Audiovisual practice in South African correctional centers: a case study of the department of correctional services' AV Unit and its outputs

Abstract

This qualitative research explores a case study of the Department of Correctional Services’ audio-visual (AV) unit and outputs. The purpose of a non-security AV unit within the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) and how it functions within a strict and rigid context of a correctional services’ environment are established. This research further explores, analyses and discusses the meanings and ideologies that are embedded within the DCS-produced moving images and the current representation that they create of the DCS as an institution in the South African democratic context. Anchored in an interpretivist paradigm, this study is conducted through case study and content analysis approaches. This research area is under-researched, which necessitates a case study approach, as it enables the study to be explored for its complexity and particularity as a single case. The content analysis approach applies to the findings of the following data collection methods: an in-depth interview, a thematic consideration of the DCS documents, and the DCS videos. The findings of the DCS documents are further compared with the findings of the in-depth interview. The validity and credibility of the findings are ensured through a triangulation of theories, data collection methods, and interpretation methods, in order to avoid a narrow approach to both data collection and interpretation. The theoretical framework includes semiotics, multimodal discourse analysis (MDA), ideology in moving images, framing theory, and ethics in producing moving images. The meanings of the DCSproduced videos are analysed through semiotic and multimodal discourse analytic methods. The key findings from the different data sets of the DCS reveal an AV practice that lacks adequate strategic operation and management characterised by insufficient staff numbers, lack of guiding documentation, and videos which – amongst other important findings – publicise political leaders rather than the institution itself.

Patlisiso eno e e lebelelang mabaka e tlhotlhomisa thutopatlisiso ya tobiso ya yuniti ya kutlopono (AV) ya Lefapha la Ditirelo tsa Kgopololo mmogo le dintsho. Go lebelelwa maikemisetso a yuniti e e seng ya tshireletso ya AV mo Lefapheng la Ditirelo tsa Kgopololo (DCS) le ka moo e dirang ka gona ka tsela e e tsepameng le e e sa kobegeng ya tikologo ya ditirelo tsa kgopololo. Gape patlisiso e lebelela, e lokolola le go tlhalosa bokao le megopolo e e mo teng ga ditshwantsho tse di tsamayang tse di tlhagisitsweng ke DCS gammogo le kemedi ya ga jaana e di e dirang ka DCS jaaka setheo mo Aforikaborweng wa temokerasi. Jaaka e theilwe mo mogopolong wa go tlhaloganya bokao jo batho ba bo amanyang le ditiragatso tsa bona (interpretivist), patlisiso eno e dirwa ka molebo wa thutopatlisiso ya tobiso le tokololo ya diteng. Karolo eno ya patlisiso ga e ise e batlisisiwe thata, e leng se se dirang gore go nne le tlhokego ya molebo wa thutopatlisiso ya tobiso, ka ntlha ya fa e kgontsha gore thutopatlisiso e dirwe go ya ka marara a yona, bogolo segolo ka ntlha ya fa e le kgetsi e le nngwe. Molebo wa tokololo ya diteng o dira mo diphitlhelelong tsa mekgwa e e latelang ya kokoanyo ya data: dipotsolotso tse di tsenelelang kwa teng, go lebelela dikwalo tsa DCS go bona dintlha tse di boelediwang, gammogo le dibidio tsa DCS. Diphitlhelelo tsa dikwalo tsa DCS di bapisiwa go ya pele le diphitlhelelo tsa dipotsolotso tse di tsenelelang kwa teng. Tlhomamiso le go ikanyega ga diphitlhelelo go netefadiwa ka tiriso ya ditiori tse di farologaneng, mekgwa ya kokoanyo ya data, le mekgwa ya thanolo, gore go tilwe molebo o o sa akaretseng wa kokoanyo le thanolo ya data. Letlhomeso la tiori le akaretsa thanolo ya matshwao, tokololo ya maphatamantsi ya puisano (MDA), mekgwakgopolo ka ditshwantsho tse di tsamayang, tiori ya foreimi, le maitsholo a a siameng a go tlhagisa ditshwantsho tse di tsamayang. Bokao jwa dibidio tse di tlhagisitsweng ke DCS bo lokololwa ka mekgwa ya tokololo ya thanolo ya matshwao le tokololo ya maphatamantsi ya puisano. Diphitlhelelo tsa botlhokwa go tswa mo diseteng tse di farologaneng tsa data ya DCS di bontsha tiragatso ya AV e e tlhaelang tiro e e lekaneng ya togamaano le botsamaisi jo bo nang le palo e e sa lekanang ya badiri, tlhaelo ya dikwalo tsa kaedi, le dibidio tse – gareng ga diphitlhelelo tse dingwe tsa botlhokwa – di tsweletsang baeteledipele ba sepolotiki go na le setheo ka bosona.

Hierdie kwalitatiewe navorsing ondersoek ʼn gevallestudie van die Departement van Korrektiewe Dienste se oudiovisuele (OV) -eenheid en -uitsette. Die doel van ʼn niesekuriteits- OV-eenheid binne die Departement van Korrektiewe Dienste (DKD) en hoe dit binne ʼn streng en harde konteks van ʼn korrektiewe dienste-omgewing funksioneer, is bepaal. Verder ondersoek, ontleed en bespreek die navorsing die betekenisse en ideologieë wat ingebed is in die bewegende beelde wat die DKD geproduseer het en die huidige verteenwoordiging wat hulle van die DKD as ʼn instelling in die Suid- Afrikaanse demokratiese konteks geskep het. Geanker in ʼn vertolkingsparadigma, is hierdie studie deur gevallestudie- en inhoudontledingsbenadering gedoen. Hierdie navorsingsarea is ondernagevors, wat ʼn gevallestudiebenadering noodsaak, omdat dit die studie in staat stel om ondersoek te word vir sy ingewikkeldheid en kieskeurigheid as ʼn enkel geval. Die inhoudontledingsbenadering is op die bevindings van die volgende dataversamelingsmetodes van toepassing: ʼn diepgaande onderhoud, ʼn tematiese oorweging van die DKD-dokumente en die DKD-video's. Die bevindings van die DKDdokumente is verder met die bevindings van die diepgaande onderhoud vergelyk. Die geloofwaardigheid en betroubaarheid van die bevindings word verseker deur ʼn triangulasie van teorieë, dataversamelingsmetodes en vertolkingsmetodes om ʼn eng benadering tot beide dataversameling en vertolking te voorkom. Die teoretiese raamwerk sluit semiotiek, multimodale diskoersontleding (MDO), ideologie in bewegende beelde, raamwerktoerie en etiek in die produsering van bewegende beelde in. Die betekenis van die video's wat die DKD geproduseer het, is deur semiotiese en multimodale diskoersontledingsmetodes ontleed. Die sleutelbevindings van die verskillende datastelle van die DKD toon ʼn OV-praktyk sonder genoegsame strategiese werking en bestuur wat geken word aan te min personeel, gebrek aan leidende dokumentasie, en video's wat – onder ander belangrike bevindings – eerder aan politieke leiers as die instelling self publisiteit gee.