The purpose of this study is to determine the factors contributing to the attitudes of University... more The purpose of this study is to determine the factors contributing to the attitudes of University of Zimbabwe
International journal of humanities and social science, 2014
Condoms can be highly successful in preventing transmission of many common Sexually Transmitted I... more Condoms can be highly successful in preventing transmission of many common Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s) and are integral to many safer-sex campaigns. University students are at a high risk of contracting HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections but their rate of condom use is low .The purpose of this study is to investigate the discourse of condom use and non-condom use among University of Zimbabwe ,Faculty of Arts students. The data for this qualitative study was collected from 84 students using questionnaires and interviews. The study shows that the cultural narratives, metaphors and discourse around condoms work to create the reality of condom use and non-condom use. Condoms are shown to be socially mediated, value laden objects that reflect diverse peer, family and societal norms. Data was analysed using the discourse analysis and interpretive analysis framework .The data from the study will be useful in designing and improving HIV/AIDS prevention programmes in Z...
International journal of Asian social science, 2014
National governments have sovereign mandates to provide basic goods and services to the citizenry... more National governments have sovereign mandates to provide basic goods and services to the citizenry. This study seeks to find out the citizenry?s opinion regarding the general performance of the Government of National Unity (GNU). Study findings suggest that while the GNU has made commendable socio-economic progress from 2009 to 2011, from thereon, there was serious socio-economic deceleration characterised by low business and investor confidence, continued de-industrialisation, little growth and employment generation, policy inconsistencies and uncertainties, the ?stop-go?? constitution-making process, and apparent stalling of the national healing and reconciliation process. Scenarios aground strongly suggest that the GNU has been dogged by deep-seated structural and situational challenges. It appears to be reaping more thorns than benefits. Against this backdrop, the paper recommends that policy makers should have sound knowledge in the principles of good governance and economic man...
Language acts as a vehicle for propagating the ideologies, values and aspirations of those in pow... more Language acts as a vehicle for propagating the ideologies, values and aspirations of those in power. Since politics is a struggle for power in order to put one’s preferred political, economic and social ideas into practice, the role of language cannot be over emphasized, as every political action is prepared, accompanied, influenced by and played out through language. As the world re-gathered for the World Summit on Sustainable Development dubbed Rio+20, this paper therefore, analyses the political discourse of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe focusing on the persuasive strategies and covert ideology enshrined in his address at the 2002 World Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. The concept of sustainable development is contextualized and redefined by the Zimbabwean president in accordance with his government’s ideology on the land question giving the concept a different emphasis. The paper is grounded in Fairclough’s assumptions in Critical Discourse Analysis that, “ideologies r...
The purpose of this study is to determine the factors contributing to the attitudes of University... more The purpose of this study is to determine the factors contributing to the attitudes of University of Zimbabwe MbchB (Bachelor of Medicine Degree) and BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) Part 1, 2 and 4 students towards the learning of Communication Skills. The main instrument used to determine the attitudes of students is based on the work of Rees, Sheard and Davies (2002). Using the Communication Skills Attitude Score (CSAS), this study identifies both negative and positive attitudes towards the learning of Communication Skills. The Positive Attitude Scores (PAS) for 4th year students were significantly higher than those of year 1 and 2. Negative Attitude Scores (NAS) for 1st years and 2nd years, were higher than those in year 4. Positive Attitude Scores were heavily influenced by gender, age, and year of study. To determine the factors contributing to the attitudes, the researcher used a specially designed questionnaire with open ended questions. Some of the factors identified includ...
International Journal of Asian Social Science, 2014
National governments have sovereign mandates to provide basic goods and services to the citizenry... more National governments have sovereign mandates to provide basic goods and services to the citizenry. This study seeks to find out the citizenry?s opinion regarding the general performance of the Government of National Unity (GNU). Study findings suggest that while the GNU has made commendable socio-economic progress from 2009 to 2011, from thereon, there was serious socio-economic deceleration characterised by low business and investor confidence, continued de-industrialisation, little growth and employment generation, policy inconsistencies and uncertainties, the ?stop-go?? constitution-making process, and apparent stalling of the national healing and reconciliation process. Scenarios aground strongly suggest that the GNU has been dogged by deep-seated structural and situational challenges. It appears to be reaping more thorns than benefits. Against this backdrop, the paper recommends that policy makers should have sound knowledge in the principles of good governance and economic management in order to strengthen the capacity of the various institutions of governance and improve industrial competitiveness. This is particularly needed to address the ?haemorrhage? in the manufacturing sector and macro-economic instability. There is also need for the training of legislators in areas of policy formulation, budget analysis and communication skills.
The paper outlines the need for meeting Quality Assurance benchmarks in education based on the co... more The paper outlines the need for meeting Quality Assurance benchmarks in education based on the contribution that Communication Skills can make in Teacher Training colleges in Zimbabwe. The importance of Communication Skills as part of quality control in education is examined through a study of nine Teacher Training colleges with data gathered through interviews of lecturers and students. The teaching of the course is optional, subject to availability of suitable personnel and there are no course outlines for the course in colleges the writers visited. The department of teacher education at the University of Zimbabwe has not approved course outlines for Communication Skills as they have done with other courses taught at teacher training colleges, an indicator of the department's lack of commitment to the course. Poor Communication Skills on the part of student teachers perpetuates mediocrity at the expense of quality education in schools. Academic and Professional Communication S...
The purpose of this study is to determine the factors contributing to the attitudes of University... more The purpose of this study is to determine the factors contributing to the attitudes of University of Zimbabwe
International journal of humanities and social science, 2014
Condoms can be highly successful in preventing transmission of many common Sexually Transmitted I... more Condoms can be highly successful in preventing transmission of many common Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s) and are integral to many safer-sex campaigns. University students are at a high risk of contracting HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections but their rate of condom use is low .The purpose of this study is to investigate the discourse of condom use and non-condom use among University of Zimbabwe ,Faculty of Arts students. The data for this qualitative study was collected from 84 students using questionnaires and interviews. The study shows that the cultural narratives, metaphors and discourse around condoms work to create the reality of condom use and non-condom use. Condoms are shown to be socially mediated, value laden objects that reflect diverse peer, family and societal norms. Data was analysed using the discourse analysis and interpretive analysis framework .The data from the study will be useful in designing and improving HIV/AIDS prevention programmes in Z...
International journal of Asian social science, 2014
National governments have sovereign mandates to provide basic goods and services to the citizenry... more National governments have sovereign mandates to provide basic goods and services to the citizenry. This study seeks to find out the citizenry?s opinion regarding the general performance of the Government of National Unity (GNU). Study findings suggest that while the GNU has made commendable socio-economic progress from 2009 to 2011, from thereon, there was serious socio-economic deceleration characterised by low business and investor confidence, continued de-industrialisation, little growth and employment generation, policy inconsistencies and uncertainties, the ?stop-go?? constitution-making process, and apparent stalling of the national healing and reconciliation process. Scenarios aground strongly suggest that the GNU has been dogged by deep-seated structural and situational challenges. It appears to be reaping more thorns than benefits. Against this backdrop, the paper recommends that policy makers should have sound knowledge in the principles of good governance and economic man...
Language acts as a vehicle for propagating the ideologies, values and aspirations of those in pow... more Language acts as a vehicle for propagating the ideologies, values and aspirations of those in power. Since politics is a struggle for power in order to put one’s preferred political, economic and social ideas into practice, the role of language cannot be over emphasized, as every political action is prepared, accompanied, influenced by and played out through language. As the world re-gathered for the World Summit on Sustainable Development dubbed Rio+20, this paper therefore, analyses the political discourse of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe focusing on the persuasive strategies and covert ideology enshrined in his address at the 2002 World Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. The concept of sustainable development is contextualized and redefined by the Zimbabwean president in accordance with his government’s ideology on the land question giving the concept a different emphasis. The paper is grounded in Fairclough’s assumptions in Critical Discourse Analysis that, “ideologies r...
The purpose of this study is to determine the factors contributing to the attitudes of University... more The purpose of this study is to determine the factors contributing to the attitudes of University of Zimbabwe MbchB (Bachelor of Medicine Degree) and BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) Part 1, 2 and 4 students towards the learning of Communication Skills. The main instrument used to determine the attitudes of students is based on the work of Rees, Sheard and Davies (2002). Using the Communication Skills Attitude Score (CSAS), this study identifies both negative and positive attitudes towards the learning of Communication Skills. The Positive Attitude Scores (PAS) for 4th year students were significantly higher than those of year 1 and 2. Negative Attitude Scores (NAS) for 1st years and 2nd years, were higher than those in year 4. Positive Attitude Scores were heavily influenced by gender, age, and year of study. To determine the factors contributing to the attitudes, the researcher used a specially designed questionnaire with open ended questions. Some of the factors identified includ...
International Journal of Asian Social Science, 2014
National governments have sovereign mandates to provide basic goods and services to the citizenry... more National governments have sovereign mandates to provide basic goods and services to the citizenry. This study seeks to find out the citizenry?s opinion regarding the general performance of the Government of National Unity (GNU). Study findings suggest that while the GNU has made commendable socio-economic progress from 2009 to 2011, from thereon, there was serious socio-economic deceleration characterised by low business and investor confidence, continued de-industrialisation, little growth and employment generation, policy inconsistencies and uncertainties, the ?stop-go?? constitution-making process, and apparent stalling of the national healing and reconciliation process. Scenarios aground strongly suggest that the GNU has been dogged by deep-seated structural and situational challenges. It appears to be reaping more thorns than benefits. Against this backdrop, the paper recommends that policy makers should have sound knowledge in the principles of good governance and economic management in order to strengthen the capacity of the various institutions of governance and improve industrial competitiveness. This is particularly needed to address the ?haemorrhage? in the manufacturing sector and macro-economic instability. There is also need for the training of legislators in areas of policy formulation, budget analysis and communication skills.
The paper outlines the need for meeting Quality Assurance benchmarks in education based on the co... more The paper outlines the need for meeting Quality Assurance benchmarks in education based on the contribution that Communication Skills can make in Teacher Training colleges in Zimbabwe. The importance of Communication Skills as part of quality control in education is examined through a study of nine Teacher Training colleges with data gathered through interviews of lecturers and students. The teaching of the course is optional, subject to availability of suitable personnel and there are no course outlines for the course in colleges the writers visited. The department of teacher education at the University of Zimbabwe has not approved course outlines for Communication Skills as they have done with other courses taught at teacher training colleges, an indicator of the department's lack of commitment to the course. Poor Communication Skills on the part of student teachers perpetuates mediocrity at the expense of quality education in schools. Academic and Professional Communication S...
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