The effectiveness of the Therapeutic Sandstory Method as a focused intervention with a child: a descriptive single case study
- Authors: Francis, Staci
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Sandplay therapy , Storytelling Psychological aspects , Social constructionism , Narrative therapy , Child psychotherapy Case studies , Thematic analysis , Data reduction
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424973 , vital:72198
- Description: This study explores and describes a phenomenological case study, illustrating a postmodern constructionist orientation to sandtray work with a South African child. The Therapeutic Sandstory Method (TSM) involves the innovative integration of a variety of tenets when working with children– constructing sandworlds, storytelling, the reflection of stories and coherent therapeutic documents in therapy collectively facilitating the healing process. This novel method enables children to translate and communicate their own personal experiences and traumas into a concrete form through storytelling and metaphoric connections constructed in their sandworld. It is anticipated that the TSM is a brief yet feasible, child-centered therapeutic engagement designed to continue the therapeutic process outside of the therapy setting, making it ideally suited for children and adolescents from under-resourced communities. The results of the study revealed improved interpersonal functioning and emotional wellbeing after eight sessions. Contextualized narrative and social constructionist findings are discussed and recommendations made pertaining to future research and practice using TSM with children in therapy. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Francis, Staci
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Sandplay therapy , Storytelling Psychological aspects , Social constructionism , Narrative therapy , Child psychotherapy Case studies , Thematic analysis , Data reduction
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/424973 , vital:72198
- Description: This study explores and describes a phenomenological case study, illustrating a postmodern constructionist orientation to sandtray work with a South African child. The Therapeutic Sandstory Method (TSM) involves the innovative integration of a variety of tenets when working with children– constructing sandworlds, storytelling, the reflection of stories and coherent therapeutic documents in therapy collectively facilitating the healing process. This novel method enables children to translate and communicate their own personal experiences and traumas into a concrete form through storytelling and metaphoric connections constructed in their sandworld. It is anticipated that the TSM is a brief yet feasible, child-centered therapeutic engagement designed to continue the therapeutic process outside of the therapy setting, making it ideally suited for children and adolescents from under-resourced communities. The results of the study revealed improved interpersonal functioning and emotional wellbeing after eight sessions. Contextualized narrative and social constructionist findings are discussed and recommendations made pertaining to future research and practice using TSM with children in therapy. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
The perspectives of some amaXhosa healthcare workers regarding mental distress: an interpretive phenomenological analysis
- Authors: Ngqamfana, Siphosethu
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Mental distress , Xhosa (African people) Social life and customs , Stigma (Social psychology) , Health professional , Eurocentrism , Afrocentrism , Sociocultural perspective
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425031 , vital:72203
- Description: Mental distress is a universal phenomenon experienced by many individuals despite age, race, gender, occupation, or socio-cultural context and is slowly becoming a major contributor to the burden of disease in South Africa. However, mental distress fails to take precedence in SA because of inherent intricacies in understandings about it, as a result of ways of being conceptualised and interpreted differently across cultures. This research study explored amaXhosa healthcare workers’ understandings, knowledge, practices, and attitudes regarding mental distress amongst some amaXhosa people. The study aimed to investigate what mental distress means for some people who belong to the amaXhosa ethnic group, to uncover how they conceptualise mental distress, seek help or what behaviours prevent help-seeking. It aimed to highlight any prevalent attitudes of stigma and discrimination, to build insight into overlooked aspects in psychotherapy practice especially when dealing with non-western populations. The study utilised interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) as its analytical lens; to explore and to enter as far as possible into the worlds of participants to generate rich data and in-depth analysis. Four participants were recruited through both purposive and snowball sampling and data were gathered using individual semi-structured interviews. From the data collected, the findings illustrate a limited understanding of mental distress amongst some amaXhosa people due to lack of education and awareness on the subject, leading to the apparent silence in discussing such matters and inadvertently predisposing it to being viewed as taboo. The predominant themes as evidenced by the data were the use of language that sensationalises mental distress; misinformation; Afrocentric beliefs that rationalise mental distress; alienation and segregation of those affected; and the primary healthcare system as a source of reinforcing prevalent stigma and discrimination. The findings show a link between constructs around mental distress and the prevalent socioiii cultural environment, denoting that some perspectives can be linked to observations or modelling in childhood, from people in the respective communities in which people live. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Ngqamfana, Siphosethu
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Mental distress , Xhosa (African people) Social life and customs , Stigma (Social psychology) , Health professional , Eurocentrism , Afrocentrism , Sociocultural perspective
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425031 , vital:72203
- Description: Mental distress is a universal phenomenon experienced by many individuals despite age, race, gender, occupation, or socio-cultural context and is slowly becoming a major contributor to the burden of disease in South Africa. However, mental distress fails to take precedence in SA because of inherent intricacies in understandings about it, as a result of ways of being conceptualised and interpreted differently across cultures. This research study explored amaXhosa healthcare workers’ understandings, knowledge, practices, and attitudes regarding mental distress amongst some amaXhosa people. The study aimed to investigate what mental distress means for some people who belong to the amaXhosa ethnic group, to uncover how they conceptualise mental distress, seek help or what behaviours prevent help-seeking. It aimed to highlight any prevalent attitudes of stigma and discrimination, to build insight into overlooked aspects in psychotherapy practice especially when dealing with non-western populations. The study utilised interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) as its analytical lens; to explore and to enter as far as possible into the worlds of participants to generate rich data and in-depth analysis. Four participants were recruited through both purposive and snowball sampling and data were gathered using individual semi-structured interviews. From the data collected, the findings illustrate a limited understanding of mental distress amongst some amaXhosa people due to lack of education and awareness on the subject, leading to the apparent silence in discussing such matters and inadvertently predisposing it to being viewed as taboo. The predominant themes as evidenced by the data were the use of language that sensationalises mental distress; misinformation; Afrocentric beliefs that rationalise mental distress; alienation and segregation of those affected; and the primary healthcare system as a source of reinforcing prevalent stigma and discrimination. The findings show a link between constructs around mental distress and the prevalent socioiii cultural environment, denoting that some perspectives can be linked to observations or modelling in childhood, from people in the respective communities in which people live. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
The prevalence of alcohol use disorders among university students in developing countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Authors: Ndlovu, Philani
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: College students Alcohol use Developing countries , Prevalence , College students Conduct of life , College students Attitudes , Alcohol Physiological effect
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425019 , vital:72202
- Description: High alcohol misuse is associated with many challenges, including (a) unsafe sex, problems with the criminal justice system, absenteeism, academic failure, death, injury, and alcohol related harm, both in the developing and developed world. Despite the above, no meta-analysis had been conducted in the literature to comprehensively study the prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) amongst university students in the developing world. This study reviewed literature related to AUDs among university students in developing countries. It described the concept of AUD and the harmful effects of excessive alcohol use, including biological, cognitive, psycho-social, and economic impacts on the individual and the family. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Ndlovu, Philani
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: College students Alcohol use Developing countries , Prevalence , College students Conduct of life , College students Attitudes , Alcohol Physiological effect
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/425019 , vital:72202
- Description: High alcohol misuse is associated with many challenges, including (a) unsafe sex, problems with the criminal justice system, absenteeism, academic failure, death, injury, and alcohol related harm, both in the developing and developed world. Despite the above, no meta-analysis had been conducted in the literature to comprehensively study the prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) amongst university students in the developing world. This study reviewed literature related to AUDs among university students in developing countries. It described the concept of AUD and the harmful effects of excessive alcohol use, including biological, cognitive, psycho-social, and economic impacts on the individual and the family. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
The professional experiences of early career counselling psychologists in South Africa: a mixed method study
- Authors: Haine, Phillipa Claire
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Counseling psychology South Africa , Career development , Counseling psychologists Training of South Africa , Mixed methods research , Interpretative phenomenological analysis
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432321 , vital:72861 , DOI 10.21504/10962/432322
- Description: Counselling psychologists represent a considerable proportion of psychologists in South Africa (SA), yet knowledge on the discipline’s workforce is limited. In addition, professional lifespan issues have received inadequate attention, inclusive of the early career stage, identified as an exceptionally vulnerable segment of the professional lifespan. Undergirded by an interpretative phenomenology research paradigm, this mixed method sequential explanatory study, consisting of two distinct phases, aimed to explore the professional experiences of early career counselling psychologists (counselling ECPs) in SA, inclusive of employment trends, challenges and support needs. The quantitative phase (‘First Phase’) comprised of an online survey questionnaire (n = 512) to investigate the employment trends of counselling ECPs in SA. A qualitative phase (‘Second Phase’) followed, comprising of online semi-structured interviews with ten counselling ECPs. The rationale for this was that the preliminary quantitative data provided a broad understanding of the research problem, whereas the qualitative data sought to expand on the quantitative data by exploring the participants’ experiences in depth. Moreover, the collection of quantitative data provided a strong justification and phenomenological orientation for the second, qualitative, phase. The data from the two research phases were combined within a joint discussion to ensure a level of methodological complementarity and a more holistic understanding of the data captured. Trends from the first, quantitative, phase demonstrated that counselling ECPs differed across various domains from more senior generations. In the second, qualitative, phase, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the data revealed three Group Experiential Themes: i) Complexity of finding and securing work, ii) Navigating an array of personal, professional and systemic challenges, and iii) Support as self-acquired. Overall, the findings suggest that counselling ECPs in SA face a variety of challenges upon entering the workforce, enhanced support is thus needed for this new, more diverse cohort of practitioners. Actionable recommendations are offered at various levels. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Haine, Phillipa Claire
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Counseling psychology South Africa , Career development , Counseling psychologists Training of South Africa , Mixed methods research , Interpretative phenomenological analysis
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432321 , vital:72861 , DOI 10.21504/10962/432322
- Description: Counselling psychologists represent a considerable proportion of psychologists in South Africa (SA), yet knowledge on the discipline’s workforce is limited. In addition, professional lifespan issues have received inadequate attention, inclusive of the early career stage, identified as an exceptionally vulnerable segment of the professional lifespan. Undergirded by an interpretative phenomenology research paradigm, this mixed method sequential explanatory study, consisting of two distinct phases, aimed to explore the professional experiences of early career counselling psychologists (counselling ECPs) in SA, inclusive of employment trends, challenges and support needs. The quantitative phase (‘First Phase’) comprised of an online survey questionnaire (n = 512) to investigate the employment trends of counselling ECPs in SA. A qualitative phase (‘Second Phase’) followed, comprising of online semi-structured interviews with ten counselling ECPs. The rationale for this was that the preliminary quantitative data provided a broad understanding of the research problem, whereas the qualitative data sought to expand on the quantitative data by exploring the participants’ experiences in depth. Moreover, the collection of quantitative data provided a strong justification and phenomenological orientation for the second, qualitative, phase. The data from the two research phases were combined within a joint discussion to ensure a level of methodological complementarity and a more holistic understanding of the data captured. Trends from the first, quantitative, phase demonstrated that counselling ECPs differed across various domains from more senior generations. In the second, qualitative, phase, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the data revealed three Group Experiential Themes: i) Complexity of finding and securing work, ii) Navigating an array of personal, professional and systemic challenges, and iii) Support as self-acquired. Overall, the findings suggest that counselling ECPs in SA face a variety of challenges upon entering the workforce, enhanced support is thus needed for this new, more diverse cohort of practitioners. Actionable recommendations are offered at various levels. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
The relevance of career counselling in higher education: a study following students at a South African university
- Authors: Lewis, Christine
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Vocational guidance South Africa , Counseling in higher education South Africa , Identity (Psychology) in education , Ethnopsychology , College students South Africa Longitudinal studies
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432347 , vital:72863 , DOI 10.21504/10962/432348
- Description: Very few students in South Africa (SA) receive adequate career counselling at school and often arrive at institutions of higher learning without a clear sense of what their prospective careers will entail. The limited access to career counselling and assessment is further compounded by criticisms of popular career assessment instruments used in SA, where the primary goal of career counselling and assessment is to match clients to careers for job placement. This approach no longer serves the needs of a diverse SA population and disregards contextual influences on careers. Therefore, a need exists to understand and inform career counselling interventions and to guard against the provision of de-contextualised and contextually insensitive approaches. Moreover, changes in the workplace, where career change has become the norm as the world of work has moved away from stability and permanency to fluidity, calls for a contemporary response from career counselling theories, practitioners as well as researchers, to equip clients with the necessary skills to respond to these changes. Thus, SA institutions of higher learning need to innovate their practices to more inclusively, effectively, and justly serve the needs of a diverse student population for work success in a developing nation and a complex world. This study aimed to evaluate the relevance and effectiveness of a university’s career counselling services from the students’ perspectives. It focuses on gaining an indication of the perceived effectiveness of assessment measures used, and to ascertain the influences that impact on individual students’ career decision-making over the course of undergraduate studies. Due to the increasing recognition for the need to develop a contextualised approach to career development interventions, this study included the SACII, a locally developed interest inventory as part of a career assessment battery, with a group of university students. A pragmatic approach using mixed-methods was used. Multiple case studies of the career trajectories of a cohort of undergraduate students who had undertaken career assessments at the university career centre, were tracked longitudinally over the course of undergraduate studies. Data were generated through vignettes that included the 13 participants' career assessment reports, a service evaluation questionnaire and two successive follow-up interviews. Each participant's first follow-up interview occurred six months after their career assessment feedback session; and the second follow-up was in the final year of undergraduate studies, after eighteen months. Descriptive statistical analysis summarised the basic features of the quantitative data from the evaluation questionnaire. Thematic analysis was used for organisation and analysis of the follow-up interview data. Findings were that the career counselling and assessment facilitated greater self-knowledge in relation to career decision-making, assisted with selecting degree major subjects and enhanced career planning abilities. Using locally developed assessment measures in career counselling proved to be useful. Exploring career development from an overarching developmental contextual framework that is applicable and well-suited to the SA context provided a deeper understanding of contextual influences that impact on students' career decision-making processes. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Lewis, Christine
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Vocational guidance South Africa , Counseling in higher education South Africa , Identity (Psychology) in education , Ethnopsychology , College students South Africa Longitudinal studies
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432347 , vital:72863 , DOI 10.21504/10962/432348
- Description: Very few students in South Africa (SA) receive adequate career counselling at school and often arrive at institutions of higher learning without a clear sense of what their prospective careers will entail. The limited access to career counselling and assessment is further compounded by criticisms of popular career assessment instruments used in SA, where the primary goal of career counselling and assessment is to match clients to careers for job placement. This approach no longer serves the needs of a diverse SA population and disregards contextual influences on careers. Therefore, a need exists to understand and inform career counselling interventions and to guard against the provision of de-contextualised and contextually insensitive approaches. Moreover, changes in the workplace, where career change has become the norm as the world of work has moved away from stability and permanency to fluidity, calls for a contemporary response from career counselling theories, practitioners as well as researchers, to equip clients with the necessary skills to respond to these changes. Thus, SA institutions of higher learning need to innovate their practices to more inclusively, effectively, and justly serve the needs of a diverse student population for work success in a developing nation and a complex world. This study aimed to evaluate the relevance and effectiveness of a university’s career counselling services from the students’ perspectives. It focuses on gaining an indication of the perceived effectiveness of assessment measures used, and to ascertain the influences that impact on individual students’ career decision-making over the course of undergraduate studies. Due to the increasing recognition for the need to develop a contextualised approach to career development interventions, this study included the SACII, a locally developed interest inventory as part of a career assessment battery, with a group of university students. A pragmatic approach using mixed-methods was used. Multiple case studies of the career trajectories of a cohort of undergraduate students who had undertaken career assessments at the university career centre, were tracked longitudinally over the course of undergraduate studies. Data were generated through vignettes that included the 13 participants' career assessment reports, a service evaluation questionnaire and two successive follow-up interviews. Each participant's first follow-up interview occurred six months after their career assessment feedback session; and the second follow-up was in the final year of undergraduate studies, after eighteen months. Descriptive statistical analysis summarised the basic features of the quantitative data from the evaluation questionnaire. Thematic analysis was used for organisation and analysis of the follow-up interview data. Findings were that the career counselling and assessment facilitated greater self-knowledge in relation to career decision-making, assisted with selecting degree major subjects and enhanced career planning abilities. Using locally developed assessment measures in career counselling proved to be useful. Exploring career development from an overarching developmental contextual framework that is applicable and well-suited to the SA context provided a deeper understanding of contextual influences that impact on students' career decision-making processes. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
“How do you feel about the abortion?”: pre-termination of pregnancy counselling in the public health sector in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: Du Toit, Ryan Rudolph
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Abortion counseling South Africa Eastern Cape , Conversation analysis , Discursive psychology , Public health South Africa , Reproductive justice , Abortion Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/437238 , vital:73355 , DOI 10.21504/10962/437239
- Description: Pre-abortion counselling, as an aspect of abortion provision, has received growing research interest in various contexts. Much of the research has primarily focused on whether abortion counselling takes place, the experiences of women and/or counsellors (usually through retrospective interviews and surveys), and the content discussed during the counselling session (often policy regulated). Such research has proven vital to addressing the various reproductive issues facing women seeking an abortion worldwide. However, little research has focused on how pre-abortion counselling as an everyday institutional practice is conducted at a conversational level in the medical setting. By drawing on both conversation analysis and discursive psychology, this study explored how pre-abortion counselling was conducted in the public health sector in South Africa. The study involved recording the conversation during pre-abortion counselling and analysing it in terms of its content, in particular, the discourses drawn on by all parties involved, and its structure and delivery. The data were collected from three public hospitals in the Eastern Cape of South Africa and involved the audio recording of pre-abortion counselling sessions as part of abortion services. In total, 28 counselling sessions were recorded: 21 were individual sessions, and 7 were group counselling sessions. At two of the sites, counselling was conducted by registered midwives who worked at the hospital. At one site, an external Christian organisation volunteered trained counsellors to counsel women at the hospital free of charge. Using conversation analysis, counselling sessions were analysed in terms of the main projects. Seven key projects were identified: (1) Context setting, (2) History taking, (3) Establishing reason for abortion, (4) Presenting options, (5) Providing procedural information, (6) Obtaining verbal informed consent, and (7) Discussion of family planning. Each project is explored in terms of what discourses and subject positions featured when speakers were orienting to a specific project. This process highlighted how the conversational projects and their respective goals enable the deployment of certain problematic discourses and interactive/reflexive positionings. Discourse analysis revealed a clustering of discourses around two central themes. In the first clustering, the discourses were primarily used to discuss the (1) medically related issues underpinning the abortion procedure [medical discourse, responsibilization discourse, risk discourse, and discourse of support]. Talk using these discourses positioned women as patients needing medical intervention, responsibilised women for conceiving, playing an active role in their termination, and navigating all the psychological and physical risks “associated” with abortion. The discourse of support illustrates how support was spoken about in the interaction whereby patients were constructed as subjects who required support and nurses/counsellors as the ones who offered the support. In the second clustering, the discourses (2) focused on women and the foetus. These discourses [reproductive choice, religious, pronatalist, and foetal personhood discourses] positioned women as being responsible for making a choice regarding their pregnancy and the consequences that may result. In addition, a religious discourse coupled with a pronatalist discourse was used to construct the pregnancy and motherhood as desirable and part of “God’s plan”, whereas the foetus was spoken about as a “gift from God”. The foetal personhood discourse was used to construct the foetus as a living and functional human. This research provides evidence of how abortion counselling is problematic at various levels. At a practical level, there is a lack of standardisation in the delivery of abortion counselling (e.g., variation in key projects, where the counselling is mandated, time taken, nurse/counsellor training, content and format – group vs. individual counselling). At a discursive level, the use of certain discourses works to render the counselling directive through : (1) awfulizing abortion by providing misinformation about the abortion procedure, foetus and post-abortion psychological distress, (2) chastising and responsibilising women for conceiving, (3) constructing abortion as immoral, the ending of life and not in line with God’s plan, (4) constructing parenthood as the preferred choice, (5) delegitimising abortion as a resolution for pregnancy when compared to the other options (e.g., parenting or adoption), and finally (6) providing counselling that does not take into account the broader socio-political contexts. Recommendations for future research are put forward, and a call to move to a reparative justice framework is made by highlighting how it can be used to identify and understand reproductive injustices as they occur along four intersecting dimensions: (1) Individual material, (2) Collective material, (3) Individual symbolic, and (4) Collective symbolic. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
- Authors: Du Toit, Ryan Rudolph
- Date: 2023-10-13
- Subjects: Abortion counseling South Africa Eastern Cape , Conversation analysis , Discursive psychology , Public health South Africa , Reproductive justice , Abortion Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/437238 , vital:73355 , DOI 10.21504/10962/437239
- Description: Pre-abortion counselling, as an aspect of abortion provision, has received growing research interest in various contexts. Much of the research has primarily focused on whether abortion counselling takes place, the experiences of women and/or counsellors (usually through retrospective interviews and surveys), and the content discussed during the counselling session (often policy regulated). Such research has proven vital to addressing the various reproductive issues facing women seeking an abortion worldwide. However, little research has focused on how pre-abortion counselling as an everyday institutional practice is conducted at a conversational level in the medical setting. By drawing on both conversation analysis and discursive psychology, this study explored how pre-abortion counselling was conducted in the public health sector in South Africa. The study involved recording the conversation during pre-abortion counselling and analysing it in terms of its content, in particular, the discourses drawn on by all parties involved, and its structure and delivery. The data were collected from three public hospitals in the Eastern Cape of South Africa and involved the audio recording of pre-abortion counselling sessions as part of abortion services. In total, 28 counselling sessions were recorded: 21 were individual sessions, and 7 were group counselling sessions. At two of the sites, counselling was conducted by registered midwives who worked at the hospital. At one site, an external Christian organisation volunteered trained counsellors to counsel women at the hospital free of charge. Using conversation analysis, counselling sessions were analysed in terms of the main projects. Seven key projects were identified: (1) Context setting, (2) History taking, (3) Establishing reason for abortion, (4) Presenting options, (5) Providing procedural information, (6) Obtaining verbal informed consent, and (7) Discussion of family planning. Each project is explored in terms of what discourses and subject positions featured when speakers were orienting to a specific project. This process highlighted how the conversational projects and their respective goals enable the deployment of certain problematic discourses and interactive/reflexive positionings. Discourse analysis revealed a clustering of discourses around two central themes. In the first clustering, the discourses were primarily used to discuss the (1) medically related issues underpinning the abortion procedure [medical discourse, responsibilization discourse, risk discourse, and discourse of support]. Talk using these discourses positioned women as patients needing medical intervention, responsibilised women for conceiving, playing an active role in their termination, and navigating all the psychological and physical risks “associated” with abortion. The discourse of support illustrates how support was spoken about in the interaction whereby patients were constructed as subjects who required support and nurses/counsellors as the ones who offered the support. In the second clustering, the discourses (2) focused on women and the foetus. These discourses [reproductive choice, religious, pronatalist, and foetal personhood discourses] positioned women as being responsible for making a choice regarding their pregnancy and the consequences that may result. In addition, a religious discourse coupled with a pronatalist discourse was used to construct the pregnancy and motherhood as desirable and part of “God’s plan”, whereas the foetus was spoken about as a “gift from God”. The foetal personhood discourse was used to construct the foetus as a living and functional human. This research provides evidence of how abortion counselling is problematic at various levels. At a practical level, there is a lack of standardisation in the delivery of abortion counselling (e.g., variation in key projects, where the counselling is mandated, time taken, nurse/counsellor training, content and format – group vs. individual counselling). At a discursive level, the use of certain discourses works to render the counselling directive through : (1) awfulizing abortion by providing misinformation about the abortion procedure, foetus and post-abortion psychological distress, (2) chastising and responsibilising women for conceiving, (3) constructing abortion as immoral, the ending of life and not in line with God’s plan, (4) constructing parenthood as the preferred choice, (5) delegitimising abortion as a resolution for pregnancy when compared to the other options (e.g., parenting or adoption), and finally (6) providing counselling that does not take into account the broader socio-political contexts. Recommendations for future research are put forward, and a call to move to a reparative justice framework is made by highlighting how it can be used to identify and understand reproductive injustices as they occur along four intersecting dimensions: (1) Individual material, (2) Collective material, (3) Individual symbolic, and (4) Collective symbolic. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-10-13
An analysis of womxn’s understanding of South African public health awareness campaigns’ messages on HIV/AIDS using cognitive interviewing
- Authors: Simpo, Hazel
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: HIV infections Risk factors , AIDS (Disease) Risk factors , Womxn , Cognitive interview , Awareness campaign , HIV infections South Africa , AIDS (Disease) South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408738 , vital:70521
- Description: Besides having the most extensive antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment programme, South Africa faces the highest epidemic rate, with womxn and children most affected. Several prevention strategies have been implemented to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, including free access to print form awareness campaigns that come through pamphlets, posters and billboards. However, most public health sector awareness and educational programmes carry uniform messages that are then carried out in heterogeneous contexts leading to the miscomprehension of the intended messages. This study aimed to explore womxn’s understanding of public health awareness content on the prevention of HIV/AIDS. The focus was on examining their interpretation of universal HIV/AIDS awareness messages in their heterogeneous contexts, which might provide obstacles to womxn’s reproductive health and well-being using a reproductive justice framework. This study employed a cognitive interviewing methodology to collect data from the participants to obtain information about how participants understand and perceive knowledge and how they arrive at specific answers or judgements. Twenty-eight (28) womxn aged between 18 and 30 years were purposively sampled for this study from four (4) local healthcare facilities in Makhanda: the Grahamstown Municipality (Anglo-African) Clinic, the Joza Clinic, the Settlers Day Hospital and the Raglan Road Clinic. Thematic network analysis (Attride-Stirling, 2001) was used to analyse the data collected from the study. One global theme emerged from the dataset: Barriers to HIV prevention, care and treatment. The barriers were identified mainly due to social constructions of hegemonic masculinity, individual versus cultural expectations, and outdated awareness content. The findings from the study suggest that almost all the challenges that womxn faced in terms of understanding and interpreting the awareness materials stemmed from structural factors in the South African context. The findings also suggest that cognitive interviewing methodology can be reconceptualised as an endeavour that cuts across a wide range of fields. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
- Authors: Simpo, Hazel
- Date: 2023-03-30
- Subjects: HIV infections Risk factors , AIDS (Disease) Risk factors , Womxn , Cognitive interview , Awareness campaign , HIV infections South Africa , AIDS (Disease) South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/408738 , vital:70521
- Description: Besides having the most extensive antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment programme, South Africa faces the highest epidemic rate, with womxn and children most affected. Several prevention strategies have been implemented to curb the spread of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, including free access to print form awareness campaigns that come through pamphlets, posters and billboards. However, most public health sector awareness and educational programmes carry uniform messages that are then carried out in heterogeneous contexts leading to the miscomprehension of the intended messages. This study aimed to explore womxn’s understanding of public health awareness content on the prevention of HIV/AIDS. The focus was on examining their interpretation of universal HIV/AIDS awareness messages in their heterogeneous contexts, which might provide obstacles to womxn’s reproductive health and well-being using a reproductive justice framework. This study employed a cognitive interviewing methodology to collect data from the participants to obtain information about how participants understand and perceive knowledge and how they arrive at specific answers or judgements. Twenty-eight (28) womxn aged between 18 and 30 years were purposively sampled for this study from four (4) local healthcare facilities in Makhanda: the Grahamstown Municipality (Anglo-African) Clinic, the Joza Clinic, the Settlers Day Hospital and the Raglan Road Clinic. Thematic network analysis (Attride-Stirling, 2001) was used to analyse the data collected from the study. One global theme emerged from the dataset: Barriers to HIV prevention, care and treatment. The barriers were identified mainly due to social constructions of hegemonic masculinity, individual versus cultural expectations, and outdated awareness content. The findings from the study suggest that almost all the challenges that womxn faced in terms of understanding and interpreting the awareness materials stemmed from structural factors in the South African context. The findings also suggest that cognitive interviewing methodology can be reconceptualised as an endeavour that cuts across a wide range of fields. , Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-30
Making the personal political: understanding the impacts of participation in an anti-rape protest for women who have experienced sexual violence
- Authors: Barker, Kim Elise
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Sexual assault South Africa , Silent protest , Under-reporting , Sexual abuse victims Attiudes , Narrative inquiry (Research method) , Rape Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422590 , vital:71960 , DOI 10.21504/10962/422590
- Description: South Africa is recognised as a country with unusually high levels of rape and sexual violence. The majority of those who experience sexual violence do not acknowledge, disclose or report it, and do not access support. Many factors have been identified which can inhibit acknowledgement and disclosure. While silence is to be honoured as a chosen response, unwanted silencing is of concern. The annual Silent Protest at Rhodes University is a day-long anti-rape protest which draws attention to the attitudes and practices which silence victim-survivors, and enacts solidarity with victim-survivors of sexual violence. I conducted a three year “critically engaged, activist ethnography” with the community of Silent Protestors and organisers. My focus was on the stories that victim-survivors told about the impacts of participating in the protest. Changes in the research context allowed for a participatory action research cycle to be incorporated into the methodology. This offered an opportunity to implement and evaluate some changes suggested by my research contributors. My contributor’s narratives highlighted the ways in which as a society we position those who have been subjected to sexual violence in ways that are limited and limiting and which diminish victim-survivors’ sense of agency and value. This malignant positioning restricts the choices available to victim-survivors. The anticipation of being positioned in negative ways can inhibit victim-survivors from disclosing a violation and accessing care and justice. Participation in the Silent Protest seems to stand against some of the factors which inhibit acknowledgement and disclosure. Through their participation many women took up opportunities to share their story with at least one other person and to receive and offer care. Most described participation as having been beneficial and having helped them move towards living well again. The ways in which the Silent Protest positioned victim-survivors and the choices they were offered in relation to that positioning seemed to open up opportunities for thinking, feeling and acting in ways that they preferred. This suggests that interventions which mobilise both political resistance and mutual care hold promise for developing more accessible and effective services to those affected by sexual violence. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29
- Authors: Barker, Kim Elise
- Date: 2023-03-29
- Subjects: Sexual assault South Africa , Silent protest , Under-reporting , Sexual abuse victims Attiudes , Narrative inquiry (Research method) , Rape Psychological aspects
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/422590 , vital:71960 , DOI 10.21504/10962/422590
- Description: South Africa is recognised as a country with unusually high levels of rape and sexual violence. The majority of those who experience sexual violence do not acknowledge, disclose or report it, and do not access support. Many factors have been identified which can inhibit acknowledgement and disclosure. While silence is to be honoured as a chosen response, unwanted silencing is of concern. The annual Silent Protest at Rhodes University is a day-long anti-rape protest which draws attention to the attitudes and practices which silence victim-survivors, and enacts solidarity with victim-survivors of sexual violence. I conducted a three year “critically engaged, activist ethnography” with the community of Silent Protestors and organisers. My focus was on the stories that victim-survivors told about the impacts of participating in the protest. Changes in the research context allowed for a participatory action research cycle to be incorporated into the methodology. This offered an opportunity to implement and evaluate some changes suggested by my research contributors. My contributor’s narratives highlighted the ways in which as a society we position those who have been subjected to sexual violence in ways that are limited and limiting and which diminish victim-survivors’ sense of agency and value. This malignant positioning restricts the choices available to victim-survivors. The anticipation of being positioned in negative ways can inhibit victim-survivors from disclosing a violation and accessing care and justice. Participation in the Silent Protest seems to stand against some of the factors which inhibit acknowledgement and disclosure. Through their participation many women took up opportunities to share their story with at least one other person and to receive and offer care. Most described participation as having been beneficial and having helped them move towards living well again. The ways in which the Silent Protest positioned victim-survivors and the choices they were offered in relation to that positioning seemed to open up opportunities for thinking, feeling and acting in ways that they preferred. This suggests that interventions which mobilise both political resistance and mutual care hold promise for developing more accessible and effective services to those affected by sexual violence. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2023
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2023-03-29
Conceptualising mental distress from an African psychology paradigm: using an interpretative phenomenological analysis of the views of traditional healers
- Nabo-Bazana, Sandisiwe Sifanelwe
- Authors: Nabo-Bazana, Sandisiwe Sifanelwe
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Healers South Africa , Traditional healer , Mental distress , Black psychology , Afrocentrism
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/406213 , vital:70249
- Description: With South Africa's long history of colonialism and racial oppression, there are still services in the country that many South Africans cannot relate to, including psychology. Research shows that many South Africans experience and are affected by mental distress due to several factors, including poverty, unemployment, and traumatic experiences. Managing and treating such distress has always been challenging for most South Africans. Some debates question the relevance of psychological services from the West in a South African context. This study explores other approaches to psychology that look beyond the Biopsychosocial model when dealing with certain types of disorders in an African context. African psychology, or the Afrocentric approach, looks at what is beneath the surface, not just the presenting problem. Mainstream psychology strives to be universal and applicable to all. However, African psychology disagrees with this notion. African psychology perceives human beings as strongly influenced by social and cultural influences. The focus of this approach includes the spiritual realm and the attached meanings. There is evidence for the need to merge Traditional and Western medicine. The research methodology for this study is qualitative, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. IPA allows for a critical engagement with the ways in which participants construct their reality. The researcher carried out semi-structured interviews to enable participants, all traditional healers (3 female and 2 male), to narrate their experiences dealing with mentally distressed clients. The accounts of these traditional healers were analysed focusing on people who have experienced mental distress. From the analysis and synthesis of the themes, findings illustrate how traditional healers conceptualise and construct mental distress from an African Psychology paradigm. An emerging core theme was the importance of the divine call and its influence on the chosen treatments. More studies are needed to illustrate the potential for collaboration between African Traditional healing and EuroAmerican healing practices, to provide holistic services to people in need. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
- Authors: Nabo-Bazana, Sandisiwe Sifanelwe
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Healers South Africa , Traditional healer , Mental distress , Black psychology , Afrocentrism
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/406213 , vital:70249
- Description: With South Africa's long history of colonialism and racial oppression, there are still services in the country that many South Africans cannot relate to, including psychology. Research shows that many South Africans experience and are affected by mental distress due to several factors, including poverty, unemployment, and traumatic experiences. Managing and treating such distress has always been challenging for most South Africans. Some debates question the relevance of psychological services from the West in a South African context. This study explores other approaches to psychology that look beyond the Biopsychosocial model when dealing with certain types of disorders in an African context. African psychology, or the Afrocentric approach, looks at what is beneath the surface, not just the presenting problem. Mainstream psychology strives to be universal and applicable to all. However, African psychology disagrees with this notion. African psychology perceives human beings as strongly influenced by social and cultural influences. The focus of this approach includes the spiritual realm and the attached meanings. There is evidence for the need to merge Traditional and Western medicine. The research methodology for this study is qualitative, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. IPA allows for a critical engagement with the ways in which participants construct their reality. The researcher carried out semi-structured interviews to enable participants, all traditional healers (3 female and 2 male), to narrate their experiences dealing with mentally distressed clients. The accounts of these traditional healers were analysed focusing on people who have experienced mental distress. From the analysis and synthesis of the themes, findings illustrate how traditional healers conceptualise and construct mental distress from an African Psychology paradigm. An emerging core theme was the importance of the divine call and its influence on the chosen treatments. More studies are needed to illustrate the potential for collaboration between African Traditional healing and EuroAmerican healing practices, to provide holistic services to people in need. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Contextualising job satisfaction amongst lowest paid support staff in a Higher Education institution
- Madito, Gotlannamang Moloiesi Boipelo
- Authors: Madito, Gotlannamang Moloiesi Boipelo
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405984 , vital:70225
- Description: Thesis embargoed. To be relased in 2024. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Contextualising job satisfaction amongst lowest paid support staff in a Higher Education institution
- Authors: Madito, Gotlannamang Moloiesi Boipelo
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405984 , vital:70225
- Description: Thesis embargoed. To be relased in 2024. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Don’t let the little man live in your head for free: an interpretive phenomenological analysis of seafarers with reportedly high levels of well-being
- Authors: Brown, Lauren Natalie
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Seafaring life Psychological aspects , Sailors Mental health , Well-being , Phenomenology , Work environment
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327653 , vital:61140 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327653
- Description: The mental health of seafarers has become a growing issue of concern and has attracted the attention of researchers in recent times. Seafarers are predominantly men, spend months at sea with little to no contact with loved ones ashore, and usually must reside in confined spaces that often contain substantial levels of noise and heat. The underlying causes of mental illness among seafarers are known. Some of the causes include sleep deprivation, occupational stress, marital/relationship problems, fatigue, the threat of piracy, psychosocial workload, loneliness, social isolation, separation from families, lack of shore leave, cultural issues, and job security. Despite these stressors, there are many men and women seafarers who flourish in the industry and enjoy their careers. Very little research has been conducted into the well-being practices of those seafarers who enjoy high levels of well-being. This study explores the lived experiences of a group of seafarers with reportedly high levels of psychological well-being, as well as their experiences of workplace stressors and mental health interventions offered by the industry. This study is an interpretive phenomenological analysis, which is epistemologically underpinned by phenomenology, hermeneutics and idiography. Results revealed four focus areas: general lived experiences across two worlds and how this relates to identity, what seafarers with reportedly high levels of psychological well-being experience as stressors, well-being practices of these seafarers and how these seafarers experience and make sense of mental health interventions they have come across. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
- Authors: Brown, Lauren Natalie
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Seafaring life Psychological aspects , Sailors Mental health , Well-being , Phenomenology , Work environment
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327653 , vital:61140 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327653
- Description: The mental health of seafarers has become a growing issue of concern and has attracted the attention of researchers in recent times. Seafarers are predominantly men, spend months at sea with little to no contact with loved ones ashore, and usually must reside in confined spaces that often contain substantial levels of noise and heat. The underlying causes of mental illness among seafarers are known. Some of the causes include sleep deprivation, occupational stress, marital/relationship problems, fatigue, the threat of piracy, psychosocial workload, loneliness, social isolation, separation from families, lack of shore leave, cultural issues, and job security. Despite these stressors, there are many men and women seafarers who flourish in the industry and enjoy their careers. Very little research has been conducted into the well-being practices of those seafarers who enjoy high levels of well-being. This study explores the lived experiences of a group of seafarers with reportedly high levels of psychological well-being, as well as their experiences of workplace stressors and mental health interventions offered by the industry. This study is an interpretive phenomenological analysis, which is epistemologically underpinned by phenomenology, hermeneutics and idiography. Results revealed four focus areas: general lived experiences across two worlds and how this relates to identity, what seafarers with reportedly high levels of psychological well-being experience as stressors, well-being practices of these seafarers and how these seafarers experience and make sense of mental health interventions they have come across. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Exploration of remote work and wellbeing of academics in a South African tertiary institution
- Authors: Chikutu, Michelle
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405963 , vital:70223
- Description: Thesis embargoed. To be released in 2024. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
- Authors: Chikutu, Michelle
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405963 , vital:70223
- Description: Thesis embargoed. To be released in 2024. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Exploring the influence of student protests on organisational citizenship behaviour of academics and support mechanisms in higher learning institutions
- Authors: Mayekiso, Sinovuyo
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/406198 , vital:70248
- Description: Embargoed. To be released in 2024. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
- Authors: Mayekiso, Sinovuyo
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/406198 , vital:70248
- Description: Embargoed. To be released in 2024. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Profiling Rhodes University students’ substance use during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown: comparing the AUDIT and CCAPS-62 substance abuse sub-scale
- Authors: Goosen, Jeslyn Chrismaré
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: College students Substance use South Africa Makhanda , College students Alcohol use South Africa Makhanda , College students Mental health South Africa Makhanda , College students Attitudes , College students Economic conditions , COVID-19 (Disease) , Rhodes University
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405974 , vital:70224
- Description: Students are vulnerable to academic distress and mental health concerns. Many struggle to effectively cope with the many demands placed on them from various factions; included but not limited to institutional demands, financial concerns, and parental expectations. With the most recent outbreak of the SARS-Co V-2 (better known as the COVID-19 pandemic) many students have struggled to effectively cope with the changes relating to the nationwide lockdown. Universities had to change the way in which they provide students with the necessary academic material, and many had to return to their familial homes. This had a deleterious effect on the way students performed their daily activities and coping. A rise in impaired mental health was noted. Many students used alcohol as a means of coping during this tumultuous and unprecedented time. Undergraduate students at Rhodes University were asked to complete a survey questionnaire via SurveyMonkey, an online survey service. Data was collected over a ten-day period during July 2020. The AUDIT and the CCAPS-62 Substance Use subscale were used to measure their alcohol intake during lockdown and results was compared. Results indicated a significant positive correlation between the CCAPS-62 substance use subscale and the AUDIT (r = 0.80, n = 930, p < 0.01). Outcomes identified that men tend to drink more than females, and white students tend to drink more than black students. Findings suggests that the CCAPS-62 a multidimensional instrument measuring general distress among students could positively contribute to the reliability and validity of the measure used in a multicultural and multilingual society such as South Africa. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
- Authors: Goosen, Jeslyn Chrismaré
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: College students Substance use South Africa Makhanda , College students Alcohol use South Africa Makhanda , College students Mental health South Africa Makhanda , College students Attitudes , College students Economic conditions , COVID-19 (Disease) , Rhodes University
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/405974 , vital:70224
- Description: Students are vulnerable to academic distress and mental health concerns. Many struggle to effectively cope with the many demands placed on them from various factions; included but not limited to institutional demands, financial concerns, and parental expectations. With the most recent outbreak of the SARS-Co V-2 (better known as the COVID-19 pandemic) many students have struggled to effectively cope with the changes relating to the nationwide lockdown. Universities had to change the way in which they provide students with the necessary academic material, and many had to return to their familial homes. This had a deleterious effect on the way students performed their daily activities and coping. A rise in impaired mental health was noted. Many students used alcohol as a means of coping during this tumultuous and unprecedented time. Undergraduate students at Rhodes University were asked to complete a survey questionnaire via SurveyMonkey, an online survey service. Data was collected over a ten-day period during July 2020. The AUDIT and the CCAPS-62 Substance Use subscale were used to measure their alcohol intake during lockdown and results was compared. Results indicated a significant positive correlation between the CCAPS-62 substance use subscale and the AUDIT (r = 0.80, n = 930, p < 0.01). Outcomes identified that men tend to drink more than females, and white students tend to drink more than black students. Findings suggests that the CCAPS-62 a multidimensional instrument measuring general distress among students could positively contribute to the reliability and validity of the measure used in a multicultural and multilingual society such as South Africa. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Teachers’ narratives of their experience of teaching Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) -affected children in mainstream schooling
- Authors: Makasi-Simukonda, Mihlali
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders South Africa Buffalo City , Inclusive education South Africa Buffalo City , Teachers of children with disabilities South Africa Buffalo City , Children of prenatal alcohol abuse South Africa Buffalo City Social conditions , Social constructionism
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/406183 , vital:70246
- Description: This study considers the experiences of teachers working with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)-affected children in mainstream schooling. FASD refers to a range of conditions in children resulting from maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Prevalence rates in South Africa are said to be among the highest in the world. There is a paucity of research on FASD-affected children in the Eastern Cape. This study was thus conducted in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM). Teachers told stories of their experiences of teaching undiagnosed FASD-affected children in mainstream schooling. The stories reveal the quality of life for children in classrooms and socio-contextual influences of their experiences at school, as well as the responsibilisation of teachers in these settings. This qualitative research is situated within a social constructionism paradigm. The social model of disability was utilised as a theoretical framework for this study to represent the systemic barriers against which FASD-affected learner support in the mainstream school can be conceptualised. A sample of five (5) Black female teachers were interviewed. Data gathering was done by conducting telephonic interviews using the single question inducing narrative, known as SQUIN. A thematic analysis of the data was conducted for the purpose of identifying themes within the data collected. Four superordinate themes emerged from the data, viz. narratives of FASD-affected learners, narratives of parental involvement, narratives of the role of teachers and narratives of stakeholder support. This study reveals a significant level of responsibilisation of teachers. Teachers appear to play a bigger role than just being teachers and they positioned themselves as playing a parental role in relation to FASD-affected learners. FASD-affected learners were positioned as “the problem” in the mainstream classroom whereas the environment is a disabling factor to FASD-affected learners. There is a need for a holistic approach in working with FASD-affected learners from all relevant stakeholders. Key recommendations are made for effective inclusion of FASD-affected learners in mainstream schooling. Future research recommendations include repeating this study in a different geographical area, a focus on senior phase learners and/or a more diverse sample. The findings assist in the development of policies of inclusive education in mainstream schooling and supportive strategies to enhance the developmental trajectory of FASD-affected children. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
- Authors: Makasi-Simukonda, Mihlali
- Date: 2022-10-14
- Subjects: Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders South Africa Buffalo City , Inclusive education South Africa Buffalo City , Teachers of children with disabilities South Africa Buffalo City , Children of prenatal alcohol abuse South Africa Buffalo City Social conditions , Social constructionism
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/406183 , vital:70246
- Description: This study considers the experiences of teachers working with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)-affected children in mainstream schooling. FASD refers to a range of conditions in children resulting from maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Prevalence rates in South Africa are said to be among the highest in the world. There is a paucity of research on FASD-affected children in the Eastern Cape. This study was thus conducted in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM). Teachers told stories of their experiences of teaching undiagnosed FASD-affected children in mainstream schooling. The stories reveal the quality of life for children in classrooms and socio-contextual influences of their experiences at school, as well as the responsibilisation of teachers in these settings. This qualitative research is situated within a social constructionism paradigm. The social model of disability was utilised as a theoretical framework for this study to represent the systemic barriers against which FASD-affected learner support in the mainstream school can be conceptualised. A sample of five (5) Black female teachers were interviewed. Data gathering was done by conducting telephonic interviews using the single question inducing narrative, known as SQUIN. A thematic analysis of the data was conducted for the purpose of identifying themes within the data collected. Four superordinate themes emerged from the data, viz. narratives of FASD-affected learners, narratives of parental involvement, narratives of the role of teachers and narratives of stakeholder support. This study reveals a significant level of responsibilisation of teachers. Teachers appear to play a bigger role than just being teachers and they positioned themselves as playing a parental role in relation to FASD-affected learners. FASD-affected learners were positioned as “the problem” in the mainstream classroom whereas the environment is a disabling factor to FASD-affected learners. There is a need for a holistic approach in working with FASD-affected learners from all relevant stakeholders. Key recommendations are made for effective inclusion of FASD-affected learners in mainstream schooling. Future research recommendations include repeating this study in a different geographical area, a focus on senior phase learners and/or a more diverse sample. The findings assist in the development of policies of inclusive education in mainstream schooling and supportive strategies to enhance the developmental trajectory of FASD-affected children. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-14
Exploring the value of an educational partnership within a multilingual pre-school setting
- Authors: Maritz, Anneliese
- Date: 2022-10-04
- Subjects: Early childhood education Parent participation South Africa Eastern Cape , Early childhood teachers Training of , Home and school South Africa Eastern Cape , Parent-teacher relationships South Africa Eastern Cape , Communication and education South Africa Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327111 , vital:61082 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327111
- Description: This modest research project was situated in a multilingual Early Childhood Development (ECD) setting in the Eastern Cape (EC) province of South Africa. In the context of high levels of poverty and unemployment in the EC, issues such as under-funding, the nature of the training of practitioners, translating the importance of learning through play into practice, difficulties dealing with diverse cultural practices and the use of multiple languages, all impact ECD provision. Research has shown that parental involvement and creating parent-school partnerships can assist children to progress at school. The overall objectives of this project were to explore how a team in an ECD centre might communicate more effectively with parents and how early stimulation practices in home and school might benefit the child’s development. The theoretical framework draws upon Vygotsky’s (1978) socio-cultural historical theory, Bernstein’s (1971) elaborated and restricted language codes and Bourdieu’s (1977) concepts of social reproduction. A research project in the Netherlands Thuis in School, used an education partnership approach (Iliás et al., 2019). They developed a manual that was adapted for our local context by drawing from the theories mentioned, and to counter the dominant approaches where parenting programs have often been offered from a deficit, narrow perspective. Action Research guided the interventionist approach to workshop sessions, to enable mutual capacity-building of parents and practitioners. To ensure informed consent, participants’ first languages were used. High risk factors related to photographs and videos of participating parents and minor children were successfully addressed. Pre- and post-interviews and workshop data were analysed using template analysis, within a constructivist paradigm. Findings include vignettes to introduce the contexts and parents' ideas prior to the sessions. Then, sessions are summarised as action cycles, with key participants' responses. Finally, post-session evaluations highlight the topics the parents found most meaningful; and parents’ and practitioner accounts of changes in practices. This research illustrates ways that educational partnership elements can influence practice and policy, to improve home and school environments for the benefit of children. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-04
- Authors: Maritz, Anneliese
- Date: 2022-10-04
- Subjects: Early childhood education Parent participation South Africa Eastern Cape , Early childhood teachers Training of , Home and school South Africa Eastern Cape , Parent-teacher relationships South Africa Eastern Cape , Communication and education South Africa Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327111 , vital:61082 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327111
- Description: This modest research project was situated in a multilingual Early Childhood Development (ECD) setting in the Eastern Cape (EC) province of South Africa. In the context of high levels of poverty and unemployment in the EC, issues such as under-funding, the nature of the training of practitioners, translating the importance of learning through play into practice, difficulties dealing with diverse cultural practices and the use of multiple languages, all impact ECD provision. Research has shown that parental involvement and creating parent-school partnerships can assist children to progress at school. The overall objectives of this project were to explore how a team in an ECD centre might communicate more effectively with parents and how early stimulation practices in home and school might benefit the child’s development. The theoretical framework draws upon Vygotsky’s (1978) socio-cultural historical theory, Bernstein’s (1971) elaborated and restricted language codes and Bourdieu’s (1977) concepts of social reproduction. A research project in the Netherlands Thuis in School, used an education partnership approach (Iliás et al., 2019). They developed a manual that was adapted for our local context by drawing from the theories mentioned, and to counter the dominant approaches where parenting programs have often been offered from a deficit, narrow perspective. Action Research guided the interventionist approach to workshop sessions, to enable mutual capacity-building of parents and practitioners. To ensure informed consent, participants’ first languages were used. High risk factors related to photographs and videos of participating parents and minor children were successfully addressed. Pre- and post-interviews and workshop data were analysed using template analysis, within a constructivist paradigm. Findings include vignettes to introduce the contexts and parents' ideas prior to the sessions. Then, sessions are summarised as action cycles, with key participants' responses. Finally, post-session evaluations highlight the topics the parents found most meaningful; and parents’ and practitioner accounts of changes in practices. This research illustrates ways that educational partnership elements can influence practice and policy, to improve home and school environments for the benefit of children. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-04
Language Learning Anxiety: a bometric investigation of stress and language learning using wearable devices
- Authors: MacDonald, William Tait
- Date: 2022-10-04
- Subjects: Language and languages Study and teaching Psychological aspects , Wearable technology , Heart rate monitoring , Stress (Psychology) Testing , Anxiety Testing
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327133 , vital:61084 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327133
- Description: As Sapolsky (2015) notes, stress research has long been characterised by definitional debates that gave rise to a lack of agreement between theorists. An example of this definitional confusion can be seen in the area of Language Learning Anxiety, where there appears to be confusion in the literature over terms such as anxiety and stress. This study investigated the link between stress and language learning using wearable devices measuring heart rate variance, as a means of establishing the feasibility of using this new technology in stress research. The results indicate that the contextualised longitudinal data delivered by wearable devices mitigates against the current dominant paradigm in Language Learning Anxiety, which postulates a straight-line negative correlation between stress and learning. Instead, the inverted U stress relationship proposed by theorists such as Hebb (1955) seem to be a better fit for the data. The nature of the contextualised data generated in this study allowed for comparisons between participants’ stress readings in academic contexts, such as language and non-language classes, and their free time. The findings suggest that certain long-held assumptions about heightened stress in academic contexts may not hold true. While the findings of this study did not reach the levels of statistical significance, they constitute proof of concept that the type of contextualised data delivered by wearable devices may allow for a new type of stress research that incorporates contextualising longitudinal perspectives on participants’ stress levels. In this study the inclusion of contextualising data led to fundamentally different conclusions about the relationship between stress and language learning. The same may be true of many areas of stress research. The findings presented in this study have broader paradigm-altering implications not only for educational policy, but also for stress research in general. Perhaps equally important was that the type of data delivered by wearable devices was qualitatively different from that normally associated with quantitative studies. This presented challenges in data analysis in this study, but also opens intriguing possibilities regarding a means of reconciling the qualitative and quantitative split in research modalities. The use of wearable devices is not without issues, and some of the issues, ranging from practical considerations to ethical conundrums, are presented for the reader’s consideration and to inform future researchers regarding potential pitfalls. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-04
- Authors: MacDonald, William Tait
- Date: 2022-10-04
- Subjects: Language and languages Study and teaching Psychological aspects , Wearable technology , Heart rate monitoring , Stress (Psychology) Testing , Anxiety Testing
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327133 , vital:61084 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327133
- Description: As Sapolsky (2015) notes, stress research has long been characterised by definitional debates that gave rise to a lack of agreement between theorists. An example of this definitional confusion can be seen in the area of Language Learning Anxiety, where there appears to be confusion in the literature over terms such as anxiety and stress. This study investigated the link between stress and language learning using wearable devices measuring heart rate variance, as a means of establishing the feasibility of using this new technology in stress research. The results indicate that the contextualised longitudinal data delivered by wearable devices mitigates against the current dominant paradigm in Language Learning Anxiety, which postulates a straight-line negative correlation between stress and learning. Instead, the inverted U stress relationship proposed by theorists such as Hebb (1955) seem to be a better fit for the data. The nature of the contextualised data generated in this study allowed for comparisons between participants’ stress readings in academic contexts, such as language and non-language classes, and their free time. The findings suggest that certain long-held assumptions about heightened stress in academic contexts may not hold true. While the findings of this study did not reach the levels of statistical significance, they constitute proof of concept that the type of contextualised data delivered by wearable devices may allow for a new type of stress research that incorporates contextualising longitudinal perspectives on participants’ stress levels. In this study the inclusion of contextualising data led to fundamentally different conclusions about the relationship between stress and language learning. The same may be true of many areas of stress research. The findings presented in this study have broader paradigm-altering implications not only for educational policy, but also for stress research in general. Perhaps equally important was that the type of data delivered by wearable devices was qualitatively different from that normally associated with quantitative studies. This presented challenges in data analysis in this study, but also opens intriguing possibilities regarding a means of reconciling the qualitative and quantitative split in research modalities. The use of wearable devices is not without issues, and some of the issues, ranging from practical considerations to ethical conundrums, are presented for the reader’s consideration and to inform future researchers regarding potential pitfalls. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-04
Views of the journey of grade 1 learners with barriers to learning, in the inclusive education system: a multi-level systemic investigation
- Van Vuuren, Cornelia Margaretha
- Authors: Van Vuuren, Cornelia Margaretha
- Date: 2022-10-04
- Subjects: Inclusive education South Africa Eastern Cape , Special education teachers South Africa Eastern Cape Attitudes , South Africa. Department of Education , Children with disabilities Education (Elementary) Government policy South Africa , Special education teachers Training of South Africa Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327122 , vital:61083 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327122
- Description: Embedded in South Africa’s humanitarian discourse, inclusive education (IE) followed global trends of inclusion of all people into wider society without discrimination. Inclusion in mainstream schools should also, according to the Salamanca agreement provide equal quality education, enabling learners with special educational needs (LSEN) to reach their full potential as a basic human right. IE started in South Africa with the implementation of the inclusive policy EWP6 in 2001. Including all children with barriers to learning in schools in their communities promoted social inclusion with their peers. The DoE introduced the Policy of Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS) in 2014. This policy was implemented to assist teachers to identify learning barriers, as a means of offering support to these learners through the inclusive system. However, it seems that educators found this process cumbersome, without resources to maintain the process and with multiple systemic barriers preventing, rather than enhancing, support to LSEN. This multi-level systemic study explores the views of educators and other stakeholders on the effectiveness of the IE system in supporting LSEN, to serve the best interests of these learners in their first year of formal schooling. The study was conducted in three selected diverse mainstream Eastern Cape (EC) rural schools, involving the views of educators, district officials and parents. The study probed the impact of the inclusive system on LSEN’s development and social wellbeing, the perceived effects and benefits of the current system, and how the education model contributes towards human rights objectives and constitutional imperatives. The study acknowledges the theories and policies of the current inclusive system as promoting inclusion, but not being successfully realised in rural areas in the South African context, due to several systemic and contextual barriers. The findings revealed that although all participants noted the possible benefits of IE, the current system did not serve the individual educational needs of LSEN in rural mainstream schools, in their first formal year of schooling. Several constraints were reported including lack of resources, insufficient Allied Health support services, and insufficient training of educators. These lead to feelings of inadequacy in educators, along with systemic and contextual barriers and financial constraints in the schools. There also seems to be a need for better collaboration between education and other departments serving children and communities. To conclude, this study suggests a broader multi-level networked system, in which there needs to be greater interaction between the DoE and other government departments supporting children with barriers, like the Departments of Health (DoH), Social Development (DSD) and Justice (DoJ). , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-04
- Authors: Van Vuuren, Cornelia Margaretha
- Date: 2022-10-04
- Subjects: Inclusive education South Africa Eastern Cape , Special education teachers South Africa Eastern Cape Attitudes , South Africa. Department of Education , Children with disabilities Education (Elementary) Government policy South Africa , Special education teachers Training of South Africa Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/327122 , vital:61083 , DOI 10.21504/10962/327122
- Description: Embedded in South Africa’s humanitarian discourse, inclusive education (IE) followed global trends of inclusion of all people into wider society without discrimination. Inclusion in mainstream schools should also, according to the Salamanca agreement provide equal quality education, enabling learners with special educational needs (LSEN) to reach their full potential as a basic human right. IE started in South Africa with the implementation of the inclusive policy EWP6 in 2001. Including all children with barriers to learning in schools in their communities promoted social inclusion with their peers. The DoE introduced the Policy of Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS) in 2014. This policy was implemented to assist teachers to identify learning barriers, as a means of offering support to these learners through the inclusive system. However, it seems that educators found this process cumbersome, without resources to maintain the process and with multiple systemic barriers preventing, rather than enhancing, support to LSEN. This multi-level systemic study explores the views of educators and other stakeholders on the effectiveness of the IE system in supporting LSEN, to serve the best interests of these learners in their first year of formal schooling. The study was conducted in three selected diverse mainstream Eastern Cape (EC) rural schools, involving the views of educators, district officials and parents. The study probed the impact of the inclusive system on LSEN’s development and social wellbeing, the perceived effects and benefits of the current system, and how the education model contributes towards human rights objectives and constitutional imperatives. The study acknowledges the theories and policies of the current inclusive system as promoting inclusion, but not being successfully realised in rural areas in the South African context, due to several systemic and contextual barriers. The findings revealed that although all participants noted the possible benefits of IE, the current system did not serve the individual educational needs of LSEN in rural mainstream schools, in their first formal year of schooling. Several constraints were reported including lack of resources, insufficient Allied Health support services, and insufficient training of educators. These lead to feelings of inadequacy in educators, along with systemic and contextual barriers and financial constraints in the schools. There also seems to be a need for better collaboration between education and other departments serving children and communities. To conclude, this study suggests a broader multi-level networked system, in which there needs to be greater interaction between the DoE and other government departments supporting children with barriers, like the Departments of Health (DoH), Social Development (DSD) and Justice (DoJ). , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-10-04
Alcohol use among women attending antenatal care in Buffalo City, Eastern Cape
- Authors: Bredenkamp, Petrus Johannes
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/234358 , vital:50188
- Description: Alcohol use during pregnancy is known to cause neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). High prevalence of FASD has been observed in certain parts South Africa, but many areas of the country remain unstudied, and factors contributing to drinking among pregnant women are poorly understood. This study surveyed 1099 women attending antenatal care at public primary healthcare facilities in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Area in the Eastern Cape. Data was collected using the Alcohol Use Identification Test, a 10-item self-report measure of drinking behaviour in isiXhosa, English, and Afrikaans. Factors associated with alcohol use, risky drinking, binge drinking, and hazardous/harmful drinking were identified using logistic regression. A minority of the sample reported alcohol use (64%). Among those reporting alcohol use, most reported occasional binge drinking (63%) and met criteria for risky drinking (59%) and hazardous/harmful drinking (52%). Living with a regular drinker was significantly associated with alcohol use (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.51 – 2.58), risky drinking (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.49 – 2.76), binge drinking (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.64 – 2.97), and hazardous/harmful drinking (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.41 – 2.99). However, women who were married/cohabiting were less likely to report alcohol use (OR .71, 95% CI .53 - .95). Experiencing intimate partner violence during the current pregnancy was associated with alcohol use (OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.38 – 4.27) and hazardous/harmful drinking (OR 2.62, 95% CI 1.32 – 5.22). In this study, women who identified as Coloured were more likely to report alcohol use than Women who identified as African (OR 2.74, 95% CI 1.4 – 5.36). These findings simultaneously provide evidence of problematic drinking among pregnant women in a previously understudied area and show that external factors affect women’s drinking behaviour during pregnancy. Interventions aimed at reducing the incidence of FASD should consider alcohol use by pregnant women in the context of their lived experiences. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-07
- Authors: Bredenkamp, Petrus Johannes
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Uncatalogued
- Language: English
- Type: Master's thesis , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/234358 , vital:50188
- Description: Alcohol use during pregnancy is known to cause neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). High prevalence of FASD has been observed in certain parts South Africa, but many areas of the country remain unstudied, and factors contributing to drinking among pregnant women are poorly understood. This study surveyed 1099 women attending antenatal care at public primary healthcare facilities in the Buffalo City Metropolitan Area in the Eastern Cape. Data was collected using the Alcohol Use Identification Test, a 10-item self-report measure of drinking behaviour in isiXhosa, English, and Afrikaans. Factors associated with alcohol use, risky drinking, binge drinking, and hazardous/harmful drinking were identified using logistic regression. A minority of the sample reported alcohol use (64%). Among those reporting alcohol use, most reported occasional binge drinking (63%) and met criteria for risky drinking (59%) and hazardous/harmful drinking (52%). Living with a regular drinker was significantly associated with alcohol use (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.51 – 2.58), risky drinking (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.49 – 2.76), binge drinking (OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.64 – 2.97), and hazardous/harmful drinking (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.41 – 2.99). However, women who were married/cohabiting were less likely to report alcohol use (OR .71, 95% CI .53 - .95). Experiencing intimate partner violence during the current pregnancy was associated with alcohol use (OR 2.42, 95% CI 1.38 – 4.27) and hazardous/harmful drinking (OR 2.62, 95% CI 1.32 – 5.22). In this study, women who identified as Coloured were more likely to report alcohol use than Women who identified as African (OR 2.74, 95% CI 1.4 – 5.36). These findings simultaneously provide evidence of problematic drinking among pregnant women in a previously understudied area and show that external factors affect women’s drinking behaviour during pregnancy. Interventions aimed at reducing the incidence of FASD should consider alcohol use by pregnant women in the context of their lived experiences. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-07
Exploring black South African men’s lived experiences of being fathered
- Authors: Rasebitse, Karabo
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Fatherhood South Africa , Fathers and sons South Africa Psychological aspects , Masculinity Social aspects South Africa , Hegemony South Africa , Social constructionism South Africa , Culture , Men, Black Attitudes South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/294504 , vital:57227
- Description: There is a lack of research studies in South Africa that explore young men’s lived experiences of being fathered. The aim of this study focused on exploring how Black South African men construct and understand their own lived experiences of being fathered by their biological father. This research study is situated within a social constructionism methodology and theoretical framework. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with young men between the ages of 18-24. Data were analysed using thematic analysis as a way of analysing participants’ stories. Three central themes with subthemes emerged. The main themes regarded the father behaviour, fatherly roles and participants’ constructions of fatherhood. The study argues that fatherhood is a social construct based on participants’ lived experiences. Participants in this research still view fatherhood from cultural discourses, such as the provider/protector and a moral guider/role to construct fatherhood. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-07
- Authors: Rasebitse, Karabo
- Date: 2022-04-07
- Subjects: Fatherhood South Africa , Fathers and sons South Africa Psychological aspects , Masculinity Social aspects South Africa , Hegemony South Africa , Social constructionism South Africa , Culture , Men, Black Attitudes South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Academic theses , Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/294504 , vital:57227
- Description: There is a lack of research studies in South Africa that explore young men’s lived experiences of being fathered. The aim of this study focused on exploring how Black South African men construct and understand their own lived experiences of being fathered by their biological father. This research study is situated within a social constructionism methodology and theoretical framework. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with young men between the ages of 18-24. Data were analysed using thematic analysis as a way of analysing participants’ stories. Three central themes with subthemes emerged. The main themes regarded the father behaviour, fatherly roles and participants’ constructions of fatherhood. The study argues that fatherhood is a social construct based on participants’ lived experiences. Participants in this research still view fatherhood from cultural discourses, such as the provider/protector and a moral guider/role to construct fatherhood. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Humanities, Psychology, 2022
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2022-04-07