African Journals Online
Acta Academica

Volume 34, Number 3, 2003
ABSTRACTS:

Philosophical reflections on continuity

Strauss, Danie

Abstract: Against the background of concept formation, limits of definition and the unavoidability of indefinable primitive terms, this study investigates the uniqueness of continuity. Considerations from the history of philosophy and mathematics are taken into account and treated within the context of the "coherence of irreducibles". The meaning of continuity is shown to be intimately connected with that of infinity. This connection requires a reconsideration of both the notion of infinity and the interconnections between number and space. This background provides the basis for an alternative appreciation of the relationship between Aristotle on the one hand and the Cantor-Dedekind (set-theoretical) approach to continuity on the other. In conclusion, the abuse of the notion of continuity in the supposed arithmetisation of mathematics is challenged, mainly in terms of a new analysis of the meaning of the actual infinite, preferably designated as the at once infinite (as distinct from the potential infinite or the successive infinite).

Teen die agtergrond van bestaande insigte in begripsvorming, in die grense van begrip en definisie en in die onvermydelikheid van primitiewe terme, word ondersoek ingestel na die uniekheid van kontinuïteit. Oorwegings uit die geskiedenis van die filosofie en van die wiskunde word behandel binne die konteks van die samehang van dit wat uniek is. Dit blyk dat die menslike sin van kontinuïteit ten nouste verbonde is aan sy belewing van die aard van oneindigheid. Hierdie verband benodig 'n heroorweging van beide die aard van oneindigheid en die samehang tussen getal en ruimte. Hierdie agtergrond vorm vervolgens die basis van 'n alternatiewe waardering van die verhouding tussen, enersyds, Aristoteles en, andersyds, Cantor-Dedekind se (versamelingsteoretiese) benadering tot kontinuïteit. Ten slotte word die misbruik van die kontinuïteitsnosie in die vermeende aritmetisering van die wiskunde bevraagteken, hoofsaaklik in terme van 'n nuwe analise van die sin van die aktueel-oneindige, wat verkieslik aangedui word as die opeens-oneindige (onderskeie van die potensieeloneindige of die suksessief-oneindige).

Smeared magnificence: nature and denaturalisation in the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins and Dennis Brutus

Yesufu, Abdul

Abstract: The poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins is a metaphysical articulation of Catholic theology eulogising the multifarious beauty and magnificence of God. Dennis Brutus's ostensibly very different work presents a realistic, earth-bound, highly politicised picture of the harrowing consequences of the apartheid system. Yet, as this article demonstrates, the sensibilities of the two poets and their measured artistic responses may be shown to spring from similar humanist origins as well as from correspondences in their lives and personalities. It is argued that Hopkins and Brutus are both essentially nature poets in the Wordsworthian mode, reverencing the spiritual beauty of nature and lamenting its denaturalisation by humanity - the "smearing" of the magnificence of the creation. This reading goes on to suggest that despite their different contexts both poets are able to transcend the humanity / nature dichotomy with visions of the regeneration of nature by the erstwhile despoiler.

Die poësie van Gerard Manley Hopkins is 'n metafisiese uiting van Katolieke teologie tot lof van die veelsoortige skoonheid en grootsheid van God. Dennis Brutus se oënskynlik baie andersoortige werk bied 'n realistiese, aardse, grootliks verpolitiseerde beeld van die hartverskeurende gevolge van die apartheidstelsel. Hierdie artikel toon egter aan dat die gevoelighede én die weldeurdagte artistieke response van die twee digters ontspring aan gelyksoortige humanistiese opvattings asook aan ooreenkomste in hulle lewens en persoonlikhede. Dit word geredeneer dat beide Hopkins en Brutus in wese natuurdigters van Wordsworthiaanse inslag is, wat die vergeestelikte skoonheid van die natuur besing en die verontnatuurliking daarvan deur die mens - die "bevlekking" van die skeppingsgrootheid - betreur. Daar word voorts gesuggereer dat beide digters nogtans, binne hulle verskillende kontekste, daarin slaag om die mens / natuur-digotomie te oorstyg met visioene van die wedergeboorte van die natuur deur toedoen van die voormalige vernieler.

Provincial inequalities in maternal and child health care in South Africa

Booysen, Frikkie le R.

Abstract: This study explores provincial inequalities in maternal and child health care with data from the 1998 South African Demographic and Health Survey (SADHS). Most provinces have made considerable progress in ensuring relatively equitable access to immunisation and to opportunities for pregnant mothers to consult with medically trained personnel, whether for antenatal care or at delivery. However, the public / private divide in health care persists, as do inequalities in contraception usage. Furthermore, progress has not been equal across all provinces and inequalities are consistently worse in Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape and Gauteng. Given the importance of health care in facilitating development, government and health authorities must continue to make concerted efforts to expand health care delivery to the poor, to address the obstacles which confront the poor in accessing health care services, and to increase the efficiency of health care delivery.

Ongelykhede op provinsiale vlak in moeder- en kindergesondheidsorg word hier ondersoek aan die hand van data uit die 1998 Suid-Afrikaanse Demografiese en Gesondheidsopname (SADHS). Provinsies het meestal goeie vordering gemaak om relatief gelyke toegang te verseker tot immunisasie en tot konsultasiegeleenthede vir verwagtende moeders met opgeleide mediese personeel, hetsy voor of tydens geboorte. Die skeiding tussen openbare en private gesondheidsorg blyk egter steeds duidelik, asook ongelykhede in die gebruik van voorbehoedmiddels. Voorts, het provinsies nie ewe veel vordering gemaak nie. Ongelykhede is konsekwent groter in Kwazulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, die Oos-Kaap en Gauteng. Aangesien gesondheid 'n belangrike rol speel in menslike ontwikkeling, sal die regering en gesondheidsowerhede daadwerklike pogings moet aanwend om die lewering van gesondheidsorg aan armer gemeenskappe uit te brei, om struikelblokke wat die toegang vir armes tot gesondheidsorg belemmer uit die weg te ruim, asook om die doeltreffendheid van die lewering van gesondheidsorg te verbeter.

Lateraliteit en hemisferiese taallateralisering by seuns met en sonder aandagtekorthiperaktiwiteitversteuring

Vermooten, Irene; Stuart, Anita

Abstract: Volgens die literatuur bestaan daar 'n moontlike verband tussen onvolledige of onvoltooide lateralisasiepatrone en verskeie ontwikkelingsversteurings (Hiscock 1988: 85-169). Met die begrip lateralisasie word in die onderhawige studie verwys na hemisferiese taalverteenwoordiging, asook na hand-, voet- en oogdominansie. Seuns (tussen 8-12 jaar oud) met en sonder aandagtekort-hiperaktiwiteitversteuring (ATHV) is dienooreenkomstig in twee groepe verdeel, wat met mekaar vergelyk is ten opsigte van bogenoemde modaliteite. Die resultate toon statisties beduidende verskille tussen seuns met ATHV en seuns sonder ATHV met betrekking tot hemisferiese taalspesialisering, hand- en voetdominansie. Oor die algemeen is die seuns sonder ATHV sterker gelateraliseerd as seuns met ATHV. Geen statisties beduidende verskil is gevind met betrekking tot oogdominansie nie.

The literature suggests a possible connection between abnormal lateralisation patterns and various developmental disorders (Hiscock 1988: 85-169). In the current study lateralisation refers to hemispheric language specialisation, hand dominance, foot dominance and eye dominance. Boys (8-12 years) with and without attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were divided into two groups and compared in respect of the above-mentioned modalities. The results indicate that there are statistically significant differences between ADHD boys and non-ADHD boys with regard to hemispheric language specialisation, hand dominance and foot dominance. Overall the ADHD boys were not as strongly lateralised as the non-ADHD boys. No statistical differences were found with regard to eye dominance.

Mark non-comparability and the predictability of post-first-year performance

Huysamen, G.

Abstract: In this study, the following scores of black and white university students were correlated: matriculation marks, the mean of each semester's marks up to the end of the third academic year, and the cumulative mean marks over the preceding and remaining semesters. In agreement with findings reported elsewhere, first-year and postfirst-year performance were better predictors of performance in subsequent semesters than matriculation performance. However, for any of these predictors, the correlations with the performance in subsequent semesters decreased progressively over time, whereas the correlation with accumulated performance over the remaining semesters was not subject to the same degree of decline. When marks were adjusted for mark non-comparability across various courses, the decline in correlations lessened, while the correlations of black students approximated more closely to those of white students, and the correlations of white male students revealed more similarity to those of white female students.

In hierdie ondersoek is die volgende tellings van wit en swart universiteitstudente gekorreleer: matriekpunte, gemiddelde punte vir elk van die semesters tot aan die einde van die derde jaar en die kumulatiewe gemiddelde punte oor die voorafgaande sowel as die oorblywende semesters. In ooreenstemming met bevindings elders, was prestasie in die eerste en latere universiteitstudiejare beter voorspellers van prestasie in daaropvolgende semesters as wat matriekprestasie was. Vir elk van hierdie voorspellers het die korrelasie met prestasie in daaropvolgende semesters egter steeds afgeneem soos wat die tydsverloop tussen vergeleke semesters toegeneem het, terwyl die korrelasie met geakkumuleerde prestasie oor die oorblywende semesters nie in dieselfde mate afgeneem het nie. Ná persentasiepunte aangepas is vir punt-onvergelykbaarheid, het die afname in die onderhawige korrelasies verminder terwyl die korrelasie vir swart studente nader aan dié vir wit studente was, soos ook dié vir wit mans aan dié vir wit vroue.

Racial violence in South African schools: a media analysis

De Wet, Coren

Abstract: The aim of this article is to establish, by means of content analysis, how and with what purpose the print media, accused of perpetuating racism in South African society, report on racism in education, a social relationship that also seems to be constructed in ways that seem racist. In the micro-context, the following themes have been identified in a study of reports on racial violence in South African schools: both black and white parents, learners and other role players deny that they are racists. The violence in South African schools must therefore be attributed to the racist, violent, inhuman, amoral and unreasonable behaviour of the "other". And if the "self" sometimes acts violently against somebody of a different race (the other), it is justifiable. Themes in the macro-context of institutions and ideologies allude to the role played by politics (of both apartheid and assimilation) in racial violence in South African schools.

Die doel van hierdie artikel is om met behulp van inhoudanalise te bepaal hoe, en met watter doel voor oë, die media, wat daarvan beskuldig word dat hulle rassisme in die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing in stand hou, rapporteer oor rassisme in die onderwys - 'n samelewingsverband wat skynbaar ook met rassisme deurspek is. In 'n mikro-konteks is 'n aantal diskursiewe temas deur middel van 'n studie van berigte oor rassegeweld in Suid-Afrikaanse skole geïdentifiseer: Swart en wit ouers, leerders en ander rolspelers ontken dat hulle self rassiste is. Die geweld in Suid-Afrikaanse skole moet dus aan die rassistiese, gewelddadige, onmenslike, immorele en onredelike optrede van die "ander" toegeskryf moet word. As die "self" soms gewelddadig teenoor iemand van 'n ander ras (die ander) optree, is dit regverdigbaar. Temas in die makro-konteks van instellings en ideologië hou verband met die rol wat politiek (apartheid en assimilasie) in rassegeweld in Suid-Afrikaanse skole speel.

A psychological profile of the irritable bowel syndrome patient : an integrative study

Stuart, Anita; Hulme, Barbara; Pretorius, Gertie

Abstract: A psychological profile of the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patient : an integrative study This article concerns an exploratory investigation into the nature and development of the disorder known as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Special attention is paid to the history of the disorder, its clinical features, its physiological and psychological concomitants, the theoretical models providing a variety of explanations for the emergence and maintenance of the disorder, and an in-depth research study undertaken to investigate the relationship between human physiology and psychology with respect to IBS. Lastly, a psychological profile of the typical patient suffering from IBS is presented.

Hierdie artikel is 'n ondersoekende studie na die aard en ontwikkeling van Prikkelbare Dermsindroom (in Engels afgekort as IBS). Aandag word veral geskenk aan die geskiedenis van die bestudering van die versteuring, aan teoretiese modelle wat 'n verskeidenheid verklarings vir die ontstaan en voortlewing van die siekte verskaf, sowel as aan 'n in-diepte-navorsingstudie wat ten doel gehad het om die verband tussen menslike fisiologie en sielkunde te ondersoek in gevalle van IBS. Laastens word 'n sielkundige profiel van die tipiese pasiënt met Prikkelbare Dermsindroom aangebied.

Sexual attitudes and needs of convicted black male perpetrators of incestuous abuse

Madu, Sylvester; Selahla, Phildah

Abstract: This study is an investigation into the sexual attitudes and needs of convicted black male perpetrators of incestuous abuse in the Limpopo Province (South Africa). The Hanson Sex Attitude Questionnaire was administered to forty-two convicted male perpetrators of incestuous abuse and to forty-two other male prisoners (as a control group). The results show that the sexual attitudes and needs of black male perpetrators of incestuous abuse are significantly deviant and negatively orientated towards their victims. The researchers recommend psychological intervention for the perpetrators to improve their sexual attitudes and needs and to assist them in adjusting better to society.

Die navorsing is 'n ondersoek na die seksuele behoeftes en houdings van gevonnisde swart mans weens bloedskande verwante molesterings en oortredings in die Limpopoprovinsie van Suid-Afrika. Die steekproef is uitgevoer op twee-en-veertig gevonnisde manlike oortreders en op twee-en-veertig manlike gevangenes wat as kontrolegroep deelgeneem het. As instrument is gebruik gemaak van die Hansen-sekshoudingsvraelys. Die resultate dui daarop dat die seksuele houdings en behoeftes van swart bloedskande-oortreders betekenisvol afwykend en negatief teenoor die slagoffers is. Die navorser beveel sielkundige intervensies aan om die oortreders te help om beter seksuele houdings te ontwikkel en om beter in die gemeenskap aan te pas.