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Unearthing the determinants required for off-grid subsistence : a case study
Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2013
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| _version_ | 1867613802645684224 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Mentz, Matthew |
| author2 | Swilling, Mark |
| author_browse | Mentz, Matthew Swilling, Mark |
| author_facet | Swilling, Mark Mentz, Matthew |
| author_sort | Mentz, Matthew |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/80153 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:41:56.100Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publishDateRange | 2013 |
| publishDateSort | 2013 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/80153 Unearthing the determinants required for off-grid subsistence : a case study Mentz, Matthew Swilling, Mark Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership. Rural development Sustainable living Sustainable agriculture Agriculture -- Economic aspects Dissertations -- Public management and planning Theses -- Public management and planning Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is based on the personal four-year journey of the researcher in an attempt to develop an off-grid, sustainable self-sufficient livelihood and habitation on a 1 000-square metre piece of rural land in the heritage mission village of Suurbraak, Western Cape, South Africa. This single case study attempts to embody a comprehensive antithesis to the current rural settlement approach implemented in South Africa. The approach is philosophical, applying Hegel’s “determinate negation” conception of reality, as dialectic between a conception of “thesis” as global, scientific and regulated resulting in large-scale agriculture, poisoning of nature and inappropriate low-cost housing and its “antithesis” as grounded, philosophical, healthy subsistence habitation on the actual land. This study, shaped by a literature review, proposes a concept coined ‘niche settlement’, comprising four focus areas as regards sustainable self-sufficiency: an owner-built dwelling from local materials, farm produce for consumption and self-medication, rain and energy harvesting, and taking responsibility for waste. In order to validate the case study contextually, an action research methodological approach was adopted. This began with a field study to interview marginal small-scale farmers, enriched by a land-use survey in the Suurbraak agri-village, in order to clarify the determinants for successful subsistence. These were land availability, proximity of land to homestead, appropriate scale, access to water, enabling legislation, and access to inputs and labour. The critical nature of these determinants is then shown as regards the niche settlement case study. The interplay of Swellendam Municipality regulations reveals contradictions that entail that the above determinants are not facilitated. This threatens a vulnerable two-century old agrarian heritage. The ensuing dialectic between the researcher and municipal officials who - when confronted by the contradictions - undertook to revise certain zoning decisions that threatened the viability of niche settlement approaches. The determinants may prove fertile ground for further research as criteria to shape rural settlement policy with respect to land use, particularly given the need to factor in the looming global recession, the food crisis and peak oil. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is op die vier jaar lange persoonlike reis van die navorser self baseer. Dit behels 'n poging om 'n kwart akker stuk grond in die landelike erfenis sending-dorp van Suurbraak, in die Wes-Kaap Provinsie in Suid-Afrika te bewoon en daarop ‘n off-grid, volhoubare en selfversorgende bestaan te ontwikkel. Hierdie enkele gevallestudie poog om 'n omvattende antitese te beliggaam tot die benadering tot landelike nedersetting soos tans in Suid-Afrika geïmplementeer. Die benadering is filosofies, en pas toe Hegel se "beslissende weiering" konsepsie van die werklikheid, as dialektiek tussen 'n opvatting van die "tesis" as: globaal, wetenskaplik en gereguleerd wat grootskaalse landbou, die vergiftiging van die natuur en lae-koste behuising tot gevolg het en sy "antitese": gegrond, filosofies en gesonde bestaansboerdery op die grond. Die dialektiek kontrasteer die tesis op 'n makro-en kollektiewe vlak en die antitese op 'n mikro-en persoonlike vlak, wat aanleiding gee tot 'n "sintese", waaruit nuwe antwoorde ontstaan in die beslissende ingebed, eerder as in algemene teoretiese abstraksies. Kritiese oplossings lê vlak versteek in die mikrokosmos detail of in die konteks. Dit wil sê, is gedetermineerd vermom en vereis 'n metodiese en gefundeerde benadering wat nóg weke nóg maande, maar jare eerder van geduldige navorsing verg om te bemag. Die Hegeliaanse metode soos gebruik beklemtoon dat dit onwaarskynlik is dat "begrippe" met hul kontekstuele "standaard begrippe" sal ooreenstem, maar in die proses van aanpassing word eindelose antwoorde uit die fynere detail van bepaalbare werklikheid opgetel. Hierdie antwoorde, wanner van toepassing, het die potensiaal om antitetiese manifestasies van die werklikheid in werklikheid te verifieer; die mikro is in staat om die makro te verklaar deur middel van 'n proses van die verwesenlikte waarheid. Hierdie studie, deur 'n literatuuroorsig toegelig, stel 'n konsep geskep as "nis nedersetting” voor. Dit bestaan uit vier fokusareas wat betref volhoubare self-genoegsaamheid: 'n eienaargeboude woning van plaaslike materiale, eie plaasprodukte vir verbruik en selfmedikasie, die oes van reën en energie, en die neem van verantwoordelikheid vir afval. Ten einde die gevallestudie kontekstueel te waarmerk, is 'n aksie-navorsing metodologiese benadering ingeneem. Dit het begin met 'n gedokumenteerde veldstudie waarin onderhoude met marginale kleinskaal boere gevoer is en is verryk deur 'n grondgebruik-opname in die Suurbraak agri-dorp, ten einde die determinante vir 'n suksesvolle bestaansboerdery uit te lig. Dit het gelei tot 'n dieper begrip van wat die sukses van soortgelyke nis projekte bepaal: die beskikbaarheid van ’n (grond-)perseel, bewerkbare grond naby die woning geleë, toepaslike skaal, toegang tot water, bemagtigende wetgewing en toegang tot insette en arbeid. Die kritiese aard van hierdie determinante word met betrekking tot die gevallestudie getoon. Die wisselwerking van die Munisipaliteit Swellendam se regulasies openbaar teenstrydighede wat behels dat die bogenoemde determinante nie gefasiliteer is nie). Dit is teleurstellend deurdat dit 'n kwesbare twee-eeue oue agrariese erfenis bedreig. Die daaropvolgende dialektiek tussen die navorser en munisipale amptenare wat - gekonfronteer met die teenstrydighede geopenbaar in wetgewing en regulasies met betrekking tot die erfenis, grondgebruik en sonering - onderneem het om sekere besluite wat die lewensvatbaarheid van die nis nedersetting benaderings bedreig het om te keer, manifesteer sodoende as 'n sintese. 'n Verdere voorbeeld van sintese is die voorstel dat die belangrikste determinante effektief toegepas kan word as kriteria om vorm te gee aan die landelike nedersettingsbeleid met betrekking tot grondgebruik, veral gegewe die behoefte om die dreigende wêreldwye resessie, die voedsel-krisis en piek olie saam daarby onder sig te neem. Masters 2013-02-25T15:56:03Z 2013-03-15T07:38:05Z 2013-02-25T15:56:03Z 2013-03-15T07:38:05Z 2013-03 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/80153 en_ZA Stellenbosch University xii, 257 p. : col. ill. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Rural development Sustainable living Sustainable agriculture Agriculture -- Economic aspects Dissertations -- Public management and planning Theses -- Public management and planning Mentz, Matthew Unearthing the determinants required for off-grid subsistence : a case study |
| title | Unearthing the determinants required for off-grid subsistence : a case study |
| title_full | Unearthing the determinants required for off-grid subsistence : a case study |
| title_fullStr | Unearthing the determinants required for off-grid subsistence : a case study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unearthing the determinants required for off-grid subsistence : a case study |
| title_short | Unearthing the determinants required for off-grid subsistence : a case study |
| title_sort | unearthing the determinants required for off grid subsistence a case study |
| topic | Rural development Sustainable living Sustainable agriculture Agriculture -- Economic aspects Dissertations -- Public management and planning Theses -- Public management and planning |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/80153 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mentzmatthew unearthingthedeterminantsrequiredforoffgridsubsistenceacasestudy |