Grâce à des entretiens non directifs réalisés auprès de 16 sages-femmes et 16 obstétricien(ne)s, cette recherche tente de cerner l’impact que la mort périnatale a sur eux et sur leur travail, au-delà de celui qu’elle a sur les parents avec le deuil périnatal. Face à des progrès médicaux sans précédent, la société, les parents et les soignants eux-mêmes s’attendent peu à la survenue de la mort dans la naissance. Interruption médicale de grossesse ou mort périnatale inattendue confrontent cependant ces soignants à des épreuves au travail susceptibles d’avoir sur eux des répercussions majeures selon le contexte et l’âge de la grossesse. Elles donnent lieu à des déficits de la reconnaissance, qu’elle soit sociale, professionnelle ou personnelle. Leur restauration nécessite le recours actif à l’intersubjectivité engagée auprès des pairs comme auprès des parents afin que les soignants puissent continuer leur travail et y rester. / Through 32 open-ended interviews with midwives and obstetricians, this work attempts to identify, beyond parental mourning, the impact of perinatal death on childbirth professionals and their work. Unprecedented medical advances result in a relative absence of expectation of death in birth for the society, medical professionals and for the parents. Medically motivated induced termination or unexpected perinatal death, however, confronts caregivers at work with an ordeal which can have major repercussions depending on the context and the term of the pregnancy involved. These events cause deficits in social, professional and personal recognition in these caregivers. To be restored, symbolic processing is necessary for all concerned through the implication of subjectivity at work with peers and parents in order for these caregivers to be able to continue to work.

Death is one of the few certainties in life. It comes to all of us, but the way in which we deal with it will vary according to a range of social and cultural factors. Based on my mother's experiences since being widowed, this dissertation has undertaken a qualitative research method to examine how Hindu widows express their mourning in their context, thereby defining their experiences of widowhood. The aim of this dissertation is to give voice to the mourning experiences of Hindu widows. By examining these constructions of mourning experiences, one is able to gain an understanding of grief from a cultural perspective, which may serve as a guide for professional counsellors and academics in their endeavours to provide much needed support and understanding for bereaved Hindu women. The epistemological framework is social constructionism. In this study five Hindu widows were interviewed with the intention of providing readers and fellow researchers with insight into their narratives, and the data was hermeneutically analysed. The participants' stories were interpreted and categorised into themes. This study allowed for elaborate and detailed descriptions about Hindu widows' experiences to surface, with the view that this study will broaden the way Hindu widowhood is thought of. Analyses reveals that within patriarchal society, Hindu widows appear inadequately prepared for their widowhood. As a result they experience financial, emotional and psychological difficulties, which make adjusting to widowhood a challenge. The perspective this study hopes to argue for is broader, inclusive, collaborative engagement and thinking in respect of Indian widowhood / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

This study investigated the process of bereavement in the Xhosa, Zulu and Tswana cultures with participants including three cultural experts and a bereaved family from each ethnic group. Data was collected using semi – structured interviews mainly in the participants’ homes. Analysis was used by comparing and contrasting the information gathered. Empirical research findings revealed that the process in the African culture specifically in these three ethnic groups is different from the western culture as stated in the literature. The literature review findings show that the western culture’s processes of bereavement seem focused in the intrapersonal processes. However, the African Black cultures seem to be focused more on interpersonal processes of bereavement. Recommendations are made in the study on how a western trained Educational Psychologist can approach a bereaved client coming from these ethnic groups. Recommendations are also made for Educators and Parents. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

This Social Constructionist study originated from the researcher’s exposure to a significant loss and her unanswered questions about other cultures’ experience of grief. Literature is scarce from a social constructionist framework that focuses on the cultural experiences on death and bereavement from a South African perspective. The researcher’s aim was to provide three culturally diverse South African women constructed as ‘bereaved’ the opportunity to tell their stories of the death of a loved one and their bereavement thereof. The three diverse cultures were Tswana, Islamic Muslim and Afrikaans. A qualitative research method was employed. Unstructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with each of the three participants and the method used to analyze the collected data was thematic content analysis. The study allowed rich and valuable information about death and bereavement from three culturally diverse women to emerge. The themes of ‘mourning procedures and practices’, ‘bereavement behaviour’ ‘socio-political context’ and ‘private and public display of grief’ were identified as valuable areas for clinical practice and future research. Lay people, schools and the work environment too, will gain a better understanding of cultural differences on death and bereavement. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

This thesis explores mothers' reactions to, and methods of dealing with, the sudden death of a child, using a constructivist approach. The study focusses on the meanings that mothers construe in relation to the sudden death of their child and the role of these constructions in her "recovery" from this loss. It also explores the grieving process, the effect of the loss on the mother, including a focus on changes in her value system, her role as a mother and as a wife, as well as the impact of this loss on the family system. The study was conducted on the basis of qualitative research methodology, making use of the case study method. The sample consisted of three mothers, selected purposively. The data gathered was analysed inductively. / Psychology / M.A.(Clinical Psychology)

This thesis constitutes a narrative that explores an alternative meaning construction for the experience of loss. During the telling of this story, I consider the appropriateness of adopting the 'new paradigm' approach for this particular thesis, and the constructivist and social constructionist epistemological assumptions underlying such an approach. I delve into the use of 'self as researcher under this epistemological umbrella. This is followed by an exploration of 'chaos theory' and its application to social systems. And finally, I consider the usefulness of this theory in constructing meanings for loss experiences on various systemic levels within my own family system. / Psychology / M.A.(Clinical Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Die dood van 'n ouer he! 'n effek op die totale lewe van die kind en dompel die kind in emosionele nood wat terapeutiese begeleiding noodsaak. Na afloop van die afsterwe van 'n ouer, vind daar fisieke, emosionele, sosiale en kognitiewe veranderinge in die kind se lewe plaas waarop hy nie voorbereid is nie, en wat hy ook nie verstaan nie. Hierdie veranderinge veroorsaak dat die kind se leefwereld in so mate verander dat sy funksionering benadeel word. Daar is met hierdie studie gepoog om vas te stel watter effek die dood van 'n ouer op die kind he! en tot watter mate terapeutiese begeleiding die kind se emosionele nood kan verlig. Daar is in die studie gevind dat rou inderdaad 'n gekompliseerde proses is wat lei tot die ontstaan van talle onbeantwoorde vrae, gevoelens van magteloosheid en emosionele pyn. Kinders wat in rousmart verkeer word dikwels deur die samelewing misgekyk en kry as gevolg hiervan nie voldoende hulp nie. Di! lei tot die ontstaan van persoonlikheidsontwikkelingsprobleme, relasionele probleme en intra-psigiese probleme soos 'n swak selfbeeld, ego-verdedigingsmeganismes, persoonlike kwesbaarheid, ongunstige betekenisgewing en ongunstige belewenisse. Hierdie probleme veroorsaak dat die kind in sy selfaktualisering gerem word en as gevolg hiervan nie sy gegewe moontlikhede verwerklik nie. Die studie het verder bewys dat die kind wat 'n ouer aan die dood afgestaan het, wel deur middel van terapeutiese begeleiding deur 'n sielkundige gehelp kan word om die verlies van 'n ouer in so 'n mate te hanteer dat die faktore wat die kind se selfaktualisering rem, opgehef kan word. Die studie voorsien die sielkundige van riglyne ten opsigte van die proses van terapeutiese begeleiding aan die kind wat 'n ouer aan die dood afgestaan het. Riglyne word gebied ten opsigte van die hantering van die kind se onmiddellike situasie, die evaluasie van die kind-inrousmart, die vasstelling van doelstellings en doelwitte vir terapeutiese begeleiding, die selektering van terapeutiese tegnieke, die terapeutiese hulpverlening aan die kind, die hulpverlening aan die oorblywende ouer en die hulpverlening aan die onderwyser wat gemoeid is met die kind-in-rousmart. Riglyne word ook gebied ten opsigte van die terminering van terapie. / The death if a parent has an influence on the total life of a child and causes emotional trauma that necessitates therapeutic guidance. After the death of a parent, physical, emotional, social and cognitive changes occur in the child's life for which he is not prepared and that he also does not understand. These factors cause such a change in the child's life-world that his functioning is hampered. In this study it was endeavoured to determine what effect the death of a parent has on a child's life and to what extent therapeutic guidance can alleviate the child's emotional trauma. In this study it was found that mourning is indeed a complicated process that gives rise to countless unanswered questions, feelings of helplessness and emotional pain. Children suffering grief in mourning are often ignored by society and as result of this, they do not receive adequate assistance. This leads to problems concerned with the development of the personality, relational problems and intrapsychological problems such as a poor self-concept, ego defence mechanisms, personal vulnerability, negative ways of acquiring meaning and unfavourable ways of experiencing life. These problems give rise to the hampering of the child's selfactualisation and because of this he cannot realise his potential. The study has furthermore proved that the child who has lost a parent through death, can be helped by a psychologist. This can be done by means of therapeutic guidance so that the child can handle the loss of a parent to such an extent that the factors that hamper his self-actualisation can be removed. The study provides guidelines for therapeutic guidance to the child who has Jost a parent through death. Guidelines are given on handling the child's immediate situation, the evaluation of the child in mourning, the determination of aims and objectives for therapeutic guidance, the selection of therapeutic techniques, therapeutic assistance to the child, assistance to the remaining parent and assistance to the educator who is involved with the child in mourning. Guidelines are also given for the termination of therapy. / Educational Studies / D.Ed (Clinical Psychologist)

The aim of this research was to uncover and understand the experiences, and the coping strategies employed by African teenagers in coming to terms with the death of a loved one, the support needs in relation to this, and the need to provide guidelines on how they would like to be supported by social workers. A qualitative research approach was employed, following an explorative, descriptive and contextual research design. The study was conducted in Cullinan near Pretoria in Gauteng Province. Data were collected, using structured interviews with a purposively selected sample of African teenagers who met the criteria for inclusion in the study. The data were analysed, according to the framework provided by Tesch to ensure the trustworthiness of the qualitative data was to be employed for the data verification. The findings included seven identified themes, the sub-themes and categories of which were supported by the extracts from the interview transcripts, and the literature reviewed for this research. The research report, together with the conclusions and recommendations, based on the conclusion, were drawn from the research- thereby, showing how the goals of the study were achieved. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))

Text in Afrikaans / In today's society our children are being incredibly exposed to trauma and death. Parents want to protect their children against hardship and loss and it is evident that todays society is characterized by social pathology. In view of the above the researcher studied literature extensively to investigate the affect of the phenomenon of death and trauma in the life of the young child. In order to establish the availability of therapy programs for the young child in childcare whose parents died in an unnatural way. It was evident that the present South African society is indeed characterized by conflict, homicide and violence. The death of a parent is a traumatic experience for the young child (aged two to seven years). VVhen death occurs suddenly it was found that the grief process is more complex. Through the process of literature study and empirical investigation it seems that many young children, who lost their parents through unnatural death, are placed in childcare institutions. In this study it was established that the fact that children were placed in childcare did not always imply that therapeutic intervention took place. Limited financial support and social services contributed to insufficient therapeutical intervention. Furthermore it was found that the investigated childcare institutions couldn't provide the researcher with therapeutic programmes. This study therefore indicates that there is a need for the development of therapeutic programmes for the young child in childcare. whose parents died in an unnatural way. / In die hedendaagse samelewing blyk dit dat kinders al hoe meer aan dood en trauma blootgestel word. Hoewel ouers graag hulle kinders wil beskerm teen hartseer en verlies, blyk dit dat vandag se samelewing gekenmerk word deur 'n vorm van sosiale patologie. In die lig van voorafgaande, het die navorser literatuurstudie onderneem om die teenwoordigheid en die fenomeen van dood en trauma in die lewe van die jong kind te ondersoek. 'n Verdere literatuurstudie is ook onderneem om die rou ervaring van die jong kind te ondersoek. Die navorser wou ook in hierdie studie vasstel of daar terapeutiese begeleiding aan die jong kind in kindersorg, wie se ouers op 'n onnatuurlike wyse gesterf het, beskikbaar is. Daar is in die studie gevind dat die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing inderdaad gekenmerk word deur konflik, moord en misdaad. Die afsterwe van 'n ouer is 'n traumatiese ondervinding vir die jong kind (twee tot sewe jaar). Wanneer die dood skielik en onverwags intree, is bevind dat die rouproses gekompliseerd is. Deur die proses van literatuurstudie en empiriese ondersoek blyk dit dat verskeie jong kinders wie se ouers op 'n onnatuurlike wyse gesterf het, in kindersorginstansies geplaas word. Daar is in hierdie studie bewys dat hoewel die kind in kindersorginstansies geplaas word, terapeutiese begeleiding nie altyd plaasvind nie. Hierdie gebrekkige terapeutiese begeleiding word toegeskryf aan die feit dat nie voldoende finansiele ondersteuning en maatskaplike dienste is nie. Daar is verder gevind dat kindersorginstansies, wat aan die studie deelgeneem het, nie oor traumaterapie programme vir terapeutiese begeleiding beskik nie. Hierdie studie toon dus dat daar 'n behoefte is vir die ontwikkeling van terapeutiese programme vir die jong kind in kindersorg wie se ouers op 'n onnatuurlike wyse gesterf het. / Educational studies / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Text in Afrikaans / In today's society our children are being incredibly exposed to trauma and death. Parents want to protect their children against hardship and loss and it is evident that todays society is characterized by social pathology. In view of the above the researcher studied literature extensively to investigate the affect of the phenomenon of death and trauma in the life of the young child. In order to establish the availability of therapy programs for the young child in childcare whose parents died in an unnatural way. It was evident that the present South African society is indeed characterized by conflict, homicide and violence. The death of a parent is a traumatic experience for the young child (aged two to seven years). VVhen death occurs suddenly it was found that the grief process is more complex. Through the process of literature study and empirical investigation it seems that many young children, who lost their parents through unnatural death, are placed in childcare institutions. In this study it was established that the fact that children were placed in childcare did not always imply that therapeutic intervention took place. Limited financial support and social services contributed to insufficient therapeutical intervention. Furthermore it was found that the investigated childcare institutions couldn't provide the researcher with therapeutic programmes. This study therefore indicates that there is a need for the development of therapeutic programmes for the young child in childcare. whose parents died in an unnatural way. / In die hedendaagse samelewing blyk dit dat kinders al hoe meer aan dood en trauma blootgestel word. Hoewel ouers graag hulle kinders wil beskerm teen hartseer en verlies, blyk dit dat vandag se samelewing gekenmerk word deur 'n vorm van sosiale patologie. In die lig van voorafgaande, het die navorser literatuurstudie onderneem om die teenwoordigheid en die fenomeen van dood en trauma in die lewe van die jong kind te ondersoek. 'n Verdere literatuurstudie is ook onderneem om die rou ervaring van die jong kind te ondersoek. Die navorser wou ook in hierdie studie vasstel of daar terapeutiese begeleiding aan die jong kind in kindersorg, wie se ouers op 'n onnatuurlike wyse gesterf het, beskikbaar is. Daar is in die studie gevind dat die huidige Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing inderdaad gekenmerk word deur konflik, moord en misdaad. Die afsterwe van 'n ouer is 'n traumatiese ondervinding vir die jong kind (twee tot sewe jaar). Wanneer die dood skielik en onverwags intree, is bevind dat die rouproses gekompliseerd is. Deur die proses van literatuurstudie en empiriese ondersoek blyk dit dat verskeie jong kinders wie se ouers op 'n onnatuurlike wyse gesterf het, in kindersorginstansies geplaas word. Daar is in hierdie studie bewys dat hoewel die kind in kindersorginstansies geplaas word, terapeutiese begeleiding nie altyd plaasvind nie. Hierdie gebrekkige terapeutiese begeleiding word toegeskryf aan die feit dat nie voldoende finansiele ondersteuning en maatskaplike dienste is nie. Daar is verder gevind dat kindersorginstansies, wat aan die studie deelgeneem het, nie oor traumaterapie programme vir terapeutiese begeleiding beskik nie. Hierdie studie toon dus dat daar 'n behoefte is vir die ontwikkeling van terapeutiese programme vir die jong kind in kindersorg wie se ouers op 'n onnatuurlike wyse gesterf het. / Educational studies / M. Ed. (Voorligting)