Department of Economics

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Browsing Department of Economics by browse.metadata.advisor "Annecke, Eve"

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    Education for sustainable futures : an appropriate approach for early childhood development from birth to five years
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2018-03) Bongoza, Nomandla; Annecke, Eve; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Economics.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : The 21st century is marked by numerous challenges ranging from environmental degradation, resource depletion, pollution, poverty and inequality to poor education outcomes especially in the global south. This study explores a system of learning that seems to integrate ECD training/curricular with the principles of sustainable development. While it is conceivable in theory, I attempted to explore how the thinking in sustainable development translates into practice in the early learning space. The research was done by means of a literature review and practical research conducted at two early learning centres in Cape Town (Lynedoch Children’s House and GROW with Reaching Stars in Khayelitsha). This study employed qualitative research approach using ethnographic participant observation, literature review and case studies. The data was analysed using qualitative content analysis. The literature reviewed highlighted the benefits of starting early in terms of instilling values of sustainable development in children. The benefits align with the sustainable development basic principles that recognise the unbreakable connection between social and economic development tied to environment conservation and care. Additionally, children who are connected to the environment may well have a predisposition to care for the environment throughout life. Literature also revealed that children are capable of being agents of change and they understand issues related to inequality. Even though the concepts of sustainable development are seen to be challenging to introduce at an early childhood development level, research shows that children are capable of exploring and understanding complex issues. Quality learning, learning in context and education for sustainable development were the overarching themes in the literature reviewed. Using a participant observation research method I observed two case studies in Lynedoch and Khayelitsha. The case studies were chosen for explorative study of the two different contexts of learning that provide different perspectives in learning for sustainability. The Khayelitsha school uses a method that greatly focusses on the cognitive development of a child a dominant method in South African early learning space. Lynedoch Chidren’s House uses Montessori Method of education that has been reported to be one of the methods that embody principles of sustainable development. The method recognises that the environments that children are exposed to positive or negative have far reaching effects on their future. There is a need to re-educate ourselves in order to change the trajectory in which we are found. Humans need education that helps us become better people who care for one another, other living things, the environment and where humanity can realise its aspirations. The findings from both case studies is the importance of early learning that provides holistic development of a child, connection to nature, child centeredness, and connection with other humans and living things. Learning in context was also identified as one of the key factors that drive quality learning and Education for Sustainability. There is a need to find local solutions to global problems. A way forward in finding solutions with the education crisis in South Africa lies in collaboration, support and investment in early childhood development. There is no denying the value of introducing education for sustainability in early childhood development. Sustainable Development Goals promote the attainment of life skills and knowledge needed to promote sustainability through education. I have used these goals as the international framework for my study. Moreover, three factors will drive the successful implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals: people (the individual and communities that promote sustainable lifestyles), the environment (urban and rural and connection to nature) and method of learning (how it speaks to the nature of a child and his/her capabilities).
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    "God has locked the sky" : exploring traditional farming systems in Tigray, Ethiopia
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2015-04) Derakhshani, Nava; Annecke, Eve; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Economics.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Tigray region in northern Ethiopia is a historic centre of agricultural production and home to many subsistence farmers that still use traditional farming systems and practise rain-fed agriculture. The region has been affected adversely by famines and periodic droughts for centuries and is vulnerable to climate change. Farmers are producing on small plots of often degraded land and through their own actions have depleted the natural resources they rely on, in particular soil, water and trees. This study sought to explore the environmental degradation of Tigray through both a literature review of its agricultural socio-political history and a lived experience in the village of Abraha We Atsebaha among farmers of the region. It uses a variety of methodologies and methods, including a literature review, grounded theory, narrative inquiry and ethnography, to expand on the factors that have contributed to the current degradation, the implications for traditional farming and the potential for land regeneration. The first journal article seeks to explore how Ethiopians have shaped their natural environment. In particular, it focuses on deforestation, soil degradation, the role of changing governance and land-ownership patterns, and the effects of climate change. The article demonstrates that traditional farming systems do not operate in isolation from their socio-political and environmental context. The second journal article provides an in-depth narrative inquiry conducted in Abraha We Atsebaha over a three-month period in 2014. This village is known for its indigenous farming knowledge, commitment to regeneration and innovation in conservation practices. Interviews were conducted with selected farmers and local leaders and informal discussions were carried out with government extension representatives using the ethno-ecological cosmos-corpus-praxis guidelines to enable an integrated exploration of the nature of traditional farming, the causative factors of environmental deterioration and the resultant communal response. In addition to written interview notes, observations and field notes were recorded daily. Photographs are used to give a real sense of the community and their work. It emerged during this process that underlying belief systems were exceptionally important in a context of traditional conservation. Both articles discuss the development work undertaken by government in the rural farming sector and the successes and challenges faced. They also show that elements of traditional farming, sustainability measures and environmental care were suspended in favour of short-term survival as a consequence of social, political and population stressors. This study provides learning points, gained from insights gleaned from the literature review and the lived experience, for improving development interventions in this region. This study did not explicitly explore the role of religion in conservation or the potential long-term effects of current government policies and initiatives. However, it contributes to the small pool of literature on the region focused on traditional farming systems by providing a comprehensive overview of the drivers of degradation (historical and current) and offers a unique, “soft” experiential narration of a village in northern Ethiopia that allows insight into farmer experiences, pressures and adaptation efforts.