Page 19 - UNAM Virtual Graduation 2020 e-Book

FACULTY OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN ENGLISH STUDIES

CANDIDATE: SINDANO Gerson

CURRICULUM VITAE
Gerson Sindano hails from the Kavango East Region of Namibia. Sindano
completed his grade 12 at Rundu Secondary School in the year 2000 after
which he enrolled at the University of Namibia for Bachelor of Education
in English and Geography. He graduated with B Ed in 2005, and taught
at Rundu Senior Secondary School before enrolling again for a Bachelor
of English (honours) at then Polytechnic of Namibia in 2010 and Masters of Arts in English studies at the
University of Namibia. In 2013 Gerson Sindano worked as a senior assistant to the Secretary General of
SWAPO Party for two years before joining the University of Namibia as a full time lecturer in 2015, the job he
holds to date.

CANDIDATE’S DISSERTATION

THE CONFLUENCE OF RHETORIC AND SCIENCE: A RHETORICAL ENQUIRY OF CLIMATE CHANGE
PUBLICATIONS IN NAMIBIA

The doctoral study was undertaken and completed under the supervision of Prof. Jairos Kangira of the
University of Namibia, and co-supervision of Prof. Rewai Makamani of the University of Science and
technology (NUST).

The study explored the dynamics of the rhetoric of the language of science on climate change
publications. The research was inspired by the study of rhetoric. As such the study looked at the progression
of persuasive methodical arguments and facts, as a result providing clear understanding of how scientific
publications influence government policy on climate change. The study adopted a qualitative approach.
By employing the qualitative approach the emphasis was to discover and understand the epistemological
dynamics of rhetoric of science. Rhetorical interpretations of science publications seemed complex, and
as such required a research design that enabled such complexity to be analysed and explored. Against
this background, this study used the qualitative methodology of desktop research. As a desktop study,
the researcher analysed existing climate change sources or publications. The study found that different
rhetorical moves and strategies were used by the authors of the analysed documents to try and influence
policy makers and the public.

The study revealed the frequent use of scare tactics by the authors to try and persuade the public regarding
climate change. Moreover, the study exposed the presence of language forms that seemed to rely on
perpetual persuasive techniques in order to persuade the current and future generations. Extraordinarily,
the analysed publications made known how writers use visual images in a dramatic fashion to appeal to
their peers, followers, and mostly the general public. The study developed a new language filter model
of science interpretations because the existing models seem to be effective only in dealing with large
information; they, however, lack the epistemological and ontological interconnections between science
and public interest.

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