For centuries humans and animals have shared their lives. However, it is only in recent decades that the phenomenon of the human-animal bond and the possible therapeutic implications thereof has begun to be explored. Due to this exploration, many research programmes have sprung up around the world, investigating the implementation of animals as an intervention in various institutions. These programmes have produced overwhelmingly positive and encouraging results. However, the research remains sparse where the significance of a naturally occurring human-animal bond is concerned. From within an ecosystemic worldview, the relationship between humans and animals in the wider family system has not been extensively investigated. This dissertation explores such a relationship, investigating the meanings and experiences within the relationship, and how this relationship and significant systems around it impact one another. The implications and possible therapeutic nature of this type of relationship will be considered. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

During the past few decades there has been a breakdown in the commitment to long term relationships, with no fault divorce laws making it easier for couples to obtain a divorce resulting in increase in divorce rates. Research has shown that in acrimonious divorces with high levels of conflict children often get caught in the middle of their parents’ enduring battles. These children are often prevented from or encouraged not to have contact with their non residential parent. The term parental alienation is used to describe this phenomenon. A qualitative study focusing on the personal experiences of South African fathers who seem to be victims of parental alienation, will be examined and discussed from the perspective of systems theory. / Psychology / M.A. ( Psychology)

Cette thèse a pour objectif d’explorer la relation entre les caractéristiques socio-culturelles et les politiques de reconstruction post-séisme dans les zones rurales de Azad Jammu et du Cachemire, au Pakistan. L’objet principal est d’examiner les pratiques architecturales traditionnelles : dhajji-dewari et la composition sociale de la communanuté pendant et après la reconstruction. Différents processus sont analysés: comment les aspects socio-culturels des sociétés rurales sont affectés par les politiques de reconstruction? Comment les politiques sont touchées par les aspects socio-culturels des commmunautés? Comment la combinaison des deux influence le processus final?Ce travail de thèse part du constat que 80% des 600 000 bâtiments endommagés ou détruits lors du séisme du 8 octobre 2005 au Cachemire, étaient des maisons rurales provisoires (Katcha). Il s’agit d’examiner jusqu’où le Programme de Reconstruction de Logement Rural (RHRP) qui a concerné quelque 100 000 maisons dhajji, a réduit ou augmenté la vulnérabilité de la zone pour l'avenir. Ce programme a été initié à partir de l’expérience de précédents programmes de reconstruction post-tremblements de terre, qui ont été d’une grande utilité pour les experts. Il restait à analyser les erreurs commises ou répétées par les différents acteurs pendant les phases d’élaboration, de validation, de mise en œuvre, et de suivi des politiques de reconstruction. Les principaux résultats de la thèse couvrent trois thèmes relatifs aux différentes étapes de la reconstruction : la durabilité de la reconstruction ; la réduction de la vulnérabilité de la reconstruction ; les résultats qui n’entrent pas dans les catégories “durabilité” et “vulnérabilité” selon les experts du Cachemire rural. La satisfaction des communautés est l’indicateur principal permettant d’évaluer les principaux résultats. L'étude conclut que la non-prise en compte des aspects socioculturels des communautés pendant la reconstruction peut augmenter la vulnérabilité du scénario de post-reconstruction. Le suivi du programme de reconstruction consiste à évaluer les tendances liées aux maisons en construction. En présentant par des illustrations les détails architecturaux de ces maisons reconstruites, l’écart avec les recommandations est évalué. Après que quelques années, les populations oublient les impacts du séisme et leurs besoins immédiats dictent leurs priorités de décision. Il est suggéré qu'à la fin du programme de reconstruction, la présence des autorités dans la zone reconstruite permette d’assister les populations dans leurs besoins actuels et futurs, et de contrôler le développement des constructions non conformes. / This thesis is aimed at exploring the relation of socio-cultural characteristics and policies with post-quake reconstruction of rural areas of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan. The primary concern of the study is limited to examine the traditional architectural practice ; dhajji-dewari and social composition of the community during and after reconstruction. It is analyzed that how the socio-cultural aspects of rural communities are affected by the policies, how policies are affected by the socio-cultural aspects of the community and how both of these can influence the final product. The thesis was rooted in the fact that 80% of the 600,000 damaged/destroyed buildings during 8th October, 2005 Kashmir earthquake were rural temporary (Katcha) houses. It was hence to be investigated that how far the Rural Housing Reconstruction Program (RHRP) has reduced (or increased) the vulnerability of the area for future. The impact of any policy launched during this program was not limited to few housing units rather more than 0.1 million dhajji houses could be affected through this. The rural Kashmir reconstruction was commenced with the in-hand knowledge of several previous post-quake reconstruction programs and was appreciated widely by experts. It was yet to be explored that which mistakes were committed/repeated by the stakeholders during policy making, delivery, implementation and post implementation phases. Covering the phases of policy making, delivery and implementation, the major findings of the thesis are categorized into three sections ; the sustainability generating aspects of reconstruction, vulnerability enhancing dimensions of reconstruction, and, those outcomes of reconstruction which are not yet categorized under ”sustainability” or ”vulnerability” by the experts focusing particularly rural Kashmir. Community satisfaction is given primary focus to rate different outcomes.The study concludes that ignoring socio-cultural aspects of the community during reconstruction may lead to vulnerability in post-reconstruction scenario. Considering the post implementation phase, the current trends are observed by examining under-construction houses. By pictorially presenting the architectural details of these houses it is examined that deviations from guidelines are in practice. People start forgetting the disaster impacts after few years and their immediate needs drive their decision priorities. It is suggested that after reconstruction program ends up, some authorities must be present in the reconstructed area to guide people for their current requirements and future needs and also to control the spread of non compliant construction.

This thesis is aimed at exploring the relation of socio-cultural characteristics and policies with post-quake reconstruction of rural areas of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan. The primary concern of the study is limited to examine the traditional architectural practice ; dhajji-dewari and social composition of the community during and after reconstruction. It is analyzed that how the socio-cultural aspects of rural communities are affected by the policies, how policies are affected by the socio-cultural aspects of the community and how both of these can influence the final product. The thesis was rooted in the fact that 80% of the 600,000 damaged/destroyed buildings during 8th October, 2005 Kashmir earthquake were rural temporary (Katcha) houses. It was hence to be investigated that how far the Rural Housing Reconstruction Program (RHRP) has reduced (or increased) the vulnerability of the area for future. The impact of any policy launched during this program was not limited to few housing units rather more than 0.1 million dhajji houses could be affected through this. The rural Kashmir reconstruction was commenced with the in-hand knowledge of several previous post-quake reconstruction programs and was appreciated widely by experts. It was yet to be explored that which mistakes were committed/repeated by the stakeholders during policy making, delivery, implementation and post implementation phases. Covering the phases of policy making, delivery and implementation, the major findings of the thesis are categorized into three sections ; the sustainability generating aspects of reconstruction, vulnerability enhancing dimensions of reconstruction, and, those outcomes of reconstruction which are not yet categorized under "sustainability" or "vulnerability" by the experts focusing particularly rural Kashmir. Community satisfaction is given primary focus to rate different outcomes.The study concludes that ignoring socio-cultural aspects of the community during reconstruction may lead to vulnerability in post-reconstruction scenario. Considering the post implementation phase, the current trends are observed by examining under-construction houses. By pictorially presenting the architectural details of these houses it is examined that deviations from guidelines are in practice. People start forgetting the disaster impacts after few years and their immediate needs drive their decision priorities. It is suggested that after reconstruction program ends up, some authorities must be present in the reconstructed area to guide people for their current requirements and future needs and also to control the spread of non compliant construction.

本研究乃依據家庭系統理論的觀點，欲探討家庭分化的測量問題與內涵，以企圖進行不同成員間觀點的測量與相關問題探討。其以「起飛期家庭」之在大學就讀學生為主要測量中心，但測量單位以家庭為單位，包括起飛期家庭中的大學生或研究生、父、母等三人，正式研究結果共蒐集到77個家庭的分化資料。主要研究結果可分成六個方面： 第一，研究發現成員間同時具備「一致性」與「不一致性」的現象，此種「同中有異」、「異中有同」的系統特性，反映出系統測量時的獨特之處，在此方面的重要結果包括1.系統不一致性的現象受到不同家庭分化議題的影響；2.孩子與父母間對於「父母關係」中的分化內涵有較大的不一致性；3.父親與孩子之間對於「親子關係」的分化內涵有較大的不一致性；4.母親與孩子以及母親與父親間在不同雙人關係的分化內涵上，有較多的一致性；5.母親與女孩比母親對男孩之間有較多「情感共振」的糾葛；6.系統的一致性表現受到不同雙人組合方式以及不同分化內涵而有所差異。 第二，在驗證系統理論方面，其結果包括1.家庭系統中不同成員對分化的內涵總和不等於系統本身的分化內涵；2.家庭整體性並不能成功的被驗證，但父子次系統、母子次系統、父母次系統確實存在；3.驗證父子次系統、母子次系統、父母次系統之間具有相關連性。 第三，在多元化的測量內涵上，研究發現，原本Wood所發展出的接近性分化內涵並不能夠清楚的被驗證，但以「情感共振」與「干涉侵權」兩大因素之架構，可發現較適配的因素架構，而「情感共振」因素較適合進行整體系統的測量。 第四，在多元化測量面向中之不同對象上，發現進行家庭系統測量時，其測量單位應以「整個家庭」為單位，故測量對象應包括父、母、子三者，所獲得的資料會更接近系統系也更加豐富。 第五，在多元化測量面向中之不同次系統上，進行家庭系統測量時，必須將不同次系統分開測量，且不同次系統所著重的分化內涵之議題可能有所不同，而每個成員對於不同次系統之知覺分化內涵也可能有所不同，尤其是在「親子關係」和「夫妻關係」、以及「母子關係」與「母女關係」有顯著不同的分化內涵。 第六，在家庭系統分析方法上，不同成員間觀點之差異性是確實存在的，若使用「平均數法」與「差異數法」，則可能消弭了成員間的不一致性，故過去傳統使用「平均數法」與「差異數法」處理系統資料是較不適合的。 最後針對此研究結果，討論系統測量時的原則與方法，以及在實務上的啟發與建議。

The shifting topography of contemporary Japanese society is engendering a significant reorientation of men’s family relations. However, exactly how Japanese men are adapting to these broad-based trends, including parent-child relations, demographics, marriage norms, care provision, residential choices, and gender roles, as well as in the decline of Confucian worldviews, remains relatively obscure. In this dissertation, I explore men’s everyday practices underpinning their family relations as husbands, fathers, sons-in-law, and grandfathers. I conducted ethnographic fieldwork in the summers of 2013 and 2014 in Hyogo, through narrative interviews and participant-observation. I find husbands’ view of their wives transitioning from having a culturally prescribed duty to perform domestic matters to simply having responsibility for domestic matters. This opens up space for negotiation within married couples, with my informants providing what I refer to as additional help, which offers new insight into charting the evolution of hegemonic masculinity. I evidence relatedness founded on exchange as an approach to understand relations across the extended family, which importantly involves additional help, financial resources, and intimacy. I underscore how men selectively seek intimacy in some family relations, notably as fathers and grandfathers. Provision of additional help and seeking of intimacy lead to men’s (re)construction of masculinities differing across family relations, with an important reason for men to select their practices so as to craft their family relations is to address their sense of well-being. Further, the pattern of men’s family relations reveals the emergence of substantially novel sons-in-law relations, as compared to that found in ie patriarchal norms. This evidence suggests a fundamental shift from a vertically-dominated set of family relations, as in the ie household, to a more horizontal, fluid set of relations across the extended family.

For centuries humans and animals have shared their lives. However, it is only in recent decades that the phenomenon of the human-animal bond and the possible therapeutic implications thereof has begun to be explored. Due to this exploration, many research programmes have sprung up around the world, investigating the implementation of animals as an intervention in various institutions. These programmes have produced overwhelmingly positive and encouraging results. However, the research remains sparse where the significance of a naturally occurring human-animal bond is concerned. From within an ecosystemic worldview, the relationship between humans and animals in the wider family system has not been extensively investigated. This dissertation explores such a relationship, investigating the meanings and experiences within the relationship, and how this relationship and significant systems around it impact one another. The implications and possible therapeutic nature of this type of relationship will be considered. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

AFRIKAANS: Gesinne wat met ’n kleuter met ’n gesiggestremdheid gekonfronteer word, het meervoudige behoeftes wat ’n holistiese benadering vereis ten einde hierdie komplekse probleem effektief aan te spreek. Geen navorsing is egter nog gedoen waar daar na die Suid-Afrikaanse ouer wat ’n kleuter met ’n gesiggestremdheid het, se behoeftes gekyk is ten einde ’n gespesialiseerde, empiries gefundeerde ouerbegeleidingsprogram te ontwikkel nie. Hierdie studie het dus ten doel gehad om ’n begeleidingsprogram vir ouers van ’n kleuter met gesiggestremdheid te ontwikkel en die effektiwiteit daarvan te evalueer. Intervensienavorsing as toegepaste navorsing is hiervoor aangewend.<p[> ’n Tweefase-navorsingsbenadering is gebruik. Tydens fase een is van ’n kwalitatiewe benadering gebruik gemaak. Die volgende navorsingsvraag is tydens hierdie fase geformuleer: Watter behoeftes het die Suid-Afrikaanse ouer van ’n kleuter met gesiggestremdheid? : ’n Fokusgroepbespreking waar fokusgroepvrae benut is, is met 10 ouerpare deurloop ten einde die betekenis en interpretasie wat hulle aan hulle leefwêreld heg, te eksploreer. Hierdie data het, aanvullend tot die omvattende literatuurstudie wat onderneem is, inligting na vore gebring wat in die ouerbegeleidingsprogram gebruik is. Antwoorde op die navorsingsvraag kon dus gevind word. Die kwantitatiewe ontwerp wat tydens fase twee gevolg is, is die enkelstelselontwerp. Die volgende navorsingshipotese is tydens hierdie fase geformuleer: : Indien die ouers van ’n kleuter met gesiggestremdheid die ouerbegeleidingsprogram deurloop, sal hulle bemagtig word met kennis ten opsigte van hulle kind se spesifieke oogtoestand, die invloed daarvan op en hulle hantering van die betrokke kind, hulle huwelik en hulle gesin: . Die maatskaplikewerk-intervensieprogram wat ontwikkel is, bestaan uit ses groepwerksessies van ongeveer 60 minute elk wat met twee groepe van 10 ouers in totaal deurloop is. ’n Selfontwerpte vraelys is voor en na afloop van die program deur al 10 ouers voltooi. Hierdie meetinstrument het bostaande hipotese bevestig. Vergelykings is getref tussen die literatuur en die empiriese gegewens. Gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings vir toekomstige navorsing is na aanleiding van die studie geformuleer. ENGLISH: Families that are confronted with a toddler with a visual impairment have multiple needs that require a holistic approach in order to address this complex problem effectively. However, no research has been done yet that looks at the needs of the South African parent with a toddler with a visual impairment in order to develop a specialized, empirically grounded parental guiding programme. This study thus aimed at developing a guiding programme for parents with a toddler with a visual impairment and evaluating its effectiveness. Interventional research as applied research was utilised for this purpose. A two-phase research approach was used. During phase one a qualitative approach was used. The following research question was formulated during this phase: What are the needs of the South African parent with a toddler with a visual impairment? A focus-group discussion where focus-group questions were used was held with 10 parents in order to explore the meaning and interpretation that they attach to their daily world. These data, in addition to the wide-ranging literature study that had been undertaken, brought information to the fore that was used in the parental guiding programme. Answers to the research question could thus be found. The quantitative design that was followed during phase two was the single-system design. The following research hypothesis was formulated during this phase: If the parents of a toddler with a visual impairment follow the parental guiding programme, they will be empowered with knowledge with regard to their child’s specific eye condition, its influence on and their management of the child concerned, their marriage and their family. The social-work interventional programme that was developed consists of six group-work sessions of approximately 60 minutes each that were held for two groups of 10 parents in total. A self-designed questionnaire was completed by these 10 parents before and after the programme. This measuring instrument confirmed the above-mentioned hypothesis. Comparisons were made between literature and the empirical data. Conclusions and recommendations for future research were formulated following on this study. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

The use of drugs by children are increasing in all communities and children who are using drugs for the first time are getting younger. This contributes to the fact that the use of drugs by primary school children in the pre-adolescent developing phase is increasing. During this developmental phase, the family of the child in which he/she grows up, plays an important role in the socialization of the child. Early exposure of the child to dysfunctional patterns within the family may contribute to the possible experimentation with drugs as a way for the child to compensate for the loss of emotional security. Due to the increasing reports of the pre-adolescent who uses drugs, the researcher was motivated to explore the factors that probably maintain this phenomenon. A research question to guide this research was formulated as follow: To what extent can the family's dynamics and functioning contribute to the experimentation and upkeep of drug abuse by the child in the primary school? A qualitative research design was used in order to explore the research question. Findings showed that the quality of the family system and the way in which the family functions, may contribute to the drug use of the child who is in the pre-adolescent developmental phase. / Dissertation (MSD (Research))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

The indirect victim's experience of suicide and the victimisation resulting from the incident was studied. The Indirect Victim's Experience Model of a Suicide Incident (see Figure 2.1) was designed as a theoretical framework to direct the research findings and for the interpretation of data. A qualitative exploratory approach was used and a group of 20 respondents was selected by means of purposive and snowball sampling methods. All the respondents were interviewed personally. The interpretation and analysis of the data showed that the assumptions based on Janoff-Bulman and Frieze's theory and certain societal myths regarding suicide still exist. These assumptions and myths could subconsciously have an influence on the nature and extent of the victimisation experienced by the next of kin. The respondents themselves accepted these assumptions and myths. Research findings further showed that these assumptions are affected upon receiving the news of the suicide, while myths are destroyed. This could have an influence on the victim's experience of suicide. Every indirect victim functions before, during and after the suicide incident within a specific family and social system. The way in which the indirect victim experiences the support and integration from within the family and social system, determines the acceptance or non-acceptance of the death by suicide of a significant other. This will also have an influence on the indirect victim's reintegration into society in the short and long term. The need of the indirect victim to be involved within a family and society was clearly identified during the study. These findings made it possible to make practical recommendations with regard to the indirect victim's experience of suicide. Society should be informed about the realities and results of suicide. In addition, these findings highlighted further areas for research. / Thesis (MA (Criminology))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted