Languages and Arts Education

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A preliminary investigation into the reading habits of high school pupils in Natal.
(1964) Schauffer, Alick.
No abstract available.
Towards a policy for first language in primary schools : a review of some aspects.
(1980) Flanagan, Wendy Joy.; Dobie, Bruce Alexander.
No abstract available.
Speech and drama as a secondary school subject : an analysis of selected problem areas with reference to South Africa and England.
(1984) Bell, Elizabeth Anne Charlton.; Dobie, Bruce Alexander.
No abstract available.
A study of the Afro-American oral tradition with special reference to the formal aspects of the poetry of spirituals.
(1991) Nobin, Brian Edward.; Sienaert, Edgard Richard.
This dissertation is a study of the Afro-American oral tradition with special reference to the formal aspects of the poetry of spirituals. In the introduction. an attempt has been made to take a look at the value of oral tradition; the interplay between oral and written tradition; the use made of orality in a society that was denied conventional literacy; the concept and the definition of the term, “spiritual". The organization of the rest of the essay is as follows: The sections are divided into four chapters. The first chapter concerns the origins of Afro-American spirituals and the anthropological foundations of the Afro-American oral style (anthropology of gesture). In addition, an attempt has been made to place the Afro-American oral tradition vis-a-vis the African oral tradition. The second chapter deals with key characteristics in the expressive phase of the Afro-American slave community with special reference to the dynamics of language usage. In the third chapter, there is consideration in some detail on the Afro-American oral composer and the transmission of the spirituals in an oral style milieu. The fourth chapter investigates stylized expression and is devoted to analyses of mnemotechnical devices within the spirituals. In the concluding chapter, an attempt has been made to take an overall look at Afro-American sacred poetic achievement. I must point out that it is not my intention to embark on any technical analysis of the music form and configuration of the spirituals - that is beyond the scope of this essay. In including "representative" samples of spirituals (and portions of spirituals), I do not intend them to be seen as "islands unto themselves" but rather, each spiritual must be seen as part of the whole corpus of Afro-American sacred oral composition. The question may arise: "Why a study of the Afro-American spirituals when there is so much to be studied on the oral traditions of Southern Africa? My response would be that the spirituals fascinate me for I see in them their widespread influence on the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements in South Africa. The Gospel song, so beloved of Pentecostal congregations, is an heir to the Spiritual. An enquiry on the sacred music and performance styles (improvisation, extemporization, dance, handclapping, shouts, etc.) of Pentecostalism will reveal that much of the Afro-American oral style still exists within the fellowship of Black and, venture to say, all Pentecostal churches in South Africa with obvious nuances that vary from denomination to denomination. But, the spirited and lively sacred music is encouraged and preserved.
The binary opposition of right and left in Zulu society and culture.
(1991) Buthelezi, F. N. S.; Argyle, W. John.
No abstract available.
Text and context : the ministry of the word in selected African indigenous churches.
(1992) Dube, Sydney Wilson Dumisani.; Kiernan, James Patrick.
The dissertation focuses on preaching in the context of selected African indigenous churches. The aim of the study was to explore sermon texts as a genre of oral communication. The gathering of data was guided by the hypothesis that the sermons that are preached in the African indigenous churches are composed orally and communicated orally. Three church groups were identified for the purposes of this study. Although the intention, at the planning stage of the study, was to study a mixture of Ethiopian, Zionist and Messianic-type churches, practical considerations and also because of socio-political factors, the study was limited to church groups of the Zionist and Messianic types. The research was carried out through the method of participant observation of services of worship, extended interviews with church leaders, preachers and congregants and also through the use of audio cassette recordings during nine months of field work in Edendale in Pietermaritzburg, Port Durnford near Mtunzimi and Ndabayakhe near Empangeni. A central finding of the study is that in the African indigenous churches a sermon is prepared and has a form (structure). The structure of the sermon is that of an oral text. The oral texture of the sermon is influenced by the following contexts: an oral tradition; the Bible which is a written source with a repertoire of texts' church tradition which is orally transmitted; and the life setting and experience of the congregants. It was also found that the sermon text is presented as a 'performance' involving both the preacher and a live, active, close audience. The study concludes that the communication of the sermon is influenced by the structural form of the sermon text, the ability of the preacher to use literary products and visual resources, and also by the participation of the audience.
"Evam me sutam" : a critical evaluation and interpretation of oral features of the Brahmajala Sutta.
(1992) Govender, Selva.; Sienaert, Edgard Richard.
Why the Buddhist Pali Canon? Why the Brahmajala Sutta? Will this dissertation contribute anything new and valuable towards Orality-Literacy Studies? It was with much anxiety and apprehension as well as intimidation in remembering the words of Jousse (1990): "A man who writes a book deriving solely from other books contributes nothing new." ...... that the choice of this topic became finalised. The Brahmajala Sutta commences with the words: "Evam me sutam" (Thus I have heard) It is the written representation of an oral form that came into existence as the culmination of an established authentic oral tradition that had its origins in the 5th Century B.C. It became preserved in written form in the 1st Century B.C. with the purpose of canonizing the Discourses of Gotama Buddha. These were and still are oral elements transmitted orally and the written text abounds with such as mnemotechniques, repetitions, refrains, sound and rhythmic patterns, silences and pauses that are germane to the content and comprehension of the sutta (discourse). This text which has survived many centuries holds much fascination as it attaches a meditative dimensions to the Orality-Literacy continuum since the meditative repetition of its verses aims at the spiritual transformation and enhancement of the individual. Le Roux (1991: 48) asks, "Is it possible to rekindle a live relationship with this ancient text, which is now only available in printed form?" In answering her question she states, "It is possible when the present day reader realises that this sutta has a dynamic vitality of its own, that it is able to challenge, communicate and demand a response from the interpreter. Inevitably, the reader is drawn into an involvement with the message of the sutta which Ricoeur (1967:354) calls, "a passionate, though critical relation with the truth value of each symbol." When the two horizons meet, that of the present day reader and the ancient text itself, understanding becomes a reality. That is possible notwithstanding immense differences in time, language and religio-philosophical beliefs." This dissertation is not intended to be an exegetical analysis of the Brahmajala Sutta, for which, in any case, it affords neither scope nor range. What it seeks to do is to explore how the text came to be fixed in its present form, as well as to appreciate the processes that lie behind its formulation, and most important of all, to attempt to understand what intrinsic qualities it possesses that give it its "dynamic vitality." In the first three chapters, the text is placed against the historical, sociological and cultural contexts of the Buddhist Pali Canon. This information is essential as it provides the background necessary for the comprehension of important aspects of the sutta. Chapter Four locates the position of the Brahmajala Sutta within the giant corpus of material embraced by the Buddhist Pali Canon and Chapter Five presents the structural formulation of the text. In Chapters Six and Seven, the oral compositional process with its use of formulaic devices comes into focus within a semantic, morphological and phonological analysis. I emphasise that since I consider my knowledge of the Pali Canon to be relatively limited, I have had to rely on the works of the many eminent researchers whose names appear in the Bibliography, for the information contained in the first three chapters.
The spoken and the written word : stylistic creation in Black broadcasting.
(1993) Mkhize, Velaphi Victor.; Sienaert, Edgard Richard.
In this investigation an attempt is made to show that in the world of radio communications in South Africa the oral mode of expression or radio oralism is manifestly more valued than the literate mode. The study deals with three basic issues: firstly, the new electronic culture which, to a large extent, depends on the spoken word, secondly, the significance of the spoken word that new mass media has developed; and, thirdly, what is likely to happen in broadcasting as a whole in South Africa, where the new oralism already had a decisive impact. The study explores the structure of the oral poetic language of radio grammar by examining black announcers' language usage. The thesis focuses on the individual announcer, her or his repertoure of repetitions and styles, and the quality of her or his practice of the traditional artistic expressions. It explores why one phrase is used and not another; it examines the many forms of repetition, their meanings, sounds, and the sound patterns formed by what precedes and follows them. starting with the individual announcer, the study worked outwards to the group to which she/he belongs, namely to other announcers who have influenced him or her and then to South African black society as a whole. The language of black South African radio announcers is in many respects stylised and ordered. In their creations, these announcers have incorporated praise names, geneologies and formulas which show their reliance both on the more specialized bardic repertoire and on the wider Izibongo tradition. At the end of this study, four things are noted: 1. The meaning of word in radio is controlled by what Goody and Watt (1968:28) call 'direct semantic ratification', that is by the real-life situations in which the word is used here and now. Words acquire their meanings only from their insistent actual habits - these include gestures, vocal inflections, and the entire human existential setting in which real, spoken words always occur.
The transmission of oral tradition in religious and domestic contexts among South African Tamil Indians.
(1993) Archary, Kogielam Keerthi.; Argyle, W. John.
This study attempts to discuss the transmission of oral tradition in religious and domestic contexts among the Indian Tamil Hindu people of South Africa. In chapter one, the focus of this study, as well as some reasons for choosing the Tamil group are discussed. The focus of this essay is to highlight the transmission of oral tradition in communities that have been physically separated from the original homes of those particular communities. Thereafter, in chapter two, examples of surviving domestic rituals are analysed. Life cycle rituals and calendrical rituals that are performed in the home are discussed with examples. Examples of surviving public rituals are considered in chapter three. An account of the rituals that are performed in the temple [either calendrical or of a personal nature] is given. In chapter four Tamil Hindu mythology which has survived in this country is given consideration. Lord Siva, in particular, is discussed to a greater extent. An overview of how some of the tradition has survived concludes this essay.
"From mimism to music in the child" : an oral-style contextual reading of the primary learning theory of Marcel Jousse with special reference to Rudolf Laban.
(1995) Conolly, Joan Lucy.; Sienaert, Edgard Richard.
In the essay, "From Mimism to Music in the Child" (1935), Jousse, the French linguistic anthropologist, * describes the process whereby instinctive learning takes place and develops into cognitive motor skills in the Child; * traces the connections between the stages of learning and the skills acquired by the Child. These skills include gestural mimic imitation, drawing, listening, speaking, and musical expression; * makes specific recommendations about the process of teaching the Child; * relates the stages in the early learning processes in the Child to the development globally and universally of the anthropos; * demonstrates the relationship between Man and his fellows, both as individuals and as expression of cultural distinction, and between Man and the universe; * comments on the distinction between human and animal learning capacities; * explains the roles of key features in human expression; *explains aspects of cultural and linguistic change; * comments on cultural and linguistic change. In this research-essay, I am * attempting to clarify, in various degrees, all of the above: the learning issues receive more attention than do the rest; * attempting to identify the similarities and differences between the thinking and views on learning of Jousse with those particularly of Rudolf Laban, and incidentally of Montessori and Lenneberg; * demonstrating an 'Oral-Style text'. The Introduction to this research-essay summarises the thinking of Jousse and Laban. The Body of the study: * provides biographical information about Jousse and Laban; * explains the difficulties and problems encountered with the text of the essay "From Mimism to Music in the Child"; * comments on the nature and operation of Oral-Style texts and their cognitive and affective influence upon the reader; * contextualises and interprets the text of the essay, "From Mimism and Music in the Child". The Conclusion adds comments, and suggests areas for further study and investigation.
Sacramental symbols and the oral tradition.
(1995) Moollan, Barbara Allison.; Sienaert, Edgard Richard.
This dissertation is an attempt to draw a connecting link between Marcel Jousse's theory of MIMISM as found in his book The Oral Style and the symbols used when celebrating four of the sacraments celebrating in the Roman Catholic Church. These symbols are water used in the sacrament of baptism, the bread and the wine as used in the celebration of the Eucharist, and the oil which is used in the sacraments of Confirmation and the Anointing of the Sick. Jousse was the first anthropologist to discover that all action or gestes as he called it, is constantly being replayed and re-enacted by man. The second chapter in this thesis will give a comprehensive summary of this theory of MIMISM. Since man is constantly attempting to get closer to God whom he falls short of when he sins, this practice of the sacraments is a means of getting man back in touch with God and the symbols used in this procedure is what actually makes it real. After a chapter on symbolism and the role that symbols play in the celebration of sacraments, the next chapter deals with the rites, rituals and religion in society. It is the symbols together with the rights, that in effect bridge the relationship between God and man. The final chapter then looks into the symbols themselves, which are oil, water and the Eucharist and fits the entire subject into perspective.
Orality and the sixteen Vedic Sanskaras.
(1995) Debipersad, Chandraprakash.; Rambilass, Bisraam.; Fanning, Rosalie Patricia.
In this dissertation an examination of oral style in the Sixteen Vedic Sanskaras with particular reference to the Naming, Marriage and Death ceremonies, has been made. Sanskaras, which originated in the Vedas, have been orally transmitted from teacher (Guru) to pupil from generation to generation. The Introduction outlines the role of Sanskaras in the life of a Hindu and its link with the ancient Vedas. The oral features that facilitate memorisation and transmission of the Mantras are mentioned. The three universal anthropological laws of Marcel Jousse are applied. The first chapter focuses on the theoretical framework of orality where important terms are defined. The contribution of Marcel Jousse and Ong are highlighted. The orality-literacy continuum is elaborated upon. The important role of memory skills as a facilitator of the transmission of knowledge is explained. The second chapter deals with the origin and the classification of Vedic literature. The role of the Sacred Fire (Yajna) in Sanskaras is emphasized. It is around this ritual fire that the ceremony and the oral traditions revolve. The fire is central to all the rites and ceremonies and the litanies constantly refer to the fire as the vehicle of transmitting the aspirations of the devotee to God. The third chapter states the reason for the choice of the topic and summarises each of the sixteen Vedic Sanskaras. This is followed by the identification of oral elements in the Naming ceremony. The evidence of orality in the marriage ceremony features in chapter four initially establishing the importance of the marriage ceremony and thereafter outlining the essential steps of a Hindu marriage. The death ceremony is described in chapter five with special reference to evidence of oral style expression therein. The conclusion emphasizes the role of orality in keeping alive the Hindu tradition and customs. It also augurs well for further research in Vedic literature.
Degrees of transgression: the writing of South African Black Women Writers Miriam Tlali, Ellen Kuzwayo, Sindiwe Magona and Zoe Wicomb.
(1996) Nattrass, Andrea Joy.; Attwell, David.
This thesis examines the English autobiographical and fictional writing of four black South African women writers: Miriam Tlali, Ellen Kuzwayo, Sindiwe Magona and Zoe Wicomb. The introductory chapter provides a theoretical overview of the principle strands of feminism available to the South African feminist critic - French feminism, with its theoretical emphasis and "symptomatic" interpretation of texts; the American brand of "h'beral" feminism which tends to embody a more socio-historical, empirical approach; Materialist feminism which emphasises socio-economic conditions in the course of its analysis; and "womanism,11 an alternative to "western" feminism which .fili.ds considerable support in African and Afi:ican-Afireficm feminist 􀁩cir-Jes. These different theories are examined in order to formulate a mode of analysis to be applied to the writing of the four black South African women, an approach which draws on aspects of all these theories and takes cognisance of other factors unique to the South Afiican situation_..in ord to most productively illumina e those aspects of the writers' work chosen for discussion. Following this opening chapter the thesis goes on to explore the writing of each of the four black South African women in tum. Each chapter contains an introductory section which provides biographical background on the writer under discussion as well as some insight into that individual's perspectives and opinions, usually drawn from their interviews, speeches and critical essays. This is followed by an analysis of their writing which deals with each book in tum: Tlali's two novels and short story collection, Kuzwayo's autobiography and collection of "oral" narratives, the two "volumes" of Magona's autobiography and her short fiction anthology and, finally, Wicomb's short fiction cycle and two individually published short stories. There are several issues with which this thesis is concerned in the course of analysing the writing of these women. These include an exploration of the positioning of black women through the interaction of the discourses of race, class and gender; a focus on how the various writers reflect on or construct a sense of their own identities; an examination of the situations in which they CDmplicate and/or transgress the dominant patriarchal societal attitude􀀆, riorities and codes of behaviour wliich they are "expected" to adhere to􀁘 as well as a concentration on the writers' sense of the lives and needs of other black women in tlieir communities. Such concerns are accompanied by a pervasive interest in attempting to identify and examine the tensions, ambiguities and contradictions which emerge (insidiously or dehberately) at various moments in the texts of these writers. The chapters are organised to chart what is perceived to be a progression among the various writers, in part marked by their increasingly sophisticated and more overtly feminist treatment of themes and issues concerning the "fictional" and "rel!t identities and/or lives ofblack women within South African society.
Orality and transformation in some Zulu ceremonies: tradition in transition.
(1996) Ngcongo, Thobile Thandiwe.; Zondi, E.
This study contains a variety of oral traditional formulae found in various places in KwaZulu-Natal which are used in the imbeleko ceremony and these formulae are analyzed in their traditional form and in a number of new formulations. The imbeleko ceremony is a celebration to introduce and welcome a newborn child, but occasionally even an adult newcomer may be introduced to both the living and the ancestral spirits. A full description of the imbeleko ceremony, the reasons for performing it, the procedures followed, an analysis and comparison of mnemotechnics used in the formulae and finally the application of orality-literacy theories to the rites and the text are provided. Variations observed in my research in the manner in which this rite is celebrated from family to family are pointed out. Zulus regard it as a must to perform the imbeleko ceremony for every child in the family. The reasons for this ceremony vary from (a) thanksgiving ceremony, (b) the official introduction of the child to ancestors, (c) the rite performed late to protect the child from misfortunes, (d) and to provide an opportunity for naming the child. There is also the imbeleko ceremony that may be performed in the life of the child when there are indicators that there is a need for it to be done i.e. when there is illness that seems incurable, and psychological crisis which occur even though the imbeleko had been performed. There is also a type of imbeleko ceremony for the first child that combines the child's maternal and paternal families. This dissertation concludes by comparing and contrasting the imbeleko and the Christian baptism. It is possible changes have taken place in the imbeleko ceremony as a result of external influences of the western Christian life. (NB This dissertation is accompanied by a video)
Development of a proposal for media education and curriculum interventions for teacher education/colleges of education in KwaZulu- Natal province.
(1996) Tshoko, Luvuyo.; Prinsloo, Jeanne.
This research focuses on and responds to the neglect of Media Education within teacher education proposals. It is premised upon the importance of Media Education in a democratic society, particularly its role within the curriculum development. Most importantly this research study is aimed to create an informed basis from which to influence both curriculum planners and policy makers of colleges of education to include Media Education as a core component of the programme for student teachers at those colleges of education. As the starting point of this research, the following definition is accepted: Media Education (as the word suggests) attempts to educate about media, to construct a critical approach to information offered by the media, to contextualise those agencies that produce media. The role attached to Media Education is to develop and nurture critical abilities of learners, to nurture autonomous thinkers who approach information not as transparent, but as constructions that are selective and partial (Prinsloo 1994: 19). Research was conducted at Umbumbulu College of Education to seek information about the understanding of Media Education of lecturers at the college. The results of the survey indicated that: • There is a lack of understanding and familiarity with Media Education by lecturers. • Lecturers constantly confuse Media Education with the use of media as a teaching resource. • Lecturers have not been exposed to literature and texts which are related to Media Education. • In terms of the role of Media Education in developing critical understandings of media, lecturers experienced difficulty with the concepts of 'critical understandings' and critical thinking. • Within the college there is no coherent strategy in the form of modules, worksheets, and syllabi that are specifically designed for Media Education. In view of the above, this research proposes a development of a Media Education curriculum to be developed as a speciality subject which can be taught along with other fields of study at a teacher training college. This initiative locates Media Education as an intervention that proposes critical pedagogy. To enable this, lecturers and curriculum developers of the college need to recognise the value of Media Education and to familiarise themselves with Media Education as this is a new field of study within traditional black teacher institutions. The research finally recommends both ongoing professional development of college lecturers interested in Media Education as well as collaboration with other educators who have expertise in and knowledge of Media Education. It proposes that Media Education be offered at all levels of study within the college, from Pre-Primary level to Secondary level of study as a speciality course in its own right.
Afstands-indiensopleidingsprogramme vir letterkundeonderrig in die Afrikaans t2 konteks:probleme en voorstelle.
(1997) Buthelezi, Phumelele Olivian.; Swanepoel, Eduen.
In hierdie artikel ondersoek ek in die eerste instansie die eienskappe van goeie afstands-indiensopleidingsprogramme. Daarna word die situasie, soos van toepassing op Afrikaans T2 letterkundeonderrig by die Umlazi Kollege vir Verdere Onderwys, beskryf. Ten einde probleme in die onderrigproses te indentifiseer, word een aspek, naamlik die personeelsituasie, aan die hand van vraelyste ondersoek. Vier aspekte kom in hierdie verband ter sprake: 'n persoonlike profiel van dosente, hulle kennis van metodologiese kwessies, asook van literere teorie en hulle/hul studente se leespatrone. Uit die data versamel en die analise wat daarop volg, word bepaalde aanbevelings gemaak om die situasie te verbeter. SUMMARY In this article I firstly look at the characteristics of quality distance in-service training programmes. Secondly I describe the situation pertaining to the teaching of Afrikaans L2 literature at Umlazi College for Further Education. In order to identify problems in the teaching process, one aspect, namely the situation of lecturing staff, is investigated by means of questionnaires. In this regard I focus on four aspects: a personal profile of lecturers, their knowledge of methodology, as well as literary theory and their/their students' reading patterns. Certain recommendations flow from the data gathered and the analysis thereof.
Social realism in Alex La Guma's longer fiction.
(1998) Mkhize, Jabulani Justice Thembinkosi.; Attwell, David.
This thesis sets out to examine social realism in Alex La Guma's longer fiction by using Georg Lukacs's Marxist theory as a point of departure. Tracing the development in La Guma's novels in terms of a shift from critical realism to gestures towards socialist realism I argue that this shift is informed by Lenin's "spontaneity/consciousness dialectic" in terms of which workers begin by engaging in spontaneous actions before they are ultimately guided by a developed political consciousness. I am quite aware that linking La Guma's work to socialist realism might raise some eyebrows in some circles but I am nonetheless quite emphatic about the fact that socialist realism in La Guma's fiction is not in any way tantamount to the Stalin-Zhdanovite version of what Lukacs calls "illustrative literature". Rejecting Lukacs's conception that socialist realism is a prerogative of writers in the socialist countries, I argue that gestures towards socialist realism made in La Guma's last novels are rooted in South African social reality. One of the claims being made in this study is that La Guma's novels render visible his attempt to create a South African proletarian literature. For this reason I make a case for Russian precedents of La Guma's writing by attempting to identify some intertextual connection between La Guma's novels and Gorky's work. Where realism is concerned I argue that although La Guma seems to draw extensively on Maxim Gorky in redefining his aesthetics of realism, Lukacs's theory of realism is useful in contextualising his fiction. The first chapter is largely biographical, examining La Guma's father's influence in shaping his political ideology and his literary tastes. Chapter two focuses on La Guma's aesthetics of realism. In chapter three I examine La Guma's journalism as having provided him with the subjects of his fiction and argue that there is a carry-over in terms of La Guma's style from journalism to fiction. Accordingly, I provide evidence of this carry-over in the next chapter on A Walk in the Night in which I argue that while La Guma's style is naturalist the novel is critical realist in perspective. Chapter five contextualizes the shift from And A Threefold Cord, to The Stone • Country as providing evidence of La Guma's use of "the spontaneity/consciousness dialectic". In chapter six I read In the Fog of the Seasons' End in relation to Gorky's Mother as its intertext in terms of its gestures towards socialist realism as seen for example in its "positive heroes", Beukes and Tekwane. There are further elements of socialist realism in Time of the Butcherbird which are nevertheless brought into question by some ideological contradictions within the text this is the central thrust of my argument in chapter seven. I conclude this study with a brief discussion of La Guma's craftsmanship.
The Hindu Prana in oral tradition with reference to the Aramaic Rouhah.
(1998) Hunsraj, Simla.; Sienaert, Edgard Richard.
The object of this dissertation is to illustrate the significance of Prana (life breath):- -As it obtains in the oral tradition -With reference to the Aramaic Rouhah -In Pranayama (breath control) -In Surya Namaskar (Obeisance to the sun) The role of Prana in man was recognised and venerated since time immemorial. In the introduction, Prana is perceived as a global, anthropological phenomenon. Chapter one provides a theoretical framework linking Pranato Oral Tradition by focusing on Marcel Jousse and his teachings; the Orality Perspective and the Orality - Literacy interface. Since the earliest record of the terms; yoga, Prana and Pranayama appear in the Vedas, the significance of the Vedas, especially as they exemplify oral expression, is mentioned. Chapter two focuses on: firstly, Prana within the context of yoga and secondly, Prana and its relation to the Aramaic Rouhah. The congruency of thought on the breath suffices to entrench Prana as a global entity. In chapter three, the enhancement of the quality and quantity of Prana via Pranayama (control of the breath) is discussed. Pranayama sets out with the purpose of achieving complete harmonisation of the body-mind axis, and thereby proceeding to the divinisatlon of energy. A cohesive whole is established by three essential and integrated elements; the breath (Prana), the physical gesture (asana) and the spoken gesture (mantra) in Surya Namaskar. Oral features in these elements are analysed in chapter four. The conclusion serves to emphasize that the wealth of oral tradition is amply evident in the concepts of Prana, Rouhah and Prananayama.
Improving adult mother-tongue literacy learning through the application of the insights of Marcel Jousse.
(1998) Frow, Frances Jill Eileen.; Sienaert, Edgard Richard.; Conolly, Joan Lucy.
Adult Mother-Tongue Literacy learning is a universal problem as readily available statistics indicate. In this study, I explore various aspects of adult Mother-Tongue Literacy learning, including: • a profile of a Learner typical of those who attend the Pinetown Welfare Society Adult Literacy Programme; • some indication of the success of literacy programmes around the world; • the kinds of problems experienced by Learners in the Kwadabeka Literacy Project attached to the Pinetown Welfare Society; • some relevant theoretical concepts which underpin adult learning, and particularly the learning of literacy in adults; • the perceptions of Marcel Jousse on the effect of non-literate and semi-literate milieux on the capacities of Learners; • suggestions as to how an improved understanding of the capacities of Learners can influence the choice, design and presentation of Literacy teaching and learning materials; • examples of those aspects of current programmes which answer the needs identified by Marcel Jousse. In the conclusion, I suggest: • how the theories of Marcel Jousse can be further explored and applied in the area of Mother-Tongue Literacy learning, and to a definition of literacy; • how the needs identified by Marcel Jousse can be further accommodated; • what kinds of materials need to be introduced to make Mother-Tongue Literacy less problematic and more accessible to its Learners; • how an evaluation of the Pinetown Welfare Literacy Programme might assist in improving Mother-Tongue Literacy learning.
A qualitative study of humour theory.
(1998) Gordon, Robert Lawrence Payet.; Sienaert, Edgard Richard.
This qualitative study of humour theory provides a broad descriptive account of the current status of humour theory within the multidisciplinary context of human and social studies. The nature of qualitative research is examined in terms of its relevance to humour research studies. Qualitative research is found to be a generic term applying to a range of types of data collecting approaches that fall outside the ambit of quantitative paradigms. Quantitative methods are shown as having limited applicability to humour studies which are primarily reliant on data collecting. Humour is examined in terms of its biological, phylogenetic and historical antecedents. The emergence of schools of humour theory is discerned; and a study is made of changing social perceptions of humour in terms of the 'ruling discourse'. Humour theory is examined in terms of parameters of contemporary research which entails the processes of defining humour and theorizing about humour in terms of a variety of variables. Critiques are provided of Murdock and Ganim's macro-level descriptive study of humour definitions and theories as well as of Apter's reversal theory of humour. Reflectivity is employed as a qualitative approach to analyse the personal experience of a 'humorous event'. Attention is also given to the relevance of orality, oral tradition and anthropological perspectives to humour research. Finally, recommendations are made for further research.

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