M.Tech. (Architecture) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Despite South Africa’s constitution being demonstrably one of the most progressive in the world, there remains a divide between legislation and women’s lived experiences of violence and inequality. In this context, marginalised women, in particular, are often wrongly perceived of as lacking in power and agency. In an attempt to understand how marginalised women articulate their agency under conditions of direct and structural violence, the aim of my study is to examine how women perform everyday resistance to violence at and between different sites, including the home, community and state-controlled institutions, and to examine the process of undertaking this research, using a critical reflexive approach. My research is structured around four studies. In Study I, I examine how a group of marginalised women perform everyday resistance in relation to state-controlled institutions. In Study II, I consider how a group of marginalised women do everyday resistance in relation to constructions of home. Study III offers an analysis of how the Thembelihle Women’s Forum functions as an invented space of resistance, and everyday resistance is a relational practice. Finally, in Study IV, I do a critical reflexive reading of psychosocial accompaniment as method, elucidating the complexities, tensions and trade-offs inherent to the method. When considered against my study’s broader theoretical framework (i.e., liberation psychology, feminist geopolitics and affective economies), the findings of these four studies present a complex examination of the enactment of everyday resistance. Each of the studies demonstrates a number of strategies for everyday resistance, including becoming a willful subject, refusal and withdrawal, quiet encroachment, collective storytelling, affective reimagining, collective conscientisation, de-ideologizing reality, social solidarity, coping mechanisms, tactics of survival and acts of reclamation. Methodologically, I demonstrate the messiness inherent to how power dynamics are reproduced and resisted during the research process. My research seeks to deepen our understandings of the flow of power within the research process, and the dynamic and shifting imperatives of our research practice. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)

Psychology / M. A. (Clinical Psychology)

The purpose of this research was to describe and explain crimes against women in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. It was conducted by means of a literature review, followed by empirical research, based on police dockets, against the background of Seligman's theory on learned helplessness. The literature review was used to design a research schedule. The schedule was used for data capturing from police dockets from the Crime Information Analysis Centre (QAQ at their Gauteng Regional office in Johannesburg. From this data, a convenience sample, consisting of 303 cases, was compiled. These cases were reported at the charge offices of Pretoria-Moot Villieria, Pretoria-North, Pretoria-West Eersterust and Hillbrow, for the period between 1 January 1997 and 1 March 1998. Finally, recommendations are made for the design of preventative strategies, and suggestions are made for possible future research. / Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om misdade teen vroue in die Gauteng Provinsie van Suid-Afrika te beskryf en te verklaar. Dit is gedoen aan die hand van literatuurstudie, en is uitgebrei met 'n empiriese ondersoek wat op polisiedossiere ebaseer is, teen die agtergrond van Seligman se teorie van aangeleerde hulpeloosheid. Die literatuurstudie is gebruik om 'n skedule te ontwerp. Die navorsingskedule is gebruik vir datavangs uit polisiedossiere. Die polisiedossiere van die Misdaadinligting-Analisesentrum (MIAS) van Gauteng se streekkantoor in Johannesburg is gebruik vir die samestelling van 'n gerieflikheidsteekproef bestaande uit 303 gevalle. Hierdie gevalle kom uit die aanmeldings by die aanklagkantore van Pretoria-Moot/ Villieria, Pretoria-Noord, Pretoria-Wes, Eersterust en Hillbrow, en wel tussen 1 Januarie 1997 en 1 Maart 1998. Ten slotte word aanbevelings vir die ontwerp van voorkomingstrategie gedoen en voorstelle vir moontlike toekomstige navorsing gemaak. / Criminology / M.A. (Criminology)

Psychology / M. A. (Clinical Psychology)

The purpose of this research was to describe and explain crimes against women in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. It was conducted by means of a literature review, followed by empirical research, based on police dockets, against the background of Seligman's theory on learned helplessness. The literature review was used to design a research schedule. The schedule was used for data capturing from police dockets from the Crime Information Analysis Centre (QAQ at their Gauteng Regional office in Johannesburg. From this data, a convenience sample, consisting of 303 cases, was compiled. These cases were reported at the charge offices of Pretoria-Moot Villieria, Pretoria-North, Pretoria-West Eersterust and Hillbrow, for the period between 1 January 1997 and 1 March 1998. Finally, recommendations are made for the design of preventative strategies, and suggestions are made for possible future research. / Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om misdade teen vroue in die Gauteng Provinsie van Suid-Afrika te beskryf en te verklaar. Dit is gedoen aan die hand van literatuurstudie, en is uitgebrei met 'n empiriese ondersoek wat op polisiedossiere ebaseer is, teen die agtergrond van Seligman se teorie van aangeleerde hulpeloosheid. Die literatuurstudie is gebruik om 'n skedule te ontwerp. Die navorsingskedule is gebruik vir datavangs uit polisiedossiere. Die polisiedossiere van die Misdaadinligting-Analisesentrum (MIAS) van Gauteng se streekkantoor in Johannesburg is gebruik vir die samestelling van 'n gerieflikheidsteekproef bestaande uit 303 gevalle. Hierdie gevalle kom uit die aanmeldings by die aanklagkantore van Pretoria-Moot/ Villieria, Pretoria-Noord, Pretoria-Wes, Eersterust en Hillbrow, en wel tussen 1 Januarie 1997 en 1 Maart 1998. Ten slotte word aanbevelings vir die ontwerp van voorkomingstrategie gedoen en voorstelle vir moontlike toekomstige navorsing gemaak. / Criminology and Security Science / M.A. (Criminology)

Thesis (M.Dev. (Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / There is a high rate of gender-based violence in South Africa. The study aimed at examining the effectiveness of Ikhaya Lethemba as a community based organisation in empowering victims of gender-based violence in Gauteng province of the republic. In ensuring that the objectives of this study used predominantly qualitative research approach. The study method has been a case study. Representative of the study were selected purposively and participants were ten staff members including principals of Ikhaya Lethemba along with twenty-four respondents. The sample consisted of thirty-four participants. As this was predominantly qualitative study, data collection was using semi structured in-depth interviews. The narrative data from the interview guide was analysed qualitatively through open-ended questions. Data was also collected by using closed-ended questions for responding to semi-structured questions. Patterns of experiences were noted from the emerged themes. Those emerged themes were then grouped together. The main findings indicated that Ikhaya Lethemba played a significant role in empowering gender-based violence victims in Gauteng province, South Africa. The study discussed the nature of gender based violence experienced by the respondents, the legislative and policy framework in responding to gender based violence within the Republic of South Africa, and to examine the effectiveness of Ikhaya Lethemba as a community based organisation in empowering victims of gender based violence.

The purpose of this research was to describe and explain family violence in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. It was conducted by means of a literature review, followed by empirical research, based on police dockets, against the background of Seligman's theory on learned helplessness. Other theories were also applied eclectically. The literature review was used to design a research schedule (questionnaire). This schedule was used for data capturing from police dockets from the Crime Information Analysis Centre (CIAC) at their Gauteng Regional office in Johannesburg. From this data, a convenience sample consisting of 415 cases, was compiled. These cases were reported at the charge offices of Laudium, Alexandra, Hillbrow, Rietgat, Eersterust and Mamelodi, during the period between 1 January 2001 and 1 March 2002. Domestic violence is caused by macrosocial-, gender- and relationship factors. These causes can be explained by certain aspects of structural- process- reaction and the learned helplesness theories. The adjudication of this causes and explanations focus on primary, secondary and tersiary aspects of prevention. Triggering facors, confrontation, crime incidents and restoring the equalibrium were studied in relation to the dynamics of domestic violence. All these factors such as causes, explanations, prevention and dynamics , are considered to explain the stabilization of domestic violence. / Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om gesinsgeweld in die Gauteng-Provinsie van Suid-Afrika te beskryf en te verklaar. E)it is gedoen aan die hand van 'n literatuurstudie, en is uitgebrei met 'n empiiiese ondersoek wat op polisiedossiere gebaseer is, teen die agtergrond van Seligman se teorie van aangeleerde hulpeloosheid, asook ander teoriee wat eklekties bygewerk is. Die literahmrstudie is gebrnik om 'n skedule (vraelys) te ontwerp. Die navorsingskedule is gebruik vir datavangs uit polisiedossiere. Die polisiedossiere van die Misdaadinligting- Analisesentrum (MIAS) van Gauteng se streekkantoor in Johannesburg is gebruik vir die samestelling van 'n geriefHkheidsteekproef bestaande uit 415 gevalle. Hierdie gevalle kom uit die aanmeldings by die aanklagkantore van Laudium, Alexandra, Hillbrow, Rietgat Eersterust en Mamelodi, tussen 1 Jamiaiie 2001 en 1 Maart 2002. Makrososiale faktore, geslagsrolsosialisering en verhoudingsfaktore veroorsaak gesinsgeweld. Sekere elemente van die struktuur- proses- reaksie- en aangeleerde hulpeloosheidsteoriee kan dit verklaar. Die beregting van bogenoemde fokus op primere, sekondere en tersiere voorkomingsaksies. Die dinamika waarop gefokus word met betrekking tot gesinsgeweld sluit in aspekte soos: die snellerfaktore, konfrontasie, die praktiese misdaadinsident en uiteindelik die herstelde ekwillibrium. A1 die faktore (oorsake, verklarings, voorkoming en dinamika) lei uiteindelik tot die stadium waar waar verduidelik word hoe gesinsgeweld gestabilliseer word. / Criminology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Criminology)

This thesis includes four studies investigating the experiences of abused women. According to ecological approaches different systems should be considered when conducting research into abused women and their experiences. The first study involved women who successfully left an abusive relationship. An ecological approach was used to investigate the experiences of the women in the different phases of their relationship, including the initial attraction to the partner, the development and sustaining of the abuse and her attempts to leave until her final decision to leave permanently. An important finding was the importance of considering and investigating all systems and levels when dealing with abused women, including those who have left and those who are contemplating leaving this relationship. The second study found that women who experienced physical abuse were often hurt in anatomical locations that were indicative of impulsive violence. The abuser used any object in the heat of the moment to attack the victim and no premeditated planning was evident in the type of injuries sustained. The women further reported that medical practitioners did not investigate the causes of injuries and that they were not referred to social services or organisations dealing with abused women, although they were recognised as suffering from abuse. The intersection of abuse of women and HIV was the topic of focus of the third study. A review of the records of abused women revealed that many abused women were subjected to risk factors for contracting HIV, with counsellors focussing only on abuse issues. Longitudinal case studies, of women exposed to both conditions, revealed that they lacked social support and were often secondarily victimised by the social welfare systems. An environmental scan found that social and health care services were not accessible to these women. The final study investigated intervention strategies to combat burnout in workers at an organisation dealing with abused women. The importance and effectiveness of creative exercises and art sessions were determined in combination with debriefing and supervision sessions. The studies all considered systems that are important in service delivery to abused women. A holistic and systemic investigation and treatment of abused women is shown to be essential, as is the importance of grass roots research. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)

Emotional abuse is a problem experienced worldwide, crossing all economic, educational, social and ethnic segments of all societies. Overtime, many empirical researchers concentrated on studying the occurrence and impact of physical abuse on women but neglected to study the effects of emotional abuse on the woman's physical and mental health. But with time, researchers began to realise that emotional abuse also had a great impact on the lives of women. Therefore, a detailed exploration of emotional abuse between intimate adult partners has only recently emerged in the literature. Though it is difficult to separate emotional abuse from other forms of abuse, many women in our research who were provided with a definition of emotional abuse identified and confirmed that they have been emotionally abused in their past or are being abused in their current intimate relationships. This research project focused mainly on women who suffered and have survived the wounds of emotional abuse in intimate relationships. Group work is aimed at the growth and development of the individual. This study reports on an in-depth analysis of the arrangements and formulation of the structure of support groups, and the effectiveness of the functioning of these groups. Participants who joined the support groups in this research, were women who have undergone therapeutic intervention and are/or were engaged in a healing process that involved reintegration, implementation and maintenance of therapeutic goals. Support groups do provide a place where people can share their experiences in a safe environment, and where they can symbolise their experiences and consequently make them more acceptable to the self. It has been concluded in this research that support groups were effective in giving members the opportunity of helping each other to heal from the wounds of emotional abuse by being supportive, giving feedback, making helpful suggestions and providing useful information necessary for their growth and development. Therefore, participants who joined the support groups agreed that they have benefited by receiving the encouragement and support from one another, which contributed towards their process of healing emotionally, and in turn, caused them to change from being helpless victims to survivors of emotional abuse. / Sociology / D. Phil (Sociology)