Other

COM3706 COMMUNICATION RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT 3 – EXAM PORTFOLIO SEMESTER 2, 2023 ALL QUESTIONS ANSWERED

2 purchases

Course
Communication Research (COM3706)

Institution
University Of South Africa (Unisa)

[Show more]

Preview 4 out of 32 pages

View example

Uploaded on October 19, 2023
Number of pages 32
Written in 2023/2024
Type Other
Person Unknown

com3706 communication research assignment 3

AssignmentsforUnisaStudents Member since 3 year 239 documents sold

COM3706

COMMUNICATION RESEARCH

ASSIGNMENT 3 – EXAM PORTFOLIO

SEMESTER 2, 2023

ALL QUESTIONS ANSWERED

PASS WITH 80%+

FOR ASSIGNMENT, PORTFOLIO & EXAM
ASSISTANCE

WHATSAPP: +27 78 158 2606

i

, TABLE OF CONTENT

SECTION A..............................................................................................................................................1
3.1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................1
3.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT.....................................................................................................................1
3.3 VOTER APATHY, ELECTIONS AND DEMOCRACY: CONCEPTUAL NEXUS..............................................2
3.3.1 Voter apathy.................................................................................................................................2
3.3.2 Elections........................................................................................................................................3
3.3.3 Democracy....................................................................................................................................3
3.4 RESEARCH METHOD FRAMEWORK..................................................................................................4
3.4.1 Qualitative and quantitative research designs..............................................................................4
3.4.2 Reasons for using a mixed research design...................................................................................5
3.4.3 Goal of the study...........................................................................................................................6
3.4.4 Research objectives......................................................................................................................6
3.4.5 Research questions.......................................................................................................................6
3.4.6 Population and sampling..............................................................................................................7
3.4.6.1 Study population........................................................................................................................7
3.4.6.2 Sampling method.......................................................................................................................7
3.4.6.3 Sample size................................................................................................................................7
3.4.6.4 Unit of analysis...........................................................................................................................8
3.4.6.5 Data analysis method.................................................................................................................8
3.5 DATA-COLLECTION METHODS AND TECHNIQUES............................................................................8
3.5.1 Quantitative data collection..........................................................................................................8
3.5.2 Qualitative data collection............................................................................................................9
SECTION B............................................................................................................................................10
3.6 DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS..............................................................................................10
3.6.1 Quantitative results.....................................................................................................................10
3.6.1.1 Theme 1: Factors that contribute to voter apathy among university students........................10
3.6.1.1.1 Economic factors...................................................................................................................10
3.6.1.1.2 Lack political knowledge.......................................................................................................11
3.6.1.1.3 Media influence....................................................................................................................11
3.6.1.2 Strategies to enhance university students’ participation in electoral processes......................12
3.6.1.2.1 Voter education....................................................................................................................12
3.6.1.2.1 Political engagement.............................................................................................................13
3.6.1.2.1 Use of technology.................................................................................................................14

ii

,3.6.2 Qualitative results.......................................................................................................................15
3.6.2.1 Theme 1: Factors that contribute to voter apathy among university students........................15
3.6.2.1.1 Economic factors...................................................................................................................15
3.6.2.1.2 Lack of political knowledge.................................................................................................15
3.6.2.1.3 Media influence..................................................................................................................16
3.6.2.2 Strategies to enhance university students’ participation in electoral processes......................17
3.6.2.2.1 Voter education....................................................................................................................17
3.6.2.2.2 Political engagement.............................................................................................................17
3.6.2.2.3 Use of technology.................................................................................................................18
3.6.3 Discussion of results...................................................................................................................19
3.6.3.1 Theme 1: Factors that contribute to voter apathy among university students........................19
3.6.3.2 Theme 2: Strategies to enhance students’ participation in electoral processes.......................21
3.7 CONCLUSION..................................................................................................................................23
3.8 LIST OF SOURCES............................................................................................................................24
ADDENDUM A AND B...........................................................................................................................26

iii

, SECTION A

3.1 INTRODUCTION

Democratic principles in South Africa coincided with the advancement of political
participation in the form of the electoral process. In South Africa, the attainment of political
freedom from the apartheid regime in 1994 ignited the application of electoral reforms that
are based on fairness, equality, and free participation. Equally so, voting determines the
selection of representatives in the national, provincial, and local governmental units.
However, a decrease in university students’ participation in voting is a growing phenomenon
motivated by different factors. Against this backdrop, the purpose of the study is to explore
voter apathy among South African university students, particularly University of South Africa
(UNISA) students. The study applied a mixed-methods research methodology to explore
voter apathy among UNISA students. Data collection is informed by questionnaires and
open-ended questions. This research elucidates the problem statement of decreased UNISA
students’ participation in voting. The conceptual nexus is explained based on voter apathy,
elections, and democracy. Most importantly, research method frameworks constitute an
important component of the research. This is reinforced by the presentation and discussion of
research findings.

3.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT

The South African national and provincial elections in 2014 were marked by the involvement
of children born after 1994 (Kekana, 2023). Most importantly, out of 31.4 million qualified
voters, 25 million South Africans registered to vote (Kekana, 2023). The election was
labelled a “youth” election owing to the greater number of youth participants. Youth between
18 and 29 years old accounted for 34% of registered voters, while 1.9 million were between
18 and 19 years old (Chauke, 2020). The indication is that youths hold stronger influence in
the South African political sphere because of their greater representation. However,
researchers, media, and political actors argue that the influential power of the youth is
diminished by increasing youth voter apathy (Badaru and Adu, 2021).

The prevalence of youth voter apathy is demonstrated in the patterns of youth participation in
national and provincial elections. The 1994 national elections accounted for 85.53% of youth
voter turnout, while 63.86% was recorded in the 1999 national elections (Oyedemi and
Mahlatji, 2016). The increasingly high level of youth participation in elections was recorded
1

The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.

Quick and easy check-out

You can quickly pay through EFT, credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.

Focus on what matters

Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!

Frequently asked questions

What do I get when I buy this document?

You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.

Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?

Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.

Who am I buying this summary from?

Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller AssignmentsforUnisaStudents. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.

Will I be stuck with a subscription?

No, you only buy this summary for R150,00. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.

Can Stuvia be trusted?

4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)

69052 documents were sold in the last 30 days

Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy summaries for 15 years now

Start selling

Other

COM3706 COMMUNICATION RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT 3 – EXAM PORTFOLIO SEMESTER 2, 2023 ALL QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Document information

Subjects

Written for

Seller

Reviews received

Content preview

The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:

Guaranteed quality through customer reviews

Quick and easy check-out

Focus on what matters

Frequently asked questions

What do I get when I buy this document?

Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?

Who am I buying this summary from?

Will I be stuck with a subscription?

Can Stuvia be trusted?