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Article
Publication date: 9 October 2018

Irma Booyens and Christian M. Rogerson

This purpose of this paper is to explore creative forms of tourism in South African townships. The developmental potential of slum tourism is contested. One challenge is to…

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Abstract

Purpose

This purpose of this paper is to explore creative forms of tourism in South African townships. The developmental potential of slum tourism is contested. One challenge is to reconfigure extant forms of slum tourism into more sustainable alternatives that emphasise combatting poverty through generating economic opportunities and upgrading slum spaces. It is argued that creative tourism has a vital potential role in reshaping slum tourism in a responsible manner.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory investigation identifies emerging examples of creative forms of tourism in two case study townships: Soweto in Johannesburg and Langa in Cape Town. Current examples and potential for future development are interrogated, and areas for further research are outlined.

Findings

Emerging examples of creative tourism in townships with an emphasis on creative participatory experiences, creative spaces and creative cultural events are identified. It is suggested that creative tourism offerings based on cultural resources are under-developed, and potential exists for innovating and expanding creative tourism offerings in townships as a response to latent international and domestic visitor demands.

Social implications

Creative township tourism provides a number of avenues for catalysing economic opportunities; ensuring that locals benefit directly, upgrading physical township spaces and offering alternatives to voyeuristic forms of slum tourism by enhancing the authenticity of visitor experiences.

Originality/value

A new perspective on slum tourism is offered. Creative slum tourism has not been interrogated in the existing slum tourism and creative tourism literatures. This paper calls for more comprehensive empirical investigation on creative forms of tourism in townships and also in slums.

Article
Publication date: 1 April 1996

Sukhan Jackson, Liu Xili and Song Jinduo

The post‐1978 micro‐economic reforms have dismantled China’s community‐funded rural health system, relying on paramedics called “barefoot doctors”. Examines the economic behaviour…

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Abstract

The post‐1978 micro‐economic reforms have dismantled China’s community‐funded rural health system, relying on paramedics called “barefoot doctors”. Examines the economic behaviour and incentives of village doctors (formerly “barefoot doctors”) as a response to a deregulated market and the private sector in the 1990s. The investigation of 519 village doctors showed that the occupation was male‐dominated. There was minimal labour mobility ‐ 86 per cent worked in the same village; 87 per cent were allocated land, but the majority spent 25 per cent or less of working hours on farming. Suggests that they should provide free patient services, and income should come from payment for medicine. In practice, monopolistic market situations enabled many to charge fees. To maximize income, 41 per cent of western medicine practitioners also sold Chinese medicinal herbs in competition with Chinese medicine practitioners. However, village doctors wanted more regulations on entry to the occupation and looked to government intervention to solve problems. Concludes with some policy implications drawing on the pursuit of private interests by village doctors.

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 23 no. 4/5/6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 7 September 2008

Andy Clarno

This study explores the simultaneous transitions in Palestine/Israel and South Africa at the end of the 20th century through an analysis of the shifting geography of Johannesburg…

Abstract

This study explores the simultaneous transitions in Palestine/Israel and South Africa at the end of the 20th century through an analysis of the shifting geography of Johannesburg and Jerusalem. After analyzing the relationship between political, economic and spatial restructuring, I examine the walled enclosures that mark the landscapes of post-apartheid Johannesburg and post-Oslo Jerusalem. I conclude by arguing that these walled enclosures reveal several interconnected aspects of the relationship between neo-liberal restructuring and the militarization of urban space. They also exemplify different configurations of sovereignty under conditions of neo-liberalism and empire.

Details

Political Power and Social Theory
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-76231-418-8

Article
Publication date: 21 November 2008

Wan Nor Azriyati Wan Abd Aziz, Noor Rosly Hanif and Faizah Ahmad

The purpose of this paper is to present how the state government can successfully intervene in providing better quality of urban living standard in Malaysia.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present how the state government can successfully intervene in providing better quality of urban living standard in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper approaches the issue of state intervention by using a case study of a former squatters’ colony area in Bandar Baru Sentul in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.

Findings

The paper establishes that for many decades the governance of Kuala Lumpur has played an active role in designing and implementing a wide range of housing policies to eradicate squatters’ settlement in the city, consequently fulfilling the aspirations of low‐income people to become part of the home owning democracy.

Practical implications

This paper attempts to encourage public policy makers and local authorities to undertake a more active role in providing better quality of urban living standard through the establishment of strong institutional capacity.

Originality/value

The paper provides information on how the state government provides a range of mixed policies to rehabilitate squatters’ colonies in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Details

International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, vol. 1 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8270

Keywords

Case study
Publication date: 29 November 2016

Kerryn Ayanda Malindi Krige and Margie Sutherland

This case was developed to explore what social entrepreneurship looks like in an emerging market context. It tells the story of Neil Campher, a self-identified social entrepreneur…

Abstract

Subject area

This case was developed to explore what social entrepreneurship looks like in an emerging market context. It tells the story of Neil Campher, a self-identified social entrepreneur working in South Africa, a country that has recently been awarded middle income status by the World Bank despite sharing a ranking with Syria on the Human Development Index. In environments of deep market failure, what does social enterprise look like? and can you sustain change in communities of extreme poverty? The case looks at the academic characteristics of social entrepreneurs and applies them to Neil to see if he “qualifies”. It has a particular focus on the bricoleur social entrepreneur. It explores concepts of poverty, and looks at sustainability, achieved through asset-based community development. It explores the need for organisations to transition in response to the environment and provides a tool to assess sustainability. The value of the paper is in exploring what social entrepreneurship looks like in an emerging market context. It also raises important questions on sustainability in environments which are inherently constrained.

Study level/applicability

This case study is aimed at students of social entrepreneurship, development studies, sustainable livelihoods and asset-based development. It is written at an Honours level and is therefore appropriate for use in customised or short programmes. The case study is a good introduction for students with a background in business (e.g. Diploma in Business Administration/MBA/custom programmes) who are wanting to understand social enterprise and blended theories of social and economic change.

Case overview

The case study follows self-identified social entrepreneur Neil Campher in the grime and crime-ridden township of Helenvale, outside Port Elizabeth, in South Africa. Campher has given up his glitzy career as a financier in the economic hub of Johannesburg and returned to his home town, drawn by a need to give back. Helenvale used to be where he and his school friends would hide from the apartheid police, but as an adult, his friends are focused on strengthening and progressing the community. Campher’s entry point to change is a small waste recycling project, and the case study looks at how he uses this as a lever to achieve deeper structural change in the community. The teaching case exposes several questions around social entrepreneurship and change: what is social entrepreneurship in an emerging context and is Campher a social entrepreneur? What is community led change and can it be sustainable? Campher’s dilemma is around sustainability – has his extensive involvement of the community been enough to achieve progress in Helenvale?

Expected learning outcomes

The case study gives insight into social entrepreneurship in a developing country context. It highlights the nuances in definition and introduces the importance of context in shaping the social entrepreneur. The case is an opportunity for students to interrogate ideas on poverty and classical interpretations of social entrepreneurship and relate them to a small community that mirrors the macro country context in South Africa. The case study shows how asset-based approaches to development are interlinked with basic principles of social entrepreneurship. It shows that sustainability is more than a secure and predictable income stream and the need for community engagement and commitment to the solution. In tackling these issues, the case questions sustainability potential and the need for the organisation to transition to respond to opportunity and the changing environment.

Supplementary materials

Video X1 5minute video interview with Neil Campher 5min: YouTube Video of Campher from Interview 1 www.leadingchange.co.za (live from 01 April 2016) Video News report of gang violence in Helenvale 3min: YouTube. This is a quick visual introduction to Helenvale. It is a news clip, so is particularly focused on the angle of the story. It includes interviews with residents. The site www.youtube.com/watch?v=TluLpTuEq8I Northern Areas burning 2min: YouTube is a collection of video footage from a local reporter which shows Helenvale and its surroundings. The site www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCW-Hp24vMI shows the Text Global Competitiveness Report: South Africa; the first page gives additional information on social and economic development in South Africa, highlighting developed/developing country attributes. It also highlights how Helenvale is a microcosm of the negative social development indicators in South Africa (http://reports.weforum.org/global-competitiveness-report-2014-2015/economies/#economy=ZAF). Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Details

Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, vol. 6 no. 4
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 2045-0621

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2006

Xue Liang

This article presents a summary of the development and current status of township and village enterprises (TVEs) in China, examines the latest development in property…

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Abstract

Purpose

This article presents a summary of the development and current status of township and village enterprises (TVEs) in China, examines the latest development in property restructuring in TVEs and explores the key challenges facing TVEs.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a reflection of the key policies that were conducive to the development of township and village enterprises.

Findings

This article argues that the further development of rural enterprises in China should focus on a number of policy issues, including promoting private enterprises, upgrading industrial structure, developing the agri‐food processing industry, improving quality and branding, encouraging business concentration in towns, and encouraging regional economic and technical collaborations.

Originality/value

The article highlights the trajectory of the development of township and village enterprises in China and the lessons that have been learnt in the process.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 November 2015

Honglian Guo, Yunxian Hou, Baohong Yang, Hongping Du and Weiqun Xiao

The purpose of this paper is to upgrade the collaborative emergency ability of government in the tier of towns, realizing emergency resource share, emergency cost reduction and…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to upgrade the collaborative emergency ability of government in the tier of towns, realizing emergency resource share, emergency cost reduction and emergency efficiency improving. This paper mainly aims to solve the problem of forecasting the natural disaster happening year of every township collaborative region in Fangshan District.

Design/methodology/approach

First, classify the townships into five collaborative regions through grey clustering. Second, set up a grey disaster forecast model for the whole Fangshan District according the annals of disaster from 1985 to 2012, and forecast the disaster grade. Third, build a grey disaster forecast model for the collaborative regions after constructing the buffer operators of catastrophic sequence according the annals of disaster from 1949 to 2012.

Findings

The authors forecasted the happening year and flood grade of future disaster for the whole Fangshan District. The accurate degrees of both flood and drought year model are greater than 90 per cent. The accurate degree of insects calamity year is a little low, but the relative errors are all lower than 3 per cent in recent continuous three times, so in the whole, it can be used. For the collaborative regions, the authors forecasted the future disaster years of them. The accuracy rate of every model is greater than 90 per cent. The result shows that the forecast errors are acceptable.

Research limitations/implications

In the models, for the purpose of good accuracy, the authors used different initial data. For example, in the forecast model for whole Fangshan District disaster year, the authors used the data from 1985 to 2012, while in the forecast model for the disaster grade of it, the authors used the data from 1949 to 2012. In the disaster year forecast model for collaborative region, the authors also used the data from 1949 to 2012. If the authors can find a model that has high accuracy rate by using all the date information, it will be better.

Practical implications

Township is the most basic level of government organization in China, researching on collaborative emergency in township will do help to take targeted precautions measures against calamity according to the characteristic there. At the same time realizing emergency cost reduction and emergency efficiency improving based on the advantages of emergency resource share, short rescue distance, little effects of communication destruction.

Social implications

Because of the stochastic occurring of disasters, it is very important to forecast the happening time of disasters accurately. This paper forecasted the natural disaster happening time of Fangshan District through grey catastrophic model, aimed at giving decision support to related department and strengthen the disaster prevention power targetedly.

Originality/value

It is well known that the greater the system, the steadier it is, and the easier to forecast it. Fangshan District, Beijing, is a medium-sized and small system in regional research, while townships are small systems. It is rarely a big challenge for the authors to forecast the disaster years in Fangshan and its collaborative townships. In this paper, the authors used grey system model and Markov transfer matrix in forecasting the disaster years and the disaster grade of flood in Fangshan District. All of them are new trying to using grey system theory in disaster forecast for Fangshan District, Beijing.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 5 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2005

Amira Osman and Catherine Lemmer

The Department of Architecture at the University of Pretoria is working in the South African housing context while gaining knowledge of such issues worldwide. Various innovations…

Abstract

The Department of Architecture at the University of Pretoria is working in the South African housing context while gaining knowledge of such issues worldwide. Various innovations are being carried out in terms of housing design and delivery methods in South Africa. Through a methodical approach to design, it is believed that future architects will be able to answer to contextual needs without compromising the high standard of design expected by the Department.

This paper evaluates an exercise in open building principles, carried out in 2003, with post−graduate architecture and interior architecture students at the University. The focus was the application of open building principles from the urban design level to that of the building and the residential units. It involved the design of social housing and the upgrading of existing workers’ hostels into family units as well as the provision of social amenities. Students were to design various types of housing, showing alternative ways of ‘living’ and study housing in the area. The project involved close interaction with community representatives.

The area of study was located in Soshanguve, a township with predominantly black inhabitants, situated to the northwest of Pretoria. The previous political dispensation designated specific areas on the outskirts of the city as locations for black migrant workers, known as townships. Subsequently these townships have become cities in themselves, housing a large portion of the total population of Pretoria. It is here that there is a need for urban development and social housing.

Soshanguve offered an excellent opportunity for learning and the dissemination of good design principles in housing design. A debate on the relevance of open building to South Africa has been initiated. It is concluded that open building systems are an effective tool to achieve diversity and can accommodate for wider sectors of the population.

Details

Open House International, vol. 30 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 2004

Ruth B. McKay

The differing perspectives of decision makers in a newly‐amalgamated municipality may hinder the reduction of costs or introduction of efficient organizational change. Accepting…

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Abstract

The differing perspectives of decision makers in a newly‐amalgamated municipality may hinder the reduction of costs or introduction of efficient organizational change. Accepting differences may be essential, at least initially, to achieve efficiencies. During amalgamation the pursuit of uniformity of services in combination with a weak and/or chaotic change process (lack of committee structure, poor information, vague deadlines, shifting relationships and assertion of power) may undermine efforts to obtain efficiencies.

Details

International Journal of Public Sector Management, vol. 17 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3558

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 1998

Chyau Tuan and Linda Fung‐Yee Ng

This paper examines the recent quality movement in Greater China and the development of total quality management (TQM) since the 1980s in the following three aspects. First, China…

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Abstract

This paper examines the recent quality movement in Greater China and the development of total quality management (TQM) since the 1980s in the following three aspects. First, China is determined to upgrade quality management at the enterprise level by a top‐down approach. The efforts of the PRC Government in establishing quality systems to comply with international standard is reviewed. The Provisional Total Quality Management Guide for Industrial Enterprises and the GB/T 19000 standard (the Chinese version of ISO 9000) for national standards and quality certification are examined. Second, at the implementation level, the development of TQM and other quality systems is found to be less than satisfactory. A brief review of major empirical studies regarding TQM practices in China’s state‐owned enterprises and collective‐owned township enterprises is carried out. Third, TQM practices in Hong Kong, a Chinese market‐oriented economy, are reviewed and compared with those in China to explore any possible implications emerging from the political integration of these two regions in 1997.

Details

International Journal of Quality Science, vol. 3 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-8538

Keywords

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