M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / This study explores the Western ideal of the thin body as experienced by Black female students. This research was motivated by the limited number of empirical studies that employ a qualitative method to investigate Black South African females’ perception of the thin ideal, or what they perceive an ideal body to be. Three Black female students were recruited from the University of Johannesburg’s campus, to participate in the interviews. On campus, interaction is encouraged through an initiation process where everyone is invited to take part, and where diversity is celebrated. This setting was appropriate because the students found themselves in a socio-cultural flux between traditional values and values instilled by modern western society. Data collection and the analysis were guided by a phenomenological research design, namely, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) because it explores the participants’ experience of the Western thin ideal from their perspective, and acknowledges the researcher’s enmeshed interpretation of the participants’ worldview. The study resulted in the identification of four master themes: 1) Physical presentation, 2) The environments influence on my body image, 3) Sense of worth, and 4) Admiration versus animosity, which were discussed in relation to relevant literature. In the concluding chapter, the key strengths and limitations of this study are reviewed, and the implications of the findings for further investigation are discussed...

M.A. / The HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa continues to grow at a rapid rate, and it is estimated that a total of 4.2 million people are infected with the virus. HIV/AIDS has been described as the biggest threat to the continents development, with severe economic, social and human impact. In South Africa, young people are considered a particularly vulnerable group, especially young women between the ages of 15 to 29 years, due to various predisposing biological, psychosocial and economical factors. Despite the numerous efforts that have been made at education and prevention, people’s behaviour has been slow to change, and the disease continues to spread at an alarming rate. It has been reported that between 1998 -1999, there was a 65% increase in the prevalence of HIV in 14-24 year olds. It has further been estimated that 50% of our population could die of AIDS in the next 5 years. This study was undertaken to research the cultural context of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, as the gap between knowledge about HIV/AIDS and behaviour change, with particular focus on our young African females. The study was based on present literature, research and media, which provided for an exploration of the cultural context of HIV/AIDS and how it applies to behaviour change. The respondents of the study were female pupils in Grade 11 at two African high schools, namely Northview and Soweto. An exploratory study was conducted, in which 234 pupils responded to the questionnaire sent out by the researcher. The primary limitation being the scope of the study, as it was limited to only two schools and one particular grade. However, due to the population size, the sample can be representative of the broader population of urban black female adolescents. The results showed that the respondents have knowledge about HIV/AIDS, however, numerous cultural contextual factors have impinged and shaped their risk-reduction behavior. The results therefore support the hypothesis that the cultural context is a key to understanding the gap between knowledge and behaviour change. HIV/AIDS prevention, education and recommendations were discussed according to results from the study. / Prof. C. Fouche

M.A. (Psychology) / This study has been undertaken in the belief, on the one hand, that it will stimulate awareness among student counsellors of the fact that factors like a third world orientation, minority group membership, culturalism and ethnocism has an influence on the emotional experience and behavior of the students which have wide implications for career maturity as well as for counseling and, on the other hand, that it may provide guidelines for student counsellors in their guidance and helping of students. This study consists of two phases. The first phase, as expounded in chapters one, two and three, is devoted to an exploration of the situation of the student, possible theories in career guidance and the role and function of student counsellors in cross-cultural situations. Chapters four, five and six deals with the second phase which consists of an empirical investigation. An experimental approach was followed and the crites Maturity Investigation was used as a pre- and posttest to measure the achievement of the students. The experimental group completed a program based on the model of Super for the development of career maturity. computer analyses with the BDMP3D-program was employed to compare the raw . scores among the experimental group and control group. comparisons were also made among the students of SWA/Namibia as members from a third world orientation and the students of the RAU as members of a first world orientation.The results were that there was a significant difference in performance between the experimental group and the control group, as well as between the SWA/Namibia and RAU students. In conclusion it is recommended that a guidance the development of career maturity in such situation as existing at the Academy, should form total guidance program. program for a complex part of the It is also recommended that the guidance service should be extended and developed to make provision for a career library and information centre as well as for the opportunity to give ample guidance to students during the orientation period and to pupils before entering the Academy.

M.A. (Development Studies) / Namibia is a land of great disparities with regard to income distribution and access to resources, which results in the experience of poverty by selected groups of her people. A superficial glance at poverty indicators in Namibia, such as Gross Domestic Product per capita, would not illustrate the depth of the problem that skewed income distribution and access to resources, as indicated by the Gini Coefficient and Human Development Index respectively, would highlight, for the different regions and communities within Namibia. This study aimed to investigate the extent of urban poverty in Keetmanshoop, as very little research had been undertaken in the southern parts of Namibia. Keetmanshoop faces an additional challenge in proactively planning for development alternatives, in view of the nearing completion of the Trans-Kalahari Highway, which will provide an alternative transport route between Gauteng (in South Africa) and Angola, and Zambia, via Namibia. It was anticipated that this would greatly reduce the amount of road traffic through Keetmanshoop and subsequently reduce the economic activity of the town. At the heart of this study were three broad aims, namely to establish a basis of information on the socio-economic conditions experienced by the residents of Keetmanshoop. Secondly, to determine the residents' attitudes towards, and perceptions of development opportunities and needs in the research area. Finally, it was aimed to identify the value of sustainable development as an appropriate development approach and thereby establish a theoretical framework for the contextualization of the development alternatives recommended for Keetmanshoop. In order to establish this base of information four research methods were utilised, namely informal in-depth-interviews with 18 community leaders, formally structured survey schedules with 500 respondents, follow-up personal interviews with 30 residents and a community essay competition...

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Magister Philosophiae - MPhil / Between one hundred and one hundred and forty million young girls around the world have reportedly been subjected to some form of genital excision during 2005. Approximately three million young girls are at risk every year of undergoing this harmful procedure (WHO, 2008). Female genital mutilation is reported to occur, and is expected to continue occurring in twenty-eight African countries (London Safeguarding Children Board, 2007). This paper aims to firstly observe the levels of excision in Africa, and then highlight the underlying factors that encourage certain women to continue this dangerous ritual by analysing national datasets, such as the child info database, obtained form the United Nations Children's Fund. By calculating and comparing common indicators, the prevailing ones that dominate FGM appreciation can be further analysed. The final objective will be to suggest strategies that can be put in place to encourage the discontinuation of female genital cutting universally. / South Africa

The effectiveness of leadership is largely dependent on whether the leadership competencies exhibited by leaders are congruent with the value system endorsed by subordinates. One of the ways in which leaders can influence subordinates is by understanding the leadership competencies valued by subordinates. Gender and national culture are two of the many factors that have an influence on the leadership competencies valued by subordinates. A large amount of research has been conducted to determine if, indeed, gender and national culture influence the leadership competencies subordinates' value. However, most of this research has been conducted in Europe and North America, places in which national cultures differ significantly from those prevailing in African countries. This study, from a South African and Zimbabwean perspective, attempted to ascertain if gender and national culture influence the leadership competencies they value in their leaders. Existing studies have indicated that gender and national culture do not influence the leadership competencies valued in a leader. The findings of this study are in accordance with previous research and agree that gender and national culture do not influence the leadership competencies valued in a leader. The results of this study indicated that male and female subordinates value similar leadership competencies. With respect to national culture, both South African and Zimbabwean subordinates value similar leadership competencies. Based on the findings of this study, regardless of gender and national culture, all subordinates value a leader who is loyal, visionary, openly embodies integrity, and is a leader who empowers subordinates.

The compilation of information on the incidence of eating disorders in South African university residence women has been identified as an urgent matter by the National Eating Disorders Coordinating Committee (NEDCC). This study was undertaken to determine the degree of eating disordered behaviour across cultures in female university residence students from the University of Natal, Durban and Pietermaritzburg campuses, and the University of Durban Westville. The Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) was completed by 39 black, 41 white, 6 Indian and 4 Coloured students. It was hypothesised that white women would show higher rates of disordered eating; that black women in more advanced years of study ie. those who are more acculturated, would show more disordered eating behaviour than first year black students; that black females would demonstrate higher Body Mass Index (BMI) scores than white students; and that a positive relationship would be found between Socio-economic status (SES) and disordered eating. The results of this study indicated that there was no significant difference in disordered eating among black and white female students. Degree of disordered eating did not increase with year of study. Although black students demonstrated significantly higher BMI scores than white students, there was no difference in body dissatisfaction scores. Furthermore there was no relationship found between SES and degree of disordered eating behaviour. An attempt is made to explain these results by exploring the role of acculturation to Western appearance standards.

The study was undertaken to address the problem of effective counselling of adolescents exposed to family violence in a multicultural society. There is a growing body of research with regard to family violence, which has intensified since the end of 1998 with the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act no. 116. An additional complication to the phenomenon of family violence as a traumatic experience is the influence of culture. The characteristics of a multicultural society are explored, in order to determine the needs of the traumatised adolescent within the cross-cultural counselling context. During the literature study the researcher became sensitised to the fact that currently established cross-cultural counselling models do not meet the challenges of a multicultural society like South Africa. Intervention in a cross-cultural setting is highly complicated and this demands that an alternative counselling model be designed prior to the development of an effective cross-cultural counselling programme. Intervention Research design, as suggested by Rothman and Thomas (1994), is implemented by means of the qualitative case study method, and led to the development of the C 4 model and C 4 programme. The C 4 programme employs a therapeutic facilitation process that is based on a unique self-developed model of counselling, which rests on the principles of awareness, acceptance, availability and accommodating. The model and programme is context-centred, as opposed to person-centred, in order to distinguish the model from the school of person-centred counselling, as developed by Carl Rogers. The term context-centred implies that the individual is the only authority of his trauma experience. Therefore, it can be assumed that he is the one who can fit his trauma experience into the context of his own life and how it translates into his relationships with others. The intervention is deemed to have had effective results in terms of the adolescents' progress, and the accomplishment of the stated overall and specific aims of the programme. Adjustments were made to process, content and implementation procedures, thereby achieving the desired and intended outcomes. / Thesis (PhD (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (PhD (Science of Religion and Missiology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted