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DIDI MADIDIMALO
learning activity 12
11 Jun 2021, 22:14
36444588
Learning activity
According to Sarkodie and Adams, describe briefly what SA’s water challenge is according to Kohler and what the energy challenge is.
According to Kohler, South Africa’s water problem lies in the physical and economic climate. South Africa charges more on water tariffs to come to the water lost due to evaporation and absorption. Pricing water is a touchy topic because some don’t have access to it at all.
What is social justice according to Calma et al. 2011?
social justice does not have a clear definition. We understand the concept of social justice as societies understanding of justice and fairness goes beyond an individuals’ needs. Social justice aims to ensure systematic and social arrangements to improve equality, as a key political and social value
What is environmental social justice according to Rachel?
The concept of environmental social justice, like social justice, does not have a clear-cut definition. Environmental social justice is the fair distribution of natural resources among the societal group, regardless of race, gender or social class. This should all be done while protecting the environment by giving back and putting limits on what we use and how we use it.
In what way was a wetland programme used to alleviate poverty? (Zabala and Sulivan).
The wet lang program was used as a means to alleviate poverty in the following ways, knowledge sharing, skills and capacity development, communication, education and public awareness.
In what way was a wetland programme used to alleviate poverty? Reflect on the state of the environment in SA about sustainable resources and social justice. Use the class readings as references from which to motivate your answer.
South Africa is doing poorly in terms of social justice and social-environmental justice. Some places do not have access to clean water at all and depend on contaminated and unsafe sources. In terms of the environment, there is some much air pollution in some areas it causes acid rain which destroys vegetation.
learning activity 11.
5 Jun 2021, 01:00
DO Madidimalo 36444588
04 June 2021
SOCY 211
Homework activity part 11
Name the four environmental narratives identified in SA
In sociology, there are four environmental narratives, and they are, the conservation, the economic, the local view and the non-state action narrative.
What is the objective and motive for each narrative?
The conservative narrative. All these narratives have different aims which may contradict each other. The aim of the conservative is an authoritarian view that aims to preserve land and resources by excluding the community from decision-making processes. By doing this the authorities aim to reduce human interference through implementing things like the enclosure models (fines and policies). An economic view is a capitalist approach, this view sees the environment and resources as a lucrative entity for privileged groups. There is a local view approach is.
Do these narratives contribute to an understanding of the SA environment (look at the critique of each narrative and reflect on it to come to your own conclusion)?
Yes. These narratives play a role in the understanding of South Africa’s environment. Using the criticism of each view my understand the pros and cons of each approach and how they affect the environment. An example of this is that we know that the economic view affects underdeveloped areas negatively through the exploitation of resources and labor.
What are the two main environmental discourses in SA, according to Stewart and Zaaiman? Briefly describe each one.
According to Zaaiman South Africa’s two main discourses are sustainable development and environmental and social justice. Sustainability is our ability to do what is best for those living in the present to meet their needs, without disabling or disabling those in the future. Sustainable growth includes economic growth, social development and environmental potential. Environmental and social justice is a community and rights-based process. Tits main aim is to advocate for those who can not do so for themselves. For example, disadvantaged and marginalized groups and the environment.
How does the Sustainable Development discourse link to the SA policies? Use the class readings as references from which to motivate your answer.
Sustainable Development (SD) and South African Policies are linked when it comes to protecting and preserving the environment for future use. SA policies ensure place limits on how and when resources may be used in order to prevent waste and exploitation. These policies ensure that those who use resources give back to the environment some or another way. For example, planting on thousand trees a year for a paper or wood producing business
36444588 learning activity
12 Mar 2021, 00:50
Name: Didintle Madidimalo
Student no. 36444588
Activity 2: study unit 1.2
Due 12 March 2021
Write in your own words in 300 words or less.
Compare and contrast two theoretical approaches to social problems
In this learning activity, one will be contrasting and criticizing structural-functionalist theory and postmodernism theory. These two theories have contrasting definitions when it comes to theoretical approaches to social problems, essentially making a spectrum out of all these theories.
Structuralism at its core strives for dynamic equilibrium and prioritizes the state and needs of society as a whole instead of looking out for an individuals’ needs and view. This system is governed by the notion that society is made up of absolute and we all know it and follow suit. Examples of this are in social structures like families, gender, and the law. When one is living under structuralism one is made to believe that a family is made up of a male, female, and children (one might back this view up with the scientific fact that only males and females should reproduce). Structuralism tends to present a binary (one or the other, no in-between) pattern when it comes to issues; like gender and the law. These binary patterns tend to have an influence on our way of thinking as a society and place limits on all our thoughts around these topics. For example, women are seen and accepted as feminine and those who are not are automatically condemned and views are deviants.
When it comes to postmodernism deviation is the main essence of this theory. Postmodernism, ambiguous as it may be, challenges structuralism by proposing the notion that there are no absolutes in life; that just because things are the way they are they should stay the way they are. This approach allows us to open our way of thinking and demolish institutionalized ways of thinking. Only then can we see that gender is fluid, family has no specific structure (e.g homosexual courtships and friends) and the law is not all black and white.