Place, meaning and shared experience: the construction of the Tabl¯igh Jam¯aa identity in Johannesburg
- Authors: McDonald, Zahraa
- Date: 2008-10-27T06:38:27Z
- Subjects: Tablighi Jama`at , Identity (Philosophical concept) , Social movements , Johannesburg (South Africa)
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13246 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1326
- Description: M.A. , A specific identity is not an inherent quality of human nature. Yet all humans have identities. The question then arises as to how identities are formed and what influences their formation. In this study it is asserted that identities are constructions and that, as such, they occur within a space and time. The particular interrelations and meanings that occur in a space and time result in the formation of a place. Place, then, influences the constructions of the identity. In this study the Tablīgh Jamā̉at (TJ), a movement that seeks to improve the practice of Islam amongst Muslims, was investigated to assess what influenced the construction of an identity amongst its members in Johannesburg. The Tablīgh Jamā̉at, which is the single largest Islamic movement in the world, originated in India in 1927 and was established in South Africa in the early 1960s. The movement has a large presence in the Muslim community of Johannesburg. The execution of activities related to the movement, the promotion and manipulation of the message and activities of the movement, as well as physical and material capabilities independent of the movement were found to influence the construction of the identity. These, together, have shaped the meaning, in a place, due to the manipulation of shared experience. However, there are also physical and material constraints that limit the further construction of identities. The reliance of the identity on factors that are not inherent to it poses a challenge for the development of theory regarding social identities. , Prof. Peter Alexander
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- Authors: McDonald, Zahraa
- Date: 2008-10-27T06:38:27Z
- Subjects: Tablighi Jama`at , Identity (Philosophical concept) , Social movements , Johannesburg (South Africa)
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13246 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1326
- Description: M.A. , A specific identity is not an inherent quality of human nature. Yet all humans have identities. The question then arises as to how identities are formed and what influences their formation. In this study it is asserted that identities are constructions and that, as such, they occur within a space and time. The particular interrelations and meanings that occur in a space and time result in the formation of a place. Place, then, influences the constructions of the identity. In this study the Tablīgh Jamā̉at (TJ), a movement that seeks to improve the practice of Islam amongst Muslims, was investigated to assess what influenced the construction of an identity amongst its members in Johannesburg. The Tablīgh Jamā̉at, which is the single largest Islamic movement in the world, originated in India in 1927 and was established in South Africa in the early 1960s. The movement has a large presence in the Muslim community of Johannesburg. The execution of activities related to the movement, the promotion and manipulation of the message and activities of the movement, as well as physical and material capabilities independent of the movement were found to influence the construction of the identity. These, together, have shaped the meaning, in a place, due to the manipulation of shared experience. However, there are also physical and material constraints that limit the further construction of identities. The reliance of the identity on factors that are not inherent to it poses a challenge for the development of theory regarding social identities. , Prof. Peter Alexander
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The story of the self: a grounded theory perspective
- Authors: Cameron-Smith, Celia
- Date: 2008-10-31T09:09:36Z
- Subjects: Identity (Philosophical concept) , Grounded theory , Self
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13909 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1425
- Description: D.Litt. et Phil. , The aim of this research was to examine the nature of the western self, using a grounded theory approach. The life narratives of a group of mid-life women were analysed utilising the method outlined by Strauss and Corbin (1990) and the data provided fertile ground for the development of a substantive theory of the self. In the past, midlife was considered a part of old age. Changes in western society have meant that midlife has become a significant life period. An examination of the nature of selfhood in historical periods as well as in Prehistory constituted the literature review. Modern and Postmodern approaches to the self were also examined. For the participants, the self occupied the area between identity and soul. The participants considered the soul to be the core of the individual. Identity was described in terms of gender, physical appearance as well as date and place of birth. Closely allied to the soul is said to be the individual value system. The participants regarded the self as having certain features including cognitive, affective, spiritual and physical components as well as unconscious elements. Moreover, the self is dynamic and has an inherent directorial capacity based particularly on individual thinking and feeling components. The substantive theory of the self suggests that the self constitutes a sense of existence resulting from conscious awareness of inherent personal capacity and awareness of the immediate present, personal past and projected future. The purpose of the self is to promote the survival of the individual. The core of the self is represented by the need to survive and is experienced as a feeling of continuity contained within the personal narrative. Survival is furthered by purposeful activity and the creation and development of meaning structures. The self rests on inter-related physical, cognitive, emotional-affective pillars, and responds to environmental currents. Thus the self is essentially a process and is given the feeling of form through the narrative capacity inherent in the individual. The self is situated in a self-space created by the interrelationship of the physical, cognitive and affective components in relation to the environment. Today, mainly through technological developments, the self-space has increased in size, and greater demands are placed on the individual self.
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- Authors: Cameron-Smith, Celia
- Date: 2008-10-31T09:09:36Z
- Subjects: Identity (Philosophical concept) , Grounded theory , Self
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:13909 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/1425
- Description: D.Litt. et Phil. , The aim of this research was to examine the nature of the western self, using a grounded theory approach. The life narratives of a group of mid-life women were analysed utilising the method outlined by Strauss and Corbin (1990) and the data provided fertile ground for the development of a substantive theory of the self. In the past, midlife was considered a part of old age. Changes in western society have meant that midlife has become a significant life period. An examination of the nature of selfhood in historical periods as well as in Prehistory constituted the literature review. Modern and Postmodern approaches to the self were also examined. For the participants, the self occupied the area between identity and soul. The participants considered the soul to be the core of the individual. Identity was described in terms of gender, physical appearance as well as date and place of birth. Closely allied to the soul is said to be the individual value system. The participants regarded the self as having certain features including cognitive, affective, spiritual and physical components as well as unconscious elements. Moreover, the self is dynamic and has an inherent directorial capacity based particularly on individual thinking and feeling components. The substantive theory of the self suggests that the self constitutes a sense of existence resulting from conscious awareness of inherent personal capacity and awareness of the immediate present, personal past and projected future. The purpose of the self is to promote the survival of the individual. The core of the self is represented by the need to survive and is experienced as a feeling of continuity contained within the personal narrative. Survival is furthered by purposeful activity and the creation and development of meaning structures. The self rests on inter-related physical, cognitive, emotional-affective pillars, and responds to environmental currents. Thus the self is essentially a process and is given the feeling of form through the narrative capacity inherent in the individual. The self is situated in a self-space created by the interrelationship of the physical, cognitive and affective components in relation to the environment. Today, mainly through technological developments, the self-space has increased in size, and greater demands are placed on the individual self.
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Identity at work : exploring strategies for identity work
- Adams, Byron G., Crafford, Anne
- Authors: Adams, Byron G. , Crafford, Anne
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Working environment - South Africa , Identity (Philosophical concept)
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:5987 , ISSN 2071-0763 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8616
- Description: Orientation: This study explored strategies for identity work that are central to the negotiation and regulation of employee work identity. Research purpose: The main aim of this study was to explore employee narratives and identify the strategies available to them in the process of identity work, as they defined themselves at work. Motivation for the study: As there is a scarcity of research on identity work in South Africa, this study wanted to advance knowledge about identity work and the strategies used for regulating and negotiating an identity at work by exploring these constructs in this context. Research design, approach and method: A qualitative research process formed the basis for this study. Nineteen employees from a global manufacturing company participated in two semi-structured in-depth interviews. Grounded theory was applied to analyse and interpret the data. Main findings: Nine strategies for identity work were identified and categorised into four broad themes (personal philosophies; relationships; career management and negotiating balance). Practical/managerial implications: Employees followed various strategies for defining themselves at work and this may have some implications for employee work engagement and productivity. Contribution/value-add: This study expands on current theoretical knowledge of identity work, and provides insights into the strategies people use to regulate and negotiate their identities at work.
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- Authors: Adams, Byron G. , Crafford, Anne
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Working environment - South Africa , Identity (Philosophical concept)
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:5987 , ISSN 2071-0763 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8616
- Description: Orientation: This study explored strategies for identity work that are central to the negotiation and regulation of employee work identity. Research purpose: The main aim of this study was to explore employee narratives and identify the strategies available to them in the process of identity work, as they defined themselves at work. Motivation for the study: As there is a scarcity of research on identity work in South Africa, this study wanted to advance knowledge about identity work and the strategies used for regulating and negotiating an identity at work by exploring these constructs in this context. Research design, approach and method: A qualitative research process formed the basis for this study. Nineteen employees from a global manufacturing company participated in two semi-structured in-depth interviews. Grounded theory was applied to analyse and interpret the data. Main findings: Nine strategies for identity work were identified and categorised into four broad themes (personal philosophies; relationships; career management and negotiating balance). Practical/managerial implications: Employees followed various strategies for defining themselves at work and this may have some implications for employee work engagement and productivity. Contribution/value-add: This study expands on current theoretical knowledge of identity work, and provides insights into the strategies people use to regulate and negotiate their identities at work.
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Unstable territories : an architectural investigation into public open space, identity and xenophobia in Mayfair, Johannesburg
- Authors: Strydom, Laura
- Date: 2014-03-26
- Subjects: Towers - South Africa - Johannesburg - Design and construction , Public buildings - South Africa - Johannesburg - Design and construction , Public spaces - South Africa - Johannesburg , Architecture and society - South Africa - Johannesburg , Identity (Philosophical concept) , Mayfair (Johannesburg, South Africa) - Buildings, structures, etc.
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:4505 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/9844
- Description: M.Tech. (Architectural Technology) , Contested territories have strongly contributed to the displacement of people worldwide, resulting in the loss of the right to belong. Considering the boundaries of belonging in Mayfair, a marginalised social landscape in Johannesburg, this architectural response to a social and urban investigation will ascertain whether and how architecture can respond to the global issue of xenophobia. Johannesburg as uitvalgrond has, since its founding, offered migrants opportunities for meaningful participation and self-actualisation. This reiterates the idea that the city’s in-between spaces often allow for a new realisation or actualisation of identity. The author argues that space-and-place-making and identity are intrinsically linked - the one enforcing, defining or denying the Other. The dissertation conceptualizes how architecture can acknowledge Mayfair residents’ unique and evolving post-national identity as a marginalised community in an young democracy. The study suggests how architecture can give form to contemporary African public space that contributes to a sense of belonging for both the Self and the Other in Mayfair. The methods used in this study are: observation through site visits, drawing, on-site interviews and film; mapping boundaries and edges defining various ethnic territories, open space network (utilised and unutilised), mobility, nodes and landmarks, actual land use as opposed to zoned land use and experiential observations; correspondence and discussions, making use of official databases to research historic maps and photographs; examining precedents, and applying all of the above into an appropriate architectural model. Each chapter concludes with a reflection extracting the most important notions from that chapter to be taken into the next section. This dissertation interrogates the importance and the role of architecture and public open space in Johannesburg by exploring new ways of thinking, doing and making in Johannesburg’s present, changing urban condition.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Strydom, Laura
- Date: 2014-03-26
- Subjects: Towers - South Africa - Johannesburg - Design and construction , Public buildings - South Africa - Johannesburg - Design and construction , Public spaces - South Africa - Johannesburg , Architecture and society - South Africa - Johannesburg , Identity (Philosophical concept) , Mayfair (Johannesburg, South Africa) - Buildings, structures, etc.
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:4505 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/9844
- Description: M.Tech. (Architectural Technology) , Contested territories have strongly contributed to the displacement of people worldwide, resulting in the loss of the right to belong. Considering the boundaries of belonging in Mayfair, a marginalised social landscape in Johannesburg, this architectural response to a social and urban investigation will ascertain whether and how architecture can respond to the global issue of xenophobia. Johannesburg as uitvalgrond has, since its founding, offered migrants opportunities for meaningful participation and self-actualisation. This reiterates the idea that the city’s in-between spaces often allow for a new realisation or actualisation of identity. The author argues that space-and-place-making and identity are intrinsically linked - the one enforcing, defining or denying the Other. The dissertation conceptualizes how architecture can acknowledge Mayfair residents’ unique and evolving post-national identity as a marginalised community in an young democracy. The study suggests how architecture can give form to contemporary African public space that contributes to a sense of belonging for both the Self and the Other in Mayfair. The methods used in this study are: observation through site visits, drawing, on-site interviews and film; mapping boundaries and edges defining various ethnic territories, open space network (utilised and unutilised), mobility, nodes and landmarks, actual land use as opposed to zoned land use and experiential observations; correspondence and discussions, making use of official databases to research historic maps and photographs; examining precedents, and applying all of the above into an appropriate architectural model. Each chapter concludes with a reflection extracting the most important notions from that chapter to be taken into the next section. This dissertation interrogates the importance and the role of architecture and public open space in Johannesburg by exploring new ways of thinking, doing and making in Johannesburg’s present, changing urban condition.
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