Thesis (DPhil (Psychology))—University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / This study addresses unprivileged dichotomies in an endeavour to make audible the silence surrounding Xhosa family resilience. This study is essentially descriptive and exploratory in nature and directed towards an understanding of the factors contributing to the resilience of Xhosa-speaking, rural black South African families. To contextualise the discussion a selection of theories on resilience are viewed within their cultural contexts. Western psychology’s privileging of a) the scrutiny of pathology while disregarding resilience; of b) white participants to black participants; and c) individuality to relationship centeredness and familial systems; are uncovered and a hypothetical understanding of Xhosa family resilience is construed. The line of thought culminates in the theoretical discussion and empirical exploration of The Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation (McCubbin, Thompson, & McCubbin, 1996). In the concluding remarks of this project an adaptation of this model, namely the Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Strength, Adjustment and Adaptation, is construed. The derived model is based on an integration of the findings of this study with resilience theory.

Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Disabled adolescents are vulnerable to HIV infection particularly in countries like South Africa which has one of the largest HIV epidemics in the world. Like able-bodied adolescents, adolescents with disabilities are at a critical stage of their psychosocial and sexual development. They may be at risk of sexual abuse as perpetrators may believe that they are incapable of defending themselves or reporting the crime to the authorities. Deaf or hard of hearing adolescents are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS due to similar risk factors to other disabled adolescents. They also face difficulties in communicating with hearing people and receiving information in sign language, and they share characteristics with minority ethnic groups, which make them hard to reach for HIV prevention campaigns. There is a paucity of research in South Africa investigating the role of schools for Deaf and hard of hearing adolescents in delivering appropriate HIV and sexuality education to their learners. This thesis is an exploratory study and investigates HIV prevention issues for Deaf or hard of hearing adolescents in South Africa. More specifically, I aim to determine the ways in which participants believe schools, health systems and other organizations contribute or fail to contribute to the HIV/AIDS prevention needs of Deaf and hard of hearing adolescents. The study includes qualitative interviews with employees of Deaf organizations, educators of Deaf and hard of hearing adolescents, parents of Deaf and hard of hearing adolescents and Deaf and hard of hearing adolescents themselves in relation to sexuality and HIV related issues. Results indicate that Deaf organizations have an interest in the HIV prevention needs of the Deaf community and in Deaf schools. However they have experienced obstacles in delivering HIV education to learners. These obstacles include communication barriers as well as the fact that religious environments in some of the schools may not always be experienced as conducive to HIV education. Although all educators of Deaf and hard of hearing adolescents interviewed in the previous phase of the study were aware that their learners are at risk of HIV/AIDS, some educators of Deaf and hard of hearing adolescents were constrained by the same issues of morality and religious conviction discussed in the first phase. Some participants had made efforts to produce appropriate HIV and sexuality materials for Deaf learners. Parents of Deaf and hard of hearing adolescents were affected by communication barriers with their children but seemed unaware of the religious ethos of many of the schools their children attended. The Deaf and hard of hearing adolescents knew they could be at risk of HIV/AIDS. Some displayed poor knowledge of HIV transmission. There are a number of issues to be addressed if schools for Deaf and hard of hearing learners are to provide adequate HIV/AIDS prevention information to their learners. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gestremde adolessente is kwesbaar vir MIV-infeksie veral in lande soos Suid-Afrika wat een van die grootste MIV-epidemies ter wêreld het. Soos nie-gestremde adolessente is gestremde adolessente in 'n kritieke stadium van hul psigososiale en seksuele ontwikkeling. Oortreders van seksuele misbruik mag gestermde adolessente beskou as sagte teikens aangesien daar die persepsie is dat hulle minder in staat is om hulself te verdedig of minder geneig is om `n misdaad by die owerhede te rapporteer. Dowe of hardhorende adolessente is kwesbaar vir MIV / VIGS vir redes war soortgelyk is aan die van ander gestremde adolessente. Dowe of hardhorende adolessente vind dit problematies om met horende (nie-gestremde) mense te komminikeer, inligting in gebaretaal te ontvang, en deel eienskappe met etniese minderheidsgroepe wat dit moeilik maak om hulle deur middel van MIV voorkomingsveldtogte te bereik. Daar is 'n gebrek aan navorsing in Suid-Afrika oor die rol wat skole vir dowe en hardhorende adolessente speel in die lewering van geskikte MIV en seksualiteitsopvoeding. Hierdie proefskrif verken en ondersoek kwessies met betrekking tot MIV-voorkoming onder dowe en hardhorende adolessente in Suid-Afrika. Meer spesifiek was die doel van hierdie studie om vas te stel wat deelnemers se persepsies is oor die bydrae of gebrek aan bydrae van skole, gesondheids-en ander organisasies tot die behoeftes van dowe en hardhorende adolessente wanneer dit kom by die voorkoming van MIV/ VIGS. Gedurende die studie is kwalitatiewe onderhoude met die volgende deelnemers gevoer: die werknemers van organisasies vir dowes; die onderwysers van dowes, ouers van dowe en hardhorende adolessente. Die onderhoude het hoofsaaklik gehandel oor seksualiteit en MIV-verwante kwessies onder gehoor gestremde adolessente. Die studie het bevind dat organisasies vir dowes `n belangstelling toon in die behoeftes van dowe gemeenskappe en skole vir dowes wanneer dit kom by MIV-voorkomming. Hulle het dit egter met tye problematies gevind om leerders op te voed oor MIV weens verskeie hindernisse. Hierdie hindernisse sluit in kommunikasie-hindernisse sowel as die godsdienstige etos wat wat in sommige skole teenwoordig is en wat nie altyd bevorderlik is tot MIV-onderrig nie. Alhoewel al die opvoeders van dowe en hardhorende adolessente gedurende die vorige fase van die studie aangedui het dat hul wel bewus is van leerders se risiko vir MIV/VIGS word sommige van hulle beperk deur bogenoemde kwessies van moraliteit en godsdienstige oortuiging. Sommige deelnemers het daarop gedui dat hul pogings aangewend het om geskikte materiaal te produseer wat spreek tot MIV en seksualiteit onder dowe leerders. Ouers van dowe en hardhorende adolessente was bewus van en word beïnvloed deur kommunikasie-hindernisse, maar was nie bewus van die godsdienstige etos van die skole wat hul kinders bywoon nie. Dowe en hardhorende adolessente was bewus daarvan dat hulle die risiko loop om MIV / vigs op te doen, maar dit blyk dat sommige min kennis dra oor MIV-oordrag. Daar is 'n aantal kwessies wat aangespreek moet word voordat skole vir dowes en hardhorendes instaat sal wees om geskikte MIV/VIGS voorkomingsprogramme aanbied te bied wat voldoen aan die behoeftes van leerders.

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / Adolescence is a trying developmental stage and the high levels of violence that many adolescents are exposed to in South Africa could negatively influence their well-being. Self-efficacy is reported to be an important protective factor for adolescent well-being. Hence, the first aim of this study was to determine the nature of the relationship between perceived self-efficacy and self-reported aggression in an adolescent sample. The second aim was to explore whether there are differences in perceived self-efficacy and self-reported aggression pertaining to gender, age and residential area respectively. Three high schools in the peri-urban area of Worcester from mid to low socio-economic communities were selected and 344 (13 – 19 years) Afrikaans speaking high school learners were randomly sampled. The Self-efficacy Questionnaire for Children and the Aggression Questionnaire were used to measure self-efficacy and aggression. The findings from this research indicate that there was a significant negative relationship between self-efficacy and aggression. However, a positive correlation was found between emotional self-efficacy, verbal aggression and hostility for the total group. Females and peri-urban adolescents scored significantly higher in the total self-efficacy scale and subscales, namely, academic, social and emotional self-efficacy than the males and rural adolescents. Males also reported significantly higher physical aggression scores than females, whereas females reported significantly higher hostility scores.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The HIV/AIDS pandemic is steadily growing throughout the world. Global estimates have revealed that forty million people are living with HIV/AIDS. Approximately 5.3 millions South Africans have been indicated to be living with the illness and within South Africa HIV/AIDS is having catastrophic effect. The burden of the HIV/AIDS epidemic has not fallen evenly. In South Africa, African women have borne the brunt of the illness. This study presents a focus on developing more effective ways of caring and therefore impacting the health of Black South African women living with HIV. Social support understood broadly as different aspects of relationships in which needs are met and individuals feel cared for, loved and valued (Cobb, cited in Friedland, McColl, & Renwick, 1996) was indicated as having a powerful impact on health. For this reason social support was considered crucial in the development of effective strategies of care. Studies examining the role of social support in the management of chronic illness such as HIV/AIDS underscore the ability of social support to provide a sense of health within illness. From within a South African context, however, a gap in social support research has been apparent. Although frameworks for understanding social support as a broad concept were available, social support research failed to provide adequate foundations for understanding social support in terms that could implicate strategic intervention and contribute to the development of more effective strategies of care. The aim of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of the lived experience of social support for a sample of nine Black South African women living with HIV. The study was conducted qualitatively within a phenomenological paradigm. A phenomenological paradigm encouraged participants, through in-depth interviewing, to provide information based on their own lived experiences of social support. The interviews were then transcribed and analysed using rigorous data analysis methods. Initial findings were presented to the sample and then developed further. Final findings were written up as rich descriptions of the lived experience of social support for the sample. Fourteen themes emerged as comprising constituent aspects of social support. Descriptions of the fourteen themes, including health care professionals, partners, family/children, support groups, meeting others needs, story telling, Memory Box Project, media and books, organisations within the community, activities, the community, being involved in research and spirituality, provide rich understandings of the interpersonal relationships constituting the lived experience of social support for the sample. A polarity was identified in the lived experience of social support. Interactions had the potential to be satisfactory and supportive as well as non-supportive. The research findings are discussed within a greater theoretical body of knowledge and considered in light of three contexts considered influential in impacting the lived experience of social support. The study assisted in the development of a culturally contextual understanding of the lived experience of social support. This understanding has implications for effective intervention strategies seeking to purposefully care for those living with HIV in South Africa / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die MIV/vigs-pandemie neem wêreldwyd steeds toe. Internasionale beramings dui daarop dat sowat 40 miljoen mense tans met MIV/vigs saamleef. Altesame 5,3 miljoen Suid-Afrikaners ly na raming aan die siekte en dit het ’n katastrofiese uitwerking. Wat bevolkingsgroepe betref, is die siekte egter nie eweredig versprei nie. In Suid-Afrika is dit die swart bevolkingsgroep, en in die besonder die swart vrou, wat die meeste deur die siekte geaffekteer word. Hierdie studie fokus op die potensiële ontwikkeling van doeltreffender versorgingsmetodes wat dan ook die lewensgehalte sou kon verbeter van swart Suid-Afrikaanse vroue met MIV/vigs. Sosiale steun het ’n sterk invloed op gesondheid. Hierdie steun verwys na die verskillende aspekte van verhoudings wat geaffekteerde individue vervuld, versorg en gelief laat voel (Cobb soos aangehaal in Friedland, McColl, & Renwick, 1996). Daarom word sosiale steun as belangrik beskou in die ontwikkeling van doeltreffende versorgingstrategieë. Verskeie studies oor die rol van sosiale steun in die bestuur van chroniese siektes soos MIV/vigs, bevestig dat sosiale steun ’n deurslaggewende rol speel in die vestiging van ’n gevoel van gesondheid binne ’n siektetoestand. Binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks blyk daar egter ‘n gebrek aan navorsing te wees wat betref die rol van sosiale steun. Hoewel daar wel werk beskikbaar is wat die rol van sosiale steun as ’n breë konsep verklaar, bied navorsing op hierdie gebied nog nie ’n geskikte grondslag vir ’n beter begrip van sosiale steun wat betref strategiese intervensie en die bydrae wat dit kan lewer tot doeltreffender versorgingstrategieë nie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om ‘n groter begrip te ontwikkel vir sosiale steun soos beleef deur ’n steekproef van nege swart Suid-Afrikaanse vroue met MIV. Dit studie is kwalitatief uitgevoer vanuit ’n fenomenologiese paradigma. Deur die voer van diepte-onderhoude binne hierdie fenomenologiese paradigma is deelnemers aangemoedig om inligting te verskaf oor hulle eie ervaring van sosiale steun. Die onderhoude is vervolgens getranskribeer en geanaliseer deur middel van streng data-analise-metodes. Daar is terugvoering oor die aanvanklike bevindinge gegee aan die vroue in die steekproef en die data is hierna nog verder ontwikkel. Die finale bevindinge is in die studie weergegee as ’n omvangryke beskrywing van die steekproef se deurleefde ervaring van sosiale steun. Veertien temas is geïdentifiseer wat kernaspekte van sosiale steun omvat. Hierdie temas sluit onder meer in gesondheidsorgwerkers, metgeselle, familie/gesinne/kinders, steungroepe, behoeftevoorsiening, die vertel van stories, die "Memory Box"-projek, die media en boeke, gemeenskapsorganisasies, aktiwiteite, die gemeenskap, betrokkenheid by navorsing, en geesteslewe. ’n Beskrywing van die veertien temas het bygedra tot ’n veel groter begrip van die interpersoonlike verhoudings wat deel uitgemaak het van die deelnemers se beleefde ervaring van sosiale steun. Daar is egter ’n polariteit geïdentifiseer ten opsigte van hierdie beleefde ervaring van sosiale steun. Dit het geblyk dat interaksie potensieel bevredigend en ondersteunend van aard kan wees, maar ook afbrekend. Die navorsingsresultate is verder bespreek binne ‘n uitgebreide teoretiese kennisraamwerk en is beskou in die lig van drie kontekste wat as belangrik geag word betreffende die invloed daarvan op die beleefde ervaring van sosiale steun. Hierdie studie het bygedra tot die ontwikkeling van groter begrip binne kulturele konteks vir die beleefde ervaring van sosiale steun. Hierdie begrip is belangrik vir doeltreffende intervensie.

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / The current South African mental health context can be described as skewed in favour of the predominantly white, paying clientele in the private sector. The mental health needs of the predominantly poor, black population and people in rural areas are consequently left unmet. Community psychology is identified as a suitable approach to providing relevant psychological services to the South African population. However there are many structural barriers to the efficient practice of community psychology, which is further compounded by misconceptions and discouraging connotations attached to this field of practice. The overarching aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of registered psychologists regarding different aspects of community psychology. A further aim was to explore the current practice patterns of registered clinical, counselling, research and educational psychologists in the Cape Winelands district. A postal survey was undertaken, which incorporated both quantitative and qualitative components. A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to all psychologists in the Cape Winelands district who have been registered with the Professional Board of Psychology of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) for at least three years. The data was analysed using frequencies and descriptive statistics as well as content analysis. In this study psychologists raised diverse opinions about community psychology, barriers to service delivery, service providers and users of such services. It appears that despite numerous calls for a more relevant psychology in the South African context, psychologists maintain a preference for the private practice setting. Suggestions were also made for changes so that the provision of community-based psychological services could be more attractive for mental health professionals in South Africa.

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Much research has focused on the social and psychological dimensions of nursing; yet we have not identified the thoughts and feelings of health care professionals as a priority in trying to understand a variety of nursing phenomena. There is a need to explore how nurses understand their social and psychological worlds, specifically with regards to the phenomena of violence, abuse and neglect within health care. Therefore, this study has attempted to answer the following research question: How do nurses understand and talk about the occurrence of violence towards patients? The research question demanded the use of qualitative methods to collect and analyse data. In-depth interviews, consisting of open-ended questions were conducted. 11 female participants were enlisted from a tertiary hospital labour ward in Cape Town by means of convenience sampling. Data were transcribed and analysed using a combination of methods. In addition to more traditional methods, I have also included autoethnography in this thesis.

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / In order to make mental health care more accessible and even out the skewed distribution of services, policies were put in place to integrate mental health services into primary health care. For this to be effective, more trained mental health personnel needed to be employed in the public sphere as well as non-governmental and community organizations; and in state services. The BPsych degree which was instituted to meet this need has however, been plagued with controversy since its inception. This study aims to determine the employment patterns of BPsych graduates in the Western Cape so as to ascertain whether the expressed goals for establishing the degree, that is, addressing the need for primary mental health care workers, is in fact being met. Combinations of quantitative and qualitative methods were employed in this study. A self-constructed questionnaire was used for obtaining data. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS and qualitative data was analysed by means of thematic content analysis. The quantitative data suggest that most of the respondents are employed and have completed the board exam. The majority of respondents are female and are employed within either community or NGO settings, or the private sector. Just over one third of respondents are employed as counsellors. A qualitative analysis of the data has suggested that the majority of employers are unaware of the category of registered counsellor. Respondents placed a large emphasis on the value of the practical component of the course. Based on the results obtained, one could argue that access to mental health care has not been significantly improved by the implementation of this category of registration.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The issue of rape in South Africa has been widely documented and debated in the form of academic, legal, governmental and media reports. The statistics that inform us both of the incidence of rape and the number of women who report rape to the police have been vehemently contested. Secondary victimization of rape survivors by police, medical and legal officials, has been reported internationally in studies conducted in the United Kingdom, the United States and South Africa. The present study explored 16 women’s experiences of reporting rape to the police in historically disadvantaged communities. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were aimed at eliciting information about the nature of their experiences with the police and how their complaints were responded to and dealt with by police personnel. Six categories and 18 themes emerged out of a grounded theory analysis performed on the data. All of the participants were reportedly dissatisfied with the manner in which they were treated or the way in which their cases were handled by the South African Police Service (SAPS). The results implied the existence of rape myths in police official’s attitudes towards rape survivors, and the need to create awareness around the rights of rape survivors who report rape to the police, as well as to educate police officers with regards to the sensitivity of the issue of rape. Keywords: rape myths; secondary victimization; police; survivors; criminal justice system; feminism; gender relations; rape in South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die onderwerp van verkragting in Suid-Afrika is deuglik debateer en dokumenteer deur middel van akademiese, wetlike, regeering en media verslagte. Die statistieke wat ons in kennis stel van die aantal insidente van verkragtings en die aantal vrouens wat verkragting reporteer is gedurig in ‘n vurige en teenstrydige toestand. Sekondêre viktimisering van verkragting oorlewendes deur die polisie, mediese en wetlike amptenare, is geraporteer op internasionale vlak in studies wat gedoen is in die Verenigde Koningkryk, die Verenigde State en Suid-Afrika. Hierdie studie dek die ervarings van 16 vrouens, vanuit historiese agtergeblewe gemeenskappe, se raportering van verkragting aan die polisie. Kwalitatiewe semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gemik daarop om inligting tot die lig te bring oor die natuur van hul ervaringe met die polisie, hoe daar op hul aanklagte reaggeer is en hoe die polisie dit hanteer het. Ses katogorieë en 18 temas was die resultaat vanuit ‘n gegronde teorie analisie wat gedoen is op die data. Al die vrouens was ongelukkig met die manier waarop hul beweerde behandeling, of oor hul sake hanteer was deur die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisie Diens (SAPD). Die resultate het gewys op die bestaan van verkragtingsmites in polisie amptenare se houding teenoor die verkragting oorlewendes, en die behoefte om ‘n bewustheid te skep oor die regte van verkraging oorlewendes wat verkragting raporteer aan die polisie, as ook om polisie offisiere te onderrig ten opsigte van sensitiwiteit teenoor die saak van verkragting. Sleutelwoorde: verkragtingsmites; sekondêre viktimisasie; polisie; oorlewendes; kriminele justisie sisteem; feminisme; geslagsverhoudings; verkragting in Suid- Afrika.

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / This study aimed to determine whether low-income women residing in a rural community in South Africa experienced any significant difference in the prevalence rates of depressive symptoms postpartum as compared to depressive symptoms prepartum. Thirty women between the ages of 16 and 38 were recruited during pregnancy from the local community clinic in Kylemore, South Africa. The women where assessed for elevated levels of depressive symptomatology using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) during pregnancy and again at three and six months postpartum. It was found that 18 (60%) of the women reported elevated levels of depressive symptomatology during the prepartum assessment, with 11 (37.9%) and 12 (48%) women reporting elevated levels of depressive symptomatology at the three months and six month postpartum assessment respectively. It was further found that the sample from the current study did not experience any significant difference in the rate of depressive symptomatology from the prepartum assessment to either of the postpartum assessments. The results also suggests that a relationship exists between the levels of depressive symptomatology prepartum and the levels of depressive symptomatology postpartum, as those women who experienced high levels of depressive symptomatology during pregnancy continued to show high levels of depressive symptomatology at the postpartum assessments. The findings from the current study thus suggest that the classification of postpartum depression as a unique and separate entity, that differs from depression occurring in women at other times and from depression as experienced by men, may be misleading. The term suggests a depression that develops following childbirth, while in the current study it seemed that when depressive symptoms were reported postpartum, they were also already apparent during pregnancy. The findings from the current study therefore suggest that the existence of postpartum depression as a distinct diagnosis or illness is problematic – a suggestion that has frequently been suggested in the literature (Aderibigbe, Gureje, & Omigbodun, 1993; Chandran, Tharyan, Muliyil & Abraham, 2002; Cooper, Campbell, Day, Kennerly & Bond, 1988; Cox, Murray & Chapman, 1993; O’Hara, Zekoski, Phillips & Wright, 1990; Patel, Rodrigues, & DeSouza, 2002).

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a significant difference in the academic performance of students who received career counselling and those who did not. Other factors that were investigated were the relationships between academic performance at university and matric results, gender and mother tongue. The third aim of this study was to determine if a significant relation exists between the first year averages of the subjects and above trend to change courses. According to research literature, career counselling, matric results, gender and mother tongue are factors that play an important role in the prediction of academic success at university level. The sample consisted of 118 subjects. All subjects were students at the Universtity of Stellenbosch. The most important findings are as follows: There was no significant difference (p>0,05) between first year averages of subjects who received career counselling and those who did not. There was a positive correlation between first year averages and matric results. There was a significant difference (p<0,05) between first year averages of the different sexes. Female students show better academic performance than male students. There was no significant difference between first year averages of Afrikaans speaking and English speaking students (p>0,05). The results of the study show that various factors influence the academic success of university students. Multiple measures must be used in combination to predict academic success.