Afrikaans text / The purpose of the research was to investigate the experiences of adolescents who identify with the Emo subculture in a specific high school in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. Qualitative, applied research of an exploring and descriptive nature was conducted. The literature study focused on human development, the concepts contra-culture and subculture, Gestalt development, Gestalt therapy theories and the ecological theory. This served as a framework for the findings, which was based on unstructured interviews with persons who identified with the Emo subculture. Data triangulation was of special interest in this study to ensure reliability and validity, especially in the light of the fact that limited specialised literature is available on the Emo subculture. Various findings are described and recommendations are made for further research. / Die doel van die navorsing was om die belewenisse van adolessente wat met die Emo-subkultuur identifiseer, in ’n spesifieke hoërskool in die noordelike voorstede van Kaapstad te ondersoek. Kwalitatiewe, toegepaste navorsing van verkennende en beskrywende aard is gedoen. Die literatuurstudie het gefokus op menslike ontwikkeling, die konsepte kontrakultuur en subkultuur, Gestalt-ontwikkeling, Gestaltterapie-teorieë en die ekologiese teorie. Dit het as raamwerk vir die bevindinge gedien, wat gegrond is op ongestruktureerde onderhoude met persone wat met die Emo-subkultuur identifiseer. Data-triangulering was van besondere belang in hierdie ondersoek om vertrouenswaardigheid en geldigheid te verseker, veral in die lig daarvan dat daar min vakkundige literatuur oor die Emo-subkultuur beskikbaar is. Verskeie bevindinge word beskryf en aanbevelings word gemaak vir verdere navorsing. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Spelterapie)

Afrikaans text / The purpose of the research was to investigate the experiences of adolescents who identify with the Emo subculture in a specific high school in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. Qualitative, applied research of an exploring and descriptive nature was conducted. The literature study focused on human development, the concepts contra-culture and subculture, Gestalt development, Gestalt therapy theories and the ecological theory. This served as a framework for the findings, which was based on unstructured interviews with persons who identified with the Emo subculture. Data triangulation was of special interest in this study to ensure reliability and validity, especially in the light of the fact that limited specialised literature is available on the Emo subculture. Various findings are described and recommendations are made for further research. / Die doel van die navorsing was om die belewenisse van adolessente wat met die Emo-subkultuur identifiseer, in ’n spesifieke hoërskool in die noordelike voorstede van Kaapstad te ondersoek. Kwalitatiewe, toegepaste navorsing van verkennende en beskrywende aard is gedoen. Die literatuurstudie het gefokus op menslike ontwikkeling, die konsepte kontrakultuur en subkultuur, Gestalt-ontwikkeling, Gestaltterapie-teorieë en die ekologiese teorie. Dit het as raamwerk vir die bevindinge gedien, wat gegrond is op ongestruktureerde onderhoude met persone wat met die Emo-subkultuur identifiseer. Data-triangulering was van besondere belang in hierdie ondersoek om vertrouenswaardigheid en geldigheid te verseker, veral in die lig daarvan dat daar min vakkundige literatuur oor die Emo-subkultuur beskikbaar is. Verskeie bevindinge word beskryf en aanbevelings word gemaak vir verdere navorsing. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Spelterapie)