DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

LEARNING GUIDE

2024

Social Transformation
STF111/E

NQF Level 5
16 credits

ACADEMIC CO-ORDINATORS
Prof Rianna Oelofsen Moelofsen@ufh.ac.za All campuses
Ms Sizwe Mqalo NMqalo@ufh.ac.za Alice
Dr Nomzamo Dube Ndube@ufh.ac.za Alice
Ms. Hlalisa Kula Hkula@ufh.ac.za Alice
Ms. Nolubabalo Mbange Nmbange@ufh.ac.za Alice
Ms. Siphamandla Nyambo Snyambo@ufh.ac.za Alice

ecture Times

Village lectures:
Wednesdays 10:45 – 12:25 (Black Auditorium)
OR 15:30 – 17:00 (Brown Auditorium)
(Please attend one of the two slots)
Ekhaya sessions: Wednesdays 15:30
Each two-week cycle will consist in one eKhaya session,
and one Village lecture. Each small group is also required
to meet in order to do the assignment for that two-week
 PURPOSE OF THE COURSE
The module seeks to introduce the student to, and foster an understanding of the method and value of
critical, decolonized ethical thinking and action. Should we desire, as a University, to do our part in
building a flourishing society with social and environmental justice and sustainability, our students must
be exposed to effective intervention through well-researched training on the multiple factors involved in
social transformation, including issues of the Value of Education, Ethics and Culture, Citizenship,
Democracy, Gender, Health, the Environment, and Science and Technology.

The purpose is to introduce the student to critical thinking skills with regards to issues in various fields,
in order to equip them with the tools to become involved and engaged critical thinkers and citizens
contributing to social transformation.

LEVEL DESCRIPTORS OF THE COURSE

This module contributes 16 credits to the student’s degree.

CONTENT OUTLINE

Term 1
Theme 1: Studying at University
Theme 2: Healthcare
Theme 3: Critical thinking

Term 2
Theme 4: Ethics and Culture
Theme 5: Liberation, Citizenship and Democracy
Theme 6: Environment, Science and Technology

TEACHING-LEARNING METHODS
Formal lecturing, seminar-style discussion, interrogation exercises, reading-writing imizi exercises, open-
ended discussions, comprehension tests, self and peer assessments, workshops.
Each theme will run over the course of two weeks. Each two week cycle will require the following:

Week 1: Ekhaya session. This is a discussion facilitated by postgraduate students (facilitators) on the
theme of the week.
Week 2: Village lecture. This is a space where you will get the chance to engage with your lecturers
further on the discussions that you had during the ekhaya session.
In addition, you will have to arrange a time with your umzi group once in the two weeks in order to create
your video content.

CONSULTATION TIMES:
Online consultation hours will be provided by your lecturers and their assistants. Please find details on
Blackboard. You are also welcome to email your lecturer/assistant lecturers with any queries.
 ASSESSMENT METHODS
There will be tasks throughout the semester. Every two week cycle you will have to do a short multiple
choice test and a short video in which you reflect on the theme. There is also a group assignment which is
due at the end of the semester. This assignment will require your group to write up and plan a practical
intervention in the community. This practical intervention could address economic, social or educational
needs within the community the student finds herself in at University.

Your final mark will be made up of all these assessments, plus attendance at all activities from small
group workshops and ekhaya discussions to village lectures.

Assessment tool Contribution

Multiple choice test 1 5%
Multiple choice test 2 5%
Multiple choice test 3 5%
Multiple choice test 4 5%
Multiple choice test 5 5%
Multiple choice test 6 5%
Video clip 1 (umzi group task) 10%
Video clip 2 (umzi group task) 10%
Video clip 3 (umzi group task) 10%
Major assignment (umzi group work) 40%

MCQ – 30%
Video clips – 30%
Final Assignment – 40%
COURSE SCHEDULE

WEEK Each two-week cycle/theme will have CONTENT OUTLINE

an MCQ quiz and video exercise. Please Each theme will be in a folder that includes readings, short
do both cycles for your participation videos, and lecture recordings on blackboard. All of these
mark. are a part of each theme’s learning.

Theme 1 Do your MCQ Quiz (individually) & Studying at University

Week 1 Video Exercise (in your small group)
on Blackboard.
14th Feb
Introductory session: goal setting and
planning, personal growth and
development workshop.
What is a university, Philosophy of Education,
Humanizing Pedagogy, Decolonizing the Curriculum,
academic skills such as critical thinking, identifying
plagiarism, and referencing. Also make students aware of
all support available in terms of GBVP Unit, SCU, TL
centre.

Library session – information literacy Prescribed Reading and viewing:

Excerpts from Freire, Paulo 2014, Pedagogy of the
Oppressed: 30th Anniversary Edition, New York:
Bloomsbury Academic, Chapter 2

Theme 1 Village lecture Studying at University (Prof Rianna Oelofsen)

Week 2 Prescribed reading: Mbembe, A. 2016. Decolonising the
21st Feb University: New Directions, in Arts & Humanities in
Higher Education, Vol. 15(1) 29–45.

First year Experience Orientation booklet (on Blackboard)

Theme 2 Ekhaya session: Questionnaire to Healthcare

Week 3 highlight possible cases of IPV and GBV, HIV, Mental health, Stigmatization. Rape culture
28 Feb discussion. Anger management pyramid, Different types of GBV and what they entail.
workshop. Issues of consent and what consent means.
Prescribed Readings:
Excerpts from Pumla Gqola Rape: A South African Nightmare,
Blackbird books, 2015
Video: Tea and consent
Theme 2 Do your MCQ Quiz (individually) & Healthcare (Ms N Moyo, Ms T Msengana, Ms A Jokozela)
Week 4 Video Exercise (in your small group)
6 March on Blackboard.
Prescribed Readings:
GBV: A country bent over in grief
Village lecture (Ms Moyo, Ms
Msengana & Ms Jokozela)

Theme 3 Library session: Digital literacy Critical thinking

Week 5 Ekhaya session: Critical thinking
13 March exercises
Do your MCQ Quiz (individually) &
Video Exercise (in your small group)
on Blackboard.
Village lecture (Sizwe Mqalo)
Introduce basic logical reasoning skills, competencies in
argumentation and clear and precise communication.
Fallacies of reasoning.
Prescribed reading:
Critical thinking and Informal fallacies workbook (on
Blackboard) Critical thinking

Theme 4 Ekhaya session: Diversity and gender Prescribed reading:

Ethics and culture
Week 6 sensitivity workshops The nature and need of ethics, and African Ethics in
20 March particular. Competencies in solving particular practical
ethical problems (such as, for example, GBV) with
reference to African Ethical models such as ubuntu. Rape
culture and what we can do about it.

Prescribed Readings and viewing:

Ethics workbook (on blackboard)

Theme 4 Do your MCQ Quiz (individually) & Ethics and culture
Week 7 Video Exercise (in your small group) Prescribed Readings:
27 March on Blackboard.
Dladla, N. Towards an African critical philosophy of race:
Ubuntu as a philo-praxis of liberation. In Filosofia
Village lecture (Sizwe Mqalo) theoretica: journal of african philosophy, culture and
religions, 2017
STUDENT MID-TERM BREAK (29 Mar – 07 Apr)

Theme 5 Ekhaya session: Conflict resolution Liberation Citizenship, and Democracy

Week 8 workshop & Harvard Implicit bias Pan-African and South African citizenship, the meaning of
10th April surveys on race and gender democracy, being an active citizen, diversity workshops in
exploring Unity in Diversity, Poverty, Inequality and
Development, implicit bias, black consciousness, race,
gender, sexual orientation and class, intersectionality,
human rights and the constitution.

Prescribed reading:
Excerpts from Biko’s I write what I like

Theme 5 Do your MCQ Quiz (individually) & Liberation Citizenship, and Democracy
Week 9 Video Exercise (in your small group)
17th April on Blackboard.
Prescribed Readings:
Village lecture (Innocent Chigume) Lumumba PLO, “AFRICA ARISE” 2012 SAPICS

Conference 1-25

Theme 6 Ekhaya session Environment, Science and Technology.

Week 10
Science and Technology and its ecological Impact on
26th April Society, Climate change, taking care of our world, the
assessment of causes and consequences of climate change,
Notions of sustainable development and citizenship.

Prescribed Readings:
Excerpts from Wangari Maathai, 2010, Replenishing the
Earth, Doubleday Publishers

Theme 6 Video: 3 Robots

Week 11 Do your MCQ Quiz (individually) &
Environment, Science and Technology.
3rd May Video Exercise (in your small group)
on Blackboard.
Prescribed Readings:
Village lecture (Ryan Roos) Ramose, Mogobe, 1999 African Philosophy through
ubuntu, Mond books. Ch 9 Ecology through ubuntu
NB this lecture is on FRIDAY due to
the public holiday on the Wednesday.
It will be an online lecture.
Week 12 Presentation of final assignments
10th May
Week 13 Final marks released
17 May

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE LEARNER

Attendance of all small group, ekhaya and village sessions. 100% attendance of all formal lectures. Regular
reading and studying of prescribed texts. Perusing the library and (cautiously!) internet for additional
information. Students are expected to develop the positive habit of reading ahead, so as to develop intuitive
anticipatory skills. Reading and reproducing abilities are to be both self-tested and tested in the department.
Problem cases will be referred to University support services.

ASSIGNMENT AND PROJECT DETAILS

Summative: Your final mark for the course is composed of the Semester Mark (100%).

It is highly recommended that you utilize the LWAP program hosted by the teaching and learning center
(TLC), to help you with your writing skills.

PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism, in an academic, university context, may be defined as taking and using the ideas, writings, works or
inventions of another, from any textual or internet-based source, as if they were one’s own.

This definition covers the following aspects:

• Using the direct words of another without using quotation marks (even if the passage is referenced);
• The unacknowledged copying of a sentence or two of text; copying more extensive blocks of text;
• The syndication of a single piece of work by more than one student (unless the assignment task is a
legitimate group assignment);
• The borrowing and using of another person’s assignment (with or without their knowledge and
permission);
• Stealing an entire essay from another person or from the Internet; or infringing copyright.
• Paying someone to write an essay for you.

The intention, negligence or innocence of a person is not relevant to the finding as to

whether plagiarism, as a fact, has occurred.

GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING SERVICES

Students are encouraged to see the lecturer responsible about any problem they experience that relates to the
course and/or the staff. Should internal remedies not provide the required solution, the HOD could arrange a
meeting with the counselling services and other professionals at the university. You can also consult the
Teaching and Learner Centre with regards to your written assignments if you need extra help.

USING THE LIBRARY

Students will be informed about the vital use of library resources. Apart from the standard Philosophy
dictionaries and encyclopedias of Philosophy in the library’s reference section, there is a good stock of
philosophical material (books and journals) relevant to the course. Please note that there are a lot of online
library resources available through the university library website.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, this course is highly challenging since Philosophy is not a regular first year subject which
only requires understanding the material. Students are further expected to critically engage the different
problems after gaining a solid understanding of what they are, and some proposed solutions to these
problems. This will help the student in making the first step towards becoming critical and self-critical
thinkers, as well as life-long learners, responsible and ethical citizens. The course will reward hard-working
students. The first steps will be taken in the direction of discovering the inexhaustible richness, width, depth
and clarity of Philosophy, and at the completion of the course, students will be equipped with the basic skills
to continue their study of philosophy and our world with more confidence.