Browsing Faculty of Humanities by Title
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Mutula, S.M. (Archlib and Information Services, http:www.hwwilson.com/journals;http://www.ajol.info, NaN, 2008)[more][less]
Abstract: The networked world is characterised by the ubiquity and ever increasing application of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) in various sectors of an economy, including education, government, libraries, businesses, healthcare and homes. The networked world generates and moves large amounts of electronic information in the form of text, video, audio, graphics, and animations. A networked world affords opportunities for people, for example, to use e-mail for communication, use Web portals to access government information, access digital libraries from any point with a Web connection, and undertake formal and lifelong learning electronically. The evolving networked world has fuelled several paradigm shifts that are greatly impacting the way information and knowledge are created and managed. These paradigm shifts include information society, e-government, digital divide, and e-learning/digital scholarship. This paper provides an overview of the paradigm shifts sweeping the information landscape in the networked world and the implications for the creation and management of information, especially in African libraries URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/476 Files in this item: 1
Mutula_AJLAIS_2008.pdf (1.851Mb) -
Mutula, S.M. (Emerald, NaN, 2006)[more][less]
Abstract: Abstract Purpose – To argue that developing countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region should embrace the concept of freedom of information to enable better human rights and economic development. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the current situation through discussion of current legislation and proposed policies. Findings – Whereas several theories abound as to why there has been little development in sub- Saharan Africa, this paper discusses the status of freedom of information legislations within the SADC region and the implications for accountability and transparency in the management of public resources. Research limitations/implications – The paper suggests the importance of further research into the importance of freedom of information legislation for economic and human rights development. Practical implications – The paper has practical implication for those considering the potential of freedom of information legislation in developing countries. Originality/value – Freedom of information has largely taken a back seat amidst several social, economic and political reforms that have been instituted collectively or by individual countries. It is the view of this paper that freedom of information provides an important link for the economic, social and political reform initiatives URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/438 Files in this item: 1
Mutula_LR_2006.pdf (917.1Kb) -
Sebina, P. (Routledge (Taylor and Francis) www.routledge.com, NaN, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: The passing of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) in South Africa in 2000 ushered in a new era in accessing government records. Members of the public no longer have to wait for 20 years for government records to become archives in order to gain access to them. PAIA gave the public the right of access to all records irrespective of age except for those exempted under the provisions of the Act. This chapter evaluates the impact that Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation in general and PAIA in particular have had on access policies and practices in South Africa, and examines the extent to which this legislation has been used successfully by historians, journalists and other researchers. While the focus is on South Africa, the chapter further examines the lessons that the rest of sub-Saharan Africa could draw from the implementation and use of PAIA. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/755 Files in this item: 1
Sebina_JSA_2009.pdf (1.558Mb) -
Bagwasi, M.M. (Multilingual Matters and Channel View Publications, http://www.multilingual matters.com, NaN, 2003)[more][less]
Abstract: In multilingual societies such as Botswana, language use is an extremely complex matter, further compounded by the fact that the languages involved are themselves dynamic phenomena that often elude the planned outcomes of policies which try to shape and constrain them. The paper describes the functional distribution of the national language Setswana, spoken as a mother tongue by 80% of the population, and English, the official language in Botswana. The role of the two languages is outlined, with particular regard to cultural identity, on the one hand, and social and economic status on the other. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/831 Files in this item: 1
Bagwasi_LCC_2003.pdf (692.5Kb) -
Haron, M. (Faculty of Theology, University of Stellenbosch, http://academic.sun.ac.za/tsv/Scriptura/scriptura.htm, NaN, 2006)[more][less]
Abstract: Southern Africa's Muslim minorities have been growing at a steady pace through procreation, conversion and migration. These Muslim communities have rooted and embedded themselves onto the Southern African soil and have contributed in varied ways to the respective countries where they reside and live. Apart from South Africa's well documented Muslim community, very little attention has been given by scholars to the Muslim communities in its neighbouring states. When one surveys the region, it becomes evident that nothing substantial has been written about the Muslims in Namibia, Swaziland and Lesotho except for a few popular journalistic articles, and that few attempts have been made by scholars to write about the Muslim communities in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Botswana. This article will therefore try to look at the last mentioned country with specific focus on the Gaborone Muslim community. This article complements the academic studies that have been produced in 1989 and 1998/2000 respectively. This article mainly focuses itself upon the contemporary developments that have taken place in Botswana's capital city where most of the Muslims reside and work. It intends to pinpoint, describe and briefly analyse all the major role players and institutions that are around and that have contributed towards creating a unique Gaborone Muslim community. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/150 Files in this item: 2
haron_gaborone_muslimcommunity2006.pdf (214.9Kb)license.txt (1.998Kb) -
Akpabio, E. (University of Botswana, http://www.ub.bw, NaN, 2007)[more][less]
Abstract: The state of Botswana and the University of Botswana have made avowed commitments to gender equity. The former has done so by signing up for and implementing various protocols aimed at enforcing gender justice and the latter by mainstreaming gender in its various processes activities and operations. The main focus of this study is to find out if this commitment to gender mainstreaming is reflected in the University's house journal - UB Newsletter. This is because of the media's ability to influence the public agenda by focusing the audience attention on particular issues, thus guaranteeing the salience of such issues in the minds of audience members. The study universe was the content of the newsletter over a six year period - 2000 - 2005. Content categories were academic, non-academic/social, appointment, and interviews. The study examined physical units, involving examination of the space devoted to activities and achievements of members of staff. The findings indicated that male members of staff dominated in all the content categories in the editions of the publication analyzed, thus giving the erroneous impression that the University of Botswana is a man's world. Flowing from these findings, the study recommends that the Public Affairs Department engage in gender-aware reporting in order to redress the situation. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/686 Files in this item: 1
Akpabio_BJAS_2007.pdf (4.728Mb) -
Ikpe, I.B. (Boleswa Journal of Theology, Religion and Philosophy (BJTRP), December NaN, 2005)[more][less]
Abstract: This paper focuses on public morality in Africa and examines the contributions of Christian theology to moral decline in Africa. The paper points out the disparity between the theology of purnishment in African religions and the theology of purnishment in Christianity and suggests that this disparity may be the underlying cause of the decline in public morality in Africa. It explores the function of fear as an instrument of moral preservation in both traditional religion and Christianity and argues that the transition from traditional religion to Christianity diminished the efficacy of this instrument and thus affected attitude of Africans to public morality. In conclusion, the paper recommends a re-engineering of the Christian theology to stem this crisis. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/351 Files in this item: 1
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Kgafela, N.A. (University of Botswana, Department of English, http://www.ub.bw, NaN, 2006)[more][less]
Abstract: The paper examines the representation of women in Raja Rao's Kanthapura, especially within the socio-political realms. This will be done in relation to Mahatma Gandhi's principle of Satyagraha. The paper surveys the role played by women in the Indian fight for independence against the British rule and attempts to establish whether their role is a heroic/ dominant or subaltern one. Are they heroines or victims of their own society, i.e. are they being used to sacrifice their 'physical and emotional needs' for the victory of men? Who gets the medal in the end. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/855 Files in this item: 1
Kgafela_MJLL_2006.pdf (1.460Mb) -
Makgala, C.J. (Routledge, http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=t713429127, NaN, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: Although economic, political, ethnic and religious factors have led to regionalisms and other divides, causing civil strife and civil wars in many countries, in Botswana the north-south divide existed for a long time merely as a political undercurrent. However, the turn of the twenty-first century saw the explosion of issues motivated by perceptions that it was the north-south divide that caused imbalance in the provision of infrastructural development and ethnic inequality. This article traces the north south divide in Botswana back to the early British colonial enterprise, when it was used for administrative convenience. Although in the post-colony the first president handled the situation pro-actively, his successors abandoned this approach. Regionalism ensued as personal ambitions for power and wealth took political and sometimes tribal dimensions. Ethnic identities were used to bolster campaigns despite the fact that identities in Botswana are multiple and multilayered rather than mutually exclusive. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/590 Files in this item: 1
Makgala_JCAS_2009.pdf (4.772Mb) -
Makgala, C.J. (Routledge (Taylor and Francis group), http://www.routledge.com, NaN, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: Although economic, political, ethnic and religious factors have led to regionalisms and other divides, causing civil strife and civil wars in many countries, in Botswana the north south divide existed for a long time merely as a political undercurrent. However, the turn of the twenty-first century saw the explosion of issues motivated by perceptions that it was the north south divide that caused imbalance in the provision of infrastructural development and ethnic inequality. This article traces the north south divide in Botswana back to the early British colonial enterprise, when it was used for administrative convenience. Although in the post-colony the first president handled the situation pro-actively, his successors abandoned this approach. Regionalism ensued as personal ambitions for power and wealth took political and sometimes tribal dimensions. Ethnic identities were used to bolster campaigns despite the fact that identities in Botswana are multiple and multilayered rather than mutually exclusive. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/553 Files in this item: 1
Makgala_JCAS_2009.pdf (1.639Mb) -
Togarasei, L. (Edinburgh University Press, http://www.euppublishing.com/, NaN, 2007)[more][less]
Abstract: This study seeks to find out what has attracted women to Christianity. In particular, it seeks to find out the existential circumstances and needs of the Harare Christian women that have led them to be attracted to Jesus. What are their images of Jesus Christ, and how do these fulfill their existential needs and aspirations? In apartheid South Africa and the black American movement, for example, Christ was seen as liberator. Who is Jesus Christ then for the Harare Christian women? To address these questions, the paper is divided into three sections. The first section provides a brief discussion of Chriscology in the New Testament. This is done to show that even the Christology of the New Testament communities was influenced by their existential needs. A second section, which gives a general overview of African Christology, follows this. The third section then focuses on the Christology of Harare women. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/593 Files in this item: 1
Togarasei_SWC_2007.pdf (515.9Kb) -
Bolaane, M. (Wiley-Blackwell, NaN, 2004)[more][less]
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present a background discussion on the impact of game reserve policy on Bugakhwe, “River BaSarwa” (Bushmen/San people) in Eastern Ngamiland. The issues of local community ownership and its relationship to perceptions of what constitutes a rural development, and the problems of land rights, wildlife management and settlement, are important in the booming industry of the Okavango region. When the Moremi Game Reserve was created in 1963, the San of Khwaai were moved out and relocated in their present position, at the north gate of the Moremi Game Reserve. The question of access to traditional land and its resources has characterized the BaSarwa’s response to the government’s Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) initiative of 1995. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/535 Files in this item: 1
Bolaane_SPA_2004.pdf (2.049Mb) -
Bolaane, M. (Blackwell Synergy; The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.com, August NaN, 2004)[more][less]
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present a background discussion on the impact of game reserve policy on Bugakhwe, " River BaSarwa" (Bushmen/San people) in Eastern Ngamiland. The issues of local community ownership and its relationship to perceptions of what constitutes a rural development, and the problems of land rights, wildlife management and settlement, are important in the booming industry of the Okavango region. When the Moremi Game Reserve was created in 1963, the San of Khwaai were moved out and relocated in their present position, at the north gate of the Moremi Game Reserve. The question of access to traditional land and its resources has characterized the BaSarwa's response to the government's Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) initiative of 1995. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/229 Files in this item: 2
Bolaane_SPA_2004.pdf (4.085Mb)license.txt (1.998Kb) -
Mwikisa, P. (University of Botswana, Department of English, http://www.ub.bw, NaN, 2008)[more][less]
Abstract: The paper offers a reading of Shakespeare's the Tempest, Othelo and Titus Andronicus that sees the plays' black characters as disporic protagonists seeking alternative constructions of difference from those that are demanded by the dominant white patriarchal culture. The paper deploys two fairly well-known strategies for non-canonical readings of canonical texts. Firstly, the apocryphal approach offers an account of the significance of the fact that details of the origins of the black characters in the plays seem suppressed. Secondly, drawing on post colonial discourse of the body, the paper reads the characters themselves as texts or spaces in which conflicting discourses can be written and read.I argue that reading the plays this way helps us to understand the struggles of diasporic characters as they attempt to inscribe their presence in the dominant cultures of the west and also to see in their struggles reflections of the trajectory of texts from marginalized communities in the era of global multinational capitalism. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/853 Files in this item: 1
Mwikisa_MJLL_2008.pdf (3.718Mb) -
Magogwe, J.M. (University of Botswana, Department of English, http://www.ub.bw, NaN, 2008)[more][less]
Abstract: This research seeks to examine the role that context or learning situation plays in strategy choice by comparing the strategy patterns of a private English medium secondary and a government secondary school in Botswana. More specifically, the main ofjectives of this study are to, firstly, investigate whether the type of school influences the choice of language learning strategies of its students: secondly, to find out whether private English medium secondary school students use more strategies than government secondary school in Botswana: and, thirdly, to explore the role played by gender on the choice of language learning strategies. Form four students from oneprivete English medium senior secondary school and one government senior secondary completed the strategy inventory for language learning (SIILL). The data was analysed using descriptive statistics to calculate means and standard deviations of strategies and inferential statistics such as ANOVA to establish the relationships between group and individual strategies. The findinds of this study showed that the choice of strategies was not greatly influenced by the type of school from which the student came. However, this study found that government school students relied more on the use of dictionaries. On the other hand, private English medium students volunteered to look for conversation partners in order to get practice in speaking English. In relation to gender, the findings of this studyconfirmed other previous findings that female students use more language learning strategies than do male students. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/859 Files in this item: 1
Magogwe_MJLL_2008.pdf (3.125Mb) -
Mutshewa, A. et al (Archlib and Information Services, http:/www.hwwilson.com/journals; http://www.ajol.info, NaN, 2010)[more][less]
Abstract: Public libraries are established to be used by communities. Surprisingly, many people in communities where there are public libraries do not make use of them. This descriptive study investigated the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of such non-library users, so that the libraries could redesign their services to attract them. Also examined are the barriers encountered by non-library users in getting information, their reasons for not using the library, and their perceptions on current outreach efforts by libraries in the communities. The target population for this study was the community of non-library users in Botswana. The snowball sampling method was used to select 302 respondents from 34 research sites in the country. The findings indicated that respondents knew about the existence of the library through friends, Kgotla meetings, and advertisements in local media, and they were also willing to participate in the activities of the library. However, lack of time, distance to the library and inadequate relevance of the library resources and services to the activities the respondents were engaged in seemed to be the main barriers to library use. In terms of information required, it was difficult for the respondents to express their information needs; nevertheless, the study was able to establish that the respondents often needed information on current affairs, education, business and agriculture, and they used radio, newspapers, friends, work supervisors and personal experience to meet their needs. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1099 Files in this item: 1
Mutshewa_AJLAIS_2010.pdf (376.1Kb) -
Snell, R.; Sebina, P. (Australian society of Archivists, NaN, 2007)[more][less]
Abstract: This paper puts forward ideas about trying to take public access to government information from where it currently is - a few painful, costly and hard fought steps from its strongly resisted implementation - towards where it should be in an information age. The current state of play in Australia after more than twenty years of experience is barely measurable. The comments in this paper are focused on the capacity of citizens to access non-personal affairs information on a routine and relatively unproblematic basis. If in other areas of the information revolution we had accepted the same minimal results as we have with Freedom of Information (FOI) then the Internet, laptop computers, iPods and BlackBerries would have all remained unbelievable elements of speculative science fiction. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/424 Files in this item: 1
Snell_AM_2007.pdf (1.239Mb) -
Oladokun, O. (Routledge (Taylor and francis)/www.routledge.com, NaN, 2010)[more][less]
Abstract: The focus of this study is on the information-seeking behavior of the off-campus students in 2 of the 7 satellite centers of the Centre for Continuing Education, the outreach arm of the University of Botswana. Although the university deeply committed itself to the project, the university library could not afford to establish branch libraries in all the off-campus centers. With the nearest university branch libraries located some 160 km and 200 km away from the centers of study and only branch offices of the public library available, the findings revealed that the library and information needs of the students were not significantly met. As printed sources were revealed as their preferred choice of information format, e-mail and the Internet sources were not given much priority, even though there was evidence that suggests the students were adequately equipped through the teaching of information skills. Questionnaire and interview tools were used. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1000 Files in this item: 1
Oladokun_JLA_2010.pdf (1.118Mb) -
Raseroka, K. (Elsevier, http://www.elsevier.com, NaN, 2008)[more][less]
Abstract: This paper reflects on factors that need to be considered for establishment of an equitable knowledge society that will secure the Indigenous Knowledge space. While information communication technology facilitates the capture of a predominantly oral-based indigenous knowledge, its contribution to exploitative approaches to information access, also encourages the development of such knowledge as a commodity for competitive advantage, a factor that requires serious consideration. The basis for this consideration should be the World Summit on the information Society (WSIS) Principles which provide the promise of equitable access to information as a base for creation of the knowledge society through ethically grounded information use and sharing. ª 2008 Published by Elsevier Ltd. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/489 Files in this item: 1
Raseroka_IILR_2008.pdf (1.088Mb) -
Chebanne, A. (University of Botswana, Office of Research and Development, http://www.ub.bw, NaN, 1996)[more][less]
Abstract: Our motivation and inspiration to undertake this aspect of the phonology of Setswana is derived from research in Setswana phonology by Creissels (Notes, 1991-1992) and from the Bantu languages phonology by Bastin (1983). The reanalysis of the phenomenon that we earlier treated under what the two linguists describe generally as "imbrication"l (cf. Chebanne, 1993, ACAL 24), and which means an affixal imbedding which transforms morphemes has yielded new mterpretations on the Setswana data. We are now inclined to call this phenomenon "intersuffixing", which refers here to the adjustment of positions and forms undergone by verbal suffixes according to morpho-phonological rules. The two terms, intersuffixing and imbrication, actually do not mutually exclude each other. Imbrication may result after certain suffixal permutations in the process of intersuffixing have occurred. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/863 Files in this item: 1
Chebanne_PBJAS_1996.pdf (415.4Kb)