The current study is a psychobiography. The subject was chosen through purposive sampling based on the researcher’s personal interest and the remarkable impact this woman had within her society. Ellen Kuzwayo also meets the requirements of a psychobiography in that she is historically well known, inspirational, and her life has been completed. The study applies a qualitative research method in the form of a psychobiography, which aimed to describe Ellen Kuzwayo`s life accordingto Daniel Levinson`s Life Structure Theory of Adult Development. Levinson`s theory divides the lifespan into four developmental eras, each with its own biopsychosocial character. Each era in turn is divided into shorter periods of development. Levinson`s theory was chosenbecause it is specifically relevant to the development of women. The findings of the study indicate that Kuzwayo’s life was consistent with the pattern of development which Levinson (1996) identified. Kuzwayo was relatively successful in resolving the life tasks and transitional periods proposed by Levinson. This research study has given a positive demonstration of the value of development theory to investigate a particular human life. Furthermore, it emphasized the uniqueness of individuals in coping with the challenges of life. As a result it has opened up the possibility of perceiving people and their actions in a different way. Consequently, recommendations are offered in order to extend psychobiographical research on the life of Ellen Kuzwayo.

The study consists of a psychobiography of the American entrepreneur and innovative co-founder of Apple Computers, Steven Paul Jobs (1955 – 2011). The psychobiographical research method qualitatively considers the lived life of an individual in an attempt to understand the psychological development in the context of applied psychological theory. A theoretical integration of Adler‘s Individual Psychology and Antonovsky‘s Sense of Coherence was utilized in the present study. This integrative approach facilitated a dynamic and holistic picture of the individual‘s functioning in illuminating not only personality but also the individual‘s social context, choice making capacity, general resistance resources and the individual‘s ‗meaning making‘ capacity in the strive towards health and superiority. Steven Paul Jobs revolutionised personal computing. Ranked as Forbes‘ seventeenth most powerful person and Man of the Year by The Financial Times in 2010, Jobs‘ contribution to modern technology is widely acknowledged and revered. To ensure the accurate description of the lived life of Steven Paul Jobs, extensive data was examined by utilizing Alexander‘s model of identifying salient themes. The study considered the nature and methodology of psychobiography, the theories of Alfred Adler and Aaron Antonovsky and the life of Steven Paul Jobs that resulted in an integrated psychological description of the subject. The findings of this study indicate that Steven Paul Jobs‘ unique context (environment and constitutional attributes) was valuable in light of the theoretical frameworks that the present study is grounded upon as it illustrated an individual‘s self-determination and capacity to exercise choice in response to life challenges. The study highlighted that the individual is not necessarily a passive bystander to his life events but rather is driven by an internal forward striving. Key concepts: Aaron Antonovsky, Alfred Adler, Apple Computers, Individual Psychology, Psychobiography, Sense of Coherence, Steven Paul Jobs.

Psychobiographies use psychological theory as a paradigm within which to re-awaken an individual’s life story. The psychobiographical approach historically tended to be neglected within the South African context. The aim of the current study was to explore and describe the life of Ralph John Rabie through the use of psychobiography. Ralph John Rabie (1960 – 2002) was a South African Afrikaans singer-songwriter, journalist and playwright, also known as Johannes Kerkorrel. He challenged the cultural system and the government and was arguably the most prominent member of the Alternative Afrikaans Movement until his suicide on 12 November 2002. To some he betrayed the identity of post-apartheid Afrikanerdom and to others he became an icon in the homosexual community. No existing literature to date has adopted a psychological stance on this controversial South African figure. His own writings and published material by others were utilized to illuminate his life and its many dimensions. Richard C. Schwartz’s Internal Family Systems Model (1995) was used to analyze the multiplicity and inner workings of Rabie’s personality. The influence of external systems is also discussed. The data collection and analysis were conducted according to Yin’s (1994) analytic generalization, which consists of using theoretical guidelines as a framework to select relevant data and develop a matrix as a descriptive framework for organizing and integrating the data. Alexander’s (1988) nine proposed guidelines assisted in the process of data analysis, together with the Internal Family Systems Model (1995). The findings of the study indicate that subpersonalities in different roles could be identified in Rabie’s life as described by Schwartz (1995). The different subpersonalities interacted with each other and assumed roles to protect Rabie. The findings of the study also indicated that these subpersonalities used stories to obtain power and influence within Rabie’s personality structure. The subpersonalities were successful in making Rabie influential and famous within the Afrikaans music industry and they helped Rabie change rigid Afrikaans cultural beliefs that were present within the Apartheid system. The findings further indicate how important it is for subpersonalities to work together and how a fragmented system is difficult to contain.

Psychobiographies offer the illuminating experience of uncovering the story of an individual’s life through the lens of a psychological theory. Psychobiographies offer the chance to gain a deeper understanding of what makes that individual unique. This study aimed to explore and describe the emotional intelligence of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu according to Goleman’s (1998) theory of Emotional Intelligence. Tutu was chosen as a subject for this study because of his extraordinary life and accomplishments, and because he is regarded as a prominent figure of moral leadership in South Africa. A qualitative psychobiographical research method was utilised. Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources to enhance internal validity, and was then analysed according to Miles and Huberman’s (1994) approach. The findings suggest that Tutu applied all of the twenty five emotional intelligence capacities during his life, and that at times, some were used more extensively than others. This study is groundbreaking in that it is the first psychobiography on Desmond Tutu, and it is the first psychobiography undertaken at the University of Fort Hare. Psychobiographies offer an opportunity to evaluate the psychological theory which is applied. It was found that Goleman’s (1998) theory of Emotional Intelligence is supported by this study.

No description available.

The purpose of the project is to develop and evaluate a writing unit that could be used to teach adult students in a drug court program. The project is based on theories behind narrative therapy, its use in the treatment of persons with addiction problems, and how the reframing of students' own life stories through writing can bring about change. By using writing prompts as both therapeutic and educational tools, the author hoped to improve the students' life-coping skills and their writing abilities. The unit consists of paragraph writing, essay writing, reflective writing that focused on past events, and using computers to compose and format texts. The author evaluated a preliminary draft of the unit by submitting it to four education professionals with a questionnaire. Data was also collected from the author's students by means of surveys, interviews, and writing samples. Feedback from the professionals and the students guided the revision of the unit. The questionnaire, survey, and interview questions used in the project and the preliminary and final revised drafts of the teaching unit are included.

Thesis (MA (African Languages))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / The purpose of this study is to examine message production and image restoration in the narratives of isiXhosa-speaking farming communities. According to Gergen (1994), narrative forms – such as the stability narrative, progressive narrative and regressive narrative – are linguistic tools that have important social functions to fulfil. Gergen (1994) further indicates that self-narratives are social processes in which individuals are realised on the personal perspective or experience. The self-narratives used and analysed in this study portray the contemporary, truth-based elements of a well-formed narrative. Narrative accounts are also embedded within social action; they render events socially visible and typically establish expectations for future events because the events of daily life are immersed in narrative. The study starts by laying the foundation for the reasons why human beings tell stories and why stories are so important in people’s daily lives, since most people begin their encounters with stories at childhood. Possibly because of this intimate and long-standing acquaintance with stories from childhood, stories also serve as critical means by which human beings make themselves intelligible within the social world. This study further examines the motivations and conditions for account-giving in isiXhosa. Accounts are similar to narratives and can be retained at the level of private reflections for others to read, to be educated and to learn from and to refer to from time to time. Gergen (1994) considers self-narratives as forms of social accounting or public discourse. In this sense, narratives are conversational resources, their construction open to continuous alteration as interaction progresses. The study elaborates on this phenomenon, especially in the narrative accounts of the various isiXhosa stories that were collected and analysed. What emerges from the analyses is that the individual characters whose stories are told are portrayed as moving through their experience, dealing with some conflict or problem in their lives and, at the same time, searching for a resolution. It also emerges from the collection of these various isiXhosa narratives that they sharpen our understanding of the major stressful situations in each person’s mind and how the individual reasons about the difficulties encountered in life. The narratives prove, in this regard, to be a cultural resource that serves social purposes, such as self-identification, self-justification, self criticism and social solidification. In this sense then, for an account to be true, it has to be goal-orientated and relate to people’s day-to-day lives. The study finds that the social-interactive aspects of account-giving involve severe reproach forms, including personal attacks and derogatory aspects, which elicit defensive reactions resulting in negative interpersonal and emotional consequences.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This reflexive narrative traces the development of the author’s authentic leadership fingerprint. The document outlines the author’s developmental journey from the streets of North-End in Port Elizabeth, to the boardroom tables of major telecommunications organisations in Africa, Continental United States and Europe. Utilising autoethnography as a vehicle of enquiry, the author relates his life story, with a specific focus on significant trigger events, individuals who had a positive or negative influence on the development of his world view; and the dynamic of a racially reclassified family living in Apartheid-era South Africa. The author recounts specific incidents and reflects upon significant learnings that continue to influence his leadership style as corporate manager today. The author concludes with a reflection of the transformative power of the autoethnographic process and it’s potential use as a leadership development tool, before defining an authentic leadership fingerprint that is unique to his management style. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie persoonlik reflekterende dokument weerspieël hoe die deurlopende ontwikkeling en persoonlike groei van die outeur se leierseienskappe verfyn is deur sy lewenservaringe en ondervinding. Die roete wat die outeur in sy persoonlike omstandighede moes onderneem om die oorbrugging, vanuit Port Elizabeth se noordelike voorstede, tot in die beheer van vergaderings in raadsale van een van Suid-Afrika, die VSA asook Europa se voorste telekommunikasiespelers te bemeester. Met behulp van outoetnografie, koppel en vereenselwig die outeur die ontwikkeling van sy lewensverhaal met spesifieke gebeurtenisse, positief sowel as negatief, asook met die individue wat ‘n moontlike impak gehad het op sy uitkyk op die lewe sowel as die leierseienskappe wat die outeur vandag in sy daaglikse lewe so suksesvol weerspieël en implimenteer. Die dokument raak ook aan die historiese rasse klassifikasie en apartheidswette van Suid-Afrika en watter impak dit op die outeur se familielewe asook persoonlike opvoeding en ontwikkeling gehad het. Die proporsionele bydrae van hierdie eksterne insette soos vergestalt deur staatsregulasies en diskriminasie word bespreek met spesifieke verwysing na die invloed wat dit gehad het op die ontwikkeling van die outeur as leier en watter impak dit moontlik kon gehad het met verwysing tot die outeur as leier en bestuurder soos wat spanlede en mense in sy daaglikse lewe hom ervaar. Die outeur sluit af met ‘n oorsig gefokus op die moontlike impak wat ‘n outoetnografie proses op verandering in ‘n werkshoedanigheid kan hê met betrekking tot die moontlike insluiting in die leierskap onwikkelingsproses van maatskappye. Die klem val op die ontwikkeling van die toekomstige leier en hoe die outoetnografie proses ‘n roete of handleiding kan verskaf vir die omskrywing van die leier se individuele en unieke styl van leierskap.

Pendant de longues années, le vieillissement de la population a été associé aux pays développés. Récemment, il prend de l’envergure dans les pays en développement comme le Brésil. Cependant, il reste un phénomène assez méconnu et dont la complexité commence à se révéler. Mais si le vieillissement et la vieillesse prennent de l’importance dans les divers domaines scientifiques et dans les préoccupations politiques contemporaines, c’est pourtant le regard de ceux qui vivent ce processus quotidiennement qui est trop souvent négligé : les vieux eux-mêmes. Dans cette recherche, nous situons nos efforts dans une démarche compréhensive, capable de saisir l’ambiance présente. À partir des histoires de vie de personnes âgées de Rio de Janeiro, nous avons tenté d’appréhender le sens qu’elles attribuent à leur vécu, afin de rendre compte de leur existence et de leur difficulté d’exister, de leur mode de vie. Nous utilisons la méthodologiedes narratives pour la compréhension du matériel empirique. Nous faisons le constat de l’hétérogénéité du processus de vieillissement au Brésil ; et une image plus positive du vieux et de la vieillesse émerge de notre scénario. Nous constatons également la transfiguration du rapport au corps, au temps et à la santé parmi ces personnes et une nouvelle forme d’être ensemble, mettant en évidence l’émergence du paradigme postmoderne et sa coexistence avec les valeurs modernes dans la société brésilienne. Nous concluons par l’importance de prendre en compte la compréhension des personnes âgées pour l’élaboration et pour l’implémentation de politiques, programmes et services qui puissent signifier un gain qualitatif pour cette population / For many years, the aging of the population has been associated with developed countries. Lately, it increases in developing countries like Brazil. However, it remains a relatively unknown phenomenon whose complexity begins to appear. But if aging and old age are gaining importance in several fields of science and contemporary politicalconcerns, yet it is the view of those who live it daily that is often overlooked: the old themselves. In this research, we put our efforts into a comprehensive approach, which is able to capture this atmosphere. From the life histories of older people in Rio de Janeiro, we attempted to understand the meaning they ascribe to their experiences in order to account for their existence and their lack of ease in existing, their lifestyle. We use the methodology of narratives to understand the empirical material. We observe the heterogeneity of the aging process in Brazil, and a more positive image of the elderly andageing emerges from our scenario. We also perceive the transfiguration of the relation to the body, to time and to health among these persons and a new form of being together, highlighting the emergence of the postmodern paradigm and its coexistence with modern values in Brazilian society. We conclude with the importance of taking into account theunderstanding of elderly people in developing and implementing policies, programs and services that can mean a qualitative gain for this population

The South African HIV/AIDS epidemic has reached startling proportions in the last decade. Although the disease itself makes no distinction between age, race or gender, for a variety of historical, cultural, biological and socio-economic reasons, it currently affects more women, particularly black women, than men. Therefore this study examines the narratives of HIV positive, black, resource-poor, mothers who have gained access to free antiretroviral treatment. The aim of this study is to explore the effect of this treatment on their lives and how they cope with having HIV/AIDS. Their narratives were collected during interviews and then a modified version of Mauthner & Doucet's (1998) voice-relational method was used to analyse the data. The five transcripts were firstly discussed as separate stories, focusing on their background and the voice of I. Subsequently, six central shared themes were examined, these were: poverty, relationship with partner, stigma and discrimination, support, acceptance/religion, hope and strength. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.