Browsing by Author "Van Wyk, Berte"

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    A conceptual analysis of transformation at three South African universities in relation to the national plan for higher education
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2004-04) Van Wyk, Berte; Waghid, Yusef; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation explores the notion of (higher) education transformation in relation to logically necessary conditions which guide the concept. These logically necessary conditions (constitutive meanings) include: equity and redress, critical inquiry, communicative praxis, and citizenship. I explore how instances of these logically necessary conditions manifest in institutional plans at the universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch, and the Western Cape. My contention is that these institutional plans seem to be tilted towards the exclusive implementation of performance indicator measures which might undermine deep educational transformation. In turn, deep educational transformation requires that logically necessary conditions be framed according to an African philosophy of educational transformation. KEYWORDS: Higher education, education policy, transformation, conceptual analysis, logically necessary conditions.
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    Indigenous rights, indigenous epistemologies, and language : (re)construction of modern Khoisan identities
    (Addleton Academic Publishers, 2016) Van Wyk, Berte
    There has been a revival of indigenous Khoisan identities in democratic South Africa, and it arises from the Afrocentric paradigm. Located within Khoisanistics, the study of indigenous Khoisan peoples, their language and culture, this article focuses on the (re)construction of modern Khoisan identities with reference to indigenous rights, indigenous Khoisan epistemologies, and their language. I argue that there is a need for a scholarly exploration of Khoisan identities from a philosophical perspective rooted within indigenous epistemologies, rather than from whitestream research perspectives, which historically ignored and/or marginalized indigenous approaches. I develop my argument, firstly, by locating myself within the research. Secondly, I explore the erosion of indigenous rights of the Khoisan people since the arrival of white settlers at the Cape in 1652, and examine contemporary attempts to restore indigenous rights. Thirdly, I reflect on indigenous Khoisan epistemologies, which are closely related to land, community and leadership, and this paper explores the Khoisan philosophy towards land: the land is not ours, we belong to the land. Finally, I explore Khoisan struggles aimed at the revival of their language
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    Universities as organisations or institutions? : The culture debate and one institution
    (AFRICAN SUN MeDIA, 2009) Van Wyk, Berte
    This chapter attempts to conceptualise institutional culture by posing a critical question: Are universities institutions or organisations? The question arises due to ambiguities in the literature: several authors describe universities as institutions rather than organisations, while others use the notions of ‘organisation’ and ‘institution’ interchangeably. In agreement with Hoffman (1999) that it would be critically important to consider how and in what ways concepts of culture can enhance – or impede – understanding, research and action in education, I explore the culture debate. There seem to be complex conceptual issues associated with some of the baseline debates on the nature of culture and, following from this, the nature of institutional cultures. The literature suggests that institutional culture as a social construct is embedded in a very definite historical context and purpose (Louw and Finchilescu 2003), and this historical context becomes very useful in an analysis of what constitutes institutional culture at Stellenbosch University. The discussion on two meanings of institutional culture (perceptions, and the language issue) indicates that culture is dynamic, and highlights how meanings change over time. The essay suggests that there is no easy definition of ‘institutional culture’, as there is no one single characteristic of an institution that can be cited to define this culture. I conclude that the usefulness of institutional culture is that it connects people and should be used for a purpose; it is not just something to have, which is where the discussion of the concept usually focuses (Toma, Dubrow and Hartley 2005).