Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the potential reciprocal growth in undergraduate peer-mentoring relationships in the context of a formal peer-mentoring programme at a first-year university residence from a dyadic relational perspective. The investigation adopted a case study research design to study four dyads from a relational point of view within the context of a formal peer-mentoring programme at a university residence. The study used purposive selection procedures to identify actively participating dyads that could contribute to providing a rich description of the research problem. The study was premised on the assumption that, as a reciprocal relationship, peer mentoring is an effective means of facilitating the transition from school to university, and that universities have a joint responsibility in this regard. At the end of the mentorship year, a semi-structured, in-depth interview covering both the psychosocial and academic issues related to their experiences was conducted from a relational perspective with each of the four dyads to harvest their perceptions and lived experiences as participants. Finally, the interviews were processed and subjected to monadic as well as dyadic analysis to develop an understanding of the internal dynamics of each mentoring dyad. The study addressed a number of lacunae, such as the paucity of theoretically underpinned research and mentoring theories in student-peer mentoring, by introducing into peer-mentoring research the triple theoretical framework of social constructionism (constructing meaning by acknowledging the value of a sense of social interdependence as opposed to individual independence), relational theory (acknowledging the reciprocal nature of the mentoring relationship rather than focussing on the single perspective of the mentor or mentee), and the principles of Ubuntu (an African cultural belief system stressing the value of relational interdependence for existence, the importance of family and extended family support, and spirituality). In exploring the theoretical challenges endemic in peer-mentoring research, the study examined role-model theory, attribution theory, attachment theory, and involvement and social integration theories to abstract and highlight elements pertinent to the field of peer-mentoring research. In addition, the study developed a multi-perspective development process for the selection of theories; a theoretical framework for the analysis and interpretation of the data using the computer program ATLAS.ti., as well as a dyadic process for analysing mentoring dyads both from a monadic and dyadic perspective. Finally, the study recontextualised and expanded the meaning of key concepts culled from the literature for use in future peer-mentorship research. Given the rich perspective this study provided on the reciprocal nature and dynamics of peer mentorship on the theoretical, conceptual and practical levels, the research has made a contribution to raising awareness of this crucial field, which could stem the relentless tide of costly attrition. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie verken die potensiële wedersydse groei in voorgraadse portuurgroepverhoudinge in die konteks van formele portuurgroep-mentorprogramme by ʼn eerstejaar-universiteitskoshuis vanuit ‘n diadiese perspektief. Die ondersoek maak gebruik van gevallestudie as navorsingsontwerp om vier diades binne die konteks van ‘n formele portuurgroep-mentorprogram by ‘n enkele universiteitskoshuis vanuit ‘n verhoudingsperspektief te bestudeer. Daar is van doelgerigte seleksie gebruik gemaak om aktiefdeelnemende diades te identifiseer wat ‘n deeglike beskrywing van die navorsingsprobleem kon lewer. Die studie gaan van die veronderstelling uit dat portuurgroepondersteuning as ‘n wedersydse verhouding ‘n effektiewe manier is om die oorgang van die skool na universiteit te fasiliteer en dat universiteite ‘n gesamentlike verantwoordelikheid het in dié verband. Aan die einde van die mentorskapjaar is ‘n semi-gestruktureerde in-diepte onderhoud wat sowel die psigososiale en akademiese aspekte wat verband hou met hulle ervarings gedek het, vanuit ‘n verhoudingsperspektief met elkeen van die vier diades gevoer om hulle persepsies en belewings op te teken. Uiteindelik is die onderhoude geprosesseer en onderwerp aan sowel monadiese- as diadiese analise om ‘n begrip te ontwikkel van die interne dinamika van elke mentorpaar. Die studie het ‘n aantal leemtes probeer beredder soos die gebrek aan teoreties gefundeerde navorsing en mentorteorieë ten opsigte van portuurgroepondersteuning deur ‘n drievoudige teoretiese raamwerk van sosiale konstruksionisme (om betekenis te konstrueer deur die waarde van ’n sin van sosiale interafhankliheid eerder as individuele onafhanklikheid te erken), relasionele teorie (die erkenning van die wedersydse aard van die mentorverhouding eerder as om op die enkelperspektief van die mentor of persoon wat gementor word te fokus) en die beginsels van Ubuntu (’n kulturele geloofsisteem wat klem lê op verhoudingsinterafhanklikheid vir bestaan, die belangrikheid van familie en uitgebreide familie-ondersteuning en spiritualiteit) aan te wend. In ‘n poging om die teoretiese uitdagings endemies aan die navorsing van portuurmentorskap te beskryf, het die studie rolmodelteorie, gehegtheidsteorie en betrokkenheid- en sosiale integrasieteorieë ondersoek om die elemente eie aan die veld van portuurgroepondersteuning te abstraheer en te belig. Daarby het die studie ’n multiperspektief-ontwikkelingsproses daargestel vir die seleksie van teorieë; ’n teoretiese raamwerk vir die singewingsproses van datahantering deur die rekenaarprogram ATLAS.t.i., sowel as ’n diadiese proses vir die analisering van mentordiades vanuit sowel ’n monadiese- as diadiese perspektief. Laastens het die studie die betekenis van sleutelkonsepte wat in die literatuur voorkom, gerekontekstualiseer en verbreed vir gebruik in toekomstige navorsing oor portuurmentorskap. Gegewe die ryk perspektief wat hierdie studie verskaf op die wedersyde aard en dinamika van portuurmentorskap op teoretiese, konseptuele en praktiese vlakke, het dit ‘n bydrae gemaak tot ’n verhoogde bewustheid van hierdie baie belangrike veld en sal moontlik in die toekoms die groot uitvalsyfer onder studente kan teëwerk.

This PhD takes a social constructionist approach (see Burr, 2003) to explore how professional women in Sri Lanka make sense of and enact their careers. By explaining career through the recursive relationship between social context and individual agency, this study adds new insights into existing understandings of women s careers which are dominated by psychological models of women s development over their lifespans (see Maneiro and Sullivan, 2005; O Neil and Bilimoria, 2005; Pringle and Dixon, 2003). Most importantly this study which addresses women s experiences in Sri Lanka fulfils a significant gap in the extant literature which has paid only little attention to careers in South Asian nations. This study is based on qualitative interviews (see King, 2004) conducted with 24 professional Sri Lankan women: eight in early career, eight in mid-career and eight in late career (see O Neil and Bilimoria, 2005). All respondents aspired to reach the highest possible level in their organisations hierarchies and therefore continuously engaged with work organisations, home and family and wider contextual structures in Sri Lanka in pursuit of achieving their career goals, contributing towards maintaining and/or transforming these social structures in the process. Based on these findings I developed a theoretical framework to understand women s careers in a dynamic and contextually significant manner. This framework highlights eight different strategies women use to develop their careers which has four possible social outcomes. In illuminating specifically what women do to advance their careers within their social contexts and with what implications this framework makes a significant contribution to the careers literature which gives only little attention to individuals career strategies. Moreover by appreciating both social context and individual agency as explanations of women s careers this model refrains from taking an overly deterministic (see McRae, 2003; Crompton, 2011) or voluntaristic (see Maneiro and Sullivan, 2005; O Neil and Bilimoria, 2005) stance to conceptualising women s career development. Second, I outline a South Asian model of women s career development highlighting family, moral notions, religious philosophies and wider belief systems such as astrology and horoscopes as central constituents of women s careers. I highlight how these understandings could be used to identify blind spots in existing literature and further develop prevailing ideas of women s careers in the West. Specifically I argue that traditional notions do not altogether disappear as societies develop (see Gerth and Mills, 1991), but rather individuals use these notions to walk towards modernity. Finally I conclude the thesis by outlining how scholars could develop my work further, calling upon authors to bring moral character, traditional notions and enchantment back to the careers field. Key words: Gender, Career development, Social constructionism, Sri Lanka.

Abstract The aim of this study is to illustrate how people with drug abuse problems are being depicted in drug courts, by examining the statements of the social welfare board and the individual, and the drug courts evaluation and judgement. These statements are being examined from power theories and a social constructionist perspective. Furthermore, the study aims to examine how these statements relate to each other. The study has a qualitative approach based on a discourse analytical method with following analytical tools; modality, processes, terminology, passive sense and nominalization. Based on the social constructionist perspective, the language in the verdicts is considered as both constructed and constructing. The empirical data consists of two verdicts concerning compulsory drug treatment, acquired from a drug court located in a medium-sized city in Sweden. In conclusion, the parties' statements may include varying degrees of truth and credibility, depending on structure and word choices. Further, different groups, in this case the social welfare board, the drug court (lawyers) and doctors, throughout the study is given the role of so-called privileged speakers with a special interpretative prerogative, whose expertise and opinions are often a kind of unchallenged knowledge. It is also evident how there are power differences even between these groups. I the two analyzed cases, the results show that different parties have the primary interpretative prerogative. Common to both cases is that the person with drug abuse problems are attributed to the least power, credibility and degree of truth, and thus end up at the bottom of this chain. A key finding in the study is that people with drug abuse problems are constructed in different ways in the verdicts, depending on the choice of words, sentence structure and current discourse. The language in the verdicts becomes a power tool that create, recreate and maintain beliefs about the abuser. Compulsory treatment, discourse analysis, social constructionism, power, drug abuser

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / Completion rates of postgraduate students are relatively low worldwide. Completion rates in South Africa are currently 20% for Masters students and 13% for Doctoral students. Differences between South African universities that are attributed to the political history and racially patterned ways of allocating resources and facilitating development have been identified by the literature. Recent student protests identified issues of access, representivity and language amongst others, as important concerns requiring redress. Research has shown that postgraduate graduation rates are higher among first language English speaking students than non-mother-tongue English speakers. This study utilized a collective case study design to explore the experiences of Psychology Masters students doing thesis work in their non-mother-tongue. The study was underpinned by a Social Constructionist framework. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data and the transcribed interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Measures such as, member-checking, inquiry audit, providing thick descriptions, and reflexivity were employed to ensure all four aspects of trustworthiness. Ethics clearance was obtained from the Human and Social Science Research Ethics Committee of the University of the Western Cape. Permission to conduct the study at the identified institution was obtained from the Registrar. The Ethics Rules of Conduct under the Health Professions Act were fully adhered to. Results indicated that participants struggled with conceptual thinking, reading, writing and speaking. Findings also illustrated that emotional support from family and friends is vital and highlighted characteristics of helpful supervisory relationships. On a latent level, three underlying forms of rhetoric were identified from participants’ descriptions of their experience. These are skill, power, and identity. These are discussed as products of the social structures and institutional practices that undergird them.

Orientador: Maria Chaves Jardim / Banca: Renata Medeiros Paoliello / Banca: Silvio Eduardo Alvarez Cândido / Resumo: Essa pesquisa objetiva analisar o desenvolvimento do mercado funerário na sociedade brasileira sob a luz da Sociologia Econômica, considerando o seu postulado de que os mercados são construções sociais, observando os diversos tipos de mercado e os diferentes juízos morais atribuídos à morte (SWEDBERG, 2004). Buscando entender o desenvolvimento da empresa funerária a partir dos planos funerários e o embate desses com os outros serviços, como seguros de vida e os planos de saúde que também oferecem seguros de vida e assistência funerária. Na intersecção das transformações societárias, políticas, econômicas e jurídicas, no interior do Estado brasileiro, buscando entender como tais mudanças provocam transformações no plano simbólico e material, criando novas iniciativas de produção e consumo, produtos e serviços funerários. A inspiração teórica pauta-se na Sociologia Reflexiva de Pierre Bourdieu em termos metodológicos, através da coleta de dados das instituições que representam o setor funerário, como sindicatos, associações e também legislações referentes à atividade funerária. / Abstract: This research analyzed the development of the funeral market in Brazilian society, under the light of Economic Sociology, considering the postulate that markets are social constructions, observing the different types of markets and the different moral judgments attributed to death. Thus, we sought to understand the development of the funeral company from the funeral plans and the clash of these with other services, such as life insurance and health plans, which in addition to offering life insurance, offer funeral assistance. At the intersection of societal, political, economic and juridical transformations within the Brazilian State, it sought to understand how these changes provoke transformations in the symbolic and material plane, creating new initiatives of production, consumption, products and funeral services. The theoretical inspiration was based on the Reflexive Sociology of Pierre Bourdieu; in methodological terms, secondary sector data such as unions and associations were used, as well as the study of the legal framework, as well as an interview with directors of a funeral company. / Mestre

The present study provides an understanding of how married, tertiary educated and employed Muslim females negotiate their identities across contexts within a multicultural environment, such as post-1994 contemporary Johannesburg. An additional facet of this study was to gain insight into the construction of Muslim female identity by the husbands of the women in the study. The commonly portrayed images of Muslim women are unflattering and ill-conceived and depict the Muslim woman as one who is veiled, oppressed, secluded and submissive. In South Africa however, Muslim women have been able to participate in secular education and employment opportunities and practice their religion within a democratic dispensation that is responsive to issues of gender. In order to obtain an understanding of the nuances that underpin Muslim female self-constructions and constructions by their husbands, the study was approached from a social constructionist epistemology. It is the assumption of the researcher that identities are thus in part created discursively, and for the purpose of this study, the constructions of identity of the participants were analysed using a discourse analysis methodology. Interviews were conducted with four Muslim couples. Social facets such as gender, race, religion and globalisation were used as topics in order to understand how participants constructed Muslim women’s identity. The Muslim women who participated in the study appear to inhabit different subject positions in their daily lives. The study highlighted that identity may not be fixed or stable, rather a function of relational or contextual positions. Both the women and men in this study emphasised an Islamic identification while distancing themselves from a cultural identification. The oppression of Muslim women was relegated to the realm of culture. In prioritising an Islamic identity the participants have created a space where they are able to construct an alternative identity for Muslim women that enables them these women the freedom to access secular spaces or what may be viewed as the public sphere of men.

Empirical research exploring the physical health of female sex workers and their risk of contracting and spreading sexually transmitted infections has been over-researched. There have also been numerous studies conducted on sex workers highlighting physical violence, rape and stigmatisation. There is, however, little empirical evidence exploring the personal lives of female sex workers especially with regards to their husbands and the impact that their wives choice in career may have on the constructions of their masculinity. Accordingly, this research aimed to qualitatively explore and understand, via a comparative in-depth case study with two married couples, how the masculinity of a man, who is married to a high-income female sex worker, may be constructed, as compared to a man who is married to a woman who is not involved in the sex industry. It was found, after conducting semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with each of the married couples, that the males constructed their masculinity in relation to their wives occupation, their income in comparison to that of their wives, their wives sexuality, familial and historical notions regarding infidelity, certainty regarding paternity, and issues of romantic jealousy (both sexual and emotional). It was found that, at least for the man from a non-traditional marriage (where his wife was a FSW), by constructing and reconstructing one’s masculinity (when faced with perceived threats regarding one's sense of masculinity), one is able to reclaim the typical patriarchal characteristics. This is done by strongly conforming (and potentially overcompensating by doing so) to traditional masculine and social patriarchal standards and/or by constructing one’s masculinity to align with a more liberal feminist perspective. Therefore one demonstrates a contemporary appreciation of gender equality and non-traditional gender roles for one’s female partner.

Dentro da proposta de estruturação da política nacional de saúde as contribuições da integralidade na produção de serviços e ações de saúde de qualidade, resolutivos e satisfatórios ainda têm gerado grandes desafios. Assim, acreditando que a orientação de novas maneiras de entender e de produzir saúde, norteadas pela integralidade emergem de sentidos produzidos sobre esse termo, em contextos relacionais e dialógicos específicos, esse estudo teve por objetivo descrever os sentidos de integralidade produzidos com os trabalhadores de equipes de Saúde da Família (SF), relativos ao cotidiano de suas práticas de atenção à saúde, em uma cidade mineira. Utilizamos o discurso Construcionismo Social como uma ferramenta metodológica para produzirmos e analisarmos as informações. Essa produção ocorreu por meio de registros de diário de campo e três encontros grupais, áudio graváveis. Seguidamente as informações foram transcritas, editadas e analisadas, produzindo duas tematizações, com dois subtemas cada: 1) Quando os participantes recorrem ao discurso vinculado às práticas dos trabalhadores: Pressupõe em o trabalhador se integrar com a vida, às necessidades do paciente lá fora, que não são somente biológicas, para atendê-lo como um todo... integralmente - integralidade: apreensão ampliada dos trabalhadores em relação às pessoas atendidas, enquanto sujeitos integrados e influenciados por diferentes dimensões, contextualizadas ao longo de suas vidas; Trabalhadores e usuários não devem ter uma visão só curativa, só pontual para a doença que o paciente sofre e achar que é o remédio que faz o milagre - integralidade: capacidade dos trabalhadores de escutar e apreender de forma ampliada as necessidades apresentadas pelos usuários e das melhores maneiras possíveis de respondê-las. 2) Quando os participantes recorrem ao discurso associado à organização dos serviços saúde. Esse desdobrou-se em: Colocar o usuário do lado de dentro do serviço, considerando-o enquanto sujeito de necessidades, para organizar serviços de forma a ver suas necessidades e inseri-las dentro das prioridades de atenção dos trabalhadores - integralidade: capacidade dos trabalhadores, gestores e usuários, conjuntamente apreenderem as necessidades da população, elaborarem e implementarem respostas; Envolver todos os serviços de saúde e outros pontos de serviços na comunidade para dar segmento, continuidade no tratamento - integralidade: caracterizada pela articulação entre os vários serviços em uma rede para garantir o acesso às necessidades demandadas pelo usuário. Essas conversações produzidos foram suficientes ora para gerar autoanálise e reflexões das práticas vigentes, visando desconstruir aspectos de um projeto tradicional, vinculado ao homem fragmentado, ora para gerar primeiras aproximações do sentido da integralidade, enquanto uma postura de articulação de diversos tipos de tecnologias para responder às necessidades de várias naturezas dos usuários. / Inside the proposal of structurization of the National Health policy, the contributions for integrality in the production of services and actions for quality health, decisive and satisfactory has still generated great challenges. Believing, thus, that the orientation of new forms of understanding and producing health, led by the integrality arise from the senses produced about this term, in specific relational and dialogical contexts, this study had the objective of describing the integrality senses produced with the health workers of Health Family teams, concerning the everyday practices concerning health, in a town in Minas Gerais. The discourse Social Constructionism was used as a methodological tool to produce and analyze the information. This production occurred through registers in a field diary and three group meetings, recording audio. Following that the data were transcribed, edited, and analyzed, under the focus of two themes, with two sub-themes each: 1) when the participants use the discourse linked to worker practices: It is supposed that the worker integrate with life, the necessities out there, which are not only biological to assist him/her totally ... integrally - integrality produced as wide comprehension of workers concerning the people assisted, while subjects integrated and influenced by different dimensions, contextualized along their lives; workers and users should not have a curative vision, straight to the disease, that the patient suffers and thinks that the medicine brings the miracle - integrality referred to as a worker\'s capacity of listening and comprehending widely the necessity presented by users and the best ways possible to answer them. 2) When the participants use the discourse together with the organization of the health services. This one was divided in: Putting the user within a service, considering him while subject of necessities, to organize services in such a way that he/she can see his/her necessities and insert them in the attention priorities of workers - integrality treated as the worker\'s capacity, administrators and users, together they comprehend the population needs, elaborate, and organize answers; to involve all health services and other service points in the community to give segment, continuity in the treatment - integrality characterized by the articulation among the various services in a net to assure the access to the answers demanded by the user. These dialogues produced were sufficient either to generate selfassessment and reflections on the current practices, aiming to destroy aspects of a traditional project, or to generate the first approaches concerning integrality, while it is an articulation posture of several kinds of technologies to answer the needs of several aspects of the users.

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / Heroin usage is on the increase in the Western Cape province of South Africa owing to globalization and to increased access to the drug in this province. The goal of this study is to explore the experiences of coloured heroin users in the Metro South area of Cape Town, which stretches from Simons Town and Muizenberg to Retreat, Lavender Hill, Grassy Park, Parkwood and Wynberg. These individuals have been found to congregate in the Wynberg CBD. The overarching theoretical framework for the purpose of this research is social constructionism and symbolic interactionism, using a qualitative means of inquiry. Snowball sampling was used to recruit prospective participants and data was collected by means of in-depth interviews, with a semi structures interviewing schedule. The questions informed the subsequent themes and categories that arise from the data collection process. Snowball sampling was employed in this case, a non-probability sample, in which participants were recruited via key informants. The sample distribution included 13 participants, 10 of which were heroin users (5 female, 5 male) and the remaining 3 were key informants which contributed to triangulation of the data. In terms of the findings, participants spoke of mostly being involved in intimate relationships, which according to participants had dual benefits. For female participants intimate relationships offered a form of protection on the often dangerous streets of Wynberg and for certain males, intimate relationships offered an opportunity to fund their habit, by trading their female partners to perform sexual favors for money to acquire heroin. While the study found females were mainly involved in trading sexual favors for money, heterosexual males were also implicated in having sexual relations with homosexual men for money. Furthermore, the study found that heroin users in Wynberg represented a surrogate family, where, because of their lifestyle, they were disconnected from their own family. This family surrogate was found to be supportive, caring to a large extent, shared a living space, protective of each other and shared a common language and understanding.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / Until fairly recently studies of children as actively engaged in the production of meaning making in their social lives has been overlooked, ignored or received marginal attention within the contemporary social sciences (Caputo 1995). There has since however been considerable growth in literature dedicated to extending our understanding of childhood (Hardman 1973; Caputo 1995; Waksler 1996; Morss 2002; Korbin 2003; Sawyer 2002). This has resulted in an emergent sense of legitimacy and focus on the role of children "as active and creative social actors" in society, particularly in the field of anthropology of children (Reis, 2006) and the establishment of the 'new' sociology of childhood. The point of departure for these emergent theoretical frameworks concern the traditional devaluing of childhood and children's perspectives in favour of "...a recurring set of dominant ideas within political and academic domains that draws a generational boundary between adults and children, in the process restricting children to subordinate and protected social roles" (Wyness 200:1 in Smith 2009:253). According to James & James (2004:76 in Smith 2009:252) law is a centrally important mediating influence in the social construction of childhood as vulnerable passive bystanders. This resonates with Moses who states that the rights prioritised for children within the South African Constitution are "protection-oriented conceiving children as vulnerable citizens rather than citizens with agency" (2008:329). Furthermore, according to Moses (2008:333) the conception of children in South African policy and that which underlies national service delivery, belies or contradicts perceptions of children as "active, meaning-makers, employing a range of coping strategies". This research therefore explores the representation of children and childhood within the Children‘s Amendment Act (41 of 2007); that is whether they are displayed as "active, meaning-making" citizens or passive vulnerable bystanders; and seeks to contrast that representation with the reality of children's worldviews, decision-making capabilities in their social lives in an attempt to highlight children as citizens with agency. The study used a qualitative exploratory approach which employed a range of qualitative research tools. Data was collected through a policy analysis, research workshops and focus 2 group discussions. Purposive sampling was used to compile a child sample composed of nine girls and ten boys. A social constructionist framework was used to thematically analyse the data. The results suggest that there are two general representations of children and childhood within the Act (41 of 2007); namely "the vulnerable child" and "the child as citizen and agent". The study offers recommendations for further research and improvements for service provision directed toward children, child welfare and childcare.