Utilisation of the internet of things in the management of information services at Polokwane municipality libraries in the Limpopo province of South Africa

Abstract

This study interrogates female obesity, referencing contradicting Xhosa and Western cultural stereotypes and their impact on modern females, arguing that these stereotypes affect individuals’ self-acceptance, sometimes resulting in low self-esteem. It also highlights the impact of social media on the obesity of modern young women, affecting their self-image and confidence. The study argues that the contradicting African cultural and Western stereotypes present modern African women’s self-image with emotional and physical chaos. This is because most African traditional cultural people believe that a healthy child’s image is that of a full body, which is in opposition to the Western norm that a thin body shape is “sexy” and a sign of wellness. This study is set within phenomenological and autoethnographic methodologies based on the researcher’s self-reflection while presenting various scenarios and practices regarding the modern female body and its dilemmas. These include beauty pageantry, acceptable looks and current practices such as tummy tucks, breast enlargement and reduction, buttocks augmentation and many other modifications driven by the so-called ideal and appealing female body. This study further argues that fatness both fascinates and repels modern society, as can be seen in the popularity of fat jokes in an era of supposed tolerance and respect for diversity and in the mockery of fat bodies in the pop cultural spheres. Thus, in this context, fatness is stigmatised due to socially acceptable stereotypes. The study is situated within current feminist discourses on the female embodiment of her body and the application of stereotyping as a form of stigmatising. Feminist theories describe the present condition of women and men’s ways of understanding towards eliminating race, gender and sexual hierarchies. Male and female gaze concepts are also explored to express the impact of stereotypes on the female body. This study is practice-led and practice-based, and it culminated in a solo exhibition depicting emerging visual representations towards new knowledge while improving artistic practice. The practical work was framed through various contemporary artistic discourses that deal with and embrace the full body shape, as well as using art activism as a therapeutic endeavour.

Olu phandolwazi luphanda ngokutyeba kwabasetyhini, lubhekisa kwiinkolelo ezigwenxa eziphikisanayo zenkcubeko yamaXhosa neyaseNtshona kunye nefuthe lazo kubantu basetyhini bale mihla, lubonisa ukuba ezi nkolelo zigwenxa zichaphazela ukuzithemba komntu, ngamanye amaxesha zikhokelela ekuzijongeleni phantsi. Lukwabhentsisa ifuthe lamajelo onxibelelwano loluntu ekutyebeni kwabasetyhini abaselula bale mihla, elichaphazela indlela abazibona ngayo nokuzithemba kwabo. Olu phandolwazi lubonisa ukuba iinkolelo ezigwenxa eziphikisanayo zenkcubeko yamaAfrika neyaseNtshona ziveza indlela abazibona ngayo abasetyhini bale mihla kunye nokudideka ngokweemvakalelo nasemzimbeni. Oku kungenxa yokuba abantu abaninzi benkcubeko yemveli yaseAfrika bakholelwa ukuba umfanekiso womntwana osempilweni ngumzimba omkhulu, nto leyo ephikisanayo nenkcubeko yaseNtshona yokuba umzimba obhityileyo onomtsalane ngo- "sexy" nobonakalisa impilo entle. Olu phandolwazi lusekelwe kwiindlela zokwenza uphando ngokwamava oluntu kwezentlalo kunye nendlela yophandontyilazwi apho abaphandilwazi basebenzisa amava abo obuqu ukuqonda imicimbi yezentlalo (iautoethnography), esekelwe ekuzibonakaliseni komphandilwazi ngelixa ebonisa iimeko ngeemeko neenkqubo ngeenkqubo malunga nemizimba yabasetyhini yale mihla kunye neengxaki zayo. Oku kuquka imiboniso yoonobuhle, inkangeleko eyamkelekileyo kunye neenkqubo zangoku ezifana nokunciphisa isisu, ukukhulisa nokunciphisa amabele, ukongezwa kweempundu kunye nolunye utshintsho lwenkangeleko olubanzi olwenziwayo kwimizimba yabasetyhini olubizwa ngokuba kukufaneleka nokuba nomtsalane. Olu phandolwazi luqhubeka lubonisa ukuba ukutyeba kusematheni kwaye akwamkelekanga kuluntu lwale mihla, nanjengoko kunokubonwa indlela uluntu oluthanda ngayo ukuhlekisa ngokutyeba ngelixa kusithiwa uluntu luyanyamezelana kwaye iyahlonitshwa iyantlukwano yalo, kunye nokuhlekwa nokugezelwa kwemizimba etyebileyo kwiinkalo vii ezahlukileyo zentlalo yoluntu. Ngoko ke, kule meko, ukutyeba kubekwa ibala ngenxa yeenkolelo ezigwenxa ezamkelekileyo eluntwini. Olu phandolwazi lubekelwe phakathi kweengxoxo zangoku zobutshantliziyo ngezobubhinqa malunga nokubonakaliswa kwemizimba yabasetyhini kunye nokusetyenziswa kweenkolelo ezigwenxa nanjengendlela yokubeka ibala. Iingcingane zobutshantliziyo ngezobubhinqa zichaza imeko yangoku yeendlela zabasetyhini nezamadoda zokuqonda malunga nokuphelisa ukungalingani ngokobuhlanga, isini kunye nezesondo. Kukwaphononongwa nesigama sendlela yokujonga amadoda nabasetyhini ukubonisa ifuthe leenkolelo ezigwenxa kwimizimba yabasetyhini. Olu phandolwazi lusekelwe kwaye lukhokelwa ngumsebenzi wezobugcisa, lwaze lwafikelela kwinqanaba lomboniso wobugcisa owodwa obonisa ukuboniswa okubonakalayo kokuvelayo kulwazi olutsha ngelixa kuphuculwa umsebenzi wezobugcisa. Umsebenzi owenziwayo wezandla uqulunqwe ngeentetho ezahlukileyo zobugcisa zala maxesha ezijongana nokwamkela ukumila komzimba omkhulu, kunye nokusebenzisa ubutshantliziyo bezobugcisa nanjengenzame yokulungisa umba wezempilo nempilontle yoluntu.

Nyakišišo ye e botšološiša go nona ga basadi, e šupetša thulano ya dikgopolotee tša setšo sa Bodikela le sa Sethosa le khuetšo ya tšona go basadi ba sebjalebjale, ka go bolela gore dikgopolotee tše di ama boikamogelo bja batho, ka dinako tše dingwe di feleletša ka boinyatšo. Gape e gatelela khuetšo ya bobegaditaba tša leago godimo ga go nona ga basadi ba e lego baswa ba sebjalebjale, go ama boitlhompho le boitshepo bja bona. Nyakišišo e bolela gore dikgopolotee tše di thulanago tša setšo sa Afrika le sa Bodikela di fa boitlhompho bja basadi ba sebjalebjale ba Afrika mathata a maikutlo le a mmele. Se ke ka lebaka la gore bontši bja batho ba setšo sa setšo sa Afrika ba dumela gore seswantšho sa ngwana yo a phetšego gabotse ke sa mmele wo o feletšego, seo se thulanago le mokgwa wa Bodikela wa gore sebopego se se sesane sa mmele se “sexy” gape ke seka sa bophelo bjo bobotse. Nyakišišo ye e beakantšwe ka gare ga mekgwa ya fenomenolotši le othoetenokrafi yeo e theilwego godimo ga boipotšološišo bja monyakišiši mola e tšweletša maemo le mekgwa ye e fapanego mabapi le mmele wa sebjalebjale wa mosadi le mathata a wona. Tše di akaretša go bontšha botse, ponagalo ye e amogelegago le mekgwa ya bjale ya go swana le go dithamithake, go oketša le go fokotša matswele, go oketša marago le diphetogo tše dingwe tše ntši tšeo di hlohleletšwago ke seo se bitšwago mmele wa mosadi wo o lego maleba le wo o gogago šedi. Nyakišišo ye e tšwela pele gape go bolela gore go nona go kgahla le go tena setšhaba sa matšatši a lehono, bjalo ka ge go ka bonwa ka go tuma ga metlae ya ka ka ga go nona mehleng yeo go thwego ke ya kgotlelelo le tlhompho ya go fapafapana le go kwerwa ga mebele ye e nonnego mo dikarolong tša setšo sa phopo (pop). Ka go realo, mo sebopegong se, go nona go kgethollwa ka lebaka la dikgopolotee tše di fošagetšego tšeo di amogelegago setšhabeng. Nyakišišo e beakantšwe ka gare ga dipolelo tša bjale tša bofeminisi ka ga mothofatšo ya mosadi wa mmele wa gagwe le tirišo ya go se swane bjalo ka mokgwa wa go kgetholla. Diteori tša bofeminisi di hlaloša seemo sa bjale sa ditsela tša kwešišo tša ix basadi le banna go ya go fediša maemo a morafe, bong le thobalano. Dikgopolo tša go lebelela ga banna le basadi le tšona di a hlahlobja go tšweletša khuetšo ya dipono tše di sa swanego mmeleng wa mosadi. Nyakišišo ye ke ya go etwa pele le go thewa godimo ga tiragatšo, gomme e feleleditše ka pontšho e tee ye e bontšhago dikemedi tša pono tše di tšwelelago go ya tsebong ye mpsha mola e kaonafatša mokgwa wa bokgabo. Mošomo wo o šomago o be o foreimilwe ka dipolelo tša bokgabo tša sebjalebjale tše di fapafapanego tšeo di lebanego le go amogela sebopego sa mmele ka moka, gammogo le go šomiša boikgafo bja bokgabo bjalo ka maitapišo a kalafo.