A psychosocial study of young adults’ experiences of their sibling’s mental illness
- Authors: Laurie, Gina
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Brothers and sisters of people with disabilities -- South Africa -- Case studies , Brothers and sisters of people with disabilities -- Psychology , Mentally ill -- Family relationships , Mentally ill -- Care -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6165 , vital:21053
- Description: There are a number of studies that investigate the experiences of mental illness in the context of sibling relationships. However, these studies have not focused on young adulthood and limited research has been conducted in South Africa. This research uses a psychosocial framework which combines psychoanalytic theory and social constructionism to account for individual subjectivity and social influences. This method sought to answer two main research questions: how do young adults construct their experiences of having a sibling with a mental illness and with what effects, and how might we understand the emotional investments in these constructions? Six participants were interviewed and the findings suggest that participants draw on four main discourses in constructing their siblings’ mental illness: a discourse of mental illness as a sickness, a discourse of mental illness as part of the person, a discourse of mental illness as bad behaviour, and a discourse of mental illness as a spiritual issue. These discourses and the function of these discourses are discussed. Furthermore, an extract from one participant is examined in a case study format so as to explore the emotional investments in the discourse of mental illness as bad behaviour, arguing that her investments in this discourse serves to protect her by enabling her to manage feelings of not being ‘good enough’.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Laurie, Gina
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Brothers and sisters of people with disabilities -- South Africa -- Case studies , Brothers and sisters of people with disabilities -- Psychology , Mentally ill -- Family relationships , Mentally ill -- Care -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6165 , vital:21053
- Description: There are a number of studies that investigate the experiences of mental illness in the context of sibling relationships. However, these studies have not focused on young adulthood and limited research has been conducted in South Africa. This research uses a psychosocial framework which combines psychoanalytic theory and social constructionism to account for individual subjectivity and social influences. This method sought to answer two main research questions: how do young adults construct their experiences of having a sibling with a mental illness and with what effects, and how might we understand the emotional investments in these constructions? Six participants were interviewed and the findings suggest that participants draw on four main discourses in constructing their siblings’ mental illness: a discourse of mental illness as a sickness, a discourse of mental illness as part of the person, a discourse of mental illness as bad behaviour, and a discourse of mental illness as a spiritual issue. These discourses and the function of these discourses are discussed. Furthermore, an extract from one participant is examined in a case study format so as to explore the emotional investments in the discourse of mental illness as bad behaviour, arguing that her investments in this discourse serves to protect her by enabling her to manage feelings of not being ‘good enough’.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
A social justice approach for counselling psychology in South Africa: lessons from a collaborative action research intervention
- Authors: Schwartz, Abegail Faraja
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5233 , vital:20791
- Description: In the past decade, increased attention has been paid to the changing role of counselling psychology in South Africa. The aim of this study is to contribute to the debates about the social responsiveness, scope and focus of the field. The following research question was formulated: What lessons about a social justice approach can a counselling psychologist learn from a youth unemployment community engagement activity? Through engagement with a group of unemployed young people about their status and exploring the role that a counselling psychologist might take, a collaborative action research approach was employed. Data were generated through collaborative action research cycles, semi-structured interviews, social media communications and the researcher’s reflective journal. Template analysis was used to make sense of the data and generate preliminary themes. Process findings illustrated the supportive and constraining role of the academic research process, the time frame and the characteristics of the target group. The content-related findings illustrated the impact of contextual and demographic factors on the participants’ unemployed status. The findings confirmed the negative effect of unemployment on psychological well-being despite support from family, friends and community members. Factors such as education and socioeconomic status influenced the job seeking behaviour of participants and although participants were aware that societal change is needed, there was evidence of internalised self-blame. Recommendations emphasise the inclusion of relevant social justice models for the context of South Africa in the training of counselling psychologists; and a pressing need to engage in micro-, meso- and macro-level advocacy to collaboratively debate the identity and scope of practice of the profession and the review of professional and ethical guidelines.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Schwartz, Abegail Faraja
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5233 , vital:20791
- Description: In the past decade, increased attention has been paid to the changing role of counselling psychology in South Africa. The aim of this study is to contribute to the debates about the social responsiveness, scope and focus of the field. The following research question was formulated: What lessons about a social justice approach can a counselling psychologist learn from a youth unemployment community engagement activity? Through engagement with a group of unemployed young people about their status and exploring the role that a counselling psychologist might take, a collaborative action research approach was employed. Data were generated through collaborative action research cycles, semi-structured interviews, social media communications and the researcher’s reflective journal. Template analysis was used to make sense of the data and generate preliminary themes. Process findings illustrated the supportive and constraining role of the academic research process, the time frame and the characteristics of the target group. The content-related findings illustrated the impact of contextual and demographic factors on the participants’ unemployed status. The findings confirmed the negative effect of unemployment on psychological well-being despite support from family, friends and community members. Factors such as education and socioeconomic status influenced the job seeking behaviour of participants and although participants were aware that societal change is needed, there was evidence of internalised self-blame. Recommendations emphasise the inclusion of relevant social justice models for the context of South Africa in the training of counselling psychologists; and a pressing need to engage in micro-, meso- and macro-level advocacy to collaboratively debate the identity and scope of practice of the profession and the review of professional and ethical guidelines.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
A survey of the professional identity of clinical psychologists in South Africa
- Authors: Deane, Tessa Anne
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Psychologists -- South Africa , Psychology -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa , Psychology -- Practice -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5140 , vital:20780
- Description: The mental health care needs of South Africa have shifted significantly in the postapartheid context of changing political and socioeconomic landscapes. However, the extent to which clinical psychologists’ professional identity has responded accordingly has been unclear. By establishing the practice patterns and values that should be central to the profession according to the literature, and ascertaining the extent to which these are reflected among professionals at this time, this study facilitates a re-evaluation of the professional identity of clinical psychologists in South Africa. To this end, an online survey method was used to collect data from a representative sample of 877 participants, i.e. 29,09% of the population of clinical psychologists in South Africa. Statistical analyses were implemented to address a number of key research questions concerning aspects which characterise professional identity, namely: demographic profile; work settings and roles (practices); and theoretical perspective, beliefs and attitudes (values). Findings suggest that, demographically, clinical psychologists do not mirror the clients they serve, and also that there is a large proportion of the population for whom psychological services remain inaccessible and/or inappropriate. Furthermore, the professional identity of clinical psychologists currently does not comprise practices and values which meet the mental health care needs of South Africa. A significant recommendation of the research is its endorsement of the National Health Insurance model given the promise of its role in ensuring psychology remains relevant. It is recommended that future studies expand on these findings qualitatively, and compare clinical psychology with other mental health care fields. Universities are also urged to relook at their training curricula and ensure that trainees are made of aware of issues of policy, and that areas of research and psychological assessment in complex environments are prioritized.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Deane, Tessa Anne
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Psychologists -- South Africa , Psychology -- Study and teaching (Higher) -- South Africa , Psychology -- Practice -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5140 , vital:20780
- Description: The mental health care needs of South Africa have shifted significantly in the postapartheid context of changing political and socioeconomic landscapes. However, the extent to which clinical psychologists’ professional identity has responded accordingly has been unclear. By establishing the practice patterns and values that should be central to the profession according to the literature, and ascertaining the extent to which these are reflected among professionals at this time, this study facilitates a re-evaluation of the professional identity of clinical psychologists in South Africa. To this end, an online survey method was used to collect data from a representative sample of 877 participants, i.e. 29,09% of the population of clinical psychologists in South Africa. Statistical analyses were implemented to address a number of key research questions concerning aspects which characterise professional identity, namely: demographic profile; work settings and roles (practices); and theoretical perspective, beliefs and attitudes (values). Findings suggest that, demographically, clinical psychologists do not mirror the clients they serve, and also that there is a large proportion of the population for whom psychological services remain inaccessible and/or inappropriate. Furthermore, the professional identity of clinical psychologists currently does not comprise practices and values which meet the mental health care needs of South Africa. A significant recommendation of the research is its endorsement of the National Health Insurance model given the promise of its role in ensuring psychology remains relevant. It is recommended that future studies expand on these findings qualitatively, and compare clinical psychology with other mental health care fields. Universities are also urged to relook at their training curricula and ensure that trainees are made of aware of issues of policy, and that areas of research and psychological assessment in complex environments are prioritized.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
An investigation into the utility of the ImPACT neurocognitive screening tool with patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
- Authors: Wurz, Carl
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5366 , vital:20918
- Description: Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the utility of the Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) assessment tool in the neurocognitive screening of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Participants and Method: Patients diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (n = 29) were compared with a healthy control group (n = 20) of equivalent age, years of education, quality of education and estimated premorbid IQ. Measures included five ImPACT composite scores, the ImPACT Design Memory Delayed Recall subtest, the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) that has shown prior sensitivity to cognitive dysfunction in MS groups, and the SDMT Delayed Recall test. T-test analyses compared test performances of the MS patient group with the control group; correlational analyses investigated the construct similarities between the ImPACT and SDMT tests. Results: There was a consistent trend for the MS patient group to perform worse than controls on all the neurocognitive tests. Significant differences accompanied by medium to high effect sizes were in evidence for ImPACT Reaction Time, ImPACT Cognitive Efficiency Index, ImPACT Design Memory Delayed Recall, SDMT, and SDMT Delayed Recall test. Correlational analyses revealed construct comparability between the ImPACT tests calling upon processing speed and the SDMT, as well as the IMPACT and SDMT delayed recall tasks. Conclusions: The results support the utility of the ImPACT test as a screening instrument for the detection of cognitive dysfunction in patients with MS. Tests tapping general cognitive efficiency, processing speed, reaction time, and delayed recall rather than immediate recall reveal particular utility as neurocognitive screening aids for patients with MS.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Wurz, Carl
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5366 , vital:20918
- Description: Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the utility of the Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) assessment tool in the neurocognitive screening of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Participants and Method: Patients diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (n = 29) were compared with a healthy control group (n = 20) of equivalent age, years of education, quality of education and estimated premorbid IQ. Measures included five ImPACT composite scores, the ImPACT Design Memory Delayed Recall subtest, the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) that has shown prior sensitivity to cognitive dysfunction in MS groups, and the SDMT Delayed Recall test. T-test analyses compared test performances of the MS patient group with the control group; correlational analyses investigated the construct similarities between the ImPACT and SDMT tests. Results: There was a consistent trend for the MS patient group to perform worse than controls on all the neurocognitive tests. Significant differences accompanied by medium to high effect sizes were in evidence for ImPACT Reaction Time, ImPACT Cognitive Efficiency Index, ImPACT Design Memory Delayed Recall, SDMT, and SDMT Delayed Recall test. Correlational analyses revealed construct comparability between the ImPACT tests calling upon processing speed and the SDMT, as well as the IMPACT and SDMT delayed recall tasks. Conclusions: The results support the utility of the ImPACT test as a screening instrument for the detection of cognitive dysfunction in patients with MS. Tests tapping general cognitive efficiency, processing speed, reaction time, and delayed recall rather than immediate recall reveal particular utility as neurocognitive screening aids for patients with MS.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
An IPA study of the integration and work conditions of white teachers in historically black (township) schools
- Authors: Seane, Boitumelo Seville
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4606 , vital:20698
- Description: This interpretative phenomenological analysis study focuses on analyzing the lived experiences of white teachers with regards to their integration and work conditions within the context of historically black (township) schools. It consists of four aims: a) what are the experiences of white teachers teaching in previously disadvantaged schools; b) what do they experience to be major obstacles towards the day to day process of teaching and learning; c) what are the positive highlights and accomplishments they experienced while teaching in previously disadvantaged schools; d) what aspects do they deem essential for an efficient culture of teaching and learning. Five semi-structured interviews were conducted with regards to the experiences of the teachers. The methodology chapter will cement the notion of the use of semi-structured interviews as a function within IPA. As a result, this should not be inadvertently be confused to be an aspect of thematic analysis which is distinctive from IPA. Four of the participants were females and one was male. The interview questions were centered on the main aims of the study. Data was analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The results and interpretations of narratives revealed 6 super ordinate themes. They are: a) reinforces; b) enablers and desirable principles; c) social ills and other challenges; d) organization and administration factors; e) challenges with regards to teaching and learning and lastly, f) systemic and systematic issues. The following are the key findings that emerged during the interviews: Most of the teachers felt that they were well integrated in their schools. There was one exception. There were similarities with regards to adapting to working in previously disadvantaged schools. There were variations with the length or duration of service in the teaching profession from a minimum of less than a year, an average of 14 years and a maximum of 30 years. The teachers shared major challenges with regards to discipline among learners. Most of the teachers shared that their schools were variable with regards to lack of amenities and lack of finances. The dominant aspect was that some previously disadvantaged schools had many deprivations or encountered many difficult circumstances. Most of the teachers shared concerns that learning difficulties where being overlooked and there was lack of capacity to correctly intervene with regards to them. Various social ills emerged as having some level of impact on the lives of learners within their schools. Teachers reflected on the experiences about racism and racial intolerance; racial stereotypes and myths as well as no experiences of being marginalized. There were various experiences to diversity, culture and gender. Finally, various systemic and systematic issues that pose a challenge towards education within previously disadvantaged schools emerged. This study is based on the theoretical frameworks of assimilation, integration, multi-cultural education and anti-racist education.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Seane, Boitumelo Seville
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4606 , vital:20698
- Description: This interpretative phenomenological analysis study focuses on analyzing the lived experiences of white teachers with regards to their integration and work conditions within the context of historically black (township) schools. It consists of four aims: a) what are the experiences of white teachers teaching in previously disadvantaged schools; b) what do they experience to be major obstacles towards the day to day process of teaching and learning; c) what are the positive highlights and accomplishments they experienced while teaching in previously disadvantaged schools; d) what aspects do they deem essential for an efficient culture of teaching and learning. Five semi-structured interviews were conducted with regards to the experiences of the teachers. The methodology chapter will cement the notion of the use of semi-structured interviews as a function within IPA. As a result, this should not be inadvertently be confused to be an aspect of thematic analysis which is distinctive from IPA. Four of the participants were females and one was male. The interview questions were centered on the main aims of the study. Data was analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The results and interpretations of narratives revealed 6 super ordinate themes. They are: a) reinforces; b) enablers and desirable principles; c) social ills and other challenges; d) organization and administration factors; e) challenges with regards to teaching and learning and lastly, f) systemic and systematic issues. The following are the key findings that emerged during the interviews: Most of the teachers felt that they were well integrated in their schools. There was one exception. There were similarities with regards to adapting to working in previously disadvantaged schools. There were variations with the length or duration of service in the teaching profession from a minimum of less than a year, an average of 14 years and a maximum of 30 years. The teachers shared major challenges with regards to discipline among learners. Most of the teachers shared that their schools were variable with regards to lack of amenities and lack of finances. The dominant aspect was that some previously disadvantaged schools had many deprivations or encountered many difficult circumstances. Most of the teachers shared concerns that learning difficulties where being overlooked and there was lack of capacity to correctly intervene with regards to them. Various social ills emerged as having some level of impact on the lives of learners within their schools. Teachers reflected on the experiences about racism and racial intolerance; racial stereotypes and myths as well as no experiences of being marginalized. There were various experiences to diversity, culture and gender. Finally, various systemic and systematic issues that pose a challenge towards education within previously disadvantaged schools emerged. This study is based on the theoretical frameworks of assimilation, integration, multi-cultural education and anti-racist education.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Dance as a tool for emotional well-being
- Authors: Conchar, Lauren
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Dance therapy , Well-being , Happiness , Adolescent psychology , Dance -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Cape Flats , Dance -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa -- Cape Flats , Dance -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa -- Cape Flats -- Case studies , Community development, Urban -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa -- Cape Flats -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5129 , vital:20779
- Description: Dance has numerous benefits for emotional well-being. For young people specifically it can serve as a prosocial activity where they can engage in a purposeful activity, in a safe space with consistent boundaries and discipline, while surrounded by peers, teachers and positive role models. Recreational spaces that allow young people to feel safe and express themselves is especially important in low socioeconomic areas where there are limited resources and exposure to heightened levels of crime as young people may be less likely to engage in negative behaviours when they have access to alternative, positive activities. This research aimed to explore the lived experiences of a group of young people who participate in dance classes at a community dance project in the Western Cape. The sample group consisted of four young people between the ages of 16 and 20. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants and the interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three major themes emerged from the data, namely 1) My exposure to dance - The impact of context, 2) What motivates me to continue attending classes - The fulfilment of the three basic psychological needs, and 3) How does dance make me feel - The experience of emotional well-being through dance. The discussion of the findings yielded many similarities between the experiences of the participants and the relevant literature. Further, it appears that all four participants experience the satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs (competence, autonomy and relatedness) at the centre. This may serve as a motivator to continue attending classes as well as contribute to sustained eudaimonic wellbeing. Recommendations include further studies being conducted with groups of young people engaging in dance projects in different socioeconomic contexts and in different parts of South Africa. This could give us a more rounded understanding of how people young people experience dance class and how it contributes to emotional well-being. Further research could also be conducted with recreational projects that offer other activities in under-resourced areas in order to better inform the development of such recreational activities.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Conchar, Lauren
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Dance therapy , Well-being , Happiness , Adolescent psychology , Dance -- Social aspects -- South Africa -- Cape Flats , Dance -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa -- Cape Flats , Dance -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa -- Cape Flats -- Case studies , Community development, Urban -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa -- Cape Flats -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5129 , vital:20779
- Description: Dance has numerous benefits for emotional well-being. For young people specifically it can serve as a prosocial activity where they can engage in a purposeful activity, in a safe space with consistent boundaries and discipline, while surrounded by peers, teachers and positive role models. Recreational spaces that allow young people to feel safe and express themselves is especially important in low socioeconomic areas where there are limited resources and exposure to heightened levels of crime as young people may be less likely to engage in negative behaviours when they have access to alternative, positive activities. This research aimed to explore the lived experiences of a group of young people who participate in dance classes at a community dance project in the Western Cape. The sample group consisted of four young people between the ages of 16 and 20. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants and the interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three major themes emerged from the data, namely 1) My exposure to dance - The impact of context, 2) What motivates me to continue attending classes - The fulfilment of the three basic psychological needs, and 3) How does dance make me feel - The experience of emotional well-being through dance. The discussion of the findings yielded many similarities between the experiences of the participants and the relevant literature. Further, it appears that all four participants experience the satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs (competence, autonomy and relatedness) at the centre. This may serve as a motivator to continue attending classes as well as contribute to sustained eudaimonic wellbeing. Recommendations include further studies being conducted with groups of young people engaging in dance projects in different socioeconomic contexts and in different parts of South Africa. This could give us a more rounded understanding of how people young people experience dance class and how it contributes to emotional well-being. Further research could also be conducted with recreational projects that offer other activities in under-resourced areas in order to better inform the development of such recreational activities.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Deriving norms for learners in the disadvantaged schools of the peri-urban areas of the Eastern Cape: the case of the Vassiliou Mathematics Proficiency Test (VASSI)
- Masango, Siphesihle Polkadot
- Authors: Masango, Siphesihle Polkadot
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: VASSI Mathematics Proficiency Test , Mathematical ability -- Testing -- South Africa , Educational tests and measurements -- South Africa , Children with social disabilities -- Education -- South Africa , Children with social disabilities -- Education -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/49929 , vital:25943
- Description: This study builds on South African cross-cultural research which highlights the need for careful stratification of normative samples for quality of education and geographical location. The aim of the present study was to produce an expanded set of preliminary norms for learners in the disadvantaged schools of the peri-urban areas of the Eastern Cape, Grahamstown, on the Vassiliou Mathematics Foundation Phase Test (VASSI) and Vassiliou Mathematics Proficiency Test (VASSI), respectively. The test was administered to Grade 1-6 learners in four different schools all within Joza location, Grahamstown. For the learners’ convenience the tests were translated into isiXhosa, the translations were provided together with the original English questions. Archival data collected by honours students was also incorporated in this study. The total number of participants was N=724 which was comprised of 147 grade 1s, 123 grade 2s, 117 grade 3s, 128 grade 4s, 113 grade 5s and 96 grade 6s. Norm-referenced criterion was used in analysing the data. The results of this study are in accordance with those purporting the low performance of disadvantaged learners on the school subject, mathematics. Stanines for the various grades (Grade 1 to 6) were calculated and are presented in the study. This study has demonstrated that although gender, language and other ethnic variables have an impact on mathematics performance, quality of education and socioeconomic status have a significant effect. Further research is needed on the effect of quality of education and socioeconomic status on learners in disadvantaged schools on this test in particular.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Masango, Siphesihle Polkadot
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: VASSI Mathematics Proficiency Test , Mathematical ability -- Testing -- South Africa , Educational tests and measurements -- South Africa , Children with social disabilities -- Education -- South Africa , Children with social disabilities -- Education -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/49929 , vital:25943
- Description: This study builds on South African cross-cultural research which highlights the need for careful stratification of normative samples for quality of education and geographical location. The aim of the present study was to produce an expanded set of preliminary norms for learners in the disadvantaged schools of the peri-urban areas of the Eastern Cape, Grahamstown, on the Vassiliou Mathematics Foundation Phase Test (VASSI) and Vassiliou Mathematics Proficiency Test (VASSI), respectively. The test was administered to Grade 1-6 learners in four different schools all within Joza location, Grahamstown. For the learners’ convenience the tests were translated into isiXhosa, the translations were provided together with the original English questions. Archival data collected by honours students was also incorporated in this study. The total number of participants was N=724 which was comprised of 147 grade 1s, 123 grade 2s, 117 grade 3s, 128 grade 4s, 113 grade 5s and 96 grade 6s. Norm-referenced criterion was used in analysing the data. The results of this study are in accordance with those purporting the low performance of disadvantaged learners on the school subject, mathematics. Stanines for the various grades (Grade 1 to 6) were calculated and are presented in the study. This study has demonstrated that although gender, language and other ethnic variables have an impact on mathematics performance, quality of education and socioeconomic status have a significant effect. Further research is needed on the effect of quality of education and socioeconomic status on learners in disadvantaged schools on this test in particular.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Experiences of having an adult sibling with a mental illness: an interpretative phenomenological analysis
- Authors: Flannigan, Raylene
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Mentally ill -- Family relationships , Mentally ill -- Care -- South Africa , Mental illness -- Public opinion -- South Africa , Mentally ill -- Deinstitutionalization , Brothers and sisters of people with disabilities , Brothers and sisters of people with disabilities -- Psycnology , Brothers and sisters of people with disabilities -- Case studies -- South Africa -- Makhanda
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6309 , vital:21088
- Description: Mental illness has a significant impact on the life of an individual, however not only on the individual but on the family as well. A considerable amount of research has been carried out regarding the experiences of family members internationally. However, in South Africa (SA) there is inadequate information regarding the experiences of families, especially adult siblings, of individuals with a mental illness. Specifically, there is a lack of research investigating individuals’ perceptions of their brother or sister’s mental illness as well as how this affects the sibling relationship. It is for this reason that the current study aimed at exploring the lived experiences of ‘black1’ isiXhosa speaking individuals who have a sibling with a mental illness. The study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as its qualitative approach. A sample of five participants between the ages of 20-50 years was selected through purposive and snowballing sampling techniques. Semi-structured interviews were utilised and were transcribed and analysed based on the IPA framework. The analysis of the participants’ transcripts provided three master themes, which are supported by subordinate themes. The master themes are: 1) experiencing the sibling as a burden post diagnosis, 2) positive experiences from the sibling’s mental illness, 3) participant’s experiences of their sibling’s treatment and the mental health care system. Participants experienced financial burden as well as the burden of caregiving as a result of their sibling’s mental illness; these are understood as being subjective and objective burdens. While no change was experienced within the sibling relationship, the siblings’ mental illness was experienced as affecting the sibling relationship due to the socioeconomic status of the participants and stigma. The findings support and expand on the growing knowledge of adult sibling relationships and mental illness.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Flannigan, Raylene
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Mentally ill -- Family relationships , Mentally ill -- Care -- South Africa , Mental illness -- Public opinion -- South Africa , Mentally ill -- Deinstitutionalization , Brothers and sisters of people with disabilities , Brothers and sisters of people with disabilities -- Psycnology , Brothers and sisters of people with disabilities -- Case studies -- South Africa -- Makhanda
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6309 , vital:21088
- Description: Mental illness has a significant impact on the life of an individual, however not only on the individual but on the family as well. A considerable amount of research has been carried out regarding the experiences of family members internationally. However, in South Africa (SA) there is inadequate information regarding the experiences of families, especially adult siblings, of individuals with a mental illness. Specifically, there is a lack of research investigating individuals’ perceptions of their brother or sister’s mental illness as well as how this affects the sibling relationship. It is for this reason that the current study aimed at exploring the lived experiences of ‘black1’ isiXhosa speaking individuals who have a sibling with a mental illness. The study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as its qualitative approach. A sample of five participants between the ages of 20-50 years was selected through purposive and snowballing sampling techniques. Semi-structured interviews were utilised and were transcribed and analysed based on the IPA framework. The analysis of the participants’ transcripts provided three master themes, which are supported by subordinate themes. The master themes are: 1) experiencing the sibling as a burden post diagnosis, 2) positive experiences from the sibling’s mental illness, 3) participant’s experiences of their sibling’s treatment and the mental health care system. Participants experienced financial burden as well as the burden of caregiving as a result of their sibling’s mental illness; these are understood as being subjective and objective burdens. While no change was experienced within the sibling relationship, the siblings’ mental illness was experienced as affecting the sibling relationship due to the socioeconomic status of the participants and stigma. The findings support and expand on the growing knowledge of adult sibling relationships and mental illness.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Experiences of pet loss in the South African context
- Authors: Lowen, Kathleen Louise
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Pet loss -- Psychological aspects , Pet loss -- South Africa -- Case studies , Pets -- Death , Pet ownders -- Psychology , Human-animal relationships -- Psychological aspects , Grief
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4326 , vital:20649
- Description: In this research the experience of pet loss in relation to the intensity of grief and the repression of that grief due to societal restrictions was studied in a South African sample of 12 pet owners who had experienced the loss of a pet within 24 months prior to the study. A pilot study was conducted in order to refine the semi-structured interview schedule. Participants were asked about their pets, their experience of pet loss in relation to their feelings before and after the loss and whether they felt they could openly grieve around friends and family. The findings indicated that the intensity of grief experienced by the participants was influenced both by the intensity of their Bond with the pet and the repression of their grief due to assumed social sanctions surrounding mourning the loss of a pet. The findings from the study clearly indicate the necessity for pet loss counselling, however it was clear that societal views surrounding pet loss are shifting, thus allowing pet owners to mourn their loss more openly with family and friends. This indicates a decrease in cases of disenfranchised and complicated grief. Furthermore the impact of pet loss necessitates the social legitimation and acknowledgment of the significance of pet loss in contemporary society as these relationships with pets are an increasingly prominent feature both within and as an alternative to familial systems.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Lowen, Kathleen Louise
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Pet loss -- Psychological aspects , Pet loss -- South Africa -- Case studies , Pets -- Death , Pet ownders -- Psychology , Human-animal relationships -- Psychological aspects , Grief
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4326 , vital:20649
- Description: In this research the experience of pet loss in relation to the intensity of grief and the repression of that grief due to societal restrictions was studied in a South African sample of 12 pet owners who had experienced the loss of a pet within 24 months prior to the study. A pilot study was conducted in order to refine the semi-structured interview schedule. Participants were asked about their pets, their experience of pet loss in relation to their feelings before and after the loss and whether they felt they could openly grieve around friends and family. The findings indicated that the intensity of grief experienced by the participants was influenced both by the intensity of their Bond with the pet and the repression of their grief due to assumed social sanctions surrounding mourning the loss of a pet. The findings from the study clearly indicate the necessity for pet loss counselling, however it was clear that societal views surrounding pet loss are shifting, thus allowing pet owners to mourn their loss more openly with family and friends. This indicates a decrease in cases of disenfranchised and complicated grief. Furthermore the impact of pet loss necessitates the social legitimation and acknowledgment of the significance of pet loss in contemporary society as these relationships with pets are an increasingly prominent feature both within and as an alternative to familial systems.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Sistering and sexual socialisation: a psychosocial study of Xhosa women’s ‘sex and reproduction talk’ with their sisters
- Authors: Ndabula, Yanela
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/35055 , vital:24313
- Description: While much work has been put into understanding parent-child talk about sex, less is known about how sisters discuss sex. Using a psychosocial framework, in this study, I explore how women report talking about sex and reproduction in their sister-sister relationships, the subject positions within the talk and how the talk restricts or shores up particular ways of ‘doing sex and reproduction’ in society. Moreover, I examine why these women emotionally invest in certain discourses over others in their sisterly sex talk. The psychosocial framework combines discursive psychology with a psychoanalytic approach to explore both ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ processes involved in sexual socialisation within sistering. Psychoanalytic concepts were used to ‘thicken’ the discursive reading of the text. Five isiXhosa-speaking, middle aged and working class women were the participants of the study. The Free Associated Narrative Interview was used to collect the data thus participants were encouraged to convey their experiences of sex talk and reproduction within their sisterly relationships with minimal interruptions from the interviewer. Analysis suggests that the women drew on two broad interpretative repertoires in order to construct their sisters as sexual subjects: a repertoire of secrecy, and a repertoire of responsibilisation and risk. Furthermore, sisterly sex talk was constructed as a complex interchange of shifting positions of openness and power due to two coinciding identities - that of mother and of peer taken up by the participants. A psychoanalytic reading of the data suggests an emotional investment in exemplifying responsibility. The participants experienced anxiety in negotiating a sexualised femininity and projected their sexual desire onto their sister to defend against anxiety in their talk; this enabled them to feel as though they were ‘doing’ sex better than their sisters.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Ndabula, Yanela
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/35055 , vital:24313
- Description: While much work has been put into understanding parent-child talk about sex, less is known about how sisters discuss sex. Using a psychosocial framework, in this study, I explore how women report talking about sex and reproduction in their sister-sister relationships, the subject positions within the talk and how the talk restricts or shores up particular ways of ‘doing sex and reproduction’ in society. Moreover, I examine why these women emotionally invest in certain discourses over others in their sisterly sex talk. The psychosocial framework combines discursive psychology with a psychoanalytic approach to explore both ‘inner’ and ‘outer’ processes involved in sexual socialisation within sistering. Psychoanalytic concepts were used to ‘thicken’ the discursive reading of the text. Five isiXhosa-speaking, middle aged and working class women were the participants of the study. The Free Associated Narrative Interview was used to collect the data thus participants were encouraged to convey their experiences of sex talk and reproduction within their sisterly relationships with minimal interruptions from the interviewer. Analysis suggests that the women drew on two broad interpretative repertoires in order to construct their sisters as sexual subjects: a repertoire of secrecy, and a repertoire of responsibilisation and risk. Furthermore, sisterly sex talk was constructed as a complex interchange of shifting positions of openness and power due to two coinciding identities - that of mother and of peer taken up by the participants. A psychoanalytic reading of the data suggests an emotional investment in exemplifying responsibility. The participants experienced anxiety in negotiating a sexualised femininity and projected their sexual desire onto their sister to defend against anxiety in their talk; this enabled them to feel as though they were ‘doing’ sex better than their sisters.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
Students’ perspectives of the relationship between the university and a community partner in the context of a service learning psycho-education programme
- Authors: Sibiya, Gillian
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6968 , vital:21205
- Description: This qualitative case study aims to understand students’ perspectives of the relationship between the university and a community partner in the context of a service-learning programme. The study explores the experiences of three postgraduate psychology students that were involved in a service-learning programme at an under resourced school in the Eastern Cape. The data gathered was analysed thematically and major analytic themes were identified. The findings highlight the usefulness of service-learning for the student participants. However, student participants also argued that structural difficulties can make it harder for the community partner to enjoy the same benefits. The analysis brings forth the students’ concerns about managing stakeholder perceptions and the importance of broad-based participation and constant communication to ensure a good working relationship between partners. The findings highlight the students’ awareness of some of the difficulties of working in resource-constrained settings.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Sibiya, Gillian
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6968 , vital:21205
- Description: This qualitative case study aims to understand students’ perspectives of the relationship between the university and a community partner in the context of a service-learning programme. The study explores the experiences of three postgraduate psychology students that were involved in a service-learning programme at an under resourced school in the Eastern Cape. The data gathered was analysed thematically and major analytic themes were identified. The findings highlight the usefulness of service-learning for the student participants. However, student participants also argued that structural difficulties can make it harder for the community partner to enjoy the same benefits. The analysis brings forth the students’ concerns about managing stakeholder perceptions and the importance of broad-based participation and constant communication to ensure a good working relationship between partners. The findings highlight the students’ awareness of some of the difficulties of working in resource-constrained settings.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The clinical utility of the Kinetic School Drawing (KSD)
- Authors: Mohammed, Raghshanda
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Kinetic Family Drawing Test , Art therapy for children , Kinetic-House-Tree-Person Technique , Children's drawings -- Psychological aspects , Projective techniques for children , Psychological tests for children
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4433 , vital:20669
- Description: This study aimed to establish the clinical utility of the Kinetic School Drawing (KSD) projective technique. It attempted to do so by using an existing self-report measure of children’s self-perceptions in the school environment (Harter’s Self-Perception Profile for Children) by which to corroborate the projections derived from the KSD’s. Following the development of this measure (in 1984) limited research has been undertaken to assess its validity, reliability and clinical utility despite promising initial findings. The KSD has therefore not received much attention and as a result, it has yet to be established as a useful psychological assessment tool. This study sought to revive interest and discussion around the KSD. Qualitative methods and specifically thematic analysis was employed to explore the usefulness of the KSD in an attempt to address the gap in the literature in a meaningful way. The sample consisted of 26 grade 5 learners from a private school in the Eastern Cape. The themes were presented under the following headings: scholastic competence, athletic competence, social competence, physical appearance and behavioural conduct.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Mohammed, Raghshanda
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Kinetic Family Drawing Test , Art therapy for children , Kinetic-House-Tree-Person Technique , Children's drawings -- Psychological aspects , Projective techniques for children , Psychological tests for children
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4433 , vital:20669
- Description: This study aimed to establish the clinical utility of the Kinetic School Drawing (KSD) projective technique. It attempted to do so by using an existing self-report measure of children’s self-perceptions in the school environment (Harter’s Self-Perception Profile for Children) by which to corroborate the projections derived from the KSD’s. Following the development of this measure (in 1984) limited research has been undertaken to assess its validity, reliability and clinical utility despite promising initial findings. The KSD has therefore not received much attention and as a result, it has yet to be established as a useful psychological assessment tool. This study sought to revive interest and discussion around the KSD. Qualitative methods and specifically thematic analysis was employed to explore the usefulness of the KSD in an attempt to address the gap in the literature in a meaningful way. The sample consisted of 26 grade 5 learners from a private school in the Eastern Cape. The themes were presented under the following headings: scholastic competence, athletic competence, social competence, physical appearance and behavioural conduct.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The development, implementation and evaluation of a mental skills training programme for rowers at Rhodes University
- Authors: Wentworth, Tara E
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5247 , vital:20797
- Description: In the ever increasingly competitive world of sport, there is a pressing need for training methods that have the potential to improve the performance of athletes. It is for this reason that practices associated with sport psychology (such as mental skills training) have increased in popularity. This desire for improved performance has seen a rising number of athletes seeking out the assistance of sport psychology methods. In this research, a mental skills training (MST) programme was developed and implemented into the training regime of Rhodes University rowers in Grahamstown, South Africa. The process of this research adhered to the Organisational Development Process Model’s format. Information collected from focus groups and performance profiling were utilised to design a MST programme tailored to the context of this group of athletes. This programme was implemented over one month and comprised of theoretical and practical sessions focussing on the topics of goalsetting, arousal regulation and imagery. After the programme had been completed, the participants evaluated the process in the form of individual interviews and were required to repeat the initial performance profile exercise. The results gathered from the various assessment and evaluation measures were used to compare and add to existing literature regarding MST and related disciplines. The benefits and effects of the programme have been detailed, and recommendations have been made which could possibly answer to the limitations of this research. These recommendations could provide insight into the manner in which MST programmes could possibly be more effectively implemented in future.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Wentworth, Tara E
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5247 , vital:20797
- Description: In the ever increasingly competitive world of sport, there is a pressing need for training methods that have the potential to improve the performance of athletes. It is for this reason that practices associated with sport psychology (such as mental skills training) have increased in popularity. This desire for improved performance has seen a rising number of athletes seeking out the assistance of sport psychology methods. In this research, a mental skills training (MST) programme was developed and implemented into the training regime of Rhodes University rowers in Grahamstown, South Africa. The process of this research adhered to the Organisational Development Process Model’s format. Information collected from focus groups and performance profiling were utilised to design a MST programme tailored to the context of this group of athletes. This programme was implemented over one month and comprised of theoretical and practical sessions focussing on the topics of goalsetting, arousal regulation and imagery. After the programme had been completed, the participants evaluated the process in the form of individual interviews and were required to repeat the initial performance profile exercise. The results gathered from the various assessment and evaluation measures were used to compare and add to existing literature regarding MST and related disciplines. The benefits and effects of the programme have been detailed, and recommendations have been made which could possibly answer to the limitations of this research. These recommendations could provide insight into the manner in which MST programmes could possibly be more effectively implemented in future.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The role of psychosocial factors in academic performance of first year psychology students at a historically white university
- Authors: Dlamini, Sipho Solomon
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Rhodes University -- Students , Academic achievement , Undergraduates -- South Africa , Dropouts -- South Africa , College students -- South Africa , Psychology students -- South Africa , Minorities -- Education -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5150 , vital:20781
- Description: The success rate of students in higher education has been a cause for concern in South Africa (Letseka & Maile, 2008; Department of Higher Education and Training, 2015). This has been particularly concerning for first-year students, where the rate of attrition is especially high (Letseka, Cosser, Breier, and Visser, 2010). A number of factors have been identified in past research as having an effect on academic performance, which influences attrition and graduation. These factors include age (Justice, & Dornan, 2001), gender (Buchmann, & DiPrete, 2006), socio-economic status which is confounded by race (Letseka & Breier, 2008), type of educational background (Spreen, & Vally, 2006), and whether a student is a domestic or international student (Li, Chen, Duanmu, 2009), social capital (Young & Strelitz, 2014), whether the student is a first language speaker of the language of instruction at the university (Snowball, and Boughey, 2012), student wellbeing (Quinn, & Duckworth, 2007), locus of control (Findley, & Cooper, 1983), and frequency of lecture attendance (van Wallbeek, 2004). The study was conducted at Rhodes University, a small historically white South African institution. For this study, academic performance was measured using the participant’s midyear exam results for an introductory psychology cause, a course that straddles faculties. Of the 690 students registered for the course, 361 (52%) completed an electronic survey that explored the various factors associated with academic performance. A hierarchical regression analysis indicates that pre-university factors (age, gender, race, nationality, language, type of school, and socio-economic status) were the only significant predictors of academic performance, contributing 11% of the effect. Race and nationality, when all the other factors were controlled for, were the only predictors of academic performance. The implications of these findings pose troubling questions of the institutional culture at the university.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Dlamini, Sipho Solomon
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Rhodes University -- Students , Academic achievement , Undergraduates -- South Africa , Dropouts -- South Africa , College students -- South Africa , Psychology students -- South Africa , Minorities -- Education -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5150 , vital:20781
- Description: The success rate of students in higher education has been a cause for concern in South Africa (Letseka & Maile, 2008; Department of Higher Education and Training, 2015). This has been particularly concerning for first-year students, where the rate of attrition is especially high (Letseka, Cosser, Breier, and Visser, 2010). A number of factors have been identified in past research as having an effect on academic performance, which influences attrition and graduation. These factors include age (Justice, & Dornan, 2001), gender (Buchmann, & DiPrete, 2006), socio-economic status which is confounded by race (Letseka & Breier, 2008), type of educational background (Spreen, & Vally, 2006), and whether a student is a domestic or international student (Li, Chen, Duanmu, 2009), social capital (Young & Strelitz, 2014), whether the student is a first language speaker of the language of instruction at the university (Snowball, and Boughey, 2012), student wellbeing (Quinn, & Duckworth, 2007), locus of control (Findley, & Cooper, 1983), and frequency of lecture attendance (van Wallbeek, 2004). The study was conducted at Rhodes University, a small historically white South African institution. For this study, academic performance was measured using the participant’s midyear exam results for an introductory psychology cause, a course that straddles faculties. Of the 690 students registered for the course, 361 (52%) completed an electronic survey that explored the various factors associated with academic performance. A hierarchical regression analysis indicates that pre-university factors (age, gender, race, nationality, language, type of school, and socio-economic status) were the only significant predictors of academic performance, contributing 11% of the effect. Race and nationality, when all the other factors were controlled for, were the only predictors of academic performance. The implications of these findings pose troubling questions of the institutional culture at the university.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
The symbolic consumption and identity construction through luxury branded clothing among Rhodes University students
- Authors: Chinomona, Perpetua
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Group identity , Peer pressure , Brand choice -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Consumer behavior -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Consumer behavior -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Luxuries -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Rhodes University -- Students -- Attitudes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6853 , vital:21193
- Description: The purpose of this study is to explore how Rhodes University (RU) students construct identity through the symbolic consumption of luxury branded clothing and the role played by reference groups in the consumption behaviour. The study employed the Social Identity Theory (SIT) as a theoretical framework which explains the underpinnings of the cognitions and behaviour with the use of group processes (Trepte, 2006). The central principle of SIT lies in individuals classifying themselves and others into in-group (reference groups) and out-group social categories respectively. There has been a gap in the literature pertaining to a full understanding of the identity construction process through symbolic consumption of luxury brands in South Africa (Reed, 2002). The significance of the study is to provide a foundation for an enhanced theory of consumer behaviour in this context. This study employed a qualitative research approach. A non-probability convenience sampling technique was used, and a total of 12 undergraduate and postgraduate students were interviewed. The chosen data collection method was semi-structured in-depth interviews and data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study revealed that participants consume luxury branded clothing for both functional and symbolic purposes. Various factors emerged that influence the choice of the symbolic consumption behaviour such as income, buying frequency, spending patterns, perceptions and habits around retail shopping and the shopping experience. In addition, results indicated that reference groups (celebrities, family and peers) play a significant role in the symbolic consumption and construction of identity among the participants. In addition, the results also indicated that the RU participants engaged in a ‘save to spend’ technique whereby they save their pocket money so that they spend it on their favourite luxury branded clothing when they leave for the holidays. There was a common reference group that emerged from the study, namely the peer in-group. The influence of reference groups on youth consumers in South Africa may assist with marketing strategies that can be employed when targeting the Generation Y. Additionally, results indicate that luxury branded clothing have an impact on identity construction within the South African context. The respondents tie their identity to their luxury branded clothing as an indication of ‘who they are’ and as an extension of the ‘self’.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Chinomona, Perpetua
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Group identity , Peer pressure , Brand choice -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Consumer behavior -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Consumer behavior -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Luxuries -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Rhodes University -- Students -- Attitudes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSocSc
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/6853 , vital:21193
- Description: The purpose of this study is to explore how Rhodes University (RU) students construct identity through the symbolic consumption of luxury branded clothing and the role played by reference groups in the consumption behaviour. The study employed the Social Identity Theory (SIT) as a theoretical framework which explains the underpinnings of the cognitions and behaviour with the use of group processes (Trepte, 2006). The central principle of SIT lies in individuals classifying themselves and others into in-group (reference groups) and out-group social categories respectively. There has been a gap in the literature pertaining to a full understanding of the identity construction process through symbolic consumption of luxury brands in South Africa (Reed, 2002). The significance of the study is to provide a foundation for an enhanced theory of consumer behaviour in this context. This study employed a qualitative research approach. A non-probability convenience sampling technique was used, and a total of 12 undergraduate and postgraduate students were interviewed. The chosen data collection method was semi-structured in-depth interviews and data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study revealed that participants consume luxury branded clothing for both functional and symbolic purposes. Various factors emerged that influence the choice of the symbolic consumption behaviour such as income, buying frequency, spending patterns, perceptions and habits around retail shopping and the shopping experience. In addition, results indicated that reference groups (celebrities, family and peers) play a significant role in the symbolic consumption and construction of identity among the participants. In addition, the results also indicated that the RU participants engaged in a ‘save to spend’ technique whereby they save their pocket money so that they spend it on their favourite luxury branded clothing when they leave for the holidays. There was a common reference group that emerged from the study, namely the peer in-group. The influence of reference groups on youth consumers in South Africa may assist with marketing strategies that can be employed when targeting the Generation Y. Additionally, results indicate that luxury branded clothing have an impact on identity construction within the South African context. The respondents tie their identity to their luxury branded clothing as an indication of ‘who they are’ and as an extension of the ‘self’.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
What are the discursive resources surrounding “beer goggles” and their implications within the South African university context?
- Authors: Stuart, Michael Jason
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4602 , vital:20697
- Description: Exploring student drinking, this research provides an in-depth investigation into how “beer goggles” is constructed discursively and what implications that has within the South African university context. In doing so, research attempted to: 1) map out the discursive resources operating in the empirical research literature, public domain texts and individual talk; 2) identify the subject positions and action orientation of these constructions, and 3) to establish what gendered subjectivities are reproduced within that framework. With a qualitative and social constructionist background, this study utilised a Foucauldian discourse analytic method that included ideas from discursive research. Data collection involved five mainstream videos, three focus groups and three interviews. Along with the research literature, the videos represented the wider social constructions around “beer goggles” that are played out in the micro contexts displayed by the latter participant material. Based on their popularity on YouTube, consideration was given to videos that were the most relevant and theoretically interesting to the research project. The focus groups and interviews involved current, full time, male and female, Rhodes University students over the age of 18. Analysis revealed a common sense construction of the phenomenon that has various discursive implications. While embarrassing and sometimes out of control; “beer goggles” is constructed as a socially profitable altered state of mind that is deemed a normal and heterosexual experience in the university drinking culture. Highlighting the importance of a discursive investigation, this study provided new and alternative information that can assist further research and shed light on the debates surrounding the phenomenon. Additional research is recommended.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Stuart, Michael Jason
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4602 , vital:20697
- Description: Exploring student drinking, this research provides an in-depth investigation into how “beer goggles” is constructed discursively and what implications that has within the South African university context. In doing so, research attempted to: 1) map out the discursive resources operating in the empirical research literature, public domain texts and individual talk; 2) identify the subject positions and action orientation of these constructions, and 3) to establish what gendered subjectivities are reproduced within that framework. With a qualitative and social constructionist background, this study utilised a Foucauldian discourse analytic method that included ideas from discursive research. Data collection involved five mainstream videos, three focus groups and three interviews. Along with the research literature, the videos represented the wider social constructions around “beer goggles” that are played out in the micro contexts displayed by the latter participant material. Based on their popularity on YouTube, consideration was given to videos that were the most relevant and theoretically interesting to the research project. The focus groups and interviews involved current, full time, male and female, Rhodes University students over the age of 18. Analysis revealed a common sense construction of the phenomenon that has various discursive implications. While embarrassing and sometimes out of control; “beer goggles” is constructed as a socially profitable altered state of mind that is deemed a normal and heterosexual experience in the university drinking culture. Highlighting the importance of a discursive investigation, this study provided new and alternative information that can assist further research and shed light on the debates surrounding the phenomenon. Additional research is recommended.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
“I won’t say I feel happy or sad”: experiences of siblings of young disabled people in disadvantaged socio-economic circumstances
- Authors: Foote, Tamlyn Lou-Ann
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Mentally ill -- Family relationships , Mentally ill -- Care -- South Africa , Mentally ill children -- Care -- South Africa , Brothers and sisters of people with disabilities , Brothers and sisters of people with disabilities -- Psycnology , Brothers and sisters of people with disabilities -- Case studies -- South Africa -- Makhanda
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/7774 , vital:21296
- Description: The impact of having a disabled sibling has been well researched in first world countries, revealing complex and varied results. However, in disadvantaged socioeconomic contexts, where disability has been found to be more prevalent, and where arguably, the functioning and quality of life of a disabled person is more likely to be affected by an impairment, very little is known about how siblings of young disabled people are affected. In response, this qualitative study explores the experiences of five, isiXhosa speaking adolescents, living in Joza Township, Grahamstown, who have a brother or sister with an intellectual, physical or developmental impairment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and an interpretative phenomenological analytic approach was utilized to ascertain how the participants make sense of their worlds in relation to their sibling’s disability. Specifically, this research aimed at developing an understanding of how the participants experienced their family climate, self-concept, interpersonal relations and daily living in relation to their disabled sibling. The results of this study reveal a prevailing sense of incongruity experienced by the participants, although there are variances between their experiences. While family climate was largely experienced as warm, the participants were ambivalent about their relationship with their mothers who are experienced more as providers than nurturers. The participants described oscillating between feelings of protectiveness and alliance, and responsibility and sacrifice toward their sibling. A high incidence of incongruity pertaining to their sense of self was noted; this was described as impacting on their interpersonal relations where an underlying sense of negative public perception in relation to the disability is perceived. Although the participants expressed feeling supported within their homes, it was evident that they experienced little support from peers or the community at large. Four out of the five participants did not report experiencing a sense of deprivation, despite their socio-economic contexts and described a day-to-day existence that allows for their needs to be met. This included adequate time during their day to pursue personal interests as opposed to their time being spent taking care of their disabled sibling or assisting their parents, who may be overburdened due to the added care and responsibilities a disabled child might require. Furthermore, it is suggested that the incongruity experienced by the participants could be the result of various factors including age, gender, birth order and the nature of their sibling’s impairment. On the basis of the findings of this research, it can be concluded that the experiences of siblings of young, disabled people living in disadvantaged socioeconomic contexts cannot necessarily be described as being positive or negative, but are highly nuanced. In addition, the participants to some extent experience disability by association and are lacking in adequate support and opportunities to discuss their unique challenges. These insights serve to better inform disability studies in disadvantaged socio-economic circumstances. These findings are in accordance with earlier research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Foote, Tamlyn Lou-Ann
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Mentally ill -- Family relationships , Mentally ill -- Care -- South Africa , Mentally ill children -- Care -- South Africa , Brothers and sisters of people with disabilities , Brothers and sisters of people with disabilities -- Psycnology , Brothers and sisters of people with disabilities -- Case studies -- South Africa -- Makhanda
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/7774 , vital:21296
- Description: The impact of having a disabled sibling has been well researched in first world countries, revealing complex and varied results. However, in disadvantaged socioeconomic contexts, where disability has been found to be more prevalent, and where arguably, the functioning and quality of life of a disabled person is more likely to be affected by an impairment, very little is known about how siblings of young disabled people are affected. In response, this qualitative study explores the experiences of five, isiXhosa speaking adolescents, living in Joza Township, Grahamstown, who have a brother or sister with an intellectual, physical or developmental impairment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and an interpretative phenomenological analytic approach was utilized to ascertain how the participants make sense of their worlds in relation to their sibling’s disability. Specifically, this research aimed at developing an understanding of how the participants experienced their family climate, self-concept, interpersonal relations and daily living in relation to their disabled sibling. The results of this study reveal a prevailing sense of incongruity experienced by the participants, although there are variances between their experiences. While family climate was largely experienced as warm, the participants were ambivalent about their relationship with their mothers who are experienced more as providers than nurturers. The participants described oscillating between feelings of protectiveness and alliance, and responsibility and sacrifice toward their sibling. A high incidence of incongruity pertaining to their sense of self was noted; this was described as impacting on their interpersonal relations where an underlying sense of negative public perception in relation to the disability is perceived. Although the participants expressed feeling supported within their homes, it was evident that they experienced little support from peers or the community at large. Four out of the five participants did not report experiencing a sense of deprivation, despite their socio-economic contexts and described a day-to-day existence that allows for their needs to be met. This included adequate time during their day to pursue personal interests as opposed to their time being spent taking care of their disabled sibling or assisting their parents, who may be overburdened due to the added care and responsibilities a disabled child might require. Furthermore, it is suggested that the incongruity experienced by the participants could be the result of various factors including age, gender, birth order and the nature of their sibling’s impairment. On the basis of the findings of this research, it can be concluded that the experiences of siblings of young, disabled people living in disadvantaged socioeconomic contexts cannot necessarily be described as being positive or negative, but are highly nuanced. In addition, the participants to some extent experience disability by association and are lacking in adequate support and opportunities to discuss their unique challenges. These insights serve to better inform disability studies in disadvantaged socio-economic circumstances. These findings are in accordance with earlier research.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
“Oh, you have a ‘she’?”: exploring the lived experiences of black same-sex females living in Grahamstown, South Africa
- Authors: Haihambo, Naem Patemoshela
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Lesbians, Black -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Lesbians, Black -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Psychology , Lesbians, Black -- South Africa -- Public opinion , Lesbianism -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Lesbianism -- South Africa -- Public opinion
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4304 , vital:20646
- Description: The South African Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of a variety of factors including race and gender and sexual orientation. This inclusion came in 1996 after an oppressive apartheid regime was overcome, also positioning the South African Constitution amongst the more liberal, especially in the wider African context. This inclusion and the contextual disparity has caused curiosity about the realities of same-sex sexualities, especially taking into consideration media reports on violence and perceived social opposition of same- sex sexualities in South Africa. Much of this attention has motivated research studies on same-sex sexualities. Within this research, however, black female same-sex sexualities have been positioned as vulnerable and victimised within the heteronormative context, with much of this research focusing on ‘corrective/curative’ rape. There has however been increasing efforts in moving away from this limiting position by a select few (e.g. Zanele Muholi and Zethu Matebeni) in a more explorative direction in attempts to investigate black female sexualities as complex and expressive rather than passive. This study is an interpretive phenomenological investigation of the lived experiences of black female same-sex sexualities and the plurality of identities that influence their everyday experiences. This took into account intersectionality, heteronormativity and queer theory, which provided a theoretical framework for this study. During the interview process, participants described their experiences as black same-sex females in a variety of contexts including their experiences and influences of external factors (such as family and university. From the results of this research, experiences and identities of participants are presented as complex, fluid, expressive and to some extent political. Participants also expressed the difficulties encountered with misinformed friends and families and describe ways in which they assert themselves within their social and personal contexts.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Haihambo, Naem Patemoshela
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Lesbians, Black -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Lesbians, Black -- South Africa -- Makhanda -- Psychology , Lesbians, Black -- South Africa -- Public opinion , Lesbianism -- South Africa -- Makhanda , Lesbianism -- South Africa -- Public opinion
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4304 , vital:20646
- Description: The South African Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of a variety of factors including race and gender and sexual orientation. This inclusion came in 1996 after an oppressive apartheid regime was overcome, also positioning the South African Constitution amongst the more liberal, especially in the wider African context. This inclusion and the contextual disparity has caused curiosity about the realities of same-sex sexualities, especially taking into consideration media reports on violence and perceived social opposition of same- sex sexualities in South Africa. Much of this attention has motivated research studies on same-sex sexualities. Within this research, however, black female same-sex sexualities have been positioned as vulnerable and victimised within the heteronormative context, with much of this research focusing on ‘corrective/curative’ rape. There has however been increasing efforts in moving away from this limiting position by a select few (e.g. Zanele Muholi and Zethu Matebeni) in a more explorative direction in attempts to investigate black female sexualities as complex and expressive rather than passive. This study is an interpretive phenomenological investigation of the lived experiences of black female same-sex sexualities and the plurality of identities that influence their everyday experiences. This took into account intersectionality, heteronormativity and queer theory, which provided a theoretical framework for this study. During the interview process, participants described their experiences as black same-sex females in a variety of contexts including their experiences and influences of external factors (such as family and university. From the results of this research, experiences and identities of participants are presented as complex, fluid, expressive and to some extent political. Participants also expressed the difficulties encountered with misinformed friends and families and describe ways in which they assert themselves within their social and personal contexts.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
“She is my sister although she’s got factory faults”: a psychosocial study of Xhosa women’s sister-sister relationships
- Authors: Moifo, Hunadi Senkoane
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Xhosa (African people) -- Rites and ceremonies , Xhosa (African people) -- Social life and customs , Sisters -- South Africa -- Case studies , Xhosa (African people) -- Psychology , Women, Black -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Psychology , Women, Black -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4443 , vital:20671
- Description: The current study examines the constructions that Black, Xhosa women from the working class and in middle adulthood draw on to make meaning of their sister-sister relationships. In addition to this, it aims to uncover their motivations for investing in these meanings. It makes use of a psychosocial theoretical framework that draws on discursive psychology and psychoanalysis. Discursive psychology is used to analyse the constructions the participants used to make meaning of their relationship, while psychoanalysis is used to interpret their investments in these constructions. Six participants were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The findings emphasise the psychosocial nature of the participants’ sisterly relationships, as caught between ‘inner’ world of feelings and emotions and the ‘outer’ world of social practices and expectations. Their narratives pointed to the obligatory nature of the sister-sister relationship, which drives participants to downplay the hatred or dislike that is present in their relationship and to emphasise traditional scripts of helping each other, promoting solidarity amongst sisters and other women. The analysis highlights the ways in which the participants negotiate and express their gender roles through sistering, reinforcing and challenging the traditional view of femininity and as a result providing for multiple femininities. In addition to these, the findings show that women may choose specific narratives to construct their sister-sister relationships as they allow them to feel safe and in control of their lives. Using psychoanalysis alongside discursive psychology enables the findings to illustrate how the participants invest in different constructions of their relationship in ways that are influenced by their values and life histories.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Moifo, Hunadi Senkoane
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Xhosa (African people) -- Rites and ceremonies , Xhosa (African people) -- Social life and customs , Sisters -- South Africa -- Case studies , Xhosa (African people) -- Psychology , Women, Black -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Psychology , Women, Black -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/4443 , vital:20671
- Description: The current study examines the constructions that Black, Xhosa women from the working class and in middle adulthood draw on to make meaning of their sister-sister relationships. In addition to this, it aims to uncover their motivations for investing in these meanings. It makes use of a psychosocial theoretical framework that draws on discursive psychology and psychoanalysis. Discursive psychology is used to analyse the constructions the participants used to make meaning of their relationship, while psychoanalysis is used to interpret their investments in these constructions. Six participants were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The findings emphasise the psychosocial nature of the participants’ sisterly relationships, as caught between ‘inner’ world of feelings and emotions and the ‘outer’ world of social practices and expectations. Their narratives pointed to the obligatory nature of the sister-sister relationship, which drives participants to downplay the hatred or dislike that is present in their relationship and to emphasise traditional scripts of helping each other, promoting solidarity amongst sisters and other women. The analysis highlights the ways in which the participants negotiate and express their gender roles through sistering, reinforcing and challenging the traditional view of femininity and as a result providing for multiple femininities. In addition to these, the findings show that women may choose specific narratives to construct their sister-sister relationships as they allow them to feel safe and in control of their lives. Using psychoanalysis alongside discursive psychology enables the findings to illustrate how the participants invest in different constructions of their relationship in ways that are influenced by their values and life histories.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
“You whore; you are so dirty, bitch”: the justification of and resistance to violence in the intimate relationships of female sex workers
- Authors: Bartlett, Elretha
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Women -- Violence against -- South Africa , Sex workers -- Violence against -- South Africa , Women, Black -- Abuse of -- South Africa , Women -- Violence against -- South Africa -- Case studies , Sex workers -- Violence against -- South Africa -- Case studies , Women, Black -- Abuse of -- South Africa -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5082 , vital:20764
- Description: The objective of the study is to examine discourses of gender and dimensions of social difference implicated in female sex workers’ (FSWs) justifications of, and resistances to, intimate partner violence (IPV). Individual narrative interviews were conducted with FSWs (n=11) who were affiliated with the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT). The participants were mostly women of colour (n=10), with a low socio-economic status, and between 31 and 51 years of age. Intersectionality and features of Foucauldian discourse analysis, as described by Parker (1992), informed the analysis of the interview data. In personal interviews, participants interrogated aspects of their own and their partners’ lives that they viewed as playing a significant role in the aetiology and experience of IPV. They drew on a discourse of violent black masculinity, developmental discourses, and patriarchal ideology to justify and resist their partners’ violent behaviour. They also positioned themselves and their ‘spoiled’ identities as playing a role in the experience of violence. Participants pointed to the construction of sex work as ‘dirty work’ and the role that this played in legitimising the violence that was directed at them by intimate partners. In relation to this positioning and its consequences in terms of justifications for violence, my analysis highlights occasions in which gender ideology is re-appropriated for the purpose of challenging the legitimacy of these interpretative frames. While gender politics is central to my analytic observations, my analysis demonstrates how intersections with race and class shape the specificities of FSWs experiences of IPV. In doing so, this study aims to broaden current insights into the phenomenon of IPV, as it does not only focus on gender discrimination, but on the complex interaction between various systems of oppression.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017
- Authors: Bartlett, Elretha
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Women -- Violence against -- South Africa , Sex workers -- Violence against -- South Africa , Women, Black -- Abuse of -- South Africa , Women -- Violence against -- South Africa -- Case studies , Sex workers -- Violence against -- South Africa -- Case studies , Women, Black -- Abuse of -- South Africa -- Case studies
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/5082 , vital:20764
- Description: The objective of the study is to examine discourses of gender and dimensions of social difference implicated in female sex workers’ (FSWs) justifications of, and resistances to, intimate partner violence (IPV). Individual narrative interviews were conducted with FSWs (n=11) who were affiliated with the Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT). The participants were mostly women of colour (n=10), with a low socio-economic status, and between 31 and 51 years of age. Intersectionality and features of Foucauldian discourse analysis, as described by Parker (1992), informed the analysis of the interview data. In personal interviews, participants interrogated aspects of their own and their partners’ lives that they viewed as playing a significant role in the aetiology and experience of IPV. They drew on a discourse of violent black masculinity, developmental discourses, and patriarchal ideology to justify and resist their partners’ violent behaviour. They also positioned themselves and their ‘spoiled’ identities as playing a role in the experience of violence. Participants pointed to the construction of sex work as ‘dirty work’ and the role that this played in legitimising the violence that was directed at them by intimate partners. In relation to this positioning and its consequences in terms of justifications for violence, my analysis highlights occasions in which gender ideology is re-appropriated for the purpose of challenging the legitimacy of these interpretative frames. While gender politics is central to my analytic observations, my analysis demonstrates how intersections with race and class shape the specificities of FSWs experiences of IPV. In doing so, this study aims to broaden current insights into the phenomenon of IPV, as it does not only focus on gender discrimination, but on the complex interaction between various systems of oppression.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2017