IPSU Summer School General 4 Week Programme. June / July 2015

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1 Programme Description IPSU Summer School General 4 Week Programme June / July 2015 Coordinators: Various Students following the General 4 Week programme enroll for 3 courses during their period of study in Stellenbosch. The courses cover a variety of study fields, which includes: Philosophy, Political Science, Economics, Literature, Art, History and HIV/AIDS. Course 1 is mandatory for all students; the two remaining courses are selected from Courses 2 to 8. As some courses run concurrently, only certain combinations of courses are possible. Each course is worth 2 USA (4 ECTS) credits, giving a total of 6 US (12 ECTS) credits. Course Information Here follows the abbreviated descriptions of the 8 courses on offer during the General 4 Week Programme: Course 1: Introduction to South Africa s Political History (Mandatory for all students attending the IPSU Summer School) Lecturer: Dr Karen Smith Field of Science: Political Science and History During this course, you will be introduced to South Africa s unique 20th century history, and the interplay between the country s political, social and economic issues. In particular, the focus is on South African identities, and how these were and continue to be shaped by the country s past. At the root of the apartheid project was a sustained attempt to manipulate social identities. Almost 50 years of social engineering cannot be dismissed easily, and continues to influence the future of our democracy. Understanding how the past impacts on the present allows us to better understand the issues and challenges currently facing the country. We therefore commence by exploring South Africa s political history, focusing on the apartheid era and the transition to democracy. A field trip to Robben Island will contribute to making this history come alive. An assessment of the process of reconciliation following the 1994 elections provides the bridge to a discussion of the project of nation-building, including the debates around national identity construction. To expose students to the complex issues facing South Africa as it rebuilds its economic, political, social, and cultural structures in keeping with a democratic post-apartheid society. To deepen intercultural and interpersonal awareness, understanding, and respect, and thus enhance students abilities to interact sensitively and responsibly with other cultures. Course 2: Bio Diversity: Plants for the People in the Western Cape Lecturer: Prof. Leanne Dreyer Field of Study: Botany During this course, you will be introduced to South Africa s incredible biological diversity, with special focus on the plants of the Cape Floristic Region. After a solid theoretical and practical introduction to the diversity and richness of this flora, the focus will shift to the role and responsibility of people in conserving and benefiting from these botanical riches. This leads on to a full day of exploration of the benefits currently being reaped from commercialization of indigenous plants for especially the cut flower industry. Indigenous plant use by local people, especially traditional healers, constitutes the final topic of discussion, and will be followed by a visit to traditional medicinal markets. The course will close with verbal presentations by students on topics researched during the course of the module.

2 To introduce students to the spectacular botanical diversity of South Africa, and to the challenges around the sustainable utilization of this flora for both commercial and cultural benefit. Course 3: Visual Controversies in South Africa, Past and Present Lecturer (-s): Prof. Lize van Robbroeck and Dr. Ernst van der Wal Field of Study: Art and Media In this course we will track major developments and changes in South African art and media from the Union years ( ), through the Apartheid era ( ) and after (1994-present). The point of this broad historical perspective is not so much to provide a condensed history of South African art and media, as it is to explore the relationship between South Africa s turbulent socio-political landscape and its visual culture. In particular, we aim to explore the notion of national identity as it manifested and still manifests in art and visual culture. The first part of the course deals with the concurrent rise of Afrikaner and African nationalism in the early 20 th century, and the role of visual culture in the construction of these competing national identities. The second part of the lecture series deals with the years of the struggle, when the dominant white construct of nation came into conflict with the rising tide of militant African nationalist aspiration. The final part of the series looks at new South African nationalism, and the often conflicted art and media it produces. To develop a sense of the unique relationship between the visual arts, media and national identity in South Africa. To deepen students awareness of the complexity of South African history and it s changing socio-political environment and how the shifting tides of South Africa s turbulent history affected the concept of a South African identity. To inculcate a greater understanding of issues around nationalism and the postcolony in general. Course 4: HIV and AIDS: A South African Perspective Lecturer (-s): Michelle Munro and Jaco Brink Field of Study: HIV/AIDS Management This module aims to nurture and develop the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes in students as leaders and future professionals to manage HIV prevention and care in the workplace, both locally and abroad. This module will aim to develop a global understanding of HIV and AIDS through a South African experience of the HIV epidemic. The impact of the HIV epidemic in South Africa. The biomedical facts of HIV and Aids. The influence of personal worldview, values and beliefs on an educational approach to HIV. The role, context and function of treatment for HIV with reference to the influence of stigma and discrimination in SA. Course 5: Growth, Unemployment and Inequality in South Africa Lecturer: Dr. Johan Fourie Field of Study: Economics and Economic History South Africa is a unique country in many ways. First-time visitors often find it difficult to comprehend the immense inequalities that seem to permeate South African society. This course takes the student on a broad but intense overview of the South African economic dilemma, using the past to better understand the future. The attentive student will not find easy answers. We strictly follow the creed: If the answers were so simple, why would we still have problems, stupid? But the course does offer the student a more nuanced understanding of how the South Africa of today confronts the major economic problems of poverty, unemployment and inequality. And what South African society (government, business, and civil society) is doing to confront these challenges. Central to these discussions is South Africa s important role in Africa; the future success of the continent is highly dependent on the success of strong economies such as South Africa. And finally, we delve into the crystal ball of scenario planning to map a future for South Africa that might either be good or bad but certainly, unique. *Although it is not a requirement, a background in business studies or economics is a recommendation.

3 Course 6: Present Imperfect: Negotiating Identities in Literature and Film Lecturer(-s): Dr. Dawid de Villiers and Dr. Annel Pieterse Field of Study: Film and Literature Studies This course focuses on the way in which literature and film in South Africa have registered and reflected the social and political conflicts and tensions of the Apartheid years, and how, since the first democratic elections in 1994, these fields of cultural production have served and continue to serve as a means of questioning and negotiating identity, not only nationally, but also at the level of the community and the individual. The primary aim of this course is therefore to identify currently prevalent thematic trends for example, the ongoing interest in and engagement with the fact or metaphorics of crime while also thinking about South Africa s cultural landscape as constituted in the interplay between, on the one hand, the country s history and socio-economic realities, and, on the other hand, a range of global trends and developments. A secondary aim of the course is to establish the shifts or continuities in the particular formal codes used in South African literature and film to represent these thematic trends. Over the course of the week, we will engage with both classic and current South African poems, short stories, a contemporary novel, as well as three films: one from the apartheid era and two more recent South African releases. Course 7: Challenges for Democratic Consolidation Lecturer: Tyrone Savage Field of Study: Political Science This course builds on some of the issues introduced in Course I. Its focus is on contemporary South Africa a society in transition, characterised by elements of both change and continuity. Present challenges for democratic consolidation are situated within the unfinished history of human rights in South Africa, and specifically the demand for economic justice and the democratic participation of all sectors of society in the running of the country. We explore some of the most urgent policy challenges currently facing the country (including continuing underdevelopment, high crime rates, and chequered service delivery), asking questions about the violent nature of crime in South Africa, and extent to which South Africa s transition to democracy is actually over. The impacts of half a century of social engineering do not disappear overnight, and so we further investigate the politics of identity, race and nation-building. In particular, we explore government s efforts to promote a sense of unity, and the tensions between national unity and the dominance of one party, the African National Congress, at the polls. We focus on the implosion of the party in the post-mandela period as well as on the outcomes of the ANC's national elective conference in Mangaung. We specifically focus on sport as a driver of national identity and social reconciliation. Finally, we also take a look at the role the South African state plays in Africa and internationally, with specific focus on the tension between the different identities it tries to project at regional and international levels, and between domestic and foreign policy priorities. The overarching question will be, given the immense challenges, what are the prospects for the future of democracy in South Africa? Course 8: Ethics, Science and Culture in Philosophical Perspective Lecturer (-s): Dr. JP Smit And Dr. Tanya de Villiers - Botha Field of Study: Philosophy This course examines a number of key problems and discussions in contemporary science, ethics and culture. Science: We will discuss the question of what science is and why it matters to answer this question. We will focus on the different answers that Popper and Kuhn gave to this question. Ethics: We will discuss utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics as three prominent ethical theories. We will also look at the relation between selfishness and altruism, the relation between ethics and science and the relation between ethics and evolutionary theory. Culture: Culture is largely a matter of the institutions that a society adopts. We will look at the nature of institutions and discuss the status of questions like capitalism v. socialism.

4 Course 9: China in Africa Lecturer (-s): Dr. Ross Anthony Field of Study: International Relations and Chinese Studies During this course, you will be introduced to China s growing role on the African continent. While China engaged with African liberation movements during the Cold War, it was only from the 1990s onward, following its shift to a market economy, that the Chinese presence in Africa became a topic of widespread public debate. Understanding the nuts and bolts of how China engages with Africa is crucial to grasping a much larger phenomenon, namely the rise of East Asia and the geopolitical realignment of global power which is currently taking place. By the end of this course you will have a comprehensive understanding of the drivers of Chinese engagements and why the Chinese presence is so attractive to African leaders. You will also familiarize yourself with the controversy surrounding the relationship, including issues of labour, trade imbalance and environmental degradation. The course commences with an historical overview of the relationship and its importance in the cementing of contemporary relations, followed by China s unique modes of economic engagement on the continent. We then examine the various kinds of political influence which China wields and discuss some of the controversies surrounding the engagement and mechanisms which African countries draw on to command more co-operative interaction. The course will be conducted through interactive lectures, discussions, video material, and a field trip. Course 10: Multilingualism and Intercultural Communication Lecturer (-s): Prof. Christine Anthonissen, Dr. Taryn Bernard, Dr. Lauren du Toit, Dr. Johan Oosthuizen Field of Study: Multilingualism and Linguistics The three main themes that will be covered during the course are: Intercultural Communication as a field of academic reflection: This theme will cover the historical background, and the reasons for scholarly and popular interest in the phenomenon of intercultural communication. It will also give definitions and general features as well as the main research themes currently covered in Intercultural Communication. In the course of introducing this theme, key concept in the field, such as language, multilingualism, culture, communication, miscommunication, misunderstanding, etc. will be introduced. Theoretical approaches to the study of Intercultural Communication phenomena and methods of research in Intercultural Communication: This theme will introduce a number of theoretical approaches and the associated methodologies within the field. These will include the contrastive approach, the interlanguage approach; the interactive-intercultural approach; pragmatic approaches; sociolinguistic approaches; ethnographic approaches, (critical) discourse analysis; linguistic analysis (e.g. structural features of code-switching; pragmatic features such as irony and truism). Intercultural Communication in social interaction: Here two broad themes will be covered, namely (i) Intercultural Communication which involves minority language groups, and (ii) Intercultural Communication in the workplace. This theme will be introduced by means of specific case studies which illustrate communicative features that mark multilingual contexts, as well as the linguistic effects of migration related to, for example, - global economic mobility - war and other forms of violence - provision of public health care in multilingual facilities - provision of educational opportunities to minority language groups. Course 11: Marketing Lecturer (-s): Dr. CD Pentz, Ms. C Pienaar Field of Study: Business and Marketing

5 The module provides the student with an introduction to marketing and will focus on marketing dynamics in a rapidly changing environment. The aim will be to assist students in understanding the discipline of marketing and to focus on the variables that are important when making modern marketing decisions. Some of the aspects that will be addressed in the module are: An overview of marketing The marketing environment The competitive situation Understanding the consumer Segmenting and targeting markets Positioning the firm and its products Developing and managing products Marketing channels and intermediaries Pricing concepts Marketing communication Marketing in specialised markets Presentation The courses will be conducted through interactive lectures, discussions, group work, video material, and field trips to places of specific importance for the respective field of study. Course Programme & Dates A well-organized social programme supports the academic programme of the summer school. Week 1: Monday, 15 June Friday, 19 June (Mandatory for all students attending the IPSU Summer School.) Introduction to South Africa s Political History Week 2: Monday, 22 June Friday, 26 June (Choose one of the following four courses.) Bio-Diversity: Plants for the People in the Western Cape Visual Controversies in South Africa, Past and Present HIV and AIDS: A South African Perspective Multilingualism and Intercultural Communication Growth, Unemployment and Inequality in South Africa

6 Week 3 / 4: Tuesday, 30 June Friday, 3 July; Monday, 6 July (Choose one of the following four courses.) China in Africa Marketing Present Imperfect: Negotiating Identities in Literature and Film Challenges for Democratic Consolidation Ethics, Science and Culture in Philosophical Perspective Evaluation The evaluation of each course is determined by the academic coordinator of the respective course. In general each of the above courses includes a substantive writing assignment, a written test and in some cases class presentations. Class attendance is compulsory for all courses; 10 % of the total mark of each course is based on class participation and attendance. Admission Requirements These are the admission requirements for the General 4 Week Programme: 2.8 GPA Second or further year of study Some of the respective courses have additional recommendations and requirements The application form is available on the summer school website: More Information Contact Werner de Wit wdw@sun.ac.za