Spirituality is a neglected dimension in psychology, but has recently been growing in importance. Depression is a widespread phenomenon, worldwide, although presenting differently in different cultures, including South Africa. The aim of this study was to give an opportunity to those who have experienced spirituality and depression to voice their experiences in their respective contexts. The ontological framework was postmodernism and the guiding epistemology was social constructionism. Qualitative research was the method of research selected, because it suited the aims of the research. The specific method of analysis was a "categorical content analysis". In depth interviews with eight participants from various faith backgrounds were conducted. The participants' stories were interpreted by the researcher in the form of themes. Recurring and pertinent themes were compared and discussed with other voices in the field, such as the literature and societal and cultural discourses. The study facilitated rich, detailed and complex descriptions of people's experience of spirituality and depression. The researcher hopes the voice of this research will lead to new understandings of these phenomena in a South African context. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:38:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 SimoneLM_TESE.pdf: 3257741 bytes, checksum: 55e4c5eac8445802ae8be81f15182e3d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-09-22 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / The present thesis evaluated the contributions and limitations of the tutorship program introduced in EMATER-RN, as a tactic of organizational socialization for civil servants in probationary stage. Tutorship was understood as an intensive and continuous relational process, in which a more experienced person in the organization the tutor offers psychosocial support, stimulates the development of the professional career and enables to the newcomer the tutee learning on job performance. The organizational socialization was considered in the perspective of the symbolic interactionism. The study was characterized as a program evaluation and as an action research. The practical interventions for the program implementation were conducted and, at the same time, the evaluations of process, results and reaction to the program were applied. Among the major contributions of the action research, it stood out: the diagnosis of reasons for the formation of the pair and of expectations of tutors and tutees, the improvement of the tutorship registration tools, the ascertainment of the success of the program in the socialization of the new civil servants, the confirmation of the importance of the compatibility among them and of the adequate performance of tutorship functions for achieving its benefits. Based in constraints of the program, one may quote as essential recommendations: the formation of a technical team supporting the program, the clear establishment of deadlines for each procedure and the reinforcement to its compliance, the investigation of the functions performed by the tutor, the sensitization of the managers to the resolution of problems that affect the program, the voluntary participation of the tutor and the continuous meetings of tutors and tutees. One settles for the relevance of the program and in favor of its continuation, provided that its improvement and systematic management are conducted. / A presente tese avaliou as contribui??es e as limita??es do programa de tutoriza??o implantado na EMATER-RN, como t?tica de socializa??o organizacional para os servidores em est?gio probat?rio. Entendeu-se a tutoriza??o como um processo relacional intensivo e cont?nuo, em que uma pessoa mais experiente na organiza??o o tutor oferece suporte psicossocial, estimula o desenvolvimento da carreira profissional e possibilita ao ingressante o tutorando a aprendizagem no desempenho do cargo. Considerou-se a socializa??o organizacional na perspectiva do interacionismo simb?lico. O estudo caracterizou-se como uma avalia??o de programa e uma pesquisa??o. Realizaram-se as interven??es pr?ticas de implanta??o do programa e, ao mesmo tempo, foram aplicadas as avalia??es de processo, de resultados e de rea??o ao programa. Entre as principais contribui??es da pesquisa??o, destacaram-se: o diagn?stico de raz?es para a forma??o da d?ade e de expectativas de tutores e tutorandos, o aperfei?oamento dos instrumentos de registro da tutoriza??o, a constata??o do sucesso do programa na socializa??o dos novos servidores, a confirma??o da import?ncia da compatibilidade entre eles e do exerc?cio adequado de fun??es de tutoriza??o para o alcance de seus benef?cios. Baseando-se em limites do programa, citam-se como recomenda??es fundamentais: a forma??o de uma equipe t?cnica de suporte ao programa, o estabelecimento claro de prazos para cada procedimento e refor?o ao seu cumprimento, a investiga??o das fun??es desempenhadas pelo tutor, a sensibiliza??o dos dirigentes para a resolu??o de problemas que afetam o programa, a participa??o volunt?ria do tutor e os encontros cont?nuos de tutores e tutorandos. Conclui-se pelo m?rito do programa e a favor de sua continuidade, desde que ocorram o seu aperfei?oamento e o seu gerenciamento sistem?ticos.

Spirituality is a neglected dimension in psychology, but has recently been growing in importance. Depression is a widespread phenomenon, worldwide, although presenting differently in different cultures, including South Africa. The aim of this study was to give an opportunity to those who have experienced spirituality and depression to voice their experiences in their respective contexts. The ontological framework was postmodernism and the guiding epistemology was social constructionism. Qualitative research was the method of research selected, because it suited the aims of the research. The specific method of analysis was a "categorical content analysis". In depth interviews with eight participants from various faith backgrounds were conducted. The participants' stories were interpreted by the researcher in the form of themes. Recurring and pertinent themes were compared and discussed with other voices in the field, such as the literature and societal and cultural discourses. The study facilitated rich, detailed and complex descriptions of people's experience of spirituality and depression. The researcher hopes the voice of this research will lead to new understandings of these phenomena in a South African context. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)