development communication model based on the findings of the !Xaus Lodge case study. The analysis of !Xaus Lodge is guided by development communication principles and practice such as the Communication for Participatory Development (CFPD) model, as well as the notion of pro-poor tourism (PPT). The applicability of these policies, approaches and models is problematised highlighting the complexity of development on the ground, particularly with indigenous and local communities. This study sets out the importance of cultural relativity in development projects whereby possible differences in the stakeholders‟ history, epistemology and ontology should be taken into consideration if a project is to negotiate both the demands of commercial viability as well as the symbolic and spiritual needs of the community partners.
News reporting on the experiences of university students in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. a content analysis of News24 and TimesLive.
(2023) Nxumalo, Zanele Zuzu Eugenia.; Dyll, Lauren Eva.
This research was necessitated by the surge of the coronavirus pandemic that hit the globe in March 2020. Global media, including in South Africa, took on the role of informing and educating citizens on the virus from its discovery to continuous updates on the changing patterns. News media houses have been critiqued for a lack of adequate reporting on profound experiences of university students due to the lockdown (Landa, Zhou & Marongwe, 2020). Stiegler and Bouchard (2020) acknowledge that the response by South Africa towards the pandemic seemed organised and kept the population calm. However, they further elaborate that there might be some underlying experiences that were not adequately captured, robbing the country and the global village of an opportunity to learn about the significant effects of national lockdown. This study is located within cultural and media studies to explore the experiences of university students in South Africa during the COVID- 19 induced national lockdown. News articles from two South-African based online publications News24 and TimesLive published during lockdown level five to three (5 March to 30 April 2020) to (1 May 1 to 30 May 2020) and level three of the second wave (29 December 2020 to 1 March 2021) are studied. The study employs a qualitative research approach using the qualitative content analysis and the discursive approach by Bednarek & Caple (2014). The themes were interpreted using two principal theories namely Harcup and O’Neill’s (2001: 2017) news values approach and Bednarek & Caple (2014) framework for the analysis of news discourse. The themes which were dominant from this research are inequalities, digital migration, virtual graduation for students, mental health of students, staying at home, national level 3 lockdown – saving the calendar. The majority of news values that appeared to define the reporting include surprise, good news, magnitude, relevance and follow-ups. The discourses that revealed the news values include digital migration (news value: relevance) and mental health of students (news value: bad news). The discourse analysis has revealed that the majority of news values were construed through themes from stories/articles that were written during the first wave of the pandemic. These include surprise, good news, magnitude, relevance and follow-ups. During the second wave of the pandemic only one news value on bad news was construed according to my research.
Parent-adolescent communication on risky sexual behaviour : facilitators and barriers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2017) Fasakin, Oluwatola F.; Dyll, Lauren Eva.; Musara, Lubombo.
The consequences of adolescent risk-taking behaviours such as HIV/AIDs, teenage pregnancies, STIs, and depression have become a challenging health concern not only to themselves but to society at large. The adolescent stage is a difficult period that, if not well-handled and managed, can lead to all these challenges. In South Africa, HIV prevalence rates and unplanned teenage pregnancies continue to remain high. In response to this, a study on parent-adolescent communication on adolescent risk-taking behaviours was undertaken. Parent-child communication about sexual reproductive health issues is identified as an effective means to tackle these risks and encourage self-efficacy as well as behavioural change among adolescents. This study investigated communication between parents and adolescents in relation to adolescent risky behaviours. Via the theoretical framework of the Extended Parallel Process Model, the study identifies the perceived threats to which adolescents are exposed, regarding their involvement in risky sexual behaviours and their perceived susceptibility and perceived severity of the consequences of risky sexual behaviour. Use of the Rommetveit and Blakar Communication model and Theory of Adolescent Development aims to identify the approaches that parents adopt, which may either hinder or engender effective communication. Furthermore, approaches that encourage self-efficacy regarding healthy sexual behaviour as well as the possible reasons for adolescents’ involvement in risky behaviours. In-depth interviews were conducted among eight participants (four adolescents between the ages of 18-21 and four parents who have adolescents within this age range) from Mayville, Durban. Theoretical thematic analysis generated four themes in relation to the research questions. These include i) parent-adolescent perceptions towards adolescent risk-taking behaviours, ii) sex-talk: factors that influence parent-child communication about sex, iii) information sources for sexuality and risky behaviour issues, iv) approaches in parent-adolescent communication on sexual matters. The findings show a correlation between parent-child communication and adolescent risky sexual behaviours. Though participants acknowledged the importance of parent-child communication on adolescent sexual decision-making processes, communications were vi primarily characterised by threats, instructions, warnings and emphasis on the consequences of risky behaviours such as HIV, unplanned pregnancies. These were perceived by parents to encourage behavioural change among adolescents while adolescents perceived this to hinder communication with parents, thus, encouraging exposure to other channels of communication such as media and/or peers. When adolescents perceived themselves to be vulnerable to the consequences and knowledgeable about the severity of these consequences, it was perceived to dissuade them from the risks. This study also found that opportunistic communication (a communication approach where both parents and adolescents sought immediate use of opportunities to initiate sexuality discussions) characterised with open communication allows for close and friendly parent-child relationships, and is more likely to encourage healthy behaviours. Communications were found to be triggered by community occurrences, television, and school work. Although findings from the study revealed that parent-child communication transpires within the family, a myriad of factors were identified to have hindered effective communication that could encourage adolescent self-efficacy in the face of risks. Overall, the study found that when parent-child communication is deficient, it negatively affects adolescent sexual decision making. On the other hand, when parents engage their adolescents in sex communication, using an open discussion approach, it tends to encourage adolescents to engage in positive behaviours.
Possibilities and limitations of Zazi community dialogues for social change to women in Zululand.
(2016) Mkhize, Siphetho Witness.; Dyll, Lauren Eva.; Lubombo, Musara.
From Modernisation to Participatory Development paradigm, development scholars and agencies have influenced changes in knowledge and practice in the field of economic development and public health communication. Such changes transpired due to realisation of short comings in development outcomes owing partly to critical social factors involved in the facilitation of social change programs. This precipitated adoption of different approaches and strategies from across disciplines which seek to promote participation of targeted beneficiaries in development process. Be that as it may, knowledge and practice of participatory communication still lacks standard qualifying criterion for facilitation of social and behaviour change. Meanwhile, social dialogue as participatory communication process and platform for human development has been applied and criticised for failing to consider critical social factors to facilitation of social and behaviour change. This indicates that social dialogue is not an automatic solution to human/social development. It is in this context that this study sought to examine possibilities and limitations of Zazi community dialogues (Zazi dialogues) in facilitating behaviour change among women in Zululand, KwaZulu-Natal. The findings suggest that Zazi community dialogues are consistent with principles of community dialogue facilitation espoused in the Communication for Participatory Development (CFPD) model initially developed by Figueroa and colleagues (2002). Representation of key stakeholders and women in Zazi dialogues, combined with effective application of critical pedagogical practices create possibilities for critical awareness development for behaviour change among the women. This is not least because they were able to collectively identify causes and effects of their challenges and explored possible solutions. However, persistent unfavourable social circumstances variably affecting married and unmarried women were noted as factors limiting their possibilities of changing behaviour successfully.
The production, distribution and reception of Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council (ZNFPC) reproductive health messages in Chikombedzi rural Zimbabwe.
Masakadza, Rosemary Chipo.; Dyll, Lauren Eva.
This study explores the production and distribution of Zimbabwe National Family Planning Council’s (ZNFPC) female reproductive health communication messages and their reception by females in Chikombedzi, rural Zimbabwe. The study arises from the realisation that female reproductive health remains low, particularly in marginalised communities, as the mass media seem not to prioritise reproductive health communication. Taking a Cultural Studies approach (CS), the study employs the Encoding/Decoding model (Hall, 2010/1980) and the Circuit of Culture (Du Gay et al., 1997). This is combined with the Social Ecology Model of Communication and Health Behaviour (SEMCHB) (Kincaid et al., 2007) thus also framing the study within health communication. In this qualitative research, data is collected through archival research at the ZNFPC offices complimented by semi-structured interviews of ZNFPC key personnel to determine the production and distribution processes. Focus groups are held with different women in Chikombedzi to establish the reception patterns. For data analysis semiotic analysis is employed coupled with an adaptation of the SECMHB as a data analysis tool. The research establishes that while ZNFPC tries to cater for Chikombedzi females in its packaging and distribution of IEC materials for behaviour and social change, there is still room for improvement. On their part, the women of Chikombedzi acknowledge the importance of ZNFPC messages but have to grapple with cultural and social expectations that are sometimes not conducive to the adoption of the communicated messages. IEC materials are used as a system of representation of the reproductive health challenges faced by woman in Chikombedzi.