Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
A geography of mobile phone masts in the Stellenbosch Local Municipality
Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2022
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613919690883072 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Andrews, Wendall Deudon |
| author2 | Spocter, Manfred |
| author_browse | Andrews, Wendall Deudon Spocter, Manfred |
| author_facet | Spocter, Manfred Andrews, Wendall Deudon |
| author_sort | Andrews, Wendall Deudon |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/125137 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:43:48.089Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publishDateRange | 2022 |
| publishDateSort | 2022 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/125137 A geography of mobile phone masts in the Stellenbosch Local Municipality Andrews, Wendall Deudon Spocter, Manfred Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies. Environmental impact analysis Cell phone systems Local government -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Technological innovations Telecommunication systems Geology, Stratigraphic -- Anthropocene UCTD Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Society is currently undergoing the Anthropocene epoch, which is primarily characterised by human activity in the environment. Technological infrastructures are frequently introduced to foster economic development and meet the demands of society. So too have telecommunication infrastructures such as mobile phone masts become imperative to formulate effective telecommunication systems and a more connected society. These infrastructures are largely politically controlled through various legislation from national and local governments. While the proliferation of these masts aims to meet society’s communication needs, they tend to create splintering in the areas they inhabit. Hence, they are not often well accepted and are met with robust resistance from the public. A mixed-method approach was adopted whereby quantitative and qualitative data was collected to reconnoitre and comprehend mobile phone masts’ purpose and impact within the Stellenbosch Local municipal area. This study aims to investigate the geographies of mobile phone masts in the Stellenbosch Local Municipality (LM). Four objectives were set in the research: perform a review of relevant literature, analyse mobile mast locations in the Stellenbosch LM, analyse issues emanating from environmental impact assessments (EIAs) concerning masts, and investigate opinions of interested and affected parties (I&APs) involved in the EIA process and which reside near masts. Through a spatio-temporal analysis, 83 mobile masts were identified in the Stellenbosch LM, and a database was constructed. While more masts were in rural environments, Stellenbosch had most masts versus other towns in the municipality. Based on EIA data and documentation obtained from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEA&DP), most applications for mobile mast activities were submitted between 2001 and 2006 to either build or upgrade mobile masts in sensitive environmental settings. Freestanding masts were significantly more than rooftop masts. Comments and opinions of I&APs involved in EIAs, and perspectives of the public located close to masts were also investigated. It was apparent that I&APs and the public were concerned about potential health and visual impacts from masts. They were often uninformed regarding mobile mast purposes and potential impacts. In contrast, most respondents surveyed located close to masts highlighted that they either performed a limited role or did not partake in any public participation process (PPP) concerning mobile mast constructions in their respective neighbourhoods. Recommendations for future research include replicating the study in other municipalities in South Africa to ascertain if findings are similar or different to this study. The people surveyed can also be increased by surveying a larger population size, especially those located further or beyond 150m from mobile masts. It would also be noteworthy to analyse additional documents besides EIAs, such as building plans concerning mobile masts built in urban environments, to explore and analyse data present in these documents. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die samelewing ondergaan tans die Antroposeen-tydperk, wat hoofsaaklik gekenmerk word deur menslike aktiwiteite in die omgewing. Tegnologiese infrastrukture word gereeld ingestel om ekonomiese ontwikkeling te bevorder en aan die eise van die samelewing te voldoen. Telekommunikasie-infrastruktuur soos selfoonmaste word ook noodsaaklik om effektiewe telekommunikasiestelsels en meer verbonde samelewing te formuleer. Hierdie infrastrukture word grotendeels polities beheer deur verskillende wetgewing van nasionale en plaaslike regerings. Terwyl die verspreiding van hierdie maste daarop gemik is om in die samelewing se kommunikasiebehoeftes te voorsien, is hulle geneig om splintering te skep in die gebiede waarin hulle voorkom. Daarom word hulle nie gereeld aanvaar nie en word hulle sterk weerstand van die publiek gebied. 'n Gemengde-metode-benadering is gebruik waardeur kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe gegewens versamel is om die doel en impak van selfoonmaste binne die plaaslike munisipale gebied van Stellenbosch te hersaamstel. Hierdie studie het ten doel om die geografiese gebiede van selfoonmaste in die Stellenbosch Plaaslike Munisipaliteit (PM) te ondersoek. Vier doelstellings is in die navorsing gestel: voer 'n oorsig van relevante literatuur uit, ontleed selfoonmas lokasies in die Stellenbosch PM, ontleed kwessies wat voortspruit uit die evaluering van omgewingsimpakstudies (OISs) rakende maste, en ondersoek menings van belangstellendes en betrokke partye betrokke by die OIS-proses en wat naby maste woon. Deur middel van 'n ruimtelike-tydelike analise is 83 mobiele maste in die Stellenbosch PM geïdentifiseer, en 'n databasis is gebou. Terwyl meer maste in landelike omgewings was, het Stellenbosch die meeste maste gehad teenoor ander dorpe in die munisipaliteit. Op grond van die OIS-data en dokumentasie wat verkry is van die Departement van Omgewingsake en Ontwikkelingsbeplanning (DEA&DP), is die meeste aansoeke vir mobiele masaktiwiteite tussen 2001 en 2006 ingedien om mobiele maste in sensitiewe omgewingsinstellings te bou of op te gradeer. Vrystaande maste was aansienlik meer as dakmaste. Kommentaar en menings van belangstellende en betrokke partye wat betrokke was by OISs en perspektiewe van die publiek naby maste, is ook ondersoek. Dit was duidelik dat belangstellende en betrokke partye en die publiek besorg was oor moontlike gesondheids- en visuele gevolge van selfoonmaste. Hulle was dikwels oningelig rakende selfoonmasdoeleindes en moontlike impakte. In teenstelling daarmee het die meeste respondente wat naby maste geleë is, benadruk dat hulle óf 'n beperkte rol vervul het óf nie deelgeneem het aan 'n openbare deelnameproses (ODP) rakende mobiele maskonstruksies in hul onderskeie woonbuurte nie. Aanbevelings vir toekomstige navorsing sluit in die herhaling van die studie in ander munisipaliteite regoor Suid-Afrika om vas te stel of die bevindings soortgelyk of anders is as hierdie studie. Die mense wat ondervra is, kan ook verhoog word deur 'n groter bevolkingsgrootte te ondersoek, veral diegene wat verder of meer as 150m van selfoonmaste geleë is. Dit sou ook opmerklik wees om aanvullende dokumente naas OISs, soos bouplanne rakende selfoonmaste wat in stedelike omgewings gebou is, te ontleed om data wat in hierdie dokumente teenwoordig is, te verken en te ontleed. Masters 2022-02-10T15:09:48Z 2022-04-29T12:55:35Z 2023-03-18T03:00:10Z 2022-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/125137 en Stellenbosch University xiii, 175 pages : illustrations application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Environmental impact analysis Cell phone systems Local government -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Technological innovations Telecommunication systems Geology, Stratigraphic -- Anthropocene UCTD Andrews, Wendall Deudon A geography of mobile phone masts in the Stellenbosch Local Municipality |
| title | A geography of mobile phone masts in the Stellenbosch Local Municipality |
| title_full | A geography of mobile phone masts in the Stellenbosch Local Municipality |
| title_fullStr | A geography of mobile phone masts in the Stellenbosch Local Municipality |
| title_full_unstemmed | A geography of mobile phone masts in the Stellenbosch Local Municipality |
| title_short | A geography of mobile phone masts in the Stellenbosch Local Municipality |
| title_sort | geography of mobile phone masts in the stellenbosch local municipality |
| topic | Environmental impact analysis Cell phone systems Local government -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Technological innovations Telecommunication systems Geology, Stratigraphic -- Anthropocene UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/125137 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andrewswendalldeudon ageographyofmobilephonemastsinthestellenboschlocalmunicipality AT andrewswendalldeudon geographyofmobilephonemastsinthestellenboschlocalmunicipality |