Browsing Faculty of Humanities by Title
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Lubinda, J. (Routledge (Taylor and francis), www.routledge.com, NaN, 2010)[more][less]
Abstract: Botswana is a multilingual and a multi-ethnic nation that has had a thriving multi-party democracy, peace, and stability since independence, in 1966. Despite the superficial impression that a casual observer may have of a socalled mono-ethnic and monocultural society, Botswana is in fact home to more than 30 tribes with diverse cultures. Over the past four decades, it has scored many successes in education, health infrastructure, and the economy in general. There is one area, however, where it still needs to make much progress, namely in the governance of cultural diversity. For many years after independence, official discourse has been in favor of a culturally and lingusistically homogenous society. This was the legacy of the colonial administration that aimed at promoting only the culture and the cultural interests of the Setswana-speaking tribes. In recent years, however, the political and administrative leaderrship has begun to embrace diversity and multiculturalism, as can be determined from official pronouncements and participation in social events that celebrate cultural and liguistic diversity. The article attempts to show how attitudes have evolved in the course of time and who has been active in advocating for recognition of minority ethic groups and their rights in matters of representation in the House of Chiefs, language use in education, collective land rights, etc. It shows the role of civil society organizations and cultural associations as well as that of the University of Botswana in agitation for equality. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/970 Files in this item: 1
Lubinda_JMD_2010.pdf (1.753Mb) -
Arua, E.A.; Arua, C.E. (International Reading Association, www.reading.org/, NaN, 2011)[more][less]
Abstract: Reports of the poor reading culture of Batswana appear periodically in the popular media, especially the newspapers (see Baputaki, 2006; Hosia, 2007; Seboni & Swartland, 2009). These impressionistic reports speak of an alarming deterioration in the culture of reading in Botswana. In the sense in which it is employed, “poor reading culture” means lack of a reading habit among children, adolescents, and adults, both educated and illiterate. The label thus encompasses complete illiteracy, functional illiteracy, and aliteracy (Sisulu, 2004). Without supporting evidence, the poor reading culture label is difficult to justify for any population group in Botswana. Consequently, we, in this article, investigate the holiday reading behavior of some junior secondary school students in the country to ascertain the extent to which the label applies to them. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1014 Files in this item: 1
Arua_JAAL_2011.pdf (963.1Kb) -
Mnjama, N. (Sage Publications http://idv.sagepub.com, NaN, 2003)[more][less]
Abstract: Seeks to demonstrate that successful implementation of Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation is directly linked to effective and efficient records keeping regimes. Where records keeping systems are poor or ineffective, the implementation of FOI will either be problematic or fail to achieve the desired results. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/250 Files in this item: 2
license.txt (1.998Kb)Mnjama_ID_2003.pdf (1.112Mb) -
Segobye, A.K. (Routledge (Taylor and Francis) www.routledge.com, NaN, 2007)[more][less]
Abstract: The colonial and postcolonial experiences of Africans reflect the myriad changes which African societies have undergone over the last few centuries. These include cultural, political and economic transformations mainly carried through formal education and the entrenching of western knowledge and technologies. The material and ideological changes were facilitated by a number of factors which varied over time and place. Formal education via religious missions became one of the tools for accelerated cultural transformation. It instilled new values and cultural aspirations for Africans caught in the complexities of colonial life. Education became the main vehicle for many forms of liberation from poverty, oppression and the inequities oflife. It offered an escape from what was perceived as the inadequacies of African knowledge systems creating new classes and voices within African societies. University education, as and when it became accessible to Africans, was invariably laden with multiple expectations for those who gained entry from their families and the wider communities within which they lived. The university thus became a complex landscape steeped in often contradictory aspirations including the transformation of individual and collective ideas. For some, it marked the attainment of a position of superiority, elite status, and often new forms of power, whilst for others it was a place of learning and enlightenment, associated with the creation of new liberties, and tools for realising broader freedoms. The idea of transformation in the university in Africa can thus be situated in the contradictions and opportunities that university education in Africa has come to represent. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/741 Files in this item: 1
Segobye_SD_2007.pdf (995.1Kb) -
Makgala, C.J. (Oxford university press/www.oup.com, NaN, 2005)[more][less]
Abstract: This article assesses the weaknesses of opposition in Botswana through the case of Kenneth Koma, the influential President of the Botswana National Front (BNF) from 1977 to 2001. This is done by examining the perception that from 1997 Koma’s relationship with the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) destabilized and weakened the opposition in the country. The article challenges a view, held by some of his detractors in the opposition, that his leadership style was out of tune with global trends. It also argues that what some people have viewed as ‘tribalism’ — the domination of the BDP leadership by members of the Bangwato tribe (of which Koma is also a member) — seems to be primarily a matter of expediency. This alleged tribalism is used by Koma’s critics as a smear. The article analyzes the relationship between Koma and the BDP at both political and personal levels. At the political level, Koma’s failure to keep the BNF united has been capitalized on by the BDP to tighten its grip on power. At the personal level, Koma has used his connections in the BDP to advantage in his business dealings. Koma’s cult status and his personal and political choices have therefore significantly contributed to de facto one-party rule in Botswana. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/505 Files in this item: 1
Makgala_AA_2005.pdf (2.367Mb) -
Magogwe, J.M. (University of Botswana, www.ub.bw, NaN, 2006)[more][less]
Abstract: This article is about the relationship between proficiency, gender and self-efficacy beliefs. It further says that self-efficacy beliefs are important in learning and have been found to influence learning meanwhile Univesity of Botswana first year students have been found to perform badly in English language learning. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/871 Files in this item: 1
Magogwe_MJLL_2006.pdf (1.989Mb) -
Ikpe, I.B. (crencas religioes e poderes dos individuos as sociabilidades, NaN, 2008)[more][less]
Abstract: Gender relations in Africa have always been important especially given the active involvement of women in production as well as reproduction processes. Women have always been actively involved in traditional economies as sole providers of food and nourishment whether such societies are agricultural or pastoral. More recently, women have been intricately involved in the production of goods and services which buoy both local and national economies of diferent African countries and could easily be noticed in various economic activities in both the trasitional and cosmopolitan locale. But more importantly , women are sometimes solely responsible for social reproduction in their capacity as minders of children and young adults. It is usually their responsibility to pass on societal norms and values to the next generation of Africans by helping them understand the ethos and cultural practices of the society. What this suggests is that Africa women have always held an important place in society both traditional and modern. The difficulty, however, has always been in analysing the power relationships between the sexes in African societies and understanding them in relation to the objectives of the feminist movement, especially, its call for womens emancipation. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/369 Files in this item: 1
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Mnjama, N.M. (Archlib and Information Services, http:/www.hwwilson.com/journals, NaN, 2007)[more][less]
Abstract: This article provides a summary of the major issues addressed during the general conferences of the Eastern and Southern African Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA) held between 1969 and 2005. It discusses some of the major resolutions passed during the general conferences showing the progress that has been made in implementing them within ESARBICA member states. The article concludes by suggesting that, as a professional association, ESARBICA has been a major instrument in the development of archives and records management programmes and services in the region. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/758 Files in this item: 1
Mnjama_AJLAIS_2007.pdf (896.6Kb) -
Jain, P.; Bentley, G.; Oladiran, M.T. (May 14, 2013)[more][less]
Abstract: In this electronic publishing age, academic institutions including universities have increasingly recognised that an institutional repository (IR) is an essential infrastructure of scholarly dissemination. An IR is a digital research archive consisting of accessible collections of scholarly work that represent the intellectual capital of an institution. It is a means for institutions to manage the digital scholarship their communities produce, maximise access to research outputs both before and after publication and also to increase the visibility and academic prestige of both the institution and authors. This paper discusses the benefits and obstacles of setting up an IR, and librarians’ and authors’ roles in the successful management of an IR. As the strength and advantages of DS can only be maximized through effective IRs, the paper recommends that an IR be considered as the principal benchmark of digital scholarship. This paper was based on desk-top research/review of relevant literature and the authors’ observations and points of view. Description: A paper presented at African Digital Scholarship & Curation Conference on 12-14 May, 2009 at CSIR Conference Center, Pretoria, South Africa. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1143 Files in this item: 1
Jain_Unpublished_2009.pdf (3.428Mb) -
Lumande, E.; Ojedokun, A.A.; Lebotse, E.K.; Mbangiwa, A.M. (Emerald/www.emeraldinsight.com, NaN, 2000)[more][less]
Abstract: Inconsistency and/or a lack of a clear understanding of the criteria for serial selection and evaluation have been observed to characterise the presentation of requests for approval of serials at the University of Botswana Library (UBL). This, on a number of occasions, has made decision taking difficult and sometimes inconclusive. The paper provides a case study of the examination of guidelines in use in other academic libraries. It also describes the process and procedure currently in use at the UBL. The study identified some anomalies and suggests modifications to ensure consistency in the presentation of submissions to guide better decision making by the Serials Selection Committee of the Library. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/873 Files in this item: 1
Lumande_LM_2000.pdf (808.7Kb) -
Togarasei, L. (Edinburgh University Press, http://www.euppublishing.com/, NaN, 2009)[more][less]
Abstract: The article discusses the politics of bible translation focusing on the Shona Bible. Specifically it looks at the translation of the word 'banquetings' into 'mabira' in the Union Shona Bible, the first complete translation of the Shona Bible. It also discusses the history of the translation of the Bible from the time the missionaries arrived among the Shona peoples in the 1890s to the time when the first complete Bible was translated into the Shona language in the late 1940s. It discusses the political and cultural factors that influenced the way the Bible was translated. How did missionaries’ understanding of the Shona worldview influence their translation? How did the translators address the dialectical differences in the Shona language considering that it has five dialects? How did Shona cosmology and spirituality influence translation? To answer these and other questions concerning the politics behind biblical translation, specific biblical examples (here the translation of ‘banquetings’ into mabira in 1 Peter 4:3) are analysed. The article also briefly looks at subsequent ‘improvements’ to the Shona Bible to see how translators have responded to cultural and linguistic changes over the years in their use of the bible among the Shona. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/596 Files in this item: 1
Togarasei_SWC_2009.pdf (112.8Kb) -
Morapedi, Wazha G. (Routledge (Taylor and Francis) http://www.routledge.com, NaN, 2006)[more][less]
Abstract: This article analyses the colonial government’s intervention in crop production in Botswana through the ‘progressive farmer’ scheme, from 1946 to independence in 1966. Crop production was not a highly remunerative venture in colonial Botswana because of persistent droughts, inadequate markets and lack of sufficient draught power and farming implements. Although cattle constituted the basis of wealth and, hence, their ownership led to social differentiation from pre-colonial times, the introduction of the ‘progressive farmer’ scheme accentuated the existing social stratification by favouring the well-to-do producers. While only a few farmers benefited from state assistance, this development marked a departure from the period before 1947 when the colonial state did almost nothing to bolster crop production in the country. By utilising statistics and case histories of farmers who joined the scheme, the article argues that the support extended to a few selected farmers in only some reserves accentuated intra-peasant differentiation and differentiation between regions of the country. The article begins by briefly presenting a survey of the concept of peasant differentiation, then focuses on the nature and organisation of progressive farmer schemes and their impact on peasant differentiation. It then discusses the position of farmers in the various categories of the scheme and finally presents and analyses case studies of three progressive farmers from three different reserves. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/485 Files in this item: 1
Morapedi_JSAS_2006.pdf (1.945Mb) -
Mhundwa, P.H. (Marang: Journal of Language and Literature, http://www.ajol.info/index.php/marang, NaN, 2010)[more][less]
Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which students' understanding of key words in examination questions might influence their performance as illustrated by the number of subjects in which they obtain pass grdades in the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate Examination (COSCE). The term used to refer to key words in this study is metalinguistic. It is a term that means more than what Kemp (2006, p.1) refers to words or phrases that re used to describe language as an object of study. Procedurelly, questions were designed to assess students' understanding of metalinguistic terms. The percentage scores of the metalinguistic tests were calculated and then compared with the number of 'O' level passes obtained by students to determine whether high scores in the metalanguage tests were comparable to the number of 'O' level passes obtained by the reserch subjects. It was discovered that high metalinguistic test scores were asssociated with greater 'O' level passes and low scores, with fewer 'O'level passes. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/1045 Files in this item: 1
Mhundwa_MJLL_2010.pdf (2.551Mb) -
Omoregie, F-K. (University of Botswana, Department of English, http://www.ub.bw, NaN, 2008)[more][less]
Abstract: In this paper, I intend to support Schechner's (1988:197) argument that "to be in trance is not to be out of control", and that in trance or possession the performer does exhibit elements of acting. Schechner mentions that two processes are indentifiable in performance: the performer is either "subtracted" in a performance closely resembling the art of the shaman who acts in ecstasy or what Jerzy Grotowski calls the "holy actor", or the performer is "added to" or "doubled", according to Antonin Artaud, in the process of performing. This "doubled" actor is considered to be in trance, something Schechner likens to Constantin Stanislavski's "character actor". In defining these two phenomena and other forms of acting, my intention in this paper is to prove that the whole of Africa is a gold mine of artistic performances. I intend to prove this by analyzing the acting styles and levels in Zimbabwean traditional performances. In traditional Zimbabwean performances, acting is realized in different social functions and contexts. In the contexts of this paper, acting means to feign, to simulate, to represent, to impersonate. (E.T. Kirby 1972 3) Defining acting and instances where acting is realized. Secondly, I will show how Zimbabwean societies use these define/identified qualities in different contexts. Thirdly, I will judge the levels of acting regarding their seriousness, commitment and functions. To achieve these aims, I will analyze four categories of performances, storytelling, childrens's make-believe, rituals and ceremonies. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/861 Files in this item: 1
Omoregie_MJLL_2008.pdf (4.909Mb) -
Makgala, C.J. (Cambridge University Press, NaN, 2004)[more][less]
Abstract: This essay examines, through taxation, the relationship between British colonial administrators, Tswana Dikgosi (chiefs) and their subjects in the Bechuanaland Protectorate from 1899 to 1957. It argues that since Bechuanaland became a British territory through negotiations the Tswana rulers were able to protect their interests aggressively but with little risk of being deposed. Moreover, the Tswana succession system by primogeniture worked to their advantage whenever the British sought to replace them. Taxation was one arena where this was demonstrated. Although consultation between the Dikgosi, their subjects and the British was common, subordinate tribes sometimes fared badly under Tswana rule. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/512 Files in this item: 1
makgala_JAH_2004.pdf (198.6Kb) -
Jorosi, B.N.; Isaac, G.G. (Sage Publications / http://www.sagepublications.com, NaN, 2008)[more][less]
Abstract: Information literacy skills are fast becoming a global priority as society moves into the digital environment. However, although the subject has generated a vast body of literature, it remains an underdeveloped domain in sub-Saharan Africa, with few scholars demonstrating a keen interest in, and focus on, the subject. This has unfortunately limited a fuller understanding of how information literacy is conceptualized and delivered in developing country contexts. The study reported here investigated the teaching of information literacy skills in selected Community Junior Secondary Schools (CJSS) in the city of Gaborone, Botswana. Data were gathered from a sample of 30 teacher-librarians via face-to-face in-depth interviews with the aid of a five-question interview schedule. The key findings of the study were: (1) respondents had varying interpretations of what constituted information literacy skills, (2) a variety of skills were taught under the rubric information literacy skills; (3) by and large, the teaching of information literacy skills was done by teacher-librarians and subject teachers, (4) the main approaches in teaching information literacy skills involved library orientation and the use of the English Language Period, and (5) respondents cited three challenges, namely, the absence of an enabling environment or an office dedicated to school libraries, an exam-oriented curriculum and shrinking financial resources. Several recommendations are made for both future research and the Ministry of Education in Botswana. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/815 Files in this item: 1
Jorosi_ID_2008.pdf (1.420Mb) -
Gerhan, D.R.; Mutula, S.M. (Wiley, NaN, 2007)[more][less]
Abstract: A recent model analyzing the role of information and communications technology (ICT) in development shows promise. The model coheres with theory on contingency, the problem of reductionism, and distinctions between deeply and shallowly inscribed organizational change arising from ICT. Conditions of e-readiness at the University of Botswana provide an opportune case study for the model. On the whole the original model holds up well, although the case study reveals relevant factors missed by the model: underlying support infrastructure and postimplementation growth in demand. Accordingly, we define an explicit role for time in the model and add a major new dimension of financial sustainability. These additions equip the model to better account for realities affecting ICT’s role in development. Further research needs include case and cross-case studies of the revised model. C 2007Wiley Periodicals, Inc. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/422 Files in this item: 1
Gerham_ITD_2007.pdf (2.086Mb) -
Dube, M.W. (Wiley-Blackwell, NaN, 2002)[more][less]
Abstract: Since the first clinical evidence of AIDS was reported two decades ago, HIV/AIDS has spread to every corner of the world. Still rapidly growing, the epidemic is reversing development gains, robbing millions of their lives, widening the gap between the rich and poor, and undermining social and economic security. Mission is carrying out God's work among people who are struggling to live with dignity and wholeness…Mission is to proclaim the good news that God affirms life over death, and that God acts among the poor, the majority of whom are women, who are victimized in the globalization of the market economy and left out in decision making processes. Mission is forming partnership…to struggle for life and work for justice for all people.” Traditionally, Jesus' own mission (Luke 4:18–19) and its mandate have been understood primarily in terms of proclaiming the word. What would be the further implications of seeing this mission also as that of spreading fire upon the earth? URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/762 Files in this item: 1
Dube_IRM_2002.pdf (5.676Mb) -
Mutshewa, A. (Emerald, NaN, 2007)[more][less]
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to explore and propose a way of using power as a theoretical anchor to investigate the information behaviour of people in work roles. The paper reviews literature on power relevant to the information disciplines. Various models of power are described, and a more sophisticated view, which takes a relational approach to power, is used to suggest how information related behaviour could be investigated. In this paper, power is regarded as a pervasive phenomenon involved in all aspects of individual lives, including the aspects emanating from work roles performed by individuals, thus manifesting itself as part of the relationships in the organisation. The paper suggests a framework that links information behaviour to power by arguing that power relations that form part of the processes of the work roles induce the information behaviour exhibited by those people. The paper concludes by pointing to a need for information behaviour researchers to consider power as central to understanding how people seek and use information. The framework could be used as a tool for designing studies that will enable the collection of data on information behaviour. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/749 Files in this item: 1
Mutshewa_AP_2007.pdf (1.498Mb) -
Ikpe, I. (Taylor & Francis, NaN, 2011)[more][less]
Abstract: Obedience is traditionally the supreme virtue of the military and, for many people, a soldier is an unthinking automaton that has been conditioned to respond to commands and operate in strictly hierarchical environments. But as soldiers progress in rank, they are required to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate commands as well as to reason concerning their commands and other military and non-military engagements. This paper is an overview of the practical steps adopted to foster independent thinking among student officers at the Botswana Defence Command and Staff College. It shows how the tools of critical thinking can be used to help student officers overcome the lessons of unquestioning obedience ingrained in them at cadet training and gain an awareness of themselves as autonomous individuals with responsibilities to and beyond the military hierarchy. It also shows how critical thinking can assist in the evaluation of military objectives and in the decisions that follow such evaluations. URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10311/795 Files in this item: 1
Ikpe_PP_2011.pdf (1.327Mb)