School of Human Sciences and Education

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Browsing School of Human Sciences and Education by Author "Andima, Liicka"

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    The Namibian political landscape: A semiological analysis of Dudley's selected political cartoons in The Namibian newspaper, from 2016-2017
    (2019-06) Andima, Liicka
    Political cartoons are a powerful communicative weapon. They can distract and express a joke and yet they can also provide social commentaries on key aspects of reality. This thesis carried out a semiological analysis of Dudley’s political cartoons, found in The Namibian newspaper. The analysis of the selected political cartoons was done from the Barthesian semiology perspective with the main objective being to interpret the meaning of the selected political cartoons at the connotative and denotative levels and also to present how the Namibian political landscape is depicted through Dudley’s cartoons. A qualitative research design was used to gain an in-depth understanding and a clear description of the characteristics of the political cartoons used in this study. The study employed a purposive sampling strategy, specifically critical case sampling. Critical case sampling was used to select a small number of important cases to yield the most relevant information with the greatest impact on the development of knowledge. The analysis yields a contextually embedded text or set of images that can be subjected to multiple interpretations and discursive analysis. In brief, the study found that Dudley’s political cartoons depict and portray the Namibian political landscape by divulging the political aspects of the country. Among the aspects portrayed through the studied political cartoons are corruption, unequal distribution of resources and poor service delivery in the public sector. The study concluded that political cartoons serve as an open mirror used by the media, specifically to generate public attention, reorient people and initiate social and political reform in Namibia. This study therefore recommends further exploration of the field of Namibian cartoons to unearth this rich segment and broaden knowledge as well as increase readership awareness of the importance of understanding this rich and interesting branch of the media.
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    The oppression of women in selected narratives by Namibian female authors.
    (NUST, Department of Communication, 2014) Andima, Liicka; Tjiramanga, Alexandra
    The oppression of women, especially in African narratives, has been attributed to many factors, culture being the dominant amongst others. Culture and tradition have a variety of notable aspects to offer and there is much to appreciate, cherish and preserve. There are, however, some cultural practices and beliefs that are harmful. They disrespect, devalue, suppress and destroy human dignity. Harmful gender practices such as widow cleansing, girls’ initiation and others that marginalize women, are the focus of this study. This paper examines various cultural practices that oppress women as they are reflected in selected narratives of Namibian female writers. After gaining its independence in 1990, Namibia passed laws protecting the rights of women against various forms of oppression. With its history traced and rooted in the old and strong patriarchal norms, beliefs and practices, the notion that men are superior to women still affects women in the modern world. Cultural practices which marginalize women are still in existence, enforced by some of those that feel that they are important and superior. Through different women organizations, Namibian women demand and take the right to speak about those practices. Some have voiced them in writing or speaking out and breaking through the debilitating silencing. In the more formalized political and social field, this can be seen in women’s networking through women’s movements and solidarity groups, which are working towards equality in civil societies. It is therefore against this background that this study looks at female oppression; on how cultural practices enhanced or fuelled women oppression as well as various forms of oppression as highlighted in the selected narratives by Namibian female authors. They are from the book entitled, We must choose life (2008), compiled by Elizabeth !Khaxas, a Namibian feminist. These narratives are a testimony of the courage of Namibian women who express their agony and suffering in their own words.