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Flourishing in fragility: how to build antifragile ecosystems of learning, that nurture healthy vulnerability, in fragile environments in the Western Cape (South Africa) with at-risk learners
This research is a qualitative, autoethnographic study of antifragility in fragile spaces. It was written using data from Applied Theatre workshops, rehearsals and exercises; as well as questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and open discussions in focus groups with at-risk learners from Quintil...
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Graduate School of Business (GSB)
2020
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| _version_ | 1867613216824098816 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Youngleson, Penelope |
| author2 | Nilsson, Warren |
| author_browse | Nilsson, Warren Youngleson, Penelope |
| author_facet | Nilsson, Warren Youngleson, Penelope |
| author_sort | Youngleson, Penelope |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | This research is a qualitative, autoethnographic study of antifragility in fragile spaces. It was written using data from Applied Theatre workshops, rehearsals and exercises; as well as questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and open discussions in focus groups with at-risk learners from Quintile 1-3 high schools, their educators, senior management staff, parents, caregivers and peers. Methodologically, social constructionism functioned as the schematic map that positioned the writing/writer between the self and others, and provided the philosophical scaffolding necessary to elucidate data analysis and interpretation. Institutional theory and organisational culture centered the analytical framework once thematic analysis had been conducted across the data sets. This reflexive, feminist paper exhumes and explores fragile spaces in Western Cape Quintile 1-3 schools, using drama and conscious, performed acts of vulnerability (on and off stage) as a means of activating antifragility in the performer and the observer. The data collection took place in the Western Cape in South Africa, and specifically refers to learners and their networks and blended learning ecosystems in that context. Noted conversants include Brown, Taleb and Butler. The findings of this study include a shift in how we define “success” in a fragile environment and an acknowledgment of antifragility as a strategy that is always in motion. Static achievement and a singular definition of learner excellence are shown to be the undesirable opposite of iterative antifragility and adaptive, holistic executive function and socio-cultural competence; and learner wholeness (as experienced and embodied by the learner themselves) is referred to as “flourishing”. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/32352 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:37.404Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publishDateRange | 2020 |
| publishDateSort | 2020 |
| publisher | Graduate School of Business (GSB) |
| publisherStr | Graduate School of Business (GSB) |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/32352 Flourishing in fragility: how to build antifragile ecosystems of learning, that nurture healthy vulnerability, in fragile environments in the Western Cape (South Africa) with at-risk learners Youngleson, Penelope Nilsson, Warren Vulnerability Antifragility Learning Ecosystems Applied Theatre Institutional Theory This research is a qualitative, autoethnographic study of antifragility in fragile spaces. It was written using data from Applied Theatre workshops, rehearsals and exercises; as well as questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and open discussions in focus groups with at-risk learners from Quintile 1-3 high schools, their educators, senior management staff, parents, caregivers and peers. Methodologically, social constructionism functioned as the schematic map that positioned the writing/writer between the self and others, and provided the philosophical scaffolding necessary to elucidate data analysis and interpretation. Institutional theory and organisational culture centered the analytical framework once thematic analysis had been conducted across the data sets. This reflexive, feminist paper exhumes and explores fragile spaces in Western Cape Quintile 1-3 schools, using drama and conscious, performed acts of vulnerability (on and off stage) as a means of activating antifragility in the performer and the observer. The data collection took place in the Western Cape in South Africa, and specifically refers to learners and their networks and blended learning ecosystems in that context. Noted conversants include Brown, Taleb and Butler. The findings of this study include a shift in how we define “success” in a fragile environment and an acknowledgment of antifragility as a strategy that is always in motion. Static achievement and a singular definition of learner excellence are shown to be the undesirable opposite of iterative antifragility and adaptive, holistic executive function and socio-cultural competence; and learner wholeness (as experienced and embodied by the learner themselves) is referred to as “flourishing”. 2020-10-30T11:57:22Z 2020-10-30T11:57:22Z 2019 2020-10-30T11:54:58Z Master Thesis Masters MPhil http://hdl.handle.net/11427/32352 eng application/pdf Graduate School of Business (GSB) Faculty of Commerce |
| spellingShingle | Vulnerability Antifragility Learning Ecosystems Applied Theatre Institutional Theory Youngleson, Penelope Flourishing in fragility: how to build antifragile ecosystems of learning, that nurture healthy vulnerability, in fragile environments in the Western Cape (South Africa) with at-risk learners |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Flourishing in fragility: how to build antifragile ecosystems of learning, that nurture healthy vulnerability, in fragile environments in the Western Cape (South Africa) with at-risk learners |
| title_full | Flourishing in fragility: how to build antifragile ecosystems of learning, that nurture healthy vulnerability, in fragile environments in the Western Cape (South Africa) with at-risk learners |
| title_fullStr | Flourishing in fragility: how to build antifragile ecosystems of learning, that nurture healthy vulnerability, in fragile environments in the Western Cape (South Africa) with at-risk learners |
| title_full_unstemmed | Flourishing in fragility: how to build antifragile ecosystems of learning, that nurture healthy vulnerability, in fragile environments in the Western Cape (South Africa) with at-risk learners |
| title_short | Flourishing in fragility: how to build antifragile ecosystems of learning, that nurture healthy vulnerability, in fragile environments in the Western Cape (South Africa) with at-risk learners |
| title_sort | flourishing in fragility how to build antifragile ecosystems of learning that nurture healthy vulnerability in fragile environments in the western cape south africa with at risk learners |
| topic | Vulnerability Antifragility Learning Ecosystems Applied Theatre Institutional Theory |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/32352 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT younglesonpenelope flourishinginfragilityhowtobuildantifragileecosystemsoflearningthatnurturehealthyvulnerabilityinfragileenvironmentsinthewesterncapesouthafricawithatrisklearners |