Die effek van multikulturele kommunikasie tydens publieke deelname

Date
2000-12
Authors
Du Toit, L. H.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa has a long history of social and physical segregation, which is also reflected in issues pertaining to the discipline of planning. In the past Apartheid policy and laws could be blamed for this, but today difficulties in uniting the different cultures and in addressing everyone's needs still exist. To date, the planning discipline has adopted a Western European top down approach, largely ignoring the fact that the country comprises a number of different cultures with different needs. In terms of a wide range of legislation, notably the Constitution of 1996, South Africans are bound to address and accommodate this diversity. Public participation is seen as a way to address these problems, as a result of which a number of different laws and regulations pertaining to procedures broaden the extent of public participation. Despite this, there is little visible evidence that the diversity of participants has any real influence on planning processes or their end results. Public workshops and seminars are frequently criticised because they are time-consuming and because participants have different agendas. Although a good deal of research has been done on the streamlining of procedures, not much attention has been given to the communication process and the nature of constructive dialogue. It follows that a significant part of confusion could be attributed to a lack of mutual understanding during the communication process and to faulty decoding or interpretation of message content. In this study project research was undertaken on the different aspects of communication and the effect of it on interpretation. It was found in a case study of the Stellenbosch Integrated Development Program (IDP), that disruption often occurred due to differences in multicultural communication. Solutions, as presented by the participants and other writers, are offered and discussed.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika het 'n lang geskiedenis van sosiale en fisiese segregasie, wat ook in die beplanningsdisipline waarneembaar is. In die verlede kon blaam gelê word op apartheidsbeleid en wetgewing, maar daar is tans nog steeds probleme om die verskillende kultuurgroepe te verenig en om almal se behoeftes aan te spreek. Tot op hede is daar 'n sterk Westers-Europese benadering gevolg, wat die feit ignoreer dat die land saamgestel is uit verskillende kulture met verskillende behoeftes. In terme van 'n wye reeks wetgewing, veral die Grondwet van 1996, word Suid-Afrikaners verplig om hierdie diversiteit aan te spreek en te akkommodeer. Publieke deelname word gesien as 'n manier om hierdie probleme aan te spreek, soos aanbeveel deur wetgewing. Ten spyte hiervan, is daar min sigbare bewyse dat die diversiteit van deelnemers wel enige invloed op die beplanningsproses of die eindresultate het. Publieke werkswinkels en seminare word gekritiseer omdat dit so tydrowend is en omdat deelnemers opdaag met verskillende agendas. Baie navorsing is reeds gedoen om die prosedure meer vaartbelyn te maak, maar min aandag is gegee aan die kommunikasieproses en die aard van konstruktiewe dialoog. Hier word aangevoer dat 'n groot gedeelte van die verwarring toegeskryf kan word aan 'n gebrek aan gesamentlike begrip tydens die kommunikasieproses en aan verkeerdelike dekodering van die boodskap se inhoud. In die studie is navorsing gedoen oor die verskillende aspekte van kommunikasie en die effek daarvan op interpretasie. Daar is gevind tydens 'n gevallestudie van die Stellenbosch Geïntegreerde Ontwikkelingsprogram (GOP) dat ontwrigting voorkom as gevolg van verskille in multikulturele kommunikasie. Oplossings word aangebied en bespreek soos voorgestel deur sommige van die deelnemers en ander skrywers.
Description
Thesis (MS en S)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.
Keywords
Intercultural communication, Communication and culture, Multiculturalism, Dissertations -- Town and regional planning, Theses -- Town and regional planning
Citation