M.A. / The problem highlighted above, based on the research done in local authorities (Annexure 1), led to the conclusion that it would be of considerable assistance to local authorities if provided with a guide containing applicable information and practical guidance to address and overcome the problem areas highlighted above. The study endeavours to provide such information and guidance. Based on theoretical research the study gives an overview of affirmative action in the United States of America with specific reference to court cases which deal with contentious aspects of affirmative action also faced by employers in South Africa. It also discusses the legal and developmental environments steering the implementation of affirmative action in South Africa and specifically in local government. In doing so, it focuses on lessons to be learned from the experience of other employers in South Africa with specific reference to local authorities as indicated by research done (Annexure 1). As highlighted guidance in respect of process and content will make a significant contribution to the success of affirmative action in the local government sector and will assist local authorities to avoid some of the problem areas and pitfalls highlighted. Therefore based on legislation and agreements pertaining to local government and practical research (Annexure 1), the study discusses a step-by-step organisation/sector-specific process to be followed in implementing affirmative action in local government and the basic content to be addressed during the various phases of the process. In so doing the study inter alia highlights the procedure to be followed to adopt and give effect to all legislation and agreements in the local government sector in a political and economic balanced manner; focuses on how to establish and task the appropriate and legitimate structures which must champion the process of planning and implementation, provides a working method and framework through which common ground can be reached on the extent and content of affirmative action and commitment obtained therefor, provides the procedures and methods through which perceptions, fears and expectations of employees can be determined and addressed as the basis for establishing a culture and climate conducive for affirmative action, discusses the process to be followed to establish an affirmative action policy and strategic plan including the basic contents of these documents and the specific key performance areas to be addressed and programmes to be developed during planning and implementation; Policy Framework for the Implementation of Affirmative Action in Local Government 6 • through the provision of abovementioned aspects, establishes a framework and methods for the continued evaluation and monitoring of the implementation process. In combining theory and practice to give a holistic perspective of affirmative action within the local government context, the study should make a valuable contribution to the successful implementation of affirmative action in the local government sector in South Africa. Given the historical constraints such as human perceptions and intolerance, cultural diversity, lack of education of certain groups, etc., achieving such a perfect balance will be a laudatory accomplishment in the interest of all South Africans and one that must be pursued. It is believed that through a proper implementation of the process detailed in this study and specifically through the establishment and utilisation of the structures and programmes identified, a workable and balanced implementation of affirmative action can be achieved. This is specifically so since it is a democratic, accountable and transparent process based on constructive engagement of, and consultation with, all the role-players involved in affirmative action.

M.Cur. (Intensive General Nursing) / Knowledge and technological advancement in the field of transplantation has increased the demand for organ donation. However, the supply of organs does not meet this demand, especially, among the black communities. Literature reviewed associate this imbalance with the few sources of organs, the technique of organ retrieval, discrepancies in the allocation of organs and sociocultural factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which the Zulu cultural norms and social structural dimensions influence an individual's decision to donate an organ or to undergo a transplantation, based on the theoretical assumptions of Leininger and Chrisman. A qualitative approach using an ethno- nursing method was selected, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the transplant co-ordinator representing the professional sector, the religious leaders and traditional healers representing the folk sector and the general public representing the popular sector of the health care system. The respondents were extracted from both the urban and rural settings. The conclusions arrived at were that there is lack of knowledge among the Zulu speaking people on organ donation and transplantation, related mainly to misconceptions associated with their life patterns, beliefs about death, burial and life hereafter, values and social structural dimensions. The recommendations with regard to the promotion of organ donation and transplantation among the Zulu speaking people were made based on culture sensitive and culture congruent principles, namely: • Cultural care preservative or maintenance such as ancestor worship, extended families etc. • Cultural care accommodation or negotiation such as their knowledge of anatomy and physiology of the human body especially the transplantable organs and their fear to discuss death, etc. • Cultural care repatterning and restructuring such as culture sensitive educational campaigns to dispel the fears and correct misconceptions.

M.A. / A research study is undertaken with the aim of establishing what the attitudes and perceptions of supervisors and supervisees are regarding the rendering of cultural-sensitive supervision in social work. The aim of the study is to provide supervisors in social work with recommendations regarding the rendering of cultural-sensitive supervision. The amalgamation of organisations rendering social services has brought about multi-cultural and cross-cultural supervisional relationships that could be potentially problematic. The research process followed is the process identified by Mindel and McDonald in Grinnell (1993). The research process is initiated with a literature study on the concepts of supervision and cultural diversity. The research is limited to the Gauteng area and the study did not take place on a large scale due to the qualitative design utilised. An in-depth study is mader rather than a statistical analysis. Data collection takes place by means of semi-structured interviews with social work supervisors and self-administered questionnaires, completed by both supervisors and supervisees. The target group of the study is supervisors and supervisees employed by organisations which already render cross-cultural services. Results of the study indicate that supervisors and supervises generally don't experience problems in the rendering and receiving of cultural-sensitive supervision. Cultural sensitivity is perceived as being the acceptance of cultural factors such as background and values, as well as having a working knowledge of the cultural background, values attitudes etc. of the supervisees. Communication barriers seem to be the problem experienced by the majority of the participants of the study. It is recommended that supervisors receive further training in cultural-sensitive supervision and that cultural-sensitive supervision needs to focus on cultural values rather than biographical aspects such as race. Anthropology included in social work training, could address the need to enhance the knowledge base of social workers and supervisors, to the benefit of supervisor-supervisees relationships and thus the client system. Results and conclusions drawn from this study can not be generalised to the broader population of social workers and supervisors. Further research is needed to determine whether the perceptions and attitudes established in this study are the general perceptions and attitudes of social workers in South Africa.

Doctorat en philosophie et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

M.A. / The dissertation analyses the political involvement of two women's organisations, Kontak and Women for Peace, during the period 1976-1990. Both organisations were established in the political watershed year of 1976. Kontak had its roots in `verligte' Afrikaner thinking concerned primarily about the image of the Afrikaner as oppressor. Women for Peace stemmed from the heart of liberal capitalist thinking fearing that the welfare community was under threat. Both organisations thus arose from the privileged white establishment and in this aspect differ from the many other women's organisations that existed in the period under review. The meaning of "political involvement" is defined in the study and evaluated in terms of the protest registered against the apartheid system, the ideological stand that was taken and the extent to which race relations improved. The latter was after all an essential objective of both organisations, more particularly to end conflict than to ensure a complete transition to democracy. The positioning, objective and conduct of the abovementioned organisations must of necessity be highlighted against the background of the oppressive political situation of the day. For this reason the study provides an overview of the political context within which the organisations had to function. It commences with the riots of 1976 when the National Party came under increasing pressure to scale down apartheid and make it more acceptable. Mention is made of the power of the National Party to equate matters of national interest with discrete party political interests. Further mention is made of the unbridgeable gap between intra-parliamentary and extra-parliamentary politics and how the decisive power of the latter was publicly suppressed. The impossibility of "political neutrality" is emphasised and that was precisely the label that the two organisations under discussion would have liked to attach to themselves. Kontak and Women for Peace were not the only players in the field of women's organisations. The study briefly discusses a few of the other main players such as the ANC Women's League, Inkatha's Women's Brigade and the Black Sash. Both Kontak and Women for Peace explicitly stated that they wished to seek reconciliation and peace between privileged whites and disadvantaged blacks "outside of the party-political arena". Neither of them could escape their political roots, however. The new enlightenment in the National Party for example prevented Kontak from taking an increasingly critical stand against apartheid. In the same way the much sharper voice of the Women for Peace was silenced by the approval of liberal PFP thinking. Both organisations registered protest within the safety of intra-parliamentary politics. They constituted no revolutionary threat for the apartheid state and their leaders were neither imprisoned nor banned. In summary it can be said that both Kontak and Women for Peace were able to realise the objectives of reconciliation within their chosen but limited target groups. Praiseworthy projects were undertaken and strong anti-apartheid positions were adopted. Democratic adjustments were constantly made with regard to membership, leadership hierarchy and language orientation. As far as the political main stream was concerned both, however, were wrongly positioned. The black majority moved in extra-parliamentary circles, outside the field of experience and even the protest actions of privileged whites. For this reason Kontak and Women for Peace were unable to contribute directly to the democratic transition to black majority rule but to some extent succeeded in sensitising the privileged white communities to accept change.

M.A. / Intelligence testing in cross-cultural assessment settings where traditional intelligence tests are used, often reveals inappropriate test content and invalid test scores for various cultures, language or socio-economic groups (SES). This moved some test users to conclude that traditional intelligence tests are not culture fair and are not suitably constructed for use across different cultures. As a result, these traditional intelligence tests often show invalid score variability when used across different socio-economic groups and culture. The purpose of this study was to investigate the suitability of the Snijders-Oomen Non-verbal Intelligence Test-Revised (SON-R) on a group of primary school learners from different language, socio-economic status (SES) and gender groups and grade levels in the Johannesburg metropolitan area. The aim of the study was to establish psychometric properties of the SON-R and to demonstrate that the SON-R can minimise the influence of home language, SES, age, grade level and gender on sub-test scores. Five postulates and four specific hypotheses were formulated for the purpose of the study. The sample of this study consisted of 400 primary school children from schools in Roodepoort and Melville. The test was administered to all subjects individually in their respective home languages within their school premises. Various statistical procedures, e.g. multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA), analysis of variance (ANOVA), Principal Axis Factoring, Pearson Correlation coefficients, Cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficients and post-hoc tests (Scheffe and Dunnett T3) were used to analyse the data. The findings on item difficulty analysis, in terms of the first and second mistakes committed on each sub-test, shows that items of the SON-R generally correspond to the theory of item difficulty underlying the items of the SON-R. Furthermore, the difficulty levels of the sub-test items appeared to be compatible with the cognitive levels of the subjects. The findings on the relationship of socio-economic status, age, as well as gender, with the sub-test scores were not statistically significant, indicating that sub-test scores of the SON-R were not influenced by those variables. The relationship between home language as well as grade evel with sub-test scores was statistically significant. The two variables have caused significant differences on sub-test scores of the SON-R. Cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficients were relatively high. In general, the correlation coefficients between sub-test scores and academic performance in school subjects were high, indicating significant predictive ability of the SON-R for scholastic purposes. A single factor solution for the combined group data, indicated one general factor of non-verbal intelligence for all four language groups. The study has raised research questions, which should be considered for future research on the SON-R. In general, the data has successfully supported the postulates and the specific hypotheses of the study.

D.Litt. et Phil. (Psychology) / The generalizability of scores obtained on the General Scholastic Aptitude Test (GSAT) was investigated for a number of subpopulations. It was shown that acceptable procedures for limiting bias against certain subpopulations had been implemented in the course of test development. In order to facilitate an empirical investigation of the GSAT, random samples of Afrikaans-speaking whites, English-speaking whites, Afrikaans-speaking coloureds, English-speaking coloureds and English Speaking Indians were tested. The nature and intensity of cognitive stimulation as well as the direction of intellectual development differed from group to group and had definite implications for achievement in a test such as the GSAT. All the groups contained persons who could be regarded as fully integrated into an advanced technological society, but their average level of development, measured against this criterion, differed considerably. The test displayed a one-factor structure with respect to all the groups. On the basis of the content of the subtests this factor can be equated with Spearman's g factor. The ecological validity of test scores was studied on the basis of Berry's model for the generalization of behaviour aeross various environmental contexts. The nature of the differences between the groups with respect to both the internal and external structure of the test scores was investigated by means of conceptual as well as statistical analyses. The extent to which test scores could be generalized was indicated for different combinations of groups. On the basis of regression models it was shown that could to a large extent be used as a substitute for group membership as regards the explanation of GSAT scores. Differences in functioning found between the groups could often be attributed to differences in levels of achievement. Within Berry's experimental context the test was found to be almost equally valid for all the groups and it measured developed general scholastic ability equally well. With respect to most of the pupils in the white groups, the Indian group and the English-speaking coloured group, the test results could be generalized similarly in the behaviour context. The test measured general reasoning ability with scholastic symbol material almost equally well for these four groups, so that cross-cultural comparisons witp respect to this type of reasoning ability could be made reasonably reliably. However, most of the Afrikaans-speaking coloured subjects were probably handicapped by a lack of relevant experience. There are substantial differences between the groups as regards the generalizability of scores to intellectual achievements in the ecological context. In respect of the majority of white pupils such generalization is probably acceptable, as they could be regarded as fully integrated into an advanced technological society.

D.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Ed. (Educational Psychology) / Youth form the foundation of society, hence physical as well as emotional stability are vital to their positive development. Currently the changing political and social situation in South Africa is closely associated with unrest and violence. This results in large numbers of black youths being exposed to traumatic incidences. Research indicates that trauma and its related stress can be a causative factor in the development of emotional disturbances and in particular the post traumatic stress disorder. In our new multicultural educational environment it has come to the attention of educational psychologists at educational aid centres that large numbers of traumatised black pupils are in need of assistance. The increasing numbers of traumatised pupils have serious emotional problems, and are now experiencing scholastic problems. The intention of the study was to develop a creative pedotherapeutic programme and to apply it with the purpose of reducing post-traumatic stress symptoms in black pupils. The point of departure of the programme was based on the assumption that the child always requires education. Hence any assistance can only be meaningful in a pedotherapeutic situation. The transcultural nature of the situation was taken into account when applying the programme. Possible obstructions and difficulties were anticipated and corrected by means of creative aid techniques. The programme was applied to four black standard five pupils enrolled at a Model 0 School in Johannesburg. By means of a structured questionnaire symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, were diagnosed. The creative pedotherapeutic aid programme was then applied during nine sessions extending over a period of nine weeks. The same questionnaire was later applied to determine the extent of the reduction of the stress symptoms. The test results indicated a reduction in intensity of several symptoms as well as symptom reduction in general. It was also reported that the scholastic performances of the four pupils had increased. A higher level of cognitive and emotional functioning was observed.

This study was conducted in order to understand Grade 10 Life Science teachers’ perceptions and experiences of teaching human reproduction topics in the Ohangwena political region in the northern part of Namibia. It also explored how the culture of the majority of the inhabitants of Ohangwena region who are Oshiwambo speaking impacts the teaching of human reproduction topics. The study was prompted by the fact that the Grade 10 Life Science syllabus requires learners to learn details of human reproduction although in Oshiwambo culture such things are not discussed openly. And this section has proven to be one of the poorly answered sections in the Grade 10 national examinations. A total of thirty five (35) Grade 10 Life Science teachers participated in this study. It is a qualitative case study underpinned by an interpretive paradigm. The unit of analysis for this study was teachers’ perceptions and experiences of teaching the topic of human reproduction. Data were generated through document analysis, questionnaires and tape recorded semi-structured interviews. Such data were analysed inductively by sorting them into categories and then into emerging themes. Categories included teachers’ views and experiences of being taught and teaching human reproduction, how culture influenced the manner in which teaching and learning of human reproduction takes place as stated in the socio-cultural theory, and how teachers of different gender perceived and experienced the teaching of human reproduction according to the feminist standpoint theory. The emerging themes were colour coded and then developed into analytical statements. Data triangulation, member checking, and follow up interviews ensured data validity and trustworthiness. This study revealed that the cultural belief of the Owambo people that prohibits adults to talk to children about things related to sex because it encourages them to practice sex is still strong among individuals in the community including teachers themselves. As a result, teachers are not comfortable with teaching human reproduction topics. From the findings, it is recommended that teachers should be empowered to teach Life Science, specifically human reproduction topics, with confidence. Furthermore, parents should be made aware of the importance of including human reproduction topics in the school curriculum so that they can motivate their children to study it with an open mind.