The discipline of Information Systems is often viewed as a social science. Information Systems research and teaching pertain to the management and sociological issues of the computing field. It also includes programming and systems... more
The discipline of Information Systems is often viewed as a social science. Information Systems research and teaching pertain to the management and sociological issues of the computing field. It also includes programming and systems analysis, design and development. It is, therefore, challenging to plot Information Systems on a continuum of disciplinary clusters. Depending on the viewpoint held on the scientific world, the groups of disciplines take on different forms. Although metaphors are often used in Information Systems to portray complex ideas in understandable ways, only a few papers could be found that explain the interdisciplinary nature of the discipline metaphorically. To fill this gap, this article uses the astronomical concepts of galaxy, constellation and asterism to explain the place of Information Systems within the scientific domain. An asterism is a grouping of stars which may be part of various constellations. Six different Information Systems asterisms are proposed. The conceptual reflection in the article offers a fresh perspective on the interdisciplinary nature of Information Systems to the philosophy of science. The article illustrates the proposed metaphors with some existing examples to validate the concept. Suggestions for future research are also provided.
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Most software interfaces are designed in the Western world. Western metaphors (such as the concept of menus to organize functions) are implicitly built into these designs. This may affect users in other parts of the world, in that they... more
Most software interfaces are designed in the Western world. Western metaphors (such as the concept of menus to organize functions) are implicitly built into these designs. This may affect users in other parts of the world, in that they lack an intuitive feeling of how to use these interfaces and applications, causing a disappointing user experience, low efficiency and even unsatisfactory usability. This is the case in many parts of Africa, including South Africa. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that tertiary Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) curricula at undergraduate level are usually based exclusively on international textbooks. This article discusses the need for research on the Africanization of HCI teaching and learning. Some international and local work that has been done on the decolonization of HCI and the localization of Information Systems is acknowledged. Emic (intra-cultural) and etic (cross-cultural) aspects that influence the decolonization of HCI, such as Ubuntu and the hacker ethic are discussed in addition to geopolitical tensions and powers that encourage or counteract this endeavor. The paper argues that indigenous perspectives should enrich the HCI discipline at theoretical and practical levels. A few practical pointers are provided to make the ideal of Africanization relevant for and feasible within HCI.
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Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) practitioners are often located in the social sciences branch of Information Systems (IS). Practitioner research comprises of research that practitioners undertake with a view to the... more
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) practitioners are often located in the social sciences branch of Information Systems (IS). Practitioner research comprises of research that practitioners undertake with a view to the advancement of their practice. A question arises in respect of research conducted by ICT practitioners: does practitioner-based inquiry research have a theoretical base and does practitioner-based inquiry research challenge enlightenment presuppositions based upon an empiricist epistemology? The probing and discussion of this question is the objective of this paper. In this paper, ICT practitioner-based inquiry research in organisations is discussed. Some philosophical underpinnings of practitioner-based inquiry research are probed and a reflection on practitioner-inquiry research is given. It is suggested that actively participating ICT practitioners in the IS research domain are a necessity in the workplace environment but their participation requires t...
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The particle tae/Ata, is most often used to mark definite direct objects. It can also be used to mark other verbal extensions, and therefore it has been called an object marker or nota accusativi . This, however, does not cover the... more
The particle tae/Ata, is most often used to mark definite direct objects. It can also be used to mark other verbal extensions, and therefore it has been called an object marker or nota accusativi . This, however, does not cover the surprising instances where the particle is used as a marker of the so- called nominative in Biblical Hebrew. This
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Journal o{Northwest Semitic Languages 35/1 (2009), pp. 75-95 JH Kroeze (North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campu,I), Theo JD Bothma, Machdel C Matthee, Ockert C Kruger & Jan CW Kroeze (University ofPretoria) INTERACTIVE ...
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This paper investigates the visualization of the mapping of semantic and syntactic functions that were marked up in an XML-database containing linguistic data of the Biblical Hebrew text of Genesis 1:1-2:3. It focuses on two- dimensional... more
This paper investigates the visualization of the mapping of semantic and syntactic functions that were marked up in an XML-database containing linguistic data of the Biblical Hebrew text of Genesis 1:1-2:3. It focuses on two- dimensional topic maps as a graphical data-mining utility. The visual information is used to prompt the reconsideration of some existing assumptions and hypotheses about Biblical
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Software development is a process tasked with the development of artefacts that are used to implement organizational information systems. Depending on the social, economical and environmental setting, different software practices are... more
Software development is a process tasked with the development of artefacts that are used to implement organizational information systems. Depending on the social, economical and environmental setting, different software practices are used. These, however, have an effect on the resultant software product. In this paper, the authors investigate some of the software development practices that are used in South Africa. Through the use of interview techniques, the study highlighted a plethora of methods, techniques and tools that are ...
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IS research and teaching pertain to the management and social issues of the computing field. It also includes programming, as well as systems analysis, design and development. It is, therefore, challenging to plot IS on a continuum of... more
IS research and teaching pertain to the management and social issues of the computing field. It also includes programming, as well as systems analysis, design and development. It is, therefore, challenging to plot IS on a continuum of disciplinary clusters. Depending on the viewpoint held on the scientific world, the groups of disciplines take on different forms. The astronomical concepts of galaxy, constellation, and asterism are used to explain the place of IS within the scientific domain. An asterism is a grouping of stars that may be part of various constellations. Some examples and pointers are given towards the differentiation of various IS asterisms to illustrate the validity of the concept. The conceptual reflection in the paper hopes to contribute a fresh perspective on the interdisciplinary nature of IS to the philosophy of science debate.
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There is currently a worldwide debate about and drive towards the decoloniality of academia. Little research has, however, been done about the Africanisation of software design and development approaches. Information Systems research... more
There is currently a worldwide debate about and drive towards the decoloniality of academia. Little research has, however, been done about the Africanisation of software design and development approaches. Information Systems research methodologies have not yet been enriched extensively by African perspectives, either. Although the Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) community has contributed significantly to the implementation of software in African contexts, the Information Systems discipline (IS) should be enriched-from an African perspective-on deeper, theoretical levels than those that have already been explored and implemented. This article aims to fill the need for a framework to guide the Africanisation of the IS discipline. The article follows a conceptual approach. It reflects on the opportunities for theoretical knowledge regarding the indigenisation of IS tuition, research, academic administration, community service, and the staff and students involved. These ideas converge into an integrated, two-dimensional graph. The proposed framework could serve as a starting point to extend the Africanisation process in the IS discipline, as well as to contribute to meta-theoretical discussions about the process itself.
Keywords: Africanisation, decoloniality, indigenisation, Information Systems, computing, conceptual framework
Alternation Special Edition 28 (2019) 38 - 65
Keywords: Africanisation, decoloniality, indigenisation, Information Systems, computing, conceptual framework
Alternation Special Edition 28 (2019) 38 - 65
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The lack of a clear theoretical framework in the syntax and semantics of Biblical Hebrew has led to the inappropriate application of the classical languages paradigm to these areas. In this traditional approach the linguistic fields of... more
The lack of a clear theoretical framework in the syntax and semantics of Biblical Hebrew has led to the inappropriate application of the classical languages paradigm to these areas. In this traditional approach the linguistic fields of morphology, syntax and semantics are not differentiated consistently and the terminology traditionally used in regard to construct phrases in Biblical Hebrew is problematic. These phrases are categorized, classified and named randomly and divergently. This study proposes that the term postconstruct should be used for the second element of the construct phrase instead of the term "genitive", since the first element is the construct (state), and the normal, unmarked form of a word the absolute (state). Various possible approaches to the problem of the construct phrase are discussed, namely the morphological, syntactic and semantic approaches. The latter is examined in depth in this study. Case grammar and functional grammar are examined as possible theoretical bases for the analysis of construct phrases. Although the importance of case grammar cannot be ignored, it is concluded that this theory does not provide an adequate framework. Too few semantic roles are distinguished and too many divergent construct phrases would consequently be forced into the same category. Although semantics is a linguistic discipline, the roles are distinguished on the basis of extra-lingual relations. In the functional grammar of S.C. Dik many more semantic functions are distinguished and defined according to linguistic parameters. These semantic functions are similar to categories distinguished in traditional syntax and semantics. This makes the theory much more adaptable and ideal for the analysis of the semantic relations in construct phrases. For the names of the semantic functions unique terms are used which cannot be confused with the names used for morphological cases or syntactic functions. Functional grammar, being an independent and complete theory concerned with meaning, provides a better basis for the analysis of construct phrases than case grammar because the latter was not an independent semantic theory, but an extension of a component of the formalistic approach. The semantic functions which are distinguished in functional grammar are applied to the construct phrases in Proverbs. Since Proverbs is a poetic book, linguistic possibilities are fully exploited - also in relation to construct phrases. This makes the book suitable as field of application. It is assumed that, theoretically, all kinds of predicates and semantic functions can be combined, with the exception of the unadaptable possibilities. Using a total of 36 semantic categories every construct phrase is analysed by indicating the combination of these categories. The semantic functions of both elements in the phrase are indicated consistently. Paraphrases are used to show clearly the semantic relations between these elements. Although a very large number of combinations are possible, all of them are classified in twelve main groups. It has been found that this method results in a simple but very productive system and that the theory of functional grammar provides a sufficient theoretical paradigm for the analysis of the semantic relations in construct phrases of Biblical Hebrew.
Semantiese verhoudings in constructus-verbindings van Bybelse Hebreeus: toegespits op Spreuke. (Ph.D. thesis, PU for CHE.) 335 pp. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324571395_Semantiese_verhoudings_in_constructus-verbindings_van_Bybelse_Hebreeus_toegespits_op_Spreuke
Semantiese verhoudings in constructus-verbindings van Bybelse Hebreeus: toegespits op Spreuke. (Ph.D. thesis, PU for CHE.) 335 pp. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324571395_Semantiese_verhoudings_in_constructus-verbindings_van_Bybelse_Hebreeus_toegespits_op_Spreuke
Research Interests: Semantics, Syntax, Morphology, Functional Grammar, Book of Proverbs, and 12 moreBiblical Hebrew (Languages And Linguistics), Classical Languages, Paraphrase, Case grammar, Semantic Roles, Construct State, Genitive Case, Semantic Functions, construct phrase, postconstruct, absolute state, and extra-lingual relations
This work is intended to serve as a user-friendly and up-to-date source of information on the morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics of Biblical Hebrew verbs, nouns and other word classes (prepositions, conjunctions, adverbs, modal... more
This work is intended to serve as a user-friendly and up-to-date source of information on the morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics of Biblical Hebrew verbs, nouns and other word classes (prepositions, conjunctions, adverbs, modal words, negatives, focus particles, discourse markers, interrogatives and interjections). It also contains one of the most elaborate treatments of Biblical Hebrew word order yet published in a grammar. This reference grammar will be of service to students who have completed an introductory or intermediate course in Biblical Hebrew, and also to more advanced scholars seeking to take advantage of traditional and recent descriptions of the language that go beyond the basic morphology of Biblical Hebrew.
VAN DER MERWE, C.H.J., NAUDÉ, J.A. & KROEZE, J.H. 1999. A Biblical Hebrew reference grammar. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press. (Biblical Languages: Hebrew, 3.) (ISBN: 1-85075-861-1 / 1-85075-856-5 pbk.) (Minor revision 2002.)
VAN DER MERWE, C.H.J., NAUDÉ, J.A. & KROEZE, J.H. 1999. A Biblical Hebrew reference grammar. Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press. (Biblical Languages: Hebrew, 3.) (ISBN: 1-85075-861-1 / 1-85075-856-5 pbk.) (Minor revision 2002.)
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In the traditional approach to Biblical Hebrew (BH) the concept accusative is often used in the same way as in classical languages and in other Semitic languages. However, the accusative should rather be seen as a primarily morphological... more
In the traditional approach to Biblical Hebrew (BH) the concept accusative is often used in the same way as in classical languages and in other Semitic languages. However, the accusative should rather be seen as a primarily morphological concept because it refers to a certain group of case endings. In Biblical Hebrew case endings do not occur. A case can be made diachronically for the “accusative function” in BH on the basis of the argument that other Semitic languages (such as Akkadian, Ugaritic and Arabic) do have three cases. However, that doesn’t help the student, and especially the beginner, a lot. Very often the student doesn’t know these other Semitic languages. And he or she can't see the accusative in BH. It is simply not acceptable, and rather confusing, to teach the student of BH the whole Semitic system so that he or she can learn to guess which nouns and adjectives could have been in the accusative. Therefore, one should try to describe the BH system synchronically. This implies that term and concept accusative cannot used for BH anymore. If the concept accusative can no longer be used, alternatives have to be found in order to replace such concepts as “accusative of the object”, “adverbial accusative” and “double accusative”. The best solution for this is to differentiate between the morphological, syntactic and semantic aspects associated with this concept.
Research Interests: Synchronic Linguistics (Or Descriptive Linguistics), Diachronic Linguistics (Or Historical Linguistics), Semantics, Syntax, Morphology, and 8 moreBiblical Hebrew (Languages And Linguistics), Direct Object, double accusative, accusatve case, case ending, accusative function, Biblical Hebrew teaching, and adverbial accusative
English translation of the abstract (the article was published in Afrikaans): The first problem regarding the Biblical Hebrew “genitive” – as understood in traditional (classical) grammar – is a terminological one. If the term... more
English translation of the abstract (the article was published in Afrikaans):
The first problem regarding the Biblical Hebrew “genitive” – as understood in traditional (classical) grammar – is a terminological one. If the term genitive is used to denote a surface structure case, it cannot be used for Hebrew. The term “construct state” is not used consistently. The whole construction could be called the “construct-phrase’, in which the first element is the construct state and the second the post-construct. Other workable terms are semikut, nismak and somek.
Traditional grammar uses the same name for different categories of genitives and vice versa. Different single categories are distinguished, and the main divisions of the categories differ extensively. Only the second element is usually named, although both elements fulfil a semantic role. The linguistic levels of morphology, syntax and semantics are mixed. The separation of these probably provides the best solution for the problem of “genitive”.
The first problem regarding the Biblical Hebrew “genitive” – as understood in traditional (classical) grammar – is a terminological one. If the term genitive is used to denote a surface structure case, it cannot be used for Hebrew. The term “construct state” is not used consistently. The whole construction could be called the “construct-phrase’, in which the first element is the construct state and the second the post-construct. Other workable terms are semikut, nismak and somek.
Traditional grammar uses the same name for different categories of genitives and vice versa. Different single categories are distinguished, and the main divisions of the categories differ extensively. Only the second element is usually named, although both elements fulfil a semantic role. The linguistic levels of morphology, syntax and semantics are mixed. The separation of these probably provides the best solution for the problem of “genitive”.
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After a brief survey of the problems concerning the traditional way of explaining “genitives” in Biblical Hebrew, the author offers a possible solution from a syntactic point of view. A verifiable method, called syntactic... more
After a brief survey of the problems concerning the traditional way of explaining “genitives” in Biblical Hebrew, the author offers a possible solution from a syntactic point of view. A verifiable method, called syntactic back-transformation, is used to explain and classify postconstructs or “genitives”. In a syntactic back-transformation the construct state and postconstruct are converted to an antecedent and relative clause. Subsequently, the relative clause is converted to a principal clause (the kernel sentence). The morphological parts of the speech are retained in this transformational process. Syntactic back-transformational rules are formulated by comparing the construct phrase with the kernel sentence. These rules describe from which elements in the kernel the postconstruct and the construct state develop. The following major classes of postconstructs are distinguished in terms of these rules: the noun phrase 1 postconstruct, noun phrase 2 postconstruct, copula-predicate postconstruct, preposition-verb postconstruct and adjunctive postconstruct.
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The phenomenon of the gender/sex of nouns is normally handled two-dimensionally. Two levels are distinguished: (grammatical) gender and sex. Gender refers to the morphological and syntactic features of the noun, sex to the extra-lingual... more
The phenomenon of the gender/sex of nouns is normally handled two-dimensionally. Two levels are distinguished: (grammatical) gender and sex. Gender refers to the morphological and syntactic features of the noun, sex to the extra-lingual reality. This use of the term gender rests on the assumption that the morphological and syntactic features of a noun are normally consistent. This assumption is tested and the results show that a three-dimensional approach would be better. In the relevant literature, there are indications of such a three-dimensional differentiation, where gender is used to indicate only the syntactic features of noun. In this article it is proposed that morphological gender, syntactic gender and semantic gender (sex) should be distinguished consistently. Lists of 23 different combinations are illustrated with examples. Morphological, syntactic and semantic statistics are also given which illustrate the unique characteristics of the three levels.
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In traditional grammars of Biblical Hebrew semantic relations between the different elements in sentences are either ignored or integrate with syntax. What is presented as syntax (even in the newest reference grammars like Waltke and... more
In traditional grammars of Biblical Hebrew semantic relations between the different elements in sentences are either ignored or integrate with syntax. What is presented as syntax (even in the newest reference grammars like Waltke and O’Connor’s Biblical Hebrew syntax and Jouon and Muraoka’s A grammar of Biblical Hebrew), is in fact a mixture of syntax and semantics. Therefore, it has become necessary to consciously try for a better distinction between these two levels of linguistic description, although they can never be separated completely, one of the ways in which this can be done, is by testing the applicability of a semantic theory to sentences in Biblical Hebrew in order to try to identify the semantic categories more clearly. I this paper S.C. Dik’s theory of functional Grammar is used for this purpose, in particular the sections on semantic functions. Following a short definition of every semantic category which is relevant for the analysis of logical relations in sentences, examples from Biblical Hebrew are given to test the validity of the various categories and their definitions and to show how this theory can be applied to Biblical Hebrew. It is found that the theory of semantic functions in Functional Grammar can be applied very well to Biblical Hebrew and that a semantic analysis of a sentence can be undertaken in addition to the morphological and syntactic analyses.
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The analysis of construct phrases (or “genitive constructions”) in Biblical Hebrew (BH) forms an important part of understanding a text. Therefore, in almost all grammars a section on “the kind of genitives” can be found. However, the... more
The analysis of construct phrases (or “genitive constructions”) in Biblical Hebrew (BH) forms an important part of understanding a text. Therefore, in almost all grammars a section on “the kind of genitives” can be found. However, the traditional explanation of genitives is quite problematic confusing the levels of morphology, syntax and semantics. The distinction between these linguistic levels probably offers the best approach to a solution. One possibility would be to use a morphological approach in which all the formal characteristics can be dealt with. With a syntactic approach the underlying relations in construct phrases can be analysed by means of syntactic back-transformations. This article offers a solution from another point of view, namely that of semantics. Analysing the semantic relations in construct phrases is probably a better method to understand these phrases than looking into the supposed underlying syntactic relations. The explanation of the variety of relations in construct phrases must rather be sought in the field of semantics or in what is known as the deep structure.
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In the traditional approach to Biblical Hebrew (BH) the concept ‘nominative’ is often used with reference to nouns in the same way as in classical languages and in other Semitic languages. However, the nominative should rather primarily... more
In the traditional approach to Biblical Hebrew (BH) the concept ‘nominative’ is often used with reference to nouns in the same way as in classical languages and in other Semitic languages. However, the nominative should rather primarily be seen as a morphological concept because it refers to a certain group of case endings. Although a case can be made diachronically for the nominative function in BH, case endings do not occur. Therefore, the use of the term and concept ‘nominative’ for BH is confusing and not acceptable if one wants to describe BH synchronically. This article proposes morphological, syntactic, semantic and pragmatic alternative concepts and terms that could be used instead.
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Some hof’al verbs may be semantically related as simple passives to non-causative transitive active qal or hifil verbs of the same root. If hifil is causative of the qal or nifal, the hofal is a causative. Causative verbs have two... more
Some hof’al verbs may be semantically related as simple passives to non-causative transitive active qal or hifil verbs of the same root. If hifil is causative of the qal or nifal, the hofal is a causative. Causative verbs have two semantic units, the causative part and the basic verbal concept. The causative part of a hifil verb can always have a direct object. Therefore the causative equivalent of an intransitive qal verb is always transitive and can be transformed into a passive. The causative idea becomes passive, but the verbal idea stays intransitive active. This is a single passive. The causative (hifil) equivalent of transitive qal verbs can be doubly transitive. One direct object is the complement of the causative part and the other is the complement of the verbal part. In the passive transformation the causative part may become passive while the verbal part remains active and transitive. The object of the causative part becomes the subjects and the object of the verbal part remain a nominal complement. This is also a single passive. Double passive occur if both the causative and verbal parts of a hifil verb become passive. The object of the verbal part becomes the subject of the hofal verb while the object of the causative part is omitted or expressed by a preposition phrase. By checking all occurrence of hofal verbs the different possibilities of simple, single and double passives are researched, as well as a few occasional reflexive possibilities.
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In traditional grammars on the syntax of Biblical Hebrew one often finds sections which describe the various types of clauses, for example, circumstantial, causal, conditional, concessive, comparative, temporal, final and consecutive... more
In traditional grammars on the syntax of Biblical Hebrew one often finds sections which describe the various types of clauses, for example, circumstantial, causal, conditional, concessive, comparative, temporal, final and consecutive clauses. These types indicate the functions of embedded phrases and clauses. However, these functions are semantic and not syntactic functions and should actually not be dealt with in sections on syntax together with topics such as relative and direct object clauses. A distinction should be made between the morphological, syntactic and semantic aspects of embedded constructions. Using SC Dik’s Functional Grammar theory as a starting point, this article focuses on the semantic functions of embedded constructions. It is important to note that not only embedded adverbial clauses, like those mentioned above, have semantic functions, but that other embedded constructions which act as first, second or third argument, as well as satellites, also share these functions. Examples from the Hebrew Bible are given to illustrate the most important possibilities. Consequently, this article does note only make a distinction between the syntactic and semantic aspects which are usually described in the syntax sections of traditional grammars, but also attempts to explain and illustrate those semantic functions of embedded constructions which are not usually dealt with.
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Many scholars have the perception that the King James Version (KJV) is a literal translation. However, it is not so easy to define the concept of "literal translation." The simplest definition may be to regard it as word-for-word... more
Many scholars have the perception that the King James Version (KJV) is a literal translation. However, it is not so easy to define the concept of "literal translation." The simplest definition may be to regard it as word-for-word translation. However, when one compares the KJV carefully with the original Hebrew Bible, there are numerous instances where lexical items are changed to adapt the idiom to that of the target language. In this article, a measuring instrument is proposed and used to analyse some passages, with Ezek 15 as principal example. The same instrument is used to evaluate other translations. Comparing the results gives a more precise indication of just how literal the KJV is.
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Informatics is an interdisciplinary science that explores the application and effect of information technology in business, organisations and society. It is regarded as a social science with its main focus on the human aspects in the... more
Informatics is an interdisciplinary science that explores the application and effect of information technology in business, organisations and society. It is regarded as a social science with its main focus on the human aspects in the symbiotic relationship of computers and people. Therefore, it uses methodologies and research paradigms that are typical of the humanities, such as qualitative research and anti-positivistic points of departure.
This paper discusses the place of research on the use of information systems technologies to store and explore linguistic data. As such, it may be regarded as small contribution to the philosophy of science. After a section on the nature of informatics in general, some general principles will be applied to computer-assisted linguistic studies, and a number of examples will be provided to illustrate the concept of linguistic informatics.
This paper discusses the place of research on the use of information systems technologies to store and explore linguistic data. As such, it may be regarded as small contribution to the philosophy of science. After a section on the nature of informatics in general, some general principles will be applied to computer-assisted linguistic studies, and a number of examples will be provided to illustrate the concept of linguistic informatics.
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Informatics is an interdisciplinary science that explores the application and effect of information technology in business, organisations and society. It is regarded as a social science with its main focus on the human aspects in the... more
Informatics is an interdisciplinary science that explores the application and effect of information technology in business, organisations and society. It is regarded as a social science with its main focus on the human aspects in the symbiotic relationship of computers and people. Therefore, it uses methodologies and research paradigms that are typical of the humanities, such as qualitative research and anti-positivistic points of departure.
It is known phenomenon that information technology changes the working culture and structure of organisations (see Du Plooy, 1998: 12-23). A similar phenomenon can be observed in other humanistic computing areas. One of these areas is computational linguistics, which studies the use of computer technology to enhance the study of language. In computational linguistics the researcher may either focus on the algorithmic simulation of language rules and production, or on the efficient storage and use of linguistic data which has already been analysed and captured. First-mentioned will typically be studied by computer scientists, while last mentioned will typically be investigated by informaticians, since it focuses on the data storage by means of databases, as well as the exploration of that data by means of data mining and data warehousing ventures.
The study of databases forms part of the discipline of informatics or information systems (IS). According to Vessey et al. (2002: 167) database management is one of the topics that are “at the heart of the IS discipline in that they are central to IS curricula and therefore to IS careers”. The creation of knowledge databases and the exploration of these electronic repositories are thus part and parcel of information systems research, even if the encoded data come from other disciplines. “The power and not the weakness of IS research models is precisely that they situate IS constructs within constructs that other disciplines study” (Agarwal & Lucas, 2005: 390). Since information systems itself is an interdisciplinary science it should not only aim to add value to other disciplines, but also borrow from other contributing ICT disciplines in order to strengthen their allegiances.
This paper discusses the place of research on the use of information systems technologies to store and explore linguistic data. As such, it may be regarded as small contribution to the philosophy of science. After a section on the nature of informatics in general, some general principles will be applied to computer-assisted linguistic studies, and a number of examples will be provided to illustrate the concept of linguistic informatics.
It is known phenomenon that information technology changes the working culture and structure of organisations (see Du Plooy, 1998: 12-23). A similar phenomenon can be observed in other humanistic computing areas. One of these areas is computational linguistics, which studies the use of computer technology to enhance the study of language. In computational linguistics the researcher may either focus on the algorithmic simulation of language rules and production, or on the efficient storage and use of linguistic data which has already been analysed and captured. First-mentioned will typically be studied by computer scientists, while last mentioned will typically be investigated by informaticians, since it focuses on the data storage by means of databases, as well as the exploration of that data by means of data mining and data warehousing ventures.
The study of databases forms part of the discipline of informatics or information systems (IS). According to Vessey et al. (2002: 167) database management is one of the topics that are “at the heart of the IS discipline in that they are central to IS curricula and therefore to IS careers”. The creation of knowledge databases and the exploration of these electronic repositories are thus part and parcel of information systems research, even if the encoded data come from other disciplines. “The power and not the weakness of IS research models is precisely that they situate IS constructs within constructs that other disciplines study” (Agarwal & Lucas, 2005: 390). Since information systems itself is an interdisciplinary science it should not only aim to add value to other disciplines, but also borrow from other contributing ICT disciplines in order to strengthen their allegiances.
This paper discusses the place of research on the use of information systems technologies to store and explore linguistic data. As such, it may be regarded as small contribution to the philosophy of science. After a section on the nature of informatics in general, some general principles will be applied to computer-assisted linguistic studies, and a number of examples will be provided to illustrate the concept of linguistic informatics.
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The article argues that a transdisciplinary approach can advance the field of Information Systems (IS). By taking a transdisciplinary approach, researchers reach beyond the bounds of their disciplinary ontology and epistemology in order... more
The article argues that a transdisciplinary approach can advance the field of Information Systems (IS). By taking a transdisciplinary approach, researchers reach beyond the bounds of their disciplinary ontology and epistemology in order to address complex phenomena. Such a high level of synthesis is not possible with interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches. While these approaches have been deployed in the IS field, transdisciplinarity is still lacking. The article reviews the literature that indicates the relationship between transdisciplinarity and complexity, and posits that the former is a response to the latter. Following a conceptual research approach, it is demonstrated that mainstream IS research is interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary rather than transdisciplinary. Finally, it is argued that the IS field is a promising candidate for ascending up the transdisciplinary path that, in turn, can improve its development prospects.
KROEZE, J.H., TRAVICA, B. and VAN ZYL, I.J. 2019. Information Systems in a Transdisciplinarity Perspective: Leaping to a Larger Stage. Alternation Journal: Interdisciplinary Journal for the Study of the Arts and Humanities in Southern Africa, Special Edition 24, pp. 9 – 47. Print ISSN: 1023-1757; Electronic ISSN: 2519-5476; DOI https://doi.org/10.29086/2519-5476/2019/sp24.2a2
KROEZE, J.H., TRAVICA, B. and VAN ZYL, I.J. 2019. Information Systems in a Transdisciplinarity Perspective: Leaping to a Larger Stage. Alternation Journal: Interdisciplinary Journal for the Study of the Arts and Humanities in Southern Africa, Special Edition 24, pp. 9 – 47. Print ISSN: 1023-1757; Electronic ISSN: 2519-5476; DOI https://doi.org/10.29086/2519-5476/2019/sp24.2a2
Research Interests:
In this paper, we review the concept of transdisciplinarity with emphasis on its value for Information Systems (IS) theory and practice. In keeping with prevailing research on this topic, we study the relation between IS research and... more
In this paper, we review the concept of transdisciplinarity with emphasis on its value for Information Systems (IS) theory and practice. In keeping with prevailing research on this topic, we study the relation between IS research and concepts originating from theoretical debates around disciplinarity. In particular, we attempt to deepen the understanding of transdisciplinarity as a means of overcoming (or extending) prevailing disciplinary undertakings. We attempt to locate the concept, thus, within the theoretical ambit of IS, especially concerning issues of relevance and impact – two fundamental properties of transdisciplinarity. We build towards new or extended applications of transdisciplinary in the Information Systems with reference to Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D). In conclusion, we note the disciplinary competencies that underpin transdisciplinary approaches.
Research Interests:
Although information technology can currently be regarded as a vehicle of mainly Western civilisation and culture, Africans should not merely accept it as such, because that would imply subjugation to a new, technological-cultural... more
Although information technology can currently be regarded as a vehicle of mainly Western civilisation and culture, Africans should not merely accept it as such, because that would imply subjugation to a new, technological-cultural colonialism. On the other hand, we could not ignore the technology and try to completely go back to our traditional ways of doing things. The solution is to accept that a process of acculturation should take place, in which we embrace the new technology, but use it to enrich the information society by promoting African human values. After exploring the literature on the relationships between science, technology, belief systems and religion, we propose a particular way in which information technology could be introduced in a non-threatening way to African human values.
Research Interests:
A very large percentage of business and academic data is stored in textual format. With the exception of metadata, such as author, date, title and publisher, these data are not overtly structured like the standard, mainly numerical, data... more
A very large percentage of business and academic data is stored in textual format. With the exception of metadata, such as author, date, title and publisher, these data are not overtly structured like the standard, mainly numerical, data in relational database. Parallel to data mining, which finds new patterns and trends in numerical data, text mining is the process aimed at discovering unknown patterns in free text. Owing to the importance of competitive and scientific knowledge that can be exploited from these texts, “text mining has become an increasingly popular and essential theme in data mining” (Han & Kamber, 2001, p. 428).
Text mining has a relatively short history: “Unlike search engines and data mining that a longer history and are better understood, text mining is an emerging technical are that is relatively unknown to IT professions” (Chea, 2001, p. Vi).
Text mining has a relatively short history: “Unlike search engines and data mining that a longer history and are better understood, text mining is an emerging technical are that is relatively unknown to IT professions” (Chea, 2001, p. Vi).
Research Interests:
To write a complete historical overview of the development of Biblical information systems in an encyclopaedia article of limited scope is an impossible task. Already twenty years ago, a whole book was written on the early years of this... more
To write a complete historical overview of the development of Biblical information systems in an encyclopaedia article of limited scope is an impossible task. Already twenty years ago, a whole book was written on the early years of this relatively new discipline (Hughes 1987). More recent updates are available in Poswick (2004) and Tov (2003 & 2006). This article, therefore, highlights the major trends and research topics that have received attention in the past. Deficiencies in existing studies will also be indicated because they reveal the opportunities for future research that could build on the impressive body of work that has already been done.
Research Interests:
While the need for the moderation of examination scripts as part of quality assurance is globally undisputable, moderation associated risks and challenges are more pronounced in developing countries. eModeration (online moderation of... more
While the need for the moderation of examination scripts as part of quality assurance is globally undisputable, moderation associated risks and challenges are more pronounced in developing countries. eModeration (online moderation of examination scripts) can improve the user experience of an examination moderation process while lowering the risk of losing scripts and delaying the moderation process. Various factors could contribute to resistance against implementing and adopting eModerate systems in Higher Education Institutions, ranging from human factors to technical issues and organisational resistance to change. The focus of this study is on the human factors involved in eModeration, i.e. the factors influencing the user experience when using eModeration. The research uses a design science research methodology, which includes the design, development and testing of a User Experience Evaluation Framework for eModeration. The contri-bution of this paper is the demonstration of how eModeration (e-Service) is relevant to Higher Education management, as well as the provision of some insights regarding eModerators’ user experience of an existing system. The resultant artifact is a validated User Experience Evaluation Framework for eModeration, which can be used to improve human experience of electronic moderation with an emphasis on improving the quality of educational assessment practices in developing countries.
Research Interests:
Gamification can heighten student motivation and make learning more engaging. Several literature reviews focus on the effects of gamification; however, no work to date has been done that exclusively examine qualitative studies in higher... more
Gamification can heighten student motivation and make learning more engaging. Several literature reviews focus on the effects of gamification; however, no work to date has been done that exclusively examine qualitative studies in higher education. In this paper, we systematically review existing literature on gamification in Information Systems (IS) research to identify qualitative topics studied. We synthesise relevant studies with the concept of an information ecology to show how important sociocultural dimensions and participatory design are for sustainable and successful gamification in higher education. We deploy Hermeneutics as a theoretical lens. The hermeneutic circle, in particular, allows us to understand a complex ‘whole’ of a gamification information ecology from presuppositions about the sociocultural dimensions of its ‘parts’, and their interconnectedness. The paper furthermore argues for iterative methodologies to assist designers, practitioners and users to co-evolve towards a sustainable gamification solution. Iterative methodologies typically take highly participatory and cyclic approaches that allow stakeholders to systematically investigate and develop effective and sustainable solutions.
Post-print of:
VAN DER POLL, A.E., VAN ZYL, I.J. and KROEZE, J.H. 2019. A systematic literature review of qualitative gamification studies in higher education. In: Rønningsbakk, L., Wu, T.T., Sandnes, F.E., Huang, Y.M. (eds.) Innovative Technologies and Learning (Second International Conference, ICITL 2019, Tromsø, Norway, December 2-5, 2019, Proceedings). Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS), vol. 11937:487-497. Springer, Cham. ISSN: 1611-3349. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35343-8_52
Post-print of:
VAN DER POLL, A.E., VAN ZYL, I.J. and KROEZE, J.H. 2019. A systematic literature review of qualitative gamification studies in higher education. In: Rønningsbakk, L., Wu, T.T., Sandnes, F.E., Huang, Y.M. (eds.) Innovative Technologies and Learning (Second International Conference, ICITL 2019, Tromsø, Norway, December 2-5, 2019, Proceedings). Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS), vol. 11937:487-497. Springer, Cham. ISSN: 1611-3349. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35343-8_52
Research Interests:
The role of academics has changed over the years from face-to-face teaching towards Open Distance Learning (ODL). Teaching, assessment and moderation platforms have evolved to support virtual learning environments (VLE) platforms and... more
The role of academics has changed over the years from face-to-face teaching towards Open Distance Learning (ODL). Teaching, assessment and moderation platforms have evolved to support virtual learning environments (VLE) platforms and moderating frameworks that support teaching and learning outcomes (Salmon 2003). The manual moderation process is still widely used despite being tedious, time-consuming and cost-ineffective; it relies on paperwork and presents problems regarding feedback on the assessment of answer script of students (Van Staden, 2010). Online-moderation is an essential emerging technology in the era of online teaching but the application is still novel (Morgan, 2008), and the factors that determine the user experience in using eModeration have not been theorized in any depth.
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the user-experience aspect of eModeration by considering the fundamental realities and challenges faced by users with regard to eModeration information technologies. The research is guided by the following question: How can the electronic moderation of examination scripts provide a better user experience in terms of functionality, usability, flow, interactivity, accessibility, effectiveness, efficiency, safety, learnability, memorability and user satisfaction for moderators and deans when this is compared to the paper-based moderation process? In presenting this argument, different perspectives will be explored with a specific focus on the implementation of an eModeration system that is usable and ensures user experience. Finally, the paper addresses the challenges faced by a Private Higher Education Institution (PHEI) named Midrand Graduate Institute (MGI), in successfully implementing online moderation and how this research can contribute to ensuring satisfactory user experiences from a managerial perspective.
Case studies on eAssessment and how Information Communication Technology (ICT) can support the formative assessment processes have been carried out, e.g. with reference to the submission of assignments online and regarding feedback between the lecturer as the eModerator and students (Bridge and Appleyard, 2008; Morgan, 2008; Vlachopoulos, 2008; Nicol, 2007; Salmon, 2003). According to Bridge and Appleyard (2008) the online submission of assignments and the ability to provide feedback to the student enhanced the learning experience and assisted the lecturer with record keeping of assignments. The focus of this particular study, however, is not automated marking but rather eModeration. Furthermore the relationship between the eModerator and the dean of the faculty and not between the student and lecturer are investigated.
The context is a Private Higher Education Institution in South Africa, named Midrand Graduate Institute (MGI). MGI decided to investigate the possibility of moving towards an online-moderation system to replace the manual paper-based moderation system. Initially the online moderation system was rolled out only in the Information Technology faculty. MGI used its eLearn virtual learning environments (VLE) platform as a basis for eModeration and the principals of an eModerating framework as suggested by Salmon (2003). The eModerate system is supposed to provide a user interface through which examination answer books can be submitted and graded electronically. For the purpose of the researcher’s study the online moderation system was rolled out across five faculties at the institute to all moderators over a period of two examination sessions.
Creswell (2009) identified four different worldviews: post positivism, constructivism, advocacy participatory and pragmatism. Social constructivism is often combined with interpretivism (Myers, 2009; Creswell, 2009) and is seen as an approach to qualitative research. Social constructivists assume that individuals seek to understand the world in which they live and work (Creswell, 2009). The philosophical worldview proposed in this study will be interpretivism.
The research strategy according to Oates (2006) is the overall approach to answering the research question. Case study is one of the strategies that can be used (Myers, 2009; Olivier, 2009; Creswell, 2008;Oates, 2006). Interpretive case studies generally attempt to understand phenomena through the meanings that people assign to them (Myers, 2009). Therefore the research strategy will involve a case study.
The data generation method is the means by which empirical (field) data or evidence are produced (Oates, 2006). Data can be qualitative or quantitative (Myers, 2009; Olivier, 2009; Creswell, 2008 Oates, 2006). By using more than one data generation method, the researcher will be able to look at the phenomenon of interest in different ways (Oates, 2009). The reason for combining both quantitative and qualitative data is to bring about a better understanding of a research problem (Lazar et al., 2010) by converging both quantitative numeric trends and qualitative detailed views of data and to advocate change (Creswell, 2008; Oates, 2006). The user experience of the electronic moderation process is explored using interviews (qualitative instrument) with three deans from the three faculties at MGI. For the purpose of this paper, however, only the interviews with deans are used as data sources. In these situations, closed-ended quantitative data and open-ended qualitative data have been collected. The results indicated that the proposed change in moderation has a positive impact on the turnaround time of moderators’ feedback and afforded moderators more flexibility according to the “I can moderate anywhere and at any time” principle. The paper provides some guidelines towards the development of best practices to ensure a positive user experience of eModeration at an organizational level in an ODL environment. The paper further contributes to the first quadrant of ODL research at UNISA called: research into ODL praxis with a focus on VLE, assessment and changing roles of academics and students.
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the user-experience aspect of eModeration by considering the fundamental realities and challenges faced by users with regard to eModeration information technologies. The research is guided by the following question: How can the electronic moderation of examination scripts provide a better user experience in terms of functionality, usability, flow, interactivity, accessibility, effectiveness, efficiency, safety, learnability, memorability and user satisfaction for moderators and deans when this is compared to the paper-based moderation process? In presenting this argument, different perspectives will be explored with a specific focus on the implementation of an eModeration system that is usable and ensures user experience. Finally, the paper addresses the challenges faced by a Private Higher Education Institution (PHEI) named Midrand Graduate Institute (MGI), in successfully implementing online moderation and how this research can contribute to ensuring satisfactory user experiences from a managerial perspective.
Case studies on eAssessment and how Information Communication Technology (ICT) can support the formative assessment processes have been carried out, e.g. with reference to the submission of assignments online and regarding feedback between the lecturer as the eModerator and students (Bridge and Appleyard, 2008; Morgan, 2008; Vlachopoulos, 2008; Nicol, 2007; Salmon, 2003). According to Bridge and Appleyard (2008) the online submission of assignments and the ability to provide feedback to the student enhanced the learning experience and assisted the lecturer with record keeping of assignments. The focus of this particular study, however, is not automated marking but rather eModeration. Furthermore the relationship between the eModerator and the dean of the faculty and not between the student and lecturer are investigated.
The context is a Private Higher Education Institution in South Africa, named Midrand Graduate Institute (MGI). MGI decided to investigate the possibility of moving towards an online-moderation system to replace the manual paper-based moderation system. Initially the online moderation system was rolled out only in the Information Technology faculty. MGI used its eLearn virtual learning environments (VLE) platform as a basis for eModeration and the principals of an eModerating framework as suggested by Salmon (2003). The eModerate system is supposed to provide a user interface through which examination answer books can be submitted and graded electronically. For the purpose of the researcher’s study the online moderation system was rolled out across five faculties at the institute to all moderators over a period of two examination sessions.
Creswell (2009) identified four different worldviews: post positivism, constructivism, advocacy participatory and pragmatism. Social constructivism is often combined with interpretivism (Myers, 2009; Creswell, 2009) and is seen as an approach to qualitative research. Social constructivists assume that individuals seek to understand the world in which they live and work (Creswell, 2009). The philosophical worldview proposed in this study will be interpretivism.
The research strategy according to Oates (2006) is the overall approach to answering the research question. Case study is one of the strategies that can be used (Myers, 2009; Olivier, 2009; Creswell, 2008;Oates, 2006). Interpretive case studies generally attempt to understand phenomena through the meanings that people assign to them (Myers, 2009). Therefore the research strategy will involve a case study.
The data generation method is the means by which empirical (field) data or evidence are produced (Oates, 2006). Data can be qualitative or quantitative (Myers, 2009; Olivier, 2009; Creswell, 2008 Oates, 2006). By using more than one data generation method, the researcher will be able to look at the phenomenon of interest in different ways (Oates, 2009). The reason for combining both quantitative and qualitative data is to bring about a better understanding of a research problem (Lazar et al., 2010) by converging both quantitative numeric trends and qualitative detailed views of data and to advocate change (Creswell, 2008; Oates, 2006). The user experience of the electronic moderation process is explored using interviews (qualitative instrument) with three deans from the three faculties at MGI. For the purpose of this paper, however, only the interviews with deans are used as data sources. In these situations, closed-ended quantitative data and open-ended qualitative data have been collected. The results indicated that the proposed change in moderation has a positive impact on the turnaround time of moderators’ feedback and afforded moderators more flexibility according to the “I can moderate anywhere and at any time” principle. The paper provides some guidelines towards the development of best practices to ensure a positive user experience of eModeration at an organizational level in an ODL environment. The paper further contributes to the first quadrant of ODL research at UNISA called: research into ODL praxis with a focus on VLE, assessment and changing roles of academics and students.
Research Interests:
The second commandment "You may not make yourself an idol, i.e. any image of which is in the heaven above, or which is on the earth below, or which is in the water below the earth. You may not bow down to them or worship them" in Ex.... more
The second commandment "You may not make yourself an idol, i.e. any image of which is in the heaven above, or which is on the earth below, or which is in the water below the earth. You may not bow down to them or worship them" in Ex. 20:4-6 is motivated by the words:
"for I the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments".
It sounds rather unfair that God punishes the descendants of a person for his/her sins or that He shows mercy to the descendants of a person who loves Him. It is also contradictory to Deuteronomy 24:16 and Ezekiel 18, which stress personal responsibility:
"Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their parents; only for their own crimes may persons be put to death." (Deut. 24:16, NRSV.)
"It is only the person who sins, that shall die. If a man is righteous and does what is lawful and right .... such a one is righteous; he shall surely live .... If he has a son who is violent .... shall he then live? He shall not .... But if this man has a son who sees all the sins that his father has done, considers, and does not do likewise .... he shall not die for his father’s iniquity .... A child shall not suffer for the iniquity of a parent, nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child; the righteousness of the righteous shall be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be his own." (Ezek. 18:4-20, NRSV.)
This paper proposes a solution for this apparent contradiction by proposing a different translation for the motivation in the second commandment. The translation of the Hebrew text of Ex. 20:4-6 is quite complicated, and there are more possibilities than the stereotype of those who hate me and of those who love me. Although the preposition :l could indeed be used to construct a genitive periphrastically (Gesenius, 1976: 419-420, §129), it can also be interpreted as a :l of regard, (dis)advantage, object or apposition (Waltke & O’Connor, 1990: 205-212). Therefore, the motivation could also be translated as follows:
* For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, punishing the sin of the parents on the children, on the third and fourth generation, with regard to those who hate me, and showing loyalty to thousands, with regard to those who love Me and keep my commandments. (The reference could be to the parents or the descendants.)
* For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, punishing the sin of the parents on the children, on the third and fourth generation, to the disadvantage of those who hate me, and showing loyalty to thousands, to the advantage of those who love Me and keep my commandments. (The reference could again be to the parents or the descendants).
* For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, punishing the sin of the parents on the children, on the third and fourth generation, (punishing) those who hate me (direct object?), and showing loyalty to thousands, those who love Me and keep my commandments (direct object?).
* For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, punishing the sin of the fathers on the children, on the third and fourth generation, i.e. on those who hate me (apposition), and showing loyalty to thousands, i.e. those who love Me and keep my commandments (apposition).
If the last possibilitiy is followed, these phrases almost get a conditional character, meaning that God will punish the descendants if they continue to hate Him, and He will show mercy to the descendants if they continue to love Him. This is parallel to the meaning of Ezek. 18. (Cf. also Hos. 4.) Another text which supports this view very strongly is Dan. 9:4 where it is said that God keeps his covenant and loyalty towards those who love Him and keep his commands, without even mentioning the generations!
When other parallel formulations of the second command are compared, it becomes clear that the whole idea of compensation or requital of the descendants is often qualified. The text of Deut. 5:9 is almost identical to Ex. 4:5-6 except for the waw before ‘l- šlšym. In Ex. 34:6-7 and Num. 14:18 the words "of those who hate Me" / "of those who love Me" are omitted (cf. also Lev. 19:4, Deut. 4:15-20, Ex. 34:14). This could be an abbreviated form which could have led to the misunderstanding of the second commandment, interpreting it as cold and rigid and apparently unfair, although Num. 14:18 is followed by vs. 20-25 where the descendants are excluded from the Lord’s punishment (cf. Num. 27:12-23). See also Jer. 32:18-19: - where the commandment is qualified by the words "rewarding all according to their ways and according to the fruit of their doings".
An interesting text is Deut. 7:10: God maintains his covenant loyalty ... to a thousand generations, but He punishes individually and personally! "Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who maintains covenant loyalty with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and who repays in their own person those who reject him. He does not delay but repays in their own person those who reject Him." (NRSV).
In 1 Kings 21:29 we have an example of punishment on the second generation: "Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster on his house." (NRSV.) (Cf. 2 Kings 9:24.) However, it must be noted that Joram, son of Ahab, also did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (2 Kings 3:1-3). This supports the hypothesis that God punishes the descendants if they continue in the evil ways of their ancestors. In Deut. 4:24-27 three generations sinning together are punished together.
"for I the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the parents upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments".
It sounds rather unfair that God punishes the descendants of a person for his/her sins or that He shows mercy to the descendants of a person who loves Him. It is also contradictory to Deuteronomy 24:16 and Ezekiel 18, which stress personal responsibility:
"Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their parents; only for their own crimes may persons be put to death." (Deut. 24:16, NRSV.)
"It is only the person who sins, that shall die. If a man is righteous and does what is lawful and right .... such a one is righteous; he shall surely live .... If he has a son who is violent .... shall he then live? He shall not .... But if this man has a son who sees all the sins that his father has done, considers, and does not do likewise .... he shall not die for his father’s iniquity .... A child shall not suffer for the iniquity of a parent, nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child; the righteousness of the righteous shall be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be his own." (Ezek. 18:4-20, NRSV.)
This paper proposes a solution for this apparent contradiction by proposing a different translation for the motivation in the second commandment. The translation of the Hebrew text of Ex. 20:4-6 is quite complicated, and there are more possibilities than the stereotype of those who hate me and of those who love me. Although the preposition :l could indeed be used to construct a genitive periphrastically (Gesenius, 1976: 419-420, §129), it can also be interpreted as a :l of regard, (dis)advantage, object or apposition (Waltke & O’Connor, 1990: 205-212). Therefore, the motivation could also be translated as follows:
* For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, punishing the sin of the parents on the children, on the third and fourth generation, with regard to those who hate me, and showing loyalty to thousands, with regard to those who love Me and keep my commandments. (The reference could be to the parents or the descendants.)
* For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, punishing the sin of the parents on the children, on the third and fourth generation, to the disadvantage of those who hate me, and showing loyalty to thousands, to the advantage of those who love Me and keep my commandments. (The reference could again be to the parents or the descendants).
* For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, punishing the sin of the parents on the children, on the third and fourth generation, (punishing) those who hate me (direct object?), and showing loyalty to thousands, those who love Me and keep my commandments (direct object?).
* For I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God, punishing the sin of the fathers on the children, on the third and fourth generation, i.e. on those who hate me (apposition), and showing loyalty to thousands, i.e. those who love Me and keep my commandments (apposition).
If the last possibilitiy is followed, these phrases almost get a conditional character, meaning that God will punish the descendants if they continue to hate Him, and He will show mercy to the descendants if they continue to love Him. This is parallel to the meaning of Ezek. 18. (Cf. also Hos. 4.) Another text which supports this view very strongly is Dan. 9:4 where it is said that God keeps his covenant and loyalty towards those who love Him and keep his commands, without even mentioning the generations!
When other parallel formulations of the second command are compared, it becomes clear that the whole idea of compensation or requital of the descendants is often qualified. The text of Deut. 5:9 is almost identical to Ex. 4:5-6 except for the waw before ‘l- šlšym. In Ex. 34:6-7 and Num. 14:18 the words "of those who hate Me" / "of those who love Me" are omitted (cf. also Lev. 19:4, Deut. 4:15-20, Ex. 34:14). This could be an abbreviated form which could have led to the misunderstanding of the second commandment, interpreting it as cold and rigid and apparently unfair, although Num. 14:18 is followed by vs. 20-25 where the descendants are excluded from the Lord’s punishment (cf. Num. 27:12-23). See also Jer. 32:18-19: - where the commandment is qualified by the words "rewarding all according to their ways and according to the fruit of their doings".
An interesting text is Deut. 7:10: God maintains his covenant loyalty ... to a thousand generations, but He punishes individually and personally! "Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who maintains covenant loyalty with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, and who repays in their own person those who reject him. He does not delay but repays in their own person those who reject Him." (NRSV).
In 1 Kings 21:29 we have an example of punishment on the second generation: "Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster on his house." (NRSV.) (Cf. 2 Kings 9:24.) However, it must be noted that Joram, son of Ahab, also did what was evil in the sight of the Lord (2 Kings 3:1-3). This supports the hypothesis that God punishes the descendants if they continue in the evil ways of their ancestors. In Deut. 4:24-27 three generations sinning together are punished together.
Research Interests:
Until recently it has been assumed that all lecturers at tertiary institutions should teach, conduct research and do community service. Due to heavy teaching loads, this assumption has become evident as a very idealistic goal, especially... more
Until recently it has been assumed that all lecturers at tertiary institutions should teach, conduct research and do community service. Due to heavy teaching loads, this assumption has become evident as a very idealistic goal, especially in smaller universities where few academic staff members have to cope with various programmes and a high student to teacher ratio. Some universities seem to have realised this predicament and have started to advertise positions for research professors. According to authors' knowledge, NWU (VTC) was the first institution in South Africa to create a full-time research professorship in a School of Information Technology. This short paper is an attempt to clarify the expectations, roles and duties of such a position.
Research Interests:
The world has become an open or 'flat' place. Information Systems (IS) students who graduate may wonder where their qualifications will take them in this world. How could they use it to make the most of it? And for those who want to... more
The world has become an open or 'flat' place. Information Systems (IS) students who graduate may wonder where their qualifications will take them in this world. How could they use it to make the most of it? And for those who want to venture into a higher degree, what can they expect in this new venture? I believe with Madni that "[t]he time has come for us to begin for (sic) exploiting the 'flatness' of this world with open minds and a commitment to transdisciplinary research and education, the next frontier in the intellectual and societal growth of human kind" (2007:10). This paper explores transdisciplinarity in IS by means of a literature review in order to come to a better understanding of the concept and I hope that it could make a small contribution towards the academic debate.
Research Interests:
This study does a grammatical and semantic-syntactic analysis of the Hebrew text of the Book of Proverbs, chapters 1-9 (on word-level). The study was written in Afrikaans: ‘n Taalsleutel by die Hebreeuse teks van Spreuke 1-9. (Th.B.... more
This study does a grammatical and semantic-syntactic analysis of the Hebrew text of the Book of Proverbs, chapters 1-9 (on word-level). The study was written in Afrikaans:
‘n Taalsleutel by die Hebreeuse teks van Spreuke 1-9. (Th.B. research essay, PU for CHE.) 86 pp.
‘n Taalsleutel by die Hebreeuse teks van Spreuke 1-9. (Th.B. research essay, PU for CHE.) 86 pp.
Research Interests:
Firstly, this study considers critically the classical method of explaining genitives. Three shortcomings of this method are identified: the arbitrary classification of genitives, the non-verifiability of the definitions of genitives and... more
Firstly, this study considers critically the classical method of explaining genitives. Three shortcomings of this method are identified: the arbitrary classification of genitives, the non-verifiability of the definitions of genitives and the confusing use of terminology. The description of genitives in modern linguistics is subsequently discussed. lt is concluded that semantic back-transformations do clarify genitive constructions, but cannot be used to infer rules by which the classification of genitives can be controlled, because the morphological elements of a genitive construction are converted to semantic parts of speech. This changes the construction on the syntactic level. Most genitive constructions develop syntactically as follows: a co-ordinate principal clause is imbedded as a relative clause and then nominalized as a genitive. The morphological parts of speech are retained in this syntactic transformational process. Subsequently a verifiable method, called syntactic back-transformation, is developed to explain and classify genitives. ln a syntactic back-transformation the genitive and pregenitive are converted to a relative clause and its antecedent. Next the relative clause is converted again to a principal clause (the kernel sentence). Syntactic back-transformational rules are formulated by comparing the genitive construction with the kernel sentence. These rules describe from which elements in the kernel the genitive and pregenitive develop. All genitive constructions which comply with the same back-transformational rule are grouped together. These rules can be used to test whether a genitive construction belongs to a certain class or not. Finally, the formulated rules are tested and modified by examining all genitive constructions in the book of Proverbs. The following major classes of genitives are distinguished in terms of these rules: noun clause 1-genitives (subjective genitives), noun clause 2-genitives (objective genitives), copula-predicate genitives, preposition-verb genitives and adjunctive genitives.
Die Hebreeuse genitief: ’n semanties-sintaktiese studie met besondere verwysing na die boek Spreuke. (MA mini-dissertation, PU for CHE.) 217 pp.
Die Hebreeuse genitief: ’n semanties-sintaktiese studie met besondere verwysing na die boek Spreuke. (MA mini-dissertation, PU for CHE.) 217 pp.
Research Interests: Semantics, Syntax, Morphology, Book of Proverbs, Biblical Hebrew (Languages And Linguistics), and 15 moreRelative Clauses, Subjective Genitive, Objective Genitive, Nominalization, Genitive Case, principal clause, semantic back-transformation, syntactic back-transformation, pregenitive, kernel sentence, noun clause 1 genitive, noun clause 2 genitive, copula-predicate genitive, preposition-verb genitive, and adjunctive genitive
The thesis discusses a series of related techniques that prepare and transform raw linguistic data for advanced processing in order to unveil hidden grammatical patterns. A threedimensional array is identified as a suitable data structure... more
The thesis discusses a series of related techniques that prepare and transform raw linguistic data for advanced processing in order to unveil hidden grammatical patterns. A threedimensional array is identified as a suitable data structure to build a data cube to capture multidimensional linguistic data in a computer's temporary storage facility. It also enables online analytical processing, like slicing, to be executed on this data cube in order to reveal various subsets and presentations of the data. XML is investigated as a suitable mark-up language to permanently store such an exploitable databank of Biblical Hebrew linguistic data. This concept is illustrated by tagging a phonetic transcription of Genesis 1:1-2:3 on various linguistic levels and manipulating this databank. Transferring the data set between an XML file and a threedimensional array creates a stable environment allowing editing and advanced processing of the data in order to confirm existing knowledge or to mine for new, yet undiscovered, linguistic features. Two experiments are executed to demonstrate possible text-mining procedures. Finally, visualisation is discussed as a technique that enhances interaction between the human researcher and the computerised technologies supporting the process of knowledge creation. Although the data set is very small there are exciting indications that the compilation and analysis of aggregate linguistic data may assist linguists to perform rigorous research, for example regarding the definitions of semantic functions and the mapping of these functions onto the syntactic module.